A 7-year-old girl who was shot in the head on the Southeast Side during an apparent gang-related shooting has been upgraded from critical to guarded condition as Chicago Police continue its search for the gunman.

The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an Urbana hospital doesn't provide enough charitable services to qualify for exemption from a county property tax, in a decision being closely watched by hospital administrators across the state.

DEKALB, Ill. — A major report on Northern Illinois University's deadly 2008 campus shooting suggests the gunman may have been motivated in part by anger at the school for academic changes.

The nonprofit UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation is seeking grant applications from Illinois families in need of financial assistance for their children's health needs.

A federal official says the Obama administration wants to buy a nearly vacant prison in northwestern Illinois even if Guantanamo Bay detainees aren't transferred there.

A search has begun for the next president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Urban League. Cheryle Jackson is returning to corporate America.

Gov. Pat Quinn refused to say Monday whether he has a plan to avoid deep cuts in education if lawmakers resist his call to raise the state income tax.

State Rep. Deborah Graham, D-78th Dist., has been tapped by Mayor Richard Daley to replace disgraced Ald. Isaac Carothers in the city’s 29th Ward.

Cigarettes containing no tobacco, but create a vapor similar to smoke, are on a state Sen. Mattie Hunter’s, D-3rd Dist., ban list.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Chicago State University’s president says the school is running out of chances to fix its problems, and some state lawmakers agree.

Larry Washington and Ashley Williams, seniors at Manley Career Academy High School, were each recently awarded renewable $5,000 college scholarships from the Protiviti firm through its CommUnity Scholarship Program. Photo/Courtesy of Cushman/Amberg Communications

Jimmy Lawson said he tries to maintain an after-school job and during the summer break, a full-time job, but he hasn't been having much.

A grant of more than $200,000 will enable more families in Chicago to send their kids to day camps this summer.

A South Side pastor is on a vigorous campaign to support the proposed ban of blunt wraps in the state.

A South Side pastor is on a vigorous campaign to support the proposed ban of blunt wraps in the state.

Gov. Pat Quinn refused to say Monday whether he has a plan to avoid deep cuts in education if lawmakers resist his call to raise the state income tax.

Gov. Pat Quinn isn't saying who he wants to be his running mate as the state Democratic Party gets ready to pick a lieutenant governor nominee.

The first and only full body scanner at the nation's second largest airport is now open for business.

MAYWOOD, Ill. — Fire officials estimate a morning fire at a suburban Chicago auto shop may have caused $1 million in damage.

A judge in Chicago expects to rule March 29 on whether to lift a temporary restraining order on a long-debated Illinois law that requires a teenage girl's parents to be told before she has an abortion.

WASHINGTON — Let the count begin. More than 120 million U.S. census forms begin arriving Monday in mailboxes around the country, in the government's once-a-decade population count that will be used to divvy up congressional seats and more than $400 billion in federal aid. Fast-growing states in the South and the West could stand to lose the most because of lower-than-average mail participation rates in 2000 and higher shares of Hispanics and young adults, who are among the least likely to mail in their forms.

Cigarettes containing no tobacco, but create a vapor similar to smoke, are on a state Sen. Mattie Hunter’s, D-3rd Dist., ban list.

Federal prosecutors say ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's request for a five-month delay in the start of his corruption trial should be turned down.

To ensure that early childhood learning receives equal treatment as that of kindergarten through 12th grade education, state Sen. Emil Jones III recently passed legislation to get the ball rolling.

MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois University President Al Goldfarb is telling university administrators to cut spending next year by 3.5 percent to prepare for upcoming cuts in state funding.

A former Chicago planning official testified Thursday that a millionaire developer charged with bribery angrily told her they did not need to discuss a city plan affecting his property because he had "a deal with the alderman."

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — With Gov. Pat Quinn telling lawmakers to choose between higher income taxes or deep education cuts, either choice could have dire consequences for schools, businesses and taxpayers.

From left, Ald. Willie Cochran (20th), Ald. Latasha Thomas (17th), Mayor Richard M. Daley, Ron Huberman, chief executive officer for the Chicago Public Schools and Tim King, founder and chief executive officer of the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men join the school’s first graduating class (107 students), who were all accepted to a four-year college or university.

