Stories by Nick Blumberg

Web Extra, The Week in Review: Russia Targets 2018 Midterm Elections

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the warning from top U.S. intelligence and security leaders over continued Russian attempts to influence American elections.

The Week in Review: Critics Pick Apart Chicago Police Consent Decree

An anti-violence march takes over Wrigleyville. Battle lines are drawn over Chicago police reforms. And a state lawmaker accused of “catfishing” resigns.

Report: Immigrant Deportation, Separation Can Have ‘Lifelong Impacts’

Even if family separations are temporary, “the psychological effects of separation reverberate throughout the community for a long time,” said Dana Rusch, assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Aug. 2, 2018 - Full Show

Watch the Aug. 2, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Protesters Take to Lake Shore Drive for Rush Hour March to Wrigley

Protesters on the North Side of Chicago shut down all four lanes of Lake Shore Drive during rush hour Thursday to draw attention to gun violence in the city.

New UIC Program Aims to Bring More Men of Color into Classrooms

There’s a shortage of male teachers in Illinois classrooms, particularly those who are African-American and Latino. How the University of Illinois at Chicago is hoping to change that. 

Bonnie Koloc, Howard Levy Share Deep and Enduring Musical History

A studio performance with harmonica hero Howard Levy and Chicago folk legend Bonnie Koloc.

Live Bait Shop at Montrose Harbor a Relic of Chicago’s Fishing Heyday

Once upon a time in Chicago, so many people fished to feed their families that there were bait shops up and down the lakefront. The oldest one has been owned by the same family for 60 years.

US Economy Strong But Trump’s Tariffs Could Cause Problems

By almost every measure, the U.S. economy is on a bullet train to prosperity. But are there warning signs among the surging data?

‘Leopold and Loeb Files’ Offers Deep Dive Into Baffling 1924 Murder

Some have called the Leopold and Loeb case “the murder that wouldn’t die.” A new book fans the flames of our obsession with this baffling and sensational crime. A conversation with author Nina Barrett.

Illinois to Sue Trump EPA Over Rollback of Clean Car Rules

In a joint statement released Thursday, attorneys general from nearly 20 states, including Illinois, said weakening the so-called clean car rules would cause Americans to breathe dirtier air and pay higher gas prices.

You Found a Baby Animal on Your Chicago Block. Now What?

Residents who come across young animals in the city often think they’ve been abandoned. But that’s rarely the case. Learn how to respond when you spot kittens or other baby animals on your block. 

Aug. 1, 2018 - Full Show

Watch the Aug. 1, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Mysterious Box of Photographs Inspires a Globe-Trotting Art Show

East meets West in an art show that began with a collection of photos found at an estate sale 27 years ago.

Is Chicago the ‘Rat Capital’ of the US?

Chicago residents logged more than 50,000 complaints last year about rats, according to a new survey that ranks the city as the “rat capital” of the U.S. We separate rat fact from fiction.

Lake Shore Drive March: Activists to Protest Police-Involved Shootings

Protesters are poised to take over Wrigleyville on Thursday. Organizers of the march are here to tell us why.

Reaping Faith, Fear and Ambivalence in ‘The Harvest’

Broken souls grasp for meaning and connection in Samuel D. Hunter’s intense play that unfolds in a dreary church basement in the small town of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Willie Wilson Gives Away More Cash, Comes Under New Scrutiny

A watchdog group takes action against the Chicago mayoral candidate’s campaign for behavior they believe is unethical and improper.

NTA Families Seek Injunction to Halt Controversial School Transition Plan

National Teachers Academy parents want a Cook County judge to step in and halt Chicago Public Schools’ plan to transform their elementary school into a high school.

The Beatles in Evanston: A Rare Look at Northwestern’s Beatles Manuscripts

A local institution holds handwritten lyric sheets belonging to the biggest-selling music artists of all time. We get a peek at this collection of cultural artifacts.

USDA Issues Alert for Salads, Wraps Amid Foodborne Illness Concerns

Federal officials are advising consumers to rid their fridges of salads and wraps linked to an intestinal illness that has sickened more than 600 people in Illinois since mid-May.

Ask Geoffrey: How Now, Chicago Cows?

Some 20 years after they stampeded along Michigan Avenue, Chicagoans are still moo-ved by the memory of Cows on Parade. Geoffrey Baer revisits the 1999 art project in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

Archaeological Dig at Gray-Cloud Home Attracts Neighbors, History Buffs

Archaeologists are nearing the end of a monthlong dig in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. What they’re looking for – and what they’ve turned up.

10 Things to Do This Weekend: Aug. 2-5

A massive music festival, local talent, craft brews and thought-provoking plays usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

NASA’s Mission to ‘Our Star’ Named After UChicago’s Eugene Parker

Next week, the retired University of Chicago astrophysicist, 91, will watch as a probe named in his honor is launched from the Kennedy Space Center and catapulted to the sun’s corona.

World’s Next Largest Telescope Hopes to Answer Question of Life Beyond Earth

There’s a telescope under construction in Chile, and it’s slated to be the world’s largest – if it’s completed in time.
 

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