"Chicago Tribune" Reader

"Chicago Tribune" Reader

One debate down and still undecided

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 08:08 AM PDT

Analyzing the candidates' tax plansAfter Obama and Romney's showdown, some voters in highly-contested Ohio remain on the fence.

Hundreds seen at risk in meningitis outbreak

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:23 PM PDT

5 dead as rare US meningitis outbreak growsThe potential scope of the meningitis outbreak that has killed at least five people widened dramatically Thursday as health officials warned that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of patients who got steroid back injections in 23 states could be at risk.

On the Romney plane, laughter and smiles after the debate

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 03:51 PM PDT

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney talks to advisors Garrett Jackson, Bob White and Stuart Stevens on his campaign plane at the airport in DenverReporters couldn't quite see Mitt Romney, but they could hear him. As his campaign plane crawled along the tarmac in Denver the morning after his first debate with President Barack Obama, the Republican nominee's distinctive laugh could be heard repeatedly in the front cabin of his aircraft. "Ha [...]

Dutch 'abortion boat' barred from Morocco

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 11:56 AM PDT

Dutch 'Abortion Boat' Barred From MoroccoA Dutch "abortion boat" bound for the Moroccan port of Smir has been blocked from entering the harbor. The campaign created by the 'Women on Waves' group sails to countries where abortion is illegal and was due to arrive in the Moroccan port today to...

A look at Apple one year after Steve Jobs' death

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:16 PM PDT

A Look at Apple (AAPL) One Year After Steve Jobs' DeathA year after founder Steve Jobs' death, Apple is continuing on the trajectory that the late founder had in place for years, with its highly-coveted consumer products that are getting into more hands around the country, while the company makes subtle shifts and the occasional misstep.

5-year-old joyfully narrates his mountain bike adventure

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Most of us learned how to ride a bike when we were in elementary school, and it had training wheels. But remember what it felt like when the training wheels were removed, and you rode for the first time, slightly hesitant at first, but more confident as the ride went on? If you don't remember, [...]

Powerbroker sentenced to 366 days in prison for shakedown plot

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:33 PM PDT

Springfield powerbroker William Cellini was sentenced to a year and day in prison today for his role in corruption tied to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. When Cellini addressed the court, he said his "blessed" career has been destroyed by his actions.

Feds charge 91 people in $430 million Medicare fraud

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:52 PM PDT

107 charged in Medicare fraud busts in 7 citiesDoctors, nurses and other medical professionals were charged in a new sweep that spanned seven cities and millions in false billing.

Study: Free birth control leads to fewer abortions

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:54 PM PDT

New Health Policy for Women Gets UnderwayFree birth control led to dramatically lower rates of abortions and teen births, a large study concluded Thursday, offering strong evidence for how a bitterly contested Obama administration policy could benefit women's health.

Maine mayor tells Somalis to 'leave your culture at the door'

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:20 PM PDT

Community advocate Nimo Yonis leads a protest chant against the mayor of Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. Critics of the mayor delivered petitions asking for his resignation because of comments he made about Somali refugees in his city. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Somali immigrants in Lewiston say Mayor Robert Macdonald should apologize and step down for what they call repeated anti-immigrant remarks.

Curiosity rover to scoop up first Mars samples this weekend

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:37 PM PDT

Curiosity Rover to Scoop Up 1st Mars Samples This WeekendNASA's Mars rover Curiosity will scoop up its first batch of Martian soil samples this weekend, scientists announced today (Oct. 4).

Fussy baby will only eat to ‘Gangnam Style’ video

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Oh, the many creative ways parents get their toddlers to eat. There's playing airplane with the food. "Open wide!" There's also pretending to eat the food yourself. For a North London couple, their trick is the global Internet sensation "Gangnam Style," by Psy. Andrew Tsai learned that when he plays the hit Korean music video [...]

Official Bieber fan site fined $1M for illegally tracking preteens

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:55 PM PDT

He knows when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good. But we're not talking about Santa Claus here — we're talking about barely legal pop sensation Justin Bieber, whose official fan website was … Continue reading →

Obama's next hurdle: Friday's jobless report

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:18 PM PDT

President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event at Sloan's Lake Park, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)After a subpar debate performance against a sharp Romney, Obama suddenly seems vulnerable to any bad news.

U.S. investigators, FBI visit Libya compound in Benghazi

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 03:52 PM PDT

An exterior view of the U.S. consulate, which was attacked and set on fire by gunmen yesterday, in BenghaziBENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A team of U.S. investigators travelled for the first time to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday to analyze the crime scene where the U.S. ambassador was killed in an attack last month, Libyan and U.S. sources said. FBI agents were sent to Libya after the September 11 assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission and on another facility in which Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed. ...

Canadian police seize 600 barrels of missing maple syrup

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:25 PM PDT

Breakfast fans, rest assured: Your French toast and pancake toppings are a little safer this morning. Police have made their first major breakthrough in the great maple syrup heist of 2012, after Canadian authorities seized 600 barrels of maple syrup that was allegedly stolen from a Quebec facility. In September, the Federation of Quebec Maple [...]

Girl, 10, offers piggy bank for return of stolen puppy

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:30 PM PDT

A 10-year-old girl who is offering everything in her piggy bank to get her 5-month-old puppy Meeko back may get her wish.

How Sputnik changed the world 55 years ago today

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 11:26 AM PDT

'World Space Week' Launches Today on Sputnik AnniversaryFifty-five years ago today, the Space Race was kicked into gear by a silver basketball flying through the sky.

Feds charge 91 people in $429M Medicare fraud

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 12:35 PM PDT

A federal strike force has charged 91 people, including a hospital president, doctors and nurses, with Medicare fraud schemes in seven cities involving $429 million in false billings.

Glowing mushrooms, stalk-eyed bugs, plant toilet found in Borneo

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 10:28 AM PDT

Glowing Mushrooms, Stalk-Eyed Bugs & Plant Toilet Found in BorneoA recent expedition to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia turned up some trippy species: bioluminescent mushrooms, stalk-eyed flies, jumping spiders and a pitcher plant that doubles as a toilet for small animals.