Stories by Marc Vitali

An unusual new art show looks at fantastic and strange paintings made by Chicago and Midwestern artists in the mid-20th century. We visit the Arts Club of Chicago.

Local alt weekly the Chicago Reader has a history dating back nearly 50 years. We speak with the paper’s new publisher.

Rather than tell you what to eat, FoodSwitch tells you how healthy the products you choose are, in easy-to-digest terms.

The scandal-ridden EPA chief resigned Thursday amid a number of ethical and legal violations over his travel spending, security costs and ties to industry lobbyists. 

While both “Support Group for Men” and “The Roommate” rely on predictable clichés, each serves as a prime example of how absolutely first-rate actors invariably bring total devotion to mediocre scripts.

Neighborhood fests, dance music and global fare usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A new exhibition conveys the role of the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines in spreading the word on black culture from their onetime offices at 820 S. Michigan Ave.

Orangutans are one of humankind’s closest cousins. We meet a baby orangutan as she takes a trip to the doctor.

Exploring the change in the way you register to vote at the DMV – a change that’s rolling out this week.

Despite an increase this week to the city’s minimum wage, many Chicagoans still aren’t earning what some researchers call a “living wage.”

Watch the July 3, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The Chicago Tribune’s newly retired classical music critic looks back on four decades of listening. 

One in four CPS schools failed a recent round of blitz inspections designed to examine things like overall cleanliness and pest control. See if your school passed or failed its inspection.

The ouster last weekend of Chicago Animal Care and Control’s executive director, whose short tenure resulted in the fewest instances of euthanasia at the agency since that data has been recorded, has got folks howling across the city.

Illinois State Police are asking the Rev. Michael Pfleger to reconsider a planned gun violence march on the Dan Ryan expressway this weekend, telling protesters they could face arrest and calling the potential for injury or loss of life “enormous.”

Vicki Huddleston, a former U.S. ambassador, shares stories from her new memoir, “Our Woman in Havana.”

Unions – and their foes – are fast on the heels of a landmark Supreme Court ruling issued last week on Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a case with Illinois roots.

Watch the July 2, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

We speak with Daniel Greene, an adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University who is the curator of a new exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

As Chicago tries to become a more bike-friendly city, a transportation journalist offers his own, low-stress routes.

Karen Coruthers claims a CSU officer pointed his gun at her and her young daughter “without justification.” Now she’s suing the university’s Board of Trustees and others in federal court.

The former Illinois governor joins us to discuss his campaign to set a two-term limit for Chicago mayors.

“A lot of studies show that when newspapers close, local politicians become lazy and voters become less informed and there’s lower voter turnout,” said Chang Lee, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The surprising thing about “Avenue Q” is just how wise, witty, open-minded and openly devoid of by-the-book political correctness it manages to be. 

The most winning aspect of this flashy new musical at the Oriental Theatre is how three different actresses with powerful voices so deftly capture Cher at various stages of her life.

Paris Schutz and guests discuss Mayor Emanuel’s affordable housing proposals.