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.

Watch the Dec. 8, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The Chicago Transit Authority hopes to learn in the coming weeks whether it’s received federal approval to move into the next phase of its massive Red Line Extension project, which would extend the city’s busiest train line to Chicago’s southern border.

Officials have now shut down two massive parties in Wicker Park in as many weeks, despite an increase in the number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases in Chicago after the Thanksgiving holiday.

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.

With the coronavirus pandemic foiling plans for a trio of live performances, Chicago Opera Theater has adapted its 2020-2021 season to be a primarily virtual one. 

Chicago’s 55th mayor is hoping his passion for transportation and his legacy in the city is enough to secure him a spot in President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet as transportation secretary. An analysis of that legacy reveals a mixed record.

Illinois driver’s license facilities have been closed since mid-November, and they’ll remain that way through the beginning of 2021. Here’s what you need to know if you’re driving on an expired license. (Hint: It may not be expired after all.)

Nine months into the pandemic, many health care workers say they’re reaching a breaking point, and they’re bracing for what health officials say could be one of the most difficult winters in American public health history.  

Hanukkah and Christmas are held during some of the shortest days of the year — meaning, they’re also the darkest. But these holidays offer light through menorahs and advent candles, and now, the glow of a computer screen.

Meet a champion archer from Chicago who has overcome health obstacles to travel the world and win gold medals.

Commercial Avenue has long been the main business corridor in South Chicago, but in recent years the strip has struggled to fill vacant storefronts – a trend that was seriously exacerbated by civil unrest and looting this summer.

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.

The Philadelphia Phillies, the team Dick Allen started out with, announced his death Monday. The seven-time All-Star, 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and 1972 AL MVP started out with the Philadelphia Phillies, who retired his No. 15 in September.

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.

The European Union on Monday invited U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to help mend tattered trans-Atlantic ties and urged him to join it in a long-term “strategic dialogue” that would address global issues ranging from COVID-19 to climate change.

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show will not take place in February due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter editor Ann Dwyer has details.

As Donald Trump’s presidency winds down, his administration is ratcheting up the pace of federal executions despite a surge of coronavirus cases in prisons, announcing plans for five starting Thursday.

Lakeview Ald. Tom Tunney acknowledged Monday that he allowed diners to eat inside his restaurant in defiance of a ban imposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in an effort to stop a sustained and grave surge of the coronavirus.

Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power.

Watch the Dec. 7, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

If you have pain, you may be tempted to tough it out while the nation sees a surge in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But that’s not advisable, physical therapists say. 

President Donald Trump said Sunday his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the latest in Trump’s inner circle to contract the disease that is now surging across the U.S.

Six new works on display as part of the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit aim to get community members outside to explore the area and support local businesses as winter sets in amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sunday marked the first day this month in which Illinois’ daily death toll dipped below 125. There were only 10 days in November when triple-digit numbers were recorded in the number of virus-related deaths.

More than 500 volunteers participated in the kickoff event for My Block My Hood My City’s third annual Be Part of the Light event, which aims to decorate a 12-mile stretch of King Drive on the city’s South Side.