Stories by Matt Masterson

That coalition on Thursday filed a petition in Cook County court after they said State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has failed to hold federal agents accountable.

After a successful inaugural event in 2025, the Chicago River Swim is coming back in September, officials announced.

The union’s House of Delegates approved a resolution Wednesday seeking “full support” from Chicago’s Board of Education and Mayor Brandon Johnson to declare May 1 as a “Day of Civic Action.”

The outdoor music festival in Highland Park runs from June to September. Festival tickets for this summer go on sale to the public April 23.

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

At least two people are dead after tornadoes and severe weather hit the area. And the war in Iran is on Day 12 with no end in sight.

At 92 years old, Glennette Tilley Turner is still telling the stories that shaped her life. The author has spent decades researching and preserving the stories of Harriet Tubman and the freedom seekers.

Iran’s response to the surprise Israeli and U.S. bombardment that started 12 days ago has upended trade routes, choked supplies of fuel and fertilizer coming out of the Gulf and threatened air traffic through one of the world’s most-traveled regions. Both sides have dug in, hoping to outlast the other.

Tensions boiled over during Wednesday’s monthly meeting of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, where advocates for the unhoused brought proceedings to a standstill as they protested the impending closure of a tent encampment in a North Side park.

“We respectfully urge you to cast aside any efforts to codify the invalidated levies struck down by the Supreme Court and instead enact meaningful statutory constraints on presidential tariff power that allow for appropriate congressional review,” the letter reads.

CTA leaders on Wednesday touted the agency’s new safety plan, with Acting President Nora Leerhsen hailing “significantly increased law enforcement resources.”

Last November, the Trump administration proposed a stricter definition for “Waters of the United States,” excluding seasonal streams, marshes, bogs, swamps and mangrove forests from protection under the 1972 Clean Water Act.

These accounts allow people with disabilities to save and invest money without risking their federal benefits. People with more than $2,000 in assets are not eligible for Supplemental Security Income.

Nearly two years after CPS removed police officers from campuses and implemented a new holistic approach to school safety, officials believe that shift could serve as a replicable model for school districts across the country.

The City Council’s Finance Committee on Friday is set to consider the proposed settlement, which calls for taxpayers to pay $20 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $7 million. A final vote of the City Council could come March 18.

Intense thunderstorms spawned at least four tornadoes across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on Tuesday, with at least two killed in Indiana as damage assessments continue.

The Great Lakes provide water to hundreds of cities and tribal nations, from Chicago to Duluth to Toronto. Leaders are joining together to advocate for their shared needs and to protect the shared resources of the lakes.

Planning for the future of the Great Lakes. How TSA agents are faring after nearly a month without pay. And a look at why Latino arts organizations fall behind in financial support.

TSA agents have been caught in the crossfire of a federal debate over reforms to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

According to a 2025 report by the University of Illinois Chicago Great Cities Institute, Latinos make up about 30% of the city and the majority of CPS students, yet only around 6% of philanthropic arts funding is directed toward Latino arts.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to lead Chicago Animal Care and Control highlighted the work of the city shelter during a committee hearing Tuesday, as some animal advocates demand a nationwide search.

“This little fish is truly one in a million,” said Jenny Richards, senior aquarist at Shedd Aquarium.

Severe thunderstorms are expected throughout northeast Illinois late Tuesday afternoon into the evening, bringing with them the threat for damaging hail and winds, flash flooding and possible tornadoes south of the I-80 corridor.

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

The national average gas price was $3.48 a gallon on Monday, up from $2.90 a month ago, before the war, according to tracking by AAA.

It’s a major step back from comments made at a White House news conference in September, when Trump and FDA commissioner Marty Makary announced the drug was under review to benefit patients with autism.