Stories by Hedy Weiss

The Joffrey Ballet’s winter program is a stunning showcase of the prowess of its dancers, as well as the stellar talents of the Chicago Philharmonic and music director Scott Speck.

The number of solar jobs in Illinois – and the U.S. as a whole – decreased last year, but experts are still optimistic about the industry’s future.

Chicago’s tallest building is being recognized for its standing atop another category: energy efficiency.

The Canadian prime minister spoke candidly at the University of Chicago on Wednesday, addressing trade tensions between both countries, as well as his vision of gender equality.

Illinois’ state employee pension plan, one of the largest in the nation, has retired from hedge funds. Find out why.

Watch the Feb. 7, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

On a street where homes sell for well over $1 million, one house has been hiding in plain sight for decades. It has been a welcome surprise to preservationists, but not to the developer who now owns it.

J.B. Pritzker apologizes for remarks he made on FBI wiretaps about black politicians. But will the apology undo the damage? We discuss the March 20 primary with political reporters Greg Hinz, Natasha Korecki and Laura Washington.

Could Elon Musk’s successful launch and landing of his Falcon Heavy rocket usher in a new era of commercial exploration—and exploitation—of space? This story and more from the world of science with Neil Shubin.

Geoffrey Baer has some newspaper history hot off of yesteryear’s presses, and dives deep into the fishy story of storm drain covers.

Nearly 30 years ago, scientists began collecting semen samples from Mexican wolves. On Sunday, Brookfield Zoo artificially inseminated one wolf as part of an effort to boost the genetic health of the endangered species. 

About 15,000 Chicago Public Schools students are homeless, and a proposal to close four Englewood high schools would disproportionately harm part of that population, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless says. 

Hot rods, cool jazz and sky-high views with four-legged friends usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A new bill would turn Cook County Jail into a temporary polling site and require that jails across the state provide detainees with voter registration applications.

A recording of a nearly decade-old phone call between disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and J.B. Pritzker is causing a headache for the Democratic front-runner for governor.

Another race in the March 20 primary that is heating up: Cook County assessor. The field narrowed Tuesday to one contender taking on incumbent Joe Berrios, but the dirt is still flying.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announces its 2018-2019 season, including Massenet’s “Cendrillon” (“Cinderella”), a Lyric premiere of a new-to-Chicago production.

Watch the Feb. 6, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

“Ragtime,” Ronald Reagan and a rarely seen Stephen Sondheim show are currently featured on Chicago-area stages. Theater critic Hedy Weiss joins us with recommendations – and two exclusive reviews.

Cape Town, South Africa, could soon be the first major city to run out of water. What lessons can Chicago share – and learn?

The Trump administration is playing down the historic stock market downturn. We discuss the seesawing financial markets and what they may foretell.

We take a look at the powerful—and sometimes graphic—works of art featured in the exhibit “Bill Walker: Urban Griot” at the Hyde Park Art Center.

A bill to be filed this month would ensure Illinois residents are able to challenge certain permits issued by state regulators, giving them legal standing to sue over environmental concerns such as air pollution and contaminated groundwater.

A new University of Chicago study finds 92 percent of teens who received sexual and reproductive health care via mobile health units would recommend their friends use them too. 

Viewers react to our story about where Trader Joe’s gets some of its pork products.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s challenger, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, says she’s been surprised by the “hysteria” surrounding a new ad her campaign released Friday.