Stories by Matt Masterson

Jasmine Smith allegedly attempted to flee a traffic stop and dragged a Chicago police officer for several downtown city blocks Monday afternoon. She is being held on $50,000 bond.

CTU President Jesse Sharkey signed on to an open letter sent to President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday from 16 local teachers unions and organizations, calling on Biden to appoint “one of our own” as his chief advisor on education.

A little over a month after she won reelection, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was officially sworn in. Following the ceremony, she reflected on the challenges of 2020 and looked ahead to the next four years.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said officials are still “still watching and waiting” to see if there will be a surge statewide in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations stemming from holiday gatherings.

As Illinois continues dealing with its deadliest stretch of the coronavirus pandemic to date, state health officials are calling on those who’ve had COVID-19 to consider donating plasma as it may help those who are actively fighting the disease.

An official with the Teamsters Local 700 is calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other leaders to prioritize corrections officers due to the “high risk of exposure” to the disease he claimed remains in the jail.

Last month, Chicago recorded 267 shootings and 58 homicides — increases of more than 70% compared to November 2019. “This has been a difficult year for law enforcement throughout the country,” top cop David Brown said.

An altercation over leftovers following Thanksgiving dinner escalated into the fatal stabbing of a 52-year-old man early Friday morning in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

The sheriff began feeling symptomatic on Nov. 20, his office said, and he immediately self-quarantined at that point. He has not worked in his office since Nov. 19.

The Chicago Police Department on Monday released a photo of a vehicle they describe as a 2008-2012 GMC Acadia that’s believed to be involved in the death of 86-year-old Eliseo Mendoza.

Premiering Tuesday, a new documentary from WTTW senior producer Daniel Andries analyzes how reporters, producers and staff at WTTW News adapted to report the story of a year unlike any other.

“Adding debt is not a long-term solution to structural imbalance,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. “Short-term borrowing is a short-term Band-Aid to address the urgency of a short-term problem like one caused by a pandemic.” 

Kamari Pleasant was denied bail Tuesday, three days after he allegedly fired 19 shots at a trio of Chicago police officers and then attempted to evade pursuit by hiding under a pile of leaves on the Far South Side.

“These actions are needed to protect public health, as we continue to monitor this pandemic,” Chief Judge Timothy Evans said. “Our system of justice has continued to hear all necessary and urgent matters, and today’s order does not change that.”

The country’s 44th president gave all Chicago public high school students digital access to his new book, “A Promised Land,” during a surprise appearance at a virtual assembly on Monday.

Carmita Coleman was charged Friday with four counts of wire fraud following a five-year scheme in which she allegedly took $651,272 and used the funds on, among other things, “clothing, food, and trips.”

“My No. 1 consideration is not whether someone’s going to get angry at me,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday. “It’s whether I can save a life or save the lives of people who are potentially going to get sick."

The suit was filed Thursday on behalf of 60 protesters who claim police used “unconstitutional tactics that are clearly intended to injure, silence, and intimidate” during protests following the killing of George Floyd.

Adam Hollingsworth, 33, entered the plea through his attorney Thursday during a brief arraignment held in virtual court.

“COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death in Illinois, behind heart disease and cancer,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday as state health officials reported 8,922 new COVID-19 cases and 140 virus-related deaths.

CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said that while the number of A’s given to students this school year is up compared to last year, so too is the number of F’s, particularly among students of color.

Five Cook County Circuit Court judges and 37 more employees working under the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans have tested positive for COVID-19 thus far this month.

The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois said federal law enforcement officers made two dozen undercover drug purchases from the defendants’ operation over a three-month span this summer.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced that beginning Monday, it will temporarily halt visits at the jail as Chicago and Cook County continue dealing with a second surge of COVID-19.

Barring a dramatic turnaround in the spiking numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Illinois, the state may soon be looking at another version of a stay-at-home order, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday.

The Board of Education has agreed to engage in mediation with teachers, but said it won't discuss the most pressing issue for the union: when students will return to school.