Stories by Brandis Friedman

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart gives Chicago Tonight an exclusive look at the jail's new Mental Health Transition Center.

Waukegan teachers are entering their fourth week on strike -- today is day 18. Brandis Friedman talks with parents, teachers, and both sides of the negotiating table.

Chicago Public Schools is requesting to extend the pilot of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) before implementing it district-wide.  Brandis Friedman has the story.

As Illinois lawmakers look into ways to reform the state's prison system, we hear from the lead author of a comprehensive report on the U.S. prison system.  

Dancer Misty Copeland joins us to talk about her rocky upbringing and her against-the-odds success in the world of ballet. 

Mayor Rahm Emanuel called on the Illinois Legislature to reform sentencing laws for low-level drug offenses. Brandis Friedman has the details.

A number of CPS principals say the new, privately-contracted custodial company isn't up to the job, and their schools aren't being cleaned properly. And principals fear it will only get worse, as Aramark announces custodial layoffs. 

A campaign to boost small businesses and community development projects in Chicago neighborhoods is underway. 

A movement to get more people with criminal convictions back to work comes to Illinois.

We take a look at a little-known piece of Chicago's real estate history: the Contract Buyers League. 

A former jail inmate alleges he was denied food and access to a bed or shower for days at a time in this latest complaint.

The community-based agency Avenues to Independence is celebrating the reopening of its Thrift Shoppe, which serves as a job training center. We meet several families who have benefitted from the group’s work.

When you think of something having a "sell by" date, it's often food. But most grocery stores apply similar dates to their flowers. Tonight we meet a local resident who finds a new use for those flowers before grocery stores throw them out. 

Students with special health needs have had parents do everything for them such as manage doctors’ appointments and answer health insurance questions. But as those students grow up, they must learn to care for themselves. La Rabida Children’s Hospital has a program designed to help both teens and their families make a smooth transition.  

As part of the Chicago Community Trust’s #OnThetable2014, Chicago Tonight's Brandis Friedman hosted a dinner with area residents where they shared their thoughts, concerns, opinions and hopes for the region's future. Read her blog of the event and watch videos of what participants had to say.

Acclaimed Chicago chef, restaurateur and TV personality, Graham Elliot has lost more than 100 pounds. Brandis Friedman finds out how he did it and why. 

For 80 years, the Fashion Design Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been training future designers, stylists, and artists. Brandis Friedman goes behind-the-scenes for a peek at this year’s annual The WALK fashion show and fundraiser. 

Vacant plots of land are selling for $1 in Englewood. Brandis Friedman explains why. Read an article and view a map.

After a violent weekend in Chicago, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy talks about recently seized firearms and penalties for gun crimes. Brandis Friedman has the details. Read an article and watch the full news conference.

In a post-recession economy, many people are fearful of credit and credit card debt. But one program is helping people with poor or no credit get credit cards. Brandis Friedman explains why this program is actually helpful. Read an article and watch a web extra video.

Like the name suggests, zombie properties are often abandoned homes with no one living in them. Banks have foreclosed on them, but didn’t follow through with completion. Brandis Friedman takes a look at why that happens, the impact on the community, and what can be done. Read an article, watch a web extra video, and view a map of zombie properties in Chicago.

A Lakeview restaurant has the recipe for being green. Find out how Justin Vrany’s restaurant, Sandwich Me In, produced less than eight gallons of trash during two years of being in business. Brandis Friedman has the story of this eco-friendly eatery. Read an article, check out one of Vrany's recipes, and view a slideshow.

People who have been out of work for more than six months have a harder time getting hired again. Brandis Friedman has the story of a Chicago-based nonprofit ahead of the curve in helping those workers get back to work, and the support it’s getting from the White House. Read an article.

The Lakeview neighborhood has a unique new place for people who are homeless, and suffer mental illness or disabilities, to call home. Brandis Friedman takes a look inside. Read an article and watch a web extra video.

New research shows that the combination of mentoring and intensive tutoring can make up for three years' worth of lost learning for 9th and 10th grade boys who were previously at risk of dropping out down the road. Brandis Friedman has the story. Read an article and watch a web extra video.

A new phenomenon in hip hop music, called drill music, is unique to Chicago and gaining in popularity. We talk with one of the genre’s rising stars and examine the criticisms of the music’s lyrics. Read an article and watch a web extra video.