The former president of the Chicago Board of Education has been tapped to chair the City Colleges of Chicago Board of Trustees, Mayor Richard M. Daley recently announced.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, center, leads a group of marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., Sunday. AP Photo/Dave Martin

U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush, D-1st, and Jesse Jackson Jr., D-2nd, broke ranks with President Barak Obama and Congressional leadership Thursday on legislation giving companies that hire the jobless a temporary payroll tax break, complaining that the bill doesn’t do enough to produce much-needed jobs.

Another former candidate for Illinois lieutenant governor has submitted an application to be the new Democratic nominee for the post.

WASHINGTON – Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years.

Nathson Fields, who was on Death Row for 11 1/2 years of the 17 years and 11 months he was behind bars, filed a $360 million federal lawsuit against the city for the conviction of a double murder he was acquitted of during a retrial nearly seven years ago.

One South Side organization said it hopes to use free haircuts to attract more Black men to its weekly men's gathering where health and other social issues are discussed.

The City of Chicago’s summer job program for youths, Youth Ready Chicago, is now taking applications online until June 4.

Hard, economic times have pushed suburban Riverdale to consider a sale or lease of its village hall to help reduce debt.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is closing two buildings at the once-overcrowded Cook County Jail because of a decrease in the inmate population.

Bond has been denied for two people who face murder and arson charges in a suburban Cicero apartment house blaze that left seven people dead on Valentine's Day.

Nearly four years after Willie Williams III was gunned down outside the Ford City Shopping Mall, Chicago Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Eddie B. Fenton.

Students at under performing public elementary schools will have an opportunity this fall to attend several selective enrollment schools, under a new policy.

Chicago Police look to the community about solving the February 25 murder of 15-year-old Nathaniel Maxon on the West Side.

Headcount and full-time enrollment at Illinois community colleges increased for Spring 2010 versus Spring 2009, according to the Illinois Community College Board.

President Obama nominated Justice Sharon Johnson Coleman to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Two Chicago men have been charged with shooting and wounding a woman as she held a baby in her arms.

Blacks more likely to die in home fires

Chicago Board of Education gives green light to turnarounds, consolidations, closures proposed by school district.

Blacks more likely to die in home fires

Farrakhan offers salient advice for nation's first Black president, attacks 'white right' who push for one-term Obama

After years of planning, gospel museum may have a home on the South Side.

Chicago Board of Education gives green light to turnarounds, consolidations, closures proposed by school district.

The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children starting even before birth, provocative new research suggests.

Gov. Pat Quinn is looking for volunteers who have made a difference in Illinois to highlight the importance of volunteerism and community service.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority has launched a program aimed at preserving affordable rental housing.

Five high school students from Chicago will bring a healthy school lunch they created to Congress.

Mayor Richard Daley says he's optimistic Chicago will prevail against what he calls the gun industry's challenge to the city's handgun laws.

WASHINGTON — Gun control advocates think, if not pray, they can win by losing when the Supreme Court decides whether the constitutional right to possess guns serves as a check on state and local regulation of firearms.

The days of free bus and train rides for all seniors in Illinois could be numbered.

The American Medical Association has a message for President Barack Obama as he convenes a last-ditch health care summit.

A Chicago Transit Authority bus union says it has no plans to strike over job cuts.

Mayor Richard Daley has announced a program to provide current health care workers with the education they need to move up in their organizations, creating job opportunities for new workers.

Illinois is celebrating Black History Month by honoring sports starts, coaches and a writer.

Federal officials are asking Chicagoans for help in designing a first-ever national survey of housing discrimination against the gay community.

LaSean Lyles Jr. and his mom, Andrea Smith, pose with Mickey Mouse during the Dreamers Academy program Feb. 11-14 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Defender/Rhonda Gillespie

URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois is spending a pool of easily accessible cash to pay its overdue bills while it waits for the state to come through with $475 million in overdue appropriations.

Doctors have steadily cut their work hours over the past decade, a new study finds, something that experts say may only worsen the health care situation.

After a first meeting proved fruitful, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is scheduled to meet again Wednesday with Chicago Transit Authority officials and union representatives in an effort resolve the stalemate that exists between them, in the wake of the massive CTA layoff earlier this month.

