Stories by Matt Masterson

The Trump administration is demanding changes to the way the Illinois State Board of Education handles student recordkeeping and mental health screenings, claiming that it may violate federal law.

For the last 200 years, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” — and all of the novel’s subsequent adaptations — has resonated with vast audiences. Now, Shelley’s own life story gets to be front and center alongside the monster of a story she created.

One on one with Mayor Brandon Johnson on his budget proposal. And a stage adaptation of “Frankenstein” comes to life.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is fighting for his political life on two fronts. In February, he’ll face voters and up to 15 challengers in his bid for a second term on City Hall’s fifth floor. But before then, he’ll work to sway some of the stiff opposition among City Council members who successfully passed their own version of a budget last year. Johnson last week introduced his $17.6 billion budget proposal, which includes new spending on city services and hundreds of millions of dollars in borrowing to resolve police misconduct lawsuits — but avoids raising property taxes.

Patrick Stewart, the classically trained stage actor who scaled the Shakespearean canon and added gravitas to a “Star Trek” franchise and the “X-Men” films, has died. He was 86.

Democrats, election officials and voting rights groups have long wondered whether President Donald Trump would again attempt to overturn an election when his party is trailing. It’s no longer hypothetical.

A federal appeals court will decide whether to revive a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump that sought to invalidate state, city and county laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants in Chicago by prohibiting local law enforcement officials from helping federal agents.

Elected officials and civic leaders officially broke ground on the long-awaited DuSable Park, which has been decades in the making.

The Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

With affordability on the top of people’s minds, a new survey sheds light on how Chicagoans are faring. And the state makes a dent in residents’ medical debt.

A new ChicagoSpeaks survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago offers insight into Chicagoans’ financial pressures, concerns of job loss and the inability to pay bills, along with the role of federal safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid.

With Medicaid work requirements set to go into effect in the new year, local healthcare providers are bracing for a sharp increase in the number of uninsured patients.

Created as a community engagement effort, CPD’s “Roll Call” podcast produced 15 episodes before quietly ending. Records show key personnel behind the project left the department in recent months.

Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and coined the phrase “Sí, se puede!” that became a widespread rallying cry, has died. She was 96.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed spending plan for 2027 would increase CPD’s budget by approximately 6% to reach $2.24 billion, records show.

Election Day is a week away — what to know about the historic Chicago school board elections. And Peoples Gas is calling for a rate hike. The company’s president joins us to explain why.

A rate hike proposed by Peoples Gas is sparking debate over affordable energy and the necessity of replacing century-old iron pipes in Chicago.

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 announced the potential closures earlier this month as a result of an ongoing financial crisis in the district.

Chicago’s next mayoral election is just four months away, and 16 candidates have filed signatures with the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

The data center developers have paid $721 million in deposits for the infrastructure needed to connect to the grid. Utility watchdogs warn that Illinois households and small businesses could end up footing the bill for the gap.

A downstate man who allegedly mailed envelopes containing a suspicious substance along with the message “HAH enjoy the gift” to multiple Illinois Congress members now faces federal charges.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on Tuesday said voters can report possible violations including fraud and voter intimidation directly to his office amid concerns over the security of voters and the elections themselves.

Susan Saint James, who co-starred with Rock Hudson in the 1970s TV crime series “McMillan & Wife” and the sitcom “Kate & Allie” in the 1980s, has died. She was 80.

It’s the last day of filing for candidates who want to appear on Chicago’s February ballot. And Northwestern students make history behind bars.