Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

A new study suggests that Earth’s tectonic plates began moving 3.5 billion years ago – about half a billion years earlier than previously thought.

Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel set aside their differences to lure Amazon’s  second headquarters. Candidates line up for Illinois attorney general. And Obamacare rates in Illinois are set to soar. 

A law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last month eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal sexual assault against children. Fighting for that change was personal for Scott Cross. He joins us in discussion.

Mental health awareness, cultural competency and human rights are just a handful of the new training requirements for Chicago police officers as part of the city’s efforts at police reform.

Watch the Sept. 21, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Scientists around the world are working to develop the next generation of batteries. We speak with one who is leading the charge at Argonne National Laboratory.

Tina Tchen shares her memories and unique perspective from working in the White House for eight years.

The world-renowned violinist joins us in conversation and performance.

How a Chicago community organization cultivates the scientific and cultural aspects of monarch butterflies.

GOP officials seem optimistic that the latest effort to repeal and replace Obamacare can succeed, but critics say it will kick millions off the insurance rolls and drastically spike premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. We discuss the bill.

The former Bolingbrook police officer had appealed his conviction in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Sea creatures made from flip-flops, beach toys, water bottles and other plastic garbage that washed ashore are part of a new exhibit illuminating the proliferation of pollution in the world’s waterways.

The colorful bird who lived to the ripe old age of 83 had a global fan base and seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. A year after his death, Brookfield Zoo is set to unveil a statue in his honor.

A joint Chicago-Illinois delegation has returned from a scouting trip to Seattle, as the city and state attempt to lure Amazon’s second headquarters to Chicago.

Lisa Madigan’s bombshell announcement that she won’t run for a fifth term has ignited the race to replace her.

Watch the Sept. 20, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The pressure rises on former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort as the Russia investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller heats up.

Imagine traveling from Chicago to Pittsburgh in under an hour. The company Hyperloop One is developing pods that would travel through tubes at speeds of over 600 mph.

His artwork is in the collections of George Lucas, Jay-Z and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. We get a preview of the show “Hebru Brantley: Forced Field” at the Elmhurst Art Museum.

Wyndham Lathem and Andrew Warren each face six counts of first-degree murder in the July stabbing death of a 26-year-old man inside Lathem’s River North home.

A public art installation along the Chicago River aims to bring the realities of climate change in Antarctica to Chicago. 

Dueling West Town beer bashes, gourmet fare, Chicago comedians and free jazz concerts usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

We revisit a 2014  “Chicago Tonight” interview with Greg Kot, author of the book “I’ll Take You There: Mavis Staples, The Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom’s Highway.” 

Thousands of birds are killed or seriously injured each year in Chicago after colliding with buildings because they fail to see reflective or transparent surfaces. Here’s what you can do to help.

Some 143 million Americans may have had personal information stolen in the cyberattack of credit-reporting company Equifax. What you need to do immediately.

Watch the Sept. 19, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."