Stories by Nick Blumberg

There's no such thing as a true free market: That's the bold proposition former Labor Secretary Robert Reich makes in his newly released book, "Saving Capitalism." He joins “Chicago Tonight” to talk about how he hopes to change the conversation and save capitalism.

A proposal from the Department of Labor would hold retirement advisers to what's called a "fiduciary" standard. The goal is to protect investors from advisers with a conflict of interest, but financial companies say the change will be costly and could keep many people from getting retirement advice at all. We'll take a closer look at the proposal.

An architect with a global portfolio but a laser-like focus on context. Works deeply embedded in culture but devoted to breaking stereotypes. And a talented eye with more of an approach than a style. "Chicago Tonight" takes a look inside David Adjaye's new solo architecture exhibition at the Art Institute’s modern wing.

The arrival of Pope Francis on Tuesday marks the fourth time a pope has visited the U.S., and the first time a pope addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Pilgrims are flocking to the East Coast for a chance to see Francis, but what some see as his progressive stances are drawing criticism from other corners of American Catholicism.

Illinois is coming up on almost three months with no state budget, and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic legislative leaders don't appear to be any closer to a solution. Two lawmakers known for sometimes bucking their party leaders discuss whether there's a bipartisan path out of the state's current mess.

A new documentary explores the path of one Chicago native that led to his seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Learn about the movie "Unexpected Justice: The Rise of John Paul Stevens" with co-director Greg Jacobs.

Eleven GOP presidential hopefuls will meet for a second prime-time cable news debate Wednesday. Donald Trump still leads the polling but retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s numbers have surged as has the profile of former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. We discuss what to expect from tomorrow night’s debate.

After spending months combing through nearly 100 years of archival photographs and newspaper articles, the Chicago Tribune is releasing a comprehensive look at the Chicago Bears.

Dr. Cory Franklin spent 25 years leading Cook County Hospital's intensive care unit – more than enough for a lifetime of stories. The ICU's former chief joins Chicago Tonight to discuss his new book, Cook County ICU, his most memorable patients, and what they taught him.

Congress reconvenes next Tuesday after a five-week recess, and there are some weighty and urgent matters to attend to, including yet another debt ceiling fiscal cliff. Joining us to share their thoughts on these and other issues are Congressman Bill Foster (D-11th); and Congressman Peter Roskam (R-6th).

Patents recently issued to Northbrook-based insurance giant Allstate could allow the company to monitor your car for sources of distraction, collect health data on drivers, and even monitor what's going on around your vehicle. The company says any new technology will improve driver safety, but some are worried it could violate the privacy of drivers, passengers and passers-by. 

Meet two storm survivors who moved to Chicago after the destructive storm ripped through the New Orleans area.

Carol Fisher Saller's principles of copy editing might surprise anyone who's ever tussled with an editor over a piece of writing. She argues communication and collaboration between writer and editor are key; style rules are useful guidelines, not the straps of a straitjacket; and that language's evolution isn't anything to rail against. She joins Chicago Tonight. 

This month in Nature, an international team of researchers released some of their key findings after a first-of-its-kind study of the genome of the California two-spot octopus. The team found a massive and unusually arranged genome, with many genes unique to the octopus that could provide clues to the unusual animals. One of the researchers, University of Chicago neurobiologist Cliff Ragsdale, joins Chicago Tonight to discuss the ongoing project.

The Dow Jones took a nosedive this morning, dropping more than 1,000 points when trading opened. The markets recovered some of their losses, but investors still appear rattled by disappointing economic news from China. We'll hear what to expect in the days to come and how it might affect your day-to-day life from three economic experts.

The Chicago Housing Authority's Cabrini Green homes stood for decades on the Near North Side. Between 1995 and 2011, the buildings were demolished and replaced with mixed-income housing. The new documentary "70 Acres in Chicago" tracks that tumultuous period and the efforts of residents to save their homes.

The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over Chicago's pension reforms in November. Attorney John Schmidt says the city's pension reforms are fundamentally different than the state's reforms that were struck down earlier this year. Schmidt joins us on Chicago Tonight.

The House today passed a bill freeing up nearly $5 billion in federal money. But Democrats failed to get enough support for an amendment to spend state dollars on some human services. After the vote, House Speaker Michael Madigan expressed frustration over the failed effort, but Republicans weren't buying it. We'll get the latest from Springfield with Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

An Illinois House committee voted Tuesday on a bill already passed by the state Senate that will allow the state to start spending $5 billion in available federal money. We have the latest from Springfield with Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

A new, in-depth report looks at how Illinois politicians pulled the state into the current pension mess after decades of poor planning, non-existent estimates, and last-minute decision making. Journalist Dave McKinney wrote the story for Crain's Chicago Business and joins Chicago Tonight to discuss the story and how it provides important context for our current crisis.

Police in Hamburg, N.Y. have confirmed they are investigating an alleged incident at the home of Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, but won't provide details. Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos traveled to the Buffalo suburb to cover the story. He joins Chicago Tonight with more.

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday said his administration would be willing to help Chicago Public Schools and the city’s pensions, provided the city helps Rauner give local municipalities the ability to limit collective bargaining with public employees. On Chicago Tonight Mayor Rahm Emanuel responds to Rauner’s challenge.

Alds. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) and Ed Burke (14th Ward) have proposed an ordinance that would tighten restrictions on the use of drones in the city, including limits on how close they can fly to O'Hare and Midway airports. Ald. Waguespack joins Chicago Tonight to talk about his proposal, along with Aerial Vision Chicago co-founder Anthony LaRosa.

Illinois Congressmen Randy Hultgren (R) and Luis Gutiérrez (D) join Chicago Tonight to discuss Iran, Planned Parenthood, clean energy, the 2016 election, and more issues they'll face next month.

The city of Chicago's partial ban on plastic bags is now in place, but the ordinance as it's currently written will still allow stores to give out plastic bags, provided they meet certain standards. We discuss the new rules and proposed changes to them.

The City Council today tackled a host of issues in its final meeting before a two-month break. But one issue that didn't come up between aldermen and Mayor Emanuel is the big, expensive elephant in the room. Carol Marin talks with a panel of aldermen to analyze the city’s options for making its pension payments.