Air travel could get a little harried for Illinois residents this spring. Illinois is one of seventeen states that have passed legislation or resolutions objecting to the post-9/11 REAL ID Act’s provisions over concerns it could cost too much to implement. The law is designed to make driver's licenses more secure. more ›

On Friday, two disembodied lower legs were found in Matteson. On Sunday, the rest of the body turned up in Alsip, 12 miles from the feet. Today, police identified the victim as Michael Cranston, 60, of unincorporated Rich Township. more ›

A new ruling from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals may finally put an end to the Cavel horsemeat slaughter saga that has been on our radar for some time. On Friday, the court upheld the Illinois Horse Meat Act, effectively shutting down the DeKalb County-based slaughterhouse. The ever-prolific Richard Posner penned the 15-page opinion. In his trademark witty style, he writes, But even if no horses live longer as a result of the... more ›

We all know that the problems that CTA is having is part crap management and part a real failure to figure out how to properly fund the whole works. And we've been talking about all of this budget stuff for awhile after they threatened to hike our fares and cut our service. However even with the looming $226 million combined budget shortfall for 2007, Springfield has shown little sign that comprehensive transit funding is on their list of priorities. Blago met with CTA officials Wednesday and indicated he wants to give $100 million to the CTA. According to a spokeswoman for the governor, he plans to meet with Metra and Pace officials, but nothing's scheduled yet. more ›

On Friday night at the 5400 block of S. Kilbourn police seized 992 pounds of marijuana. The street value of the weed clocks in at around $2.7 million and according to the authorities the marijuana looked as if it had been recently shipped. As a point of reference for the mass amount of marijuana seized, the following weigh approximately the same; the hog shot by an 11-year old in Alabama, this totally real video of... more ›

Head 300 miles south to The Creation Museum and you may be dazzled by their Because The Bible Said So, That’s Why! explanation of life’s origins. That prospect is too much for The Field Museum. On Friday they open Darwin, a new traveling exhibition focused on the man and scientist considered the creationists’ biggest gadfly. Now a household name, Charles Darwin is remembered primarily for publishing Origin of Species and Descent of Man, the most... more ›

The day is finally here! We get to mark up the schedule, fight with our friends over who to see, and determine what time we have to wake up to make it down to Grant Park. The Lollapalooza schedule is finally out. Also, if a three-day pass seemed excessive, the single day tickets are now on sale for $80. Which headliner will make the previously unconvinced head to the festival? Will it be Daft Punk... more ›

Any weekend that has the Cubs and White Sox playing each other is exciting, but since the Sox added A.J. Pierzynski to the mix he seems to have developed an uncanny ability to fan the flames even more. Remember his little run-in with Cubs catcher Michael Barrett last year? A.J. didn't disappoint this year, either, causing fireworks at the beginning and end of the weekend, both on the field and off. On Friday, during Mike... more ›

The NFL held its annual draft this past weekend, and the Bears attempted to fill the holes on their roster in the hopes of building a team that can return to the Super Bowl next season. On Friday, we outlined what we felt were the biggest needs for the Bears. How'd they do in filling those areas? In the first round, with the 31st overall pick, the Bears filled their need for a tight end... more ›

All ready for the CTA charley-foxtrot tomorrow, Chicago? Us neither. more ›

Middle school was quite the awkward time for us, our memory of that time is a little hazy due to the mass amount of time we spent thinking about girls. We also had quite a crush on our Math teacher. We have gone to bat for her like these kids at Simmons Middle School in Oak Lawn did for their teachers. The only difference is, they were truly standing up for something. more ›

People are hurting now that those electricity rate increases are hitting home, and not just from head injuries suffered from passing out after they opened January's bill. ComEd bills have jumped an average of 24%, but just be glad you don't live downstate, where some Ameren customers' bills have doubled or tripled. On Friday, a group of Democratic state representatives renewed the push to roll back the rate increases and reinstate a freeze for another... more ›

Remember when we told you back in November about the special Secret Santa guy? The one who gives out $100 bills on the streets of Chicago for Christmas? He had finally revealed his identity after handing out large chunks of change for several years running. Well, what we didn't know at the time was that the reason he put a face to the kindness was because he was dying of cancer. On Friday, Larry Stewart,... more ›

