Stories by Paul Caine

A day after celebrating its 90th birthday, the Adler Planetarium laid off 120 part-time and full-time employees. The “difficult decision” was made “in order to help the Adler survive,” spokesperson Jennifer Howell said in a statement to WTTW News. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recently unveiled five-phase plan to gradually reopen the state is already getting pushback. Joining us to share their views are state Reps. Deanne Mazzochi, a Republican, and Mike Zalewski, a Democrat.

The pandemic has laid bare how existing inequalities can magnify the impact of the virus on low-income workers, who are disproportionately women and people of color. And now, many of those workers are being designated as essential.

A look at what’s being done at Cook County Jail to keep people safe and the pandemic’s impact on the criminal justice system. Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx join us.

Dr. Emily Landon’s job is to prepare for outbreaks like COVID-19. She joins us to discuss the effectiveness of testing and the statewide stay-at-home order.

We discuss the history of Earth Day and the environmental challenges the planet is facing today with Denis Hayes, the organizer of the very first event in 1970, and local environmental activist Kim Wasserman.

A new bill to replenish a multibillion-dollar fund aimed at helping small businesses keep workers on the payroll failed to materialize Monday. We get a status check on the Paycheck Protection Program.

Scientists and engineers across the planet are desperately searching for ways to combat the new coronavirus. A significant part of that effort is taking place just west of Chicago.

This week, Chicago Public Schools families are learning a new lesson: how remote learning works. We check in on the district’s remote learning plan with LaTanya McDade, CPS chief education officer.

The West Ridge neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city, but a cluster of zip codes on the South Side are not far behind, according to newly released data.

Could hospitals and supermarkets become targets for terror groups looking to exploit the pandemic to advance their racist agenda? We speak with international terrorism expert Robert Pape.

With cases of COVID-19 expected to peak in Illinois later this month, are hospitals and health care workers in the state going to have what they need when they really need it?

It’s estimated that roughly two billion people around the globe are now under some form of stay-at-home order. This significant slowdown in economic activity has also led to an environmental impact, particularly in the air.

The spread of COVID-19 has sparked fear and apprehension — and misinformation can elevate those emotions. To help answer your questions about the new coronavirus, we turned to infectious disease specialist Dr. Susan Bleasdale of UI Health.

The U.S. House is expected to pass a $2 trillion stimulus and relief package — the largest bailout in American history. But will it be enough to save workers and businesses ravaged by the virus?

Panic-buying is taking hold of shoppers across the country. Already, toilet paper and hand sanitizer are flying off store shelves. How are grocery stores maintaining their supplies? And will their supply chains hold up under the strain of the crisis?

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a stay-at-home order for the entire state just a few days ago, but there are already concerns over how it will be enforced – particularly in communities of color.

Facing what could be the biggest challenge to the American economy since the Great Depression of the 1930s, Congress is now urgently trying put together a relief package to keep U.S. households afloat.

We discuss viruses and the role they’ve played in shaping who we are with University of Chicago paleontologist and author Neil Shubin.

U.S. stocks plunged nearly 13% Monday. As bars and restaurants in Illinois close to dine-in customers, we analyze the economic impact of the coronavirus.

U.S. stocks on Thursday recorded their biggest single-day fall since the notorious Black Monday crash of 1987 as coronavirus fears accelerated.

With violent crime in Chicago of huge concern to voters, we hear from the two GOP candidates aiming to be the next Cook County state’s attorney.

For the past 25 years, Cheryl Knott and her husband Tim Laman have dedicated their lives to the orangutans that live in Borneo’s Gunung Palung National Park. On Tuesday, they’ll highlight the great ape’s plight with a talk.

Abortion rights activists rally downtown as the Supreme Court considers a restrictive abortion law in Louisiana.

Former school administrators John Thuet and Michelle Brumfield were ousted amid “multiple allegations of serious misconduct.” But in an exclusive interview with “Chicago Tonight,” they say CPS has told them nothing about those allegations.

Are we really alone in the universe? A new effort to search for extraterrestrial life is underway.