Around 9:42 this morning, an armed robber, believed to be male, attempted to rob a First Commercial Bank branch at 6945 N. Clark St. According to the Tribune, something went wrong and the robbery escalated to a hostage situation. The hostages were freed around 1:30 p.m.; none of them were harmed. No one is saying whether the gunman is still in the bank, or has been arrested. more ›

This election has been one of the most significant in recent memory. With seven new aldermen set to take office in May, including the wife of Jesse Jackson Jr. in the 7th Ward, the stage is set for a new power struggle in Chicago. This year, more than any other, saw the city's labor movement — especially the service-sector unions — flex their political muscle. The result? A record-low turnout in the mayoral vote, and... more ›

You remember back in November, when the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce announced that it was going to develop some clout of its own. Claiming that they wanted to make sure they could protect their interests and take out aldermen that threatened those interests, they had announced that they were going to build their own political machine, including having employees of their members canvass neighborhoods. Now it seems that the ghost of corruption past has found... more ›

Chalk up Michael Tsonton and Copper Blue as the second restaurant accused of serving banned foie gras. Unlike Block 44, however, Tsonton may also be guilty of trying to parse the English language as a way around the ban. As vocal as Tsonton has been opposing the ban, it's surprising that one of his restaurants wasn't the first cited for violating it. more ›