Former columnist, Chicago Sun-Times, @suntimes
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Articles by Mark Brown
Opinion: Accusations of civil rights violations in U.S. Senate candidacy are unfounded
Dan J. Sullivan, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Petersburg, Alaska. (AP Photo/Katie Holmlund) An opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal last week argued that Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan is potentially violating federal civil rights laws, specifically 18 U.S.C. 241, by placing his name on the same ballot as incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
Wingham Hospital ED closed due to weather-related staffing
Winter weather is being blamed for the temporary closure of a local hospital's emergency department. The Wingham and District Hospital Emergency Department is closed from 9 p.m. on Friday, until 7 a.m. on Saturday. "This specific closure is related to nursing vacancies related to inclement weather," said the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance's Ainsley Morrison. "All efforts were undertaken to fill this shift.
U.S. Trotting News
Qualifiers at Illinois State Fairgrounds on Wednesday (July 24) Springfield, IL — Qualifiers will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield on Wednesday (July 24). Post time is 11 a.m. Entries may be made online, or by calling 217.299.0721 from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday (July 23).
U.S. Trotting News
Home / Announcements / Qualifiers at Illinois State Fairgrounds on June 7 Qualifiers at Illinois State Fairgrounds on June 7 Springfield, IL — Qualifiers will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield on Friday (June 7) with a post time of 11 a.m. Entries may be made online, or by calling 217.299.0721 from 9-10 a.m. on Thursday (June 6).
U.S. Trotting News
Springfield, IL — Qualifiers will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield on Thursday (May 16). Entries may be made online or by calling 217.299.0721 from 9-10 a.m. on Wednesday (May 15).
Chicago Personal Injury Law Firm Lane Brown, LLC, Issues Original
Chicago, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicago, Illinois - Lane Brown LLC, a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, IL, has issued a correction to a prior press release pertaining to its success in an accidental injury lawsuit.
How Mark Brown’s brush with death reminded him to stop and enjoy it all
I’ve never been good about remembering the dates of important life events. The inevitable questions about “What year did such and such happen?” nearly always stump me. But I’m going to remember 2022. It made a lasting impression. That’s because 2022 was the first time I’d been forced to seriously confront my own mortality — and the possibility I wouldn’t see another day. As you can see, I’m still here and doing just fine, as far as I can tell, so don’t get the wrong idea.
Roe v. Wade, Kilbride, Bailey wind up wild cards in Republicans’ failed play to take over state Supreme Court
Illinois Republicans were exultant two years ago over their successful effort to bounce Democrat Thomas Kilbride from the state Supreme Court, imagining it would allow them to reverse the Democrats’ 4-3 majority control. On Election Night, it became clear they hadn’t quite thought matters all the way through. Instead of looking forward to their own majority, Republicans are now facing a 5-2 deficit on the court after Democrats Elizabeth Rochford and Mary K.
Giannoulias wasn’t expecting a return to politics but more than a decade later, he’s back
Twelve years after his precocious political career was short-circuited by a stinging defeat for U.S. Senate, Alexi Giannoulias completed his comeback Tuesday. With a comfortable victory over veteran Republican state Rep. Dan Brady for Secretary of State, the 46-year-old Giannoulias resumes his place as Illinois’ youngest statewide elected official and as a future Democratic contender for higher office. It’s rare for any politician to go 16 years between general election wins.
Abortion vs. Mike Madigan? Democrats and Republicans play hole cards in high-stakes battle for control of state Supreme Court
It may seem hard to believe from here in Democrat-dominated Cook County in Democrat-controlled Illinois, but there’s a real possibility the Nov. 8 election could result in a state Supreme Court with a 4-3 Republican majority. The rare opportunity has Republicans energized and Democrats nervous as the campaigns for two open suburban-based Supreme Court seats head to the finish.
