Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Nearly a dozen U.S. senators, including Dick Durbin of Illinois, are speaking out about the latest delay over a plan to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

CPS leaders want the Illinois State Board of Education to make sure the district is following best practices with its special ed programming, admitting “fundamental changes” are necessary.

In an effort to reduce the number of back-to-back pregnancies among adolescents, Chicago researchers are designing a multimedia tool kit to educate, engage and offer resources to young women.

Since the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Chicago was increased to 21 in July 2016, fewer young adults in the city are smoking, according to data from a newly released survey.

As Puerto Ricans recover from extensive damage caused by Hurricane Maria, students from the island can now get a discount at one Chicago university.

Holiday markets, pop-up festivals, giant balloons, magic shows and indoor snow usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Chicago television has a rich and colorful history. But few moments are quite as colorful—or bizarre—as the incident that happened to this very station in 1987.

Chicagoans will soon be paying a little more for ride-sharing services and for big concerts at places like the United Center and Wrigley Field. But with the soda tax long gone, what is the fate of county jobs?

Geoffrey Baer takes a peek at a 1930s burlesque-style show and remembers the Chicago Daily News sporting events of yesteryear in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

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

As we approach the 30th anniversary of his death, a discussion about the legacy of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington with local filmmaker Joe Winston and former news anchor Robin Robinson.

Radioactive water leaking from Illinois nuclear power plants, despite promised safeguards—an investigative reporter on what’s been done.

In a culture obsessed with youth and beauty, aging can be an ugly topic. The co-authors of a new book discuss retirement, romance, wrinkles and more.

A key federal program responsible for protecting the Great Lakes is one step closer to being fully funded after it was targeted for massive cuts earlier this year in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.

The new Silver Search program provides education and resources to help locate people who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia when they go missing.

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

Reforms to Cook County’s bond system have led to a 15-percent decrease in the county’s jail population. “Our judges are in fact not setting bonds higher than people can afford,” said Chief Judge Tim Evans.

Records related to an April spill of a toxic metal into a Lake Michigan tributary have not been given to Chicago. The city is now threatening to sue U.S. Steel.

The field to take on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is growing. Todd Stroger, who formerly held the post, is announcing plans to run for his old office next year.

China’s most prominent environmental activist talks about the country’s pollution crisis.

The days when Americans fretted over an imminent U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown might be over, but the consequences of a new nuclear age are still reverberating today.

A new mini power grid supplied by wind and solar helps the Illinois Institute of Technology meet its 21st century power needs.

Illinois Republican Congressman Peter Roskam says that criticisms of the recently passed House GOP tax cut bill are “hyperbole.”

Inspired by the song “My Shot,” from the blockbuster musical, actor Miguel Cervantes is challenging the public to take their “shot” and help raise awareness and funds to find a cure for epilepsy. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle can expect easy passage of a revised spending plan, though Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia said he hasn’t made up his mind about how he’ll vote.

A new $960,000 grant will improve 2.5 miles of streams for nearly 20 species of fish and create 10 acres of neighborhood green space in the Chicago-Calumet region.