News

Poor Governor Quinn. He just wants to be liked and Mayor Daley keeps toying with his emotions. First, Daley got pissy over Gov. Quinn's budget. Then, MayDay said some very nice things about the Governor. But now Daley is back to questioning The Mighty Quinn's tax plan. According to David Stewart at WGN Radio, Daley said, "Just to say, ok my answer is to increase taxes, and I'm not going to look at, review my departments, which I think its very challenging and I think that they have to rethink that." We patiently await Daley's next statement on the issue, probably sometime next week, when he is expected to say, "Nah, I was just fuckin' with ya', Patty. Just bustin' the new guy's balls. Of course you can tax the shit outta everyone! It's Cook County!" more ›

According to reports, former White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik will be rejoining the club's major league roster after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. Apparently, he's already on his way to meet up with the Sox, but the team will not be announcing any roster moves on their off day. more ›

It's been an interesting couple of days in the case of Stacy Peterson's disappearance. While D-Pete, who has never met a camera he doesn't love, showed up on national television again last week in the wake of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of deceased murdered third wife Kathleen Savio, there are some new happenings in the case of missing fourth wife Stacy. News came from NBC 5 yesterday that police and Coast Guard officials were searching a canal for possible evidence. D-Pete attorney Joel Brodsky dismissed the actions, saying, "They did it all last summer. They're doing it again, so I don't think it's of any significance." Pam Bosco, spokeswoman for Stacy's family, was more optimistic, saying, "I think what we can take from that is that they're still considering this a very important investigation, and that it's very active. We believe she can be found yet, and so we want to put all our efforts into doing our searches. Yet we believe that eventually we will find Stacy." more ›

It seems that one of the varieties of wildlife in the city is dwindling and a new program is hoping to change that. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake has seen its number in the area dwindle to the point of being declared endangered in the state. So, members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are gathering as many as possible for a breeding program at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Lincoln Park Zoo biologist Joanne Earnhardt tells the Trib the snakes have non-lethal venom and are generally shy. [Tribune via Gapers] more ›

Lorenzo Davis was about to be released from Cook County Jail when he went and opened his big mouth and wound up back behind bars. It seems when Davis was in the hospital inside the jail - presumably for a prerelease check-up - he made a threatening comment about Mayor Daley to the staff. That, it seems, is a no-no, so Davis found himself back behind bars, charged one count of threatening a public official (a felony). Unsurprisingly, Davis was in jail on charges of battery, disorderly conduct and aggravated assault to a police officer stemming from an April 17 incident. [CBN] more ›

Dozens of Chicago police officers angrily confronted members of the police pension board yesterday for failing to comply with city Inspector General David Hoffman’s subpoena as part of his investigation into investments that city worker pension funds have made with DV Urban Realty, the real estate investment firm operated by Mayor Daley’s nephew Robert Vanecko and Daley fundraiser Allison Davis. The police pension fund’s attorney has said that the fund will not turn over recordings of the closed-door sessions where the decision was made. The police board voted to invest $15 million in DV Urban in 2006, one of five city pension funds that pumped nearly $70 million worth of local government pension funds into the firm. more ›

On Wednesday, the White Sox took the series against the West's best Seattle Mariners, winning the rubber game 6-3. Sox starter Gavin Floyd labored through six innings on the mound but ultimately was effective, surrendering only three runs on 10 hits. All of Seattle's scoring came in the fifth, when the Mariners strung together four straight hits and jumped on top 3-1. The Sox responded in the sixth, as Wilson Betemit doubled home Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez tied the game with a sac fly. That set the stage for Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye, who hit back-to-back bombs in the seventh to give Chicago a 5-3 advantage. A.J. Pierzynski also homered for the Sox in the second inning, marking the hundredth round-tripper of his career. Matt Thorton earned the win for Chicago with one scoreless inning, and closer Bobby Jenks picked up his fifth save of the season. The White Sox next see action on May 1, when they travel to Texas to take on the Rangers. more ›

It appears Governor Quinn has delayed distribution almost $900 million intended for transit improvements in the Chicago area, part of a state mini-capital bill, incurring the wrath of state legislators. State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the news came from Jack Lavin, Quinn's COO, and budget head Ginger Ostro. Sandoval claims CTA, PACE, and Metra were all told to halt planning on the current projects and to not spend any money. Said Sandoval, "We had a major signing ceremony for the mini-capital bill a few weeks ago with the governor -- and now he's doing a head fake. This tells me Gov. Quinn still has his running mate's playbook that he has dusted off the shelf." Meanwhile, Quinn's staff is saying the projects will be paid for. Quinn Spokeswoman Katie Ridgway told the Tribune, "there is nothing on hold, and it's the governor's intention that transit projects will get started this construction season." The Trib has more details on the specific transit projects affected. [Tribune] more ›

Health officials to say that there are nine probable cases of Swine Flu in the Chicago area. Samples of the infection have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for testing. As the number of confirmed cases has increased, the World Health Organization announced late yesterday that they have raised their pandemic alert level to 5, the second-highest level. "This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharm industry and the business community that certain actions now should be taken with increased urgency and at an accelerated pace," Dr. Margaret Chan, the U.N. agency's director-general said. more ›

It's gonna be a gloomy day as we're starting off soaked with rain all across the area. The rain will continue throughout the morning though there's hope of it moving on later this afternoon. Highs today will inch into the upper 60s even with the rain so at least it won't be chilly outside with the dampness. Tonight, there's a chance of showers and lows will be in the lower 50s. If there's a silver lining, it's that the weekend is looking mighty pleasant. more ›

• There are now nine suspected cases of Swine Flu in the Chicagoland area: 5 in Chicago, 2 in Kane County, and 1 in DuPage and Lake Counties.
• Former Alderman Tyrone Kenner, who was once found guilty of accepting bribes, passed away on Monday from complications due to diabetes; Kenner was 76.
• ComEd named Anne Pramaggiore its first ever female president and COO today.

President Obama has been in office 100 days. What has he done? What hasn't he done? With all the talk of the economic stimulus package, it's easy to over look other promises he's kept (stem cell research, closing Guantanamo) and ones he hasn't yet (income taxes for seniors). The Sun-Times Lynn Sweet has a helpful chart that breaks down what promises The South Side President has kept and which ones he hasn't after his first 100 days. more ›

If you're like us, then Rajon Rondo's late foul on Brad Miller - you know, the one where Rondo clubber Miller in the face - doesn't sit well with you. It seems the NBA agrees. Sort of. Rondo's foul is one of two the NBA is taking a second look after a physical night of playoff action. The Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard has been suspended for a game after his elbow in last night's Magic-76ers game, but what about Rondo? more ›

The ongoing saga of south suburban Crestwood and its tainted water took another big step today when members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's criminal division raided the Crestwood Village Hall. Lead agent Randall Ashe said of the raid, "We're looking for any evidence we can get." The raid came less than two weeks after the Chicago Tribune posted an in-depth investigation as to how local officials knowingly allowed residents to drink tainted water for over 20 years. Crestwood mayor Robert Stranczek said only, "Right now our drinking water is 100 percent safe and the village doesn't believe there was anything wrong with it prior to this."
more ›

Times are tough all over and the economy knows no barrier. One person feeling the pinch pretty hard is former Chicago Bull Randy Brown, a Chicago native and part of the second three-peat Chicago Bulls teams of '96, '97, and '98. Brown was most recently a coach with the Sacramento Kings but was fired and has since filed for bankruptcy. And now the bankruptcy judge in the case has ruled that Brown must auction the rings. The bidding begins May 19 and the price starts at $19,000. You can check out the rings for yourself here. [WBBM, Sun-Times] more ›

The MacArthur Foundation, ubiquitous for their public broadcasting funding and annual "Genius Grants", announced the winners of its annual "Award for Creative and Effective Institutions" yesterday, and two Chicago-based groups are among the winners. more ›

During Vice President Joe Biden’s Chicago appearance on Monday, Senator Roland Burris goofed during his introduction of fellow Senator Dick Durbin. According to the Sun-Times, Burris said, "And now, it is my pleasure to introduce the senior citizen from the great state of Illinois. Then, amid laughter, Burris corrected himself: "The senior senator. I did that at a committee hearing one time...I am older than him." After the event when Durbin was asked his age, he broke into a rendition of “When I’m 64”. Not to be outdone, Biden speaking at the University of Illinois at Chicago later was quoted as saying “All 32 of Chicago’s aldermen are in attendance.” Chicago has 50 aldermen. Post by Camela Furry more ›

Yesterday we took a look at the dark side of catastrophe. Today, in the wake of this morning's announcement, we'll take a look at the history how we've dealt with them in the past. more ›

The recuperating Chicago Cubs had no trouble with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, winning by a score of 11-3. Cubs starter and slugger Carlos Zambrano got the job done both on the rubber and at the plate, scattering eight hits over seven innings and falling only a triple short of the cycle. Big Z capped his banner day with a leadoff shot in the seventh, adding an exclamation mark to his 3-for-4, two RBI performance. Other offensive contributors included Alfonso Soriano and Mike Fontenot, who both went yard against the Dbacks’ Yusmeiro Petit. Soriano would finish 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk, his three-run dinger being his seventh home run of the season. Milton Bradley got the ball rolling again in his return to right field, reaching base three times on a walk and two singles. Chicago will possibly reintroduce Derrek Lee to their lineup this afternoon, as they look to take the series from Arizona. more ›

This Bulls-Celtics series continued to add to its claim of most exciting playoff series -- at least early round playoff series -- ever with Tuesday night's thriller. Once again Chicago and Boston needed overtime to determine the winner. On their home court, Boston came away with the 106-104 victory over the Bulls. more ›

Okay, now this is getting kind of serious. This morning, Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman announced that Kilmer Elementary School in Rogers Park would be closed today and tomorrow due to a 12-year-old student who is home with what is being called a "probable case of swine flu." A sample from the student is being sent to the CDC today for confirmation. more ›

Today is looking foreboding as rain will threaten through much of the day under cool, cloudy skies. Highs will only reach the lower 50s today and that won't budge much this evening as the chance of rain increases throughout the night, building to a wet Thursday ahead. The rest of the work week looks cool and damp, too, but it may just clear up in time for the weekend, so there's hope. more ›

• Gov. Quinn's reform panel made their recommendations today, including limits on campaign money.
• Speaking of politicians and money, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is now mum about issues surrounding the Bright Star program.
• More trouble for the Toddler: the Cook County State's Attorney's office is now poking its nose into the hiring scandal surrounding Tony Cole.

The John Ambrose trial - the case of a former deputy U.S. Marshal who was accused of leaking information to the Chicago Outfit - has come to an end and Ambrose has been found guilty of one count of theft of information and one count of illegal disclosure of information; he was also acquitted on two charges of lying to federal authorities. more ›

Circuit Judge Thomas V. Gainer Jr. has found three police officers accused of beating a group of men outside Jefferson Tap Bar and Grille not guilty. The policeman - Sgt. Jeffery Planey and Officers Gregory Barnes and Paul Powers - stood accused of beating several men outside the bar in December 2006. Part of the scuffle was caught on a surveillance camera, but only one of the officers is visible on the tape. more ›

When he's not smack-talking Sen. Durbin, U.S. Sen. Roland Burris is apparently planning on sticking around at his current gig. In an interview with ABC 7's Charles Thomas, Burris said - albeit in a round-a-bout way - that he plans for running to keep his seat in 2010. more ›

Indiana Health Commissioner Judy Monroe today confirmed the state's first case of swine flu, a "young adult" living in "northern Indiana." The patient is "doing well," according to Monroe. So far, the Illinois Department of Health has tested multiple suspected cases, but none have tested positive yet. Chicago's Public Health Department Chief Medical Officer Dr. Susan Gerber has reported a "deluge" of calls about potential swine flu cases from around the area, though none have proven to be true. Remember, folks, if you're coughing, it's probably...just a cough. Now, where do we line up again, FEMA? [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

Estera Bulbucan is learning the hard way you can't just take an ambulance. The Des Plaines woman allegedly swiped an ambulance from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge yesterday evening and went cruising, winding up at Millennium Park where things got even more fun. According to CBS 2: more ›

Attorneys representing former governor Rod Blagojevich and his brother asked a judge yesterday to lift a restraining order, allowing them access to a $2.3 million campaign fund to pay for the ex-gov's legal fees. The attorneys claim they can prove that the money is in no way tainted and should therefor be accessible. Prosecutors in the case oppose the move, asking instead that the defense attorneys be paid at the same rate as public defenders, which is between $110 and $115 an hour. Meanwhile, with lawyers fleeing Blago's case like rats off a sinking ship, criminal defense attorney Allan A. Ackerman, who is known for defending many organized crime cases, told the AP he's been asked to join the Blago legal team. [Tribune, Sun-Times, WBBM] more ›

We knew it was a slow news week when the news-i-verse was all a-quibble about Monkey Pox SARS Bird Flu the Swine Flu. And while he's no Bo Obama, we were amused to see the Sun-Times coverage of Mr. T: Juror. It seems the widely-recognized actor, role model, and cereal spokesperson was called in to Cook County Criminal Court yesterday to be a potential juror on a drug case. The first person to recognize T? The defendant's daughter. more ›

As we mentioned yesterday, Deerfield-based Baxter International wants to get in on coming up with a Swine Flu vaccine. Specifically, Baxter is hoping a new process that speeds up the development time of a vaccine will enable the company to get the vaccine out quicker. The process? According to a story at WBEZ, "using lab-grown cells instead of chicken eggs." Baxter spokesman Chris Bona said on Sunday, "It's done toward potentially developing an experimental vaccine. Just to be clear and not overstate expectations and where we're at, we've just requested a sample for lab testing at this point." According to the WBEZ story, Bona added last night that the company still hasn't received a sample of the swine flu virus and that - admittedly - while the new process has been used to successfully create other vaccines, it's never been done on a timetable in response to a global pandemic, as many fear the swine flu will be. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden visited Chicago on Monday to speak at the annual Richard J. Daley Urban Forum. He also took a tour of the soon-to-be-reopened Republic Windows and Doors factory on Goose Island. Republic was abruptly shut down last year, right before Christmas, and the workers, members of UE Local 1110 promptly occupied the plant and demanded the severance pay they were entitled to under law. Serious Materials then bought the plant and equipment earlier this year, promising to rehire the workers and start making windows again. more ›

The Cubs fell to the Arizona D-backs 7-2 on Monday night, as they were unable to figure out Arizona ace Dan Haren. Haren pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing only two runs on three hits, walking no one and striking out 10. Alfonso Soriano got the Cubs off to an encouraging start with a leadoff home run, but Chicago would put only one runner on base over the next seven innings. In the eighth, Mike Fontenot tagged Haren with another solo shot, but at that point Arizona had stockpiled seven runs. Cubs starter Ted Lilly lasted five frames, surrendering five runs on six hits, and David Patton allowed a two D-backs to score in his two innings of relief. Chicago will hope for more success against Yusmeiro Petit tonight, with Milton Bradley returning to the lineup. The Sox and Mariners were postponed due to rain; weather permitting, they'll play a doubleheader today. more ›

Disasters of national or global magnitude bring out lots of emotions in people. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, 9/11, the Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, all brought out expressions of anger, compassion, grief and outrage. While the gamut of human emotions that run through events like these, events that define moments in time, that feel larger than life and wholly out of our control, are often fueled by our sense of humanity, there's almost always a portion of the population that connects darker forces to these events. Roosevelt knew in advance of Pearl Harbor and let the U.S. get dragged into WWII. Katrina was an opportunity to clear out a poor, black largely Democratic-leaning population. 9/11 was a government conspiracy to instigate a war against the Islamic world. more ›

For the first time since 1996, the Blackhawks have won a postseason series, and will now be moving on to the second round of the NHL playoffs. They did so by beating the Calgary Flames on Monday 4-1 at the Pengrowth Saddledome, winning the series 4-2. more ›

Actually, damp and chilly. The rain has moved through and now we're back to cool again, those summer-like high temps of the past several days having moved on for the time being. The showers will taper off throughout the morning but the chill will stay around. Highs will be in the upper 40s and brisk winds wont help matters much. Tonight, skies will remain mostly cloudy and the low will be in the mid 40s. more ›

• We had this pop up about a dozen times in the inbox today: Google Map used to track Swine Flu.
• The Tribune takes a look at the new modern wing at the Art Institute, due to open in a few weeks and the possible ramifications of the new admission hike.
• Speaking of the Trib, Crain's is reporting today that circulation for the paper in the six months ranging from October '08 through March '09 is down 7.4 percent, while the Sun-Times also saw a drop, but a far smaller one of 0.04 percent. The decline for the Trib was right at about the national average of 7.1 percent.

Coming a few days after a report showed that victims of robberies and assaults on CTA buses and trains are on the rise, Tribune transportation columnist Jon Hilkevitch points out that riders aren't the only ones dealing with crime. CTA union officials say that nearly a dozen bus drivers are assaulted each month, and to try and increase the safety of their employees the CTA is considering adding Lexan shields to all 2,000 city buses. Lexan is stronger and more impact resistant than Plexiglass, but it's also more expensive -- $400,000 has already been spent to equip 500 buses with the shields, and an additional $1.2 million would be needed to put them in the rest of the fleet. Not everybody is a fan -- Carlos J. Acevedo from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 said that he estimates 80 percent of drivers aren't happy with the shields: more ›

Governor Quinn sat down with the St. Louis-Dispatch Editorial Board for an interview recently and he's raised $250,000 so far towards his 2010 reelection fund.

"Yeah," Quinn said, when asked whether he will run in November 2010 to keep the seat he assumed 12 weeks ago. "I think I've done a good job. I plan to do that (run for election). I see no reason not to."

