Authorities continue to investigate an unusual and gruesome crime scene in Evanston where a man was found decapitated near an exploded pipe bomb which apparently killed the man. Police also detonated another explosive device found nearby. A man walking his dog discovered the body early this morning near Nichols Middle School and alerted police; the school was shut down for the day. more ›

Word to the wise: try to keep from talking to yourself, sweating excessively or hyperventilating the next time you pass through security at O'Hare. [] In light of this fall's news that TSA screeners had missed about 60 % of hidden bomb materials that were sneaked through security by tiger teams at O'Hare, the TSA is upgrading its strategy and employing new "psychological tactics." Sounds creepy, right? Really, it just means that screeners are now on the lookout for strange behavior. more ›

In high school one of the constants of our Friday nights was a family-sized pizza delivered to the house from La Villa Restaurant and Banquets in Old Irving. We'd fight for a corner slice among our allotment, chase them down with a glass of pop, and head out the house for our other constant: vainly working on our game with every Catholic school girl we could meet. more ›

Well that should just about do it for any talk of the Bears making the playoffs. After leading for the first 53 minutes of the game, the Bears allowed the New York Giants to score two late touchdowns, resulting in 21-16 loss. The game began with a promising drive in which Rex Grossman drove the Bears down the field with ease, resulting in a touchdown and 7-0 lead just minutes into the game. But that... more ›

Mayor Daley has finally announced his pick for new police superintendent: J.P. “Jody” Weis, an FBI agent who was most recently the head of the Philadelphia field office. The City Council still has to approve the appointment, but given that Ald. Isaac Carothers, chairman of the City Council's police committee, says "maybe going to the outside might bring a fresh look — a guy who knows no one and owes no one,” is anyone worried?... more ›

Let's all give a warm welcome to our newest commenter, Mr. Neil Steinberg! A 16-year-old spotted her rapist at Dunkin Donuts and called the police, who promptly arrested him. A flight from here to New York was searched following a bomb threat, and the FBI is investigating non-specific, "third-hand" threats that al-Qaida is planning on attacking Chicago malls during holiday shopping time. Doomsday, Daley, CTA, Springfield...this is pretty much a Mad Libs at this... more ›

Two Ugandan boxers and one Armenian boxer have disappeared from the AIBA World Boxing Championships. Phillip Adyaku, 25, and Sharif Bogere, 19, of Uganda were reported missing yesterday morning, and Vachagan Avagyan, 25, has been missing since Wednesday night. Also missing? Their luggage. Police don't consider them missing persons because there's no evidence of foul play. Ready to drop the d-bomb? It's possible the athletes have defected, and it wouldn't be the first time... more ›

Security at O'Hare missed about 60 percent of bomb-making materials. more ›

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in... more ›

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. Bostonist got a crash course in what not... more ›

As part of the old Brach's legacy was being blown up for Batman, intentionally causing a blaze, there have been several other fire related bits in the news as well. The police Bomb and Arson Section and Chicago Fire Department are conducting an ongoing investigation of a warehouse fire that started Thursday night in Bridgeport. Just before 10 p.m., a fire was reported at a building near Halsted and 36th Streets in the 3600 block... more ›

Former Chicago resident and one-time member of the Maniac Latin Disciples Jose Padilla was convicted yesterday of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people overseas, conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists, and providing material support for terrorists. Adham Amin Hassoun, a Lebanon-born Palestinian, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, a naturalized US citizen born in Jordan, were convicted as well in federal court. Although held for 3-1/2 years in military custody as an enemy combatant, his... more ›

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. Being the nation's capital, DCist felt especially proud to let freedom ring this week by exposing the really important issues, like how sad they... more ›

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network." It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by... more ›

The Pentagon confirmed last week that in the mid-90s, they had considered developing a “gay bomb.” The Air Force’s Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio (of course, Ohio), had proposed developing an aphrodisiac so strong, it would incapacitate the enemy troops by making them more interested in making love with each other, not war. The implication that an army of men could turn gay under the power of a pheromone or some other chemical alteration was... more ›

