Stories by Erica Gunderson

Preventing health issues in Latino men. A look at upcoming changes for the city's workforce. A taste of Chilean music. And Class of 2022 high school graduates reflect and look ahead.

Like all of the nation’s high school graduates, the Chicago Public Schools class of 2022 has spent more than half of their high school experience navigating the pandemic. But CPS students also had to contend with contention between the Chicago Teachers Union and CPS administration, including two strikes.

Composer, singer, accordionist and pianist Pascuala Ilabaca and her band Fauna are playing in Chicago for the first time next week. The band’s music blends traditional instruments and rhythms with lyrics reflecting a feminist perspective.

Former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Senator Dick Durbin announced the formation of a new immigration reform organization called “Our Nation’s Future.” 

This weekend, many Latinos will come together to celebrate the men who hold a cherished place in their families. It may be a good opportunity to give them a nudge to see their doctor. 

With the pandemic still bedeviling live performance these days understudies have become heroic figures. Now, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has its very own “last minute hero” story, too. 

Prime time for the primary: Campaigns enter the final stretch. Illinois loses Caterpillar. And revelations from hearings on the Capitol insurrection. 

The Chicago Department of Transportation said Friday that it’s launching a new community engagement effort. It will take the place of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council, Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council, and the Vision Zero Advocacy Group.

Chicago Park District officials acknowledged to WTTW News that it had not been able to hire enough lifeguards to allow its 49 outdoor pools to open as scheduled on June 24, blaming a “national shortage” and “several other factors.” 

Performed earlier this month, a trio of Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts led by guest conductors and featuring guest violinists deserve to be chronicled.

 Gov. J.B. Pritzker officially added the eastern milksnake to the list of state symbols Thursday.

Fuller Park is a small community area on the South Side of Chicago, located right off the Dan Ryan Expressway. Despite being considered one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago, community leaders have been investing in the neighborhood for years. 

U.S. regulators on Friday authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week.

The Republican candidates vying for Secretary of State, in our candidate forum. We’re in Chicago’s smallest community for our In Your Neighborhood series. And we’ll talk about the week’s wild weather.

We take you to West Town, where a production at the Vittum Theater is commemorating more than 400 years of Black American history.

The week started off with a tornado in the western suburbs. Then, the Chicagoland area was hit with an excessive heat warning. It ended up being our warmest stretch of days in 10 years.

“We need lifeguards NOW and are offering great incentives to anyone who is a strong swimmer and interested in keeping the public safe,” Rosa Escareño, Chicago Park District general superintendent, said in a statement.

After more than 20 years in office, Secretary of State Jesse White is retiring. We hear from the two Republican candidates vying for his job.

COVID-19 posed a high risk in Chicago and Cook County for 21 days, but neither state, county nor city officials imposed new restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Chicagoans should consider the CDC’s medium level of risk warning as “a yellow light of caution,” Dr. Allison Arwady has said.

A federal civil right lawsuit Mia Wright and four relatives filed states that they drove to the Brickyard Mall on May 31, 2020, to go shopping and didn’t realize it was closed due to the unrest. The suit alleges that police officers suddenly surrounded their car, broke the windows with their batons and pulled Wright out by her hair.

Nine cases of monkeypox have been detected in Chicago while one case has been identified in DuPage County, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. 

A Cook County judge on Thursday issued a $10,000 I-bond to 52-year-old Bruce Dyker, meaning the ex-officer will not need to put up any money to be released as he awaits trial on charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct.

Chicago Police officers found to have committed misconduct face “inconsistent” and “unfair,” discipline, according to an audit released Thursday by the city’s watchdog.

Members of the SailGP international yacht racing league have converged on Chicago for an upcoming competition, but before taking their catamarans onto Lake Michigan this weekend, the athletes piled into canoes and helped install native aquatic plants along the Chicago River's banks.

Production for Abbott’s EleCare specialty formula has been suspended, but there is enough supply to meet demand until production is restarted, the company said. 

While the Chicago Department of Transportation encourages residents to submit complaints of blocked bike lanes to 311, “requests sent to 311 are not sent to Administrative Hearings for ticketing,” CDOT said in a statement.