Gov. Pat Quinn says he thinks it's "necessary" the Illinois House consider a plan to raise the state income tax that passed the Illinois Senate last year.

The Chicago Defender Charities President Col. Eugene Scott recently received the “Veteran of the Month” award for February from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Scott, a retired U.S. Army veteran and former publisher of the Chicago Defender, is also chairman of the National African-American Military Museum and works with numerous military organizations in Chicago.

A lawsuit representing 6,000 Black plaintiffs who once sought to be Chicago firefighters seems poised to move forward after arguments made Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday seemed willing to let a group of African Americans sue Chicago for discrimination over a hiring test that weeded out black applicants to become firefighters.

URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois is spending a pool of easily accessible cash to pay its overdue bills while it waits for the state to come through with $475 million in overdue appropriations.

Historically, prisoners have been included in the census population count according to the municipality where the prison they’re housed in is located.

On Saturday afternoon Christopher Young, 32, was shot in the parking lot of a store in the 300 block of West 75th Street, police said.

For the second time this month Chicago Public Schools issued a $2 million Request for Proposal as it seeks assistance to implement its Safe Passage program.

United Airlines pilot Erwin Washington arrives at Isleworth Crown Court in west London, Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 . The United Airlines pilot who was pulled from his trans-Atlantic flight to Chicago shortly before takeoff has admitted being above the alcohol limit for flying a plane. Erwin Vermont Washington of Lakewood, Colorado was pulled from United Airlines Flight 949, due to fly from London's Heathrow Airport to Chicago in November after a co-worker suspected him of being drunk. The 51-year-old pilot pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court near London and was released on unconditional bail. AP Photo/Akira Suemori

A nationwide recession helped make debt problems the No. 1 consumer complaint in a list compiled by the Illinois attorney general's office.

The Illinois Supreme Court says former Gov. George Ryan must forfeit all of his state pension for crimes he committed as secretary of state and governor.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Solid waste landfill space in Illinois increased by 10 percent in 2008 over the previous year.

DEKALB, Ill. — The early morning shooting on the campus of Northern Illinois University started as a dispute between two students and is an isolated incident.

WASHINGTON — A reduction in what Illinois will have to pay the federal government for Medicare prescription drug coverage is expected to save the state more than $199 million.

A study by the University of Illinois at Chicago says the nation's second largest county has been a "dark pool of political corruption" for more than a century.

A coalition of community groups spearheaded by Southside Together Organizing for Power fear the city will renew efforts to close or privatize its mental health clinics as the state prepares to announce mid-year adjustments to the human services budget.

Mental health services for foster kids could get a boost thanks to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Chicago Public Schools officials announced Wednesday that the school district has altered plans to close, consolidate and turnaround several South Side schools, in part, because of feedback it received at public hearings.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — State universities are pushing Gov. Pat Quinn and the General Assembly to start working on Illinois' budget crisis before it does them permanent damage.

Those collecting unemployment benefits could soon see their biweekly checks extended by new federal legislation making its way through the U.S. Senate.

Abeyomi Adekahunsi said he wouldn’t be able to get any work done for his classes if books weren’t available for free at the African American Male Resource Center at Chicago State University. The freshman received a book voucher for the fall term, but was unable to secure one for the spring. In a large room inside Chicago State University’s student union, the walls of the center are lined with images of powerful African American men such the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., activist Malcolm X and comedian-activist Dick Gregory.

Fed up with city officials passing the buck as to why so many public schools are under performing, state Sen. James Meeks, D-15th Dist., has proposed legislation that would make Chicago Public Schools more accountable when it comes to school leadership.

The cause of a blaze that claimed the lives of seven people on Sunday – including four children – and displaced 23, remains unknown, said Cicero fire officials.

Next month, the 38-member Illinois Democratic State Central Committee is expected to select a lieutenant governor candidate and the committee's seven Black members have expressed concerns about House Speaker Michael Madigan's interest in abolishing the office.

The Chicago Teachers Union is urging the school board to postpone its scheduled vote next week on a proposal to close and consolidate several under performing schools.