For those of you who work in the suburbs, this Chicagoist writer shares your pain. For those of you downtown, you might find this enlightening. Amusing, even. more ›

Where Can I Get a Tattoo? more ›

Jane Radostits, the DuPage County prosecutor who was killed when her state-issued car swerved into oncoming traffic may have had as many as eight drinks before driving on May 11, according to a lawsuit filled yesterday on behalf of Michele Lubinski, 36, of West Chicago. Lubinski, whose left arm and leg were broken in the crash, is seeking damages from Oak Brook's Kona Grill after lab tests revealed Radostits' blood alcohol level to be .25... more ›

The great thing about having old theatres still around is that they do funky stuff. It’s always amusing to see what the Music Box Theatre brings back, and even better, the crowd that turns out. Last time I was in the Music Box, they were showing Deep Throat. We showed up for the midnight viewing after a disco nap, hearing it was a naughty, dirty film. The audience was filled with groups of giggling people too young to know any sexual revolution first-hand. And sprinkled throughout, old men in trench coats. In trench coats, we kid you not. more ›

The nicer the weather gets, the busier we get across the Ist-A-Verse. But we like being busy. Here's a peek at what we've been up to since last week! Chicagoist had an interview with Audrey Niffenegger, whose popular book, The Time Traveler's Wife, was based in their fine city. They also had a heated discussion about Rush Limbaugh's controversial Barack Obama parody, talked about whether Uncle Julio's Hacienda is a good place to get... more ›

Joshua Kuhl of Madison, Wis., and Simon Brown of Rockford, Ill., were charged with felony burglary on Tuesday for allegedly breaking into the Smashing Pumpkins’ rehearsal space and taking various items including publicity photos for the group’s next album. more ›

Red Hen Bread lacks highchairs, changing tables, a kid menu and a door big enough to comfortably squeeze a stroller through. We wouldn’t recommend going there with a large group and eating in, but with a long list of appetizing baked goods, a menu of innovative sandwiches, a friendly staff and an actual stroll-though window, this bread cafe should not be overlooked as a place to grab a bite with your kid. We recently tried... more ›

Chicagoist: Peeking into the minds of the mad, the dangerous and the just plain stupid. more ›

We can't believe we never heard about this before, but it took us years to hear about this, so we definitely miss things. There is a free monthly interview series called Writers on the Record with Victoria Lautman. It's a live interview hosted by Victoria Lautman at the Lookingglass Theatre and takes place Sundays at noon. more ›

One good thing (about the only good thing, really) you can say about the CTA is that there aren’t a lot of bomb scares. That may be because the vehicles themselves are considered enough of a hazard, but we digress. We can’t remember the last time our train was sidelined for anything besides electrical problems or medical emergencies. National rail may be another matter entirely, though: An Amtrak train headed to Chicago from Washington, D.C. was detained last night when several suspicious packages were found abandoned on it. more ›

Motorola settled a sex discrimination suit right before Ed Zander was supposed to testify. If ComEd can raise your rates, People's Gas can too. U of I has scaled back an MBA scholarship program for veterans. Four people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized after a fire at 3550 N. Lake Shore Drive. Two women were killed in Gary when a South Shore train hit their SUV. The historic Montgomery Ward Catalog House on the... more ›

The Police Committee of the City Council decided yesterday that it would be a crime to engage in the sort of guerrilla advertising used by the promoters of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force (ATHF)" earlier this year. more ›

Metra still can't pay the bills. Bonus time to party on the Dan Ryan local lanes! Prince Charles hates McDonald's. Perhaps he would change his mind if he had a smoothie? Bobby Jenks, hulking pile of muscle that he is, tweaked his shoulder in spring training. So long, Burt. We'll have to find new reasons to use this picture. Lollapalooza 2007 = Pearl Jam. A con man scammed some women out of $1 million... 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 ›

Cold and crime and Bears, oh my! Three teenagers were killed and another injured in a fatal car accident on the West Side early Sunday morning. A 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix carrying the four slammed into a CTA support at a high rate of speed near the Cicero Green Line stop (the Trib says Blue Line, but considering the info provided, that doesn't add up). Two of the passengers were thrown from the car. The... more ›