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Jean-Claude Brizard, 47, is seen by some as a controversial choice to lead Chicago Public Schools. His three years as superintendent in Rochester has been marked by some incremental improvements in test scores and graduation numbers but also frequent battles with the teachers union over discipline policies and performance evaluations …

A new form of lie detection could stop crimes before they happen. By Nicole Frehsee With its weathered blue sofa, textbook-littered desks and corkboard plastered with postcards from spring-break spots like Florida and Hilton Head, Room 202 in Northwestern University’s Cresap Hall could easily belong to a frat brother. But …

Rising number of ‘mal-employed’ settling for low-wage jobs April 19, 2011|By Alejandra Cancino, Tribune reporter Tiffany Groene is waiting tables. Erin Crites is making lattes and iced coffees. And Anna Holcombe is buying and selling gold. These three Chicago women share more than just scraping by with low-paying jobs: They …

by Matt Hickey This machine can let police see all of your photos. Even that one. The Michigan State Police have started using handheld machines called “extraction devices” to download personal information from motorists they pull over, even if they’re not suspected of any crime. Naturally, the ACLU has a …

By Ginger Reilly Coming off a rejection by voters of a $20 million bond referendum earlier this month and continuing to struggle financially, the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A will go back to the short-term borrowing strategy it’s been using to pay the bills. The school board voted this week …

Judge suspends 1,700 actions after law firm admits affidavits were changed By Mary Ellen Podmolik, Tribune reporter A Cook County Circuit Court judge has taken the unusual step of temporarily halting at least 1,700 mortgage foreclosures after a law firm told the court that the cases contained altered documents, the …

By TAMMY WEBBER CEDAR POINT, Ill. — Michael Mahar was the big winner in this month’s village election, but it had nothing to do with his popularity. He was the only candidate on the ballot. He soon had to start calling friends and neighbors in this northern Illinois hamlet of …

Hundreds of demonstrators who feel Taxed Enough Already turned up to Daley Plaza yesterday to express their discontent with taxes, big government and other assorted socialist encroachments on America. Steve Stevlic, coordinator for the Chicago Tea Party organized the rally, which featured Tea Party darling Joe Walsh (R-IL) (who leads …

By Amanda Paulson Amanda Paulson – Mon Apr 18, 4:22 pm ET Chicago – The man Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel has selected to lead the Chicago Public Schools has a track record of improving graduation rates and test scores in his current job in Rochester, N.Y., but has also had conflicts …

Posted by Greg H. at 4/15/2011 12:34 PM CDT on Chicago Business You might call it Amazon Tax II — a proposed sales tax “simplification” measure with potentially massive financial implications. Chicago-area officials say the bill could cost them hundreds of millions, and maybe billions, of dollars a year. But …

So the day after the “Mini White House Inaugural” was reported, the Emanuel team refused to notify NBC of rare one-on-one interviews allotted to our competitors. The TV business is competitive, but typically politicians and public figures who are involved with big events grant the same access to all-comers. When …

April 15, 2011|By Divina Mims, CNN A Chicago police sergeant is facing brutality charges stemming from an October incident caught on surveillance tape showing him repeatedly slapping a unresisting, handcuffed man across the face. At a hearing Friday, a bond $20,000 was set for Sgt. Edward Howard Jr., 48, on …

We’ve hit what I call the “FOIA Stone Wall.” “FOIA” stands for the Freedom of Information Act, one of the most important tools in a reporter’s toolbox when it comes to finding out what government knew and when it knew it. Authorities, by law, are obligated to respond. But in …

Associated Press A Chicago alderman says he has come up a plan that could produce more revenue for the city. Alderman Joe Moreno says owners of gas-guzzling cars should pay more for city vehicle stickers. At the same time, owners of electric cars and hybrids should see the cost of …

BY STEVE WARMBIR Staff Reporter A young, once rising figure in the Illinois Republican party has quit the committee that runs the state party after the Sun-Times revealed the man’s ties to an Outlaw motorcycle gang member and a convicted wholesale drug dealer. Craig Pesek, 34, is a key supporter …