Stories by WTTW News

Watch the February 10, 2016 full episode of Chicago Tonight.

Starting Sunday, the Art Institute of Chicago will exhibit all three of Van Gogh's "bedroom paintings," the famous series the Dutch artist painted of his own bedroom while living in the provincial town of Arles, France.

City Council today proved that it is ready for reform – just not very much reform. It was a tense debate over which reform measure to support: one that would give Inspector General Joe Ferguson broad, sweeping powers to investigate and audit aldermen, or a more hands-off approach favored by powerful Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward). Paris Schutz has the story.

With Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders winning convincingly in their respective Republican and Democratic primaries on Wednesday, one thing is clear: Voters on both sides of the political spectrum seemingly want little to do with establishment candidates or politics. Our panel of political experts weighs in on the race and where it's headed.

President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon—nine years to the day after he announced his run for the White House on the steps of the Old State Capitol. In a return to his old stomping grounds as a state senator, the president invoked many of the same themes from his 2007 speech.

Sears writes down the value of its trade name and the Sun-Times owner buys a stake in Tribune Publishing. We get the latest on these stories and more business headlines with Crain's Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer.

A famous photo taken in 1940s Bronzeville features the faces of five young African-American men, but their identities have remained a mystery for generations. Local history expert Geoffrey Baer is here with the story behind one of Bronzeville's most enduring images in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

The curtain is about to go up on a highly anticipated new theater on the North Shore designed by renowned architect Jeanne Gang. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the space.

As aldermen debate who should be allowed to investigate them, former City Council watchdog Faisal Khan talks about his time at City Hall and why he billed the city for a flat-screen TV.

After reading about people living in tents on a large plot of abandoned property along the Chicago River, I grabbed my camera and set out for the South Loop to investigate.

Watch the February 9, 2016 full episode of Chicago Tonight.

Nothing says Valentine's Day like a bunch of bodies twined together. You'll get that and more at this weekend with "Thank You for Coming: Attendance," an interactive dance show that explores the "conflict and comedy" that comes with interacting with other human beings.

The head of the state's largest social service organization says the state's ongoing budget impasse has now reached a crisis level that could impact the lives of hundreds of thousands vulnerable citizens. Paris Schutz has the exclusive story.

Today, Chicago Public Schools principals are learning just how deep their budgets will be cut after last week's announcement that the district was slashing more than $100 million from annual school budgets.

Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin joins us to discuss the Lucas Museum's latest setback, the Lathrop Homes redevelopment, possible new building guidelines for South Michigan Avenue and more.

Afternoon tea in the parlor and dressing in black tie just to have dinner at home: that was everyday life for the fictional, aristocratic Crawley family. Starting today, Downton fans can get an up-close look at those fashions in a new exhibit at the Driehaus Museum. Brandis Friedman takes us inside.

A marathon last month in Antarctica was the first of seven on seven continents ... in seven days. Two of the competitors are back in Chicago to tell the story–including the winner.    

With the city's finances in a dire state and Mayor Rahm Emanuel looking to borrow billions, “Chicago Tonight” sits down with the head of the City Council's independent budget office, Ben Winick.

Watch the February 8, 2016 full episode of Chicago Tonight.

On Monday, the state of Illinois announced the reopening of the Illinois State Museum, a 138-year-old institution closed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last September. But it's not exactly that easy. 

In a surprising setback, City Council aldermen came out against the mayor’s proposed ordinance for a $6 million tax on tobacco products. Why did City Council go against him?

The City Council is expected to vote this week on whether to extend the powers of city Inspector General Joe Ferguson to cover the activities of the City Council itself. More than 30 aldermen are said to be supportive of the measure, but key alderman are trying to dilute the powers that Ferguson may be given. A panel of aldermen tells us what they think will happen.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated one in 68 American children has Autism Spectrum Disorder. A new book tells the story of some of those parents as it takes a look back at autism’s dark history of institutionalization, questionable therapies and plain bad science. 

Hear what viewers had to say about our talk last week with Chicago Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans and Friday's "The Week in Review" when we read feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

From Jean Baptiste DuSable to Black Lives Matter, the new exhibit "Civil War to Civil Rights" traces the history of struggles and triumphs of Chicago's African-American community.

Our puzzle pro Sandy Weisz returns with a new video puzzle and photo puzzles. Submit your answer by 10 a.m. Monday for a chance to win our puzzle prize package!