Friday, July 9, 2004 Al-Qaida wants to disrupt elections
WASHINGTON -- A steady stream of intelligence, including nuggets from militant-linked Web sites, indicates al-Qaida wants to attack the United States to disrupt the upcoming elections, federal officials said Thursday. Thursday, July 8, 2004 Elections may be terror target
WASHINGTON-- The United States is tightening security in the face of a steady stream of intelligence indicating al-Qaida may seek to mount an attack aimed at disrupting elections, the White House and Homeland Security officials said Thursday.
Rauschenberger: I won't run
Another curve hit the U.S. Senate race today, as the candidate favored by many party leaders to step in announced he did not want to make the run.
'Black hole' of confusion
Frantic 911 calls from people trapped inside a burning Loop high-rise "went into a black hole" of communication breakdowns and the Chicago Fire Department's now-abandoned system of changing commanders every time a more senior officer arrived on the scene, a Cook County commission has concluded.
Toxic levels of lead in toy jewelry spur recall
The federal government will announce a recall today of 150 million pieces of toy jewelry sold in hundreds of thousands of bubblegum-type vending machines because the trinkets can contain toxic lead that poses a danger to kids.
Vending machines going on a diet
Canteen Vending Services, the nation's largest vending operator, said Wednesday it is in the process of installing machines in 11 cities, including Chicago, stocked only with "better-for-you" items such as low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit.
Blagojevich appointed doctor days after contribution
Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed a Kankakee neurosurgeon to the state's embattled Health Care Facilities Planning Board days after the physician made a $25,000 contribution to the governor's campaign fund, state records show.
Philly schools uncover art treasures
PHILADELPHIA -- To the delight of school officials, a multimillion-dollar treasure trove of art has been discovered in basements, boiler rooms, closets and halls in Philadelphia's cash-strapped public schools.
Unions merge to create 840,000 member organization
Two national labor unions representing hospitality and textile workers agreed to merge Thursday, creating an organization with more than 800,000 active workers and retirees.
Pipe bomber ripped by prosecutor
A federal prosecutor Wednesday verbally blasted a man authorities have called a serial pipe bomber who failed to apologize for the mayhem he wrought.
Prosecutors: Judge denies Martha Stewart new trial
NEW YORK-- A federal judge refused on Thursday to grant Martha Stewart a new trial, paving the way for the celebrity homemaker to be sentenced next week for lying about a stock sale.
Lay surrenders, accused in 11-count indictment
HOUSTON-- Former Enron Corp. CEO Kenneth Lay surrendered Thursday as the government unsealed an 11-count indictment charging him in a wide-ranging scheme to deceive the public, company shareholders and government regulators about the energy company that he founded and led to industry prominence before its collapse in 2001.
Ramps, bridge closed in latest phase of Ryan overhaul
The latest phase of the state's $430 million Dan Ryan Expy. renovation started this week, closing two sets of ramps and one bridge until at least Thanksgiving.
Gov puts hospital board on hold
byline:BY , AND Staff Reporters
Truck rubble on I-294 rips up car tires
Cars whizzing by on I-294 Wednesday morning might have been alerted by the string of vehicles stopped on the shoulder, their trunks propped open and spare tires lying all around.
Woman testifies she killed truck driver in a panic
A composed Margaret DeFrancisco told a Cook County jury Wednesday that she killed Oscar Velazquez in a spontaneous, panicked reaction to seeing him waving a gun at her terrified sister in a Pilsen basement four year ago.
3 slayings in Robbins linked to unmet ransom demand
Robbins police said Wednesday that ransom demands have been linked to the fatal shootings of three acquaintances.
Guard, cop fatally shoot two on W. Side
A man and a teenager were shot dead by local police Tuesday night in two incidents on the West Side.
O'Hare delays worst in U.S., and controllers say just wait
Despite recent efforts to ease congestion, O'Hare Airport continued its reign as the country's big-city airport with the most delays, with a new report finding just three out of every five flights are arriving and departing on time.
Doctor takes fight to win back license to Supreme Court
Dr. Lance Wilson, accused of giving a lethal injection to a dying patient at an Olympia Fields hospital in 1998, is appealing his license suspension to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Teachers panel OKs September election by mail
Despite the ongoing dispute at the Chicago Teachers Union over the decision to nullify last month's runoff election for president, a union committee Wednesday set a new election for September.
Rodman again runs with bulls
PAMPLONA, Spain -- Several people were trampled but not badly hurt Wednesday as thousands -- including Dennis Rodman -- took part in the running of the bulls at Pamplona.
Mother flees courtroom at display of grisly evidence
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Jurors at Scott Peterson's murder trial cringed Wednesday as prosecutors displayed photos of bone and tissue from the decomposed bodies of Peterson's wife and her fetus.
Internet phone regulations blasted
WASHINGTON -- Heavy regulation of phone calls made over the Internet would crimp innovation and stifle investment in the new technology, industry officials told Congress on Wednesday.
Teen cuts off electronic monitor, escapes
PRINCETON, W.Va. -- A 14-year-old girl under house arrest on charges of murdering her father escaped after cutting an electronic monitoring device off her ankle and gluing it to a cat, authorities said.
