Jennifer Hudson will sing a tribute to Whitney Houston at tonight's Grammy Awards, a person was killed after crashing head-on into a CTA bus, and other news. more ›

Attorneys for William Balfour—the man accused of killing Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew—are seeking access to Hudson's cell phone records, and Hudson might be a witness in the upcoming trial. more ›

The selected songs cover a broad swath of the musical spectrum, with upbeat pop numbers like Florence and the Machine's "You Got the Love," and cool classics like known Obama favorite, "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. Sandwiched in between are a few head-scratchers like Ricky Martin, or clear Red State pandering cuts like "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry. more ›

William Balfour is accused of killing singer Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew in 2008 and faces 77 counts, including first-degree murder, home invasion and aggravated kidnapping. more ›

On Jennifer Hudson's birthday we're in for some toasty temperatures. more ›

President Obama took to the Aragon Ballroom to attempt to put the recent debt ceiling discussions behind him and to raise some money for his reelection campaign. more ›

Man, there's gonna be one hell of a celebrity void come May when Mayor Daley leaves office and Oprah leaves town. Oh, Oprah, we're gonna miss your bug-eyed, spastic responses to questions, like when NBC5's Mary Ann Ahern asked you if you had an opinion on who would be the next mayor. You said you gave it "some serious thoughts," but didn't say what those thoughts were. You're a veritable Sphinx, O. more ›

Exactly one year ago today, the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered inside their home on the South Side. Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days after in a car on the West Side 10 miles away from his home. All three victims had been shot to death. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia, was charged for the killings with first-degree murder, allegedly killing the three family members because he was upset that Julia was dating someone else. Balfour pleaded not guilty and is still in jail. more ›

• The tragic story of a 9-year-old boy who died while visiting a South Side construction site with his father today.
• Chicago Public Schools are pushing for a $43 million property tax increase; that breaks down to about $18 more a year for property owners.
• That fuel surcharge on city cabs goes back into effect on Thursday.

The attorney for William Balfour, the man charged with the murders of Darnell Donnerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King (actress/singer Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, respectively), has quit the case. Joshua Kutnick insists he believes his client is innocent but says he doesn't have the money for such a high-profile case. Said Kutnick, "It's the kind of case that involves intense hours. I was gathering all resources, but I couldn't finance it." Balfour is expected to receive new representation, a court-appointed public defender soon, soon. more ›

Bitching and moaning about how terrible the Grammys are is just as tired as the awards show itself, so we'll do our best to avoid it. This year's show had its share of highs (the Radiohead/USC Marching band collab, the chance of MIA giving birth on stage and forcing Lil Wayne to deliver the baby) and lows (Queen Latifah calling the group of Kanye, Jay-Z, TI, and Lil Wayne "The Rap Pack") but we still had a reason to watch as some Chicago-based artists were up for some awards. more ›

• Joey "The Clown" Lombardo is the latest mobster sentenced in the Family Secrets trial: Joey received life.
• Uriel Soto-Castro, the man who hit three teens with his car on Friday, is facing aggravated drunken driving charges from the incident; none of the teens' injuries were considered life-threatening.
• The Sun-Times uncovered some rather disproportionately high salaries for some area educators.

Prosecutors today informed suspect William Balfour that he has been formally indicted in the murders of Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7, the mother, brother, and nephew of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson. Balfour was informed of the indictment at a court appearance this morning. Balfour was indicted on three counts of first degree murder as well as a count of home invasion. Thanks to the indictment, prosecutors don't have to present detailed evidence at a preliminary hearing. more ›

Between now and Wednesday, we're counting down the top 8 local stories that captivated us in 2008. more ›

Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson took to her MySpace blog this week to issue a quick note of thanks to fans for support since the triple murders that claimed her mother, brother, and nephew. In the post, Hudson said:

I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern. jhud

William Balfour, the "person of interest" in the Hudson murders, will remain in police custody. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board considered testimony from William Balfour's girlfriend that she saw him with a gun on the day of the shootings matching the murder weapon as evidence enough to revoke his parole and keep him in police custody while investigators continue to examine how he's connected to the triple-murder. The Parole Board also ruled the June 19th drug arrest as grounds for revoking Balfour's parole even though it was considered so at the time, something that is sure to come under intense scrutiny if Balfour is charged in the Hudson slayings. more ›

William Balfour, the "person of interest" in the killings of the mother, brother, and nephew of Jennifer Hudson, is scheduled for a parole hearing this morning that many news outlets are touting as something that could allow Balfour to "go free." The parole hearing, which was to happen at 9 a.m. this morning in Stateville, will determine if there is enough evidence in the Hudson case to constitute a violation of Balfour's parole and keep him in custody while police continue their investigation; charges still haven't been filed in the late October incident. In the latest development, the Trib is reporting law enforcement sources as saying Balfour has not only admitted to being in the Englewood home of Hudson's family (where Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason Hudson were found shot) the morning of the shooting, but is saying that Balfour's current girlfriend claims Balfour admitted to being involved in the killings. more ›