Pritzker picks his opponent — now he has to beat him
Gov. J.B. Pritzker got the matchup he wanted Tuesday for the fall election by investing millions in helping Republican primary voters identify Darren Bailey as the conservative favorite —“too conservative for Illinois” as Democrats framed it with fingers crossed behind their backs. Now to win a second term, Pritzker must defeat Bailey, a downstate farmer who gained notoriety as a first term state senator by challenging the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Mike Madigan has left the building — but the former House speaker’s shadow clouds the 2022 election
Aside fromstubbornly clinging to his post as 13th Ward Democratic committeeperson, there are no outward signs indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is playing any active role in the state or local political scene in 2022. That won’t save Democrats on the November ballot from facing another election season with Madigan as a major campaign issue to defend against.
Hey Pandas, When Have You Been Disrespected By A Supervisor Or Manager At A Job?
The last job I was in had so much animosity I had to get a transfer. The worst was when I had a raging UTI, manager made me come in since she had a “meeting” and wouldn’t let me go to the doctor until after her lunch break. That’s just one example. She and her little minion supervisor eventually got fired for being pure evil to everyone! #1 My supervisor insisted on starting everyday with a sexual assault. HR refused to do anything for ages b/c "he was important".
FBI recorded Mike Madigan learning about secret payments to Kevin Quinn, brother of Chicago alderman: records in Springfield, IL
Madigan has always denied any involvement in the scheme in which McClain allegedly arranged with a group of other lobbyists allied with the speaker to make monthly payments to Kevin Quinn, brother of Ald. Marty Quinn and a key member of Madigan's political organization who had been ousted over his inappropriate treatment of a female co-worker, Alaina Hampton. SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
Ellis Lakeview Apartments battle: Cook County judge set to decide about receiver for badly run North Kenwood subsidized building
Chrishion Reed, a single mom with a 3-year-old daughter, has been sending me videos of the maintenance problems at her North Kenwood apartment. Like the brownish water that mysteriously percolates up through her floor. And the mice. And how do I ask her to stop before telling me there’s been a recurrence of the unpleasant thing she says happens sometimes when she flushes the toilet?
Stirling Dickinson and San Miguel de Allende: forgotten story of a Chicago artist-adventurer who left his social position to make a difference in a small Mexican town - Chicago Sun-Times
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico — In this picturesque, hillside town steeped in colonial era history and architecture, no tour guide’s spiel is complete without acknowledging the 20th century contributions of a man from Chicago, Stirling Dickinson. For better and worse, Dickinson is widely credited with putting San Miguel on the international tourist map by helping start and promoting two art schools that became a magnet for a large community of Americans and Canadians who moved here.
Ex-Ald. Danny Solis deserved a break for helping make corruption cases — but not this much of a break
Under his deferred-prosecution agreement, former Ald. Danny Solis will face no punishment if he continues to cooperate with federal authorities. Brian Jackson / Sun-Times file Former Ald. Danny Solis deserved favorable treatment from federal prosecutors in exchange for his undercover work that helped them make criminal cases against two major Chicago political figures they had long pursued: Ald. Edward M. Burke and House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Very favorable treatment.
Former Bradley, NBA coach Dick Versace stood by his players and by Chicago
Former Bradley University basketball coach Dick Versace, who went on to coach in the NBA, died Feb. 25 in Chicago, which he made his home most of his adult life. Provided Dick Versace recruited Carl Maniscalco as a 13-year-old eighth grader to play basketball for him at Gordon Tech, then recruited him again to join him at Jackson Community College in Michigan and finally once more to finish his college career at Bradley University in Peoria when Versace landed the head coaching job there.
Former Bradley, NBA coach Dick Versace stood by his players and by Chicago
Former Bradley University basketball coach Dick Versace, who went on to coach in the NBA, died Feb. 25 in Chicago, which he made his home most of his adult life. Sun-Times file Dick Versace recruited Carl Maniscalco as a 13-year-old eighth-grader to play basketball for him at Gordon Tech, then recruited him again to join him at Jackson Community College in Michigan and finally once more to finish his college career at Bradley University in Peoria when Versace landed the head coaching job there.
Drew Brees pitches sports betting, problem gambling a worry, experts, addicts say
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is getting a lot of television airtime as spokesman for a sports betting app. You don’t need to watch anywhere near as much sports on television as I do to have gotten the message that former Saints quarterback Drew Brees wants you to “live your bet life,” which I gather is something like living your best life, only more exciting because you’ve got money riding on it.
