Stories by Jay Shefsky

Boats fly by at speeds up to 150 miles per hour on an 800-foot course. There is drag boat racing every Thursday night all summer long at Blarney Island on Grass Lake. Chicago Tonight's Jay Shefsky goes to the races and takes a 94 mph ride on a race boat.

In this edition of Ask Geoffrey, viewers ask our local history expert about the Marshall Field’s clock, a World War II memorial in Lincoln Park and the Chicago Federal Building’s dome. 

Still no budget in Springfield and now the state's comptroller says Illinois is starting to fall far behind in paying its bills. We have the latest on this and other news out of Springfield on Chicago Tonight with Amanda Vinicky.

West Town-based theater company Chicago Dramatists has named Meghan Beals as artistic director, following the death of longtime artistic director Russ Tutterow in May. 

The FDA has approved the first drug designed to boost libido in pre-menopausal women. Is it really effective and safe? We look at the so-called female Viagra and the massive marketing campaign behind Addyi.

The death of the 14-year-old Chicago boy, brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955, became far more than just another lynching during the Jim Crow era. His mother's decision to display the mutilated body of Emmett Till during his funeral altered the course of history by invigorating a movement. Till's family remembers his life and his death, and compares his story to those we hear today.

Let’s be honest: At the end of the day, who doesn’t like complaining about work? That’s probably one reason a recent New York Times story on the intense workplace culture at online retailer Amazon is so fascinating. Tonight, we’ll discuss Amazon’s performance review methods with Howard Tullman, CEO of tech incubator 1871; and John Challenger, CEO of outplacement and career transitioning firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

Struggling artist Frank Dudley visited the Indiana Dunes 100 years ago and discovered his life's work – painting the fragile and constantly evolving landscape and promoting and preserving the dunes. We look at the enduring impact of Dudley's dramatic oil paintings.

A jury last week thought Michael Jordan's lawsuit against the now defunct Dominick's grocery chain was a slam dunk. But did his multimillion-dollar brand score points with the public? We’ll discuss the situation with Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn, and attorney Eldon Ham, who’s represented numerous athletes in endorsement contracts.

It was a rude awakening Monday morning for the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cubs, as both teams announced today that they will be heading into September with some key players sidelined.

If you have any ideas about how Chicago can come up with more than $750 million to help balance its budget—then the city wants to hear them. Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office today announced three town hall meetings as he prepares to unveil his 2016 budget to the City Council on Sept. 22.

The Dow Jones took a nosedive this morning, dropping more than 1,000 points when trading opened. The markets recovered some of their losses, but investors still appear rattled by disappointing economic news from China. We'll hear what to expect in the days to come and how it might affect your day-to-day life from three economic experts.

There’s a potential third way out of the deadlock over how to close a $6 billion state budget gap. Gov. Bruce Rauner is refusing to sign off on a budget without changes to collective bargaining and public employee unions. And the Democrats are refusing to go along with that. So, what are the alternatives? Paris Schutz has the details.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is getting ready for the big stink. His name is Spike, and the nearly 70-inch tall titan arum has been in the spotlight for weeks. Learn more about the rare plant and watch a livestream from the CBG.

We share what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read viewer feedback from the Chicago Tonight website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

From a Senate override of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of mandatory mediation in state labor contract disputes to Cook County Democratic slatemakers snubbing State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and U.S. Rep Tammy Duckworth, Joel Weisman and his panel have your week in review.

Were you watching this week? Test your knowledge with these six questions.

After a nearly 20 year-run in a century-old converted frame house located near the North Branch of the Chicago River, The Hideout is looking down river to the centralized, bustling South Branch, where it has opened a new pop-up spot for 10 weeks along the Riverwalk. 

Thursday is Democrat Day at the Illinois State Fair and, as expected, they used the opportunity to slam Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s anti-union, pro-business Turnaround agenda that they say is preventing lawmakers from approving a statewide budget. We’ll have more news from Springfield with Chicago Tonight’s Amanda Vinicky.

The Chicago Housing Authority's Cabrini Green homes stood for decades on the Near North Side. Between 1995 and 2011, the buildings were demolished and replaced with mixed-income housing. The new documentary "70 Acres in Chicago" tracks that tumultuous period and the efforts of residents to save their homes.

Glass blowing is an expensive art, and not a typical means of managing trauma from gun violence. But a University of Chicago pediatric clinical psychologist has teamed up with a local glassblowing non-profit to help teenaged survivors of gun violence mentally recover from their traumatic experiences. Brandis Friedman has the story.

Neighborhood festivals, a pop-culture convention and the return of a historic bike ride through the city highlight this weekend's event lineup. Check out those events, and more, in our roundup.