Stories by Brandis Friedman

Thousands of Cook County property owners prepaid 2017 tax bills before the end the year, to the tune of almost $800 million. Where that money is going.

DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Will and Lake counties filed almost identical lawsuits in their respective counties against numerous pharmaceutical companies, claiming the opioid crisis began almost 20 years ago.

Starting Thursday, Cook County probation officers will have a new place to refer some of the 20,000 people on probation. For many of them, finding work is critical to staying out of trouble with the law.

Tough talk about segregation from MacArthur “genius” grant recipient and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.

They’ve strutted across high-end runways and for fast-fashion TV commercials. Now, the Hiplet dancers are showing Chicago Tonight how they’ve worked for their success.

Designed with the homeless, for the homeless: How a durable, simple backpack is meeting a basic need.

Several days after announcing proposed school closures and mergers, Chicago Public Schools is touting plans to offer two new elementary schools, while enhancing three others.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Cardinal Blase Cupich said it was “painful” to see the destruction up close, and that he was there to “reassure our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters that the Holy Father cares about them and prays for them.”

A day before the Chicago Public Schools system is set to confirm which schools it plans to close next year, teachers say they’re already getting word. And the Chicago Teachers Union is pushing back. 

About 170 Chicago State University students are being shuttled between hotels and campus after a pipe burst in the school’s only residence hall, leaving the dorm and the student union without heat and hot water.

Developer 3L Real Estate has acquired the 46-year-old landmark office building and plans to turn it into 150 rental apartments while maintaining its character by keeping the iconic Ebony/Jet sign on the building.

Local government is going after a major ride-sharing company for not only failing to protect customer and driver data during a massive 2016 data breach—but also for failing to disclose it, as required by law.

The field to take on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is growing. Todd Stroger, who formerly held the post, is announcing plans to run for his old office next year.

They’ve strutted across high-end runways and for fast-fashion TV commercials. Now, the Hiplet dancers are showing Chicago Tonight how they’ve worked for their success.

A tech billionaire with a famous name talks about bringing his “real food” movement to the Windy City. 

The city’s military academies help some Chicago Public Schools students reach new heights. We visit Air Force Academy High School.

Is Gov. Bruce Rauner about to get new competition in the Republican primary? 

High school students who take advanced classes are more likely to enroll in college. But Chicago Public Schools says that not enough minority students are getting access to this more challenging coursework.

Just what are the city and state willing to do to bring an online giant to Chicago?

After almost 14 years on the Magnificent Mile, the Apple store is making a move to the Chicago River. We get a preview of the new space.

As FEMA and other groups have slowly brought aid to Puerto Rico, some family members living abroad have embarked on private rescue missions. Meet one Chicagoan who recently returned from a trip to visit her parents.

Recovering from what she describes as a “slight stroke,” Chicago Teacher’s Union President Karen Lewis on Tuesday revealed that she’s been in the hospital for the past week.

A group of residents is getting back to its roots—literally—by partnering with the Morton Arboretum to harness the positive impact of trees on everything from the crime rate to the business community.

Though the state of Illinois finally got a budget this summer, it still has billions of dollars in unpaid bills, and the amount keeps changing.

Cook County commissioners are scheduled to take another vote Tuesday on the county’s so-called soda tax. Opponents of the tax were pounding the pavement Monday, hoping to convince a few more commissioners to support a repeal.

In one of Cook County Jail’s maximum security units, some detainees are given access to pens for the towering task of writing their memoirs. How these men are earning a new label: authors.