As the U.S. Department of Justice carries out its investigation of the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon joins us to discuss updates on the probe, the recent spike in gun violence gripping the city, and some of the high-profile cases his office has handled over the last few months.

Opioid and heroin overdose deaths hit record levels in 2014, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The alarming rise in heroin deaths has tripled since 2010. "Chicago Tonight" talks about the heroin crisis with the executive director of a treatment facility and the founder of an anti-heroin education and advocacy foundation.

Would you pay a toll to zoom past traffic in an express lane on the Stevenson? That's one of the big ideas the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has for the Chicago region. Geoffrey Baer has an exclusive look at their newest plan.

"The crux of the issue is that Illinois' funding of public education is broken," the former U.S. Education Secretary said on "Chicago Tonight." Watch the full interview and get highlights from the discussion.

Watch the February 22, 2016 full episode of Chicago Tonight.

Saturday's Republican primary race in South Carolina gave a big boost to political outsider Donald Trump, and left many Republicans stunned when the establishment candidate, Jeb Bush, dropped out of the race. Geoffrey Cowan's new book traces the history of the presidential primary process from its first days in 1912. 

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has created new battle lines between the president and Senate Republicans. Is a constitutional crisis on the horizon?

The disaster in Flint has spotlighted the dangers and adverse health outcomes of lead seeping into communities’ drinking water. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the lead pipes carrying water into Chicago and suburban homes. 

Hear what viewers had to say about Toni Preckwinkle's comments on the state budget stalemate and our candidate forums for the 4th and 7th Congressional Districts when we read feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Candidate statement: "I believe that the State’s Attorney of Cook County plays two important roles. The first is to prosecute crime no matter who commits it. That means being tough on crime without regard to race, uniform, politics or money. The job requires a dogged determination to remain wide-eyed about evidence … and blind to outside influence."

Candidate statement: "I have devoted my entire legal career to public service as an Assistant State’s Attorney, working for justice, fairness and compassion and advocating for victims of crime across Cook County."

Candidate statement: "I am running for State’s Attorney because our criminal justice system is broken–and incumbent State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez is part of the problem."