Stories by Marc Vitali

Internationally renowned composer and percussionist Kahil El’Zabar, who has played alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, joins a discussion about inclusion among modern composers of color. On Friday, he performs with Fulcrum Point New Music Project.

While Dennis Hastert admitted to sexual abuse allegations in court Wednesday, he did not see any related charges because the statute of limitations had passed. If the sexual abuse allegations factored into Hastert’s sentencing on charges he skirted banking laws, should the statute of limitations even exist?

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday announced initiatives to reassure residents that Chicago's water is safe and lead-free.

Watch the April 27, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Geoffrey Baer visits a retro motel in River North, a towering turtle on the Near West Side and a vanishing South Side lake in this week's encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Jay Shefsky visits an upscale consignment shop on the North Shore that has generated nearly half a million dollars for charity by selling designer clothes, accessories and furniture.

The bison herd at Fermilab just got a little bigger: On Tuesday, the first bison calf of 2016 was born at the particle physics laboratory in suburban Batavia.

It could be said that the work of Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall has been hiding in plain sight for a century. A new book reveals Marshall as an architect whose work helped refine and modernize young Chicago.

Dennis Hastert has gone from being the longest-serving Republican U.S. House Speaker to the highest-ranking federal public official to go to jail. He was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison and to two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $250,000.

The Blackhawks season ends with a heartbreaking loss to St. Louis. We recap the season and talk about homophobia in sports with Chris Hine, an openly gay hockey writer from the Chicago Tribune. 

Tougher regulations for financial advisers are aimed at protecting consumers planning for retirement. But could new rules make it harder to get investment advice?

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert will face some of his alleged sexual assault victims during sentencing Wednesday in federal court. We preview the proceedings.

Watch the April 26, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushes McCormick Place as the new location for the Lucas Musuem, a group of faith and community leaders met Tuesday to throw their support behind the plan. WBEZ's Lauren Chooljian will bring us the latest.  

The giant corpse plant, a titan arum, is now in bloom. See what the plant looks like via the CBG's live stream, and find out about late hours for Tuesday night.

The Zika virus has been shown to cause microcephaly and other fetal brain abnormalities. We talk with a local woman, pregnant with her first child, who has been dealing with the terrifying possibility that she and her unborn child may have been exposed to the virus.

Tattoo artist-turned-painter George Klauba was briefly onshore in Cuba while the revolution was underway. For years now, he has focused his artistic energy on remembering a moment in history and putting his dreamlike impressions on canvas.

“Mr. Angelo continues to miss the mark when he dismisses the report,” said Lori Lightfoot, chairwoman of the Police Accountability Task Force, in response to comments made by FOP head Dean Angelo during his Monday appearance on "Chicago Tonight."

Changes are coming to the Chicago Police Department. But are the rank and file on board? We talk with the head of Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation Monday to help public universities and community colleges that have seen their financial foothold slip during Illinois’s unprecedented budget impasse. 

After Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago patients, families, staff and volunteers took part in a voting contest last week, the 10-month-old penguin previously known as Chick No. 23 is now called Diego.

Watch the April 25, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Newspaper giant Gannett makes a bid to take over the parent company of the Chicago Tribune. A look at what Gannett's offering, and whether it's likely to succeed.

Gov. Bruce Rauner approves emergency funding for higher education in Illinois. But is it enough to keep Chicago State University and others afloat? 

The long voyage of some migratory birds ends in Chicago. How photographer Art Fox is raising awareness of what's called "window kill" at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

The Field Museum recently captured some unusual animal portraits with motion-activated cameras in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest.