Stories by Matt Masterson

Leslie Pieroni, 51, was pronounced dead Thursday evening at St. Anthony’s Hospital. He had been hospitalized since April 3 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker called out the hashtag himself during Thursday’s press briefing, saying the daily #SpritzersWithPritzker tweets bring smiles to his office and staff. Meet the Forest Park woman behind it.

The 44th Ward alderman talks about how the North Side communities he serves, including Boystown and Wrigleyville, are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Howard Brown Health’s clinic in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood provides a wide range of health care services with a special focus on LGBTQ communities. Like other health care providers, COVID-19 has forced it to make some changes.

Whether working from home or reporting from the street, journalists provide information to keep communities safe and healthy. We check in with some members of the local independent media to see how they’re faring with this developing story.

The coronavirus has effectively shut down what locals describe as the world’s largest contiguous LGBTQ neighborhood. How businesses, social service agencies and others are dealing with the pandemic.

Cook County is bracing for a surge in coronavirus-related deaths. We check in with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who is not sick but chose to self-isolate after a member of her security detail contracted the virus.

The Cook County sheriff must begin implementing additional sanitation and precaution measures at the jail, but a federal judge rejected calls for the release of large numbers of detainees.

Data may show the number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois is growing at a slower pace than some projections had forecast, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his stay-at-home order will remain in place through the end of the month.

The 1918 Spanish flu was not even close to being Chicago’s first bout with fast-spreading disease. Geoffrey Baer looks at how Chicago managed a tidal wave of diseases in its earliest years.

The Illinois Soybean Association is contributing raw materials and packaging to the Chicago Park District, which is producing 600 gallons of hand sanitizer for its staff and other essential workers.

Watch the April 9, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The University of Illinois at Chicago will administer a groundbreaking agreement that encourages energy companies and transportation entities, among others, to voluntarily convert right-of-way land to pollinator-friendly habitat.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, the Chicago Transit Authority is announcing additional safety measures for its employees and riders to promote social distancing, including rear-door boarding on buses effective Thursday.

Data released by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office shows 251 detainees have so far tested positive for COVID-19, as have 150 Sheriff’s Office employees. On Sunday, the jail recorded its first virus-related death.

The West Ridge neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city, but a cluster of zip codes on the South Side are not far behind, according to newly released data.

Everyone knows the basics: Clean your hands. Wipe down surfaces. But for more on how to protect yourself from the coronavirus, we spoke with a local chemical supplier.

The future for many small businesses is unclear. To create some security, the federal government has stepped in with $349 billion in loans for small businesses, but the programs have had a bumpy start. 

While most Chicago residents are staying home to avoid contracting or spreading COVID-19, the city’s first responders are as busy as ever – and they’ve been hit hard. 

Will the holidays be vastly different during the stay-at-home order? A local rabbi and pastor talk about how they are ministering during this strange time.

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck is winding down his brief tenure at the helm of the Chicago Police Department. We ask him about protecting officers during the pandemic, his efforts to restructure the department, gun violence and more.

More than 75,000 people in Illinois have so far been tested for COVID-19, according to state health officials, and more than 6,000 tests are being conducted each day. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker had hoped to test thousands more by now.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 president says he’d like to see increased sanitizing procedures for Chicago police officers and vehicles, as well as greater precautions taken at individual police stations. 

Bus drivers have a tough job these days. And musicians are pretty much out of work. We spoke with one CTA driver who is also a songwriter with a new record. He drives people all over town, but right now he can’t play for the people. 

Could hospitals and supermarkets become targets for terror groups looking to exploit the pandemic to advance their racist agenda? We speak with international terrorism expert Robert Pape.

Watch the April 8, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”