Stories by Paris Schutz

Emanuel Hints at Tax Relief in Latest Budget

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says city residents will have respite from the tax and fee increases that have socked them in recent years.

The Week in Review: Vegas Shooter May Have Also Considered Chicago

Mayor Emanuel says the city is safe for this weekend’s Chicago Marathon. A moment of truth for looms for the Cook County soda tax. All eyes are on the Cubs, and Mitch Trubisky makes his NFL debut Monday night.

Mayor: Police Overtime Abuse, Murder Clearance Rate ‘Unacceptable’

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the Chicago Police Department’s murder clearance rate is “unacceptable,” as are details out this week describing an “abuse of culture” surrounding police overtime pay. Watch the interview.

Oct. 5, 2017 - Full Show

Watch the Oct. 5, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

‘Brown Girls’ Co-Creator Fatimah Asghar Wins Poetry Foundation Award

A web series that debuted in February has already been picked up by HBO. Made in Chicago, it highlights the friendships between young women of color. We talk with the award-winning poet who co-created the series, and an actor from the show.

Preckwinkle: Soda Tax Repeal Will Lead to Cuts, ‘Fiscal Uncertainty’

The Cook County board president used her annual budget address Thursday to warn commissioners and the public that repealing a tax on sugary drinks will take the county down a path of “fiscal uncertainty” that will result in layoffs and cutting “essential services.”

TMZ: Las Vegas Gunman Booked Rooms Overlooking Lollapalooza

Stephen Paddock, the gunman who opened fire on thousands of concertgoers in Las Vegas late Sunday night, had booked two rooms in Chicago overlooking Grant Park in August, during Lollapalooza, according to a report from TMZ.

3 Chicago Hospitals Team Up to Study Emergency Care

The University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medicine will join forces to conduct clinical trials designed to improve outcomes for patients with life-threatening emergencies as part of a newly formed national network. 

Cubs Hope to Avoid World Series Hangover as Playoffs Get Underway

We preview the start of the Cubs’ playoff run with sports reporter Cheryl Raye Stout.

10 Things to Do This Weekend: Oct. 5-8

Food trucks, vintage VHS, marathon runners and South Side films usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Chicago Police Facing Another Lawsuit Claiming Use of Excessive Force

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are suing the city and the Police Department so they can be part of reform talks. The suit alleges that brutality “is magnified for people with disabilities.”

Oct. 4, 2017 - Full Show

Watch the Oct. 4, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Ask Geoffrey: A ‘Pipe Dream’ of the 1893 World’s Fair

Geoffrey Baer explores an eccentric architect’s wacky proposal for the World’s Fair in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

What Are Gravitational Waves? Exploring ‘Discovery That Shook the World’

The Nobel Prize committee called it “a discovery that shook the world.” A local scientist explains gravitational waves.

From Gerrymandering to Gay Rights, Supreme Court Faces ‘Blockbuster’ Term

“Blockbuster” and “epic” are the words being used to describe the cases on the U.S. Supreme Court docket this term. We discuss the key cases.

Writing Memoirs at Cook County Jail Helps Detainees Earn New Label

In one of Cook County Jail’s maximum security units, some detainees are given access to pens for the towering task of writing their memoirs. How these men are earning a new label: authors.

‘My Block, My Hood, My City’ Founder Jahmal Cole on Why ‘Exposure is Key’

A new book by a Chicago community activist and mentor explains how cities can become safer and more equitable, and why we all have a stake in our neighborhoods. 

Guests Welcome at Lincoln Park Zoo’s New ‘Insect Hotel’

It looks like an art project, but a seven-floor structure at Lincoln Park Zoo is outfitted with logs, bricks, sticks and other materials to provide cozy spaces for insects to nest.

Losing Sense of Smell Puts Elderly at Risk of Dementia, Study Finds

Is there a connection between losing the ability to smell and a greater risk of dementia? A co-author of a new University of Chicago study says it “may be an important early sign.” 

Prosecutors Could Seek Death Penalty for U. of I. Kidnapping Suspect

A new charge against 28-year-old suspect Brendt Christensen opens up the possibility of the death penalty for the Champaign man charged in the disappearance and murder of a Chinese student.

Chicago Sports Hall of Fame Inducts First Special Olympics Athlete

Tommy Shimoda, 24, won gold and bronze medals in speed skating at the Special Olympics World Winter Games this year in Austria. This week, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, becoming the first Special Olympics athlete to receive the honor. 

Report: Chicago Police Officers Gaming Overtime System

The inspector general calls it a “culture of abuse.” How he says police officers are gaming the system to collect millions in overtime pay.

Retired Judge Patricia Banks to Serve as Interim COPA Chief

Just weeks after its relaunch as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency is officially looking for a new chief administrator.

Oct. 3, 2017 - Full Show

Watch the Oct. 3, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor on Free Tuition Program

How has free college tuition worked out for some students? City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado joins us.

Syrians Reflect on Revolution, War and Exile in New Book

Author and Northwestern University professor Wendy Pearlman interviewed more than 300 refugees for a new book of oral histories, “We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled.” She joins us in discussion.
 

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