Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Using satellite images and data on wildlife activity, scientists determined that artificial light levels found in more than a third of the city are altering the circadian rhythm and behaviors of animals throughout the city.

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

The former tea party Republican congressman wrote an op-ed in the New York Times calling for a primary challenger to take on President Donald Trump in 2020. Joe Walsh on his change of heart.

The parents of a University of Illinois scholar from China who was abducted and killed are giving at least $20,000 to people who provided authorities with crucial information that led to the arrest and conviction of their daughter’s killer.

Doctors and public health experts warn of poor health and rising costs they say will come from sweeping Trump administration changes that would deny green cards to many immigrants who use Medicaid, as well as food stamps and other forms of public assistance. 

The economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics, in a report released Monday, mostly didn’t share President Trump's optimistic outlook for the economy.

Stocks of companies that do lots of business with China, such as chipmakers and other technology companies, are obvious candidates for investors to sell when trade worries rise. But investors are also looking beyond these first-order effects as they pick out which stocks look susceptible to the trade war. 

A steel company apologized for a spill of cyanide and ammonia that led to a fish kill and prompted the closure of beaches along Lake Michigan, saying it “accepts responsibility for the incident.”

It’s back to the drawing board for a Chicago casino. Two longtime Chicago politicians decide to hang it up. President Trump is still considering clemency for former Gov. Blagojevich. And the Cubs nose-dive on the road.

A Cook County jury has found Jovan Battle, 32, guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm for the March 23 killing of Chicago Officer John Rivera.

No makeup was necessary for a pair of fuzzy sea otter pups the aquarium showed off to the media this week. “They get cuter every day,” said Tracy Deakins, a senior trainer of otters and penguins.

According to the latest findings from a citywide survey, Chicago parents who live in a community with limited access to grocery stores were more likely to report challenges in providing healthy meals to their children.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk candidate Michael Cabonargi, Illinois Supreme Court candidate P. Scott Neville and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will have the coveted endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party in next year’s elections.

July was the hottest month measured on Earth since records began in 1880, the latest in a long line of peaks that scientists say backs up predictions for man-made climate change.

With suicides on the rise, the U.S. government wants to make the national crisis hotline easier to reach. Once implemented, people will just need to dial 988 to seek help. 

Aiming to put his mark on the world map, President Donald Trump has talked to aides and allies about buying Greenland for the U.S.

Deere & Co. cut its profit expectations for the second time this year as beleaguered farmers and an escalating trade war with China cut into sales.

Leading Cook County Democrats on Friday will choose which candidates they’ll give a boost to in next year’s election. The focus Thursday: a rare election for a spot on the Illinois Supreme Court.

A local opera singer shares his journey through music, starting with the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Ticks are so good at transmitting potentially dangerous illnesses like Lyme disease that we’re wise to give them our attention now and then. And in Illinois, ticks are now carrying a relatively new disease called Heartland Virus.

After a Las Vegas consultant says proposed sites for a Chicago casino aren’t financially viable, will state lawmakers change their bets?

As many as 50 people in at least six states have come down with breathing illnesses that may be linked to e-cigarettes or other vaping products.

Mark Larson’s encyclopedic new book chronicles the development of a unique artistic movement in Chicago through the voices of more than 300 actors, directors, designers, writers, choreographers and producers. 

The new law is expected to help Illinois-based food producers and manufacturers compete for contracts that prioritize locally sourced foods.

More than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, a task force is recommending clinicians ask adult patients about illicit drug use.

Investors rode out another turbulent day on Wall Street that kept stock indexes flipping between gains and losses until a late-day bounce gave the market a modest gain. Local analysts weigh in on what it all means for consumers.