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Inmates at Cook County Jail's oldest maximum-security prison often resort to using toothpaste caps and toilet paper to jam their jail cell doors and sneak out, but recently it seems the old locks on the doors have rendered their extra efforts unnecessary. "Some of them are so bad they can literally slide the door, give the door a little jiggle, and it will slide open," a Cook County sheriff's correctional officer said to the Chicago Sun-Times. According to an investigation conducted by the Chicago Sun-Times/Better Government Association, there have been at least 288 problems with cell doors in the 608-cell prison called Division 1, between February 2007 and last May. more ›

City Clerk Miguel del Valle called for a broad review of Chicago's expanding permit parking program on Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reports. more ›

Even as the bill cutting free rides for seniors went down in flames, it seems the state legislature did manage to pass something as they sent the campaign finance reform bill to Gov. Quinn who is expected to sign it into law. Of course, the bill didn't come easy. While Democrats pushed the bill through, state Republicans have insisted that the bill doesn't go far enough in limiting donations. The bill, which passed by a 36-22 margin in the senate, marks the first time in the state's history limits have been imposed on campaign donations. For those late to the issue, the Tribune explains: more ›

'Hawks Edge Habs more ›

Have a safe and happy Halloween! more ›

The village of Barrington offered three historic homes for sale for $1, including a $10,000 check to the home buyer. There were no takers, so the homes will be up for auction again next month. The catch is that the new homeowners have to pay to relocate the home. A development planner estimates that it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to move even the smallest house. Architectural Review Commission chairman Marty O'Donnell agrees, saying that moving one of the historic houses probably wouldn't be any cheaper than building a new home. However, he says that buyers will acquire a piece of history and receive a home built of high-quality lumber, explaining that lumber isn't made with that level of quality anymore. Although, the historic importance of the homes has been debated. more ›

Know that bill that would have restricted the free senior citizen transit rides to only the truly needy? It's dead in the water. The Illinois State Senate, apparently intimidated by old people calling their offices and shaking their canes at them, refused to even call the bill up for a vote. And without the vote, the bill gets buried. Senator Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) admitted that the "seniors are the ones who really carried the ball" on getting the measure quashed, and, as Hendon added, he was "pretty sure" that Govenor Pat Quinn would have vetoed the bill if it passed, anyway. A representative for Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said that it didn't seem that the bill had enough support to pass into law. more ›

Mackenzie Seller is suing Jimmy John's for what he's deemed as "negligence." The restaurant chain, purveyors of reasonably tasty sandwiches at self-proclaimed quick rates, did not serve Mr. Seller the Turkey Tom without mayo and cheese that he requested. Oh no, he was instead served a dreaded tuna sandwich with--mind you--mayo and cheese. more ›

You know those hefty fees banks charge when you use their ATMs and you're not their customer? Maybe we take those for granted now, assuming any ATM that doesn't have our bank's name on it will charge anyway. But one man doesn't. Frederick Brill is suing Marriott Hotels because they didn't post a sign at the ATM at the chain's Lincolnshire hotel that fee was $2.50 per transaction. Now, correct us if we're wrong, but we were under the impression that part of such a transaction is pushing the "Yes, I accept this fee" option? So what gives? The best part, according to WBBM: "Brill wants his $2.50 back, along with any other damages associated with Marriott violating federal law involving ATM fees." more ›

Bulls Bounce Spurs In Opener more ›

The State Board of Education has released 2009 results for the Illinois Standards Achievement (elementary) and Prairie State Achievement (high school) tests. You can check out the results and other features at both the Tribune and Sun-Times. The results are used to determine if a school meets standards to avoid sanctions under the No Child Left Behind act. According to WBEZ, 1,500 schools state-wide fell short of the 70 percent mark required by the law. more ›

After a summer filled with debate amongst the Cook County Commissioners in regards to the sales tax rollback, Board President Todd Stroger's veto, and the commissioners inability to garner enough votes to override said veto, the state legislature has gotten involved. Yesterday, both the House (by a 66-49 vote) and the Senate (by a 49-1 vote) passed a bill that sets the new requirement for a veto override at three-fifths of the commissioners (11) rather than the current requirement of fourth-fifths (14). Now all that's left is for Gov. Quinn to sign it. The bill was specifically aimed at Stroger and the tax rollback. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), said, "This is a great win for taxpayers in Cook County." Stroger spokeswoman Chris Geovanis said, "We're disappointed that the legislature chose not to use logic and decided to change the rules in the middle of the game." Stroger has previously said he would fight any such legislation in court if it was passed. more ›

• A hearing on whether or not to allow hearsay statements in to the murder trial of Drew Peterson has been set for January 19.
• Speaking of Peterson, a tree and plaque honoring missing fourth wife Stacy was stolen.
• Separating fact from fiction on H1N1.

Today Gov. Quinn called on the CTA and Metra to not raise fares in exchange for state aid. Meanwhile, with just a little over 24 hours left in the fall session, state legislators are considering a bill that would cut back on those free senior rides that Blago forced the CTA to institute. The new bill would set a threshold that only those seniors who earn below a yearly income of $22,218 would qualify for free rides. As the Trib points out, though, Quinn didn't say if he would refuse to sign this new legislation should the CTA and Metra raise fares anyway. more ›

Need a flu shot but find yourself too busy at this time of year to stop by a clinic? Well, now you could get one while you wait for your flight back home for Thanksgiving. The city will be offering kiosks at both Midway and O'Hare where flu shots will be available for $35 through the end of the year. [WBBM] more ›

Blue-cart recycling is still over a year away for 359,000 homes without service under Mayor Richard Daley's proposed 2010 budget. In 2008, the city launched a switch to the blue-cart recycling program from the old blue-bag method that was supposed to be completed by 2011. Now, a little under half of Chicago's 600,000 homes with city garbage services are also part of the city's blue-cart recycling program. The city council has also talked about also delaying pickup of the carts in some households that already have the program from every other week to every third week. more ›

Today's exercise in plausible deniability comes courtesy of Will County Associate Judge Robert Livas. Last year Livas sentenced 24-year-old Darrius Logan to 100 hours of community service stemming from misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass charges in Joliet. In August Logan told Livas he completed the terms of his sentencing by working 100 unpaid hours at Uncle Joe's Jerk Chicken — their three locations at 8211 S. Cottage Grove, 8601 S. Stony Island and 10210 S. Vincennes, for those interested. more ›

Though police had charged two teens - Reo Jonta Thompson, 17, and Gregory Brooks Jr., 18 - with several counts related to the murders of Ruby and Milton McClendon, they had yet to file murder charges against them even as it was reported one of the teens confessed. That all changed today as both teens were charged with two counts of murder in the perpetration of a robbery. The teens also claimed there was a third person with them, named Kevin Langley. CBS 2 reports, "The teens reportedly have blamed each other for the shootings, and charging affidavits do not detail the killings...investigators do not believe Kevin Langley is a real person." The pair, arrested last week in Cook County, have since been extradited back to Indiana where they are each being held on $250,000 bail. more ›

In his 2010 budget presented last week, Daley included 24 unpaid days (12 holidays, 12 furlough days) for all non-union and many union city employees. One group he can't force these unpaid days upon are the Police and Fire Departments. But that's not stopping Daley from making overtones suggesting that those departments should take one for the team and join the unpaid train. Said the Mayor, “Everyone has to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And that’s why I’m taking 24 days without pay, and I got other people to take that, because you have to show that government understands the suffering that is going on throughout your communities.” more ›

We've been remiss in, until now, pretty much ignoring the Chicago Wolves. That changes today. The Wolves skated past Rockford 3-2 last night in a shootout victory. Tim Stapleton and Spencer Machacek scored the Wolves' goals in regulation and Stapleton netted the only goal in the shootout to give Chicago the victory. Goalie Manny Legace had 32 saves in regulation but, more importantly, had saves on all five of Rockford's attempts in the shootout. Former Blackhawks star Chris Chelios was credited with assists on both Wolves goals. more ›

With his handling of the War in Afghanistan coming under scrutiny, President Obama made a surprise trip this morning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the caskets of the 18 soldiers killed in action over the last week; October 2009 has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops thus far in the eight-year war; as of Tuesday, the death toll was 55. Upon arrival, around 3 a.m., Obama met with the families of the soldiers in the base's chapel and then observed the transfer of caskets. Reporters and photographers were given permission to view the transfer of the casket of Sgt. Dale Griffin (of Terre Haute, Indiana) by Griffin's family. Obama returned to the White House shortly before 5 a.m. more ›

Last week, seniors from Washington University in St. Louis filed a civil rights complaint against the Original Mother's Night Club. But last night at a news conference, the senior class president and the other six students announced they reached an agreement with the bar and will not be pressing charges. Mother's will issue a public apology to the students and managers at the bar will undergo diversity sensitivity and awareness training. The students stressed that they are not seeking compensation from the bar. (Check out full video of the press conference here.) more ›

• Chicago-based United Airlines has officially retired its full fleet of 737s.
• The Chicago News Cooperative continues to lure writers away from the Tribune. [via]
• The on-again, off-again fuel surcharge on the city's taxis goes into effect once more starting tonight at midnight.

The city released numbers earlier this week pertaining to parking tickets over the first eight months of the year and while there were some potential discrepancies regarding where the extra revenue came from, it's easier to see how each of the city's wards broke down in terms of tickets. The Sun-Times has the report today and, unsurprisingly, it was the 42nd Ward, which includes downtown, that had the most parking tickets, beating other wards by a healthy margin. The 41st Ward, which includes O'Hare Airports and its parking lots/garages, led the city in Denver boot violations. Check out the full report [PDF] to see how your ward broke down more ›

That's what Fox Chicago's Dane Placko found happening when he took a camera crew down to 49th and Ashland for a visit to the Mother's House social services agency. Mother's House is supposed to be providing job training to people in Illinois' EarnFare program, which "is designed to provide adults who receive Food Stamps and who volunteer an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, earn cash assistance, and become self-sufficient." Placko spoke to a number of EarnFare workers who told him the only task they were given each day was to gather signatures on petitions for political candidates, most notably Cook County Circuit Court Clerk and Cook County Board President candidate Dorothy Brown. Besides the interviews, Placko also found several stacks of political petitions at the Mother's House office, which lead to a heated exchange with the manager there escalating to a point where police were called. more ›

We got some tips from readers of major delays on the Blue Line. The Trib is reporting a person was struck by a train and killed this afternoon at the Monroe station, leading to trains operating on a single track between Grand and Racine while bypassing the Monroe stop altogether. more ›

On the surface, Columbia College instructor and journalist Joe Laiacona's challenge of incumbent State Rep. Deb Mell in the 40th District's Democratic primary in Feb. doesn't seem so unusual beyond the fact that it will be the most high-profile battle between two openly gay contenders in Illinois political history. But Laiacona's decade-plus stint writing a leather/BDSM column certainly ups that ante. more ›

As evidence against them mounts, the pair of teenagers suspected in the murder of Ruby and Milton McClendon are each being held on $250,000 bail. But while the pair have been charged with auto theft, robbery, burglary and confinement, no murder charges have been filed yet as the investigation continues. According to the Tribune, one of the charged teens, 18-year-old Gregory Brooks, allegedly admitted to the robbery and murders, reportedly telling police that after he, 17-year-old Reo Thompson, and a third man robbed the couple, they left their home but later returned to "finish them." more ›

27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett thinks he's found a way to fox up neighborhoods, put people back to work, and help some Chicagoans find affordable housing. Burnett would like to put the more than $1 billion in TIF funds that the city is holding into building affordable housing. "You build the houses, people work, people get affordable housing, people pay taxes, money comes back to the city," Burnett told CBS2. Currently only about four percent of TIF monies go to affordable housing in the city. He'd like to see that number closer to 20 percent. "We need to do our own stimulus package," says Burnett. more ›

Ex-Tribune folks are everywhere these days. The latest example is over at The Reader, where a former Tribune managing editor, Jim Warren, has been appointed publisher. Warren said in a statement, "I believe the Reader can be an even greater success if it is provocative, makes those in power squirm and yet is willing to entertain and have fun. I hope I can be of help in renewing and reinventing the print version and finding new audiences on the Web.” The Reader's Michael Miner has more on the hire. more ›

There are no box scores to link to today as none of Chicago's teams were in action last night. However, there's plenty of sports news to go around. more ›

As property taxes in the city are set to skyrocket, Mayor Daley, still reeling from the parking meter debacle, the loss of the 2016 Summer Olympics and an all-time low popularity rating is playing the blame game. After claiming that he'll hold the line on taxes with next year's budget, he's pointing fingers now that property tax bills are set to soar, even while property values have plummeted. Going after Cook County Assessor James Houlihan, Daley proclaimed his ignorance of how property taxes are assessed. "The thing I can't understand (is) this whole assessment deal," the mayor said. "Now, no one's value is going up in the city. ... I'm asking him how he does it." (Our own Chuck Sudo explained how they work in the comments of this post.) more ›

When it was announced earlier this year that popular area amusement park Kiddieland would be closing due to a family feud, speculation circled that some family members were looking to sell the property for a construction project. Now, it seems those rumors are true as box-store giant Costco confirmed yesterday that they are looking into purchasing the land, according to the Proviso Herald. Costco senior executive vice president and chief operating officer Dick DiCerchio confirmed the plans. more ›

• With property tax bills set to arrive in mailboxes over the next several days, it looks like they're going up by double-digits, even higher than previously expected.
• John Ambrose, a deputy U.S. Marshal accused of leaking information to mob members involved in the Family Secrets investigation, has been sentenced to four years in prison. When he was convicted in April, it was reportedly the first breach of the Witness Protection program.
• Former Chicago Bear Tank Johnson testified today in the murder trial of Michael Selvie, charged with shooting and killing Johnson's boyhood friend Willie Posey at the Ice Bar in December 2006.

