Delawhat? Delaware! Democratic Senator Joe Biden is Barack Obama's pick for his vice president.

The six-term senator from, yes, Delaware is the chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and one of the most senior members of the Senate. That means he's been a senator for longer than both presidential candidates. A Roman Catholic born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he had his hat in the ring for the Presidency earlier this year but withdrew after the Iowa caucus. He once drew the ire of Dems for describing Obama as:

"the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

The pair will stand onstage together for the first time today in Springfield, Illinois, on the steps of the Old State Capitol where Obama first announced his candidacy for president. The Obama campaign announced this pick via text message and e-mail at 5AM this morning, drawing the ire of news junkies who also like to party.

Related Stories:
· Obama selects Biden to be running mate [AP]
· 2007: Biden's description of Obama draws scrutiny [CNN]
· Possible Presidents coverage [Jaunted]

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Patrick Swayze recently struck a pose not found in dance class on the set of his new television show "The Beast" in Chicago. Defying earlier reports by People magazine and others that he had terminal pancreatic cancer, Swayze put that baby in a corner with chemo sessions at Stanford and is set to star in the '09 series as a FBI agent whose new partner has a hidden agenda.

Is Chicago the new Vancouver in this economic climate? With the Canadian dollar around 97 cents to a Washington, high-profile projects like "Public Enemies," a '30s gangster epic starring Johnny Depp, have been taking advantage of the Second City. It doesn't hurt that the city just stood in for Gotham, either.

Related Stories:
· Patrick Swayze's New TV Series Will Proceed Despite His Cancer [NYT]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

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Is the wind in the Windy City a little clearer these days? Two and a half years after the City Council passed a "public places" smoking ban, residents are pleased overall--even if the ban has had some unintended consequences.]]> egw 2008-07-23T16:15:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/235630/269

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's many planes over Lake Michigan in this year's Chicago Air and Water Show, August 15-17. And the annual spectacle will have a special star, one who must not be as afraid of heights as he was of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

That's right, Bill Murray will make a special jump on Friday, the first day of the festival, with the Golden Knights parachute team. (They've handled George H.W. Bush, so maybe they're in the geriatric-jump business?)

Free boat-jumping exhibitions and the ever-present Blue Angels will swoop and dive for the thousands of spectators along the lake, and Gary Sinise's band is playing. Don't forget the fireworks all three nights!

Related Stories:
· Bill Murray to Take a Dive at Air Show [Chicago Tribune]
· Missed Connections: Cruising with Bill in Stockholm [Jaunted]
· Chicago Travel coverage [Jaunted]

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As sunburns mount and the mercury rises, the allure of the local multiplex grows. But, seriously, you aren't going to see "The Love Guru" are you?

Support indie filmmakers at the Second Annual Gen Art Film Festival in Chicago this weekend and you can do penance for both "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Sex and the City."

A $20 ticket gets you in to one of the new films and that night's after-party. We're liking fest opener "Bart Got a Room," a teenage nerd fable co-starring Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development") along with William H. Macy. Ensemble drama "Explicit Ills" on June 27 looks good, too.

Related Stories:
· Gen Art Film Festival [Official Site]
· Film Festivals coverage [Jaunted]

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While the government is maintaining caps on takeoffs and landings at New York area airports--and some aviation insiders pray for re-regulation--officials at Chicago O'Hare are rolling out the welcome mat. The head of the FAA, Bobby Sturgell, says there will be no more flight caps at ORD, citing a new runway that's scheduled to open this fall.

But airlines aren't exactly clamoring to fill the extra capacity, says the Chicago Tribune:

The flight caps are no longer necessary, or even relevant, because the airline business is in the midst of an unprecedented downturn spurred by record fuel prices and a weak economy.

Both American and United, big-time carriers at O'Hare, have recently announced major cuts in service. JetBlue has all but halted growth--save for some new flights in the Caribbean.

This should help Virgin America with its planned expansion at the airport, right? Possibly, says spokeswoman Abby Lunardini:

[It's] encouraging, but we don't have official word back on our FAA filing yet.

UPDATE: Now Virgin America says it will cut capacity by 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, due to higher fuel costs.

Related Stories:
· Flight Caps to Vanish at O'Hare [CT]
· O'Hare coverage [Jaunted]
· New Airline Routes coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the ORD disco lights: diongillard]]]> pbb 2008-06-17T11:00:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/10/2338/57493

We chuckled when the site Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle poked fun at the Democratic senator's ascribed powers. But fashionistas found the presumptive presidential candidate's choice of attire for riding a bike this weekend downright bizarre. What? No one wants to see a politician in bike shorts.

To avoid the scorn of the beautiful people, make sure you have the correct gear for your next two-wheeled trek. We liked this basic but thorough list from RideThisBike.com.

Related Stories:
· Cheesecake Travel: Obama Skips Philly's Finest [Jaunted]
· Barack Obama Spending The Most On Hotels For His Campaign [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: LAist]]]> egw 2008-06-11T09:00:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/