Embattled alderman Ike Carothers appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded not guilty to four counts of wire and mail fraud, one count each of accepting a bribe, and one count of filing a false federal income tax return. Carothers was released on a $4,500 signature bond. The Trib's Jeff Coen has more and you can catch up with our previous posts on Carothers. more ›

We hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend. While you were grilling, we were still working, so here are some of the things you might have missed. more ›