We dive into sugar and spice and everything nice, or not so nice. In The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, editor Darra Goldstein shares the powerful ways sugar has played a role in our world, both good and bad.

Who makes the city's flowery fireworks happen every summer? Geoffrey Baer digs into Chicago's public gardens, plus visits West Englewood's Old Abe and a gate to nowhere in Streeterville.

The May 31 deadline for state lawmakers to approve a budget and solve a $6 billion shortfall is quickly approaching. We talk with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about what tax hikes and other revenue generators are on the table, what services could be on the chopping block, whether lawmakers will be able to pass a budget before the end of the month, and, if not, how that affects the numerous legislative items on their plate. 

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart joins Chicago Tonight to talk about the new county jail director and efforts to get mentally ill people treatment instead of incarcerating them.

Just why did the city's bond rating get downgraded to junk status by one ratings agency? A Moody's official speaks out. Paris Schutz has the details.

The Little Rock Nine changed history when they integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. in 1957. They join us to discuss their activism and their thoughts on the current state of race relations in America.

Jay Shefsky visits the Thornton Quarry and goes to the bottom of Deep Tunnel to see where the water will flow into the new reservoir later this year.    

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, 50 aldermen, including 13 newcomers, and citywide elected officials are sworn into office at the Chicago Theater. Paris Schutz has the details on today’s ceremony.

There are 13 new members joining City Council today. We talk to four of them about their priorities and the fiscal challenges that face Chicago in the next four years.

In the new book Born Survivors, author Wendy Holden tells the story of three women who gave birth in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The three babies managed to survive, and they finally meet one another 65 years later.

The School Project is a Chicago-based documentary series that is tracking the past and present status of the city's public school system. The sixth and final episode examines education reforms and teaching philosophies.

We share what you had to say about Spike Lee’s new movie Chiraq, whether Chicago should file for bankruptcy, and the death of blues guitarist B.B. King when read some of our viewer feedback. 

During his first in a planned series of interviews with Chicago Tonight, Mayor Emanuel asserted he balanced the city’s budget in each of the last four years. But while the budgets may have been balanced on paper, budget analysts and journalists say the record is far muddier.