Stories by Brandis Friedman

A former jail inmate alleges he was denied food and access to a bed or shower for days at a time in this latest complaint.

The Indiana refinery responsible for the oil spill in Lake Michigan in March wasn't penalized by regulators. The Better Government Association raises questions about oversight and the safety of drinking water.

Geoffrey Baer explores how postal workers almost foiled the plans for D-Day, Chicago's sweet history of candymakers, and a grisly Lakeview murder legend.

It was a center of innovation and commerce for 32 years. And then it went dark, unused for another 32 years. The SC Johnson Research Tower recently opened to the public for the first time ever following a major restoration. We revisit Eddie Arruza’s story.

We share what you had to say about Chicago's newly-signed pension reform bill and Jay Shefsky's profile on a local prairie painter when read some of our viewer feedback.

Will a judge throw out the voter-led efforts to institute term limits on lawmakers and to change the state's redistricting process? Paris Schutz has latest. 

This skit is a reminder of how progressive Richard Pryor could be in pushing the boundaries of storytelling. It's also somewhat shocking by today's standards because of the provocative language used on network TV in the ‘70s.

Hillary Clinton comes to Chicago, and the former secretary of state sits down for an interview with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Paris Schutz has the latest.

Chicago author A.J. Baime tells the story of the original Rosie the Riveter aircraft plant built by Ford to build the B-24 Liberator bomber.

We sit down with Chicago native Drew Sidora about her journey to becoming a leading lady and what’s next in her career. 

Meet a Chicago artist on a personal crusade to paint and preserve 200 rare native plants. Jay Shefsky has her story.

We revisit a story about a Chicago artist who has been painting since the 1940s and is just now getting his due.

The public employees union AFSCME says it will sue to stop Chicago’s recently signed pension reform law. But not all unions agree with that stance. Paris Schutz has more on what’s behind the rift, and on how the city plans to pay for the new law.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the Chicago pension reform bill, but left it up to the city to decide how the deficit will be funded. We talk with city aldermen about their plans to find the funds.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Friends of the Chicago River are releasing 30,000 channel catfish into the Chicago River. 

Julia Collins is a 31-year-old business consultant from Wilmette, Ill. and won 20 games straight on the game show Jeopardy. This makes her the top female player in the game's 50-year history. We sit down with Collins to chat about the Jeopardy experience, her winnings, and her example of female achievement.   

Making the American Body author Jonathan Black gives us a look into the fitness industry and its impact on the American body consciousness.

After a long wait, the Governor today finally signed the bill into law that reforms two of the city's underfunded pension systems. The governor urged City Council to avoid using property tax hikes to fund the new law, and the mayor responded by taking property tax hikes off the table in the first year of the new law.

The city's top watchdog has decided to stay in his office for the duration of his appointment by Mayor Emanuel. We'll hear what's changed with his relationship with City Hall.

In 2007, Yoani Sánchez began a political blog that focused on her frustrations with the situation in Cuba. She now travels the world speaking out against the Cuban regime. We talk with her during her first visit to Chicago. 

Michael Waldman says in his new book, “The Second Amendment: A Biography” that for more than two centuries gun rights and gun control went hand in hand. In the 1970s, a change in leadership at the NRA led to a new campaign to expand gun ownership rights. Waldman joins us to tell us that story.

The community-based agency Avenues to Independence is celebrating the reopening of its Thrift Shoppe, which serves as a job training center. We meet several families who have benefitted from the group’s work.

Are Chicago residents getting the short end of the stick when it comes to city developments?

We share what you had to say about our conversation with Mayor Rahm Emanuel when read some of our viewer feedback.

A food festival, a Star Trek convention, and a street art fair; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.