Stories by Kristen Thometz

A Star Wars-themed skate, spring festivals, colorful kites and mint juleps usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

“It’s been a great ride, but the time has come to move off into other ventures,” longtime critic John von Rhein wrote in a letter to readers Wednesday.

There seems to be an unofficial renaissance of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals by way of three classics from the 1940s. Is this mere coincidence, or a a much-needed balm?

A group of U.S. senators are trying to preserve regulations for the disposal of coal ash generated by coal-burning power plants, a mixture that can pollute drinking water if disposed of improperly. 

Of the nearly 9,000 Chicago children who had an asthma-related emergency room visit in 2015, 63 percent of them were African-American, according to a new study by the Respiratory Health Association.

An accident in the Straits of Mackinac is raising new fears about a possible oil spill disaster in the Great Lakes.

Watch the May 1, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Chicago Public Schools gets a $14 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the nonprofit started by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, pediatrician Priscilla Chan.

Jeanne Nolan and Phil Ponce venture into the WTTW garden for the first round of spring planting – with a little input from viewers.

Five years after the launch of Divvy, the city’s bike-share program, a pilot program has been introduced on the city’s South Side – with a twist.

President Donald Trump says he’s hopeful that talks with North Korea’s leader will end that nation’s nuclear weapons program, but that “if it’s not a success, I will respectfully leave.”

Prominent conservative author and commentator David Frum talks about his new best-selling book “Trumpocracy: The Corruption of The American Republic.”

A federal discrimination lawsuit filed Tuesday against the city demonstrates what five women describe as a “culture” of sexual harassment and discrimination within the Chicago Fire Department.

The former campaign worker in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political organization who accused her supervisor of sexual harassment is taking her case to the state’s legislative inspector general.

The stunning performers now gathered on the stage of the Paramount Theatre bring this unconventional piece of musical theater to life with a beguiling mix of emotional depth and comic zest.

The remarkable work of photographer Art Shay, and Art Paul, the first art director for Playboy who designed the iconic bunny logo.

The medical marijuana industry’s biggest bank in Illinois pulls out of the business. The implications of that move and more issues facing growers, dispensaries and patients.

A prominent local tax watchdog group says Illinois government would gain $2 billion with a graduated income tax.

Watch the April 30, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As any good gardener knows, the key to healthy plants is starting with good soil. The team from the Organic Gardener helps us prepare our garden for spring planting.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune take shots at each other as both newspapers struggle to survive. Columnists Neil Steinberg and Eric Zorn weigh in.

An expert on aging talks about the possibilities and problems that come with living longer.

Agriculture advocates say industrial hemp would offer Illinois farmers an additional crop – one with a lucrative future.

A bill aimed at breaking up food deserts in Chicago and other cities across the state by establishing “urban agriculture zones” moved forward last week in Springfield.

After spending 22 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Thomas Sierra is suing the city of Chicago and the detective he claims framed him for a 1995 murder.

The 23-year-old suspect is accused of carjacking multiple vehicles last week. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.