With how nasty the race for Dennis Hastert's vacant seat has gotten recently, you'd think a couple of high school girls were running the campaigns leading up to tomorrow's special election for Dennis Hastert's seat in Illinois 14th Congressional District. more ›

Ah, the smoking ban. Home to lots of hearty discussions. Since January, proprietors and patrons have been either meekly complying with or blatantly ignoring the ban, while some just snicker at the smokers miserably standing outside in the cold.
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John McCain won big in last night's Republican primaries, winning nine states and pushing his delegate count up to 559--not enough to win the nomination, but big enough to secure his standing as the front runner. Mike Huckabee got a boost last night as well, winning a string of upsets in the Southern states, enough to justify his continued candidacy. Mitt Romney, however, has bigger problems, winning only a handful of states, and with Huckabee still in, he won't get the one-on-one race he so desperately wanted. more ›

With lots of delegates and potential momentum going into Super-Duper Tuesday, Nevada's primary has been both contentious and significant this year. Earlier this week a federal judge settled a lawsuit brought by the Nevada Teachers Union that should have helped Obama. Instead, with more than half of the precincts reporting, CBS, CNN and other major news outlets are projecting Clinton the winner today. Mitt Romney was the big winner in the GOP caucuses, taking his third primary win, and some serious momentum heading into Florida. more ›

Now that the Michigan primary is safely behind us, all eyes are focused on Nevada and South Carolina. For Democrats, who need at least 2,025 delegates to win the presidential nomination, Nevada's caucuses this Saturday offer 33 delegates. Not only is the nation looking at the Silver State, where early voting is a new experience for a mix of Latino, rural and urban voters, but so are the federal courts. Hillary Clinton has been polling well there, but Barack Obama has been endorsed by the state's largest union, the Culinary Workers. This endorsement is significant not only because it is the largest union in the state, but also because the state's Democratic party has opted to hold nine "at-large" caucuses, open to anyone within 2.5 miles of the Las Vegas strip, where the bulk of CWU members work. Intended to make voting easier for shift-workers in Nevada's casino industry, the move prompted a lawsuit by the Nevada Teachers Union. The lawsuit claimed that those voting in at-large precincts being held on the Strip would have too much weight compared with those voting at their polling places, infringes on the right to equal protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and violate state statute in the way they were drawn. more ›

CBS 2 news anchor Phil Antonio Mora is moving to Miami to do the news there. He says once he's gone, Chicago won't have any Latino nighttime news anchors. [S-T] more ›

Yesterday was Principal for a Day, er, day at Chicago Public Schools, and over 1,600 business leaders, politicians and other bigwigs— including 27 aldermen, five players from the Bears, 30 people from JP Morgan Chase, 71 people from Merrill Lynch, and a bunch of White Castle execs—participated. It's a weird, weird list that you can download from District 299, our go-to CPS blog. But CPS has issues that can't be solved with Charles Tillman's suggestion... more ›

Amid criticism and sermons, the Cook County Board voted 9-7 this afternoon to defer until mid-October any further action on theproposed two percent sales tax increase. So while the tax hike isn't off the table yet, the deadline for first-quarter tax increases was today under state law — which means any increase that may happen won't take effect until April 1, 2008, at the earliest. (The county's fiscal year ends November 30.) County Commissioner Roberto... more ›

In a report published Monday, the Chicago Reporter found that Chicago is the the nation's capital for "high-cost" home loans. The study, looking at three years' worth of federal home-loan data, showed that in 2006, "the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metropolitan statistical area, which includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties" led the nation, with 88,315 “high-cost” mortgages. "High-cost" mortgages are defined as first-lien home loans that are at least three percentage points above... more ›

Only four of the thirteen Major League Soccer teams took advantage of Major League Soccer's new Designated Player Rule, made most famous by the signing of David Beckham by the Los Angeles Galaxy, signing a total of five players. This weekend, arguably the two most impactful designated players, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Juan Pablo Angel, will match up at Toyota Park. Blanco has played just seven games but has helped the Fire to earn 13 points... more ›