Health minister promises to crack down on rogue bar
GALWAY, Ireland -- The smoke of rebellion rose across Ireland on Wednesday as a handful of pubs let customers smoke in defiance of a government ban.
State Farm suing to block hazing claims
State Farm Insurance is suing to block anyone from reaping benefits from it due to lawsuits stemming from the Glenbrook North hazing incident.
North Korea embraces the hamburger
TOKYO -- After five decades denouncing the United States and its capitalist system, North Korea has adopted one of America's best-known inventions -- the hamburger.
Arrest in triple killing at Donaldson's ranch
HONDO, N.M. -- The 14-year-old son of the manager of ABC newsman Sam Donaldson's New Mexico ranch was arrested Wednesday on charges of murdering his father, stepmother and stepsister, authorities said.
Malaysian military takes on toughest enemy -- fat
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia's armed forces are fighting the battle of the bulge.
Military to see if each captive legally held at Guantanamo
WASHINGTON -- The military will review the individual cases of the 595 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to determine whether they are legally held, the government said Wednesday.
Where's the rub? Kids in England massage each other
LONDON -- "When are we having our massage?" is not a question you would expect to hear in an elementary school classroom.
Metro briefs
A Chicago man who has been in prison more than 20 years says he should be freed, given a 7-6 vote in his favor by the Illinois Parole Board. Maurice Childs, sentenced to 50 to 75 years in prison in 1976, says because a majority of the board members voted in his favor, he should be freed. But officials contend two members were missing from his hearing and Childs needs at least eight votes from the 15-member board to be granted parole. Childs was convicted of stabbing Mary Leen 15 times, leaving her for dead in an Oak Lawn motel.
Nation and world briefs
In a bipartisan show of concern that the military is dangerously overworked, lawmakers said Wednesday the Pentagon is stretching troops to their limit and perhaps undermining the nation's future force. Amid worries about high levels of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) said it was not reassuring that most reserve components were falling below their recruiting goals for the year. Wednesday, July 7, 2004 General to pilot: 'You acted shamefully'
An Illinois Air National Guard fighter pilot acted shamefully and arrogantly when he ignored an order to hold fire and dropped a bomb that killed four Canadian soldiers in 2002, an Air Force general has ruled.
Loop fire panel wants sprinkler law
A Cook County commission investigating a deadly Loop high-rise fire urged the City Council today to break a legislative logjam and mandate sprinklers in pre-1975 Chicago high-rises.
Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay indicted
HOUSTON -- Former Enron Corp. chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay has been indicted on criminal charges related to the energy company's collapse, sources close to the case told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
It's the personality, stupid
Go ahead, insult John Edwards for his lack of military, foreign policy and government experience. A 35-page critical memo authored by the Republican National Committee called Edwards "a disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers."
Tough talk, banter kick off campaign
CLEVELAND-- President Bush on Wednesday curtly dismissed freshman Sen. John Edwards' credentials to be vice president while Democratic challenger John Kerry and his running mate rallied voters in battleground states. "Dick Cheney can be president," Bush declared, and an upbeat Kerry contended "America can do better."
New election set for divided CTU
A faction of the divided Chicago Teachers Union set a date Wednesday for a new election that rivals say is unnecessary and illegitimate.
Stewart rejects Lynch offer to let outsider run CTU temporarily
headline:Stewart rejects Lynch offer to let outsider run CTU temporarily
Oregon diocese files for Chapter 11 protection
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Tuesday because of the steep costs from clergy sex abuse lawsuits, an unprecedented step that could open the Roman Catholic archdiocese to new levels of court scrutiny.
The day the music died at McDonald's
The Rock 'N' Roll McDonald's at 600 N. Clark is closing, and the fate of its music and movie memorabilia is unknown.
Israeli justices cut a year from Sharon's term
JERUSALEM -- Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday shortened Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's term by a year in an election ruling that could further weaken his minority government and complicate a planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Family of Tionda, Diamond hope for 'one small break'
They were all together again Tuesday -- the family, friends and religious leaders who gathered three years ago after Tionda and Diamond Bradley disappeared on a hot summer day.
Father accused in baby death had been ordered to stay away
headline:Father accused in baby death had been ordered to stay away
AIDS virus continues to outrun efforts to combat it
LONDON-- The world is losing the race against the AIDS virus, which last year infected a record 5 million people and killed an unprecedented 3 million, the United Nations reported Tuesday.
Sox first pitch celebrates those overcoming disabilities
Damon Denham of Chicago will be a symbol of the 54 million Americans struggling with some form of disability when he steps up to the mound tonight to throw the first pitch at the White Sox game.
Daley drops proposed freeze on city health care contributions
headline:Daley drops proposed freeze on city health care contributions
Sudan refugees under attack had no time to bury their dead
CAMP KOUNOUNGO, Chad -- On a rocky wind-swept plain, four men stand with hands lifted in prayer over a freshly dug grave.
Eat free in London -- if you're related to Genghis Khan
LONDON -- A London restaurant is offering diners the chance to learn whether they are descended from the rampaging Mongol ruler Genghis Khan -- and win a free meal if they are.
