Stories by Paris Schutz

Talks on a police consent decree hit a snag as City Council moves to weaken a controversial police gang database. 

Balbo Drive isn’t getting renamed anytime soon, but a stretch of Congress Parkway will be named after African-American journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells. What else is causing controversy.

Defense attorneys claim the judge handling the high-profile murder case is “prejudiced” against their motion to move the trial outside Cook County and should recuse himself from deciding the matter.

There are more and more cases of food poisoning in Illinois. What’s behind the problem – and how to protect yourself.

It is perhaps Chicago’s most iconic roadway, and it’s certainly among the busiest. Could dedicating a lane to buses ease congestion on Lake Shore Drive?

Fossils typically take tens of millions of years to develop, but a Chicago scientist recently helped discover a new way to simulate the fossilization process in a lab – in just 24 hours.

A new report from an environmental advocacy group criticizes Illinois and more than two dozen other states for adopting renewable energy plans that allow for dirty energy sources. 

A statewide initiative aims to move the dial on child health policy by addressing issues such as infant mortality, violent injury and death, and barriers to health care.

Parents from a South Side high school are calling on CPS leaders to bring back their ousted principal, a month after an investigation revealed he had failed to safeguard students from abuse.

Though not a terribly romantic process, walleye breeding at the Cook County Forest Preserve District produces thousands of young fish for county lakes. We take a closer look.

If you’re not ready to raise chickens in your backyard, you could try your hand at another popular trend: urban beekeeping.

In spinning the tale of Knute Rockne and his prize athlete, the creators of this terrific show have tapped into much grander themes than the nature of intensely competitive college football.

Watch the July 24, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

We visit the local gallery and museum that preserves and promotes unusual art made by unusual people.

The latest on a major city infrastructure project that officials say was made necessary because of climate change.

On the heels of an anti-violence demonstration that closed down the Dan Ryan Expressway, another group of activists announces plans to shut down a busy roadway on Chicago’s North Side.

Renowned paleontologist and University of Chicago graduate Steve Brusatte tells us about his new book, “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World.”

Chicago-based Lakeshore Recycling System is the first company in the U.S. to install a new “self-aware” machine that sorts through recycled materials. 

Chicago Public Schools is updating its teaching policy around the handwriting form to meet new state law requirements.

The legendary owner of Val’s halla, which celebrates 46 years in business this weekend, died Monday after a two-year battle with breast cancer.

A very familiar voice on our classical music sister station is retiring. A look at the on- and off-air musical life of WFMT’s Carl Grapentine. 

Our story about a planned protest outside McDonald’s new West Loop headquarters drew a lot of comments. 

Watch the July 23, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Chicago is the crossroads of rail traffic in the U.S., but the area’s railroad infrastructure has failed to keep up with increasing traffic. How a new project will address one of the biggest problems in Chicago’s antiquated rail system.

An agreement to bring federal court oversight to the Chicago Police Department is nearly finished – with one major hang-up.

He has represented Chicago’s 22nd Ward since 1993 but announced Monday he will not run for re-election. Ald. Ricardo Munoz joins us to discuss his major career move.