Federal hiring monitor Mary Robinson issued a report this week detailing something that the rest of Cook County has been well aware of for some time now: Todd Stroger has been using his position as Cook County Board President to hire and fire people based on political allegiances. Robinson noted in her report to the federal court that is overseeing hiring in Cook County and the City of Chicago that while progress has been made on removing political influence from the hiring process in Cook County, “since losing his primary bid to run for reelection, the president has aggressively used his legal authority to make unilateral exempt hiring and firing decisions to reward supporters and part company with those who were disloyal.” more ›

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Screw It Zone. Presented for your consideration: One Mr. Todd Stroger, (soon to be former) Cook County Board President. Stroger ascended to his seat in a Machiavellian deal with the devil, taking power in the second most populous county in the United States after his father succumbed to a stroke. But all is not well in the heartland. more ›

The election to replace Cook County Board President is still five months away, but Todd Stroger's still in the captain's seat. And that means that his administration is still in charge when it comes to contracts and hiring. According to the Sun-Times, the Stroger administration quickly hired and payed two contractors to help promote energy efficiency and composting in Cook County (you remember those campaigns, right? Right?), even though they aren't listed in state or county business registries, as required by law. more ›

With just seven months left in the captain's chair, Todd Stroger has entered the "Screw It Zone," prompting new restrictions by the Cook County Board. more ›

Because it's Monday: kids reenacting Scarface as a school play. We don't care if it's real or not. more ›

It's one of two things: Either it's so crazy it could never happen, or it's so batshit insane it's totally plausible. And as of today, it doesn't matter a lick, but it still costs nearly $200K in city (read: taxpayer) dollars. Since 2004, Lloyd Haywood has alleged that cops threatened him with a chainsaw, and downloaded porn to his computer, among other things. Monday, the city settled with him for $195,000. more ›