Stories by Christine Hurley

New York Times best-selling author, Simon Winchester, talks about his new book: The Men Who United the States: America’s Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible. Read an excerpt.

Professor George Crabtree of Argonne National Laboratory discusses the quest to build a better battery and America’s energy future.

Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk says he felt compelled to champion Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s law calling for tougher gun sentences after he met with the parents of slain teenager Hadiya Pendleton. Read an article.

We discuss fall veto session activity, and whether the Illinois General Assembly will tackle the nearly $100 billion shortfall in pension systems currently facing the state. Gun control and same-sex marriage are also up for debate.

Democratic strategist and Director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics David Axelrod joins us to talk about the shutdown and its effect on next year’s election. He will also highlight his November lecture at the Chicago Humanities Festival. Read a fact sheet about the festival.

Dominick’s parent company Safeway is completely pulling out of the Chicago market. Jewel-Osco has bought four stores, but the future of the 68 other grocery stores is uncertain. Our panel looks at what this means for food availability and the economic impact on the neighborhoods affected.

Fifty years ago today, 200,000 Chicagoans boycotted segregationist policies by Chicago Public Schools. Watch a video clip from a new documentary that chronicles the protest and read an article.

Two-time Tony Award winner, MacArthur genius, and maverick of modern dance Bill T. Jones joins us for a conversation about storytelling through movement and music. Read an interview and watch a web extra video clip.

An art museum digs deep into its collection and brings out rarely seen works, from Frederic Remington to Salvador Dali. We get a preview of Inventory_The EAM Collection at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Read an Artbeat blog and view a gallery.

Binoculars are for sightseeing or the cheap seats at the opera house, but an exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum would be even more pleasurable with a pair of field glasses.

An eyewitness account: "They were loud and raucous. It was musical mayhem, but it was life-changing."  

Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley joins us to talk about the Affordable Care Act, government shutdown fallout, a federal spending deal, and the future of bipartisan cooperation in the House of Representatives.

Now that the government shutdown is over, the Republican party needs to look towards the 2014 elections. Who are the shining stars? And just how can the GOP fix their perceived messaging problem? We take a look at what's ahead for the Republican party.

While the federal Health Care Exchange website may be plagued with problems, it hasn’t stopped so-called “navigators” from helping thousands of people enroll for health insurance in Illinois. We pay a visit to a navigator at work. Read an article.

Finances, relationships, employment or the lack thereof, can all bring stress to your life. But what is stress really doing to your body? Dr. Charles Hebert of Rush Medical Center, and Joanna Hakimi, a therapist with Symmetry Counseling, discuss the effects stress has on your body, and ways to manage your stress. Read about signs and symptoms of stress, along with prevention techniques.

James “Big Cat” Williams joins Ann Kreiter to break down the Bears' third loss in four games, and gives us his take on what fans can realistically expect from backup quarterback Josh McCown. Watch a web extra video.

The steel mills may be gone, but the south side is again under threat from a growing source of air and water pollution. It's referred to a "petcoke," and is a byproduct of refining heavy tar sands oil. We share what you had to say about it in tonight’s viewer feedback.

The eight aldermen that form Chicago City Council’s self-styled “Progressive Caucus” have a novel approach to solving the city’s pension crisis: convene a panel of city workers, elected officials, and fund managers to come up with a long-term solution. Read an article.

A delicious documentary with notes of humor and suspense, Somm follows four men preparing for the annual test before the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists continue the conversation with the discussion of the extension of south Lake Shore Drive. It will run along the old U.S. Steel site, which will be redeveloped. Watch the web extra video.

Once at the Oriental Theatre, a 3-D film about “space junk” and lots of desserts at Navy Pier; Chicago Tonight knows what’s going on this weekend.

Ernest Hemingway wrote lean prose but liked his burgers fatty and flavorful. With the new season of Check, Please! in mind, here's a historic recipe from a literary carnivore.

Now that the government has reopened and a debt default has been averted, we get reaction from Sen. Dick Durbin and other Illinois lawmakers about what happens next.

President Obama signed an 11th-hour deal averting a devastating debt default. But it’s a short-term deal that may result in another funding battle on January 15 and debt limit deadline February 7. What is the real economic impact of the shutdown? And what effects will it have on markets? We have analysis.