While Chicago Police have not officially confirmed it, other authorities and several media outlets have stated that the man who holed himself up in a Logan Square apartment building yesterday evening was Tyler James Martin, a former McHenry resident accused of killing his girlfriend (Amber Kathleen Cremeens, also a former McHenry resident) in Denver earlier this week. The standoff ended when Martin committed suicide around 7:30 p.m. Authorities in the Denver area had warned local police that Martin was likely on the run and planning to return to the Chicago area to see family. more ›

Now that's more like it! more ›

Is Illinois heading towards legalized medical marijuana? State Senator John Cullerton (pretty website!) hopes so. He's sponsoring a bill that the Senate Public Health Committee approved 6-4 yesterday. A similar measure failed in the Senate last year, but try, try again. more ›

Londonist got the big scoop of the week with what may be the first images of notorious street artist Banksy in action. They also got on a runaway train without an operator provoking a response from the transport authorities. Elsewhere, London's answer to Central Station is about to open for business, and Londonist got a sneak preview. Meanwhile, spooky goings-on beneath London Bridge, where a cache of skeletons provided an apt story for Hallowe'en.... more ›

The Fire return to Toyota Park tomorrow night to take on rival New England Revolution in their penultimate regular-season home game. The New England Revolution are hot off their U.S. Open Cup Championship game earlier this week. The Fire come into the match on a five-game unbeaten streak, but four of those non-beatings were ties because the Fire's been fizzling: In each of their last three games, they held the lead with less than ten... more ›

This post contains spoilers about last night's Top Chef. When last we checked in with our friends on Top Chef, we prophesied that Brian and Dale would be the next two contestants to head home. Brian, you had a good run, but we aren't sad to see you pack your knives—especially if it means one more chance for Dale. The four finalists went to Colorado (similar to how last years' finalists went to Hawaii). Like... more ›

The Cubs couldn't help themselves Wednesday night, as they dropped their second straight game to the lowly Florida Marlins, losing 7-4 in Miami. more ›

The Cubs aren't the only Chicago franchise fighting for the playoffs; The Chicago Fire are narrowly holding on to a playoff berth. With just six games remaining, the Fire are currently in the 8th and final playoff spot, with Colorado and Columbus hot on their heels. The Fire will continue their hunt for valuable points tonight when they take on FC Dallas on ESPN2 at Pizza Hut Park. The "Big D" has not been friendly... more ›

Only four of the thirteen Major League Soccer teams took advantage of Major League Soccer's new Designated Player Rule, made most famous by the signing of David Beckham by the Los Angeles Galaxy, signing a total of five players. This weekend, arguably the two most impactful designated players, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Juan Pablo Angel, will match up at Toyota Park. Blanco has played just seven games but has helped the Fire to earn 13 points... more ›

Is one out of four people you know obese? A new study out by the Trust for America's Health found that 24.4 percent of Illinoisans are obese, putting us squarely in the middle of the country (we are 25th). What is more troubling is that we have the the 14th highest rate of overweight youths (ages 10-17) at 15.8 percent. If you like to make comparisons, Colorado is the skinniest state and Mississippi was the most overweight, as measured by the percent of the population that is obese. more ›

The Chicago Fire used their recent acquisitions to propel themselves to a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. The Fire knew going into Saturday's game that it was important for them to earn 3 points for a victory against the league worst Real Salt Lake (2-10-6 12 pts.). After a less than impressive first 40, minutes Cuauhtémoc Blanco was in the right place at the right time to hit a cracker of a volley that... more ›

If the past week is any indication, it's beginning to look like Houston could end up as the winners of the NL Central this year. While a Cubs surge through June and July allowed them to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the standings last week, since that time neither club has looked like they want to win the division crown. Last night, Carlos Zambrano got rocked for seven runs over 5.2 innings as the Astros... more ›

This week's match-up between the Chicago Rush and the Dallas Desperados has been moved into the prime Monday night slot. The decision could not have been a tough one, as many predict this could be a preview of ArenaBowl XXI. The Rush (8-1) and the Desperados (9-1), along with the Georgia Force (8-1), are the only teams in the league with less than three losses. more ›

We're going to close out "Ska Month" here at Chicagoist with a review of one of their flagship beers. Springtime is perfect for red ales, and we picked up a six-pack of Ska's Pinstripe Red Ale a couple weeks back at Warehouse Liquors in the South Loop for $8.99. A bit overpriced, but Warehouse is one of those liquor stores that's convenient, and their staff is knowledgeable, even if the cashier said that Pinstripe reminded him of "Killian's, only sweeter." more ›

Two Allstate Arena-based franchises are finding success. The Chicago Wolves kicked off their playoff campaign this weekend against their rival to the north, the Milwaukee Admirals. The Wolves took advantage of home ice, winning the first two games in the best of seven series. They won the first game 3-2 and skated to an easier victory in the second game, 4-1. more ›

