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As negotiations start up again at the sit-in at the Republic Windows and Doors factory, where there has been no resolution in spite of what those involved have called significant progress, JP Morgan Chase has pledged $400,000 to the plant's workers. Chase's subsidiary owns 40 percent of Republic. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who has been involved in the ongoing negotiations, said, "Chase's infusion of necessary capital will be allocated directly to the workers to pay for the compensation and benefits that they are rightfully owed," Gutierrez said. "This money is not, under any circumstances, to be used for corporate bonuses, luxury cars or any other perk for the owners of the plant...These negotiations are about salvaging the Christmas these hardworking families deserve." The Mayor's brother, William M. Daley, who serves as Chase's Midwest Chairman, has also joined the negotiations. Even with the money, union officials say that to fully pay the factory workers all the severance and vacation they're owed would cost a total of $1.5 million.
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The arrest of Governor Rod Blagojevich yesterday may have been the final nail in the coffin for a proposal to allow civil unions between same-sex couples in Illinois. The bill, the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act, was first introduced in February of 2007 and has been stalled in the state legislature ever since. Now time is running out for the bill, as the current General Assembly will expire at the end of the year. With only two remaining legislative days left, some political watchers say it is unlikely that the proposal will gain traction as the state tackles a growing budget crisis that so far includes a $2 billion deficit. more ›

Southwest Side resident Juan Gutierrez was arrested and slapped with a cruelty to animals misdemeanor after leaving two dogs outside in the freezing cold in the 2800 block of W. Cermak. One of the dogs, a Rottweiler, did not survive.

Police arrested Gutierrez at 4:15 p.m. at 1317 W. 18th Pl. after he allegedly left two dogs outside in the cold at the 18th place address for three days and one of them, a Rottweiler, died, police said. The other dog was taken into the care of the city’s Animal Care and Control division.

The Northwest Side woman who had allegedly kidnapped a three-year-old girl from a CVS pharmacy in the Avondale neighborhood last month has been formally charged. Forty-four year old Jeanette Roldan is scheduled for arraignment on December 29 at the Cook County Criminal Court for aggravated kidnapping. One month ago today, three-year-old Sana Patel walked out of the CVS at 3311 N. Pulaski at about 2:30 p.m. with Roldan, who had been talking with the child as evidenced by security camera tapes for that date. On a police tip, the girl was found at about 9:20 p.m. that evening in an alley near Kostner and Wellington. Luckily, little Sana Patel was found safe and unharmed. -- By Amy Wilschke more ›

Amongst all the Blagojeviching, Mayor Daley has announced his new Chief of Staff: the city's chief financial officer, Paul Volpe. Volpe replaces Lori Healy who is leaving the position to take over as president of Chicago 2016. Daley also recently named Patricia Scudiero as the first commissioner of the new Zoning and Land Use Planning Department. more ›

AP Photo/Mark Carlson

Forbes has released its annual list of the nation's most stressful airports and O'Hare comes in second. Our lovely hub at the end of the Blue Line is the only midwest airport in the top five and, frankly, no one I know is shocked by any of this. Forbes reported the O'Hare on-time arrivals from September 2007 to September 2008 at 76.2 percent and the on-time departures for the same time period at 78.6 percent. Our personal on-time departure rate remains at zero percent. more ›

Last month, we basked in our Senator's presidential win. This month, we're wallowing in Blago's fall. more ›

Yesterday, Mick Dumke at the Reader explored the possible identities of candidates named in the Blagojevich complaint, including Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Senate Candidate 5: more ›

A day after being arrested on fraud and corruption charges, Governor Blagojevich went back to work this morning. You know that first day back at work after you made a pass at a co-worker at your office Christmas party or a really big fight with your boss and everything is totally weird? Yeah, we bet it's like that. Also, today is Blago's 52nd birthday so we're expecting a really awkward gathering in the break room for cake today. There's plenty of fall-out from the Blago case to cover so we're gonna get to it. more ›

Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly more ›

So are the Cubs about to land Jake Peavy or not? With baseball's Winter Meetings in full swing this week in Sin City, there are conflicting reports about just how close the Cubs are to landing the Padres ace. The Chicago Tribune says that a deal sending Mark DeRosa to the Philadelphia and Jason Marquis plus Phillies prospects to San Diego is ready to be completed if the Cubs choose to pull the trigger. Meanwhile, ESPN reports that a deal is not imminent and if Peavy lands on the North Side, it won't happen this week. more ›

Now that we've all had a day to wrap our brains about our future-ex-governor trying to sell everything in the state that wasn't nailed down (and a few things that were as well), we'd like to congratulate one Mr. MikeDL for his nearly spot-on call in our Rod Blagojevich "Death" Pool, just 8 days off. more ›

AP Photo/Verna Sadock

Photo by PFByrne

Image taken outside the Governor's Mansion in Springfield by Anonymous, printed with owner's permission via L. Stolpman

MSNBC is reporting that Illinois Senate President Emil Jones is calling a special session of the legislature to pass a bill that will set a special election to pick Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate. more ›

It's a good thing, too, because the GOP is already circling. more ›

Whaddya know, there's more going on around town than the Feds rousting Blago out of bed: more ›

Amazing speculation this morning on Fox News that Rahm Emanuel may have been involved in going to the Feds about Blago's attempt to buy Obama's U.S. Senate seat. Like all speculation, we have to take it with a grain of salt, but this does bare watching, especially with the scrutiny that will follow on Obama's relationship with Blago. [via Think Progress] more ›

WGN-TV reports that Blagojevich appeared in federal court this afternoon in black sweatpants and a blue and black jogging jacket and sneakers. Bond was set at $4,500, Blago must surrender his passport, he's only allowed to travel within the United States, and the next hearing is set for January 14th. The amount of bond seems pretty small but we're guessing his political standing has something to do with that. Blago's attorney in the matter is Sheldon Sorosky. more ›

Here's what a few other outlets are saying. more ›

Comments from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn's press conference. more ›

Sure, everyone knows who Gov. Rod Blagojevich is, but who’s this John Harris guy? Well, Harris was apart of Mayor Daley’s administration from 1996 to 2005. more ›

"My only concern right now is for my daughter and granddaughters (Amy and Annie)." - Ald. Richard Mell, Blago's Father-in-law more ›

AP Photo/Seth Perlman

Several of us here at the Chicagoist office have been combing through the complaint against Blago and Harris and all we can say is, "holy shit." This thing is...amazing. We wish we could curl up on the sofa in front of the fire and under a blanket and live with this thing like it was a Danielle Steel novel. It's just. That. Good. Below we've collected several of our favorite quotes from the complaint, but don't let this stop you from reading the entire 70+ page document. This barely scratches the surface. more ›

Illinois out-battled the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Monday night, winning 68-58. The Illini went on a 17-2 run late in the first half, securing them a comfortable lead for the rest of the way. The Illini struggled on the glass, being out-rebounded 39-14, but made up the difference by forcing 20+ turnovers for the second straight game. Chester Frazier and Dominique Keller led the Illini in scoring with 14 each, and Demetri McCamey distributed 11 assists en route to victory. By Matt Motyka more ›

Photo by Yan Pritzker

AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File

Photo by Detroit Chris

Just what the hell was rookie sensation Derrick Rose doing handling a sharp object anyway??? The star apparently sliced his finger and required 10 stitches, causing him to miss practice, but he's expected back in time for tomorrow night's game against the Knicks. Did Bulls' management learn nothing from other examples? You wrap your star rookie in bubblewrap and make sure you buy him this and these. Yeesh. more ›

Lest we should forget amongst talk of birth certificates, factory sit-ins, and clemency, the City of Chicago is still competing for the 2016 Summer Olympics and supporters got a boost today when Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan announced a deal with the property owner of Michael Reese Hospital has been restructured such that both parties can agree, meaning the proposed Olympic Village will go up on the site.

