Stories by Kristen Thometz

Six people in Illinois have reported severe breathing problems after vaping. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now investigating these cases and five others, all reported since just May.   

There were eight mass shootings last year in the U.S. But with six mass shootings so far in 2019, the country is on track to match or surpass last year’s record, according to a Northwestern Medicine researcher.

Watch the Aug. 13, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

More than 30 countries have banned cosmetics testing on animals, and while the practice hasn’t been banned in the U.S., Illinois is now the third state to enact “humane cosmetics” legislation. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says it would delay the tariffs to Dec. 15 on some goods, including cellphones, laptop computers, video game consoles, some toys, computer monitors, shoes and clothing.

Under the enforcement changes, officials for the first time will be able to publicly attach a cost to saving an animal or plant. Blanket protections for creatures newly listed as threatened will be removed. 

“Music is unifying.” That’s according to a local DJ who spends her Monday mornings bringing music to the corridors of the newly remodeled CTA 95th Red Line station. We go for a look – and a listen.

Where to put a Chicago casino? A $120,000 feasibility study may offer some insight on five potential sites proposed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Why some Illinois Facebook users are suing the company over its facial recognition software for photos.

As the Chicago Teachers Union and Board of Education continue to negotiate a new contract, an independent fact-finder recommends a 16% pay raise for Chicago teachers over the life of a five-year deal.

A trade war with China. Springtime floods. And now weeks without rain have combined to create a perfect storm battering Illinois farmers. Will a disaster declaration be enough to save them?

How Title IX changed a future Chicago sportswriter’s life, and paved the way for a championship basketball team from Niles West. We speak with Melissa Isaacson, author of “State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation.”

The Trump administration announced Monday it is moving forward with one of its most aggressive steps yet to restrict legal immigration: Denying green cards to many migrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance.

As urban agriculture programs expand in Chicago and other cities, a new project aims to unearth data on one of the biggest potential obstacles to city-based farming efforts: soil contamination.

Four people became ill after consuming pork tamales or carnitas served from the deli section of Sun View Produce last month, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Watch the Aug. 12, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

“Our study indicates that the carp can survive and grow in much larger areas of the lake than previous studies suggested,” said Peter Alsip, lead author of the paper.

A federal judiciary that is becoming increasingly conservative under President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has gun control advocates on edge. 

President Trump once again dangles a commutation for Rod Blagojevich. Mayor Lightfoot spars with judges on gun violence. And optimism surrounds the Bears at their first preseason game.

President Donald Trump said Friday he believes he has influence to rally Republicans around stronger federal background check laws as Congress and the White House work on a response to last weekend’s mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

Rachmanioff’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” is awash in ravishing melodies and virtuosic thrills, and Denis Matsuev brought such volcanic power, exquisite lyricism and absolute fluidity to the fiendishly demanding work that it felt as if he himself were writing the demonic piece on the spot. 

The move comes in the wake of near-record levels of flooding this spring that forced farmers to delay planting crops. 

What lies below the surface of the Chicago River today is not what it was a century ago, but pollution is still a problem. A Chicago nonprofit aims to offer real-time water quality data to the public later this year.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveils her first budget proposal for Chicago Public Schools – and it comes as she negotiates a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union.

The Pilsen neighborhood has been at the center of battles over gentrification. Now the longtime Mexican American community is facing a new twist involving old buildings.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans responds to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s concerns about suspects with illegal guns getting out on bail.