Chicago City Council ward remap referendum still not a done deal
The Chicago City Council at Wednesday’s meeting. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times The Chicago City Council still has time to avoid a referendum on a new city ward map, but the campaign for the votes of everyday Chicagoans has already begun. So far, that campaign has played out mostly through press conferences and press releases as two competing factions preview arguments we could soon see backed up with television ads and mass mailers.
Patrick Daley Thompson out, now who will Mayor Lori Lightfoot appoint for coveted 11th ward opening on Chicago City Council?
Convicted in a federal income-tax case, former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11th) is out. Who will be in, named by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to serve the remainder of his unfinished term on the Chicago City Council. Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times All 50 Chicago wards are created equal, on paper. But the Bridgeport-centered 11th ward — cradle of mayors, home base to the Daley family — occupies a special place in the city’s political hierarchy.
1 developer, 2 Chicago corruption cases: Sun-Times identifies ‘Company A’ linked to Madigan, Burke cases
The Sun-Times has identified the developer prosecutors have said got pressured to hire the law firms of Indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (left) and indicted former Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) as 601W Companies, best known in Chicago for redeveloping what’s now called the Old Post Office. AP Photos The New York developer that resurrected Chicago’s abandoned main post office now finds itself in the middle of two blockbuster political corruption cases.
Indiana 65, Illinois 63: Illini’s horrendous shooting tells tale in Big Ten quarterfinal
Illinois’ Andre Curbelo defends against Indiana’s Rob Phinisee in Friday’s quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. AP Photos INDIANAPOLIS — Just like that, No. 1 seed Illinois’ Big Ten tournament experience is over. To the NCAA Tournament the Illini go. No. 7 seed Indiana won 65-63 as the Illini dissolved in an ocean of missed shots and turnovers.
Michael Madigan, Edward Burke corruption cases point to unrelenting greed, though they hardly needed more money Original
Indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (left) and indicted former Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th). AP Greed knows no limits. That’s a difficult concept to understand for people who don’t think that way. But it’s the essential truth underlying the federal indictments of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Edward Burke (14th), the former Chicago City Council finance committee chairman. Madigan, 79, and Burke, 78, are millionaires many times over.
Mike Madigan is accused by feds of hitting up Ald. Solis to help Madigan’s son win business
WBEZ brings you unbiased news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter. When Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan promised to help Ald. Danny Solis obtain a state board appointment, he followed up with a request of his own, federal prosecutors alleged last week in his indictment. They accused Madigan of asking Solis during an August 2018 meeting to help one of the speaker’s relatives obtain business from a Chicago-based community organization.
Madigan y el ex concejal Solís tenían tratos, según acusación
El ex presidente de la Cámara de Representantes de Illinois Michael Madigan. AP file La Voz es la sección en español del Sun-Times, presentado por AARP Chicago. Read in English Cuando el ex presidente de la Cámara de Representantes de Illinois, Michael Madigan, prometió ayudar al ex concejal Danny Solís a obtener un nombramiento en la junta estatal, él también le pidió un favor, alegaron los fiscales federales la semana pasada en su acusación.
Mike Madigan case: Ex-House Speaker accused by feds of hitting up Ald. Danny Solis to help Madigan’s son, Andrew, win business
When Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan promised to help Ald. Danny Solis obtain a state board appointment, he followed up with a request of his own, federal prosecutors alleged last week in his indictment. They accused Madigan of asking Solis during an August 2018 meeting to help one of the speaker’s relatives obtain business from a Chicago-based community organization. The relative and the organization are unnamed in the indictment.
NWSL introduces former NHL, National Lacrosse League executive Jessica Berman as new commissioner
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images The NWSL’s new commissioner, Jessica Berman, was inspired to get into the business of sports after attending a New York Islanders game as a young woman. The Islanders scored and she was moved when she saw two strangers share a celebratory hug as the horn sounded. Berman said Wednesday that ever since that moment Nelson Mandela’s quote, “sport has the power to change the world...” has been her guiding principle.
