Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is calling for federal action following a report that identified an Illinois meat-processing plant as the worst-polluting plant of its type in the country.

Legal experts weigh in on Jason Van Dyke’s impending appeal as the Chicago police officer returns to court next week for the first time since his second-degree murder conviction.

Watch the Oct. 24, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A ceremonial courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Building was filled to capacity Wednesday as the first of two public hearings got underway on the proposed Chicago police reform consent decree.

This week, retail giant Amazon announced plans to open a fourth Amazon Go location in Chicago next year. Will this high-tech model be the future of retail?

Her campaign ads focus on health care, but what are her plans for other issues? We hear from 14th Congressional District candidate Lauren Underwood.

Circus acts, Halloween candy, craft coffee and roller skaters usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Chicago police say there are no known threats to the city and they are in “real-time communication” with the Secret Service after explosive devices were reportedly sent to former President Barack Obama and other high-profile politicians.

Fresh off his bizarre Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump, hip-hop megastar Kanye West drew a crowd when he joined a Democratic mayoral hopeful and Chance the Rapper in a sidewalk appearance on Chicago's South Side.

Few American presidents occupy as prominent – and complicated – a place in the collective American psyche as Ronald Reagan. Biographer Bob Spitz tells us about his new book.

A viewer remembers a tall and terrifying bear in the former Marshall Field’s building. Was this just a figment of a child’s imagination?

A judge who was caught on video apparently dropping a handgun in a Chicago courthouse has been acquitted of carrying a concealed weapon in a prohibited area.

A beautifully realized, profoundly moving one-man show now on stage at the Greenhouse Theater Center features a performance of great heart by Shane O’Regan.

Chicagoans can weigh in on the proposed police consent decree over the next two days. We unpack the legal document.

Watch the Oct. 23, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Why the majority of Chicago police officers recommended by the police superintendent to be fired this year have instead kept their jobs.

President Donald Trump is visiting southern Illinois this weekend. What our colleges at the “PBS NewsHour” say we can expect from that visit. 

A pair of new photography exhibitions offer a side of celebrity but focus on one man’s view of the struggle for civil rights.

The Illinois governor’s race has gotten a lot of attention, but do you know who else you’re voting for? How a Chicago company is helping inform voters about their candidates and referendums.

A new book offers a peek at how other people spend their money, and shows how that can you help you control your own finances.

Chicago-based environmental group Openlands has received a $1 million grant to address climate change by planting new trees and recruiting residents to protect them. 

A gene associated with the learning disorder dyslexia may make some athletes less susceptible to concussions, according to a new study by Northwestern Medicine and Penn State University.

Caterpillar beat most profit and revenue expectations in the third quarter, but company shares were punished Tuesday when Wall Street sensed some pessimism in the company's outlook, which remains unchanged.

They say “the music died” on the day in 1959 when rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Holly perished in a plane crash. But that geeky Texas boy with the trademark thick glasses is still making a big noise.

With Election Day just two weeks away, controversy is swirling in the race at the top of the ticket – a race that’s breaking records when it comes to self-financing.

A Bensenville-based home renovation company has agreed to pay nearly $53,000 for alleged violations of federal laws designed to protect against exposure to lead-based paint.