Illinois – News Stories About Illinois - Page 35

Jan 22, 2009 1:49 AM CST

Blago's Wife Axed by Charity

Patti Blagojevich paid $100K as fundraiser

(Newser) - The wife of embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been fired from her $100,000-a-year job as development director of a Chicago charity that runs a state-of-the-art homeless shelter, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Patti Blagojevich had been hired to help double the million dollars raised annually by the Christian Industrial...

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration

Jan 21, 2009 9:29 AM CST

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration

Ill. guv played hooky from impeachment, got fingerprinted

(Newser) - Yesterday was special for a certain Illinois politician—and not just the one you’re thinking of. While Barack Obama was being sworn in, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was getting his fingerprints taken, reports the Chicago Tribune. Blagojevich also failed to enter a plea in his state Senate impeachment trial; he’...

Pelosi Open to Prosecuting Bushies

Talk show ROUNDUP

Jan 18, 2009 11:50 AM CST

Pelosi Open to Prosecuting Bushies

Emanuel: Blago didn't imply anything shady in talks with me

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi would consider prosecuting some Bush White House officials, she told Fox News Sunday, even though Barack Obama has signaled that he doesn't favor such a move. "We cannot let the politicizing of, for example, the Justice Department to go unreviewed," says the speaker of the House....

Burris Sworn in
as Senator

Jan 15, 2009 1:35 PM CST

Burris Sworn in as Senator

(Newser) - Roland Burris was sworn in and seated in the Senate today as the junior senator from Illinois. Democrats had been loath to accept an appointee of Rod Blagojevich's, but the continued hubbub around the former Illinois AG was seen as a distraction. And Burris’ heroic attempts to get his credentials...

Stalkers Terrorize 3M Americans a Year: Study

Jan 14, 2009 4:36 PM CST

Stalkers Terrorize 3M Americans a Year: Study

Statistics prompt new calls for updated laws

(Newser) - More than 3 million Americans, mostly women aged 18-24, are stalked each year, but it’s an abuse rarely prosecuted, the Chicago Tribune reports. The staggering figure from a first-ever Justice Department study highlights the need to strengthen laws and enforcement, especially with technology now making it easier for stalkers...

Ill. House Impeaches Blagojevich—Yes, Again

Jan 14, 2009 2:39 PM CST

Ill. House Impeaches Blagojevich—Yes, Again

New class of lawmakers upholds decision, with governor's sister-in-law lone dissenter

(Newser) - The Illinois House voted today for the second time in less than a week to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports. The newly sworn-in lawmakers voted 117-1 to uphold last Friday's decision, with the lone dissenting ballot cast by Chicago Democrat Deb Mell—the disgraced governor's sister-in-law. Today's...

Burris Joins Senate Thursday

Jan 13, 2009 6:20 PM CST

Burris Joins Senate Thursday

(Newser) - At least one aspect of the Rod Blagojevich soap opera will end Thursday: Roland Burris will be sworn into the Senate at 2pm EST, the Hill reports. Dick Cheney will do the honors in the Senate chamber, and a ceremonial re-enactment will follow elsewhere in the building for Burris' family...

Senate Lawyers OK Burris

Jan 12, 2009 3:24 PM CST

Senate Lawyers OK Burris

Obama replacement will be sworn in this week, 'barring objection' from GOP

(Newser) - Senate Democrats today accepted Roland Burris as the senator-designate from Illinois, and he will likely be seated later this week, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Barring objections from Senate Republicans,” said a statement from Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, “we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in....

He's a Heartbeat Away From Junior Senator

Jan 12, 2009 10:14 AM CST

He's a Heartbeat Away From Junior Senator

Lawyers meet today; Durbin says Senate will back ruling on Burris

(Newser) - A ruling could come today on whether Roland Burris can take Barack Obama’s Illinois Senate seat, Politico reports, with his lawyers meeting with the Senate’s legal counsel to discuss various documents certifying him for the job. Illinois’ secretary of State didn’t sign papers from embattled Gov. Rod...

5 Shot Outside
Chicago High School

Jan 10, 2009 1:36 AM CST

5 Shot Outside Chicago High School

Attackers opened fire as South Side students exited basketball game

(Newser) - Chicago cops are hunting gunmen who shot five people outside a South Side high school, reports the Chicago Tribune. The attackers opened fire from an SUV last night as a basketball game at Dunbar High School was ending. Witnesses say the gunmen pretended to fire before shooting into a crowd...

