Stories by evan garcia

Aldermanic candidates for the 33rd Ward: Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, left, and incumbent Ald. Deborah Mell.

33rd Ward Candidate Forum: Rodriguez Sanchez vs. Incumbent Ald. Mell

A community activist and the incumbent daughter of a City Council dynasty face off ahead of the April 2 runoff election.

Fritz Kaegi appears on “Chicago Tonight” on March 12, 2019.

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi Pushes for More Reform

He’s promised big ethics changes and is now pushing to streamline the assessment system and change the rules for some property owners. We sit down with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi.

Chicagoans Embrace Gamelan, an Ancient Indonesian Art Form

The musical tradition dates back centuries. Meet two groups in Chicago that are keeping the art form alive.

(quinntheislander / Pixabay)

Chicago Business Groups Brace for Next Mayor

Mayor Rahm Emanuel was no stranger to spurring development and chasing ambitious projects. But what kind of relationship will Chicago’s next mayor have with the city’s business community?

Real-Life ‘Erin Brockovich’ Continues Environmental Activism

Erin Brockovich’s efforts to expose a utility company's contamination of California groundwater were made famous in a 2000 film bearing her name. She joins us to discuss Chicago’s environmental issues.

In this May 4, 2011 file photo, Ald. Ed Burke speaks at a Chicago City Council meeting. (AP Photo / M. Spencer Green, File)

Ald. Ed Burke Re-elected Despite Federal Corruption Charge

Chicago’s longest serving alderman, has been re-elected to an unprecedented 13th term despite a highly publicized federal charge of attempted extortion.

Paul Vallas, Willie Wilson, Toni Preckwinkle, Bill Daley and Susana Mendoza appear on “Chicago Tonight” on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019.

How Did Chicago Mayoral Candidates Perform in TV Forums?

Northwestern University communications professor Jason DeSanto breaks down the performance of Chicago mayoral candidates during a series of televised forums. 

Web Extra, The Week in Review: New R. Kelly Videotape

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss a newly discovered videotape purportedly showing R&B singer R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts with an underage girl.

The Week in Review: Election Day Fast Approaching

Mayoral candidates square off on “Chicago Tonight.” Jason Van Dyke is attacked in prison. Is R. Kelly about to be indicted? And the controversial alliance between the Cubs and a conservative media outlet.

This image shows Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s page in his 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook, including a picture, at right, of a person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood. (Eastern Virginia Medical School via AP)

Amid Blackface Scandals, 2 Black Comedians Share Their Perspectives

As the fallout over Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook scandal continues, a look at recent examples of blackface in comedy again raises the question of whether the practice is ever permissible. 

Web Extra, The Week in Review: The Impact of Newspaper Endorsements

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss whether the Chicago Sun-Times recent endorsement of Lori Lightfoot in the race for Chicago mayor will help boost the former federal prosecutor’s campaign.

The Week in Review: Mayoral Candidates Ramp Up Attacks

City Hall scandals grow. Mayoral forums heat up. Ford invests in Chicago while Target shutters two South Side stores. Joe Ricketts’ racist emails draw fire. And Portis and Parker are traded for Porter.

Sydney Roberts appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 6, 2019.

Chicago Police Watchdog: ‘Every Profession’ Has a Code of Silence

There’s been a lot of talk in Chicago about police reform and a police code of silence. Sydney Roberts, the head of the city’s police watchdog agency, weighs in on the newly approved federal consent decree.

Advocates for a Chicago Police Consent Decree on the Need for Reform

With an historic agreement in place, what does the road ahead look like for police reform in Chicago? We speak with community activist William Calloway and Northwestern University law professor Sheila Bedi.

The Week in Review: Brutal Cold as City Hall Scandal Heats Up

Viagra, massages and toddler togs in the expanding corruption investigation at City Hall. Federal oversight is coming to the Chicago Police Department. An alleged hate crime involving a TV actor. And “Chiberia” paralyzes the city.

Web Extra, The Week in Review: Ricketts Split in Mayor’s Race

Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the political split within the billionaire Ricketts family and which mayoral candidates they support.

(foudefoot60 / Pixabay)

Report: In Building Data Centers, Chicago Outpaced by Other Markets

A new report suggests Illinois could do more to attract data centers. What are they – and how are they important to the local economy?

Independence Branch Library (Facebook photo / Credit: Zuno Photography)

New Chicago Buildings Combine Libraries with Public Housing

Chicago is using the resources of public libraries to address the need for mixed-income housing. Chicago Public Library Commissioner and CEO Brian Bannon explains.

Surfers on Lake Michigan Battle High Waves, Heavy Winds

Cold and snow sends many of us indoors this time of year, but some adventurous souls welcome nasty weather so they can hit the waves.

Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke and his attorney Daniel Herbert, left, attend Van Dyke’s sentencing hearing on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Pool)

Laquan McDonald and the Future of Police Reform in Chicago

In the wake of two historic cases, a discussion with two central figures in the story of the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald: journalist Jamie Kalven and former police union president Dean Angelo.

From left: Former Chicago Detective David March, officer Thomas Gaffney and former officer Joseph Walsh attend a pretrial hearing Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune / Pool)

How Will the Laquan McDonald Conspiracy Trial Impact Police Reform?

Three Chicago police officers are acquitted in the Laquan McDonald cover-up trial. What impact – if any – will the verdict have on police reform in the city? 

President Donald Trump speaks the press about acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in November 2018.

As Trump Mulls National Emergency, 31 Active Emergencies Continue

A law passed in 1976 gives the president authority to declare a national emergency. President Donald Trump has said he’d use the declaration to free up $5 billion to fund a border wall at the Mexican border.

Ald. Ed Burke, 75, walks into the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. (Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Attorneys Dissect Ald. Ed Burke’s Federal Corruption Charge

Two attorneys with experience defending against – and prosecuting – federal corruption charges examine the case against the longtime 14th Ward alderman.

Chicago City Hall (Ken Lund / Flickr)

Should Aldermen Be Banned from Outside Employment? We Asked Them

Chicago aldermen voice their support of – or opposition to – a proposal to ban them from working outside of City Council, a proposal put forth in the wake of federal charges against Ald. Ed Burke.

Ald. Pat O’Connor appears on “Chicago Tonight.”

Ald. Pat O’Connor on New Finance Committee Role, Burke Scandal

The 40th Ward alderman tells us how he intends to manage the Finance Committee and what City Council may look like in the wake of federal charges against Ald. Ed Burke.

In this May 4, 2011 file photo, Chicago Ald. Ed Burke speaks at a City Council meeting. (AP Photo / M. Spencer Green, File)

Burke’s City Council Colleagues Discuss Extortion Charge, Ethics Reform

Four aldermen share their thoughts on how Ald. Ed Burke’s legal trouble may alter the rules and organization of Chicago’s City Council.