Stories by Alexandra Silets

We talk with some aldermanic winners about beating the incumbents, as well as their priorities for the wards they represent and working with a new City Council.

Chicago-based painter Louis Grell was nearly forgotten until family members alerted Elmhurst's Theatre Historical Society about the over 300 commissions he did in movie palaces and hotels in the 1920s and 1930s. We revisit the story.

Gardening season is just around the corner. To help us prepare for the upcoming season, The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan stops by our garden and studio. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has secured a hard-fought re-election after a historic and surprising runoff challenge from Cook County Commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is re-elected to a second term as Jesús "Chuy" García concedes. Check out the latest mayoral and aldermanic runoff results.

It's Election Day in Chicago. Voters will decide the fate of the next mayor of Chicago, as well as cast their ballots for alderman in 18 wards.

Author and broadcaster Scott Simon, longtime host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, joins us to discuss a new book about his mother's life and death, the lessons she taught him, and the bond they shared.

Best-selling author Erik Larson who shot to fame with his classic, Chicago-inspired book, The Devil In the White City is once again using his celebrated storytelling skills to recount the shocking last voyage of the Lusitania.

The state's Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza is stepping down after nearly five years on the job. He joins us to talk about Illinois' corruption problem.

It's a sprint to the finish line for Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" García. We take a look at how the candidates are preparing for Election Day.

Voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide Chicago's first mayoral runoff since the city changed to a nonpartisan election system. They'll also decide who will represent 18 wards in the City Council, and some incumbents could be thrown out. We analyze the mayoral and aldermanic races with a panel of political experts.

The EPA has awarded more than $8 million in grants to combat invasive species in the Great Lakes. We talk with the Shedd Aquarium's Phil Willink about the $100 million a year invasive species problem.

An exhibition at The Field Museum looks at City Windows, the papercut artwork of Chinese artist Qiao Xiaoguang now on display at two locations in Chicago. We get a preview.

An Adler Planetarium astronomer tells us whether earthlings may, at long last, be hearing from other intelligent life in the universe.

Joel Weisman and his guests discuss the news of the week. In the final days of the mayoral runoff campaigns, what are the candidates' last-minute ads and strategies? And will aldermanic runoffs in 18 wards affect turnout? Indiana's Religious Freedom law continues to be controversial. All that and more on The Week in Review.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists continue their conversation with a discussion of changes at Wrigley Field, the dispute over Ernie Banks’ will, and predictions for the mayoral election.  

Feast your eyes on flowers, real and painted; view intricate papercuts of iconic landscapes in Chicago and Beijing; and celebrate Easter by donning your best bunny ears or '70s garb. Chicago Tonight has your weekend picks.

The two mayoral candidates vote early, along with a record number of Chicago voters. Do the early voting numbers bode well for one candidate over another? We have the latest details.

Oak Brook-based McDonald's on Wednesday announced its plans to raise starting pay at 1,500 company-owned stores to $1 above the local minimum wage and offer paid time off after a year of work -- but some labor advocates say the company isn't doing enough. Northfield-based Kraft has been bought out by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and the Brazilian group 3G Capital, who plan to merge the company with Heinz. We'll talk about those stories with Crain's Chicago Business reporter Peter Frost.

Doctors told U.S. Army veteran RJ Anderson that he'd never walk again after a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. But, with the help of an advanced medical device, he can. He's the first Chicagoan to take home the Re-Walk exoskeleton -- the only exoskeleton approved by the Food and Drug Administration for at-home, personal use. Find out how it works and how it might have a long-term impact on his health.

The director of the new film RX: The Quiet Revolution talks about his new documentary that profiles the changing face of American health care and a renewed focus on the relationship between health care provider and patient.

More than 150 years after Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, a new book gives writers the opportunity to respond. The only catch, their essays had to be exactly 272 words -- the length of the original speech -- and be written in long-hand as Lincoln would have done. We talk with the editor who came up with the idea and one of the essayists.

We revisit a conversation with famed soprano Deborah Voigt about her career and autobiography.