As you ride along 79th Street between King Drive and Cottage Grove Avenue you'll notice a few new fast food joints, several hair and nail salons and two dollar stores. You may also a notice a new “green” retail and office building on the northeast corner of Champlain Avenue, aiming to spur a re-birth of “value added” businesses to the community once completed, said the building's owners.

In the wake of several Chicago shelters closing and others on the brink of closure Mayor Richard M. Daley recently announced plans to distribute a federal grant earmarked for the homeless.

Eight men with alleged ties to the Four Corner Hustlers street gang on the West Side were charged earlier this week with participating in a drug ring that’s been in existence on the West Side for the last two years, local and federal authorities said.

In the wake of a federal report that identified several Illinois nursing homes as being among the most unsafe in the country, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced Wednesday it plans to add 18 new supportive living facilities for seniors and people with physical disabilities.

Each year the downtown commercial district grows with new businesses and two years ago it welcomed a new ice cream store to the area.

In under three weeks, local faith leaders assembled entertainers from several genres and from all over the country, bringing them to Chicago for a benefit concert for relief in Haiti.

Richardson-Lowry, a partner at the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP, was recently tapped by Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve out the remainder of the late Michael Scott's term as president of the school board.

According to a recent study by Feeding America, 37 million Americans receive emergency food assistance each year and African Americans make up 34 percent of the total.

Kelly could become the state's first Black, female treasurer

Preckwinkle looking forward to win in November general election

Now that Scott Lee Cohen, the Democratic nominee for the state's second highest executive office, has dropped out of the race, voters may get a second chance to elect its first Black lieutenant governor. Last week's primary election included two Black candidates who both said they are still interested in the nomination.

Chicago Police say they've used DNA to tie a 44-year-old man to a 1984 unsolved murder.

Democrats in Illinois are getting a political do-over: the chance to pick a new lieutenant governor nominee themselves now that the primary winner dropped out of the race because of revelations about his checkered past.

A winter storm warning is looming for northern Illinois, and the forecast calls for accumulations of up to 12 inches of snow.

The state of Illinois is planning a pilot project to enroll Medicaid recipients in six counties in managed care, an effort being criticized by advocates for the developmentally disabled.

Thanks to $30 million in federal stimulus money the Chicago Public Schools began accepting bids Thursday for a $5 million contract earmarked for a community organization.

A former U.S. Army veteran posted bond Wednesday and is free after being charged with official misconduct, criminal sexual assault and custodial sexual assault for allegedly forcing a 27-year-old female to perform oral sex on him.

Chicagoland’s faith community and others continue their outpouring of relief support for the victims of the destructive Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti’s capital city of Port-Au-Prince.

Gov. Pat Quinn saw one problem vanish Thursday when his opponent in the Democratic primary formally conceded but faced a new predicament with the revelation that his voter-selected running mate was once arrested for domestic battery.

A political newcomer who won the Democratic nomination for Illinois lieutenant governor said Thursday he has no intention of leaving the race after details emerged about his arrest for allegedly holding a knife to his former girlfriend's throat.

The Better Business Bureau is encouraging taxpayers to use caution when selecting tax preparation help.

Walgreen's is joining efforts to stem the nation's diabetes epidemic by offering free blood sugar testing.

One West Side ward has a leadership void to fill following Monday’s guilty plea by Isaac Carothers on federal bribery and fraud charges.

Chicago State University’s elimination of its building-hopping enrollment process has significantly contributed to a gain in enrollment – the highest among the state’s 12 public universities, school officials said.

Chicago Transit Authority officials admit that pending service cuts set to take effect Sunday will have a devastating affect on many riders, especially the working poor.

Among the 580 nursing homes cited as unsafe by the federal government, seven – whose residents are predominately Black – are on Chicago's South Side.

U.S. Senate candidate Cheryle Jackson finished third Tuesday in the race to secure the Democratic nomination to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, who was elected president in 2008.

Flanked by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, left, and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., right, Gov. Pat Quinn acknowledges supporters on election night. Quinn is leading Comptroller Dan Hynes in a very close race in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. At Defender press time, no winner had been declared. AP/Charles Rex Arbogast

Incumbent Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is surrounded by his family Tuesday at the W Hotel, as he gives his concession speech. Beset by political turmoil, Stroger failed to win re-election Tuesday, bringing an end to the Stroger family run at the helm of the board. Ald. Toni Preckwinkle emerged the winner. (Defender/Worsom Robinson)

State Rep. David E. Miller is in a dead heat with Raja Krishnamoorthi and Clinton Krislov to win the Democratic nomination for state comptroller in the November General Election.

