Today in restaurant news: Alpana Singh is opening a new wine bar and one of the owners of Fox and Obel denies bouncing paychecks. more ›

The website Money-Rates.com recently did an analysis of all 50 states to determine the best states to make a living, based on the following factors - average state wages, state cost of living, state unemployment rate and state tax rate. Surprisingly, the website ranked Illinois as the best state in the country to make a living. Go ahead and re-read that; we had to. more ›

A bankruptcy filing by the widow of former Metra Chief Phil Pagano paints a portrait of a man with enormous debt in need of immediate access to cash, and raises questions about how that all came to be. more ›

It seems that the proposal from Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts to fund renovations for Wrigley Field that would have allowed the Cubs to keep all marginal growth in amusement tax collection on Cubs tickets is DOA after the Illinois Legislature failed to address the issue during its fall veto session. more ›

A week after winning reelection to the Cook County Board, 17th District Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman filed for bankruptcy. more ›

Howard Brown Health Center, which has provided health care and wellness programs for the LGBT community for over three decades, announced yesterday that they're in pretty bad financial shape and may have to cease operations by year-end if they can't raise $500,000. That's going to be a lot of second-hand shopping at the Brown Elephant resale shops. more ›

WalletPop, a consumer finance website I never heard of until today, got my attention with a list of the 25 most dangerous neighborhoods with the highest predicted rates of violent crime in America. Topping the list: the West Town area bordered by Lake Street, Damen, Western Avenue and Kinzie. more ›

Despite all of the financial hardships and setbacks for most Americans in 2009, a recent poll by AP-GfK finds that a massive 82 percent are still optimistic that 2010 will be a good year, even if they fear that the U.S. economy and their personal financial circumstances won't improve in the new year. more ›

As you might have noticed, the 1980s hard rock scene produced very few great scholars. There is no Kip Winger, Ph.D., or Mark Slaughter, M.Ed. Vince Neil implored us to call Dr. Feelgood, but never himself M.D.'ed. (Nikki Sixx OD'ed, though.) Blackie Lawless is not an Esq. more ›

Dominick's has jumped aboard the cheap-generic-drugs wagon and is now offering 300 of the most frequently purchased drugs for $4 for a 30-day supply, which the Trib helpfully points out is also $8 for a 60-day supply and $12 for a 90-day one. more ›

In quick succession, the Cook County Board shot down a series of tax hikes yesterday, including proposed increases on electricity and natural gas. Five other increases backed by Democrat Roberto Maldanado, including taxes on SUVs, hotel stays, jet fuel and liquor sold in bars, died without support from any commissioners. The 2-14 vote against the electricity and natural gas taxes, proposed by Stroger ally Bill Beavers, signaled the unofficial death of Board President Todd Stroger's... more ›

Every time we think the state's government can't get any worse, they somehow find a way to surprise us. Unable to reach a deal that'll adequately fund the CTA and its crumbling infrastructure, they think they want to buy yet another fixer-upper piece of property. The State of Illinois is supposedly interested in buying Wrigley Field, which is for sale along with the Cubs following billionaire Sam Zell's takeover of the Tribune Co. The Illinois... more ›

Is the City finally going to reach some kind of resolution with four victims of police torture victims? It look like it. Aaron Patterson, Leroy Orange, Stanley Howard and Madison Hobley, all tortured by Chicago Police commander Jon Burge and his Area 2 lackeys, will divide a $20 million settlement in their suit against the city. Says 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, Failure to settle these cases when there was no argument anymore that there... more ›

Who doesn't love the Onion? God knows we do, and hey — even Neil Steinberg sort of likes it. And that guy knows funny! Anyway, there are two big reasons to love the Onion even more: First and foremost, their Google map layer — go ahead and play around with it, above — is twenty kinds of amazing. And the company announced today that they're moving their HQ here. Well, business HQ. While the... more ›

A freshman at Corliss High School on the South Side says his school's security guards assualted him--and a student has the incident on tape. According to the Sun-Times, the tape shows an officer wrapping his arm around the student's neck and pining him to the floor. RIP, Betsy the harbor seal. The 36-year-old resident of the Lincoln Park Zoo was quite old for a harbor seal. The City Council's finance committee approved the Mayor's... more ›

Don't settle for another Wednesday of and Girl Scout cookies that have been in the freezer for months (not ... that ... we do that ...). There's a shitton of stuff going on tonight! more ›