Outgoing Chicago Dem Is Lone Nay in Blago Vote

Jan 9, 2009 3:09 PM CST

Outgoing Chicago Dem Is Lone Nay in Blago Vote

Milton Patterson won't say much beyond having 'gut feeling' about proceedings

(Newser) - The one nay vote in today’s Illinois House impeachment of Rod Blagojevich was from Chicago Democrat Milton Patterson, the Chicago Tribune reports. Patterson said he wasn’t defending the disgraced governor. “I went by my own gut feeling,” he said. The lone “present” vote belonged to...

Blago Remains Defiant, Quotes Tennyson

UPDATED

Jan 9, 2009 2:49 PM CST

Blago Remains Defiant, Quotes Tennyson

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich says he's not surprised by today's vote to impeach him because the Illinois House has been out to get him for a year now, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "It happened kind of fast," said the Illinois governor, who called a defiant news conference to reassert his...

Ill. House Votes
to Impeach Blago

Jan 9, 2009 10:57 AM CST

Ill. House Votes to Impeach Blago

114-1 vote marks first for state

(Newser) - The Illinois House wasted little time today in voting to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with just one representative in the 115-member chamber voting against the measure. It’s the first time in Illinois history the governor has been impeached. A Blagojevich spokesman says the governor won’t resign, which means...

Panel Backs Impeachment;
Burris: No Favors Asked

updated

Jan 8, 2009 5:43 PM CST

Panel Backs Impeachment; Burris: No Favors Asked

(Newser) - Roland Burris told Rod Blagojevich's impeachment panel today that no shady business was involved in his Senate appointment, Bloomberg reports. “I would never participate in anybody’s quid pro quo,” Burris told Illinois lawmakers. Hours after he testified, the 21-member panel voted unanimously to recommend impeachment, the Tribune ...

Obama Serves Reid Humble Pie, Chicago Style

OPINION

Jan 8, 2009 2:02 PM CST

Obama Serves Reid Humble Pie, Chicago Style

President-elect's reversal on Burris straight from rough-and-tumble Windy City roots

(Newser) - Barack Obama served Harry Reid up a Chicago-style, deep-dish slice of humble pie this week, telling the Senate majority leader to seat Roland “Tombstone” Burris, John Kass writes in the Chicago Tribune. Reid, for his part, “scarfed it down in front of reporters, without a fork, all but...

Burris Ties to Blago Include Donations, Job for Wife

Jan 8, 2009 12:44 PM CST

Burris Ties to Blago Include Donations, Job for Wife

Senate aspirant no stranger to pay-to-play politics

(Newser) - Senate Democrats are lauding Roland Burris as a faithful public servant who happens to owe his appointment to a crooked governor, but the Illinois politician has some pretty close—perhaps suspect—ties to Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burris and affiliates in his lobbying firm contributed $20,000 to Blagojevich...

Ill. House Panel: Impeach Blago

Jan 8, 2009 11:41 AM CST

Ill. House Panel: Impeach Blago

Body documents numerous charges against governor

(Newser) - The Illinois House panel investigating Rod Blagojevich today released a report recommending his impeachment, the Chicago Tribune reports. The 69-page draft includes a laundry list of offenses, including misuse of state funds, refusing to release federal subpoenas to the public, and the much-publicized pay-to-play allegation. The committee said the governor’...

Obama Pushed
Dems to Take Burris

Jan 7, 2009 2:23 PM CST

Obama Pushed Dems to Take Burris

Aides made calls to senior senators before today's decision

(Newser) - Barack Obama may have had something to do with the Senate’s apparent about-face on Roland Burris, a congressional aide tells the Huffington Post. Obama reps contacted senior Democrats before they began moving today towards accepting the Blagojevich appointee, despite the Illinois governor’s ongoing corruption case. After meeting with...

Reid Backs Off,
Leaves Burris to Court

Jan 7, 2009 11:53 AM CST

Reid Backs Off, Leaves Burris to Court

Has 'no problem with him personally'

(Newser) - A far cry from the political shunning of just days ago, Majority Leader Harry Reid ushered would-be senator Roland Burris into his office this afternoon, and emerged saying that an Illinois court decision could go a long way toward seating the Blagojevich appointee. “We don't have a problem with...

Livid Softball Dad
Jailed for Tirade

Jan 6, 2009 7:20 PM CST

Livid Softball Dad Jailed for Tirade

Ill. man also spat at deputy, earning battery charge

(Newser) - Parents, take note: An Illinois man who exploded at an umpire during his daughter's softball game was sentenced to five days in jail and anger-management classes for battery and assault, the Chicago Tribune reports. Michael Beck, 47, also spat sunflower seeds on the deputy who responded to a worried...