Under the new plan, Medline’s “charitable contribribution” will rise to $32.5 million. And instead the overall purchase price will rise by $1 million — to $86 million. more ›

Christie Hefner, Chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises and daughter of founder Hugh Hefner, announced today that she'll be stepping down from her posts effective January 31, 2009. 56-year-old Christie assumed leadership of the company in 1988 and bolstered the slumping image the brand had endured in the 1980s. Despite success over the last two decades, revenue from Playboy's magazine circulation and television programming are lagging. Still, Christie insists no one encouraged her to resign. She intends to pursue public service and non-profit work once her tenure has ended. Her proud papa had this to say:

"I asked Christie to step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago. She has worked tirelessly to expand the company's franchise, and, as a result of her efforts, the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history. Of course, as her father, my first priority is Christie's happiness. While I will miss her leadership here, I believe that she will go on to achieve even greater personal success."

Billy and I don't want to leave Chicago, so this is going to be home. Whatever I do is going to be done from here. I think it's going to be a mix. I think I'm going to find ways to give back both in the nonprofit side and public service. But I also have enjoyed the board work, the TV commentary and the speaking that I've done. I really don't plan to look for a CEO job. Been there, done that.

Today, one of the greatest pitcher of our generation announced his retirement at baseball's Winter Meetings in his hometown of Las Vegas. more ›

Governor Rod Blagojevich, who has enough on his mind already, hit the ground running on Monday, ordering all state agencies to cease work with Bank of America in a bid to pressure the bank into negotiating with workers at the Republic Windows and Doors where workers are in a fourth day of a sit-in. Of course, Blago isn't alone on showing support for the workers: President-Elect Obama and a gaggle of Chicago aldermen have jumped into the fray on behalf of the workers. more ›

Even though he calls Grand Rapids and WLAV his professional home now, Kevin Matthews is still a Chicago guy at heart. So the remaining Kevheads in the audience (of which we know there are some, based on when we've posted on him in the past) will be saddened to hear he's been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the auto-immune disease which causes nerve cells to degrade and basically stop communicating with each other effectively. more ›

After a whirlwind of speculation in the past 24 hours, the Tribune Company has officially filed for bankruptcy protection today, the same day it faces a deadline for $70 million in unsecured debt it's had since before Sam Zell bought the company. The announcement is not a big surprise after yesterday's announcement that the company had hired advisers Lazard Ltd and law firm Sidley Austin to explore its options. The sale of the Cubs (as well as Wrigley Field and a stake in Comcast SportsNet) was expected to be completed earlier this year and might have helped the company stave off such a filing.

Severe reductions in advertising this year because of the recession have put pressure on the Chicago-based company. Most of its debt comes from the complex transaction in which the company was taken private by real estate mogul Sam Zell last year. more ›

President-elect Barack Obama used to sit on his front stoop drinking Mr. Pibb with Bill Ayers! He bought clipboards for ACORN! He prays to Mecca five times a day! Thanks to the Internet, people of all styles of loony have concocted conspiracy theories of similar stock about the President-elect. And why shouldn't they? It's not like we, you know, produce any manufactured goods in the U.S. anymore. Gotta flex that Protestant work ethic somehow. more ›

Another year, another egregious passing-over of Cubs legend Ron Santo for the Hall of Fame by Major League Baseball's Veterans Committee. Only former Yankee and Indian player Joe Gordon was selected to be inducted in the Hall. Santo needed 48 votes to earn entrance but only got 39. While Santo only hit a career .277, he had 342 home runs in an era when hitting 30 homers in a season was actually a big deal - and he did it three times. The nine-time All Star spent 14 seasons with the Cubs and his final season with the White Sox. more ›

The National Weather Service has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory for our area through mid-afternoon, so be wary of slick spots on roads and sidewalks. Also, it looks like that brewing storm is shifting north, which means the brunt of the worst weather will be north of the Illinois-Wisconsin line, bringing us mostly rain though we could still see a messy mix. more ›

A new Green Line station is coming to the West Loop at Morgan Street even though studies showed it would be better for a stop at Western. The station will cost between $35 and 40 million and construction will start next year with an eye on a late-2010/early-2011 open. CDOT spokesman Brian Steel defended the decision to the Chicago Journal, saying the numbers that supported a Western stop were outdated: "Since that time, the area around the Morgan station has seen big jumps in residential and commercial development...[The 2002 study] was based on 2000 census numbers. This is 2008. Clearly, the Morgan station has seen significant growth, much more than the area around Western. Another thing that led to the decision was in 2006, the CTA introduced the Pink Line service, which goes through the corridor the Morgan station will serve." Other studies are examining the feasibility of additional Green Line stations at 18th or Cermak in the South Loop and potentially Damen. [via Gapers Block] more ›

Outgoing Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones finally came right out and said what we were all thinking: he's interested in Obama's vacant U.S. Senate Seat. Speaking to WBBM yesterday, Jones said, "Yes, I am interested.'' Jones also echoed the sentiments of Rep. Bobby Rush, encouraging Governor Blagojevich to select a black replacement so the U.S. Senate is not all-white. Blago has promised we'll know who Obama's replacement is by the end of the year, which is good given that it appears our only current Senator has lost touch with reality. more ›

If the Bears hope to win the NFC North, they likely have to win out. Fortunately, the have a number of dogs on their schedule down the stretch. On Sunday, the Bears took care of business and beat the fast fading Jacksonville Jaguars 23-10 in a frigid Soldier Field. Early in the game, the defense created an opportunity for the offense to strike quickly. Danieal Manning intercepted a pass on the third play of the game and nearly returned it for a TD. Down at the 5 yard line, the Bears scored a TD two plays later to take an early lead. A second quarter 22-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen and two Robbie Gould field goals helped the Bears take a 20-3 lead into the locker room at the half. The team then coasted through the second half, managing a lone field goal. But it was more than enough against a Jaguars team that has lost six of its last seven games. more ›

The Supreme Court has said it will not review the lawsuit questioning Barack Obama's citizenship, a controversy that has also focused on an alleged "mystery" around Obama's birth certificate. Donofrio v Welles challenged both Obama and McCain's right to run for president as being natural-born citizens of the United States. There are still some appeals in other similar lawsuits floating around out there, but it's highly unlikely these cases will be heard as well. more ›