Having already given way to fellow Republican Rep. Mark Kirk in the race for U.S. Senate, Andrew McKenna has set his sights on Springfield, officially launching his bid for Governor in 2010. McKenna made the announcement this morning in Chicago and is already coming out swinging with this campaign video, titled "Hair Today." more ›

The City of Chicago is short on cash and they're looking for anyway to recoup some money, even if it means encouraging citizens to do some fiscal policing for them. Mayor Daley's 2010 budget includes something called the "Tax Whistleblower Program" which sets aside cash rewards for those who turn in businesses that are known to be tax cheats. And what will your reward be if you turn in a cheating business like so many of Joey Greco's victims? Initial plans are for a certain percentage of the amount recovered but it's still being tweaked. more ›

Miriam Frankl, a 20-year-old Chicago native and student of John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, was allegedly struck by Thomas L. Meighan Jr. in what was a fatal hit-and-run on October 16. The Tribune reports that the incident occurred in the midst of full day of reckless driving by Meighan, including what a half-dozen witnesses described as running red lights, tailgating other drivers, and driving the wrong way down one-way streets. Meighan was apprehended and held without bail due to what is nothing short of an atrocious driving record. Baltimore District Judge Nancy Shugar told Meighan, "you pose an extreme risk to the safety of the public, and there is some substantial question whether you would appear for your trial." more ›

Today wrapped up the “Showdown in Chicago,” a three day long protest aimed at the American Bankers Association conference at the Sheraton Hotel this week. The umbrella organization sharing the “showdown” moniker staged several rallies and actions throughout the loop beginning with a rally on Sunday at the Hyatt. Senator Dick Durbin called out bankers at the rally, saying “We need to ensure that the robber barons that are responsible for this recession don't get away with creating it and then declaring themselves a dividend." more ›

The Cubs' sale to the Ricketts family is finally complete. The family now owns 95 percent of the team and Wrigley Field and 25 percent of Comcast Sports Net. Said Tom Ricketts, "Now we will go to work building the championship tradition that all Cubs fans so richly deserve." The team will wait until Friday - an off day for the World Series - to formally introduce the new owners. more ›

A pair of Chicago men - David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48 - have been arrested for alleged terror plots against sites in Western Europe including the Danish newspaper that caused an international incident a few years back by printing a cartoon featuring the prophet Muhammad. According to the Tribune: more ›

Is this the year the Bulls finally reclaim their place among the NBA's elite? For the past few seasons, the Bulls have been full of potential but inconsistent on fulfilling that promise on the court. One of these years, they'll finally make that jump. When we last saw the Bulls playing meaningful games, it was in an epic seven-game series (plus seven OT periods) with the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs. Taking the defending NBA champs and second-seeded Celts the full distance gave Bulls fans a lot to look forward to for this season. But is the optimism justified just yet? more ›

Those of us who've been jonesing for a conveniently located high-end movie theater complete with tableside liquor service and extra-wide, plush seating have been dissed once again. The Trib is reporting that Muvico Entertainment, which was to have opened such an establishment as part of Block 37, actually withdrew from the project back in June. Block 37 in trouble? News to us! Oh well--back to the Brew & View we go. more ›

The Blackhawks have started in on another winning streak, taking their second game in a row courtesy a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild last night at the United Center. Dave Bolland got the scoring started about midway through the first period and Troy Brouwer followed up with a power play goal late in the first to give the 'Hawks a 2-0 edge. Both teams went scoreless in the second, but the Wild cut the lead in half with a goal just a few minutes into the third period, an Andrew Burnette power play goal. The 'Hawks answered just a few minutes later as Patrick Kane showed some pretty nice skills in netting the 'Hawks third goal of the game. more ›

If you missed out on a chance to acquire an H1N1 flu vaccine this weekend, there will be more available at six clinics around the city today. All clinics open at 3 p.m. and it's part of a continuing series of clinics being held every Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday. You can read times and locations here [PDF]. But remember, the Department of Health is asking that - for now - you get the vaccine only if you fall into one of the high-priority groups which are: "Pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical service personnel, children and young adults ages 6 months through 24 years, and persons aged 25‐ 64 years who have medical conditions which put them at high risk for complications from influenza." more ›

The national debate over health care reform has dragged on for so long, across so many different proposals, that it's hard to keep track of what the Senate or the House might be considering this week. But here in Chicago, the very real cost associated with covering employees is manifesting itself in very direct ways. Unite Here Local 1, the union that represents hotel and hospitality workers in the city is in negotiations over the labor agreement that will cover 6,000 workers downtown, and 15,000 workers in the area. And while the contract expired in August, both the union and the hotels around town are still far from an agreement. Like they did three years ago, the union is negotiating with the major hotel chains separately this year, starting with Hyatt. Unlike in 2006, when Unite Here was able to make gains on the wage increases they bargained in 2003, employers are pushing for concessions this time, due in part to the recession. "Things have gotten really bad," Unite Here Local 1 spokeswoman Annemarie Strassel told the Tribune. "I think that employers see the bad economy as an opportunity to ram through proposals." Hyatt's proposal would leave half of their unionized employees ineligible for health insurance. more ›

• Rev. Al Sharpton is the latest activist to get involved in the Fenger High School fray.
• Police revealed more details today in the murders of Ruby and Milton McClendon.
• Ald. Joe Moore (49th) plans to allow constituents to vote on how the ward will spend $1 million on infrastructure projects.

According to the Tribune, there's been a jump in tickets issued - up 26 percent in January through August 2009 over the same time period last year - and an increase of revenue. But CBS 2 points out that the jump in revenue may have more to do with the parking ticket amnesty that was offered early this year than the new tickets actually being paid. more ›

There's one thing many of Chicago's drivers will find positive from the latest city budget shortfalls -- the Chicago Department of Transportation has stopped installing the loathed red light cameras around the city for now because there's simply no cash to buy new ones. But that doesn't mean you can count on the main intersection near you to remain red light camera free -- the city is shuffling around their camera locations and will move 20 of the current 189 cameras elsewhere, as supposedly deemed necessary by which ones would "have the most positive effect on traffic safety." more ›

With the season opener just days away now, the Chicago Bulls are making a few small maneuvers to get all their ducks in a row before they tip off Thursday night. The Tribune reports that the team has named Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Lindsey Hunter as team captains for the 2009-2010 season. Also, in a move that surprises no one, the team picked up the options on contracts for Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, ensuring that the pair will be under contract through the 2010-2011 season. Speaking of Rose, it looks like he'll get some playing time during Thursday night's opener, but don't expect much from him in the first few weeks as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. more ›

The sale of the Sun-Times Media Group, parent to the Chicago Sun-Times and dozens of smaller papers, to a group headed by James Tyree is now complete. The $26.5 million deal is made up by $5 million paid by the group plus the assumption of the STMG's $21.5 million in liabilities. The new partnership will be called Sun-Times Media Holdings LLC. The Sun-Times reports the other members of the group are businessman Kevin Flynn; real estate executives Andrew Agostini, Ed Heil and Ed Ross; insurance executive William Parrillo; his brother, attorney Robert Parrillo; Chicago Blackhawks owner and property and liquor magnate W. Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz; and Mesirow executives Michael Mackey, Richard Price and Bruce Young. Said Tyree of the sale: more ›

And so it begins. Apple, the supermegaultra computer/tech company, is looking into a deal with the CTA that could bring the cash-strapped transit agency some much needed money while opening up an advertising smorgasbord. The Sun-Times reports that the CTA has confirmed they're in talks with Apple for something that would amount to "station domination." Essentially, Apple would pay for refurbishments to a train station in exchange for "first dibs" on any and all advertising that would go up at the station. Not surprisingly, the station being discussed is North/Clybourn on the Red Line; construction is already underway on a new Apple store nearby. (Apple decided on that location for its new store after its much-publicized split with the Block 37 project.) One thing the deal, which could give the CTA up to $4 million in funding for the refurbishments, will not do is hand over station naming rights. more ›

After Mayor Daley's budget presentation last week, speculation swirled over what city services would be next to get the privatizing treatment. CBS 2 reported over the weekend that lucky city asset to be the city's water system. The station cited an unnamed trade publication as a source but the rumor was confirmed by Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) who told CBS 2, "We've already heard inklings that they're thinking about it...They've had discussions. Why is the public not at the table?" more ›

Well, that was ugly. more ›

While the deadline for filing petitions to get on the ballot for the February 2nd primary isn't until next Tuesday, there was still a scramble at the Cook County Clerks office this morning (as well as Springfield's State Board of Elections office). Today was the first day candidates could file their petition and the reward for the first candidates to do so is being entered into a lottery that will determine who's listed at the top of the ballot. There are a bevy of offices up for grabs with the biggest being Governor, U.S. Senate, and Cook County Board President. [WBEZ, Tribune] more ›

Last week, six black students, all males, from Washington University in St. Louis alleged they and some friends were not allowed in to Mother's Night Club and claimed their race as the reason. At the time, the bar claimed the students were in violation of its dress code, including baggy pants. The students turned away alleged that white students with equally or more baggy pants were allowed inside and at one point, one of the denied students, Senior Regis Murayi, switched pants with a student who had been allowed inside and was still denied entry. In an interview with the Tribune, representatives of the bar said other black students had been admitted and pointed out a photo of two of the denied students wearing backwards baseball caps, insisting the caps were associated with gangs and that it was concern over gang violence which led to the denial of entry. Murayi countered, “In and of itself that’s racial in that they automatically assumed that we were a gang." more ›

Phillyist watched MLB.com call it too soon before celebrating the Phillies' second consecutive trip to the World Series. Sorry, LAist—but at least you still have one hometown team in contention.

A two-acre plot of land that plays host to carrots, beets, and turnips during the warmer months is at risk of being turned into a construction site because its original owner, The University of Chicago, wants it back. The university plans to turn the garden into a staging area for their new Chicago Theological Seminary building on the southeast edge of campus, with construction due to start in the spring. more ›

At about 9:15 p.m. on Saturday night, Dequarius Cannon, 17, and another individual were sitting in a car at the intersection of 105th and Peoria streets on the Far South Side in the Washington Heights neighborhood when someone approached their vehicle and demanded valuables from them, according to police News Affairs Officers Laura Kubiak. Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, got shot in his left temple, Kubiak said. more ›

Once a role playe, always a role player. Former Bulls All-Star BJ Armstrong has been picked by Gov. Quinn to help out with youth outreach as part of Quinn's plan to fight youth violence. Armstrong, who won was part of the first Bulls three-peat of the early 90's will, according to ABC 7, "advise Quinn on youth sports, anti-obesity programs and promoting sportsmanship." Armstrong still has ties to Bull, serving as agent to the Bulls young star Derrick Rose. more ›

It's been three weeks since the Big Letdown but Mayor Daley hasn't been quick to move on from the disappointment of finishing last of the Final Four in 2016 Olympic voting. Speaking last week to the editorial board at Crain's, Daley pointed out the disparity between government support for U.S. candidate cities and support other governments give their candidates. more ›

Former state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is back in the political spotlight. Topinka is expected to announce her candidacy today for state comptroller, a position vacated by Dan Hynes as he gets knee-deep in his run against Pat Quinn for Governor. We last heard from Topinka in 2006 when she challenged the then-incumbent governor, Rod Blagojevich, in that office's race. Other candidates include William J. Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and potentially state Rep. David Miller. more ›

Blackhawks Shutdown, Shut Out Predators more ›

As the death toll from the H1N1 flu virus (aka swine flu) has crossed 1,000 in the United States, President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency which, according to CBS 2, "empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people." Obama signed the declaration late yesterday, saying in a statement, "As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic." Originally planning to have 120 million doses shipped to health centers around the nation, only 11 million have been shipped; the government hopes to have 50 million shipped by mid-November and 150 million shipped by mid-December. Locally, long lines were forming around at different locations for a limited number of doses, all but ensuring many would be turned away without receiving the vaccination. Several area schools have also been completely shut down by widespread illness amongst students. more ›

Exactly one year ago today, the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered inside their home on the South Side. Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days after in a car on the West Side 10 miles away from his home. All three victims had been shot to death. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia, was charged for the killings with first-degree murder, allegedly killing the three family members because he was upset that Julia was dating someone else. Balfour pleaded not guilty and is still in jail. more ›

Police are holding a pair of teens in connection with the slayings of Milton and Ruby McClendon, the elderly parents of CLTV show host Garrard McClendon. While police won't confirm they have anyone in custody, a source tells the Tribune that a 17-year-old and 18-year-old, one a Hammond resident, are being held in Chicago. Police had recovered the couples Cadillac, found abandoned along the Dan Ryan Expressway early Wednesday morning. more ›

McCormick Place East is in need of $100 million worth of repairs in order to be properly maintained, calling into question the future of the building once referred to as ruining the Chicago skyline by Mayor Daley. In order to get the money to upgrade, the Illinois General Assembly needs to authorize the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority to re-structure their debt; otherwise there won't be enough money to cover the costs. more ›

Dozens of family members and friends quietly gathered outside the Fraternal Order of Police hall where supporters raised funds for an officer accused of drunk driving and crashing into a vehicle that killed two men, Chicago Breaking News reports. more ›

"No longer is the boogeyman a fairy tale," said Thomas Nicarico to the jury gathered at the DuPage County courtroom on Friday. more ›

After a hot start to the season, the Blackhawks find themselves losers of two games in a row and with a few injuries that might keep some key players from their lineup. Brent Seabrook and Jonathon Toews are both questionable for tonight's game against Nashville after both suffered injuries from hard hits - possibly concussions - in their game against Vancouver earlier this week. The 'Hawks have been without Ben Eager for seven games due to a concussion. According to a report in the Tribune: more ›

The Bulls wrapped up a successful preseason - one they played for a good part without start Derrick Rose - by whooping the Washington Wizards 93-70. Tyrus Thomas led the team with 19 points and grabbed six rebounds while Joakim Noah also had a good game with 13 points and 16 rebounds and Brad Miller chipped in 18 off the bench. The Bulls got off to an ice cold start, missing 16 of their first 18 shots, but Thomas paced the Bulls in the second, scoring 12 points, and the Bulls started the second half with a 17-0 run to jump out to a huge lead. The Bulls finished the preseason 6-2 and are now off until their season opener against San Antonio on Thursday (7 pm, TNT). Benjy will be up Monday with our season preview. more ›

• Another day, another bandit, this time a pair of robberies downtown by The Citibank Bandit.
• A strange story out of Minnesota where an airplane overshot it's destination by 150 miles because the pilots were engaged in a heated discussion.
• An Arlington Heights man has been arrested for stabbing his grandmother in an attempt to kill her. Why? "For not showing him respect."

