Stories by Brandis Friedman

The city narrowly missed a massive teachers’ strike last week, but another is brewing for parents at a major charter school operator.

Yoko Ono on Monday morning debuted her first public art installation in the Americas on Jackson Park’s Wooded Island.

Watch the Oct. 17, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Illinois students are outpacing the U.S. average, while Chicago Public Schools says its graduation rate is growing at three times the national rate.

Immigrant and refugee women find joy, companionship and healing in knitting. Jay Shefsky takes us to their workshop.  

It's time to harvest the last of the summer crops in the WTTW garden before the first frost.

A penny-per-ounce soda tax could be coming to Cook County. We talk with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle about that and her 2017 budget goals.

A new book gives the inside scoop on some of Chicago’s most beautiful buildings.

Just what genre is the new movie about House Speaker Michael Madigan? Hear what viewers had to say when we read feedback from the Chicago Tonight website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced on Wednesday a new program that will provide city municipal photo ID cards to Chicago residents.  

Thanks to an inquisitive Field Museum researcher, a nearly 40-million-year-old fossil housed at the institution has been identified as one of the earliest relatives of dogs, bears and foxes known as a beardog. 

A costly deal averts a teachers strike. The mayor paints a rosy picture of city finances, but the county budget is grim. Donald Trump threatens to sue the New York Times. And the Cubs advance to the NLCS. Those stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

A new documentary about Michael Madigan is playing now in select theaters. What it reveals about the powerful House speaker, and who is behind it.

Watch the Oct. 13, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Donald Trump responds to allegations of misconduct from multiple women. “PBS NewsHour” correspondent Lisa Desjardins weighs in on this and more.

Iconic singer-songerwriter Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in literature. We get reaction to the surprise choice.

The United Educators of UNO plans to strike next week if it cannot come to terms on a new labor agreement with the UNO Charter School Network.

The actor talks about making the classic film “Doctor Zhivago,” the Chicago International Film Festival, and her famous father, Charlie Chaplin.

The folks from “America’s Test Kitchen” are branching out and focusing their attention on the science behind good food. We hear from two of the key people behind the project.

The Illinois High School Association wants to hear from school principals and athletic directors before voting on proposed pitch count guidelines.

In Chicago and surrounding counties, where reports of nearly 40 cases of rabies-infected bats have made headlines so far this year, the reputation of the small, winged creature seems bleak.

Watch the Oct. 12, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The Chicago Teachers Union President talks about the union's tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools.

Just weeks after Chicago was named the best U.S. city for biking, plans are underway to make the bicycle sharing program Divvy more convenient for CTA riders.

Masterworks of Chicago architecture from the early days through the 21st century: A new book from a longtime curator at the Art Institute looks at “Building Chicago.”

Tomatoes and salad greens that are served in upscale Chicago restaurants are grown in Ogle County, Illinois. We visit the source.