AP Photo/Paul Beaty

The sun is peeking out again through some high, thin clouds this morning, but the word of the early week is: mix. The sky will thicken soon enough and we could see some freezing rain and sleet early in the afternoon before it changes to all rain later. Some of the rain tonight could be mixed with snow. And that storm we've been getting all in a tizzy about? As for now, it looks like we're still on that slim border between rain and snow during the day tomorrow, but it looks like it'll change to a heavy wet snow tomorrow night. No one seems to be willing to say just how much snow will accumulate yet, so we're going to go with our now-standard more than zero, less than 10 estimate. more ›

Today the Wall Street Journal reported that the Tribune Company is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and could file as early as this week. The company has hired Lazard Ltd. for financial and and legal counsel to steer them through the potential claim. Crain's has a bit more on the story, and cites a Tribune spokesman as saying the company does not comment on rumor and speculation. more ›

Stephens claims that the check was deposited in error, the money has been returned, and that "to keep throwing this stuff up is ridiculous." more ›

While the Chicago area has already seen two measurable snowfalls in the last week, it may be small beans if a storm developing out west takes just the right track at just the right time. While the sun has made some appearances this weekend, more snow moves in tonight with the chance of up to another inch accumulating along with some frozen rain, though the National Weather Service says there will be no ice accumulations. Still, all weather eyes are focused on Tuesday when a storm could bring a significant winter precipitation event to the area. more ›

As the sit-in at the Republic Windows and Doors plant reached its third day, Rev. Jesse Jackson paid a visit to factory workers. The factory was suddenly shut down this week after Bank of America canceled the company's line of credit due to the current economic crisis. Workers, however, are demanding severance packages they say are owed to them. A law signed by Gov. Blagojevich a few years ago backs this claim up. According to NBC 5:

The Illinois WARN Act, signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2004, requires employers to give 60 days notice to employees and their unions, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Workforce Development and the Illinois Department of Labor, of a plant closing or mass layoff.

As some across the interwebs anxiously await the Supreme Court's decision on whether or not to hear the controversial Obama birth certificate case (Zorn, we feel your pain), the President-Elect himself is more concerned with his actual job. In his weekly address, Obama outlined a plan that Politico is comparing to FDR's new deal. Check it all out for yourself below. more ›

Things are getting heated in Dolton, where the inspector general was attacked by a corrections officer on the street. Inspector general Robert Shaw, twin brother of Dolton's recently deceased mayor Bill Shaw, was allegedly attacked by Elliott R. Kozel, 48, of Chicago who was circulating a petition in support of mayoral candidate Riley Rogers (Riley's nephew Larry knocked Shaw off the Cook County Board of Review a few years ago). Like all similar situations, each party is blaming the other one for the fracas. Though it's still not clear what the cause of the fight was. We guess it was just simple, good old fashion political loathing?

Kozel claims he was being "chased down" by Shaw and called 911, Kozel's attorney, Michael Joyce, said. more ›

In a game that surely gave Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley fits, the Blackhawks overcame an early two-goal deficit and then gave up a two-goal lead of their own en route to a 5-4 shootout loss to rival Detroit. Less than five minutes in, the Red Wings were up 2-0 but the 'Hawks stormed back for three goals to finish the period, including two from Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks then scored the only goal of the second period to take a 4-2 lead but watched it slip away as the Red Wings scored a pair of goals in the third to push the game to overtime. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk scored the only goal in the shootout to clinch the victory for Detroit. Defenseman Brent Seabrook said afterward, "It's frustrating. We need to shore that up. We need to be better with the puck." more ›

It's a busy time of year for the Cubs. While they still haven't made that rumored landing of ace Jake Peavy, they have received bids from three potential suitors interested in buying the team and now the organization says they plan to be sold by Spring Training which begins in mid-February. Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney said:

The bids that came in were for control of the team where for Sam, any interest would be a small interest. I think at some point people were talking about Sam holding almost half of it. That's not the way they [bid]...People are ready to come in, and while the economy is as challenging as it is, I think the value of the franchise really hasn't changed long-term. I think the bidders are all well financed and understand that. They didn't deviate much from where the value should be... more ›

After the Tribune ran their exclusive yesterday about former Blagojevich aide and friend John Wyma wearing a wire, Blago denied the information supposedly gathered was true. Now Wyma says he never even wore a wire or recording device at all. Wyma's attorney issued a statement saying, "Today, there are news articles suggesting that John Wyma has worn a wire or otherwise recorded conversations as part of a federal investigation. Contrary to those stories, Mr. Wyma has not worn any wire or recorded any conversations; nor is he aware of any such recorded conversations." Well either Blago, Wyma, or the anonymous source must be lying, we can't wait to find out which one it is. more ›

While everyone is getting themselves in a tizzy over this Obama Birth Certificate issue, one of the major local political stories continues to be Sen. Durbin's (pictured right) letter to President Bush asking for a commutation of former Governor George Ryan's sentence. While Gov. Blagojevich has already come out in favor of Durbin's request (no surprise as he will probably be facing a similar fate to Ryan's very soon), earlier this week, U.S. Congressman Mark Kirk (Rep.) sent Pres. Bush a letter disputing Durbin's request and State Attorney General Lisa Madigan also said she was opposed to a commuting of Ryan's sentence. more ›

A day after Mayor Bilandic Daley admitted mistakes were made in plowing roads after last week's season-opening snow, a fleet of snow plows have hit the streets of Chicago this morning to clear and salt the streets of today's fresh snowfall. The city Dept. of Streets & Sanitation had 184 plows on the road by 4:30 a.m. Department spokesman Matt Smith said the priority would be keeping the main streets clear and then clear side streets based on complaints to 311. more ›

Brisk is an understatement. We've got a fresh coupla inches of snow on the ground at the Chicagoist office with some flurries still piling a bit more on top of that. The snow will taper off as the afternoon wears and while temps will be in the low-to-mid 30s - much warmer than yesterday - it's going to be windy, bringing down the wind chills. Clouds will break later this afternoon and temps will plummet to single digits under partly cloudy skies tonight. If it feels colder than usual for December, that's because it is: Skilling Says, "Though cold air is no stranger here this time of year, only 25 years of the past 139 have seen readings as cold as in recent days so early in the season." more ›

So that story about Blago Buddy John Wyman wearing a wire? Yep, Blago saw it, and yep, he's denying everything. Via a spokesperson, of course. Per the Trib: "The Governor has been working on the things that matter most to the people of Illinois - creating jobs, keeping people in their homes, fixing the budget, and making sure that everyone has access to affordable health care. He woke up this morning and saw the article just like everyone else did. The Governor has not done anything wrong, improper or illegal." more ›

The Supreme Court made no announcement today whether or not it will hear Donofrio v. Wells, the lawsuit challenging the election based on Barack Obama's release - or alleged lack thereof - of his official birth certificate and his citizenship status. (The court did decide to hear two cases, one of which is the case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, an Al Qaeda combatant seized on American soil.) Of course, there's no guarantee the Court will ever actually issue any statement on the Obama case since it was simply petitioned to the court and, along with hundreds of other cases, could be dismissed without any comment at all. But as Frank James, over at The Swamp, says, "the lack of an announcement doesn't mean the court definitely won't hear Donofrio." So either we will or we won't. Hmm. more ›