During the first half of yesterday's Bulls-Celtics game, shooting guard Ben Gordon injured his left hamstring. While it didn't seem to slow him down during the game -- he scored 22 points and hit a key 3-pointer to send the game into double overtime -- there was cause for concern. more ›

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who gave us the classic, "would make Lincoln roll over in his grave" line after Blago's arrest, is staying in Chicago. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin made the announcement in a letter addressed to Illinois Congressmen, saying, "...Patrick Fitzgerald has agreed to continue his service as U.S. attorney in the Northern District." Fitzgerald was confirmed in October 2001. [CBS 2] more ›

In a fight that's been around for a while, Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) is waging a new battle to reduce the number of honorary drives the city bestows on its streets. According to the Sun-Times: more ›

A man wielding a knife, and who stabbed an Evanston Police officer, was shot dead Sunday afternoon in a confrontation. Three officers responded to a report of a man involved in a confrontation with his landlord. Evanston Police Cmdr. Tom Guenther said, "The officers engage the subject with a knife and ordered him to put it down. He refused the orders and advanced towards them. The officers were forced to engage deadly force to defend themselves." At some point during the incident, one of the officers was stabbed in either the arm or hand and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, though his injuries were not life-threatening. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. [Chicago Breaking News, Sun-Times] more ›

The NFL held its annual draft this weekend, but for Bears fans it was a real snoozer. The Bears didn't even make a selection until the draft's second day, when most of the players selected are known only to the NFL scouts and fans of their particular schools. Having already traded away their first round pick to the Denver Broncos as part of the Jay Cutler trade, they shipped their second round selection to Seattle on Saturday in return for a third round pick and a sixth rounder after unsuccessfully trying to trade for Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin. more ›

Today in Iowa, the same-sex marriage ban was officially lifted, meaning same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses. A judge also waived the three-day waiting period for one couple, meaning they could get married today, the state's first same-sex marriage since the ruling. In the wake of these events, the Tribune has published an editorial in favor of civil unions in Illinois, which also coincides with a bill currently before the Illinois General Assembly. more ›

The Chicago Cubs topped the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 on Sunday, avoiding the sweep and snapping a four-game losing streak. Kosuke Fukudome, Derrek Lee and Mike Fontenot each drove in a run in the top of the first to spot starter Rich Harden a 3-0 advantage. Harden held the Cards to four hits over six strong innings, with two of the hits being solo home runs. Birthday boy Kosuke Fukudome stole the show on the offensive side, going 3-for-4 with a walk and and a three-run homer, ultimately plating five runs for the Cubs. Derrek Lee's day was cut short in the second inning when he was lifted with neck spasms, but substitute Micah Hoffpauir performed well in his stead, collecting two hits, a home run, a base-on-balls and two RBIs. Lee, like the injured Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Marmol, is listed as day-to-day. The Cubs will look to hang tough tonight in their first of three games versus the Diamondbacks, as they await the return of their ailing talent. more ›

What started as a buzz late last week has grown into full-on shrieking as this year's SARS has stepped up to the plate. With confirmed cases coming in from all over the country - including two in Kansas - the panic over the swine flu is rising. Which is fair enough: so far, 100 people are reported to have died in Mexico from the disease and it seems to be spreading fast. The threat of a pandemic even has the European Union urging cancellation of "nonessential travel" to North America. more ›

After two incredible games in Boston, the Bulls looked like they had returned to earth in game three when the Celtics handily defeated them upon their return to Chicago. After Sunday's epic battle at the United Center, which the Bulls won 121-118 in double overtime, they proved that they have the heart and hustle to go the distance with the reigning NBA champs. The Bulls and Celtics battled throughout the first half, heading to the locker room separated by a lone point. In the third, the Bulls jumped ahead by seven lead late before Boston turned the tables and closed out the period with a five point lead. more ›

Residents of Roseland where President Obama got his start as a community organizer gathered on Saturday and gave him a thumbs-down for not doing enough to tackle urban problems in his first 100 days in office. Mark Allen a community activist who worked with Obama from the beginning of his career isn’t satisfied that he is doing enough. “Some of these streets are worse than they were when he walked down these streets,” said Allen. more ›

It's a Monday, alright, but a Spring Monday. Which means instead of snow, we're dealing with storms. Today's going to be sketchy on the weather side as showers and storms move in mainly after 1 p.m. We'll have highs in the upper 70s and gusty winds to blow stuff around. The rain continues into tonight and the wee hours of the morning, but it'll cool off as lows drop to the mid-to-upper 40s and we'll be back to seasonal temps with sunnier weather during the mid-week. more ›

Torontoist investigated reports of a man-eating caterpiller (or a man eating a caterpillar) in the city's west end.

This weekend’s weather is wreaking havoc all over the place. More than 100 flights at O’Hare were cancelled due to the weather. Delays averaged more than two hours yesterday. As of this morning, the Aviation Department had not reported any delays for today. more ›

A plane from World War II was pulled from Lake Michigan near Waukegan on Friday. The plane was an SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber, used for training. Joseph Lokites was the pilot of the plane, who apparently made a mistake when switching fuel tanks. He switched to an empty tank, the engine stopped, and the plane ditched in the lake. The airplane sank, and Lokites was rescued. more ›

The Todd Stroger-Cook County Board patronage scandal has been rocking for more than a week, long enough that his political ally, and our beloved mayor, Richard J. Daley, has finally issued a comment. more ›

Kansas State's health officer confirmed yesterday that a married Kansas couple has contracted a mild case of swine flu - a virus that has killed 81 people in Mexico and infected at least 1,300 others there. more ›

Well, it would be an uneventful and presumably happy 32nd birthday for former Miss North Dakota and freelance journalist Roxana Saberi, but the Iranian-American woman was sentenced to eight years in Iranian prison this month following her conviction for espionage. According to her parents, the journalist has been on hunger strike for five days, protesting her imprisonment. more ›

The Chicago White Sox exacted revenge on the Toronto Blue Jays with a 10-2 drubbing last night, tying the series at one game apiece. Alexei Ramirez atoned for Friday's fielding sins by driving in five runs for the Sox, including a grand slam in the fifth to push the lead from two runs to six. Jermaine Dye also went yard for the Chicago, tacking on a pair in the sixth. The Blue Jays cobbled together two runs in the second inning, but otherwise couldn't figure out starter Mark Buehrle. His six-inning, six-hit performance earned Buerhle his third win of the season, and bumped the Sox's record to 9-8. Chicago also got some help in the field yesterday, as Brent Lillibridge and Jerry Owens both contributed defensive gems. The White Sox will try to take the series this afternoon, as they pit Jose Contreras against Toronto ace Roy Halladay. more ›

On Saturday night, the Blackhawks came out firing. Jumping out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period, the 'Hawks beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 at the United Center, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Brent Seabrook initiated the scoring with a goal midway through the opening period. Moments later, Patrick Sharp found the net followed by a Kris Versteeg goal just 19 seconds later. Of course, the first team to score in this series had yet to win a game, so we'd understand if Blackhawks fans got nervous when Calgary scored their lone goal of the evening early into the second period. Chicago, however, answered with two more scores by Andrew Ladd and Cam Barker to extend the lead to four goals. Neither team was able to light the lamp in the third period. more ›

Well, that was unpleasant. We hope none of you ended up in our predicaments, with several of us out and about getting caught in yesterday's storms, getting drenched, and then freezing when the temperature dropped 30 degrees. Today will - allegedly - be better as temps will rebound from a chilly early morning to a warmer afternoon with highs in the upper 70s and a slight chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Winds will still be gusty, though. Also, tonight will continue to be mild with lows in the lower 60s. more ›

After a dismal past six months for the housing market, real estate agents say they are finally starting to see marked increased activity. more ›

The alleged assault of a 16-year-old autistic teenager at his family’s fast-food restaurant in Pilsen Friday sheds light on the need for specialized police training on how to deal with special needs citizens in the city, family members said. Oscar Guzman, 16, suffered a gash to his head that required eight stitches, his family said. Police refused to provide details of the incident but the family shared their account of the confrontation, according to Chicago Breaking News. Guzman’s family worries the teen, who has the mental capacity of a 5th-grader, will be emotionally scarred from the incident, the news report said. more ›

Some Chicagoans are uneasy about a hot dog stand that will be opening at the corner of Jackson and Western mid-next month. But it's not because the eatery will employ ex-offenders. It's the name that has some people riled up: Felony Franks. more ›

The University of Illinois-Chicago’s cites Illinois’ budget crisis and a lack of Medicare reimbursements for closing a Pilsen medical center this June. more ›

After a few days of sunshine - and some unexpected rain - we're going to...have more rain. We think. It'll be overcast and warm today, with highs in the upper 70s and showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. The breezyness we've seen the last few days continues as well with stiff southerly gusts bringing up this warmer air. The on-again, off-again rain continues tonight with lows dropping into the lower 50s and we'll have a chance of rain each of the next several days. more ›

• Crime on the CTA rose sharply in 2008 with robberies up 77 percent.
• A World War II dive bomber has been recovered from the depths of Lake Michigan.
• D-Pete and his sons went on the defensive on, what else, national television in the wake of this week's wrongful death suit filed by the family of third wife Kathleen Savio.

If you can get past the staggering $15.5 Billion dollar figure in today's "Let's spend everything on the downtown area" story from the Tribune, you might get to exactly how terrifying things might get in the City. Worried about Block 37? Concerned about unnecessary Olympic-size spending? Bothered by a concentration on city-center construction in the face of the continued deterioration of Chicago's infrastructure? You'll love this. more ›

In the city’s first crosswalk enforcement initiative of the year, 18 motorists who didn’t slow down for pedestrians at the corner of Nagle and Peterson Avenues were ticketed for moving violations. This is how it works: an off-duty plainclothes police officer begins walking through the crosswalk and if a driver doesn’t slow down and yield at an intersection without a stop sign or traffic signal, the driver gets pulled over a block away. more ›

Mayor Daley put on his judging pants yesterday and spoke out about a few things, though none of it was like Shakespeare. First, he took to the defense of our new governor, Pat Quinn. During a recording of WLS' "Connected to Chicago," set to air Sunday afternoon, Daley said of Quinn: more ›

The Chicago Cubs lost an ugly one on Thursday afternoon, 7-1 to the Cincinnati Reds. Not only was the margin of victory unattractive, but so was the Cubs play in the field. In the sixth inning, Carlos Zambrano chucked his fifth pick-off attempt on Willy Taveras into the void to setup the Reds' winning run. Cincinnati would capitalize on another Chicago mistake in the seventh, when Micah Hoffpauir over ran a ball hit to right, allowing two runs to come across. Aaron Harang got the job done on the mound for the Reds, surrendering only one run over seven innings, while Zambrano gave up four over the same stretch. Jeff Samardzija made his 2009 major-league debut a forgetable one, allowing four hits and two runs in the ninth. Milton Bradley was once again withheld from the lineup, with no timetable set for his return. The Cubs will try to regroup tonight when they step to the plate for a three-game series in St. Louis. more ›

After their surprising game one victory and close loss in game two coming on a buzzer beater, the Bulls looked up to the task of challenging the defending NBA champs in their best-of-seven series as it moved back to Chicago. With their rabid fans all dressed in red to give them the added boost, surely the Bulls could regain the series lead against the Boston Celtics, right? more ›

We seemed to have moved from winter to summer in the span of three days. Just a few days ago, we were mired in the 40s with the threat of a rain/snow mix. Now, we've had our first thunderstorm of the season and today, temps will top 80 degrees. Sunny skies and stiff breezes of the 30 mph variety will dominate today and tonight will be equally mild, with lows only dropping to around 60. The weekend is looking okay, with mild temps but a constant threat of rain. Still, it's what we've been waiting for, so no complaints here! more ›

• It looks like those CTA accordion buses have become a thing of the past.
• Where do the buffalo roam? Apparently Menomonie, Wisconsin.
• Chicago State University students and faculty have asked Gov. Quinn to replace the school's board of trustees.

At the risk of beginning to sound like a broken record, the Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that the jobless rate for metro Chicago in March 2009 stood at 9.3 percent, the highest since June 1992. The area - consisting of the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet triangle - didn't have the highest rate of the entire state, either. That went to Rockford, who had a 13.5 percent unemployment rate. [Crain's] more ›

Eleven state historic sites previously closed by former governor Rod Blagojevich - thanks to the budget - are now reopening. There was a public outcry when Blago shut the sites down on December 1, according to David Blanchette, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Per the Trib: more ›

Oh, Illinois Tollway, you've done it now. You've gone and upset our friends from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is claiming the Illinois Tollway is sending tickets to Minnesota drivers even though the drivers weren't in Illinois at the time the ticket is issued. According to the Trib:

In some cases, Swanson says the tollway system photographs license plates but then uses outdated license information and tickets the wrong people. more ›

Former Blagojevich chief-of-staff Len Monk pleaded not guilty to his single corruption charge in the case against the ex-governor, but it's more than likely temporary. Officials say Monk has been cooperating with prosecutors and is likely to change his plea to guilty once a deal has been worked out. For that reason, the presiding judge - U.S. District Judge James Zagel - has set a June date for a status hearing. Monk managed Blago's campaigns in both '02 and '06. [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

Last night, Chris Matthews hosted a Q&A session with Tucker Carlson, Paul Begala, and Arianna Huffington at the Chicago Theater as part of the 2009 Speaker Series. Matthews aside, the panel was set up to be a conversation about the news, a discussion among the people that "blog about it, analyze it and are against it." The subjects included Barack Obama's role as a transformative president, the future of the war in Afghanistan and the government's hand in shaping and rebuilding the national economy. With the exception of Carlson, each panelist took positions that, if you watch cable news, felt familiar. Paul Begala occupied the center left, Huffington advocated for the independent center, and Matthews was decidedly on the liberal left. more ›

Yesterday was Earth Day, so to demonstrate the need for more clean energy, some people from Greenpeace attached 16-foot mini stationary windmills to the railing on the west side of the Michigan Avenue bridge. They were put up around 9:00 a.m., and they were taken down by 11:00 a.m. because the organization did not have a city permit. Also, CDOT spokesperson Brian Steele said that the windmills were a danger to pedestrians and to the movable bridge's delicate weight balance. (Uh, just how delicate? Should we be worried?) more ›

Nearly ten years to the day after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair last visited Chicago, he was back in the city, addressing some of the same foreign policy problems in the Middle East. But, he said Wednesday night, to members of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs at the Fairmont Hotel, his post-administration era, and his current work as representative of the Quartet (United States, UN, Russia and the European Union) charged with mediating the Israel-Palestine conflict, has allowed him time to reflect on and refine his administrations’ foreign policies in the Middle East, especially at the intersection of faith and politics. more ›

NBC's Today Show talks to Blago about the travesty that is the denial to be on that reality show. While we had plenty of other suggestions, Jerry Springer has the best appearance in the video. more ›

The Chicago White Sox got back to business Wednesday night with an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. John Danks cruised through seven innings on the mound, allowing one run on four hits, and received ample support from the White Sox bats. The Sox charged ahead 4-0 by the bottom of the third and tacked on another four runs in the late innings to ensure the victory. Chris Getz and Josh Fields had three hits apiece, with Fields and Jim Thome both going deep for Chicago. The White Sox will look to end their three-series road trip on a high note this evening with another win over Baltimore, before returning to the Cell for a home stand against the Toronto Blue Jays. more ›

In a wild six-goal second period, the Blackhawks fell behind the Calgary Flames by three goals before mounting a furious comeback attempt and tying the game before the second intermission. But it wasn't enough, as the Flames added two more goals in the final period to beat the 'Hawks 6-4 at the Pengrowth Saddledome, and send the series back to Chicago tied 2-2. more ›

My bosses aren't going to like this but I don't care. Stop reading this. Whatever you're doing right now - including reading this website - stop. Start fake coughing. Now go to your boss and tell him/her you're sick. Now go outside and stay outside all day. Highs will be in the mid-to-upper 60s with nary a cloud in the sky. This is what Spring in Chicago is all about, people. Why are you still inside reading this? Go. We'll be here when you get back tonight. You can read us then. Go. Just get the heck outside. I know I am... more ›

• Bad news at the Tribune today as 53 newsroom staffers were cut. The Reader's Michael Miner breaks it down.
• Best wishes to Maggie Daley who today underwent "a biopsy of a bone lesion that has shown subtle changes."
• A Cook County jury awarded the family of Roger Czapski, a BMW salesman killed in a wreck during a 2004 test drive, $13.7 million in a wrongful death suit; Czapski was a passenger in the car during the wreck.

