Stories by Erica Gunderson

Mike Moreno Jr. is the third generation to set up shop in the Little Village community. His grandfather, Jose, owned two grocery stores in the neighborhood, and his father, Mike Sr., opened the first Moreno’s Liquors in 1977.

The Chicago organization Mujeres Latinas En Accion is launching a new program aimed at providing survivors of domestic abuse the financial literacy tools they may need to achieve economic stability. We speak with Lupe Ceniceros about the initiative.

Worker walkouts amid calls for improved conditions continue at the El Milagro tortilla plant in Little Village. We get an update on the situation from Jorge Mújica, a strategic organizer for the community labor advocate organization Arise Chicago.

Chicago restaurants will offer special deals on some of their cultures’ most beloved dishes during the two-week celebration starting Oct. 4.

The Obamas break ground, literally. What’s behind the disparities in breast cancer outcomes for Black women? Meet a Chicago-bred “genius.” And bringing clean energy to the West Side.

Calls for better working conditions at El Milagro tortilla factory. Plus, boosting financial stability for domestic violence survivors. And what’s on the plate for Latin Restaurant Weeks.

In a bellwether federal trial starting Monday in Cleveland, two Ohio counties will try to convince a jury that retail pharmacy companies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.

President Joe Biden on Saturday acknowledged frustrations as Democrats strain to rescue a scaled-back version of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan and salvage a related public works bill after frantic negotiations failed to produce a deal.

Are the Chicago Bears bound for Arlington Heights? The Obamas finally break ground in Jackson Park. Chicago R&B singer R. Kelly is convicted for sex trafficking. And two local media giants plan to merge.

Biden huddled with House Democrats in a private meeting that was part instructional, part morale booster for the tattered caucus of lawmakers, telling them he wanted both bills passed regardless of the time it takes.

The commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management told members of the City Council that it was “quite impressive” that city crews had replaced 10 of the approximately 400,000 lead service lines responsible for contaminating Chicagoans’ tap water in 13 months.

Eight months after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon Alyssa Thomas provided a spark for the Connecticut Sun in a victory over the Chicago Sky.

The 11-year-old tiger had received her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine developed for animals. The zoo is now awaiting test results for other big cats that are exhibiting symptoms similar to the infected tiger’s.

Leonidas Kavakos — the Greek-born violinist who thrilled audiences with his performance of Beethoven’s 1806 “Violin Concerto in D Major” two years ago — returned to the stage with a galvanic rendering of Brahms’ 1878 “Violin Concerto in D Major,” leaving the packed house in a state of contained awe between movements.

State, city and county officials urged residents at risk of eviction to apply for rental assistance and explore their legal options to prevent an eviction. The Chicago Department of Housing officials have sent more than $38 million to nearly 5,000 households as of Sept. 27, officials said.

The number of shootings and homicides in 2021 continues to outpace 2020’s rates, as Chicago has now seen 2,726 shootings and 616 homicides through the first nine months of the year.

Drugmaker Merck said Friday that its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus, potentially a leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic.

Arlington Heights is a suburban neighbor to O’Hare airport and about a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. The village is one of the largest in the northwest suburbs and is home to what was, until last weekend, the world-renowned Arlington International Racecourse.

A rough first NFL start for Justin Fields as the rookie quarterback is sacked nine times by the Cleveland Browns. Can the team remedy its offensive woes in time for the winless Detroit Lions? James “Big Cat” Williams’ gives us three keys to the upcoming game.

Chicago scientist Heather Skeen studied the gut bacteria of the migratory Kirtland’s warbler and made a surprising discovery with potentially far-reaching implications.

A historian devoted to keeping alive the stories of long-dead victims of racial violence along the Texas-Mexico border and a civil rights activist whose mission is to make sure people who leave prison are free to walk into the voting booth are among this year’s MacArthur fellows.

Local leaders are working to redevelop a massive city site into a mixed-use, community-driven project. They’ve gotten millions in seed money from the state — and are hoping for city support, too.

The Board of Directors of Chicago Public Media— the parent of WBEZ— unanimously approved a non-binding letter of intent for the group and the Sun-Times to explore joining together as a local nonprofit news organization.

Live from Arlington Heights with reaction to the Bears deal and a game preview. Merger talks between WBEZ and the Sun-Times. A new South Side development. And a local MacArthur Genius Grant winner.

Pedro Martinez, Chicago Public Schools’ new CEO, said Thursday the district will provide more COVID-19 testing and work harder to keep families in the loop on case information amid confusion and criticism through the first month of the school year.

With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.