An 8th grade boy suffered a gunshot wound to the arm Monday morning near his North Side school.

Several Black-owned businesses found themselves homeless Thursday after an early morning fire destroyed the commercial building where they were headquartered.

The Chicago Bar Association released the findings of its Judicial Evaluation Committee for candidates running in the February 2 primary election for vacancies on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Credit: Photo courtesy of the Chicago Housing Authority Caption: Donald Banks, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois, poses with his family after receiving an Academic Achievement Award from the Board of Commissioners for the Chicago Housing Authority.

About two-dozen elected officials –– local and state –– put their muscle Monday behind Gov. Pat Quinn’s quest for election to a full term as governor.

A new program launched by Chicago Public Schools is aimed at students most at-risk of becoming either a victim of violence or a violent offender.

Anyone who meets the requirements can apply for the thousands of jobs now available with the U.S. Census Bureau, except persons who have been convicted of a felony.

Several elected officials, whose districts are on the West Side, collectively said limited employment opportunities, youth violence and dismal high schools are issues greatly affecting their constituents.

It's a good day for Illinois' advocates of high-speed rail. They say they're thrilled with word from the White House on Thursday that a Chicago-St. Louis route will get $1.1 billion in stimulus money to upgrade tracks so trains can reach 110 mph.

WASHINGTON — The White House is doling out $8 billion in grants for high-speed rail projects, an initiative touted as a jobs creator.

If Gov. Pat Quinn winds up losing the Democratic primary on Tuesday, it will be more than just a stinging political defeat for him. It means Illinois would be stuck with a lame duck governor for the next year.

A top adviser to President Barack Obama says Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has the votes to keep his job.

THE RACE   Four Democrats and two Republicans candidates are seeking their party's nomination for Cook County Board president, a post in charge of some 25,000 jobs and a $3 billion budget in one of the nation's largest counties.

Gov. Pat Quinn has announced appointments to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, including a pastor and a former judge.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — A White House official says President Barack Obama will be skipping jury duty after being summoned in Illinois.

The old joke is that in Chicago people stay politically active long after they've passed away — or at least they keep voting.

When the former governor is ousted from office after being arrested on federal corruption charges, voters might expect the next election to be all about ethics reform.

Last week's devastating earthquake in Haiti is drawing help from around the world especially from local leaders and Chicago's Haitian- American community.

After being warmly received Monday by hundreds of people attending the Rainbow/PUSH 20th Annual Scholarship Breakfast held as a youth scholarship fundraiser and in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., U.S. Senate candidate Cheryle Jackson picked up a key endorsement from the Chicagoland Black Press.

As it continues to search for ways to improve public education the Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday unveiled propsed changes to 14 schools that include closures, consolidation, turnaround, and phase out.

A researcher at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield has been awarded a five-year federal grant to study digestion.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Nearly six weeks after Gov. Pat Quinn halted an early prisoner release program that set free hundreds of potentially violent inmates, his administration is still struggling to identify which criminals — or even how many — got out.

BENTON, Ill. — A southern Illinois sheriff's federal trial on charges that he trafficked marijuana while on duty now won't be until at least this spring because he now faces state murder-for-hire charges.

BENTON, Ill. — A southern Illinois sheriff's federal trial on charges that he trafficked marijuana while on duty now won't be until at least this spring because he now faces state murder-for-hire charges.

CHARLESTON, Ill. — Eastern Illinois University students who live on campus will pay up to 6.25 percent more next fall than they now pay.

.A teenager who admitted to impersonating a Chicago police officer has been arrested again, this time for shoving his mother during an argument.

The University of Illinois has raised the cost of student housing on its three campuses by up to 6 percent and increased fees paid by students.

THE RACE Five Democrats are running for a shot at one of the best-known Senate seats in America. It's the one President Barack Obama gave up when he was elected, but also the one federal prosecutors say former Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell before appointing Roland Burris. Republicans are giddy about their chance to win a seat burdened with all that political baggage.