Chicago Public Schools will be increasing its number of "year-round" schools this fall to 132, a move CPS CEO Ron Huberman says is being made because the extended schedule was requested by many parents and educators. "Year-round" is a misnomer (although we're sure the students don't feel that way) -- there's still a 6 week break as classes will end in mid-June and start again the first week of August, and additional breaks are added throughout the year making the total number of days spent in a classroom similar to other schools. Huberman says the new schedule reduces "the amount of learning forgotten over the long summer break and give[s] children a 'safe environment' for most of the summer, when violence levels tend to spike." We'll give him the safe environment part, but if kids are really forgetting what they've learned in 3 months, then they haven't really learned it in the first place -- which would mean something else is broken besides summer vacations. more ›

If you wish "The Sopranos" were back on the air, tune into the John Ambrose trial. It has all the action, intrigue, betrayal and violence that the show used to have, except for one plot twist: This is all real. It's like "The Departed," if everyone hadn't died at the end of the movie and instead went to court. To get you up to speed, read below-- more ›

Crain's Chicago Business reports that Playboy is getting deeper into trouble: they might be delisted on the New York Stock Exchange if they don't turn things around pretty quickly. Despite huge budget cuts, CEO Christie Hefner stepping down and other cost-cutting measures, times are still tough for the Chicago-based heritage men's magazine. more ›

Sinai Health System announced Tuesday that the Chicago Housing Authority had approved a land swap with the hospital. As part of the deal, the CHA will give Sanai a parcel of land bounded by Ogden, Washtenaw and Fairfield Avenues. In exchange, the hospital will give the CHA a parcel of land at 15th and California. The hospital plans to build a 200,000 square-foot expansion outpatient center at Ogden and California, and a parking lot. Sinai also plans to build a 900,000 square-foot hospital at 12th and Washtenaw, but likely won't be able to finance the development for some years. The deal involved no cash. more ›

If you've got unpaid parking tickets, you'd better get to paying them off because the city is leveling the boot on motorists. Now that the limit for booting is two tickets more than one year old, the city is going all out in a bid to reclaim some cash with a $300 million budget hole looming. Revenue Department spokesman Ed Walsh gave the Sun-Times the lowdown: 415 boots already applied and more than 65,000 seizure notices mailed out. If you receive a seizure notice, you have 21 days to request a hearing or, yep, you get the boot. Acknowledging the economic clusterfuck that's hit everyone, the City is urging people on the list to consider payment plans or at least paying one of the tickets. more ›

William "Refrigerator" Perry, the larger than life former Bears defensive lineman, has been hospitalized in serious condition in an Aiken, South Carolina hospital due to complications from Guillain-Barre Syndrom. The illness is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves with symptoms that can include general weakness and numbness of the legs, arms, breathing muscles and face. While listed in serious condition, Perry's family members have said he's shown improvement and is expected to recover. The Fridge was first diagnosed with the rare disease in June. more ›

An ordinance submitted by aldermen Manny Flores (1st) and Scott Waguespack (32nd) intended to implement more government transparency in Chicago planning and development passed through city council today by a unanimous 48-0 vote. The ordinance, unprecedented in Chicago, requires all documents related to tax increment financing districts (one of the city's most notoriously murky development funding schemes) to be posted online in an easy-to-use, searchable format. more ›

As if we needed another tax, a group of dentists are descending upon Springfield with the hopes of adding a five percent tax to soda. The Illinois State Dental Society says it would use the proceeds from the tax to help fund a dental program that serves the state's poorer residents. According to the group's Greg Johnson, the extra proceeds would help cover costs for dentists, hopefully encouraging more dentists to participate. He told WBBM, "This is one that we think, because of the sugar in soft drinks and the acid and effects on teeth, that it would be a nice tie in because it is related." The City of Chicago already has a three percent soda tax. [WBBM] more ›

Todd Stroger's figured out that he may be in some deep trouble come election day in Cook County. There are myriad reasons for this, from the exorbitant tax hikes we've suffered to the lack of quality county services we're ostensibly paying for, to the sheer arrogance of his administration as they've filled the county's payroll with friends and family while calling critics racists. But Stroger isn't worried about any of that, at least not if his latest series of personnel moves are any indication. To wit, Stroger personally hired convicted check-kiter and one-time steakhouse busboy Tony Cole. Cole, who was convicted of writing bad checks in Georgia, was hired as a $58,000-a-year administrative assistant in the budget department and later promoted to a $61,000-a-year human resources assistant posistion in the highway department. Stroger fired Cole when the Sun-Times revealed the conviction. Late last week Stroger fired his Chief Financial Officer and cousin, Donna Dunnings, because of "explosive" and "not flattering" allegations that Cole made, which Stroger felt would interfere with her ability to do her job. more ›

In a game that featured a pair of incidents that surely gave veteran Cubs fans unwanted flashbacks - a cat on the field and a foul ball caught very, very near the Bartman seat - the Chicago Cubs took the first of three games against the Cincinnati Reds yesterday in commanding fashion, winning 7-2. Rich Harden was key to the Cubs' success, allowing only three hits and two runs through six innings, while recording eight K's. At the plate, Micah Hoffpauir provided a spark when he led off the second inning with a solo shot to right. Hoffpauir then broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth, plating Alfonso Soriano on a sacrifice fly. Also swinging a hot bat for Chicago was Aramis Ramirez, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run single in the sixth to give the Cubs some breathing room. Ramirez has amassed 14 RBIs so far this season, tying him for fourth best in the N.L. Ted Lilly takes the hill tonight at Wrigley Field, with a 7:05 first pitch. more ›

Some great - if not sorta unsurprising - news for Bulls fans as the team will announce at a 2 p.m. press conference today that rookie sensation Derrick Rose is the NBA's 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year. Rose started 80 of the Bulls 82 games, averaging 37 minutes per game. For the season, he averaged 16.8 points a game (second amongst rookies), 6.3 assists a game (first amongst rookies), and 3.9 rebounds a game. Rose provided a much-needed energy for the Bulls and showed an immediate impact, no only helping them back to the postseason, but also so far in the postseason, where his 36 point performance in game one against the Celtics propelled the Bulls to an upset win. Rose is the third Bull to win the award, after Elton Brand and His Royal Airness. But there won't be much time to celebrate as the Bulls host the Celtics in a pivotal game three of their first-round playoff series tomorrow night. [Tribune, ESPN] more ›

Two executives of a local garbage cart firm were indicted on Tuesday on four counts of mail and wire fraud for their roles in allegedly rigging contracts to repair city garbage carts. Federal prosecutors also charge that the two men paid their minority and women-owned subcontractors substantially less than promised to the city. Urban Services gave more than $50,000 to Chicago political causes, including $35,000 that went to the now defunct Hispanic Democratic Organization. Federal prosecutors claim that Douglas Ritter, and Steven Fenzl, president and vice president, respectively, of Urban Services of America Inc., defrauded the city by orchestrating the amount of the other bids that came in for the contract, ensuring that they won a $2 million contract with the Streets and Sanitation in 2005. more ›

After a spell of cool, wet days, glorious Spring has returned to the Chicago area. Skies have cleared and it's already warming up outside. We'll reach the upper 50's today under these sunny skies and gentle northwest breezes. Lows tonight will fall to around 40 as skies remain clear. And if you think Chicago weather can't get crazy enough, it looks like we'll fast-forward to August by the end of the week when highs could reach the mid-80s. more ›

• Gang member Mark Downs was found guilty today in the 1996 murder of six-year-old Nico Contreras.
• Gov. Quinn is going after the Illinois EPA after the Tribune's investigative report on tainted water in the south suburban town of Crestwood.
• Oh, Todd, you scamp. This appearance on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" warranted the following press release from Todd's spokesman, Sean Howard:

  During President Stroger’s interview of WTTW’s Chicago Tonight’s 7:00 PM telecast, the President was quoted as saying “I'm sure employees get arrested all the time.” The President’s intent was to express that of the 24,000 Cook County employees, his office is not informed of every worker who may be arrested. The President holds a high regard for all Cook County employees and regrets any misinterpretation of his statement.

Just like the state's transit agencies, Illinois schools are bringing in federal stimulus cash. The Trib is reporting that the state will be given almost $1.4 billion to help stave layoffs and cuts and Gov. Quinn's office says some schools could start receiving money within a matter of days. According to the Trib, "Quinn has said about $1 billion will be used to pay down the state's backlog of bills to school districts and avoid funding cuts, according to a spokeswoman. Unpaid bills total more than $1 billion as part of an overall $3.6 billion backlog, the state comptroller's office said. Quinn plans to use the remaining funds to raise the per-pupil funding next school year to $6,089, up $130." more ›

With the 50 percent admission hike coming to the Art Institute of Chicago in a little over a month, Ald. Ed Burke has forced through a resolution (via the Finance Committee) that would force the Art Institute to charge locals a reduced admission fee. Burke has previously threatened the AIC over the admission hike, but the problem is, as the Trib points out, that the City Council has no authority over the Park District Board, which sets the admission fees, so any passage of the resolution would be moot. [Tribune] more ›

While they seem no closer than before to getting criminal charges brought against Drew Peterson, the family of Drew's deceased murdered third wife, Kathleen Savio, are planning to bring a wrongful death suit against Peterson. According to NBC 5:

The 15-page lawsuit, to be filed in Will County Circuit Court, carefully lays out a case the family says shows that Peterson was responsible for the death of his third wife. more ›

In spite of a possible $300 million budget shortfall, Mayor Daley took a break from practicing Act Two, Scene Two of Julius Caesar to assure Chicagoans that he really, really, really doesn't want to lay off 1,600 city workers. After all, his love of our great city's fine civil servants is well documented. more ›

According to Ald. Manny Flores's (1st) Facebook status (and confirmed by his staff), a rule that would force the city of Chicago to post information about city development financing online passed committee today. The TIF Sunshine ordinance, would require the city of Chicago to post tax increment financing-related documents online at a purpose-built Web site, goes to city council tomorrow. If it passes that final hurdle, it means a degree of transparency heretofore unseen in city politics. At the moment, concerned citizens, politicians and reporters have to dig through piles of city documents in a labor-intensive and time consuming process. The result, so far, has been a murky slush fund of more than $500 million and inhibited reporting. Da Mayor has yet to say anything about it publicly. For more on the TIF Sunshine ordinance, check out this info from The Reader. Update: Check out Flores' press release [PDF]. more ›

The Blagojevich Circus had a tent taken down today as U.S. District Judge James Zagel told former governor Rod Blagojevich he would not be allowed to leave the country and travel to Costa Rica to participate in the reality show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. With the show paying $80,000 an episode, Blago told reporters before his hearing it was for the children: "I have to do it for my kids." Judge Zagel had other ideas, telling Blago, "I don't think this defendant in all honesty ... fully understands the position he finds himself in." Maybe Blago can sweet talk himself into a reality show a little closer to home; we've got plenty of suggestions. Our favorite update of Blago's court appearance today comes from the S-T's Natasha Korecki: "blago emerges from dunkin donuts. giant grin on face. pace bus almost runs over media." [Sun-Times] more ›

Three Lewis University students - Matthew McCormack, 21, and Daniel Rusch, 19, both of Schaumburg, and Michael Lisman, 20, of Kansas City - have been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct stemming from an incident last week in which the three were allegedly yelling racial slurs, making threats, and according to witnesses, lowered a noose out of a dorm window. The school issued a statement on the April 16th incident, saying: more ›

Blair Kamin, the Chicago Tribune's architecture critic, reported last week on the city's plans to issue a Request for Qualifications from demolition contractors to dismantle the Michael Reese Hospital campus. The city plans to use the site for a proposed Olympic Village should Chicago win its bid to host the 2016 Summer Games. Chicago's RFQ raised the ire of local historic preservationists, who claim that the city plans to demolish nearly all of the buildings on the campus, including those designed by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, as well as the prairie-style main hospital building, constructed in 1907. Those plans have now attracted national attention in an article published yesterday in the New York Times (via the Trib). more ›

After winning two closely contested home games versus the Calgary Flames, the Chicago Blackhawks dropped the third of the series, 4-2, on Monday night. Things looked promising for the 'Hawks early on, when Patrick Sharp dumped a crossing pass from Jonathan Toews into the net just two minutes into the action, giving Chicago a power-play goal and a 1-0 lead. The advantage did not last long, however, as Calgary's Eric Nystrom beat Nikolai Khabibulin four-and-a-half minutes later, tying the score at one apiece. And there they would stand until the final minutes of the second period, when Rene Bourque slung home a wrap-around goal to put the Flames on top 2-1. Calgary had other ideas about another Chicago comeback, as David Moss scored twice early in the third to make it four unanswered goals for the Flames. The 'Hawks got one back thanks to the teamwork of Sharp and Martin Havlat, but with less than five minutes remaining Chicago found itself too far back to make a run. Credit Flames' goalie Miikka Kiprusoff who had 36 saves on the night. more ›

There's something of a brewing renaissance happening within the city limits these days. Metropolitan is up and running. Half Acre is also brewing while still in construction mode. Revolution Brewing, owned by Handlebar owner Josh Deth, is set to join them this summer. Along with Goose Island, this marks the first time multiple breweries were operating within the city limits in at least a half-century. more ›

Having surprised everybody with their 105-103 overtime victory in game one, the Bulls looked to steal both games in Boston and return to Chicago with an incredible 2-0 series lead over the defending NBA champs. Surely, Saturday's performance by Derrick Rose and the rest of the Bulls was just a fluke, right? Unfortunately, Boston did end up winning Monday night's game, though the Bulls again played like Boston's equals. It took a Ray Allen 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining for Boston to pull out the 118-115 win. more ›

Mayor Daley's dream of leasing Midway Airport finally came crashing down for good Monday, as news that the consortium of private investors led by Citibank notified the city over the weekend that they had failed to line up the financing necessary to close the deal. As a result of MidCo's failure to obtain the $2.5 billion in credit necessary to lease the airport, the City of Chicago will retain the $126 million in earnest money the consortium put up. more ›

What is this? February? It's gonna be crummy all day as a rain will fall all day with some snow potentially mixed in before lunch. Highs will reach the lower 40s if we're lucky under all this precipitation and there will be some wind gusts of up to 25 mph as well. Tonight, the rain will taper off and lows will be in the mid 30s under cloudy skies. If there's good news, it's that the climb towards warmer weather begins in earnest again tomorrow and we'll still see 80s by the weekend. more ›

• D’Andre Howard, the suspect in last week's Hoffman Estates triple-murder, submitted DNA samples today.
• Chicago police are stepping up efforts to punish drivers who disobey laws and endanger pedestrians in crosswalks while a new bill requiring drivers to completely stop - not just yield - when pedestrians are in a crosswalk will go before the general assembly.
• The Sun-Times Media Group laid off 140 workers last week as they struggle to trim costs.

Just a few weeks ago, the Chicago Reader brought us the terrific and comprehensive look at Mayor Daley's controversial parking meter privatization plan. Now, the Reader's Mike Dumke brings word that several aldermen aren't too pleased with what was uncovered. According to Dumke, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) and four other aldermen are planning to introduce a resolution this week that will call for hearings to examine the process by which the agreement was made. Dumke points out that Moore and two other sponsors of the resolution - Ald. Ric Munoz (22nd) and Ald. Manny Flores (1st) - all voted for the deal initially. Moore told The Reader, “It’s a vote I’ve come to regret. I don’t know if we can overturn the agreement, but certainly we can shed light on the implementation of it, which has been abysmal. I think this was a consequence of the rush to get this through.” more ›

Drum roll, please: Lynn Nottage's play "Ruined," which premiered at the Goodman Theatre, is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. “Ruined” is set in Congo and details the horrors of wartime rape and brutality while still finding affirmation of life and hope amid despair. more ›

The three-tier liquor distribution system established after the repeal of Prohibition was designed after our model of checks and balances between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. Ideally, no one branch between the maker (brewery, distiller or winery), wholesaler and retailer should wield excessive power. Here in the real world, however, money talks, or so goes the adage. That's especially true here in Illinois, where legislation regarding how alcohol gets to a consumer is dictated by the wholesalers through the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, the powerful lobby for the state's liquor distributors. The ABDI was instrumental in the drafting and passing of HB 429 and SB 123, which prohibits out-of-state retailers (think wine clubs and online retailers) from selling to customers in Illinois. more ›

In this week's Chicagoist Podcast, since we've seen a number of high-profile protests in Chicago over the past few weeks, Kevin and I thought we'd take to the air to discuss our experiences and our perspectives on the two No Games Chicago rallies we attended, as well as the more recent Tea Party. more ›

Preferred stock, that is. According to Crain's, prospective Cubs owner Tom Ricketts is looking to finance part of his $900 million purchase by selling shares of the ball club to individual investors. Before you go and liquidate your 401(k), be advised that the shares will come with a hefty $25 million price tag. The idea is that by finding five to 10 ballin' financial backers, Ricketts would lessen the need to take on high-interest bank debt. more ›

On a damp, chilly afternoon in Skokie, an estimated 12,000 people packed a tent on the grounds of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center for the new museum's official opening. The first of its kind in the Midwest, Illinois' Holocaust museum is also likely the last built with the input of Holocaust survivors. The day included performances by hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari and Soul Children of Chicago, as well as speeches from numerous people involved with the creation of the museum, including Holocaust survivor and museum president Samuel R. Harris, Skokie mayor George Van Dusen and Executive Director Richard Hirschhaut. J.B. Pritzker, the museum's capital campaign chairman, served as MC for the afternoon. more ›

In spite of some serious financial woes, U.S. Sen. Roland Burris is still trying to raise money for a potential re-election bid in 2010 and says he'll make a decision on that race soon. Burris held his first fundraiser yesterday here in Chicago but the money he pulled from that event will go towards paying off his $111,000 in debt he's racked up so far since taking over the U.S. Senate seat once held by now-President Barack Obama. One aide told the Tribune they hope to have raised about $50,000 from yesterday's event. But there's even more debt for Burris as he claims he's also dug himself a $500,000 hole in legal fees. more ›

The Chicago White Sox handily defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 12-2 on Sunday, taking three out of four games against the defending A.L. champs. Sox starter Gavin Floyd looked sharp in his second win of the season, pitching six scoreless before giving up a two-run shot to Ben Zobrist in the seventh. Zobrist’s dinger was little more than a footnote, however, as Chicago had amassed nine runs by that point in the ballgame. A.J. Pierzynski, Jim Thome and Carlos Quentin all homered for the South Siders, en route to 17 team hits. Chicago continues their road trip in Baltimore on Tuesday evening, hoping to take advantage of a slumping Orioles squad. more ›

It's been long. Arduous even. But Saturday was Night 12 - aka the end of the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament at St. Andrew's Gym in Lakeview. And it was a doozy. more ›

Low clouds and cooler temps usher us into the work week after a beautiful stretch of weather last week. If there's any hope it's that after a rough start to the week this week, it gets better as we move forward, with rumors of a high near 80 lurking later in the week. But first. Today. Off and on rain showers fall throughout the day with some gusty winds, reaching upwards of 25 mph at times, with highs near 50. Tonight, rain continues and as the temp drops into the upper 30s, don't be surprised to see a few flakes mixed in as well. more ›

• LAist discovered that little kids on spring break enjoy spending their time teabagging.
• Chicagoist was far more enamored with the amateur strip contest So You Think You Can Strip - semifinals and finals - than they were with the local teabagging.
• Seattlest went on a mini listening tour this week, talking with Dr. Dog's Zach Miller, a visiting Cats cast member, and local jazz composer/comic-book enthusiast Andrew Boscardin.
• SFist was dismayed with the litter left over at Dolores Park after the city's annual "Hunky Jesus" contest (held on Easter, natch).
• Austinist noted enforcement of a noise ordinance has killed live music at a popular restaurant—and the bookings of over 80 performers.
• Londonist became rather over-excited at the prospect of Oxford Circus turning Japanese.
• Bostonist interviewed Amanda Palmer about her upcoming high school musical.
• Shanghaiist warned people against buying puppies from street sellers with horror stories about pets getting dipped into vats of dye to make them a more "lucrative" color.
• Phillyist joined their city in saying a sad goodbye to Harry the K.
• Torontoist's head exploded after discovering a colossally stupid transit shelter ad that depicted a radio about to commit suicide by jumping onto subway tracks—an ad created behind the transit system's back by a radio station that is, if you can believe it, owned by the same company responsible for maintaining those same transit shelters' ads.
• Gothamist was amused when Woody Allen's lawsuit against American Apparel (the clothing retailer used his image in an ad) and other accusations led American Apparel to demand nude pictures of his former lover's daughter-turned-wife.

