Stories by Matt Masterson

Prosecutors on Tuesday wrapped up their direct questioning of former ComEd exec turned government mole Fidel Marquez — who spent his fourth day on the witness stand — allowing McClain’s defense attorney Patrick Cotter to begin his cross examination.

An Illinois judge on Friday issued a permanent injunction against the state’s so-called assault weapons ban, calling it an “unconstitutional affront to the Second Amendment.”

The CPD on Thursday published a trio of photos they say depict the person responsible for the shooting deaths of Lamont Johnson, 51, and Peter Jennings, 47, who were both killed in a nonpublic area of the popular tourist spot Tuesday afternoon.

Jurors in Madigan’s ongoing racketeering and corruption trial on Thursday heard testimony from former ComEd exec turned government mole Fidel Marquez about how the company would set aside internship slots each summer as a gift to the former Illinois House speaker.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, 82, and his longtime confidant Michael McClain, 77, are charged with racketeering, bribery and wire fraud. They have each pleaded not guilty.

The AP declared Eileen O’Neill Burke the winner in the Cook County state’s attorney race just before 9 p.m. in one of the most closely watched races on Election Day in Chicago.

The victims, both men, were shot at around 1:15 p.m. in an administrative office in a nonpublic space at the popular tourist site, Chicago police Chief of Patrol John Hein said.

“He was a proud individual, very hard working, and he gave his life for this city,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said late Monday.

Jurors on Monday heard more about Michael McClain’s alleged plan to arrange payments to Kevin Quinn, one of the speaker’s employees who’d been fired after he’d been accused of sexually harassing another staffer.

Amid ongoing turmoil, Chicago’s Board of Education on Friday pushed ahead with its first meeting in more than five weeks — one day after president Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson became the eighth person to resign from the seven-member board in the last calendar month.

Chicago Board of Education President Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson resigned under pressure Thursday after a series of antisemitic, misogynistic and conspiratorial social media posts generated a wave of outrage that stretched from the Chicago City Council to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, who already faced attempted murder charges will now face additional terrorism and hate crime charges, Chicago and Cook County officials announced on Thursday afternoon.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, 82, and his longtime confidant Michael McClain, 77, are charged with racketeering, bribery and wire fraud. They have each pleaded not guilty.

Michael Madigan, 82, and his longtime confidant Michael McClain, 77, are charged with racketeering, bribery and wire fraud. They have each pleaded not guilty.

Testimony resumed Monday in the fourth week of the former Illinois House speaker’s corruption trial inside Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Building. Michael Madigan, 82, and his longtime confidant Michael McClain, 77, are charged with racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

The seven new board members, appointed by Johnson earlier this month, were sworn in during Thursday’s agenda review committee meeting. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, who was also present at Thursday’s meeting, has seen questions swirl about his continued employment with the school district.

Devan Flax, 21, faces assault, robbery and firearm charges in the suburban Forest Park incidents from November 2023. He’s also charged in connection with the robbery of a Berwyn pizzeria employee that same month.

Tuesday marked the second day of opening statements in the landmark trial as Michael McClain’s defense team had its opportunity to present its opening statements to jurors inside the Dirksen Federal Building.

The final two alternates were selected Monday, meaning opening statements in the trial of Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain went forth at the Dirksen Federal Building with a 12-person jury and six alternates.

One additional juror was seated Thursday at the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain stand accused of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

The board’s monthly meeting, which had been scheduled for Oct. 24, is no longer set to be held and a makeup date has not yet been announced.

Eleven jurors were picked through the first three days of the selection process last week, but so far no new members have been chosen through two days of questioning this week.

The school district on Wednesday released its 20th-day enrollment figures — which serve as the office CPS tally for the academic year — showing there are currently 325,305 students enrolled.

According to Chicago Police Department figures, there were 34 people shot in 29 separate shootings between Friday and Monday evenings. 

The board’s monthly agenda review committee meeting, which had been scheduled for Wednesday morning, will not be held as planned, Chicago Public Schools announced over the weekend.

The West Side hospital’s ex-CEO George Miller was charged in a superseding indictment Friday after he allegedly received more than $750,000 in bribes.