Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

Dozens of mallards have been found dead over the past month in multiple locations along the Chicago River, marking what one expert says is the largest occurrence of birds dying in the river in decades.

One of Chicago’s largest charter school networks is rebranding itself for the coming school year and rolling out new names for five of its campuses as it awaits approval for the changes from Chicago Public Schools.

Scores of triathletes, saganaki, fancy footwork, food trucks and global grapes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A look at the creation of the latest mural from the Chicago Public Art Group.

Illinois’ top legislators will meet Thursday to continue hammering out a deal on education funding, even as a controversy continues to swirl over an editorial cartoon that backs one of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s positions.

The city will have to come up with tens of millions of dollars to realign the roads in Jackson Park to accommodate the wishes of the Obama Foundation, but they say it’s too soon to talk about exact costs.

Tierney Darden was left paralyzed from the waist down after a bus shelter at O’Hare International Airport collapsed on her during a storm in 2015.

Watch the Aug. 23, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

A discovery by Chicago scientists could lead to new understanding about the largest explosions in outer space. 

Reflections on a 70-day canoe trip from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the mouth of the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana.

Speakers at a CPS-led public hearing Wednesday repeatedly called on board members to vote down the district’s budget proposal, and instead advocate more strongly for sustainable funding.

WBEZ’s Northwest Indiana reporter Michael Puente joins to discuss the start of the new school year in Gary.

Geoffrey Baer explores why hot dogs and ketchup don’t mix in Chicago in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

A group cited for its efforts to thwart white supremacists has plans to counter Islamist extremists. But after the Trump administration revoked a $400,000 grant to Life After Hate, those plans may be on hold.

Ravin Gandhi denounced the president’s comments on Charlottesville in an op-ed, and now finds himself the target of racist invective. What he hopes will come out of the experience.

Pet owners should not panic, local health officials say, but take precautions after a rabid kitten was found in Carroll County.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a measure this week allowing the city to install noise monitors along the scenic expressway, following residents’ complaints.

As more people flock to the backyard poultry trend, the number of salmonella infections are likely to increase, says Illinois Department of Public Health veterinarian Dr. Connie Austin.

Top legislators spent hours Monday working on an education funding package, and reaction to a political cartoon is still simmering. 

A marathon private session between Illinois’ top legislative leaders was evidently productive enough that House Speaker Michael Madigan is canceling the chamber’s expected vote on a contentious education funding plan Wednesday as talks continue. 

The governor says Chicago could solve a lot of CPS’ financial problems by getting rid of TIF districts, but the mayor and other budget watchdogs say that doing away with them could actually cost public schools money.

Watch the Aug. 22, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Gov. Bruce Rauner may be set to sign legislation limiting cooperation between officials in Illinois and federal immigration authorities.

The Cook County sweetened beverage tax has had a challenging rollout, but Toni Preckwinkle doesn’t appear to be backing down. And she’s found a deep-pocketed supporter of the tax who’s helping with a media campaign.

The former U.S. attorney, who was asked to resign by the Trump administration in March, joins us in discussion.

He helped to define rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s—and his life was a forged as a child in Nazi Germany. We explore an exhibition about Bill Graham at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.