It's not easy to chase and photograph severe weather because it moves and changes so quickly. And it can be life-threatening... even if you know what you're doing. WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling first met David Mayhew about four years ago when he was a photography student going on his first storm chase. Now, Mayhew has now turned chasing storms into an art form.

Latest weapon in effort to keep airports, passengers safe

How a pawn shop owner in Chicago can tell a lot about the nation's economy

Destructive pest re-emerges in spring

Are you ready?

Loans

It's an extra step not every parent takes, but it can save a life. WGN's Jane Boal has more on the importance of newborn screening.

Where Champions Begin

The Other Victims

A Father's Story

How better to welcome the first day of spring than to go fly a kite?

Want to be in movies? Work as an Extra when filming comes to Chicago

Threads of Hope for Women in Afghanistan

Do genetics play a role in homosexuality?

Help for homeowners facing foreclosure

As the political season heat's up, you're seeing and hearing commercials...and seeing and hearing entertainment figures lining up behind their favorite candidates. But do you care who your favorite TV and movie stars like? Dean Richards gives a look at the "Celebrities on the Stump."

Want to go green but don't know how? Use this simple carbon calculator to get started.

In honor of Black History Month, Dean Richards takes a look at the "Black side of the Silver Screen." He follows African Americans on the big screen, from the earliest days of silent film to today's strides. Hear from the stars like Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker and author and educator Dr. Cornel West about what still needs to be done.

The "N" Word is the most notorious racial slur in the world. Is it ever OK to say?

Paintings Below Zero

Remembering the man who directed "A Christmas Story"

All Aboard Elaine Silets' Magical Trains

Michelle Obama, wife of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, sat down with Allison Payne to talk about the campaign, their family, and her South Side roots.

Teen Moms get a helping hand from "New Moms"

Earth friendly ways to celebrate the Holidays

There's a debate about students using laptops in the classroom. Some people say they're a distraction; others say you can't live without them. But there's one high school in Burbank where laptops are required. WGN's Lourdes Duarte recently visited this high-tech high school.

Rob Lundy of Oak Park named National Food Bank Volunteer of the Year!

Suburban Chicago kids saving the world

Here's a holiday story that will help you out at the cash register. From gift cards to online catalogs to good old fashioned stores; we searched them all for holiday gifts that are 25 dollars or less.

Capturing School Memories for a Lifetime

How do you look your best when you don't have Tyra Banks to turn to?

When people think of high-end fashion, they probably think Paris, Milan or New York. But there's a designer right here in Chicago who is changing that.

Barack Obama's run for President has stirred up a divisive debate among many blacks... what does it mean to be black enough?

Making pasta in the New World with a hint of Old World Tradition. Meet the ladies of Cipriani's Pasta & Sauce.

Ted Siebert and Brian Turnbough never outgrew their sandboxes. They were hired by the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin to build something to attract a crowd for the Kenosha Nostalgia Festival. With 88 tons of specially ground sand, some tools and one week to finish, the men from Chicago's suburbs went to work.

He's been an institution on Chicago's west side for decades, selling everything from snow cones to hair accessories. He's a one man moving mall and to find him, just follow the blues tunes.

What is the role of the Senate Majority Whip? We take you into a day of the Democrats number two in command.

Men will never know what it's like to be pregnant unless, of course, they happen to wear an empathy belly for nine months. Then they'll get to experience some of the symptoms that come with pregnancy. We talked with one "pregnant papa" who did this, by choice.

Chicago's world renown comedy institution Second City has created a new educational touring show, just for kids.

An Illinois couple discovers the dog tags of 37 American servicemen being sold as trinkets in a Vietnam flea market. Their five-year mission to return the tags takes us to rural Ohio, where a man reconnects with the father he can't remember.

Jesse Jackson celebrated his 65th birthday and 40 years of public service in October of 2006. We had a chance to sit down with the civil rights activist and the woman who has held a front row seat to his life, his wife, Jacqueline Jackson.

Chicago's Marshall Fields stores officially became Macy's in September of 2006. Some Chicagoans vow to boycott Macy's, others say it will save them a trip to New York. But we wondered, what does Marshall Field himself think about the name change?

The click clacking of typewriter keys has been replaced by the quieter sounds of computer keyboards. But the machines we used for well over a century to document human thoughts and ideas might be making a comeback thanks to a Polish immigrant…Chicago's Last Typewriter Repairman.

He's one of Chicago's many treasures, and Studs Terkel has just marked another milestone... His 94th birthday. We sat down with the author to talk about life at the age of 94.