Oh, Mayor Daley, when will you cease to provide us with so much entertainment? If only it didn't enrage us so much. A day after the City Council passed Mayor Daley's proposed sale of parking meters to a private company, the Mayor defended the decision, claiming there are "very few (meters) in the neighborhoods. It's about 80 percent downtown-80, 85 percent downtown in 2 or 3 wards. It's not in the communities." Uh, we don't think that's right. And the Trib confirms our suspicion: "In fact, of the city's 34,264 metered spots, about 8,100 are in the 42nd and 2nd Wards that cover downtown. That's only about one-fourth of them, not the four-fifths Daley claimed." Fail. Still, parking rates will skyrocket whether or not the Mayor can count. more ›

Mayor Daley’s budget director bowed out yesterday and, boy, did he pick a great time to resign. Bennett Johnson III told the Sun-Times that his decision is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the time line of budget directors. “Look at the history of budget directors. It’s two budget seasons and out. That’s just the way it goes. It's a tough and demanding job. I've done a lot to try and help the city, but it’s time to move on. It is truly and absolutely for my own personal reasons,” Johnson said. more ›

We're double-checking for signs of the apocalypse as Mayor Daley has admitted mistakes were made in taking care of snow after this week's first snowstorm of the season. "There are some complaints. We're taking those complaints very seriously. Why is it the rest of the block is OK but that little corner is not? Like anything else, you try to find out, 'Did they skip it?' That's what we're trying to figure out, and we will." This on the heels of an announcement earlier this week that side streets will face delays in getting plowed. more ›

New controversy has erupted in the case of former police Cmdr. Jon Burge as the Fraternal Order of Police has announced they will pay for Burge's defense, a bill the Trib speculates could reach as much as $1 million. Burge was charged in October with perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with charges of police torture.

FOP President Mark Donahue confirmed that the union board voted Tuesday to provide funds for Burge's defense. But Donahue declined to comment further Thursday, saying he would have a more complete statement on the issue Friday. more ›

"They were saying, 'Well, do a couple of weeks, a farewell.'" Dahl said. "I said, 'It's not a farewell. You guys are taking me off the air. I'm not retiring.' ... "I still have 2 1/2 years left on my deal so, quite frankly, I'm not letting them out of it."

Weird story out of Harvard, IL today. Skyler Hall, 21, has pleaded guilty to an April incident in which he beheaded the statues of Jesus and Joseph at St. Joseph Catholic Church using a lead pipe. He's been fined $500 and has to pay the church $7,185 to pay for the damages which also includes damage he did to a statue of the Virgin Mary. Beheading a statue of Jesus? That's rough. more ›

In a big step forward for federal investigators, former Blagojevich aide and influential lobbyist John Wyma cooperated with the feds and secretly recorded conversations with Governor Blagojevich to help the case against Blago. Wyma was also the chief of staff for Blago during his Congressional days, which makes the revelation even more eyebrow-raising. Earlier this fall, Wyma was named in a federal subpoena issued to Provena Health, a former Wyma client, regarding, "Provena's lobbying relationship with Wyma, the hospital's efforts to win state approval of a new heart program and a $25,000 donation the company's for-profit affiliate gave to Blagojevich's campaign fund." more ›

We like to have a little fun and bitch and moan about the cold, but - sadly - there is an extremely unfortunate downside to the cold. The Cook County medical examiner's office has already reported four deaths that are at least partly related to the winter's cold. While a few of the deaths were primarily caused by other factors, autopsies showed that the deaths were aided by exposure to the cold, including one Tuesday night in which a woman fell outside her home. Please bundle up, everyone. more ›

Kenny Williams has been actively retooling a White Sox roster that, while squeaking into the playoffs, was not anything close to a true contender for a championship. Three years removed from their World Series title, Williams finally realizes his roster has changed from what got them over the top. In addition to this week's trade of Javier Vazquez, who's the exact opposite of a big game pitcher, he has also traded Nick Swisher and the team has, for all intents and purposes, parted ways with free agents Orlando Cabrera and Joe Crede. more ›

A Chicago Police officer was shot in the shoulder after chasing two suspects and one of the suspects was also hit in return fire. The incident happened around 10 p.m. last night in Logan Square near the corner of Belden and Kedzie and the officer was recently reported in stable condition at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center while the suspect was eventually caught near West Fullerton and North Sawyer and was taken to an unnamed local hospital for treatment. A weapon was recovered near the scene and authorities say an investigation is ongoing. more ›

Damn, this doesn't feel like December. WBEZ just told us it's 8 degrees with a wind chill of -3 and we believe it. Hard to think this will seem balmy in a month. Sunny skies will rule the early part of the day and temps will make their way to the low 20s but winds between 10 and 15 mph could keep that wind chill right at 0. Clouds move in late and we could see some more snow tonight into tomorrow morning with new accumulations around and inch or two, so keep the boots handy and stay warm. more ›

GQ Magazine has named Chicago its 2008 City of the Year, concentrating on four different categories: Film (Batman, check); Literature (Aleksandar Hemon, check); Architecture (Spire, um...); and Politics (Mayor Daley? Seriously). Okay, so maybe we have a few issues with some of the things they picked. Hizzonah is not exactly high on our happy-with list right now. Still, what with Obama's election and the Olympic bid, we guess we understand the focus on our fair city right now. At least it's better than that New York Times story. more ›

A chemical spill inside a classroom at Hoffman Estates High School resulted in an evacuation of the school, a hazmat team swarming in, and to people sent to the hospital for precautionary measures. Students were evacuated and the air inside the school was tested. No injuries were reported and the type of chemicals involved in the spill were not known. According to the school, students were sent home at 2:45 and extracurricular activities were scheduled to go on as planned. more ›

The long and heated battle over the Wilson Yard development in Uptown continues as a group of residents sues the city, which they accuse of improperly dolling out $51 million in subsidies to the site’s developer. The group, Fix Wilson Yard Inc., takes to task the city’s claim that the site would never have been developed without some funding from tax-increment financing. “It’s a developer’s dream to have that large of an undeveloped parcel in the city,” said Molly Phelan, president Fix Wilson Yard Inc., to Crain’s Chicago Business. “There’s no reason to use TIF funds to have a developer come in and develop this site.” more ›

Oh, Vahzhno, we feel your pain. The eight-year-old male Siberian tiger at the Lincoln Park Zoo has been making passes at a fellow Siberian tiger, 11-year-old Molly, but to no avail. Miss Thang has been giving her younger man the shoulder (would the age difference make Molly a "cougar" tiger?) much to the consternation of zoo workers who are trying to get the two to mate. Dave Bernier, Curator of Mammals Lincoln Park Zoo, explained it like so: "We're trying to put our two tigers together for breeding. Our female Molly and our male Vahzhno. Every month or so when she cycles we introduce them together for two or three consecutive days in the hopes that they'll breed." Ah. more ›

