Stories by Sean Keenehan

Encased in glass and measuring approximately 155,000 square feet, Northwestern's new Ryan Center for the Musical Arts has set sail along the Evanston lakefront.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins us for his first extended interview since proposing his so-called "last resort" budget.

The plastic bag ordinance that took effect Aug. 1 may not be having the impact that was intended, as retailers begin to offer thicker plastic bags in place of the older, thinner ones. Environmentalists say that alternatives exist, while retailers insist their customers prefer plastic. However, there may be a way to reduce plastic bag use that both environmentalists and retailers can agree on. Brandis Friedman has the story.

The pilot, which follows the trials of a Chicago actor, will now move forward as an NBC Web series. 

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

A free screening of the 1993 film starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker starts at 7:30 p.m.

In this edition of Ask Geoffrey, our local history expert Geoffrey Baer revisits a Streeterville puppet show, examines underground architecture on the Blue Line and digs deep into the history of Montrose Beach.

The city's fall theater lineup has already produced some knockouts, according to Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss. Here she reviews Paramount's Theatre's "Oklahoma!," Raven Theatre's "Direct From Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys," Timeline's "The Price," and the House Theatre's "The Revel."

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.

The return of Redmoon's Great Chicago Fire Festival, an annual Oktoberfest celebration, jazz fest and other weekend events.

Mayor Emanuel unveils his much anticipated doomsday budget proposal. How much pushback will it get from residents and aldermen? We ask four of them.

A promising new treatment for sickle cell anemia, developed by the National Institutes for Health and validated by a new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago, holds out the prospect of a cure for this chronic disease. Dr. Santosh Saraf, one of the co-authors of the UIC study, joins us to discuss these groundbreaking developments.

The former Punk Planet co-editor speaks about the ties between sex trafficking and the fashion industry and laments the state of Chicago's independent publishing scene.

Block 37 has a new attraction, but you'd better stop for lunch before you go. The Foodseum celebrates the city's love of all things edible with an exhibit that highlights hot dogs and encased meats from around the globe. We visited the pop-up museum to learn more.

Jeannie Morris might be better known for her groundbreaking career as one of the first female sports journalists, but in her new book "Behind the Smile: A Story of Carol Moseley Braun's Historic Senate Campaign," she tackles national politics and unveils the ups and downs of Moseley Braun’s life and career. Morris joins us tonight to discuss the book.

The comedian is scheduled to participate in two Q&As following screenings of her new film at the Lakeview movie theater.

Jay Shefsky goes kayaking where paddlers rarely go – the busy and industrial Calumet River. See what he discovered while tagging along with a couple of local kayakers who regularly venture into the hard working river.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins "Chicago Tonight" on Thursday to discuss his proposed $7.8 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. We’ll ask him about the tax and fee hikes he’s pitching. What questions do you have for the mayor?

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday unveiled his proposed 2016 budget. Included is a $543 million property tax increase that would be phased in, beginning with a $318 million hike this year. Fees on garbage collection and ride-sharing services – including taxis – and a new tax on e-cigarettes aim to plug the city's budget hole.

How do we make decisions? Can we learn better reasoning skills? Those are questions University of Michigan psychologist Richard Nisbett has spent his life studying. He joins us tonight to discuss his new book, "Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking.”

The arrival of Pope Francis on Tuesday marks the fourth time a pope has visited the U.S., and the first time a pope addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Pilgrims are flocking to the East Coast for a chance to see Francis, but what some see as his progressive stances are drawing criticism from other corners of American Catholicism.

Judy Collins recounts her long music career and her political activism, which included testifying in Chicago in 1969 in support of the Chicago Seven. 

With fall right around the corner, The Organic Gardener founder Jeanne Nolan visits the WTTW organic garden to check on our summer crops.