Stories by Paris Schutz

The former chair of the City Council Committee on Finance is no stranger to scrutiny. But now, Ald. Ed Burke’s practice of loaning out employees to work for aldermen is coming under fire.

Superheroes and villains, a springtime run, musical performances and wine flights usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

As he awaits trial on nearly a dozen charges of criminal sexual abuse, singer R. Kelly is asking a judge to let him travel overseas for a planned three-day concert in April.

Mining for coltan, a mineral compound used to make cellphones and other small electronics, has displaced large numbers of Eastern gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

In a North Side ward adjacent to the proposed site of the controversial Lincoln Yards development, two candidates fight for the 43rd Ward aldermanic seat. Incumbent Ald. Michele Smith and Derek Lindblom join us.

Floyd E. Brown pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges accusing him of fatally shooting 35-year-old McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner.

The Chicago police union’s president alleges that the county’s top prosecutor interfered with the investigation of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett before recusing herself.

Watch the March 19, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision comes one month after the state filed its request. With its ruling, former police Officer Jason Van Dyke will continue serving his 81-month prison sentence.

Ald. Ariel Reboyras has represented the 30th Ward since 2003 and is now facing Jessica Gutierrez, the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, in his first runoff election.

There are 12 million infants and toddlers living in the United States, but the state in which they spend their first few years can make a big difference in their well-being for years to come, a new report finds.

Environmentally sensitive development of the Chicago River system would sustain more than 1,600 jobs per year while also improving water quality and recreational space, according to a new study. 

Richard K. Booy, 50, pleaded guilty last year to one count of mail fraud. Prosecutors say he swindled more than $1 million from 15 victims between 2012 and 2016.

U.S. prosecutors are looking into the development of Boeing’s 737 Max jets, a person briefed on the matter revealed Monday.

Qualifications and public banks. Those were the repeated subjects that came up during the treasurer’s forum Monday with candidates Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Ameya Pawar. Watch the full discussion.

Watch the March 18, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Illinois’ marijuana industry is growing like a weed, but could banking regulations lead to its collapse? State Treasurer Michael Frerichs says the cash-based business is “now ripe for theft, fraud and tax evasion.”

The latest U.S. research on eggs won’t go over easy for those who can’t eat breakfast without them. Adults who ate about 1.5 eggs daily had a slightly higher risk of heart disease than those who ate no eggs, a study shows.

Following a three-way battle to replace outgoing Treasurer Kurt Summers in the Feb. 26 election, Chicago voters will have to choose between two candidates in the April 2 runoff.

Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey suggests the union’s rank-and-file members save at least 10 percent of each paycheck “to make sure we can stand strong on the picket line.”

The Tamara O’Neal MD Scholarship Fund will help support University of Illinois medical students while honoring the life of O’Neal, who was killed in a November shooting at Mercy Hospital. 

The dilemma of separating the sides of R. Kelly, who faces 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, now confronts millions who listen to or perform the singer's music. 

The FAA’s oversight duties are coming under greater scrutiny after deadly crashes involving Boeing 737 Max jets operated by airlines in Ethiopia and Indonesia, killing a total of 346 people. 

Chicago Animal Care and Control was so packed with cats late last summer that it sent out an urgent call for adoptions. Now, the department seems to have found a solution to one of its biggest challenges: overcrowding.

This unapologetically old-fashioned coming-of-age story – with a creative team that includes Chazz Palminteri, Alan Menken, Robert De Niro and Jerry Zaks – is a poignant and insightful look at the complex relationship between fathers (whether real or “surrogate”) and sons.

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the college admissions scandal that has ensnared some of the nation’s top schools and dozens of parents.