CLTV show host Garrard McClendon spoke out about the murder of his parents even as police have received leads that have helped them close in on two suspects in the crime. McClendon's parents, Ruby and Milton, were found dead of gunshot wounds in a south suburban forest preserve on Monday. Police later recovered the couple's car, abandoned along the Dan Ryan Expressway, and had named their Hammond, Indiana home as a crime scene. The suspects were also reportedly seen trying to sale objects stolen from the McClendon's home, leading police to suspect that the couple, one of the first black couples to move to Hammond, were targets simply because of their age and vulnerability. more ›

Though more delays should be expected, service on Metra's Southwest and Heritage lines was set to resume this afternoon after two days of havoc thanks to derailments. Four different trains derailed yesterday and investigators are still trying to figure out how much damage may have been done. Be sure to check the Metra website for the latest information. more ›

Six African American seniors from Washington University in St. Louis filed a civil rights complaint with the Illinois attorney general's office against Mother's Night Club Original bar after allegedly being denied entry to the club. Students claim they were told it was due to their failure to comply with the bar's "baggy jeans" policy; however, white students who had already been admitted came out to demonstrate that their jeans were more "baggy". more ›

Ismail Alqawasmi, 36, was arrested at O'Hare last night in connection with terror threats made in Minnesota; there was a warrant for his arrest. According to the Sun-Times: more ›

On Sunday, The American Bankers Association begins a four day long convention that hopes to “rebuild our future, community by community.” The conference features a who’s who of financial celebrities including FDIC Chair Sheila C Blair along with conservative political columnist George Will and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. With plenty of power breakfasts, optional tours and fancy receptions, this year’s $1600+ convention is a must attend for anyone interested in hobnobbing with bailout beneficiaries. more ›

Sprint has been teasing Chicagoans for over two years with its proposed WiMax, a 4G wireless network that would blanket the city with high-speed internet access. Although the network was originally supposed to be available in 2008, PC World reported that technical issues (providing sufficient backhaul to wired networks) and "upheaval in the company" blocked the path to success. As it turns out, Sprint, alongside ClearWire and Comcast, have finally ironed things out and will begin selling WiMax in the next several weeks. Other locations for the end-of-the-year roll out include Philadelphia, Seattle, three North Carolina and three Texas cities, and Hawaii. more ›

While we knew the New York Times was planning a local edition of its paper for the Chicago area, details emerged yesterday about the paper's specific plans. The news for the Chicago-centric paper will be handled by a group called Chicago News Cooperative. The CNC will include former Tribune editor James O'Shea and James Warren; the advisory board will be chaired by journalist Peter Osnos and another Tribune editor, Ann Marie Lipinski, is a board member. The group will receive a bulk of its funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation while also receiving assistance from WTTW. In fact, the CNC will start life as a non-profit affiliate of Window to the World Communications which happens to be WTTW's parent company. The Cooperative is also in talks with WBEZ for potential future collaboration. Two pages of Chicago-related news will appear twice a week (Friday and Sunday) in copies of the New York Times distributed in the Chicago area starting November 20. more ›

With the sobering news of Mayor Daley's budget apocalypse beginning to sink in, some in the city council are looking at a Chicago-based casino anew. "All one has to do is drive through those parking lots in Northwest Indiana and see all the Illinois plates,'' Alderman Edward Burke told the Sun-Times. "If those folks are gonna lose their money, they might as well lose it in Chicago." Alderman Leslie Hairston put it more succinctly: "We've got to do something to generate some revenue." more ›

While the Cubs and Sox sat out October baseball, the Chicago Fire joined the Bulls and Blackhawks as another of the city's teams looking to make a splash in their league's post-season action in 2009. The soggy conditions at Toyota Park didn't dampen the Fire's spirits as they celebrated not only a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA, but also clinching a spot in the MLS playoffs. The Fire's goal came in the 67th minute when Chivas' Eduardo Lillingston attempted to clear a Blanco cornerkick but since the ball into his own goal instead. In spite of awful conditions, the Fire still got plenty of chances, taking 14 corner kicks and 13 shots, though only two of those were officially credited as shots on goal. Goalie Jon Busch had three saves in the winning effort. more ›

A CPS student was shot and killed yesterday afternoon in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The student was identified as 17-year-old Gamaliel "Gama" Toscano, a 10th grader at Tilden High School. The shooting occurred in the 1100 block of West 47th St around 2:45 p.m. As of last night, no one was in custody in connection with the shooting. [CBS 2] more ›

With Mayor Daley's budget on the table and things looking grim financially for the next several years, it's natural to wonder what other city assets Daley will sale as he dips into the parking meter lease cash to help cover the 2010 budget gap. The Sun-Times Fran Spielman runs down for us what could very well be up for sale next, including another run at privatizing Midway. Daley's tried to do it before. The 99-year, $2.5 billion deal was set up by the mayor and approved by the City Council, but the deal floundered as the economy did. Another run at this deal with any number of companies wouldn't be a surprise. Spielman suggests he could also try to do the same kind of deal with O'Hare, which would bring in even more money, but roadblocks could drag out such an attempt. more ›

Cook County Board President and local punchline Todd "The Toddler" Stroger is taking a page out of Mayor Daley's political playbook: holding the line on taxes. In a speech to county commissioners this week, Stroger touted his proposed $3 billion budget as maintaining the same level of service without raising taxes. "The executive budget I place before you is balanced, no delays of payment cycles, no long term borrowing to fund operations, no use of reserve funds to pay our bills. Likewise my budget plan for 2010 includes no new taxes, none," Stroger said. "Today, as our national and state governments face terrible deficits, and as many local governments in Illinois find themselves in dire financial shape, Cook County is relatively strong," he said. The proposed budget will actually increase spending by about $80 million, nearly four percent. Those costs include covering previously unmet obligations to employee pension funds, an increase of $35 million to the county sheriff's office, and $22 million in employ pay increases. more ›

• More trouble at Fenger High where five students were arrested today following a lunch-time brawl.
• Carolyn Towns is the last of the four Burr Oak suspects to be released on bail, leaving jail this afternoon.
• An Aurora man has been charged with filing a false police report, including creating three false suspects, after an incident this weekend.

Thanks to the actions of a Chicago-based ex-gay advocacy group, many libraries nationwide have found themselves in a precarious position on the topic of reparative therapy - i.e. attempts to de-gay the gay. Opponents of pro-gay books have called for everything from public book burnings to tarred-and-feathered library directors. more ›

Already looked in a heated battle with fellow Democrat Dan Hynes for the Democratic primary, Gov. Pat Quinn - who replaced ex-governor Rod Blagojevich when Blago was impeached and removed from office last winter - went through the formality this morning of officially announcing his run for governor in 2010. The announcement comes in the wake of one poll that puts Quinn's approval rating at only 45 percent. The primary is February 2, 2010. Be sure to check out Kevin's 2007 interview with Gov. Quinn. more ›

A few weeks ago, Fox 32 made waves by making available the video of a brawl that killed student Derrion Albert, which was captured on cell phone by a witness. This week, Fox 32 VP/News Director Carol Fowler addressed the issue of the video, purchased for $250, including the process behind the decisions to purchase and air the video. more ›

Facing a deep budget gap of its own, the CTA is making moves to earn a little cash. One way it's doing so is by re-upping a deal with soft drink maker Coca-Cola. The deal, which will net the CTA around $1.4 million over the next five years, means Coke is the exclusive provider of all drink vending machines at CTA stops. According to a press release by the CTA: more ›

A coalition of musicians, including Chicago’s own punk rockers Rise Against, joined the National Campaign To Close Guantanamo in order to pressure officials to come clean about music used as torture. The group, which also includes Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Trent Reznor, R.E.M., The Roots, and more are demanding the declassification of government records related to the use of music as torture at the facility. In addition, the coalition of musicians hopes to raise awareness for the NCCG, a campaign lead by retired United States Generals, Veterans and former Congressmen. more ›

We're three weeks removed from the awarding of the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio over Tokyo, Madrid, and, yes, Chicago. But in the weeks since the announcement, while we in Chicago have been focused on figuring out what went wrong, Rio has been dealing with another problem: a continued string of high-profile violence. Last weekend, a police helicopter was shot down in a gun battle between police and gangs. Already dealing with one of the highest murder rates in the world, 29 people have been killed since this past weekend. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said, “I need to clean the filth that drug traffickers impose on Brazil," and Sérgio Cabral, Rio’s governor, added, “We want to get to 2016 with a Rio de Janeiro in peace before, during and after the Games." more ›

Bad news for Metra commuters on the SouthWest Service line: a freight train derailment today will more than likely cause some delays tonight. No one was hurt in the derailment but fluids leaked from the train into the Chicago River, resulting in a hazmat response. Metra has already canceled some afternoon trains and it may take as long as 12 hours to completely clear the scene. more ›

In spite of holding a 2-1 lead going into the final period of play last night, the Blackhawks let victory slip away as Vancouver rallied to top the 'Hawks 3-2. Duncan Keith got Chicago on the board first with a goal a little over mid-way through the first. Vancouver countered in the opening minute of the second period, but the 'Hawks answered with a Troy Brouwer goal late in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. But Vancouver got two goals in the second half of the third - a power play goal to tie followed by Mikael Samuelsson's go-ahead goal - to take the lead for good. Antti Niemi had 28 saves on the night as the Cancuks became the first team this season to outshoot the 'Hawks; they did so by a 31-20 margin. After their hot start, the 'Hawks have now lost two in a row, a trend they hope to reverse starting Saturday night when they welcome the Nashville Predators to the United Center (7:30 p.m., WGN). more ›

A lawsuit against Craigslist filed by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has been dismissed by federal Judge John Grady. Dart sued the website for enabling prostitution via their "Erotic Services" section. The website has sent removed that section, combining several categories into one labeled "Adult." Judge Grady's reasoning for the dismissal was that the blame for the prostitution didn't sit with Craigslist but rather the site's users who committed the actual crimes. A spokesman indicated Dart is mulling an appeal of the dismissal. more ›

Mayor Daley's budget for 2010 has been presented and, as expected, there were no new taxes but lots of cuts. There will also be much taken from the parking meter lease fund. In fact, by this time next year, don't expect much to be left from the $1.15 billion/75-year deal, the deal we may have gotten hosed on. Having already spent $400 million of that money this year, according to the Tribune, Daley is looking to spend an additional $600 million of that money in 2010. We're no math geniuses and even we know that doesn't leave a whole heck of a lot left in the pot for the remaining 70+ years of the lease, something that concerned Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) earlier this week. All told, Daley claims that there will still be around $700 million left in reserve funds - the combination of the Skyway and parking meter leases - next year. A cut in the city's tourism budget also raised eyebrows. And besides the cuts to entertainment and furlough days for non-union employees and elimination of vacant jobs, there are smaller cuts, too, such as the scaling back of the city's recycling program. more ›

• The Reader's resident investigative badasses, Mick Dumke and Ben Joravsky, do it again, explaining to us the city's shadow budget.
• The CTA wheels and deals on parking lots and vending machines to garner a little cash to close their budget hole.
• The sale of the Old Main Post Office is back on again.

Even though property values are down, property tax bills are going up. In the city, property tax bills will see an increase by an average of six percent while the increase in the suburbs of Cook County will see an average increase of four percent. [ABC 7] more ›

As temperatures dip, daylight saving time ends, and the Bulls look to jump-start their season, this can only mean one thing for Cubs fans: look to next year. Though a tiring and frustrating ritual, we have in some ways grown to expect the hustle and bustle in the GM's office come late October. Next order of business: new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. ESPNChicago.com reported today the Cubs have signed former Texas Ranger hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo to a three-year deal on Tuesday for an estimated $2.4 million. The Cubs will officially introduce Jaramillo this afternoon at a Wrigley Field press conference. more ›

Amongst the hiring freezes, layoffs, and roundabout pay cuts in the current Chicago budget crisis are a number of smaller items being eliminated. Things beyond garbage pickup and pothole repair, they're collectively the stuff that helps give Chicago "character" -- you know, what we supposedly have in spades that should have made everyone want to come here for the Olympics in 2016. more ›

If Americans needed further proof that health care reform amounts to little more than partisan talking points and political bickering, Mark Kirk came to the rescue yesterday. A Politico report on the GOP’s feelings about a Democratic health care reform bill quotes Kirk: “Several dozen House Democrats risk losing their jobs if they vote for reform.” Kirk’s no stranger to ridiculous statements regarding health care reform; in August, he helped to spread the lie that proposed legislation would give federally subsidized health care to illegal aliens. more ›

Speaking at a DNC fundraiser last night in New York City, President Obama addressed criticism of his proposed health care reform but also took a moment to address criticism of his trip to Copenhagen on behalf of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. Said Obama of his whirlwind, transatlantic adventure: more ›

Just five games into his tenure, Bears GM Jerry Angelo rewarded quarterback Jay Cutler with a two-year, $30 million contract extension. The deal includes about $20 million in guaranteed money. Already under contact through 2011, the team now holds Cutler's rights through 2013. The Bears stopped short, however, of ensuring Cutler will retire a Bear -- he'll still be just 30 years old when his new deal expires. While his deal is nowhere near the six-year deals pushing $100 million that other young franchise QBs have received, if Cutler continues to put up numbers like he has so far, we have a feeling Angelo and Cutler will be making more deals in the future. more ›

Horrific news this morning in connection with a pair of bodies found Monday afternoon in a county forest preserve. The bodies were identified as Milton and Ruby McClendon, parents of CLTV host Garrard McClendon. According to the Tribune: more ›

A pair of jurors held out and, after five hours of deliberation, the jury deciding James Degorski's fate came back with a sentence of life in prison. Degorski, convicted a few weeks ago for his role in the 1993 Brown's Chicken murders, could have faced the death penalty, which the prosecution was pushing for. In fact, according to the Sun-Times, 10 of the 12 jurors ultimately favored it but the two who voted against held firm, leading to the life sentence. Jury forewoman Cynthia Rathburn said deliberations were "a little heated and frustrating" and concluded, "It was like that until we realized we were not going to reach a unanimous decision...We reached a point where we agreed we were not going to agree." more ›

We're a short time away from hearing all about Mayor Daley's budget for 2010 - hint: it won't be pretty! - and Daley continues to slash at the budget like Jason Voorhees so that he can avoid raising taxes to help fill a budget gap in the neighborhood of $500 million. Items have been trickling out in the days ahead of his presentation to the City Council and now we've got a clearer idea of what's going to be cut. We already know that the city's non-union workers will be asked to take nearly five work weeks worth of furlough days (24 to be exact), that there will be no cost of living increases in wages, and at least three more reduced services days. Daley has also suggested that while money from the Skyway lease will remain untouched, he could borrow heavily from the parking meter lease to help cover the budget gap. more ›

• The Cook County state's attorney's office is doing battle with Northwestern University's Medill Innocence Project over students' work in securing a new hearing for Anthony McKinney, who the project claims was wrongfully convicted for a 1978 murder.
• After months of pressure as a result of the Clout College scandal, University of Illinois chancellor Richard Herman announced his resignation, effective Monday.
• Anger is spreading over a fundraiser being held by the Fraternal Order of Police for Chicago Police officer Joseph Frugoli, who was charged with a DUI and reckless homicide for a drunk driving accident this past spring that claimed the lives of two men. Frugoli was off-duty at the time of the accident.

Remember the atheist bus ads that hit the CTA this past spring? Now there's a new example of atheism in advertising, this time in the form of a downtown billboard but it doesn't seem to be causing much of a fuss. The billboard, located at LaSalle and Grand and paid for by the Chicago Coalition For Reason, says, "Are You Good Without God? Millions Are." The CCoR describes itself as "an exciting group of organizations in the Chicago area, each of which celebrates a human-centered and naturalistic approach to life. For us, non-dogmatic and rational approaches to ethics, culture and the human experience are the most meaningful and satisfying." more ›

St. Charles East High School will be closed tomorrow and will remain shuttered through at least Monday as over 900 of the school's 2,100 students called in sick today due to flu-like symptoms. Administrators had no word on how many, if any, of the students were sick with the H1N1 strain of the virus. It's not the first school in the area to be shut down because of widespread flu-related absences; Serena Grade School in LaSalle County is closed for similar reasons. more ›

Chris Chelios is officially back in a Chicago hockey jersey after he signed today with the Chicago Wolves. The signing wasn't exactly a surprise, given that Chelios has been skating with the team recently, but still it's nice to have it official. Chelios, a Chicago-area native with a 25-year NHL career, will get his first start with the team this Friday when the Wolves take on Manitoba. Chelios has indicated he hopes his time with the Wolves will lead to a potential return to the NHL, though there's no indication is he wants that to be with the Wolves' NHL affiliate, the Atlanta Thrashers, or another team. There are still plenty of tickets available to this Friday's game at the Allstate Arena, where the puck will drop at 7-30 p.m. more ›

The jury charged with deciding James Degorski's sentence have begun deliberations as to whether or not to sentence him to death. Three weeks ago, the jury found Degorski guilty for his role in the 1993 Brown's Chicken Murders. Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Tom Biesty said of Degorski, "He slaughtered them that night. He wanted to do something big and he wanted to be famous. Well, he did do something big and he is famous...and now it's his judgment day." Degorski's attorney, senior Cook County assistant public defender Mark Levitt cited abuse, both sexual and physical, that Degorski and his siblings suffered by their father and told the jury, "Finding mercy where it shouldn't exist is exactly what mercy is." Juan Luna, the other man convicted in the slayings, was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. more ›

