Stories by Jay Smith

Forty years ago on Jan. 26, 1986, the Chicago Bears won their first and only Super Bowl. Take a look back at that defining game.

The Bears are meeting the Rams in another playoff game. We go back to 1986 to relive the NFC Championship Game the Bears won against the Rams on their way to Super Bowl XX.

WTTW News Director Jay Smith sat down with our political team to reflect on the Democratic National Convention for a behind-the-scenes look at what covering the convention was like, and to help provide insights into the stories that emerged from the week.

On Monday, WTTW News launches a new initiative, “A Safer City.” In an effort to help facilitate the complicated but necessary conversation around violence, we aim to explore violence in all its forms with depth and nuance.

My heart aches. It aches for those who were lost, their families and for the devastating days ahead. I also thought about next weekend, and the weekend after.

Jim Ryan served as Illinois attorney general for eight years starting in 1995. He twice ran, unsuccessfully, for Illinois governor. He died on Sunday after what his family said were “several lengthy illnesses.” He was 76.

In 2009, Adlai Stevenson III spoke with Carol Marin on “Chicago Tonight.” Even though he was a self-proclaimed “reformer,” he still found virtues in the old party machinery. Stevenson died Monday at the age of 90.

Loyola University Chicago’s NCAA run has put the Ramblers in the national spotlight once again. We remember the 1963 championship team.

Paris Schutz has a report from day one of the 2012 GOP convention in Tampa.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley talks about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden from our coverage of the 2008 Democratic Convention.

Tyler Saladino had some exciting moments on the South Side when he spent parts of four seasons with the White Sox. Now he’s on the field in South Korea.

In honor of “The Last Dance,” the 10-part ESPN documentary about the Chicago Bulls championship years, we revisit an interview from the “Chicago Tonight” archives.

The behind-the-scenes story of Scottie Pippen’s infamous refusal to take the court during a 1994 playoff game as told by Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson on “Chicago Tonight” in 1995.

If you’re watching ESPN’s Michael Jordan documentary series “The Last Dance,” you have lots of company — and you may have spotted another familiar face on the series recently.

There is no joy in Mudville (or in Chicago for that matter) as the coronavirus pandemic has struck out Major League Baseball. Jason Benetti and Len Kasper talk about what might have been — and what may happen in the weeks to come.

While Illinois residents have been following a stay-at-home order since Saturday, people in China have been dealing with restricted living conditions for months. We speak with a Chicago native who now teaches high school in the Chinese city of Zhangjiagang.

With spring training right around the corner, we look to the coming season with White Sox broadcaster Jason Benetti and Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper.

It’s been a busy winter for Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, but after a flurry of moves, it may be time for him to rest a bit. “I think for the most part, the heavy lifting for the offseason is done,” Hahn said.

At a time of great division in the U.S., a little bit of Mr. Rogers can go a long way to remind us of simpler times. We revisit a 1985 interview between Fred Rogers and original “Chicago Tonight” host John Callaway.

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.

On this date, 35 years ago, “Chicago Tonight” was born. Watch the premiere episode, featuring an interview with John Callaway and Mayor Harold Washington.

It might be cold and snowy outside, but pitchers and catchers report Wednesday for their first spring training workouts. We ask White Sox broadcaster Jason Benetti and Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper about the upcoming season.

We learn the ABCs of jazz with Chicago author and illustrator Neil Shapiro, whose new book is a “work of love” – and an ode to the greats.

Viewers weigh in on Ald. Ed Burke’s attempted extortion charge and the firearms found in his offices.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently laid out his prescription for shoring up the city’s underfunded public employee pensions. Viewers weigh in.

Viewers weigh in on a controversial fishing technique called “snagging.”