"Chicago Tribune" Reader

"Chicago Tribune" Reader

Budget deal cuts $33 billion, could avert shutdown

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 06:38 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A budget deal that could impose the largest domestic spending cut in U.S. history took shape in Congress on Wednesday as the threat of a government shutdown receded.

House Democrats, GOP join hands on Illinois budget

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 06:21 PM PDT

Madigan, Cross back spending plan that is lower than Quinn's

— A truce broke out in the Illinois House Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans embraced the outline of a budget plan that is more conservative than the one proposed by Gov. Pat Quinn and would cut money for schools.

Inspector general rips 'loafing' city truck drivers

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 05:29 PM PDT

Inspector general says Chicago could save $18 million a year, but union contract makes firings unlikely

Nearly $18 million a year could be saved by getting rid of 200 city of Chicago truck drivers who spend parts of their workday loafing or even sleeping, according to a report by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson.

Schools stockpile cash in reserve

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 04:18 PM PDT

Taxpayers, school administrators debate how much is too much money in reserves

Local school districts are stockpiling taxpayer money and the statewide total of $8.9 billion unspent is enough to cover the entire state portion of public school budgets across Illinois next academic year.

Blagojevich to address student group in Oak Brook

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 06:09 PM PDT

A student-run civic organization is in for a real-life lesson in politics.

CIA officers aiding Libyan rebels

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PDT

CIA officers on the ground in rebel-held areas of Libya are coordinating with the opposition forces and sharing intelligence, U.S. officials say. The White House is still mulling whether to provide weapons to those trying to oust Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi.

WASHINGTON — CIA officers on the ground in Libya are coordinating with rebels and sharing intelligence, U.S. officials say, but the White House is still mulling whether to provide weapons to those trying to oust Moammar Kadafi.

Advocates ask for inquiry in McHenry traffic stops

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 06:08 PM PDT

Immigrant advocates asked the federal government today to investigate findings that some McHenry County Sheriff's deputies misclassified Hispanic drivers as white and under-reported the number of Hispanics they were stopping.

FDA examines links between food dyes and hyperactivity

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 03:24 PM PDT

The vaguest shows on earth

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 01:55 PM PDT

Charlie Sheen isn't the first to promise a show about, well, everything and nothing. His is the most high-profile in a growing genre of ticketed shows one industry watcher calls 'the world's largest meet-and-greets, without pressing much flesh.'

What can fans expect when they go to the Chicago Theatre to see Charlie Sheen? If you bought tickets, you're willing to find out and you're part of a trend. Whether it's a Q&A with Steve Martin or whatever Sheen has planned, the alternative performance industry is thriving.

Assad blames Syrian unrest on 'conspirators'

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Foreign conspiracies, media distortions and the hand of Israel are to blame for uprisings in Syria, President Bashar Assad insists in a speech to the nation.

Invoking the steely determination of his brutal father, President Bashar Assad blamed foreign conspiracies for Syria's unrest in a highly awaited speech Wednesday that sought to brace his family's 40-year dynasty against a rebellion similar to those that have left governments reeling across the Middle East and North Africa.

Inspector general rips 'loafing' city truck drivers

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:57 AM PDT

Caterpillar CEO: No plans to leave Illinois

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

OSHA probing death of ComEd worker near Crystal Lake

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 12:18 PM PDT

FDA examines links between food dyes and hyperactivity

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 08:39 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FDA is examining the link between dyes found in everyday foods and hyperactivity in children.

Live chat: Talk federal budget with reporter Lisa Mascaro

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 10:34 AM PDT

Cabrini high-rise's last day a 'sad sight'

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 11:35 AM PDT

Amid the constant wheezing of a swinging crane wielding a wrecking ball, spectators gathered this morning to watch crews demolish the last of the Cabrini-Green high-rises.

Ernie Banks to receive civil-rights award

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 08:36 AM PDT

Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks will be honored with a prestigious Beacon of Life Award on May 14, the weekend of the Civil Rights Game between the Phillies and Braves in Atlanta.

County-by-county health report ranks Cook low

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PDT

A new study that assesses the health of residents of every county in the United States finds those in the metropolitan Chicago area ranking high compared to the rest of the state — with the exception of Cook County.

Enterprise pulls cars from Orbitz

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 08:20 AM PDT

Blue Line trains stopped for body under platform

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 09:28 AM PDT

Police were investigating a body found under a CTA "L" platform at the Blue Line's Medical District station on the Eisenhower Expressway this morning.