Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

The groundbreaking book “Birds of America” by painter and ornithologist John James Audubon features intricate watercolor paintings of nearly every bird on the continent. It’s now on display at the Field Museum.

Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot says aldermanic prerogative is at the heart of many corruption scandals emanating from City Hall. Two aldermen give us their take on the issue.

The CEO of Boeing defended the company’s safety record and declined to take any more than partial blame for two deadly crashes of the 737 Max even while saying the company has nearly finished an update that “will make the airplane even safer.”

A world-renowned nature photographer visits Chicago for the opening of an exhibition of his truly magnificent wildlife pictures at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

In their new book, a pair of MIT economists say that if the government doesn’t start investing more in research and development, America’s future growth will be in jeopardy. Co-author Simon Johnson makes the case.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating a report of Legionella in the water system of a Chicago hospital and two cases of Legionnaires’ disease in patients who were possibly exposed to the bacteria.

Lawyers for a former University of Illinois student accused of killing a visiting Chinese scholar say they are abandoning their mental health defense.

The gunman who opened fire at a suburban Chicago manufacturing plant in February told a co-worker the morning of the shooting that if he was fired he was going to kill every other employee and “blow police up,” according to a new report.

“We are a Jewish nation that will stand tall,” said Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein following a shooting Saturday, April 27 at the Chabad of Poway that killed one. “Terrorism like this will not take us down.”

The Chicago Federation of Musicians says the five-year deal includes a 13.2% increase in salary and protects retirement benefits. The union says musicians unanimously supported it Saturday.

J.B. Pritzker faces a federal investigation into his property taxes. Mayor Emanuel brokers a deal between striking musicians and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement that Chicago Symphony Orchestra management and striking musicians “have reached an agreement in principle to bring the music back to the symphony center.”

Transforming Herman Melville’s 1851 classic is no easy feat. This opera not only captures the pivotal characters in the novel, but also illuminates its major themes with impressive emotional directness.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch Saturday for a storm system that could bring up to 8 inches of snow to the Chicago area.

Jason Van Dyke told a psychologist that “time froze” when he shot Laquan McDonald 16 times, according to a newly released report. 

In research released on Friday, Nobel winning astronomer Adam Riess calculates the cosmos is between 12.5 and 13.0 billion years old - about 1 billion years younger than previous estimates.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had multiple contacts with Freund's family over reports of neglect and abuse in the months and years before the 5-year-old was found dead.

Both striking musicians and management of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have welcomed an offer by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to help end a nearly two-month work stoppage over pensions and wages.

Police believe the Illinois couple killed 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund by beating him and forcing him to stand in a cold shower for an extended period of time.

A chemical leak that caused a toxic plume to hang for hours over a northern Chicago suburb Thursday sickened dozens of people, including seven who are in critical condition, officials said.

Watch the April 25, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Viewers weigh in on a report that says Chicago is one of the most polluted cities in America. And you left some thoughtful sentiments about Chicago Tonight's 35th birthday.

Clean out your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of unused prescriptions during a biannual event that’s collected more than 9 million pounds of pills since its 2010 launch.

What began as a proposal by a presidential candidate has since turned into a heated debate over managing the nation's trillion dollar student debt burden. 

At age 92, the jazz guitarist is a living legend from Chicago’s first family of music. We pay him a visit.

There’s a new business incubator in Chicago that's cooking up some innovative food products on the West Side. And it’s the home for a culinary wizard’s passion project.