Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

Twenty years ago, "Cows on Parade" generated boundless enthusiasm, extraordinary tourism, millions of dollars, innumerable imitation exhibitions, and endless bovine puns. Now some of the original cows are returning to the public eye to celebrate the twentieth anniversary. 

A string of deaths in an idyllic village reveals simmering mistrust: between gossiping villagers, among the members of the wealthy family who owns a chocolate factory in the village, and in rival lovers. Recap and stream the latest Endeavour here. 

When a car accident turns out to be a homicide, Morse finds himself looking into some unusual suspects: the crew of a children's puppet TV show, people at a New Age-y institute, and astrophysics professors, all on the eve of the Apollo 11 launch. 

"There’s a frequently cited statistic that one in every three bites of food is brought to us by an animal pollinator." The Chicago Botanic Garden is celebrating pollinators over the summer. Learn from several experts about what you can do to help these vital species. 

Pearl Hart spent much of her career as a lawyer defending people from the infringement of their rights, from Communists caught up in the Red Scare to lesbians and gay people. Her late-in-life partner Valerie Taylor advocated for LGBT rights through her writing, speaking, and novels.

With the closure of their station, Morse and his fellow detectives have been scattered into various unsatisfactory positions. But the disappearance of a young girl brings them all together again and also dredges up guilt in Thursday from an old case. 

Jelly Roll Morton, the self-proclaimed "inventor of jazz," didn't praise many people besides himself, but he made an exception for Tony Jackson: "Tony was considered among all who knew him the greatest single-handed entertainer in the world.” And Jackson was openly gay at a time when that was incredibly rare.

A new exhibit opening at the Kohl Children's Museum before traveling around the country lets children dive into the world of Nature Cat, encouraging them to indulge their curiousity and go outside to explore the natural world. 

Stanley Tigerman, a Chicago-based architect known for his idiosyncratic views and buildings, has died at the age of 88. He designed the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie and the Anti-Cruelty Animal Shelter on LaSalle Street, among other vibrant buildings. 

Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, humans landed on the moon for the first time. To celebrate that epochal achievement, we have a whole lineup of space-themed programming this summer. Get a preview of our new Summer of Space programming here!  

June 1 is the birthday of not one but two beloved Sesame Street characters: Oscar the Grouch and the more recently introduced Rudy. Celebrate by taking a look at some of the best-known Muppets and the issues each is meant to address for children. 

The exterior of the McGraw-Hill Building on Michigan Avenue may look the same as it did when it was built in the twenties, but it underwent a controversial "façade-ectomy" after a battle between developers and preservationists – and it features sculptural panels by a neglected female artist.

Emily Graslie, the creator and host of the endlessly enlightening science YouTube channel The Brain Scoop and the Field Museum's Chief Curiosity Correspondent, is making a show with us exploring the fossils and incredible geology of the Northern Plains region where she grew up.

Watch the official trailer for the upcoming Downton Abbey film, which will be in theaters on September 20. It's 1927, and the King and Queen of England are planning a visit to Downton. And much of the cast will still be there. 

The latest Frontline documentary from Michael Kirk, Supreme Revenge, covers the history of increasingly contentious Supreme Court nomination battles over the past few decades. "The tree that has grown is truly misshapen and very, very worrisome,” Kirk says about the Court today.