If there is one thing we can thank the former Governor for, it’s the gridlock in state funding he helped to create that has left a long list of “shovel ready” projects. Illinois may have benefitted from this laundry list, of sorts, winning quick approval for many transportation projects in the federal stimulus program. more ›

Qannik, the first successful male beluga whale born through the Shedd Aquarium's captive beluga breeding program, died from a bacterial blood infection according to a report released by the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington three weeks after his death on March 28 . He was 8-years-old. more ›

A 3-2 comeback win on Saturday put the Chicago Blackhawks two games up on the Calgary Flames in the first round of the NHL playoffs. After falling behind 2-0 in the opening period, Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin shut the door, stopping all 18 shots by Calgary in the second and third periods. Jonathan Toews sparked the Blackhawks' offense with a power-play goal in the first minute of the second period, and then scored the game-winner in said period's final minute. Toews' two goals sandwiched a score by Patrick Sharp, who flicked Patrick Kane's pass past Flames' goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to tie it up. Sharp also assisted Toews' first goal, joining Kane, Cameron Barker, Brian Campbell, Brent Seabrook and Dave Bolland on the list of helpers. more ›

CSB School of Broadcasting will make its way to the auction block on May 8 after the school went bankrupt in early March, according to a Chi-Town Daily News report. more ›

The White Sox notched a decisive 8-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday evening. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko spotted starter Mark Buehrle two runs in the top of the first, and that lead would grow to six before the Rays brought one across. Konerko and Carlos Quentin both had three hits in the ballgame, including a pair of jacks to left in the fifth inning. Buehrle got the win, holding the Rays to three runs and eight hits over 6.2, allowing Scott Linebrink and D.J. Carrasco to close it out in the late innings. The Sox have a chance to take the series from the defending A.L. champions this afternoon in Tampa. more ›

Known for their stark religious beliefs and refusal to use certain modern conveniences such as electricity, automobiles and insurance, the Amish population in Goshen, Ind. -- a town located 120 miles east of Chicago with population just under 32,000 -- might be making a few exceptions to get by during the recession. more ›

Four South Side mental health clinics will reopen their doors to patients on Monday after Mayor Daley granted a temporary amnesty from closing last week Tuesday. more ›

It would have been too much to ask for two beautiful days in one weekend. Today's temperatures won't reach nearly as high as yesterday's gorgeous mid-70s, but at the very least it won't be freezing. Morning will see light rain and cloudy skies followed by an afternoon of increasingly heavy precipitation and more clouds. Highs should top out in the mid 50s, with temperatures falling into the lower 40s by evening. Expect the rain and a few thunderstorms to continue overnight. more ›

Playing in Boston against a team with a much better record, the Bulls were given little chance of winning their playoff opener -- even if the Celtics were playing without Kevin Garnett. But the Bulls surprised many when they upset the defending NBA champs 105-103 in overtime Saturday afternoon, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the series and stealing home court advantage away in the best-of-seven series. more ›

Today was the first day of the Chicago River’s bridge lift season, and both river and vehicle traffic was disrupted when the Michigan Avenue bridge failed to open. The center lock on the bridge was unable to open. After about an hour, crews were able to get the northern half of the bridge to open so sailboats could pass. Traffic was flowing again at 2:20 p.m. more ›

Youth boxing phenom Tracy Rollins was billed to lose in the program - and surprised a lot of the crowd by unanimously winning his bout Friday at St. Andrew's Gym (Addison & Paulina, 8p.m.). The youngster, who at 16 was facing veteran boxer Ramon Valenzuela in his first-ever senior Chicago Golden Gloves championship (he's the five-time junior national champion), felt confident before the fight - and the look on his face after said he felt vindicated. more ›

Tokyo and its citizens greeted the 13 members of the International Olympic Committee evaluation panel Friday to obvious fanfare and widespread support for the city's 2016 Olympic bid. more ›

Sen. Roland Burris and his wife had assets worth an estimated $906,000 to $1.8 million last year, according to a report Burris filed with the secretary of the U.S. Senate, which was provided to the Sun-Times before the document's public release next month. more ›

According to a story in the Huffington Post, the seemingly random home burglary in California of Republican Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon March 4 may have some Chicago ties - and some political ones as well. more ›

The Chicago White Sox couldn't out-muscle the Tampa Bay Rays Friday night, losing 6-5. Carlos Quentin led off the sixth inning with a solo shot, giving the Sox a 3-2 advantage. Jim Thome followed with a base knock, which set the table for Jermaine Dye's two-run blast to left center. Chicago's newfound lead was not safe for long, however, as Sox starter Bartolo Colon quickly found himself in a two-out, bases-loaded jam. With Gabe Gross stepping into the batter's box, Ozzie Guillen called on lefty reliever Matt Thorton. Rays manager Joe Maddon countered with the right-handed hitting Ben Zobrist, and Maddon's move paid off. The 1-1 fastball from Thorton landed deep in the left field bleachers, giving Zobrist a grand slam and the Rays a 6-5 lead. Chicago had a chance to tie in the ninth as pinch-runner Brent Lillibridge stole his way from first to third, but the Sox couldn't bring him home. Chicago will try to ensure at least a series split when they take the field tonight in Tampa. more ›

Eight legislators saw the best and worst of the city's transit on a tour led by the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee to show the need for a multi-billion dollar program to upgrade and maintain the transit system on Friday. more ›

• Plainfield police have announced new developments in the Lisa Stebic case, and while they're not doling out any details, they are saying that they "shed additional light on what happened to Lisa." Stebic disappeared nearly 2 years ago.
• The Cook County Sheriff's Office is continuing their strong stand to fight prostitution -- besides suing Craigslist, they've also brought in counselors to help women quit the business and get off the streets.
• A bar in Peoria really, really wants people to know THEY ARE NOT A GAY BAR!! The gay community in the city is outraged, and have "vowed to never go back to the bar." We don't think they thought that one all the way through.

It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon by a score of 8-7. A two-run jack off the bat of Alfonso Soriano was difference maker, as the Cubs took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth. Chicago was steady at the plate, scoring in five different innings but never more than two runs at a time. Starter Carlos Zambrano nearly offset their offensive success with a forgettable outing on the hill. Z surrendered nine hits, three homers and seven earned runs, but hung tough and chewed up seven innings of work. Aaron Heilman came in to pitch the eighth, earning the win, and Carlos Marmol closed out the ninth to pick up his second save of the season. In a game that saw every Cubs batter reach base at least once, Aramis Ramirez swung the hottest stick, going three-for-four and collecting three RBIs. The Cubs face the Cardinals again tomorrow afternoon in their first Saturday game at Wrigley this season. more ›

We sure hope Roland Burris is getting something intangible out of being a United States Senator, because it looks like he's really paying for the privilege. In trying to secure the seat and defend himself from various ethics and perjury probes, Burris has already racked up bills of $111,032, which he can pay off through fundraising. But that's going to be an uphill climb -- so far this year Burris has raised only $845, bringing his war chest to about the same level as the village treasurer in Mokena. more ›

Deputy Police Supt. Dan Dugan wants the committee to be patient, as Weis is researching how realignment has taken place in other major cities and that it's a process that "can't be rushed." Police Committee Chairman Isaac Carothers (29th) wants Weis to act more quickly on the matter, otherwise Carothers says he will push a motion through City Council to force Weis to realign the beats by a certain date. Given that Weis has no problem ignoring orders from a federal judge, good luck with that, Alderman. [S-T, Trib] more ›

County Board President Todd Stroger, who's just getting started on his "I am sorry; please vote for me next year" tour, has requested and accepted the resignation of his Chief Financial Officer and cousin, Donna Dunnings. Dunnings resigned over the fallout from the revelations of the recent firing of a patronage worker who had a felony check-kiting conviction on his record. Stroger's not talking details, but he told the Tribune in a phone interview that the fired worker is making "explosive" and "not flattering" allegations against Dunnings that could hurt her ability to do her job. It took the hiring and firing of a convicted felon to tender Dunnings's resignation? that was all? more ›

The Chicago White Sox opened their four-game series in Tampa with a 3-2 win over the Rays Thursday evening. Jermaine Dye provided early run support for his pitcher John Danks when he hit a two-run blast off Tampa's Jeff Niemann in the second inning. Danks cruise through six frames, allowing only two hits and one run while striking out eight. Octavio Dotel and Matt Thorton pitched well in relief, and Josh Fields singled across an important insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. Closer Bobby Jenks found himself in a tight spot with bases juiced and one out in the final frame, but limited the damage to only a run as Chicago held on for the win. First pitch tonight is scheduled for 6:38. more ›

Playoff hockey returned to the United Center ice for the first time in seven years, as the Blackhawks faced off against the Calgary Flames in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals series. more ›

The Sun-Times is reporting that Governor Pat Quinn will appoint Quentin Young to head the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board Friday. The Chicago-based physician is best known for his advocacy of a single-payer healthcare system in the United States. He's also been an outspoken activist for social-justice in healthcare policy, serving as Chairman of Medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago from 1972 to 1981, and as President of of the American Public Health Association. He's currently National Coordinator and CEO for Physicians for a National Health Program. more ›

The state's unemployment rate rose for the sixth month in a row in March, breaking nine percent, the highest in 24 years. Governor Pat Quinn announced that state unemployment benefits would be extended an additional 13 weeks for workers that had exhausted their access to unemployment insurance. Illinois currently offers 26 weeks of benefits, in addition to the 33 weeks provided by the federal government. more ›

Before leaving for Mexico to meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, President Barack Obama outlined his vision for a series of high-speed rail corridors around the nation, including a nine-state, 3,000 mile Midwestern network that features Chicago as a hub. "High-speed intercity passenger rail can play a critical role in certain travel markets, but the United States has historically failed to invest in this mode," said a statement released by the White House. "The president proposes a long-term strategy intended to build an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network of 100- to 600-mile intercity corridors as one element of a modernized transportation system." more ›

The Chicago Cubs dropped the first of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon, losing 7-4. Kosuke Fukodome belted a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth to put the Cubs on top 4-3, but the Cardinals evened the score when Khalil Greene took reliever Aaron Heilman deep in the top of the sixth. With bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the same inning, Chicago sent Milton Bradley to the plate for his first appearance at Wrigley as a Cub. Bradley would not be the hero today, however, as he struck out looking and was subsequently ejected from the game for arguing with the home-plate umpire. The Cards added two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, while the Cubs were held hitless in the final three frames. David Patton got the loss and Heilman a blown save. The Cubs and Cards will do it again tomorrow at 1:20. more ›

Somewhat lost amongst all the tax day Tea Parties yesterday was something that could actually have a direct action on how government works around here. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced the launch of a new state website, whistleblower.ilinois.gov, which gives the scoop on how citizens -- even government employees -- can spill the goods on known corruption in state and local government. The seed of this program started in 1991, when Quinn was a part of a team that helped enact a "state whistleblower protection act" to shield people from retaliation for coming forward. The Illinois Whistleblower Reward and Protection Act, introduced by Rep. John Fritchey, and which went into affect January 1, 2008, expanded those protections further and sweetened the pot -- the "whistleblower" now can get a reward of "up to 30% of the amount recovered as a reward upon completion of a successful whistleblower suit.." more ›

It's probably fair to say former governor Rod Blagojevich overstepped his bounds while in office. Well, the Tribune is reporting today that Blago's arrogance extended all the way to the baseball diamond. In the postscript of a note to Cubs manager Lou Piniella dated May 31, 2007, Blagojevich asked the skipper, "Have you thought about batting Soriano third, Lee fourth and Ramirez fifth?" more ›

The suburban bus arm of the Regional Transportation Authority, Pace, is expected to announce Thursday a plan to add express buses along I-55, traveling from the southwest suburbs all the way to downtown. With plans to begin no later than early 2010, the buses will depart from Bolingbrook and utilize the left shoulder along I-55 to bypass traffic jams (note to self: if car stalls on the Stevenson, pull over to the ). The new bus service will essentially mimic the rail service that goes down the middle of the Kennedy and Eisenhower Expressways, but obviously at a fraction of the cost compared to a brand new rail line. The RTA is looking at adding similar service in the future along the Kennedy. Turns out the CTA was planning on speeding up the city buses as well by starting a test of bus-only lanes along four routes, but those plans were tabled after Chicago lost $153 million in federal transportation funds -- how Daley managed to let a big money grab through his fingers, we still don't know. [Trib] more ›

When we were younger, our friend told us about a car his older brother was selling for the low price of $900. Sure, it looked a little ragged, what with the rust holes and the mismatched door, but we were assured that at its heart the car was solid, and could be revived back to its shiny, reliable former self with just a little bit of elbow grease. Six months later, after being stalled on the side of the road for the third time, we wound up giving it away to that cancer foundation with the annoying jingle. Well, Sam Zell is feeling the same way right now, except his error in judgment contained seven more zeros. In an interview with Bloomberg Television yesterday, Zell said that he now thinks that his acquisition of the Chicago Tribune was a "mistake" and that he "was too optimistic in terms of the newspaper's ability to preserve its position." Huh, a business guy with zero experience in the newspaper industry was wrong about the direction said industry was heading -- imagine that. more ›

Last week veteran Chicago Police detective Joseph Frugoli was charged with DUI and reckless homicide after plowing an SUV into the back of a disabled car on the Dan Ryan killing two people. Frugoli, also charged with leaving the scene of an accident (IDOT workers saw him walking along the expressway), was freed on bail Sunday afternoon. Monday night protesters, friends and family of the two men killed in that crash held a silent protest outside Frugoli’s home. Protesters believe that Frugoli’s $500,000 bail was too low and that he’s receiving special treatment because he’s a Chicago cop. more ›

The Chicago Bulls finished the regular season with a 109-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors at the United Center on Wednesday. Toronto, who never trailed in the contest, established a 14-point lead by the end of the first quarter and did not look back. The Raptors' Shawn Marion was red hot, making 15 of 18 field-goal attempts, scoring 34 points, and snagging 11 boards. The Raptors out-rebounded the Bulls by 30 on Chicago's offensive end of the court, limiting second-chance opportunities for the home team. Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose scored 23 and 20 respectively for Chicago, and Brad Miller earned a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The loss, combined with Philly's win over Cleveland, dropped Chicago to the seventh spot in the East. That means the Bulls will face the potentially K.G.-less Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which tip-off Saturday afternoon. more ›

There are finals all over the city tonight - or in least two contests we're aware of: stripping and boxing. Both have male-dominated audiences, but the latter is probably a little more socially acceptable -- and something your significant other is inclined to let you go out and see. more ›

Now that the International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Committee is out of town, new information is coming out regarding the IOC's concerns about Chicago's bid. On the last of their visit to Chicago, the IOC met with several groups that oppose Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. Among the concerns raised by No Games Chicago and Housing Bronzeville is the possibility that the games might displace Chicago residents, especially around the proposed sit of the Olympic Village. more ›

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger officially asked county commissioners to reduce the county sales tax by a quarter of a percent Wednesday, although he couldn't give any hard numbers about why the reduction was possible, or where the funding to replace it would come from. He told the press that the lack of "hard numbers" was because the county was still in talks with the federal government. He expects that federal recovery act funds will help close the gap on county services. Stroger persuaded county commissioners to raise the sales tax by one percent last year, saying that county services would be severely cut without the drastic hike. more ›

Heading into Wednesday night's action, the Bulls looked to have a lock on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A Bulls win or a loss by the Philadelphia 76ers and a series with Orlando Magic was on the horizon. The Bulls were wrapping up their regular season at home -- where they'd won 15 of 17 at the United Center since February -- against the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors. And the reeling 76ers -- losers of six straight -- were facing off against the East's top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. We hear that Joakim Noah already had his mouse ears packed! more ›

April 15 saw hundreds of protesters descend on Chicago's Federal Plaza to ostensibly demonstrate against what they perceive as the expansion of government and its attendant intrusion in their private lives. more ›

You just couldn't ask for a better day, weather-wise. The forecast calls for sunshine all day with a high of 61. That's shorts weather, but don't dive into it. Save baring your legs for tomorrow and Saturday when the temps tickle 70. more ›

Phillips also told the Sun-Times that a test of the new trucks last October was "disastrous" and that Mayor Daley said at the time that a full citywide switch was a bad idea and "would not be pursued." Looks like he changed his mind. A Streets and Sanitation spokesman said the city is only issuing an RFQ as a fact-finding mission, to just "merely expand the city's options." more ›

The Chicago White Sox ran into Armando Galarraga and the Detriot Tigers this afternoon, losing by a final score of 9-0. Galarraga allowed only six baserunners over 6.1 innings, outperforming his Sox counterpart Jose Contreras. Contreras pitched four scoreless, but surrendered two in the fifth and another in the sixth before getting the hook. That was all the Tigers needed, but Mike MacDougal spotted Detroit four more runs in the seventh and eighth to officially make it a blowout. With the rain-shortened series ending on a down note, the Sox will look for some new life when they face the Rays in Tampa tomorrow evening. more ›

Beleagured Chicago-based United Airlines instituted a new policy today aimed at overweight folks, saying that if you can't wedge yourself comfortably into a regular sized seat, they reserve the right to charge you for a second seat or an upgrade to a bigger business/first class seat. And if the flight is sold-out and there are no extra seats available, well then, tubby, you're going to get bumped from the flight. United joins other airlines with similar restrictions, including Southwest and their adroitly named "Customer of Size" policy. more ›

Despite the fact that he already has terrific ratings in his reality show "the news," Rod Blagojevich is requesting permission from the judge to allow him to go to Costa Rica in June to film a "Swiss Family Robinson"-style reality show for NBC called, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" Blago will be dropped in the middle of the jungle with nine other celebrities, including Nancy Kerrigan, and they will compete for food and supplies. Viewers will vote people off, and Blago would make $80,000 per episode. The show's website says, "The last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle, winning a substantial cash prize for their favorite charity." Yeah, I'm sure Blago would give that money to charity. The Friends of Blago Fund or The Fuckin' Golden Foundation. more ›