What happened with the down and dirty this weekend? Let's see: more ›

Last Friday we were winding down our work week when shots rang out at the offices across the street. Outside was pandemonium, with police everywhere, streets closed, sirens, and helicopters. Inside was not much better. Our office just stopped and was looking everywhere for more information online, playing radio broadcasts and trying to figure out alternate ways to get home. All the while, we tried to keep you up to date. 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 ›

A man sleeps pleasantly inside his home. Suddenly a phalanx of backhoes rumble toward his property. The man, discombobulated and outraged, takes action and tries to block the machines the only way he knows how. No, the story we describe isn't the beginning of Hitchhiker's Guide, but it's just as surreal. On Friday morning, Monee resident Mark Baugh was awoken by his wife when a crew of Illinois Department of Transportation workers showed up at... more ›

George Ryan. The name brings up a laundry list of titles. Former governor. Inspiration for our current governor. Keeper of the flame for Illinois politics in general. And, equaling the infamy of his corrupted reign, death penalty opponent. On Friday, Ryan appeared at DePaul University to make a speech concerning the ultimate capital punishment. It was one of his first public appearances since being sentenced for racketeering and fraud charges in September. He spent 45... more ›

First there was the Crackberry. Then there was Motorola's Q. Q ads cropped up all over Chicago with their pretty/ugly models pushing the hell out of it, trying to pass it off as big as the second coming of Christ. In reality, Q sales have been described by analysts as merely "OK," which in the business world translates to "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out." more ›

Chicagoist tends to turn a skeptical eye towards marriage. We don't go in for the whole practice of blowing two months' salary on a ring, we refuse to pay a small fortune on a dress we'd wear once, and IOHO, the societal pressure is just madness. Plus there's the matter of who to marry in the first place. One woman in Tinley Park probably wishes she'd never married Joseph Lyon, whom she later divorced and at whose hands she wound up the victim of horrifying revenge. more ›

Just as our friends were getting used to avoiding the suspension of the Green and Orange Line service between Roosevelt and the Loop, they get the good news that service has been restored. At 8 p.m. last night the CTA resumed the service that was disrupted earlier in the week by the fire in the Wirt Dexter Commercial Loft building. more ›

Remember high school? Yeah, unfortunately, you do. Remember being 14 and confused by just trying to figure out your goddamned schedule and where your locker was and whether or not the older kids thought you were cool? Well, imagine all of that while being pregnant, too. Only no one knew, not even your mother. That was the situation in which one 14-year-old girl in south suburban Sauk Village found herself on Wednesday. She gave birth... more ›

The Chicago Blackhawks' locker room has looked more like a triage unit as of late. The Hawks suffered some concerning injuries over the weekend. more ›

"Cart Rouge" via pantagrapher. more ›

When we were young, we were told to stand up for what we believe in. We would be rewarded with a sense of self, a sense of purpose. Mayor Daley, Aldermen Howard Brookins Jr. (21st), Shirley Coleman (16th), Anthony Beale (9th), Dorothy Tillman (3rd), and Arenda Troutman (20th) stood up for what they believed in by blocking the big box ordinance. Shirley Coleman voted for the ordinance before she voted against it (we've always wanted to put that in a post). Their claim was that so-called big box stores are a necessity, especially in areas where goods are not easily accessible. more ›

By now there's no doubt you've heard of Elvira Arellano, even if the name doesn't sound immediately familiar. She's the illegal Mexican immigrant that's been holed up in Adalberto United Methodist Church on the West Side since mid-August. So far she's been deported once in 1997 and arrested once in 2002; now she's hiding in sanctuary with her naturalized 7-year-old son, Saul. more ›

September must be the month to run profiles of Chicago. On Friday we found an eclectic weekend itinerary for the Windy City in the New York Times, and just last night while flipping through Dwell, we came across this profile called "The Real Chicago." The folks from the flagship of the modern design porn interviewed architect Brad Lynch of the Chicago-based firm Brininstool + Lynch about some of his favorite spots in the city. Just... more ›

On Friday Chicagoist attended the media preview of Bruce Mau's Massive Change exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and we were absolutely blown away. Never have we attended an exhibit with such tangible impact. Mau and his team of designers present hundreds of feasible ideas to help conserve the planet and the human race and to help us all live the highest quality of life possible. The installation is presented from a designer's perspective,... more ›

Take a good look, these Carson Pirie Scott signs won't be around for too much longer. Photo via geekgrrl++ in Contribute. more ›

Was it only a week ago that the Sox sat in third place in the AL Central, 10 games behind the Detroit Tigers? My, how things change quickly! more ›