Progress Illinois

John McCain fell short of both Democratic challengers in fundraising last month, netting only $15 million dollars. One official told the Associated Press that McCain intends to accept public financing in the general election - a sum of about $84 million, which he would receive following the Republican National Convention in early September.

Hillary Clinton's dismissal of her chief strategist Mark Penn may have been only a token gesture. Penn was on a top-level conference call yesterday, he is helping Clinton prepare for the next Democratic debate, and his firm -- Penn Schoen & Berland Associates -- will still conduct some polling for the campaign.

In Illinois' 17th Congressional District, the state Republican party failed to nominate a challenger by Monday's deadline, so Rep. Phil Hare will only run against Green Party candidate Troy Dennis this cycle.

Joining a growing list of supporters, Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn is urging Illinois residents to push for a Nov. 4 vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow for the recall of elected officials. A long-time proponent of the proposal, Quinn did not say whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be recalled.

A new report released by two affordable housing organizations paints a grim picture of the Chicagoland area's available affordable housing stock. A minimum-wage earner would have to work 97 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, in order to afford a modest two-bedroom market-rent apartment.

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Starting May 1, it could cost more to traverse downtown Chicago. A City Council committee recommended taxi fare hikes tied to the price of gas, a surcharge that a taxi drivers' group called "too little, too late."

While police tape is no longer blocking the entrance, students have avoided Cole Hall, the site of Northern Illinois University's deadly shooting in February. School and state officials still can't decide on the fate of the building.

For its series "Hidden Hazards," The Chicago Tribune won the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting Monday. The articles detailed "dangerously defective toys and children's products, the federal regulatory agency that failed to uncover them, and families left to deal with the fatal consequences."

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user HoboElvis.