Stories by Alexandra Silets

Inspector General Joe Ferguson joins us to talk about his latest audit battle with City Hall. Mayor Rahm Emanuel claims his new grid-based garbage collection system saved Chicago $18 million, but Ferguson, who wants to verify those numbers, says he is being stonewalled and told to reapply for his job. Watch web extra video and read the IG's audit report.

Has Mayor Rahm Emanuel's much-heralded infrastructure trust stalled? Paris Schutz has the story.

In restaurants and at home, Chicago's Egyptian Americans have spent the last week glued to television screens and computers, as dramatic change once again sweeps over Egypt. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Read an article.

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin joins us to talk about his new independent film Dealin’ with Idiots, a youth baseball comedy that opens at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on July 12. Watch the film trailer and a web extra conversation with Garlin.

We meet an elusive portrait artist who painted Hollywood stars and a U.S. President, and find out how a giant collection of her artwork ended up in a suburb of Chicago. Read a Q&A and view a slideshow.

New gun laws are set to take effect after a holiday weekend that saw 10 homicides. Paris Schutz has the details. View our interactive graphics to see how Illinois House and Senate members voted on concealed carry legislation.

Ald. Dick Mell resigns after a decades-long career. Will his daughter take his place? Carol Marin and her panel tackle Chicago’s political dynasties.

The Obama administration has delayed a portion of the Affordable Care Act, which will extend the deadline for employer mandated health care to 2015. Bruce Japsen, a health care reporter for Forbes, joins us to break down the employer mandate and explain the implication of the extension. Read a Q&A.

A food additive that has been used for decades is stirring up controversy. We talk with a Chicago researcher who is in the midst of clinical trials to uncover its potential hazards. Read an article about carrageenan.

Raise a toast to a Midwestern phenomenon – the Supper Club. Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra’s new book digs into the rich social history of these time-honored food establishments, and he visits remaining supper clubs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois. Hoekstra joins us to talk about The Supper Club Book, with a forward by Garrison Keillor. View a slideshow.

As a kid growing up in Wrigleyville, Margie Lawrence developed a love of baseball and baseball players. But it was her love for a Wrigley Field beer vendor that inspired her to become a baseball artist. Jay Shefsky has a profile. Read an article and view a slideshow.

We share what you had to say about Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and a recent giraffe birth at Brookfield Zoo in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

Check out Chicago Tonight's weekly roundup for links to all of our stories from this week.

A close look at the creatures that inhabit the Great Lakes; a wide variety of snacks for foodies; and The Jungle Book at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago Tonight knows what's going on this weekend.

The Pension Conference Committee says they will not reach Gov. Pat Quinn's July 9 deadline to come up with reform. Paris Schutz has the latest. Learn more about the 10 members and see how they each voted on recent pension bills.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has released an initial budget for the next fiscal year, and in it she estimates a $152 estimated deficit. We talk with President Preckwinkle about what to expect with Cook County’s fiscal health. Read her preliminary budget.

Judge Ruben Castillo has been appointed the new Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Carol Marin goes one-on-one with the first Hispanic Chief Judge to hold this position. Read an interview with outgoing Chief Judge James Holderman.

The Chicago Park District is halfway toward rebuilding north Grant Park, to be known as "Maggie Daley Park." Watch a time-lapse video, read an article and view a slideshow.

Eve Ensler’s memoir, In the Body of the World, is a gritty glimpse of her recent struggles – from uterine cancer to working with rape survivors in the Congo. We revisit a conversation we had with Ensler back in May. Read an excerpt from her book.

The famous Lascaux Caves of southern France -- or at least a life-sized replica of them --are now in Chicago. We revisit a preview of the exhibit at the Field Museum. Watch web extra videos and view a slideshow.

Brookfield Zoo is standing tall today after the debut of the 59th baby giraffe born on its grounds. At 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds, the calf was born 11 days ago to first-time mom Jasiri, and dad Hasani. Watch a web extra video of the giraffe's birth.

Unrest is sparking fears of a second revolution in Egypt. Thousands have taken to the streets pushing for the ouster of Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, who has been in office for a year. But a defiant President Morsi is rejecting the opposition’s call for an early special election. We have the latest on the turmoil in Egypt that has killed at least 16 people and injured more than 600 over the past few days.

Gov. Pat Quinn makes big changes to the concealed carry bill. Read more about the changes.

Her most famous work may be the novel The Color Purple, but Alice Walker says she is a poet at heart. Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple in 1983, the first African-American woman to do so. Now the poet-turned-novelist has two new books, of poetry and prose. She joins us. Read an article.

We revisit an exhibit that takes a revealing look at animals from the inside -- out. Ash-har Quraishi takes us behind the scenes at the Museum of Science and Industry. Read an article and view a slideshow.

Chicago Sun-Times Theater Critic Hedy Weiss reviews three highly anticipated shows in Chicago. Learn more about the shows and watch a web extra review.