The stark financial differences between urban and suburban nursing homes in Illinois played into comments heard Thursday by a task force appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn.

THE RACE Gov. Pat Quinn's nearly unprecedented ascendancy from the lieutenant governor's office to the state's top spot has renewed interest in what's long been seen as a do-nothing job. Thirteen candidates — six Democrats, six Republicans and one Green Party candidate — are vying for a chance to be one heartbeat away from the governorship. Most say the job is what you make of it, and they plan to use the office to advocate for everything from youth to veterans.

The two Democratic candidates for governor have stepped up their attacks on each other yet again with competing television ads clearly aimed at African American voters.

THE RACE Four Democrats and two Republicans candidates are seeking their party's nomination for Cook County Board president, a post in charge of some 25,000 jobs and a $3 billion budget in one of the nation's largest counties. It has also been dogged by ongoing corruption, bloated spending and patronage hiring. One of the first things on the next president's agenda will be deciding what do with a scheduled tax increase when Chicago already has the highest sales tax in the nation.

THE RACE Two Democrats are battling for their party's nomination in the race to be Illinois treasurer, a job Alexi Giannoulias is giving up to run for Senate. The treasurer is the state's chief banker, whose responsibilities include investing the state's money and coming up with programs to help consumers do the same with their own cash. Losses of $150 million by the office's Bright Start college savings program highlight what's at stake.

The state is $5 billion behind in paying its bills and nearly $1 billion is owed to school districts.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Associated Press has learned that at least 17 Illinois criminals who were part of an early prison release program are back in lockup after arrests for new violent crimes — including attempted murder.

You can cast your ballot soon for the Feb. 2 primary.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, while claiming to have continued confidence in the man, has replaced the aide who engineered the city's controversial parking meter lease deal.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is expected to endorse Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn for the Feb. 2 primary election.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The union that represents Illinois prison guards and parole officers is asking lawmakers to investigate the Quinn administration's early release of inmates.

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Health officials in northeastern Illinois say they'll extend the time period that swine flu vaccinations are available.

ATLANTA — UPS said Friday it will cut 1,800 management and administrative positions to streamline its U.S. small package segment.

Two riders of the Chicago Transit Authority recently filed a class-action civil rights suit in federal court against the State of Illinois, the Ill. Dept. of Transportation, the Regional Transportation Authority and Metra alleging racism in public transit funding.

Several high school students and parents from the Altgeld Gardens public housing complex on the Far South Side showed up to City Hall unannounced Wednesday to meet with the mayor.

An expert panel says there's no rigorous evidence that digestive problems are more common in children with autism compared to other children, or that special diets work, contrary to claims by celebrities and vaccine naysayers.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn pointed the finger elsewhere on an early prisoner release controversy, while his opponents pointed it right back at him. Meanwhile, politicians offered their resolutions for 2010 — sometimes with a grin and sometimes with a scowl.

Cash-strapped communities have a message for corporations that promised jobs in return for tax breaks: A deal's a deal.

ELMHURST, Ill. — Republican candidate for governor Jim Ryan says he'd consider selling or leasing the Illinois tollway to fix the state's budget mess.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois authorities say 2009 was the safest year for state roads since the 1920s.

We have plans for a busy and successful 2010. Still, we thank each and every one of our loyal readers, advertisers and sponsors for their support in 2009 and we anticipate continued support as we move into the new year.

Astronaut Dr. Robert E. Satcher Jr. at St. Edmund’s Church

More than 138,000 college students will benefit from state grants next month now that the governor agreed to restore funding to the Monetary Assistance Program.

Widow of slain elderly Hyde Park man speaks out.

This year was chock full of news, from the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, to the deaths of two Michaels, to continued carnage involving our young people.

As many celebrated the Christmas holiday weekend, some families had heavy hearts as their loved ones were met with violence.

Advocates say a year-old Illinois DUI law is saving countless lives statewide.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department on Aging is reminding residents that winter's harsh weather poses a special threat to seniors.

Illinois municipalities and organizations are offering the chance to turn real Christmas trees into gifts that keep on giving.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A prison plan under fire. A senator denies flip-flopping and produces poetry. A college-savings program doesn't add up. Here's the week in Illinois politics:

Christmas week turned out to be a deadly one in the Bronzeville community as two women were killed in separate incidents.

