Stories by Brandis Friedman

The high school class of 2022 will be starting ninth grade in just a few weeks. And for the first time, students at Chicago Public Schools were able to pick their high schools using a new common application called GoCPS.

Democrats are on the attack as they campaign at the Illinois State Fair. We have a live report from Springfield.

As the high-profile murder case heads to trial in September, a look at key events in the months and years since Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot Laquan McDonald.

The mother of slain teenager Laquan McDonald made a rare appearance in Cook County criminal court Thursday morning to testify before attorneys representing the Chicago police officer who shot and killed her son in 2014.

The iconic “Queen of Soul” died Thursday at her home in Detroit after battling pancreatic cancer. Two of her friends share stories about her life and legacy.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday slammed Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker’s spending on political advertisements. “You know what? You can only put so much lipstick on a barrow,” Rauner said.

The opioid crisis in the United States is being fought on many fronts. And one is at O’Hare airport. Meet some of the best four-legged customs enforcers in the world.

Watch the Aug. 15, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

In Illinois last year, more than 2,300 bridges were classified as “structurally deficient” – including three spanning Lake Shore Drive. We talk aging infrastructure in Chicago and beyond.

Ronald Kitchen met former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge in 1988. He would go on to spend two decades in prison – including a dozen years on death row – before his exoneration in 2009.

Stressed out by the news? You’re not alone. We speak with a clinical psychologist about ways to manage anxiety amid the 24-hour news cycle.

High-flying aerial acrobatics, culinary creations, an eco-friendly beer fest and all things vintage usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

As part of a growing movement to undermine the bloody practice of elephant and rhino poaching, Illinois has become the ninth state to ban the sale of ivory and rhino horn.

Because Jason Van Dyke’s attorneys claim he was justified in shooting teen Laquan McDonald, prosecutors may not refer to McDonald as a “victim.” However, they may refer to his death as a homicide.

What became of the Loop restaurant where Mayor Richard J. Daley had his power breakfasts? Geoffrey Baer has the story in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

Watch the Aug. 14, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Gone are the days of leaving it to the World Trade Organization to deal with allegations of “dumping” and other disputes – President Trump is using tariffs instead. A local steel company weighs in.

The president proposes a new branch of the military for space defense. Local experts weigh in on Space Force.

Defense lawyers for Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, rested their case Tuesday without calling a single witness.

From the top of the Sears Tower to the top of Alaskan mountains, Tom Skilling looks back on some of the highs from his 40-year career.

Meet the author and illustrator behind the new “Rad Girls Can” book about young women who are “bold, brave and brilliant.”

We take you on a visit to the west suburban forest under the watchful eye of six suspicious – and sizable – trolls.

A recently passed revision to Illinois’ Humane Care for Animals Act clarifies the right of police to take custody of dogs or cats suffering from extreme heat, cold or other life-threatening conditions. 

If the mother of Laquan McDonald wants to attend the murder trial of the police officer who shot and killed her son, a judge said Tuesday, she will need to respond to a defense subpoena and show up to court this week.

For the seventh consecutive year, Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been named by U.S. News & World Report as the best hospital in both the Chicago metro area and the state.

Watch the Aug. 13, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”