Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Gov. Bruce Rauner has thus far ignored calls to commit Illinois to meeting goals set in the Paris climate agreement, which aims to slow global warming through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Chicago Public Schools’ Inspector General Nicholas Schuler says CPS CEO Forrest Claypool engaged in a “cover-up” and “repeatedly lied” during a 16-month ethics investigation.

Watch the Dec. 6, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Should Jamie Kalven, the reporter who broke the story of the Laquan McDonald shooting, be forced, under oath, to reveal his sources? 

The Chicago Futures Exchange is set to start trading bitcoin, which has seen its value rise more than 1,000 percent since the start of the year. Just what is bitcoin?

Propaganda and political cartoons show different perspectives of Vietnam at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library.

Designed with the homeless, for the homeless: How a durable, simple backpack is meeting a basic need.

Chicago is looking to transform two vacant lots into affordable housing, a proposal that’s part of an international sustainability contest the city hopes will help boost interest among potential developers.

Ken Bennett has served as an aide under Barack Obama, Harold Washington and Rahm Emanuel. On Wednesday, he called out the Chicago Public Schools CEO for the district’s plan to close four Englewood high schools next year.

Holiday markets, late-night shopping, jousting bouts and classic Christmas flicks usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Glenview resident Patti Beyer is advocating for a state law that would require mammography reports to inform women if they have dense breast tissue, a risk factor for cancer. “It’s already in the mammography report to the doctor but unless the doctor tells you, it’s kept from you,” she said.

White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster believes the U.S. is inching closer to war with North Korea.

A good chunk of the U.S. will stay in the Paris climate agreement, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the accord. That was the message Tuesday from former President Barack Obama and several mayors from the U.S. and around the world. 

Watch the Dec. 5, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Thirty-four Republican Congressman, including two from Illinois, sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for “a permanent legislative solution” for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients before year’s end.

From 2011 to 2013, a LaSalle County physician prescribed hundreds of thousands of milligrams of controlled substances to a trio of opioid-dependent patients in exchange for sex, according to a plea agreement.

The Christmas season is the only time to see a rare Nativity scene that blends both spiritual and earthly pursuits. We go for a look.

Facing ongoing controversy from an advertisement it now calls “indefensible,” a Champaign-based bus company says it hopes to “relaunch” its conduct and will cooperate with a state investigation into its business practices.

Gov. Bruce Rauner came into office selling his credentials as a deal-making businessman who could turn Illinois around. But nearly three years into his term, Rauner said he’s “not in charge.”

Attorney General Lisa Madigan issues a subpoena to college bus service Suburban Express over possible civil rights violations after the company told customers in an ad that “you won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.”

Several days after announcing proposed school closures and mergers, Chicago Public Schools is touting plans to offer two new elementary schools, while enhancing three others.

Watch the Dec. 4, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

In a Facebook post Sunday, Cardinal Blase Cupich said it was “painful” to see the destruction up close, and that he was there to “reassure our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters that the Holy Father cares about them and prays for them.”

A new mural at the Chicago Cultural Center honors 20 women, past and present, who contributed to the cultural life of the city. “Chicago Tonight” was on site throughout the creation of the work, the largest to date by Chicago artist Kerry James Marshall.

Republicans in Congress have successfully passed tax legislation. Will a corporate-friendly tax overhaul help spur job and wage growth, or merely help the rich get richer?

Public officials gathered Monday to celebrate the completion of stage one of the McCook Reservoir, which will offer 10 billion gallons of storage capacity to prevent flooding once complete in 2029.