With only hours before its expiration, the House voted last night 250-153 to extend the Patriot Act, which President Obama then signed via autopen minutes before the deadline. more ›

The U.S. Senate spent the weekend in session, appropriating $626 billion to the Department of Defense for the remaining 10 months of the 2010 budget. The bill includes $128 billion for “ongoing contingency operations” in both Iraq and Afghanistan. That figure, however, does not factor in the new 30,000 troop surge in Afghanistan, which could potentially be as much as $40 billion. more ›

If you don't like hoppy beers, just scroll past — this week's installment isn't for you. Just trust us on this. It's been a solid thirty minutes since we drained the bomber of Three Floyd's Fantabulous Resplendence X Anniversary Ale (known only as "X" from here on out), and the spice from the hops is still lingering in the back of our mouth. Speaking honestly here, we feel as though we've been intubated by ale.... more ›

Well, another week has descended upon the city by the lake, and the politicians, like the rest of us, are frolicking in this wonderful spring weather like cowboys at the beach. Let's take all the newsy tidbits that came across our desk this week and rustle them up, like the spring cattle they want to be. Who knows? Maybe one of these stories will fatten up into a vitriol-filled post we can use as a... more ›

The FBI's Chicago office is one of the places where agents abused power of the Patriot Act. Our aldermen have advanced a plan to back the city's Olympic bid with a $500 million financial guarantee. Michelle Obama is cutting her hours at her regular job at the University of Chicago so that she can participate more in Barack's campaign. People are still debating about Chief Illiniwek. Elementary schools may be posting record high gains... more ›

(Note: Most of the links for this post might take you to pages whose material may lean towards the Not Safe For Work side. You’ve been warned.) Has anyone else ever seen the Daily Show segment on Asian-American studies professor Darrell Y. Hamamoto? Seems that Dr. Hamamoto had just about enough of seeing the world of porn (isn’t that the name of a place just over the Illinois-Wisconsin border on I-94?) dominated by White folks... more ›