Stories by Erica Gunderson

Their size and reach allow them to get assistance quickly and efficiently to people in need, but nonprofits with more than 500 employees cannot apply for forgivable loans under the CARES Act.

The game at a newly constructed ballpark on the cornfield adjacent to the site of the 1989 movie had been scheduled for Aug. 13 in Dyersville, Iowa.

In an effort to curb COVID-19 infections, the Cook County Department of Public Health is asking bars, breweries and taverns that do not serve food to only serve customers outside.

The Illinois State Board of Elections is scheduled to finalize the Nov. 3 ballot on Aug. 21. Will superstar Kanye West be on the ballot in his home state as an independent candidate for president?

The conservation group Openlands started the program in 1991 and has since certified 2,000 TreeKeepers, who play an important role in conserving, protecting and advocating for the Chicago region’s trees. 

Anyone entering suburban Cook County from a designated COVID-19 hot spot — including travelers and returning residents — will have to quarantine for 14 days. The list includes 22 states, and could grow more.

Inspectors shut down an illegal party at a Humboldt Park warehouse where revelers were not wearing masks or following social distancing rules, city officials said Monday.

Watch the Aug. 3, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Despite a statewide mandate, not all residents are wearing masks. A new campaign aims to encourage folks to do just that. “A mask is like anything that keeps us safe. It only works if you wear it,” the governor said.

Chicago police have a suspect in custody in connection with the shooting death of Janari Ricks near the Cabrini Rowhouses on Friday night. Criminal charges are expected to be filed in the coming days.

North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds in the last 50 years. A new bird banding station at Big Marsh Park is part of a massive effort to figure out ways to help our feathered friends. 

Microsoft says it is in talks with Chinese company ByteDance to acquire the U.S. arm of its popular video app TikTok and has discussed with President Donald Trump his concerns about security and censorship surrounding such an acquisition.

Chicago artist Matt Bergstrom wants kids across the city to get to know the homes that make up their neighborhood blocks by building them with their own hands, one free printable model at a time. 

Nearly 400 people in 34 states, including 10 in Illinois, have become ill with a strain of the bacterial disease linked to red onions from a major California producer, according to a food safety alert from the CDC.

Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

Ready to hit the open road? You might want to rethink those travel plans. Even a simple day trip to Wisconsin could cost you two weeks at home — or a possible fine.

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Sunday reported 1,467 new cases of COVID-19 — the 12th day in a row the state reported more than 1,000 new cases in a 24-hour period. In total, the state has seen 181,943 confirmed cases of the virus.

Who gets to be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine? U.S. health authorities hope by late next month to have some draft guidance on how to ration initial doses, but it’s a vexing decision. 

Rookie winger Dominik Kubalik scored two goals and added three assists, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-4 win over the host Edmonton Oilers in the opener of their best-of-five qualifying round series on Saturday.

According to data released by the Chicago Police Department, the city saw 105 homicides in July — an increase of 138% compared to July 2019. Despite that increase, police say overall crime numbers are trending down.

Another month passes. The coronavirus pandemic marches on. And Americans struggling amid the economic fallout once again have to worry as their next rent checks come due Aug. 1.

The coronavirus has upended daily routines around the globe, but it’s not just humans who have been impacted. Our pets have grown accustomed to us being home around the clock.

The governor warns of a “danger point” as COVID-19 cases rise. Three cops are injured in a shooting. ComEd gets a grilling from aldermen, while House Speaker Madigan says he isn’t going anywhere.

This weekend, the portrayal of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood will be on display during the Bronzeville Film Festival.

Chicago bars ordered to stop serving customers indoors as part of a rollback ordered by Mayor Lori Lightfoot following an increase in the number of coronavirus cases can apply to open a sidewalk cafe, city officials announced Friday.

Illinois will close five large juvenile detention centers as part of a plan unveiled Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in an effort to “transform” the current system, which Pritzker called “too punitive and too ineffective.”