Ugh, finally: 28 aldermen are filing a petition to U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow demanding the City release the names of the most-complained-about police officers. The Sun-Times's spot-on editorial is completely degraded by heinous illustration that accompanies it, from the same "artist" who also did yesterday's ricockulously bad Stroger drawing. The Book Cellar is hosting "Chicago’s Wittiest Women Writers" tonight. We deeply resent not being invited to participate, but cannot deny the wit of Stacey... more ›

Ron Huberman et al handed down the proposed 2008 CTA budget, and it ain't pretty. At all. more ›

We cannot wait for tomorrow. Not just because it's the season premieres of The Office and Ugly Betty, but also because there's an even more important show debuting. On the internet. We write, of course, of City Council Meetings, which, starting tomorrow, will be streamed online. Clear your calendars; the meeting starts at 10 a.m. These meetings were supposed to be broadcast back in 2004, but aldermen are pretty pretty princesses. "Some aldermen complained that... more ›

Conventional wisdom says that we should not speak ill of the deceased, but that's a tall endeavor if we're to take the pundits' criticisms of William Wirtz as law, although one has surprised us with his restraint. The longtime Blackhawks owner and liquor magnate passed away early this morning at the age of 77 from cancer. It's easy to say that Mr. Wirtz was stuck in a bygone era, treating his beloved hockey franchise as... more ›

There's no love lost here between Chicagoist and Cook County government. In fact, not only has Todd Stroger (as well as the other comedians that pass for "Commissioners" on the county board) been a target for our anger, frustration, and disappointment, they've been fodder for our ridicule and a symbol of what's wrong with local government here. Looking back at the news from last week, we've been following the story of Sally Lemke, the nurse... more ›

While the state government devolves into a teeming cesspool of Machiavellian intrigue and self-loathing (quickly becoming an annual tradition in one form or another here in the Land of Lincoln), the world of politics moves on. While we have no problem kicking around Blagojevich (and the other asshole cynics downstate), this week, we're putting it aside, damn it! With out further adieu, here it is, your dose of news before lunch: Daley Takes his Public... more ›

Like baseball and steroids, drug-dealing and hip hop always seem to be mentioned in the same breath. This time Lupe Fiasco’s business partner at 1st and 15th, the record label he started in 2000, has been sentenced to 44 years on drug charges. There have been no charges filed against Lupe who partnered with Charles Patton for his first album, Food & Liquor. Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Coughlin stated that it was rare to have... more ›

In one of his first acts as the new 2nd Ward Alderman, Bob Fioretti threatened to stall the second phase of a $750 million plan to raze the CHA's ABLA Homes, part of their multi-billion dollar "Plan for Transformation." After learning that $31 million dollars in expiring tax credits might be lost, he approved $15 million in tax-increment financing, but he vowed that a series of side letters would dictate three things: minority participation at... more ›

Last night was the first debate among Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination. On a crowded stage, the large group of suits that are hoping for the nod to take on a Republican in Fall of '08 for the White House argued about the nuances of the Iraq War. Erstwhile local gal Hillary had a well thought-out answer to the question "Do you agree with the position [that the war in Iraq is lost] of... more ›

Some of us are still recovering from last week's Four Questions, but our readers have an insatiable thirst for answers. One recently posed an interesting question to us concerning Chicago's Olympic bid and the city's flag. As all Chicagoans no doubt know, the city's flag includes three white bars, two blue bars and four six-sided stars. The three white bars signify the North, West and South sides of the city, while the blue bars... more ›

Campaigning for alderman is hard work — you have to knock on doors, make speeches, and be sure that you are leaving time for the business interests in your ward to come by and tell you all about their big plans to develop the area. Alderman Howard Brookins knows all about bringing development to the ward, and how important it is to work with businesses that will bring quality of life and good jobs to... more ›

Yesterday we talked about the fighting that has been going on between the labor movement in Chicago and the aldermen that are facing runoffs this year. On the heels of the very public sniping that is taking place between unions and aldermen whose power is being challenged comes some not-so-surprising disclosures of the First C.D. Victory PAC, a political action committee founded to finance pro-business candidates (and, generally, allies of Daley). The Chicago Tribune is... more ›

In the latest round of skirmishes over power in this city, aldermanic candidates have seen the labor movement in Chicago flex it's muscle. In the 21st Ward, incumbent alderman Howard Brookins is being challenged by Leroy Jones, a community activist and member of SEIU Local 73 and UFCW Local 881 member Toni Foulkes is running against Felicia Simmons-Stovall for an open seat in the 15th Ward. In fact, this election cycle, more than any other... more ›