Stories by Matt Masterson

“The next time this could happen they could kill him,” Tiffany Van Dyke told the media through tears at a press conference Thursday. “I cannot bury my husband.”

Odds may still favor the eventual construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, but it’s no longer a sure thing in the face of a formidable legal challenge by a parks advocacy group.

Detectives are interviewing two “persons of interest” who surveillance photos show were in the area of downtown Chicago where “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett said he was attacked last month, police said Thursday.

In less than two weeks, 14 candidates will appear on the ballot for mayor of Chicago. The first in our series of three mayoral candidate forums kicks off with four of those candidates.

Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was beaten by his fellow inmates shortly after being transferred to an out-of-state prison, a source close to his family confirms.

Watch the Feb. 13, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Bill Daley gets a major endorsement for mayor while hauling in big bucks. Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have details on that story and more in this week’s political roundtable.

A growing number of Venezuelans fleeing the turmoil in their country are finding a new life in Chicago. But they’re keeping a close eye on their homeland, with the hopes that change is about to take place.

For the first time in its history, the Joffrey Ballet cues up an entirely new score for its daring new production. We get a peek at the company’s creative process – and personalities.

The Chicago mayor’s race is getting a lot of attention, but it’s not the only contested citywide race in the Feb. 26 election. Meet the candidates running to replace outgoing Treasurer Kurt Summers.

New musicals, vintage wedding dresses, motorcycles and encased meats usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

The South Bend, Indiana, mayor tells us about his new memoir “Shortest Way Home” – and why his eyes are set on the White House.

The U.S. solar energy industry lost nearly 8,000 jobs last year, but Illinois was one of just eight states that saw a significant increase in solar jobs.

This sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking play – now receiving its Chicago debut at Steppenwolf Theatre – arrives at a moment when a whole new tsunami-like wave of feminist rebellion has gathered force.

Four men were exonerated of false drug convictions Wednesday, joining more than 60 others who’ve been falsely convicted and later exonerated in cases related to former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts.

“The emails were upsetting to read, and especially upsetting to think that some of our fans were put into a position where they had to consider their favorite team and some of those types of views,” Theo Epstein said Tuesday.

Watch the Feb. 12, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Rare objects from a New Orleans historical group are now on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. We get an early look at the exhibition “Purchased Lives.”

More than 100,000 women are suing manufacturers over painful complications from surgical mesh, which is implanted in the vaginal wall to treat urinary incontinence and other health issues. 

An ongoing NASA study aided by Northwestern researchers sent mice into orbit with the goal of learning more about the physiological effects of living in space. 

As the fallout over Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook scandal continues, a look at recent examples of blackface in comedy again raises the question of whether the practice is ever permissible. 

A series of transition reports unveiled last week provides a look at what new Gov. J.B. Pritzker has in store for Illinois, from potential new taxes to the creation of a statewide infrastructure czar. 

As Illinoisans wait for new Gov. J.B. Pritzker to unveil his budget plan, Pritzker’s administration is delving into the perilous state of Illinois’ finances with a series of reports.  

A portion of northbound Lake Shore Drive reopened Tuesday after having been shut down for more than 24 hours, raising questions about the condition of Chicago’s other bridges. 

Actor Jussie Smollett says he redacted some information from his phone before giving it to Chicago police investigating a reported attack on the “Empire” actor in order to protect the privacy of contacts and people who are not relevant to the attack.

Illinois is poised to join Washington, D.C., and at least four other states with a $15-an-hour minimum by 2025, an 82-percent spike in current base pay. But it may not be the momentous impact on low-wage workers that some supporters expected.