Stories by Kristen Thometz

A new theater festival takes the stage in September to share true stories about addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues related to mental health. 

At least 10 people have died as a result of the Category 5 Hurricane Irma, a storm widely considered to be one of the worst on record. We speak with Univision Chicago anchor Érika Maldonado via Skype from Miami.

A former CPS student says he was sexually abused by the head of a district mentoring program from 1988 until 1993. “I feel like it’s time for me to tell my story,” he said.

President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has Illinois politicians at odds.

Indie designs, beer steins, parades, global rhythms and the blues usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

It was only last week that gubernatorial candidate and Democratic state Sen. Daniel Biss named Chicago’s 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate. On Wednesday, the two went their separate ways.

Watch the Sept. 6, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

If music is one of the best ways to get a taste of another culture, Chicago is in for a feast starting Friday. We get a preview.

President Donald Trump has said he expects Congress to use the next six months to come up with a way to “legalize DACA.” But given the level of dysfunction in Congress, can that happen?

The state’s education secretary said Gov. Bruce Rauner agreed with 90 percent of the education funding bill known as SB1. Then he vetoed it. We discuss education funding reform with Beth Purvis.

Questions over President Donald Trump’s Advisory Commission on Election Integrity have caused anxiety on both sides of the aisle. But Illinois’ voter data will not be turned over, at least for now.

Chicago public health officials have given the Southeast Side company an additional week to come up with an improved plan for reducing emissions of manganese dust.

Since about 1915, a 7-foot-tall stone man has been shouldering a heavy burden on the corner of a Southeast Side building — more than hundred years without a break! But there’s some debate as to exactly who he is.

There was once an extensive network of African-American golf leagues and clubs across the country. As the golf world opened up, most of them faded away. But one that remains is the Chicago Women’s Golf Club. We go for a visit.

The Chicago Police Department says it’s not a victory, but it is progress: Homicides were down 46 percent over the holiday weekend compared with last year, and there was a 30-percent reduction in shootings.

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

After heavy storms, the Chicago River’s North Branch floods hundreds of homes on the Northwest Side. The Chicago Department of Transportation is now constructing a permanent flood-fighting weapon. We take a look.

More on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s lawsuit calling for court oversight of the Chicago Police Department.

Local reaction the Trump administration’s announcement to end the program that protected those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

The head of the Chicago Teachers Union joins us with a report on the first day of school.

The international reporter talks about making a movie based on his imprisonment in Iran, and his partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

A proposed new rule backed by the Trump administration would make it harder for nursing home residents to sue in cases of neglect and abuse. We discuss nursing home residents’ right to sue with the AARP.

Instead of dumping it in landfills, organic waste could be used to power cars, heat homes and potentially reduce the need for new landfills in the U.S., according to research by Argonne National Laboratory.

Drivers in Illinois will soon be allowed to pass cyclists in no-passing zones, and bicycling on the shoulder of the road will also be legal. Learn more.

Despite ongoing funding issues and declining enrollment, students at Chicago Public Schools graduated last year at the district’s highest rate on record, with more students earning a diploma than in each of the past six years.

In addition to luscious food pics and contoured abs, users of the popular photo-sharing app can find a bevy of advertisements for plastic surgery. But a new study finds that many providers are not board-certified plastic surgeons. And that, they say, is an issue.