The Chicago Teachers Union is preparing for a "day of action" on Friday with rallies and protests to take place from early morning through the evening. What are the alternatives for parents who need to drop their kids at school, what is the strike about, and is it even legal? 

As Mayor Rahm Emanuel does an end-run around his own civilian police board to appoint a new interim police chief, “Chicago Tonight” asks a panel of aldermen to assess the power of the mayor in a post-Laquan McDonald world.

Watch the March 31, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Get your feet tapping this weekend for Chicago Tap Theatre’s latest show, grab a donut from donut fest or get your fill of deep dish at the Chicago Pizza Summit. 

Crowdfunding is helping some Chicago-based businesses get a running start. But some entrepreneurs say that money isn't everything.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has named Jean Franczyk as its new president and CEO. The South Side native returns to Chicago after working in London for 10 years. She joins “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her new role at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The nonprofit Lucy Parsons Labs has launched a secure platform for those looking to share sensitive documents with the media. 

In 1920, the Ku Klux Klan was a small, disorganized group with just 3,000 members in Alabama and Georgia. Then a public relations firm saw an opportunity to make a bundle by building the Klan. Dale Laackman's book, "For the Kingdom and the Power: The Big Money Swindle That Spread Hate Across America" tells the little-known story.  

Hear what viewers had to say about Paris Schutz's interview with Mayor Emanuel, our report on Cook County's dip in population and Chicago State University facing closure due to the state budget standoff when we read feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

A political cartoon from the Newberry Library’s John T. McCutcheon collection depicts interviews with various voters about their thoughts concerning the 1936 election. Sentiments expressed then mirror opinions of today’s political landscape. Peruse the political cartoons.

Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court dealt Mayor Rahm Emanuel a huge blow, overturning reforms to two pension funds for city workers. The city argued reforms guaranteed previously unsecured retiree benefits, but the state’s high court wasn’t having it.

It has already cut its school year short and is now warning of hundreds of layoffs. Chicago State University's chancellor says the school is in shock because the state budget stalemate has starved it of funding. But is the 150-year-old school in danger of closing? 

Watch the March 30, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Every discussion of crime, poverty or high incarceration rates points back – in part – to jobs. For the last three years an innovative restaurant job-training program in Evanston has been providing support and practical experience to young men and more recently, women. Jay Shefsky went to Curt's Cafe to learn more.