By The Weekend Desk B Team

Natasha Julius is on a secret mission inside the Newt Gingrich campaign. She’ll return next week; in the meantime, it’s up to us.
Bigger Threat
“A prison inmate who escaped from a moving van near Lockport while in transit from a court appearance was captured six hours later south of Joliet after police dogs caught his scent in a yard storing portable toilets and a helicopter crew using infrared technology located him in one of the toilets, authorities said,” the Tribune reports.
We have infrared technology that does that?
*
Don’t tell the NFL.

Read More

Posted on December 3, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

1. “In 2001 (Josh) Metnick beat out The Tribune Company and bought chicago.com for $500,000 from Karl Swartz, a California man who had acquired it for nothing from the nonprofit group that administers the domain system,” James Warren writes for the Chicago News Cooperative. “Swartz used it as a home page, replete with photos of his dog, and Metnick has since spurned many offers to sell.”
Metnick also owns illinois.com.

Read More

Posted on December 2, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

“The Illinois State Police agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a former death row inmate who spent almost two decades in prison for the 1986 murders of a newlywed couple before a judge released him because of flawed evidence,” AP reports.
“The settlement comes after the state police already spent more than $3.7 million to defend the agency against lawsuits filed by the inmate and another man convicted in the killings and later freed, according to documents obtained by the Better Government Association.”
Here’s my favorite part:

Read More

Posted on December 1, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

“Mayor Rahm Emanuel has denied requests for public records that might shed light on his decisions to raise vehicle fees and water rates and to legalize speeding camera tickets that could hit drivers with $100 fines,” the Tribune reports.
“It’s the latest in a pattern of records denials from the mayor, who proclaimed a new commitment to transparency at City Hall under his leadership.”
A chip off the ol’ boss.

Read More

Posted on November 30, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

“A $250 million corporate tax-break package aimed at keeping Chicago’s financial exchanges and Sears from bolting Illinois wobbled out of a House committee Monday amid signs the measure faces legislative trouble,” the Sun-Times reports.
“CME Group Inc., which owns the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and Sears Holdings Corp. would stand to gain $100 million in tax savings under the legislation, which is poised for a full House vote after advancing out of that chamber’s Revenue and Finance Committee by a 6-0 vote. Democrats accounted for all of the ‘yes’ votes, while two GOP members voted ‘present.’
“The plan, which also contains a $1 million tax break aimed at luring Broadway productions to Chicago’s theater scene, was pared back from an earlier $850 million package. It provides more modest tax breaks for small businesses and for the working poor.”
Maybe they’ll lure Les Miserables here and the theater community can mourn the poor they have stiffed.

Read More

Posted on November 29, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

I’m gonna get some coffee. Take a shower. Ease back into the work week. So here’s what we’ve got so far.
1. The Weekend in Chicago Rock.
Are you kidding me? Check out how many interesting and even great shows took place on Saturday night. And several top venues aren’t even repped. If you’re not rockin’ in this town, you’re not livin’.

Read More

Posted on November 28, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

“Some are holding potluck dinners instead of springing for the entire feast. Others are staying home rather than flying. And a few are skipping the turkey altogether,” AP reports.
“On this the fourth Thanksgiving since the economy sank, prices for everything from airline flights to groceries are going up, and some Americans are scaling back.”
First, the economy didn’t “sink.” It was torpedoed. Let’s be clear.
Now to the part that caught my eye:

Read More

Posted on November 23, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

Trying to start the holiday early and take some time off from the day-to-day duties here to think about and plan for the future. So posting may be light and erratic this week. Oh hell, it will probably be the same as always. But I would also like to concentrate on getting some posts done that have been sitting on the back burner for awhile, so you may see these fine offerings sit here all week:
* Music: Gary’s Flying Turkey Trot.
* TV: Beavis & Butt-head Do Thanksgiving.

Read More

Posted on November 22, 2011

By Steve Rhodes

1. “The small Door County community of Egg Harbor holds the most liquor licenses per capita than any other place in Wisconsin, an analysis shows.”
No wonder Egg Harbor was named The Best Small Town In Wisconsin and One Of The Coolest Small Towns In America.

Read More

Posted on November 21, 2011

By Natasha Julius

Is it at all possible for both teams to lose? Oh wait, of course it is.
Market Update
The share price of Super is expected to plummet next week, losing approximately $1.5 trillion in value and becoming almost as worthless as shares in Committee.

Read More

Posted on November 19, 2011