Stories by WTTW News

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the latest hit to Cook County taxpayers: they’re on the hook for almost $500,000 due to Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios wrongly firing 11 people. Also, the panel further debates the clout-heavy Metra story. Watch the web extra conversation.

The latest casualty in the state’s battle for pension reform is Chicago’s credit ratings. Moody’s Investors Service has bumped the city’s general obligation and sales tax ratings down three notches. We discuss what this triple downgrade means.

Wrigley Field redevelopment plans pass the Chicago Plan Commission with the support of Ald. Tom Tunney. Paris Schutz has the latest.

The new Art Institute of Chicago exhibition, Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity, is the first of its kind to look exclusively at the ways in which the Impressionists used fashion to communicate the idea of "modern." View a slideshow and read excerpts from the fashion catalogue.

We share what you had to say about  Lisa Madigan's announcement that she will not run for governor, controversy arising over the plan for a lakefront hotel in Evanston, and ousted Metra CEO Alex Clifford’s RTA probe in tonight’s Viewer Feedback.  

New charges of patronage, no-bid contracts and strong-arming by Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan come to light as ousted Metra CEO Alex Clifford speaks out for the first time. Clifford told the RTA Wednesday that Madigan's requests reflected a "moral and ethical character flaw." Paris Schutz has the details.

A new investigation by the Better Government Association reveals doctors and staff at Cook County's Stroger Hospital are allegedly shorting their hours and wasting taxpayer money. We discover the BGA's disturbing findings and what the hospital has already done as a result of the investigation. Read an article.

Hearings begin Tuesday on a lawsuit seeking to block the planned closure of 50 Chicago Public Schools. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of parents, are backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. Elizabeth Brackett has the latest.

GQ editor Michael Hainey travels back in time to uncover the true story of his father’s mysterious death. We revisit a conversation with Hainey about his book, After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story. Read an excerpt and watch a web extra video.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that she will not be running for governor in 2014, but instead seek a fourth term as the state's chief legal officer. Read her statement.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed Monday that the Justice Department is continuing to investigate the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin despite George Zimmerman's acquittal. Elizabeth Brackett has local reaction to the verdict, and what the next steps in the case may be.

We share what you had to say about concealed carry legislation in Illinois in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

It was revealed this week that Chicago Public Schools' central office has decided to strip a majority of the funds raised by individual CPS schools. Joel Weisman and his panel of local journalists take a deeper look into the Sun-Times story. Watch the web extra conversation.

Was the former Metra CEO's big severance agreement hush money to cover a political hiring scandal? Lawmakers attempt to get answers Thursday. Paris Schutz has the story.

Chicago Tonight gets an inside look at the long-awaited Goodman Theatre production of The Jungle Book. Watch a web extra video and view a slideshow.

A new book takes a look at how Chicago became a leading lady on the silver screen. Hollywood on Lake Michigan looks at the city’s role in developing cinema throughout the past 100 years. View a slideshow and read an excerpt.

As a kid, Walter Arnold loved the gargoyles at the University of Chicago. Today, he is a master stone carver, trained in Italy and at Washington National Cathedral. We revisit Jay Shefsky's profile of Arnold.

A Chicago Tonight viewer captured this photograph on Grand Avenue west of Fairbanks in Chicago. Vote on our captions here and send us yours!

Has Mayor Rahm Emanuel's much-heralded infrastructure trust stalled? Paris Schutz has the story.

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin joins us to talk about his new independent film Dealin’ with Idiots, a youth baseball comedy that opens at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on July 12. Watch the film trailer and a web extra conversation with Garlin.

New gun laws are set to take effect after a holiday weekend that saw 10 homicides. Paris Schutz has the details. View our interactive graphics to see how Illinois House and Senate members voted on concealed carry legislation.

Ald. Dick Mell resigns after a decades-long career. Will his daughter take his place? Carol Marin and her panel tackle Chicago’s political dynasties.

Raise a toast to a Midwestern phenomenon – the Supper Club. Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra’s new book digs into the rich social history of these time-honored food establishments, and he visits remaining supper clubs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois. Hoekstra joins us to talk about The Supper Club Book, with a forward by Garrison Keillor. View a slideshow.

We share what you had to say about Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and a recent giraffe birth at Brookfield Zoo in tonight's Viewer Feedback.