Stories by WTTW News

One of the largest city models in the world is currently on display downtown. The story of how it was made is as remarkable as the model itself.

The junior senator from Illinois, Roland Burris, made a rare public appearance in Chicago. Rich Samuels tells us why fellow Democrats, including President Obama, are suddenly taking him very seriously.

The veto session in Springfield has ended, but there are many issues the state continues to face, namely the state budget. Carol Marin and her panel of lawmakers discuss the state's fiscal challenges and more.

It's official: Chicago's Ricketts family has bought the Cubs. What will it mean to have a fan running the ball club? Kris Kridel of WBBM's Noon Business Hour joins us with some insight, plus the rest of the week's business news.

We meet a woman who has captured Chicago for half a century through everything from Polaroids to black-and-white stills.

We recap the Bears' victory over the Cleveland Browns with former Bears defensive back Jerry Azumah.

You can tell a lot about a president by how they play poker, says Chicago-based author James McManus. We talk to him about his new book Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker.

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: State lawmakers busy during the fall veto session; Cook County property taxes soaring; Illinois grappling with the swine flu; terrorism suspects arrested in Chicago; protesters take to the streets against the American Bankers Association annual meeting; new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts officially takes over; and the Bears hope to bounce back from one of the worst losses of the Lovie Smith era. Guests:

Eddie Arruza sits down with former M*A*S*H actor Mike Farrell to talk about his new book, Of Mule and Man.

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their destination while allegedly working on their laptop computers have had their licenses revoked. But the incident has also raised questions about what's happening in the cockpit. Eddie Arruza talks to a retired pilot and aviation consultant about airline safety.

A Chicago filmmaker joins us to talk about a new documentary featuring unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage from inside the Obama Presidential campaign. By the People: The Election of Barack Obama

The party scene of 1970s blues clubs is captured in a new collection of photography and music. We go inside Chicago's South Side blues scene at the dawn of the disco era.

In the spirit of Halloween, Geoffrey Baer shares the spooky legend of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. America's Most Haunted Places: Bachelor's Grove Cemetery Chicago Coliseum

We give you a preview of Eddie Arruza's Friday Night Show interview with former M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell.

Grab your witch hat, pillowcase and pumpkin -- Halloween is here! Madeline Nusser of Time Out Chicago shares her favorite ways to celebrate the holiday.

Property taxes, the proposed Illiana Expressway, and mass transit are the subjects of tonight's viewer mail.

One of two Chicago men accused of a terror plot against a Danish newspaper made his first appearance in federal court today. Eddie Arruza reports on what prosecutors say was an attempt to kill a cartoonist behind some controversial drawings of the Prophet Muhammed.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch discusses his latest book, The Clinton Tapes.

As unemployment numbers have soared, so have the numbers of hungry people. And not just in Chicago. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the efforts to combat hunger in the northern suburban and rural areas of Illinois. Northern Illinois Food Bank Contact Information

What do you need to know to plan a successful retirement? Author, Sun-Times columnist and financial analyst Terry Savage joins us to crunch the numbers on your retirement savings. The New Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire?

Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony were the dynamic duo of design. We meet the married couple that took the ideas of the Prairie School to the other side of the world. The Magic of America: Electronic Edition by Marion Mahony Griffin Walter Burley Griffin Society of America Walter Burley Griffin Society Inc. (Australia)

We talk to a Pakistani pop star that has used his enormous success to change his country. We have a live performance from singer Shehzad Roy. Shehzad Roy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

The second installment property tax bill you're about to receive will very likely be higher than last year's. How can that happen in a time of declining property values? Rich Samuels tells us how the Mayor is responding.

Eddie Arruza finds out more about rising property taxes when he talks to Cook County Assessor James Houlihan about the bad news that's coming in the mail.

As we continue our Chicago Matters series, Beyond Burnham, we meet a Chicago visionary who founded the Inner City Muslim Action Network. Inner-City Muslim Action Network

Geoffrey Baer shows us some of the hidden treasures of the Chicago Park District. Free self-guided audio tour of Humboldt Park