An estimated 2,500 mourners paid their respects yesterday morning at the funerals of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson; her brother, Jason; and her nephew, Julian King. Oprah, Missy Elliot and Queen Latifah were in attendance, as well as Hudson's former American Idol colleague Fantasia Barrino, who also sang a tribute during the service. more ›

Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday for a public memorial honoring Jennifer Hudson's slain family members: her mother Darnell Hudson Donerson, brother Jason Hudson, and nephew Julian King. The public service followed a private service attended by extended family and close friends at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church in Hyde Park. Afterwards, members of the public were able to file through the church signing sympathy cards and viewing images of the victims. Friends, coworkers, and classmates shared stories about the victims and remembered them with jokes and stories. Cousin Shari Sweat said of Donerson, "She taught me how to shake a tail feather. She had a soft voice, but you should not let that fool you. She was a great debater." Julian's teacher Carmen Williams told mourners, "When Julian raised his hand in class, he had that enthusiastic look in his eye. And he always, always had the right answer." more ›

As Chicago police announced the gun they had found earlier this week in an alley was indeed the gun used in last week's killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, they're now trying to track the gun from it's origins to Chicago. The ATF has traced the gun back to its original owner in Michigan, who reported it stolen. Now it appears that Jason Hudson may have owned an identical gun that was stolen earlier this year from the Englewood home where he and his mother, Darnell Donerson, were shot to death last Friday. If this holds true, it points another finger at suspect William Balfour, who had been thrown out of the home by the family earlier this year. However, police say they're keeping all options open as their investigation continues. Also surfacing is a report that Jason was shot in the leg in an incident earlier this year, an injury he never sought medical treatment for. more ›

Police say forensic tests have confirmed that the .45-caliber Sig-Sauer semiautomatic pistol recovered earlier this week is indeed the weapon used in the shootings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew. ATF officers tracked the gun to its original owner in Michigan who reported it stolen. more ›

There haven't been any new major breaks, but some details in connection to the high-profile triple homicide which has come to be a tragic symbol of Chicago's violent year have steadily been streaming out. more ›

Police recovered a handgun in a search of an alley near the area where the body of 7-year-old Julian King was found in a white SUV. Autopsy results have found that all three victims were shot with a .45 caliber gun; officials haven't said what caliber the discovered gun is. more ›

Tragedy strikes in a Chicago home leaving 3 people dead and an Oscar winner forced to identify the bodies of her family. Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were gunned down in their home Friday. Could an invaluable device have saved their lives? It’s called The BackUp and it is a bedside shotgun rack. more ›

Word comes this afternoon that the Cook County Medical Examiner has unsurprisingly yet officially ruled Julian King's death a homicide. From the press release: "'The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death is a homicide,' said Sean Howard, a spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office." Also, the AP reported suspect William Balfour had been arrested in June on drug charges but didn't have his parole revoked. Balfour also missed a meeting with his parole officers the day of the murders. more ›

For the third time in three days, Chicago native and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson identified a murder victim as a family member. This time, it was her 7-year-old nephew Julian King, telling the medical examiner, "Yes, that's him." As of this morning, William Balfour remains in police custody, and while he has not been charged, he seems to remain the primary suspect in the case. Police report William had been answering questions but stopped cooperating when offered a lie-detector test. His MySpace page declares him husband to Julia and step-father to Julian, and police are still looking at the crime as the culmination of an ongoing domestic dispute over a car.

In another incident, sources said, Julia Hudson arrived Friday morning at Sunrise Bus Co. on payday and discovered her wages had been garnished because of unpaid car payments. Sources said Balfour had taken her car months earlier but promised to make the payments on the vehicle. After seeing her pay stub, Julia Hudson called Balfour to complain about the unpaid bills, sources said.

The body of a boy was found in a vehicle on the West Side this morning. Police are investigating whether or not the body is that of missing 7-year-old Julian King. The body was discovered in the 1300 block of S. Kolin at around 8:00 a.m. Yesterday, actress and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson, whose mother and brother were shot to death on the South Side Friday, offered a $100,000 reward for finding Julian. Police still have suspect William Balfour in custody. more ›

As the search continues for missing 7-year-old Julian King, his family has taken to the media to plea for his safe return. In an appearance at a South Side Church, his mother Julia said:

I don't care who you are, just let my baby go. I just want my son back. He doesn't deserve this...I have to believe that he’s OK. I have that hope that he’s OK, I have that faith that he’s OK...He’s not your typical 7-year-old.He doesn’t want to go outside, he doesn’t want to play. He’d rather stay at home and read a book or do some schoolwork or be with his relatives. That’s all Julian wants...I know he’s out there. Just let him go. Put him on the side of the street. He’ll sit there.

Chicago police have asked the FBI to assist them in finding Jennifer Hudson's nephew, 7-year-old Julian King. King has not been seen since the murder of his uncle and grandmother yesterday. The FBI was called in as it's believed the boy may have been transported across state lines. more ›