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The Illinois State Supreme Court has rejected a request by jailed former governor George Ryan to keep part of his pension. Ryan was hoping to receive $60,000 a year for his services to the state before his arrest for corruption. Justice Anne Burke was the only dissenter in the 6-1 ruling. [Sun-Times] more ›

Yesterday the Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments regarding former governor George Ryan's pension as Ryan attempts to reclaim part of his pension. Representing Ryan was another former governor, Jim Thompson. Thompson argued that though Ryan was stripped of his entire pension - a mind-boggling $197,037 per year, according to the Sun-Times - by the General Assembly upon his conviction in 2006, Ryan should still be entitled to the pension for offices he held before he became secretary of state in 1991; he had been a member of the Kankakee County Board, a State House Rep., and Lieutenant Governor (under Thompson). Why those offices? Because he served those offices "honestly"; in other words, he wasn't charged with anything while serving those offices. The pension he'd collect for those jobs would total around $60,000. Earlier this year, a state appeals court reversed the complete stripping of his pension. Reps for the retirement system, though, are none-too-amused. The Sun-Times continues: more ›

• Police have arrested a teenager in connection with the stabbing death of his mother's boyfriend; the mother and boyfriend had been fighting and the teen allegedly stabbed the man to protect his mother.
• What not to do when protesting a traffic ticket: threaten authorities with a BB gun.
• Thomas J. Thibeault, executive director for the Chicago Newspaper Guild, has reported that there appears to be a second bidder interested in purchasing the Sun-Times Media Group.

The debate over the Chicago Children's Museum plan to relocate to Grant Park has escalated since Monday’s neighborhood meeting at Daley Bicentennial Plaza. There, museum officials introduced plans for a more sunken, environmentally friendly design adjacent to the Plaza. The Museum’s growth has been remarkable. Founded in 1982 in two Chicago Public Library hallways, it’s since moved three times, most recently to Navy Pier in 1995. Twelve years later, they’ve apparently outgrown that tourist magnet.... more ›

The story of hope and redemption on the South Side continued Friday, as the news that the Illinois State Supreme Court had ruled that both Ambrosio Medrano and Virgil Jones are ineligible to run for alderman. Even more bizarre is that because the court's ruling makes no mention of Wallace Davis, a former 27th Ward alderman and candidate in the 2nd Ward, and Percy Giles in the 37th Ward, the city election board has no... more ›

Punk rock manager and band wrangler Danny Fields once said “when the music moves from the music section to the front page of the newspaper, you’re in trouble.” By that measure, R. Kelly’s been in trouble for a while. But there was good news for him in both sections of the papers this week. more ›

Today Altria, makers of kid-friendly boxed cigarettes (via Philip Morris USA), dinners (via KRAFT), cereal, crackers and cookies (via Nabisco), tried, through oral arguments, to convince the Illinois State Supreme Court to overturn a $10.1 ruling against them handed down by a judge last year. more ›