sneed
Michael Sneed biography
Michael Sneed has been a Chicago journalist for nearly four decades covering everything short of war.
Among the stories Sneed has reported on in her …
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REYNOLDS EYES JACKSON JR. SEAT
The Mel man . . . Here’s a shocker! Sneed has learned former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds, who was convicted of child pornography and sexual misconduct involving a 16-year-old campaign worker in 1995, is popping up on the radar screen again. ◆ To wit: Reynolds …Read More
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DePaul hoop scoop
It ain’t a casino! Sneed has learned McPier authorities are in the process of procuring land to lure the DePaul Blue Demons basketball team back to Chicago. ◆ Translation: Attorneys for McPier recently started negotiations with property owners of large land parcels located on the …Read More
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Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s plea deal could take a while
The Jackson File... Sneed hears U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s plea discussion with the feds over alleged misuse of campaign funds, which includes allegations he used the funds to decorate his house — and buy an expensive Rolex watch — is a ways off from …Read More
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Sandi Jackson standing tough despite report of fed scrutiny, source says
The Jackson file . . . Sources close to Ald. Sandi Jackson tell Sneed her family may be going through the worst nightmare of their lives, but she is remaining resilient despite a Wall Street Journal report the federal probe of possible misuse of campaign …
Obama may tap former South Sider Deval Patrick for A.G. post
Tipsville . . . Sneed hears rumbles that President Barack Obama has his eye on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to replace Attorney General Eric “Fast & Furious” Holder , who is hoping to stay long enough to make it look like he’s not resigning because …
Hoop Dreams
Hoop du Jour... How much does President Barack Obama -- who wept Wednesday while thanking his campaign staff for their devotion -- like winning? Check out the following details from Obama’s Election Day ritual basketball game Tuesday afternoon. ◆Former NBA star Scottie Pippen, a newcomer …
The Jackson file
Sneed hears U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who continues to undergo treatment for depression and bipolar disorder while dealing with a federal probe of possible campaign fund misuse, has told friends he is still reeling from the news that two people he befriended while in …
Jesse Jackson Jr. in plea deal talks with feds, sources say
EXCLUSIVE: Sneed has learned U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who handily won re-election Tuesday despite a lengthy stay at Mayo Clinic for depression and bipolar disorder, is in the midst of plea discussions with the feds probing his alleged misuse of campaign funds.
Sneed: He’s still got game
Hoop scoop . . . Yep. Sneed is told that President Barack Obama, who planned to hit town at midnight last night, will continue his Election Day ritual by playing basketball at a court on Harrison Street on the West Side between 1 p.m. and …
Church denies cardinal retirement rumblings
The Cardinal’s story... Pew Place: Sneed hears clerical rumors Cardinal Francis George, who is in the midst of chemotherapy treatments for a new round of cancer in his liver and kidney, may be retiring shortly after the new year -- and/or an “coadjutor” dispatched by …
Naperville babysitter went to confession before murders
MICHAEL SNEED: Elzbieta Plackowska, who is charged with murder in the horrific knife slaying Tuesday of two children in a Naperville home, reportedly had a priest hear her confession at the suburb’s St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church — hours before she allegedly killed them.
Loss of election bet could mean plenty of lip from spin doctor Axelrod
Memo to Susan Axelrod, wife of top Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod, whose salt-and-pepper mustache has become his trademark: Here is what your hubby of more than three decades could look like without his broom handle. “We’ve been married for 33 years and she has …
George Lucas’ Chicago sweetheart on his $4 billion Disney deal: ‘I’m so happy for him’
The billionaire!!!! Global film czar George “Star Wars” Lucas, who treads our pavement when visiting his Chicago true love, Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, will now be walking with heavier pockets. ◆ To wit: Lucas just sold his Lucasfilm Ltd. to the Walt Disney Co. …
In new book, infamous Chicago madam kisses and tells all
The madam’s memoir . . . She had sex with one of Chicago’s triumvirate of top mobsters, a plethora of politicians and a cadre of comedians. Infamous Chicago madam Rose Laws, whose autobiography, “Gold Coast Madam,” hits bookshelves next month, is talking,’ squawkin’ and sort …
STILL LOOKING FOR BRADLEY SISTERS
A cold case update . . . It is one of Chicago’s most heartbreaking cold cases: The disappearance of two young sisters, Tionda and Diamond Bradley, who vanished from their apartment complex near 35th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue 11 years ago. “We have never …
MARILYN MEMENTO
The Monroe factor . . . He wanted to see Marilyn Monroe’s dress. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who is starring in the new Steven Spielberg epic “Lincoln” premiering Nov. 8, may have requested a peek at Abraham Lincoln’s top hat when visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential …
TAKING THE HIGH ROAD
The Ozzie corner . . . His reaction may throw some fans for a curve. But White Sox General Manager Ken Williams, who once bore the brunt of former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen’s unbridled mouth, is taking the high road on the Florida Marlins …
Top cop McCarthy to talk to City Council about gun violence Wednesday
Sneed Exclusive... Cop Shop... Bang. Bang. Sneed hears Police Supt.Garry McCarthy may have this to say about the proliferation of gun violence in the city when he is queried by the City Council Wednesday. ◆The shocker: During the first six months of this year, Chicago …
Indian activist Russell Means, Wounded Knee — and ‘G.I. Joe’
Knee ‘Em... Here’s a Sneed tidbit to add to the obit of American Indian activist Russell Means, who gained international fame for leading the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. ◆A history note: As the first newspaper reporter to sneak into the FBI-surrounded …
Prosecutors: Retired trader forged divorce papers to get annulment
MICHAEL SNEED: A retired multimillionaire CBOE trader was arrested last week for allegedly forging the stamp of a Cook County judge and the signature of an attorney on a divorce judgment decree — so he could obtain a religious annulment to marry his girlfriend.
