U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur today rejected two lawsuits challenging Chicago's handgun ban. The ban has been in place since 1982 but came under fire recently when the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn Washington D.C.'s ban in June. Multiple lawsuits were filed by the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association in towns and cities across Northern Illinois, and Wilmette and Morton Grove repealed their bans. more ›

Jaylnn Hall, 4, died early yesterday morning after her 15-year-old brother shot her in the chest, apparently accidentally. Her mother, whose name hasn't been released, is a Cook County corrections officer, and the 9mm handgun used in the shooting is her "duty weapon," which corrections officers are allowed to carry outside of jail. The mom was at work at the time of the shooting, and she's been "de-deputized," which is standard procedure according to... more ›

In Los Angeles, LAist most definitely celebrated Thanksgiving like no other. After all, one has to keep up all the energy to keep on walking the line at the Writers Strike and fighting the unfortunate return of the wildfires in Malibu, which single handedly destroyed over fifty homes within the first 24 hours. National outlets may be covering the fires, but CNN also found it is easier to buy a gun than fruit and... more ›

On a weekend where gratefulness is foremost on our minds, it’s unfortunate that crime keeps moving forward. We’ll lead off with one story for which we can be thankful is not all bad news:Remember Nicolas Orbovich, the concert violist whose 1892 instrument worth $100,000 was stolen from the back seat of his unlocked car in a Michigan City, Indiana, Wal-Mart parking lot? It’s been found, with the help of Lake Station, Indiana, pawn shop, Orbovich’s... more ›

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... more ›

Before you continue reading, we want you to raise your right arm, take your index finger, place it on the top of your head and begin to scratch. A woman visiting Chicago from Tennessee was arrested yesterday morning after attempting to visit the Skydeck of the Sears Tower with a loaded gun in her purse. When passing through the metal detector, it was discovered the she was packing a .38-caliber revolver. She was taken into... more ›

The unfortunate world of Arenda Troutman came crashing down around her like so much broken glass the day the FBI came and took her off to jail. And it came crashing down around her the night she lost, fairly definitively, her re-election bid for alderman of the 20th Ward. That's not to say that she didn't give the police plenty of rocks to throw at her fragile world. more ›

If there is one thing that you can say about Mayor Daley, it’s that he’s a tenacious motherfucker. With one eye always on expanding his influence beyond the borders of the city, he’s been taking on the state legislature for some 15 years now over the issue of gun control. Often at odds with those that represent Illinoisans outside of urban areas, Da Mare has been defeated in the General Assembly more than once in... more ›

We know you guys aren't sitting around pining for us, nor do you really care about our personal lives, but we got caught up in some personal things, and our lives were a whirlwind for a couple of weeks. We're caught up now, and people were being pretty dumb whilst we were away. Welcome to a week (or two) in wtupid roundup. We're pretty sure this is the plot of a movie — A firefighter... more ›

What started as road rage ended with a racially-fueled attack on a pregnant woman and her husband in northwestern Indiana on Saturday. Darian Brown and his wife were at an intersection in Merillville, IN, when two Caucasian men in another car began shouting threats to run all African-Americans out of town. Once the Browns made it home, the men in the other car allegedly yelled racial slurs at the couple, hit Darian in the face... more ›

Yet another rundown of weekend crimes, tragedies and tribulations: more ›

Mayor Daley has a lot on his mind these days, and most of what's in there has been in the news recently. He started this week being hailed by Conscious Choice magazine as a great environmentalist. Plus he's building those solar bus shelters and recycled sidewalks. (Now if only the buses would actually show up....) And when the local hippie press isn't fawning over his recycling program and his big plans for the CTA (WTF!?),... more ›

Sometimes when we wake up and splay the Chicago newspapers across our desk, certain themes just pop out at us. We're like John Nash from A Beautiful Mind, circling headlines with markers and attaching connecting strings with masking tape and pushpins. In between the seasonal religious controversies and potential parking-dibs comment bait this morning, today's theme was guns: real ones, fakes ones, and illegal ones. While CBS 2 was still talking about the fallout from... more ›

