Stories by WTTW News

Gov. Pat Quinn presented his budget to lawmakers in Springfield today. Part of the plan includes borrowing nearly $9 billion to pay overdue bills and other state debts. Ash-har Quraishi joins us to talk about the budget proposal. More on the budget

Carol Marin and several experts, including Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, take a closer look at the governor's budget plan, and what may happen next in the General Assembly.

At a rally yesterday, a Gery Chico supporter compared Rahm Emanuel to Judas. Elizabeth Brackett addresses this, and other news in the final week before the mayoral election. Clip from Chico rally

Groupon deals have become wildly popular, but the offer made by one Chicago sandwich shop turned into a nightmare. What should businesses do before signing up with the deal-a-day giant? Eddie Arruza has the story. Groupon

Sick of shelling out at the gas pump? We sit down with the so-called father of the "Hypermiling" movement - who says you just don't have to. For more on Wayne Gerdes and CleanMPG.com Chicago Auto Show 2011

President Obama's proposed budget is disappointing fellow Democrats for going too far. And the Republicans say it doesn't go far enough. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel examines the spending -- and the cuts.

IBM's Watson super computer serves up stiff competition to its human challengers on Jeopardy. Ash-har Quraishi speaks with a computer scientist from Northwestern University about what the contest means for Artificial Intelligence. Learn about Watson

Banks and mortgage servicers are walking away from thousands of homes caught in the foreclosure pipeline. What does that do to neighborhoods, and the city itself? Elizabeth Brackett has the story. More on the story Woodstock Institute Story on lender 'walkaways'

The Senate candy desk is being occupied by Sen. Mark Kirk. We hear how Illinois candy companies are benefiting when Kris Kridel of WBBM Newsradio 780 joins us with a look at the week in business. Story on Kirk's candy desk

How did the mortgage crisis begin, and who's to blame? Bethany McLean, Vanity Fair writer and author of the book All the Devils Are Here, answers this question and many more.

Jane Addams and her fellow reformers understood the social value of art and its ability to break down barriers and uplift people. On the Art Beat, find out how Jane Addams' Hull House was an incubator for early Chicago artists. Hull House Museum Text of Jane Addam's book Twenty Years at Hull House Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery

We hear what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read our viewer mail.

Chicago Tonight: Live Forum, Live Streaming, Live Chat... it all starts at 7:00 pm Tonight at 7:00 pm, just 8 days before the election, the gloves come off as mayoral candidates Carol Moseley Braun, Gery Chico, Miguel del Valle and Rahm Emanuel answer tough questions, in a forum hosted by Carol Marin. Talk back:

This week on Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review, the latest polls are showing mayoral frontrunner Rahm Emanuel pulling away. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is victorious with both State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Tom Dart's budget battles. The Washington, D.C. meeting at Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's office between airline officials and Mayor Richard M. Daley didn't get very far. There's a controversy brewing over the city's blizzard clean-up priorities. And to a chorus of boos, the Bulls' Carlos Boozer returns victorious to Utah.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced today that he will not step down. M. Cherif Bassiouni, president of the Egyptian American Society, joins us for analysis. Al-Jazeera's coverage

Layoffs are coming to the Cook County State's Attorney's office; this, on top of 100 pink slips that have already been issued. We talk to State's Attorney Anita Alvarez about who is getting cut and whether it helps solve the county's budget deficit. Cook County State's Attorney

The most recent poll in the Chicago mayoral contest places City Clerk Miguel del Valle at a distant third. Eddie Arruza talks to the self-proclaimed "poorest candidate" on his plans for the final 12 days of the race. del Valle on Chicago Tonight's 'Meet the Candidates' page del Valle's mayoral campaign

Former NBC Nightly News anchor and best-selling author Tom Brokaw stopped by to talk about the crisis in Egypt, domestic politics, and social media's effect on journalism.

Will there be a mayoral run-off? A new poll suggests Rahm Emanuel currently holds such a commanding lead that the race could be over on Election Day. We have the survey's pollster here to discuss the results. Read the poll results

The decision on whether or not to abolish the death penalty in Illinois rests in Gov. Pat Quinn's hands. We hear from Sister Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun at the forefront of the crusade to end capital punishment, and author of Dead Man Walking. Sister Helen's website

The race for mayor has gotten testy in the last few weeks. We hear what mayoral candidate William "Dock" Walls has to say about it in the final days before the election. Walls on Chicago Tonight's 'Meet the Candidates' page Walls' mayoral campaign

Traveling the state of Illinois has resulted in the most comprehensive survey yet on the birds of Illinois. We talk to a leading ornithologist about 100 years of change among the state's feathered residents. More information about the book

More than 50 years after his tragic death, Buddy Holly continues to thrill many fans. Eddie Arruza talks with author Gary W. Moore about his new book: Hey Buddy: In Pursuit of Buddy Holly, My New Buddy John and My Lost Decade of Music, a story of the author's personal discovery of why the rock-and-roll pioneer continues to amaze. Moore's website

The ACLU is concerned over the number of surveillance cameras placed around the city. Chicago officials, however, see them as an important safety tool. Eddie Arruza reports on the controversy. Huffington Post article about the dispute

Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins made headlines when she engaged in a war of words with her mayoral opponent, Carol Moseley Braun. Elizabeth Brackett talks to her about the controversy and her race for mayor. Van Pelt-Watkins on Chicago Tonight's 'Meet the Candidates' page Her mayoral campaign website

Had you even heard the term "thundersnow" before last week's blizzard? University of Chicago Paleontologist, author Neil Shubin joins us to talk about that phenomenon. Jay Shefsky has the story. National Geographic explains a thundersnow