Lon Monk, former chief of staff for ex-governor Rod Blagojevich, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors which saw him plead guilty today and promise to testify against Blago at the ex-gov's trial next year. Monk pleaded guilty to just one charge involving a shake down of race track owner Johnny Johnston for a $100,000 campaign contribution in exchange for favorable horse racing legislation. As part of the agreement, Monk would face up to two years in prison. more ›

The H1N1 flu strain (aka swine flu) has claimed the life of another area teen. The teen, who was a student at Sandwich High School and hadn't attended school all year due to the illness, passed away on Sunday. Officials were not releasing the student's name. Michelle Fahle, a 14-year-old student at Naperville North High School, died two weeks ago and had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, though a previously undiagnosed heart condition is believed to be the main contributing factor to her death. All told, the state's Department of Public Health reported 20 H1N1-related deaths as of last Friday. more ›

The roller coaster that is the prolonged Block 37 project took a big dip today with the announcement that it's been hit with a foreclosure lawsuit. The suit comes from a group of lenders, headed up by Bank of America. Block 37 developer Joseph Freed & Associates LLC said in a statement, the lawsuit was “a serious breach of trust with the people of the city of Chicago...The suit lacks merit and Joseph Freed & Associates LLC will fight it vigorously." more ›

With bus services slashed under the CTA's new budget proposal, CTA bus drivers made up a large chunk of around 2,000 CTA employees who received layoff notices in the mail. The jobs will be laid out over the next two months as the transit authority prepares for a budget shortfall of nearly $300 million. [Sun-Times] more ›

Sugar Grove-based Chicago Industrial Fasteners LLC announced a new partnership with Spain's Matz-Erreka SCL to market and distribute large bolts and rods for wind turbines. The agreement, which will bring the high-strength bolts that are used to hold together and anchor wind turbines from Spain to the United States, is expected to help CIF expand its wind power parts business in the U.S. While CIF will import the parts initially, the plan is to shift production to Sugar Grove, creating “conservatively 10 to 20 jobs,” according to John Price, the firm's president. Figuring in both transportation costs and the exchange rate, “we can be a lot more competitive if we don’t have to ship it from Spain.” more ›

The Chicago Bulls have had a hot start to the preseason but they were downed last night by the defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic by a 101-98 final. John Salmons led all scorers, putting up 19 points in the losing effort; Kirk Hinrich added 18 and Brad Miller tacked on 15 off the bench. With almost a minute-and-a-half left to play, the Bulls were up by three over the Magic - who remain undefeated in the preseason - but Orlando rattled off a 7-0 run to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish, hitting key free throws to keep the Bulls at bay. With a 5-2 preseason record, the Bulls have one preseason game left - this Friday at home against the Wizards (7 p.m., CSN) - before opening their 2009-2010 regular season on October 29. more ›

This morning, citing police statistics, the Tribune's RedEye reports that the most dangerous time for violent crime - classified as "homicide, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and aggravated battery" - in Chicago is between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The lowest point for those crimes is 7 a.m. The midnight to 4 a.m. time period sees the highest rate of murders. The statistics come with the caveat that there are a host of different factors that contribute to them and - of course - violent crime can happen at any time of the day or night, anywhere. more ›

In the aftermath of the beating death of teen Derrion Albert, Rev. Jesse Jackson has been part of a call for a "national conversation" on youth violence and a ready-made photo op riding the bus to Fenger High School on the South Side. But yesterday Jackson proposed something that would have a concrete affect on the community -- give people jobs. In a meeting with Chicago officials, Jackson localized his point from a NAACP speech over the weekend in which he said: more ›

Sticking to his vow not to increase taxes to close next year's budget deficit, Mayor Daley announced on Monday a portion of his plan to save millions of dollars in city spending next year. That includes 24 furlough days for city non-union workers (that's five weeks off, the equivalent of a 10 percent pay cut), no cost of living increases and three reduced service days. “The economic recession that has plagued our nation for well over a year continues to affect most of Chicago working families,” Daley said at a City Hall news conference. “I understand that times are still tough for people and I don’t feel right asking them to pay for more city government right now,” he said. more ›

• A judge ruled today that Blago can appear on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice though are still concerns about how is appearance could affect his upcoming trial.
• The mother of James Degorski, recently convicted for the 1993 Brown's Chicken murders, testified on his behalf today during the penalty phase of his trial.
• Still no word on why a group of federal agents, led by the Chicago FBI office, raided an area goat meat plant.

In an effort to quell further violence between students from different communities who attend Fenger High School, the Chicago Board of Education announced it may open up Carver Military Academy on the Far South Side to interested students. Board President Michael Scott told parents of the Altgeld Gardens public housing complex this morning that 120 of their students could choose to go to a "dual school" within Carver, which is closer to their house. Mayor Richard Daley and Rev. Jesse Jackson also attended the meeting. more ›

Remember U.S. Sen. Roland Burris? He was all the talk here, there, and everywhere in the first half of 2009 for all the wrong reasons. But now he finds himself in the Capitol Hill spotlight once more but this time for reasons actually pertaining to legislation. Burris is now making waves for his refusal to support any health care reform plan that doesn't include a public option. Why does this matter? Because if Burris sticks to his gun - and why not? He's not running for re-election and has nothing to lose - that could mean Senate Democrats won't have the 60 votes necessary (there are 58 Dems and two independents in the U.S. Senate, currently) to stop a Republican filibuster. The Associated Press says this in a profile (via Crain's): more ›

Murder charges have been dropped for one of the teens charged in the beating death of Derrion Albert. Prosecutors have not indicated why they dropped the charges against Eugene Bailey, 17, the teen previously alleged to have delivered the "knockout punch" that killed Albert. Charges are still in place for three other teens alleged to have played a role in Albert's death during a brawl near Fenger High School: Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16. more ›

The conviction of former Streets and Sanitation commissioner Al Sanchez is set to be reviewed by a judge today. Defense attorneys have asked for the review claiming prosecutors failed to reveal certain information about Brian Gabriel, one of their witnesses. According to WBEZ: more ›

While the scoreboard showed that the Atlanta Falcons beat the Bears 21-14 on Sunday night, the reality is that the Bears beat themselves. Turnovers in the red zone and inopportune penalties killed numerous chances to score and left the Bears to hang their heads in defeat. "We had a lot of opportunities to win the game," coach Lovie Smith said. "You can't make those kinds of mistakes on the road against a good football team." more ›

Strange, tragic happenings in Detroit where yesterday three runners died in a 16-minute span while participating in the Detroit Marathon. The men were identified as Daniel Langdon, 36, of Laingsburg, MI; Rick Brown, 65, of Marietta, OH, and Jon Fenlon, 26, of Waterford, MI. Weather conditions were good for running with temps around 28 degrees at the start of the race, rising to the low 40s throughout the morning. According to the Detroit Free-Press, Langdon collapsed at 9:02 a.m., near the intersection of Michigan Ave and First, between miles 11 and 12. Just 15 minutes later, Brown fell and hit his head a few blocks west of where Langdon had collapsed. A minute later, at 9:18 a.m., Fenlon collapsed just after completing the half-marathon, being run in conjunction with the full marathon. Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing for the Detroit Media Partnership, said medical personnel had excellent response times, arriving on each scene within seconds. Autopsies on all three men were expected today. more ›

He just won't go away. And even though he's already started filming on the show, former governor Rod Blagojevich still doesn't know if he'll be allowed on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. Because when you think "celebrity," you think "Blagojevich." Prosecutors allege that the show will interfere with the federal case against him by tainting the potential pool of jurors. According to reports, concerns are over when the show actually airs: it begins airing in March, just a few months before Blago's trial kicks off in June. more ›

Gothamist looked at how some local stores seem to be encouraging little girls to dress in slutty Halloween costumes.

Two 911 emergency center employees have been suspended without pay for their part in a "dispatch delay" that left an off-duty Chicago cop alone to defend himself against a car full of alleged gang members, the Sun-Times reports. more ›

Chicago dedicated a bronze bust in honor of a man once thought of as the founder of Chicago on Saturday, according to Chicago Breaking News. Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable was a Haitian fur trapper and the "first non-indigenous settler to the Chicago area," the report said. He was named founder of the city by the state of Illinois in 1968. The bust, which was donated by members of the city's Haitian-American community, is located on the east side of Michigan Avenue, north of the Chicago River. more ›

Still deciding if you should go as the bubble boy for Halloween this year? Why not try something different, like a Joffrey Ballet dancer, for instance. This fall, for the first time in their 53-year history, Joffrey Ballet is opening its costume vault to the public for a sale starting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 28. More than 200 men's and women's costumes will be available for purchase, with prices starting at $25. more ›

On Saturday night around 10:30 p.m., officers from the Targeted Response Unit were on patrol in the 8200 block of South Marquette Avenue, an area notorious for ongoing drug and gang activity. Officers noticed a man standing on a porch holding a weapon, according to a police statement. As the officers exited their vehicle and ordered the 41-year-old man to drop his weapon, he allegedly attempted to shoot them twice, before trying to run away. more ›

With the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs all facing harsh budget realities, they're getting a break in at least one respect: cheaper road salt. According to CBS 2, the price of road salt - which got as high as $120 a ton last winter - is down so far this year to $76 a ton, which is a welcome break for surrounding towns. The city of Chicago, however, is lucky enough to be locked in to an old contract that has it only paying $38 per ton. more ›

The Dallas Stars came to town and did something that other teams are having a hard time doing this year: beat the Blackhawks. Dallas edged the 'Hawks 4-3 last night at the United Center. After a scoreless first period, the dam broke in the second as the teams combined for five goals in that period alone. Dallas took a 2-0 lead before Troy Brouwer got Chicago on the board. After another Dallas goal, Jonathon Toews scored to cut the lead to 3-2. After a fluke bounce off the boards got past Huet for another Dallas goal in the third period, Niklas Hjalmarsson scored to cut the lead again, this time to 4-3 but Dallas held and came out with the win. Cristobal Huet jad 21 saves besides allowing the four goals. The 'Hawks get a few days off now until Vancouver skates into town on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). more ›

A ridiculously massive mansion in Burr Ridge named "Villa Taj" is being put up for auction at a fraction of its cost, all because one-half of the couple that built the home decided that she wasn't a fan of Chicago's cold weather. "He was going to spend the rest of his life in this house," real estate broker and auctioneer Mike Berland told the Chicago Sun Times of homeowners Husam Aldairi and Rawaa Atta-Aldairi. "About halfway into the project, the wife decided she couldn't stand the Chicago winters anymore," Berland said. So the Aldairi's and their three children packed up and moved to Florida, leaving behind their $18 million and five years in the making mansion, that has never been lived in or appraised. Property taxes on the land alone, according to Berland, are $27,000 a year. more ›

Last year at this time, the state's unemployment rate was 6.7 percent. As of September, the jobless rate in Illinois has already increased to 10.5 percent, after dropping slightly down to 10 percent in August, according to statistics that were released on Friday. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that the three-month unemployment average rose 0.1 percent to 10.3 percent, marking its highest level since December 1983. In comparison to the entire county, the U.S. jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, from 9.7 percent in August, also the highest since 1983. more ›

Chicago Public Schools cut after-school tutoring for less than half of the children who applied for the service, according to Chicago Breaking News. more ›

In a haunting story detailing the backlog of DNA evidence overwhelming the Chicago Police Department, the Tribune reports police had DNA evidence to arrest an alleged serial rapist a year before he was finally apprehended. more ›

A new wrinkle has developed in the race for Cook County Board President as Tom Tresser, the man behind the No Games Chicago group that opposed the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid, has announced his candidacy. The group "Friends of Tom Tresser" sent out an email to supporters yesterday indicating Tresser intended to announce this morning a run "for high local public office." It's since been learned that the office is Todd Stroger's. Said Tresser in the email, "I do this as a result of almost thirty years of civic work in the city and, most specifically, my last two years of volunteer community work." The email continues: more ›

The Chicago Bulls continued their hot preseason, completing a home-and-home sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 94-90 victory Friday night at the United Center. Tyrus Thomas, playing for the first time in four games, led all scorers with 22 points. Taj Gibson added 14 for the Bulls. Despite leading most of the game, the Bulls saw the T-Wolves notch the game at 87-87 with less than a minute to go. But the Bulls hit some key free throws in the waning seconds to push ahead for the win. Said Thomas of his return, "It was good to just come out and play, have some fun and to get the win." Things didn't go so well for the T-Wolves' Kevin Love, who's out for a while after breaking a bone in his non-shooting hand. The Bulls only have a pair of preseason games left; the first is next Monday at home against Orlando (7 p.m., CSN). more ›

• NIU's police chief, Donald Grady, has been placed on a leave of absence after allegations of improper ethical behavior were made by NIU's student newspaper.
• Joseph Caputo, a former pricing analyst for MPC Products who turned FBI informant, has been awarded $4.5 million for helping the FBI crack a price-inflating case against the company.
• In the wake of all the fuss over the CTA's new proposed hikes and service cuts, The Reader's Whet Moser took a thoughtful look at transit issues in a few other large cities.

Oh, to have been a fly on that wall: former world champion boxer Mike Tyson stopped in to see Mayor Daley this afternoon after appearing on Oprah this morning. He and Daley became acquainted a few years ago, and Tyson stopped in today to say hello and talk about youth violence with the mayor during a 30-minute private meeting. Tyson said he has a unique perspective on the subject because he grew up in rough parts of Brooklyn. more ›

Joseph Hubbard, assistant chief of the Newport Township Fire Department, was arrested today and charged with possession of child pornography. Per the Tribune:

A relative of Hubbard's notified authorities there were pornographic images of children on Hubbard's home computer, said Mary Stanton, chief of the Lake County state's attorney's cyber crimes unit. more ›

Oh sure, it's usually health care reform this and nuclear Iran that, but Congress is also tackling the big issues, like preventing Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan. The carp, which can be up to 4 feet long and weigh 100 pounds, eat a whole lot of food and threaten to disrupt the food chain of the native fish that live in Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. The fish has been found in the Illinois River, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers placed an electronic barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and so far the barrier has kept the carp from getting into the lake. more ›

Authorities with the Cook County sheriff's office are holding three Thai women who claim they had been forced into prostitution upon arriving in the U.S. a few weeks ago, prompting an investigation into a possible human trafficking ring. The women, who say they've been in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Texas, aren't expected to face criminal charges and federal authorities have joined the investigation into the ring. [Tribune] more ›

Crain's Chicago reported today that two more names have emerged as investors in the yet-to-be-finalized purchase of the Sun-Times. Businessmen Kevin Flynn (casino owner and CEO of Emerald Ventures, Inc.) and William Parrillo, Sr. (chairman of Safeway Insurance Co.) are reported to be among the group that has served up as much as $5 million in an attempt to revive the struggling newspaper. more ›

While we wait to see if the CTA will indeed make good on its threat to raise fares and cut services in an attempt to close a budget gap numbering in the hundreds of millions of dollars, at least one high-ranking government official is ready to do his part. With the RTA already supporting such a measure, Gov. Pat Quinn is also giving some thought to repealing the free CTA rides for senior programs infamously instituted by then-governor Rod Blagojevich. Speaking to WGN Radio today, Quinn supported the idea of reviewing program and possibly altering it to offer free rides to veterans, active military, and seniors whose income falls below a certain threshold. Said Quinn: more ›

Around 137,000 college students in Illinois got a hand from state lawmakers who yesterday voted to reinstate the Monetary Award Program which will give $205 million to college students around the state. One issue: no one's sure where the money will come from. State lawmakers say it's up to Gov. Quinn to find room in the budget for the cash, who previously suggested raising cigarette taxes to fund the program. [WBEZ] more ›

