Progress Illinois

Recent reports about a conservative Super PAC’s plan to run attack commercials based on President Barack Obama’s relationship with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright - and the backlash that has come as a result - has raised questions as to how much an impact ads intended to divide along racial or cultural lines will have during this election season.

A bill currently making its way through the Illinois Senate that would require public-held companies to report how much they pay in state income taxes is being lauded by a local community group as being a first step toward creating a more equitable tax structure, while business leaders have decried the measure, alleging it could further perpetuate the state’s reputation of being a bad place to do business.

Occupy Chicago says thousands of protesters will go to Chicago next week before the city hosts the NATO summit, May 20 and 21. While Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel views the summit as raising Chicago’s profile, Occupy thinks the event will call attention to their concerns and invigorate the Occupy Wall Street movement that started last fall.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wants lawmakers to financially rescue Illinois child care providers, one week after 40,000 state-subsidized providers were told the state ran out of money to pay them for the rest of the fiscal year. At stake is whether 85,000 low-income parents who work or attend school can continue to access child-care.