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.

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.

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.

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.

“We have just been crushed” by the coronavirus, said Metra CFO Tom Farmer. The agency has seen ridership drop as much as 97% during the pandemic.

The West Side neighborhood of Austin has become a hot spot for COVID-19 cases. According to the city, it falls into a zip code that has recorded a COVID-19 case rate of between 431-720 people per 100,000. 

Chicago Public Schools students are now back in the classroom — virtually, that is. Students officially began remote learning Monday, but many people argue that nothing can replace time in the classroom.

The 44th Ward alderman talks about how the North Side communities he serves, including Boystown and Wrigleyville, are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus has effectively shut down what locals describe as the world’s largest contiguous LGBTQ neighborhood. How businesses, social service agencies and others are dealing with the pandemic.

The future for many small businesses is unclear. To create some security, the federal government has stepped in with $349 billion in loans for small businesses, but the programs have had a bumpy start. 

The Chicago Transit Authority says it has enough cash on hand to keep buses and trains running through the end of the April – but if federal bailout money doesn’t come soon, the agency will be forced to borrow to keep customers moving. 

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump fired Glenn Fine, chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, whose job was to oversee the administration of trillions of dollars in federal funding. We get reaction from three Illinois congressmen.

Ridership on public transit in the Chicago area has dropped dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic. Will an influx of federal money be enough to prop up area transit agencies? 

Personal finance educators Talaat and Tai McNeely, hosts of the podcast “The His and Her Money Show,” help us navigate the ways government funds might be able to fill financial gaps during the pandemic.