Chicago Public School head Arne Duncan paid a visit to the Education Department in Washington, D.C. today, setting tongues wagging about the implications as Duncan is a close Obama friend and has long been rumored to be a potential candidate for the Obama cabinet, whether the Mayor likes it or not. Duncan, however, says it was just a friendly drop-in, saying, "I was just meeting with Secretary Spellings; we're hoping she comes to Chicago next week to talk about some of the work that she supports in Chicago." Duncan is known for being one of Obama's hoops buddies and has thorough knowledge of the President-Elect's education plan, saying, "He has an unbelievably thoughtful, comprehensive plan, and there's a real opportunity to do something special going forward." As Hawk would say, "He gone!" more ›

Earlier this week, we discussed the insane new parking meter rates that would go into effect if the City Council passed legislation allowing Mayor Daley to lease the meters to a private company. Well, they passed it by a vote of 40-5. Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) opposed the measure, claiming she didn't have enough time to review it, prompting this amazing (and classic) response from Ald. Richard Mell (33rd):

How many of us read the stuff we do get, OK? I try to. I try to. I try to. But being realistic, being realistic, it's like getting your insurance policy -- it's small print, OK?

As casino revenues fall across the nation, they're falling even faller in Illinois and casino execs are blaming the state's smoking ban for the drop instead of the tanking economy. Many gambling states are reporting revenue drops of five to seven percent, but Illinois' casino revenue is down a whopping 20.3 percent, which translates to $150-160 million. Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, has been claiming all along revenues would be down with the smoking ban in effect:

There's a high correlation between smokers and gambling. Although the number of people coming to the casinos is about the same, the time they spend inside is down. They're outside smoking. And in this business, if you're not putting money in the machine or on the table—time is money.

AT&T has announced plans to cut four percent of its work force, some 12,000 jobs, and while the company is only saying the cuts will come from offices nation-wide, many who work for AT&T in Chicago are holding their breath. Most of the cuts will come from the company's landline division; the company's voice line services decreased by 11 percent last quarter while wireless services increased. Severance packages will cost the company around $600 million and the layoffs will begin this month and continue into 2009. more ›

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is warning drivers that they may have defective license plates stemming from the issue that "the plastic coating (referred to as reflective sheeting) on some of the state's new license plates is separating from the steel and has an appearance of bubbling around the identification numbers and letters." If you're license plate meets the standards, it can be replaced free of charge. The main concern is that the defect could cause problems for police identifying plates. Plates made since March 2004 don't qualify for replacement as they're made of aluminum and therefore aren't susceptible to the defect. more ›

Yesterday we explored what we thought was a benign attempt by a fringe political group to raise a ruckus over Barack Obama's birth certificate. Boy, were we wrong. While we're not putting on our tinfoil hats, it definitely has earned our attention. There have been several lawsuits filed regarding the release of Obama's birth certificate, including one by former Obama opponent Alan Keyes, and now one of the cases has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court will consider tomorrow whether or not to hear a lawsuit brought by Leo Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells, a suit originally intended to delay the election.

The most famous case questioning Obama's citizenship was filed in Pennsylvania in August on behalf of Philip J. Berg and sought to enjoin the Democratic National Committee from nominating Obama. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to accept the case. Earlier, a federal judge rejected it for "lack of standing"—ruling that Berg had no legal right to sue. In cases like this, judges sometimes believe the matter is best left to political institutions, such as the Electoral College or Congress, said legal scholar Eugene Volokh of the University of California at Los Angeles. more ›

Prosecutors have rejected a plea deal in the case of Kaushik Patel, the man accused of killing his two young sons be dousing them in flammable liquid and setting them on fire last November. The deal would have sent Patel to prison for life but prosecutors are sticking to their guns and seeking the death penalty for Patel. Patel had originally planned to plead guilty in exchange for the life sentence, but prosecutors are moving forward with the trial, which begins in April 2009. Patel claimed that when he set his sons, 4-year-old Om and 7-year-old Vishv, on fire, he was actually trying to kill himself. Om died two months after the burning, in January of this year, and Vishv died a month after him. more ›

It was home sweet home for the Blackhawks last night as they made their return home from the annual Circus Trip and beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. The win also stopped a three-game losing streak. Patrick Sharp gave the 'Hawks in early lead, scoring on a power play goal late in the first but Anaheim answered with two goals of their own in the second to take a 2-1 lead. The young Blackhawks team then showed what they're capable of, ripping of three goals in the game's final six minutes to grab a victory. Havlat, Toews, and Bolland all notched goals and Kris Versteeg had two assists in the third. Huet played a solid game in net, stopping 30 of 32 shot. After the game, Versteeg said, “This is a huge win. It’s good to come out on top against a team like Anaheim; it shows our character.” Chicago remains two points up on Nashville for second place in the division and travel to Detroit to take on the rival, first-place Red Wings on Saturday. more ›

The cold just kind of knocks in you face, doesn't it? It's our coldest weather since mid-February and it feels like mid-January. Highs will be in the mid 20s all day with some sun early on that will hopefully melt some of the icy glaze from untreated sidewalks (be careful out there!). With winds getting up to 15 mph, wind chills could drop belowe 10 degrees, so bundle up. Clouds thicken later this afternoon with a chance of flurries and temps drop in the lower teens tonight, with some single digit readings possible. Most of us dodged the rush-hour snow bullet yesterday with in-city totals of less than an inch. It's gonna feel like Christmas-time the next two week, according to Skilling, with below average temps and above average snowfall. more ›

The White House has confirmed they received Sen. Dick Durbin's letter asking President Bush to commute the sentence of convicted former governor George Ryan but if they feel one way or the other about it, they're not letting on. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "Well, I can tell you that we have received the request from Sen. Durbin, but I would not comment on the pardon process--except for to say that anyone who is eligible for a pardon can apply for one, and those requests go through our pardon attorney, which is at the Justice Department...I wouldn't be surprised if there were more before he leaves office, but I couldn't tell you how many and I certainly couldn't tell you who." For his part, President-Elect Obama said any comment from him on the matter, isn't "appropriate" at this point. more ›

The CTA introduced the newest additions to its fleet: 150 hybrid buses. The buses, "60-foot-long New Flyer articulated buses", have been slowly worked in since mid-October and will all be on the road by next summer. The buses are 30 percent more fuel efficient than buses in the current fleet and can hold up to 125 riders. What really impressed us, though was the mileage. While the current buses get a measly 2.4 mpg, these new buses upgrade to a whopping 3.6 mpg. Suck it, Al Gore! more ›

Lucky you, Irving Park Brown Line users. The station, under construction for a year now, will reopen this weekend. Saturday morning at 4 a.m., to be exact. The spiffified station has new elevators, wider and longer platforms, and plenty more to make it handicap accessible and just overall nicer as the CTA continues its Countdown to a New Brown. more ›

CTA riders aren't the only ones facing an impending fare hike as PACE has announced its new fares, effective January 1, 2009. Adult fares for the bus lines will increase to $1.75, a 25-cent increase for most routes and a 50-cent increase for Metra-feeder routes. One small piece of good news: neither the Metra Plus Bus Pass or the Metra Link Up Pass will increase in price. more ›

Telly Virgin (pictured left) pleaded guilty today to charges of firing at a Metra train in an attempt to kill the engineer as part of a murder-for-hire plan. Theodore Howard (pictured right) gave Virgin crack and cash in exchange for shooting his ex-wife either at their son's day care center or aboard the Metra train she engineered.