Hot damn, the Blackhawks are on a roll to start the 2009-2010 season. The team is now 5-1-1, their best start in 27 years, after rolling past Nashville 3-1 last night. After a scoreless first period that saw the 'Hawks take 12 shots, Chicago wasted no time getting on the board in the second, scoring two goals less than thirty seconds apart in the opening minutes of the period. Dustin Byfuglien netted a power play goal 2:21 into the period and Tomas Kopecky added a goal at 2:49 in to give the 'Hawks a 2-0 edge. The Predators answered quickly themselves as just 47 seconds later Martin Erat got one past Cristobal Huet to cut the lead to 2-1. The Predators, though, wouldn't get many more chances at scoring. Duncan Keith added a goal in the third to extend the lead and Nashville only got off two shots in the final period. Overall, Huet stopped 12 of 13 shots while the Blackhawks managed to take 30 overall. Brent Seabrook had two assists: on the Byfuglien and Keith goals. If you haven't gotten a chance to see the 'Hawks in action, now's the time. Beginning Saturday (versus Dallas, 7:30 p.m., WGN), five of the next six 'Hawks game - taking us through the end of October - are at home. more ›

With the release of his 2010 budget approaching next week and a budget gap of over $550 million in the city budget, Mayor Daley's going to have to get creative if he wants to close that gap. He'll have to be even more creative now that's he promised he won't raise any taxes, fines, or fees. Said Daley yesterday, "I understand that times are very tough for people. I don't feel right asking them to pay for city government right now." The most likely option being bandied about, it seems, is still dipping into reserve funds from the city's parking meter and Skyway leases. more ›

It's been just a hair over nine months since Rod Blagojevich was impeached and a little less than that since he was removed from office. And yet we're still learning about what went on behind the scenes of the Blago administration. Today's Sun-Times features an in-depth look into the clout shenanigans that went on with Blago in charge. The two most prolific supporters in terms of hiring were Blago's right hand man, the late Christopher Kelly, and his father-in-law, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd). Mell was the sponsor for 293 positions with 110 of those getting filled. More than 5,700 total candidates supported by almost 400 political sponsors are listed in the Blago database. Stop by the Sun-Times story to check out full details as well as excerpts from Ald. Mell's and Kelly's lists. more ›

Over a dozen Chicago police officers on loan to Pittsburgh for last month's G-20 Summit are being accused of forcing a handcuffed suspect to kneel on the ground in front of them while they took a group photograph, reports Chicago Breaking News. more ›

• A Chicago Public Schools student has been arrested for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old.
• State legislators approved a plan to place a constitutional amendment that allows for the recall of the governor on next year's ballot.
• GQ has put together their list of D.C.'s most powerful people and Rahmbo comes in at Number One.

With the CTA facing a budget gap in the hundreds of millions of dollars and another potential CTA fare hike looming, everyone involved is looking for ways to save some cash. The Regional Transportation Authority has now suggested tweaking the free rides for seniors program implemented by then-governor Rod Blagojevich. Instead of giving free rides to all seniors, the RTA has suggested providing free rides to low-income seniors who make below a suggested threshold of $22,000 a year. The RTA cited a study by the University of Illinois in Chicago which estimated the CTA lost between $38 million and $112 million from the new program. According to the RTA, setting the new limit would account for a boost of around $37 million for the CTA. more ›

Hunters Nightclub, a suburban gay bar that gained international media attention earlier this year by instituting a door policy banning patrons whose ID photos do not match their gender presentation, is the subject of an activist demonstration planned for Fri., Oct. 23, at 11 p.m. Transgendered Chicagoans and their allies will "storm" the bar dressed in drag and gender-variant gear as a challenge to the policy they (plus the ACLU and gay media nationwide) consider discriminatory. more ›

Ramiro Guevara, 17, was shot and killed inside V Live, a Logan Square night club, last night after getting into an argument with another man. The man who shot Guevara fled the club after the shooting and police say no one was in custody. About 2,000 patrons were estimated to have been at the club, which admits teens but uses the wristband system to denote who is and who isn't allowed alcohol. [Tribune] more ›

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has tried, and failed, several times to roll back the 10.25 percent county-wide sales tax. Yesterday, the Illinois General Assembly took a swing at it, as well. The legislation, which would have cut the sales tax from 1.75 percent to .75 percent, fell six votes short of passage. "This is going to really devastate all aspects of our government," Todd Stroger, who personally went to Springfield to lobby for the tax hike told the Tribune . "I'm trying to make the case for the county." more ›

First Hawaii told the "birthers" to knock it off, and now a federal judge has told them to give it a rest, too. more ›

The Blackhawks kept their hot start to the season going by winning their third game in a row and remaining unbeaten at home with last night's 4-3 victory over Edmonton. Patrick Sharp opened up the game with a goal in the first minute of play to give the 'Hawks an early lead. Edmonton answered less than two minutes later but Jack Skille would score as well to give Chicago a 2-1 edge. Kris Versteeg added a goal in the second period to give the 'Hawks a 3-1 edge, but it would take a Cam Barker power play goal late in the third to give the 'Hawks enough room to escape with the win in regulation. The Blackhawks sent a barrage of shots - 38 total - towards Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who just last year helped the 'Hawks to the Western Conference finals. Said the Bulin Wall after the game, "It was weird to be on the other side. They actually have become a pretty good team." Pretty good is right; at 4-1-1 in the young season, the 'Hawks sit alone atop the division. The team is on the road tonight in Nashville (7 p.m., CSN). more ›

Now that Mayor Daley is firmly back on Chicago soil, he's staring down not only a dangerously low popularity rating, but also a city that's on the verge of economic disaster. Impending budget holes, (yet another) CTA Doomsday scenario, unemployment and of course the on going parking meter fiasco. Before any of these crisis, individually or in total, do him in, Mayor Daley is trying his darnedest to to some serious spin. He's already insisted he won't raise property taxes to close the budget gap, likely taking reserve funds to help him do that. more ›

A quick head's up: the language in the below video is NSFW. more ›

What at first seemed to be a bad situation getting worse for morning traffic is slowly clearing up. Yesterday afternoon, a "pavement failure" on the Kennedy Expressway prompted IDOT officials to caution motorists to avoid all downtown expressways for 24 hours. Then, this morning, Red Line service in the Loop was cut when a man fell on the tracks at the Jackson Red Line stop, forcing Red Line trains to the elevated lines. more ›

• A First Amendment battle is brewing in Buffalo Grove where a village trustee is trying to track down an internet commenter who said something nasty about her teenage son.
• Alleged mobster Rudolph C. "Rudy" Fratto pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
• Chicago-based United Airlines is facing a fine of almost $4 million for a safety violation; specifically, "operating one of its Boeing 737 aircraft on more than 200 flights with shop towels covering openings near where oil collects in the bottom of the engine instead of using protective caps required by the carrier's maintenance procedures." Damn.

If there's one thing we know about professional sports and the athletes that play them, is that it's as likely for someone to face criminal charges as it is for someone to donate to charity. Unfortunately, Chicago Bears rookie Lance Louis is associated with the former. Louis, offensive linemen and 7th round draft pick out of San Diego state, faces a misdemeanor assault charge for an altercation that happened while in college. The incident, occurring last fall, involved Louis and fellow teammate Nick Sandford. Authorities report that Louis assaulted Sandford in a team meeting room, causing Sandford to suffer a fractured cheekbone, broken eardrum and a concussion on top of it all. more ›

After days of "WTF, Oslo?" resounding around the country and across the globe, the five judges of the Nobel jury have responded in a rare defense of their decision to award the Peace Prize to President Obama. They have flipped the international community the bird and basically said "We did it, we stand by it, deal with it." In this piece from the Chicago Tribune, committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland stated that "Alfred Nobel wrote that the prize should go to the person who has contributed most to the development of peace in the previous year...Who has done more for that than Barack Obama?" more ›

What's being referred to as a "pavement failure" on the Kennedy Expressway at Adams is responsible for a new edict from the Illinois Department of Transportation: stay away from downtown expressways for the next 24 hours. Per the Sun-Times:

One lane of the Kennedy was affected, but another was closed so repairs could be done. more ›

Lawmakers return to the Illinois Capitol today for the fall veto session. The session, slated to last three days this week and three next, will focus on money for cash strapped college students and stronger ethics laws. more ›

A DuPage County judge has ruled that Michael Jenkins of Carol Stream cannot be released from police custody, except to the care of a psychiatric facility, after allegedly throwing a 13-week old puppy down the stairs and then kicking it to death. Jenkins attacked the dog after it went to the bathroom in the house. According to Jenkins's mother, he called her last month, upset, and said that he was afraid he might hurt himself. She rushed over to the home, and found the dog dead on the floor. A necropsy on the animal showed that it suffered brain damage, a broken jaw and neck. Jenkins's attorney is trying to get his case heard in DuPage's Mental Illness Court Alternative Program, which could lead to treatment if convicted. [NBC 5, Tribune] more ›

Maureen Barrett, 52, of Willow Springs created just the right blend of beans, meat and sweet heat to win the International Chili Society’s 43rd World's Championship Chili Cookoff in Charleston, W. Va. this past weekend. Barrett won $25,000 in the red chili category beating out 160 chiliheads, people who travel the country competing in events that serve as qualifiers for the world's championship. She’s been competing for 13 years but is still considered a newbie to most chiliheads. She said that she added a little more jalapeno sauce from a green bottle to clinch the victory. As chili lovers, we hope that she will post her award winning recipe here soon. [NBC 5] more ›

Already responsible for The City's Most Expensive Hole In The Ground, Spire developer group Shelbourne Development Group Inc. is in more hot water as their sales center is facing eviction from its current home in NBC Tower. Crain's reports that a complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court claims that Shelbourne hasn't paid rent since April 1 and owes over $300,000 for the space which takes up the entire 18th floor. It's not the only legal wranglings Shelbourne's been involved in; remember, they were sued by Bank of America back in August for allegedly defaulting on a loan. A spokeswoman for Shelbourne said in a statement, “The issue is a typical tenant/landlord dispute that we expect to be resolved amicably. During our time there, we've experienced a few minor issues, and hope the management is more responsive to our concerns.” And, in a display of optimism that suggests Shelbourne lives in a land of rainbows, leprechauns, and unicorns, she added, “The Chicago Spire project is very much alive and yes, we are still talking to potential buyers interested in purchasing units." more ›

It was pretty exciting, even if it was a preseason game, as the Bulls edged the Milwaukee Bucks 87-86 last night at the United Center. The Bulls only dressed ten players as a variety of injuries kept five Bulls sidelined. Joakim Noah led the team with 20 points and pulled down an impressive 16 rebounds while Taj Gibson added 15 points and Kirk Hinrich scored 13. Up by six with two minutes to play, the Bulls let the Bucks pull even, but Jannero Pargo hit the go-ahead free throw with 24 seconds left and the Bucks couldn't get anything to fall in the waning moments of the game. The Bulls continue their preseason tonight in Minnesota tonight to take on the Timberwolves (7 p.m., CSN+). more ›

Are the Bears interested in trading for loudmouth wide receiver Terrell Owens? That's the rumor ESPN was spreading yesterday when Adam Schefter speculated that the 1-4 Buffalo Bills may want to trade T.O. before next week's trading deadline, and their Rumors page (both ESPN Insider only) suggested he might end up with the Bears. more ›

Mayor Daley responded yesterday to the CTA's proposed 2010 budget, calling the potential fare hikes and cuts in service, “very, very ugly" while also trying to reinforce that nothing has been approved, adding, "This is only proposed. And like anything else, that's the last resort. No one wants to see fare increases or service cuts. But they are in a very difficult position." The proposed budget includes the cutting of several express bus routes, trimming back time-tables for bus and rail service, and, most famously (or infamously), raising rail and express bus route fares by 75-cents to $3 per ride. more ›

As we mentioned on Monday, Todd Stroger got his endorsement this week from a large group of black ministers that worry other black candidates in the Cook County board president race will split the vote, guaranteeing that Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O'Brien, the lone white candidate in the race, will win. “This community needs a unified front to address the issues that are pressing against our people,” said senior bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. more ›

• In light of yesterday's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a bankruptcy court judge has once more given the okay for the Cubs to be sold to the Ricketts family.
• If, in a few months, you feel like your copy of the Chicago Tribune is shrinking, you're not imagining it.
• An Indiana National Guard soldier committed suicide in a Muncie, Indiana movie theater last night.

Why head down to the local bar for some video poker or go amongst the unwashed masses at an OTB when you can empty out your bank account sitting in your underwear at home? Because now you can, since the Illinois Racing Board has voted and unanimously approved three companies to accept online horse racing bets from Illinois residents. Betting can be made from any internet ready device including smartphones. more ›

It seems that the Sun-Times sale to James Tyree isn't quite a done deal yet. While the group's largest union, the Chicago Newspaper Guild, agreed to terms along with the expectation that two others would follow suit, there's one union that hasn't even scheduled a vote on the matter. The six member Chicago Typographical Union No. 16 is in no rush to approve anything. Said union president Steve Berman, "I can't sign a document that gives the company the ability to discharge my people without any assurances...we're not running to vote on this one." The Tribune has more on the matter. more ›

Mercy Hospital has always had a special place in the heart of the Daley family. Richard J and wife Eleanor fundraised for the hospital in the 60’s and all the Daley children were born there. In a city where patronage is king, should it be any surprise that current Mayor Daley created a special financing district for Mercy when they fell on tough times? The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that when Mercy Hospital faced bankruptcy four years ago, Mayor Daley created a tax-increment financing district around the hospital that would benefit Mercy to the tune of $60 million. The hospital sold a chunk of land to developers who planned to build pricey condos in the area. The property taxes from the condo owners would go back into the hospital. more ›

This morning, Rev. Jesse Jackson hopped on board a bus with Fenger High School students from the Altgeld Gardens housing development in an attempt to bring attention to what Jackson calls "a state of emergency given patterns of violence and patterns of killing." Students from Altgeld Gardens were transferred to Fenger when their old school, Carver High School, was closed to be converted to a military academy. Residents and students claim the outbreak of violence at Fenger - including the brawl that resulted in the highly-publicized death of Derrion Albert - stems from tension between the Altgeld Gardens students and students from the "Ville" portion of the Roseland neighborhood that surrounds Fenger. Jackson said, "Parents are unanimous in wanting their students to walk to Carver...We must relieve them (the students) of the feeling of harm, the fear of death." [Tribune, CBS 2] more ›

If you gave up on the Blackhawks in their game against Calgary last night - and who can blame you as the Flames were up 5-0 a little over halfway through the first period - you missed a historic comeback by the Blackhawks who pulled out a thrilling 6-5 overtime victory. The huge early hole came via a meltdown that saw the Flames score all five goals in a five-and-a-half minute span in the first period. The first three Flames goals came in a 53-second span and led to goalie Cristobal Huet being yanked in favor of Annti Niemi who, just minutes later, allowed a pair of goals a minute apart. And then the 'Hawks hunkered down. After those two goals, Niemi wouldn't allow another shot past him, finishing with 13 saves and the 'Hawks defense held the Flames to only 10 shots total in the second and third period, as many as they had in the first period. more ›

Just yesterday we were looking at swine flu stats for local colleges and, as if on cue, a Schaumburg school is reporting a pair of new cases. The cases come from St. Peter Lutheran School; principal Roger Kirsh has promised precautions have been taken and the school opened as scheduled today. [Tribune] more ›

Updated studies show that by 2015 some outlying suburbs could face a long-term water shortage according to Crain's. Water supplies are not going to dry up but projections by the University of Illinois Water Survey show that water supplies won't be able to keep up with population growth. As a result, pumping water from them will become cost-inefficient said Josh Ellis, a water policy expert at the Metropolitan Planning Council. He told Crain's:

Communities served by Lake Michigan face the same long-term problem. From drinking water to the reversal of the Chicago River, the Chicago region is now diverting 85% of the lake water that a Supreme Court decision allows; without conservation, that limit could be reached in 15 years.

