Stories by Evan Garcia

Cook County voters will decide whether to eliminate the Recorder of Deeds office in a binding referendum. We hear from both sides of this contentious debate.

Sharon Fairley, the head of the city's Independent Police Review Authority, is here to talk about the new police oversight agency set to replace it.

Donald Trump responds to allegations of misconduct from multiple women. “PBS NewsHour” correspondent Lisa Desjardins weighs in on this and more.

The Chicago Teachers Union President talks about the union's tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools.

Illinois voters will decide whether the state's transportation funds will be locked away solely for transportation spending. A look at what’s at stake.

Sir Fraser Stoddart was one of three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for developing the world’s smallest machines.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, also known as the “swamp rattler,” produces venom more toxic than most other rattlesnakes.

The Shedd Aquarium is calling on President Barack Obama to sign legislation that aims to curb the highly lucrative, international business of illegally trading endangered and threatened animals.

The Lincoln Park Zoo gave journalists a sneak peek of the new African penguin exhibit, which aims to replicate the birds' natural habitat in southern Africa.

A Chicago conservation alliance is asking for the public’s help to save a dozen native species, including the endangered Blanding's turtle.

On Thursday, World Rhino Day, the zoo donated a piece of horn from one of its black rhinos to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency will use the sample to train its canine unit that sniffs out contraband at O’Hare International Airport.

A restaurant-worthy mushroom was identified by researchers from the Field Museum and Chicago Botanic Garden. Meet the Chicago chanterelle.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Streets and Sanitation on Tuesday announced a pilot program that uses dry ice to curb rodent infestations.

In its rankings published Monday, Bicycling magazine applauded the city’s commitment to adding new bike lanes and improving access to bike-share resources for underserved communities.

Sadiq Khan, the recently elected Mayor of London, is in Chicago to stoke business relations between the two cities.

The Bureau of Land Management said Thursday it will not follow the recommendation made last week by an independent board to euthanize or sell thousands of wild horses and burros, including 179 being held in Illinois.

Field Museum scientists are ready to identify your strangest natural possessions this weekend. Learn more about Identification Day.

The average global temperature in August tied with July as the hottest month since record keeping began in 1880, according to NASA. 

Blanding's turtles, an endangered species in Illinois and a half-dozen other states, are getting a head start on survival at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

An investment of more than $10 million will help transform unused buildings and vacant lots on Chicago’s South and West Sides into centers for arts and culture that offer free community programs.

A group gathered Wednesday to mark the 198th anniversary of the death of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Chicago’s first non-native settler, and push for the completion of a long-delayed park in his name.

A new bacterial disease infecting corn crops has been confirmed in Illinois, but researchers know very little about the disease or what impact it could have on the agricultural industry.

Field Museum archaeologists made an unexpected find while excavating an the site of an ancient city in southern Mexico.

Picking and eating wild mushrooms could result in a delectable treat or a deadly mistake. A fungi expert shares some helpful advice and tells us why picking mushrooms in city parks and your own neighborhood might not be the best idea.

Soak up the last weekend of summer by getting out of the city and off the beaten path. We’ve got a handful of destinations for the perfect weekend trip, whether you prefer hiking, rafting, biking or just lazing the day away.

Chicago’s largest no-kill animal shelter has opened its doors to dogs and cats from Louisiana, a state that has little room to house pets in need following devastating floods earlier this month.