Testimony focuses on finding bodies
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Testimony in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial turned Tuesday to the discovery of the decomposed bodies of his wife and the couple's fetus along San Francisco Bay.
Metro briefs
An off-duty Cook County Sheriff's officer shot a person on the West Side Tuesday evening, Chicago Police said. The sheriff's officer was working as a security guard at a liquor store in the 5500 block of West North Avenue when a man was wounded about 9p.m., broadcast reports said.
Nation and world briefs
The Sept. 11 commission is standing by its finding that al-Qaida had only limited contact with Iraq before the terrorist attacks, a determination disputed by Vice President Dick Cheney. The 10-member, bipartisan panel issued a one-sentence statement Tuesday saying it had access to the same information as Cheney, who suggested strong ties between ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. Tuesday, July 6, 2004 Kerry picks Edwards
WASHINGTON-- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Tuesday selected former rival John Edwards to be his running mate, calling the rich former trial lawyer and rookie senator a man who showed "guts and determination and political skill" in his unsuccessful race against Kerry for the party's nomination.
$1 million conflict of interest on hospital board?
A top state hospital regulator, Bernard Weiner, and his son have collected more than $1 million in commissions by selling insurance to hospitals Weiner oversees, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Incumbent CTU president calls for interim administration
One of two women claiming to be president of the Chicago Teachers Union called Tuesday for a temporary administration to run the divided union until a new vote can resolve a disputed election.
Mom accused of killing son denied bail
As the story about how she allegedly beat her 2-year-old son to death was read in court, Verna Colbert had little reaction.
Padilla refiles complaint against government
CHARLESTON, S.C.-- A lawyer for Jose Padilla, the former Chicago gang member accused of being part of an al-Qaida plot to set off a radiological "dirty" bomb, has refiled his lawsuit against the federal government.
Army to call up to 117 reservists back into service
The Army started notifying as many as 117 Illinois soldiers Tuesday that they are being reactivated and sent to the Middle East, a military spokesman said.
Pilot gets reprimand, loss of pay in accidental bombing
NEW ORLEANS-- A U.S. fighter pilot who mistakenly bombed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002, killing four, was found guilty Tuesday of dereliction of duty and will be reprimanded and lose more than $5,000 in pay, the Air Force said.
'For Love or Money' leaves Chicagoan down but not out
Rachel Veltri, Chicago's very own bad girl, got the boot on Monday night's finale of NBC's "For Love or Money."
Father sued over mother's death
Roberto Valadez was drunk and celebrating the arrival of 2004 when he fired his gun last New Year's Eve and accidentally shot and killed his wife, Maria, as their 9-year-old son stood by, horror-struck, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
Eat slowly, slim down
They fit a device in the roof of the mouth that reduces the size of the oral cavity. The idea is that the mouth doesn't hold as much food, so that forces the user to take smaller bites, eat more slowly and ultimately eat less.
Suburb braces for year of lane closures from I-80/94 work
The Kingery Expy. reconstruction and widening has been mostly pain-free for the surrounding suburbs since work started this spring. But the pain begins next week.
Places in the heart
A cool, leafy glade alive with birdsong. A fragrant forest, silent except for the sighing wind. Or maybe a sparkling brook, rushing over rocks to make a sound halfway between a splash and a chuckle.
Some zoos say elephants aren't fit for captivity
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals thinks so. "Life in captivity is harmful for elephants -- for their psychological and physical well being," said PETA elephant specialist Nicole Meyer.
'Doctor' who planned 'Cancer Cell Terminator' ordered to quit practice
headline:'Doctor' who planned 'Cancer Cell Terminator' ordered to quit practice
Fox aide quits, says Mexico's first lady gunning for presidency
headline:Fox aide quits, says Mexico's first lady gunning for presidency
Leader of Iraq's tiny Catholic flock to preach here this month
headline:Leader of Iraq's tiny Catholic flock to preach here this month
Bush resists automatic Medicare card enrollment for poor
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is resisting calls from across the political spectrum to broaden the automatic enrollment of poor people in the Medicare discount drug card program.
Illinois looks for federal funding for river ecosystems
Illinois officials, looking for ways to restore the ecosystem along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, are trying to build support for a federal plan that promises hundreds of millions of dollars for everything from restoring flood plains to protecting shorelines.
300 peacekeepers heading to world's worst crisis
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- The African Union on Monday said it would send 300 peacekeepers to the Darfur region of western Sudan, where more than a million refugees have fled attacks by Arab militiamen.
Israeli says U.S. being deceived
JERUSALEM -- In a display likely to increase U.S. displeasure with Israel, an opposition lawmaker and former general Monday showed photos of four West Bank outposts he said prove the government is deceiving Washington by expanding the enclaves instead of taking them down.
Milosevic health concerns delay trial resumption
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- A United Nations tribunal delayed the opening of Slobodan Milosevic's defense case Monday due to concerns about his health.
U.N. expert tells African nations to forget about debt
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- A top economic adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged African countries Monday to default on their debts if rich lender countries refused to cancel them.
