Stories by Matt Masterson

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office on Friday announced 79 felony charges against 11 current and former elected officials and employees of the village of Ford Heights.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that not only did Officer Alberto Rodriguez assault his 19-year-old girlfriend but he also held her against her will, conclusions endorsed by former Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling.

In all, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has determined members of that tactical team violated department policy during 22 separate traffic stops, according to a WTTW News analysis of COPA records.

Preliminary medical findings released Friday are pointing to chronic gastrointestinal disease as a contributing factor in the deaths of two rescued beluga whales at Shedd Aquarium.

The Park District is holding town halls in advance of statewide e-bike and e-scooter regulations taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

On what would have been Laquan McDonald’s 29th birthday, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is reintroducing legislation that would incentivize the use of independent, impartial investigations into the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials.

Insight Health Systems reached a deal last week to purchase both Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown and West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park after both shuttered following years of reported mismanagement and poor structural conditions.

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter database before November’s elections, granting President Donald Trump a temporary win in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting.

“We have an opportunity to not only apologize to Chicagoans for the city’s past mistakes, but to back that apology with real, tangible benefits for taxpayers for the first time,” Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd Ward) said.

What’s in the revamped parking meter deal. And two closed safety-net hospitals get new ownership.

Both of Chicago’s baseball teams are heading to the playoffs, with the Cubs and Sox each clinching their spots Thursday afternoon.

The $900 million project would move the Midwest Maintenance Facility to a dormant railyard along South Canal Street from 33rd to 35th streets, next to Rate Field. Amtrak officials have been met with pushback from residents in Bridgeport, Chinatown and Armour Square.

The embattled federal prosecutor whose alleged misconduct before a grand jury last year led to the dismissal of the “Broadview Six” case and a review of her previous cases has left Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King said the district’s 20th day enrollment — which is typically used as the official student count in a given year — has fallen to 304,687 students in the 2026-27 academic year.

Days after local police said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a U.S. citizen in suburban Evanston and left him injured on the ground, questions are swirling about what happened.

Pete Crow-Armstrong joined the 40-40 club Thursday when the Chicago Cubs star stole his 40th base of the season Thursday against Miami Marlins.

The Illinois Supreme Court could decide the case that has frozen the system Chicago officials used for 60 years to hold accountable officers accused of the most egregious misconduct before the end of the year.

Reporters from three news outlets banned from the White House by President Donald Trump were back on the grounds Thursday afternoon, hours after a federal judge ordered the administration to reinstate their access.

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week above 7% for the first time since January 2025, the latest affordability setback for prospective homebuyers following a five-week run of rate increases.

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

City Council approves plans for more affordable housing. And could a 32-hour workweek become the new standard? We unpack the proposal.

Chicago businessman and philanthropist Willie Wilson is throwing his hat in the ring for mayor of Chicago — his fourth bid for City Hall’s fifth floor. Wilson also ran for U.S. president in 2016 and for the U.S. Senate in 2020.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) reintroduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act. The bill has undergone several revisions since it was first introduced in 2021 and now faces lawmakers for the fourth time.

Chicago’s next mayoral election is less than a year away and the list of candidates — and those considering a run — is growing ever larger. Here’s who is in so far.

The two long-in-the-works developments will get city subsidies totaling $57.6 million, including the first large chunk of funds from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s signature economic development effort.

The city’s street psychiatry pilot program is administered by teams of specialized healthcare workers who engage with people at shelters, parks, encampments, CTA transit areas and other community locations.