• A barricade situation on the city's West Side was peacefully resolved this afternoon.
• An off-duty Chicago Police officer was killed in an early morning car crash on the Kennedy Expressway.
• Kirk Dillard got an endorsement in his race for governor from former governor Jim Edgar.

The Chicago Police Department is touting figures that show an 11 percent decrease in homicides through the first nine months of 2009 over the same period of 2008, 348 total compared to last year's nine-month total of 393. Homicides of "youth" - categorized as being between the ages of 6 and 18 years old - were down by a total of 14.5 percent. The announcement comes at a time when the city is receiving particular close scrutiny due to the highly-publicized murder of 16-year-old Derrion Albert, a visceral crime caught on tape and replayed on news programs around the world. more ›

Some 250 Chicagoans braved both the cold weather and Marathon madness to converge on Daley Plaza in a solidarity rally for the National Equality March Sunday, which also just happened to be National Coming Out Day. more ›

Retired NHL star Chris Chelios may make his way back into competitive hockey with a team in Chicago, just not the ones he's associated with. The former Canadien/Blackhawk/Red Wing vet skated with the Chicago Wolves and says he may sign with the team later this week and he hopes to pave the way for a possible return to the NHL. Said Chelios, "The Wolves gave me a great opportunity. It's going to fun and I intend to have a good time with these guys." The Wolves are affiliated with the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. [ESPN] more ›

It's cold outside so that's got folks thinking about cold-weather illnesses already, chief among them H1N1 aka swine flu. Extra precautions are being taken to help prevent the spreading of the virus. Among them, some Indiana health care facilities are pulling magazines and toys from waiting rooms as a means of prevention. So be sure to bring your own book next time you hit your doctor's office. more ›

In a move that was expected, the Chicago Cubs have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing means the tam's new owners - the Ricketts family - will be protected from the Tribune Company's creditors stemming from the company's own bankruptcy filing in December 2008 (the Cubs were not included in that filing). Last week, Major League Baseball owners approved the sale of the team to the Ricketts. more ›

The beleaguered Block 37 project is getting an aerial boost: the project is reported to be in "advanced talks" with Seattle/San Francisco-based Teatro ZinZanni, which describes itself as, "a bewitching evening of European Cabaret and Cirque, Divas and Madmen, Spectacle and Sensuality with Live Music and a Gourmet Five-Course Dinner." According to Crain's, Teatro ZinZanni would set up shop in part of the project's top floor. Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc., already providing food for the Block 37 project's third-floor food court, would provide food service to Teatro ZinZanni. Block 37 also announced the addition of cosmetics shop Sephora to its list of clients. more ›

Yesterday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon saw Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru set a course record of 2:05:41 and Russia's Liliya Shobukhova was the top woman finisher. In addition to the standard prize money for winning, Wanjiru also pocketed a $100,000 bonus for setting the course record -- but that almost didn't happen. Not aware of his record-setting pace or the bonus at stake, he waved to the crowd during the final stretch and ended up surpassing the old mark by a single second. more ›

Todd Stroger, he of low approval ratings and general malaise across the populace, is finally getting some support. Stroger will get an endorsement from a group of 300 African-American ministers today - Minister Louis Farrakhan is among the most high-profile members - in his race for re-election next year. Worried the four black candidates will split the vote, paving the way for the lone white candidate - Cook County Water Reclamation District President Terry O'Brien - to win, the ministers want a "consensus" black candidate. But two of Strogers challengers - Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, both of whom are black - aren't buying it, saying most of the group planned to support Stroger anyway. more ›

While it's unlikely this Nobel Prize win will bring the attention of that other Nobel winner, it's still worth noting Indiana Univ. professor Elinor Ostrom was named the co-recipient of this year's Nobel Prize in Economics. Ostrom is the first woman to win the award since it's inception over 40 years ago and she shares the award with Oliver Williamson, a professor at the University of California. According to the New York Times, "Ms. Ostrom’s work focuses on the commons, such as how pools of users manage natural resources as common property." [NYT, WBEZ] more ›

As regular as the first frost of the season, so, too, does the oncoming winter also bring another tradition of recent years: a proposed fare hike from the CTA. Say what you will, at least it's not another Doomsday Prophecy. The CTA is still trying to close that pesky budget gap that may go as high as $300 million and they've outlined a new list of proposed fare hikes in a plan that was printed as an ad in today's Chicago Tribune. In addition to the fare hikes, the CTA is also proposing for a cut in service, mainly in the form of cutting back hours and nixing a few express bus routes. more ›

Lots of press releases grace our inbox at the Chicagoist offices. Every once in a while we get one that makes us do a double-take. Gerald Farinas's announcement that he's running for 46th Ward Alderman is one of those press releases. Farinas officially announced his candidacy Sunday at Chicago Solidarity Rally in Daley Plaza, held in support of the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. Farinas notes that, if elected he will "be the Council’s second openly gay member," after noting that "Farinas is expected to garner much of his support from reform minded Democrats and, as a former inner circle advisor to Keyes 2004, city Republicans wanting a seat at the table to have their voices heard." Besides Shiller, Farinas will face James Cappleman, who lost in 2007. more ›

Gothamist was part amazed and part horrified by this crazed fight between a taxi driver and pedicab driver.

South suburban Markham drivers got quite a surprise early Sunday morning when a horse that had gotten loose onto I-57 from a nearby ranch caused some minor traffic problems, before jumping a fence and returning back to its ranch. more ›

As Harold Washington Library displayed its new teen media center, Mayor Richard M. Daley focused on ways to stem the rash of youth violence the city has experienced in recent weeks, Chicago Breaking News reports. The library's new YOUmedia lets teenagers edit music and video projects on computers. A program like this teaches marketable skills and provides a "safe place" and an alternative to hanging out on the streets, Daley said. more ›

Naperville attorney W. Brand Bobosky is claiming that he came up with "We Not Me" a recent ad campaign used by Adidas. Bobosky is suing the sportswear company for using his copyrighted slogan in their campaign. The multimillion-dollar advertisements featured NBA star Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics. Bobosky told the Chicago Sun Times that he tried to negotiate a licensing agreement with Adidas after their advertising campaign launched. "They stonewalled me for 11 months" he said. more ›

A British developer will not buy the massive $40 million Chicago post office he won the rights to purchase, Chicago Breaking News reports. more ›

Under fire from gay rights group for his lack of action since his inauguration, President Barack Obama pledged yesterday to end the military's controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Of course, such a proclamation came with a caveat that likely will cause the criticism to continue: he set no specific time-table for actually ending the policy. Obama made the announcement yesterday at a fund-raiser for the Human Rights Campaign. Speaking to a crowd of 3,000 at the event, Obama said, "I will end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'; that is my commitment...I'm here with you in that fight." The frustration with Obama's lack of action has led to today's National Equality March (which also marks National Coming Out Day). If you want to join the march, you've still got time: it gets underway at 1 p.m. at Daley Plaza. Just watch out for those marathon stragglers. more ›

The crisp, clear weather this morning was perfect for the 40,000-plus runners participating in this year's Chicago Marathon. As we write this, several thousand runners are still out on the course so watch out for those road closures which continue until mid-afternoon. But it didn't take long for the elite runners to cross the finish time. One, in fact, did so in record time. Kenya's Samuel Wanjiru blazed the course with a time of 2:05:41, breaking the course record by one second and capturing the men's title. Russia's Liliya Shobukhova had an impressive race of her own to take the women's title with a final time of 2:25:56. Shobukhova had an impressive split, running the second half of the race almost six minutes faster than the first. She was locked in a group of four runners late in the race but around the 25th mile, she surged away from the pack to claim the title. We'll have more on the race, including more photos, tomorrow. If you've got some you'd like to share, be sure to drop them off at the Chicagoist Flickr Pool. And a big congrats to everyone who participated in this morning's race! more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks gave fans their money's worth at last night's home opener, edging the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in a dramatic nine-round shoot-out win. The Blackhawks got on the board first thanks to a power play goal from Cam Barker. The Avalanche, however, bounced back in the second period with the next two goals to take a 2-1 edge. From there, the two teams exchanged goals as a total of five goals were scored in the second, ending with the teams tied at 3-3 (the 'Hawks got goals from Andrew Ladd and Duncan Keith). After a scoreless third period and overtime period, the teams moved to a shoot-out. The two teams extended the shoot-out to a ninth frame, the longest shoot-out in Blackhawks' history, when a goal by Andrew Ladd gave the 'Hawks a 4-3 shoot-out edge and a 4-3 win. Cristobal Huet stopped 16 of 19 shots he faced in regulation and overtime and came through with some key saves in the shoot-out, stopping 6 of 9 shots. The Blackhawks next welcome Calgary to town on Monday (7 p.m., VS). more ›

A former flight attendant on Oprah Winfrey's private jet filed a federal lawsuit Friday, denying allegations she had a sexual encounter on the plane and seeking more than $75,000 in damages, the Tribune reports. more ›

Earlier this year, lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn decided, in the midst of a state budget crisis, to cut funding for the MAP grants financial aid program, and fund only half of the $440 million program, just enough to get the quarter of Illinois' college students that rely on MAP through the first half of the school year. If lawmakers don't restore the funds during their fall session in Springfield this week, the 137,000 undergraduates could find their educations at risk. more ›

Jayla Ray, a two-year-old of the 1100 block of San Francisco Avenue, died of smoke inhalation after a fire on Friday night in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, officials reported to the Chicago Tribune. more ›

CTA officials are investigating whether an unidentified bus driver followed procedure or ignored a person in distress after a passenger was attacked with a chemical two week ago, the Tribune reports. more ›

The CTA continued its jostling yesterday by electing a new chairman of the board. Former CHA chief Terry Peterson will fill the spot vacated a month ago by Carole Brown. more ›

Thanks for tolerating us this week while Marcus is out terrorizing (or being terrorized by) Wisconsinites. He'll be back Monday. more ›

You know that giant hole at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive where the Spire was supposed to rise and tower over the city? Well don't expect it to be back-filled just yet. Despite construction being halted a year ago and the developer being sued this past summer, Spire architect Santiago Calatrava says the project is not dead. He asked for "patience" about the Spire -- he pointed out that one of his projects took 13 years to come to completion. The Spire's developer, Garrett Kelleher, also told the Trib's Blair Kamin that people are still showing up at the sales center, and the company recently arranged for new financing. [Trib] more ›

14-year-old Michelle Fahle who attended Naperville North High School and died yesterday had H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu, according to the DuPage County Health Department. However, she apparently also had an undisclosed "underlying condition" that could have also contributed to her death. No precautionary measures have been taken at the high school yet, as it was closed today for parent-teacher conferences and will be closed Monday for Columbus Day. If Fahle's death is attributed to swine flu it will be the first H1N1 death in DuPage county and the 20th in Illinois. [CBN] more ›

President Obama held a news conference this morning to address his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Perhaps sensing the criticisms of the far right and skepticism of some of his supporters to being awarded the honor, Obama said he was "surprised and deeply humbled" at winning the Nobel, questioned whether he even deserved the honor and said that he doesn't view the Nobel as 'recognition of (his) own accomplishments." more ›

The city's LGBT community (in addition to, ya know, people who don't enjoy police misconduct) received good news Thursday when it was announced Officer Richard Fiorito has been placed on desk duty pending the resolution of 20-some federal lawsuits alleging his misconduct. more ›

For an estimated 45,000 runners, months of training will culminate with the 32nd running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which will begin at 7:30am in Grant Park Sunday morning. The 26.2 mile race snakes through 29 of our city's neighborhoods, from the Loop north to Wrigleyville; looping back south and west through University Village, Little Italy, Chinatown and Bridgeport; before hitting the finish line back in Grant Park. The urban course creates an amazing tour of Chicago for the runners, while also being spectator friendly: over 1.5 million people are expected to stand on the sidelines cheering on friends, family or strangers. The marathon website offers spectator info. While the past two years have seen high temps create problems for runners, this year's race forecast calls for cool and rainy, with a high of about 50 degrees. more ›

Missed opportunities and a stellar performance by Chris Osgood spoiled the Blackhawks' return to our fair continent, losing their first game in regulation of the season to the Red Wings in Detroit, 3-2. It wasn't for lack of trying. Continuing the season's trend, the Hawks once again outshot their opponent (34-23). Their aggressiveness led to a 1-0 lead early in the second period, as the Wings turned the puck over trying to clear their zone, and Kris Versteeg passed to Patrick Sharp, who was just hanging out, whispering sweet nothings into Osgood's ear. The Hawks' previously perfect penalty kill faltered midway through the second as Niklas Lindstrom's shot deflected off John Madden's skate and past Cristobal Huet (0-1-1). With less than five minutes to go in the period, the Red Wings added a goal by Kris Draper and then a power play goal by Johan Franzen just over ninety seconds later. Versteeg cut it to 3-2 with a power play goal halfway through the third, but it wasn't enough to overcome Osgood's dominance, a disorganized five-on-three opportunity in which the Hawks managed just one shot, and shuffled lines and new faces due to their spate of injuries (latest news: Ben Eager was put on injured reserve prior to the game). The Hawks (1-1-1) make their United Center season debut this Saturday as they take on the Colorado Avalanche (2-1-0). more ›

As we listed in yesterday's "Extra Extra," seven protesters were arrested yesterday in the sales office of Cigna Insurance at 525 W Monroe. Participants of a nationwide campaign for single-payer health care called Patients Not Profits formed a small picket line outside of the office. Seven picketers then entered the building and demanded to speak with Cigna's CEO. When denied, they sat down in the lobby and chanted “patients not profits” and "Cigna is the real death panel" until they were escorted out by police. more ›

Last night the Tribune broke the story of Binny's Beverage Depot agreeing to buy Sam's Wine and Spirits for an undisclosed sum. We can't say that this wasn't unexpected. Our most recent visits to Sam's have been funereal, if not downright depressing. It also ends with a whimper the aggressive competition between the two big-box liquor wholesalers that was waged for almost six decades. more ›

The race for Illinois Governor got even more crowded yesterday with an entry announcement from personal injury lawyer and political newcomer Edmund Scanlan. Scanlan played up his status as political neophyte at a press conference, opening by saying “I've never run for office before, maybe that's a good thing.” He spoke of the history of corruption in Illinois and said that he would work for pension reform, campaign finance reform and run the state “like a private business.” more ›

Rainy. In the 50s. Hm, sounds familiar. Only the twist on today is tonight our temps will drop into the 30s. Man, this blows. more ›

President Obama became the third sitting President to win the Nobel Prize for Peace. Obama was awarded the honor for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." more ›

