Stories by Matt Masterson

Johnson on Tuesday signed an executive order calling for a “full-force of government approach” to tackling the pervasive smoking problem on city trains and buses.

Advocates say more must be done to assist domestic violence survivors amid an increase in those types of shootings and homicides.

Anne Pramaggiore was sentenced in a downtown Chicago courtroom to two years in federal prison, more than two years after she was convicted as part of the “ComEd Four” trial.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Friday said Donald Trump is “declaring war” on public broadcasting, hours after Congress approved more than $1 billion in cuts to radio and television stations across Illinois and the rest of the country.

Chicago’s top city watchdog Deborah Witzburg announced Thursday she will not be seeking another term.

“It is intolerable to us that anyone who disgraces the Justice Department would be promoted to one of the highest courts in the land,” the letter states, “as it should be intolerable to anyone committed to maintaining our ordered system of justice.”

The girl’s mother is now suing Chicago Public Schools as well as staff from Wildwood IB World Magnet School, alleging she suffered “extreme acts” of racial bullying and sexual abuse.

The former Illinois House speaker is asking that he be allowed to stay out of prison during his appeal in the federal bribery case — an area of criminal law his attorneys say is among the most complex and “rapidly evolving.”

John Hooker, one of the four former Commonwealth Edison officials convicted of conspiring to bribe ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. The sentence is well below the recommendation from federal prosecutors of 56 months. Hooker’s defense team had asked for a sentence of probation.

According to data from the city and Chicago Police Department, total violent crime is down at least 22% thus far in 2025, while there have been 90 fewer homicides and more than 400 fewer shootings compared to last year.

Michael McClain, 77, a former Illinois representative lobbyist for Commonwealth Edison, was convicted of bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility giant’s books as part of the “ComEd Four” trial in 2023.

Chicago and Illinois officials gathered at the West Side museum Wednesday morning to decry the “government overreach” they said took place a day earlier.

Officials with the federal Bureau of Prisons on Tuesday confirmed that Burke, 81, had been transferred from the Federal Correctional Institution in Thomson, Illinois where he’d been serving his sentence to a halfway house run by the bureau’s Chicago Residential Reentry Management office.

Prosecutors this week asked a federal judge to hand Anne Pramaggiore a 70-month prison sentence along with a fine of $1.75 million after she was convicted in the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial on charges including bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the company’s books.

According to the Chicago Police Department, 44 people were shot in 32 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Thursday and midnight Sunday.

Police said a dark-colored vehicle drove past the location and an unknown number of people seated inside opened fire, striking at least 18 people.

The parents of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera are calling for “full transparency,” including an independent investigation and the release of all available footage, weeks after their daughter was mistakenly shot and killed by her partner.

Anosh Ahmed was among four people charged after they allegedly submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to the federal government for COVID testing materials totaling nearly $900 million, of which approximately $293 million was paid.

The feds asked a judge to give John Hooker, a former ComEd exec, a prison sentence of 56 months following his conviction on charges including bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility company’s books.

“I step into this role with a deep sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to the students, families and the educators who make this district extraordinary,” interim CPS CEO Macquline King said Thursday.

Hundreds of family, friends and fellow police gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park to mourn the fallen officer.

Connelly, who served as Misericordia’s administrator for more than 50 years and propelled the institution into one of the nation’s most prominent communities for people with disabilities, passed away peacefully at her home Friday.

According to the National Weather Service, oppressive levels of heat and humidity will stick around through Monday afternoon, with highs expected in the mid 90s and heat indices topping out at 105 degrees.

The stations, located at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr, will open to the public beginning July 20. City officials said this will mark the largest simultaneous opening of stations since the Orange Line opened in 1993.

U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jonathan Jackson attempted to enter the immigration facility, located at 2245 S. Michigan Ave., but said they were only able to make it into the lobby before being told to leave by a person identifying themselves as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

A former Dolton employee is seeking to halt the village’s purchase of the pope’s former home, claiming such a move would be “financially irresponsible” as the village is in “severe financial distress.”