"Chicago Tribune" Reader

"Chicago Tribune" Reader

Traditions new and old on parade

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 10:00 PM PST

McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade celebrates 77 years

With marching bands, flamethrowers and horses, Chicago's Thanksgiving parade marked its 77th year. Tens of thousands of people bundled up to line the parade route along State Street.

Teen killed in shooting on Thanksgiving day

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 05:08 PM PST

Cell phone a shopper's best friend as mobile shopping clicks with consumers

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 10:00 PM PST

Smart phones used more for price comparison, searching products than making purchases

Sixteen-year-old Lila Mann rarely goes to the mall without her cell phone. As the holiday shopping season begins on Black Friday, the smart phone is being pressed into duty as a personal shopper and bargain hunter.

Volunteerting: Experts suggest creative ways to help

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 10:00 PM PST

Experts suggest creative ways to help

An Oswego firefighter by day, Mark Spoo doesn't indulge his passion for photography as often as he would like. But for the past four Christmas seasons, Spoo has made time to combine his favorite hobby with his desire to give back.

Man accused of impersonating a police officer in robbery

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 04:38 PM PST

A year later, slain barber remembered at Steger salon

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 10:00 PM PST

Barber whose watchword was 'Everything is going to be all right' was slain in family shop one year ago

The sun had set, the worn wooden floors of her Steger hair salon had been swept, and so Consuelo Moreno went home to begin preparing some chicken soup, leaving her two sons, both barbers, to discuss an upcoming fight they planned to watch.

Cops: Victim killed by man he helped

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 03:24 PM PST

World War II vet suffered Oct. 13 attack after someone broke into his home

Police say Stanley Letkiewicz was beaten by a homeless man he had taken into his home on the Northwest Side. The 94-year-old was found under a dresser in his ransacked home.

Obama thanks troops in Iraq, Afghanistan for service

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 08:15 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is celebrating a quiet Thanksgiving at the White House, telephoning U.S. servicemen and women stationed around the world and dining on his favorite holiday food with family and friends.

'Black Friday' now spans days

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 10:00 PM PST

As hopes for a rebound in consumer spending rise, retailers push more holiday deals and spread the usual 24-hour Black Friday discounts over several days.

Call it Gray Friday.

Who brought the Jell-O, and why?

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 04:03 PM PST

John Kass: Is there anything worse at Thanksgiving dinner than someone plopping a quivering mass of Jell-O upon your plate? It sits there glistening and trembling as it begins to ooze, ruining everything in its path.

DeLay undone by effort to consolidate GOP power

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 05:03 AM PST

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — During a 22-year career in the U.S. House, Tom DeLay helped build up the Republican Party's power — and, by extension, his own — through a combination of shrewd strategy and hardball tactics that earned him the nickname "The Hammer" and elevated him to the chamber's second-highest post.

Cops: Victim killed by man he helped

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 03:35 PM PST

Police say Stanley Letkiewicz was beaten by a homeless man he had taken into his home on the Northwest Side. The 94-year-old was found under a dresser in his ransacked home.

Palin: Serious contender or pretender? | The Korea gaffe

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 04:37 AM PST

Sarah Palin, the telegenic Republican who exasperates and delights voters about equally, is dropping ever more hints of a presidential bid, including a visit Saturday to the key state of Iowa.

State Street parade photos

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 07:55 AM PST

Marching bands, floats and even a band of Jedis. Chicago's 77th annual Thanksgiving parade rolled down State Street this morning. In the words of one grandmother, "This is awesome." Photos: Parade on State Street

Palin hit after Korea gaffe

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 03:44 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Palin is drawing criticism from around the world after declaring that the United States has to stand with "our North Korean allies."

Dense fog advisory issued

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 04:11 AM PST

Maywood cop charged with taking cash from suspects

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 05:41 PM PST

Officer allegedly stole money from undercover FBI agent

A Maywood police officer was charged Wednesday with theft after he allegedly took $240 from an undercover FBI agent posing as a drug suspect.

This Thanksgiving, these three are thankful for a new dawn

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 02:02 PM PST

After a year of adversity, things are finally looking up

Today, our families will gather for a meal and perhaps to take inventory of all that is good.

Protests don't slow airports' holiday traffic

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 05:40 PM PST

Bid to protest full-body scanners and opt for pat-downs doesn't materialize

Fliers who arrived at O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday fearing the worst — long lines and protests — were pleasantly surprised to find relative calm on what's traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.

Police save residents in Grand Crossing fire

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:09 PM PST

Officers see homes burning after responding to a fight

Several Chicago police officers had just finished up with a call about a fight in the Grand Crossing neighborhood early Wednesday when they smelled burning wood and tar.