Stories by Matt Masterson
5 Things to Know About 1st Week of McDonald Conspiracy Trial
| Matt Masterson
An eyewitness who says he was shooed away. A key witness who says a detective lied. Scrutiny over events leading up to the shooting. Key takeaways from week one of an unprecedented trial of three Chicago cops accused of working to cover up the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Rauner Puts Pressure on Airbnb West Bank Decision
| Associated Press
Gov. Bruce Rauner attempted Thursday to pressure Airbnb into reversing its ban on lodging listings in the disputed West Bank, calling for an investigation into whether the company is violating Illinois laws.
US Pilots Want More Training on New Boeing Jet After Crash
| Associated Press
U.S. airline pilots are asking for more training around an automated system suspected of playing a role in a deadly crash in Indonesia.
FBI Raids Offices of 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke
| Paris Schutz
The FBI executed search warrants Thursday at both the ward office and City Council office of powerful Ald. Ed Burke, City Council’s longest serving member. What Burke had to say about the day’s events.
What FBI Raid Could Mean for Chicago’s Most Powerful Alderman
| Paul Caine
Powerful Chicago Ald. Ed Burke appears to be the target of a federal investigation. Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti weighs in on the events of the day.
Defense Denies Conspiracy as Key Ruling Looms in McDonald Cover-Up Trial
| Matt Masterson
A delayed ruling on key evidence will extend the special prosecution’s case into next week. The latest from the trial of three Chicago police officers accused of attempting to cover up the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald.
‘Angels Too Soon’ Remembers Tragedy at Our Lady of the Angels
| Jay Shefsky
It’s been 60 years since a fire at Our Lady of the Angels school killed 92 students and three nuns. We revisit the WTTW documentary about that tragedy, “Angels Too Soon.”
Illinois Lawmakers Override Rauner to Enact Urban Agriculture Law
| Alex Ruppenthal
Illinois lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill to establish urban agriculture zones that advocates say could help break up food deserts in Chicago and other Illinois cities.
624 Sex Assault Complaints at Chicago Schools This Semester
| Associated Press
A Chicago Public Schools agency has received almost 500 allegations of student-on-student sexual violence since early September.
MillerCoors, Pabst Settle Lawsuit Over Brewing Contract
| Associated Press
MillerCoors and Pabst Brewing Co. settled a lawsuit Wednesday in which the hipster's brand of choice claimed the bigger brewer lied about its ability to continue brewing Pabst's beers to put that company out of business.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Nov. 29-Dec. 2
| Kristen Thometz
Political parodies, holiday songs, craft fairs and beer yoga usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.
Controversial Lincoln Yards Proposal to Get Public Airing
| Paris Schutz
It’s a $6 billion city-within-a-city proposed for a densely populated area on the city’s North Side. Why the massive project is getting so much pushback.
Legislator Apologizes for Remarks Met With ‘Applause Instead of Handcuffs’
| Amanda Vinicky
Harsh political rhetoric is common these days, but did a state legislator take it too far?
McDonald Cover-Up: Key State Witness Says Detective Lied in Report
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police Officer Dora Fontaine testifies on day two in the trial of three Chicago police officers accused of conspiring to cover up details of the Laquan McDonald shooting.
Rosellen Brown Spins Epic Tale of Gilded Age Chicago in ‘Lake on Fire’
| Paul Caine
A new novel by the New York Times bestselling author and Hyde Park resident is getting rave reviews. Rosellen Brown joins us in discussion.
Why Fewer Families Are Bringing Home Babies Through Adoption
| Brandis Friedman
Adoption advocates have spent the past month working to raise awareness about adoption as a way to grow a family. But whether they are done privately or internationally, adoptions are happening less frequently.
Chicago Rat Study Shows Correlation Between Rental Units and Rodents
| Alex Ruppenthal
Chicago’s recent designation as the country’s “rat capital” can be attributed in large part, a new study finds, to a particular type of home: rental units.
Northwestern Program Offers Local Teens Medical School Experience
| Kristen Thometz
Learning how to read MRIs and inspect cell tissues are lessons typically reserved for students in medical school, not high school. But some suburban teens are doing just that, thanks to a newly expanded youth residency program.
Ald. Cochran Rejects Plea Deal, Heads to Trial
| Associated Press
Prominent Chicago Ald. Willie B. Cochran surprised courtroom observers at a hearing Wednesday by turning down a plea agreement in his federal corruption case that his lawyer contends could have meant little to no prison time.
Loyola Presents Final Four Ring to Sister Jean
| Associated Press
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt now has a little bling to go along with the international attention she gained as the near-centenarian team chaplain during Loyola-Chicago's run to the NCAA Final Four.
Pritzker Wants More Money for Schools, but Funding Challenges Loom
| Amanda Vinicky
Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker wants Illinois to become a national model for education. “There’s no future for the state if we let education drop off the priority list,” he said Tuesday. But he is unable to say where the money will come from to fulfill that pledge.
Prosecutors Say Police ‘Violated Public Trust’ in Alleged McDonald Cover-Up
| Matt Masterson
Were three Chicago cops adhering to an unofficial “code of silence” when they allegedly tried to cover up details of the Laquan McDonald shooting? Or were they simply working by the book? The latest from the courtroom.
CPS CEO: Chill Out About Cold Schools
| Amanda Vinicky
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson on Tuesday brushed aside critics who said students in 20 CPS schools were “robbed … of warmth and educational stability” due to a lack of heat Monday.
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