Stories by Matt Masterson
Lightfoot Accuses CTU of Moving Goal Posts After Marathon Bargaining Session
CTU delegates to meet Tuesday, but no tentative agreement reached
| Matt Masterson
On the ninth day of the teachers strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says negotiations have been held up by additional demands from the Chicago Teachers Union for more prep time and new legislative proposals.
Eddie Johnson Responds to Trump Barbs: ‘I’m Doing the Right Thing’
| Matt Masterson
In skipping President Donald Trump’s speech Monday to police chiefs in Chicago, the city’s top cop earned a vote of no confidence from the local police union’s board, and a rebuke from the president himself.
Chicago Teachers Strike Extends to 8th Day
| Matt Masterson
While city negotiators reached a tentative agreement Sunday with striking members of SEIU Local 73, a deal with the Chicago Teachers Union has remained elusive.
No Breakthroughs Friday as Chicago Teachers Strike Heads Into Weekend
| Matt Masterson
CTU President Jesse Sharkey said both sides are now focused on the “key issues” as they work to finalize a new contract. “I’m still hopeful,” Sharkey said Friday evening. “It’s stressful, there’s pressure … I remain hopeful that we can get it done.”
CPS on Teachers Strike: ‘This Cannot Go Into Next Week’
| Matt Masterson
The ongoing Chicago teachers strike has already cost students six days of classes. But with upcoming deadlines for students prepping for college, Chicago Public Schools leaders are expressing a sense of urgency in getting students back into school.
Police Union Leaders Issue Vote of No Confidence in Eddie Johnson
| Matt Masterson
Leaders from Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police are criticizing Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, the subject of an ongoing investigation into a driving incident who said this week he plans to skip President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Chicago.
Charges Filed in Northwest Side Carjacking of Vehicle with 2 Kids in Backseat
| Matt Masterson
Two teens and a juvenile are facing multiple felony charges after they allegedly carjacked a woman’s vehicle last week with two children inside it. Police say the children, ages 5 and 2, were found unharmed just blocks away.
Federal Judge Refuses to Toss Out Chicago’s Lawsuit Against Jussie Smollett
| Matt Masterson
The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 in reimbursement for police overtime costs spent investigating the former “Empire” star’s allegedly false claims. A judge on Tuesday said that lawsuit “will be going forward.”
Lightfoot Asks CTU to End Strike Before Contract Agreement is Finalized
| Matt Masterson
In a letter sent Monday to CTU President Jesse Sharkey, Mayor Lori Lightfoot urges the union to halt its work stoppage while negotiations continue because “our students and families are sacrificing a great deal that cannot be recovered.”
Chicago Board of Education Meeting Postponed As CTU Strike Continues
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Board of Education is postponing its regular monthly meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, until the teachers union and SEIU Local 73 end their ongoing strike. In a statement, the board said this allows district leadership to focus on negotiations.
What Happens If a Teacher Crosses a Picket Line and Goes to Work?
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Teachers Union expects all of its members to be on picket lines during their ongoing strike. Breaking ranks could cost teachers their job.
CPS Reports Possible Threat Found Inside Lane Tech
| Matt Masterson
The school district sent a letter Wednesday informing families the written threat was found inside a student bathroom at the North Side high school.
‘There Will Not Be School Tomorrow’: Lightfoot Believes CTU Will Strike
| Matt Masterson
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said they believe the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates will vote to go on strike Wednesday evening.
Chicago Firm Sues Netflix Over ‘When They See Us’ Interrogation Method
| Matt Masterson
Chicago-based Reid & Associates claims the popular series about the Central Park Five defames the company's interrogation technique.
‘Evil on Steroids’: Bail Denied For Man Charged With Murder of 5 Neighbors
| Matt Masterson
The man who allegedly gunned down five neighbors in a rampage inside a Dunning condo building Saturday had planned out his attack, according to letters found inside his home in which he said he would have “no mercy” for the victims.
What Chicago Families Need to Know About Teachers Strike
| Matt Masterson
How will a possible walkout affect classrooms, building access and after-school activities across the city?
Lawmakers Urge AG Raoul to Investigate College Board for Selling Student Data
| Matt Masterson
A group of Democratic Illinois lawmakers believes the group behind the SAT and Advanced Placement exams may be violating state law by selling student data to colleges, universities and scholarship providers.
Watchdog Report: Chicago Police Parked for Free at Bears, Cubs Games
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police officers used department-issued parking placards to park illegally at sporting events and allowed friends and family to use those placards as well, according to a new report from the city’s inspector general.
Report: Defense Attorneys Laud Shift to ‘Fairness and Accountability’ Under Kim Foxx
| Matt Masterson
Twenty-eight defense attorneys were interviewed for a new report, which claims Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has reversed some of the “tough-on-crime” policies that previously existed in her office.
Lightfoot Expresses ‘Significant Concern’ As Teachers Strike Looms
| Matt Masterson
With the clock ticking down toward a potential teachers strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday expressed her “significant concern” that Chicago Teachers Union leadership isn’t participating properly in ongoing contract negotiations.
‘Driving Force’ Behind Murder of 9-Year-Old Tyshawn Lee Guilty of Murder
| Matt Masterson
While he didn’t fire the fatal shots that killed 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee, prosecutors say Corey Morgan was the “driving force” behind the boy’s execution in 2015. On Friday, Morgan was found guilty of murder for his role in one of Chicago’s most horrific crimes.
Gunman Guilty in Brutal Slaying of 9-Year-Old Tyshawn Lee
| Matt Masterson
Dwright Boone-Doty has been found guilty of murder in what remains one of the most shocking and horrific murders in Chicago’s recent history.
New Evidence Will Clear Marni Yang of Gruesome 2007 Murder, Attorneys Claim
Yang convicted of killing Rhoni Reuter, pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bears star Shaun Gayle
| Matt Masterson
It’s been more than eight years since the Chicago real estate agent was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Rhoni Reuter, the pregnant lover of former Chicago Bears star Shaun Gayle. Marni Yang’s attorney is now calling for a new trial.
Man Falsely Convicted of 1993 Murder Says He Was Framed by Former Police Detective
| Matt Masterson
Geraldo Iglesias spent 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Now he’s suing the city of Chicago and a disgraced former police detective who he claims set him up.
Special Prosecutor in Smollett Case Reveals He Made Campaign Contribution to Kim Foxx
| Matt Masterson
Veteran attorney Dan Webb, who was appointed last month to review actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal case, said he has no recollection of making a $1,000 contribution to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in 2016.
Chicago Police Department Unveils New Dashboard Tracking Use of Force Reports
| Matt Masterson
The new online dashboard makes public every police incident that involved some sort of force – anything from a firearm discharge to taser use to physical force – dating back to 2015.
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