Stories by Paul Caine

Dan Hooper spends his time contemplating the biggest mystery of all: how the universe came to be. He joins us to discuss his book, “At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of our Universe’s First Seconds.”

A new documentary series explores the rigorous Bard Prison Initiative that offers degrees to a select group of incarcerated men and women. Filmmaker Lynn Novick and program graduate Dyjuan Tatro join us in discussion.

Since the early 1980s, some of the most prominent art in the city has come from the studio of David Lee Csicsko. We caught up with him on the eve of an exhibition at an unusual location.

Thanksgiving’s so close you can almost taste it. In anticipation of the marathon day of eating, we asked local chefs, foodies and staff for their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Dig in!

The deal will reshape the retail brokerage business and also make TD Ameritrade founder and Cubs owner Joe Ricketts that much richer.

Watch the Nov. 25, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The family of Rylan Wilder, who was wounded last week during a confrontation between a bank robbery suspect and police, is suing that suspect and asking local police departments for more information about their son’s shooting.

If you recently purchased lettuce at the store, check the label before serving it. Romaine lettuce harvested in Salinas, California, has been linked with an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 40 people in 16 states, including Illinois.

Go ahead and rinse your cranberries, potatoes and green beans. But food experts say don’t — repeat don’t — wash the turkey before popping it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day.

Democratic House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday he won’t foreclose the possibility of his committee undertaking more depositions and hearings in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

The 29-year-old Wicker Park resident completed her Guinness World Record attempt for longest marathon hula-hoop session Saturday morning. “I’m so relieved,” Jenny Doan said.

A Nerf dart gun, ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime and a plastic Power Rangers claw are among the toys topping a consumer safety group’s list of worst toys for the holidays.

Despite gripes from aldermen, the mayor’s first budget advances. Who will replace the top senator in Springfield? Cops go to court. Fraud at City Colleges. And can the Bears pull off a win this weekend?

A group of employees from 13 McDonald’s restaurants in Chicago filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that the company’s drive for profits puts workers at “daily risk” of physical attack by dangerous customers.

Listening to the richly faithful performances by Taylor Bloom and Ben Cooley was in many ways like stepping into a time machine. As I left the theater awash in memories, I wondered whether Simon and Garfunkel have seen the show in which they are so winningly captured.

Across the country, nearly 50 have people died after experiencing serious vaping-related illnesses. In Illinois, there have been five deaths – the most in any state, according to the latest data released by health officials. 

Several witnesses who testified in the House impeachment inquiry this week chose to highlight their immigrant backgrounds, sharing their families’ stories in highly personal opening statements. 

The 29-year old Wicker Park resident has been hula-hooping for more than 75 hours straight, breaking the Guinness World Record for longest marathon hula-hooping session, but she’s not giving up until she reaches her personal goal of 100 hours.

A suburban Chicago 14-year-old faces hate crime and other charges for allegedly posting on Craigslist a picture of an African American classmate with the caption, “Slave for sale.”

When he signed a law that will make it legal for adults to use marijuana starting in 2020, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proclaimed it to be the most equity-centric in the nation. But is it? And what exactly does that mean?

How has the impeachment testimony of former National Security Council adviser Fiona Hill and other witnesses impacted political messaging on both sides of the aisle? Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, weighs in.

Watch the Nov. 21, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A 9-year-old boy returns to court Friday to face five counts of first-degree murder after an April fire killed five people in central Illinois. Joining us to discuss the highly unusual case are a reporter covering the story and a juvenile justice advocate.

Is there still hope for the Chicago Bears? Former Bears offensive lineman James “Big Cat” Williams joins us to preview their matchup with the New York Giants on Sunday.

Buddy Guy called him “the next explosion of the blues” when he was still a teenager. The debut album by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram arrived this summer on Chicago’s Alligator Records – and this week earned a Grammy nomination.

For decades, the concept of journalistic objectivity has been a central value of the mainstream news media. But does objectivity actually exist? And if so, who and what does its pursuit serve? Author Lewis Raven Wallace joins us to discuss “The View from Somewhere.”