Stories by WTTW News
New $14.5M Farm Purchase Raises Eyebrows
Cook County Forest Preserve Acquisition Largest in 45 years
The Cook County Forest Preserve District makes its biggest land purchase in nearly 50 years snapping up a foreclosed 400 acre horse farm in Barrington Hills. We look at how the Forest Preserve was able to afford the $14.5 million property and what it might become.
James 'Big Cat' Williams Talks NFL Draft
Former Bear Breaks Down This Year's Draft
Coming off the worst defensive season in Chicago Bears history, it's no surprise General Manager Phil Emery used this year's draft to beef up the team's defense. Read an interview with the Bears new signee and former Northern Illinois University quarterback, Jordan Lynch.
Viewer Feedback 5/12
Crain's Corner: Web Do-it-Yourself Eye Exams Coming Soon
We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.
Web Extra: The Week in Review: 5/9
Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss weekly headlines.
Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review: 5/9
On this edition of Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review, Joel Weisman and his guest discuss this week's headlines.
Islamic Groups Denounce Nigerian Abductions
The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) and the Nigerian Islamic Association decry the kidnappings and violence in Nigeria. They also distance themselves from Boko Haram, saying the terrorist group is extremist, but not Islamic. The U.K. have also joined the international effort to rescue the girls.
Chicago's Human Trafficking
As the nation rallies together to bring back the girls abducted in Nigeria, nearly 25,000 women and girls fall victim to trafficking in Chicago every year. Tonight, we address Chicago’s human trafficking problems, possible solutions.
Crain's Corner
Web Do-it-Yourself Eye Exams Coming Soon
Do-it-yourself online eye exams could transform the world of optometry. We talk to a Crain’s Chicago Business reporter about a local start-up that has just scored $1 million in seed money to make it happen.
Sayonara ‘Sausage Superstore’
Hot Doug’s to Close in October
Iconic gourmet hot dog spot Hot Doug’s, known for its exotic hot dogs and sausages as well as its duck fat fries, is closing. Hot Doug’s owner Doug Sohn tears himself away from the counter to tell us about his decision to close the “sausage superstore.”
Sacred Artist
As a Muslim girl growing up in Turkey, Meltem Aktas wasn’t planning to make a career of Christian art. We revisit Jay Shefsky's profile of the sacred artist. View a slideshow of her work.
Celebrating Studs Terkel
Three-Day Festival to Honor His Life, Work
The University of Chicago and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts will host Let’s Get Working, a three-day festival honoring the life and work of Chicago icon and University of Chicago alum Studs Terkel.
Viewer Feedback: 5/8
Crain's Corner: Smartphone App Rollout to Pay Parking Meter Looms
We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.
Illinois Gubernatorial Election 2014
Welcome to Chicago Tonight’s online coverage of Illinois' 2014 Gubernatorial Election. We’ve gathered information here about the final candidates, Democrat Pat Quinn, Republican Bruce Rauner, and Libertarian Chad Grimm.
City v. Park Grill Case Advances
The City of Chicago's lawsuit against the Chicago Park District and the owners of the Park Grill in Millennium Park is in its second week in the Daley Center. Check in for the latest developments.
Race for Governor Heats Up
We’re at the six-month mark to the General Election. The gubernatorial race heats up as both Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican candidate Bruce Rauner come under scrutiny. We take a look at that and more.
Crain's Corner
Tech Stock Drama
The volatility of tech stocks are apparent today with an 18 percent plummet for Groupon as it moves from email-based business to a marketplace setting. Twitter also took a 20 percent hit this week. But analysts are buzzing about Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, some say it could have the largest initial public offering in tech history.
Prairie Perennials Inspire Home Gardens
New Book Highlights Lessons Learned from the Lurie Garden
We talk to the author of a new book, “Gardening with Perennials,” about lessons local gardeners can learn from Chicago’s Lurie Garden. This unique Millennium Park garden pays homage to Chicago's transformation from flat marshland to innovative green city.
Quinn Initiative Faces Another Blow
Yet another probe into Gov. Pat Quinn's troubled $55 million anti-violence initiative, as a GOP lawmaker seeks to get subpoena power over the program started by Quinn in 2010. Read the original State's Auditor General report. Watch web extra videos.
Shift on Public Prayer
The Supreme Court's decision on May 5 upheld the right to public prayer in civic settings. Does the close 5-4 vote indicate a new tilt toward conservatism? Is the decision an expansion of rights for communities?
Crain's Corner
Smartphone App Rollout to Pay Parking Meter Looms
Chicago is expanding its pay-by-smartphone app to pay parking meters. The plan is to have the service for all Chicago parking meters by summer's end.
Rowing Upstream
Chicago Training Center Teaching Students to Row
In communities where sports like basketball and soccer are king, a team of Chicago teens is, literally, rowing upstream through the sport of competitive rowing. We look at how the Chicago Training Center is teaching students more than just physical fitness.
Scientific Chicago with Rabiah Mayas
Advancements in robotics technology are changing the fields of medicine, defense, and manufacturing. We talk with Rabiah Mayas about that and more.
Web Extra: Cinco De Mayo, Mariachi Style
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we revisit a performance from the award-winning Mariachi Aztlán.
Officials Probe First US MERS case
The first official case of the deadly infection Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) surfaces in the U.S. Last week, a patient was diagnosed at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind. Elizabeth Brackett will have an update and explain more about the dangerous virus.
Sexual Assaults on Campus
The federal government released a list of 55 colleges and universities, including University of Chicago and Knox College in Illinois, that are under investigation for their handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints. We talk with a panel of experts about the issues surrounding sexual assault on campus. View a graph of on campus sex offenses for Illinois public universities.
Viewer Feedback: 5/5
We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.
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