• That was fast. One day after Sun-Times Media Group and its unions agreed to terms, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of STMG to an investment group headed by Mesirow Financial's James Tyree. [Crain's]
• A survey of drivers lists texting behind kids, eating and other drivers as bigger distractions. [Tribune]
• Shocking video of a Dolton policeman beating a special needs student because of a dress code infraction [CBS2]

The Sun-Times is reporting that the next stop in Rod Blagojevich's Tour of No Shame is an appearance on "Celebrity Apprentice." That's right. The orbit of the disgraced governor who allegedly tried sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder and dared the FBI to tape him doing so will intersect with that of the businessman who never found a product he couldn't tarnish by attaching his name to it. Dali couldn't have painted something so surreal. more ›

Last season, both our baseball teams reached the playoffs. This time around, both the Cubs and White Sox cleaned out their lockers. This was not unexpected for the Sox, but many truly thought this was going to be the Cubs' year. And yet fans on both sides of town are left to "wait until next year." more ›

With the Olympics out of the way and Mayor Daley's imposed delay on a vote over the proposed second Wal-Mart store in Chicago, 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins has decided it's time to up the ante on bringing the global mega-retailer into his neighborhood. Setting a stuffed hound in front of 14th Ward Ald. and Chairman of the council's Finance Committee Ed Burke, Brookins vowed to "hound" Burke until the issue was brought to a vote. “Not after 40 years,” Burke said. “Woof, woof.” more ›

Chicago 2016 Olympic FAILGATE is starting to become a fleeting memory, which is why we're so glad we came upon this video before we fully move on to other things. If you're familiar with the various "Hitler bitches about..." Internet memes floating around the wasteland, then you already know some (all?) of the language is NSFW. more ›

While Daley decried the press for writing his political obituary too soon and declared that there would be no political fallout for his failed 2016 Olympic bid, the fact of the matter is that he's said publicly that he hasn't decided if he's going to run for mayor in 2011 or not. That's not a shocker - lots of politicians play coy when asked about an election that's still too far on the horizon to predict. Nevertheless, Chicagoans have been whispering about the impending municipal elections for days now (if not months). And while the mayor hasn't made anything official just yet, his brother (and former U.S. commerce secretary) Bill expects Richie to run again. "Win or lose, the Olympics were never going to determine what Rich Daley was going to do," William Daley told the Tribune. "I believe he runs again. I just assume he does. He still has the enthusiasm for the job." more ›

Yesterday City Council voted 27-11 approving an ordinance requiring anti-abortion activists to keep a distance of 50 ft. away from clinic entrances and medical facilities to create a protective zone for patients and employees. Within the so-called bubble zone, "no one could get closer than 8 feet to pass materials, display signs, protest, educate or counsel another person without their consent" according to the Sun-Times. Activists who violate the ordinance risk a $500 fine. more ›

Last month, the members of the Chicago Newspaper Guild voted down a proposal by James Tyree, a deal with the devil which would have gutted the union in exchange for his buying the bankrupt media group. Late yesterday afternoon it was announced that the guild had reached an agreement with Tyree, in spite of his claims that he would withdraw his bid and that the "concessions are an absolute prerequisite from all 18 collective bargaining units for a proposed sale." While the agreement, which the membership voted on yesterday afternoon and evening, means significant pay cuts, Jim Newton, chair of the Waukegan Unit of the Guild said that the agreement "demonstrate[s] our commitment to [the paper] and our craft.... We look forward to helping this new venture not only maintain but improve our presence in the local and regional media market." more ›

So Tom Skilling mentioned yesterday there's a chance of snow on Monday? That figures, we got robbed of a decent summer and now fall is only going to last a week and a half? Ugh. We wish we could give you some better news this morning but today's weather looks to be rainy and bleak, with temperatures in the mid 50s. Tonight looks about the same. Double ugh. more ›

• Education Secretary Arne Duncan is earmarking $500,000 to Fenger High School to combat high school violence in the wake of the murder of Derrion Albert. [Crain's]
• A fight broke out at Julian high School this afternoon as classes let out for the day. [Chicago Breaking News]
• Steve Rhodes with a wonderful piece on the roots of youth violence. [Beachwood Reporter]

Crain's is reporting that Sun-Times Media Group and the Newspapers Guild have come to an agreement that can facilitate the sale of the Bright One and its holdings to Mesirow Financial CEO James Tyree. [Crain's] more ›

A DuPage County jury took little time today to decide that Brian Dugan, convicted for kidnapping, raping and murdering 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico, qualifies for the death penalty. more ›

And the funny thing is, the protesters are pro-gay. In reaction to news that President Obama will deliver the keynote address for LGBT org Human Right Campaign's fundraising gala Saturday, the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network are planning to picket the event. They say "the time for talking is over" and want to see a little less conversation, a little more action on LGBT rights from the President. more ›

At one point in their lives, almost all beer enthusiasts have dropped in to the local liquor store to pick up a single foamy beverage. Many liquor stores, convenience marts and other booze barns sell single cans or bottles of beer in all shapes and sizes. For consumers, single cans are an alternative to grab a quick drink instead of investing in a six pack or full case. For retailers, selling them is a way to cash in on broken cases or on locals interested in a more portable intoxicant. That is exactly what some townspeople in north suburban Arlington Heights want to change. more ›

Not since Pee Wee Herman had his bike stolen have we felt such pity for a victim of such theft. Watch this video and see if we can't help Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me host Peter Sagal reclaim what's rightfully his! more ›

Naperville, home to 7-figure historic houses, Ribfest, and 2 Targets is a suburbanite wet dream. Which is probably why their city council doesn't want homeless people cluttering up their spiffy downtown. They recently passed an ordinance 6 votes to 1 "banning sleeping, camping and storing personal property" anywhere on their downtown streets. The Naperville city attorney says they enacted this measure to "protect the economic vitality" of the area. more ›

Not a day goes by that we don’t have some sort of press release cross our desk, or get an email promising “secret information that will "distroy" [Sic] Mayor Daley’s House of Cards,”, but it isn’t often that a U.S. Congressman gets on national television to read his love for the Second City into the Congressional record. That said, Mike Quigley’s “Top Ten Reasons the world should still stop by for a slice of deep dish in Chicago, the greatest city in the world” is way too populist on the food angle (really, he couldn’t mention Alinea or the Publican?), and really kind of ridiculous on the schools end (as in, our high schoolers could kick Rio’s high schooler’s asses). more ›

Sports radio pioneer and consummate athletics-savant Chet Coppock's new book, "Fat Guys Shouldn't Be Dancin' at Halftime" is everywhere this month, from Borders to Costco. Chet himself is on a Chicago news program or talk show pretty much every hour, on the hour, hawking this tome of encyclopedic local sports knowledge. more ›

Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are in town today to meet privately with Mayor Daley and select Chicago Public School students and parents to discuss youth violence. more ›

Richard Christian, a local ad executive, died of congestive heart failure over the weekend. Christian, a founder of the Chicago-based Marsteller ad agency and Burson-Marsteller Public Relations, was best known for creating the well-known and oft lampooned Keep America Beautiful public service announcement, featuring "Iron Eyes Cody", the iconic Native American who sheds a tear at the end of the ad after witnessing the littering of America. more ›

In his first local press conference since Chicago lost its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mayor Richard Daley declared that he would pay no political price for the loss, "none whatsoever." “You wrote my obituary, didn’t you? Some of you have, I guess,” the mayor told the press. “I don’t know why you already put me in the grave,” he said. “I know you’re all planning on it, don’t worry,” he said, after asking that we at least run a nice picture of him. more ›

We've joked that if there was an iPhone app that would allow us to have sex with ours, we'd download it in a heartbeat. But it's only a joke. Others are more serious about their cell phone use. A recent survey shows that 3 out of 10 people in Chicago would rather give up sex than their cell phones. [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

With all of the Olympics hoopla last week, we hadn't yet had a chance to preview the Blackhawks season, which opened in Helsinki, Finland against the Florida Panthers on Friday. After last season's renaissance on the ice, hockey has re-emerged as a sport we in Chicago care about, and we fans have high expectations for our Blackhawks in 2009-10. more ›

Weber-Stephen Products Co., which manufactures all of their charcoal grills, as well as the Summit, Genesis and On-the-Go lines in Palatine, has signed a long-term lease on a nearly 250,000-square-foot building in Elgin, Crain's is reporting. Weber plans to expand its local distribution operations, and the site's proximity to I-55, as well as the option to take occupancy quickly were key parts of the deal. No word on how many jobs this will mean for the Chicago metro area, but with consumer spending still lagging and manufacturing taking a beating these days, expansion of a business that manufactures at least some of its product locally is good news for Illinois. more ›

In an ongoing effort to control costs and contain the city budget, the Chicago Public Library system is working on a plan to reduce hours at 76 branches this winter. The cuts will reduce the hours that libraries are open, Monday through Thursday, but will not impact the three main libraries: the Harold Washington library downtown, Sulzer on the North Side, and Woodson on the South SideMost branches are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Under the new plan, which is still being worked out, branches would open no earlier than 10 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m.; hours would be staggered amongst branches. more ›

Yesterday Illinois State Congressman Mike Quigley threw his support behind Pat Quinn for a full term as governor in 2010. At a press conference Monday morning, Quigley said “Our state has been paying the cost of corruption for too long; now more than ever, we can't afford it.” With the state still reeling from the omnipresent punchline that is former Governor Rod Blagojevich, Quigley joked that “Hunting for corruption in Illinois is like hunting for cows. They come up to you and moo. It's hard to govern when people are laughing about this government instead of functioning.” more ›

With Chicago's Olympic hopes dashed, the local organization that dared us to Imagine Letting Friendship Shine will begin to close up shop. Chicago 2016 is expected to lay off nearly 60 members of its support staff, retaining a skeleton crew as it winds down operations by year's end. All of the brain power and dreamers, many collecting six-figure salaries from the organization, will go back to their corporate jobs or on to other lucrative jobs. What's left of Chicago 2016 will be dissolved, and its remaining finances will be donated to World Sport Chicago, who's mission is to "uphold and advance the Olympic ideals in every day life through active participation in Olympic and Paralympic sports" by bringing sports opportunities to Chicago youth. more ›

• The man charged with stalking and making those peephole videos of ESPN's Erin Andrews has been released on bail but ordered to home confinement.
• Chicago in 2040: still no jet-packs but more CTA.
• Those who fear the next Hamthrax outbreak can mark your calendars: the first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine are due to hit Chicago on October 15, but those first doses will be limited to certain demographics.

Tony Dameron, a man convicted of brutally killing his 3-month-old daughter in 1998, has filed a petition to have his name removed from the Illinois Sex Offender Registry. Dameron, a current resident at the Pontiac Correctional Center, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder after being found guilty of beating his baby to death and stuffing her in a duffel bag. He says that he was unfairly put on the list after being charged with "aggravated criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13," but he was not convicted of that crime. Dameron says that being on the sex offender list is damaging to his reputation. more ›

We may have lost the Olympics and all the construction/repairs that come along with it, but to nurture our souls we can look to a brand new interstate! According to the Chicago Tribune, a recent study indicates a potential need for a new interstate linking Illinois and Indiana due to increasing traffic rates. The proposed interstate, dubbed The Illiana Expressway, could cut congestion significantly along with providing a surge to the region’s economy. The proposed 25 to 30 mile stretch, operating as a tollway, would connect I-57 in Will County with I-65 in Lake County, Indiana and would cost as much as $1 billion. more ›

The Supreme Court of the United States today upheld an appeals court ruling that the state of Illinois was not required to offer motorists the option to buy "Choose Life" license plates offered by the organization Choose Life Illinois, which is pro-adoption and anti-abortion. Choose Illinois - which counts Chicago Bears owner Virginia McCaskey as a board member - had amassed over 25,000 signatures on a petition for the plates but the state turned it down claiming it didn't want to appear to take sides on the issue of abortion. more ›

A Lincoln Square bar owner was found severely beaten in the alley behind his bar early Sunday morning. According to the Chicago Tribune, bar owner Robert Gonzales, 69, stayed behind at O'Lanagan's - located at 2335 W. Montrose Ave. - after closing time at 3:00 a.m. to clean up. Police found him in the alley less than two hours later after the burglar alarm at the business had been tripped. Gonzales was brought to the hospital, where he died Sunday evening after suffering severe lacerations to his head. more ›

If you live in a neighborhood designated as a "Special Service Areas," you could be facing a hike in taxes soon. The City Council's Finance Committee is to discuss the matter today. According to CBS 2, SSA's are, "...places where aldermen have the power to add upgrades to retail strips and streetscapes, as well as security enhancements to the neighborhood. To fund such projects, taxes go up on homeowners and business owners that live in an SSA area." The wards looking at this potential hike include the 9th, 23rd, 34th, 43rd, 44th, and 46th. more ›

During his City Council confirmation hearing, Terry Peterson, headed towards being chairman of the CTA board, said fare hikes could still be coming as the agency struggles to close a $300 million budget gap. Peterson said, "When Springfield helped out in '08, no one could have predicted where we are today. No one could have predicted the type of economic downturn. We've got to sit down with the state. We've got to go to the federal government. We're looking internally to see what management can do. [And] labor is one of our partners. They're part of this. We've got to sit down and talk with everybody." Peterson has formally served as head of the CHA, a campaign manager for Mayor Daley, and also as aldermen of the 17th ward. The City Council Transportation Committee unanimously approved the appointment, made last week by Mayor Daley. more ›

No matter which team you prefer, you're either sad to see baseball go or glad the long, torturous 2009 season is done. Benjy will wrap up the season for both teams (and look ahead to 2010) later in the week, but for now, here's what went down yesterday. more ›

For a half, the Detroit Lions looked like a team intent on putting together an actual winning streak as an encore to their first victory in almost two years. They jumped out to an early lead and went into the half tied at 21. However, the Bears came alive in the second half and ended up blowing out the Lions 48-24 at Soldier Field. We probably weren't the only Bears fans concerned when the Lions scored on the game's opening drive, to take an early 7-0 lead. But the Bears answered, with Jay Cutler scoring on an helicopter spin of a leap into the end zone. The Lions stormed back down the field and took a 14-7 lead before the Bears tied the game on a touchdown moments into the second quarter. A Tommie Harris interception set up a Greg Olsen score that gave the Bears a 21-14 lead, but the resilient Lions drove 98 yards to knot things up before the intermission. more ›

Losing the 2016 Summer Olympic bid was shocking enough to many Chicagoans; coming in last place was a blow to the ego of a city with a chip on its big shoulders. After two years of wrangling, six months of hype, arm-twisting in the city council and literally millions of dollars in private contributions to pull the bid off, Mayor Daley is coming back to Chicago empty handed, and many people (including those inside City Hall) are asking what went wrong. more ›

Gothamist asked its readers if bicyclists should ride with the cars on the roadway—not the walkway—of the Brooklyn Bridge.

