Stories by Paul Caine

Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine have found an apparent link between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of getting COVID-19. Paleontologist Neil Shubin has details on that story and more.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – just weeks before the U.S. presidential election – has thrown national politics into a tailspin. Sen. Dick Durbin is bracing for impact.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to observe a moment of silence at 7 p.m. Wednesday to honor Breonna Taylor, hours after a Kentucky grand jury declined to indict three police officers for their role in her death.

The horse ridden on the Dan Ryan Expressway during an impromptu protest Monday by a man known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy” would not have survived without immediate treatment and may still be euthanized, according to prosecutors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines Tuesday to help people understand the potential risks associated with common fall and winter traditions, like trick-or-treating and holiday travel.

Visitors can choose from a slew of free activities at more than a dozen sites Saturday. Among the options, you can take a nature walk, learn the basics of camping, build a toy boat, meet some critters or join a scavenger hunt.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker provided an update on the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois on Wednesday, touting the state’s success with testing for the virus — and noting one particular geographic area that’s at risk of tighter restrictions.

Chicago has reported its first cases of West Nile virus this year. Earlier this month, a DuPage County woman became the first known person in Illinois to contract the virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites.

Watch the Sept. 23, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Gale Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Illinois’ already-delayed marijuana expansion is on pause, but many of the entrepreneurs trying to be part of the industry are hoping that good things will come to those who wait.

In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary government-wide funding bill Tuesday night, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and other police killings of Black Americans, calls to defund and reform the police have intensified. At the same time, Chicago is grappling with the coronavirus and a drastic increase in shootings.

Votes in hand, Senate Republicans are charging ahead with plans to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s  Supreme Court seat before the Nov. 3 election.

Commonwealth Edison announced Tuesday it will not shut off electricity in homes amid the coronavirus and recession — quickly meeting a key condition set by Mayor Lori Lightfoot if the utility giant is to extend its city contract.

The city’s guidelines for 2020’s unprecedented outdoor fall-to-winter dining season allow for several types of heaters, but fire pits aren’t one of them.

As Chicago gets ready for cooler weather, many parts of the country are being hit by wildfires, hurricanes and the aftermath of last month’s destructive derecho. We learn more with atmospheric scientist Scott Collis.

Maryam Saleh, an entrepreneur and Chicago-based computational neuroscientist, tells us about her new role leading the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Watch the Sept. 22, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The city’s top lawyer bluntly warned aldermen to be careful when demanding that firms do more to meet goals set by city officials designed to encourage them to work with firms owned by female, Black and Latino Chicagoans.

With Dorothy Brown deciding not to run for a fifth term, Cook County will have a new circuit court clerk this fall for the first time in 20 years. And legal advocates have some recommendations for whoever wins that seat in November.

Wisconsin’s infection rate is now averaging 31 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, per day, over seven days. A minimum of 15 cases per 100,000 residents triggers Chicago’s quarantine order.

Despite an overall drop this spring in felony charges like assault and narcotics possession, Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said his jurisdiction saw a 139% increase in the number of child abuse and neglect cases.

“If you’re not registered to vote, it’s not too late,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Tuesday as she urged people to participate in the November election.

During the fall equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west, creating an effect dubbed “Chicagohenge” (in reference to Stonehenge), when the sunset is strikingly framed on east-west streets by the city’s skyscrapers.

The Dreadhead Cowboy, a local celebrity whose real name is Adam Hollingsworth, said he rode down the Dan Ryan Expressway in support of the #KidsLivesMatter movement.