Stories by Matt Masterson

Thousands of Illinois inmates are asking a federal judge to take action and help resolve a “human rights disaster” they say is taking place inside state prisons.

The black-crowned night heron is one of the rarest birds in Illinois. Lincoln Park Zoo now hosts a colony of more than 600 herons, but things have getting a bit crowded. 

As accusations mount against Hollywood film executive Harvey Weinstein, a look at sexual harassment and assault.

Come December, Cook County shoppers and diners will no longer have to pay a much-reviled tax on sugary drinks after the county board voted Wednesday to repeal it.

Geoffrey Baer takes a peek at a 1930s burlesque-style show and remembers the Chicago Daily News sporting events of yesteryear.

Dazzling interiors, new movies, German lagers, Chicago blues and political satire usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

It’s been just over two months since Cook County began charging a penny-an-ounce tax on sugary drinks. But it may not last much longer.

Fans had just enough time for a couple beers and hot dogs before Game 4 was postponed. “I think it’s terrible,” said one fan Tuesday afternoon.

Though the state of Illinois finally got a budget this summer, it still has billions of dollars in unpaid bills, and the amount keeps changing.

Watch the Oct. 10, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, your sleep is regulated by your circadian rhythm. A sleep expert helps unravel the mystery of our internal clock.

Former IPRA and COPA chief Sharon Fairley officially tosses her hat into the race for attorney general. The latest on who she could face.

A Chicago author tackles the complex life of Muhammad Ali in a new biography with some fascinating revelations.

Researchers analyzed 1,000 birds collected over the last 135 years by the Field Museum and other institutions to track the amount of soot in the air of Rust Belt cities. 

Shedd Aquarium experts are among those caring for a whale calf rescued Sept. 30 in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The calf belongs to a critically endangered population of beluga whales.

He helped to define rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s—and his life was a forged as a child in Nazi Germany. We explore an exhibition about Bill Graham at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.

Chicago Police have arrested a man they say pushed a stranger onto the tracks at the Washington Blue Line station in early August.

You could say it was flipping amazing while it lasted, but at Soldier Field on Monday night, the Bears coin toss winning streak ended at 14 in a row.

The Cubs win Game 3 against the Washington Nationals as a scoreless pitcher’s duel gives way to a dramatic finish.

Viewers weigh in on bike safety following our roundup of Chicago cycling news.

Watch the Oct. 9, 2017 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."

In the early 1960s, bald eagles were nearly extinct in the lower 48 states. But government protections and conservation measures have had a huge impact on their numbers. “I think it’s an incredible success story,” said biologist Chris Anchor.

Cook County commissioners are scheduled to take another vote Tuesday on the county’s so-called soda tax. Opponents of the tax were pounding the pavement Monday, hoping to convince a few more commissioners to support a repeal.

Local progressives and elected officials say the time is now to talk gun reform following the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Since 2010, the EPA has cited an East Chicago steelmaking facility six times for violations of the Clean Air Act. Now, a group representing nearby residents intends to sue EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt over the renewal of the company’s operating permit.

Newton Minow has been a member of the WTTW board since 1967 when he joined as chairman. In an opinion piece, he writes: “For the sake of the United States of America and our values, we need your voices now.”