Stories by Alexandra Silets

Markets react negatively to Chairman Ben Bernanke’s remarks that the Federal Reserve may taper bond buying in the next year. We take a closer look at the fluctuation in the stock and bond markets, the state of the economic stimulus and recovery, as well as Bernanke’s future.

The Blackhawks survive a wild night in Boston, emerging with a 6-5 overtime victory. What's next in this back and forth Stanley Cup Finals series? We preview Saturday's Game 5 at the United Center.

The last time an American president asked Congress for a declaration of war was in 1941, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Longtime CBS and NBC News correspondent Marvin Kalb says this new normal undercuts Congress' constitutional authority and undermines America's reputation worldwide. Read a Q&A with Kalb.

Jay Shefsky introduces us to a suburban fisherman who began carving fish out of wood when his taxidermy collection filled his entire basement.

Alfonso and Margaret Iannelli were a husband and wife design team who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright and then struck out on their own. Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson joins us to talk about this artistic power couple, and a new show of their work at the Chicago Cultural Center. View a slideshow, read a book excerpt and watch a video.

This week, we gave you a sneak peek at the city's next beautification project. Originally known as the "The Bloomingdale Trail," the giant abandoned railway on the northwest side will soon get a major facelift and new name - "The 606." We have some of your thoughts about the changes to a piece of the city's history in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

The one-day Springfield special session comes and goes with the fate of pension reform now in the hands of a committee. Find out who is on that committee.

Dozens of Chicago Public Schools close for the last time -- and hundreds of teachers may not return. Read a report on national teacher quality.

Neighbor Carts hires workers with pre-existing barriers to employment, while simultaneously working to eradicate the city's vast food deserts. Jay Shefsky explores the company's innovative business model. Read an article and view a slideshow.

A gas station owner in the South who becomes one of the strongest advocates for green energy. A one-time aide to Joe Biden-turned-lobbyist, who now says the system is hopelessly corrupt. Their stories--and a half dozen others--document what author George Packer says is a dissolution of American institutions. Read an excerpt from Packer's book.

A new book called How We Do It: The Evolution and Future of Human Reproduction explores the science of sex and childbirth. Read an excerpt.

Citing the state’s inability to deal with a crippling financial crisis, Bill Daley is stepping into the governor’s race. We talk with the former White House Chief of Staff. View a timeline of Daley's career.

Sources tell Chicago Tonight that a long-awaited deal on a gaming bill was reached last month -- until a clerical misunderstanding killed it. Paris Schutz has details, and what it says about the current state of dysfunction in Springfield.

What happens when a bunch of housing activists decide to seize some vacant homes and take the foreclosure crisis into their own hands? We take a look at a guerrilla group called the Anti-Eviction Campaign that has people rethinking their ideas on housing and homelessness in Chicago. Read an article.

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction found billions of dollars wasted from corruption and mismanagement during the war. We talk with him about what went wrong and right with the government's $60 billion effort. Read Stuart Bowen Jr.'s full report.

Bernie Sahlins died at the age of 90 this past weekend. We talk with the close friends and colleagues of The Second City legend about the man who helped shape American comedy. Watch a 2004 interview with Sahlins from our archives.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Daley offers a three-point plan for pension reform, calling Gov. Pat Quinn out for "failed leadership." Daley is calling on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to issue an opinion on the constitutionality of pension reform bills. Watch the full news conference.

Chicago aldermen weigh in on the plan to place digital billboards along the expressways, city violence, and layoffs at Chicago Public Schools. View a map of the proposed sites for digital billboards.

Ground is set to break on a major transformation that will turn an abandoned railway into a three mile-long elevated park. Chicago Tonight has exclusive details about the final plan. Read an article and view a slideshow.

It was the how-to guide to find the best bars and most scandalous shows in the Second City. Originally printed for tourists about to visit the Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago By Day and Night: A Pleasure Seeker's Guide to the Paris of America is being reissued by historians Paul Durica and Bill Savage. Read an article.

What's the secret to Superman's success while others have faded away? And who was behind the country's first superhero? As the latest Superman movie, Man of Steel, crushes box-office records, we revisit our conversation with Larry Tye, author of Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero. Read a book excerpt and watch a web extra video.

Bernie Sahlins, co-founder of The Second City and mentor to John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray, died over the weekend at age 90. We remember Bernie Sahlins in his own words – from his visit to WTTW studios in February 2004. Watch his appearance from our archives.

We have some of your thoughts about our recent interviews with Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and with Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford 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 discuss the pros and cons of the city’s bike share program, and its political ramifications for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Also, they delve further into the possibility of a school property tax hike, and what impact that would have on voters in the 2015 mayoral election.

The country's largest comedy festival, food from the city's top purveyors, and butterflies at the Botanic Garden; Chicago Tonight knows what's going on this weekend.