Winnie Mandela avoids prison
JOHANNESBURG -- Winnie Mandela, South Africa's self-appointed "mother of the nation," avoided prison Monday when her appeal was upheld against a four-year jail sentence.
German 'invasion' of 1942 spawned military tribunals
WASHINGTON -- A German submarine slipped through dark waters toward New York's Long Island in June 1942, creeping so close it bumped the sandy bottom. A second settled into shallows along the Florida coast. Each sent ashore four men, who dragged explosives up the beaches.
Dumped goldfish blamed for killing bass in Ind.
Goldfish -- the kind given as prizes at county fairs and elsewhere -- are thriving and killing off game fish such as bass in a lake near Gary.
Abandoned in Reno, now Miss Nevada
CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Elizabeth Muto was abandoned as a baby at the Reno airport 24 years ago. Now she's Miss Nevada.
Drug stores go on lockdown in Appalachia
PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- Carrie Cinnamond realized just how much times have changed when she had a steel vault hauled into her pharmacy in eastern Kentucky.
Cherry pit spitting champ goes long -- 88 feet long
EAU CLAIRE, Mich. -- The Krause family's cherry pit spitting legacy lives on.
Topless PETA activists protest Pamplona's bull run
MADRID, Spain -- Several hundred animal rights activists -- some in their underwear, others topless -- marched through the streets of Pamplona Monday to condemn bullfighting on the eve of the Spanish city's wildly popular running of the bulls.
Wisconsin town hopes 48-foot bratwurst will break record
CAMPBELLSPORT, Wis. -- It was no mere weenie roast here when residents of this community cooked what they hope is the world's largest bratwurst.
Fire threatens $120 million telescope
SAFFORD, Ariz. -- Firefighters widened a defensive ring around a mountaintop observatory Monday to try to hold back two wildfires and protect one of the world's most powerful telescopes under construction.
Indonesian president may be headed for defeat
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian voters frustrated by persistent corruption and poverty dealt a harsh blow to President Megawati Sukarnoputri, with a private poll Monday showing a former general pulling ahead to force a run-off in the country's presidential election.
Couple sentenced to 9 months for beating, caging adopted sons
headline:Couple sentenced to 9 months for beating, caging adopted sons
Rare Quran lost in Kashmir arson
SRINAGAR, India -- Kashmir's oldest school was burned down Monday, destroying one of the world's oldest copies of the Quran in a suspected arson attack that some blamed on Islamic militants targeting moderate Muslim leaders.
Hartford memorial to honor 168 killed in 1944 circus fire
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Sixty years after a fire erupted during a crowded Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus matinee, the city is dedicating a memorial to the 168 people killed when the big top burned to the ground.
French fear 2 bodies just the start
PARIS -- As a helicopter clattered overhead and police swarmed around, a serene and bespectacled 62-year-old Frenchman in a bulletproof vest led detectives through the woods surrounding a stately 18th century chateau.
Liberals want balance for Rush
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers used to wrangling over troop levels and weapons systems are disputing whether military personnel abroad should be given more of a balance to conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.
Australians dogged by baby-snatching mystery
SYDNEY, Australia -- A mother's scream in 1980 that a wild dog called a dingo snatched her baby from a camp site in the Outback ignited one of Australia's most enduring mysteries.
2001 shark victim has trouble talking
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- Three years after he was nearly killed by a shark, 11-year-old Jessie Arbogast is ''growing like a weed'' but still uses a wheelchair and has trouble speaking, his aunt says.
British lawmakers reject ban on spanking children
LONDON -- British lawmakers on Monday voted against a ban on parents spanking their children, and decided instead to tighten existing rules.
2 letters bring riches, controversy
FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu -- It took just a bit of alphabet and a jot of punctuation to pave this island's lone road, to light the village lanes at night, to pay the rent on an office suite and a U.N. seat in far-off New York.
Metro briefs
A South Holland man was ordered held on no bond Monday on charges of shooting a 15-year-old tourist Saturday at the city's fireworks/Taste of Chicago celebration. Dominic Moore, 19, was arrested shortly after the shooting and had 23 bags of marijuana and one bag of crack cocaine on him, prosecutors said. He was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm after three witnesses identified him, prosecutors said.
Metro briefs
Hours of searching by a team of divers in a retention pond in unincorporated Schaumburg turned up nothing Monday, the Cook County sheriff's office said. The search began after a Chevy Metro was found near the pond with significant amounts of blood inside and outside it Monday morning. Later, the car's owner showed up at the Wood Dale Police Department with superficial cuts to his wrist, said Cook County Sheriff's Detective Lachom Madison.
Nation and world briefs
A terrorist threat prompted the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan to cancel an Independence Day reception and the British High Commission there to close altogether Monday, officials said. Pakistan's government ordered police protection reinforced around the already heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave in the capital, and officers were posted on roads to check cars for any hidden bombs or weapons. Monday, July 5, 2004 CTU flap may serve Daley school plan
For the short term, the current fight over who's the president of the Chicago Teachers Union plays right into Mayor Daley's plan to open 100 new schools, most of them without CTU members, by 2010.