Three Teamsters Local 743 members are currently on trial for rigging a union election in 2004 that they lost anyway. Federal prosecutors say that they changed members' addresses in a union database, mailing the ballots instead to family and friends. The ballots were then marked with votes for the Unity Slate led by Robert Walston. more ›

Prosecutors yesterday detailed the case against former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo, accused of extorting the historic Kiddieland Amusement Park. Not for cotton candy and lifetime rides on the Tornado, but rather using "strong-arm tactics" to force the park to use security guards from Scavo's firm. Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Andersson also says that Scavo ran the security firm out of police headquarters and used on-duty Melrose Park police officers to patrol the firm's clients, leading to some "double dipping" -- they allegedly collected salaries from both Scavo and the village. Besides Kiddieland, feds say Scavo also shook down Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, truck engine manufacturer Navistar, and local bars and restaurants. more ›

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Pat Quinn in visiting Andrew Jackson Elementary School on Chicago's West side Tuesday. Duncan discussed the $3 billion in funding that the state would get as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. $2 billion of those funds will go to the state's Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which Quinn wants to use to make general aid payments to the state's school districts. The remaining $1 billion in funding will go to support programs and operations in public schools around Illinois. "These funds allow Illinois to pay its bills to schools quickly, which keeps our teachers teaching and protects our children," Quinn said. more ›

Thomas Urbik from suburban Wheaton is on the crew of the Liberty Sun ship, which was attacked Tuesday by Somali pirates -- one of four ships attacked yesterday as "vengeance" for the five pirates killed in other rescue attempts last weekend. Unlike other ships where "oil for ransom" has been the target, the Liberty Sun was carrying food aid to Africa. Urbik was able to keep in contact with his family at home via email, telling them, "We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets. We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. a rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire too but put out. Navy is on the way and helos and ships are coming. I'll try to send you another message soon. got to go now. I love you mom and dad and all my brothers and family." Fortunately the attackers did not board the ship, and by the time the USS Bainbridge destroyer arrived to the rescue, they had already left. A French warship that is part of the EU piracy patrol was able to capture all 11 pirates hours later. [D-H] more ›

Is the Toddler feeling the heat from the recent (albeit symbolic) suburban vote to leave Cook County? Is he afraid that he's going to get his ass handed to him in the Democratic primary for jacking up county taxes and not delivering competent county services? That may be the impetus for his proposal to roll back county taxes by a whopping quarter of a percent. more ›

With the NFL's release of the entire league schedule last night, we learned who, when and where the Bears will play their games in 2009. more ›

Things will start out cloudy and a little dreary, but the clouds will break, the sun will shine, and the mercury will top 50 degrees, so there's room for hope! Tonight, skies will remain clear and lows will drop to the lower 40s. The rest of the week? Looking even better. more ›

• There might be good left in the world after all -- The Windy Citizen tells the tale of the Pittsburgh Samaritan who set out to Chicago to do good deeds for strangers he found on Craigslist.
• A husband and wife were arrested after they were caught at a South Barrington theater recording the Hannah Montana movie with a video camera. Authorities claim a subsequent search of their house turned up over 44,000 bootleg DVDs and CDs. Fortunately we were able to get a copy for our private collection before the bust.
• It might get a whole lot riskier to drive on a suspended license -- Alderman Tom Allen (38th) is pushing an ordinance that would allow police to impound your vehicle if you get caught.

After the recent decision to allow gay marriage in Iowa, there's been cause for optimism amongst supporters in Illinois. Whispers grew a little louder on Monday when Gov. Quinn, speaking at Harper College in Palatine, indicated that a civil union law may not be far away for Illinois. Said Quinn: "I think that's probably where the legislature is headed in the state." With a civil union bill currently in the General Assembly, it's a distinct possibility. However, there are indications that a law allowing gay marriage isn't in the state's near-future. The Times and Democrat - a paper based out of South Carloina, of all places - addressed the issue this week. more ›

We're only 8 days into the season and already the Sox have had two postponements. Ah, early spring. Today's game in Detroit was postponed due to weather; no make up date has been set, though the teams play each other a few more times this season and, if a double-header is to be avoided, they have a mutual off day on June 22. The postponement has also caused a reshuffling of the rotation: Contreras will remain on schedule to start tomorrow, but Danks - today's scheduled starter - will now start on Thursday night in Tampa Bay. This pushes Colon's next start back to Friday, followed by Buehrle on Saturday and Floyd on Sunday. [WhiteSox.com] more ›

Yesterday, we gave some shout-outs to some local media outlets who took home some award hardware and asked readers to let us know of what we've missed. Reader Matthew R. pointed out a glaring oversight on our part: a pair of local Peabody Award winners. WBEZ's This American Life was recognized for their outstanding episode - produced in conjunction with NPR News - "The Giant Pool of Money." Another Peabody was given to the film "Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita," a film shown on PBS' Independent Lens series that prominently features many Chicago-area scientists and researchers. The film was produced by Kartemquin Films, and produced and directed by Chicago's own Maria Finitzo. Congrats and, again, if we missed anything, let us know at tips (at) chicagoist (dot) com. more ›

We've just heard that StreetWise, the venerated Chicago publication that provides jobs for many of the city's homeless people, may be going under. The publication, which has been around in Chicago for the past 17 years, depends on an unusual mixture of advertising, grants and vendor fees to support itself. We talked to the magazine's executive director Bruce Crane who said his magazine has been hit in every single revenue stream. "We're receiving lovely letters from organizations that usually fund us," he said. "All of them say 'due to the changes in the financial market...'" more ›

Remember CNBC's Rick Santelli's now-legendary rant against President Obama's stimulus package? It called for a Chicago Tea Party in July. Never ones to sit on their haunches, however, those agreeing with Santelli got an early jump on a protest, demonstrating back in February and have already scheduled another protest for tomorrow's more appropriate tax deadline. While there will be many protests held throughout the state, the Chicago protest will happen tomorrow at high noon at the Kluczynski Federal Building Plaza - conveniently right next to the post office where you can mail your taxes! more ›

The Chicago Police Department is busy making plans to step up curfew enforcement and to build its Mobile Strike Force. Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis boasted of a small drop in curfew violations in the first quarter of 2009 (4,569 as compared to 4,937 in the same time frame last year) and said a third unit of 50 officers would be added to the rotation of the Mobile Strike Force, with the officers being taken from each of the city's 25 districts. The plan isn't without its detractors as some officers complain that the specialized units actually have a negative effect on manpower, a claim Weis denies, pointing to a 36 percent drop in homicides in districts where the Mobile Strike Force has been operating. Weis also hopes to expand the Txt2Tip program, which allows students to anonymously text tips of possible crimes to police, though he admitted that of the 70 tips received in the programs early stages, none have panned out. [Tribune] more ›

It's like the old Goofus & Gallant cartoons, except in this case, both are Goofus. Yes, the Blago Brothers are scheduled to be arraigned in a very short time - 11 a.m. - at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse downtown. Brothers Rod and Rob - only one of them an ex-governor - will face the music today and both are expected to plead not guilty on a variety of corruption, racketeering and fraud charges. The brothers will be arraigned by U.S. District Judge James Zagel who - appropriately - also presided over the recent Family Secrets mob trial. And expect a madhouse at the courthouse as, unless Zagel determines there is a risk to Blago's safety, the ex-gov will have to take the walk of shame through the front door and lobby of the courthouse like everyone else. more ›

The Chicago Bulls won a big game in Detroit on Monday, 91-88, extending their win streak to five games and improving their postseason positioning. The Pistons took the lead late in the second quarter and did not relinquish their advantage until the game’s final seconds, when Ben Gordon drove past three defenders for the game-winning basket. Gordon’s deuce was the crown jewel in a 12-3, six-minute run, which was fuelled by 10 points from Derrick Rose. Rose finished with a team-high 24, and Joakim Noah recorded his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The victory ensures that the Bulls will finish better than eighth in the conference standings, and guarantees at least a .500 season. A win on Wednesday versus Toronto and a loss by Philly to either Boston or Cleveland will secure the Bulls the sixth seed in the playoffs. more ›

2010 may be a wild election year in Illinois. That is, if anyone can make up their minds about what they want to do. 7th District Congressman Danny Davis hopes Roland Burris will make up his mind already about running for re-election. Davis told Chicago Public Radio on Monday that Burris's decision will affect his decision about whether to run for Senate next year. "That would play seriously in the thinking of any African American who may be interested," he said. "I'm hoping that the senator will hurry up and publicly let people know whether he intends to run for election." Well, we already know how Burris is leaning. more ›

It won't be quite as damp as yesterday, but still damp. Occasional showers will fall throughout the day, meaning it'll be dark and clammy, too dark and clammy for our mid-April liking. Highs will hover in the low-to-mid 40s and gusty winds will make it feel cooler. Cloudy skies will remain in place tonight with lows in the mid-30s. But the end of the week is looking glorious, so at least we have something to look forward to. more ›

• Family members of two men killed in an alleged drunk-driving accident involving off-duty Chicago police officer Joseph Frugoli expressed outrage over his being released yesterday on $500,000 bail, but things were much quieter today when Frugoli appeared in court for a preliminary hearing.
• The third trial for Juan Rivera, accused of raping and killing 11-year-old Holly Staker of Waukegan in 1992, began today with jury selection. Rivera was found guilty in his original trial and a later retrial, but a new trial was ordered in 2005 after DNA tests excluded Rivera as a suspect.
• Bad news for the Trib, where it looks like another 20 percent of its newsroom staff will be laid off to cut expenses.

It was a soggy, chilly home opener for the Cubs, but they overcame the weather, a rain delay, and blown scoring chances to edge the Rockies 4-0. Even though the awful weather would seem to favor pitchers, the Cubs had plenty of chances to score: the team had the bases loaded in the second but only managed one run and again had the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings without scoring any runs. Koyie Hill scored on an error in the fourth and Derek Lee singled in another run in the same inning. Fukudome knocked in Soriano in the eight inning for insurance. Also of help was Ted Lily, who was much sharper in his second start of the season than his first. Lily threw six and two-third hitless innings to start the game before giving up a hit and a walk in the top of the seventh when he was pulled. Besides giving up only the one hit and no runs, Lily struck out eight and the bullpen did their part holding the Rockies scoreless the rest of the way. The teams have tomorrow off before resuming the series on Wednesday. more ›

It's the heart of media awards season - the Pulitzer Prizes will be handed out a week from today - and already many local recognitions are rolling in. Among them are the 2009 RTNDA Regional Murrow Awards. Chicago falls into Region 7, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. A slew of Chicago-area media outlets won awards, which you can check out here. Radio stations winning awards include WBEZ (six awards), WBBM (three awards), and WGN. In television, WFLD brought home two awards. Also of note is the The Society of Professional Journalists 2008 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism. Local winners include:
• Editorial Writing: “The Illinois culture of political sleaze,” John P. McCormick, Marie Dillon & Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune
• Magazine Writing: “Our Battles Joined,” Christian Parenti, Playboy Magazine
• Investigative Reporting (independent): “Off the Record and Out of Order,” Erica Christoffer, Becky Schlikerman & Suzanne McBride, ChicagoTalks.org/ The Beachwood Reporter

The White Sox out-slugged the division rival Detroit Tigers 10-6 this afternoon in the first game of a three-game set in Detroit. The scoring started in historic style in the top of the second inning when Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko hit back-to-back home runs - the 300th career home run for each. After adding four runs in the third, the Sox added more when Carlos Quentin belted his third homer of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the fourth, and then smacked another homer in the the top of the sixth, a solo shot. Quentin and Konerko both finished with four RBI's each. Starting pitcher Gavin Floyd was roughed up, giving up six runs and walking seven in five innings of work, but the bullpen trio of Carrasco-Thronton-Linebrink shut the Tigers out over the last four innings to give the Sox the victory. Center fielder Dewayne Wise was forced to leave after separating his right shoulder making a diving catch in the fifth. more ›

Remember the U.S. Mint's 50 States Quarter Program? Illinois' was issued in 2003 and featured a young Abe Lincoln against the background of the state outline, the Chicago skyline, and a prairie-scape. Well, the U.S. Mint is back at it again with a new quarter program, this time honoring the nation's historic parks and sites. According to the program's selection guidelines, "The program will honor the national park or other national site in each host jurisdiction deemed most appropriate in terms or natural or historic significance." The Trib reports that state leaders, including Gov. Quinn who will have the final choice, are mulling over their options. more ›

Since its announcement in February, Chicago sports fans have been awaiting today's launch of ESPNChicago -- the sports network's first city-specific website. Why start with Chicago? While it made sense for HuffingtonPost to choose the Second City as its first local site, given the city's steep political history and well-known shenanigans, Chicago is perhaps not quite so obvious a choice for ESPN. Sure, we may think we're the best sports city in the land -- what other city's fans will sit through a blizzard on baseball's Opening Day or fill an arena to watch a 13-69 basketball team? But we can hear the objections from Boston and New York all the way here in the Middle West. more ›

It's National Library Week, but we're off to a sad start. Judith Krug, founder of the famed Banned Books Week and director of the Chicago-based American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, passed away this weekend. Judith Platt, president of the ALA's Freedom to Read Foundation, told the Associated Press Krug passed away Saturday at Evanston Hospital after a year-long bout with cancer. Krug became head of the ALA's OIF in 1967 and the first Banned Book Week was celebrated in 1982. [AP via Trib] more ›

With U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. already facing an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Sun-Times has uncovered some information that will put Jackson on the defensive once again. According to the Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki, two men, one of whom claimed he was a Jackson emissary, promised the Blagojevich campaign Jackson would raise $5 million for Blagojevich and then the Indian community would chip in an additional $1 million in exchange for appointing Jackson to the U.S. Senate seat. What still remains unclear, however, is Jackson's role - if any - in these negotiations. more ›

The smoke rising from Honey 1 BBQ Friday was no joke. TOC broke the news and Mike Sula went to report from the scene. A spiral fire broke out in the venerable Bucktown barbecue joint's chimney and worked it's way down. Owner Robert Adams, Sr. told Sula that it's uncertain when Honey 1 will reopen, depending on the damage to the pit and whether insurance puts up a fight. Adams remains optimistic. "People ain't gonna be able to do without my barbecue for that long, so I'll be back open in a hurry." more ›

The Blackhawks closed out their regular season on a high note Sunday, shutting out the Detroit Red Wings 3-0. Now, it's playoff time. For the first time since 2002, the 'Hawks are among the 16 teams fighting for the Stanley Cup (just as we predicted). more ›

A month after speculation over an Apple store at Block 37 was the center of a lawsuit filed by another Block 37 tenant, Apple itself announced the location for its newest Chicago store: North & Clybourn. The new store will go up on the site of an old gas station where North, Clybourn, and Halsted all intersect. According to Crain's: more ›

A man’s body was discovered inside a CTA Blue Line train early Sunday at 711 Des Plaines Avenue in West suburban Forest Park, authorities said. The man was identified as Hassan Sebazamy Damulira, 24, of Bellwood. According to a Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokesman, the man appeared to have suffered a drug overdose. The man was pronounced dead @ 2:52 a.m., the spokesman said. An autopsy is pending toxicological results. The CTA has referred questions to the police. [Sun-Times] more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks concluded the regular season with 3-0 shutout victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. 'Hawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin was in top form, denying all 37 shot attempts by Detroit. Andrew Ladd and Jonathan Toews both scored in the first period to provide early offense for Chicago, and Dave Bolland added a power-play goal in the third to make the the Blackhawks' lead insurmountable. Chicago finishes the season with 104 points, good for sixth best in the league, and will be hosting the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs. The Blackhawks won all four contests versus the Flames in the regular season and will look to continue their dominance when the puck drops at 7:30 on Thursday. more ›

Be warned, Red and Blue Liners. It's about to get a little easier for those d-bag loud cell phone talkers to keep yammering even when the train is underground. Cricket Communications has signed a deal to provide wireless service in the underground tunnels, joining Verizon and U.S. Cellular. The agreement is for 10 years and Cricket will pay the CTA a fee of $22,250 per month to provide services on the 11.4 miles of underground tracks. The CTA also indicated to the Tribune that more providers will be provided in the near future. [Tribune] more ›

According to the tax return released Friday by the mayor’s office, Mayor Daley’s family income dropped from $238,190 in 2007, to $183,992 in 2008, about half the income reported for '06. The decrease can be attributed in part to the mayor being the sole breadwinner since Maggie Daley did not hold a paid job in 2008. more ›

With the Cubs' 2009 home opener just hours away - weather permitting - one would think it's still too early in the season to let the cynicism that usually swirls around the Cubs rush in. But nope, some people just have to keep bringing up old shit. Depending on who you believe, police found either a goat's head or an entire goat on the Harry Caray statue outside of Wrigley Field early this morning, just as they did two years ago. And, just like two years ago, they're treating it as a prank and no investigation is planned. Though the fact someone is going around killing innocent goats just for the purposes of Cubs haterade is kind of disconcerting. (The CBN story on this has a link to a YouTube from the incident two years ago.) People, we can't say it enough: while there is such a thing as tired pitching, a crap bullpen, and highly-priced sluggers shrinking away in the playoff spotlight, there are no such things as curses. Leave the poor goats alone. Update: The Sun-Times had it right; it was a whole goat. [Chicago Breaking News, Sun-Times] more ›

After a very pleasant weekend, clouds and a cold rain move in today. Temps will struggle to reach the upper 40s and rain showers will cover the area, maybe even jeopardizing the Cubs' home opener against the Rockies this afternoon. The rain continues into the evening with lows in the upper 30s. The chance of rain will continue into tomorrow, but the latter half of the week is looking pretty nice. more ›

Phillyist tried to proofread this sign but gave up.

