Stories by Erica Gunderson

In 1918, a deadly strain of influenza killed more people than World War I, and thousands of Chicagoans were among the dead. But it could have been much worse. Geoffrey Baer explains.

While its mayor and police chief were both diagnosed with the coronavirus last month, Illinois’ second-largest city has seen relatively few of cases of COVID-19.

Music has always been a source of comfort for 18-year-old Cameron Chiu. When the coronavirus prompted a stay-at-home order, he and his classmate created a project that would bring people together.

The global health crisis has ravaged communities around the world — and locally. But in the city of Aurora, local officials have sounded an optimistic tone. We visited the far western suburb as part of our reporting series, COVID-19 Across Chicago.

Scientists and engineers across the planet are desperately searching for ways to combat the new coronavirus. A significant part of that effort is taking place just west of Chicago.

Pregnancy and childbirth are stressful enough, but they’re even more so when hospitals and doctor’s offices are flooded with coronavirus patients. We speak with Dr. Melissa Simon of Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Testing is a key element of Illinois’ fight against COVID-19, and on Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker provided an update on the state’s efforts to expand its testing capacity.

Lawsuits have now been filed against the developer and other parties involved in the mishandled demolition of a former coal plant in Little Village, which recently left the neighborhood covered in a plume of unknown particles. 

Summer in Chicago is synonymous with neighborhood street festivals, outdoor concerts and art shows. But what will the season bring in 2020? We asked some local organizers for their take on festival season in the COVID-19 era.

Chicago officials said Thursday they will not ticket, boot or impound cars that do not pose a public safety threat for an additional month as part of an effort to help Chicagoans facing a cash crunch.

Wrigley Field should be stirring to life this week. But with the baseball season postponed indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic, the Friendly Confines will instead welcome a temporary outpost of the Lakeview Pantry. 

Since testing positive for COVID-19 last month, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has made a full recovery. He joins us to discuss his city’s response to the pandemic.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has teamed up with his counterparts in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky on a coordinated effort to reopen local economies as they work to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Watch the April 16, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The government said 5.2 million more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the four-week total to about 22 million out of a work force of 159 million — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. 

Chicago-area public transportation got $1.43 billion in CARES Act funding, which the revenue-strapped agencies hope arrives soon. But the Regional Transportation Authority warns they shouldn’t plan on another round of federal bailout money.

As federal officials weigh how and when to reopen the country, experts worry that the United States does not have enough public health workers to suppress another outbreak, especially those qualified to do contact tracing.

The nonprofit Urban Growers Collective operates community farms on Chicago’s South Side, providing fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods with few to no nutritional food options.

Garden centers are juggling an anticipated increase in demand with social distancing concerns. Now, many are offering online ordering, no-contact delivery and curbside pickup as options.

The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting new challenges to communities across Chicago that are already struggling. We visit Albany Park as part of our reporting series.

President Donald Trump has halted funding to the World Health Organization until a review can be conducted of its pandemic response. U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Jan Schakowsky weigh in on that and other recent moves by Trump.

As part of an ongoing series on how professional musicians are responding to a changing landscape, we meet a few aspiring young musicians, who tell us the downside – and the upside – of studying music during the pandemic.

The pandemic has made it even harder to do the things that some of us already had a hard time doing, like eating well and exercising. But with some planning and creativity, staying active and healthy while staying at home is totally doable.

Twenty weeks after he took over as the Chicago Police Department’s interim superintendent, Charlie Beck officially stepped down from his post Wednesday, handing over a badge to the city’s new top cop David Brown.

Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood is home to immigrants from all over the world. But the area is now seeing an uptick in gun violence and threats to housing stability, the area alderman says.

The novel coronavirus has closed schools, restaurants, bars and businesses throughout the state, and on Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker revealed how the pandemic will cause a $2.7 billion shortfall this year and a $4.6 billion shortfall next year.