What deranged humans would surf Lake Michigan in February? Producer Pam Grimes and Photographer Sean Maroney show you- icicles and all!

He's one of Chicago's most powerful black leaders. 2006 marked the 25th anniversary of Father Michael Pfleger as head pastor at St. Sabina Catholic Church. His critics call him a media hound. But he's spent years trying to better the lives of his congregation, and we found no one who would switch places with him.

In the quarter century since Jimmy Carter left the oval office, he has redefined what it means to be a former U.S. President. We take a look at the very busy life of this American icon.

Almost every weekday in the Chicago suburb of Woodstock, a group of retirees gather to shoot the breeze. They're affectionately known as, "The Grumpy Old Men."

It's time to play ball! In these days of multi-million dollar contracts and steroid hearings…what's baseball really all about? We head to Chicago's suburbs to talk to T-ball beginners.

A laughter study by Polaroid finds that most Americans say a *chuckle best represents their laugh style. Yet there are those whose laughs come nowhere close to the chuckle category. We found some funny laughs right under our noses.

Chicago hair stylist Marc Karagianes loves Christmas so much that he starts decorating the first day of fall. And after you see his home, it's hard to believe he does it all himself.

If every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings, then Salvation Army bellringer Helen Schuster has certainly earned hers.

We have Charles Dickens to thank for that Christmas killjoy, Ebenezer Scrooge. For 29 years The Goodman Theatre in Chicago has been warming hearts with its production of "A Christmas Carol", and this year a stay-at-home dad is the new Scrooge.

For many families, nothing screams "Christmas" like the 1983 Jean Shepherd movie, "A Christmas Story." And the film's leg lamp has become one of the most iconic movie props in history. Now, a Chicago area company is making replicas complete with cellulite!

Chicago's south suburb of Oak Lawn is home to the Italo-American Accordion Company. It's a one-of-a-kind shop that has so much history, it's practically a museum of this musical instrument.

Halloween is the most frightful night of the year... and there are men and women who live and breathe to make the rest of us scream. WGN-TV's Juan Carlos Fanjul goes behind the scenes at the Dream Reapers Haunted House in Melrose Park where no one leaves without getting spooked!

Chicago's marriage court is standing room only on Valentine's Day. Producer Pam Grimes and Photographer Mike D'Angelo watch as couples line up to say their "I do's."

We get to know the man behind the granddaddy of all Chicago fireworks displays...the man who designs the 4th of July show at Navy Pier.

Face to Face with the war in Iraq

Some folks believe there's strange stuff going on in the old Stickney House in McHenry County. Even the Bull Valley Police Chief says the place is downright haunted!

One of the most haunted places in Chicago is now home to the Broadway-in-Chicago show "Wicked." The landmark Oriental Theatre is also the site of the 1903 Iroquois Theater Fire that killed more than 600 people. Some believe the theatre remains the home of Downtown's Living Dead.

40 years ago Chicagoans learned their summers would never be the same with the closing of "The World's Largest Amusement Park."

Books, wallets, even a curling iron --- it's amazing what people leave behind on trains. So what happens to all that "stuff?" We took a trip to Metra's lost and found at Union Station.

Kids, even adults, can get a brilliant view from way up high. It's only one of 20 in the nation, but in Barrington, it's everybody's tree house.

When you're looking for comfort food and friendly service think Kenosha, Wisconsin. On a recent trip we found both under the same roof. It's called Franks Diner --- take a peek inside.

"Can't Stop Eating 'Em" is the catch phrase for Jays Potato Chips. And change combined with an extra added "kick" might be two reasons the saying remains strong.

Is State Street still a great street? A lot of people are asking that question now that Field's and Carsons are gone. The truth is, this is not the first retail renaissance on State Street and probably won't be the last.

You haven't seen Chicago until you've taken a canoe or kayak trip on the Chicago river at sunset. This seven mile trip takes you right through the heart of skyscraper canyon.

Most safaris take you to Africa... or Australia... or even the Western United States. But this safari is located in west suburban River Forest, at the home of Alan and Nancy Smiley.

How far will a bride-to-be go to get the gown of her dreams? Check out this running-of-the-brides on a snowy day in Chicago.

In the end, "Spindle" could not be saved. The eight cars-on-a-stick that made Berwyn, Illinois famous in the 1992 movie, "Wayne's World" is now history.

The City of Chicago was founded in March of 1837. Poet Carl Sandburg famously called Chicago "The City of Big Shoulders." We took Sandburg's poem to the people of Chicago to see what they think of the city 170 years after its founding -- both good and bad.

