Rick Telander appears on the Jan. 29, 2024, episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander certainly waxes poetic when lamenting the fates of our oft-underperforming sports franchises. But now he’s turned his literary and wordsmith abilities to poetry in a new book called “Sweet Dreams: Poems and Paintings for the Child Abed.”

(WTTW News)

Northwestern athletics program reeling after firing of football and now baseball coach. The search for a new top cop is down to three finalists. And multiple tornadoes rock the area with more severe weather in the forecast.

(WTTW News)

Mayoral candidates share their visions for the city. Lawsuits against the Illinois assault weapons ban come fast and furious. Peoples Gas and ComEd seek a bevy of rate hikes. And the Bears introduce their new president.

(WGN)

Gubernatorial candidates punch hard in a final debate. Bailey scores big deposit from conservative billionaire and we dig into other big races. In sports, the Bulls tip off the season as the Bears try to stave off collapse.

Eddie Johnson will make way for interim Superintendent Charlie Beck at the end of the year. Lawmakers talk up lobbying reforms amid a ComEd investigation. And can the Bears salvage their season?

Susana Mendoza is in the race for mayor. Outrage and confusion surround the fatal police shooting of a security guard. Chicago gets the big snub from Amazon. And the Bears get ready for their prime time matchup against Minnesota.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company wins a bid to build high-speed transportation from downtown Chicago to O’Hare. How technologically and economically feasible is the plan? That story and more with Paris Schutz and guests Steve Daniels, Derrick Blakley, Becky Vevea and Rick Telander.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasts President Donald Trump on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios faces a lawsuit charging racial discrimination in the property tax assessment system. And Cubs announcer Pat Hughes reveals a health scare.

(Photo credit: NFL)

If you tuned in to watch any NFL game Sunday, you saw nearly all the football players in the league—and even some owners—join in a silent protest during the national anthem. Sports columnist Rick Telander weighs in on the controversy.

The Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist, a former college football player, joins Carol Marin to discuss football safety, concussions and his recent decision to donate his brain to science.

The governor’s race gets crowded. Sears’ future is in doubt. Red-light cameras may become more forgiving. And Bulls fans say goodbye to Jerry Krause. These stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

Emanuel won’t honor Trump’s rollback of transgender student rights, and Chicago schools will refuse entry to immigration agents without a warrant. Those stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

Joel Weisman and his panel continue their conversation online by talking about Ebola and media coverage – is the press overreacting to the story?

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss this week’s headlines.

He’s an All-American defensive lineman from Missouri. He’s the Associated Press' SEC Defensive Player of the Year. And he’s gay. Will coming out hurt Michael Sam’s chances to play for the NFL? And is the NFL ready for an openly gay player?

Joel Weisman

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.