From Englewood to Rhodes Scholar: ‘It’s huge’

Rhiana Gunn-Wright grew up in Englewood and has focused her studies on some of the issues that plague that community.

“Seeing the poverty and the violence in my community and the way that really disrupted and limited peoples lives and sort of ravaged people’s opportunities,” …

Cop shoots at driver trying to run him down after Gold Coast theft

A Chicago cop fired a shot at a driver who tried to run him down on the Gold Coast on Sunday evening. Neither the officer nor the driver was hurt in the 6:10 p.m. incident in the first block of East Walton, Chicago Police said. …

Prosecutors: Masked woman robbed her mother of 3.5-carat ring, and accomplice Tasered victim

A Chicago woman is accused of robbing her mother of a $40,000, 3.5-carat diamond engagement ring last month before fleeing in a Smart car. Prosecutors said 36-year-old Julie P. Franck of the 2900 block of N. Central Park Avenue wore a ski mask so her …

Gov. Pat Quinn: State’s worst in the nation unfunded pension burden has grown

Trying again to build support for his stalled pension-reform efforts, Gov. Pat Quinn said Sunday the state’s unfunded pension burden has grown recently to $96 billion, up from the previous projection of $86 billion.

Aldermen balk at IG’s request for council employees’ time sheets

Chicago aldermen are accusing Faisal Khan, their handpicked inspector general, of overstepping his limited authority — and going on a fishing expedition — with a demand for time sheets for all full- and part-time City Council employees dating back to November 2010.

Emanuel appoints former principal to school board, moves Sierra to CHA

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Sunday tapped former Chicago Public Schools Principal Carlos Azcoitia to serve as a Chicago School Board member, replacing Rodrigo Sierra, who is moving to the Chicago Housing Authority Board.

One dead, four critically hurt in Dan Ryan crash

One person was killed and four others critically injured in a crash Sunday morning that shut down both directions of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94). As of about 8:25 a.m., all northbound lanes of the expressway remained closed around the scene of the accident. The …

Woman dies after pulled from suburban canal

A woman died after authorities pulled her out of a canal Saturday morning in Evanston, officials said. The 24-year-old woman allegedly jumped into the canal near Main Street and McCormick Boulevard about 10 a.m., according to the Evanston Fire and Life Safety Services. With the …

One man stabbed, another cut during robbery near Gold Coast hotel

A suspected robber stabbed a 67-year-old man in the neck and wounded another man trying to stop him from fleeing Saturday night near the Westin hotel in the Gold Coast, authorities said.

The attacks happened at 8 p.m. in the 900 block of N. Michigan, …

Man charged in robbery of victims lured by men-seeking-men Craigslist ads

A 20-year-old man has been charged in connection with recent robberies on the South Side of people who were responding to ads of men seeking men that had been posted on Craigslist. Andrew Jones, of the 8100 block of South Merrill, was charged with aggravated …

‘I got her!’ — Hero cops find baby kidnapped in bizarre scheme

A desperate four-hour search for a kidnapped baby ended joyfully when Officer Naomi Gibson heard a muffled cry in a gangway. Gibson and a team of officers were frantically looking for the 1-month-old girl on the South Side. With the temperature hovering at 32 degrees — Gibson heard a cry coming from a gangway in the 6800 block of South Ridgeway.

Time for a change? Job of U.S. Attorney in Chicago has long been held by white men

The U.S. Attorney in Chicago is arguably one of the most — if not the most — powerful jobs in town.

And it has long been held by the same kind of person. Specifically, a white male.

In one of the most diverse cities in …

Owners of former E2 nightclub sue city for $4M

The owners of the former E2 nightclub are suing the City of Chicago for $4 million a year after a state appeals court dismissed their convictions in connection with a 2003 stampede that killed 21 people.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on …

Will Twinkies be shelved or live to see another day?

Will there be a savior for Twinkies, Wonder bread and other Hostess Brands? Given the power of the brands, industry experts expect buyers to emerge in the wake of the company’s announcement Friday that it is going out of business and that it has asked …

Basketball tourney offers a shot at peace in tough neighborhoods

To some guys in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, Ashland Avenue is the front line of a gang war zone: Crossing the street can mean getting yourself killed.

Two of those guys, Charles, 30, and Kevin, 15, try to stay east of Ashland and 79th, where one …