Stories by Brandis Friedman

Though the state is spending more money on education this year than in the past seven years at least, some advocates argue it's still not enough, and the way we spend that money is inequitable. Thursday, we report on how lawmakers are working to change that.

A restaurant-worthy mushroom was identified by researchers from the Field Museum and Chicago Botanic Garden. Meet the Chicago chanterelle.

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about Chicago, “Sesame Street” and his theatrical blockbuster.

Children under the age of 18 should not be given codeine, says the American Academy of Pediatrics in a new report that cites life-threatening events and even deaths linked to the drug.

More than 96 percent of district suspensions and 99 percent of expulsions affected minority students last school year.

Chicago Gourmet returns with Rick Bayless at the helm, the 10th annual Hyde Park Jazz Fest offers a weekend soundtrack and the National Museum of Mexican Art celebrates its 30th Day of the Dead exhibition. Those events and more in this weekend's roundup.

We got a flood of reaction to our Tuesday special about solutions to violence in Chicago. Hear what viewers had to say when we read feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The ranks of the Chicago Police Department are about to swell. Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced Wednesday the hiring of 1,000 new police officers, detectives and sergeants.

One way to achieve the goal of providing an “adequate” education to all Illinois school children? Spending much more money per child. We crunch the numbers.

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is adding a major new investor to its recipe for success. We serve up the latest with Crain's Chicago Business managing editor Ann Dwyer. 

Watch the Sept. 21, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

We look at what the recent bombings in New York and New Jersey say about counterterrorism efforts in the U.S.

Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen rejects the notion that the Fed plays politics when deciding interest rate policy.

Teachers say they feel the Chicago Board of Education has forced them into a possible strike with repeated staff cuts.

“In the Heights” hits the stage in a homegrown Chicago production. Hedy Weiss reviews the first show by the creator of “Hamilton,” plus musicals at the Goodman Theatre and three suburban theaters.

A new form of cancer treatment developed by University of Chicago scientists was so effective in studies that one researcher said it’d be a “breakthrough” if it were replicated in humans. 

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Streets and Sanitation on Tuesday announced a pilot program that uses dry ice to curb rodent infestations.

Community leaders from around Chicago join us for an hourlong conversation about the root causes of Chicago's violence, and what can be done to stop it.

An upcoming photography exhibition at the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University shines a light on these organic works of art and the stories behind them.

Former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan talks about education funding, a new University of Chicago program helping more students earn bachelor's degrees, and a potential teachers strike in a one-on-one interview with Chicago Tonight.

Watch the Sept. 19, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

What's behind the $600,000 severance package for the president of cash-strapped Chicago State University? And why was the president asked to leave after just nine months?

Chicago's former top cop speaks out and raises some eyebrows by saying how he would have handled the Laquan McDonald situation.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on being elected the first Muslim to lead a major Western capital, and what he makes of U.S. presidential politics.

Internal auditors reportedly ignored multiple warnings from the CPS inspector general against conducting its own probe into the theft of tens of thousands of CTA transit passes, which the OIG says jeopardized a possible criminal prosecution and hindered its investigative efforts.

The annual Chicago Ideas Week festival returns next month with more than more than 250 presenters, including U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach, talent agent Ari Emanuel and former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell.