Stories by WTTW News

From the unlikely spiritual journey of a former "Meet the Press" moderator, to CPS contracts under scrutiny, here are the five stories "Chicago Tonight" readers were most interested in over the past seven days.

Test your news knowledge with this week's set of questions.

It's the annual return of Open House Chicago, the season finale of Vintage Garage and the U.S. premiere for the Joffrey Ballet. Here is your weekend lineup.

The fifth of six planned east-west runways at O'Hare International Airport is officially open today. Will this development help to quiet residents' noise complaints or make the problem worse? Paris Schutz has the story.

Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets face off to determine which team will meet the Chicago Cubs in this year's National League Championship Series. ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers and WBEZ's Cheryl Raye-Stout join "Chicago Tonight" with a look ahead.

Former New York Times Moscow bureau chief Steven Lee Myers spent seven years covering one of the most controversial leaders on the world stage. Myers now has written a comprehensive new biography, "The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin." Myers joins us to discuss the book.

A new baseball statistic that could help the Chicago Cubs win, a new tool that could revolutionize the surgical removal of cancerous tumors and new images of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon. Museum of Science and Industry director of science and integrated strategies Rabiah Mayas joins us with these stories and more.

Temperatures are starting to drop but that doesn’t signal the end of the gardening season. The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan visits the WTTW organic garden to do some planting. She also shares tips on how gardeners can extend the season a little longer.

He's a composer, conductor, poet and instrumentalist. And he's already being compared to Mozart. We revisit the 25 year old whose children's opera–written for Chicago–is getting another hearing. 

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.

A dire report from Illinois' comptroller today: The state budget stalemate has reached an alarming point in the state's ability to make a significant pension payment and pay bills. 

Living in the Chicago area is about to get even more expensive. Not only is Mayor Rahm Emanuel seeking a record high property tax increase to help shore up police and firefighter pensions. But today Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is asking for a county tax on recreational activities like golfing and cable TV to help plug the county's budget deficit. 

The two owners of a principal training academy ensnared in the CPS corruption and bribery scandal have their day in court. We have the very latest.

The political heavyweight and her populist upstart challenger grabbed the spotlight Tuesday night, joined by candidates Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Martin O'Malley. We take a deeper look at the debate and its potential impact on the race with Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer at Northwestern University law school.

New York-based Condé Nast purchases Chicago’s Pitchfork Media, while Playboy magazine announces it will no longer publish nude photographs starting next year. Crain’s Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer talks about these and other top business headlines of the week. 

Geoffrey Baer returns with more dispatches from the Chicago Architecture Biennial, including bold proposals for the future of its host city.

Kyle Schwarber's moon shot helps propel the Cubs to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 12 years. Paris Schutz is here with a full recap of tonight's heart-stopping series clincher over the rival Cardinals.

After pleading guilty in court to one federal count of wire fraud, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett spoke with reporters briefly and apologized to the children and families of CPS. 

The Thompson Center is for sale. Gov. Rauner says the iconic building has become a costly and inefficient albatross for Illinois. Just how much can the state get for it, and what does the renowned architect who designed it have to say about its future?

A new energy initiative is encouraging area residents to get smart—by purchasing so-called smart thermostats–under a new rebate program that aims to cut heating costs. Will homeowners warm up to what is planned to be the country's largest smart energy initiative? We'll discuss the ambitious program with our panel of guests.

Along a busy stretch of Western Avenue on the North Side of the city is the newly opened West Ridge Nature Preserve. The 20-acre park includes woods, wetlands, walking paths and a 4.5-acre pond. Jay Shefsky goes for a tour. 

The former "Meet the Press" moderator and White House correspondent was raised in a two-faith household but without much in the way of belief. His marriage to a Christian woman and their decision to raise their children as Jewish sparked a spiritual journey.