S. Holland man charged in Grant Park shooting
A 19-year-old south suburban man faces a string of charges connected to Saturday night's shooting in Grant Park.
Hundreds of cops join suit over comp time
A Chicago Police officer working in a North Side police district wanted a day off in May to go to a family barbecue.
Reconstructing the past
Tyler Keillor has never taken a course in paleontology, yet he works for one of the world's top dinosaur experts at the University of Chicago.
Retirement taking columnist Mabley from print to Net
Jack Mabley was writing newspaper columns long before the Daily Herald became a daily.
Mom freed from jail longs to see kids
Eleven years ago, Elizabeth Ehlert sat with her 10-year-old son and asked him to help make a decision most full-grown men never face: Should she fight the murder charge against her or take the prosecution's offer of 40 years in prison?
Soldiers a world away get fresh images of families
A girl peeking out from behind a tree. A boy chasing bubbles carried by the wind. Two kids doing cartwheels on a lawn.
Doctors seek to lift veil on malpractice cases
When a doctor is sued for malpractice in Illinois, another physician must sign a statement certifying the lawsuit has merit.
Guys, check out other women -- but quickly
It's the thing most guys fear when they are out with a woman -- getting busted checking out another woman.
Ky. paper apologizes for not covering civil rights in '60s
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Lexington Herald-Leader featured a prominent clarification on its front page Sunday, apologizing for the newspaper's failures in covering the 1960s civil rights movement.
Giraffe, ostrich drown after water main breaks at zoo
MONROE, La. -- A giraffe and an ostrich drowned in a 15-foot sinkhole that developed after a water main burst in their shared zoo exhibit, officials said.
Widow hospitalized after firecrackers in mail slot set home ablaze
headline:Widow hospitalized after firecrackers in mail slot set home ablaze
One killed, 6 injured in Kankakee crash
KANKAKEE -- A man was killed and six people were injured early Sunday in an apparent DUI-related accident, when an auto slammed into two pedestrians as they crossed a street and then rammed a car, according to authorities.
Big firecracker, pole climb leave 2 men hurt
Two area men were injured Sunday in what could best be called freak incidents.
Hatch says Senate could split with Bush on stem cells
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican supporter of embryonic stem cell research, said Sunday there is wide support in the Senate to ease the Bush administration's restrictive policy.
Israeli nuke info goes on Web site
JERUSALEM -- Israel offered a faint glimpse into its secretive nuclear program Sunday when its atomic energy commission launched a Web site.
L.A. police chief apologizes for 'nitwit' remark
LOS ANGELES -- Police Chief William Bratton apologized for calling a local black activist a ''nitwit'' and other comments he made after last month's videotaped beating of a suspected car thief.
Latest addition to Reagan library: funeral coverage
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- An exhibit displaying items and images from President Reagan's funeral opened Sunday at the hilltop library where he is buried.
Pennsylvania OKs 61,000 slots, second only to Nevada
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania lawmakers approved legislation Sunday authorizing up to 61,000 slot machines -- more than any other state except Nevada -- in an effort to raise money for property tax reductions and public projects.
Pope wishes travelers happy vacations
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II Sunday, preparing for his Alps vacation, offered wishes for relaxing holidays for families going on summer vacations.
Prosecutors struggling to fill in the holes
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- The prosecution's disjointed story probably has jurors in the Scott Peterson trial questioning what really happened to his pregnant wife, legal experts say.
African nations unite in condemning Mugabe
JOHANNESBURG -- African nations combined for the first time Sunday to condemn the Zimbabwe government for its ''flagrant human rights abuses,'' signaling a shift in their attitude toward President Robert Mugabe's regime.
Metro briefs
A North Side man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a co-worker Friday afternoon. Police say Ramon Hernandez, 42, confessed to shooting 45-year-old Miguel Pena during an altercation outside the leather factory where they worked. The two men were fighting outside Gutmann & Co., in the 2100 block of North Dominick, when Hernandez allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Pena in the chest. Pena was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported the men had begun arguing inside the factory and that there had been a history of conflict between them. Sunday, July 4, 2004 Does your hospital have enough nurses?
Before you go to the hospital, you ought to be able to know how many nurses will be available to take care of you.
Group denies killing U.S. Marine hostage
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An Islamic extremist group denied in a statement posted on its Web site Sunday that it had killed a U.S. Marine taken hostage last month.
Charges filed in Taste of Chicago shooting
A 19-year-old South Holland man was charged Sunday with aggravated battery in connection with the wounding of another teenager at the Taste of Chicago, authorities said.
Questions mount for hospital board
The head of a state hospital board that's accused of improperly steering business to Bear Stearns & Co. has financial and family ties to the investment firm.
Teen shot in Grant Park
As the City of Chicago's annual Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza got under way Saturday night at Grant Park, with hundreds of thousands of people in attendance, one teenager was shot in an apparent isolated incident, authorities said.
2 women charged with murder in 4 S. Side killings
Chicago Police said Saturday they believe they have solved a serial murder spree on the South Side after arresting two women allegedly responsible for killing four people over the last six weeks.
