Now that former controlling shareholder of the Sun-Times Lord Black of Crossharbour is in jail for fraud and obstruction of justice, it seems he has discovered valuable ways to spend his time. The jailed media magnate is currently writing a memoir, The Fight of My Life, slated for an October release. The book will pick up where his last memoir, A Life In Progress (1993), left off. Black's publisher calls the work "very honest and......

Photo by PhotoDu.de Update on the Waukegan explosion: Nine people were injured, at least two seriously, and one person still may be unaccounted for. [Trib] The gigantic stuffed bear Truffles, mascot of the Rocky Mountain Factory in Orland Park, has safely come home after he was stolen. "Rumors surfaced Wednesday that a high school student wore Truffles' clothes to class." The students returned the bear. [S-T] What if all the fashion-conscious outfits featured on......

The Sun-Times Media Group in particular? Because you might be able to. The company announced today that it is thinking about selling uh, itself. [CEO Cyrus Freidheim Jr.] said the company would consider all alternatives, including partnerships and the sale of individual assets. But Freidheim said an overarching concern is a transaction that would free the company from the "baggage" of convicted former owner Conrad Black and make it a stronger competitor. It's also apparently......

Photo by Joe M 500 Were the mother and son who were shot in Gary the victims of a car-jacking--or a domestic dispute? The marathon's official name is now the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Hover bacon. (makes noise) Conrad Black has to report to prison on March 3. The Chicago Defender is going to be a weekly. Don't Clinton and Obama have to be polite to each other at tonight's debate...because one of......

We'd just like to point out that for the price of one Hannah Montana ticket, you could feed a starving indie rock band for a year. For reals. Conrad Black got a 6 1/2 year sentence today. Oddly enough, we're not feeling sorry for him. Cheryl Lavin continues to dispense awesome advice. In this case she tells a woman who is upset at only having sex 4 times a week to tell her boyfriend......

- The Illinois Appellate Court ruled the city is not liable for negligence in the 2003 Lincoln Park porch collapse. - Hollinger Inc., the majority shareholder in Sun-Times Media Group, has taken control of the board, leading to speculation that it's stepping up efforts to sell the Bright One. - "Someone filmed a documentary about Thax Douglas?" Yup. View the trailer here. - William Heirens, the state's longest-serving prison inmate at over sixty years,......

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too – two of them in -Ist cities. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the......

Now that Conrad Black has been convicted of mail fraud and obstruction of justice the real fun begins. With prosecutors asking that Black's $21 million bond be revoked, fearing the Lord of Crossharbour to be a flight risk, Black has voluntarily turned in his passport while he awaits sentencing from Judge Amy St. Eve on November 30th. Now the search for his money begins. Of course, government offices here and in Canada are in front......

Looks like Judge Amy St. Eve's advice worked. The jury on the Conrad Black trial found the former controlling shareholder of the Sun-Times guilty of three counts of mail fraud and one count of obstruction of justice this morning. Although Black was acquitted of the more serious racketeering charge, as well as charges of tax and wire fraud, this won't sit well for a man who once compared his sense of self-entitled largess to that......

It's a picture-perfect summer day: mild, sunny, a medium breeze from the west. We're going to enjoy being out today. The same can't be said for the jury deliberating the Conrad Black trial. They're deadlocked and went so far as to ask Judge Amy St. Eve for advisement yesterday. Judge St. Eve's advice? Go back and deliberate the case until you aren't deadlocked. Wow! That was downright paternal advice on a par with "finish your......

The Chicago Outdoor Film Festival movies have been announced. Also, while we were on the City's crappy events site we noticed that the Chicago Jazz Fest and the Chicago Blues Fest schedules are available now, too. LA says that if they get the Olympics they'll make about $2.7 billion. Chicago isn't sayin' shit! On police brutality: Remember that case where the cops fired into a car with 11 youths in it during the 1998......

Lawyers offered opening statements in the Conrad Black trial yesterday, and they did not disappoint. Fresh off the day when Black's wife, Barbara Amiel, called a Canadian TV producer a slut in the elevator at the federal building, the attorneys provided their own colorful descriptions of Lord Black and his cronies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Cramer (hang on to that job, dude) said Black was a villain, thief, and a liar, giving a blow by......

Prosecutors and defense attorneys settled on a jury in the Conrad Black trial on Friday, and the real fun begins today with opening statements. Despite the Tribune's best efforts, Judge Amy St. Eve won't release the names of the 12 jurors and eight alternates, a move usually reserved for trials involving organized crime or terrorism. She is expected to let two of the alternates go today after making sure none of the other jurors suddenly......

While the rest of the city was preparing to get sauced this past weekend, and the media was running after Conrad Black, DNC Chairman Howard Dean made a trip to Chicago for a series of fund raisers last week. And Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) took the opportunity to make some connections, working the Howard Dean crowd for volunteers. He also went ahead and filed the paperwork to form a congressional campaign committee. He also held......

Conrad Black's jury has been selected. As part of a growing investigation into the agencies responsible for building safety, a project manager with the Department of Buildings was arrested and charged with bribery. 280 more cop cars are getting video cameras. Anyone want some free lightbulbs? Image via Paul in California.......

