Stories by Matt Masterson
CPS Pledging to Add 250 New Social Workers, Case Managers
| Matt Masterson
The district says it will spend $26 million to add 160 social workers and 94 special education case managers in schools across the city.
Chicago Police Release Bodycam Footage of Officer-Involved Shooting
| Matt Masterson
Police officials waited less than 24 hours after a fatal shooting in the South Shore neighborhood to publish video footage of the incident involving 37-year-old Harith Augustus.
Breaking into a Car to Save a Dog: Should it Be Legal in Illinois?
| Alex Ruppenthal
A dozen states have enacted laws granting criminal immunity to those who enter vehicles to rescue domestic animals that appear to be suffering. Should Illinois be the 13th?
Archaeological Dig Begins at Irving Park Home
| Kristen Thometz
A 162-year-old Chicago home rumored to have once been a stop on the Underground Railroad is now the site of an excavation. What archaeologists are hoping to unearth.
The Week in Review: Hate Crime Charges Follow Forest Preserve Rant
| Nick Blumberg
A man faces charges after confronting a woman at a Cook County forest preserve. The mayor and governor feud on Twitter over a controversial anti-violence march. And Groupon’s biggest offer ever: the company itself.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: What Viral Videos Tell Us
| Nick Blumberg
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss a recent spate of racially charged incidents caught on video.
Attorney General Madigan Sues DOJ Over Withheld Federal Funding
| Matt Masterson
The U.S. Department of Justice is violating federal law by refusing to distribute millions in funding to Illinois due to a dispute over immigration policies, according to a lawsuit filed by the state attorney general.
Cook County Commissioners: Get Rid of Forest Preserve Police
| Paris Schutz
More fallout in the wake of a viral video that has resulted in hate crime charges and a police officer’s resignation.
Keith Haring’s Chicago Mural Speaks to Youth, Artists
| Marc Vitali
Nearly 30 years ago, artist Keith Haring enlisted the help of 500 Chicago students to paint a 488-foot long mural. Chicago Tonight caught up with a trio of those teens who grew up to be artists themselves.
Former Animal Care Director Susan Russell on Her Falling Out with City Hall
| Evan Garcia
City Hall insiders said she was “warehousing” dogs – but the ousted executive director of the city’s animal shelter denies that claim. Susan Russell joins us in discussion.
New Anti-Harassment Panel Addresses Barriers for Women in Politics
| Nicole Cardos
Illinois ranks sixth in the nation when it comes to the percentage of state legislators who are women. A new panel aims to increase the number of women in Illinois politics.
Shedd Sea Dragons Complete Rare Egg Transfer, Male Now Pregnant
| Alex Ruppenthal
In what is an extremely rare occurrence, a male weedy sea dragons recently accepted an egg transfer from a female and is now carrying 46 fertile eggs on his tail.
Illinois Health Officials Warn of Rabid Bats After 17 Found in State
| Kristen Thometz
So far this year, nearly a dozen bats have tested positive for rabies in Cook and Will counties alone.
Author Gillian Flynn Talks ‘Sharp Objects,’ #MeToo Movement and More
| Crystin Immel
The Chicago-based, bestselling author of “Gone Girl” talks about her newly adapted HBO miniseries and more.
Viewer Feedback: ‘That Guy Should Face Hate Crime Charges’
| WTTW News
Many viewers shared their thoughts about the tirade against a Cook County Forest Preserves patron and apparent lack of action by forest preserve police.
US Chamber: $3.8 Billion Worth of Illinois Goods Threatened by Trade War
| Paris Schutz
Tariffs proposed by the Trump administration could impact everything from soybeans to machinery and equipment.
Field Museum to Release Gin Rooted in 1893 World’s Fair
| Alex Ruppenthal
To help mark its 125th anniversary, the Field Museum is preparing to release a gin made in the spirit of one of the biggest events in Chicago history.
Tickets on Sale Next Week for Museum Bringing Kusama ‘Infinity Room’ to Chicago
| Nick Blumberg
The pop-up is scheduled to open in August and offer Chicago art aficionados and selfie enthusiasts a chance to see one of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s reality-bending “infinity rooms.”
New MCA Exhibit ‘Raised on the Internet’
| Marc Vitali
An art exhibition takes you inside the digital domain of the internet and explores how the internet has changed the way we experience the world.
Martin Espada Wins Top Poetry Foundation Prize
| Marc Vitali
Often called “the people’s poet,” Martin Espada was recently awarded one of the nation’s top literary awards.
Ask Geoffrey: What Happens to a Church’s Artwork When It Closes?
| Erica Gunderson
With its ever-changing demographics, Chicago has seen many churches close in the last 50 years. A viewer wants to know what happens to the art and sculptures inside those churches as they near their last days.
Roundtable: Viral Video, Gubernatorial and Mayoral Races
| Alexandra Silets
The political fallout caused by the viral video showing a Cook County Forest Preserve officer not helping a woman being harassed.
Adler to Host Viewing Event as Mars Moves Closer
| Alex Ruppenthal
Later this month, the red planet will be just 35.8 million miles away – the brightest and closest it’s been to Earth since 2003.
CPS Watchdog Adding Staff for New Sex Abuse Investigations Team
| Matt Masterson
CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler is looking to hire a dozen employees to staff a new dedicated unit tasked with investigating sexual abuse allegations made by district students.
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