As the last of his severance pay dwindled away in March, Brad Cleghorn of northwest suburban Marengo cashed out his 401(k) plan in order to pay his mortgage and feed his family. Cleghorn is not alone. A Hewitt Associates study shows that 46 percent of workers with 401(k) plans who lost or switched jobs cashed the plans in, a trend that could lead to serious problems when younger generations of people working today reach retirement.

Up to 150,000 pets die in fires every year, succumbing mostly to smoke inhalation. But, increasingly, fire departments across the country are using pet oxygen masks to revive the animals.

Up to 150,000 pets die in fires every year, succumbing mostly to smoke inhalation. But, increasingly, fire departments across the country are using pet oxygen masks to revive the animals.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Two suburban Chicago men have been charged with beating an Iowa man who sleepwalks after they found him asleep in the Iowa City apartment of a third accused man.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Two suburban Chicago men have been charged with beating an Iowa man who sleepwalks after they found him asleep in the Iowa City apartment of a third accused man.

Chicago aimed to win the 2016 Olympics -- citing job creation and a storm of new dollars blowing into the Windy City.

Chicago aimed to win the 2016 Olympics -- citing job creation and a storm of new dollars blowing into the Windy City.

The snows of Kilimanjaro may soon be gone.

BALTIMORE -- The accusations that Mayor Sheila Dixon used holiday gift cards for the needy during personal shopping sprees may sound like a minor embarrassment at worst, a small-time case of a politician enjoying the perks of power.

BERLIN -- Massive colorful dominoes painted by German students were placed Saturday along the former path of the Berlin Wall to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the barrier that divided the city for nearly three decades.

The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

A Gurnee cab driver is being extradited to Ohio for gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with a skeleton discovered in southwest Ohio two years ago.

Two men have been charged by Buffalo Grove police this month with pretending to be something they're not: firefighters and police officers.

Two men were found shot just after midnight in the South Side's West Englewood neighborhood.

The threat, found Wednesday in a school bathroom, was one of three threats the 14-year-old boy told police he wrote, said Joliet police Chief Fred Hayes. The student admitted to officers that he wrote the threats in hopes of getting out of school for the day. The youth is detained at the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Joliet until his expected court date Monday.

After admitting to 16 bank robberies and being sentenced to more than five years in federal prison, Daniel Vincent could have reformed. After being released from federal custody in April 2008, the Aurora resident could have turned his life around.

Gary Mayor Rudy Clay and the Gary Police Department are urging citizens to stand together against criminals causing a surge of violence in their neighborhoods.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- As if going off to war, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan cleaned out his apartment, gave leftover frozen broccoli to one neighbor and called another to thank him for his friendship -- common courtesies and routines of the departing soldier. Instead, authorities say, he went on the killing spree that left 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, dead.