Stories by Nick Blumberg

The mayor’s surprise announcement has triggered a flurry of speculation about new candidates. But running for office successfully is far more complicated than shaking hands and raising money.

The field of candidates running to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel grew again this week when activist, organizer and policy consultant Amara Enyia officially announced her candidacy.

Their effectiveness can’t be judged by their size: We visit the Barrington nonprofit Mane in Heaven to discover the therapeutic mission of these miniature horses.

From the top of the Sears Tower to the top of Alaskan mountains, Tom Skilling looks back on some of the highs from his 40-year career.

We take you on a visit to the west suburban forest under the watchful eye of six suspicious – and sizable – trolls.

Why the 2020 census could include a question about citizenship – and why there’s a legal effort to block it.

A judge blocks the release of blueprints for 3D printed guns. Is it reasonable regulation, or a violation of the First Amendment?

Behind the ballot referendum to restore public mental health care in Logan Square, Hermosa and Avondale.

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the warning from top U.S. intelligence and security leaders over continued Russian attempts to influence American elections.

An anti-violence march takes over Wrigleyville. Battle lines are drawn over Chicago police reforms. And a state lawmaker accused of “catfishing” resigns.

The annual music festival gets underway Thursday in Grant Park. Why this year’s four-day event comes with tightened security measures.

The city of Harvey finally strikes a deal with its underwater police and fire pension funds. What it could mean for hundreds of other Illinois towns.

How a state that hadn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate in more than 30 years helped elect Donald Trump. Author Dan Kaufman discusses his new book “The Fall of Wisconsin.”

It is perhaps Chicago’s most iconic roadway, and it’s certainly among the busiest. Could dedicating a lane to buses ease congestion on Lake Shore Drive?

On the heels of an anti-violence demonstration that closed down the Dan Ryan Expressway, another group of activists announces plans to shut down a busy roadway on Chicago’s North Side.

The Trump administration can’t say whether it will meet a July 26 deadline to reunite 2,500 migrant children with their parents.

From Civil War memorials to reversing the Chicago River, Geoffrey Baer tells us about the new season of the WTTW documentary series, “10 That Changed America.”

A man faces charges after confronting a woman at a Cook County forest preserve. The mayor and governor feud on Twitter over a controversial anti-violence march. And Groupon’s biggest offer ever: the company itself.

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss a recent spate of racially charged incidents caught on video.

The pop-up is scheduled to open in August and offer Chicago art aficionados and selfie enthusiasts a chance to see one of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s reality-bending “infinity rooms.”

The city’s mega-food fest returns to Grant Park. We get a preview of the Taste of Chicago.

From Supreme Court justices to crusading journalists, the stories of the people who made the U.S. Constitution what it is today.

Local alt weekly the Chicago Reader has a history dating back nearly 50 years. We speak with the paper’s new publisher.

We speak with Daniel Greene, an adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University who is the curator of a new exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

We take you on a visit to the west suburban forest under the watchful eye of six suspicious – and sizable – trolls.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an order restricting travel to the United States from several majority-Muslim nations.