Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a major shift in federal sentencing policy, calling on federal prosecutors to sidestep mandatory minimum sentences for low level, non-violent drug offenders. We have analysis on what the change will mean and why Holder is announcing it now. Read the full memorandum.

End-of-life decisions are deeply difficult to make. That’s why Dr. Mary Mulcahy and Chicago journalist Randi Belisomo are trying to get more people to have these conversations preemptively. They join us to discuss Life Matters Media, their new initiative to get people to talk more openly about death. Read an article and watch a video essay.

According to Chicago Public Schools, safe passage routes are ready for the first day of the school year, Aug. 26, but some parents disagree. Elizabeth Brackett has the details. View safe passage maps.

We chat with Lieutenant Gov. Sheila Simon about why she has decided to throw her name into the race for Illinois Comptroller. Read more about the role of comptroller.

Bake and Destroy blogger Natalie Slater joins us with tips to make vegan food with a punk twist. Read an interview and recipe.

In tonight’s viewer feedback, we share what you had to say about our interview with Sonia Antolec, former prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's juveline division, who says she was demoted for dropping charges in a "wilding" case in the Loop.

On Aug. 8, 1988, 25 years ago tonight, history was made at Wrigley Field with the first scheduled night game in the history of the storied ballpark. Watch Chicago Tonight's coverage of the event in this web extra video from our archives.

The Illinois State Fair kicks off in Springfield. Chicago Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney breaks down the political scene, including the start of the governor's race.

We break down the state of the Illinois governor’s race and what's happening with pension reform in the state.

Jahmal Cole was inspired to create a new web series after volunteering at the Cook County Jail and realizing that most of the inmates had never visited landmark sites, such as the Willis Tower.

Among the 14 historic ships heading for Chicago’s Tall Ships Festival is the “Lynx,” a two-masted schooner modeled after an 1812 “privateer.” I spent 24 hours on the Lynx as it sailed to Chicago. Read an article, view a slideshow, and watch Web Extra: Dawn on a Tall Ship for a video postcard of my trip.

The Fest for Beatles Fans returns to Chicago for its annual visit. Local author Robert Rodriguez, a Beatles authority and guest speaker at the Fest, has just written a book called Solo In The 70s about the post-Beatles careers of the Fab Four. He joins us. Read an excerpt from the book, Rodriguez's best solo album picks, and watch a web extra video from our archives.

We revisit an inside look at the long-awaited Goodman Theatre production of The Jungle Book. Watch a web extra video and view a slideshow.