Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

April, 1945—75 years ago—saw major events in the ending of World War II in Europe, from the deaths of three of the most prominent antagonists of the era to the meeting of American and Soviet troops in Germany and an early beginning of the UN.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown can be difficult for parents and scary for children. PBS KIDS has a series of fun videos to teach kids healthy habits, featuring Daniel Tiger, Sid the Science Kid, and more!

DuPage county, outside Chicago, took part in Jonas Salk's polio vaccine trials in 1954, a successful nationwide experiment that led to the virtual end of a terrifying disease and was called "one of the greatest events in the history of medicine." 

Dr. Turner searches for the source of a diphtheria outbreak in Poplar while a woman in a complicated situation suffers regrest after feeling like she had no option but to abandon a baby in a trashcan, in the return episode of Call the Midwife.

Cooking and baking more while self-isolating at home? We have plenty of food shows for you to stream, from new programs premiering now to old favorites, featuring everyone from Chicagoans to celebrity chefs both teaching recipes and sharing their passion.

A second season of Pinkalicious & Peterrific launches March 30, along with new games. Dorothea Gillima, the executive producer of the series as well as of Molly of Denali, discusses what her job entails and how the shows can keep kids occupied and learning while schools are closed.  

America's Test Kitchen has launched a new, free "Kitchen Classroom," with daily recipes and food-related activities and quizzes to keep you and your children occupied and learning while schools are closed.

PBS's POV offers a wide variety of short documentary films to stream for free, telling the stories of everything from the media frenzy surrounding El Chapo's trial to a unique event featuring more than a million balloons in Cleveland, plus a collaboration with StoryCorps.

To help seniors, who are among the populations most at risk from COVID-19, several Chicago stores are offering special senior hours at the beginning of the day. Additionally, Jewel and Mariano's have immediate job openings. 

While you practice social distancing, you can still do a lot: help researchers at the Newberry Library understand history, follow penguins as they wander the Shedd Aquarium, listen to Studs Terkel's conversations with fascinating people from history, and more. 

Whether you’re working from home and need some entertainment during your lunch break or are a parent with a curious teenager who’s itching for more outside their school day, here are some programs that you can stream any time, any where, for free.

Waterborne diseases like cholera periodically devastated Chicago in the nineteenth century. The attempt to beat them inspired three of the most ambitious engineering feats the country has seen.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Find resources here.

March is Women's History Month, and we're celebrating with all sorts of programming: appreciative looks at some of America's funniest women, profiles of literary landmarks, documentaries looking at the dearth of women in various positions, and even a PBS Kids special. 

New Yorker writer Jane Kramer discusses the myth of the American West, the rise of big agribusiness and its effect on both traditional ranching and cows, and what bringing her daughter along on her reporting could do, in this 1978 interview from the WTTW archives.