Stories by Matt Masterson

“What happens in Wisconsin or any other city in our country does affect all of us,” Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference Monday morning. “And yes, we are monitoring that situation."

Chicago police confiscated 76 bicycles from protesters at a July 17 demonstration in Grant Park that turned violent, leaving many without their primary mode of transportation. About two dozen were reunited with their bikes Sunday.

After expressing frustration at the slow pace of approval for coronavirus treatments, President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.

Comedian Sarah Cooper has become an internet sensation with her viral lip-synched trolls of President Donald Trump’s speeches and interviews. But the target of Cooper’s ridicule hadn’t been asked what he thinks of the videos … until Sunday.

State health officials reported nearly 1,900 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and another six virus-related deaths — five of them among Cook County residents, including a woman and man in their 40s.

Republicans will aim to recast the story of Donald Trump’s presidency when they hold their national convention, while drawing a stark contrast with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Rafts loaded with plants floated down the Chicago River last week, a strange sight that in decades past might have been the result of some sort of bizarre garbage spill but these days is a sure sign of the waterway’s ongoing “re-wilding.”

Outside the Cesar Chavez Pilsen Post Office on Saturday, activists demanded the resignation of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and showed support for a House bill to reverse recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service as part of a nationwide day action.

With heated debate over mail delays, the House approved legislation in a rare Saturday session that would reverse recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations and send $25 billion to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.

As more universities decide to keep classes online this fall, it’s leading to conflict between students who say they deserve tuition discounts and college leaders who insist remote learning is worth the full cost.

President Donald Trump on Saturday accused, without providing any evidence, the US Food and Drug Administration of deliberately delaying coronavirus vaccine trials, pressuring the man he had picked to head the agency.

Watch locally made films at home or with other enthusiasts at Chicago parks and drive-in locations during this year’s Chicago Onscreen Local Film Showcase, which kicks off Aug. 29.

The former vice president makes his case to voters. Barack Obama breaks ex-presidential protocol. Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago police get heat from protesters. And remembering former Gov. Jim Thompson.

Stalled by the coronavirus pandemic for three months, the criminal case against Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward) intensified this week with a spate of court filings, signaling a new phase in the legal fight that reshaped Chicago politics. 

Michael Pearson, 18, is facing federal carjacking and firearm charges brought as part of a nationwide initiative between federal local law enforcement agencies aimed at combating violent crime.

Businesses that saw their revenue drop by at least 25% during the pandemic can apply for grants of up to $4,000 to cover operating costs, city officials said.

A bid by several aldermen to demand that Gov. J.B. Pritzker deploy the Illinois National Guard to Chicago in an effort to reduce escalating violence and sustained protests amid the coronavirus pandemic failed on Friday.

As the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,208 new cases of the coronavirus across the state Friday, it said 20 counties, including two in the Chicago area, have reached a warning level for the virus.

Jeanne Gang’s Studio Gang firm is one of three finalists competing to design the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. The firms just unveiled images of their proposals.

As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of 2020. And half the dead were people of color — Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and, to a marked degree unrecognized until now, Asian Americans.

To qualify for the ballot, the Illinois native had to submit at least 2,500 signatures. However, an official review of Kanye West’s petitions determined he only had 1,200 valid signatures.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley talks about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden from our coverage of the 2008 Democratic Convention.

Joe Biden formally accepts the Democratic nomination for president, capping off a convention that has seen blistering criticism of President Trump and an emphasis on the emergence of women as leaders. We discuss that and more with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

Thursday marks the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention – and nominee Joe Biden is in Delaware instead of Milwaukee, which had been chosen as the party’s host city.

Former President Barack Obama launched a blistering attack on his successor at Wednesday night’s Democratic National Convention. Obama’s speechwriter talks about that speech and the challenge of writing for a virtual convention.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will extend Illinois’ ban on evictions for another month, as warnings of a tsunami of looming evictions grow louder. The ban is now set to expire Sept. 22, according to Pritzker spokesperson.