It seems like Cook County politics becomes more and more like a bad soap opera every time we open the newspaper. While Todd Stroger is threatening more cuts and tax hikes to cover the tab on the bloated executive payroll, Tony Peraica is giving speeches about prosecuting the crooks. Forrest Claypool wrote an op-ed piece earlier this week about the disaster that the County's health care system has devolved into, and Todd Stroger won't even... more ›

This isn't a local story, but nothing, and we mean nothing, can top the strange case of astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak. She was arrested Monday at Orlando International Airport after attacking Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, who she thought was trying to steal her would-be boyfriend and fellow astronaut, Cmdr. William Oefelein. Aren't astronauts supposed to be our best and brightest? This makes that episode of the Simpsons where Barney lays off the sauce and... more ›

Forgive us, we just watched Snatch again the other night (the movie, you pervs). To tell the truth, we're not too crazy about the creatures. People have been killed in our bar brawls for taking their side and insinuating that cats are anything less than little gods that happen to chase snotrags. But, we have let our guard down sometimes concerning cats' mortal enemies. Now, just in time for that fuzzy-wuzzy überholiday known as Christmas,... more ›

We might not have gotten a shiny new game console this weekend, but we have crime to comfort us: A 58-year-old patient at Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora died in a police shootout on Saturday. Johnnie Russell holed himself up in his room in a 4.5 hour standoff with local police, at one point taking a 71-year-old fellow patient hostage. Russell eventually opened his door and fired a shot; police opened fire in kind.... more ›

If you're like Chicagoist you've bought things on eBay (yay, bendy Scooby Doo figurine!) but have never sold anything. For some reason it's just seemed to complicated for us with the creating an account, figuring out how to get paid, taking photos, and shipping things out to the winning bidder. . . but now QuickDrop is coming to Chicago and to our rescue. more ›