Stories by Nick Blumberg

“I fight hard for small business owners, because if they are forced to leave, the residents have to pick up their share,” writes Timothy Schneider. Learn more about this candidate.

“Voters deserve someone who’ll fight for working and middle class families and small businesses, not the billionaires and the politically connected,” writes Abdelnasser Rashid. Learn more about this candidate.

“I bring a small business owner’s pragmatic perspective to the Cook County Board where I have consistently advocated for fiscal responsibility, innovative reform measures and pro‐growth economic policies,” writes Sean Morrison. Learn more about this candidate.

Amanda Lucidon talks about finding candid moments in formal settings. In her new book, she gathers some of her favorite images of then-first lady Michelle Obama.

The new White House budget doesn’t match President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to save Medicaid and Medicare “without cuts.” We discuss the proposed reforms.

Considering homeownership? How to decide if it’s the right time to buy—and how to avoid common mistakes. A discussion with real estate and personal finance author Ilyce Glink.

A long out-of-print book tells the stories of African-Americans who knew and worked for Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. 

Oscar nominations came out earlier this week, and the “Frontline” documentary “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” garnered a nod in the best documentary feature category. It was made by the Chicago team at Kartemquin Films. 

The political debate over immigration has come to the fore yet again as a government shutdown looms, with the standoff due in large part to failed immigration reform negotiations.

After a public call for Apple to make its smartphones less habit-forming, we take a look at internet addiction in a digital age.

Gov. Bruce Rauner used his veto pen this week to rewrite a bill making minor technical changes to the state’s new and much-debated school funding formula. State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith joins us.

As lawmakers spar over a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a veterans home in Quincy, we take a closer look at how the illness spreads and is treated.

The Dow Jones crossing 25,000 is the latest milestone in a long-running bull market. What’s driving it, and when it could end.

Democratic candidate for governor Chris Kennedy slams Mayor Rahm Emanuel for overseeing a “strategic gentrification plan” designed to “push people of color out of the city.” This story and more with Eddie Arruza and guests.

Doctors say the most dominant strain of the flu this season is one that can take a more severe toll on patients who catch it. How to protect yourself from what could be an especially bad flu season in Chicago.

How Republican lawmakers are trying to stop publicly funded abortions in Illinois—and what the bill’s backers say.

From national issues down to neighborhood ones, 2017’s political landscape was shaped by the effect of President Donald Trump’s first year in office.

Thirteen veterans have died of Legionnaires' disease since 2015 at a state-run veterans home in Quincy. A new report by WBEZ reveals Illinois' top health official warned of the seriousness of the outbreak days before it was made public.

The longtime Chicago journalist talks about his new book “Murder in the News: An Inside Look at How Television Covers Crime.”

A new study looks at how young men view sexual interactions – and finds that some have difficulty understanding whether a woman is giving consent to have sex.

Author Walter Isaacson talks about his comprehensive new biography “Leonardo da Vinci,” which delves into the staggeringly inquisitive and creative giant of the Renaissance.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool steps down after the district’s watchdog accuses him of a full-blown cover-up. We speak with CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler.

The Chicago Public Schools watchdog recommends firing CPS CEO Forrest Claypool. Gov. Bruce Rauner says he’s not the one “in charge” of Illinois. And losing streaks persist for the Bulls and Hawks.

Will new FCC rules mean an end to the open internet? A look at the net neutrality debate.

Radioactive water leaking from Illinois nuclear power plants, despite promised safeguards—an investigative reporter on what’s been done.

To many, the legacy of activist Malcolm X is that of a fiery counterpart to the pacifist Martin Luther King, Jr. But to one of his daughters, that analysis overlooks his complexities and contributions to the fight for human rights.