Stories by Kristen Thometz

After losing a patient to colon cancer, a local doctor strapped a sign to his back urging people to get screened for the disease. The reaction to his unusual move was instant – and widespread.

While little is known about the typically solitary lives of octopuses, new evidence out of Australia suggests that octopuses can congregate and socialize under the right conditions.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and about a dozen other elected officials will take part in a fundraiser aimed at boosting efforts to improve the quality of the river’s water.

University of Chicago researchers have discovered that lymphatic vessels, which are often blamed for enabling cancer to spread, can also boost a type of cancer treatment. 

The battle to repeal the Cook County soda tax is prolonged. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich breaks his silence from behind bars. The hard sell for Amazon’s huge headquarters is underway. And the Cubs hang on to a division lead.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Friday that she will not seek another term in office in 2018, but declined to say whether or not she would run for another office.

On top of announcing its 2017 PARCC results, the Illinois State Board of Education says it plans to stick with the exam that critics have called confusing and unreliable.

Viewers had mixed opinions about former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who granted his first prison interviews this week.

Actors take action by taking the stage once a month to raise money for organizations that could lose funding under the Trump administration. Meet the program’s founder and find out what’s on tap in September.

Watch the Sept. 14, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Propaganda and political cartoons show different perspectives of Vietnam at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library.

Addressing violence is at the top of the ticket for a newly minted Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial returns for a second year to highlight the work of contemporary architects from around the globe. We get a preview.

A discussion with Sharon Fairley, chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, which officially takes over on Friday.

Amazon plans to build a second headquarters somewhere in North America. Can Chicago woo the tech giant and the estimated 50,000 jobs that would come with it?

Community members get a chance to address key figures behind the Obama Presidential Center. A live report from the meeting.

Honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of physicist Marie Curie and its own 150th anniversary, Northeastern Illinois University this month hosts a conference celebrating women’s contributions to science. Find out what’s on tap.

Universities and other publicly funded institutions will soon be required to make “reasonable efforts” to get research dogs and cats adopted once they are no longer needed.

The Cassini mission has completely transformed our understanding of Saturn and identified two moons that could potentially harbor life. On Friday morning, the journey will come to a fiery end. 

Counties in Illinois will soon be able to tap into their animal population control funds to support programs aimed at reducing feral cat populations.

Tacos and beer, live music, open studios and nerd humor usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Watch the Sept. 13, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Scandinavia’s most famous writer, who penned a six-volume autobiography entitled “My Struggle,” comes to Chicago.

Two journalists talk about their recent interviews with the imprisoned former Illinois governor.

We speak with tennis coach and Chicago native Kamau Murray, who founded XS Tennis in 2005 on Chicago’s South Side.

Contemporary artwork is in the spotlight. We get a behind-the-scenes preview of Expo Chicago, the citywide art show at Navy Pier and other city destinations.