Stories by Matt Masterson

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement official Russell Hott is exiting his post in Chicago and returning to Washington, a day after a federal judge in Illinois demanded he appear in court to answer questions about his agency’s continued use of tear gas in and around the city.

The semi-annual Reuse-a-Palooza at The Plant is happening Sunday, a one-stop shop for recycling, repairing and repurposing items that would otherwise go to waste.

On Saturday, thousands of Illinois residents will take to the streets as part of the “No Kings” protests happening nationwide. Here are the details.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s spending plan taxes the rich and avoids layoffs. And what’s in the new budget proposal for Cook County.

By contrast, Krishnamoorthi’s two main rivals in the Democratic primary, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, have yet to spend a dime on television advertising.

“The Gales of November” takes a look back at the SS Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years after its sinking. The 729-foot Great Lakes freighter sank in Lake Superior during a strong storm, killing all 29 crew members.

Cook County is putting forth a $10.1 billion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year. The plan includes no new taxes or fees, but officials warn of tough waters in the years ahead as potential federal funding cuts threaten to hit the county’s bottom line.

“Our founders understood that freedom cannot thrive under the shadow of military control,” retired Maj. Gen. Randy Manner said. “Civilian police accountable to local leaders and bound by civil law are the right tools for maintaining order, not troops and tanks.”

ICE agents arrested a police officer Thursday morning in suburban Hanover Park, accusing him of being an unlawful immigrant from Montenegro.

The Beautiful Lives Project works to empower those with disabilities through sports and arts programming across the country.

A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s request to allow the president to immediately deploy National Guard troops into Chicago.

Illinois’ Republican primary for governor is growing expensive as the party's 2022 nominee works to rebuild his campaign fund while another candidate receives support from one of the state’s wealthiest Republican donors.

The City Council also agreed to pay $8 million to the family of Leonardo Guerrero, who died after being strapped to a stretcher by Chicago Fire Department paramedics.

In response, Judge Sar Ellis announced Thursday she will require all federal agents with body cameras to have them on during encounters with immigration protesters.

The summaries offer a glimpse into the billionaire governor’s finances, although the campaign did not disclose the total income of trusts benefiting his family. Pritzker does not take a salary from the state and placed his assets in a “blind” trust when he became governor.

“The line to draw here is that we either are going to protect working people in Chicago from Trump’s cuts, or we are going to open up the floodgates and allow these individuals to be hurt and harmed further,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

Nine months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $266.8 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding the city’s annual budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by nearly $185 million, city records show.

The jump of six percentage points in the level of full compliance with the consent decree reached between Jan. 1 and June 30 is the second largest increase in the six and a half years that the federal court order has been in effect.

The 29-year-old Walter “Red” Burnett was confirmed Sept. 25, officially making him the youngest member of the City Council. Burnett says he is charting a new path for the 27th Ward, overseeing several development projects and addressing affordability for longtime residents.  

Tonika Lewis Johnson is a social justice artist, photographer and author from Englewood whose work highlights systemic racism and disinvestment in Chicago. The multihyphenate is one of 22 fellows granted this year’s prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

The addition of the library locations brings the total number of drop-off options to 33.

How residents on the North Side are supporting their immigrant neighbors. And meet the newest member of the Chicago City Council.

Luis Kevin Islas says lately the Rogers Park neighborhood is like a “ghost town.” In recent weeks, the area has seen an increase in federal immigration agents and raids.

Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to fire Jason Lee, one of his closest aides, at the recommendation of Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, telling WTTW News that Lee “engaged in no wrongdoing.”

During 2 1/2 hours of arguments, the court’s six conservative justices seemed inclined to effectively strike down a Black majority congressional district in Louisiana because it relied too heavily on race.

The formation of the group touches off a new chapter in a partisan battle over public health measures that has been heightened by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers declining to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations.