Stories by Erica Gunderson

Amid the chaos that characterized the last decades of the Robert Taylor Homes in Bronzeville, an ambitious early education program helped the children who lived there flourish.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed Smart Start program would allow an additional 5,000 kids to go to preschool next year, eventually adding a total of 20,000 slots. The plan would also add money to increase wages for early education providers.

If you like a little salsa with your fish, Ritmo del Mar at the Shedd Aquarium might be the event for you. The adults-only evening will combine Latino music and cuisine with the aquatic life and cityscapes of the Shedd.

The tension rises between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson in the race for Chicago mayor. Madigan recordings revealed in week one of the “ComEd Four” trial. Northwestern moves on in the NCAA tournament. And the Bears start their revamp.

If you’re commuting from the North Side, a new round of construction might have you changing lanes. Community development plans along the CTA. And Patty Wetli has this week in nature.

Veteran Art Movement is partnering with UIC and three art institutions to highlight work created by artists impacted by war. Veterans from across the country are gathering to experience that art and share stories from their time in the service.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is beginning a yearslong construction project on the Kennedy Expressway. It's expected to impact the Edens and Dan Ryan expressways and cost $150 million.

Community-driven development centered around future CTA stations. That’s the idea behind a new “transit-supportive development” plan to revitalize South Side neighborhoods that are part of the proposed Red Line extension to 130th Street.

The International Criminal Court said Friday it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.

Jesús “Chuy” García’s endorsement is designed to unite the city’s progressives behind Brandon Johnson, a critical part of Johnson’s path to defeating Paul Vallas, who has consolidated Chicago’s conservative political establishment under his banner.

A mother’s fight for answers in the unsolved killing of her son. How a four-day workweek might, well, work. And we add some color to your winter with a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s orchid show.

There’s one place spring has most definitely sprung: the Chicago Botanic Garden, where the annual orchid show is now underway. WTTW News also toured the garden’s orchid greenhouse, which isn’t open to the public.

Talks of a four-day workweek are heating up nationwide. A lawmaker in California has reintroduced a U.S. House bill that would make a 32-hour workweek the national standard. A bill in Maryland proposes tax incentives for companies that try out a four-day workweek.

The New 400 Theaters in Rogers Park has survived two world wars, two pandemics and an ever-changing movie industry. The current owner is looking to sell the space, making the theater’s future unclear.

“Seven years, and we still don’t have the answers. We still don’t know what happened to my son. Seven years, I’m still fighting, trying to find the truth.”

Tina Turner’s fiercely dramatic, profoundly painful and wildly successful life unfolds on stage in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”

Sanders said he backed Johnson because the Cook County commissioner “understands the struggle of working people.”

The medication has been used by millions of Americans since the FDA granted it emergency use authorization in late 2021. The agency has the final say on giving Pfizer’s drug full approval and is expected to decide by May.

Maple syrup, stand-up comedy and classical music usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as a barometer for layoffs in the U.S.

First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter will serve as interim police superintendent until the city’s next mayor can officially appoint a replacement.

The cubs were named in partnership with Maasai lion guardians in Tanzania. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first City Council meeting since losing her reelection bid. How the next mayor of Chicago should think about public safety. A train merger approved despite opposition. And the art of tattooing.

Tattooing is a skill Ryan Henry taught himself nearly 14 years ago. It was about halfway through his career that Henry garnered national attention when his artwork was showcased on the show “Black Ink Crew Chicago.”

The proposal requires human service organizations that contract with the city and have more than 20 employees to agree not to fight efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not to disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

Fresh endorsements in the race for Chicago mayor. The trial of the so-called "ComEd Four" is underway. And police Superintendent David Brown prepares to step down. Our politics team weighs in on those stories and more.