Even as Chicagoans prepare to hit the polls Tuesday, an issue left over from last November's election looms large for many Illinois politicos. Redistricting: that time-honored process of gerrymandering political district borders for the state Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives that has been elevated to an ugly art form across the Land of Lincoln. One of the few comforts emerging for Democrats as the dust clears from their national whooping in the last election, the party retained control of the General Assembly in Springfield; which translates into control of the redistricting process. This is one of only seven states where the Dems will be drawling the lines, but the once-in-a-decade process should be particularly interesting here given the City and statewide population declines and the power realignment that will likely occur in response to the alarming African-American flight from Chicago. more ›

Congressman Bobby Rush is not only being sued by New City Bank in an attempt to recover more than $600,000 in mortgage loans, he has a delinquent property tax bill with the County Treasurer's office. more ›

Jahmeshia Conner, a 12-year-old girl found raped and murdered in an Englewood alley two weeks after she had been reported missing, was put to rest Saturday, the Sun-Times reports. more ›

• The FBI has charged four area men in a child-pornography case; the men apparently did themselves no favors by referring to their groups as "Boy Lovers."
• U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush will introduce the "Bereaved Consumers Protection Act," federal legislation on cemetery regulations, inspired by the Burr Oak scandal.
• The CTA is the recipient of a new $1.5 million grant to help buy cleaner buses.

• Controversy in Evergeen Park where parents of Evergreen Park Community High School students are alleging they were barred from entering the school's graduation ceremony.
• Gang member Steve Bryant was sentenced to 85 years for the 2006 murder of marine Ricardo Martinez.
• Cook County Public Defender Abishi Cunningham claims his office is out of money to defend death penalty cases.

In another episode of the ongoing Roland Burris drama, the embattled Senator addressed supporters Sunday at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church. Although he made no mention of recent calls for his resignation, he promised supporters that he's been working hard to represent them in congress. Noting his support for the recently passed economic stimulus package, Burris went on to point to a voting rights bill he voted for and legislation he introduced to recognize the slaves who helped build the Capitol. "Let me assure you that I will continue to serve you with the fullest of my ability, and that I will never, ever let you down. I will continue to serve you with honesty and integrity. That's all I know," Burris told congregants, community residents and clergy. more ›

A threatening letter was sent to Rep. Bobby Rush's office today, containing what turned out to be a harmless white powder, but was still enough to warrant a Hazmat response. The letter was sent to Rush's office at 700 E. 79th St. Firefighters responded to the call just before noon and employees and the substance were tested. Fire department spokesman Larry Langford said, "It was a white powder, a household product. There was nothing bad about it." more ›

It's the morning after and we're still somewhat shocked at the chutzpah of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. With all the protest from Congressional Democrats, will Roland Burris ever be seated as a U.S. Senator? As we pointed out yesterday, officials across the spectrum are chiming in to denounce the appointment, including President-Elect Barack Obama, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. So what happens next? more ›

At a press conference today, Governor Rod Blagojevich introduced Roland Burris as his selection to replace President-Elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, asking, "Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man." Burris seemed just fine with the selection, saying, "Faced with these challenges and challenged with these crises, it is incomprehensible that the people of the great state of Illinois will enter the 111th Congress short handed. We need leadership in Washington." Also appearing at the press conference was U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who gave Burris his full support. Check out video of the press conference below or listen to it. more ›

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

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

"'I don’t know why more banks don’t have security guards,' [bank robber] Renell Baker says." [AP] more ›

Jeffrey Rush, son of Congressman Bobby Rush, was fired from his job as an assistant supervisor of security at the Fox Valley Adult Transition Center following allegations that he had sex with two female inmates. Fox Valley ATC is Level 8 security — that's the least severe, on a scale from 1 (maximum) to 8 (transitional), and it's not uncommon for inmates to leave the facility for work, counseling, school, or as a reward for... more ›

Rep. Bobby Rush and two co-sponsors introduced a bill to the U.S. House of Representatives in January that would allow groups to hand out condoms to inmates. The Tribune reports that inmates are 5 times more likely to contract HIV than others. A similar bill was struck down by an Illinois State House committee 6-5 on Thursday, leaving the controversial and unpopular issue in the hands of the U.S. Senate. The AIDS foundation of Chicago,... more ›

While Chicagoist was vacationing out west this long holiday weekend, our thoughts turned back briefly to our favorite obsession, politics. When we were hanging out around one of our favorite coffee shops west of the Mississippi, we picked up a copy of the local rag, and read up on all the important news facing readers of that other -Ist. But one story caught our eye, one that has both local and national significance. The Los... more ›

In the US, February marks Black History Month, and while there are no shortage of opportunities to learn about important and significant people of African descent this month, the purpose and history behind the event is sometimes lost. While Africans have been present in North America at least since colonial times, black history had barely begun to be studied — or even documented — when the tradition formally began in 1926. It wasn't until later... more ›

The Rebirth of Englewood Community Development Corporation is a not-for-profit organization that was founded by US Congressman Bobby Rush to encourage community and economic development in the Englewood neighborhood. Back in 2003, telecom giant SBC’s foundation* gave a $1 million grant to the organization to help establish the Bobby L. Rush Center for Community Technology, which would allow training and business development for the community. It all sounds so great, right? An example of corporate... more ›

Georgia Jackson, Parishioner, Pilgrim Baptist more ›

We’ll admit that Chicagoist has been guilty of paying our bills late once or twice. Sometimes the check from the plasma donation center takes a little while to get through the mail, you know? But U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush has taken the act of delinquency and elevated it to an art form. An agency acting on behalf on Bank One is suing Congressman Rush and his wife Carolyn for repayment of a $334,600 home loan... more ›

Bringing a movie about Mississippi blues to Chicago may seem a bit like bringing coal to Newcastle. We Chicagoans are a boastful lot so we’ll be happy to tell our Mississippi friends about our excellent blues scene (that serves both the tourists and the purists) and inform you that we’re the home of one of the premier blues labels—Alligator Records. Of course, your Mississippi friends might just as well turn around and point out that... more ›