Stories by Nick Blumberg

The Citizens Utility Board and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have accused Peoples Gas of deliberately misleading regulators about the ballooning cost of a huge program to upgrade gas lines around Chicago. Tonight, we discuss the safety upgrades, the program's estimated cost and the claims about the company's actions with representatives from CUB and Peoples Gas.

President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon—nine years to the day after he announced his run for the White House on the steps of the Old State Capitol. In a return to his old stomping grounds as a state senator, the president invoked many of the same themes from his 2007 speech.

Chicago Public Schools denied Friday that about 150 students from around the city could lose a widely celebrated magnet arts program at the end of the current semester, despite statements made earlier this week to the contrary.

Earlier this evening, the union announced a possible breakthrough in contract talks after the day's bargaining session wrapped up.

After the Illinois Supreme Court ruled a pension reform plan unconstitutional, lawmakers have failed to come up with a solution to a problem that worsens with each passing day. Could some form of federal bailout or bankruptcy restructuring be the answer for Illinois? 

To say that former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has seen a lot is undoubtedly an understatement. He's served under eight presidents of both major parties (2006-2011), led the CIA and Texas A&M, and been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Now, he’s the president of the Boys Scouts of America. He joins us to talk about his new book.

As Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel face crises at the state and city level, crisis management specialists tell us about the importance of leadership and image.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday announced a pension deal to reform Illinois' troubled state retirement system, but Democratic leaders in the legislature quickly pushed back on the plan. A panel of lawmakers discusses the proposal and whether it has any chance of passing the General Assembly.

Founded in 1905, the Chicago Defender gave a voice to black Americans during the Jim Crow era and helped along the careers of politicians from JFK to Richard J. Daley. Former Defender editor and reporter Ethan Michaeli spent years conducting research and interviews for his extensive new history book.

The owners of the Cubs are buying three more rooftops with a Wrigley Field view. Joining us with more on that story and other local business news is Crain’s Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer.

In 2013, Harold Pollack came up with a nine-point index card of common sense financial advice after a conversation with journalist Helaine Olen. Now, the two have expanded the card slightly into a book designed to put the average person on the road to financial well-being. Pollack joins “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the book.

As Chicago aldermen push for new oversight of City Council and take a hard look at proposals to borrow billions, they’re also faced with ongoing ethics questions about the city’s Law Department and police review authority. A panel of aldermen joins "Chicago Tonight" to discuss those issues and the search for a new police superintendent. 

Gender identity, social movements, and the changing way we communicate with each other all helped shape the list of words that dominated 2015. University of Chicago linguist Jason Riggle joins “Chicago Tonight” to talk about which words were big and why.

After a big sell off Monday, international markets appeared more settled today. What's causing the concern, and how will the Fed's rate hike affect the U.S. economy in 2016? Two local economists join us to discuss the global markets and last month's long-awaited announcement of a U.S. interest rate hike.

Oxford Dictionaries picked an emoji. Merriam-Webster picked the suffix "–ism." What's your nomination for the word of the year? 

Last weekend's police-involved shooting has raised questions about whether Chicago officers are equipped to deal with mental health crises. We discuss the crisis intervention training offered to local police officers with two mental health advocates.

The veteran journalist who was anchor and managing editor of "Nightline" on ABC from 1980 until 2005 discusses his new book about the risk of cyberattack facing the power grid in the United States and the inadequate measures being taken to protect it.

The hit Netflix show "House of Cards" has a devoted following, but did you know that one of the people responsible for it is an Evanston native and Northwestern alum? Laura Eason, executive story editor of "House of Cards," takes us behind the scenes of the popular drama.

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 Barack Obama Foundation last week announced the seven finalists chosen to submit designs for the Obama Presidential Center. One of the architects, David Adjaye, is the subject of a solo exhibition at the Art Institute’s modern wing that runs through Jan. 3.

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.

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.

In the wake of the release of police dash-cam video footage showing the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, we speak with community activists Malcolm London and Jedidiah Brown.

Since the 1970s, humorist P.J. O’Rourke has been writing about politics, covering wars and satirizing American life. His new book, “Thrown Under the Omnibus,” collects a variety of works from his prolific career. O'Rourke joins us to discuss his new book.

The city of Chicago will release video this week showing a police officer shooting a teenager. We take a closer at look at the sometimes lengthy process of investigating police shootings.

A manhunt is underway in Europe for the suspects behind Friday's coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris. This weekend, the French military bombed an ISIS stronghold in Syria and French President Francois Hollande earlier today addressed a joint session of the French Parliament. We discuss the attacks and their aftermath with a panel of experts.