Stories by WTTW News

In this edition of Ask Geoffrey, Geoffrey Baer brings us up to speed on the wildly popular railroad fairs of the late 1940s, where rail enthusiasts flocked to Chicago’s lakefront to see vintage and modern locomotives in action.

Chicago Sun-Times Theater Critic Hedy Weiss reviews new plays at Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, and some unusual holiday shows. Watch web extra video reviews.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is raising concerns about local law enforcement's ability to object to certain concealed carry applicants. Brandis Friedman has the details. Read an article.

After a scandal that resulted in the resignation of its CEO, Metra is looking for a new leader. Elizabeth Brackett sits down with new Metra board members to talk about leadership and the company’s vision going forward.

Sixty-five ex-offenders who work for the CTA will soon find themselves out of a job, thanks to a dustup between the rail union and CTA management. Can it be saved? Paris Schutz has the story. Read an article.

The New York Times' White House correspondent Peter Baker discusses his new book, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House. He addresses who was really pulling the strings behind the scenes during George W. Bush’s two terms. Read an excerpt.

The holidays would not be the same without it. We go behind the scenes to see how the Joffrey Ballet manages to keep its annual presentation of The Nutcracker fresh and new every year. Read an article.

We talk with the man recently hired to turn the city’s high-tech incubator known as 1871 into a major technology hub.

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Tom Dart have a new plan to ease the overcrowding at Cook County Jail. Carol Marin and her guests take a closer look at how they are trying to reverse the chronic problems with the Cook County criminal system, including the resentencing of violent offenders from boot camp to prison, as well as the results of a meeting between Chief Judge Tim Evans, Preckwinkle, Dart and the Illinois Supreme Court to reduce the massive criminal case backlog.

Chicago and the U.S. are in a transitional phase in terms of how they are perceived on the global stage according to Ivo Daalder, President of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. We talk with Daalder about Council initiatives that are working to bring Chicago and the country into a new age of diplomacy. Read an article.

From building a website to building the computer itself, students from the Woodlawn neighborhood are getting hands-on technological experience under a new program called Artifice. The programs founders, who are affiliates of the University of Chicago, say they hope the program will provide the students with skills that will eventually turn into careers or small businesses. Read an article.

Quarterback Jay Cutler turns in a rollercoaster performance in the Bears’ win over the Browns. James “Big Cat” Williams joins us to critique Cutler, break down the potent rushing attack, and preview the Eagles matchup. Watch a web extra video.

Tarell Alvin McCraney, an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre, was the recipient of a $625,000 “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation this year. He joins us. Read an interview.

We share what you had to say about the pending Ashland Bus Rapid Transit project in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists take on weather reporting in Chicago. Does local media over-hype the weather? Watch the web extra video.

Randolph Street's Holiday Market, an art show in Bucktown, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.

We talk with the South African Consul General about an event giving Chicagoans a chance to mourn and celebrate Nelson Mandela.

A new investigation by the Better Government Association, with the Chicago Sun-Times, raises serious questions about a well-known Chicago congressman and how he handled a sizable grant from a special interest. Where did the money end up? And were constituents ill-served? Read the full BGA story.

An art museum digs deep into its collection and brings out rarely seen works, from Frederic Remington to Salvador Dali. We revisit a preview of Inventory_The EAM Collection at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Read an Artbeat blog and view a gallery.

What’s wrong with this picture of an old firehouse on Lake Street near Kedzie? Look closely at how the word “Department” is spelled. Geoffrey Baer is on a hunt for more misspelled signs in the Chicago area for an upcoming edition of Ask Geoffrey. If you know of one, please share the information here.

A huge lake freighter pulls up to storage facility along the Calumet River, poised to haul away piles of the controversial petroleum byproduct called "petcoke."  Elizabeth Brackett has the latest details.

Debate over an Ashland Bus Rapid Transit line is heating up as community meetings take place this week to gauge public sentiment. We talk with Ald. George Cardenas (12th) and Metropolitan Planning Council Vice President Peter Skosey about the advantages and challenges facing this long-term project. Read an interview.

Chicago's new bike share program was a hit with commuters this summer, but can it hold up during the winter? And what happens behind the scenes to make sure bikes are available and ready to go at one of the 300 locations throughout the city? Paris Schutz takes a rare look inside. Read an article.

Is a new City Council office the answer to curing the city's financial woes or just another layer of bureaucracy? Paris Schutz has the story.

The field of nanoscience -- the science of the very small -- is exploding and is likely to profoundly shape our future, impacting everything from energy production and storage to cutting edge, designer medicines. Here to help us separate the science from the science fiction is Dr. Amanda Petford-Long, director of the Nanoscience and Technology Division and the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory.