Stories by Erica Gunderson

Much like 2016’s set, the words of 2017 are a political batch reflective of the tumultuous year we just put behind us. What else made the cut.

Chicagoans hear about Thorndale Avenue all the time in traffic reports, and a viewer wonders why. Geoffrey Baer speeds by with the story in this week’s “Ask Geoffrey.”

Geoffrey Baer shines a light on a pair of hooded statues at Union Station and some old-fashioned security technology in this week’s edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

Author Kate Hennessy discusses her new book about Dorothy Day, her Catholic activist grandmother.

The “me too” campaign has ushered in a flood of allegations against prominent men. But whose job is it to make sure that rank-and-file workers are protected against sexual harassment?

A.J. Baime’s new book makes the case that Harry S. Truman’s first four months as commander-in-chief were the most challenging and consequential ever faced by a U.S. president.

For many years, sports fans in Chicago were welcomed to games by clean-cut and friendly Andy Frain ushers. Geoffrey Baer has the story of the man behind the house of ushers.

Around Chicago, windows decorated for the holidays are a sure sign that Christmas is on its way. Meet a local artist whose festive fancies could be swirling across a storefront in your neighborhood.

Like the city that grew around it, the Chicago River is constantly changing. Get a preview of “The Chicago River Tour with Geoffrey Baer.”

Geoffrey Baer takes a peek at a 1930s burlesque-style show and remembers the Chicago Daily News sporting events of yesteryear in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”

The new documentary “Making a New American Nutcracker” premieres on WTTW. We speak with the Joffrey Ballet’s artistic director and the film’s producer.

How can citizens avoid trouble when getting pulled over by the police? We speak with Dwayne Bryant, the author of a manual that explains how to safely handle a traffic stop.

An exhibition at the Field Museum aims to be an immersive experience that brings the 2015 movie and its gigantic reptilian stars to life. 

What happened to the Alexander Hamilton statue in Lincoln Park? Geoffrey Baer tells his story in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.” 

Geoffrey Baer gets ready for a new voyage along the Chicago River with viewer questions about the history of our city’s favorite Y-shaped waterway.

Geoffrey Baer gets eye-to-eye with some sky-high building ornament and gets beneath the surface of a towering metal figure in this week’s edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Was the design of White Castle restaurants based on a Chicago landmark? Geoffrey Baer has the answers you crave.

The soda tax repeal was met with cheers from some Chicago Tonight viewers.

Geoffrey Baer takes a peek at a 1930s burlesque-style show and remembers the Chicago Daily News sporting events of yesteryear.

Geoffrey Baer explores an eccentric architect’s wacky proposal for the World’s Fair in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

The walls of a South Side armory tell the history of warriors throughout the ages. Geoffrey Baer shares that story and more in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

The Taste of Chicago may be the granddaddy of local food festivals, but it was not the city’s first. We remember a 1977 event that offered another “taste of Chicago” at McCormick Place.

Since about 1915, a 7-foot-tall stone man has been shouldering a heavy burden on the corner of a Southeast Side building — more than hundred years without a break! But there’s some debate as to exactly who he is.

Emma Goldman was an anarchist, feminist and freethinker at a time when just talking about birth control was enough to get you imprisoned.

To honor the first female senator – who was an agriculturally minded lady – we concoct a drink straight from the farm: a dairy base that gets a spark from corn whiskey and would work hot or cold.

Geoffrey Baer explores why hot dogs and ketchup don’t mix in Chicago in this encore edition of “Ask Geoffrey.”