Stories by WTTW News

The mayor and top city officials are speaking to the public at this hour in the first of a series of town hall meetings on the city budget. That budget could be as much as $754 million out of whack thanks to escalating pension costs. Higher taxes and fees are almost certainly inevitable, the question is which? How are residents responding to the shortfall? Paris Schultz joins us live from Malcolm X College.

The state's budget standoff is entering its 10th week on Wednesday. We talk with two of the most outspoken leaders from both sides of the aisle to see if any compromise is on the horizon. Joining Chicago Tonight are Rep. Lou Lang and Rep. Ron Sandack. 

Two Chicago actors could see their pilot picked up by NBC for a web series. 

The fight to reopen a South Side high school has caused 12 parents and activists to go on a hunger strike to get Chicago Public Schools to hear their concerns. We look at the history of the closure and what the new proposals are.

The musical, directed by Steppenwolf’s Tina Landau will feature original songs from David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, among others. 

Patents recently issued to Northbrook-based insurance giant Allstate could allow the company to monitor your car for sources of distraction, collect health data on drivers, and even monitor what's going on around your vehicle. The company says any new technology will improve driver safety, but some are worried it could violate the privacy of drivers, passengers and passers-by. 

The lowest gas prices in a decade combined with an improved economy are fueling traffic. So says a new AAA report predicting we'll see the worst Labor Day holiday traffic in seven years. In another traffic study, Chicago is reported to have five of the nation's most congested roadways. What's driving the traffic and what are the solutions?

After much anticipation, the Chicago Botanic Garden on Saturday night announced that Spike is not expected to bloom. 

Previews for Green Day musical American Idiot begin Friday in a staging by The Hypocrites at the Den Theatre in Wicker Park.

On this edition of Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review with Joel Weisman, our panel of guests discuss state and local politics, education, traffic, sports, and more.

Were you watching this week? Test your knowledge with these six questions.

Lincoln Square's Fine Wine Brokers, a 20-year neighborhood staple, will close Aug. 31, according to the shop’s co-owner Louise Rohr, who cited rising rent as the deciding factor in the store’s closure.

This weekend, you can hang out with the Stanley Cup, revisit new wave '80s band The Psychedelic Furs, walk through a garden in the city, take in a movie or two, and more.

The Chicago Public Schools budget that is short half a billion dollars is officially enacted. The fate of that $500 million assistance is in the hands of the Illinois House, where support is currently tenuous at best. Thursday, some House lawmakers sent a message to the city and Chicago Public Schools: certain things have to happen before that chamber gets on board. What are they?

Meet two storm survivors who moved to Chicago after the destructive storm ripped through the New Orleans area.

One of the most sizable redesigns of the Chicago lakefront is underway at Fullerton Avenue beach, and the change is predicted to be eye-popping. By next summer, everyone passing through the area will have a lot more breathing, sunning, and picnicking room. Chicago Tonight's Eddie Arruza has the story.

Awarding-winning Chicago Tribune columnist Dawn Turner is back in town after spending a year at Harvard University for the prestigious Nieman Fellowship. Turner joins Chicago Tonight on Thursday to discuss what she learned during her time away.

Carol Fisher Saller's principles of copy editing might surprise anyone who's ever tussled with an editor over a piece of writing. She argues communication and collaboration between writer and editor are key; style rules are useful guidelines, not the straps of a straitjacket; and that language's evolution isn't anything to rail against. She joins Chicago Tonight. 

Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss reviews Kurios – the latest from Cirque du Soleil – and the world premiere musical October Sky, directed by Rachel Rockwell at Marriott Lincolnshire.

We share what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read viewer feedback from the Chicago Tonight website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Three original Japanese sliding door paintings from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition were discovered in a Chicago Park District storage facility, the CPD announced Wednesday.

The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously today to pass a much-criticized $5.6 billion budget that includes almost $480 million from the state, $1 billion dollars in borrowing, and what teachers and parents are calling massive cuts to special education. Brandis Friedman joins us tonight with the latest from downtown.

A horrifying incident unfolded on live television this morning when a reporter and her cameraman were shot and killed by a man reported to be a former colleague. On Chicago Tonight, we'll look at what businesses can and should do to look for and address the potential dangers of a disgruntled employee.