"Chicago Tribune" Reader

"Chicago Tribune" Reader

Broadcast partner Pat Hughes reflects on 15 years with Santo

Posted: 04 Dec 2010 05:49 PM PST

Broadcast partner recalls unpredictable events, warm greeting when he started in Chicago

One of the neat things about being a major league broadcaster is your connection with fans. You feel like part of their family.

787 Dreamliner bedevils Boeing

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Fire during test flight, condensation problems threaten new delay for long-awaited plane

Production problems for Boeing Co.'s oft-delayed 787 Dreamliner have earned the jet unflattering nicknames such as "7-late-7." Among the latest troubles: A fire on a test plane last month.

Ex-CHA cop 'did everything I wanted ... before it was too late'

Posted: 04 Dec 2010 04:33 PM PST

Nurse takes charge of her final days

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Death is inevitable with ALS, but she embraces life

Eileen Hagarty has ALS. She can no longer walk or manipulate her right hand. Next year, her doctor says, she'll probably begin gasping for breath as paralysis climbs up her torso. Yet Hagarty copes with the despair by focusing her energy on leaving a legacy of love for her family.

Scientists train rats to comb Colombian minefields

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Scientists train the critters to sniff out explosives. They do the job better, and more cheaply, than dogs.

Rats may soon become heroic figures in this nation's struggle to detect and dispose of land mines.

Rockford woman, 'speechless,' among 9 pardoned by Obama

Posted: 04 Dec 2010 10:08 AM PST

78-year-old cop killer seeks parole, cops fight back

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Inmate put behind bars after 1967 bank robbery shootout

Today, Henry Michael Gargano is a 78-year-old rare-coins expert who has suffered two heart attacks, contends with emphysema and takes at least 12 medications.

Rivals asked to finance Emanuel ballot challenge

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Campaigns of both del Valle, Braun reportedly have been approached, but said no

Behind the scenes of Chicago's mayor race, Rahm Emanuel's political enemies are talking about passing the hat to cover the cost of trying to bounce him off the ballot.

Civil unions seen as 'slippery slope' to gay marriage

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 05:29 PM PST

Yes, say activists on both sides, who disagree on everything else

Both before and after Illinois lawmakers voted in favor of a civil unions bill, opponents argued that such a law would create a "slippery slope," sending the state sliding unhindered toward the legalization of same-sex marriages.

Groupon: On track for billions — later

Posted: 04 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Groupon's largest shareholder may be counting on his track record

Groupon's Eric Lefkofsky, along with co-founder Andrew Mason, turned down a multibillion-dollar acquisition offer from Google, sources say. If they had sold now, Lefkofsky, Groupon's largest shareholder, would have become a billionaire and one of Chicago's richest people.

Sun-Times closes 7 weeklies

Posted: 04 Dec 2010 04:52 AM PST

Mexico captures 14-year-old accused in cartel killings

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 07:00 PM PST

Edgar Jimenez Lugo, who authorities said was born in San Diego, was wanted on suspicion of killing rivals — allegedly beheading some — as part of his work for a violent drug-trafficking cartel.

A 14-year-old boy who says he's been killing or working for drug cartels since he was 11 has been captured by the Mexican army after a monthlong hunt, authorities said Friday.

Sources: Deal site Groupon rejects Google's offer

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Chicago coupon site to remain independent for now

The deal didn't tip after all.

Obama pardons 9 people

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 06:05 PM PST

President Barack Obama has granted the first pardons of his presidency, to nine people convicted of crimes including possessing drugs, counterfeiting and even mutilating coins.

Law enforcement duties still up in the air at youth jail

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 07:33 PM PST

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said Friday he is willing to work with the staff at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center on security issues, but he stopped short of saying his office would take over responsibility for police calls from the facility.

Park Forest vet accused of failing to report dogfighting

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 05:01 PM PST

Doctor accused of failing to report dogfighting

A Park Forest veterinarian whose troubled disciplinary past includes allegations of substandard care that left pets dead, "drooling into" a dog during surgery and watering down vaccines to boost profits has been criminally charged for allegedly failing to report dogfighting.

Unemployment climbs to 9.8%, raising doubts about recovery

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 10:00 PM PST

Hiring unexpectedly stalled last month: Employers added only 39,000 jobs, compared with 172,000 in October.

In a potentially serious setback for the U.S. economy, hiring unexpectedly stalled in November while the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 9.8%, reversing a pattern of slow but steady improvement in the prospects for American workers.

Ron Santo: It's all about heart

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 06:31 PM PST

John Kass: My brother Peter, one of two Cubs fans in our baseball-divided family, called to leave a one-word message on a cold morning that was about to get even colder. "Santo," he said, and I knew.

Mayoral election petitions probed for possible fraud

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 05:59 PM PST

Invalidating petition signatures could keep Emanuel tenant off mayoral ballot

State police are looking into allegations that nominating petitions for five political candidates, including four Chicago mayoral contenders, were fraudulently notarized, a spokeswoman for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said Friday.