Stories by Matt Masterson

CNN is projecting former public defender Kathy Salvi to defeat Casey Chlebek, Peggy Hubbard, Robert Piton, Jimmy Lee Tillman II, Anthony Williams and Matthew Dubiel in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Both candidates are current U.S. Representatives — Casten in the 6th District, Newman in the 3rd District — and are facing off in the 6th District, which includes many of Chicago’s western suburbs.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis conceded to first-term Republican Mary Miller in the hotly contested GOP race in the 15th Congressional district, saying it’s been “the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Illinois.”

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis was first elected to represent the district in 1996 and recently secured the endorsement of President Joe Biden. He’s highlighted the work he’s done in Congress to bring home resources for his constituents, but faced criticism by Kina Collins and some of her backers for missed votes and a lengthy tenure.

Jonathan Jackson, the son of famed Civil Rights icon Jesse Jackson, emerged from the crowded field to win the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional district to replace U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush.

Shocking Jan. 6 testimony. The latest as polls close on the Illinois primaries. Cook County at high risk for COVID-19. And behind an obscure governmental agency with offices on the ballot today. 

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi defeated challenger Kari Steele in his bid for a second term in what was the county’s most expensive and high-profile Democratic primary contest on Tuesday.

Amanda Vinicky was outside 69 W. Washington, where work was being done to put together the election totals, as polls closed in today’s primary election.

Urban Autism Solutions, an organization on the West Side, is working to empower young adults on the autism spectrum to learn life skills. The 1.2- acre produce farm is a hands-on program teaching young adults the basics of farming with a goal of enhancing their social and vocational skills.

Delia Ramirez will face the lone Republican in the race, Justin Burau, in the November general election.

In what’s been called “the battle of the billionaires,” some of the country’s wealthiest men are trying to influence Illinois’ Governor’s race. That includes the current Governor, Hyatt hotel heir J. B. Pritzker, whose campaign is largely self-funded. 

Cassidy Hutchinson quoted Trump as directing his staff, in profane terms, to take away the magnetometers that he thought would slow down supporters who’d gathered in Washington. In videotaped testimony played before the committee, she recalled the former president saying words to the effect of: “I don’t f-in’ care that they have weapons.”

Researchers at Lincoln Park Zoo are surveying which ticks are present in the Chicago region, looking for clues about the effects of climate change and urban sprawl, and busting myths in the process.

Pfizer and Moderna tested shots updated to better match the omicron that surged over the winter, but that first mutant has disappeared — replaced by its genetically distinct relatives. The two newest omicron cousins, called BA.4 and BA.5, together now make up half of U.S. cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With only 55% of lifeguard positions filled, the Chicago Park District is limiting access to “underutilized” beaches in order to redeploy staff to neighborhood pools, 37 of which will open July 5.

In the Republican race for governor in Illinois, Darren Bailey, a farmer endorsed by former President Donald Trump, wants to end the state’s right to abortion except for instances in which the mother’s life is in danger. He doesn’t support exceptions for rape or incest. His opponent, Richard Irvin, has said he would allow abortions in instances of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk.

What’s next for abortion rights advocates and opponents after Friday’s ruling? Previewing the big political races on primary election eve. And a new PBS documentary goes in depth on the youth mental health crisis.

With the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade, Illinois elected officials are planning a legislative response. A special session will be called in July.

The relationship between the public and the judiciary has been studied and debated by legal and political scholars. The short answer: it’s complicated. There’s evidence that the public has an indirect role in the judiciary, but that might be changing.

WTTW is premiering the two-part film “Hiding in Plain Sight,” which explores some of the mental health challenges today’s youth faces.

McDonald’s is cooking up big changes for its franchise system. Yelp says it’s going with a fully remote workforce. And a city-backed panel wants to breathe new life into the LaSalle Street corridor.

It is the night before the primary election in Illinois and candidates are making a last-minute push for votes. Our Spotlight Politics team of Amanda Vinicky, Paris Schutz and Heather Cherone previews the hottest races in the state.

The show curated by rapper Vic Mensa is called “Skin and Masks.” It was inspired by Frantz Fanon, the influential 20th century thinker and author of “Black Skin, White Masks.”

Three people are dead and at least 50 injured after an Amtrak train derailed Monday in Missouri, Cpl. Justin Dunn, a spokesperson for Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop B, told reporters Monday evening.

A Florida man drowned Monday in Lake Michigan after pulling a teenage female to safety from the water off Porter Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park, officials said.

The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court’s conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The case forced the justices to wrestle with how to balance the religious and free speech rights of teachers and coaches with the rights of students not to feel pressured into participating in religious practices.