Chicago Tonight

A news and public-affairs series airing Monday through Thursday each week - plus a weekly news wrap-up on Friday - with features on Chicago life and panels discussing various topics, including Chicago politics, the arts, foreign affairs, entertainment, Chicago events, consumer concerns and sports.

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Update frequency: every day
Episodes: 47
Years Active: 2025

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Week in Review: Trump Threatens National Guard Deployment in Chicago; Northwestern President Stepping Down

Chicago braces for the possibility of National Guard troops as federal immigration agents prepare to hit city streets. And concerns over changes to vaccine guidance.

Fri 05 Sep 2025

Sept. 4, 2025 - Full Show

Legal questions swirl over the possibility of National Guard troops in Chicago. And how local groups are mobilizing to push back against ICE.

Fri 05 Sep 2025

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2025 - Full Show

Community groups prepare for federal troops in Chicago. And the city’s minimum wage for tipped workers is going up — a look at the impact.

Thu 04 Sep 2025

Sept. 2, 2025 - Full Show

The latest on troops being deployed to Chicago. And violent crime is down in the city — how the FBI has been helping local law enforcement.

Wed 03 Sep 2025

Week in Review: Trump Takes Aim at Cashless Bail; CPS Pushes Pension Payment

Chicago braces for a wave of immigration agents and National Guard troops. And the Chicago Board of Education backs a budget Mayor Brandon Johnson opposed.

Fri 29 Aug 2025

Aug. 28, 2025 - Full Show

Chicago’s school board members face a crucial budget vote. And President Donald Trump threatens to yank funding from states that have eliminated cash bail.

Fri 29 Aug 2025

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 27, 2025 - Full Show

How local officials plan to push back if the National Guard is deployed here. And the head of Chicago Public Schools on a crucial budget vote.

Thu 28 Aug 2025

Aug. 26, 2025 - Full Show

Clock’s ticking for the Chicago Board of Education to balance the budget. And we sit down with Michelin-starred chef Curtis Duffy to discuss his new memoir, “Fireproof.”

Tue 26 Aug 2025

Aug. 25, 2025 - Full Show

Local leaders push back against calls to send the National Guard to Chicago. And what do the city’s crime stats really show?

Tue 26 Aug 2025

Week in Review: RTA Eyes Stopgap Funding to Avoid Service Cuts; Pleas for Flood Relief in Chicago

President Donald Trump again floats the idea of sending troops to Chicago. And residents call for aid after getting slammed with storms and flooding.

Fri 22 Aug 2025

Aug. 21, 2025 - Full Show

The impact big data centers are having on the Great Lakes water supply. And Veterans Affairs staff speaks out after losing union protections — what it could mean for local veterans.

Thu 21 Aug 2025

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 20, 2025 - Full Show

The head of the Chicago Teachers Union on the district’s budget deficit and more. And prison lockdowns are on the rise — we explore the reasons.

Thu 21 Aug 2025

Aug. 19, 2025 - Full Show

Local reaction to President Donald Trump’s effort to ban mail-in voting. And will a peace deal be reached between Russia and Ukraine?

Wed 20 Aug 2025

Aug. 18, 2025 - Full Show

The Adams County sheriff has been cooperating with ICE — does that violate Illinois law? WTTW News investigates. And CPS board members weigh in on the controversial budget proposal.

Tue 19 Aug 2025

Week in Review: Trump Threatens DC-Style Crime Crackdown in Chicago; CPS Presents 2026 Budget Plan

Local leaders slam President Donald Trump’s threat to take over policing in Chicago as flat-out illegal. And school board members push back on a CPS budget that puts off a huge pension payment.

Fri 15 Aug 2025

Aug. 14, 2025 - Full Show

A new ICE detention center in Indiana could ramp up deportation efforts in Illinois. And how a new networking group aims to strengthen nonprofits.

Fri 15 Aug 2025

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 13, 2025 - Full Show

A charging decision is made in the shooting death of Dexter Reed. And Chicago Public Schools’ latest effort to close its budget gap.

Wed 13 Aug 2025

Aug. 12, 2025 - Full Show

Chicago’s money problems are getting more complicated thanks to a new pension bill. And how the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are impacting home care workers.