Stories by Michael Lipkin

Ald. Ed Burke (14th) wants to ban high-caffeine energy drinks citywide. We have more on the science behind the health risk.

Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o's internet girlfriend is revealed to be an elaborate prank. We have more on how fake online personas are created.

Lands' End founder Gary Comer dedicated much of his life to revitalizing his childhood home: Pocket Town, in Greater Grand Crossing. How much good has his $86 million (and counting) done? Chicago magazine editor Elly Fishman joins us with the story.

A new book explores the racial identity of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Chicago after World War II -- neither white nor black, but sometimes a buffer between the two.

Would we all be better off if we let our children play with fire? Pulitzer Prize winner Jared Diamond joins us to discuss lessons we can learn from traditional societies.

An excerpt of The World Until Yesterday, by Jared Diamond

The American Dialect Society names "hashtag" the word of the year. We speak with a local linguist who helped crown the winner.

After fiscal cliff talks, comprehensive tax reform could be next. What changes could be part of that package, and would they benefit the economy? Our panel of tax experts has more.

Chicago civic groups back bipartisan pension reform, but will it prompt any action in Springfield? Eddie Arruza and his panel discuss the latest developments.

A Chicago criminologist has new insight into the origins of Chicago organized crime.

Dr. Ian Smith joins us with tips on losing those extra holiday pounds.

With only two weeks left until the U.S. reaches the fiscal cliff, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have made some progress, but remain far from a final agreement. We have the latest.

Wall Street tycoon, Hollywood mogul, notorious womanizer, ambassador, advisor to presidents -- and head of one of America's most prominent political families. We gain new insight into Joseph P. Kennedy.

America's Test Kitchen host Christopher Kimball joins us with scientific secrets to better cooking. 

We continue our conversation with Christopher Kimball, including why he doesn't view cooking as creative or glamorous.

Did the threat of disease help spur Chicago's first park? Chicago Park District's historian joins us with more. 

The race to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr. intensifies, as two state legislators face criminal charges. Carol Marin and her political roundtable discuss the state of local politics.

Two years ago tomorrow, Toni Preckwinkle became Cook County Board President. She joins us with a look ahead at the rest of her term.

How could Rhode Island's pension reform efforts inform Cook County's solution? The architect behind some of the country's boldest pension reform joins us.

We visit a treasure box of a museum in the western suburbs and find out about the immigrant who built it, one stone at a time.

She was one of the strongest voices in the school reform movement, but less than a decade ago, Diane Ravitch, a former assistant secretary of education under President George H. W. Bush, had a change of heart.

As stocks tumbled during the Great Depression, farmers in the Great Plains were dealing with the Dust Bowl -- a plague of dust storms that lasted a decade resulting in the greatest man-made ecological disaster in U.S. history.

He correctly predicted the winner in all 50 states in last week's presidential election-- and quickly became an icon for math geeks worldwide. We talk with statistician Nate Silver.

Chicago Tonight interviews Nate Silver Friday. The interview will air Tuesday on our show, but here's a sneak peek.

We take a look at a new exhibit about the role birds played in ancient Egypt.

Oriental Institute curator Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer highlights some of her favorite artifacts in a new exhibit.