Stories by Alex Ruppenthal

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency told residents in East Chicago on Wednesday that the agency had no plans to close its Chicago office. 

A big show is brewing under the big top, with a cast and crew of more than 200 – plus 65 horses. We go behind the scenes of “Odysseo.” 

Can the city and Chicago Public Schools get on the road to fiscal health without bankruptcy? Lessons from other cities.

Chicago’s homeless population was 82,212 in 2015, according to figures released Wednesday by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

While there won’t be a May 1 strike, the Chicago Teachers Union is encouraging its members to take personal days to participate in other rallies and events to celebrate International Workers' Day.

Should Chicago annex the suburbs to save its shrinking population? Why one author thinks that might be a good idea.

Fueled by constituent complaints, proposed legislation in Springfield seeks to reduce noisy vehicles along Lake Shore Drive and in in city neighborhoods.

Chicago families will have to wait a little longer to find out when the school year will end for Chicago Public Schools.

Watch the April 18, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Chicago Tonight has learned that the city is looking at contingency plans to prevent an early closing of schools.

Students, teachers and community members gathered outside a Little Village elementary school Tuesday to call for the reinstatement of an outspoken Chicago Public Schools teacher who faces termination.

The state senator jumped into the crowded field vying for the Democratic nomination for governor a month ago. He joins us in discussion.

Shedd Aquarium’s dolphin calf Kukdlaa celebrated his first birthday with positive results from a physical checkup. And with cake, of course.

After a mild winter, spring is springing in Chicago and it’s time to get back into the garden. The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan is joining us for a new season of growing in the Chicago Tonight garden. 

Nationally syndicated columnist Ilyce Glink offers advice on everything from managing student debt to retirement funds.

Could the city’s open data portal be your new go-to website for restaurant planning?

Parents and community activists protested outside the Chicago office of Senate President John Cullerton on Tuesday to demand action on a bill that would grant the city an elected Board of Education.

An Albany Park bar toasts the late painter each week at a colorful event. We went to check out the “happy little trees” at Nighthawk.

A discussion about human rights on the South Side of Chicago – including public health and criminal justice – takes place Tuesday evening at a River North gallery.

It’s illegal in Illinois for insurers to charge rates based on factors like race, but a pair of state legislators say companies’ reliance on credit scores to set auto insurance premium rates contravenes the law. 

A spill last week at a U.S. Steel site in Northwest Indiana released an unknown amount of a potentially carcinogenic chemical into a Lake Michigan tributary, prompting the closure of three beaches at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Watch the April 17, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin visited with education and community stakeholders Monday afternoon at Burroughs Elementary in Brighton Park to pledge his support for federal after-school funding that’s facing the ax in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.

Reports of abuse at U.S. immigration detention facilities, including those in Illinois, are rarely investigated, according to data obtained by a national nonprofit agency.

Nearly four months into Donald Trump’s presidency, tension over foreign affairs is flaring up.

Chicago’s magnificent skyline gets plenty of well-deserved attention, but what about architecture and design in our neighborhoods?