Stories by Shanika Gunaratna

What happens when a bunch of housing activists decide to seize some vacant homes and take the foreclosure crisis into their own hands? We take a look at a guerrilla group called the Anti-Eviction Campaign that has people rethinking their ideas on housing and homelessness in Chicago. Read an article.

A new ad campaign is turning heads and raising eyebrows. We talk with the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health about this new effort to highlight teen pregnancy.

Months after her much-publicized departure from politics, former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe joins us to discuss her new book, Fighting for Common Ground.

Meet Jeanne Olson, a CPS parent who's trying to translate the district's complicated school closings formula into plain English -- for other parents to understand.

Rachel Shteir joins us to discuss her recent essay in The New York Times' Sunday Book Review. Tackling Chicago’s problems with so-called “boosterism,” the piece has already attracted a firestorm of criticism.

Is coaching new moms a cost-effective way to fight poverty? We delve into a program that's producing surprising results across Illinois.

Since the high-profile murder of her 15-year-old daughter, Hadiya Pendleton’s mother has jumped head first into the national debate on guns. She joins us to explain why.

They've pleaded guilty to illegal use of campaign funds but do Jesse and Sandi Jackson deserve some measure of sympathy for their public service? We hear what some observers have to say.

Ford Motor Company's resident "futurist" is here with a look at what's in the pipeline for American cars.

We look closer at civil rights icon Whitney Young, who believed corporate America could be a friend, not a foe, to the movement for equality.

Two titans of the Civil Rights Era – Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Otis Moss Jr. – open up with personal stories of their relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We take you one hour north of Chicago to Hackmatack, a new wildlife refuge that's one of Illinois' best-kept secrets.

Two titans of the Civil Rights era – Rev. Jesse Jackson and Otis Moss Jr. – open up with personal stories of their relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Illinois is racing against the clock to implement the new health care law. We talk about the changes heading our way.

From the historic summer drought to today’s surprisingly mild winter, Illinois has experienced some extreme weather patterns this year. Our panel of experts dissects what this means for the future.

Having trouble understanding the stakes of the so-called fiscal cliff? The economics editor from The Wall Street Journal helps demystify the issue, and preview what comes next for the federal budget.

Released from prison, a group of wrongfully convicted men remake themselves as blues musicians.

Eight years ago, President Barack Obama appeared on Chicago Tonight to debate his opponent, Republican Alan Keyes, in the race for U.S. Senate.

Has the conversation about health care gotten too politicized for real reform to happen? We talk with the former Medical Editor for ABC News on how to improve health care in America.

A group of undocumented students form a support group at a local high school. The goal? Getting into college, with or without legal status. We have the story.

Clear your coffee table -- a new encyclopedia by the staff of The Onion takes on all human knowledge and turns it upside-down. We talk with one of its editors.

Beekeeping in Chicago is legal, relatively easy and increasingly popular. We take a look at the largely unseen world of rooftop bees, and the people who care for them.

We talk with the filmmaker behind As Goes Janesville, which goes deep into Wisconsin’s historic labor battle under Gov. Scott Walker.

A new book looks at Bucktown's transformation -- from gang territory to stomping ground for new gentrifiers. We talk with author and former Chicago Sun-Times reporter Scott Jacobs.

What should a 21st century city budget look like? Chicago's Inspector General has some ideas for the mayor. He joins us to discuss them.

We take you one hour north of Chicago to Hackmatack, a new wildlife refuge that's one of Illinois' best-kept secrets.