Stories by Alexandra Silets

Legislative leaders are still bickering – with no budget compromise in sight. Two lawmakers weigh in on the ongoing budget stalemate.

Why residents on the West Side of Chicago voted overwhelmingly to raise their property taxes a bit higher than the rest of the city.

Watch the Dec. 5, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

An ambitious new art exhibition looks at the cultural impact of, and creative response to, AIDS in America.

Chicago’s first snowfall came just in time for the beginning of the city’s annual winter celebration at Navy Pier.

A new Chicago Public Schools website is set to help students sort through scores of local high schools to find the right one for them based on academic and extracurricular interests.

Next time you see a squirrel, take a picture. That photo, along with additional location and observation data, can help Chicago researchers better understand the local urban ecosystem.

Speaking before a group that opposed the recent bill to raise electric rates and bail out two failing nuclear plants, Gov. Bruce Rauner explained why he supported it.

Chicago Public Schools says it plans to add $600 million in projects to its capital improvement budget for the upcoming year, but how much money the district will actually spend remains to be seen as it waits to gauge “market conditions and community feedback.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Friday the creation of a legal protection fund to help thousands of immigrants and refugees threatened with deportation and pledged $1 million to start the fund.

The Springfield standoff turns even uglier as Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes $215 million in CPS pension relief. Chicago’s deadly year surpasses 700 murders. And Jay Cutler is set to have season-ending surgery. These stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

In response to a recent surge in the number of hate crimes reported nationwide, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart has launched a hotline for reporting incidents of discrimination.

After a long debate, a last-minute push to bail out two downstate nuclear plants passed the Illinois General Assembly late Thursday at the tail end of the veto session.

Watch the Dec. 1, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Gov. Bruce Rauner strikes down a bill for Chicago Public Schools teacher pensions and the Illinois House strikes back. The latest from Springfield.

How President-elect Donald Trump’s global business empire could create potential conflicts of interest.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed legislation that would have provided Chicago Public Schools with $215 million in pension relief funding, blowing a massive hole in the district’s 2017 budget.

Growing up with a Chinese restaurant on the first floor, an extended family upstairs and a killer train set in the basement. The story behind our neighborhood Chinese lunch place.

Binge drinking as a teen could affect the brain function of your future children, according to a recent Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study.

Only 2,500 children are diagnosed with infantile spasms in the U.S. each year. Meet one family that is sharing their story to raise awareness of the uncommon disorder.

With a two-year decline in jail population, Cook County is demolishing some older jail buildings that once housed inmates.

Watch the Nov. 30, 2106 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Why the City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to create a massive TIF district to fund the CTA.

“His drive and passion really laid the groundwork for an environment for this culture to thrive,” said Louie Mendicino, Sean McKeough’s friend of 10 years. “He created a space for people to cultivate their art.”

With labor negotiations finished and a new contract finalized, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis is now calling for an end to the “explosion” of charter school chain growth.

The budget standoff is not over as the General Assembly’s fall session draws nearer to a close and to a possible doomsday scenario.