Spike Lee: Oscars stuck in 1940

In a New York Giants jersey and cap, Spike Lee opened by taunting his audience. “That’s right! Super Bowl champs! Don’t hate! . . . Where were the Bears?” the iconic New York-based filmmaker asked the crowd of students, faculty and community residents Wednesday night …Read More

• Teachers file EEOC layoff complaint

  The Chicago Teachers Union filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Wednesday, alleging the 2011 layoffs unfairly impacted black teachers. “The Board’s lay-off policy has had a systematic, class-wide, disparate impact on African-American teachers,” CTU President Karen Lewis said in a statement. “We …Read More

• Not so fast. Hold off on Crane H.S. phase-out, hearing officer urges

  No decision on the phase-out of Crane High School should be made until school district officials analyze a “well-thought-out’’ Crane-proposed plan for the school’s rejuvenation, an independent hearing officer has recommended. The recommendation, a vindication for Crane faculty, came after a battery of elected officials …Read More

• Mayor Emanuel: Time to speed up trains to O’Hare, Midway

  Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he’s evaluating plans to shave up to 12 minutes off CTA travel times between downtown and O’Hare Airport and Midway Airport, a goal he views as more attainable than his predecessor’s dream of an express train to O’Hare.