Stories by Alexandra Silets

The Dow flirts with the 20,000 mark. Twists and turns at the Chicago Tribune. A look at those stories and other business headlines of 2016 with Crain’s Chicago Business.

The city of Chicago wants your feedback on new streetlights. That and other infrastructure projects with Rebekah Scheinfeld, the head of the city’s transportation department.

The Chicago Sun-Times columnist muses on weathering the holidays without alcohol and his anthology on addiction, “Out of the Wreck I Rise: A Literary Companion to Recovery.”

Thanks to a major donation from Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin, the 18-mile Lakefront Trail is getting a makeover that will ease congestion.

While U.S. unemployment is at its lowest point in years, a new report shines a light on a racial disparity that’s especially prominent in Illinois. 

Planning is underway to open a recovery-based high school designed specifically for students dealing with substance abuse disorders in downtown Chicago next year.

Treat family and friends to a Chicago-style Christmas. Here are 10 things to do in and around the city.

Watch the Dec. 20, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As Aleppo falls to Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, we look at the United States’ role in the conflict and the region.

Chicago Public Schools will add 51 new schools and approximately 2,000 new students to its after school English language tutoring program.

We discuss the life and legacy of Mayor Richard J. Daley, who died 40 years ago Tuesday, with his youngest son, William Daley.

Why did the Trump transition team target Department of Energy staffers who worked on climate change? What does the future hold for climate research and nuclear weapons? A one-on-one interview with the current U.S. Secretary of Energy.

The creator of “Hamilton” talks about Chicago, “Sesame Street” and his theatrical blockbuster.

We revisit an interview with actress Geraldine Chaplin, who tells us about making the classic film “Doctor Zhivago,” her experiences in Chicago and her famous father, Charlie Chaplin.

Weathering the cold is especially hard on people who live outside. What’s being done to help the homeless.

Watch the Dec. 19, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

More than half of Chicago-area pharmacies tested failed to alert their customers about serious drug interactions. That’s the finding of a new Chicago Tribune investigation.

Unemployment is down, the stock market is up and the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Just how strong is the American economy? Two Chicago economists take stock of what’s in store for 2017. 

We take a look at city, state and national political news with Chicago Tonight correspondent Paris Schutz, WBBM’s Craig Dellimore and Univision’s Mariano Gielis.

Local lawmakers and activists are pushing for Chicago to join a rapidly growing list of cities worldwide that have committed to the fossil fuel divestment movement.

Last week, Chicago pianist and singer Charles Goering, known as Barrelhouse Chuck, lost his battle with cancer. He was 58 years old. We revisit our November profile of the longtime bluesman.

Days after Rahm Emanuel and President-elect Donald Trump met in New York, The Washington Post ran an op-ed Friday penned by Chicago’s mayor in which he called on state and federal partners to focus on boosting school excellence over school choice.

Seven in 10 crime victims surveyed in Illinois prefer a “more balanced approach to public safety,” including shorter sentences and a greater focus on prevention, rehabilitation and trauma recovery.

A Chicago alderman is indicted. Jesse Jackson Jr. files for divorce. Joel Weisman and guests discuss these stories and look back at the biggest of the year, from soaring gun violence to the Lucas Museum and the World Champion Cubs. 

A new study reveals a possible link between African-American women who live in impoverished neighborhoods and the chances of developing post-traumatic stress disorder.

The author of “Where the Wild Things Are” upended expectations by depicting menace, anxiety and “wild” behavior in picture books devoured by young people. We visit an exhibition highlighting his long career.