Stories by WTTW News

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Gov. Pat Quinn suspended the salary of Illinois lawmakers for failing to reach a compromise on pension reform. Listen to Quinn's full announcement and read reaction.

Though the worst predictions about the sequestration -- such as severe unemployment benefit cuts, hour-long waits at airports, and four-hour waits at border crossings -- have not come true, other sectors have not been spared. Learn more about the impact of sequestration from two economists.

The Stanley Cup visits WTTW studios! Blackhawks President John McDonough and General Manager Stan Bowman join us. View a behind-the-scenes slideshow.

The Chicago Tribune has announced it’s splitting its broadcast and publishing divisions, a major shift for a company built on synergy between platforms. Lynne Marek from Crain’s Chicago Business joins us with analysis.

Joe Mangrum spends all day on a work of art, and then it’s gone. He creates sand paintings - improvisational and temporary works in public spaces, as well as museums, galleries and events. Jay Shefsky caught up with him as he made a commissioned sand painting in a downtown office lobby. We revisit the story. Read an article and watch a time-lapse video of sand art.

We revisit a conversation with trumpeter Herb Alpert and his Grammy award-winning wife, Chicagoan Lani Hall Alpert. View a timeline of Herb Alpert's career and watch a web extra conversation with the duo.

Concealed carry is legal in Illinois, as the legislature deals another blow to Gov. Pat Quinn. Chicago Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney has the details. View interactive graphics to see how Senate and House members voted.

In the year's second special session, the Illinois Senate votes to override Gov. Pat Quinn's concealed carry veto, 41-17. See how your senator voted in our interactive graphic.

The Illinois House voted against Gov. Pat Quinn's amendatory veto of concealed carry legislation, 77-31. See how House members voted in our interactive graphic.

Inspector General Joe Ferguson joins us to talk about his latest audit battle with City Hall. Mayor Rahm Emanuel claims his new grid-based garbage collection system saved Chicago $18 million, but Ferguson, who wants to verify those numbers, says he is being stonewalled and told to reapply for his job. Watch web extra video and read the IG's audit report.

Has Mayor Rahm Emanuel's much-heralded infrastructure trust stalled? Paris Schutz has the story.

In restaurants and at home, Chicago's Egyptian Americans have spent the last week glued to television screens and computers, as dramatic change once again sweeps over Egypt. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Read an article.

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin joins us to talk about his new independent film Dealin’ with Idiots, a youth baseball comedy that opens at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on July 12. Watch the film trailer and a web extra conversation with Garlin.

We meet an elusive portrait artist who painted Hollywood stars and a U.S. President, and find out how a giant collection of her artwork ended up in a suburb of Chicago. Read a Q&A and view a slideshow.

New gun laws are set to take effect after a holiday weekend that saw 10 homicides. Paris Schutz has the details. View our interactive graphics to see how Illinois House and Senate members voted on concealed carry legislation.

Ald. Dick Mell resigns after a decades-long career. Will his daughter take his place? Carol Marin and her panel tackle Chicago’s political dynasties.

The Obama administration has delayed a portion of the Affordable Care Act, which will extend the deadline for employer mandated health care to 2015. Bruce Japsen, a health care reporter for Forbes, joins us to break down the employer mandate and explain the implication of the extension. Read a Q&A.

A food additive that has been used for decades is stirring up controversy. We talk with a Chicago researcher who is in the midst of clinical trials to uncover its potential hazards. Read an article about carrageenan.

Raise a toast to a Midwestern phenomenon – the Supper Club. Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra’s new book digs into the rich social history of these time-honored food establishments, and he visits remaining supper clubs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois. Hoekstra joins us to talk about The Supper Club Book, with a forward by Garrison Keillor. View a slideshow.

As a kid growing up in Wrigleyville, Margie Lawrence developed a love of baseball and baseball players. But it was her love for a Wrigley Field beer vendor that inspired her to become a baseball artist. Jay Shefsky has a profile. Read an article and view a slideshow.

We share what you had to say about Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and a recent giraffe birth at Brookfield Zoo in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

Check out Chicago Tonight's weekly roundup for links to all of our stories from this week.

A close look at the creatures that inhabit the Great Lakes; a wide variety of snacks for foodies; and The Jungle Book at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago Tonight knows what's going on this weekend.

The Pension Conference Committee says they will not reach Gov. Pat Quinn's July 9 deadline to come up with reform. Paris Schutz has the latest. Learn more about the 10 members and see how they each voted on recent pension bills.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has released an initial budget for the next fiscal year, and in it she estimates a $152 estimated deficit. We talk with President Preckwinkle about what to expect with Cook County’s fiscal health. Read her preliminary budget.