Stories by Kristen Thometz

While it remains to be seen whether legislators will pass a budget by July 1, here are five local and state laws that go into effect on that date.

Empty yogurt cartons, peanut butter jars and pizza boxes: How clean do they need to be in order to toss them in your recycling bin? Chicago’s recycling staff has answers.

An 8-pound Asian carp was discovered last week beyond an electric barrier designed to prevent the invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan. 

A new book and a Chicago-area survivor recall the infamous internment of Japanese-Americans that took place 75 years ago.

After finding the first known moving images of the 1915 Eastland disaster, a UIC graduate student uncovers a treasure trove of vintage films about a neighborhood church and its congregants.

Fireworks, festivals and plenty of live music usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios says that he will release the findings of an independent review of the county's property tax assessment system.

Watch the June 28, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

A Cook County special prosecutor has indicted three Chicago police officers on multiple charges in connection with the shooting death of Laquan McDonald in October of 2014. 

After a breach of Illinois voters’ information, a look at how to keep election systems secure from hacks.

In a statement released Wednesday, Gov. Bruce Rauner said he would prolong the special legislative session “if the legislature fails to send a balanced budget package to my desk by Friday.”

The CTU president said interest payments on the latest CPS borrowing could instead be used to pay for three college counselors, three pre-K teachers or six special education assistants.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet also served as the state's poet laureate from 1968 until her death in 2000. Today's poets are finding creative ways to remember her.

Geoffrey Baer drops the curtain on an opera house mystery in this week’s encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Budget negotiations are ongoing in Springfield, with Friday's deadline edging ever closer. 

Watch the June 27, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Viewers react to our discussion about the Chicago Sun-Times theater critic.

A lawsuit aims to stop the sugary drink tax that's supposed to go into effect on Saturday.

As Chicago looks to boost recycling rates, Chicago Tonight explores the city's recycling program up close—and with numbers. 

Chicago’s recycling rate is among the lowest in the country. What the city is now doing to try to change that.

What happens to Chicago’s recycling after it’s hauled away from neighborhood alleys and sidewalks? We tour a massive processing facility and watch sorting in action.

A new exhibit at the Art Institute showcases the little-known woodworking and ceramics of artist Paul Gauguin.

In an address to the American Library Association’s annual conference, the former Democratic presidential nominee addressed the importance of literacy and libraries. 

Schools are already out for the summer, but this Friday marks the final business day in Chicago Public Schools’ fiscal year, and with that comes a looming $700 million payment the district owes to its teacher pension fund.

Newly released data from air monitors on Chicago’s Southeast Side shows higher levels of manganese than previously recorded, prompting renewed calls for a ban of the toxic metal, which can cause nervous system damage at high exposures. 

Consumer complaints about cosmetics and hair care products nearly doubled in 2016, prompting some in the medical community to call for greater transparency between the industry and the agency that regulates it.