Stories by Heather Cherone

Chicago will reopen gradually once the number of confirmed coronavirus cases begins to decline and hospitalizations drop, according to a plan released by Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday.

The Howard Elliott Collection has provided 1 million protective masks, 300,000 face shields, 119,000 gloves and 37,500 cloth masks to the city, officials say. But at least one alderman wants to know why a Chicago-based firm wasn’t selected for the work.

The organization had to cancel its Chicago River Day cleanup due to the coronavirus. Instead of bringing thousands of volunteers together for a one-day event, the new Summer Challenge encourages people to pick up litter in their neighborhoods.

The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, a level last seen during the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record — stark evidence of how the coronavirus has brought the economy to its knees.

The coronavirus pandemic put conventional campaigning on hold just as campaigns were ramping up, forcing candidates to scrap plans, rewrite budgets and find new ways to connect with voters and show they are the right person to lead in a crisis no one anticipated.

In the midst of uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, Chicago screenwriter Sylvia L. Jones is celebrating one of her biggest achievements yet: her first feature film.

As new numbers show COVID-19 rates among Chicago Latinos have surged in recent weeks, 26th Ward Ald. Roberto Maldonado is pushing for more testing in the community. But that’s not the only problem residents are facing.

Sheriff Tom Dart informed Cook County court and elected officials in a letter Thursday that his office has “no additional equipment to assign” after the electronic monitoring program saw a 30% surge in recent months.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently highlighted the high rate of COVID-19 in Latino communities. As part of our reporting series, we spent the day in a predominantly Latino neighborhood on the city’s Near West Side.

Illinois has spent more than $238 million on resources related to the pandemic, even entering into occasional bidding wars with other states for supplies. We ask Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza about state spending — and budget shortfalls.

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.

Dave Odd, a professional forager in Chicago, says the COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up how we obtain food and will perhaps force people to pick their own. We go for a look at edible plants in Gompers Park.

With schools and many businesses closed, the coronavirus has taken an unparalleled financial toll on Illinois residents, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday afternoon.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Chicago’s Latino communities has skyrocketed in recent weeks, according to city data. Cristina Pacione-Zayas of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago says the pandemic has caused a “huge scare” in Humboldt Park.

This weekend, people around the world will report their bird sightings as part of a massive citizen-science project. Here’s how it works.

Many moms have been feeling the brunt of the pandemic, managing child care and home-schooling on top of full-time jobs. One local mom’s ability to care for her daughter while helping families across the state has gotten special notice.

Chicago businesses would not have to renew their licenses — or pay late fees if those licenses expire — under a measure that cleared a key city panel on Thursday. 

Since the city shut down lakefront parks and other public spaces in March, there have been calls for more open spaces. But some advocates say that push overlooks the priorities of communities of color, which have been hardest hit by the coronavirus. 

The African painted dog was born in January and still needs a name. Brookfield Zoo has four options, with voting open to the public through May 20.

Watch the May 7, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. economic catastrophe in decades.

Jahquez Scott, 21, should be considered “armed and dangerous” after he allegedly used the personal information of another detainee who was set to be released from the jail, according to the FBI.

The federal government has fined Sinclair Broadcasting Corp. $48 million, largely because of actions the TV broadcaster took in its failed attempt to acquire smaller rival Tribune Media.

Illinois restaurants and bars have been closed since mid-March to dine-in customers, and the governor’s newly unveiled reopening plan means they won’t be permitted to reopen any time soon.

The Hyde Park-Kenwood area is the home of former President Barack Obama, and in many ways it is the intellectual and academic heart of the city, with the University of Chicago laid out along the midway. 

As with many other local governments, COVID-19 is hurting Cook County’s bottom line. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says the county could be facing a projected budget shortfall around $260 million.