Emanuel on NATO Summit: It’s going to be historic — ‘The Chicago Accords’

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday offered Chicago area residents a new and compelling reason to welcome a NATO Summit many are dreading as a giant inconvenience: a place in world history. “NATO will be now deciding how to de-emphasize its involvement, its footprint in Afghanistan and how to wind down its presence. It will be known as the ‘Chicago Accords,’ basically,” the mayor said.

Courthouse weddings off

Hoping to get hitched in front of a judge downtown this Saturday? Well, it won’t happen this weekend, thanks to the NATO Summit. The Marriage and Civil Union Court at 119 W. Randolph will be closed Saturday, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced …

Trove of original Abraham Lincoln documents found in Japan

A trove of Lincoln papers discovered in Japan are shedding new light on one of Illinois’ favorite sons, a top Lincoln researcher said Tuesday. The more than 100 documents — more than half of which were previously unknown to researchers — compiled at a university near Tokyo amount to a microcosm of Lincoln’s career.

County OKs $600,000 settlement in police torture case

Cook County taxpayers will fork over $600,000 to close one chapter of an ongoing police torture lawsuit that will put former Mayor Richard M. Daley on the hotseat later this summer.

This week, Cook County commissioners signed off on the $600,000 settlement with Michael Tillman, …

Forget getting married by a judge downtown this weekend

Hoping to get hitched in front of a judge downtown this Saturday?

Well, it won’t happen this weekend, thanks to the NATO Summit.

The Marriage and Civil Union Court at 119 W. Randolph Street will be closed Saturday, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans …

Cops from as far as Philly, Carolina to help with NATO

Police officers from Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C.; will assist the Chicago Police Department in handling thousands of protesters expected to descend on Chicago for this weekend’s NATO summit.

The out-of-state officers will join as many as 700 troopers from the Illinois State Police and …

West Side Dems to field third-party candidate vs. Rep. Smith

A group of West Side Democratic ward committeemen led by Secretary of State Jesse White has signed off on a plan to create a third political party and slate a candidate to challenge indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith this fall, a White aide said Monday.

In first debate, congressional rivals Walsh and Duckworth tangle over Medicare

In the first debate of what could be one of the hottest congressional races in the country, Republican Rep. Joe Walsh and Iraqi War veteran Tammy Duckworth, accused each other of wanting to end Medicare.

Walsh voted for Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget which Walsh said …

City agrees to let nurses hold rally, concert in Daley Plaza next Friday

City officials and a national nurses union reached an agreement Friday to allow the group to hold the first protest rally of the NATO summit.

Plan to charge state retirees for health insurance heads to Gov. Quinn’s desk

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Senate followed the House and overwhelmingly approved a plan Thursday to begin charging retired state workers, lawmakers, judges and university workers for their health insurance.

The Senate’s 31-20 vote, with one voting present, now sends the issue to Gov. Pat Quinn, …

Suburban mayors also urge state to pass pension reform

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday enlisted reinforcements in his battle for pension reform: 30 suburban mayors who warned of suburban bankruptcies without a comprehensive solution to the pension crisis. “In California, they’ve literally had towns on the verge of bankruptcy for the very same reasons …

Mayor takes pension reform case to rank-and-file workers

One day after infuriating union leaders, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday took his case for pension reform directly to rank-and-file members whose contributions he wants to raise and whose retirement benefits he’s proposing to cut.

The mayor sent a letter to city employees to soften …

Rahm Emanuel defends decision to yank nurses’ NATO protest permit

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday defended the city’s decision to yank the permit for the first protest march of the NATO summit — then acknowledged that expressway, road and museum closures tied to the summit will be more than minor inconveniences.

The latest NATO protest …

Illinois House votes to end ‘free’ health care for state retirees

The Illinois House voted Wednesday to yank “free” taxpayer-funded health insurance from nearly 80,000 retired state workers, university employees, lawmakers and judges.

Barack Obama’s ever evolving views on gay marriage

1996: In his first run for office, state Senate candidate Barack Obama responds to a North Side gay magazine’s issues survey with a letter that includes his support for gay marriage. “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight effort to prohibit such marriages,” Obama …