Gourmet Magazine's September issue is a special "Latino America" issue, which means that not only is it chock-full of recipes for moles, tamales, and other delicacies, but that it also features multiple articles on Latino American cuisine in the U.S. Time Out Chicago food writer David Tamarkin has an article documenting the fantastic Mexican food scene in Chicago, highlighting specifically the number of regions and styles of cuisine our fair city offers. And while... more ›

Here are some things in the news while we do spit takes at the ticket prices for the upcoming Van Halen tour. A $300-a-year parking permit created for realtors, home health care providers, and social workers to plug a $2.4 million hole in the city's 2007 budget only generated $15,900 in revenue. Facing increasing criticism in allowing BP to increase the amount of pollution it can discharge into Lake Michigan, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels... more ›

Take a walk down 18th Street in Pilsen and you won’t go far without passing a carnitas shop, pizza joint, hot dog stand or Mexican grill. It’s a varied mix of cheap (read: affordable) and cheap (read: not very good). For tablecloth dining options in the neighborhood, diners are often limited to May Street Café or Picante Grill, two places both given the Chicagoist review treatment. The former closes down when convenient (e.g the previous... more ›

The City of Chicago has no compunction about separating motorists from their cars. Chicagoist had their car towed once because they parked in the financial district on Veteran's Day; the streets were empty, there were no cars driving or parked anywhere. That part of the Loop was a ghost town. We were shocked when we came back to find our car gone. When we called to find out what had happened and recited the sign... more ›

Does it ever seem like interesting political news dries up after an election? Surely the pols who ran are taking a vacation — and why wouldn't they? After a grueling election, knocking on doors, rallying the troops, and getting out the vote, it's no wonder that they want to take some rest and relaxation. With that in mind, we present you our weekly roundup of political news. Manny Flores to Seek Fourth District Congressional Seat.... more ›

As you read this, thousands of people are preparing to march from Union Park to Grant Park, past the Federal Center in the Loop, hoping that they can impress upon the rest of the nation the importance not only of their struggle, but the impact and significance that their lives have had upon our nation. Around the US today, immigration rights activists, immigrants, and yes, natural born Americans, will be carrying American flags in marches... more ›

As Luis Gutierrez makes the rounds for Barack Obama, Latino politicians around the city are jockeying for the opportunity to run for his soon-to-be vacated Congressional seat. Gutierrez has announced that he will "retire" in 2008, but makes no mention of what he will do after that. Last week, Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado (D - 8th) announced that he had created a campaign committee to raise funds for an '08 congressional bid. City Alderman... more ›

Chicagoist is really into cheese. From your basic shredded cheddar to the fancy unpasteurized Cave Aged Swiss Guyere, our love knows no bounds. more ›

If you live in a ward that is contested, you've probably noticed that you are getting mailings from the aldermanic candidates where you live. Maybe you've even gotten the so-called "robocall" — a recorded message from a candidate (usually the incumbent) encouraging you to come out to vote (for them), and listing some of the reasons why you should. Our friends in the 32nd Ward tell us that the two headline candidates, Ted Matlak and... more ›

We've wanted to write about the Motor Row-based Cuatro, one of our favorite restaurants and a staple of the city's "Nuevo Latino" movement, for a while, but didn't feel like we could add anything new or different to the existing dialogue about the place. Everyone loves it, from critics and foodies to our next-door neighbors who never leave the house, but did so just because they heard such great things about Cuatro's scallop and salmon ceviche. For some reason, we took it upon ourselves to be the dissenting voice, but could only come up with little nitpicky things. Like how their back bar is painted in this unappealing flat black that causes their aquarium, with its view into the kitchen, to actually get lost in the shuffle. And, for background music, maybe less Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, more Cibelle and Jorge Ben Jor. See? Little nitpicky things. We've never had qualms about their food or service, which is always the proof in the pudding for us. more ›

This morning, Chicagoist hopped on the bus to Navy Pier to listen to a presentation by Chicago Public Radio (CPR) explaining the rationale for their new 2007 schedule. Torey Malatia, the president and general manager of the station, explained the purpose of restructuring the schedule and doing away with the music formats. Malatia described how CPR was simultaneously a local, regional, national, and global broadcaster. In order to remain relevant with local and regional... more ›