Last week we declared April as Ska Brewing month here at Chicagoist. In case some of you thought it was some belated April Fools' joke, rest assured; it isn't. This week we're skanking merrily to another of the Durango, Colorado brewery's "robust reincarnations," the True Blonde Dubbel. We purchased it as a 22-ounce bomber bottle at Lush back in February and were looking forward to enjoying this beer when we popped the top last week. more ›

Saturday night, the Chicago Fire won their first season opener in five years. The game time temperature was a frigid 31 degrees but that did not deter nearly 15,000 fans from coming out to Toyota Park to cheer on the Fire. The fans were barely in their seats before the Fire netted the game winner. In the fourth minute midfielder Justin Mapp(right) drove down the sideline and crossed a ball to Logan Pause who flicked... more ›

Spring is in the air, and we're going to try something different this month for "BotW." For April, we're featuring selections from a single brewery we feel deserves some recognition, and chose Durango, Colorado's Ska Brewing Company. We e-mailed Ska co-founder Bill Graham last month, who gave us some background on the company: more ›

The DePaul Blue Demons (20-13) are flying high after defeating Kansas State 70-65 last night in the second round of the NIT tournament. The Blue Demons were led by Wilson Chandler and Sammy Mejia, each netting 18 points en route to the victory. But the Blue Demons have their work cut out for them as they are being targeted by the number one seeded team in the West Region, the Air Force Falcons. Air Force... more ›

The Chicago Fire officially announced that goalkeeper Zach Thornton has been traded to the Colorado Rapids for a conditional draft pick in the 2008 supplemental draft. A trade for Thornton comes as no surprise as the Fire had not renewed his contract. Fire President John Guppy commented, "Zach Thornton played an integral role in helping the Fire build a winning tradition during the club's first nine years, and the atmosphere here will be different as... more ›

Yesterday we gave you a preview of who might be running for president in the Democratic camp. Today we turn our focus to the right, looking at the Republican side of the primaries. Since Dick Cheney isn't going to seek the presidency this time around, the field is wide open for any Republican to join the fray, hoping that his agenda is the one that will resonate most with conservative voters. And not unlike the... more ›

Unlike sledding, which generally leaves us cranky at the cold reality of snow forcing itself into every possible crevice in our foolproof apparel defenses against it, we like ice skating. We like getting in the way of people who are really good at it because we're gawking at them with starry eyes. We like the sound it makes. We like watching skating of the figure variety on TV. more ›

ESPN saw its NFL ratings jump with their move from Sunday night football last year to the "Monday Night Football" slot this season. ESPN will look to keep up the momentum and offer football fans almost year-round "Monday Night Football" action. The Arena Football League and ESPN entered into a five-year agreement for television rights earlier this week. The course of the Arena Football League season runs from March, just a month after the Super Bowl, right up to the start of NFL training camp in July. more ›

Although iPods have been hot commodities for years, moving from the hands of in-the-know hipsters to soccer moms, they continue to be as popular as ever, making their way onto gift lists…and thieves’ shopping carts. more ›

You know how sometimes you’re just walking down the street, and you absolutely need to purchase high-tech skiwear immediately? No? Yeah, us neither. But from now until Feb. 19, should you have the overwhelming urge to buy some Ralph Lauren RLX high-performance gear, you can – from the privacy and comfort of Michigan Ave. more ›

The Chicago Fire will host their final home game of the 2006 campaign at noon on Sunday, October 22, when they take on division rival the New England Revolution. The Fire will be looking for revenge as it was the Revs who knocked the Fire out of the postseason last year. This year, the Fire have the advantage in their series play with a 2-1-1 record. When this series is over, the two teams will... more ›

In addition to being one of the fattest cities in the United States, Chicago is also a hot market for designer beef. “There aren’t very many small people walking around Chicago,” Jason Miller, executive chef at David Burke's Primehouse, told the Tribune. more ›

Major League Soccer All-Star selectee Freddy Adu was in town for a regular season match with the Chicago Fire this weekend. He extended his trip to demonstrate some of his moves with the kids participating in the 13th Annual Mayor's Cup Youth Soccer Tournament in Lincoln Park. Freddy Adu, at seventeen years old, is just one of 18 Major League All-Stars on the squad that will take on English Premier League champions Chelsea FC on... more ›

The Chicago Fire host the toughest team in Major League Soccer this Saturday. Freddy Adu and D.C. United come to town running on 7-game winning streak and 14 straight games without a loss. It will be DC United's first visit to Toyota Park. United has had an impressive 2006 campaign having lost only one match out of 19, a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids back in early May. United has earned 44 points thus... more ›

It’s been two months since Fat Tire Amber Ale, from Fort Collins, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Company, made its long-awaited (legal) Chicago debut, complete with commemorative labeling on the bottles. Like the inspiration for Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, who’s looking to open franchises eight years after that show was consigned to syndication, Chicagoist is striking while the iron is quickly cooling, weighing in on the fast receding Fat Tire phenomenon. more ›