Stories by Matt Masterson

Chicago Public Schools on Thursday announced that preliminary state assessment figures show students in grades 3-8 achieved gains in both subjects on the spring Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) exam.

The justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the medication, mifepristone, and the FDA's subsequent actions to ease access to it.

DraftKings, FanDuel and other betting apps are facing a bigger tax hit in Illinois following changes to tax policy this year. New Jersey, Massachusetts and other states have also tried to raise taxes on the industry or plan to.

The Diversify Ice Fellowship and Foundation is now working to make skating more accessible and show what can be achieved through mentorship, sponsorship and fun.

Juneteenth celebrations are just around the corner, and there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the holiday in Chicago. Here’s a look at some events that are worth checking out.

The mayor reacts to one of Chicago’s largest police misconduct settlements. And one on one with Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

Carol Moseley Braun has had a storied career spanning more than three decades and six presidents. Most notably, she shot into the cultural zeitgeist in 1993 when she became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor.

The FDA and DOJ have legally barred about a half-dozen vaping companies for selling products that can appeal to youngsters, but many more manufacturers continue launching new products, primarily disposable vapes that can’t be refilled and are thrown in the trash.

The proposed settlement calls for taxpayers to pay $21 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $29 million.

“We are still living up to our values,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We are providing care in a way that nowhere else in the country you’re seeing.”

Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday night to try to sway a vote by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration’s recommendation to close and rebuild Stateville Correctional Center.

Riot Fest has announced it’s leaving its longtime home in Chicago’s Douglass Park and is setting up RiotLand in Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium for the 2024 event, set for Sept. 20-22.

Cook County's top judge has asked state regulators to review allegations that an attorney was handcuffed to a chair after a judge kicked him out of her courtroom.

“Judge Harry D. Leinenweber was a friend, mentor, and model jurist,” Rebecca Pallmeyer, chief judge for the Northern District of Illinois, said in a statement. “My colleagues and I are deeply saddened by Judge Leinenweber’s passing.”

Prosecutors push for prison time for Chicago’s longest-serving alderperson. One on one with the founder of the animal rights group PETA. And cruising the Chicago River on a kayak conservation tour.

For more than 40 years, PETA has worked to change the way many people think about animals. Attention-grabbing media campaigns have raised the public’s awareness of practices like factory farming, fur production and animal testing — while also drawing backlash at times for the group’s tactics.

Shedd Aquarium is once again offering an opportunity to explore the Chicago River while learning about efforts to take care of it. The Kayak for Conservation program offers pay-what-you-can tours.

Despite having a net worth of $30 million, now former Ald. Ed Burke was “steeped in corruption,” repeatedly choosing “spite and greed – not the public interest,” prosecutors told U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall.

Two law firms spearheading the action said about 15,860 Amazon Flex drivers have submitted arbitration claims with the American Arbitration Association, where 453 similar cases are already being litigated.

Guy joins a previously announced list music lineup for NASCAR weekend, which includes the Black Keys and Keith Urban.

All signs point to a cicada-induced vitamin deficiency as the cause of a mystery disease that affected some birds during a 2021 emergence and now again in 2024.

CPS on Tuesday announced the CPS CEO Pedro Martinez had informed network and school leaders the final draft of its FY25 budget would now be presented in July as the district continues “finalizing the total budget.”

The U.S. has been thrashed with 11 extreme weather disasters with costs exceeding $1 billion so far this year, with a total price tag of $25.1 billion, according to an updated tally from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s tied for the second-most such disasters on record and doesn’t even include the extreme weather in the second half of May, said Adam Smith, an applied climatologist with NOAA.

Jurors found Hunter Biden guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

The figures are the latest evidence of the surging popularity of the WNBA since it added prominent rookies including Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, Chicago’s Angel Reese and Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink, all of whom drew big audiences playing in college.