Stories by Matt Masterson

Walgreens Agrees to Pay $300M to Settle Opioid Lawsuit Claims

The settlement comes after a complaint filed in Chicago’s federal court alleged Walgreens pharmacists filled illegal prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids and prescriptions for a particularly dangerous combination of drugs.

Northwestern Plans to Fund ‘Vital’ Research Amid Federal Funding Freeze

Northwestern officials say the university intends to fund at-risk research, days after the Trump administration announced plans to freeze nearly $800 million in federal funding.

Chicago Has Seen Significant Gun Violence Declines Under ‘Peacekeepers’ Program, New Study Finds

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and other public officials lauded the program after a Northwestern University study found that specific “hotspots” where peacekeepers have been deployed have seen drops of more than 40% in gun violence.

Outgoing CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Named as Finalist for Massachusetts State Education Job

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday announced Martinez as one of three finalists for the job as its next commissioner. He and the other candidates will each interview for that role Thursday in a public meeting before the board.

Chicago Teachers Union Educators Vote to Approve New Contract

CTU officials on Monday morning announced that 97% of its members who voted last week cast ballots in favor of the contract proposal, a mark union President Stacy Davis Gates called “overwhelming (and) historic.”

Congressional Committee Drops Northwestern Records Request After Law Professors File Suit

The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee withdrew its records request during an emergency court hearing in Chicago after Northwestern professors sued the committee, claiming its investigation into the university’s law clinics violated their First Amendment rights.

CTU Rank-And-File Begin Voting on Tentative Contract Agreement

“Our solidarity has brought us this far,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and union leadership wrote in an open letter to members. “Your vote decides what happens next.”

Advocates Call for ‘Solidarity and Resistance’ From Northwestern Officials as University Faces ‘Attacks’ by Trump Administration

More than 1,000 faculty members, alumni, students, attorneys and local community members have signed letters calling for “solidarity and resistance” from Northwestern’s leaders as it faces accusations of civil rights violations from Washington.

University of Chicago, Northwestern Ranked Among Top Grad Programs in the Nation on U.S. News List

The business and law schools at the University of Chicago and Northwestern were each ranked among the best in the country according to a new list from U.S. News & World Report, which looked at the nation’s best grad school programs of 2025.

Cook County Announces New Committee to Help Craft Future of Guaranteed Basic Income Program

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced plans for a new advisory committee that will review research, develop recommendations and design a new model for the future of the guaranteed basic income pilot program.

Ex-Northwestern Football Players Expected to Settle Hazing Scandal Lawsuit Against University, Coach Pat Fitzgerald

According to a university spokesperson, settlement documents are currently being finalized after Northwestern and the former student athletes recently engaged in a mediation process that resulted in the agreement.

‘This Was a Predator’: Man Charged in Sexual Assaults of 5 Women Over 3 Years on Chicago’s North Side

A Chicago man who authorities say was “hunting for victims” now faces more than a dozen felony charges after he was arrested in connection to the sexual assaults of five women over nearly three years on the city’s North Side.

Andrew Boutros Sworn in as Chicago’s Interim Top Federal Prosecutor

Chicago has a new interim top federal prosecutor as Andrew Boutros took his oath of office and was sworn in Monday as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Feds Seek to Dismiss Bribery Charge Against Alderperson Turned Mole Danny Solis Who Helped Secure Ed Burke, Michael Madigan Convictions

The former 25th Ward alderperson provided key evidence that helped secure the convictions of longtime 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke and powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Chicago Sees Fewer Than 100 Homicides Through End of March for First Time Since 2020: Police

According to new data from the Chicago Police Department, there were 108 shootings and 35 homicides throughout the city last month, totals which are down 32% and 27%, respectively, over the same month last year.

CTU Delegates Approve Contract Proposal, Setting Stage for Membership Ratification Vote

Wednesday’s vote comes two days after the union announced it had reached a tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools following nearly a year of bargaining.

Chicago Teachers Have a Tentative Contract Agreement. From Pay Raises to Class Sizes, Here’s What It Includes

CTU leaders called the four-year deal a “historic achievement” that represents the fulfillment of promises Mayor Brandon Johnson made to transform CPS into a school district that offers a well-rounded education to every Chicago child and security to its employees.

Chicago-Based Law Firm Targeted by Trump Administration Sues to Halt Executive Order

The firm of Jenner & Block on Friday filed a lawsuit seeking to stop President Donald Trump’s order, which it says was made to punish firms that worked with those who investigated the president prior to his second term in office.

Chicago Teachers Union Bargaining Team Meeting Monday to Weigh Possible Contract Agreement

CTU on Friday confirmed the union’s big bargaining team will meet Monday afternoon to weigh the potential deal.

‘ComEd Four’ Now Set to be Sentenced in July, More Than 2 Years After Guilty Verdicts

Specific dates have not yet been set, but U.S. District Judge Manish Shah on Thursday said each of the so-called “ComEd Four” — former CEO Anne Pramaggiore, Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain, and ex-ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty — will be sentenced in July.

Archdiocese of Chicago Suing Group It Says Made False Claims of Sexual Abuse for Financial Settlements

In a filing in Cook County’s circuit court, the archdiocese accused the unnamed defendants of a “quid pro quo” scheme in which they allegedly peddled false claims of abuse in order to extort money from the church.

CPS, Illinois State Board of Education Under Federal Investigation Over Title IX Violation Allegations

The U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into Chicago Public Schools, the Illinois State Board of Education and Deerfield Public Schools alleging violations of sex discrimination.

University of Chicago Among Dozens of Schools Facing Federal Investigation Over DEI Programs

The department’s Office for Civil Rights on Friday announced it has begun investigating 45 universities for failing to follow their “civil rights obligations to end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.”

Cook County’s Top Prosecutor Eileen O’Neill Burke Marks 100 Days in Office With Focus on Tackling Gun Crimes, Retail Theft

More than half of those charged in Cook County with felony firearm cases involving modified weapons have been detained pending trial during the first three-plus months under new State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke.

‘A Tsunami Coming From Washington’: Chicago, Illinois Leaders Respond to Education Department Layoffs

Officials from Chicago and Illinois are sounding the alarm as the U.S. Department of Education plans to lay off about half of its workforce, putting its future in peril while causing “chaos” for students and schools throughout the country.

Feds Warn Northwestern, Dozens of Other Universities of Possible Funding Cuts if They Fail to Protect Jewish Students

Northwestern and Illinois Wesleyan universities were among those that received notice from the department of potential Title VI violations stemming from what it called “antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
 

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