Stories by WTTW News

Parents and teachers will get their first glimpse at test results from the controversial PARCC standardized test students took last spring, but the jury is still out on whether those results are useful. Brandis Friedman has the story.

It's day 31 of the Dyett High School hunger strike and there's still no sign of a deal that could end the standoff. Two activists participating in the strike explain what triggered their actions and why the arts-themed school that CPS has in mind for their neighborhood falls short of their demands.

Crain's Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer takes a closer look at the top business stories of the week, including Motorola Solutions' announcement that it will move from the suburbs to downtown, and news of a developer eyeing the Old Chicago Main Post Office.

The rediscovery of a Civil War soldier's journals and his ties to Chicago: A look at a fascinating new exhibition at the Pritzker Military Museum. Eddie Arruza has the story.

The seeds of Illinois’ medical marijuana industry are expected to bloom this fall as more pot dispensaries could get the final green light to open. But some industry observers say there are a couple of major buzzkills facing the state’s program. Tonight we’ll talk about those challenges with the chairman of the trade group Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois and a partner at a law firm representing two dispensaries. 

Saturday's concert marks the 30th anniversary of Farm Aid: A Concert for America, which drew a crowd of 80,000 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. on Sept. 22, 1985. Nearly 500 artists have performed at concerts held mostly across the Midwest and along the East Coast nearly every year since. Learn more about the organization, and this weekend's show at Northerly Island.

Geoffrey Baer answers viewer questions about a unique painting that adorns an Old Town condo building, a prolific mural painter of the 1920s and '30s, and the origins of a giant map of Chicago that's visible from the river in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey, which originally aired on March 25.

George Orwell’s dystopian classic takes the stage at Steppenwolf starting Oct. 21 as part of the theater's Young Adults series.  

A plan to exempt low- and middle-income homeowners from the coming city-wide property tax hike runs into some resistance. Just who would benefit and who might bear more of the tax burden under the plan? Paris Schutz has the story.

From Fergie to Ozzy, Chicago-native Tim "Grape" Mattefs has traveled the world as a touring live concert technician. But the lifelong Chicago Cubs fan has never experienced a live performance at Wrigley Field, until now. In the midst of a massive world tour with Australian rock and roll giants AC/DC, Mattefs will take the field of the "friendly confines" on Tuesday for a sold-out rock show of the ages.

The Federal Reserve’s two-day September meeting begins on Wednesday. During that meeting, officials will decide whether or not to increase interest rates for the first time in years. We discuss the possibility of a quarter of a percentage interest rate hike with experts.  

The city of Chicago announced it is expanding a program that allows residents to purchase vacant city-owned lots for $1. Starting Tuesday, applications for lots in the Roseland and Pullman neighborhoods will be accepted through Oct. 31. Learn more about the program.

Archival photos from the Field Museum depict researchers and the taxidermy they worked on – and loved posing with.

Chicago lost out on the Olympics to Rio but this week, world titles will be at stake as 6,500 pro- and age-group triathletes compete in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final and World Championships. Chicago Tonight's Elizabeth Brackett will be one of them – she tells us what to expect.

Eleven GOP presidential hopefuls will meet for a second prime-time cable news debate Wednesday. Donald Trump still leads the polling but retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s numbers have surged as has the profile of former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. We discuss what to expect from tomorrow night’s debate.

Celebrated actor, singer and dancer Rita Moreno is in Chicago to honor Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street, at an awards ceremony on Wednesday night. Tuesday, the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winning artist joins Chicago Tonight to share stories from her incredible life and career.

New Joffrey Ballet dancers speak about their experience with crafting public persona in the world of professional ballet. 

Activists in Chicago have scored a major victory in the form of a new adult trauma center for the city's South Side. While the new facility is being hailed as a big step toward health care equity in an underserved area, activists say much more needs to be done. Eddie Arruza joins us with details.

The outcome was as expected: the Super-Bowl caliber Green Bay Packers beat the rebuilding Chicago Bears in the season-opener at Soldier Field. But the Bears ability to effectively run the ball, limit penalties, and run a more up-tempo offense surpassed most fans' expectations. Former Bear James "Big Cat" Williams gives us his take on the first game of the season. Also, don't miss our preview of next Sunday's game with Craig Morgan, a Chicago native and Arizona sports reporter.

A group of local science researchers want your help on a truly wild project. Learn about Chicago Wildlife Watch, and how you can help them better understand the urban ecosystem of Chicago.

Class is in session for what could be a hectic year at Chicago Public Schools, which may face layoffs in the middle of the school year if state lawmakers don’t come through with $480 million. On top of that, district officials are negotiating a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union. CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey gives us an update on contract negotiations and the likelihood of a teachers strike. 

Should the United States and Chicago accept more Syrian refugees, in light of the crisis in Europe? President Obama has put the number at 10,000 but some local officials say it should be much higher. Paris Schutz has the story.

An investigation by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association finds that pension funds for government workers are continuing to pay benefits to some retirees long after the retiree and their spouse have died. One of the lead investigators on the story breaks it down for us.