Stories by Erica Gunderson

Research shows formerly incarcerated people who maintained employment for one year after release had only a 16% recidivism rate, compared to a 52% rate for those who did not stay employed.

For young Black book lovers, it can be tough to find books that reflect the readers and their worlds. In 2018, the local nonprofit Young, Black & Lit took it upon itself to make sure that Black children have plenty of options for their bookshelves.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was back on the stage at Orchestra Hall on Thursday. Klaus Mäkelä, the wonderfully graceful yet powerfully dynamic 27-year-old Finnish conductor, was on the podium to lead a stunning program.

When you don’t get enough good sleep, the short-term consequences are noticeable — maybe you’re distracted at work or snappy with loved ones. But in the background, irregular and poor-quality sleeping patterns could increase your risk for developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

The Chicago-area connection to one of the balloons Biden shot down. Big changes proposed to help Cook County homeowners struggling with property tax debt. And an illegally built museum in Humboldt Park.

It’s been months since the Chicago Park District discovered the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture started construction on an unauthorized building in Humboldt Park. The half-finished cement box is still there. Is there an end in sight?

If homeowners are delinquent more than a year on making property tax payments, they’re at risk of owing large interest payments to private investors who buy up that debt. “It’s the poorest people paying the richest people,” Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said.

While the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade has not blamed the U.S. government for taking out one of its 32-inch-wide “Pico Balloons,” the group of hobbyists notes in a blog post that its last transmission was near where an unidentified object wash shot down.

Dark money flows along with the attacks in the mayor’s race. Florida Gov. DeSantis’ visit to the area draws rebuke. The Bears close on the Arlington Heights property. And Pritzker’s budget spends big on education.

A San Francisco-based tech startup has announced the launch of the latest tool in the fight to stave off the worst of climate change: genetically modified trees.

The nine enforcement actions – an unprecedented number for the board to take at a single meeting – were approved at a special meeting of the Chicago Board of Ethics approximately two weeks after Chair William Conlon sent a warning to all candidates: Do not use images of uniformed Chicago police officers, firefighters or city personnel in campaign advertisements.

On Thursday, the office of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who was elected to the Senate after a bruising campaign during which he suffered a stroke, announced he had checked himself into the hospital for clinical depression. 

The performance is a fascinating hybrid of ballet technique, modern drama and evocative projection design. Bringing the show fully to life is both the technical polish of the Joffrey dancers and their exceptional gift for acting that so vividly captures the difference between love and passion.

“Plain and simple, Kelly does not comprehend that what he did was wrong," federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memo this week.

We're live in Evanston as neighbors fight back against a redevelopment plan for Ryan Field. Which guns would be affected by the state's proposed assault weapons ban. And artists fight back against AI technology.

Saxophone player Jim Gailloreto with the Metropolitan Jazz Octet arranged some of the songs on the group’s new album, saying their lyrical interpretation of Bowie’s music informed their musical “adjustments.”

Powerful AI models that can realistically simulate the style of virtually any artist have many in the art world worried. In fact, some artists believe the technology has for them become an existential threat.

Guns classified by the state of Illinois as "assault weapons" have been banned since Jan. 11. That means that hundreds — perhaps thousands — of guns can no longer be legally sold in Illinois. Those who already own guns and ammunition covered by the ban can keep them; they must be registered with the state.

Northwestern University is proposing to give its more than 100-year-old Ryan Field a major makeover. The change is said to make the field accessible for people with disabilities, offer green spaces and — to some community members’ dismay — have the option for concerts and similar events.

Theater performances, an African American art exhibition and an international dance congress usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

According to a statement from the Evanston Police Department, three of the four people struck were hospitalized with “serious injuries,” while a fourth was treated at the scene. Northwestern confirmed all four people are university employees.

The president’s 2 p.m. White House remarks come after he directed National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to lead an “interagency team” to review U.S. procedures after the U.S. shot down the China balloon, as well as three other objects the U.S. now believes are most likely “benign” objects.

Robert Crimo, Jr., 58, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of felony reckless conduct during a brief hearing Thursday, one day after a Lake County grand jury indicted him on those charges.

A federal judge has denied R. Kelly’s request for a new trial, just a week before he is set to be sentenced on child pornography charges following his conviction in Chicago last year.

Mike Clevinger has reported to the Chicago White Sox for spring training, joining his new team amid an ongoing investigation by Major League Baseball into allegations of domestic violence.

In “Wake Up with Purpose: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years,” Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt tells her life story, offers spiritual guidance and shares some of the lessons she’s learned.