Stories by Matt Masterson

A Chicago tow truck driver is accused of helping steal multiple vehicles while he worked for the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation.

“ICE has not made any city that they’ve gotten into safer,” U.S. Sen Tammy Duckworth said.  “In fact, in every city they’ve gone into, they’ve created chaos.”

The Chicago Department of Transportation added 140 new Divvy stations with more than 2,000 new docks last year, along with expanding in-station charging for e-bikes and e-scooters, according to a news release.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis on Thursday granted a motion from Chicago and Illinois attorneys who sought to reassign their case to her.

“DePaul University is deeply disappointed that former student-athletes were named in the indictment for alleged gambling activities during the 2023-2024 men’s basketball season,” a university spokesperson said.

“I continue to believe that people cannot both work for the government and defraud the government,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

Democrats across the country are proposing state law changes to rein in federal immigration officers and protect the public following the shooting death of a protester in Minneapolis and the wounding of two people in Portland, Oregon.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Joseph Mapp heads Chicago’s Office of Reentry. The office is tasked with investing in formerly incarcerated people and providing access to services — including housing, mental health support and job training.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on the clash between the federal and state governments. And what resources are out there for the formerly incarcerated.

Illinois is locked in a series of legal battles with the Trump administration, challenging everything from federal funding freezes to what the state calls aggressive and unconstitutional immigration enforcement tactics.

President Donald Trump, on the first day of his second term, issued an executive order instructing federal agencies to recognize only a person’s sex assigned at birth. It disregarded the concept of gender identity as a “false claim.”

“Any student of CPD’s modern history can recognize that there have been these groups of officers that have contributed more than their fair share of harm and misconduct,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told WTTW News Wednesday.

The budget request for the upcoming fiscal year calls for only a minimal increase in K-12 education spending, a reflection of the state’s tightening fiscal condition.

The food hall, which first opened in 2019, was created by the media company Time Out to “bring together the best of the city under one roof.” The 50,000-square-foot food hall houses more than 15 food vendors, three bars and a rooftop terrace across three floors, according to its website.

A week after Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, her family hired the Chicago-based law firm that also represented George Floyd’s family to conduct a civil investigation.

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

The City Council’s Finance Committee endorsed the $135 million project from Golub & Co to transform 16 floors of the 44-story tower at 30 N. LaSalle St. into 349 homes, including 105 units set aside for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans.

Both Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, say the changes — if ultimately deemed necessary — would be narrow despite Republicans’ desire to see the law drastically overhauled.

The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.

The high court ruled 7-2 that candidates like Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill. have the legal right to such challenges, even if the ballots have little effect on the race.

The Citizens Utility Board is sounding the alarm on data centers’ growing demand on the electrical grid, saying Illinois consumers can expect higher electric bills.

Illinois sues the Trump administration — what it could mean for immigration enforcement in Chicago. And could your electric bill be going up? A new report looks at data centers and their impact.

Illinois and Minnesota officials are separately suing the Trump administration over the enforcement tactics used by federal immigration agents. The lawsuits seek broader limits on the conduct of immigration agents in both states.

Since 2013, the prison abolition collective has processed mail from largely LGBTQ people incarcerated in Illinois. How those materials are delivered has recently changed. 

U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued an injunction Aug. 22 that prevents the Trump administration from blocking funding for some of the nation’s largest cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Boston and Baltimore.