New Gov. Bruce Rauner addresses the massive budget challenges ahead. Just how does the state plan to pay its bills? We will have the details.

A Brookings Institution report ranks Chicago 203rd out of 300 metropolitan areas around the world in bouncing back from recession. Just how concerned should we be? Our panel of experts weighs in.

The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research details how students were impacted by the decision to close 50 elementary schools in May 2013.

Documentary film series, The School Project, releases its second installment focusing on the 50 schools closings conducted by CPS in May 2013. The episode centers around a Chicago family as they navigate the process and what the largest school closing in American history means for education policy in the city.

Folks over age 60 are opting to stay in their homes and communities well into their golden years. A collection of "virtual villages" are popping up all over the country, providing engagement, services, and a new way of looking at how we age.

We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.

City Council takes the first step paving the way for an Obama Presidential Library on public parkland. But does it assuage the concerns of park preservationists?

Illinois Rep. Lou Lang talks about the status of the state’s medical marijuana program, casino gambling, and his recent meeting with new Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Jason DeSanto, senior lecturer at Northwestern University School of Law, picks apart President Barack Obama's sixth State of the Union address. What were the areas of focus? What are the implications for the year ahead?

In time for Valentine's Day, The Newberry Library in Chicago has searched through its extensive archives for artifacts of love. Taking suggestions from its staff across many areas of expertise, the library has created an exhibition of works on paper that express love in all its forms over the last eight centuries. We get a preview.

Teachers, parents, and administrators have been debating whether schools should start implementing the PARCC standardized test, designed to align with the new Common Core standards. We talk with two educators about whether it's time to put the PARCC in place and the value of standardized testing.

Geoffrey Baer answers viewer questions about a dreamy memorial, Soldier Field no man's land, and railroad ruins on Chicago's South Side.