Officials from Illinois as well as Ohio, Missouri and Indiana have signed on to a development agreement that would use $5 million in federal funding to build the nation's first interstate, truck-only highway lanes along Interstate 70, the Associated Press reports. more ›

A single-engine plane crashed at the Sandwich Airport in DeKalb County yesterday afternoon, killing two. According to the Chicago Tribune, Randy Hougham was taking friends for rides in his vintage 1946 Ercoupe 415-C. Two flights went well, but the third ended in disaster. The plane crashed and caught fire shortly before 2 p.m., killing Houghham, 53, and his passenger, recent Bradley University graduate Lauren Hamilton, 22. Hougham's brother-in-law, Bruce Burlingame, said, "He was a great guy, a good family man, a good dad. He was just a normal guy who did construction work and had a plane." more ›

AP Photo/Paul Beaty more ›

Smokers in Illinois just can't seem to catch a break. more ›

Even with tomorrow already looking gloomy, it's hard to be excited about today's beautiful weather. Sunny skies are in order and areas further to the west will see high temps reach the 60s while most in the city will have mid-50s. Clear skies remain into the evening but clouds roll in overnight and temps drop to the upper 30s. So get out and enjoy the gorgeous Spring day. more ›

The Chicago Transit Authority is about to embark on its second project funded by stimulus cash: it will purchase 58 hybrid buses for $49 million to be delivered this fall, according to a CTA statement. more ›

In something of a surprise selection, it was former Chicago Park District official Bridget Gainer who was selected to replace Mike Quigley on the Cook County Board today. Quigley’s former chief of staff Kimberly Walz had been the favorite to take the spot, replacing her old boss, but in the end the committeemen selected Gainer. [Sun-Times] more ›

More than 2,000 participants flanked the streets of Pilsen yesterday to re-enact the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. The predominantly Mexican community walks in the "Via Crucis" or "Way of the Cross" each year on Good Friday. more ›

Michelle Pike has a new understanding of drive-through service after she took her SUV to a Northwest-side Sears for a routine tire fix, but when she returned to pick up her car, it was gone. She purchased the car with only 14 miles on it in January, and now it’s been stolen from the repair shop. Pike told WBBM: more ›

10,000 Commonwealth Edison customers were without power when they woke up this morning. People living in the south suburbs in Evergreen Park, Bedford Park, Oak Lawn, Burbank, Stickney, Summit, Bolingbrook and Bridgeview lost power about 1:30 a.m. more ›

Gov. Quinn finally dug into a long list of pardon requests that date as far back as 2003, just after Governor Blagojevich took office. There are nearly 2,500 requests awaiting decision, and Quinn began by granting pardons to 11 of 31 requests dated January 2003. Said Quinn, "My administration is fully committed to erasing this shameful logjam of cases in a methodical manner and with all deliberate speed." According to the Tribune, the pardons were issued to Victor Cervantes, Dion Taylor, Jocelyn Stafford, Dann Bailey, Ronald Brown, Michael Cramer, Jeffrey Gordy, Valerie Hampton, Alan Huff, Charles Roach and Una Moore. [Tribune] more ›

The Cubs lost an early-season heartbreaker to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, by a score of 4-3. Closer Kevin Gregg was entrusted with a 3-2 lead in the ninth, but struggled retiring the Milwaukee lineup. With one man down the Brewers' Rickie Weeks knocked a double to left to plate Jason Kendall and tie the game at three, and then a wild slider from Gregg allowed Weeks to take third. The next pitch gave Corey Hart a base on balls, setting Chicago up for the double play, but when Gregg produced the grounder the Cubs were looking for, shortstop Ryan Theriot made a split-second decision to go home with the throw instead of turning two. Weeks just beat Theriot's indecisive throw and the Brewers walked away with the win. The meltdown nullified a two-run homer by Koyie Hill and squandered a 10 strikeout, three-hit start by Rich Harden. Chicago and Milwaukee will do it again today at 6:05. more ›

A Northwestern University pediatric resident may have exposed hundreds of children, infants and staff to tuberculosis at three Chicago-area hospitals, according to reports. No patients or staff members have been diagnosed with active TB as of Friday evening, with those closest to the resident testing negative on a skin test used to determine infection. The resident came in contact with about 300 staff and 150 patients during her residency at Northwestern, Children's Memorial and Evanston Hospitals. more ›

The weekend is shaping up to be quite pleasant, if a little cool, and it all starts today with sunny skies and highs around 50 as northeast winds off of Lake Michigan will help keep temperatures down a bit. Tonight, skies will remain clear as temperatures dip into the upper 30s. But for those of you who long for the mercury to creep past that 60 degree mark, there's hope. Tomorrow could break that barrier and Skilling Says that - after a cool, damp start to next week - more 60's are awaiting us from Wednesday on. more ›

Easter Saturday: apparently a great day to replace a Cook County Board member. more ›

• Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says he won't fight a war of secession against the towns that voted to leave Cook County, mainly to avoid county taxes, and create their own county. Stroger warned, though, that Barrington, Hanover and Palatine townships might be in over their heads. "But, what they do need to know is when they do that, they will have to have their own jail," he said. "They'll have to have their own elected officials; clerk, sheriff and all that. It's not going to save them money, it's going to cost them more money." [Daily Herald]
• Stroger fired human resources assistant and former University of Georgia basketball player Tony Cole, after finding out that Cole neglected to mention a felony conviction for writing bad checks. Stroger personally hired Cole in October 2008, overlooking his various misdemeanor and felony offenses in the past, since Cole vowed to get his life back on track. He was hired as an administrative assistant in the budget department and had already been promoted to the HR position in the highway department and given a raise. Employees are worried now, since he had access to their personal information. [Sun-Times]
• The Todd-ler wants your vote again. He announced (again) that he plans to run for re-election in 2010.

While the Bulls now seem poised to clinch a playoff berth, they'll have to plan on taking on the rest of the Eastern Conference without one of their best. Luol Deng, who has missed the past five weeks with a stress fracture in his right tibia is done for the regular season and at least the first round of the playoffs. Should the Bulls -- likely looking at a seventh or eighth seed -- move on to the second round, there's a very slight chance he'd be ready to return, but the odds of both those things happening are long. The Bulls don't want to rush the fifth-year forward in order to avoid surgery, which would prolong Deng's recovery. Coach Vinny del Negro told the press, "It's just best for Luol. He has been trying to come back, but he's having setbacks here and there. It's just the smart thing to do right now. We'll continue to re-evaluate it. But right now, we'll let him get some rest and move forward." [Tribune] more ›

In a meeting yesterday with Friends of the Parks, members of the Chicago 2016 organization suggested that the Washington Park amphitheater left behind after the temporary Olympic Stadium was dismantled might be smaller than originally planned. Originally set at 7,500 seats, the amphitheater could seat as few as 2,500 to 3,500. more ›

Last month the Cabrini-Green building at 412 W. Chicago Ave. was closed due to concerns about violence and gang activity. The building, now gutted and boarded up with the gates welded shut, awaits the wrecking ball sometime this spring or summer. The Chicago Housing Authority says all 25 families living there have found a place to live but community advocates are concerned this may not be accurate. One former resident told the Chi-Town Daily News that the time-line to find a new home was too short and left people homeless and forced to take up residence in shelters or move in to overcrowded apartments with family. more ›

It's short notice, but with the Bulls just a win away from clinching a playoff spot, the team is playoff putting tickets on sale today at 11 a.m. via Ticketmaster and 1-800-4NBA-TIX. Tickets will be sold for the first two rounds and will offer seven potential home games. Prices for the first round will range from $12 to $145 and prices for the second round will start at $18 and go up to $155. In case you're curious, if the playoffs started today, the Bulls would face the Celtics in Round One; the Celtics won the season series 2-1. more ›

The Chicago Bulls continued to cruise on their home court with a 113-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The game was tightly contested until midway through the third, when the Bulls began to slowly amass a lead. That lead reached 10 by the end of the quarter and never seemed to be in jeopardy during the final period. Tyrus Thomas and Ben Gordon each scored 24 for Chicago, with Thomas shooting a perfect 14 of 14 from the free-throw line. The victory puts Chicago within striking distance of Philly in sixth and keeps them half a game ahead of the Detroit Pistons. Despite the Sixers' game-and-a-half lead, their final four games include two contests with Cleveland and a bout with Boston, leaving their sixth spot vulnerable. Chicago is now a win away from .500, a mark they last saw on November 17, and can officially secure a post-season berth with a victory over Charlotte on Saturday. more ›

The holiday weekend gets off to a blustery start today as heavy winds will kick up at times, with gusts topping 30 mph throughout the day. Winds will help keep temperatures down, so expect highs to reach the mid-40s to around 50 under variably cloudy skies. The clouds will break late in the day with the low dropping to the upper 30s. And if you've got weekend plans, you're in luck because the weekend is looking mighty pleasant. more ›

• U.S. Sen. Roland Burris is now claiming that his legal fees stemming from the investigation into his dealings with then-governor Rod Blagojevich over the controversial senate seat appointment has reached $500,000.
• It appears as if firefighters initially missed the body of a man who died in an East Garfield Park fire on Monday, just discovering the body yesterday.
• Officials announced today the Empress Casino in Joliet, damaged last month by fire, will open by mid-to-late June, though the fire-damaged pavilion won't be completed for another 12-to-18 months.

Evergeen Park Mayor James Sexton had been looking into relocating the currently suspended South Side Irish Parade to his town, but he now says that's not going to happen. Sexton said today, "They spoke very loud and clear that they did not want us to host this particular event in 2010." Sexton said he wanted an approval rating from residents at around 75 to 80 percent, but said the final survey revealed 52 percent opposed the move while 48 percent supported it. One issue was cost, with estimates ranging from $70,000 to $80,000. Sexton added, "Well, I wouldn't know. We'll throw it back in the lap of the South Side St. Patrick's Day committee and see if they can resurrect it or what they might want to do with it." [WBBM] more ›

It was a pitchers' duel at U.S. Cellular Field and even a switched up top-of-the-order for the Sox couldn't produce any runs as Kansas City wrapped up the season-opening series with a 2-1 win over the Pale Hose. John Danks was outstanding, scattering three hits, striking out five, and shutting the Royals out over six innings of work. The Sox bullpen held but reliever Bobby Jenks gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to allow the Royals to pull ahead. Alberto Callaspo got a one-out double in the top of the ninth and then Coco Crisp homered off Jenks for the 2-0 lead. Carlos Quentin led off the Sox half of the ninth with a double and later scored on a Jermaine Dye ground-out. The Sox had a chance to tie the game with runners on first and second with two outs, but Wilson Betemit struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox fall to 1-2 on the young season and welcome the Minnesota Twins to town for a weekend series beginning tomorrow night; Jose Contreras is slated to start for the Sox. more ›

Saturday was a special day for Mayor Daley: April 4 marked the 20th anniversary of Richard M. Daley's election to the office of Mayor of Chicago except no one made much of a fuss over it. Today, the Sun-Times took notice, though, as did several other reporters. Said Daley on the anniversary and the lack of attention it drew: more ›

We've gone on and on and on and on about this parking meter clusterfuck in town, but the Chicago Reader's team of Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke has easily topped us and anyone else by offering the most thorough, comprehensive, (and all-around best) look yet at the entire history of this deal gone wrong. more ›

Fred Goings pleaded not guilty today to charges of murdering his ex-girlfriend Nova Henry and her 10-month-old daughter, Ava. Nova and Ava were killed in Nova's condo on January 24 of this year; three-year-old son Noah was found unharmed in the condo with the bodies and is alleged to have named Fred as the shooter. Goings' attorney, John Lyke, also withdrew from the case, claiming Goings - himself an attorney - could not afford his services. Nova is the ex-girlfriend of ex-Chicago Bull (and current NY Knick) player Eddy Curry, and both Ava and Noah are Curry's biological children. [Sun-Times] more ›

While forms for the 2010 U.S. Census don't go out for almost another year, that didn't stop local officials, including Mayor Daley, from starting the campaign to encourage participation. Playing up the fact that results help determine how much money local governments receive, Daley said, "If we shortchange any part of the area, you're really shortchanging yourself. Everyone's reluctant to tell the government anything ... We have to reassure people that it is confidential." more ›

The first Chicago location of JPMorgan Chase's "homeownership centers" has opened, the Tribune reports. Chase plans to open 24 centers in all across the country to assist homeowners in need of assistance with troubled mortgages. The center, located at 1836 N. Broadway in Melrose Park, is the first of two planned Chicago centers, the other opening very soon at an undisclosed South Side location. The Trib describes the centers as a place, "to let troubled borrowers meet face to to face with lending counselors in an effort to rework their mortgages." Just last weekend, Gov. Quinn signed a bill that extends the grace period for homeowners facing foreclosure. [Tribune] more ›

Are you one of the thousands of dog owners in the city who shrug off purchasing the mandated city license for your pooch each year? Chances are, yes. The Sun-Times reports that of an estimated 500,000 dogs, the city sells less than 21,000 licenses. But now your list of excuses just got shorter as the city is - gasp - trying to make a process more convenient for people. City Clerk Miguel del Valle has instituted online registration for dogs in the hopes of boosting those low numbers. Per the Sun-Times: more ›

At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Quinn mentioned that he still supports a recall amendment and hopes to get state lawmakers to consider a proposal when they return from their current break. Then-governor Rod Blagojevich was able to (barely) block the last proposal in the state assembly last May, but Quinn remains cautiously optimistic about his chances of getting a recall amendment approved. Said Quinn, “When we get back…[it's] one of my goals—to try just as quickly as we can to put this before the people of Illinois...I think it’s the ultimate way to get ethics in government-- if the voters and taxpayers feel the incumbent is failing them and betraying the public trust." Quinn says his proposal would be limited to only elected officials instead of the last proposal, which included a wider scope of public officials. [WGN 720 AM] more ›

A few odds and ends from the world of Chicago sports. more ›

There's drama and excitement afoot in the tiny town of Mettawa, Illinois this week. Tuesday's mayoral vote between incumbent Barry MacLean and challenger Jess Ray ended in a tie with 143 votes for each candidate. Lake County Clerk Willard Helander said a 14-day waiting period will now ensue because there are still some absentee ballots that have yet to come in as well as a provisional ballot that may or may not be valid. The counting of these ballots will happen on April 21 and if there's still a tie after that, the race would be decided by a coin toss. Ray threw his hat in the ring after the village approved the building of a Costco store that resulted in two houses being taken over by eminent domain. [Lake County Sun-News, via Gapers Block] more ›

We're only two games into the 2009 season, and already White Sox fans are getting restless for a change at the top of the batting order. Never really sold on manager Ozzie Guillen's selection of Dewayne Wise to bat lead off, the fans have quickly grown frustrated with the lack of production from the journeyman center fielder. Fans booed him at the Cell during Wednesday's game. But Ozzie's sticking with his man... for now. more ›

Barrington, Hanover and Palatine townships voted to secede from Cook County Tuesday night in a non-binding advisory vote. There's been some debate as to whether this is actually feasible, and what the true motives behind the vote actually are. It's been pointed out that leaving Cook and founding a new county would be costly and burdensome to taxpayers, while supporters of the exodus argue that Cook County politicians are levying substantial taxes without delivering quality public services. more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday, allowing Columbus to lock up a playoff berth for the first time in franchise history. The 'Hawks looked were cruising early, as they went ahead 2-0 with first period goals from Brent Seabrook and Dave Bolland. The Blue Jackets managed two scores of their own to begin the second and tie the game, but Martin Havlat upped the ante for Chicago with a third goal to close out the period. The 'Hawks then held Columbus to only four shots on goal in the third, but one from Rick Nash snuck through and sent game into overtime. A scoreless OT led to a shootout, where Fedor Tyutin settled it on the Blue Jackets' second attempt. The shootout loss left Chicago a point shy of clinching fourth place in the West, and they'll now have to earn it against Detroit in the final two games of the regular season. more ›

Yesterday, it appeared as if the robber known as "The Daybreak Bandit" had struck again, this time hitting a Harris Bank in Joliet at around 7 a.m. The man hid behind a dumpster and when an employee arrived to open the bank, he told the employee he was armed and forced them to open the bank. Today, local FBI officials confirmed that a suspect in the robbery was in custody along with an accomplice, though no charges have been filed. "The Daybreak Bandit" earned his nickname because he chose to rob banks in the early morning when workers were just arriving. The bandit's suspected of other robberies in Plainfield, Romeoville and Hinsdale and a $20,000 reward had been offered for his capture. [Daily Herald, Fox Chicago] more ›

Rush Limbaugh gets a dose of good old Chicago sense, thanks to Charles, a local Republican. Not that he's the only Chicagoan taking on a conservative talk show host. [Progress Illinois, via Media Matters] more ›

It's going to be pretty tame weather-wise around the area today, if a bit cooler than yesterday. Under sunny skies, we'll see high temps reach the upper 40s and maybe - just, maybe - hit 50. Clouds will move in over night and lows will drop to the upper 30s. The weather looks mostly pleasant (and cool) for Saturday and Sunday, but more rain looms at the start of next week. more ›

• Marni Yang today pleaded not guilty to all charges in the 2007 shooting death of Rhoni Reuter and her unborn child.
• The FBI is warning people of a new email scam that uses Oprah to lure unsuspecting folks into shelling out cash.
• Arraignment dates for those involved in the Blago indictment have been set: the ex-gov himself (as well as his brother Rob, William Cellini, and Christopher Kelly) will be arraigned next Tuesday, April 14.

