Mark Kirk may have done the right thing and voted to repeal DADT over the weekend, but not without a price tag. more ›

Even as it's looking more and more unlikely we'll see Guantanamo Bay prisoners shipped there, the White House is moving ahead with a plan to purchase Thomson Correctional Center. Asst. Atty. Gen. Ronald Weich wrote a letter to Illinois' congressional delegation informing them of the Obama administration's intentions to move ahead with the plan. Depending on who ultimately winds up running the prison, there will be a large number of jobs created for the local economy. If the Defense Department takes over, between 750 and 900 of 1,200 jobs would be created for local residents; if the Bureau of Prisons runs Thomson fully, all of the jobs would be open to local residents. Yet if - and how many - Guantanamo Bay prisoners ultimately wind up at Thomson is still unknown as Obama's efforts to close the prison have hit numerous roadblocks. more ›

Tomorrow, the House is scheduled to mark up H.R. 5136, the Military Construction Authorization Act for FY 2011. Inside the budget request lies a $350 million “transfer” fund which allows the Obama administration all the provisions it needs to close Guantanamo Bay. It also includes the purchase of the fiercely debated prison in Thomson, Illinois. more ›

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared on CNN's State of the Union this weekend and made some strong statements in regards to shutting down Guantanamo Bay and moving federal prisoners to a refurbished Thomson Correctional Center in Northwest Illinois. How strong? "I wouldn't vote for this [Thomson] if you put a gun to my head." Yeah, that strong. Boehner also echoed worries expressed previously by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk that moving prisoners here would increase the terrorist threat level to the U.S. and making Thomson sound like a keg party, saying, "There's no reason to bring these terrorists into the United States, no reason to increase the threat level here because they're here and their friends may want to come." Check out an excerpt below. more ›

At yesterday's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on the sell of Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government, Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) raised the issue of a prison on U.S. Soil as a recruiting tool for al Qaeda. And to make his point, he remarked how much nicer Guantanamo Bay was than Illinois. more ›

The last time we checked in with the Gitmo situation almost two weeks ago, the story was drawing attention both nationally and locally. In Illinois, local politicians were arguing back and forth over the possible transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thompson, Illinois. On Friday, House Republicans decided to make their concerns heard by calling for a bipartisan committee to study the potential sale of the northwest prison. more ›

The plan to house and put some Guantanamo Bay detainees on trial on the U.S. mainland has predictably generated a flurry of debate, both nationally and locally. On the national level, politicians and pundits alike are up in arms over the decision to bring accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices to trial. Right here in Illinois, the controversy surrounds the potential transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thompson, Illinois. more ›

A rural Illinois prison has gained federal attention as a potential new site to "house suspected terrorists currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba," according to the Tribune in an exclusive report. more ›

A coalition of musicians, including Chicago’s own punk rockers Rise Against, joined the National Campaign To Close Guantanamo in order to pressure officials to come clean about music used as torture. The group, which also includes Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Trent Reznor, R.E.M., The Roots, and more are demanding the declassification of government records related to the use of music as torture at the facility. In addition, the coalition of musicians hopes to raise awareness for the NCCG, a campaign lead by retired United States Generals, Veterans and former Congressmen. more ›

Alright, folks, I have to make this quick before my editors get back from their coffee run. Here's the deal: By now you probably know about our fifth anniversary party this Saturday night at The Whistler. I want to tell you about a great concert going on that night, but if my editors find out I plugged something other than our party, they'll make Gitmo look like a Mancow stunt. They are not fucking around on this one. more ›

href="http://londonist.com/2008/01/6_years_on_amne.php">Amnesty International bringing Guantanamo Bay to the American embassy to raise the profile of the continuing campaign to close the detention center.

While most of the city was partying down at Lollapalooza this weekend, a different type of party was going on just a few blocks south of Grant Park: YearlyKos, the annual convention hosted by DailyKos, the netroots weblog started by Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, and filled with content, news and views by a motley crew of bloggers from around the nation (including Dick Durbin!). Saturday was a big day for the bloggers by the lake, with... more ›

We're not sure what to dedicate this week's round up to: Rudy Guiliani salivating as he was "asked" about a fictional terrorist attack in last night's debate, Tom Tancredo's vow to double the size of Guantanamo Bay if elected, or Tommy Thompson's large ears and no neck. Ah screw it, this one is dedicated to Rod Blagojevich's hair. Here we go: Mayor Daley Is a Funny Guy. No, really, he is. Go read Mick Dumke's... more ›

We didn't know everyone's favorite southern belle considered herself an activist. But Honorary PETA (shouldn't it be "PeTA"?) Director Rue McClanahan, who played "Blanche Devereaux" on The Golden Girls, is trying to prevent The Hawthorn Corp. from transferring four elephants from their Illinois facility to Carson & Barnes Circus’ Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo, Okla. (the USDA has approved the transfer). The four elephants were exposed to tuberculosis but did not test positive for the... more ›