Stories by Alexandra Silets

In spite of heavy rainfall that kept many indoors and 1,200 additional police officers on the streets of Chicago, 43 people were shot, seven fatally, over the Memorial Day weekend.

Two years after Massachusetts voters approved recreational marijuana, the first pot shops have opened. As part of our series on legalization, WGBH reporter Arun Rath gives us a look at what it takes to cash in on cannabis.

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering will become the university’s first new school in three decades, thanks to a $100 million commitment from the Pritzker Foundation.

Children have a better chance at reaching their full potential now than at any other time in history, according to a new report released by Save the Children. But there’s more work ahead – particularly in the U.S.

It’s been a busy first term for U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville). The congresswoman joins us to discuss her freshman year goals and recent headlines.

The family of an 84-year-old woman killed in a crash involving Chicago police has sent a letter to the mayor and police chief saying police vehicles caused the weekend accident, which injured more than a dozen people.

After two years of construction, a highly anticipated change to Chicago’s Lakefront Trail is now a reality: separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians. But it may take some getting used to.

At 82.5 inches, Java is not only the tallest corpse flower to bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden, but the quickest among its type at the garden to re-bloom.

Watch the May 28, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Chicago police are investigating a shooting on a popular walking and biking trail on the city’s Northwest Side that left one man dead and two other people injured.

United is using other planes to cover some flights that had been scheduled with its 14 Max jets. However, the airline said that because of the Max’s grounding it will cancel about 1,120 flights in June and about 1,290 in July.

Following a Memorial Day vote, Illinois voters will get a chance in 2020 to decide whether they want to fundamentally change the rules dictating how their income is taxed.

The head of the Army Corps of Engineers has sent Congress a $778 million plan to fortify an Illinois waterway with noisemakers, electric cables and other devices in the hope that they will prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

The infant mortality rate among African Americans in Cook County is twice the county average. Health officials seek to close that gap with the help of a new five-year grant.

The Cook County Clerk on Thursday released more than 250 pages related to the “Empire” star’s abruptly halted prosecution for allegedly filing a false police report. Read the entire file.

The 200th anniversary of “Frankenstein” was celebrated by a slew of Chicago theaters last year. Lookingglass’ new production has arrived a bit late in the game, but with its raw beauty and feverish emotion, it turns out to be well worth the wait.

A suburban tragedy inspired new legislation that could aid students who face questioning by police inside their school.

All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education stepped down this week. Paris Schutz and guests discuss that and more.

A changing of the guard as Lori Lightfoot succeeds Rahm Emanuel as mayor of Chicago. Some big-ticket items remain on the legislative docket in Springfield. And in sports, the White Sox pull off some impressive and rare moves.

Chicago’s beaches – all 26 of them – are now open for the 2019 season. Here are 10 things you may not know about the city’s sandy side.

President Donald Trump rolled out another $16 billion in aid for farmers hurt by his trade policies, and financial markets shook Thursday on the growing realization that the U.S. and China are far from settling a bitter, yearlong trade dispute.

Axon, the company known best for developing the Taser, announced a partnership this week with Chicago police to train officers how to interact with people with autism by using virtual reality headsets.

Ditch the gym and take your fitness routine outside this summer with free classes at Millennium Park, Navy Pier and Gallagher Way. With morning and evening classes, there are plenty of opportunities to get in shape.

Forget about spending your last dime for tickets to The Rolling Stones’ concerts at Soldier Field next month. Instead, check out the fire-breathing female royalty of this sensational musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

SAT scores may soon come with an “adversity score” to measure the challenges a student faces in just trying to get to college. We weigh the pros and cons.

The effort to legalize recreational marijuana is still alive in Illinois, but negotiations are ongoing. Where does that leave the state’s blossoming medical marijuana pilot program?