Cops probe fire in state office for link to deadly Loop blaze
headline:Cops probe fire in state office for link to deadly Loop blaze
National union, judge at odds on CTU leadership
Defeated Chicago Teachers Union President Deborah Lynch should get out, an official of the national union said Friday, but a federal judge declined to issue such an order -- sought by Marilyn Stewart, winner of last month's election.
Just 2% of funds to rebuild Iraq spent so far
WASHINGTON -- Only $366 million of the $18.4 billion President Bush and Congress provided last fall for rebuilding Iraq has been spent, a White House report showed Friday.
$290 million ticket sold in Massachusetts
ATLANTA -- A single winning ticket was sold in Friday's record $290 million Mega Millions lottery drawing.
Low-carb craze hits Ritz: protein smoothie, anyone?
The typical catered fare during a day of business meetings goes something like this:
Baptists protest Bush camp's effort to use church rosters
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative denomination closely aligned with President Bush, said it was offended by the Bush-Cheney campaign's effort to use church rosters for campaign purposes.
Mom charged with killing newborn too ill to appear in court
headline:Mom charged with killing newborn too ill to appear in court
More than 500 on West Side take first step in 'American dream'
headline:More than 500 on West Side take first step in 'American dream'
Neighbor charged with trying to poison mayor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For more than four years, Stephanie Eickhoff wouldn't let her children play in the front yard for fear a couple down the street would hurt them.
Key suspects in Madrid bombings are fugitives
MADRID, Spain -- A day after seven suspects in the Madrid railway attacks blew themselves up to avoid arrest, the government declared the core of the terror cell either dead or behind bars. That assertion now seems hasty.
Where the wild smells are
Hold your nose. Summer's arrival brings the heat and decomposition that cook up odors -- foul, fetid, fecal, funky odors.
'Life here is very, very bad,' for Sudan's displaced
ABU SHOUK CAMP, Sudan -- Abu Shouk is as good as it gets for the displaced masses of Darfur, the violence-torn region of western Sudan that could be the site of the world's worst humanitarian disaster. And that's not very good at all.
A penny saved adds up to a big headache
LOS ANGELES -- A man is trying to get rid of his pennies -- all 1 million of them. Ron England bet his brother 30 years ago that he could save a million pennies in exchange for a dinner in Paris. And he did, eventually stacking up 20,000 rolls that fill 13 boxes in his garage.
China tries to control content of cell phone text messages
SHANGHAI, China -- Chinese authorities plan to use new technology to improve surveillance of mobile phone messages amid efforts to intensify policing of private communications, reports said Friday.
DCFS probing 'death by abuse' of boy, 2
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services launched a "death by abuse" investigation Saturday after a 2-year-old boy, who was previously taken away from his mother because of drug abuse, was found dead in the 7200 block of South Union early Saturday.
Israeli troops kill 2 boys in mission to stop Gaza rockets
BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops shot to death two Palestinian boys Saturday, pushing ahead with a broad military operation aimed at preventing militants from firing rockets at Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip.
Mass. liquor store sells winning ticket
LOWELL, Mass. -- Whoever bought the winning ticket in the $290 million Mega Millions lottery drawing couldn't have been much happier Saturday than the person who sold it.
Meat-packing plant slayings in Kan. not random: cops
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Elijah Brown's co-workers always had a hard time making sense of him. He paced, he talked to himself, he got bothered over teasing that wouldn't faze other people.
Mexicans in U.S. may get Social Security
WASHINGTON -- U.S. and Mexican officials signed a controversial agreement last week that could allow millions of legal and undocumented Mexican immigrants who work in the United States to collect U.S. Social Security benefits.
No Headline.
A 14-year-old boy was in critical condition Saturday at Children's Memorial Hospital after falling off a roof in the 4500 block of North Elston, Chicago Police said. Neighbors said several people were celebrating on the roof just before the accident occurred about 2:38 a.m., officer Laura Kubiak said.
Road rage in paradise
VAIL, Colo. -- The whine of tires on asphalt and the whump-whump-whump of truck brakes are getting so bad that some homeowners in this ski resort town are installing air conditioning rather than listen to the noise wafting in on the cool mountain breeze.
Tax rulings spell more trouble for Russian oil giant
MOSCOW -- The oil giant Yukos went from Russia's most successful company to its worst tax offender in less than a year. Now it's on the verge of bankruptcy after a court ruled it owes $3.4 billion from its 2000 tax bill. Saturday, July 3, 2004 National union, judge at odds on CTU leadership
Defeated Chicago Teachers Union President Deborah Lynch should get out, an official of the national union said Friday, but a federal judge declined to issue such an order -- sought by Marilyn Stewart, winner of last month's election.
Holiday drivers get slight break on gas prices
Gas prices are dipping again, and not a moment too soon for Fourth of July holiday travelers.
15-year-old boy shot at the Taste of Chicago
A 15-year-old boy was shot at the Taste of Chicago Saturday as hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks display, police said.