Governor Quinn said in a press conference yesterday that he supports the proposal of the newly-minted reform commission that would put caps on personal campaign contributions. Quinn stopped short of supporting the specifics of the proposal - limiting contributions to $2,400 per person - but did embrace the idea. Quinn added he'll speak before the commission later this week to discuss some of his own reform ideas. [WBBM] more ›

Yesterday, the Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki reported that the Office of Congressional Ethics is now investigating U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and his role in attempting to land the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama that then-governor Rod Blagojevich allegedly attempted to sale off to the highest bidder. Jackson isn't the first lawmaker to be investigated by the office; he joins none other than current holder of the seat in question, U.S. Sen. Roland Burris. more ›

State officials are heralding tougher laws as the impetus behind a 40 percent drop in teen driving deaths in 2008 as compared to 2007. In 2007, there were 155 teen driving deaths statewide but that number shrank to 93 last year as that was the first full year of enforcement of the new group of laws, which included, according to the Tribune, "laws that required teens to spend more time using driving permits along with adding restrictions at night and when teens are passengers." Through mid-March of 2009, there have been 16 teen driving deaths in the state compared to 20 during the same time period last year, but officials point out not much should be read into this statistic as most teen driving deaths occur during the summer months (between Memorial Day and Labor Day). [Tribune] more ›

The DarkLord Days of recent years have devolved into a litany of disappointed beer fans either leaving without bottles of Three Floyd's prized Russian Imperial Stout, or being so desperate for it that they purchase bottles from some of Northwest Indiana's brightest trade school dropouts for at least three times the $15 selling price set by the brewery. The golden ticket sale announced by the brewery was a step in the right direction to give those who truly wanted the beer an opportunity to buy it. Still, it was only a matter of time before golden tickets started popping up on Craigslist and online auctions. more ›

Yesterday, we mentioned efforts in Palatine, Barrington, and Hanover to secede from Cook County stemming from the increase in the sales tax. And yesterday all three towns voted in favor of the non-binding referendum calling for secession. Palatine had the most votes in favor, at around 73 percent; Barrington voted in favor at 65 percent; Hanover's support came in at 60 percent. There's a wrinkle for Palatine, however. Incumbent Mayor Rita Mullen was defeated by former Chicago Bears player - and current member of the Bears' radio team on WBBM - Jim Schwantz, a political rookie. Schwantz's campaign website doesn't address the secession issue, so it remains to be seen what effect his election will have on the issue. [ABC 7, WBBM] more ›

Some CTA news has come across the wire in the last few days. First, the truly surreal. It seems our fair transit system was honored with "Most Improved Metro" at the 2009 Metro Awards, and international awards ceremony held in London. The category aims to award the "metro who has gone the extra mile in improving their metro network in the past year." So, um, the Grand Red Line station doesn't count? The website goes on to say: more ›

Mayor Daley's scheme to lease Midway Airport to a private partnership continues to stall amid the global credit crisis. The April 6 deadline to close the deal passed on Monday, although the city has granted a two week extension on the deal, in hopes of negotiating a six month extension while a consortium of investors tries to line up the remaining cash needed to seal the 99-year lease. more ›

The Chicago Bulls were pestered by the New York Knicks on Tuesday but emerged victorious, by a score of 110-103. Chicago, trailing by five points early in the fourth quarter, used a three-minute, 15-0 run to turn the tide and take a double-digit lead. The Knicks were undeterred, however, and cut the deficit to one with under 30 seconds to play. Steady free-throw shooting and a timely blocked shot by Tyrus Thomas kept New York at bay, as the Bulls went on to win their second straight game. The key block on Quentin Richardson's three-point attempt was one of four Thomas, who also contributed 18 points and six rebounds. Teammate Kirk Hinrich led the scoring off the bench with 25. With four games remaining, Chicago sits in seventh place, a half game ahead of Detroit and two-and-a-half behind Philadelphia, who comes to town on Thursday. more ›

The aunt of the Orland Park child who was found dead on Sunday night has been charged with one charge of first-degree murder in the girl's death. Police say Nour Hadid (pictured right) beat her two-year-old niece Bhia so badly that the girl died; an autopsy ruled the cause of Bhia's death as blunt-force trauma. Police say Nour discovered Bhia unresponsive on Sunday night and told police that the girl had fallen, causing her bruises. But medical examiners counted 55 bruises on the child's body and the autopsy results were revealed on Monday. more ›

In an election result that came as a surprise to almost nobody, (except, perhaps, for Rosanna "chicagolady" Pulido), Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley handily won Rahm Emanuel's Fifth Congressional District seat last night. In spite of the fact that Rahm "forgot" to vote for him, with 69 percent of the vote. more ›

We still can't quite seem to shake the chill and fully move into Spring, but that's nothing new around these parts, where we know we'll be wearing jackets well into May. Still, the weather will be quite cordial today with sunny skies and the mildest temps this week as highs reach the mid 50s. Clear skies will remain tonight as temps drop into the upper 30s. And what of that elusive 60 degree mark? Skilling Sayz we may just hit it tomorrow. more ›

• The Sun-Times is reporting this evening that The Office of Congressional Ethic has opened a preliminary inquiry into U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his interaction with then-governor Rod Blagojevich in filling Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat.
• Cook County State's Atty. Anita Alvarez said that Illinois needs a racketeering law to help fight corruption.
• Richard Scheidt, a firefighter known for his role in the rescue of children from the Our Lady of Angels Fire - as well as for being in an iconic photograph of the tragedy - passed away on Monday.

It's been brought to our attention that Saturday’s Pillow Fight included a few participants being handcuffed and taken in. We’re impressed by the Chicago Police’s ability to respond so quickly to the grave danger the pillows posed to our fair city. We can only hope it did not interfere with the IOC's visit. In the end, no one was charged, but several citations were issued. more ›

In a move that has many in shock, Mayor Daley has delayed the closing of four mental health centers across the city. The delay came after news that, according to the Chi-Town Daily News, it was a billing glitch that caused the Chicago Department of Public Health to lose more than $1 million, a key discovery since a $1.2 million cut in funding was cited as the main issue that prompted the closings. more ›

If you live in the area's Fifth U.S. Congressional District, Precinct 36 in the 19th Ward, or any of the many suburbs with elections going on today, don't forget to vote on the way home tonight. Many eyes will be on the Fifth CD race with County Commissioner Mike Quigley the expectant winner in a race with an expected low turnout. Polls will be open until 7 p.m. for both city and county elections. more ›

This afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, Jim Thome powered the White Sox past the Royals 4-2 in the opening game of the season for both teams. The Royals - who the NY Times predicted could be this year's sleeper - had plenty of chances to win, stranding 11 men on base but it was Thome, who stroked his 542nd career home run with two men on in the eight, that gave the Sox the edge. The Royals' Alex Gordon started the scoring with a solo home run off of starter Mark Buehrle in the second inning, but the Sox drew even in the bottom of the inning when Josh Fields singled in Thome. The Royals' Gordon drove in another run in the fifth to give KC the 2-1 lead, but ultimately the game belonged to Thome. Buehrle looked somewhat shaky, giving up six hits, walking three, and giving up two runs in five innings of work, but the Sox bullpen held the lead over four strong innings with Bobby Jenks earning the save. more ›

After over a year of investigations, the Tinley Park Lane Bryant store - site of the horrific February 2008 robbery/shooting that left five women dead and a sixth injured - is no longer a crime scene according to police. The store had been shuttered since the shooting as police tried to collect any potential evidence and garner any new leads. According to police, all evidence has been removed and is being processed. The store will be turned over to Charming Shoppes Inc. Earlier this year, it was announced that all clothing not considered evidence would be donated to a pair of charities. [WBBM] more ›

On Monday, Judge James Zagel ordered mobsters convicted in the recent Family Secrets trial to pay $24 million in fines and restitution. Specifically, Frank "The Breeze" Calabrese, James "Jimmy the Man" Marcello, Joey "The Clown" Lombardo and Paul "The Indian" Schiro will be responsible for the payment, which includes $4.3 million to the families of the 14 men whose murders were the core of the prosecution's case against the Outfit. Zagel chose to go light on former police officer Anthony "Twan" Doyle, who was also convicted in the trial, because, according to Zagel, "Doyle was not an active or full member of the conspiracy in the 1960s. None of those murders occurred after February 1999, the latest date at which there is little doubt over Doyle's participation in the conspiracy." Doyle was ordered only to pay $44,225.73 in restitution to the families. The other $20 million the four mobsters will pay stems from forfeitures due to their profits from illegal mob-related activities. [ABC 7] more ›

Just weeks removed from leading Whitney Young's basketball team to the State 4A title, Marcus Jordan has chosen where he'll play his college ball. Jordan, the son of Bulls superstar and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, announced that he will play for the University of Central Florida Knights next year. more ›

More details in the proposed deal between the Tribune Company and the Illinois Finance Authority to sell Wrigley Field - also referred to as "Project Elwood" - are emerging. The Associated Press obtained a memo dated November 19 via the Freedom of Information Act that details a complex agreement which would have had the IFA set up a company to lease Wrigley Field to the news Cub owner at $25 million a year for 30 years with the IFA retaining 95 percent of the interest and the Tribune Company retaining 5 percent; the deal also called for a $300 million state loan for upgrades to the stadium. According to the AP report, the Tribune Company would have netted up to $45 million from the deal. more ›

The Chi-Town Daily News is reporting that monies from the Window of Opportunity Fund, which accepted public donations for displaced workers after the Republic Window plant abruptly closed late last year, may have been mishandled. Two former Republic workers filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board accusing the union, UE Local 1110, of failing to disclose how much money was raised. "We just wanted some transparency," Guadalupe Romero told the Daily News. She says that she and others repeatedly asked to see financial statements, and that the local used the funds to support a tour by a select group of workers, rather than to support unemployed workers. more ›

Have you seen the new wing of the Chicago Art Institute? Yesterday evening the International Olympic Committee, along with city officials and visiting dignitaries got a private, behind the scenes tour of the venerable institution's Modern Wing as part of the Evaluation Committee's visit to the city. Besides meeting with such luminaries of Chicago as Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett, the IOC was greeted by an angry crowd of about 50 protesters from No Games Chicago and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. The group of community activists met up at the Bean in Millennium Park and, escorted by a group of (not unsympathetic) Chicago police on bicycles, headed south east to the rear entrance of the museum, where media were lined up along a barricade next to a red carpet, awaiting the arrival of Patrick Ryan and other Olympic boosters. more ›

It’s officially baseball season, and the Chicago Cubs got off to a solid start with a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros. In his first plate appearance of ’09, Alfonso Soriano launched a second-pitch fastball from Roy Oswalt over the wall in left to put the Cubs on top 1-0. Carlos Zambrano looked a little loose in the bottom half of the inning, but got out of trouble with an unorthodox 9-3-6 double play that helped to calm the nerves. It was more of the same at the plate in the top of the second, when Aramis Ramirez led off the inning with a big fly of his own. Add to that a sac fly from Ryan Theriot in the fourth, and the Cubs jumped up 3-0. Zambrano got the hook in the seventh after putting the first two batters on, but Aaron Heilman and Neal Cotts came in to clean up, allowing only one run to cross. Carlos Marmol pitched an effective eighth for the Cubs and Micah Hoffpauir singled in a run in the top of the ninth to make it 4-1. New closer Kevin Gregg didn’t make things easy on himself in the final frame by putting runners at the corners with nobody out, but escaped relatively unscathed as the Cubs held on 4-2. Zambrano got the win and Gregg was credited with a save. more ›

As voters in the Fifth Congressional District head to the polls today to decide who will finally and once and for all (or at least until 2010) replace Rahm Emanuel in congress, voters in Palatine, Barrington and Hanover townships will consider an advisory, non-binding vote on leaving Cook County. Anger over recent tax hikes is still very much an issue in the northwest suburb. The Northwest suburb started talking about leaving Cook County around this time last year, after the county sales tax increased the cost of retail purchases. For most Chicagoans, it's a fate they're largely forced to accept. But in Palatine, which borders Lake County, sales have dropped as people do their shopping across the county border. more ›

It's still on the cool side of Spring, but today's weather will be pleasant enough anyway. Highs will reach the upper 40s under mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions, with winds of 15 to 20 mph. Tonight, clear skies continue and temps will fall to around 30. And if you think its been chillier than usual this first week of April, that's because it has been. more ›

• The International Olympic Committee continues its tour of Chicago and the potential venues for the 2016 Olympics. Meanwhile, WBEZ discovers that - surprise, surprise - the map Chicago 2016 gave the IOC features selective boundaries.
• The death of an Orland Park toddler found dead in her home last night has been ruled a homicide after an autopsy; the cause of death has been ruled as "blunt force trauma."
• The State Board of Education has decided to eliminate grants for some after-school programs after a 2008 Chicago Tribune investigation revealed that several of the programs were misusing the funds.

Chicago. Boxing. Golden Gloves. Semi-finals. Over here at Chicagoist we've been spending a lot of time thinking about the ancient sport, sparring and well, creative ways to mask the smell of the city's dark, sweaty gyms. more ›

If ever there was a candidate for first ballot selection to a Hall of Fame, Michael Jordan defined it. As the most dominant player of a generation and perhaps the best to ever play the sport of basketball, it's no surprise that the former Bulls shooting guard will join the 2009 class for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame -- his first year eligible. more ›

And then there were three...In about 36 hours, residents of the Fifth U.S. Congressional District will finally know who their new congressman (or congresswoman) will be. Tomorrow's vote to replace Rahm Emanuel, now ensconced in the White House as Obama's Chief-of-Staff, comes after months of official and unofficial campaigning and the field has been whittled down from 20+ to three candidates: Democratic candidate Mike Quigley, Republican Candidate Rosanna Pulido, and Green Party candidate Matt Reichel. Everyone under the sun expects Cook County Commissioner (and avid Red Wings hater) Quigley to take the seat and we admit that we expect the same. It'll be interesting to see if turn-out is as low for tomorrow's vote as it was for the primary vote (17 percent). And while Pulido and Reichel have high hopes of an upset, Quigley's fundraising advantage over them ($600,000 compared to Pulido's $16,000 and Reichel's $2,000) gives him the edge. That is, as long as his supporters turn out to vote. more ›

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Evanston Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky announced in a joint press release that they will re-introduce the Patriot Employers Act in Congress this week. The legislation, which then-Senator Barack Obama co-sponsored in 2007, would grant a a tax credit equal to one percent of taxable income to employers that meet the following requirements: more ›

Employees at the Field Museum had one of "those mornings" last Friday. A museum alarm went off around 5 a.m. Friday morning, alerting workers that there was a leak in the roof in a large storage room on the third floor that houses around 25,000 artifacts. The cause of the leak was a broken drainage pipe and workers moved quickly to relocate around 200 artifacts that had already gotten wet. Lance Grande, a senior vice president of the museum, confirmed that three of the artifacts were damaged but that they would be restored later this week. The museum hopes to have the pipe repaired by tomorrow. [Tribune, ABC 7] more ›

Governor Pat Quinn was in Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood this weekend to sign into law a bill that extends a 90 day grace period to homeowners facing foreclosure. The bill, which passed the state legislature in late January, prohibits lenders from beginning foreclosure proceedings during the first 30 days of delinquency. After that, lenders are required to tell homeowners that they have 30 days after that period to seek credit counseling. Homeowners who get counseling from a HUD-approved credit counselor then have an additional 30 days to work out a plan to begin making payments on their home loan again. more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks earned a 1-0 OT victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, helping to fortify their fourth-place standing in the West. Goaltenders Steve Mason and Nikolai Khabibulin were both flawless during regulation with 22 and 19 saves respectively, but Kris Versteeg beat Mason on a breakaway late in the bonus period to put Chicago over the top. The shutout was Khabibulin's second of the season and came at an opportune time for the 'Hawks, who now sit three points ahead of fifth-place Vancouver. Chicago will close the season with a game at Nashville on Tuesday, a home rematch against Columbus Wednesday, and then a home-and-home series versus Detroit over the weekend. more ›

The White Sox were supposed to crack open their 2009 season Monday afternoon at U.S. Cellular field, but due to the forecast cold, snow and high winds, the team announced on Sunday that their Opening Day will be pushed back to Tuesday. Not that the weather's going to be all that much better on Tuesday -- sub-40 temps and flurries are called for. more ›

Late Friday afternoon Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a bill that guarantees the state will back the 2016 Olympics - up to $250 million - if Chicago loses substantial operating cash and uses up its other guarantees for the games. That's in addition to the $500 million the city has already guaranteed. more ›

Ah, nothing says "Opening Day of baseball" quite like a few inches of fresh snow. Yes, as we knew it would, Winter has reached out to remind us that it's not quite yet ready to relinquish its grip on us just yet. The snow showers taper off and while temps will be above freezing - climbing near 40 in some spots - the wind will be brisk and it'll feel pretty dang cold at times. Clouds will linger into tonight with just the slightest chance of snow showers while lows dip into the upper 20s. But, hey! There'll be baseball to watch. Well, for some of us: the White Sox game was postponed before the snow started falling yesterday, but more on that in a bit. more ›

Chicagoist awaited the arrival of the International Olympic Committee and bore witness to a pair of protests schedule to coincide with their visit.

