While the new Will Smith movie has received mixed reviews from critics, Peggy Mason, a professor of neurobiology at the University of Chicago, is more concerned with the science behind the story than whether it's an Oscar contender. She joins us to discuss her thoughts on the film and to shed light on the dangers associated with concussions.

The University of Chicago answers activists' calls with a new trauma center in Hyde Park. One of the hospital's top surgeons joins us to discuss the details.

The risk of a Great Lakes oil spill has grown as the region becomes a hub for refining and transporting heavy tar sands oil. Oil that the Coast Guard says it does not have a method to clean up.

Twenty percent of children in Cook County are what’s known as food insecure–living in families who can’t afford or can’t access nutritious food. A new program aims to tackle food insecurity among some Chicago-area children and their parents. Take a look at how the program works.

State-approved medical marijuana has arrived in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. We get a look inside the first—and so far the only—dispensary to open in the city. 

The holistic health pioneer, a Harvard-trained medical doctor and botanist, is the author of 15 best-selling books. He joins “Chicago Tonight” to talk about his newest book, “Fast Food, Good Food: More than 150 Quick and Easy Ways to Put Healthy, Delicious Food on the Table.”

Winter is coming, which means it’s time to clean up the WTTW organic garden. The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan helps us prepare the garden for winter and plant one last crop.

A cancer diagnosis unleashes a whirlwind of emotions and questions for patients and their loved ones. To help them navigate through this trying time, Dr. Ranjana Srivastava, an oncologist and former Chicago resident, shares her knowledge in a new book, “A Cancer Companion: An Oncologist's Advice on Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery."

Today is the first day of medical marijuana sales in Illinois. Who is buying, who is selling, and is the program here to stay? Paris Schutz has the latest.

Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad speaks about achieving the dream she'd once abandoned of swimming from Cuba to Florida–and why age shouldn't hold anyone back.

Enrollment is now open for health insurance through the Get Covered Illinois marketplace. The Midwest regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tells us what to look for when reconsidering or shopping for a health insurance policy under the Affordable Care Act.

Open enrollment has just begun for health care insurance under the Affordable Care Act. As President Obama's signature health care reform enters its third year, we assess the impact of the ACA on health care provision in Illinois.

Hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats can cause cancer as well as red meats, according to a new report by the World Health Organization’s research division. How much is too much? We discuss the findings with a dietician and a professor whose research focuses on meat sciences.

The American Cancer Society has issued new guidelines for women at "average risk" of developing breast cancer, raising the age it says they should start regular mammogram screening from 40 to 45. We discuss the changes and how women should go about determining their own levels of risk with Dr. Carolyn Bruzdzinski and Dr. Kent Hoskins.

Temperatures are starting to drop but that doesn’t signal the end of the gardening season. The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan visits the WTTW organic garden to do some planting. She also shares tips on how gardeners can extend the season a little longer.

With the over-65 population in the U.S. expected to grow significantly in the coming decades, financial exploitation of senior citizens will increase dramatically, according to a new book.