Stories by Alexandra Silets

Chicago’s third-tallest building, the Vista Tower, is being touted for it’s unique curvilinear-shaped structure. But it’s the engineering secrets you can’t see that really set this skyscraper apart.

A freight train bearing a flammable liquid used in solvents derailed in an Illinois suburb of St. Louis on Tuesday, causing a fire that sent thick, black smoke into the air and prompted the evacuation of nearby schools and residences.

At once eerie, astonishing and altogether fascinating, “Maria Callas in Concert” recently brought the legendary diva back to life for what was a singular and wholly uncanny performance.

The National Wildlife Federation warns that pollution from PFAS chemicals – often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down over time – could be one of the most serious threats facing the Great Lakes region. 

Watch the Sept. 10, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A 20-year-old Wisconsin man is accused of manufacturing thousands of counterfeit vaping cartridges a day with THC oil for almost two years, running the operation with 10 employees, authorities said.

As pipe major of the Chicago Stock Yard Kilty Band, Matt McKee carries on the tradition of a pipe band that started nearly 100 years ago. We go for a look, and a listen, as the band competes at a Wisconsin festival.

A Cook County judge has rejected a so-called gag order in the case of a mother and daughter who allegedly murdered pregnant teen Marlen Ochoa-Lopez and cut the baby from her womb.

More business news is coming to “Chicago Tonight” starting this week. Through a partnership with Crain’s Chicago Business, we’ll offer a regular feature on the TV show every Monday through Thursday night.

Scientists in Spain have been analyzing so-called super-deep diamonds as a means to learn more about the formation of the Earth itself. Rabiah Mayas tells us more about that and other stories making science headlines.

The future of medical monitoring is taking shape in a laboratory just north of Chicago. We learn about a new generation of flexible electronics.

A DuPage County judge signed off on a consent order Friday allowing for Sterigenics to reopen but with stricter emissions controls. What exactly does the settlement allow – and how soon can Sterigenics be fully operational?

The CEO of Uber is in town for a major expansion of its Chicago offices. We go one-on-one with him on that and explore issues facing the industry.

Hundreds of people have been sickened and as many as five are dead after a recent outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses. We speak with Dr. Samuel Kim, associate professor of surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

When you hear the word “guidebook,” you may think of restaurant reviews and tourist attractions. But a new take on the concept introduces readers to the city through the personal stories and experiences of its residents.

When there’s a jazz band on stage, there’s often an artist in the crowd. We visit a Chicagoan who obsessively draws the area’s jazz scene.

Humans in many areas of the world were farming, burning forests, grazing their animals and causing major changes to the environment some 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. 

Watch the Sept. 9, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Marca Bristo died from cancer Sunday morning, according to Chicago’s Access Living, the organization she founded in 1980. She was 66 years old.

The Hyde Park university maintained its position as one of top institutions in the nation – and the best in Illinois – according to the just-released 2020 rankings from U.S. News and World Report.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is calling on Food and Drug Administration Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless to take “decisive action” against the vaping epidemic that has claimed five lives or resign.

Amazon said the hiring events will take place Sept. 17 in six locations where it thinks it can find the strongest talent: Arlington, Virginia — where it’s building a second headquarters; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; and its hometown of Seattle.

Officials have identified about 450 possible cases, including as many as five deaths, in 33 states. The count includes newly reported deaths in California, Indiana and Minnesota.

Jury selection will begin Friday in the murder trial of two of three men charged with carrying out the November 2015 attack on Tyshawn Lee, a smart fourth-grader who prosecutors say was killed by gang members to send a message to his father, a purported member of a rival gang.

A judge rules Sterigenics can reopen. The mayor hears "no new property taxes" at her first budget town hall meeting. Elected officials spar over city violence. And the Bears blow the 100th season opener.

Telehealth, or the virtual delivery of health-related services, is on the rise. State and federal officials gave an update on investments supporting expansion of such services at an annual conference, including a $420 million expansion of broadband services in Illinois.