Stories by Matt Masterson

Opening statements got underway at the Dirksen Federal Building on Wednesday in R. Kelly’s second federal trial, where he stands accused of multiple child pornography-related charges, as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice and enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

The man was pulled from the water early Wednesday morning. More than 30 people have drowned in Lake Michigan so far in 2022.

Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are generally staying the course from the 2020 voting season, which was marred by conspiracies and culminated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Video app TikTok, which has soared in popularity since the last election cycle, announced Wednesday it is launching an election center.

From Barcelona to Tel Aviv, scientists say they are witnessing exceptional temperature hikes ranging from 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit to 9 degrees Fahrenheit above the norm for this time of year. Water temperatures have regularly exceeded 86 degrees on some days.

Speaking to NBC in the wake of her loss, the third-term congresswoman called Trump “a very grave threat and risk to our republic,” and said defeating him will require “a broad and united front of Republicans, Democrats and independents — and that’s what I intend to be part of.”

President Biden signs his signature piece of legislation. The state’s top doctor on COVID and more. An Afghanistan war interpreter’s fight for citizenship. And the Morton Arboretum turns 100.

Dr. Sameer Vohra took over the Illinois Department of Public Health earlier this month.

A dual memoir by a Chicago-native U.S. Marine and an Afghan interpreter offers insight into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan one year later and the Afghans who are still trying to find safety and security.

This year marks the centennial of the Morton Arboretum in DuPage County. Fifty years before it was established, the founder’s father started Arbor Day. Producer Marc Vitali visited the 1,700-acre public garden for a bit of history and to meet a photographer who has explored the place since his first visit in the 1960s.

Saturday evening’s Dance for Life program at the Auditorium Theatre served as an invaluable example of what a treasure that community has become. And the annual benefit extravaganza — a grand showcase of the city’s impressive range of talent and styles — was driven by an even more crucial goal.

The company said it’s recalling about 5,760 cases of Capri Sun Wild Cherry flavored juice blend. The “Best When Used By” date on the packages is June 25, 2023.

In 2019, Chicago paid more than $1.31 billion to its four pension funds benefitting police officers, firefighters, municipal employees and laborers. In 2023, Chicago will pay more than $2.34 billion to the same four funds.

A glimmer of hope for the Mag Mile, lessons learned on the one-year anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal, the troubling resurgence of Polio, a hostile workplace lawsuit roils Amazon and a Little Village mall in limbo.

Polio was once one of the nation’s most feared diseases, with annual outbreaks causing thousands of cases of paralysis. Its elimination in the U.S., officially declared in 1979, is considered one of the nation’s greatest public health victories.

For now, it’s business as usual inside the Discount Mall in Little Village as customers navigate through the aisles and vendors work to land a sale. But these merchants don’t know how long they have left to run their businesses. 

The Magnificent Mile is getting hit with another couple of retail losses but, there’s a glimmer of hope for the city’s premiere shopping strip. A proposal has been made for Chicago’s first development of multiple homes made of shipping containers and a new ice cream bar hopes to provide adults with a cold treat.

Late last month, 26 current and former employees of a Joliet Amazon warehouse accused the company of allowing a racially hostile work environment. They’ve since been joined by a dozen more workers, who’ve filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

A year after the dramatic day, much has changed in Afghanistan. The former insurgents struggle to govern and remain internationally isolated. The economic downturn has driven millions more Afghans into poverty and even hunger, as the flow of foreign aid slowed to a trickle.

A decade ago, thousands of young immigrants showed up to Navy Pier for a chance to meet with immigration experts and submit their application for a new program: the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. 

Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th Ward), a Lightfoot ally, sent an email on June 2 to residents of his Far South Side ward that included an advertisement for the mayor’s re-election kickoff event at the Starlight Restaurant on June 8. 

The car involved in the crash has been recovered. Now the search is on for the driver in what appears to be an intentional act that took place Sunday outside South Shore’s Jeffery Pub, police said.

Jury selection in R. Kelly’s trial began Monday inside a 25th-floor courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Building, where the 55-year-old Chicago native stands accused of multiple child pornography-related charges, as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice and enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 44 people were shot in 35 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Jury selection begins Monday morning at the Dirksen Federal Building downtown, where the 55-year-old Chicago native will stand trial, nearly a year after a New York jury convicted him of sex trafficking and other charges.

Websites and crowdfunding platforms have been set up to collect donations for Capitol riot defendants who try to portray them as mistreated patriots or even political prisoners.

New research on civic engagement, and how the work in Black communities isn’t always counted. The head of Chicago’s FBI office retires. Bud Billiken expands. And remembering Albert Woodfox.