Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Investigators described the Park District’s procedures for vetting volunteers as “outdated” and “under-resourced,” with a single employee responsible for managing the entire volunteer program.

Scandals plague USA Gymnastics in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse catastrophe. USA Today columnist Nancy Armour has the latest.

Food pantries are popping up in a surprising, new location: colleges and universities. How City Colleges of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository are providing for local students.

Special prosecutors believe it will take less than a week to present their case against a trio of current and former Chicago police officers accused of trying to cover up the 2014 shooting of black teen Laquan McDonald.

He is widely considered one of the greatest American novelists. Saul Bellow’s anger, appetites and enormous talent are captured in a newly released biography by Zachary Leader, who joins us in conversation.

More than 6,000 dogs were taken in by the city’s animal shelter last year. How one local animal lover is focusing his lens on the challenge of finding them permanent homes.

Kenneth Johnson spent more than three decades with the Chicago Police Department, but federal prosecutors allege the former commander stole $360,000 in Social Security funds over the course of 23 years.

She’s officially in. One week after winning re-election as comptroller, and after weeks of speculation and leaks, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza will run for mayor of Chicago. 

Two of Chicago’s most famous women sit down for an intimate chat. What Michelle Obama told Oprah Winfrey – and 18,000 of her closest friends – to kick off her book tour.

Watch the Nov. 14, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A recent spike in hate incidents at Oak Park and River Forest High School leads to a community march – and a criminal charge. A teacher and administrator tell us how they’re responding.

President Donald Trump has been vocal on the topic of where the GOP stands, but where do Republicans in Illinois think they’re headed?

Chicago voters overwhelmingly favor lifting the state’s ban on rent control, but is it really the way to more affordable housing?

Gov. Bruce Rauner – once known for exerting an iron grip over Republican legislators that had them follow him in lockstep – got a taste Wednesday of his lame-duck status.

Twinkling lights, new toys, barrel-aged beer and holiday markets usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Legislative activity has resumed at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, following a threat of a bomb in the upper chambers of the statehouse.

Lawmakers are set to consider legislation this week that would limit the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals, a practice that has been shown to fuel drug-resistant bacteria that can be dangerous to humans.

Oprah Winfrey joined Michelle Obama on Tuesday night at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, as she begins the tour touting the already best-selling “Becoming.” Here’s what to know about the tome and the tour.

State investigators say the armed security guard fatally shot by a Midlothian police officer outside a south suburban bar early Sunday was not wearing anything that identified him as security and ignored repeated orders to drop his weapon.

Geoffrey Baer floats through a bygone colony of houseboats that once populated our city’s favorite Y-shaped waterway in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

A week after Illinois Democrats’ decisive general election victories, Illinois lawmakers returned to the capitol Tuesday for the start of the annual fall veto session.

Watch the Nov. 13, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

In his new book, Ivo Daalder argues that President Donald Trump has chosen to abandon America’s leadership role in the world just as China is becoming more assertive on the global stage.

He’s been making hats and gloves for 45 years, but they’re not designed to keep us warm. Meet the man behind some eye-catching creations.

Decades after it premiered in London, the mega-musical “Miss Saigon” is still captivating audiences around the world. Meet three of the stars from the new touring production.

New federal guidelines stress that any amount and any type of exercise helps health. “Doing something is better than doing nothing,” said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones of Northwestern University.