Stories by Erica Gunderson

Geoffrey Baer puts Chicago ZIP codes in order, traces the beginnings of the Teamsters union, and tells the story of the show behind a heart of silver in this week's edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Evanston was once the center of the temperance movement and a dry community until 1972. But now it has its very first distillery called FEW. The name just happens to be the initials of the one-time president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Frances Elizabeth Willard. Whatever Ms. Willard might think of that, the distillery is one of a growing number of spirits producers popping up all around Chicago. We get a taste of what’s being bottled.

Final Week for Quinn CPS IG Says School Employees Stole Nearly $900,000 Treasurer Mike Frerichs ‘David Bowie Is’  Mike Leonard is Back

Hundreds of mourners gathered Tuesday inside New York City's St. Ignatius Loyola Church as former three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo was laid to rest. 

Gov. Pat Quinn speaks to the City Club of Chicago during his final days in office.

Chicago Public Schools Inspector General Nicholas Schuler says CPS employees orchestrated a plan to steal nearly $900,000 from the district. Other findings include unethical conduct and possible criminal behavior, according to a new report.

Mike Frerichs won the hotly contested treasurer's race in November. He joins us to share his vision and what he thinks about consolidating his office with the comptroller's post.

The touring exhibition on the history, music, fashion, art, legacy, and identity of David Bowie landed in Chicago at the MCA. During its 15-week run, 193,000 people saw "David Bowie Is." We revisit the story.

Mike Leonard enjoyed a 32-year career as the features correspondent for the TODAY show. His work focused on the stories of everyday people told with "incredible heart," as Matt Lauer once put it. Now, Leonard is working on a new series called inCommon. We discuss the project and what we can expect in the pilot episode.

Col. (Ret.) Jill Morgenthaler shares her lessons for leadership in her new book, The Courage to Take Command. We revisit the conversation.

Chicagoans are bracing for a wintry week to start off the first full week of the New Year. Send us your severe weather photos here.

Governor-elect Bruce Rauner is facing a dire fiscal reality when he takes the oath of office on Jan. 12, including some state agencies running out of money.

Chicago’s been in the grip of an especially bad flu season this year, sending people to the hospital and keeping children home from school. We look at why influenza has been so difficult to fight.

After a sixth straight year of gains for U.S. stocks, we take a look at the prospects for 2015. How will low oil prices and a likely rate hike by the Federal Reserve impact the investing environment?

We share what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer feedback.

From the election of a new governor to the installation of a new archbishop to Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk and many other stories besides, our roundtable of Chicago Tonight correspondents looks back at the biggest Chicago stories of 2014.

The team behind Wild Chicago's unusual take on the Windy City takes its act on the road in a show called Wild Travels, debuting on WTTW11 in January. We'll talk with producer Harvey Moshman and host Will Clinger about the hangover doctor, the neon boneyard, the pinball museum, and much more.

Chicago Printmakers Collaborative marks its 25th anniversary.

We learn about a New Year's Eve celebration that's bringing a community together.

The city's annual Christmas tree recycling program begins Jan. 3. 

The Bears announce a dramatic house cleaning after a disastrous 5-11 season. We hear from Chairman George McCaskey about what went wrong and what the future holds.

The Chicago Bears fire General Manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman after a disastrous 5-11 season.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk expands efforts to fight heroin overdoses in Cook and surrounding counties.

Renowned Chicago jazz trumpeter Orbert Davis and Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Producing Director Mark Ingram join us to talk about what they experienced on their latest visit to Cuba.

As a longtime photographer for LIFE magazine, Steve Schapiro traveled with Martin Luther King Jr. and photographed everything from "presidents to poodles." We revisit a conversation with him about his show at the Ed Paschke Art Center.

At 30, Monifa Thomas was a health and medicine reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times. Not long after she passed a complete physical, Monifa had a stroke and was paralyzed on her right side and had great difficulty speaking. We revisit the story of her recovery and return to her medical beat.