Stories by Matt Masterson

Warrantless Immigration Arrests Banned at Cook County Courthouses Under New Order

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans signed an order banning federal immigration agents from arresting people around local courthouses without a warrant.

Respiratory Virus Season Has Arrived. Here’s How Chicago-Area Residents Can Receive Flu and COVID-19 Shots

Chicago and suburban Cook County residents will have opportunities Saturday and through the next several months to receive free flu and COVID-19 shots, as local public health departments roll out their immunization outreach efforts.

‘Back Off’: Pritzker Blames ICE Strike Teams for Creating ‘Mayhem’ Across Chicago

In the past 12 days, Department of Homeland Security Agents have deployed tear gas against Chicagoans who gathered to protest their efforts to detain people they believe to be in the county illegally four times: in Logan Square on Oct. 3; in Brighton Park on Oct. 4; in Albany Park on Sunday and in East Side Tuesday.

‘Siskel & Ebert at 50’ Honors the Iconic Film Critic Duo With Chicago Events Throughout November

The event series, hosted by DCASE and the Chicago Film Office, includes a film screening series with post-screening conversations featuring acclaimed guest speakers, along with a live performance, that aims to honor two of Chicago’s most iconic voices in film criticism.

Chicago ‘Rat Hole’ Debunked. Scientists Say Viral Sensation Was ‘Windy City Sidewalk Squirrel’

The case of mistaken identity was revealed in a scientific paper published Wednesday in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Oct. 15-21

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

Oct. 14, 2025 - Full Show

Millions could soon face higher health insurance costs — what you should know. And the local impact of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on the news media and protesters.

Trump Administration Continues Crackdown on Press, Critics Following Federal Judge’s Ruling in Illinois

A federal judge last week temporarily barred federal agents from using “riot control weapons” like tear gas and pepper spray on reporters and protesters who aren’t an immediate threat. That order applies to the Northern District of Illinois.

60,000 Chicagoans Expected to Lose Coverage if Enhanced Health Care Subsidies Expire in December

About 4.8 million people are expected to lose their Affordable Care Act coverage in 2026 if Congress does not extend a set of enhanced subsidies created under the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. That includes about 100,000 people in Illinois.

After Trump’s Columbus Day Proclamation, Chicago Celebrates Both Italian American Pride and Indigenous Peoples Day

Monday’s Columbus Day parade kicked off for the 73rd time in Chicago amid renewed attention on the legacy the day celebrates.

CTA Proposes Fare Increases as Transit Agencies Face Potential Fiscal Cliff, Service Cuts

Riders would see their base fare for both bus and rail to increase by $0.25 — bringing the fare up to $2.50 for buses and $2.75 for rail — starting on Feb. 1, 2026, according to a CTA budget proposal released Monday.

Federal Agents Deploy Tear Gas Against Crowd on Chicago’s Southeast Side

Federal immigration agents deployed tear gas on Chicago’s Southeast Side on Tuesday morning after a crowd gathered at the scene of a car crash involving those agents.

Key City Panel OKs Plan Designed to Build More Housing in Edgewater

Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward) said the proposals will revitalize Broadway, which has not seen any new housing built on its west side for two decades, by making the commercial district more affordable and accessible.

O’Hare, Midway Among Airports Refusing to Play Kristi Noem Video That Blames Democrats for Government Shutdown

The dispute highlights the remarkable push by the Department of Homeland Security to insert a political message into the airport security experience that virtually every air traveler must go through.

WGN-TV Employee Detained by Federal Agents Denies Wrongdoing, Plans to Pursue ‘All Legal Avenues’

Attorneys for Debbie Brockman said she has not been charged with any crimes after federal authorities including Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino accused her of throwing items at agents last Friday.

D’Angelo, Grammy Award-Winning R&B Singer, Dead at 51

In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop grit, emphatic soul and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped spearhead the neo-soul movement of the 1990s.

Supreme Court Rejects Alex Jones’ Appeal of $1.4B Defamation Judgment in Sandy Hook Shooting

The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones described the shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois Rideshare Group Aim to Protect Drivers After ‘Unacceptable’ O’Hare Parking Lot Raid

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Illinois Drivers Alliance plan to launch “Know Your Rights” trainings for rideshare drivers across the Chicago area, while also working to add signage around the O’Hare rideshare lot prohibiting entry for civil immigration enforcement.

ICE Takes Down Fence Around Broadview Processing Facility After Village Lawsuit

U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt last week ordered that ICE “dismantle and remove” the fence around the Broadview processing center by midnight Tuesday after local officials argued it had been constructed illegally.

While National Guard Deployment Remains Blocked, ICE Strike Teams Escalate North Side Raids

An appeals court allowed U.S. District Court Judge April Perry’s ruling blocking the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois to stand, while halting her order stopping President Donald Trump from federalizing those troops.

Oct. 13, 2025 - Full Show

The U.S. Supreme Court takes up LGBTQ rights and executive power. And remembering Loyola’s beloved Sister Jean.

Supreme Court Begins New Term. From LGBTQ Rights to Executive Power, Here’s What’s on the Agenda

The U.S. Supreme Court’s new term kicked off last week with culture-war topics and presidential authority on the docket.

Former White Sox Infielder and Cubs Coach Sandy Alomar Sr. Dies at 81

Sandy Alomar Sr., an All-Star infielder during his playing days in the 1960s and ‘70s who went on to coach in the majors and manage in his native Puerto Rico, has died. He was 81.

Michael Madigan Reports to Federal Prison, Beginning 7.5-Year Sentence After Landmark Corruption Convictions

Michael Madigan — long the most powerful politician in Illinois during his decades as the state’s House speaker — has reported to federal prison, eight months after a jury in Chicago convicted him on numerous corruption charges.

Feeling Inspired After Sunday’s Chicago Marathon? Here’s How to Participate Next Year, Plus Other 2025 Races

Chances are you came across the marathon as a spectator cheering on runners, a frustrated driver battling road closures or as a witness to a co-worker’s finisher medal in the office. If any of those encounters piqued your interest in running next year’s 26.2-mile race on Oct. 11, 2026. here’s how you can sign up:

Sister Jean’s Wake and Funeral to Be Held at Loyola’s Main Chapel, Open to the Public

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain of the men’s basketball team at Loyola University Chicago who died last week, will be honored during a wake and funeral mass scheduled for later this week.
 

Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors