Stories by Nick Blumberg

He holds the American record for most consecutive days in space. Retired astronaut Scott Kelly discusses the incredible mission described in his new book, “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery.”

Veterans Day salutes, rock ‘n’ roll movies, “rebellious” artists, indigenous cuisine, top-notch dancers and wild animals usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Responding to local officials’ call for restrictions on opioid prescriptions, the American Dental Association outlines the steps it’s taking to address the opioid epidemic. 

Sexual harassment has been part of the way of life at the Illinois state capital for decades. Lawmakers on Tuesday spent much of the day decrying that culture and approving measures intended to root it out.

It’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city of Chicago vs. Ald. Ed Burke and President Donald Trump, so to speak.

Watch the Nov. 7, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

While it may have seemed taboo 15 or 20 years ago, online dating is now a courtship commonplace. We explore the growing prominence of dating in the digital world.

President Donald Trump again says Chicago has the nation’s toughest gun laws. While that’s not true, local prosecutors and gun control advocates say it’s because of holes in the law that getting a gun here is so easy. Lawmakers are now considering tighter regulations in Illinois.

You’ll need to look closely to spot Lincoln Park Zoo’s new baby monkey. The infant, born Oct. 15 to first-time parents, is barely visible as it clings to its mother’s neck.

Tempers flare in Congress as House Republicans move quickly to overhaul the nation’s tax system. A look at the economic politics and policies at play.

Could the deadly mass shooting inside a Texas church on Sunday have been predicted? Yes, a Northwestern professor argues, if only more attention had been paid to the gunman’s history of domestic violence.

Robert P. Jones on why the election of President Donald Trump was the “death rattle” of white Christian America.

Marching through 100 years of military history in the recently expanded First Division Museum at Cantigny Park.

Legislators return to Springfield on Tuesday for the second half of the annual veto session. Front and center: What’s being done in the capital about sexual harassment. 

Watch the Nov. 6, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Coverage of local news took a giant step backwards with the closing of hyperlocal news websites DNAinfo Chicago and Chicagoist. A look at the changing media landscape.

After three years without a legislative inspector general, a former federal prosecutor has been tapped to temporarily fill the watchdog position. Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter discusses her new role.

At the Museum of Broadcast Communications, a new exhibition looks at a television phenomenon with strong ties to Chicago.

This week, Chicago will see its first hard frost of the season—and that means it’s time to prepare our WTTW garden for winter. Organic gardener Jeanne Nolan leads the way.

How a decade in prison derailed the life of a 15-year-old, and how a devoted cousin struggled to help him re-enter society. Author Danielle Allen discusses her new book.

Environmental advocates say a Southeast Side storage company violated city standards for air pollution earlier this year. But the company disagrees, asserting that the state’s more lenient law applies. 

A North Shore salon owner says cosmetology licenses should not be required for employees of salons specializing in styling hair, rather than cutting it. But not everyone in the industry agrees that a blow-dry license is a good idea.

One of the oldest giraffes in a North American zoo died last week. At 27, she had surpassed the median life expectancy for giraffes, which is about 17-20 years.

A 33-year-old man sparked a brief manhunt Sunday afternoon after he phoned a Chicago dispatcher claiming his vehicle had been stolen with an 8-year-old girl inside.

Illinois’ largest county – and the Democrats who run its politics – will work to get state Sen. Kwame Raoul elected as the state’s next attorney general.

A team led by University of Chicago professor Angela Olinto will use a NASA super pressure balloon to study mysterious cosmic rays that could offer groundbreaking new insights about the universe.