Stories by Paul Caine

Abner Mikva talks about a lifetime of public service and what it was like to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama.

State Sen. Daniel Biss discusses a new workplace retirement program that was just approved in Springfield and will impact 2.5 million Illinois workers.

Chicago Deputy Mayor Steven Koch joins us to discuss booming downtown development and job growth, and the city's new minimum wage.

The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan returns to the WTTW garden for the final harvest of the year just in time for Thanksgiving.

The debate over net neutrality is at the very core of how the internet will develop. We debate the issue with experts on opposing sides.

We take a look at some classic crime photos from the archives of the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Tribune's analysis of borrowing by Chicago Public Schools has been causing quite a stir. The reporters on the story lay out what they found.

Chicago native Bob Mariano, CEO of Mariano's, is here to update us on the grocery store's Chicagoland expansion, his approach to business, and his views on the economic outlook for Illinois.

As a Democrat who voted for Republican Bruce Rauner, Newton Minow joins us to talk about his 10 tips for our new governor-elect to help make him an effective governor.

Our science guy, Neil Shubin, is back to talk about the new PBS three-part series based on his bestselling book, Your Inner Fish. Watch a preview and read an overview of the series.

The Centers for Disease Control says there may be as many as 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses every year in the United States, costing the economy more than $150 billion and resulting in around 3,000 deaths. We talk with two food safety experts about the impact new technologies are having in keeping our food safe. Read an article.

Downers Grove businessman Doug Truax and entrepreneur Jim Oberweis are competing in the Republican Primary for the opportunity to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Truax joins us. Oberweis has declined our invitation to participate. Read an article, and view bios and career timelines of the candidates.

As Russian troops tighten their grip on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and Western powers scramble to respond, we talk with Chicagoan and former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder.

Illinois is now rated as the least credit-worthy state in the nation. It seems increasingly likely that some form of state tax reform must be a part of any plan to address the state’s long-term fiscal woes. But what type of reform? State Rep. David McSweeney and State Rep. Christian Mitchell debate the merits of a progressive vs. a flat tax. View an infographic from Reboot Illinois for a nationwide overview on taxes.

Imagine waking up on a crowded train platform in a foreign country. You don’t know where you are or even WHO you are. That’s what happened to Chicago author David Stuart MacLean. His new book, The Answer to the Riddle is Me: A Memoir of Amnesia, chronicles how he has spent much of the past decade trying to piece together the fragments of what he remembers of his former life. He joins us with his story. Read an excerpt and view a slideshow.

Science catches up with science fiction as we revisit a conversation with Professor John Rogers, the inventor of epidermal electronics -- tiny, bendy computer chips that can be placed on or in the human body to monitor critical health data. Watch web extra videos.

We talk with the man recently hired to turn the city’s high-tech incubator known as 1871 into a major technology hub.

The field of nanoscience -- the science of the very small -- is exploding and is likely to profoundly shape our future, impacting everything from energy production and storage to cutting edge, designer medicines. Here to help us separate the science from the science fiction is Dr. Amanda Petford-Long, director of the Nanoscience and Technology Division and the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory.

In the wake of disclosures by former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden of massive and pervasive government surveillance, we talk with two cybersecurity experts.

Science catches up with science fiction as we talk to Professor John Rogers, the inventor of epidermal electronics -- tiny, bendy computer chips that can be placed on or in the human body to monitor critical health data. Watch web extra videos.

Professor George Crabtree of Argonne National Laboratory discusses the quest to build a better battery and America’s energy future.

After the messy ouster of his predecessor, Metra's new interim executive director Donald Orseno tells us how he intends to drive the scandal-ridden commuter rail agency forward.

Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a major shift in federal sentencing policy, calling on federal prosecutors to sidestep mandatory minimum sentences for low level, non-violent drug offenders. We have analysis on what the change will mean and why Holder is announcing it now. Read the full memorandum.