Free Republic

U.S. attorney says business could help cut murder rate, hire teens as interns U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald stood before a room packed with business officials Thursday and asked them to do something they probably have never considered: Hire felons Not exactly the kind of request you'd expect from the area's top federal law enforcement official, who's better known for locking up criminals. But Fitzgerald told the audience that while law enforcement targets the worst of the worst, the community needs to get more involved -- especially the business community -- to help drive down murder numbers and keep kids out...

A young man is dead and four others wounded after shootings within 15 minutes citywide Friday afternoon. At 3:08 p.m., a man was shot near Homan Avenue and Washington Boulevard and taken Stroger Hospital in critical condition, Fire Media Affairs Cmdr. Will Knight said. At 3:15 p.m., two males were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the 7900 block of South King Drive, police News Affairs Sgt. Antoinette Ursitti said. One was taken to Stroger Hospital and the other to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The teen taken to Christ Hospital from the King Drive shooting was pronounced...