Stories by Erica Gunderson

The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship program offers tuition assistance for families who meet income thresholds. There are no merit components to eligibility.

When Martin Luther King Jr. came to Chicago in 1965, his mission was to end the slum housing conditions that many Black residents were forced to live in. For 17 months, he fought with boycotts, rallies and marches — a campaign that ultimately contributed to the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968.

The afternoon slate of programming features dog-sledding demonstrations, puppet shows, raptor visits, bonfire storytelling, arts and crafts, and of course, hot cocoa.

The last living witness to the Emmett Till lynching tells his story in a new book. We sit down with him and his co-author. Affordable housing was a focus of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work in Chicago — a look at where we are today.

Chicago's history as a self-proclaimed sanctuary city dates back to 1985, when then Mayor Harold Washington issued an executive order prohibiting city employees from enforcing federal immigration laws.

Chicago Public Schools has been working to combat declining enrollment and funding challenges — but a significant number of low-income families of color are leaving the district. Between 2019 and 2022, CPS lost nearly 37,000 students.

What makes a sanctuary city welcoming to migrants and asylum seekers? Latino students are leaving CPS and heading to private and charter schools. And details on how low-income families can apply for scholarships to private schools.

In one case involving a former postal employee, the justices will consider what accommodations employers must make for religious employees. The case comes when religious plaintiffs have generally fared well at the court, which is dominated 6-3 by conservative justices.

The apparent mishandling of classified documents and official records from the Obama administration is under investigation by a former U.S. attorney, Robert Hur, who was appointed as a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s campaign under investigation for CPS student recruitment. Assault weapons now banned in Illinois as lawsuits await. And the new Hail Mary plans for Soldier Field as the Bears hire a bigwig as new president.

The preservation community is coming around to considering the 1970s and 1980s to be historic, ushering in a new wave of buildings up for landmark consideration.

Attorneys for 59-year-old Diane Schachner announced the settlement Friday, more than three years after Schachner suffered serious leg injuries when she was dragged nearly 30 feet by the bus.

Mayoral challenger U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García took direct aim at Mayor Lori Lightfoot Friday, blasting her for failing to prevent a tide of crime and violence in the city. 

The Oath Keepers organization is considered by the FBI to be a “large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some who are associated with militias” who have vowed to “not obey unconstitutional (and thus illegal) and immoral orders.” 

Federal prosecutors on Friday announced 56-year-old Michael Maurello has been charged with two counts each of wire fraud and bank fraud. His arraignment in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

The law expands the number of health practitioners who can provide certain types of abortions; requires Illinois public entities to cover abortion, gender-affirming and HIV-prevention drugs as part of health insurance; and establishes legal criteria for ensuring parental autonomy in reproductive technology.

The long stretch without a Mega Millions jackpot winner is because of the game’s steep odds of 1 in 302.6 million.

Remember the pair of mountain lions (aka cougars, aka pumas, aka panthers) that wandered into Illinois last fall? Scientists say folks east of the Mississippi should expect more of such sightings.

Given the current state of planet Earth, the concept of heading to outer space might not seem altogether out of the question. And leave it to Frank Maugeri to address the possibility of doing just that in his latest production, “The Icicle Picnic: Journey for the Sun.”

Negotiations between the sides will continue Monday, one day before members of the UIC United Faculty plan to go on strike, citing a lack of “significant movement” at the bargaining table.

The pandemic disrupted vaccinations and other routine health care for children, and also taxed the ability of school administrators and nurses to track which children weren’t up-to-date on shots.

Annual tributes and commemorations of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which begin nationwide on Friday, typically include a mix of politics, faith and community service.

January and February are prime months for bald eagle watching in Illinois, with some 3,000 of the raptors hanging out in the state during the winter.

Over 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. marched through the park and hundreds gathered to fight for fair housing. How the community has changed since then.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot responds to that campaign misstep. A special counsel appointed in Biden's documents investigation. Twenty years since the first step in abolishing Illinois' death penalty. And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in Marquette Park.

Supporters of Promontory Point can breathe a sigh of relief that the peninsula's much loved stair-step limestone wall is poised, finally, to become protected from attempts to replace it with concrete.