What's emerging is a story of a woman who, like many of us, has had her share of financial struggles, but one whom supporters say wouldn't make the accusations out of the blue. more ›

We know that Drew Peterson has a receptive soundboard for his thoughts from jail in Sun-times columnist Michael Sneed, who's published his letters from jail before (after they've been edited by Sneed's "confidential source"). Now it looks like another in the Peterson brood has found a personal transcriber in Michael Sneed. more ›

It seems like we are always looking for scapegoats. This week, in the wake of a decision in the Great Lakes States’ Asian carp court dustup, an unlikely figure has stepped up to take the blame for Lake Michigan's most-hyped invader: Robert Halpin, Chicago’s most infamous renter and Mayoral candidate. more ›

City Clerk Miguel Del Valle held a press conference Monday to dispel rumors that he was dropping out of the race for mayor. “Under no circumstances will I leave the race for mayor,” Del Valle said, responding to a column published over the weekend by Michael Sneed claiming that he's “negotiating for a top position with the Chicago Public Schools in exchange for his exit from the mayoral race.” more ›

Apparently, it has been a busy after-hours week at the Cook County Building and that has us thinking of Bob Seeger. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cook County Board President’s office “underwent a hush-hush after-hours security inspection Wednesday night.” Despite assertions from Stroger’s spokesperson that the sweep had been planned for weeks, Cook County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Executive Director David Ramos and the two former FBI agents (now owners of a private security company) that accompanied him, still needed building management’s assistance to enter offices for Stroger and former Chief of Staff Carla Oglesby. Oglesby is awaiting trial for an array of contracting irregularities. The CST notes that Ramos is a key witness in the case. more ›

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Maybe Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed forgot this with her speculation that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was considering a run for Mayor. more ›

We mentioned it yesterday but more solid sources - the Associated Press - than Michael Sneed are echoing rumors of what we expected all along: Rahm Emanuel is due to resign his post as White House chief of staff tomorrow and make public his candidacy for Chicago's next mayor. The AP cited two anonymous sources who made the same claims that others have made all week and that Rahm will be in town next week to hit the ground running - literally - canvassing in neighborhoods around the city. more ›

That Rahm Emanuel is going to leave the White House and run for Mayor of Chicago is the worst-kept secret in local politics right now. And we can now add one more source to the "Rahm is running" pile in the form of Drew Peterson mouthpiece Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed. Sneed, who reported on the Rahm's issue getting back into his home, currently rented out, yesterday reports that Rahm will make the mayoral run official this Friday. According to the source, “Rahm will end the week leaving the White House, move to Chicago this weekend, and begin campaigning like a galloping horse next week. He is not worried about not meeting a residency requirement. He has had top election experts advising him, and he doesn’t have a problem in that area.” Like a galloping horse, eh? Well, it seems there's already an appropriate Twitter feed available so we guess we're off to the races. more ›

Okay, this is ridiculous. We felt kind of gray and fuzzy on it the first time around, but now? Once again, "columnist" Michael Sneed has given up an entire column over to republishing a letter from Drew Peterson, currently awaiting his trial for the murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio and still the prime suspect in the disappearance of wife number four Stacy Peterson. In this letter, Drew makes an "an impassioned media plea on behalf of his children," specifically prosecution (and what Drew alleges is persecution) against oldest son Stephen who is currently the primary caregiver for four of Peterson's kids: two with Savio and two with Stacy. Like the first letter, this one was handed directly from Peterson attorney Joel Brodsky to Sneed and reprinted (the lead-in says it's been "edited" though there's no word if the paper edited the letter or if, like the first one, it was edited by someone else in the Peterson camp before getting to the Sun-Times). more ›

While he awaits his trial for the murder of third wife Kathleen Savio and the search for missing fourth wife Stacy continues, Drew Peterson has found himself with a lot of time on his hands. So he's channeling his time and energy to letter writing, specifically to Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed. The Sun-Times ran their first "installment" of the letters yesterday and the second installment today; the letters were received and edited thusly: more ›

The Saga of Scott Lee Cohen might be starting a new chapter soon. Sun-Times resident scoopster/gossip monger Michael Sneed says Cohen is looking into a run at the governor's mansion this year as an independent. Sure, he had success as a lieutenant governor candidate and sure, there's certainly a sympathy vote out there, but a victory in the election, especially running as an independent, is highly unlikely so we can only assume that any run would be merely symbolic. more ›

Now that former Cicero town president Betty Loren-Maltese is out of prison, the next logical step is a new job. The Sun-Times' Michael Sneed continues to do the Lord's work and has the scoop (er, slice?) on her new employment: pizza hostess. Betty will be working the 4 to 10 p.m. shift apparently as she continues to rebuild her post-penitentiary life. One other upgrade for her since the last time we checked in: she's left the Salvation Army halfway house behind and is now in a full-fledged Evergeen Park apartment. more ›

We may support Coco but we also may soon be saddled with Blago in late-night form, albeit on the internet. The Sun-Times' resident gossip monger, Michael Sneed, who perfected use of the third person in Chicago media way before Chicagoist ever did, reports that Blago will be coming to the web as (temporary) host of a late-night talk show. Web site artoftalk.tv is gearing up for a show called The Late Net Show that will feature a different "celebrity" host each week and it looks like the show's producers have eyes on Blago. The website's founder, Charlie Oliver, said, "We look forward to seeing him step out of his comfort zone as the first host of the 'Late Net Show.'" We'd prefer to see him step out of his comfort zone into somewhere else. Like prison. Anyway. Sneed continues: more ›

CTA President Richard Rodriguez denied a report by the Sun-Times gossip columnist Michael Sneed (pictured right) that indicated he was prepping to leave local government for the private sector, causing a City Hall Shuffle. According to Sneed: more ›

