Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Date or no date, single or taken, animals at Brookfield Zoo experienced Valentine’s Day with the best kind of gift: food.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants everyone to get on board with an ambitious plan for an express train between downtown and O’Hare, but would taxpayers be the ones taken for a ride?

Watch the Feb. 15, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Weird and wonderful artwork created far outside the mainstream. We meet up with a most unusual painter from Rockford.

The 19-year-old suspected of opening fire Wednesday inside a Florida high school had a troubled past. A pair of experts discuss mental health issues and how the threat of violence impacts young people.

On Chicago’s West Side, an artist-run production weaving mill and a social service agency work together to weave adults with intellectual disabilities into the fabric of their community. 

Friday marks the start of the Chinese New Year and ushers in the Year of the Dog. We discuss the history and traditions of the vibrant holiday and festival.

A Cook County judge has denied bond for Shomari Legghette, a four-time felon charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Chicago Police Department Commander Paul Bauer this week.

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday laid out a $37.6 billion spending plan that heavily relies on the income tax increase he constantly bemoans and calls for balancing the budget largely by shifting costs to local governments.

Starting Friday, planetarium visitors will have another chance to explore the ever-evolving way humans view the universe.   

Watch the Feb. 14, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Meet the team from Von Steuben High School that’s on its way to the prestigious U.S. Open Robotics Championship.

Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, shares his thoughts on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s $37.6 billion spending plan.

Chicago is dancing up a storm this season, and plans for an exceptionally strong 2018-2019 season are already being announced. A preview of what’s to come.

Shomari Legghette, 44, was charged a day after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer. He was allegedly wearing body armor and carrying a firearm containing an extended-round magazine.

Amanda Lucidon talks about finding candid moments in formal settings. In her new book, she gathers some of her favorite images of then-first lady Michelle Obama.

Most Chicago-area expressways are littered with billboards. How did one expressway escape the same fate? Geoffrey Baer drives by with the answer to that and other viewer questions.

The Chicago Police Department on Wednesday continued mourning the loss of 53-year-old Commander Paul Bauer a day after he was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Book lovers, a Martian adventure, ciders and funny femmes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Ben, a 40-year-old orangutan at Brookfield Zoo, underwent an emergency appendectomy last month after veterinary staff discovered a ruptured appendix. 

A Chicago man stumbles on a rare and valuable piece of art that is a close cousin to the most reproduced painting in history.    

Watch the Feb. 13, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The new White House budget doesn’t match President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to save Medicaid and Medicare “without cuts.” We discuss the proposed reforms.

Many immigrant communities in Chicago formed ethnic clubs to help maintain their traditions. One such club has celebrated the German tradition of Karneval for over a century. We take a look.

As Gov. Bruce Rauner prepares to give the final budget address of his four-year term, the state’s bill payer is sounding the alarm. 

Online dating scams have cost victims in the U.S. and Canada nearly $1 billion over the past three years, according to a new report from the Better Business Bureau. And hundreds of these reports have come from the greater Chicago area.