• Ald. Bernie Stone (50th) is in no hurry to retire and announced he'll seek reelection next year.
• A bomb threat created a bit of havoc in the Loop this morning but no explosive devices were found.
• Citing a long list of issues, the Art Institute of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against Ove Arup & Partners International for what they claim is shoddy work on the Modern Wing.

With the mayoral race still a ways off and MayDay playing coy about whether he'll run for re-election, one local candidate has thrown his hat into the ring: Jay Stone. Born and raised on the mean streets of the city's far North side, Stone, who practices as a clinical hypnotherapist, is no stranger to Chicago politics. Jay Stone has run for office in Chicago before; in 2003 he challenged 32nd Ward Alderman Ted Matlak (who would later lose to Scott Waguespack). According to WBEZ, while he fell short in that bid, he was awarded " a $75,000 settlement from the city, after an independent monitor found that city workers helped defeat him." He's also the son of Bernie Stone, Alderman of Chicago's 50th Ward, in West Rogers Park. Claims his website: "Stone is often asked why he is so politically different from his father, Vice Mayor and Alderman Bernard L. Stone (50th). Jay Stone answers that his political beliefs were shaped by the 1960s civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements. Stone reports that he chose his political heroes and philosophy before his father was first elected to office in 1973." more ›

[50th Ward resident Hugh Devlin]...told the committee that he wanted to note the multiple political donations to his alderman from the Banks law firm and from the project architect's. State records show more than $3,000 in donations to Stone from Samuel Banks. more ›

In politics, when you see an opening, no matter how small, you take it. And Jay Stone, son of 50th Ward Alderman Bernie Stone, is really reaching here. more ›

Happy 80th birthday, Alderman Bernie Stone! All the other aldermen threw him a surprise party today. Squee, cutest city council meeting ever. more ›

Property tax rates for the Chicago area were announced yesterday, and the fight over how much to raise taxes flared up again. While Todd Stroger tried to make his proposed increases more palatable by offering to rebate any leftover cash from a tax hike that hasn't yet been approved, Mayor Daley took a different approach, sending Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey to a city budget hearing yesterday to shill for higher property taxes. Predictably, county commissioners... more ›

In a 43-6 vote, the Chicago City Council voted to create a new Office of Compliance to police city hiring. Critics have charged that the new office will compete with, and therefore undermine the effectiveness of, the city Inspector General. Daley lauded the vote while reassuring critics, telling the Tribune, "it is the primary responsibility of the inspector general to investigate allegations of misconduct. ... At its core, this department is about assuring that the... more ›

This election has been one of the most significant in recent memory. With seven new aldermen set to take office in May, including the wife of Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 7th Ward, the stage is set for a new power struggle in Chicago. This year, more than any other, saw the city's labor movement — especially the service-sector unions — flex their political muscle. The result? A record-low turnout in the mayoral vote, and... more ›

Just days before he faces Naisy Dolar at the ballot box in Chicago's 50th Ward, Bernie Stone is facing a different kind of challenge in his ward: public art, and the tension it can create in the community. Muhammed Ali, a British Muslim artist who is touring the US in conjunction with the Arts Council England for his “Arts and Islam” tour, came to Chicago this past weekend. For the Chicago portion of the tour,... more ›

Shit is starting to fly in the 2nd Ward. (If candidate Larry Doody were in the runoff, the number of potential poop-themed jokes would be truly astronomical.) During the campaign, the local chapter of the National Organization for Women rescinded their Fioretti endorsement, citing a five-year-old case in which a female court reporter filed for an order of protection against Fioretti, who was then a practicing lawyer — charges that were eventually vacated. Now NOW... more ›

With most of Tuesday's election settled around the city, 24 candidates are gearing up for the special election April 17. The big story that is coming out of this vote is the role that unions played in this election. Of the twelve runoffs, five were candidates that were endorsed by the Chicago Federation of Labor. Two are union members; Leroy Jones in the 21st is a member of SEIU Local 73, and Toni Foulkes is... more ›

Well, another municipal election has come in Chicago, and in many wards (but not all) it's gone. As expected, Richard M. Daley sailed to re-election, set to eclipse his father as the Chicago's longest-serving mayor, in spite of Ben Joravsky's best efforts. At the time of this writing, a few things are clear: there will be a few runoffs this year, including Madeline Haithcock - Bob Fioretti (2nd), Dorothy Tillman - Pat Dowell (3rd), Shirley... more ›

If there was anything we learned back in the 10th Ward, it's that anything goes when you're in a struggle for power. Especially in your own neighborhood. But when we heard that 50th Ward challenger Greg Brewer's office was shut down for 2 hours by a bomb threat yesterday, we were a little shocked. more ›

Two aldermanic races that are shaping up to be real contests in the city have drawn a lot of attention not only from locals, but also from organizations that would like to put a dent in Daley's grip on the city. Two higher-profile candidates, Greg Brewer and Scott Waguespack, have gotten endorsements from labor groups that are itching for a fight with the mayor and his allies on the council. In the 32nd Ward, things... more ›

Here at the Chicagoist offices, we're keeping an eye on some of the bigger ward races in town, as well as a few that we just find interesting. The weirdness and anger in the 46th Ward, for example, occupies a lot of our time, as do the accusations and oddball press releases that come out of 49. The 7th Ward is always a fun distraction, and anytime we see Beavers and Jackson in the news,... more ›

The plot got a little thicker yesterday, as it was revealed that the piece of real estate that the FBI used in its bribery case against Arenda Troutman isn't even in her ward. One thing you can say about her, though, she's definitely willing to work to earn her bribe money. Free on bail as she awaits trial, Troutman went to the city council meeting yesterday, earning breathless reports from Bernie Stone about what he... more ›

The ward west of Rogers Park, the 50th, is going to be one of the more interesting northside races this winter. Although most Chicagoist readers don't live there, it's worth noting, for several reasons. Bernie Stone, the sitting alderman, is facing two serious challengers. What's more, they are both credible, often a premium in ward races. On December 30, Greg Brewer held a press conference to officially announce that he was throwing his hat in... more ›