Stories by Nick Blumberg

Despite increasing international condemnation, North Korea has ramped up its nuclear capabilities to a potentially dangerous level. 

“Chicago will not be blackmailed into changing our values, and we are and will remain a welcoming city,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Sunday at a press conference announcing the suit.

Another record-setting day on Wall Street. What’s propelling the stock surge—and can it last?

Vladimir Putin orders hundreds of U.S. diplomats out of the country as tensions escalate with Russia.

A new graphic novel wants to empower Chicago teenagers to push for the city they deserve. Meet one of the teens who created the book.

Buying a bag of chips or logging onto your computer with a wave of your hand will soon be possible at one Wisconsin company. 

A new study offers the latest and perhaps most dramatic evidence of the neurological toll of football on those who play it.

Heavy rains and record flooding in the Chicago area hatch a big concern: mosquitoes. With standing water as a breeding ground, more mosquitoes could be on the way.

Cook County layoffs spark a war of words. Chicago drivers get red-light ticket relief. Shakeup in the governor’s office. Revived Cubs are winning again, and the Sox go on a trade tirade.

Parents accuse singer R. Kelly of keeping their daughter and other women in a cult. We speak with the journalist who broke the story.

Learn more about the new CEO and the unlikely group that just purchased the beleaguered Chicago Sun-Times.

Gov. Bruce Rauner insists on removing what he calls a Chicago “bailout” from a state school funding plan.

Big cuts are coming to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, including nearly 400 jail guards. “We had no way to plan for this,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s staff shake-up is still going on after legislators voted last week to override the governor's veto of a tax hike and budget.

We meet one of the curators of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Lawmakers finally pass a budget, but Illinois bonds may still face a junk rating. Holiday weekend violence despite increased police presence. Can the underperforming Cubs right the World Series ship?

The head of the nonprofit group Violence Interrupters says his platform includes job creation, reducing gun violence, boosting public school funding and bridging gaps between Democrats and Republicans.

Artwork by Lilly Wachowski, best known as co-director of “The Matrix,” honors 27 transgender people killed last year—and allows the viewer to look them in the eyes.

Since 1981, FitzGerald’s in Berwyn has played host to an array of talent as part of its American Music Festival. Meet the club’s owner and a Bay Area singer-songwriter performing at the fest this weekend.

After a breach of Illinois voters’ information, a look at how to keep election systems secure from hacks.

From handwritten lyrics to vintage instruments to iconic outfits, a new look at 50 years of the Rolling Stones.

‘The Peregrine Returns’ is not just a story of recovery, but adaptability, exploring how the cliff-dwelling bird has made a home in an urban environment.

Politics and progressive rock may not sound like a natural pairing. But for most of 2016, they dominated Dave Weigel’s life.

For many parents, questions of hygiene and health weigh heavily on their minds. A new book argues that a fixation on cleanliness won’t lead to healthier children.

Police kill the Belleville gunman who fired on GOP congressmen. A lawsuit aims to force federal oversight of Chicago Police reform. And Dwyane Wade could make a deal to return to the Bulls. 

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise the benchmark interest rate again. What that means about the U.S. economy.