Biden’s Russian oil ban will be painful, but necessary
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 03: Gas prices are displayed on a sign at a gas station on March 03, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Increasing demand and dwindling supplies coupled with global supply uncertainty driven by the war in Ukraine have driven gas prices over $4-per-gallon in many parts of the country.
Michael Madigan’s Chinatown ‘scheme,’ ex-Illinois House speaker’s case explained
Page 1 of 106 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MICHAEL J. MADIGAN and MICHAEL F. McCLAIN ) ) ) ) ) ) No. Violations: Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 666(a)(1)(B), 1343, 1346, 1951, 1952(a)(3), 1962(d), and 2 COUNT ONE The SPECIAL APRIL 2021 GRAND JURY charges: 1. At times material to this indictment: The Illinois General Assembly and the Speaker of the House a.
Michael Madigan’s Chinatown ‘scheme,’ ex-Illinois House speaker’s case explained
For five years, Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and Ald. Danny Solis secretly schemed to give developers control over a prime piece of land in Chinatown owned by the state if they would hire Madigan’s law firm for their property tax appeals, according to the sweeping federal indictment of Madigan and other court records. As outlined by prosecutors, their plans for a state-owned parking lot in the 2100 block of South Wentworth Avenue abruptly fizzled in January 2019. They don’t say why.
‘Like the Berlin Wall falling!’ West Lawn residents in shock after neighbor Michael Madigan’s indictment Original
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s West Lawn home, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Madigan has been federally indicted in a political corruption probe earlier today.
Davontae Hall, Hyde Park take down Mount Carmel
Hyde Park’s Davontae Hall (1) reacts after winning the game against Mount Carmel. Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times As a freshman and sophomore, Devontae Hall was a blur. Always the fastest player on the court, at times it seemed his goal was simply to showcase that impressive quickness. Hall is Hyde Park’s senior leader now. He’s a First Team All-City guard and he knows how to use his quickness. He knows the right moments to press all the way down on the gas pedal and when to ease up a bit.
Amazon closings its bookstores, 4-star shops and pop-ups in the US, UK
Amazon plans to close all of its physical bookstores as well as its 4-star shops and pop-up locations. Ted Shaffrey/AP file NEW YORK — Amazon is confirming it’s closing all of its bookstores as well as its 4-star shops and pop-up locations as the online behemoth reworks its physical footprint.
Pritzker, Lightfoot, Durkin, other Democrats and Republicans weigh in on Madigan indictment
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan speaks on government ethics legislation at the Capitol in Springfield in 2003. Seth Perlman/AP file Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan resigned more than a year ago, but his towering presence rocked the state’s political landscape once again Wednesday — this time in the form of racketeering charges leveled against him by a federal grand jury.
Day of reckoning finally comes for ‘The Madigan Enterprise’
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan pulls into his garage Wednesday at his Southwest Side home a few hours before federal authorities announce his indictment on criminal charges. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times This is the day we thought would never come, and then we thought it might, and after that it just became a matter of time, except the time kept dragging out for so long that even former House Speaker Michael Madigan must have wanted federal prosecutors to just get it over with and charge him.
Bulls coping with Zach LaVine being less than 100%
The Bulls’ Zach LaVine doesn’t know yet if he’ll need to have surgery on his left knee during the offseason. Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP MIAMI — The film didn’t lie. Neither did Bulls guard Zach LaVine on Wednesday. LaVine has had moments of tentativeness — especially defensively — the last few games, and that might be his reality for the rest of the season.
Jennifer Hudson talk show coming in the fall
Jennifer Hudson is photographed at the Peninsula Chicago Hotel in 2021. Hudson will be hosting a new talk show in the fall on Fox. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson can add one more job title to her resume: talk show host. The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Award winner from Chicago will be hosting “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Fox-owned stations this fall, it was confirmed Wednesday. The daytime series will be a one-hour affair produced in Los Angeles by Warner Bros.
Patrick Daley Thompson trial: Thompson singled himself out for federal prosecution
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson’s defense lawyer Chris Gair never outright said in his closing argument Monday that he believes his client was singled out for federal prosecution because he’s a member of the Daley family, although he definitely left that impression. It would be understandable if he believed it, even understandable if Thompson and all the other members of the Daley family believe it. I can’t discount the possibility.
