Stories by Alexandra Silets

Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas on his new appointment to the board of beleaguered Chicago State University.

Thousands of teachers miss class time within Illinois each week, and thanks to a shortage of substitute teachers, an average of 600 K-12 classrooms are left without an educator each school day, according to a new statewide study.

Over the course of its history, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has amassed a collection of about 390,000 animal specimens and artifacts. We get a close look at five of these rarely seen items.

Pollution causes 10 million deaths per year, according to an upcoming report written by 50 researchers and policymakers, including Chicago-based energy experts.

From San Francisco to Stockholm, stories of people who started small and ended up solving problems in their community.

Can an app reduce a person’s depression or anxiety? Or predict when someone might have a manic episode? Researchers from two local universities say yes.

The Chicago native died Monday afternoon at the age of 82.

Watch the Jan. 16, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

There’s no guarantee Illinois government employees will strike, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 has taken initial steps toward the unprecedented action.

In a damning report, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed what many in minority communities had been saying for years. We discuss the findings with Lori Lightfoot, Craig Futterman and Shari Runner.

We talk with experts about which stocks will win and lose in a Trump administration.

Like many of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet selections, his education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, a Michigan billionaire and GOP mega-donor, has been met with controversy.

He has become one of the world’s top operatic tenors: Matthew Polenzani is back for a return engagement on Chicago Tonight. 

Thanks to a new state law, officers partnered with a police dog are first in line to keep the dog once it is deemed no longer fit for service.

Once a neighborhood unwelcoming to families of color, Marquette Park is not only a more diverse community today, but one that's now home to a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.

We heard from you about the Chicago Police Department’s struggle with low morale. 

The prolonged standoff between Gov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois’ largest public employees’ union may lead to an unprecedented strike of state government employees.

CPS teachers, staff and central office employees will not work four separate school days spread throughout the rest of the school year as the district continues looking for cost-cutting measures to balance its 2017 budget.

The city of Chicago has signed an “agreement in principle” to negotiate a consent decree with the federal government that would give the embattled Chicago Police Department federal oversight to enact sweeping reforms.

Cook County is ahead of schedule on its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, a new report shows.

The Department of Justice releases its report on the Chicago Police Department. President Barack Obama delivers a farewell speech while Donald Trump holds his first press conference as president-elect. Those stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

Politicians and health care advocates across the country will hold rallies Sunday calling for the protection of millions of Americans’ health care coverage. Get the Chicago rally details.

After working to sell and repurpose shuttered school buildings over the past three years, the district announced in a school action update Thursday it will be adding 10 more surplus properties to the list of those available for sale.

A majority of police officers say their jobs have become more difficult and dangerous in the wake of high-profile deaths of black citizens during police encounters, a new survey by the Pew Research Center reveals.

Friday morning the U.S. Department of Justice makes public the results of its yearlong investigation into the Chicago Police Department. It is said to be sharply critical.

Amazon’s voice-activated digital assistant is a hot seller, but there are privacy issues.