Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

An ordinance to protect residents from a potentially brain-damaging pollutant is passed by the City Council. But does it go far enough?

It might be hard to believe, but Chicago is less than one year away from its next mayoral election. Willie Wilson talks about why he’s looking to unseat Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

What it’s like to practice medicine in Jerusalem, one of the most religiously and politically complicated cities on Earth. A discussion with Dr. Elisha Waldman about his new memoir.

Some 20 years after they stampeded along Michigan Avenue, Chicagoans are still moo-ved by the memory of Cows on Parade. Geoffrey Baer revisits the 1999 art project.

It’s been more than two years since Jason Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the death of Laquan McDonald. The judge in the case now says he wants the trial to get moving in the coming months.

Watch the March 27, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Loyola suits up for its final practice before heading to San Antonio for a Final Four date with Michigan.

As the Loyola Ramblers go to the Final Four, the question of paying college athletes resurfaces.

Chicago as the global center for the future of architecture. Meet Yesomi Umolu, the new artistic leader of the next Chicago Architecture Biennial.

The story of one local punk band whose members’ lives have gone in some surprising directions.  

Why President Donald Trump’s election wasn’t an outlier, but part of a worldwide surge in populism. A discussion with author and scholar Yascha Mounk.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had nothing but praise for the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools during one of the company’s signature product reveals Tuesday morning in Roscoe Village.

The American Dental Association announces a new policy on opioid prescriptions and education for dentists who prescribe the painkillers and other controlled substances.

The retired U.S. Supreme Court justice and Chicago native called for the Second Amendment to be repealed in a New York Times op-ed just days after the March For Our Lives rally in Washington. 

A shift in how news outlets can help you “take action” on the stories they report.

The work of two of Chicago’s most enduring but dramatically different contemporary dance companies – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Giordano Dance Chicago – was on elaborate display this past weekend. 

Watch the March 26, 2018 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As tensions ramp up with Russia, questions also grow about the direction of U.S. foreign policy with the arrival of a new national security adviser.

Loyola never looked back in this one. After three heart-pounding wins that came down to the last shot, the Ramblers fate was rarely ever in doubt Saturday as they dominated 9th-seeded Kansas State 78-62 en route to the NCAA Final Four.

The ACLU and Black Lives Matter now have official seats at the police oversight negotiations table.

After a fatal crash in Arizona, the safety measures for autonomous cars come under intense scrutiny.

On Monday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that the city has identified the first 135 miles of street resurfacing for 2018.

Meet two Chicago high school students who were part of the massive March For Our Lives event Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Facebook’s “disregard and misuse” of users’ personal data allowed a foreign firm to profile 50 million voters without their consent prior to the 2016 election, and according to a new lawsuit, it may have violated Illinois state law.

A first-of-its-kind study from the Chicago Department of Public Health provides a population estimate of the city’s LGBT community and a snapshot of the health issues and inequities it faces.

The 18th Police District has a new commander more than a month after Paul Bauer was gunned down outside the Thompson Center.