Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Public and abandoned properties in the Chicago area might appear a little less cluttered. The Illinois EPA collected 598.5 tons of used tires in December as part of a state program to mitigate hazards associated with them.

Anatomy is at the heart of medical school. To help fellow students remember lessons he struggled with, University of Chicago student Daniel Lam picked up his knitting needles.

Confused about when the city makes blue cart pickups? You can now look up recycling and garbage pickup schedules online as Chicago looks to boost its dismal recycling rate. 

A 27-year-old suburban man who had been reported missing now faces criminal charges after federal officials say he used bomb threats and a gun to rob three Chicago banks in three days last month.

Watch the Jan. 3, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Chicago Public Schools students return to the classroom next week, but the district’s new chief executive officer is already at her desk, planning for the rest of the school year, and the future of CPS.

Author Kate Hennessy discusses her new book about Dorothy Day, her Catholic activist grandmother.

You may have been warned that “sitting is the new smoking,” but a new study may have you second-guessing the purchase of a standing desk – and not so worried if you tend to fidget.

In 2018, the notion that one of Cook County’s most important offices is still using systems that Charles Dickens would recognize would seem to be a problem. Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown joins us.

Doctors say the most dominant strain of the flu this season is one that can take a more severe toll on patients who catch it. How to protect yourself from what could be an especially bad flu season in Chicago.

A trio of tropical birds has landed in Chicago this winter to show off their vibrantly colored feathers and occasional dance moves – but they won’t be here for long.

Parents have admonished children for making funny faces since about the dawn of time. But a 30-minute facial exercise routine can erase some signs of aging in middle-aged women, a new study finds.

Bill Bucklew is walking 2,500 miles across the country to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease and funds to find a cure. It’s a condition he knows well: In 2012, he was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 43.

Geoffrey Baer gets eye-to-eye with some sky-high building ornament and gets beneath the surface of a towering metal figure in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

A wheelchair-bound Cubs fan claims the team removed handicap-accessible seating in the right field bleachers during its $750 million renovation project.

A winter trek, silent DJ party, improv comedy and oodles of dance classes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

Staff at a Chicago high school reportedly spent nearly $3,200 in school gift cards on wedding favors, meals and casino purchases. That’s one of several investigations included in a newly released annual report from CPS’ watchdog.

Thousands of Cook County property owners prepaid 2017 tax bills before the end the year, to the tune of almost $800 million. Where that money is going.

The Bears are in the market for a new head coach for the third time in six years. We take a look at the top candidates.

Watch the Jan. 2, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Whether it’s a giant rampaging ape or a serious drama, Chicago will be the setting for quite a few new movies and TV shows in 2018. A look at what is coming.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin may be all the rage, but is the so-called “blockchain” technology behind them the thing that could really change the world?

Exploring the connection between a controversial painting at the Art Institute and the new play “Red Velvet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Much like 2016’s set, the words of 2017 are a political batch reflective of the tumultuous year we just put behind us. What else made the cut.

How Republican lawmakers are trying to stop publicly funded abortions in Illinois—and what the bill’s backers say.

Chicago public health officials have signed off on a Southeast Side company’s updated plan to cut emissions of brain-damaging manganese dust that regulators say pose a health risk to nearby residents.