Stories by Paul Caine

Ruby Bridges became a civil rights icon at the age of 6, when she became the first African-American child to attend a previously all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She joins us in discussion.

Before her death Wednesday, actress Debbie Reynolds reportedly said she missed her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who died Tuesday. Can stress or grief cause death? Local doctors explain what broken heart syndrome is.

Young keyboard sensation Joshua Mhoon joins us in performance and conversation about his studies in Chicago and abroad.

Ring in the New Year with live music, comedy, DJ beats, burlesque and bubbly this weekend. Here are 10 parties in and around Chicago.

Higher city property taxes and a slew of new state laws go into effect at the start of the New Year. We give you the rundown.

Watch the Dec. 28, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

As 2016 comes to a close, what are the smart steps we should be taking with our money? We get tips from a certified financial planner.

It’s no secret that Illinois is in a perilous fiscal situation. But just how bad is it? A new study aims to answer that question definitively.

Despite apparent public support, the question of whether term limits should be imposed on legislators hasn’t made it onto the ballot in Illinois. We discuss the pros and cons.

The Eisenhower Expressway runs beneath the Old Main Post Office, causing one viewer to wonder which came first. Geoffrey Baer delves into the history of these interlinked landmarks in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

A Chicago master of blues and boogie-woogie piano joins us in conversation and performance.

For 83 years, the famous and not-so famous fell in love with the Cape Cod Room. But the iconic Chicago restaurant will soon serve its last meals. We tell you why.

David J. Steiner died Monday while travelling through a small Ugandan village. He was there to screen his film “Saving Barbara Sizemore,” a documentary made with Englewood teens about their fight to keep their charter school open.

Will 2017 be the year you start exercising regularly or eating healthy? If you’re planning on making such a New Year’s resolution, you might want to bake some immediate rewards into your plan of attack.

The newborn female Bornean orangutan joins five other orangutans living at the Brookfield Zoo.

Watch the Dec. 27, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The city of Chicago and a generous “secret Santa” stepped in at the eleventh hour to keep a North Side homeless shelter open after months and months of public protest. What does it mean for the city's homeless population?

Longtime religion reporter Kenneth Woodward tells the story of how American religion, culture and politics influenced each other in his latest book. 

With an abundance of theatrical magic on Chicago-area stages this season, Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss gives her take on five plays.

For Chicago’s municipal workers, the Christmas of 1904 was shaping up to be a sorry one indeed. The city was so broke it couldn’t pay municipal employees. But three days before Christmas, Santa Claus himself emerged from City Hall to save the workers’ Christmas. Well – kind of.

Illinois' population declined in 2016 for the third straight year, losing more people than any other state in the union. The drop of more than 37,000 people leaves Illinois with a population just north of 12.8 million.

The actress, famous for her role as Princess Leia, died Tuesday morning at the age of 60.

Meet a former elite soldier from Australia who is now using his special set of skills to combat poaching in Africa.

Bold paintings from the 1920s, plus photographs and industrial design: A new show looks at an international artist who made a big impression in Chicago.

Watch the Dec. 22, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

What do billionaire Ken Griffin, Gov. Bruce Rauner and a select few Chicago aldermen have in common? They all had direct access to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's personal email account on which he conducted city business.