In Virgin’s guilty plea, he says Howard drove him to the Metra train station on June 6, 2007 to carry out the shooting. Virgin shot at the moving train believing Brown was operating it. more ›

Chicago-based Bally Total Fitness Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in a year. The company will either sell itself or reorganize. Chief Executive Michael Sheehan said in a statement:

The burden of Bally’s long-term indebtedness, coupled with the lack of refinancing options in today’s constrained credit markets, have limited our ability to restructure using out-of-court vehicles, leaving Bally with no alternative other than the actions announced today.

Another day, another Obama press conference to announce a cabinet nomination. Today, the President-Elect nominated New Mexico governor and former Democratic presidential opponent Bill Richardson (why'd you shave the beard, Bill? We dug it!) as commerce secretary. Richardson has previously served as U.N. Ambassador and energy secretary in the Bill Clinton administration. Obama said of Richardson, "During his time in state government and Congress, and in two tours of duty in the Cabinet, Bill has seen from just about every angle what makes our economy work and what keeps it from working better." more ›

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis expressed confidence that they've built a strong case against William Balfour, the suspect formally charged in the killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew. Police recovered the murder weapon and the SUV in which seven-year-old Julian King was killed. Said Weis, "I think if you talk to the new state's attorney [Anita Alvarez] she'll be as confident in this case as I am." Weis also says there is physical evidence putting Balfour at the scene of the shootings of Hudson's mother and brother inside their Englewood home on October 24. Balfour's attorney says his client has admitted nothing; Balfour has a bond hearing today. For Weis' sake, after a year of constant screw-ups, we hope he's right and has his shit together for once. more ›

O.K., Barack Obama has nothing directly to do with this, but Washington D.C. bars will be open 24-hours New Orleans style for the inauguration next year. No word yet on whether alcohol soaked Hurricane slushies will be sold and allowed to take into the streets in huge Styrofoam cups. more ›

Congressman Bobby Rush has called on Governor Blagojevich to name a black politician to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama, announcing a state-wide petition drive on the issue. Rush, who has no interest in the seat, spoke at a press conference yesterday, saying, "In the past, Governor Blagojevich has demonstrated in some respects that he's a friend. We just want him to continue to be friendly." With Obama's seat vacated, the U.S. Senate has no black senators. Two of the leading candidates to take over the seat are black: Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Danny Davis. Outgoing State Senate President Emil Jones has also been mentioned as a possible replacement, but is considered more of a long-shot. more ›

Several people, including children, were hospitalized overnight after they were sickened by carbon monoxide as a result of a gas leak at 1926 N. Keystone Ave. in Humboldt Park. Five ambulances responded to the call shortly after 9 p.m. While police reported that nine people were hospitalized, the Fire Department said only seven were.

Police said nine people were sickened, including four children and two teenagers. Four people -- 15-months, 8, 11, and 20 -- were taken to Our Lady of the Resurrection, three people -- 16, 17, and 32 -- went to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center and an 8-year-old and another person whose age was unknown were taken to Norwegian-American, according to a Grand Central District sergeant, who was citing preliminary information.

At times impressive, at others infuriating, Javier Vazquez came to town in the afterglow of the White Sox World Series title and seemed to ensure that the White Sox would have a rotation on which to build a dynasty. But Vazquez never fulfilled his promise on the South Side. GM Kenny Williams has finally had enough, and found a willing trading partner in the Atlanta Braves -- a deal that ships Vasquez and Boone Logan to Atlanta in return for four prospects. more ›

Today will start out slushy as temps start out above freezing, causing the current snow cover to melt a bit more, but later in the afternoon it'll get colder as more snow moves in. Look for anywhere from 1 to 4 inches of snow (depending on who you believe) to pile onto what we already have by tomorrow morning. And there's more where that came from. 'Tis the season! Lows tonight sink to around 20 with winds of 15 to 20 mph, so wrap up if you're going out. more ›

Not too long ago we ran down the final submissions for the 2009-2010 city sticker contest. Finally, a winner has been announced and it's Denise Ferguson, a senior at Corliss High School. There were entries from more than 350 high school students at 43 different schools around the city, but Denise's design (seen above) was paws and tails above the rest. More than 25,000 votes were cast at the City's website and Denise will receive a $1,000 bond. Oh, and having something she drew placed on over a million cars in the area. Congrats, Denise! more ›

This morning, Sears Holding Corp. announced a wider than expected quarterly loss - $146 million or $1.16 per share – resulting in the closing of eight more of its retail stores. This is a drastic difference compared to 2007’s third-quarter loss of $4 million, or three cents per share. These closings are in addition to 14 already in the third quarter. The Hoffman Estates-based company, which is controlled by hedge fund manager Edward Lampert, also approved a stock buyback plan of up to $500 million in common shares.

Revenue dropped eight percent to $10.66 billion from $11.62 billion as Sears' U.S. same-store sales slid 10.6 percent and Kmart same-store sales slipped seven percent. Total same-store sales – or sales at stores open at least a year, a key retail gauge – fell nine percent.

An FBI sting has caught 10 Cook County sheriff's correctional officers, four Harvey police officers and a Chicago police officer accused of running security for what they thought were major drug deals but were actually parts of the sting operation. Officers received as much as $4,000 per incident and were willing to intervene if other law enforcement officials stepped in.

An undercover agent acting as a drug dealer allegedly paid 16 of the defendants some $44,000 during the course of the investigation. In once incident, corrections officers Ahyetoro Taylor and Raphael Manuel met the undercover agent at the DuPage Airport, where they allegedly helped count what they believed were 80 kilograms of cocaine. The officers each were paid $4,000 for helping with the shipment. more ›

William Balfour has been formally charged in the murders of Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King, all relatives of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson. He has been charged with one count of home invasion and three counts of first-degree murder. Sources have told the Trib that most of the evidence is circumstantial, but police are confident they have done the proper legwork to secure a conviction, including motive, witnesses, cell phone records that tracked Balfour's movements the day of the shootings, and an alleged confession to his girlfriend. The Sun-Times also reported a source as saying Balfour confessed the murders to a friend, but didn't indicate whether or not this was his alleged confession to his girlfriend or an additional admission of guilt. His mother, Michele, said, "They have a botched-up investigation and they're trying to pin it on him." Balfour is set for a bond hearing tomorrow. more ›

Chicago motorists will now have to fork over more money at parking meters thanks to a plan that privatizes the city’s 35,000 meters. Mayor Daley unveiled a $1.15-billion bid today that would lease the city’s meters to Chicago Parking Meters LLC, which is made up of Morgan Stanley infrastructure funds. If the 75-year deal is approved by the City Council on Thursday, parking meter fees will jump to at least $1 per hour. That means the days of spending only a quarter for an hour are over. Parking spots that already charge $1 per hour are now bumped to $2 and meters costing $3 per hour will now be $3.50. But aldermen must approve any further rate increases after the first five years. The deal also includes more pay-and-display boxes and pay-by-phone options, which eliminates old-fashioned “pay-by-cash” meters. So the days of driving up to a meter and finding it’s already paid could be over as well. more ›

The same City Hall that's shelling out almost $60 million for new SUVs is now telling us they don't have enough money to plow and salt side streets in a timely fashion. Streets and Sanitation Cmdr. Mike Picardi said that less salt is being used and side streets may have to wait longer to be plowed in an effort to save money, citing yesterday's snow as an example: according to Picardi, it cost the city $500,000 to salt and plow the city's streets.

