Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have invented a new sponge that can absorb oil from water and then be wrung out and reused, a potentially game-changing tool for dealing with oil spills.

Had ASPIRA teachers gone through with their threat to go on strike March 17, it would have been the first labor stoppage for charter teachers in U.S. history.

Watch the March 9, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson testifies in Springfield in favor of tougher sentences for repeat gun offenders. But will his proposed changes actually make the city safer?

Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Chicago Tonight’s Eddie Arruza for an extended conversation about science and our place in the cosmos. 

Visit a Northwest Side high school where a food science lab is growing the next generation of urban farmers.

Meet the founder of the nonprofit group My Block My Hood My City, who believes in the power of change.

Days after giving $1 million to Chicago Public Schools to support arts and enrichment programming, the Chicago-born rapper named 10 individual schools that would each receive a separate gift from his nonprofit organization, SocialWorks.

Federal limits for exposure to manganese might not be adequate to protect public health, says a Washington University neurologist. 

A trio of St. Patrick’s Day parades, cultural events and more usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner accuses Democrats of being behind a coordinated effort to shut down state government.

Watch the March 8, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The Chicago Bears look to rebound from their miserable 3-13 season when the free agent signing period starts Thursday. And multiple reports say the Bears are all but certain to sign a new quarterback.

When Plácido Domingo takes the stage at Lyric Opera of Chicago this week, he will be reaching new pinnacles in a career that is already astonishing for its accomplishments and longevity. 

The Founding Father who became the subject of one of the most popular Broadway musicals in a generation is also the subject of a history lesson in Chicago Public Schools.

A union spokesman confirmed the union’s 800-member House of Delegates will begin discussions Wednesday over a “possible May 1 action.” No strike vote has yet been scheduled.

Cornelia Suskind tell us about her son Owen, the subject of a new documentary film.

Last month, ornithologist Pete Marra sat down with Chicago Tonight to discuss his book detailing outdoor cats’ impact on U.S. bird populations. It was an interview that stirred up emotions on all sides. 

Deep sleep is vital to memory and decreases with age. Playing pink noise – described as a waterfall-like sound – in sync with a person’s brain waves was found to enhance deep sleep and sleep-dependent memory retention in older adults, according to a new Northwestern study.

Watch the March 7, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

How as a society should we define responsibility and free will? A new book by Chicago-based journalist Kevin Davis explores these issues.

House Republicans released their plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Monday night. How will it impact insurance rates, coverage and Medicaid? 

If progress isn't made over the next 10 days in ongoing labor negotiations, educators in a small Chicago charter school network say they will walk off the job in what would be the nation’s first charter teachers strike.

This year, the group’s annual list of endangered structures sounds the alarm on not just buildings, but also public art. 

Following calls Monday by Chance the Rapper to “do your job,” Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday said there are two viable plans to quickly get $215 million to Chicago Public Schools.

Several advocacy groups are calling on Chicago to ban storage of materials containing manganese in residential areas following a 2016 study that revealed potentially harmful levels of manganese dust on the city’s Southeast Side.