If you live in the Chicago area, one of the wonders of the natural world is unfolding right outside your window. Swarms of Monarch butterflies are migrating from Canada to Mexico for the winter. But, they'd never make it without a fuel stop in Chicago.

They haven't been around since 1990. But this year marks the 17-year return of an oversized insect you just can't seem to miss, or hear.

We take you through a company inspection --- one that lasts minutes and could help save your life.

They still use their regular vehicle to get around...so why are some local motorists saying goodbye to gas stations and hello to electricity?

Climb aboard and whiz on down memory lane. Grown men and women recycle their youth with a motorbike from the past.

Chicago marathon sponsor LaSalle bank spends a fortune each year to hand paint a three sided mural on a brick building along the Kennedy expressway. We wondered what it must be like for the athletes to see themselves giant sized. We follow one woman as she sees her 35 foot self for the very first time.

Chicago's "Cloud Gate", affectionately known as "the Bean," is quickly becoming the most recognizable piece of public art in the world. There's three million visitors a year...that's six million hands, 30 million fingers, and 8,000 square feet of stainless steel surface. So how does the city keep the bean clean?

Pay phones are vanishing from Chicago and everywhere else. Cell phones are the most obvious reason. But when you lose your cell phone, the battery dies, or you can't afford one, then what do you do?

They're as much a part of Chicago as the blues and the Sears Tower, and very visible signs of our industrial past. Yet, one by one, water tanks are vanishing from our skyline.

WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling feels on top of the world as he rides the wind in a hot air balloon.

Advances in treating prostate cancer can remove the cancer and prevent the lifestyle-changing side effects that have plagued men for years.

Learn about some of the other choices men have so they can tailor their treatment to their needs.

We had the rare chance to sit down with two of Eric Clapton's "guitar guys" --- Members of his inner circle who support his sound and his cause.

A legendary bluesman might have left behind a legacy even he didn't know about. So, like father like son? See, and hear, for yourself.

They play every kind of music but rap. The KCR ensemble is a nine piece, all female, all African American band who are inspired by a 1940's band that risked their lives doing what they loved.

He's the world's most powerful bluesman yet he doesn't sing or play an instrument. Bruce Iglauer is Founder and President of Chicago's Alligator Records, the world's largest independent blues label. And it's celebrating 35 years in 2006.

A Chicago man follows his love of music and bass-ic instinct to build bass guitars good enough for Adam Clayton of U2 and Darryl Jones of the Rolling Stones.

Legendary folk singer Arlo Guthrie goes on a mission to save the music of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Every time the Rolling Stones have hit the road over the past decade, a Chicago musician has been with them. We got a chance to hang out with Chicago's very own, Darryl Jones.

Most people have refilled a bottled water bottle. But what if you keep refilling the same one? We put some reused bottles to the test to find out exactly how much bacteria is lurking.

What homeowners need to know about a new crime technique that officials say leaves no sign of a forced entry.

There's a hot new dog in town making an impression not only on her owner, but anyone who might see her sail by on Lake Michigan. So grab your cameras and check out the latest animal who knows a thing or two about water skiing!

Chicago is packed with Bears fans. Among those cheering on the home team -- "Twinkle" -- the little bird who can sing the Bears fight song.

Monk parakeets were discovered in the Chicago area during the '70s. So how does this tropical bird not only survive but thrive during the winter? WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling says the birds have former Mayor Harold Washington partially to thank.

WGN's own Grizzlyman...Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling travels to Alaska to watch the bears at their annual salmon feast.

Every year in the United States there are about five million cases of dogs biting people. And the majority of bites are from familiar dogs or family pets. We found a school where kids learn the right and wrong things to do around dogs.

Is the person next to you driving while texting on their phone? Are you?

Say goodbye to old fashioned analog and hello to a digital age. The deadline that is going to change the way we watch television forever is fast approaching. We find out what's needed to make the transition.

If you're thinking about going high-def.. there's a lot to be excited about these days. Consumers are getting more and more choices. But some say there's a price to pay for those options.

Some surveys show Internet usage doubles; even triples during the summer months and cyber predators know it. But even in a high-tech world, we found out that good old fashioned parenting can keep kids safe.

Whose name is it anyway? WGN Morning News personality Ana Belaval goes in search of the man who purchased her domain name.

A nationwide poll finds most americans say they "would die" without their cellphones and e-mail. Yet, a vast majority also say they see "user rudeness" every day. We spent time trying to sort out the new tech etiquette.

What do you get when you combine monks, the internet, and office supplies? Monk *E-Business of course!

Life saving information about staying safe during tornado season.

Oscar winner Nicolas Cage turns to WGN's Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling for advice on his movie, "The Weatherman."