The Streets and San boss says that, to save money on overtime costs, he’ll delay sending salt trucks and plows onto side streets after a weekend snowfall, unless conditions on the side streets become dangerous. more ›

Chicago's most notorious fundraiser, Tony Rezko, has finally been given a sentencing date of January 6. Rezko's lawyers had previously asked for a delay in sentencing while Rezko talked to prosecutors, but Rezko attorney Joseph Duffy said, “He wants to move on with his life. No one likes living at the MCC [Metropolitan Correctional Center].” Rezko remains in solitary confinement, where he's been since his conviction. more ›

We first stumbled across Rick Klein's site, FuzzyMemories.TV, while we were researching a post about Christmas advertising in Chicago. After we lost a full 2 hours browsing through a ton of local video content, we knew that Klein had something amazing there. Between decades-old newscasts, ancient local commercials, and the short produced pieces called "bumpers" that ran around all of our local programming, it's possible to get a real sensation of time travel. It's as though we were sent back to when we were kids, getting out of school and camping out in front of the TV with some potato chips and cartoons. more ›

If Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) gets his wish, Wrigley Field rooftop owners will be allowed to sell tickets to the upcoming Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and rival Detroit Red Wings. While the rooftops are limited to only being open for Cubs' home games, Tunney has introduced an ordinance that would allow the rooftops to be open for the game, saying, "It's a fierce rivalry. Interest is very high and ticket prices are very high. There's an opportunity for the rooftops to do some business. For the concerts [by Jimmy Buffett and the Police], the rooftops were not that good a seat. We let them be open, but they didn't benefit financially. This time, the rooftops will have a saleable seat. Center ice is around second base." We think it's a grand idea that makes sense. And at least those rooftop clubs have indoor areas where you can actually warm up. With ticket prices for the game ranging from $75 to $325, it'll be interesting to see what prices owners put on packages. One owner, Tom Gramatis, has lowered his price to $200 per person thanks to the economy. more ›

If you like smoking grass, Chicago Heights is your place to be. The south suburb's city council used its home rule authority to puff-puff-pass an ordinance that says anyone caught with 30 grams or less of marijuana will only be ticketed instead of facing criminal charges.

City attorney TJ Somer said addressing such offenses as ordinance violations rather than crimes helps "unclog" the criminal justice system while providing extra revenue for the city. That's because the city doesn't have to share revenue from fines with the Cook County Circuit Court system.

In one of the more mind-bending announcements to come out of City Hall as of late (which is saying something), the City of Chicago has signed a $59.2 million deal with Advantage Chevrolet to provide the Chicago Police Department with 2,000 SUVs over the next three years. All this could possibly mean that by 2011, squad cars would be replaced by Chevy Tahoes, which is a car that CPD Superintendent Jody Weis likes. What gets us is this Sun-Times article, which focuses on the fact that the City went to a suburban dealership instead of a city dealership. Hugh Clark, vice president of special accounts for Advantage Chevrolet "acknowledged the city would have preferred to award the lucrative contract to a Chicago dealership at a time when dealerships across the city are struggling to stay in business." more ›

Former Blackhawks star Hubert (Pit) Martin died this weekend after the snowmobile he was riding crashed and sank into a lake. Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon released the following statement:

This is a very sad day for the Blackhawks family. Pit was a wonderful human being and a mentor to me. Growing up in the same town, I idolized him and then was very lucky to have a chance to play with him in the National Hockey League. He was such a great man that did so much for his family and the community. He is going to be missed by everyone in our organization. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

The family of Sandeep "Sam" Jeswani has given more information of how Jeswani died at the hands of terrorists in last week's attacks in Mumbai. Sonal Jeswani, his niece, said he was eating at the Oberoi-Trident Hotel when the attacks happened. "He was having dinner with his friends and someone came up to him and asked him, 'Can I see your ID?' And as soon as he gave him his ID, that's when it happened." Yesterday, friends remembered Jeswani as "a gentle giant" and "an amazingly quiet, nice and decent man." Jeswani and a co-worker, Ulf Ahlund, were travelling on business for Wisconsin-based TomoTherapy Inc.; Ahlund was able to escape the hotel. more ›

A day after our first major snowfall of the season and already Skilling's telling us to expect more snow and cold in the coming weeks. To which we say: Bring. It. On. We're anxious to acquire our first snowball fight injuries of the season. In fact, our next sticking snowfall could come as soon as tomorrow evening into Thursday morning. But for now, we'll have to make do with what we have. Oh, and it's going to be windy today. Highs will reach the mid 30s under mostly cloudy skies with occasional sun, but brisk winds of around 20 mph with gusts topping 30 will keep us bundled up still. Tonight the winds will continue but the temps will remain steady in the low-to-mid 30s. more ›

Photo by Katie Scully
• Today's "No Shit" Story: We're in a recession.
• With a new book on her out, the Sun Times explores Michelle Obama's college years, including her complete thesis. Not one to be left out, the Trib tracks Michelle's roots to plantation slaves in South Carolina.
• A small rubbish fire on Red Line tracks just north of the Jackson stop prompted a five ambulance response, but the small fire was immediately contained and no one was injured.
• A Michigan Ave. Bank of America was robbed this morning, giving rise to what we guess will be called "The Mag Mile Bandit."
• The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune copy off each other's homework.
• Vanity Fair talks to writer/comedienne/actress extraordinaire (and Second City alum) Tina Fey. We heart her.

Anita Alvarez was sworn in as Cook County State’s Attorney this afternoon at a reception at the G.A.R. Memorial Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center. She is the first female and first Hispanic to hold the position. Alvarez has worked in the state’s attorney’s office for 22 years, and she most recently held the No. 3 job as Chief Deputy State's Attorney. She is also a native of Pilsen and graduate of Loyola and the Chicago-Kent College of Law. In February she beat five other candidates for the Democratic nomination, and in November she beat Republican candidate Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica for the position. more ›

Five weeks after the October 24 murder of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, Chicago Police have finally arrested Hudson's former brother-in-law William Balfour in connection with the murders. He has been the prime suspect in the case since the start; he was already being held in a state corrections facility on parole violation charges stemming from a police investigation into his possible role in the murders and was transferred to Chicago Police custody once the arrest warrant was issued. more ›

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter to President Bush today asking for Bush to commute former governor George Ryan's sentence. Ryan was convicted in 2006 of fraud, racketeering, and other corruption charges. So far, he has served a little over a year of a 6 and-a-half year sentence. Durbin has expressed concern for the health of the former governor and his wife. While prosecutors have come out against any pardon or commutation, Ryan has allegedly expressed remorse over his actions. In the letter to Bush, Durbin says:

George Ryan is 74 years old. He has lost his state pension benefits and a commutation will not restore them. He would emerge from prison facing economic uncertainty at an advanced stage of his life. more ›

It appears Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s lobbying efforts are beginning to pay off. Already considered a leading candidate to be appointed by Gov. Blagojevich to take over Obama's now-vacant U.S. Senate seat, Jackson got a boost today by way of an endorsement from the Sun-Times. In the endorsement, the S-T compares Jackson to the man he would be replacing.

