Stories by Marc Vitali

Summer is the season for public art, and it seems like every week a colorful new mural blooms. We get up close to a massive new work of public art taking flight along the Chicago Riverwalk. 

Lawmakers on Tuesday approved new rules crafted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reduce the spread of the coronavirus despite opposition from Illinois Republicans and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

The growing share of city property taxes sent to tax increment finance districts is sure to fuel the argument over whether the districts actually spur redevelopment and eradicate blight or exacerbate growing inequality in Chicago.

A community garden and farmers market in Auburn Gresham is now the venue of an open mic hosted for young Chicago artists. We go for a look to learn more.

Access to downtown Chicago will be restricted “for the foreseeable future,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know.

“We can't have people out on the street interfacing with the public without body cameras,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday, just days after officers responded to a call about a man with a gun that led to a shooting and touched off unrest across the city.

President Donald Trump has ordered sweeping but vague ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of popular apps TikTok and WeChat, saying they are a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy and the economy.

Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket.

Watch the Aug. 11, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Rogers Park during Monday’s powerful storm. Thousands of Chicagoans remained without power Tuesday morning. 

Visitors to Chicago from Iowa, Kansas and Utah will no longer have to quarantine for two weeks, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday. The three states are the first to be removed from Chicago’s quarantine order.

Be on the lookout for Perseids on Tuesday night and early Wednesday as the meteor shower hits its peak. Here’s how to maximize your chances of seeing these fireballs streak across the sky.

Illinois U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis says Chicago may have to call the National Guard back to the city if it is unable to prevent further looting. Davis and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, join us in conversation.

A rare storm packing 100 mph winds and with power similar to an inland hurricane swept across the Midwest on Monday, blowing over trees, flipping vehicles, causing widespread property damage and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

The unrest that followed a police-involved shooting Sunday in Englewood was a blow to many areas of the city that were still recovering from protests earlier this summer and the economic fallout from the pandemic.

The inaugural $10 million Chicago Prize grant was awarded last week to a team from Auburn Gresham, which has ambitious plans to bring transformational change to the community.

After a police officer shot and wounded a 20-year-old man in Englewood, Chicago police officials say social media posts led to widespread, coordinated looting across the city. We get reaction from local activists and aldermen.

City officials will “temporarily restrict” access to downtown Chicago beginning at 8 p.m. Monday and ending at 6 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not issued an official city curfew order.

Watch the Aug. 10, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

McDonald’s files a lawsuit against its former CEO, who was ousted last fall. That story and more with Crain’s Chicago Business Editor Ann Dwyer.

Decrying “blame games” in the wake of widespread destruction, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says her office would prosecute people accused of looting — but not those arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights. 

A large crowd gathered over the weekend along the lakefront, prompting the city to install fencing at Montrose Beach — and the mayor to issue a stern message.

McDonald’s says it’s suing Stephen Easterbrook, the CEO it ousted last year over an inappropriate relationship with an employee, alleging Monday that he covered up relationships with three other employees and destroyed evidence. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois opened a new health and wellness center in Morgan Park on Monday after renovating a building abandoned by Target.  

The state is providing $300 million in assistance to renters and homeowners struggling to meet ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, but those funds won’t reach everyone who deserves help, Gov. J.B. Pritzker acknowledged.

Amid a continuing outcry over the decision to allow Chicago police officers to patrol schools, Chicago Public Schools officials announced Monday they would slash spending on the program at the center of the debate over defunding the police department by more than half.