Stories by Brandis Friedman

The field to take on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is growing. Todd Stroger, who formerly held the post, is announcing plans to run for his old office next year.

China’s most prominent environmental activist talks about the country’s pollution crisis.

The days when Americans fretted over an imminent U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown might be over, but the consequences of a new nuclear age are still reverberating today.

A new mini power grid supplied by wind and solar helps the Illinois Institute of Technology meet its 21st century power needs.

Illinois Republican Congressman Peter Roskam says that criticisms of the recently passed House GOP tax cut bill are “hyperbole.”

Inspired by the song “My Shot,” from the blockbuster musical, actor Miguel Cervantes is challenging the public to take their “shot” and help raise awareness and funds to find a cure for epilepsy. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle can expect easy passage of a revised spending plan, though Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia said he hasn’t made up his mind about how he’ll vote.

A new $960,000 grant will improve 2.5 miles of streams for nearly 20 species of fish and create 10 acres of neighborhood green space in the Chicago-Calumet region. 

A mass exoneration in Cook County clears 15 men. Proposed layoffs in the wake of the failed soda tax. And controversy over playmaking decisions by Bears coach John Fox.

The civil rights advocate announced Friday that he was diagnosed with the progressive degenerative disorder in 2015. 

Watch the Nov. 16, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Illinois U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez on Wednesday was one of six House Democrats who formally moved to impeach President Donald Trump by filing articles of impeachment.

Imagine learning your father was prison pals with notorious murderer Nathan Leopold. That’s the true story told in a new graphic novel.  

A Mexican wolf pup born this spring at Brookfield Zoo and released into the wild as part of a species recovery program was tracked down in New Mexico and is healthy, the zoo announced this week.

The new documentary “Making a New American Nutcracker” premieres on WTTW. We speak with the Joffrey Ballet’s artistic director and the film’s producer.

How can citizens avoid trouble when getting pulled over by the police? We speak with Dwayne Bryant, the author of a manual that explains how to safely handle a traffic stop.

More than 50 organizations are urging the Illinois congressional delegation to reauthorize funding for programs that provide health insurance to children and support for low-income and at-risk families, before it becomes a crisis in the state.

“It’s a brand new beginning for me,” said Leonard Gipson, one of 15 men who had drug convictions vacated by a judge Thursday. The convictions stemmed from arrests made more than a decade ago by disgraced former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts.

Watch the Nov. 15, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As evidence mounts that Russia did meddle in the 2016 election, we speak with a Russia expert about what Vladimir Putin’s strategic goals might be.

Carol Marin discusses a court appearance by attorneys for Cook County public defenders who filed suit over detainees exposing themselves.

A new exhibition looks at rare works of art that are powerful—and sometimes graphic. The historic work was made by an artist with a strong connection to Chicago public art.

Lake Michigan is getting warmer, and eventually it will mean winters with less snow in Chicago. But don’t plan yet for winters free of the white stuff.

Shooting deaths are down across Chicago in 2017 after last year’s unexpected spike, but this week the city homicide totals crossed another grim milestone.

Michael Borys was in jail for less than a day when he had a seizure and fell from his bunk, resulting in vision loss and multiple brain surgeries. Three years later, Cook County has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit 

To many, the legacy of activist Malcolm X is that of a fiery counterpart to the pacifist Martin Luther King, Jr. But to one of his daughters, that analysis overlooks his complexities and contributions to the fight for human rights.