Stories by Marc Vitali

A studio performance by classical pianist Jonathan Biss.

When Chicago barber Fred Luster created a new product for his customers in 1957, he couldn’t have known what lay ahead. A look at the history of Luster Products.

Viewers weigh in on President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration and refugees.

Watch the Feb. 2, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Siku the polar bear wants a floating stone. Bella the baby guerilla wants carrots. The holiday season has passed, but Chicago zoo animals are still hoping for gifts.

The actor and activist hosts a screening and discussion of the film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” this weekend. We caught up with him to talk “Trek,” Trump and more.

An after-hours museum party, ice cream for breakfast and Super Bowl parties usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

Chicago Teachers Union officials issued a vote of no confidence Wednesday night on Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool after claiming he has worked to “dismantle and sabotage” CPS.

Another commission, another report on school funding reform. Will lawmakers’ recommendations create a new formula?

Watch the Feb. 1, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

A viewer wonders what became of a Chicago burger chain that borrowed its name from a cartoon moocher. Geoffrey Baer serves up some hamburger history.

The late Chicago poet Gwendolyn Brooks made history in 1950 as the first African-American author to receive a Pulitzer Prize.

What progress have state senators made on negotiating a budget deal, and how will Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan react if it passes?

A Smithsonian ornithologist says outdoor cats are devastating bird populations.

Researchers have discovered a “significant correlation” between decreases in economic opportunities and the number of school shootings reported across the country.

The journalist and author spoke Tuesday night to a crowd of more than 1,000 Northwestern University faculty, staff and students on topics of race, journalism, politics and identity.

One hundred years ago he took unforgettable photos of Chicago in turbulent times. Exploring the life of Jun Fujita, a Japanese immigrant who captured city history.

The Chicago Department of Public Health recently hired a behavioral health medical director to better address substance use disorders and mental health issues in the city. Meet Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar and learn more about her role.

Watch the Jan. 31, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The conservative Illinois Policy Institute unveiled a plan Tuesday that promises to fill Illinois’ $7.1 billion budget hole, without any increase in taxes. 

President Donald Trump announced Neil Gorsuch as his nominee to replace the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Tuesday night. 

Underway at the Museum of Science and Industry is the longest-running exhibition of African-American art in the country. Learn more about the museum’s program and the origins of Black History Month.

We discuss the prognosis for state and local job markets amid changing local and national politics.

In a split decision Tuesday morning, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted to approve education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos.

Shopping trips may become additionally taxing for Chicagoans starting in February as the checkout bag tax is set to go into effect on the first of the month.

State employees are in the middle of a political war on two fronts, both of which could leave workers broke. Both could also spur action that could end Illinois’ 19-month budget impasse by forcing a shutdown.