In the midst of uncertainties brought on by the pandemic, Chicago screenwriter Sylvia L. Jones is celebrating one of her biggest achievements yet: her first feature film.

As new numbers show COVID-19 rates among Chicago Latinos have surged in recent weeks, 26th Ward Ald. Roberto Maldonado is pushing for more testing in the community. But that’s not the only problem residents are facing.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently highlighted the high rate of COVID-19 in Latino communities. As part of our reporting series, we spent the day in a predominantly Latino neighborhood on the city’s Near West Side.

Illinois has spent more than $238 million on resources related to the pandemic, even entering into occasional bidding wars with other states for supplies. We ask Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza about state spending — and budget shortfalls.

History buffs are big fans of historical markers, those often-overlooked plaques that tell the tales of site-specific events from years past. Geoffrey Baer tells us about some unusual historical markers around Chicago.

Dave Odd, a professional forager in Chicago, says the COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up how we obtain food and will perhaps force people to pick their own. We go for a look at edible plants in Gompers Park.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Chicago’s Latino communities has skyrocketed in recent weeks, according to city data. Cristina Pacione-Zayas of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago says the pandemic has caused a “huge scare” in Humboldt Park.

Many moms have been feeling the brunt of the pandemic, managing child care and home-schooling on top of full-time jobs. One local mom’s ability to care for her daughter while helping families across the state has gotten special notice.

Since the city shut down lakefront parks and other public spaces in March, there have been calls for more open spaces. But some advocates say that push overlooks the priorities of communities of color, which have been hardest hit by the coronavirus. 

Watch the May 7, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Illinois restaurants and bars have been closed since mid-March to dine-in customers, and the governor’s newly unveiled reopening plan means they won’t be permitted to reopen any time soon.

The Hyde Park-Kenwood area is the home of former President Barack Obama, and in many ways it is the intellectual and academic heart of the city, with the University of Chicago laid out along the midway. 

As with many other local governments, COVID-19 is hurting Cook County’s bottom line. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says the county could be facing a projected budget shortfall around $260 million. 

As part of our series COVID-19 Across Chicago, we check in with the University of Chicago Medical Center in Hyde Park.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful on everyone, but health care workers on the front lines are dealing with incredible mental health challenges.