These are some of the faces of homelessness in Chicago, captured by Jeffrey Wolin Original
cst-inline-color-logo Cecelia M. is one of the homeless people photographed for Jeffrey Wolin’s new book and exhibition “Faces of Homelessness.” Jeffrey Wolin Filed under: Columnists The retired Indiana University photography professor trained his lens on Chicago’s homeless. His new book reveals a side of homelessness that’s often hidden.
Could COVID bee Earth’s way of protecting itself from humans and other movie-nigihtmare thoughts (Thanks, Val Kilmer, ‘Red Planet)
What I’m about to write here has no basis in science, none whatsoever, so let’s get that out of the way up front. It’s just a thought that’s been kicking around in my head for a while now, gradually taking shape as I try to process the latest headlines, and I’d finally like to get it off my chest.
Pilsen tavern The Giant Penny Whistle wrongly was given liquor license by Lightfoot administration, Chicago inspector general finds
A new city inspector general’s report has reignited a debate over the Lightfoot administration’s decision to issue a tavern license in Pilsen for a location where a liquor moratorium prohibits such establishments. The IG’s office says City Hall lawyers had no legal authority to settle a lawsuit with owners of The Giant Penny Whistle, 1854 S. Blue Island Ave., by granting it a liquor license — without passing an ordinance to lift the tavern moratorium, which still remains in place.
With Shakman decree’s end in sight, court monitor Noelle Brennan burrows in on new Illinois political hiring probe Original
Even as Gov. J.B. Pritzker awaits a federal appeals court ruling on his bid to end judicial oversight of the state’s employment practices, the watchdog appointed to perform that task is investigating potential patronage hiring abuses at a key state agency.
Adam’s Apple closing: Chicago’s oldest head shop to close Jan. 31 after 52 years in West Rogers Park; legal weed couldn’t save it
One might imagine these would be boom times for Chicago head shops, now that the once-illicit product they were always intended to support is being sold legally, with the government’s encouragement. Not so for the Adam’s Apple, the purveyor of “pipes, papers and other smoking accessories” in West Rogers Park that’s believed to be the city’s longest-surviving such business. On Jan. 31, owner Shelly Miller plans to close shop for good.
Hoarder tendencies tend to come out during holiday season, as columnist who owns shoeshine stool can attest
My wife accuses me of being a hoarder, which is terribly unfair. Just because I’m both sentimental and thrifty, she mistakes my tendency to hang onto stuff as some sort of sickness. Unfortunately, the holidays can expose such tendencies. For instance, we’ve got family coming to visit, and I have just a couple jobs left to get ready. First, I need to stow this one last plastic storage bin that held Christmas decorations. Then, I need to clear my stuff off the top of the dresser in the guest room.
Las facturas de los impuestos a la propiedad llegarán tarde
Read in English Los funcionarios del Condado de Cook están enviando una advertencia temprana de que los cobros de impuestos a la propiedad del próximo año se retrasarán seriamente —con una fecha límite demorada no vista en una década.
Early warning: Cook Cook property tax bills will be late next year
Cook County officials are sending an early warning that next year’s second-installment property tax bills will be seriously delayed — with a potential due date later than taxpayers have seen in a decade. The delay could cause headaches for school districts and other taxing bodies that rely on property taxes being remitted by the Aug. 1 deadline to meet their financial obligations.
County Dems want written loyalty pledge from candidates seeking party endorsement
In a first, Cook County Democrats are asking potential countywide candidates who want the party’s endorsement to sign a written loyalty pledge. The pledge would require any office seeker endorsed by the Democratic organization to “solemnly” promise not to endorse or support any candidates other than those chosen by the party’s leaders.
Patrick Daley Thompson cries ‘racism’ in move to create city’s first Asian American-majority ward
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, elected from one of the last white-dominated political enclaves on the city’s South Side, perceives racism in the effort to redraw the boundaries of his 11th ward to give it an Asian American majority.
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