Stories by Brandis Friedman

"Chicago Tonight" will have a live report from Butler Field in Grant Park, where the Chicago Teachers Union promises a big display of support for their cause.

Running back Jeremy Langford gives the Bears hope. But that feel-good moment was quickly extinguished Sunday at Soldier Field. James "Big Cat" Williams is here with his take on the Bears loss to the Broncos.

They closed some 44 years ago, but Chicago's Union Stockyards profoundly shaped the development of the city and the modern world. Dominic Pacyga, a local historian and former stockyard worker, tells the story in his new book "Slaughterhouse.” Pacyga joins us tonight.

We share what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read viewer feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Ready or not, the most wonderful time of the year is here. “Chicago Tonight’s” celebratory guide to the sights, sounds and tastes of the season will have you reveling in the spirit.

Friday marks Universal Children’s Day, a global recognition of children’s welfare.

Joel Weisman and his panel of guests discuss the top stories of the week, including a Cook County judge's order that the city release a controversial police shooting video, and Gov. Bruce Rauner's announcement to temporarily halt Syrian refugees from resettling in Illinois.

Chicago officials are bracing for the release of a controversial video purported to show a white police officer shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, an African-American, 16 times and killing him. A Cook County Judge ruled today that the city must release the video despite several ongoing investigations into the shooting. 

A Cook County judge ordered the Chicago Police Department to release the controversial dashboard video of an African-American teenager being shot 16 times by a white police officer. We talk with the freelance journalist who sued the city for the video and one of the attorneys representing the McDonald family during settlement talks with the city.

We speak with two members of the black community as a Cook County judge orders the release of dashboard video footage of the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Triumphing over trash, the Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura emerged from a landfill slum in Paraguay to perform in concert halls around the world.

Chicago Tribune columnist JeanMarie Brownson shares some of her favorite recipes for Thanksgiving from her new book, "Dinner at Home: 140 Recipes to Enjoy with Family and Friends."

A holiday tradition returns to Michigan Avenue while a couple of comedy giants take the stage in Rosemont.

Higher taxes are coming to Cook County, new rules on drones are in the works for the city of Chicago, and Mayor Emanuel has a message for aldermen in the wake of the departure of Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan. Paris Schutz has the full rundown.

In the wake of the deadly terror attacks in Paris, many Republican governors are saying they are unwilling to allow Syrian refugees to be settled in their states, among them Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Our panel discusses the refugee crisis and response.

The problem in one of Chicago's most economically depressed communities isn't just crime. We explore what's being done to improve one of the city's small neighborhoods.

Apple has a new Frank LLoyd Wright-esque store proposal for the riverfront, Ford's labor agreement vote hits a rough patch and frequent fliers may notice even more frequently changing rules surrounding airline rewards programs. Crain's Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer joins us for more on these stories.

The Chicago Sun-Times theater critic appraises a true Chicago crime story at Victory Gardens and a double dose of Irving Berlin. Get her take on these plays and more when she joins "Chicago Tonight" for a discussion.

The famously irascible Frank Lloyd Wright estranged two artists on a single short-lived project. Learn the fate of Wright's lost Midway Gardens and play tennis at the Kenwood Country Club as local history expert Geoffrey Baer heads to the South Side.

Starting in December, anyone who shows a food stamps card will pay just $3 to access the museum.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool is reiterating his call for funding equity from Springfield, saying that if CPS students make up 20 percent of Illinois public school students then the district should receive 20 percent of funding.

Public universities in Illinois have received no state funding since the budget standoff began in July. We hear from four university presidents on the impact the budget crisis is having on their campuses.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel was on hand Tuesday morning to reopen the newly developed Nichols Tower at Homan Square. Jay Shefsky got a sneak peek at the tower on Monday. We bring you his report.