Stories by Paris Schutz

Assessing the political fallout from the federal raid of another longtime alderman’s office. Our politics team tackles that and more in our weekly roundtable.

Federal agents have executed a search warrant at the South Side ward office of Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin. A source close to the matter says Austin has been under federal investigation for several years.

Much of Illinois’ farmland is too wet to seed. Assessing the fallout from excessive rain – and what Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to do about it.

Does Illinois really have a balanced budget? Local analysts weigh in.

During testimony Wednesday, Terra Bullis described her past relationship with Brendt Christensen and how she came to wear a wire for FBI investigators who believe he is responsible for the disappearance of Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang.

The Trump administration on Wednesday completed one of its biggest rollbacks of environmental rules, replacing the landmark Obama-era Clean Power Plan with a replacement rule.

Artist Rob Pruitt created a painting for each of the 2,922 days of Barack Obama’s presidency. His project is now on display in Chicago. 

Celebrations of pride, music fests, pop-up theater, craft beers and dragon boats usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

“Our new rhino calf is thriving. He is exceeding all of our expectations,” said Mike Murray of Lincoln Park Zoo. “He’s a pretty incredible little guy that, just behaviorally, is doing everything a rhino calf should.”

Watch the June 19, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The Chicago White Sox plan to extend the protective netting to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field, becoming the first major league team to take that step.

 A holiday that is spreading across the U.S. and beyond, Juneteenth is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Here’s a look at the holiday and its history.

Arriving at Theo Ubique as the final show of the theater’s first season in its spacious new Evanston home, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” serves as definitive proof that this company can finesse anything and everything in the musical theater repertory.

Investigators have largely cleared Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for how it dealt with a Chicago woman accused of cutting a baby from his mother’s womb and claiming him as her own.

In recent years, Bob Connors found a new passion and expertise. Now, he’s offering it to the world.

A recent investigation revealed that Illinois Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady has a “business interest” in Midwest Electronics Gaming, a prominent video gaming company. On Tuesday, Brady commented on the business.

As Illinois prepares to expand gambling to every corner of the state – including slot machines at O’Hare and Midway airports – supporters tout the generation of much-needed revenue to help plug a massive budget deficit. But at what cost?

The murder of Laquan McDonald and ensuing public outrage in Chicago are the focus of a new documentary on Showtime. We speak with “16 Shots” writer and director Rick Rowley.

The decennial redrawing of Chicago’s 50 ward boundaries is messy and anything but transparent. Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls the current map an obvious case of gerrymandering, and says it’s bad for Chicago residents.

Federal prosecutors and Brendt Christensen’s defense team are each expected to call their final witnesses before Friday. Among those slated to testify: Christensen’s former girlfriend, who wore a wire for the FBI, and his ex-wife.

How addressing homelessness, access to food and other social needs improves a patient’s overall health – and reduces costs. A 2017 study found treating patients with just one risk factor was $65 more per month than those with none.

Watch the June 18, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The U.S. is sending 1,000 more troops to the Middle East as tensions in the Persian Gulf mounted over Iran’s announcement it will not comply with the international agreement that keeps it from making nuclear weapons. 

The Supreme Court decided Monday against a high-stakes, election-year case about the competing rights of gay and lesbian couples and merchants who refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings.

Watch the June 17, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke received blowback from faith and community leaders on Chicago’s West Side for appointing a white woman to fill a vacancy formerly held by a black woman.