We believe Jackson, 43, has the drive, the passion and the experience. In his 13 years in Congress, he has distinguished himself as a thoughtful, committed legislator who fights for what he thinks is right... more ›

At least three bidders met the Thanksgiving deadline to submit their proposals for buying the Chicago Cubs. Chicago real estate investor Hersch Klaff, the Ricketts family, founder of online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., and a group led by Marc Utay, a New York private equity investor all turned in proposals over the holiday weekend. No word on the two other potential bidders, Houston businessman Jim Crane and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The package includes the Cubs, Wrigley Field, and Tribune's 25-percent stake in Comcast SportsNet more ›

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the tragic fire at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic school that ultimately claimed the lives of 92 children and three nuns. Over the past weekend, several vigils were held to remember the victims of the fire, including yesterday's public mass at Holy Family Church. Della Maffiola remembered her son Joseph, who was 10 when he was killed in the fire. "It feels like yesterday," she said. "It was like going back 50 years. I went back in time. You wait for your child's name. I couldn't light the candle. My hands were shaking." The ceremony also honored the survivors, firefighters, and other first responders involved in the tragedy. more ›

For the first time in six years, the City of Chicago is offering drivers an amnesty period to take care of old parking tickets before the boot threshold is lowered. The period runs from January 1 until February 14 during which tickets issued before January 1, 2007 can be paid off with 50 percent off the penalty fees. After the deadline, the threshold for booting drops from three unpaid tickets older than one year to two tickets. Revenue Director Bea Reyna-Hickey said, “I would encourage you to take advantage of this offer…We have not done one since 2002. Before that, there was one in the ‘80s. So it’s not something we want to do as a regular practice...It’s an opportunity for you to come into compliance [and] save a little money. I wish it could be more. But some people could really benefit from the waiver of those additional fees out there on their record.” As the number of tickets is down, Reyna-Hickey admitted, "Police [ticketing] has decreased…Clearly, the police have a lot of other more important things to tend to." In 2002, the last time an amnesty period was declared, the city brought in $8.2 million and took care of 242,000 unpaid tickets. more ›

Things are getting rough for Donald Trump as the lead lender on his tower going up downtown has filed suit, seeking to collect $40 million in guarantees Trump made about the building. The suit was filed Friday by Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas, claiming Trump has defaulted on the $640 million loan when he didn't pay off the remaining $334.2 million to the bank and other lenders by November 7. Trump has previously filed suit against the lenders in which he "asked a judge to uphold a so-called force majeure clause in the loan agreement, which permits an extension due to an extraordinary event — in this case, the global financial crisis, according to the complaint." more ›

After a lot of huffing and puffing, a group of cab drivers across the city went on strike yesterday at 2 p.m. for 24 hours, but the strike didn't make much of a dent. Advocacy group United Taxidrivers Community Council is calling for a 16 percent fare hike effective January 1; the city has already said the fare hike is coming, it just won't happen until the spring. Spokesman Fayez Khozindar said, "We're sending a message to the city. We're not trying to inconvenience the public." Another group, the Chicago Professional Taxicab Drivers Association, refused to strike for fear of upsetting passengers who have enough to worry about in the trouble economy. Workers and passengers at O'Hare said they didn't notice any problems or fewer cabs. One does have to wonder about the logic of striking on one of the most potentially profitable days of the year. more ›

President-Elect Obama held a press conference in Chicago this morning to announce his nominations for members of his National Security team, saying, "Our destiny is shared with the world's. From our markets to our security, from our public health to our climate, we must act with the understanding that now more than ever we have a stake in what happens across the globe." His nominations are: more ›

In an effort to boost revenue, the CTA may begin selling naming rights for their train stops to corporations. The CTA is currently mum on which stations and which corporations are involved. Now, we're not exactly purists here and if it means there's money to plug that budget hole, fine. Still, giving directions like, "You get on at the Hershey Brown Line Stop, transfer to the Red Line at the Coca-Cola stop, and get off at the AT&T Stop and you're right there at U.S. Cellular Field," sounds kind of silly, but we're sure we'll deal with it. As long as Macy's is no where near the deal. more ›

This week you're going to see articles online and in print noting the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Volstead Act, which will be celebrated throughout the city on Friday. Prohibition didn't stop people from drinking, particularly in "the city that works." Places like the Green Mill actually thrived during Prohibition (we'll be writing about Green Mill and its Prohibition-era history later this week). more ›

For the first 25 minutes of Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears looked to have the inside track at claiming sole possession of first place in the NFC North. Then, in a matter of seconds, the momentum of the game shifted in the Vikings' favor and they never looked back on their way to their 34-14 pummeling of the Bears. more ›

After hearing stories of escapes from the Mumbai attacks by Chicago residents last week, now comes sad news that one of the American deaths was that of Sandeep "Sam" Jeswani of Andersonville, who was one of the victims shot at the Oberoi hotel. Nita Santwani, the wife of Jeswani's cousin, briefly talked to the press, confirming Jeswani's death and saying, "It's a shock to the whole family." Frederick Robertson, CEO of Wisconsin-based TomoTherapy Inc where Jeswani worked, confirmed Jeswani's death. According to Robertson, Jeswani had been in Mumbai on business. Jeswani's wife, Maribeth, declined to comment further. more ›

Anxious to get home after the long road trip, the Bulls fell behind by 15 points early in the game before storming back with a huge third period to pull away and top Philadelphia 103-92. Ben Gordon led Chicago with 21 points while Drew Gooden added 20 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Derick Rose scored 18 and dished 10 assists. After surviving his first Circus Trip, Rose said, "I'm feeling good and taking it game by game. We're moving the ball and finding the open person. We're playing team basketball and that's what it's all about.'' The Bulls return home for a game tomorrow night against the 76ers. more ›

On the heels of his 2009 budget and yesterday's closing of several state parks and historic sites around the state, Gov. Blagojevich named secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Dean Martinez as deputy governor for economic development and business regulation. Martinez replaces Chief Operating Officer John Filan, who now becomes executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority. more ›

And here it is, our first significant snowfall of the season and just in time for the first rush hour since the holidays. We've had somewhere in the neighborhood of two to three inches here at the Chicagoist office, but what about you? The snow will pile on up to an additional inch (or two!) and it'll be blowing as winds will gust around 30 mph today. The flakes should finally stop falling around noon and temps will hover right at 32 degrees. Tonight, the clouds eventually move out though the winds will remain and temps will dip into the lower 20s. more ›