Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

A Southeast Side company must install air monitors to detect levels of dust emissions from heavy metals processed on-site, according to a letter issued by the city this week.

From City Hall to the halls of Congress, 2017 has been a transformative year. Chicago Tonight recaps the top stories of the year.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim alleges that Baxter violated a federal permit several times over a five-month span by releasing contaminated water that exceeded pollution limits. 

Retirement can be lucrative for some former Illinois educators who are taking home pensions from the state’s Teachers Retirement System. A records request submitted by Chicago Tonight reveals the top 200 pension earners receive well into the six figures. 

Watch the Dec. 21, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Will and Lake counties filed almost identical lawsuits in their respective counties against numerous pharmaceutical companies, claiming the opioid crisis began almost 20 years ago.

Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois investigative reporters on how some Chicago police officers are able to reduce or overturn their punishments.

He leaked the Pentagon Papers expediting the end of the Vietnam war, but Daniel Ellsberg now reveals another big secret in his new book, “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.”

An owl loving Chicago photographer takes us along as he shoots a majestic snowy owl during the last “invasion” in 2014.

The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday that Link cards, which serve as a sort of debit card for food stamps, will be loaded with credit Thursday or Friday. 

Congress has passed the most significant tax code reform since Ronald Reagan was president. How will the sweeping overhaul impact your bottom line? We get advice and tax tips from two experts. 

In less than a month, Women’s March on Chicago organizers will mark the one-year anniversary of their inaugural march with another one designed to empower women voters. Here are the details for the event.

A paternity test to determine the sire of four Japanese macaques born since 2014 at Lincoln Park Zoo came back with a surprising result. 

Children on Chicago’s Southeast Side have higher levels of manganese in their toenails than children in other parts of the city, according to preliminary results of a study aiming to measure the impact of toxic metals on children’s health. 

Chicago Public Schools students are quickly approaching winter break, but some eighth-graders may have a little homework left to finish before the end of the week: fill out high school applications.

One change expected to hit individuals in states like Illinois particularly hard: A $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes that can be deducted from your federal taxes. Previously, that deduction was uncapped. 

Watch the Dec. 20, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Thirteen veterans have died of Legionnaires' disease since 2015 at a state-run veterans home in Quincy. A new report by WBEZ reveals Illinois' top health official warned of the seriousness of the outbreak days before it was made public.

After a storied career of bringing down drug kingpins such as Mexico’s Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Chicago’s top federal drug enforcement official Dennis Wichern is calling it quits.

From the quirky coming-of-age story “Lady Bird” to the latest in the Star Wars saga, we have some holiday movie reviews.

Starting Thursday, Cook County probation officers will have a new place to refer some of the 20,000 people on probation. For many of them, finding work is critical to staying out of trouble with the law.

Geoffrey Baer shines a light on a pair of hooded statues at Union Station and some old-fashioned security technology in this week’s edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

With 2017 drawing to a close, here’s a look at some of the top education issues to watch in the year to come, including CPS’ new leader, school closures and the hotly debated topic of tax credit scholarships.

Ring in the new year with live music, comedy, ice-skating, yoga and bubbly and brews. Here are 10 New Year’s Eve parties in and around Chicago. 

A throng of tubas, holiday cocktails, last-minute shopping ops and satirical songs usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A government watchdog group is calling for oversight of Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and the way his office assesses property values.