Stories by Matt Masterson

The Rev. Michael Pfleger invited the controversial minister to speak at St. Sabina Catholic Church days after Facebook banned Louis Farrakhan and several other “dangerous individuals.”

Lori Lightfoot will be sworn in as Chicago’s next mayor during an inauguration ceremony at the city’s Wintrust Arena. The official ceremony is to begin at 10 a.m. and include several musical performances.

Search and recovery personnel found the body of another worker Sunday in the rubble of a northern Illinois silicone factory that exploded and burst into flames two days earlier, a fire official said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s tax overhaul sails through the Senate. Heavy rains test flood-control fixes. Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot preps for a summer violence spike, and the Cubs prep for division rival St. Louis.

Austin Jones, 26, amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on YouTube. But prosecutors say the suburban singer preyed on his underage fans, using his fame to entice them into sending him sexually explicit videos.

Several hundred students ditched classes Friday for a march and rally downtown as part of the Youth Climate Strike, a global movement demanding action to address global warming.

At the Symphony Center, a palpable sense of relief and joy as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra marked its return to the stage after a bruising seven-week strike.

Nearly 6 inches of rain has fallen in and around Chicago since last weekend, which in years past might have caused significant flooding in some neighborhoods. But that hasn’t happened, city officials said.

Watch the May 2, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Later this month, Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot will move into the executive suite at City Hall. She’ll inherit a city her predecessor says is better off now than when he took office some eight years ago.

Maps are more convenient than ever for finding the shortest route to your dinner reservation, but what do they tell us about the history of our city and state?

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas offers some last-minute tips ahead of the annual tax sale.

In her book, “Bring the War Home,” Kathleen Belew argues that the white power movement is more organized than previously thought.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says allowing the state to tax richer people at a higher rate is the only way to return financial stability to Illinois. We speak with supporters and opponents of the governor’s top legislative priority.

Dozens of old glass negatives found in the attic of a North Side home lead to a surprising discovery, just days before the house was scheduled to be torn down. 

Mikah Meyer’s cross-country trip came to an end this week when he ascended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He’s the first person to visit all National Park Service sites in one continuous trip – and is challenging stereotypes along the way.

How do you bring the music back to the stage of Symphony Center in the wake of an agonizing seven-week strike by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? With two of the world’s most formidable virtuosos.

A day after walking off the job and 10 hours of bargaining, striking employees at City Colleges of Chicago announced they had reached a tentative agreement with the administration.

Retired appellate judge Sheila O’Brien is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate what she has called the “mishandling” of the Jussie Smollett case. On Thursday, she accused the presiding judge of a possible conflict of interest.

Watch the May 1, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Unseasonably cold weather in Chicago has delayed the start of spring – at least in terms of planting, says organic gardener Jeanne Nolan. Here are some tips for your spring crops.

What’s it like to date around while staying married? A Chicago writer shares her experiences diving into the world of consensual non-monogamy.

Some state lawmakers are scrambling to pass a bill legalizing recreational marijuana this month. Others are urging for a slowdown. We debate the pros and cons of legalization.

Hundreds of full- and part-time employees walked off the job Wednesday. They’ve been working without a contract for nearly three years and are demanding a livable wage.

For Chicago pet owners, finding a lost dog or cat could now be just a few clicks away, thanks to an app built using facial recognition technology.

Colorful kites, vinyl records, adoptable animals and antique maps usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.