Stories by Bernie Lubell

Chicago was once a "meat and potatoes" town. Now it's home to some of the world's finest restaurants. We talk with the authors of a new book celebrating Chicago's classic restaurants.

For more than 50 years, a school field trip to Hinsdale meant a lesson in the facts of life. We take a look at one of the first sexual education centers in the country, and how it's adapting to the changing needs of schools and students.

Our recent story about Maurice Lenell cookies brought back some sweet memories for many of our viewers. We share some of those thoughts in Viewer Mail.

We revisit our conversation with hometown hero and Iraq War veteran, Bryan Anderson, who talks about his remarkable journey from the battlefield to leading a different kind of army right here in Chicago. 

A tiny, fingernail-sized organism that some are calling the scourge of the Great Lakes is fundamentally altering marine life. Ash-har Quraishi reports on a devastating invasive species that is causing ripples all the way up the food chain.

Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in 1951. But her cells kept living, starting a scientific revolution and a multi-billion dollar industry. When members of her family found out, they felt angry and exploited. We revisit our recent conversation with the author of a best-selling book about the story.

What happens when you mix puppets and opera? We go behind the scenes at one of the most technically sophisticated puppet shows in the country. Jay Shefsky has the story.

We revisit our conversation with the music conductor known as "The Pope's Maestro" about his 17-year friendship with Pope John Paul II.

Creepy, crawly cuisine? Find out why some Chicagoans would like insects to be an essential part of our diet.

We take another look at a conversation we had last year with provocative sex columnist and Chicago native, Dan Savage.

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

A veil of mystery has long covered North Korea. Now, the "Dear Leader" has died and a transition of power has begun. What's next for the Communist country? And what does it mean for already tense global relations? Eddie Arruza and his panel discuss this and more.

Police cameras dot the city to help prevent crime. But a new report sheds light on what the camera didn't record during a police altercation. We talk with WBEZ reporter, Robert Wildeboer.

What if you were told you had a great aunt who could fly and heal the sick? Luis Alberto Urrea joins us to discuss his new novel, Queen of America, based on his great aunt who could do just those things.

Nearly 75 years later, the legacy of Chicago favorite -- Maurice Lenell cookies -- lives on. Ash-har Quraishi reports.

What does a gothic chapel in downtown Chicago have to do with Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park? Geoffrey Baer has the answer to this and other viewer questions in Ask Geoffrey.

We asked you if Congress should go back to Washington to find a compromise on the payroll tax cut extension and if you think Chicago will be safe during the G8/NATO Summits. We read what some of you had to say in Viewer Mail.

Millions of Americans are likely to see their payroll taxes go up in January. We hear from both Illinois U.S. senators about the prospects for a deal.

The Chicago Sun-Times is being sold again -- the second time in three years. We hear why some local investors are taking a chance on the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning paper chain.

Billionaire Sam Zell is just the latest to sue former Tribune Company shareholders in an effort to claw back more than $2.5 billion. We speak with a bankruptcy expert to see if this can actually happen.

Suburban poverty has exploded over the last 10 years. Census data now shows there are more poor people in the suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area than in the city. Elizabeth Brackett looks at what that means for the newly poor, and for the public and private agencies trying to meet their rising needs.

Arguably one of the greatest engineering feats in history took place in Chicago. Over 100 years ago, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed. We talk with two authors who collected 22,000 photographs documenting the event.

We take a look at a small press in Champaign, Illinois that publishes everyone from Herman Melville to Aldous Huxley, and brings modern European fiction to the USA in Arts Across Illinois.

We speak with two of Chicago's financial leaders -- the city budget director and comptroller -- about how they've overachieved their budget, and what's next for Chicago in 2012.

It's increasingly becoming the new doctor's office -- but without doctors. They are health clinics at retail stores. Eddie Arruza tells us why more people with everyday illnesses are opting to go to their local drugstore or big box chain for treatment.

A Chicago organization aims to dispel misperceptions about Islam and its followers through the power of television. Ash-har Quraishi talks to the organizers and shows us their plan.