Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

About 5,000 tons of trash from the Chicago area is dumped every day at a landfill in Livingston County, but hardly any of it goes to waste. How yesterday’s trash becomes tomorrow’s energy.

As Illinois faces an end-of-month deadline to pass a budget, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has introduced a new set of preconditions to a compromise.

An updated “doomsday” picture offered by Comptroller Susana Mendoza: Without a budget in place soon, she won’t be able to write checks to pay for the most basic of services come August.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says embattled Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, a close political ally, has agreed to an outside evaluation of the property tax assessment process.

Who wins and who loses if a local charter teachers union merges with CTU? Local labor education professor Robert Bruno takes a look at the proposed merger—and the possible impact on CPS.

We salute the sparkling stage presence of a turn-of-the-century star with a cocktail made with Prosecco, limoncello and summer fruit.

The international nonprofit Women Who Code boasts 100,000 members worldwide. This week, it’s relaunching its Chicago chapter and plans to offer meet-ups and other networking opportunities.

Still no budget out of Springfield. Shootings and murders dip in May. The Chicago Bulls ship Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a rare allergy puts Chicago Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa out the for season—and perhaps permanently.

A Chicago businessman pleads not guilty in federal court to charges he stole $7 million from elderly homeowners in a reverse mortgage scheme.

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

The end of the fiscal year is a week from Friday. Is Illinois any closer to getting a budget passed by that deadline?

A recent review by Hedy Weiss of the Steppenwolf production “Pass Over” has gotten the Chicago Sun-Times theater critic of more than 30 years in some hot water.

Democratic sources tell Chicago Tonight that Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is mulling a run for the post, contingent on whether he can garner enough Democratic support.

Cook County is projecting a budget shortfall of $97.6 million. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joins us to discuss county finances, health care and the controversial soda tax.

In the crowded race for governor, businessman Chris Kennedy is making a name for himself by bucking Democratic Party leaders.

New state guidelines adopted this month will help kids get ready for life after 12th grade – whether that means picking a college or finding a job.

From handwritten lyrics to vintage instruments to iconic outfits, a new look at 50 years of the Rolling Stones.

Lake Michigan’s first floating water park, street festivals, the NHL draft and the annual Pride Parade. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

A coalition of community groups is asking for an investigation into the Cook County property tax assessment system run by Assessor Joseph Berrios.

The 10-day special session called by Gov. Bruce Rauner got off to a slow start Wednesday, with legislators spending none of their short time on the House and Senate floors debating material fiscal matters. 

In an affluent suburb, a school district is engaged in a bold experiment to help minority students perform better—or a misguided form of bureaucratic overreach, depending on your point of view.

Watch the June 21, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The list of foreign policy issues in President Donald Trump’s inbox seems to be growing by the day.

Before Sabella Nitti was sentenced to hang in 1923 for the murder of her husband, no other woman in Chicago had received such a fate. But Nitti’s case was different in more ways than one.

Hundreds of summer jobs are cause for celebration. “We want to make sure people know there are a lot of great things happening in this neighborhood besides bullets,” said one organizer of Friday’s event.

“Too many children have died or are traumatized by gun violence,” said Dr. Mark Slidell of Comer Children’s Hospital. “The impact of gun violence on children is a serious public health problem.”