Stories by Kristen Thometz

Global fare, gospel choirs, craft beer and outdoor art fairs usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

It’s a good bet that no one seeing “The Originalist” will undergo a major shift in their opinions, but they certainly will be reminded of how the Supreme Court’s polarization reflects the temper of the current moment in politics.

With only two more days before the Illinois legislature’s budget deadline, insiders say a bipartisan deal is within reach.

After a five-year break, the master sommelier and restaurateur is set to return as host of the Emmy Award-winning WTTW series. 

Meet the South Side native whose line dance became a worldwide phenomenon.

Watch the May 29, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

RVs and camper culture hit the highway in a book that celebrates the “moveable American dream.” 

A new European Union data privacy law is causing headaches for many American businesses. How General Data Protection could impact U.S. policies.

Supreme Court justices on Tuesday refused to rule on an Arkansas law regulating abortions. We discuss that and other hot-button cases.

Get a close-up look at 100 live eight-legged critters – aka arachnids – including spiders, scorpions, tarantulas and more at Brookfield Zoo.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms have typically been treated with another narcotic, but a newly approved drug offers what a local doctor calls a “clean break” for patients.

Legislation that could help break up food deserts in Chicago and other cities across the state passed the Illinois Senate last week and now awaits the signature of Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Get fit this summer with free outdoor yoga, Pilates, cardio, strength and Zumba classes on the Great Lawn at Millennium Park.

A research team with a Chicago connection has uncovered new evidence about the devastating impact of the dinosaur-killing asteroid that struck Earth about 66 million years ago.

Chicago’s long-held desire for a city-owned casino will continue to go unrequited if an Illinois House panel’s Memorial Day vote against a massive gambling expansion package stands.

Within the span of a single week I saw productions of two plays – Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” and Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child” – that I wouldn’t necessarily have linked together had I not seen them in such quick succession.

Here is the formula for an astonishing evening of music: Take Bela Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and put it in the astonishing hands of pianist Mitsuko Uchida, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the NFL’s new policy on kneeling during the national anthem.

A state lawmaker goes up against the powerful Illinois House Speaker. Mayor Rahm Emanuel goes ballistic over an alderman’s parliamentary procedure. And is the NFL’s new national anthem policy a fumble?

The discovery of a fossilized skull in Utah suggests the divide of the ancient supercontinent, Pangea, occurred 15 million years later than previously believed, according to a new study. 

As Illinois heads into the home stretch of its legislative session, lawmakers intimately involved in budget negotiations have an eye on reaching a bipartisan deal by next Thursday’s deadline. 

Chicago teens and young adults now have until Monday to submit applications for any one of 32,000 summer employment opportunities.

Watch the May 24, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A shooting last week at Santa Fe High School in Texas is the latest in a string of school shootings this year. The Archdiocese of Chicago and local students are now teaming up to address the problem.

Chicago comic artist Ed Siemienkowicz died before he could complete his 246-page graphic novel. More than 130 artists donated their time and skills to bring his story to life. 

Lessons learned from a joke that goes viral – and the backlash that follows. We speak with Northwestern University professor Viorica Marian.