Stories by Matt Masterson

The Chicago Police Department said it does't appear anyone was struck by gunfire during the shooting, which occurred Tuesday morning in the Logan Square neighborhood.

To keep jack-o'-lanterns from clogging landfills, dozens of pumpkin smash events will take place Saturday. Pumpkins will be collected and composted instead of trashed.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime associate Michael McClain entered not guilty pleas Tuesday morning on new charges stemming from their alleged involvement in a corruption scheme involving AT&T Illinois.

The victims were hospitalized in various states, with some in critical condition and others who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Police Superintendent David Brown said late Monday night.

The latest on indicted ex-Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan’s political fund. The Supreme Court takes up a college affirmative action case. Should the city plow sidewalks as well as streets? And the flowers tied to Día de los Muertos.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is under federal indictment on corruption charges and no longer holds a reputation as the state’s most powerful politician. Despite all that, he is still a successful fundraiser.

When it comes to paying off that debt, Black and Latino graduates are struggling. Nearly half of Black students owe an average of 12.5% more than they borrowed, according to the Education Data Initiative.

A major health care merger involving Deerfield-based Walgreens. Two Illinois nuclear plants that were once at risk of closing will now run for decades to come. And a new report finds that Illinois is among the top states where life sciences companies attract investment.

What if homeowners didn’t have to plow sidewalks and city workers took up that function instead? There is a growing movement to do just that — and it’s driven by the inconsistency and lack of accessibility of Chicago’s sidewalks after a big snow event.

The Chicago Bears agreed to trade linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. It’s the Bears’ second major trade involving a defensive player in less than a week.

The district attorney’s remarks come as the gruesome attack on the husband of the House speaker is being mocked and dismissed in conservative, far-right social media, even among some Republicans leaders and those at the highest levels of social power. San Francisco’s police chief has also said the attack was targeted.

Three former Illinois prison guards face life behind bars after the 2018 fatal beating of a 65-year-old inmate in a case marked by the unpunished lies of other correctional officers who continue to get pay raises, records obtained by The Associated Press and court documents show.

The Supreme Court wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race Monday, debating whether to end the use of affirmative action in higher education.

The City Colleges of Chicago Teachers Union Local 1600 called off a planned Nov. 2 walkout after tentatively reaching a four-year contract agreement late Sunday.

The area around Bubbly Creek was once a wetland, until the channel became choked first with sewage and then animal waste from the Union Stockyards. Now the wetlands, with a twist, are making a comeback.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 35 people were shot in 32 individual shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday evening and 11:59 p.m. Sunday night. Those victims included a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who were each killed.

The annual Black Harvest Film Festival kicks off its 28th year of celebrating Black filmmaking on Nov. 4, with a schedule packed with screenings of independent feature films, screenings of anniversary and restored films, and special events. 

The podcast’s latest season offers the same level of legends’ stories but in a new format. This season, each weekly episode covers the “making” years of a different figure via interviews with three people who had personal or professional relationships with the subject.

A new report from the Chicago Department of Public Health says not only are fewer people being diagnosed, but more people who are already living with HIV-AIDS are reaching viral suppression. 

Three shootings resulted in four people dead and three injured, with the deadliest incident taking place during a street takeover at Archer and Kedzie avenues. In the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 23, more than 100 cars gathered at the intersection to watch a “drifting” event that ended with an exchange of gunfire. 

The infrastructure the city and state has built to receive migrants aims to ensure individuals and families are stabilized before they move on in their journey. 

The vivid orange and yellow cempasúchiles, known as marigolds in English, frequently adorn Día de los Muertos ofrendas. Native to Mexico, the flowers bloom at this time of year just in time for the holiday.

HIV rates in Chicago reach historic lows — but disparities persist. What do Rihanna, Jesse Jackson and RuPaul have in common? They’re all in the next season of the Making podcast. Plus, a new park in Roseland.

An outbreak of violence in Brighton Park. Calls for shelter locations to house migrants from Texas. And learn about the flower that adorns ofrendas for Dia de Muertos.

The amenities were created with the goal to ensure the park is utilized by all ages, especially those residing in Roseland, Morgan Park and West Pullman.

Chicago Teachers Union candidate Brandon Johnson enters race for mayor. Candidates for statewide offices tussle in debates as election nears. Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets rebuke in City Council. And the suddenly hot Bears head to Dallas.