Stories by Matt Masterson

Rina Foygel Barber, 40, was announced as one of the newest members of the “genius grant” fellowship, which provides recipients with a $800,000 no-strings-attached award over five years to spend however they want.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability will launch its second People’s Academy — a six-week training course that’s open to the public and gives an in-depth look at some of the office’s operations, such as complaint investigations, body-worn camera video analysis and disciplinary recommendations.

According to Chicago Police Department figures, there were 37 people shot in 30 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The SEC on Thursday announced it had filed charges against Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd and its parent company Exelon, alleging they engaged in a “multi-year scheme to corruptly influence and reward” former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

CPS officials on Thursday announced that the district’s 20th day enrollment, which serves as the official tally for the academic year, had risen by about 0.4% up to 323,291 students. That marks the first increase in student population in 12 years.

Lee Harris, 67, who claimed he was framed by police and prosecutors before spending 33 years in prison, filed the federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday — six months after his conviction was vacated and he was released from prison following his conviction in the 1989 murder of 24-year-old Dana Feitler.

“Chicago will miss her fighting spirit and her public service,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “I pray for her family during this trying time and send my deepest condolences to her friends, colleagues and loved ones.”

The board on Tuesday rejected a motion brought by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which sought to move 22 disciplinary cases from the board to an independent arbitrator, following a summer ruling that opened the door for such a shift.

Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth this week have added their voices to the growing number of calls seeking the ouster of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s now facing federal charges in a wide-ranging corruption case.

The murder charges were dismissed against 53-year-old Francisco Benitez weeks after he was released from custody following a new bail hearing that came nearly 34 years after he was first imprisoned.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 30 people were shot in 28 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Charles Cui filed a renewed motion to sever Friday in which he claimed that jurors could become “confused” and consider Cui to have been part of a conspiracy that is only alleged to have involved Burke and co-defendant Peter Andrews.

According to the Chicago Police Department, there were nine separate armed robberies reported between 12:50 a.m. and 2 a.m. Thursday morning. In each incident, victims were approached by multiple armed males who took their belongings and then fled in a dark colored sedan.

The Bears confirmed Williams, 53, submitted his resignation Wednesday morning. He had been with the team since February 2022.

“Many educators have been pushing for this for a long time, particularly adoptive parents, so I’m glad that this is moving forward,” board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland said during Wednesday's agenda review committee meeting.

Following years and years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools officials believe the number of students currently attending district schools is in line with totals from the same time last year.

A federal jury in Chicago on Monday found 70-year-old Thomas James Zajac guilty on three charges stemming from the Sept. 1, 2006, bombing that injured one person.

Illinois officially became the first state in the country Monday to officially eliminate the pre-trial practice of requiring that some criminal defendants pay a set cash amount in order to secure their release from custody ahead of trial.

Chicago Police Department data shows 24 people were shot in 20 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The long-anticipated elimination of cash bail officially takes effect in Illinois Monday, following extensive delays, legal challenges and pushback from critics who sought to keep the existing system in place.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 12-9 in favor of recommending April Perry to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. With the committee’s approval, she is now set for a final confirmation vote before the full Senate.

A new study from researchers at the University of Chicago Crime Lab has found a training program rooted in behavioral science can dramatically cut the number of use-of-force incidents committed by police while also increasing officer safety.

During a brief case management hearing Monday morning, Judge Victoria Rossetti said she intends to set a trial date for Robert Crimo III when he next appears in court Dec. 11.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 26 people were shot in 21 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

In a letter sent this week, Reinberg Elementary principal Edwin Loch informed parents and families that a staffer has been pulled from the school following an allegation that they “engaged inappropriately with a student.”

The tentative agreement, announced late Wednesday, came just as educators at the city’s only privately managed, public arts high school were set to go on strike.