Brando was a rebel in movies, a character in life
He was the most influential actor in the history of the movies, and one of the most exasperating. He was instrumental in the success of some of the greatest films of all time, and cheerfully appeared in some of the worst. He was a poet and, at the end, he was a pauper, but in all the seasons of his life, he was unmistakably, defiantly, brilliantly Marlon Brando.
Gov cites progress in budget negotiations
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Blagojevich allowed antsy lawmakers to go home for the Fourth of July weekend Friday and declared significant progress in talks aimed at resolving the monthlong budget impasse.
Judge rips bias suit vs. sheriff's office
A federal judge Friday accused 13 sheriff's employees of filing a frivolous discrimination suit against Cook County and said their attorney could be sanctioned for it.
11 area hospitals among nation's best
Eleven Chicago area hospitals made U.S. News & World Report's best hospitals list released Friday, with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ranking as the nation's best rehab center for the 14th consecutive year.
Cop subdues suicidal patient with stun gun
A Chicago Police sergeant immobilized a suicidal patient with an electrical jolt from a stun gun Friday morning after the man threatened to kill himself with a pocket knife.
Gunman kills 4, himself at Kan. meatpacking plant
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A disgruntled worker at a meatpacking plant killed four people and wounded three others Friday afternoon before committing suicide, police said.
Missing city sticker may have simple solution
Hey, Sandra Ehlert, if you see this, please get in touch with City Hall.
TB district gets OK to sell land
The Suburban Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium District doesn't need permission from the Cook County Board to sell about 24 acres in Hinsdale, the Illinois Court of Appeals ruled this week.
Metro briefs
Police made a plea Friday night for a woman and two children who may have been shot in a Pilsen park to come forward and talk with authorities. The woman and the two children, age 2 and 5, could have been wounded after two men, believed to be 19 to 23 years old, drove by Dvorak Park at 1119 W. Cullerton and opened fire at about 7:30 p.m. An 8-year-old boy was shot in the abdomen and was listed in stable condition late Friday at Stroger Hospital, according to police. Chicago Police spokesman Pat Camden made a plea for the woman and the children to give police information about the shooting and get medical attention if needed, without fear of being deported due to their immigration status. "We are making a plea for those people to come forward," Camden said. "We are concerned they may not want to come forward because of their immigration status. The Chicago Police Department is not concerned about the immigration status."
Nation & world briefs
The Coast Guard said Friday that 20 of 228 foreign-flagged vessels calling on U.S. ports did not meet international security rules that took effect on Thursday. Friday, July 2, 2004 National teachers union backs Stewart
A national teachers union said Friday that Marilyn Stewart should take over as president of the Chicago Teachers Union while the dispute over her 566-vote election victory is resolved, but an attorney for incumbent Deborah Lynch says she won't turn over the keys.
'I don't feel I'm through with politics'
The little boy spent the week on a boat off the coast of Florida, isolated from the stark headlines and breathless TV anchors hashing over the seamy details just being made public about his parents' divorce.
�This is all a theater by Bush, the criminal�
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Wearing a crisp white shirt and charcoal pinstriped jacket, the man in court looked more like a businessman than a prisoner, and his tone was defiant from his first words: ''I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq.''
Mikva calls for promotions overhaul
A scathing review of the Chicago Fire Department's performance at a fatal Loop high-rise fire throws salt on three old wounds: affirmative action, cronyism and physical fitness.
Marlon Brando dead at 80
LOS ANGELES-- Marlon Brando, who revolutionized American acting with his Method performances in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "On the Waterfront" and went on to create the iconic character of Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather," has died. He was 80.
Governor signs temporary budget, talks continue
SPRINGFIELD-- Officials have given themselves a month of breathing room to keep negotiating a new state budget.
Newly elected union president turned away at office door
byline:BY , AND Staff Reporters
Education tops sports, Cosby tells parents
He strutted across the stage and gripped the hand of his fraternity brother, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, then Dr. William H. Cosby Jr. held the entire room in his hands as he preached the tough love that has gained headlines -- and for which he offered no apologies.
Scientists stunned by Saturn's rings
PASADENA, Calif. -- Hours after settling into orbit around Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft sent back ''mind-blowing'' photographs Thursday of the planet's shimmering rings that resembled a fine-grained piece of wood or a grooved phonograph record.
City axes more than 100 companies
More than 100 trucking firms are gone from the rolls of Mayor Daley's Hired Truck Program, as the city put in place tougher rules Thursday to reform the scandal-ridden program -- a month behind schedule.
Medical school severs ties with businessman
Just last week, a prime piece of land next to Stroger Hospital was being shopped around by a clout-heavy Republican businessman on behalf of a medical school.
Segal loses access to insurance firm's assets
A federal judge Thursday blocked convicted Chicago insurance mogul Michael Segal from handling any of his company's assets after allegations he was making calls from prison to transfer them to family and friends.
Ex-congressman to take reins at MPAA
WASHINGTON -- Hollywood's most powerful lobbying group said Thursday it had selected as its new chief Dan Glickman, a former Democratic lawmaker from Kansas and agriculture secretary under former President Bill Clinton.
