Stories by WTTW News

We share what you had to say about our discussion with Ald. George Cardenas on the city's proposed plastic bag ban when we read some of our viewer feedback.

Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his annual state budget address. Paris Schutz has the details from Springfield. Read an article and watch Quinn's full address.

Making the income tax increase permanent, a property tax relief, and adding $50 million to a monetary assistance program for college students in Illinois will all be addressed during Gov. Pat Quinn budget speech. Carol Marin talks with Sen. Kirk Dillard from Springfield, and then analyzes the budget address with her panel of guests. View graphics of Quinn's 2015 budget.

Just three of the nearly 50 school buildings closed by Chicago Public Schools last year are now occupied again, though CPS says charter schools could move into the closed buildings if the community approves. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Read an article.

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that Northwestern University football players are employees and can unionize. Sports attorney and IIT Chicago-Kent adjunct professor Eldon L. Ham joins us to talk about the NLRB ruling. Read an interview with Chicago Sun-Times Sports Columnist and former Northwestern University football player Rick Telander about the ruling.

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Eliza Fournier joins us to talk about spring gardening. She brings tips and reminders on how to clear out the damage from a long Chicago winter and prepare for bountiful seasons ahead.

Could Illinois voters put an end to gerrymandering of districts? We have the details on why one campaign says it could happen this year. Read an article, watch a video, and view a map detailing how each state approaches the redistricting process.

The Affordable Care Act requires that employers provide health care to employees - including contraception at no cost. This is a problem for a number of business owners for religious reasons and they are taking their fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, justices hear oral arguments from two such businesses. We discuss the arguments and future implications. View a timeline on the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation cases.

Is the city about to join San Francisco and nearly 100 other cities across the country in passing a ban on plastic bags? We discuss the proposed ban with Ald. George Cardenas, chairman of the Committee on Health and Environmental Protection, who today held hearings on the issue and says he has the City Council votes to pass a ban.

Vaccinations for children have recently come up in the news with some celebrity moms opting out of vaccinating their kids and pointing to a potential relationship between additives in certain vaccines and autism. We talk with Dr. Adannia Enyioha of Rush University's Medical Center and Dr. Melanie Brown of Comer Children’s Hospital about vaccinations and the controversy surrounding the headlines. Read an article featuring voices from moms on both sides of the vaccination spectrum, and view a graphic of the CDC's recommended immunization schedule.

People who have been out of work for more than six months have a harder time getting hired again. Brandis Friedman has the story of a Chicago-based nonprofit ahead of the curve in helping those workers get back to work, and the support it’s getting from the White House. Read an article.

Read an interview with Darryl Lane, Senior Talent Acquisition Lead at Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, about employment tips, and view a graph of Chicago’s unemployment rate compared with state and national levels.

We preview the surprisingly varied work of American artist John Singer Sargent through The Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection. Known as the great American portrait artist, Sargent was a prodigy whose many talents extended beyond his reputation. View a slideshow of Sargent's artwork.

We share what you had to say about the recent lawsuit filed by the mother of David Koschman and our discussion on the implications of some hospital over-prescribing antibiotics to their patients when we read some of our viewer feedback. 

Seventeen-year-olds in Illinois had the ability to vote in the March Primary Election. Neli Farahmandpour helped to get the law passed that gave 17-year-olds this opportunity. Read an article.

A blue line train derailed early this morning at O'Hare Airport, sending 32 people to the hospital. Paris Schutz has the details. Did you witness the derailment? Take any photos? E-mail us here if you'd like to share your photos and story with Chicago Tonight.

The Illinois Supreme Court is appointing an administrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County to overhaul pretrial services and the adult probation department, and to reverse the backlog of inmates awaiting trial—some for years. Carol Marin and her guests have analysis. Read the full report and Chief Judge Timothy Evans' response.

The mother of David Koschman files a federal lawsuit over a violation of civil rights. Nanci Koschman cites a cover-up by police and prosecutors in the death of her son David in 2004. Last month, Richard "RJ" Vanecko, the nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with David's death. Carol Marin has the latest details. Watch the full news conference and read the lawsuit.

As Russia moves swiftly to annex Crimea, we talk with former NATO Ambassador Ivo Daalder about the crisis in Ukraine and what he thinks the West’s response should be. View a timeline of key events in Ukraine's political crisis and read an article about the local Ukrainian population’s reaction to the current state of affairs.

As Russia continues to assert its influence in Crimea, concern grows among the Chicago Ukrainian community. Read an article.

The Chicago River has long been thought of as Chicago’s second shoreline, overlooked by Lake Michigan. In Chicago’s River At Work And At Play, author Neal Samors and photographer Steven Dahlman explore the history and future of the Chicago River. Read an interview with Samors, view a slideshow, and read the preface of the book, written by former Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Vietnam veteran Lon Hodge struggled for years with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder until he got a PTSD service dog named Gander. Lon says that Gander has saved his life. Now, Lon and Gander help other vets and work to raise awareness about PTSD, veteran suicide and service dogs. We revisit Jay Shefsky's profile. Read an interview with Fran Menley, Service Dog Trainer at Freedom Service Dogs of America, about how they rescue, train and pair dogs with veterans and people with disabilities.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s proposed constitutional amendment that would raise income taxes on people making more than $1 million a year. They also talk about the soaring cost of the Illinois race for governor, as well as the media’s coverage of the candidates. Watch the web extra video.

A magic show, an art exhibit and a spring food tasting event; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan throws a curveball, asking voters to approve a possible 3 percent surcharge on millionaires to help pay for education. How does that play into a governor’s race that has already become about class warfare? Paris Schutz has the details on that, and how high-profile Democrats and Independents are coming out in support of Bruce Rauner. Read Newt Minow's endorsement of Rauner.