Illinois

Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich compared himself to Nelson Mandela on Sunday and impugned the integrity of his impeachment trial the day before it was to begin. Appearing on NBC's "Today" show, Blagojevich said the trial was "rigged and it's fixed." "I think what you'll see is a roll call that will be pre-designed, and we'll see whether or not I even get one vote," he said.

As Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich's impeachment trial began in Springfield, Ill., on Monday, the governor stayed away -- far, far away. He appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America," "The View" and "Nightline"; NBC's "Today"; CNN's "Larry King Live"; and Fox News with Geraldo Rivera. Today, he's scheduled on CBS' "The Early Show." "I'm here in New York because I can't get a fair hearing in Illinois," Blagojevich said between TV appearances.

Sen. Roland Burris was moving fast through the Capitol. No matter that he was going in the wrong direction, headed toward the House when he thought he was going to his Senate office. His pace was brisk, his smile broad. He was having fun in his new job as the junior senator from Illinois. Tourists, staffers, Capitol police officers, custodians and even other members of Congress all want to meet the Democrat, shake his hand and congratulate him on his arrival in Washington.

A man who stabbed his first wife to death in 1985 shot and killed his second wife and her son Saturday with a replica Civil War gun, then killed himself a day later after leaving a 40-page note saying he wouldn't go back to jail, police said Tuesday. The bodies of Richard Wiley, 54, Kathryn Wiley-Motes, 50, and Christopher Motes, 17, were found Monday in their home in Wilmette, Ill.

Tribune Co. Chairman Sam Zell hired well-known defense lawyer Anton Valukas and was interviewed in January by federal prosecutors as a "potential witness" in the criminal investigation of former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, the company acknowledged Wednesday. Zell could not be reached for comment; company officials did not respond to questions about details of his interview with the U.S. attorney's office. Valukas is a former U.S.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was the target of an alleged extortion attempt by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune has learned. The federal indictment issued Thursday includes a charge that Blagojevich tried to shake down "Congressman A" for campaign cash. A White House aide confirmed that it was Emanuel, who was then representing Chicago's North Side. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity.

Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.), who was appointed to President Obama's onetime seat by disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, is expected to announce today that he will not seek a full term in 2010, sources close to the lawmaker said. The decision by Burris, 71, is an acknowledgment that the prospects of raising the millions of dollars needed to mount a statewide campaign were dubious in the face of widespread criticism over how he got the job.

They came in droves, generations of families pushing relatives in wheelchairs, holding them and helping them walk -- all while clutching faded obituaries and death certificates. A few brought worn-out family Bibles so they would have lists of names and dates. Pamela Brown was one of hundreds of people who wandered through Burr Oak Cemetery near Alsip, Ill., on Thursday, searching for answers.

At least one sign in Illinois -- welcoming drivers to the state's International Port District -- still proclaims Rod R. Blagojevich to be governor. After Blagojevich was impeached and ousted from office following his arrest on federal corruption charges, Gov. Pat Quinn called for a cleansing of the Blagojevich name from signs across the state. The 32 such signs above Illinois Tollway plazas were removed immediately.

Authorities in Illinois say they are done collecting evidence at Burr Oak Cemetery and admit that families may never know what happened to their loved ones' remains after an estimated 300 grave sites were desecrated. "The closure that a lot of people expected . . . you're not going to get here," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a news conference at the cemetery Friday. "It's unfortunate. We wish it were otherwise." The sheriff's office and the FBI's Chicago office had been collecting evidence at the cemetery near Alsip since allegations surfaced last month that cemetery employees had dug up bodies, relocated them to a vacant lot on the premises and resold the plots for profit.