Stories by Matt Masterson

Chicago police on Friday announced criminal charges against two girls, ages 12 and 17, after they allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a half dozen different stores over the past few weeks and months.

The city’s current contract with SoundThinking — which was previously known as ShotSpotter — expires Feb. 16. Mayor Brandon Johnson made a campaign promise to end the contract, but has not yet indicated whether he’ll renew the deal.

The White Sox are out with dazzling plans for a new stadium. Pushback to a mining proposal on the Southeast Side. And what warm February temperatures could mean for Chicago.

Developers have a massive underground warehouse dream for the Southeast Side. But for some, the project is potential environmental and public health concern.

Temperatures reached a high of 57 degrees in Chicago on Thursday. As the city experiences an El Nino year, 2024 is seeing temperatures about 1 to 3 degrees above average.

The eight local unions that authorized strikes are spread throughout Illinois and represent around 3,800 employees, including drivers, highway maintainers and bridge tenders. Negotiations between the state and the unions have lasted more than seven months. 

Barnes & Noble plans to open two stores in the city this year, in addition to other locations in suburban Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Officials at Lurie Children’s Hospital said Thursday that they are still working with the FBI and other law enforcement but told reporters that a “known criminal threat actor” had accessed the hospital’s network.

The report from special counsel Robert Hur, released Thursday, represents a harshly critical assessment of Biden’s handling of sensitive government materials, but also details the reasons why he should not be charged with the crime.

“What’s disappointing is that it takes a federal law to push institutions and agencies to comply and to even just create consultation with tribes,” said Eli Suzukovich, director of cultural preservation and compliance for the Office for Research at Northwestern University.

Supporters say the ShotSpotter system is a useful tool that helps Chicago police officers get to crime scenes faster. But critics say the technology is unreliable and contributes to over policing in communities of color.

In the renderings released Thursday night by developer Related Midwest, the new ballpark is pictured along with surrounding new buildings.

The case is based on claims that former President Donald Trump’s actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol amounted to an insurrection, and thus he should be disqualified from holding public office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Will Chicago stick with the controversial ShotSpotter gunshot detection system? Exploring the roots of gospel. And a rundown of art and culture activities in the city this Black History Month.

Historian, professor and filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the history of gospel music and its deep roots in Chicago.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, renters and homeowners have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to apply for the disaster assistance, which comes more than five months after rain and flooding wreaked havoc around Cook County.

It is not an easy production to describe, but it is fascinating to watch. “Illinoise,” now onstage at Chicago Shakespeare’s Yard Theater, is an altogether unique and extraordinarily brilliant interpretation of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 album.

From 2008 to 2017, about $12 million in federal research awards were granted to study pediatric firearm mortality each year – about $600 per life lost, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death among children at the time, received about $26,000 of research funding per death.

The indignity of a distant second-place finish behind “none of these candidates” was a fresh blow for Haley, facilitated by the staunch Trump allies who lead Nevada's GOP. 

Environmental and public health groups hailed the new Environmental Protection Agency rule finalized Wednesday as a major step in improving the health of Americans, including future generations. 

A looming decision on the controversial ShotSpotter system. New federal rules lead museums to change their Native American exhibits. And a cybersecurity pro on the Lurie Children’s Hospital hack.

It’s been seven days since Lurie Children’s Hospital first cited a “network outage that impacts internet and phone service.” The systems have been offline since Jan. 31, and there’s no telling when they’ll be back up and running.

A big decision on whether to keep CPD’s controversial ShotSpotter system. Ongoing tensions between the city and the state over how to care for new migrant arrivals. And an elected school board for Chicago is back on the agenda in Springfield.

Updated federal regulations require museums to obtain “free, prior and informed consent” from affiliated tribes before displaying or doing research on Native human remains or cultural items.

Crystal Martinez, who has been incarcerated for more than two years in Illinois’ largest prison for women for shooting a man, was being resentenced under a rare Illinois law allowing judges to reduce jail time for some domestic violence survivors.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban on the sale, possession and manufacture of a long list of firearms, high-capacity magazines and certain accessories in January 2023. State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, quickly challenged it.