Stories by Michael Lipkin

We meet Chicago-area native Mike Lee, a Notre Dame finance grad who is climbing the ranks of the boxing world.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have heated sidewalks and never have to shovel?  Geoffrey Baer tells us about some folks in Oak Park who had that luxury in the early 20th century on tonight’s Ask Geoffrey.

We share your strong opinions about Governor Pat Quinn's appearance on our program last week when we read some of your viewer mail.

Elizabeth Brackett and her panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Need some ideas for what to do this weekend? Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on!

Gov. Pat Quinn's state of the state address Wednesday received lukewarm reviews from lawmakers and editorial boards. The governor joins us tonight to talk about new initiatives he's proposing -- plans that critics say the state cannot afford.

February is American Heart Month, a month to spread awareness about the importance of heart health. Dr. Terry Mason, Chief Medical Officer for Cook County Health & Hospitals System, joins us to discuss heart health and more. Please also join us for a live web chat during and after the segment.

We meet two men playing in the ice sheets of Lake Michigan in Hyde Park on their daily swim. Elizabeth Brackett reports.

Windy City Live host Val Warner talks about her shot at comedy in WTTW's upcoming show, The Chicago Stand-Up Project.

We have your thoughts on the pending legislation that would allow the red-light cameras in Chicago to also issue speeding tickets in tonight’s Viewer Mail.

Gov. Quinn touts job creation in his state of the state address, but Republican leaders wonder why the governor hardly mentioned the depths of Illinois' fiscal crisis. Carol Marin brings us the latest from Springfield.

The race for the Republican presidential nomination moves ahead as Mitt Romney takes the important Florida primary. What fueled Romney's comeback and what's next in this election season?

Chicago native and visionary creator of Soul Train, Don Cornelius, is dead of an apparent suicide. We talk with his close friend and legendary Chicago radio personality, Herb Kent, about the Cornelius legacy. 

Veteran Chicago food critic, Pat Bruno, talks about his battle with the same brain cancer that claimed the lives of Gene Siskel and Tim Weigel.

A new exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center brings death to life. We speak with the local man who assembled this morbid collection.

Find out why Woodstock, Illinois -- the backdrop to the classic movie Groundhog Day -- is reliving the same day over, and over, and over again.

Navy Pier is in for an extreme makeover. At least that's what some design teams are proposing. We look at the ambitious ideas presented by five finalists and tell you how you can help pick the winner.

David Petraeus has been called the most influential military leader of his generation. We talk about the forces that shaped him with Paula Broadwell, the author of a new biography, All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.

The O.J. Simspon trial set the precedent for televised trials. Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans is here to talk about how Cook County might benefit from the new rule allowing cameras in Illinois circuit courts.

A new report proposes a multi-billion dollar engineering change to Chicago's waterways to cut off an Asian Carp invasion. Ash-har Quraishi has the details.

Two innovative web developers and Chicago's Chief Technology Officer talk about new apps for Chicagoans with data from the city.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveils reforms to the city's controversial TIF program: an online database of how TIF money is spent. Eddie Arruza has the details on this, red-light cameras and more.

Illinois could eventually face nearly $35 billion in unpaid bills. A new report suggests the governor and general assembly can fix the problem.

A local company is in trouble for selling snake oil. Kris Kridel of WBBM Newsradio 780 and 105.9FM has that story, and other top business headlines.

Chicago is in the midst of a snowy owl invasion! We talk with a birder and a Field Museum scientist looking to uncover the hidden city dangers facing these beautiful creatures.

Iraqi kids take part in competitions promoting peace and addressing the challenges they face. We meet the man behind it all: 2011 Koldyke Fellow, Hussam Hadi.