On Friday afternoon, Miguel Del Valle was sworn in as Chicago's newest city clerk. He's also the first Latino to serve in that position. Del Valle has a history of championing the political empowerment of the Latin community in Chicago, and a reputation for being able to work with many different groups, including those that are at odds with him. What makes his acceptance of Daley's offer to replace convicted former city clerk James Laski... more ›

Halfway through reading about Tom Tunney's proposal for the city, we had to start over. We searched and searched, scratching our heads, thinking, "Wait, is a Chicago alderman actually doing something?" Inspired, we smiled wide. So THIS is why we vote in local elections! more ›

Being the mayor of a big city can be stressful. Sometimes you need to vent a little to someone who will listen. Luckily, Mayor Daley has lots of folks like that. They're called the press corps. For instance, Da Mare wants to see more college dorms downtown because nothing makes the Loop seem young and vibrant like a bunch of kids in hoodies smoking and text-messaging. He also thinks faculty and staff should live in... more ›

While Congress wallows in its own self-loathing, the City that Works keeps plugging along. Mayor Daley announced yesterday that Miguel Del Valle would be replacing convicted former City Clerk James Laski. Del Valle, an Illinois State Senator since the late 1980's, has served a mostly Latino district on the Northwest Side of the city. Altogether this is a smart move by Da Mare, as it puts him in good graces with independents in the city,... more ›

Note: Part 1 of this series is here. more ›

It must be something in the air. Look beyond the explosion of neighborhood Summer Fests, “Taste Ofs”, and nationally recognized rock smorgasbords, and you’ll find… still more festivals. Taking a cue from music promoters, local theaters know you’re excited to spend hours upon hours being entertained along some kind of theme. Festivals grab attention, and these festivals grabbed ours: Darknight Theatrical Productions pays tribute to Twilight Zone master Rod Serling, presenting three original one-acts inspired... more ›

Diabetes. Cancer. Heart disease. These are just a few of the obesity-related diseases that were found to cause earlier deaths on Chicago’s south and west sides, where so-called “food deserts” exist. According to Mari Gallagher, author of the report titled “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago,” there is a food imbalance in effect in some areas of the city. She told 848 that her research team measured the distance to every grocery and every fast food restaurant in every one of the 18,000 blocks in Chicago. They found that on the south and west sides, not only were fast food restaurants abundant, but grocers were few and far between. Although the study does not state a direct cause-and-effect, it did find that the death rate from diabetes is the worst in food deserts, and the rate of obesity seems to increase as the access to grocery stores decreases. In contrast, those areas that had both high concentrations of grocery stores and fast food restaurants had fewer instances of diet-related diseases. Gallagher’s study is a follow-up to a study in 2005 that found that south side residents have little access to major grocers or retailers but have a plethora of liquor stores and fast food restaurants. She also reported in 2004 that there are 3.4 big grocers per 100,000 residents in white wards, compared with 2.6 in black wards and 2.3 in Latino wards. After the first study was released, LaDonna Redmond, president of the Institute for Community Resource Development in the Austin neighborhood, was quoted as saying, "I can walk out my door and buy a semi-automatic weapon or narcotics, but I can't find organic tomatoes or lettuce anywhere.” more ›

It’s been a sad state of affairs at movie theaters over the past couple of weekends. When the top 5 is filled with Scary Movie 4, Benchwarmers and Take The Lead, you know something is horribly wrong. But this weekend, things are looking up. Chicagoist is excited about American Dreamz and The Sentinel (co-starring our man-crush Kiefer Sutherland) as well as this weekend’s 22nd Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival. more ›

The easy story told about the artists opening galleries in Pilsen is: white north side art students are forcing Latino and Latina residents out of the neighborhood. There might be some truth to that, but gentrification, like art, is rarely so simple. That story assumes Latinos have no interest in new galleries, and vice versa, and that Important Art requires the approval of rich white folks. Thankfully, those assumptions are way, way off. more ›