Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

In the midst of a massive growth spurt that began in late winter, the century plant at Garfield Park Conservatory now hovers above the glass dome. We last visited the plant in March, when it stood a mere 17 feet tall.

Chicago summers are nature’s way of rewarding your winter survival skills. And now that warm weather is here, it’s time to get off the couch and actively embrace the season. Here are 10 fun, easy ways to do just that.

Food trucks, street festivals, the Chicago blues and green gooey slime usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

The former Chicago mayor completed the more than 900-mile trip Tuesday, according to a post on Facebook.

The book is called “3 Dimensional” and tells of the 13-time All Star’s rise from Chicago’s South Side to NBA stardom.

President Donald Trump read from a prayer delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he joined other world leaders and veterans Wednesday in marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Chicago is getting a massive casino that could rival Las Vegas operations in size and scope. But where will it go? Gov. J.B. Pritzker isn’t offering a site, but an opinion: not downtown.

A school district in northwestern Indiana has issued an apology after a special needs teacher awarded an 11-year-old autistic student a trophy naming him the “most annoying male” of the school year.

Stanley Tigerman was as famous for his personality as he was for his buildings, private homes and public buildings that showed post-modernism’s tendency for humor, irreverence and invention. 

Records show the 67-acre site on the Far Southeast Side, used as a dumping ground for more than two decades by Republic Steel, is contaminated with lead, manganese, mercury and other toxins.

In Chicago, Black and Latinx residents are three times more likely than whites and Asians to live in areas located at least 3 miles from LGBTQ service providers, according to a new study. 

Chairman Jerome Powell didn’t explicitly say what the Federal Reserve would do. But expectations are rising that the Fed will cut rates at least once and possibly two or more times before year’s end, in part because of the consequences of the trade war. 

For years, Jeffrey Batio promised investors a revolutionary 3-in-1 laptop device. Prosecutors say it was all a lie that allowed him to defraud investors out of millions of dollars.

Watch the June 4, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Ald. Ed Burke pleads not guilty to 14 counts of racketeering, attempted bribery and extortion. A look at how he amassed, and used, his power over the years.

The game show’s 32-time champion lost for the first time in an episode that aired on Monday, falling short of records for total winnings and longest reign. The Naperville native lost to a Chicago librarian.

Early on the morning of June 4, 1989, tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square to forcefully suppress protests by students and ordinary citizens who had occupied Beijing’s central square for six weeks. We look back at the events.

Illinois could become a very different state, thanks to a bunch of measures legislators approved over the weekend. Here’s a rundown of budget bills and the new public works program.

There were emotional floor debates and the passage of a slew of bills as the spring session wrapped up. Just how does all this capitol action affect Chicago and the surrounding areas? Two state lawmakers weigh in.

One prospective juror in the high-profile case said she’d have difficulty sentencing someone to death because “God doesn’t want us to take revenge.”

Miguel del Valle, a former Illinois state senator, will serve as the president of the Chicago Board of Education. Mayor Lightfoot announced his appointment and six others Monday morning.

Watch the June 3, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

“There Is Greatness In Me” is the defining song in this riveting musical that releases the full “greatness” in its lead character by way of an electrifying performance by veteran Chicago actress Barbara E. Robertson. 

The 5,000-square-foot public library will house multimedia collections, have community programs, a children’s area and offer space for reading and studying.

Two people were also stabbed to death, bringing the total number of homicides over the weekend to 10. In a Monday morning press conference, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called the violence “despicable.”

Thousands of gravely ill cancer patients each year seek “compassionate use” access to treatments that are not yet on the market but have shown some promise in early testing and aren’t available to them through a study.