• Pvt. Francheska Velez, one of the two area soldiers killed in the Ft. Hood shooting rampage, was laid to rest today.
• The state's unemployment rate hit a new 26-year high in October at 11 percent.
• The RTA today gave the official thumbs up to the deal struck with Gov. Quinn that would avoid another CTA fare hike.

• A school bus driver has been arrested for allegedly holding a boy against his will on the bus and sexually assaulting him.
• A new 10-point reform plan for Tamms Correctional Center was announced today.
• Lara Hunt, accused of causing an accident that killed a motorcyclist earlier this summer because she was distracted by painting her nails, has been indicted on a reckless homicide charge.

Things are not looking good for Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor of Detroit. [Trib] more ›

The CTA will be spending $227 million in federal funds on improving itself and fixing slow zones. Doors open on the left at "finally." In other CTA news, the Yellow Line is going to start running on weekends. [S-T, Trib] more ›

U of C paleontologist Paul Sereno unveiled his latest dino today: Nigersaurus taqueti, an elephant-sized sauropod with a highly unusual anatomy. Nigersaurus was a "Mesozoic cow," according to Sereno. It grazed. Also, its mouth was like a vacuum. We've all had those days, Nigersaurus. Don't feel too bad. Nigersaurus's weirdly-shaped skull had a broad, flat muzzle--to allow for ground-level grazing--and housed 50 rows of teeth, all up in the front. Sereno and co used... more ›