RedEye

South Lawndale sees its third homicide of year

2011-02-24T13:00:00Z

By Tracy SwartzRedEyeSouth Lawndale on Tuesday saw its third homicide of the year, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found.A 24-year-old man was stabbed to death in the 2500 block of South Sacramento Avenue, officials said.Three men between the ages of 24 and 32 have been killed in homicides in South Lawndale this year, according to data. The community area recorded 16 homicides last year, RedEye determined.Citywide, gunshot homicides were recorded in McKinley Park and South Chicago in the last week, RedEye found.So far this month, 16 homicides have been recorded. Twenty-four homicides were logged in February last year, based on RedEye data.tswartz@tribune.com...

Chicago natives give their own show a go

2011-02-24T05:10:22Z

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. If they won't let you join 'em, well, create your own show.At least, that is the thinking of four 20-something women originally from Chicago who opted to launch their own Web series, "Milk + Honey," in an effort to increase diversity on TV. The show's title reflects the women's desire to achieve their dreams--a.k.a., make it to the land of milk and honey.Dana Gills, Asha Kamali May and Jeanette McDuffie--all co-founders of production company Brown Paper Dolls--describe the series, backed by Idris Elba as the "romantic and professional journey of four women who navigate the smoke and mirrors of Hollywood."May, also an actress, does double duty as a performer in the series, which recently...

More black women landing lead TV roles--is it enough?

2011-02-24T04:55:41Z

"Let's Stay Together" focuses on a singleton, an engaged couple and a married couple."The Game" centers on a medical school graduate married to an NFL football player.And "Love That Girl" follows the antics of a recent divorcee who moves back to her hometown.On the surface, there is nothing remarkable about any of these three TV show premises.But their casting--and the executives behind them--represent a new direction in Hollywood by showcasing leading black female actors and producers, creators and writers, some with Chicago ties. This recent trend takes place in a TV landscape that has become less diverse in the past 10 years, according to academics and pop-culture diversity watchdogs. A number of the most recent rising stars are bucking that trend....

Danger lurks in boyfriend's hair

2011-02-24T03:14:30Z

I've trekked to Machu Picchu, hiked the Himalayas and even survived the 2004 tsunamis of Southeast Asia. Yet there has been no more terrifying experience than my most recent venture: cutting hair....

Rahm Emanuel is Mr. Mayor

2011-02-23T14:10:17Z

Rahm Emanuel, a top adviser to two U.S. presidents who returned to Chicago just months ago, swept into the mayor's office Tuesday, inheriting a city reeling from recession and promising to reshape City Hall.He achieved what was once considered almost unthinkable, collecting a majority of support against five opponents in the first Chicago election without a sitting mayor on the ballot since 1947."All I can say, you sure know how to make a guy feel at home," Emanuel, who faced a high-profile legal challenge to his residency, told a packed room at a plumbers union hall on the Near West Side. "Because of the people of Chicago, this is the warmest place in America."Emanuel will become Chicago's first Jewish mayor...

Your girlfriend isn't a porn star

2011-02-23T04:55:13Z

By Oren MattesonRedEye Special ContributorHey, guys: Have you noticed that the more you look at porn, the more boring things get in the sack? ...

Thank you, Chicago: Emanuel declares victory

2011-02-23T03:11:56Z

For the latest on this rapidly-changing and developing story, please click here for the latest on the mayor's race and here for all of the rest of the results from around the city - all from the Chicago Tribune.Getty ImagesThat didn't take long at all. Rahm Emanuel will be Chicago's next mayor....

LIVE CHAT: Discuss the election results with RedEye readers

2011-02-22T23:58:06Z

Election nights are always interesting and tonight is no exception. After all, we could find out who our next mayor is. Or, we could head for a runoff and be left hanging on the edge of our seats again.Either way, there's nothing like monitoring the results with other people. So we're going to launch a live chat where you can stop by, enter your thoughts or participate in what's hopefully an ongoing conversation.Barring any technical difficulties, the fun starts when the polls close at 7. Hope to see you then. Mayoral election night...

A look back at Chicago's 45 mayors: Will No. 46 be chosen today?

2011-02-22T14:56:02Z

For the latest on tonight's victory by Rahm Emanuel, please click here.Since William Butler Ogden first took on the job in 1837, the city of Chicago has seen 45 mayors. Harold Washington, Anton Cermak, Fred Busse, Joseph Medill: Their names are familiar, to some as chapters in city history books, to others merely as the names on a familiar building, street or "L" stop....

What a dilemma!

2011-02-21T14:38:11Z

Here's something new we're trying. Vote by texting 87708 as instructed above. Let us know what you think in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter....

Quora: The next big thing in social media

2011-02-21T14:34:11Z

When Ferris Bueller was talking about life moving pretty fast, he could have been talking about social media. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.The best advances in social media don't come from the players trying to imitate what's already in the space, they come from companies that think creatively. Enter Quora. ...

What would YOU do? Chicagoans share their mayoral ideas

2011-02-21T02:16:26Z

It's go time. The six candidates vying for Chicago's top spot in Tuesday's city elections are in the final sprint to convince voters they're the best candidates for the mayor job. They've outlined their platforms, attended public forums and pressed palms with CTA commuters. They've sent fliers, aired TV commercials and responded to newspaper questionnaires.Rahm Emanuel, Miguel del Valle, Carol Moseley Braun, Gery Chico, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins and William Walls III have made their cases. On the eve of this historic election, RedEye wanted to hear Chicagoans make their own.We had a simple question: If you were mayor, what would you change about Chicago? From fixing recycling to tackling taxes to clamping down on corruption, the responses were as varied...

Take the fear out of Facebook

2011-02-18T21:38:48Z

By Thomas PardeeRedEye Special ContributorAs the job market glacially progresses down its road to recovery, it's time for Gen Y to start a quiet revolution. ...

Taking vintage home

2011-02-18T21:08:48Z

By Alysse DalessandroFOR REDEYE"Mad Men" has done more than inspire women to embrace their waists like Joan or tempt men to day-drink like Don. It has contributed to an entire retro generation.From 1930s industrial lighting to the 1980s DeLorean, some of the city's newest restaurants, bars and coffee shops are furnishing with pieces from the past in order to connect with customers who long for the good ol' days--even if they weren't even around at the time to enjoy those decades.While mid-century modern pieces such as the angular, wooden-frame sofas in "Mad Men" are considered classics in vintage decorating, the latest trend is more industrial, according to Katherine Raz, co-founder of The Vintage Bazaar, a pop-up flea market that packed...

What's your alderman got to do with it?

2011-02-18T05:06:03Z

Got an issue in your 'hood?...