On today's 10With, we take a short break from the normal "find someone to blither with and ask 'em a bunch of questions" construct of the standard Chicagoist Podcast Series. Instead, we're breaking down a recent investigative piece from CBS2, and an anti-Brian Doherty ad circulating on TV, neither of which make much sense at all. more ›

While most activity of the Ku Klux Klan has been relegated to the files of history and the occasional flareup south of the Mason Dixon line, it seems that someone in nearby southwest suburban Justice has been taking that style of intimidation and putting it to a more local use. A number of racially motivated incidents have been taking place around a mobile home community called Sterling Heights, with Klan flyers and nighttime terrorizing. CBS2 reports that in March and April, an unnamed family who had recently relocated to Justice from Englewood were on the recieving end of the worst of the Klan-branded flyering, and overnight abuse: more ›

Tragic cases like those of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince or Megan Meier have dramatically raised the profile of the cyber-bullying concept recently, and now the idea of digitally harassing fellow schoolmates has an example a little closer to home. CBS 2's Pamela Jones profiled the experiences of Jennifer Hayes, a 17 year old from Morris, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. more ›

The parking meter lease saga continues, as CBS 2 reports that under the city’s lease agreement with Chicago Parking Meter LLC, it could be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to the company for revenues lost when the city closes metered spaces for street construction, fairs, block parties or other projects. Critics opposed to the lease pointed this fact out as well as 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack, who voted against the lease. However, this makes of us think of 33rd Alderman Dick Mell‘s remarks during the original vote on the lease about how could he be expected to read the small print. Did those voting for the lease not bother to do just that? more ›

Flesh-eating bacteria. Swine flu. The plague. We have enough to worry about these days, let alone what dangers are lurking for us when we stop by the Dollar Store. Thankfully, CBS 2 is there to alert us to the creeping hazards that await us in the aisles of the discount departments. more ›

• Anne Lockett, the ex-girlfriend of Brown's Chicken Massacre defendant James Degorski, testified against Degorski at his trial today.
• WBEZ takes a look at the case of Devon Young, a 25-year-old man shot and killed by police in June 2008, and the seeming lack of a police investigation into the shooting.
• The Trib talks to Patti Blagojevich.

CBS 2 got a sit-down with Glynn Hall, the baseball coach shot by one of his players after he pulled the player out of the game. more ›

A few days ago, we mentioned a new deal struck by four local television stations that would enable them to share raw footage of non-exclusive events, i.e., sending one camera and mic to a press conference rather than four. Many have speculated - including our commenters - that this was simply a move to set the stage for cuts. And they were all right. In the wake of CBS 2's cuts last week comes word that both Fox 32 and NBC 5 are making cuts and alterations to local television schedules. a href="http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/05/wmaqtv-to-eliminate-local-sundaymorning-news-add-the-talk.html">According to the Trib's Phil Rosenthal, NBC 5's vice president and station manager Frank Whittaker said via a statement, "In this tough business climate, we must redirect our energies and resources to areas of highest impact and growth." Meanwhile, a Fox 32 source described the cuts to the Sun-Times Lewis Lazare as a "bloodbath." more ›

Four local television stations are banding together to share coverage of non-exclusive events, according to a report by Phil Rosenthal in yesterday's Tribune. The stations involved in the agreement are NBC 5, Fox 32, CBS 2, and WGN. The hold-out? Top-ranked ABC 7, whose chief Emily Barr "has said she wants her station to remain independent and flexible with its coverage," according to Rosenthal. Essentially, there would be one camera crew at a non-exclusive event - i.e., a Mayor Daley press conference - that will feed all four stations with each station deciding on how it uses that footage, also cutting down on costs. Check out Rosenthal's story for more information, including quotes from each station. more ›

• The most updated swine flu er, H1N1 influenza A tally for Illinois stands at 20, give or take.
• If Judge Clayton Crane has his way, former Chicago police commander Jon Burge will have to testify in the torture case against him.
• Governor Quinn's reform commission panel stands by their decision to advise against a recall amendment.

It's been far too long since we heard anything from embattled former TV reporter Amy Jacobson. Besides having her story kinda-sorta adapted for a Law & Order episode, you may remember that Jacobson sued CBS 2 for airing the controversial video that led to her termination at NBC 5. The Trib's Eric Zorn, had the details when Amy first filed suit and now Encyclopedia Zorn is back on the case with an update on how Jacobson's lawsuit has cleared a hurdle. more ›

We thought that July's rash of stories about the Amethyst Initiative and lowering the drinking age had come and gone, but last night CBS 2's Rob Johnson* brought back the age-old question: should we lower the drinking age to 18? And we were all set to spend about 300 words bashing CBS for not checking their fax machine in about 4 months, but lo and behold, across the nation there have been a wave of stories about Amethyst in the past couple weeks. Either people are really curious about the idea of 18-year-olds getting tanked, or Amethyst has a pretty solid PR person with a lot of illicit photos of news desk editors across the country. more ›

Maybe we don't want to get our hopes up yet. Maybe we're a little too cynical. Or maybe we're just a little hesitant to put a lot of stock in one unattributed story coming out of a struggling news group, whose biggest recent story has been the moving of their own studios to Daley Plaza.* So we're not exactly rushing to judgement on this one. But if this is for real, it's a hell of a scoop for CBS-2. (You'll allow us our Feder-esque moment of speculation.) more ›

A new online database run by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation allows patients to explore "a doctor's specialty, certification, legal and disciplinary history and more." The database is the result of an effort by Illinois State Rep. Mary Flowers to gain patients more rights after seeing several investigative reports by CBS 2 regarding doctors who have had multiple malpractice suits brought against them. There are, admittedly, still loopholes to be closed in the system. According to CBS 2:

Patients cannot find out about pending malpractice lawsuits, only those with court settlements or judgments in the last five years. And even that information may be incomplete.

It's been a year since former NBC 5 reporter Amy Jacobson appeared in a bikini at the home of Craig Stebic, husband of still-missing Lisa, a move that resulted in Jacobson's release from NBC 5. Now, she's fighting back against the rival network that aired a videotape of the incident. Jacobson and husband Jaime Anglada filed a $1 million lawsuit yesterday against CBS 2 for airing the infamous tape, claiming she has been unable to find work since the incident because CBS 2 portrayed her as "an adulteress and disreputable reporter." Chicago's personal Smoking Gun, Eric Zorn, has the court papers which claim the following: more ›

Remember when prom night meant spiking the punch bowl, renting a hotel room on Lincoln and packing it with liquor, then drinking until sunrise and taking what was left to Great America? Good times. more ›

More local news mayhem. CBS 2 on-air employees Mary Ann Childers, Katie McCall and Rafael Romo were among the 18 people whose positions were eliminated today at the station. more ›

The clock is ticking for Diann Burns, one of Chicago's top-paid news anchors. WBBM announced yesterday that starting April 21, six months before her $2 million contract is up, they're replacing Burns for the 5pm weekday news with California anchor Anne State. Burns will continue to coanchor the 6pm and 10pm newscasts with Rob Johnson, and State will report for the 10pm broadcast as well. more ›

CBS 2 morning news anchor Randy Salerno died yesterday in a snowmobiling accident in Wisconsin. He was 45. more ›