A weekend sampling of gobbling-induced madness: more ›

Call this week's installment the CBS 2 edition. The TV news channels always supply the best stories, and CBS came up with 5 winners this time. more ›

Like Frank "the Tank" in OId School, the Bears' "Tank" Johnson just never learns that there comes a time to tone it down a bit. The Bears defensive lineman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest early Sunday morning. more ›

Two Bears gone wild this week, plus a bunch of dumb college students and an even dumber criminal: Bears defensive lineman Terry "Tank" Johnson was sentenced to 18 months probation and 40 hours of community service for a gun violation. He was carrying a handgun in his lap in his SUV on his way to a club back in June, and thoughtfully put it in the center console before having a valet park it. The... more ›

How’s this for excellent? Some dingbat walks into a South Side barbershop this morning around 8:30 and tries to stick up the joint with a handgun. Woe unto Thuggy McBadtiming, though, as the first chair is ocupado by an off-duty Chicago cop. While the not-so-smooth criminal is concerned with the back of the house, the police officer is able to retrieve his weapon, identify himself as a cop, and shoot the guy in the... more ›

1990s. Join us here in the 21st century. Everybody knows the hip thing in the 20-aughts is the suicide bomber. But maybe you were celebrating Chicago history—some people do say that drive-by shootings got their start here in Chicago during the Race Riot of 1919. more ›

Is Muhsin Muhammad already becomming a bad influence on his new teammates? Early Sunday morning, defensive tackle "Tank" Johnson was arrested on gun charges -- a crime Muhammad plead guilty to in 2002 while playing for the Panthers. more ›

Are you in the market for a Taser or a cell phone stun gun? We know you don't plan to use it to commit a crime. You just need something to keep your toddler under control (rappin' 'em on the knuckles with a yard stick just ain't what it used to be). Did you previously attempt to buy a firearm to discipline your tyke (shooting a handgun in the air really quiets those fuckers down), but were denied because of your criminal past? more ›

Chicagoist's landlord is a total square. Recently he called the cops to report our New Year's kegger. Fine, someone DID jump out of our third story window, it WAS a megaphone party (you know, everybody brings their megaphone and for the entire night you're required to talk through it and each time you forget you have to do a two-minute keg-stand) and there WERE people having sex in the common area, but he totally called them in spite because he wasn't invited. He always talks to us through a megaphone and exits our apartment through the window (usually with our assistance, but isn't that just splitting hairs?). more ›

As expected, Mayor Daley once again announced a package of gun legislation he hopes state legislators will pass in their coming session that starts January 10. The basic idea behind the package is to "...give the courts the power to fine and shut down gun dealers who help customers avoid background checks; who sell them large numbers of handguns without filing the required reports; or who sell handguns to residents of cities like Chicago where they are illegal." more ›

Does anyone else find this a bit odd? All over the news we're hearing that the police and community activists are asking us not to shoot guns in the air to celebrate the new year. And that anyone caught with a gun on New Year's Eve will be charged with a felony. And that bullets that are shot up into the air often come down with deadly consequences. All we keep thinking is "uh, how about no guns.. ever.. and bullets that go up always come down.. every day.. not just on New Year's." more ›

A North Carolina teenager was shot in the leg Saturday night at Taste of Chicago. The teen was not the intended target, and his injuries were not life-threatening. more ›

Through July, 15 giant, 700 lb. statues of Mickey Mouse will be on display on State Street "Cows on Parade"-stye. The 6-foot-tall mice were created to celebrate Mickey's 75th birthday. The statues debuted in Orlando in November, which was the 75th anniversary of the release of the Mickey Mouse short, Steamboat Willie. They will head to Washington D.C. and then go to New York City before being auctioned for charity. Mickey Mouse's creator, Walt Disney, was born in Chicago in 1901 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts here. more ›