Stories by Paul Caine

A Chicago author tackles the complex life of Muhammad Ali in a new biography with some fascinating revelations.

Researchers analyzed 1,000 birds collected over the last 135 years by the Field Museum and other institutions to track the amount of soot in the air of Rust Belt cities. 

Shedd Aquarium experts are among those caring for a whale calf rescued Sept. 30 in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The calf belongs to a critically endangered population of beluga whales.

He helped to define rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s—and his life was a forged as a child in Nazi Germany. We explore an exhibition about Bill Graham at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.

Chicago Police have arrested a man they say pushed a stranger onto the tracks at the Washington Blue Line station in early August.

You could say it was flipping amazing while it lasted, but at Soldier Field on Monday night, the Bears coin toss winning streak ended at 14 in a row.

The Cubs win Game 3 against the Washington Nationals as a scoreless pitcher’s duel gives way to a dramatic finish.

Viewers weigh in on bike safety following our roundup of Chicago cycling news.

Watch the Oct. 9, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

In the early 1960s, bald eagles were nearly extinct in the lower 48 states. But government protections and conservation measures have had a huge impact on their numbers. “I think it’s an incredible success story,” said biologist Chris Anchor.

Cook County commissioners are scheduled to take another vote Tuesday on the county’s so-called soda tax. Opponents of the tax were pounding the pavement Monday, hoping to convince a few more commissioners to support a repeal.

Local progressives and elected officials say the time is now to talk gun reform following the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Since 2010, the EPA has cited an East Chicago steelmaking facility six times for violations of the Clean Air Act. Now, a group representing nearby residents intends to sue EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt over the renewal of the company’s operating permit.

Newton Minow has been a member of the WTTW board since 1967 when he joined as chairman. In an opinion piece, he writes: “For the sake of the United States of America and our values, we need your voices now.” 

Eli Finkel studies relationships and marriage, and in his new book “The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work,” he argues the best marriages of today are the best the world has ever known.

Cryptic comments, contradictory statements and tweets: President Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach has some members of his own party on edge.

Considered one of the founding fathers of behavioral economics, a field that bridges the gap between economics and psychology, Richard Thaler is known for illustrating how human behavior often contradicts traditional economic logic.

The suburban lawmaker is considering getting in the race, citing her frustration with the governor's signing of HB40.

With mental illness affecting 1 in 5 people, Chicagoan Veronica Padilla hopes addressing the topic in a playful manner will make it more accessible. “Humor can be very therapeutic. Humor has gotten me out of so many binds in my life when things got heavy,” she said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says city residents will have respite from the tax and fee increases that have socked them in recent years.

Mayor Emanuel says the city is safe for this weekend’s Chicago Marathon. A moment of truth for looms for the Cook County soda tax. All eyes are on the Cubs, and Mitch Trubisky makes his NFL debut Monday night.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the Chicago Police Department’s murder clearance rate is “unacceptable,” as are details out this week describing an “abuse of culture” surrounding police overtime pay. Watch the interview.

Watch the Oct. 5, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

A web series that debuted in February has already been picked up by HBO. Made in Chicago, it highlights the friendships between young women of color. We talk with the award-winning poet who co-created the series, and an actor from the show.

The Cook County board president used her annual budget address Thursday to warn commissioners and the public that repealing a tax on sugary drinks will take the county down a path of “fiscal uncertainty” that will result in layoffs and cutting “essential services.”

Stephen Paddock, the gunman who opened fire on thousands of concertgoers in Las Vegas late Sunday night, had booked two rooms in Chicago overlooking Grant Park in August, during Lollapalooza, according to a report from TMZ.