Saturday wasn't just an ordinary night at the office for Berwyn's Fourth Ward Alderman Michele Skryd. At about 1 a.m. police officers, sans search warrant, came to Skryd's campaign office, she said, looking for libelous campaign literature allegedly being distributed by the party backing her bid for re-election. more ›

Details of how Chicago would implement the 2016 Olympics are coming out as the IOC tours the city. One such detail includes security restrictions that might limit access to the portions of the lakefront for most of the summer. more ›

On Thursday the White House announced that John Q. Easton, the executive director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, will be nominated by President Barack Obama to a six-year term as director of the Institute of Education Sciences. more ›

Gov. Quinn and Mayor Daley announced yesterday that the city of Chicago will be receiving $200 million to repair potholes and make street repairs. The money will be enough for 100 miles of street and bridge repairs. The state is pitching in $40 million, which the City can leverage to get another $150 from the federal government. more ›

Teachers at three Civatas Schools' Chicago International Charter Schools took steps that would make them the first charter school teachers' union in Chicago on Friday. Three-fourths of the teachers at Ralph Ellison, Northtown Academy and Wrightwood signed union authorization cards for representation by the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff. According to state law, the teachers are allowed to unionize if a majority signs up. more ›

Recessionistas might want to think about buying their next car or truck from the Illinois government -- online. Several State localities, police forces and park districts are switching from open-air auctions to online bidding, hoping to increase revenue from the sale of surplus goods and lost property. more ›

Chicago 2016 has released the video presentation from President Barack Obama that the IOC will view at their dinner (with Oprah) tomorrow night. more ›

The Chicago Bulls hung on to defeat the New Jersey Nets, 103-94, Saturday afternoon. The Bulls, who at one point led by 16, found themselves trailing 94-93 with just under three minutes to play. The Nets would not score another basket, however, as Chicago converted seven of eight from the free-throw line and got a big three from Ben Gordon to secure the win. Gordon scored 18 on the night to lead six Bulls into double figures. Chicago will host the Knicks on Tuesday and currently sit a half-game ahead of Detroit more ›

It's gonna be a nasty day to be outside, but a nice one to stay in (well, eventually, after some morning sun). A rain/sleet mix will build as the afternoon wears on, with temps falling throughout the day from the upper 30's to right around the freezing mark. As day turns to night, the rain/sleet will change over to snow and we could see a few inches of accumulation by the time we wake up tomorrow morning. Lows tonight will be around 30. more ›

A chapter is closing in the history of Chicago advertising, after JWT’s North American president Rosemarie Ryan traveled from New York to Chicago Friday to deliver the news to the company’s 50 employees that the Chicago office would be closing. JWT has roots in Chicago date back to 1891, and the Chicago office has battled with the New York office throughout its history to shine as the crown jewel in the JWT network. At one time, the Chicago office was the largest office of the world’s largest advertising agency. more ›

Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park is open again, turned on last Friday evening in time for the IOC Committee. The fountain was dedicated August 26, 1927, over 80 years ago, and just underwent a $12 million facelift. Included in the renovation was new landscaping and replacement of the loose gravel that surrounds the fountain with permeable pavers. more ›

more ›

A surgical team at Sherman Hospital in Elgin became the first in Illinois to use Twitter, the microblogging social networking site, to broadcast a play-by-play of operating room actions on Thursday. A special designated tweet team -- separate from the surgical team -- sent updates about the patient, a 48-year-old female, as she received a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Videos of the surgery were also posted by the hospital on YouTube. more ›

A timetable for improving fare collection and the potential testing of a credit-card based fare card for all transit was proposed Thursday by the Regional Transit Authority. Chicago Cards, smart cards used to electronically pay for CTA buses and trains in the city, were widely introduced in 2000 and are already linked to Pace buses, but Metra still uses daily one-way tickets, 10-day or monthly passes, which can only be bought by cash or check. RTA's end goal is for passengers to pay a single fare to travel on different parts of Chicago's transit system through an electronic payment system. One card for the three forms of mass transit would eliminate inconveniences such as buying a ticket at a Metra station to avoid paying an extra fee on the train. more ›

The saga of the Loop Lab School continues as state attorney general Lisa Madigan has sued the school looking to recoup the $1 million the school seemed to receive from then-governor Rod Blagojevich by mistake. During his re-election campaign, Blagojevich promised $1 million to Pilgrim Baptist Church to help the historic church rebuild after it was destroyed by a fire in January 2006. However, it seems Blago made that personal promise to Elmira Mayes, who was then leading the Loop Lab School which had been renting space at the church at the time of the fire. Much confusion ensued and the Loop Lab School kept the money and used it in May 2007 to purchase space across from the Sears Willis Tower. Things got even more complicated when it was revealed that the current school's leader, Chandra Gill, was the recipient of a Blago pardon. more ›

A House bill calling for more consideration and concrete standards when dealing with school closings and transformations in Chicago Public Schools passed yesterday with a unanimous 118-0 vote. Championed by Rep. Cynthia Soto and numerous Chicago-area educators, parents and organizations, the Chicago School Facilities bill, better known as House Bill 363, will move on to the State Senate. more ›

It's been a rough spring for Brookfield Zoo. Just a week ago, the zoo lost its oldest female gorilla, Alpha, and now the staff mourns the passing of Kaylee, a 15-year-old bottlenose dolphin. Kaylee had developed an abscess in one of her lungs a few years ago. A procedure to take care of the abscess helped save her life, but she was left vulnerable to other health problems because of scar tissue in the lung. Kim Smith, the zoological society's vice president of animal care, said, "Kaylee was one of our favorites, and our marine mammal staff is devastated by her death. After saving her life three years ago, we knew that there was a risk that she would always be vulnerable to recurring illness, just like a human who has suffered serious health problems." Kaylee was one of four dolphins at Brookfield Zoo; the other three are in good health. [WBBM] more ›

It’s official—with their 3-1 win Friday night over the Nashville Predators, the Chicago Blackhawks are headed to the playoffs. Samuel Pahlsson gave his team an early spark when he ripped a backhander past Nashville’s Pekke Rinne to make it 1-0 Chicago. The Predators answered later in the period, but midway through the second Jonathan Toews deposited the feed from Martin Havlat to put the ‘Hawks on top 2-1. Toews repaid the favor late in the third period, assisting Havlat on an empty-netter that guaranteed Chicago its first playoff appearance since ’02. The ‘Hawks still have some work to do, however, as they battle down the stretch for fourth place in the West and home ice in the opening round. more ›

The Chicago Cubs have already fled the warm climate of Arizona for the spring and before they head to Houston to open the season on Monday, they made a weekend stop-over in the Big Apple. The reason? The Cubs were specially chosen to help the Yankees christen their new stadium in a pair of exhibition games before the season got into full swing. And judging by what we could see on television, the new Yankee Stadium looks a whole lot like the old one. Of course, we hear it's pretty posh on the concourse. more ›

If you have errands to run and things to do outside this weekend, today's the day to do them because tomorrow's looking downright nasty. As for today, the weather will be quite affable as temps will reach the upper 40s (to near 50 in some places) under mostly sunny skies. Clouds will start to steadily increase as the evening wears on and there will be a chance of showers late tonight as lows drop to the mid 30s. more ›

• The Sun-Times is reporting this evening that Blago's newest high-profile attorney, Terry Gillespie, may drop out.
• Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department promise they're ready for next week's Spring Break.
• Trouble is brewing over a Florida company's plans to build wind turbines in DeKalb and Lee counties.

With a police picket and an anti-Olympics protest happening, you'd think city officials would be sweating how this all appears to the visiting IOC evaluation commission. And while they may be sweating a bit, they're pulling out all the stops to drown out the shouting and they've appealed to as high an authority as one can in Chicago: Oprah. On Monday, the IOC commission will dine with Oprah, an event which will also feature videotaped appearances by President Obama and Michael Jordan. Chicago 2016 Vice Chairman Mike Roberts said, "When you think about who're really leading this bid, you think about our president. You have the greatest mayor in America. You have the most influential person in the world, if you will, and that's Oprah Winfrey. She will be part of our dinner Monday night." We can think of at least one thing he got wrong. [Tribune] more ›

As hundreds of Chicago Police officers marched around City Hall in protest of the lack of progress in contract negotiations with the City, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis addressed reporters on the protest and accusations of low morale within the department. Well, sort of. Weis said he supported the police union's right to protest but expressed disappointment with the timing: the protest happened on the same day members of the International Olympic Committee arrived to begin their on-site evaluation of Chicago as a potential host for the 2016 Olympics. more ›

Last weekend, Evergreen Park mayor James Sexton expressed interest in relocating the now-suspended South Side Irish Parade to his town. A week later, though, it appears as if the move isn't in the cards. Sexton says that response to the proposed move is split so there's not enough support: "Right now, it's about 50-50. That's not a mandate and probably not enough to move forward." Sexton added he'd wait a few more weeks and would continue to look into the cost of having the parade before making a final decision. [Tribune] more ›

Yesterday evening, the other shoe dropped and Rod Blagojevich and five others were indicted on a wide range of fraud and corruption charges. The indictment contains 19 charges in all against Blagojevich, his brother Robert, former Chief-of-Staff John Harris, former adviser Lon Monk, former fundraiser Christopher Kelly, and power broker William Cellini. Here are some of the highlights from the news surrounding the indictments. more ›

Call it the holiest meth recipe ever. Officers in Elkhart, Indiana made the discovery while searching the apartment of two people under arrest on meth charges. They came across the recipe, hand-written on, appropriately enough, the last page of the Book of Revelation. Besides the recipe, police discovered an active meth lab in the apartment, the second active meth lab found in the apartment building in six months. [WBBM] more ›

Wow. more ›

Now that former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner and Hispanic Democratic Organization chief Al Sanchez has been convicted of corruption, we needn't worry about the city steering contracts or hiring their friends. more ›

The rain has departed and now behind it comes the wind. Clouds will break and the sun will (eventually) shine but brisk northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph will dominate the day, with gusts topping 30 mph. The wind will calm tonight when lows fall to the mid 30s under partly cloudy skies. And if you're making weekend plans, make sure anything that takes you outside happens tomorrow, because the next few days after that look pretty nasty. more ›

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was happy after meeting with state transportation officials and said low bidding by companies on projects means there will be more money available for additional projects. Said LaHood:

"A lot of these bids are coming in well below what was really thought might be the cost for the projects and that will enable us, I think, to have money to spend that maybe we didn't really realize...There's a real pent up demand around the country for people who have not been able to do the kind of infrastructure that they want to do... So a lot of these firms that do this kind of work — build roads and do the construction — are coming in with fairly low bids and hopefully that will create some additional dollars and create some additional jobs."

Former governor Rod Blagojevich, brother Rob, fundraiser Christopher Kelly, lobbyist Lon Monk, former Blago Chief-of-Staff John Harris, and William Cellini have all been indicted on corruption charges this afternoon. Blago's attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, told the Sun-Times, "We’re saddened but not surprised at the indictment. Rod Blagojevich strongly asserts that he is innocent and we would ask the people of Illinois to wait and listen to all the facts of the case before they make their decision.” [CBN, S-T] more ›

Bears fans, you have a new quarterback. This afternoon the Denver Broncos confirmed that they've traded embattled and bitter quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN. more ›

Two Lyons village officials accidentally recorded a racially and sexually inappropriate conversation that they had in a police car last summer. Village President David Visk and Trustee Richard Schuppe activated a recording device in the squad car while he was driving it to the Fourth of July parade. Their excuse for the inappropriate conversation? Visk said, "If we had known we are going to be recorded, we wouldn't talk like that." Hmm... where have we heard that before? Oh yeah. more ›

Ahh, Chuck E. Cheese. Where a kid can be a kid. Skee-ball. Pizza. Ball-pits. Frightening animatronic shows. And now... booze? The Chuck E. Cheese in Batavia has been charged with selling alcohol to minors. We weren't even aware that the restaurants served alcohol, let alone to minors, but it turns out a worker at the 511 N. Randall Rd. location was allegedly caught selling to an underage police decoy. more ›

Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly more ›

Matt Motyka more ›

By a vote of 33-23, the Illinois State Senate approved a bill that would give schools more control over how to handle students with criminal records. The bill would allow schools to place such students in alternative schools. State Sen. Randy Hultgren, the bill's sponsor, said, "They realize that it is something that school districts aren't going to use lightly, because it is serious. But a forcible felony is serious, too." The impetus for the case is an incident at a Naperville Unit District 204 school where two boys allegedly sexually assaulted a third. When the victims' parents asked that the alleged attackers - who have been charged with felony criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault - be moved to a different school, the school said it was out of their control. While this bill moves onto the state House, a similar bill, introduced State Rep. Darlene Senger, has already been introduced to the House but is under review. [Daily Herald] more ›

While Mayor Daley has spent most of the last several months huffing and puffing about the Olympics, Al Sanchez, and conflicts with the police, the City has quietly been building a back-up 911 center at O'Hare meant to be used if a terrorist attack or natural disaster renders the current West Loop 911 center useless. more ›

When we were young, DePaul basketball was a force. Coached by the legendary Ray Meyer, the Blue Demons were perennial NCAA tournament participants and usually made it to the Sweet 16 -- although we were too young to remember their Final Four run in '79. Even after the elder Meyer handed over the reigns to his son Joey, DePaul was among the top basketball programs and regularly signed the top area recruits. more ›

Most think the indictment of former governor Rod Blagojevich will come down today. In fact, probably within hours. Why today, when the deadline is next Tuesday? According to the Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki (who has been the go-to reporter on this), the grand jury only meets on Thursdays and today is the last Thursday before the deadline. Korecki breaks down the ins and outs of what you can expect from the Blago indictment. However, if the hammer comes down today, you likely won't hear anything from Blago himself as he has taken the family on vacation to a Disney resort in Florida. more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks overcame the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, winning by a score of 3-1. The 'Hawks were dominant in the first two periods, outshooting their opponents 21 to seven and jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Johnathan Toews and Samuel Pahlsson recorded Chicago's first two scores and Colin Fraser sealed the deal with a shorthanded backhander late in the third. 'Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was two seconds away from a shut out, but Jeff Woywitka saved face for the St. Louis and put a biscuit in the basket. The Chicago victory halted a five-game winning streak for the Blues and ended the season series with St. Louis at 2-2-2. The Blackhawks sneak back into the four spot and will host the Predators on Friday. more ›

In an effort to improve traffic flow throughout downtown, the Mayor's Office of Special Events announced yesterday that Taste of Chicago will have 15 percent fewer food vendors this year. The emphasis on improving traffic flow means that only 55 food vendors will be presenting their wares at the annual event, starting June 26. Other proposed changes to the event are a continuation of the "healthy" options the city encouraged vendors to serve last year and a requirement for vendors to serve a minimum of two smaller and less expensive "taste-of" portions geared for folks who can't or don't want to handle the giant turkey legs so synonymous with Taste. Those turkey legs may be in danger of decreasing, as well. Manny's Deli, which has turkey legs on its menu, hasn't made a full commitment to this year's event. more ›

Today starts out benign on the surface, but come the afternoon, the rain will move and conditions will deteriorate. Rain won't be heavy, but the cool, damp rain that's a sign of early Spring around these parts is never fun. Highs will reach the upper 40s at some point but will fall throughout the afternoon. More cold rain is in store for tonight with lows in the mid 30s and a few flakes of snow could be mixed in by the time tomorrow morning rolls around. more ›

• Closing arguments were made today in trial of three police officers who are accused of beating two brothers at Jefferson Tap and Grille. The officers were off-duty at the time of the alleged attack.
• A pair of CBOT floor traders have been charged with scamming customers out of over $2 million.
• Gov. Quinn signed into law a bill that is meant to reduce the disparity of breast cancer treatment available to poor, immigrant, and minority women.

The adviser for the Stevenson High School newspaper will resign the post after changes were made to the program due to fall-out from the controversial sex issue that set tongues wagging a few months ago. While Barbara Thill will remain at the school as a full-time English teacher, she has said she will no longer teach journalism or be adviser to "The Statesman," the school newspaper. The issue that started this mess was published in January and centered around the topic of "hooking up." more ›

After yesterday's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the Sun-Times Media Group tried to put a positive spin on the proceedings. Jeremy L. Halbreich, the STMG Chairman of the Board and Interim CEO, said he hopes the proceedings are all done by the end of the year and the situation will not interrupt the publication of the group's many newspapers and their corresponding websites. more ›

Jay Cutler, the Denver Broncos quarterback that the team was quietly shopping before they declared him their quarterback who was not on the market, is now officially on the market. Team owner Pat Bowlen issued a statement announcing that, due to irreconcilable differences, the Broncos were looking to trade Cutler. more ›

The City of Chicago is putting the finishing touches on its clean up as we prepare to welcome the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission tomorrow, their first stop on their candidate city evaluation tour. The last potholes have been filled, the last sidewalk has been pressure-washed, and the homeless have all been rounded up and temporarily relocated to an undisclosed location for the next week. more ›

The Sox surpassed most people's expectations during their 2008 campaign, winning the AL Central with a 89-74 record in 2008 -- well above Nate Silver's prediction of 77 wins. We didn't have much higher expectations for them. But the South Siders closed out the regular season in exciting fashion, beating three different teams in three days -- including a rain out make-up and a tie-breaker -- to make the playoffs. The surprising upstart Tampa Bay Rays knocked the Sox out of the postseason in the ALDS 3-1. We Sox fans, however, could take solace in the fact our team won more playoff games in '08 than the Cubs did. more ›

Expressing displeasure with the amount of money Chicago (and other cities) would get, Mayor Daley attacked Governor Quinn's proposed budget two weeks after the Governor first made his budget public. Said the Mayor, "We get no benefit. Then why should anybody be for it?" But Daley's complaints didn't stop there: he chided Quinn for a budget that lacked sufficient funding for things like transportation and education, claiming the Chicago Public School system would only get $54 million as opposed to the $200 million it needs. He also complained about the need to fund local governments as revenues drastically decrease: more ›

The Bulls lost a thriller on Tuesday versus the Indiana Pacers, 107-105. This one was nip and tuck all the way, and with the score tied at 105 the Pacers' T.J. Ford drove into the paint and nailed a fadeaway jumper to take the lead. This left Chicago down two with only four seconds to play, and Ben Gordon couldn't connect on a hurried three-pointer as the Pacers held on for victory. The shot was one of six missed three-point attempts by Gordon, on an otherwise stellar shooting night for the Bulls. Derrick Rose finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team, and Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich scored 20 apiece. John Salmons sat this one out with a groin injury; his status appears day-to-day. After dropping two straight on the road, the Bulls return to the United Center on Saturday to host the New Jersey Nets and kick off a much-needed four-game home stand. more ›

It's April 1 which means you're paying more for a pack of smokes. Starting today, a new tax hike on cigarettes imposed by the federal government ups the tax from $0.39/pack to $1.01/pack, meaning the cost of a pack of cigarettes in Chicago now stands at $9.36. But wait, smokers, there's more. Part of Governor Quinn's budget proposal would raise the state tax on a pack of cigarettes even further: by $0.50 this year and by another $0.50 next year, all to help pay for a backlog of Medicaid bills. Currently, according to the Tribune, a pack of cigarettes is still a bit cheaper in Cook County at around $8 a pack and $5 a pack in surrounding counties. Still, the high price isn't even the most expensive in the nation: that honor goes to (who else) New York, where smokers pay $3.76 total in taxes per pack, as opposed to places like South Carolina where the total tax per pack is $1.08. [Trib, CBS 2] more ›

Mayor Daley's dream of privatizing Midway Airport has run into trouble as the nation's credit crisis has pushed the deal back at least six months, if not indefinitely. The April 6 closing date for the deal has been canceled, while the privately owned Midway Investment and Development Company, LLC, or MidCo for short, tries to line up more financing for the deal. The city is negotiating with the consortium backing MidCo is made up of Citigroup (yes, that Citigroup) unit Citi Infrastructure Investors, YVR Airport Services Ltd and John Hancock Life Insurance Co. to line up financing for the $2.52 billion 99 year lease deal. more ›

Today, we get a break from the wet stuff - be it snow or rain - before it returns tomorrow. Clouds are all the rage now but they'll break for a bit later today, allowing the sun to peek-a-boo through. Highs will reach the upper 40s and there will be some breezy winds of 20 mph to deal with. Tonight, the clouds thicken and there's a chance of showers as temps fall into the upper 30s. more ›