Stories by Amanda Vinicky

Organizers in Illinois are making a major, last-minute push for census participation. What you need to know before the count wraps up.

To help navigate the options, three local bar associations have screened and ranked each candidate. Here are their recommendations. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is unveiling a new plan to curb the city’s violence epidemic. But does it go far enough? 

Beverly and Morgan Park are continuing a seven-year tradition of celebrating local artists, but this year they’re doing things a bit differently. We visit the historic area for a preview of the event.

President Donald Trump’s initial refusal to condemn a far right fascist group drew fierce blowback before he altered his message in a day-later effort to quell the firestorm. 

Interruption, disruption and insults. Tuesday’s presidential debate was arguably the most chaotic ever produced. We get reaction from the father of presidential debates, the former FCC chairman who first proposed the idea in 1955.

Two of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s closest allies say they are frustrated and disappointed that she has apparently dropped her support for long-stalled efforts to put an elected board of Chicago residents in charge of the Chicago Police Department.

Watch the Sept. 30, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Trick-or-treaters and those passing out candy should maintain 6 feet of social distance and wear face coverings. Costume masks are not a substitute for cloth masks, according to guidance released by state health officials.

Share your experiences through written stories, art, videos and more. “This is a case where if you save it, I’m happy to receive it,” said Eileen Ielmini of the University of Chicago Library’s Special Collections Research Center.

Adam Hollingsworth, the man known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy,” has not yet entered a plea on a felony animal abuse charge, but the condition of the horse he rode for more than 7 miles during rush hour is reportedly improving.

An increase in the number of vote-by-mail applications ahead of the November election goes beyond Chicago: 2 million Illinois residents have applied to vote by mail — nearly a quarter of all registered voters in the state, officials said.

After more than a year of circling each other, Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden met on the debate stage Tuesday night in Ohio. 

It’s Fat Bear Week. No, we’re not mocking Matt Nagy’s squad, we’re talking about the annual competition to crown the beefiest brown bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. Here’s how to get in on the action.

Chicago’s looking at a lot of red ink due to coronavirus-related shutdowns. What kinds of cuts might the city soon see to keep its financials afloat? We speak with four people who will likely have a say in those decisions.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan declined to testify Tuesday at a special hearing convened for the sole purpose of vetting whether he engaged in conduct unbefitting of his elected position, and it remains unclear whether he’ll face a subpoena.

The COVID-19 pandemic brings with it a host of related mental health issues for many people, such as increased stress and anxiety. Seasonal depression could soon be another problem facing Chicagoans.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a racial justice movement and a rush to confirm a new Supreme Court justice comes the first of three presidential debates. What to expect.

City officials would have the authority to strip multimillion-dollar tax incentives from companies that violate the city’s rules under a measure aldermen advanced Tuesday.

After sitting empty for nearly two decades, the old Cook County Hospital building has been given a new life. Leaders are touting the $140 million project as a sign of hope amid an economic downturn.

In April, 17 organizations signed a pledge that Mayor Lori Lightfoot said would help the city protect its most vulnerable residents during the pandemic. But officials now say there is no data to measure the impact of that pledge.

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said he has consistently asked for longer sentences for the “looters, thieves and vandals” who have been arrested after breaking into businesses across Chicago in recent months.

Watch the Sept. 29, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

With air travel down about 70% from last year, many carriers including United and American say they’ll be forced to cut jobs without additional aid. Delta and Southwest, two other big carriers, tapped private capital markets and say they’ll avoid layoffs.

Visitors from Wisconsin to Chicago will continue to be required to quarantine for two weeks in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, as the northeast part of the state experiences a surge of cases and hospitalizations.

The staffer who was diagnosed with COVID-19 had close contact with Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday in Chicago, on Thursday in Marion and on Sunday in Marseilles, according to Pritzker's office.