Stories by Elizabeth Brackett

Started by a mother’s desire to help other families with children with Down syndrome, Gigi’s Playhouse now has locations in 23 states in the U.S. and Mexico. Elizabeth Brackett reports on how the organization has helped its namesake and many other children.

Multi-Grammy Award winner, singer Dianne Reeves, visits Chicago Tonight to perform and discuss the scholarship Gala that brings her to town.

Earlier this spring, Jay Shefsky visited a Chicago family that has added goats to the chickens, ducks, and bees in their backyard farm. We revisit that story. 

We share what you had to say about Gov. Bruce Rauner’s attack ads against House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democrats.

The City of Chicago is expanding the planned parade route for the 2015 Stanley Cup Champions. Paris Schutz details why the route is being doubled and the City Council’s vote to approve a $1.1 billion borrowing plan.

Its Tevatron particle collider may have been superseded by the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland, but Fermilab remains at the cutting edge of research into the origins of the cosmos.

Once the world's largest specialty apparel chain, Gap Inc. will now be closing 175 locations nationwide. Why will it shut down a quarter of its fleet? We talk with Crain's Chicago Business reporter Brigid Sweeney.

Just as fans plant themselves in front of their screens for a binge-watching session of the third season of the popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, the real life main character, Piper Kerman, is back in Chicago. She joins us on Chicago Tonight.

Long before hockey, football, and even baseball became popular sports in the U.S., there was velodrome racing. At the end of the 19th century, competitive racing on bicycle tracks was all the rage, especially in Chicago which had several velodromes throughout the city. Those great tracks have all disappeared but there is still one on the city's South Side that's currently sitting idle. But that could change soon.

He out-ponzied Ponzi, and the local press called him the king of the con and the greatest swindler of all time. Yet the story of Leo Koretz faded into obscurity since his death. His tale is now being told in the new book, Empire of Deception. The book’s author, Dean Jobb, joins us.

For the third time in six seasons, the Chicago Blackhawks are Stanley Cup Champions. Duncan Keith is the playoff MVP and scores the game-winning goal in the decisive Game 6. Associated Press National Sportswriter Jim Litke joins us to talk about how they did it, put the team's accomplishments in historical perspective, and look at whether or not they could do it again next year.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has launched attack ads against House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democrats, which have started circulating on the Internet. Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky discusses what that could mean for budget talks.

Most scientists believe that climate change is real and man-made, but the policy debate over how to address the problem is often lacking in conservative voices. Former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, a Republican, has been an advocate for free-market solutions to climate change. Inglis joins Chicago Tonight for a conversation.

For the first time in 30 years, a brand-new factory has opened in the historic Pullman neighborhood. We took an inside look at how the Method soap is made and find out why it’s so important to the neighborhood. 

"Buffalo" Bill Hillmann is a Chicago construction worker and author who has run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain for 10 years. Last year he was gored, and he has just published an acclaimed book about the experience.

A 1970s project to bring public art to Chicago is investigated in this look at enamel painting in Chicago, its influence and legacy.

Chicago is going back to the banks to borrow more than $1 billion, despite its recent junk bond status. Paris Schutz details why the city's chief financial officer says it's necessary.  

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton joins Carol Marin to talk about the Springfield summer session's budget showdown.

Last weekend, the nonpartisan Council of Great Lakes Governors held a summit to discuss how to prevent a repeat of last year’s toxic algae bloom that left more than 400,000 without drinking water. We’ll talk with experts about the summit and the economic and technological advantages that Lake Michigan provides to Chicago. 

An Intrinsic Schools classroom holds roughly 50 to 60 students. Though, it's counterintuitive to what research says about smaller classrooms, the school splits those students into multiple smaller groups. Brandis Friedman takes a closer look at this unique charter school model.

Elizabeth Alexander wrote and delivered the poem, Praise Song for the Day at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Three years later, her husband died suddenly of a heart attack - four days after his 50th birthday party. Her new book is a touching memoir about her love and deep loss.

We share what you had to say about Elizabeth Brackett's report on the aging Mackinaw Straits pipelines, and whether a city income tax should be considered to help solve Chicago's fiscal troubles.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists tackle the week's top local stories on Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review.