Stories by Paris Schutz

An onerous tax structure would virtually kill any chance that a Chicago casino operator could make a profit, despite an ability to make massive amounts of money, according to a newly released feasibility study.

Monarchs are in trouble, despite efforts by volunteers and organizations across the United States to nurture the beloved butterfly. And the Trump administration’s new order weakening the Endangered Species Act could well make things worse.

Asian carp will certainly survive and most likely thrive if they are able to make their way into Lake Michigan, according to a study released Monday by the University of Michigan.

A group of young men have chosen to escape street violence by living together in an innovative safe house. We discuss the program with the two Chicagoans who started it: Liz Dozier and Rami Nashashibi.

We visit the newly upgraded Nettie McKinnon Gallery inside in Park Junior High School in La Grange Park.

The first of three men charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Chicago police Officer John Rivera is going to trial this week. Jovan Battle, 32, is acting as his own attorney while facing a first-degree murder charge.

In the decade since federal exercise guidelines were first introduced, a study finds that adult exercise rates have essentially remained flat, while time spent sitting is on the rise.

Peek inside the soon-to-close, 25,000-square-foot “Hamilton” exhibition on Northerly Island and hear from the man who brought Alexander Hamilton back to life: Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Six people in Illinois have reported severe breathing problems after vaping. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now investigating these cases and five others, all reported since just May.   

There were eight mass shootings last year in the U.S. But with six mass shootings so far in 2019, the country is on track to match or surpass last year’s record, according to a Northwestern Medicine researcher.

Watch the Aug. 13, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

More than 30 countries have banned cosmetics testing on animals, and while the practice hasn’t been banned in the U.S., Illinois is now the third state to enact “humane cosmetics” legislation. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says it would delay the tariffs to Dec. 15 on some goods, including cellphones, laptop computers, video game consoles, some toys, computer monitors, shoes and clothing.

Under the enforcement changes, officials for the first time will be able to publicly attach a cost to saving an animal or plant. Blanket protections for creatures newly listed as threatened will be removed. 

“Music is unifying.” That’s according to a local DJ who spends her Monday mornings bringing music to the corridors of the newly remodeled CTA 95th Red Line station. We go for a look – and a listen.

Where to put a Chicago casino? A $120,000 feasibility study may offer some insight on five potential sites proposed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Why some Illinois Facebook users are suing the company over its facial recognition software for photos.

As the Chicago Teachers Union and Board of Education continue to negotiate a new contract, an independent fact-finder recommends a 16% pay raise for Chicago teachers over the life of a five-year deal.

A trade war with China. Springtime floods. And now weeks without rain have combined to create a perfect storm battering Illinois farmers. Will a disaster declaration be enough to save them?

How Title IX changed a future Chicago sportswriter’s life, and paved the way for a championship basketball team from Niles West. We speak with Melissa Isaacson, author of “State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation.”

The Trump administration announced Monday it is moving forward with one of its most aggressive steps yet to restrict legal immigration: Denying green cards to many migrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance.

As urban agriculture programs expand in Chicago and other cities, a new project aims to unearth data on one of the biggest potential obstacles to city-based farming efforts: soil contamination.

Four people became ill after consuming pork tamales or carnitas served from the deli section of Sun View Produce last month, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Watch the Aug. 12, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

“Our study indicates that the carp can survive and grow in much larger areas of the lake than previous studies suggested,” said Peter Alsip, lead author of the paper.

A federal judiciary that is becoming increasingly conservative under President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has gun control advocates on edge.