Progress Illinois

Obama Goes To Lawmakers On Budget
With a politically charged debate over his $3.6 trillion budget ramping up this week, President Obama traveled to Capitol Hill on Monday to urge House Democrats in private meetings to remain united in support of his plan. After the meeting, House Democrats said his appeal resonated with many, along with his detailed level of political knowledge. Both chambers hope to adopt their respective budget proposals by the end of the week.

Sun-Times Files For Bankruptcy
Sun-Times Media Group Inc., owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and many suburban newspapers, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today in the hopes of reorganizing operations, settling a tax liability and making the company fit for a buyer.

Blago's Secret Tribune Talks
State records recently released to the Tribune show that then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Tribune Co. representatives engaged in an ongoing series of secret e-mails, telephone calls, and meetings -- code-named Project Elwood -- discussing the possible sale of Wrigley Field to the state, even as federal investigators tightened their grip on the impeached chief executive. The records provide new details about the urgency of Tribune Co. to get a financial bailout from the state.

Grand Jury Hears About Blago's Wife
Meanwhile, a federal grand jury probing corruption under Blagojevich has called witnesses to testify specifically about his wife in the last two weeks, defense sources told the Sun-Times. Recent questioning has focused on Patti Blagojevich's real estate dealings, including commissions she was paid from political supporters, donors, or state contractors at her former firm, River Realty.

FutureGen May Be Revived
A proposal to build a "clean coal" power plant in Mattoon could be revived by the Obama administration. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Monday that the plan has merit and he wants to work with FutureGen’s developers to chart a path forward.

Daley Deal To Privatize Midway Might Not Fly
Because of the nation's credit crunch and Wall Street slide, Mayor Daley's $2.5 billion plan to privatize Midway Airport might not get off the ground. An April 6 closing date has been cancelled -- and it's likely to be put off for six months to give Midway Investment and Development Company LLC an opportunity to find more equity investors or bank financing.

City Plans $15.5B In Downtown Projects
Not all city planning is being curtailed. A draft of Chicago's plans for the city's central area through 2020 calls for $15.5 billion in public works spending. Projects include a West Loop transit hub beneath Clinton Street with an estimated price tag of almost $6 billion and $1.5 billion for CTA express train service to the airports. The proposed expenses aren't out of line with recent budgets for capital projects, the authors said.

Image of O'Hare Airport used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user monsieur paradis.