The Illinois Department of Insurance is reminding insurance companies and employers they must comply with a new law extending the federal subsidy on COBRA benefits.

Icy conditions are knocking out power in parts of northern Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois is to receive about $1.8 million in federal money to increase Internet access.

An Illinois scholarship program is providing 140 nursing students with money for tuition and expenses in programs throughout the state.

The Cook County Sheriff's Department says it is set to make hundreds of hires in coming months.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Swine flu is continuing to relent in Illinois where officials are reporting one new death from the virus.

Caption: On Thursday U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-7th, announced he is endorsing Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court Dorothy Brown for Cook County Board president at his West Side congressional office. Credit: Photo courtesy of Toure Muhammed

To help her constituents with access to public transportation state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-16th Dist., has secured funding to begin the process of building a new Metra station in the Auburn-Gresham area.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has turned away a new challenge to a 2005 law that gives gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits by shooting victims.

Chicago police are investigating the death of a 24-year-old who was stabbed and shot down the street from his home.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is reviewing his prison system's early release program after The Associated Press reported some inmates are serving less than three weeks of yearlong sentences.

A Chicago man faces murder and robbery charges after a weekend crime spree around the metro area that investigators are still piecing together.

A man who lives a few blocks away from his Far South Side alderman was charged Thursday with threatening a public official –– a felony –– and misdemeanor aggravated assault.

Authorities are telling people in Illinois what they've learned for themselves all too well this week: That it's getting cold outside and you should take precautions to stay warm.

Some older adults might have already retired from their jobs, but the state of Illinois wants them to stay active in their communities.

When it comes to punishing people for their crimes, there's little agreement among the candidates for Illinois governor.

In five years, an Illinois agency that disciplines nursing home administrators has received more than 400 complaints from the state agency that investigates nursing home care. Only three led to discipline.

JOLIET, Ill. — Will County health officials say all will be welcome at walk-in clinics for swine flu vaccine.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois health officials are reporting nine new deaths and 216 new hospitalizations from swine flu.

An area on the South Side known as the Black Wall Street District was recognized by the Illinois State Senate earlier this month.

The U.S. Census Bureau kicked off a national schools campaign Thursday at King College Preparatory High School on the South Side to get more students involved in the upcoming census.

While city officials said no one area is favored when snow removal is needed, this week’s expected snow storm will send snow trucks to the North Side first.

Prosecutors say an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court battle over the type of charges used in the indictment against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich shouldn't delay his trial's scheduled June 3 start date.

Police say a search of a Chicago home didn't turn up any of the items stolen from former Illinois Gov. Rod attorneys.

Chicago police say an officer shot and killed a pitt bull dog after it attacked five people on the city's South Side.

Gov. Pat Quinn says news is expected this month on a proposal to house Guantanamo Bay detainees at a northwestern Illinois prison.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Transportation says it will remove 55 mph speed-limit signs aimed at truckers along rural interstates early next year as the speed limit for trucks that weigh more than 4 tons increases to 65 mph.

Gov. Pat Quinn says he regrets missing a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a new 32-bed homeless shelter that will serve veterans in Chicago.

Services set for slain 12-year-old Englewood girl

Gov. Pat Quinn says he may consider a special commission to look at the racial disparity in how Illinois schoolchildren are disciplined.

The city’s winter parking ban goes into effect Dec. 1 and already motorists are preparing for the worst.

Representing more than 100,000 parishoners throughout the Chicagoland area, nearly two dozen pastors announced Monday they’ve endorsed Cheryle Jackson for U.S. Senate.

On Monday, the Parker House Sausage Co. said final goodbyes to its CEO Maurice McFolling at a funeral service held at Apostolic Church of God. McFolling, who headed the South Side business since 2005, was 81.

A judge says two owners of a Chicago nightclub where 21 people were killed in a stampede down a stairwell six years ago must go to prison.

Hundreds of mourners filled the Holy Family Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Road, Saturday afternoon for the private funeral services for the late Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott.

NEW YORK – Like any wife who knows her husband well, Nancy Martus knows what will annoy her man. Like when she utters the phrase, “Oprah says...” “He doesn’t like it when I start my sentences that way,” laughs Martus, a 36-year-old mother of three in Plymouth, Mass. “He says he doesn’t care what Oprah says.”