We know Sweet Lou has said he's coming back for 2010, the last year on his contract, but beyond that, what's the future for the Cubs? Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg is making no secret about his desire to coach the Big League team. Sandberg guided the Cubs' AA affiliate to the Southern League championship which would certainly help his resume. As for what awaits him, Sandberg says, "I'm just waiting to see where I'll be headed next year, and to continue to contribute to the organization and gain experience and really enjoy it along the way." [Tribune] more ›

The University of Illinois' board of trustees named former president Stanley Ikenberry as interim president on Saturday, Chicago Breaking News reports. more ›

The Obama administration has gone into spin control in regards to Obama's trip to Copenhagen to support Chicago 2016's failed Olympic bid and is using the classic, "Well, they told us it'd be fine" method. A report in this morning's Tribune reveals behind-the-scenes details describing the way in which the Chicago 2016 bid committee persuaded Obama to make his much-talked-about whirlwind trip to Copenhagen on behalf of the city's bid. Worried that the heated health care bill would head to the floor of either the House or Senate for debate with him in Europe, Obama was still hesitant to make the trip until a few days before he took off. more ›

Even a Cubs fan such as myself has to hand it to the White Sox: this "Well, if we can't be in the playoffs so we might as well completely screw up the playoff picture for someone else" attitude is pretty addictive. The White Sox downed Detroit 5-1 last night, forcing the Tigers into a tie with the Minnesota Twins heading into the last day of the season. Adding a little fun to the festivities, if the Twins and Tigers finished tied, the Twins host a playoff which will have to be played Tuesday because of the Vikings-Packers Monday Night Football game at the Metrodome. Anything that messes even the slightest bit with Bud Selig is totally awesome with us. Okay, but there was a game last night, too. Freddy Garcia looked sharp, pitching seven-plus innings, striking out seven, and giving up only a single run. Carlos Quentin had a two-run homer and Alex Rios also had a great night, knocking in three runs. The Sox wrap up 2009 against the Tigers today at 12:05 p.m. (WGN). more ›

A day after being shellacked by the Arizona Diamonbacks, the Cubs bounced back behind a sterling performance from rookie Randy Wells and shoutout the D-backs 5-0 earlier this afternoon. Wells struck out 10 while allowing only three hits over seven innings or work. Reed Johnson hit a two-run triple in the fourth and Geovany Soto doubled in Johnson to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead; Soto would add another RBI in the sixth. The two teams do it one more time, closing out the regular season tomorrow afternoon at 1:20 p.m. (CSN). more ›

The trustees at the University of Illinois have selected a new president for the school. Current President B. Joseph White will remain in place until the end of the year when Stanley Ikenberry will return to the school to take over the position. Ikenberry previously served as president of the university from 1979 until 1995; he will fulfill the position only temporarily until a permanent replacement can be found. [CBS 2] more ›

The Illinois attorney general's office has sued a Chicago recycling company for misusing $88,000 of state grant money administered during former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's term, the Tribune reports. more ›

The FBI arrested a Westmont man Friday at O'Hare International Airport for allegedly videotaping an ESPN anchor in two hotel rooms, according to Chicago Breaking News. Michael David Barrett, 48, faces interstate stalking charges for producing nude videos of ESPN personality Erin Andrews (Andrews is not named in the FBI release but is identified as "an on-air personality with ESPN"). The videos - which lit up the sports blogosphere back in the summer - were obtained through "altering peepholes," the report said. According to The Australian, the eyepieces were "shortened" and then "hacksawed" to see into the victim's room. more ›

Peavy Shuts Down Detroit, Gives Sox Hope For 2010 more ›

• So what happened at the IOC vote? Some say blame the USOC though an Australian IOC rep thinks an Asian alliance may have teamed up to help Tokyo and hurting Chicago's bid as a result.
• Obama had a subdued, respectful reaction to the results - did we expect anything else - but the question as to how much this will impact his legacy looms.
• It took three hours after Chicago's first round bounce for Mayor Daley to surface, but he did and he was straight-forward in his thoughts on the bid: "I'm disappointed but you go on with your life."

Oh, hey, the Blackhawks started their season today! That's right, lost amongst the Chicago 2016 hoopla and fall-out, the Chicago Blackhawks opened their 2009-2010 season in Finland today against the Florida Panthers but wound up on the wrong end of a 4-3 shootout. The Blackhawks got on the board for the season first in the second period courtesy of a Patrick Kane goal early in the second period. That began a see-saw battle of the teams exchanging goals. Florida answered to tie the game 1-1 by the end of the second period. In the third, Dustin Byfuglien got a goal early, less than four minutes into the period. Florida bounced back with a goal of their own a few moments later. Once more, the Blackhawks went ahead thanks to Patrick Sharp's first goal of the season but, once more, the Panthers battled back and with a little over two minutes left in the game. After a scoreless overtime, the Panthers took the victory with a two goals to one shootout. Cristobal Huet stopped 21 of 24 shots but the Blackhawks managed a mind-boggling 55 shots on goal - 24 in the third period - but only came away with the three goals and a loss. The teams tangle in Finland again tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Chicago time (CSN). more ›

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder... so cold, in fact, that a woolly mammoth will soon be calling Chicago its temporary home. The best-preserved baby woolly mammoth ever found, named Lyuba, will be on exhibit beginning in March at The Field Museum. It will be the first time Lyuba has been shown in the U.S. since its discovery in 2007. more ›

We've hung out with a lot of crankypants people in our time, but if we ever have the misfortune to meet 69-year-old Constantine "Connie" Xinos of Oak Brook, we think he might take first prize. more ›

State Sen. Heather Steans made headlines when she filed the Equal Marriage Act (SB 2468), a bill introducing the topic of gay marriage to the Illinois state senate for the first time, yesterday. more ›

Drew Peterson's trial is staying put. Earlier today, a judge rejected Peterson's motion to move his murder trial out of Will County. Attorneys had said Peterson couldn't get a fair trial because of the extensive media coverage surrounding the case. Peterson is charged with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. [Tribune] more ›

The city's loss of the 2016 Olympic bid isn't the only thing probably causing Oprah to cringe today. There's the news that the last year has not been financially kind to the big O. Yes, even Oprah suffers from the recession. According to this year's Forbes' 400 Richest Americans list, Oprah lost $400 million though she actually went up in the rankings (from No. 155 to No. 141). Overall, Oprah is worth $2.3 billion. [Sun-Times] more ›

The Tribune has the final tallies from the IOC's vote. Madrid was the surprise leader after round one but it seems most of those who voted for Chicago threw their support behind Rio come Round 2 and Tokyo supporters followed suit. more ›

We're still trying to figure out exactly...why? Was it the wooden performance by members of the bid team last night? Was there an anti-American sentiment? Was it something as seemingly small but actually big as the world-wide exposure of the Derrion Albert video, a single, visceral act of horrific violence? Who knows? What we do know is that there will be much speculation over the next few days - including here - and maybe we'll come to an answer. Though many of us here at Chicagoist were wary of the Games being held here, to lose in the first round is still...insulting? Hurtful? Because though we might not have wanted the Olympics here, that doesn't mean we don't have civic pride. We love this city. That's why we're here, writing day-in and day-out on this website about this city of ours. Out of love for a city we marvel at. So call us conflicted this afternoon as we try to figure out what happened. And, for some of us, catching up on sleep. more ›

In an announcement that means heartbreak for many but relief for others, the International Olympic Committee has awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro over Madrid. Chicago, as we all know by now, was eliminated first in a stunning development. more ›

This just in! Exclusive footage of Mayor Daley just after the announcement! more ›

The news hit Chicago hard today, as the IOC announced that the City by the Lake would not be hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. Even more shocking, the city did not make it past the first round of voting. Mayor Daley's admonitions that the games are the best economic engine that the city has will be tested in the coming years, and an increasingly frustrated and angry electorate will be looking for leadership out of the financial and political swamp they've been dragged into. more ›

Chicago 2016 has been eliminated in the first round in a stunning development. The crowd here at Daley Plaza is absolutely stunned. The crowd has thinned considerably and an alderman is trying to rally the remaining attendees. Most of the people remaining are walking around stunned. We'll have more photos and information as it becomes available. Speculation has already begun as to why not and now the memory of New York being eliminated in the second round for the 2012 Olympics is fresh on our minds. more ›

Governor Quinn is putting together a "high-level" task force in response to a three-part Tribune investigation which showed how Illinois more than any other state relies on nursing homes as a place to house mentally ill patients or convicted felons with mental illness or physical disability. The Tribune story exposed cases where elderly or disabled nursing home residents were allegedly assaulted or raped by mentally ill criminals living in the same facility. more ›

The Pirates had a lead on the Cubs last night but it was all for naught. All that rain washed the game out and it won't be made up. The game was in the top of the fourth with the Pirates leading 3-0 when the game was delayed by rain for over two-and-a-half hours before being canceled. The Cubs have a weekend series against the Arizona Diamonbacks that starts tomorrow at 1:20 p.m. (WGN). more ›

Hello from downtown Chicago. The festivities have been kicking here for not quite a half an hour or so and the cool weather hasn't dampened the spirits of the large crowd gathered here at a sunny Daley Plaza. We're still a little under an hour away from the start of the IOC's voting. Barring a huge upset, Chicago is expected to make it to the final round of voting, most likely against Rio. That means we won't find out who gets the Games until the official IOC announcement at 11:30 a.m. In the meantime, be sure to keep checking back with this post as we add more pics and updates from the festivities and count down to the big reveal. more ›

When we spoke with Rick Klein about his online Museum of Classic Chicago Television (colloquially known as Fuzzy Memories) for this Chicagoist interview, one of the things that was mentioned was the way that WGN-TV was barring his site from posting TV clips from the station. more ›

We're just a few scant hours away from learning who, exactly, will host the 2016 Summer Olympics and things are getting heated. An American source told CNN the battle between Rio and Chicago is "close as hell." Still, representatives for long-shots Tokyo and Madrid are also still going all out for the bid. Need a quick cram session so you can wow the coworkers around the water cooler with your 2016 bid knowledge before the big announcement? Then check out our candidate city profiles: Chicago; Tokyo; Madrid; and Rio. more ›

Good morning, Chicago. We're awaiting the start of Chicago 2016's final presentation before the International Olympic Committee. You can follow along at the official Olympics website or watch the presentation live on any of the main network affiliates or their websites. We'll hit the highlights below. more ›

• According to the Trib, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is accompanying President Obama on the quick trip to Copenhagen. We're guessing they sneaked out before Sen. Burris knew they were gone.
• Speaking of Obama, once tomorrow's Olympic announcement is out of the way, he'll send Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Chicago to follow up on the Derrion Albert attack.
• We're not the only ones going all-in on the 2016 announcement; our pals at The Reader have a lot of great coverage of their own.

Mistakes Were Made, starring the Oscar nominee and currently running at A Red Orchid Theatre in Old Town, has been extended. The remainder of its run had been sold out but now Wednesday evening performances have been added through October 28. Hurry up and get tickets now. Shannon's performance is absolutely volcanic, and at only $30 a pop they won't last long. more ›

The IOC is all about pomp and circumstance, which is the only way to explain the opening ceremonies held Thursday night in Copenhagen. An opening ceremony for a vote? Sure, why not. Oprah, Mayor Daley, and Michelle Obama were among the Chicago delegates there while other members continued to spread out around town. The Trib has a running update of today's events. more ›

Yesterday, CPD Supt. Jody Weis said he's asked the U.S. Secret Service for help enhancing the video of the brawl that killed 16-year-old Derrion Albert. The USSS has complied and it seems like there are results. As WBBM 780 reports, Secret Service spokeswoman Kristina Schmidt said, "We do have some preliminary results that we have shared with the Chicago Police Department, and we continue to work further to come up with additional results." A CPD spokesman said no arrests have been made and it's too soon to discuss the results of the analysis. more ›

Earlier today, we ran part one of our interview with Londonist editor Matt Brown. While he's explained some of the context of London's role in hosting the Olympics multiple times, he's also shared with us some of the concerns that locals have had with the build up to the games. And while Brown personally likes "big bold projects that can inspire," he also pointed out one of the potential downsides to hosting a high-profile global event, (perhaps more frightening to Americans that to the English): terrorism. "The very day after we got the Olympics, terrorists detonated four explosive devices on the transport network, killing 52 - the single worst terrorist incident ever in London. It's thought there was no direct connection with the Games. However, in the immediate aftermath, there was renewed solidarity and support for the city, which manifested in greater support for the Olympics. I don't think that's a continuing factor, but it was relevant in the early days after we won the bid." more ›

The feds will announce shortly new charges against area leaders of the Latin Kings gang, including boss figure Augustin Zambrano. Sayeth the Trib: "The U.S. attorney's office has scheduled a 2 p.m. press conference to announce a racketeering indictment against the gang's hierarchy, mostly from Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. The group sought to enrich themselves through the drug trade and preserved their power through "acts of murder, attempted murder" and other crimes, according to a statement from federal prosecutors." The operation against the Latin Kings, headed up by the ATF, was referred to as "Operation Broken Crown." more ›

While most of us watched the Olympic drama unfold in Denmark, a deal to buy the Saturn brand out from beleaguered General Motors fell apart Wednesday. The Penske Automotive Group, owned by Roger Penske, had been in negotiations with GM to take over the brand. Penske operates 253 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands, and 40 collision repair centers and markets the Daimler AG Smart Car. The proposed deal would have had GM manufacture Saturn vehicles for two years, while Penske established a foreign manufacturing base. Penske ultimately walked away from the deal because they were concerned that they couldn't find a manufacturer to replace GM. more ›

With the Olympic announcement less than 24-hours away, we turned to a member of the staff who has experience living in an Olympic host city for a defense of the bid. Benjy is one of three Chicagoist staffers who lived in the Atlanta area during the 1996 Olympics and offers this pro-Olympics perspective. more ›

This week, as we prepare for Friday's announcement of the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, we'll feature a quick look at each city's proposed venues and bid. Today, we finish with Chicago's biggest opponent, Rio. Previously: Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid. more ›

Less than a week after the violent brawl that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Derrion Albert, another violent teen beating happened last night, this time in the Edgwater neighborhood. According to the Tribune: more ›

Remember the back-and-forth between Patti Blagojevich and her old boss about whether or not she swiped the company email list for the purposes of pimping husband Rod's book? Well, now Patti is pissed and she's got the lawsuit to prove it. The Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki reports that Patti has filed a defamation lawsuit against Rick Roberts of the Chicago Christian Industrial League for his initial remarks. Lead attorney Jay Edelson said, "Hopefully, this will send the message that making false statements against Patti or Rod Blagojevich will not go unanswered." more ›

With the IOC less than a day away from reaching a decision about which city will host the 2016 Summer Games, we thought it might be a good idea to talk to someone that lives in a city that's hosting a summer games soon itself: London. Amidst confusion over what exactly Greenwich Mean time and Chicago time is, we met up with Londonist editor Matt Brown via IM for a conversation about the impact of the games on a major city, and what the residents of that city think about hosting such an event. more ›

Both the Cubs and Sox played doubleheaders yesterday. One team fared much better than the other. more ›

Craigslist buyers uncovered a scam by people pretending to be Illinois National Guardsmen who need to sell big ticket items like cars and boats in a hurry before they're deployed overseas. After receiving several calls, the Illinois National Guard verified that the names of the sellers on Craigslist were bogus according to Chicago Breaking News. Guard spokesman Michael Chrisman said the verbiage is almost the same in every ad, only the type of vehicle for sale is different. more ›

Barrack, Michelle, and The Big O aren't the only Chicagoans in Denmark for the big IOC love-in this week. According to a press release from No Games Chicago, a "delegation of Martin Macias, Jr., Tom Tresser and Rhoda Whitehorse" are in Copenhagen to "deliver our message on behalf of the people of Chicago that we do not want the 2016 Olympics." more ›