Stories by Alexandra Silets

This week, 20 Democratic hopefuls again take the stage to debate the issues currently at the forefront of the 2020 presidential election. Jason DeSanto of Northwestern University previews the event.

Erin Aleman doesn’t have a crystal ball, but she has a pretty good idea of what Chicago and the surrounding area will look like 30 years from now.

From President Donald Trump’s tweets to a Facebook post on the page of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen’s Association, we discuss the widening political divide and what constitutes racism.

Four cops fired over an alleged cover-up. A life sentence for a former U. of I. student. A war of words between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Five casino locations are unveiled. And the Cubs are red hot.

It is possible to keep your garden alive when the weather shifts from extreme rain to extreme heat? The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Eliza Fournier has some tips for combatting common problems.

The House passes an amendment to reverse President Donald Trump’s ban on most transgender people serving in the military. Retired Col. Jennifer Pritzker joins us.

Immigration raids in Chicago and around the nation stoked fear, but there were very few reports of mass detentions and deportations. We discuss the ICE deportation operations with Ruth Lopez-McCarthy and Randy Ramey.

After a decade commenting on news for the Chicago Tribune, editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis is stepping back from the daily grind. He joins us.

Local economists Michael Miller and Edward Stuart debate the new report on the nation’s big job gains – and where interest rates may be heading.

Meet Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, the first woman in the 200-year history of Chicago’s federal court to become chief judge.

After four years of conversations with the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Chicago Tribune jazz and classical music critic wrote a book. Howard Reich joins us to discuss “The Art of Inventing Hope: Intimate Conversations with Elie Wiesel.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has appointed the city’s first “chief risk officer.” What exactly does that job entail – and how will it save Chicago millions of dollars a year?

On its final day before a summer break, the Supreme Court issues major rulings on a census citizenship question and the very controversial practice of political gerrymandering. Former Supreme Court clerks weigh in.

Here to talk about the state’s $6.5 bill backlog is the person who cuts the checks: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

The head of Chicago’s largest Jewish organization reflects on 40 years of leadership and a renewed rise of anti-Semitism. 

Rising property taxes are likely to cause sticker shock in parts of Chicago. Paris Schutz and guests discuss property tax hikes coming to the North Side. 

Carrie Austin becomes the latest Chicago alderman to be raided by the feds. Justice Anne Burke comes under fire over judicial appointments. And the Bulls draft Coby White.

The former head of the Chicago Historical Society, who created the Smithsonian’s African American history museum, is now running the Smithsonian itself – and is here to talk about it.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke received blowback from faith and community leaders on Chicago’s West Side for appointing a white woman to fill a vacancy formerly held by a black woman.

Northwestern University is officially opening its massive $560 million, state of the art research center next week. Get a sneak peek inside.

In spite of heavy rainfall that kept many indoors and 1,200 additional police officers on the streets of Chicago, 43 people were shot, seven fatally, over the Memorial Day weekend.

Chicago-based writer and director Joe Swanberg has been shooting “Easy” in Chicago for the past three years. He tells us about the central theme of the show – and the role the city plays.

As Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes aim at City Council corruption, we talk with four aldermen about how they’ll work with the new mayor.

Nationally, black women die at a rate 3.3 times greater than white women, but the statistics in Illinois are even more grim.

A new poll finds the majority of millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 – are hopeful about their economic future, even though only one-third have career jobs.

With one week to go on the fifth floor of City Hall, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sat down with Paris Schutz to talk about anti-Semitism, his leadership style, the looming pension problem and his own transparency.