Stories by Nick Blumberg

Illinois blows the deadline for payments to public schools. Mayor Rahm Emanuel sues the Trump administration. Lawsuits fly over Cook County’s soda tax. And Mitch Trubisky shines in the Bears first preseason game.

The zoo’s newest residents are being hand-reared by keepers, and scientists will analyze their genetics as part of an international species survival plan.

To honor the first women of Chicago’s City Council, we mix smoky mezcal and bright grapefruit juice. It’s sweet but not too sweet, sharp but never bitter, and tough enough to duke it out with the best (or worst) of ‘em. 

Chicago Public Schools on Friday finally issued the framework of its operating budget for the 2017-18 school year, but the source of some of its revenue remains unclear.

At a rally Thursday, the Democratic candidate for governor introduced his pick for lieutenant governor. “We need real solutions, and that is what J.B. and I will provide,” state Rep. Juliana Stratton said.

Watch the Aug. 10, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

It’s been a bountiful season for Chicago’s urban gardeners. Jeanne Nolan, The Organic Gardener, joins us with an update from our very own organic garden.

Can the new chief of staff temper President Trump’s explosive rhetoric? Former White House Chief of Staff Samuel Skinner weighs in.

Falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults. How one local company is trying to prevent them from occurring, while allowing older adults to maintain their independence.

The rollout of Cook County’s sweetened beverage tax has been anything but sweet and easy. Now there’s concern it could put food stamps at risk.

Public school students set up dozens of desks and seats Thursday morning along the 606 trail in protest of Chicago Public Schools’ latest staffing cuts and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says Chicago Public Schools is prepared for the long term, but he’s not willing to put the city in a “weakened position” by discussing education financing options outside of Senate Bill 1.

Residents in central and southern Illinois will pay nearly 30 percent more on utility bills than projected if Ameren is allowed to lower its energy savings target, environmental and consumer advocates said Wednesday.

Cuban rhythms, classical ensembles, hot dogs and house music DJs usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

School superintendents weigh in on the education battle in Springfield.

What makes Chicago a go-to destination for food lovers? We talk all things food with Catherine De Orio, host of WTTW’s “Check Please!”

Watch the Aug. 9, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Several Cook County commissioners, including one who may be after Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s job, are blasting her handling of the new sweetened beverage tax.

Will President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers fare better on tax reform than health care?

Former U.S. attorneys weigh in on the new nominee for the Northern District of Illinois, John Lausch.

Jazz can bring to mind a dark nightclub after hours with a lot of booze, but we recently met a group of Chicago jazz musicians on a sunny summer morning – and they were fueled only by coffee and cake.

Secret handshakes, arcane symbols and initiation rites are all hallmarks of the Freemasons, an organization shrouded in mystery. Geoffrey Baer explores their history in Chicago in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Under a new law, Illinois residents as young as 16 years old can sign up to become organ and tissue donors when they receive their driver’s license or state ID cards. 

Chicago students may be dreading the rapidly approaching first day of school, but at least they won’t have to worry about how to get there.

Watch the Aug. 8, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Inmates at risk of substance abuse are given an overdose-reversing drug as they leave detention.