Stories by Matt Masterson

Pat Quinn is among seven plaintiffs who have filed suits in Cook County and federal courts, claiming the law granting Chicago’s mayor authority to appoint board members violates city residents’ due process and voting rights.

How an array of fines and fees are preventing many poor, low-level offenders in Illinois courts from moving beyond a life of crime.

Sen. Tim Kaine and Gov. Mike Pence squared off Tuesday night, but did it move any voters? We talk presidential politics. 

The founder and former host of “America’s Test Kitchen” is back with a new project and a broader vision.

Chicago women had a professional baseball league of their own in the 1940s and '50s. We revisit Geoffrey Baer's story of the National Girls Baseball League.

Shelisa Jones is on a mission from God. Her plan? Rent out Soldier Field next Monday for a citywide interfaith prayer vigil for peace during one of Chicago’s most violent years in decades. 

Who will police the Chicago police? Plans to clean house and overhaul the police accountability process face a crucial City Council vote.

With the recent opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, we get an update on Chicago's museum of African American history.

Sara Sayigh, a 60-year-old librarian on the historic DuSable High School campus, was one of nearly 250 educators and support staff CPS laid off this week because of shrinking budgets and declining enrollment.

He was a literary giant who chronicled the seedy side of the city. We talk with the author of a new biography about Chicago writer Nelson Algren.

The 11th annual festival is underway. Get a preview of this year's artists and hear a performance by guitarist Iliana Matos.

We hear from three business leaders on their efforts to help Chicago reduce violent crime.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, also known as the “swamp rattler,” produces venom more toxic than most other rattlesnakes.

The story behind a new stage adaptation of an infamous–and fatal–boxing match that was televised in the 1960s.

Elsa Harris has played in Chicago churches since she was 12 years old and has performed around the world. We visit this “legend of Chicago gospel.”

Watch the Oct. 3, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight." 

Illinois' U.S. Senate candidates, incumbent Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Tammy Duckworth, square off in a debate for the first time. Why it may be their last.

Only 35 days until Election Day and newspapers across the country are making some surprising endorsements. We talk with local editorial board members. 

The Field Museum's Chief Curiosity Correspondent has a new show and she's here to tell us all about it.

Some Chicago Public Schools students may be missing their teachers as more than 250 layoff notices go out Monday.

The YMCA and other community organizations across the city plan to hold strike camps for CPS students if the district and Chicago teachers can't reach a contract agreement by next week.

The rare psychiatric disorder increases the risk that a mother will harm herself or her newborn, according to a recent study. A local psychiatrist explains the seriousness of the illness and how it differs from the more commonly studied postpartum depression.

The Shedd Aquarium is calling on President Barack Obama to sign legislation that aims to curb the highly lucrative, international business of illegally trading endangered and threatened animals.

This week, the university announced that 96 percent of incoming freshman have registered to vote, thanks in part to a new website launched this fall. 

Presidential hopefuls hit the town in a mad dash for cash. Chicago teachers set a strike date. Englewood gets a new Whole Foods. And the battered Bears look for first win. These stories and more with Joel Weisman and guests.

Watch the Sept. 29, 2016 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."