Stories by Brandis Friedman

For the first time in its history, the Joffrey Ballet cues up an entirely new score for its daring new production. We get a peek at the company’s creative process – and personalities.

The Chicago mayor’s race is getting a lot of attention, but it’s not the only contested citywide race in the Feb. 26 election. Meet the candidates running to replace outgoing Treasurer Kurt Summers.

New musicals, vintage wedding dresses, motorcycles and encased meats usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

The South Bend, Indiana, mayor tells us about his new memoir “Shortest Way Home” – and why his eyes are set on the White House.

The U.S. solar energy industry lost nearly 8,000 jobs last year, but Illinois was one of just eight states that saw a significant increase in solar jobs.

This sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking play – now receiving its Chicago debut at Steppenwolf Theatre – arrives at a moment when a whole new tsunami-like wave of feminist rebellion has gathered force.

Four men were exonerated of false drug convictions Wednesday, joining more than 60 others who’ve been falsely convicted and later exonerated in cases related to former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts.

“The emails were upsetting to read, and especially upsetting to think that some of our fans were put into a position where they had to consider their favorite team and some of those types of views,” Theo Epstein said Tuesday.

Watch the Feb. 12, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Rare objects from a New Orleans historical group are now on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. We get an early look at the exhibition “Purchased Lives.”

More than 100,000 women are suing manufacturers over painful complications from surgical mesh, which is implanted in the vaginal wall to treat urinary incontinence and other health issues. 

An ongoing NASA study aided by Northwestern researchers sent mice into orbit with the goal of learning more about the physiological effects of living in space. 

As the fallout over Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook scandal continues, a look at recent examples of blackface in comedy again raises the question of whether the practice is ever permissible. 

A series of transition reports unveiled last week provides a look at what new Gov. J.B. Pritzker has in store for Illinois, from potential new taxes to the creation of a statewide infrastructure czar. 

As Illinoisans wait for new Gov. J.B. Pritzker to unveil his budget plan, Pritzker’s administration is delving into the perilous state of Illinois’ finances with a series of reports.  

A portion of northbound Lake Shore Drive reopened Tuesday after having been shut down for more than 24 hours, raising questions about the condition of Chicago’s other bridges. 

Actor Jussie Smollett says he redacted some information from his phone before giving it to Chicago police investigating a reported attack on the “Empire” actor in order to protect the privacy of contacts and people who are not relevant to the attack.

Illinois is poised to join Washington, D.C., and at least four other states with a $15-an-hour minimum by 2025, an 82-percent spike in current base pay. But it may not be the momentous impact on low-wage workers that some supporters expected.

A new report details a rise in the use of e-cigarettes by young people across the country as the city of Chicago files a lawsuit against online sellers it claims illegally sold tobacco products to minors.

Watch the Feb. 11, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

How are you staying warm? What do you see outside? Share your cold-weather photos with us and we’ll add them to our gallery.

A pair of Illinois Institute of Technology researchers developing technology to detect early stage tumors have won the university’s Nayar Prize, which includes a $500,000 award.

For his traveling exhibit, “When Home Won’t Let You Stay: Stories of Refugees in America,” photographer James Bowey spent time with all of his subjects in order to learn and share their stories.  

From tax increases to sports betting to recreational marijuana, Illinois lawmakers weigh changes to address the state’s overwhelming financial problems. 

With Chicago’s municipal election two weeks away, early voting kicked off Monday in all 50 wards. 

It might be cold and snowy outside, but pitchers and catchers report Wednesday for their first spring training workouts. We ask White Sox broadcaster Jason Benetti and Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper about the upcoming season.