Chicago Public Schools officials said by instituting changes to its current admissions policy at its top elementary and high schools, it will further diversify those schools.

In the spirit of giving to those less fortunate, the African-American owner-operators of McDonald’s along with the community will serve hot breakfast Tuesday, Nov. 24, to more than 1,000 homeless people from shelters throughout Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

The upcoming holiday season puts people in proximity to family at the Thanksgiving table, and to shoppers in the malls and other retail outlets.

Now that Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has vetoed a measure by Cook County Commissioners to rollback the sales tax, a showdown vote is set for next month.

Medication costs and property tax relief benefits are expanded under Circuit Breaker program for seniors.

Alzheimer's research in Chicago is getting a big boost from the federal government.

WASHINGTON — A deal to house Guantanamo Bay detainees at a northwestern Illinois prison could bring nearly 3,000 jobs to the area, a White House analysis says.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed an order establishing a state public health advocate.

Gov. Pat Quinn has created a commission tasked with making recommendations about human services in Illinois.

Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation that allows Illinois servicemembers who have been injured abroad to apply for $5,000 grants.

Ten people, including at least five current or former Cook County traffic court employees, have been charged with taking part in a sham marriage scheme.

Gov. Pat Quinn is defending the creation of new taxpayer-funded jobs amid the state's growing budget problems.

Christine Houston, award-winning creator and writer of TV’s long-running hit series, 227, hooked up with some of her former Kennedy-King College classmates Friday for an evening of dinner and live jazz at Sikia, our premiere South Side fine dining restaurant, 740 W. 63rd St. (at Halsted). Sounds of Sikia, a weekly music series running through Dec. 18, spotlights the KKC Faculty Trio, Dr. Curtis Pierce (drums), Pete Carney (sax) and Brian Felix (piano and organ).

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois is reporting nine new deaths and 241 new hospitalizations from swine flu.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois has launched an online tool consumers can use to find an unprecedented amount of information on hospitals and surgical centers.

WASHINGTON — The Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the seat once held by Barack Obama. The committee recommended no action beyond the letter.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois motorists have been urged to start getting ready for winter driving.

A public celebration of life for Michael Scott will be Sunday, Nov. 22 at 4:30 p.m. at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd.

The historic Burr Oak Cemetery reopened Thursday to families wanting to visit gravesites of loved ones and is not open to the general public.

One of Chicago’s last Black icons Maurice McFolling, 81, chief executive officer of Parker House Sausage Company Inc., died Tuesday.

Although the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott’s death a suicide, the Chicago Police Department said too many loose ends need to be shored up before it reaches a conclusion.

Illinois students still in need of money for the 2009-2010 school year can fret no more.

As local free vaccinations for the H1N1 virus rises, Cook County health officials said so does the need to take preventive measures against the virus.

Members of the Metra board of directors have approved the commuter rail line's budget, along with fare increases for some train trips.

PEORIA, Ill. — A new Illinois law is meant to lead to more construction of energy-efficiency projects in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The state of Illinois has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on Illinois roadways this year by at least 100.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois is reporting 12 new deaths and 368 new hospitalizations from swine flu.

Authorities say a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver suffered serious injuries from broken glass when someone fired shots at his bus on the city's South Side.

Burials have quietly resumed at a historic black cemetery in suburban Chicago where former workers were accused of digging up hundreds of graves in a scheme to resell plots for money.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The state's budget crisis is putting the squeeze on Southern Illinois University.

WASHINGTON — Banks will have to secure their customers' consent before charging large overdraft fees on ATM and debit card transactions, according to a new rule announced Thursday by the Federal Reserve.

Candidates for statewide office have to gather 5,000 signatures on the nominating petition. Most collect 10,000 to demonstrate their support and to provide a cushion in case some signatures are disqualified for technical reasons.

The Chicago Police Department agreed with the family of Yasmin Acree that CPD fumbled during the investigation of Acree’s disappearance by leaving pertinent evidence behind and not dusting for fingerprints when the teen was reported missing in January 2008, according to a recent letter addressed to the girl’s mother.