Stories by WTTW News

As 2016 comes to a close, what are the smart steps we should be taking with our money? We get tips from a certified financial planner.

It’s no secret that Illinois is in a perilous fiscal situation. But just how bad is it? A new study aims to answer that question definitively.

Despite apparent public support, the question of whether term limits should be imposed on legislators hasn’t made it onto the ballot in Illinois. We discuss the pros and cons.

The Eisenhower Expressway runs beneath the Old Main Post Office, causing one viewer to wonder which came first. Geoffrey Baer delves into the history of these interlinked landmarks in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

A Chicago master of blues and boogie-woogie piano joins us in conversation and performance.

For 83 years, the famous and not-so famous fell in love with the Cape Cod Room. But the iconic Chicago restaurant will soon serve its last meals. We tell you why.

David J. Steiner died Monday while travelling through a small Ugandan village. He was there to screen his film “Saving Barbara Sizemore,” a documentary made with Englewood teens about their fight to keep their charter school open.

Will 2017 be the year you start exercising regularly or eating healthy? If you’re planning on making such a New Year’s resolution, you might want to bake some immediate rewards into your plan of attack.

The newborn female Bornean orangutan joins five other orangutans living at the Brookfield Zoo.

Watch the Dec. 27, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

The city of Chicago and a generous “secret Santa” stepped in at the eleventh hour to keep a North Side homeless shelter open after months and months of public protest. What does it mean for the city's homeless population?

Longtime religion reporter Kenneth Woodward tells the story of how American religion, culture and politics influenced each other in his latest book. 

With an abundance of theatrical magic on Chicago-area stages this season, Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss gives her take on five plays.

For Chicago’s municipal workers, the Christmas of 1904 was shaping up to be a sorry one indeed. The city was so broke it couldn’t pay municipal employees. But three days before Christmas, Santa Claus himself emerged from City Hall to save the workers’ Christmas. Well – kind of.

Illinois' population declined in 2016 for the third straight year, losing more people than any other state in the union. The drop of more than 37,000 people leaves Illinois with a population just north of 12.8 million.

The actress, famous for her role as Princess Leia, died Tuesday morning at the age of 60.

Meet a former elite soldier from Australia who is now using his special set of skills to combat poaching in Africa.

Bold paintings from the 1920s, plus photographs and industrial design: A new show looks at an international artist who made a big impression in Chicago.

Watch the Dec. 22, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

What do billionaire Ken Griffin, Gov. Bruce Rauner and a select few Chicago aldermen have in common? They all had direct access to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's personal email account on which he conducted city business.

The University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute wants to show school and policy leaders how evidence-based research can help improve schools and student achievement.

Cardinal Blase Cupich talks with us about his elevation to that position, the challenges facing Chicago, and how the church can better serve the community.

Singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks joins us in discussion and performance of two songs that could win Grammy Awards in February.

He was a literary giant who chronicled the seedy side of the city. We talk with the author of a new biography about Chicago writer Nelson Algren.

You’re probably aware that Chicago has high schools specializing in math and science as well as the arts, but did you know that Chicago’s big urban school system has an agricultural high school?

Backstage at the Joffrey Ballet before the recent launch of the all-new “Nutcracker” set in Chicago.