Stories by Hedy Weiss

Broken souls grasp for meaning and connection in Samuel D. Hunter’s intense play that unfolds in a dreary church basement in the small town of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

A watchdog group takes action against the Chicago mayoral candidate’s campaign for behavior they believe is unethical and improper.

National Teachers Academy parents want a Cook County judge to step in and halt Chicago Public Schools’ plan to transform their elementary school into a high school.

A local institution holds handwritten lyric sheets belonging to the biggest-selling music artists of all time. We get a peek at this collection of cultural artifacts.

Federal officials are advising consumers to rid their fridges of salads and wraps linked to an intestinal illness that has sickened more than 600 people in Illinois since mid-May.

Some 20 years after they stampeded along Michigan Avenue, Chicagoans are still moo-ved by the memory of Cows on Parade. Geoffrey Baer revisits the 1999 art project in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

Archaeologists are nearing the end of a monthlong dig in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. What they’re looking for – and what they’ve turned up.

A massive music festival, local talent, craft brews and thought-provoking plays usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Next week, the retired University of Chicago astrophysicist, 91, will watch as a probe named in his honor is launched from the Kennedy Space Center and catapulted to the sun’s corona.

There’s a telescope under construction in Chile, and it’s slated to be the world’s largest – if it’s completed in time.

Watch the July 31, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Chicago is losing its last waterfall. We follow up on an earlier story to see the beginning of its demolition in River Park.

A for-profit company that contracts with Chicago Public Schools comes under fire in a new report for its connections to convicted former CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett.

The annual music festival gets underway Thursday in Grant Park. Why this year’s four-day event comes with tightened security measures.

What a leading paleontologist in Chicago is doing to help the country of Niger save and display its rich cultural heritage.

Despite its moniker as “The City that Works,” Chicago features plenty of places to get away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Here are 10 spots to zen out in the city this summer.

A new judge won’t be brought on to decide whether the high-profile murder trial of a Chicago police officer will be moved out of Cook County despite a “novel” argument by defense attorneys.

The Chicago Police Department is one step closer to making reforms, but a draft consent decree is drawing criticism, and the police union has vowed to sue. We speak with FOP President Kevin Graham.

A ProPublica Illinois investigation uncovers allegations of abuse, inappropriate relationships and threats at nonprofit shelters housing migrant children. We speak with reporter Melissa Sanchez.

Why a longtime political gadfly and a city worker are suing Mayor Rahm Emanuel and powerful Ald. Ed Burke in federal court.

Watch the July 30, 2018 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

One of the oldest forms of art is still practiced throughout the world, but there is only one school in the United States where it’s taught. We go for a visit.

The city of Harvey finally strikes a deal with its underwater police and fire pension funds. What it could mean for hundreds of other Illinois towns.

General Iron announced plans earlier this month to move its scrap metal yard from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side, where residents are concerned about the company’s environmental track record.

As visitors to the Ravinia Festival well know, the picnics on the grass staged there tend to be legendary feasts. But it is the musical feasts that are the real food for thought.

How a state that hadn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate in more than 30 years helped elect Donald Trump. Author Dan Kaufman discusses his new book “The Fall of Wisconsin.”