Chicago animal shelters like PAWS are still coping with the spread of a new, highly contagious strain of canine influenza. In the U.S., the outbreak of the H3N2 dog flu virus was first found in Chicago last year. It's now spreading to western states.

The state's largest social service provider is cutting programs and employees because of the state's budget impasse. We discuss these cuts – and what it means for those who rely on them – with David Novak of  Lutheran Social Services of Illinois; and Dan Proft of the Illinois Policy Institute.

State, local and federal officials are urging those without health coverage to sign up for the Affordable Care Act before next week's open enrollment deadline. Paris Schutz explains why it could affect your health care premiums. 

Gov. Bruce Rauner has a week to decide whether to expand the state's medical marijuana pilot program. So far the program only covers a limited number of serious illnesses and has 4,000 registered patients. Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple, the head of the state Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, joins us to talk about the pilot program.

Thousands of birds in southwest Indiana were killed after a new strain of bird flu, the H7N8 virus, was found at 10 poultry farms late last week, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.

The Windy City once again is the top city for bedbugs, according to a recent study by pest control company Orkin. “Chicago Tonight” talks with a pest control expert, doctor and entomologist about what this unflattering ranking means for Chicago.

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.