Stories by Brandis Friedman

Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson says emails distributed among employees at the city Water Department suggest a culture of overtly racist and sexist behavior.

The exodus continues in Gov. Bruce Rauner's office as old staff members leave and new ones come in. A look at who’s out, and who’s in.

Watch the July 17, 2017 episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Lincoln Park Zoo recently launched a web series to chronicle the latest crushes, power struggles and other dramatic twists and turns surrounding the lives of its 15 African penguins.

Gov. Bruce Rauner insists on removing what he calls a Chicago “bailout” from a state school funding plan.

Without an agreement, school superintendents across the state are tasked with figuring out how long their schools can stay open this school year. We speak with superintendents from two suburban districts.

As districts across the state face the possibility of a delayed start to the school year this fall, Gov. Bruce Rauner and Chicago Public Schools are squaring off over what to do with a potential fix for the state’s broken education funding formula.

Cardinal Blase Cupich talks about a new anti-violence initiative and other issues facing the Catholic Church.

Dr. J. Allen Hynek was a highly respected scientist for decades before he received a credit as a technical adviser on Steven Spielberg’s 1977 movie. His life and legacy are explored in a new biography.

Young adults from Chicago’s Austin community are learning about fire safety as part of a pilot program aiming to address high crime rates, unemployment and other issues facing residents.

Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population in the U.S., but data on pregnancies and births in prisons is either outdated or nonexistent. Illinois is now among 22 states participating in the first large-scale, comprehensive study of pregnancy in American prisons.

In a letter sent Friday to principals, CPS officials admit the budget distribution process is taking place “later than anyone can remember.” They put blame for the setback on Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Elevated lead levels have been found in hundreds of water fixtures in Illinois’ second largest public school district following an initial round of testing earlier this year.

Law enforcement agencies have a new set of guidelines for responding to reports of sexual assault and sexual abuse.

Visitors can expect snow flurries on their next trip to the zoo, even in the middle of summer. Four snowy owl chicks hatched last month are already flapping their wings and will soon attempt to fly. 

We raise a glass to one of the first female architects in the U.S. with a rum-based sipper that creates beauty from the sour, the bitter and the strange.

A staff shakeup in the Rauner administration. Big layoffs predicted after Cook County’s soda tax is blocked in court. New owners at the Chicago Sun-Times. Big changes ahead for Lake Shore Drive. And in sports, a major crosstown trade.

The Sun-Times publisher and editor-in-chief talks about the newspaper’s new owner and what’s ahead for the 69-year-old paper.

A stunning Windy City Swap: Sox ace pitcher Jose Quintana is being sent about 8 miles north.

Watch the July 13, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The trillion-ton iceberg is now drifting. While experts say it poses no immediate threat, is the event itself the precursor of more change to come as the global environment warms?

Award-winning musician, writer and producer Brian Culbertson joins us in conversation.  

Summer means sprinklers, ice cream trucks, and reading outside on park benches, lawns and beaches. If you’re looking for a good book to take to the pool, we’ve got you covered. 

Big cuts are coming to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, including nearly 400 jail guards. “We had no way to plan for this,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

Music festivals, secret gardens, dancing lions and—oh la la!—French flair usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A group of investors led by former Chicago Ald. Edwin Eisendrath has completed its purchase of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader.