Jerry Wu

Jerry Wu is a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune and a student at Northwestern University. His reporting has been published in POLITICO, San Francisco Chronicle and The San Diego Union-Tribune.

People walk past a patch northwest of Montrose Harbor where a controlled burn took place on March 30, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Park District balances weather, proximity to public areas during controlled burns

April 15, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Between December and April, Park District officials regularly carry out controlled burns across the city — from Hegewisch Marsh Park on the Far South Side to Lincoln Park on the...

Susan Cappello, Mayor Brandon Johnson's choice to lead Animal Care and Control, speaks March 5, 2026, during a press conference at PAWS Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Nominee to lead Chicago animal control draws critics and defenders ahead of confirmation vote

March 10, 2026 at 7:34 p.m.

Animal welfare groups and city officials are divided over Mayor Brandon Johnson's nomination of Susan Cappello.

Workers try to restore power in Oxford, Mississippi, Jan. 26, 2026, following a weekend ice storm with freezing rain. (Bruce Newman/AP)

During storm, electric grid bottleneck blocked Illinois power glut from easing East Coast prices

March 8, 2026 at 12:56 p.m.

PJM was unable to help its hardest-hit regions in January because of limited transmission capacity. Meanwhile hourly Illinois customers saw their bills cut.

Rush hour traffic moves on the Kennedy Expressway on Dec. 17, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Trump administration dismantles US ability to fight climate change; environmentalists vow to appeal

February 12, 2026 at 6:46 p.m.

In the Midwest, climate change is fueling extreme heat, toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes and tornadoes across Illinois.

Freighters are docked at the Illinois International Port District facility on the Calumet River at Lake Michigan on July 18, 2023, in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Stricter ballast rules on freighters demanded to protect Great Lakes from invasive species

February 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

To prevent further spread of potentially catastrophic invasive species in the Great Lakes, the Canadian government is moving forward with tighter restrictions on all freighters. But standards finalized by the...

Workers Danny Satay, right, and Ivan Casiano install solar panels on a home in Elmhurst on Oct. 24, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois bets on virtual power plants to ease electric grid strain and costs

December 30, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

VPPs tap into everyday home technologies, including solar panels and batteries, by transmitting excess stored energy to the grid.

Soybeans are harvested in Piatt County on Sept. 20, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois farmers welcome Trump aid package but say more needs to be done to save struggling industry

December 11, 2025 at 5:39 p.m.

A combination of trade wars with China and rising costs has led to projections of billions in losses nationally for growers this year.

Gov. JB Pritzker, center, walks with Linda and Ben Curtin, left, through their property during a visit to the Curtin family farm on Oct. 29, 2025, in Taylorville. Following a conversation with the Curtins, Pritzker signed an executive order declaring an agricultural crisis in Illinois as a result of Trump administration policies that are adversely affecting farmers. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois soybean farmers struggle with unpredictable trade war and rising costs

November 28, 2025 at 1:16 p.m.

Farmers say they face added pressure from South American countries, which have become increasingly competitive as China turns to these markets.

Hannah Bradbury, leader of the North Avenue Swim & Triathlon Yo! (NASTY) group, reacts to the temperature after wrapping up training in Lake Michigan on Nov. 6, 2025, at North Avenue Beach in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Lake Michigan water temps remain abnormally warm into fall

November 7, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Because of climate change, the Great Lakes are gradually warming, raising concerns about effects on the food chain, scientists say.

Workers Danny Satay, left, and Ivan Casiano install solar panels on a home in Elmhurst on Oct. 24, 2025. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Amid last-minute rooftop solar rush, companies brace for fallout next year from Trump rebate repeal

October 30, 2025 at 1:54 p.m.

Demand for home solar has surged since Trump repealed a federal tax credit worth about $8,000 per household by the year’s end.

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