Stories by Matt Masterson

Body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of Chicago police Officer Ella French was released Wednesday, nearly five years after she was killed during a traffic stop in the Englewood neighborhood.

Approximately 7,000 unpermitted sweepstakes machines operate in all kinds of businesses across the city — including in bars, restaurants, gas stations, laundromats and convenience stores — but are concentrated on the South and West sides.

Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.

The program, launched in the north suburb in 2021, is the first and only one of its kind in the U.S., allotting $20 million to Black residents — their direct descendants — who lived in the city between 1919 and 1969 and suffered housing discrimination because of city ordinances, policies or practices.

Defense attorneys late Tuesday filed new motions asking U.S. District Judge April Perry to designate a special counsel to investigate, and if warranted, prosecute members of Boutros’ office for criminal contempt following bombshell allegations of grand jury misconduct.

Potential names should reflect Chicago's heritage, culture and diversity.

Marcel Brown's lawsuit was resolved with the largest payment Chicago taxpayers have ever made to compensate someone wrongfully convicted based on evidence developed by Chicago police, according to a WTTW News analysis.

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

What a former spokesperson for ICE has to say about current immigration enforcement. And displacement fears on the South Side as the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open.

President Donald Trump signed a $70 billion Republican-backed funding bill for immigration enforcement last week. Democrats have raised concerns that the long-term funding takes away Congress’ oversight power.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the eighth budget of his tenure on Tuesday as he and Illinois Democrats gear up for an election-year battle centered around affordability.

A federal lawsuit filed last week seeks to block an Illinois law allowing doctors to help terminally ill patients end their own lives ahead of its Sept. 12 effective date.

Pete Crow-Armstrong put his name in the Chicago Cubs’ record book next to Hall of Fame slugger Hack Wilson — and then nearly ruined the celebration at Wrigley Field.

An avian soap opera is playing out in Waukegan where this year’s piping plover breeding season has been full of unexpected plot twists.

As cleanup continues from last week's storms, more severe weather is in the forecast for this week, with the greatest threat on Wednesday.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s annual “June boom” is about to begin, bringing an end to months of speculation. Their rulings could have sweeping implications for birthright citizenship, presidential power, transgender athletes and more.

How much taxpayers are spending to flag police officers with multiple misconduct complaints. And the U.S. Supreme Court is set to deliver several rulings in the coming weeks — former clerks break down the cases.

The Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort is reporting a record-setting 90 pairs of plovers in 2026, the most since the bird was listed as an endangered species in 1985.

The portrait by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is on display at the Obama Presidential Center. The unveiling of the portrait — which weaves together archival images, family albums and symbolic elements — comes ahead of the center’s grand opening celebrations this week.

The Chicago Bulls are finalizing a deal to hire Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386 million. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather.

The tentative agreement to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be good news for the global economy. But even as the price of oil dropped Monday, many questions remain.

It is not clear how — or why — Benchmark Analytics was selected by officials in the Johnson administration in the fall of 2024 to create the system required by the federal court order known as the consent decree.

More than 100 former federal prosecutors slam Chicago’s U.S. attorney. And the Chicago Public Schools CEO defends district policy from GOP attacks in Congress.

Illinois libraries are funded by a mix of property taxes and state and federal grants. Librarians have said it’s often difficult to decide what to prioritize when budgets get tight, and many Illinois libraries have reported they don’t offer online database subscriptions.

The National Weather Service will be surveying damage from multiple reported tornadoes that touched down Thursday, while recovery efforts continue from the derecho that walloped Chicago on Wednesday.