Stories by Erica Gunderson

As part of our La Última Palabra series, Lou Sandoval, CEO of Supply Hive, says it’s time for Latinos to look to the tech industry for entrepreneurial inspiration.

Eddie Bocanegra began his work in Chicago as an outreach worker at CeaseFire. He later started the Urban Warriors program with the YMCA, connecting youth with military veteran mentors and began the READI program offering intensive resources for people at high risk for violence. 

To keep or not to keep masks in schools, parents weigh in. A local anti-violence pioneer heads to D.C. Why now is the time to go all-in on tech. And an agave plant reaches for the stars.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the statewide mask mandate for most indoor public spaces will be lifted at the end of February. Despite the ongoing court challenge to the school mask mandate, it will remain in place for now. 

The two presidents spoke a day after Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned that U.S. intelligence shows that a Russian invasion could begin within days and before the Winter Olympics in Beijing end Feb. 20.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday Biden could begin meeting with top contenders as early as next week, noting that such interviews typically happen at the end of the vetting process. She said the president remains on track for an announcement by the end of the month.

Gov. Pritzker announces an eventual end to the indoor mask mandate. Chao and confusion abound at schools after the latest court ruling on masks in schools. The defense rests in an alderman’s criminal trial. And is there a ray of hope for the Bears and Soldier Field?

Rachmaninov’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor,” is a nerve-shatteringly difficult work. Backed by the full orchestra, which was in its usual sublime form, Lukas Vondracek rendered the extraordinary work with a superb mix of both titanic power and surprising lyricism.

Friday, the FDA reversed course and said it had become clear the agency needed to wait for data on how well a third shot works for the youngest age group. Pfizer said in a statement that it expected the data by early April.

The Biden administration on Friday escalated its dire warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could take place within days, even as diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued.

The Marriott Theatre’s “West Side Story” opened Wednesday night in a production especially notable for its rip-roaring Latin and jazz-infused dance sequences choreographed by Alex Sanchez.

An early look at the performance of COVID-19 booster shots during the recent omicron wave in the U.S. showed a decline in effectiveness against severe cases, though the shots still offered strong protection. 

Niles, a northwest Chicago suburb. It’s well known for its landmark replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it’s also a community thinking about how to revamp one of its anchor businesses for the future. There are efforts to redevelop Golf Mill mall, a nearby park, and plans to improve infrastructure and pedestrian safety.

Chicago police change their foot pursuit policy. College athletes blocked from playing in championships. Efforts to renew the Violence Against Women Act. And ancient artwork in a new setting. 

Alligator Records said Lay was known for his “trademark, hard-to-copy ‘double-shuffle’" drumming, based on double-time hand-clapping in his childhood church.

Police reform advocates criticized the original policy as too “vague” and said it gave officers too much discretion to chase someone they suspect of a crime. 

The housing market has been hot throughout the pandemic and so is the industry itself, with more people getting into the business. Membership at the Illinois Realtors Association is up 15% in the past five years and the past two years have seen the most significant growth.

Back in 1890, the Art Institute of Chicago began collecting Egyptian art. Much of it has been out of view for years, but the museum spruced up the collection and is about to unveil it in a new gallery. We have a preview of ancient art and artifacts from the Nile Valley in North Africa.

Sen. Dick Durbin announced a bill to renew the Violence Against Women Act alongside his Democratic and Republican colleagues who were also joined by domestic violence survivors and actor and advocate Angelina Jolie.

The decision comes from their conference, the Horizon League, after UIC announced it’ll be leaving the league and joining the Missouri Valley Conference next year. 

Thomas Dean was charged Thursday with three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon stemming from the Oct. 1, 2021, shootout in the 1200 block of North Mason Avenue.

The concessions are being written into an ordinance, which will come up for a second reading and final approval at a subsequent board meeting, possibly as early as Feb. 22. Failure to comply could lead to fines or even the suspension of Carvana’s business license.

Jerry Harris, 22, entered a guilty plea on charges of knowingly receiving child pornography and engaging in illicit sexual conduct during a remote hearing before a Chicago judge Thursday afternoon.

At this point in the coronavirus pandemic, local mask mandates are disappearing quickly while at the national level, the guidance to wear masks is staying put, at least for now. So, should you mask up or not? Infectious disease experts have some advice for wherever you live.

A 15-year-old boy is facing a felony charge after he allegedly made a “violent threat” online about Lincoln Park High School.

The Republican rift over a symbolic RNC vote to censure Trump’s two GOP House critics has exposed in stark contrast the competing forces fighting to control the party.