Stories by Matt Masterson

The Chicago Fire Department responded after flames broke out in a high-rise building at 1212 North Lake Shore Drive Wednesday morning. While there, the CFD called for a mayday and an emergency medical response after one firefighter suffered critical injuries and later died.

Activists, community members and local elected officials have for months expressed their concerns to Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana about the poor reputation Save A Lot has among many Chicagoans, particularly Black residents.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was still the world’s busiest airport for passenger volume in 2022, holding the top spot it reclaimed in 2021 after being knocked off stride by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police were called to Highland Park High School following a report of a student with a gun. The school was locked down Tuesday; no shots were fired.

What if there were a different way? What if you could rank your choices in order of your preference? Well, there is a system like that and it’s already being used in some jurisdictions. It’s called ranked choice voting. It has its backers as well as detractors.

Tonight's the night — the latest results in the race between Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas for Chicago mayor. We’re live with both campaigns and full analysis. Plus, Trump’s historic criminal indictment.

In his victory speech, Brandon Johnson emphasized the importance of coalition in his campain and pointed toward the need to continue building coalitions across the city moving forward. He appealed to those who did not vote for him and promised to work together. 

Nearly a quarter of the city will get new political leadership in 2023, a result of an unprecedented exodus of veteran alderpeople that will herald — along with the election of a new mayor — the start of a new era at City Hall.

Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed — a remarkable reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings and an extraordinary moment in U.S. history.

Voter turnout sat at 33.2% when polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with 530,382 ballots cast, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. That's compared to 32.1% turnout for the Feb. 28 election.

The survey released Tuesday was the first time the agency asked about lead pipes and gave the best count yet of how many are underground. Illinois ranked second in with 1.04 million lead pipes.

One Chicago firefighter died and two others were injured after battling a multi-home fire in West Pullman early Tuesday morning. 

U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García Tuesday morning announced that his 28-year-old daughter has died. 

Everything you need to know on the eve of the mayoral election. What to expect from President Trump’s arraignment in New York. A major change in Evanston’s reparations program. And a century of civic pride. 

“The new name is the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia and North Africa,” said Theo van den Hout, the museum’s interim director.

Many of the flags waving from civic buildings aren’t just representing Chicago, they’re made in the city’s South Shore neighborhood, by Chicago residents, who work for a company known as W.G.N.

Chicago will elect a new mayor and voters in 14 wards will also elect a new alderperson to the Chicago City Council. 

Former President Donald Trump returned to New York from his Florida estate Monday for his historic booking and arraignment on hush money charges related to allegations of sexual encounters.

“It is an absurd denial that lacks human generosity,” journalist Jamie Kalven said.

The Wall Street Journal cited an internal email from the Chicago fast-food giant saying U.S. corporate staff and some employees overseas should work from home while the company notifies people of their job status.

A 36-year-old Chicago Public Schools teacher is charged with two felony counts of stalking after a confrontation with officers outside of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home earlier this week.

According to the Chicago Board of Elections, only 3% of voters ages 18 to 24 voted in the Feb. 28 Chicago municipal election.

The National Museum of Mexican Art launched its annual Sor Juana Festival, an event series featuring Mexican and Mexican-American artists. The festival’s name honors 17th century Mexican nun, mathematician, writer and activist Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz.

Americans are discovering family secrets every day thanks to DNA testing and online genealogy. But not everyone learns they have a luminary of Black American history as an ancestor.

As Election Day approaches, top issues on the minds of voters. A local congregation helping migrants. The Golden Gloves turns 100. And “Adventures with Abuelita.”

Engaging the city’s youngest voters ahead of the mayoral election. Cash payments for Evanston’s reparations program. A local author traces her lineage back to Benjamin Banneker. And Glencoe's once-thriving Black community.