Stories by Matt Masterson

Homeland Security officials on Monday said they intend to target “criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois” in a new immigration operation after an Illinois woman was killed in a drunk driving crash allegedly involving an undocumented immigrant early this year.

The conservative majority lifted a restraining order from a judge who found that “roving patrols” were conducting indiscriminate stops in and around LA. The order had barred immigration agents from stopping people solely based on their race, language, job or location.

Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office announced the charges against the six adults, who were arrested Friday after allegedly leading authorities on a chase from the store down Lake Shore Drive and the Dan Ryan Expressway before they ultimately crashed.

President Donald Trump is swiftly implementing his vision of the military as an all-powerful tool for his policy goals. It’s ground that presidents have hardly ever crossed outside of times of war, and experts say it’s remaking the role of the most powerful military in the world and its relationship with the American public.

For the Chicago Police Department, the challenge is acute. The force must preserve public safety in a city already under strain while avoiding the appearance of working hand-in-hand with federal immigration authorities, a stance that could erode community trust and ignite new protests.

Chicago taxpayers paid $6.3 million to settle 54 lawsuits, according to a WTTW analysis of city records. An additional $4.5 million went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers named in those lawsuits.

This year the typically joyful period coincides with Trump’s threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he has targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration has said it will step up immigration enforcement in Chicago

Chicago police officers have now shot 16 people, killing eight, less than nine months into 2025, more than in all of last year, records show.

Chicago braces for the possibility of National Guard troops as federal immigration agents prepare to hit city streets. And concerns over changes to vaccine guidance.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Walter "Red" Burnett was the best choice to replace his father, who represented parts of the West Side and the West Loop for 30 years on the Chicago City Council.

Multitalented is hardly enough of a word to describe Hershey Felder, the Canadian-born multilingual pianist, actor, composer and playwright. He can now be captured on the Writers Theatre stage in the Chicago/Midwest premiere of “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar.”

The investigations come as the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress slashed taxpayer spending on immigrant health care through cuts in President Donald Trump’s spending-and-tax law passed this summer.

Chicago Public Schools says it does not intend to offer a remote learning option to students amid a possible deployment of National Guard troops, immigration strike teams or other armed military personnel into the city.

In recent years, Acutis has shot to near rock star-like fame among many young Catholics, generating a global following the likes of which the Catholic Church hasn’t seen in ages. Much of that popularity is thanks to a concerted campaign by the Vatican to give the next generation of faithful a relatable, modern-day role model.

Legal questions swirl over the possibility of National Guard troops in Chicago. And how local groups are mobilizing to push back against ICE.

The president expanded his criticism of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to include additional museums. But specialists in the field said these actions could potentially “erode the public’s trust in shared institutions,” not just in Washington, D.C., but around the country.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to hit Chicago’s streets late Friday or Saturday morning after gathering at Naval Station Great Lakes, which is about 35 miles outside of the city, Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Medical groups and several Democrats in Congress have called for Kennedy to be fired, and his exchanges with Democratic senators on the panel repeatedly devolved into shouting, from both sides. But some Republican senators also expressed unease with his changes to COVID-19 policies.

In a letter to the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, ISBE general counsel Marni Malowitz said releasing the data would expose Illinois voters to unnecessary risks.

NASCAR will not be returning to Chicago streets next summer. But while the race leaves town for at least one year, the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget still contains several millions of dollars for NASCAR.

Northwestern President Michael Schill, who has led the Evanston university amid periods of turmoil that included student protests, a widespread hazing scandal within the athletic department and federal funding cuts that forced layoffs, has announced he is stepping down.

While Trump’s aggressive deportation plans accelerate, Gregory Bovino carefully hones his image, both his own and the one projected to the country that shows well-armed officers moving swiftly into place to make arrests.

Chicago’s Urban Birding Festival is back in 2025 with dozens of field trips designed to spotlight the city’s avian diversity. Registration closes this Sunday.

The fall arts season is getting into gear. Consider a day trip to Plano to see a masterwork of modernity. Get an early taste of Lyric Opera’s season. Upend country music cliches. Visit an immersive exhibit about family and culture. When in doubt, you can always see a play. Your couch will still be there when you get back.

Mazon Creek is one of the most significant fossil sites in the world, and it’s in Chicago’s backyard. The Field Museum is behind a push to reinvigorate research at the site, with the help of community scientists.