Chris Kennedy, President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc, emailed a letter to the press late Tuesday announcing that he won't seek the Democratic nomination for either the U.S. Senate or Illinois Governor. “The decision wasn’t easy to arrive at,” he said, adding that classic line of politicians that have other reasons not to run: "I realize that I would rather be a good husband and a good father than a good Washington politician.”mSun-Times "reporter" Michael Sneed cited a source that puts it more bluntly: “He honestly didn’t have the stomach and the heart to run." Let's hope her sources are right that the Toddler wants to spend more time with his family, too. more ›

The Sun-Times resident City Gossip Queen is reporting this morning that Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis is enacting a new policy this weekend that allows police to shoot at the drivers and passengers of cars as they flee police. A police source told Sneed, "Officers were allowed to use deadly force to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person, but it didn't allow them to use force to apprehend a fleeing forcible felon. If confronted by an oncoming vehicle, officers were simply told to get out of the way, unless they were put in great danger." more ›

While it remains to be seen if Sen. Roland Burris joins his pal, former governor Rod Blagojevich, as an out-of-work politician, it seems he will be joining Blago in another group: politician-turned-author. more ›

Michael Sneed is getting a lot of business as a messenger these days. First Mike Madigan's daughter (and Illinois Attorney General) Lisa Madigan called her up to tell her that she was considering a run for Roland Burris's senate seat (although not sending any messages whatsoever. Nope. None at all.). Then Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc tipped her off that he's going to run for the senate seat as well. He even told Sneed that he's hired David Axlerod's consultancy, AKPD, to handle his media, and recently shot his first campaign ad. Lynn Sweet, a Sun-Times counterpart of Sneed's, spoke to Kennedy yesterday, who told Sweet, "I'm keeping my options alive and working through a whole series of issues still." more ›

Perhaps taking a page out of her archenemy's play book, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told Michael Sneed that she's considering a run for Senate. Lisa told Sneed that she had gotten recruitment calls from the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, saying "they have told me polls show me doing very well." But that's not all! Sneed also learned that Madigan "sent word" to Chris Kennedy, President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc and son of RFK, who is also considering a run for Roland Burris's seat, that she was thinking of running for senate. more ›

Thought yesterday's radio appearance by former governor Rod Blagojevich was bad? Wait until you see the television show. Yes, rumors are flying the governor is working on a reality TV show. Of course, given the news comes from Michael Sneed, we take it all with a big ol' grain of salt. Sneed quotes "a source familiar with Blago's inner circle" as saying, "I'm told a reality show is being discussed by his inner circle." Sneed also spoke to Blago publicist Glenn Selig, who said, We are focusing on all kinds of things. But there is nothing beyond talk. Not even a reality show." To be fair, though, we can totally see Blago being narcissistic enough to do a TV show just so he can Tivo it and watch himself in HD. Over and over. more ›

Sneed says: "Pick 'em: The latest whisper in the GOP shop: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a possible veepmate on GOP presidential hopeful John McCain's ticket." more ›

At a press conference yesterday, West Side religious leaders praised interim police superintendent Dana Starks's decision to disband the SOS unit of the CPD. And Mayor Daley said Starks proves the police department can clean itself up, no outsider necessary, although he has yet to name an official superintendent. Stark has been on the job since August, when his predecessor Phil Cline resigned. Daley claimed that "in all professions, there's always a code of silence,"... more ›

It's going to be gorgeous this weekend but might rain tonight, so grab your umbrella before heading out. Just in case. The The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 1 million cribs today after a Trib investigation linked the cribs to the deaths of three children. Congressman Jerry Weller (R-Morris) won't be running for an eighth term because he wants to spend more time with his family. Not because he's been named one of the... 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 ›

Step right up, folks: the Conrad Black media circus has officially commenced, and we've already learned a few things: more ›

It seems that another battle is brewing with Rod Blagojevich. In a last-minute press release Friday evening, G-Rod announced he was suspending a program designed to stop predatory lending in the Chicago area, claiming that it hurt development in those areas. The five-month-old Illinois Predatory Lending Database Pilot Program set up rules for people that wanted to buy a home in 10 ZIP codes on Chicago's west and southwest sides. These rules required residents who... more ›

Whenever we pick up on a story about “cost-cutting” we always pause to ponder the ultimate usefulness of most cost-cutting strategies, namely, slicing off a thin sliver of fat at the bottom rather than the thick fat at the top. So it’s bemusing to read in the Trib that NBC 5 is slicing, dicing and shuffling its news programming in an effort to slim down. Changes include Michael Sneed’s snarky celeb gossip (discontinued), WSCR-AM 670... more ›

Everyone's favorite search engine, Google, gives the Windy City some love. In the past week, they've made two announcements with Chicago-area companies: The Sun-Times is running "text ads" from Google's key word advertising program in its un-sold ad inventory. Crain's Chicago reports that the terms of the deal weren't disclosed and that only 15 boxes of ads have run since they debuted on December 9th. Many newspapers consider Google the enemy, but Sun-Times Publisher John... more ›

It has been a while since we've read something from a major newspaper that caused us to repeatedly hit our head against the wall. Just that happened when we were introduced to the first blog from the Chicago Sun-Times. We'll pause here for you to skim the first page of Debra Pickett's new blog. Go ahead... just watch your head. See what we mean? The Sun-Times hasn't had the greatest last couple of years: circulation... more ›

It happened again today. Another annoying item in Michael Sneed's column about mayoral scion, Patrick Daley. In case you haven't been following it, last spring Mayor Richard M. Daley's son, Patrick, enlisted in the U.S. Army. It started with a cover story on the Sun Times, and ever since, Sun Times people columnist Michael Sneed has tracked every little detail in recruit-Patrick's journey. more ›