Henry Hyde Dies at 83

Welcome to the capital of Illinois ... doh

(NEWSER) - Chicago hosts a NATO summit later this month, and NATO officials have a handsome new video out trumpeting the choice of the city. The problem, points out the Chicago Tribune , is that said video needed a fact-checker:

• It referred to Chicago as the capital of Illinois. Sorry, Springfield.
• It said President Obama "grew up" in the city. Sorry Honolulu and Jakarta.
• It said the Tribune was founded by Col. Robert McCormick. Sorry James Kelly, John E. Wheeler, and Joseph KC Forest.

Teen beat white because of anger over case: cops

(NEWSER) - A black teenager in suburban Chicago told police that he beat up a white youth during a robbery because he was angry about the Trayvon Martin case, according to the state attorney's office. Alton Hayes, 18, has been charged with a hate crime, as well as aggravated battery and attempted robbery, the Chicago Tribune reports. More»

Last meal before jail: fast food

(NEWSER) - As Rod Blagojevich's car headed to prison from the Denver airport yesterday, it didn't stop at the entrance of the correctional facility. Then it passed by again. Turns out the former Illinois governor and his lawyer got lost, then opted to grab Blago's last lunch before serving his time, according to the lawyer. The meal was provided by fast-food burger joint Freddy's, MSNBC reports. "You're the guy from the Apprentice," said a woman as he posed for photos. More»

Wife of ex-mayor Richard pushed education, cultural programs

(AP) - Maggie Daley, the wife of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and a gracious promoter of the city's cultural and educational programs, has died. She was 68. The former Chicago first lady, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, died last night, says a family spokeswoman. Daley had been a reserved and dignified presence at her husband's side during his 22 eventful years as mayor. More»

People are leaving for suburbs, Southern US

(NEWSER) - Chicago's population fell 6.9% during the decade that ended in 2010, leaving it with fewer people than lived there in 1920. The US Census Bureau reports a population of 2,695,598 people, just under the 2.7 million that were reported nearly a century ago, the Wall Street Journal reports. The recession is likely to blame for a significant migration to the suburbs and the South; even so, Chicago is expected to remain the third-largest city in the nation behind New York and Los Angeles. More»