Stories by Jay Shefsky

You may have heard of Bessie Coleman, the pioneering African American pilot from Chicago. But there is much more to the history of black aviation in this town. And though that story has been largely forgotten, it’s now inspiring a new generation of aviators.

The father of a Lincoln Park High School student is suing the Chicago Board of Education for allegedly not protecting his daughter from sexual assault. It’s the latest twist in a story for which few details have been released.

There’s more political fallout related to the Jussie Smollett case after a special prosecutor announced a new six-count indictment against the “Empire” actor.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was center stage in the House impeachment hearings. Now she is on stage, in a sense: a new play about Pelosi is receiving its world premiere in Chicago. We drop by an early rehearsal.

Amazon’s push to build a massive network of warehouses to store and distribute goods may be moving into Bolingbrook, but the town’s mayor isn’t thrilled about it.

If you’ve ever tried to order a bloody mary with your eggs benedict on a Sunday morning, you might have run into one of the many quirks of Chicago’s liquor laws. But that could soon change.

“If the Armslist Defendants had acted with reasonable care – instead of callous and willful disregard of human life – Commander Bauer would still be alive,” a federal complaint states.

Watch the Feb. 12, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

For the fourth weekend in a row, three CTA Red Line stations in Edgewater will be closed from Friday night through Monday morning.

The flaws and fancies, and triumphs and comeuppances of Jane Austen’s characters continue to ring true two centuries after the publication of her books. The latest proof can be found in this utterly charming production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. 

Preliminary findings point to the endangered pangolin as a possible host of the novel coronavirus, sparking concerns that a panic could lead to killings of the animal. 

Leticia Ruiz says the Cook County sheriff failed to protect her son from a reputed gang member who allegedly beat him to death inside the jail earlier this month, and that the “vicious and violent” beating was avoidable.

Hot cars, folk music, dance lessons and scaly creatures usher in the Valentine’s Day weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

The formidable full schedule will feature 10 major productions, eight of which will be “new to Chicago.” The season also will mark the grand finale of Sir Andrew Davis’ tenure as music director of the Lyric Opera.

New Hampshire Democrats gave Bernie Sanders a win, but also a warning.

Chicagoan Tonika Johnson is using photography to educate people on the disparities she’s noticed within neighborhoods throughout the city. 

A bill proposed in early February by Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, would ban Illinois drivers from pumping their own gas. 

Local scientists use a powerful new tool to make fresh discoveries from moon dust first collected nearly 50 years ago.

Signs for Douglas Park on Chicago’s West Side have received an unofficial update in recent weeks: a second “s.” The change comes after years of activisim in North Lawndale to rename the park.

Nearly a year after he was charged with lying to police about orchestrating an attack on himself, the former “Empire” actor is again facing charges in Cook County court.

Consistently listed one of the worst bottlenecks in the country, a massive project to improve the Jane Byrne Interchange is behind schedule and costing more than originally expected. We discuss the latest on the project.

The same Illinois privacy law that recently led Facebook to settle a class-action lawsuit for $550 million could trip up Google as well.

Community leaders are pushing the postal service for answers – and changes – after a customer reported a clerk who refused to help Spanish-speaking customers.

Board games are a multibillion-dollar analog unicorn in a digital world. How Chicago is catching up on the trend with hyperlocal games, a meetup group and a trio of board game bars/cafes.

Joe Lupa, the owner of Chicago’s first and only rage room, boils his business down to a simple consumer demand: people like smashing stuff. We visit Escapades Rage Room on the city’s Near North Side.

Watch the Feb. 11, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”