Step right up, folks: the Conrad Black media circus has officially commenced, and we've already learned a few things: Lord Black of Crossharbour may be famous in some circles, but not that famous: he slipped into court yesterday through the south door, away from the gaggle of reporters and TV cameras, and no one noticed. $62,000 birthday parties be damned, he can't be all that bad: the man is a fan of Corner Bakery. Wouldn't......

A Metra train and a freight train collided, hurting 6 people. The trial of Lord Conrad Black began today. Blago wants more money for education. Ew! Presidential Towers is infested with bed bugs! -->The eighth-grade teacher who used explicit handouts to help with a sex-ed class has been booted. Also, they're suspending sex ed in the school until they review class materials. "Cry For Me, Ye Irish Eyes of Green" via swanksalot.......

Who's this Conrad Black, and why is he on trial again? The local media is cranking up its hype machine for a trial that has people around the world excited, but leaves many Chicagoans scratching their heads and saying, "Lord Who?" Conrad Black, a.k.a. Lord Black of Crossharbour, is the former CEO of Hollinger International, a media conglomerate that includes the Sun-Times. He quit in 2003 amid charges that he bilked the company for $84......

It's impostor week here at Chicagoist, with fake websites, fake money, fake cab drivers, and fake Johnny Knoxvilles. All that's missing are the cheesy disguises. Kids, don't try any of this at home. We kick off the Conrad Black trial news bonanza with some evidence that perhaps he wasn't the most astute media consumer. He fell for a satirical website created by the Canadian magazine Frank that's supposedly raising money for his defense. He even......

Hanig's shoe store on Michigan Avenue to close. The U.S. vs. Conrad Black cage match begins next week. Heads up, Huskies: hide those hot MP3's. Get to Best Buy soon, Grandma. Your analog TV set will be officially obsolete in two years. A cabbie ran over a police officer trying to get away from a traffic stop. Welcome to the neighborhood, we're here to steal your stuff. Photo of ice on the lake by......

Carl Icahn is moving into Motorola's apartment, sleeping on their couch, and eating all their cereal. Conrad Black: Don't read my love letters to my lady The Illinois House says state money should be used to support research using embryonic stem cells. A Northwestern prof is dropping big change for a new facility. The head of the MCA is stepping down. United is giving Jet Blue balls too. Police develop website for teens to......

The Sun-Times reported a $34.9 million third-quarter loss and is looking at a possible face lift. Chief Executive Gordon Paris attributes the decline to the Sun-Times low print advertising, which is lower than the already declining newspaper advertising industry. The paper has already implemented a new media strategy to take advantage and keep pace with the changing media machine. The CEO is stepping down at the end of the year, but has said the company......

It has been a while since we've read something from a major newspaper that caused us to repeatedly hit our head against the wall. Just that happened when we were introduced to the first blog from the Chicago Sun-Times. We'll pause here for you to skim the first page of Debra Pickett's new blog. Go ahead... just watch your head. See what we mean? The Sun-Times hasn't had the greatest last couple of years: circulation......

A limited number of blue seats, originally installed when US Cellular Field opened in 1991, are on sale for $490/pair. Who would want these? Conrad Black has plead not guilty to new charges of racketeering, obstruction of justice, money laundering and wire fraud - basically running his media empire as a criminal enterprise. A trial date has been set for March 2007. Mooo! The University of Chicago Illinois has started a farming blog. Movin' on......

It was only a matter of time before Lord Conrad Black was indicted on criminal fraud charges. Just a few minutes ago, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced that Black would stand trial for looting millions of dollars from Hollinger, his once-mighty media empire which owns the Chicago Sun-Times. The company also owns dozens of suburban newspapers and once owned the Daily Telegraph (UK) and the Jerusalem Post. The indictments also named three former Hollinger execs,......

Keeping up with the scandal at the Sun-Times isn't easy. The story has unfolded like a Greek tragedy, without (so far) the murder and incest. If you're behind, here's the scoop. The Chicago Sun-Times and a number of suburban newspapers are owned by Chicago-based Hollinger International, which is owned by Toronto-based Hollinger, Inc., which in turn is owned by a number of holding companies owned mostly by Conrad Black, who in turn is owned, like......

Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert dueled Conrad Black, the ousted CEO of the paper's parent company Hollinger, in letters published in the paper today. Ebert: Says he felt betrayed by reports that Black used Hollinger profits for personal expenses. Also said Black used the money while the Sun-Times building sat in disrepair and union employees threatened to strike. Black: Says that Ebert is ungrateful for his $500,000 salary. Finds Ebert's "proletarian posturing on behalf......

The Sun-Times building is pretty much empty now and ready for demolition. Chicagoist walks by the building every day and while usually the blinds are drawn, some of the blinds are up now showing the vandalism that employees did before leaving. We saw cubes with employees names written on them along with the dates they worked in the building, writing on walls that said "We're Outta Here," and even holes smashed in some office......

There are two kinds of people in Chicago. Sox fans and Cubs fans? Hah. Try Sun-Times people and Tribune people. Yesterday, Sun-Times folks took a serious blow when Hollinger International, the paper’s parent company, announced that it had overstated the Sun-Times's circulation for the last several years, which artificially inflated advertising rates. According to the Tribune, Executives at the newspaper wouldn't comment on specific findings of its internal investigation. But sources close to the paper......