Stories by Quinn Myers

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck is winding down his brief tenure at the helm of the Chicago Police Department. We ask him about protecting officers during the pandemic, his efforts to restructure the department, gun violence and more.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 president says he’d like to see increased sanitizing procedures for Chicago police officers and vehicles, as well as greater precautions taken at individual police stations. 

After a lot of back-and-forth between Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Republican state legislators and the state’s Supreme Court, Wisconsin’s spring election went forward Tuesday. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, many municipalities struggled to staff and operate polling places. 

Dennis Duchene, president of local tourism bureau Visit Kenosha, says that so far, fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has been “pretty severe.” 

Black Chicagoans account for 72% of COVID-19 deaths in the city, while only making up 30% of the overall population, public health officials announced Monday. “It is something we’re following very closely,” said 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Illinois, more than half of the families the social service agency works with are now facing unemployment or underemployment. We speak with the group’s director of Latino and youth services. 

The North Shore community is home to dozens of restaurants and bars, but since the COVID-19 outbreak and ensuing stay-at-home order in Illinois, the city’s businesses have had to make some major changes. 

Breakthrough Fresh Market food pantry in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood usually provides groceries to about 70 people a day, three times a week. But in recent weeks, the pantry has seen its numbers spike at least 25%.

A Chicago city employee has died of COVID-19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday. “This sobering moment should remind us that the numbers we report every day are not mere statistics,” the mayor said.

How is the coronavirus impacting residents and businesses in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood? We ask 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman, who represents much of the North Side neighborhood.

We speak with Martin Sorge of Uptown United, the neighborhood’s chamber of commerce, to see how area businesses and local nonprofits are making ends meet during the pandemic.

The 19th Ward alderman is calling for greater protections for police officers amid the coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday evening, 50 Chicago police officers have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

As a vote on the largest economic stimulus package in American history approaches in the U.S. House of Representatives, one Chicago congressman says he’s behind it.

How is the coronavirus impacting businesses and residents in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood? We speak with Ald. Leslie Hairston, whose 5th Ward includes much of Hyde Park and Woodlawn, and sections of South Shore. 

The Chicago Youth Centers network serves around 1,400 children, but the coronavirus pandemic has halted its in-person services – and that will have lasting repercussions on families in need, the group says.

As people increasingly stay home, many social service agencies are adapting in order to continue serving their communities. We check in on the Indo-American Center in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood.

Will the lack of in-person outreach lead to a census undercount in Chicago’s greater Chinatown community?

Illinois state Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) says some constituents are telling her they’re afraid of racist repercussions because of President Donald Trump’s insistence on using the phrase “Chinese virus.”

Rhine Hall Distillery is known for its high-end fruit brandies, but business has slowed because of the coronavirus. Now, the distillery is one of several that’s shifting its production from spirits to sanitizer. We go for a look.

Illinois State Sen. Iris Martinez has won the Democratic primary for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court. Martinez topped the four-way race with 31.4% of the vote. 

The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is being felt by industries and businesses in Chicago and across Illinois, from large hotel chains and restaurants to independent movie theaters and music venues. 

In August, Dorothy Brown announced she would not seek reelection as clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, opening up her seat to four Democratic hopefuls. They join “Chicago Tonight” for a candidate forum.

Chicagoans may never agree about sports teams or local politics, but if there’s one thing that unites the city, it’s our elevated train lines — known, of course, as the “L.” Geoffrey Baer has this preview of the highly anticipated show.

Taxidermy – the process of preserving animals – isn’t usually classified as fine art. But the Field Museum is challenging that idea by shining a light on the artist behind many of the museum’s own examples. 

Move over, federal government: cities and mayors are where it’s at when it comes to actually getting things done. That’s the premise of “The Nation City,” a new book by former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Chicago’s “L” lines are today operated by the centralized Chicago Transit Authority. But for many years, private companies actually ran and managed individual branches. Geoffrey Baer has the story of one of them.