Stories by WTTW News

A former chief executive officer of Chicago’s first red light camera vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc., and the company’s customer liaison with the city, were indicted today on federal corruption charges together with a retired city official who managed the red light camera program for nearly a decade, after he alone was charged initially in May.

Carol Marin joins us live from the State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

The Nieman Fellowship, offered by Harvard University, is one of the most prestigious journalism fellowships available. Two journalists from The Chicago Tribune join us before heading off to Cambridge. 

Geoffrey Baer peeks into a Wrigley Field teepee and goes under the dome at Preston Bradley Hall in this week’s Ask Geoffrey.

We revisit our conversation with Chicago’s master of the mandolin. Don Stiernberg joins us to talk about playing a traditional instrument in a modern way – and performs in studio with his trio.

On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Lauren Bacall, 89, died in New York City. The legendary actress began a film career in the 1940s and continued to act for nearly 70 years. We revisit a conversation she had with former Chicago Tonight host John Callaway.

Chicago native, comedian and Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams died at the age of 63. We take a look back at his life and career. 

In the wake of Robin Williams's death, apparently from suicide, we discuss depression with an expert in mental illness.

Are aldermen trying to operate without any oversight? We'll talk to the outspoken legislative inspector general about why he feels he needs more money to do his job.

A young scientist works to repair the world, one school bus at a time. Brandis Friedman has his story.   

What's behind some candidates seeming personality transplants? We talk to three of Chicago's top media trainers who give us the insight behind good, bad, and ugly messaging.

Carol Marin and four political journalists analyze where the candidates stand in the latest polls, and how money is influencing the hotly contested races.

We sit down with experts to check in on the crisis in Iraq.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is taking the residue of human waste from their water filtration process and transforming into a powerful soil additive/fertilizer that is used in parks, golf courses, and farms throughout the area.

Chief meteorologist at WGN Tom Skilling co-authored an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune regarding climate change and the potential effects of inaction. We discuss the issue with him tonight. 

Shark Week is back. We discuss our continuing fascination with the ocean's top predator with shark expert Lise Watson of the Shedd Aquarium.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists delve further into the upcoming mayoral race, and whether potential candidates Karen Lewis and Alderman Bob Fioretti pose a real challenge to Rahm Emanuel.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists recap this week's headlines.

Karen Lewis stops by to discuss her political future and more. 

The author of the upcoming book, "The Mockingbird Next Door," details her friendship with Harper Lee, the reclusive author of the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

A new Science & Symphony production is premiering at the Grant Park Music Festival. It's a musical and visual journey through the Northern Lights.

We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.

After a 10 year, 4 billion mile long journey, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft made history today as the first spacecraft to go into orbit around a comet.

The discovery of a tiny cricket in a 20-million-year-old piece of amber that was found in the Dominican Republic more than 50 years ago offers new views into an ancient environment and how it once thrived.  

In an age of polarization and a divided Congress, many are calling for compromise. But in a new book, constitutional law professor Richard Weisberg details how flexibility and compromise have harmed the human race throughout history.

The city releases its 2015 budget forecast with a relatively manageable deficit, assuming the city gets pension reform. But what happens if it doesn't? Paris Schutz has the details.