Stories by Travis Cornejo

Ald. JoAnn Thompson (16th) died Monday night of heart failure. Thompson, 58, overcame alcoholism and homelessness and was seeking a third term on the Chicago City Council, representing parts of Englewood and Back of the Yards. 

While the talk today is about the governor's executive order on unions, a projected $2 billion budget deficit still goes unsolved. We have the latest details.

The governor issued an executive order absolving state workers who don't want to be union members from paying so-called "fair share" fees. Is this the first step toward Illinois becoming a so-called "right-to-work state?"

The James Beard Foundation is honoring Chicago's own restaurateur Rich Melman with a Lifetime Achievement Award. We talk with him about the honor and his recipe for success.

It has been thought that almost nothing can survive in the watery depths near the South Pole. But a group of researchers sent a robot armed with a camera a half-mile below Antarctic ice and discovered an entire ecosystem. It is the farthest south that fish have ever been found. 

Pop diva Beyoncé is arguably the most popular performer in the world. But there's much more to her than her success as a provocative pop icon. That's the idea behind a new college course at UIC that delves into Beyoncé's role in shaping "feminist perspectives and [the image] of U.S. black womanhood."

Early voting has begun for the Chicago mayoral and aldermanic races. The Board of Elections opened up 51 locations today.

Rauner Signs Executive Order Aimed at Unions "Corrupt Illinois" Measles Outbreak Spreads to Illinois Brian Williams and the Fog of War Grad Student Uncovers Lost Eastland Disaster Footage

Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 57th annual Grammy Awards Sunday. Watch a 2006 interview and performance with Buddy Guy on Chicago Tonight.

Gov. Bruce Rauner steps up the attack on public employee unions with an executive order allowing members to opt out and not pay union dues if they so choose.

A new book takes a comprehensive look at the patronage, cronyism and criminality in Illinois politics -- from stolen elections and crooked courts to corrupt congressmen, governors and aldermen.

Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Cook County, health officials announced Monday. That brings the statewide total to nine infected people. Seven of the cases, including six small children, have been linked to a Palatine day care center.

Our panel discusses Brian Williams and the fog of war. Can the NBC Nightly News anchor survive revelations that he "misremembered" being on a helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq?

The Eastland Disaster of 1915 marks the capsizing of the SS Eastland on the Chicago River that claimed at least 844 lives. It is considered one of the greatest loss-of-life tragedies in Chicago history.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss this week’s headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists delve into the Chicago tradition of placing "dibs" on shoveled parking spots.

IL Lawmakers on What's Ahead After Rauner's First State of the State The Beauty of the "Not Impossible" "The Opposite of Spoiled" 60 Years of Sculpture with Richard Hunt Round the World with Sarah Outen

Snow Days Chicago, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Richard Hunt; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.

As Gov. Bruce Rauner lays out his policy priorities in his first State of the State address, Illinois lawmakers analyze what he had to say -- and what we can expect from his budget address later this month.

Mick Ebeling went from being a film and TV producer to founding an organization that solves challenging problems around the world. His hands-on approach to "hacking" processes has helped him make extraordinary changes to people's lives.

How do you teach your children to be smart about money? New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber seeks to answer that question in his new book, The Opposite of Spoiled. He joins us to discuss how to instill values and the value of the dollar in a younger generation.

We visit the Chicago Cultural Center and the MCA to discover the steel sculptures of Chicago's internationally acclaimed sculptor Richard Hunt.

English adventurer Sarah Outen left London in April 2011 and is biking, kayaking, and rowing her way around the world, including 150 days alone at sea, rowing from Japan to Alaska. She arrived in Chicago yesterday. She joins us to discuss her journey.

Chicago mayoral candidates—Ald. Bob Fioretti, Cook County Commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García, and businessman Willie Wilson—gave a brief news conference following the forum.

Chicago Tonight hosted a live candidate forum with contenders for the office of Mayor of Chicago, including the incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Ald. Bob Fioretti, Cook County Commissioner Jesús "Chuy" García, and businessman Willie Wilson.

Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered his first State of the State address.