Looks like Borders closing most of their stores in Chicago is fueling speculation that Walmart may be eyeing those spaces in their plan to open 24 stores in the city. Bruce Beal, who organized one of many opposition groups the last time WalMart was looking at a Lakeview location, says he has a "reliable source" that the retail giant is now targeting the soon-to-shutter Borders in Lakeview, just steps down from the proposed store that was supposed to go into the old Petsmart. We contacted Beal via Facebook to see if he would divulge any more information regarding the source. Beal replied that he needed to do more footwork to conifrm his source's claim that WalMart has renewed its interest in opening a Lakeview store. more ›

Mayor Daley’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek a seventh term rocked the city to its foundation. But almost immediately after Daley uttered the words that would lead to the first truly open mayoral election in a generation, speculation began as to who would run and who would drop out. And then Rahm Emanuel moved back to Chicago and rendered all that moot within a few weeks with a campaign that could have been lifted directly from Daley’s playbook. more ›

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Maybe Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed forgot this with her speculation that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was considering a run for Mayor. more ›

Daley's announcement that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2011 turned not just the city, but its political establishment on its ear yesterday. What looked to be an easy walk to an seventh term now leaves the field wide open, as every "wanna-be mayor" huddles with his kitchen cabinet to plot their next move. And who might those wanna be mayors be? No shortage of names are being kicked around in the local press, from retiring county pols to aldermen, from congressmen to the president's own chief of staff. And while there's plenty of speculation, nobody seems quite ready to come right out and say what their intentions are just yet. “Stay tuned,” 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke told the Chicago News Cooperative's Mick Dumke. “In Chicago politics, people never close the door.” more ›

As Batfans around the world are giving their Christmas present DVDs of The Dark Knight multiple viewings, rumors are beginning to circulate about the next chapter in the franchise, including filming once again in Chicago. Speculation has included pre-production on the next installment beginning in early 2009 and an office for the production opening here in town as early as February. Of course, most of the rumors are circulating around casting.

The most popular rumors: Johnny Depp as The Riddler alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin. Now, it'd be tough to imagine such campy characters in Nolan's Batman universe, especially since both are basically pale variations of The Joker. In October, "Dark Knight" co-writer David Goyer told MTV that all the rumors were false. more ›