Stories by Erica Gunderson

The line between peaceful political protest and chaotic violence can be become blurred in an instant. Activist Jahmal Cole and educator Reuben Jonathan Miller of the University of Chicago weigh in.

Longtime Chicago Ald. Roman Pucinski once said, “There’s nothing as crucial to an alderman as garbage.” So how did garbage cans become a source and symbol of political power in this city? Geoffrey Baer talks trash.

For the 1 in 6 Americans who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, their credit score might be the last thing on their minds. 

Through a nonprofit effort dubbed Initiative 77(3)12, friends Bill Phan and Kevin Yoo are feeding hundreds of health care workers each week across Chicago – and they hope to keep it going as long as the need continues.

Chicago’s brick buildings put on a refined face for the street side, but if you peek past the facade, you’ll find that what’s holding them up is a little bit rougher. Geoffrey Baer has this history of the Chicago common brick.

He’s a familiar face, thanks to his PBS program “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” And his food is familiar too, thanks to his multiple restaurants. Chef Rick Bayless talks about what the industry needs to stomach the pandemic.

History buffs are big fans of historical markers, those often-overlooked plaques that tell the tales of site-specific events from years past. Geoffrey Baer tells us about some unusual historical markers around Chicago.

As the group most at risk from the virus, older adults are advised to stay indoors as much as possible. But they’re also the group most at risk of mental health problems due to social isolation. 

As the days of social distancing turn into months, anxiety and frustration continue to mount. We get advice on safeguarding kids’ emotional well-being during the pandemic.

A onetime tree nursery became a bucolic place of rest and recovery for tuberculosis patients on Chicago’s North Side. Geoffrey Baer has the story of a decadeslong battle against a contagion.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned with certainty since the arrival of COVID-19 in the U.S., it’s that nothing is certain — least of all for the health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

Even in the shadow of the pandemic, gun violence in Chicago has not stopped. How the fight against COVID-19 is affecting the fight against violent crime.

As Chicago baseball fans hunker down and hope for the return of their favorite summertime sport, a viewer wonders how Chicago sports soldiered through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

For parents who share custody of their children, or those in the process of divorce, the pandemic has turned situations that are challenging at best into much more complicated scenarios — virtually overnight.

As Chicagoans hunker down amid the pandemic, we check in with some familiar faces on how they’re weathering the storm – and what weird shortage their households are experiencing. 

On Sunday night, Chicago sports fans were treated to the much-anticipated premiere of an ESPN documentary. Former Bulls beat writer Melissa Isaacson shares her take on the 10-part series.

Cellphones are lifelines for hospital patients. But when batteries run out, a patient’s ability to call home might also. Meet a Logan Square nurse practitioner who’s making an effort to keep patients plugged in with family.

In 1918, a deadly strain of influenza killed more people than World War I, and thousands of Chicagoans were among the dead. But it could have been much worse. Geoffrey Baer explains.

The pandemic has made it even harder to do the things that some of us already had a hard time doing, like eating well and exercising. But with some planning and creativity, staying active and healthy while staying at home is totally doable.

What Illinois social service agencies are doing to mitigate the risks seniors face during the pandemic.

As Chicagoans hunker down amid the pandemic, we check in with some familiar faces on how they’re weathering the storm and celebrating the holidays this weekend.

The 1918 Spanish flu was not even close to being Chicago’s first bout with fast-spreading disease. Geoffrey Baer looks at how Chicago managed a tidal wave of diseases in its earliest years.

Personal finance educators Talaat and Tai McNeely, hosts of the podcast “The His and Her Money Show,” help us navigate the ways government funds might be able to fill financial gaps during the pandemic.

As Chicagoans hunker down amid the pandemic, we check in with some familiar faces on how they’re weathering the storm – and what music they’re listening to.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt by just about every segment of American society, but for those already facing difficult circumstances, the pain can be even sharper. 

In just the past month, Illinois unemployment claims ballooned to more than 133,000 as people lost their jobs in the midst of the pandemic – and it could be just the beginning. Is a rent freeze the right answer?