Fresh from sharing the Broadway stage with Denzel Washington, Chicago actor/director David Cromer joins us to talk about his latest projects. He’s joined by another mainstay of the Chicago stage, Marc Grapey, who’ll tell us about performing with Cromer in “The Normal Heart” and his Three Oaks Theater Festival in Michigan.

At 30, Monifa Thomas was a health and medicine reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times. Not long after she passed a complete physical, Monifa had a stroke and was paralyzed on her right side and had great difficulty speaking. We revisit the story of her recovery, return to her medical beat. 

Chicago's Pocket Con convention is set to spotlight black characters in comic books and works from black artists.

Three local friends routinely visit abandoned industrial sites in the Midwest, enter the buildings, and take only photos. They don’t carry crowbars or anything that might attract the attention of the police.

Hundreds of thousands of city residents have chosen to get their electricity through the municipal aggregation program. But now many of those might want to opt out because of higher rates. Paris Schutz has more.

From state spending to patronage hires to gubernatorial race hijinks, there is no shortage of topics in the political sphere this week. We discuss these topics and implications for the city and state with our panel. 

Navy Pier attracts between 8-9 million visitors each year, but traffic drops as temperatures do in the winter. The non-profit that runs Navy Pier wants to add a hotel to attract visitors year-round. 

Chaz Ebert and Steve James ("Hoop Dreams") join us to talk about "Life Itself," the new documentary on the life of film critic Roger Ebert.

We revisit a profile Jay Shefsky did on a Chicago artist on a personal crusade to paint and preserve 200 rare native plants.

Geoffrey Baer talks plotters and spotters, is a boulder beholder, and beats feet on School Street.

Chicago native Ed Paschke’s neon and surreal paintings, which have been displayed publicly and privately around the world, made their debut on the city’s northwest side.

A decade ago, Paschke died at the age of 65 a day after he gave an interview to Artbeat Chicago.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel supports a recommendation from his task force that the city’s minimum wage be raised to $13. Some City Council members believe that’s not high enough and business owners are against the hike altogether.

Lakeview residents angrily react to the latest Wrigley renovation proposal set for approval this week. Paris Schutz has the latest.

It was his 75th birthday. Hundreds attended a VIP event featuring music, belly dancers, and speakers honoring Ed Paschke's life’s work. The public opening of the Ed Paschke Art Center in Jefferson Park drew thousands from the neighborhood. Ed Paschke was celebrated in style. The only thing was, he wasn’t there. Paschke died suddenly about a decade earlier. 

After years of decline, water levels in Lake Michigan are on the upswing. However, the recent surge in water levels has environmental experts warning that extreme weather requires improved infrastructure and a new long-term view of how we manage our water systems.