High court ruling already delaying sentences
One federal prosecutor describes the impact of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision as "Apocalypse Now." Another said "thousands of inmates are waiting at the doors to be let out."
In Idaho, a kiss is just a kiss -- not a crime
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Stealing a kiss is not a crime, a jury has decided.
Rivals for Board of Review bicker before trial
Just 18 days remain until a trial is set to begin to decide who will fill a Cook County Board of Review seat.
Clinton keeps fans stepping lively at book signing
Priya Vin and Ginger Stoker, students at the University of Chicago, camped on the sidewalk overnight to be first in line Thursday at Bill Clinton's only Chicago book signing.
Gov: Attendance attack a 'cheap shot'
SPRINGFIELD -- When Gov. Blagojevich was a state legislator during a protracted budget fight in 1994 that kept lawmakers at the Capitol on Independence Day, state records show he was absent.
Little-known chef lands big-time gig in Evanston
Levitski, 31, of the cozy Andersonville bistro La Tache, was named Thursday to head the kitchen at the acclaimed Trio in Evanston, a job previously held by some of Chicago's biggest-name chefs.
Some tempers flare over Wilmette's new smoking ban
Wilmette's ban on smoking in public places started Thursday, leaving smokers fuming and restaurant owners fearing the worst for their businesses.
Parents threaten to oust Daley in 2007 over proposal to close schools
headline:Parents threaten to oust Daley in 2007 over proposal to close schools
3 die of rabies after receiving infected organs
ATLANTA -- Three people died of rabies after receiving infected organs from the same donor in what the government says are the first documented cases of the disease being spread through organ transplants.
Annan hears tales of terror from Sudanese
EL-FASHIR, Sudan -- First come the airplanes. Then the horsemen who burn, rape and kill.
Banking firm defends state bond deal
Bear, Stearns & Co. responded Thursday to allegations in a sealed whistleblower lawsuit that describes the state's $10 billion pension bond deal with the company last year as being "part of a criminal kickback scheme."
British Judge Richard May; presided over Milosevic trial
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- British judge Richard May, who wryly cut off Slobodan Milosevic's courtroom speechmaking and presided over hundreds of hearings at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal, died Thursday in Britain after a short illness. He was 65.
Donors' heirs unhappy with Princeton
PRINCETON, N.J. -- In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, Charles and Marie Robertson donated $35 million in stock to Princeton University to help it turn out high-level diplomats and produce the next generation of George F. Kennans, Robert Lovetts and Averell Harrimans.
Evangelical leaders warn against faith, party link
Memorializing Ronald Reagan, the National Association of Evangelicals called him ''a great, if not the greatest, president of the 20th century.''
Friend testifies sisters asked her for gun
With a loaded semi-automatic handgun in their Pilsen home, the teenaged DeFrancisco sisters and a friend waited for Oscar Velazquez to pull up in his shiny white Camaro.
Judge dismisses doc's whistleblower suit
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former transplant surgeon at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center who charged he had been retaliated against for reporting alleged wrongdoing at the facility.
Migrants in U.S. enter Mexican political process
JEREZ, Mexico -- Smuggled into the United States in a car trunk, Andres Bermudez went from field hand to millionaire, inventing a tomato planting machine that earned him the nickname ''The Tomato King.''
More asbestos found at Zion park
Asbestos-tainted debris has been found in two areas of Illinois Beach State Park, but state officials say the material will be removed today and won't force any beach closings during the busy July 4 holiday weekend.
Student fined, gets probation for faking abduction
MADISON, Wis. -- A college student who faked her abduction and set off a desperate search was sentenced to three years' probation Thursday and ordered to repay the police department at least $9,000.
U.S. rebukes Israel over illegal West Bank outposts
JERUSALEM -- An Israeli list of its unauthorized West Bank outposts drew a public rebuke Thursday from U.S. officials.
Va. law requiring weekend day off panics businesses
RICHMOND, Va. -- Because of a legislative oversight, a new Virginia law requires businesses to give workers Saturdays or Sundays off if they want it, alarming some businesses with weekend and round-the-clock shifts to cover.
Metro briefs
A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order preventing the Chicago Housing Authority from moving about 325 families from seven buildings at the Cabrini-Green development. The residents had complained that the CHA was forcing them to move out by Oct. 20 without negotiating about redevelopment plans. Their lawsuit also charged that they would likely be moved to segregated communities and lose the opportunity to live in the increasingly upscale area around Cabrini. "We're very encouraged that the judge saw the need for the CHA to finally sit down with residents to negotiate a rational relocation plan," said Richard Wheelock, an attorney for the Cabrini residents. Attorney Charles Levesque, who represents the CHA, noted that the judge's order does not prevent residents who want to move from proceeding with their plans. U.S. District Judge William Hibbler set the next hearing for July 12.
Nation and world briefs
Americans are so frustrated by traffic that 56 percent say they would be willing to pay higher taxes if it really would improve things. For now, people are changing routes and schedules, but not getting out of their cars. Only about one in 20 uses mass transit, an Associated Press poll found.
Independence Day closings
Because the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday this year, government offices, banks and many businesses will be closed Monday for the official Independence Day holiday.
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