We can't believe this but we actually have...good news to report in regards to the CTA. Beginning this morning, four-track service was fully restored to the Fullerton station. And, don't look now, but the same will be said for the Belmont station by the end of the year, according to CTA President Ron Huberman. Said The Ron via press release: “Completing the three-track operation at Fullerton is an important milestone and marks another chapter in bringing CTA’s largest capital improvement project to fruition. We thank customers for their patience during this project and assure them the accessible stations, longer trains and modernized stations will improve the overall travel experience now and in the future.” more ›

Thanksgiving falls later this year, creating fewer shopping days, so the mall wants to give consumers ample time to, well, consume, said Bonni Pear, a Woodfield spokeswoman.

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But [Village Manager Mark] Rooney and [director of economic development for Wheeling James] Lang said the village never intended to stop anyone cooking for their church or any other religious organization. more ›

Were you on flight 293 from Delhi to O'Hare to San Francisco on December 13th? Have you developed a bit of a cough? It could be because officials learned on Friday that a woman who had the drug-resistant form of tuberculosis was a passenger on your flight. more ›

• SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others.
• Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list.
• Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island.

For a sizable chunk of the US population, Christmas is a time for... wondering when it's going to be the 26th. Jews have the stereotypical routine of Chinese food and a movie (Chicagoist has deemed Charlie Wilson's War the family-friendly-but-still-interesting-enough-not-to-bore-dad-who-likes-foreign-films movie of the season), but what to do for the rest of the day? more ›

We are. Now what're you gonna do the rest of the day? You could.... more ›

We promise we love many elements about the Christmas season: the festive decorations, the spirit of togetherness, the delicious foods ... but other elements make us want to stab our eyes out. At the top of our list are awful Christmas songs. While there are some songs that make us reminisce about our childhood (anything from the A Very Special Christmas album is fair game), there are others that almost induce involuntary vomiting. We polled the Chicagoist office to compile a list of the Worst Fucking Christmas songs, and here's what was said. (You can wage your own bets about which Chicagoist writer said what): more ›

If you haven't finished shopping yet (like us), you're probably going to have to find some creative solutions for giving gifts late (like us). Our plan is to buy extraordinary presents to make up for the fact that they may not be there on the 25th. more ›

We find that after doing scads of last-minute shopping, the best way to ensure "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men" is to avoid the general public altogether. So one of our favorite parts of Christmastime involves shutting ourselves off from the outside world and gorging on movies. This time of year there's plenty of stuff to watch on Ye Old Yule Tube. TCM is getting into the Santa act by presenting "Sweet Home Chicago," a lineup of five films that starts airing tonight. more ›

With the city being overrun by holiday bar crawls, it might be difficult to walk the streets this weekend without being accosted by a drunk dude in holiday vest or run over by a Santa in a hazmat suit. Throw on your best Cosby sweater and enjoy any or all of these weekend delights.... more ›

Where Can I See the Best Christmas Lights in the City? more ›

The City's settlement in the Burge case has stalled again. Again. Really cute profile of a children's television production company based right here. "Well, the shit really hit the fan last night. And it was the CEILING fan. Maybe I should find a new taqueria." Nothing to do with anything, but we just lost 20 minutes going through the entire archive, and we loved every second. Hey, ladies, don't forget to have a bunch... more ›

Mjkmjk has a bunch of shots from this weekend's Santacon, and it looks like a good time was had by all. We're especially enjoying fedora Santa over there on the right. Way to keep it fresh, sir!... more ›

Is it just us, or has this week sucked ass? It seems like everyone we've talked to has wanted to stab the whole world in the neck this week. At least we have a bunch of things to do that are awesome..... The Old Town School of Folk Music has its annual craft fair tonight, plus their monthly First Friday series. Tomorrow, bust out your wallet at Renegade Craft Fair's holiday bonanza. We've noticed... more ›

We were downstairs at our neighbors' a couple weeks back, drinking bloody marys before the Bears-Broncos game while we were making chicken stock for soup. Normally, we make a killer bloody mary. But on this occasion we were missing something. Turned out that our neighbor had the cure-all: a good beer chaser. She had been to Sam's earlier in the week and picked up some selections from Ridgeway Brewing, and the first bottle she opened... more ›

We've looked all day and still can't top hedgehogs in bandages (they were bandaged at, no lie, Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital). That's the clear winner of awesomeness today. But there were other good contenders... Good luck getting this catchy pork song out of your head. Have 24 hours to burn? The annual 24-hour The Second City That Never Sleeps: Letters to Santa Benefit kicks off tonight at 7pm at Second City. This year's performers also... more ›

Yes, that's a CPD horse in a Santa hat. If Chicagoist staffers put together a list of the Sexiest Men Alive, Anthony Bourdain would be waaaaay high on the list. Like, Ron Huberman high. Bourdain is reading at the Borders at 830 N. Michigan tonight at 7 p.m. Is it gross if we say "delicious"? Maybe? OK. Everybody's got a hobby ... but whittling instruments out of vegetables and playing them in an orchestra?... more ›

Two stories have us thinking about the continuing evolution of the cinematic experience and the differences between going to see a movie and just watching one. First off, "boutique" theater chain Muvico has signed a letter of intent to occupy two floors of the Block 37 development. The proposed multiplex would have only seven screens, much smaller than the AMC RIver East 21 for example. But (to quote Seinfeld) they'd be draped in velvet, so... more ›

So we were poking around Second City's website and noticed they're having a fundraiser to buy presents for needy kids on December 5 on The Second City e.t.c. stage. It's called The Second City That Never Sleeps: Letters To Santa. Apparently it's a 24-hour event that will feature lots of improv and a few bands. Musical acts confirmed so far include Sally Timms and Jon Langford, Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, Robbie Fulks, Steve Albini, and... more ›

Not a single Chicago restaurant made it onto Esquire's list of the best new restaurants of 2007, chosen by Esquire Food Critic John Mariani in the magazine's November issue. MenuPages suggests that Mariani has a thing against Illinois restaurants and that's why he didn't choose any Windy City restaurants either this year or last. Time Out Chicago critic Heather Shouse takes it a step further and essentially accuses him of being unethical in how he... more ›

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own... more ›

In order to avoid a very scary riot involving grown men dressed up in Santa Claus costumes, Oak Lawn school officials have backed off from their proposal to stop celebrating Christmas and Halloween in the classrooms. The Christmas controversy started when a parent brought to light the fact that Muslim holidays were neglected by the school system. In the spirit of Christmas, board members offered a compromise — holidays for no one! They decreed that... more ›