Engage the left side of your brain with science activities; watch a family drama unfold on stage; and celebrate the arrival of spring with Chicago’s German community; Chicago Tonight has your weekend picks.

Late Thursday afternoon, former U.S. Speaker Dennis Hastert was charged in a scheme to withdraw millions of dollars to pay off an accuser for “past misconduct.” The indictment says Hastert lied to the FBI about the purpose of the withdrawals. Paris Schutz has more on the developing case.

It’s the final stretch of the legislative session. Will lawmakers be able to approve a budget by Sunday or will a special session be necessary? Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky updates us on that and more.

Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia, a clinical psychologist, is the new director of the Cook County Jail. She joins us in conversation.

Pastor Corey Brooks sits down with Paris Schutz to discuss his controversial endorsement of Republican Bruce Rauner for governor, his mission to curb violence and bring economic development to his community, and why he is inviting presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle to come to the South Side for a series of town hall meetings.

CoRiccio Baskin has been making tiny, remarkably accurate replicas of everyday objects for more than 20 years. Jay Shefsky has a profile.

Robert Ryan was an Oscar-nominated actor best known for roles in The Wild Bunch and The Dirty Dozen. The Chicago Reader’s J.R. Jones’ new biography of the Chicago actor looks at the political activism behind the actor’s tough-guy onscreen persona.

We share what you had to say about our conversation with Chicago Teacher's Union President Karen Lewis, the CTA's proposed Belmont flyover project, and the most recent progress of the Chicago Riverwalk project.

The showdown between Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan continues as state lawmakers stare down a May 31 deadline to approve a budget plan. On Wednesday, lawmakers will continue to vote on a series of measures that make up the spending plan, backed by Madigan, that’s about $3 billion short. At the same time, lawmakers will hold hearings on items that make up Rauner’s Turnaround Illinois agenda.

The Illinois General Assembly has sent a bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner that will allow terminally ill patients to try experimental medication that hasn't yet been approved by the FDA. We'll hear more on the debate over whether the bill gives families a lifeline or puts already sick people at risk.

Sen. Rand Paul brings his presidential campaign to the South Side of Chicago. Will his message resonate here? Paris Schutz has the latest. 

We live in a digital world. We communicate with each other through tweets and Facebook posts, upload photos to Instagram, pay our bills online, and more. But what happens to all those digital files and accounts after we die? We discuss planning for your digital afterlife.

We revisit our story about the Swedish National Museum’s Vikings -- an exhibition that challenges stereotypes of the Norsemen who lived, traded, and raided a millennium ago --at The Field Museum. Take our quiz to test your Vikings knowledge!

Chicago Sun-Times Theater Critic Hedy Weiss reviews five shows being staged around Chicago.