Progress Illinois

Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

A Little Less Choice
Prairie State Blue's Jeff Smith writes about the exit of progressive activist Andrea Raila from the Cook County assessor's race.

Stalling Justice
The lead editorial in The Nation this week criticizes the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for subpoenaing the private notebooks and grades of Northwestern student journalists investigating a wrongful conviction.

What's Holding Up The Vote?
The Wonk Room's Igor Volsky looks at the last few obstacles to health care reform in the House.

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Unemployment Tops 10 Percent
The national unemployment rate hit a 26-year high in October, reaching 10.2 percent according to the U.S. Labor Department. The jump, from 9.8 percent in September, reflects a sharp increase in the number of unemployed Americans, which rose to 15.7 million from 15.1 million one month earlier.

Durbin Calls For Veterans Hospital Takeover
Following the latest audit revealing mismanagement at a troubled veterans hospital in Marion, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is calling for a management overhaul of the facility.

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Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

A Powerful Idea
The New York Times editorializes in favor of Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman's anti-violence initiative.

Regressive Taxation
New data from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities shows that 16 states taxed working-poor families deeper into poverty last year. Illinois was one of them.

Picking Pelosi's Pocket
The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim explains how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stole one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's revenue proposals for health care to pay for an amendment to the unemployment extension bill.

To receive our “Around The Horn” update in your inbox every afternoon—along with links to our top stories and the breaking news of the day—sign up for the Progress Illinois Extra.  You can also learn what we're reading via our Twitter feed.

Quinn Meets With IL Delegation In DC
Gov. Pat Quinn met with White House officials and members of Illinois' congressional delegation yesterday to hash out plans to bring high-speed rail, FutureGen funding, aid to military families, and new jobs to Illinois. Meanwhile, Quinn has directed a state accountability office to investigate inflation in the number of stimulus-funded jobs created in Illinois schools.

A New Challenge For Teen Abortion Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plans to file a restraining order in circuit court today that could prevent the Illinois' Medical Disciplinary Board from enforcing a controversial law that requires teenagers to notify their parents before receiving an abortion.

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Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Freeing Us From Poverty
Illinois Issues' Charlie Wheeler profiles the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, a 26-member pane created by the General Assembly last year to develop a comprehensive anti-poverty plan.

Keeping The Heat On
Journalist Christopher Gray reports that non-profit organizations on Chicago's South Side are struggling to make ends meet.

No Climate Bill This Year
It's official: Federal legislation addressing climate change has no chance of passing before the United Nations summit in Copenhagen this December, according to Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones. 

To receive our “Around The Horn” update in your inbox every afternoon—along with links to our top stories and the breaking news of the day—sign up for the Progress Illinois Extra.  You can also learn what we're reading via our Twitter feed.

Quinn Skips Transit Meeting For D.C. Trip
Gov. Pat Quinn told Chicago-area public transit officials he'd meet with them yesterday to discuss their unstable budget situation. Instead, transit leaders met with Quinn's staff members as the governor flew to Washington to lobby for grants for military members and their families.

State Puts Tax Deadbeats Online
The Illinois Department of Revenue;s website now features a list of 100 businesses and individuals that owe the state a combined $6.3 million in back taxes.

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Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Foreclosure Spike
Check out the Woodstock Institute's new data on Chicago area foreclosures, which shows a sharp increase in activity this quarter. 

Sign The Caps Bill
The State Journal-Register condemns the tone taken by editorial boards in their criticism of the recently-passed campaign finance law and calls on Gov. Quinn to sign the measure.

Race To The Bottom
Ezra Klein explains how Republicans want to make the health insurance industry more like the deregulated credit card industry.

To receive our “Around The Horn” update in your inbox every afternoon—along with links to our top stories and the breaking news of the day—sign up for the Progress Illinois Extra.  You can also learn what we're reading via our Twitter feed.

Gubernatorial Ad Truce Rejected
Gov. Pat Quinn's reelection committee has asked State Comptroller Dan Hynes to call a truce on the negative TV ads being run by both campaigns. Hynes' camp has rejected the request, calling it "a stunt."

Filing Deadline Closes, Stroger Gets Last Spot On Ballot
The deadline for filing nominating petitions to appear on the 2010 ballot passed last night and among the candidates to clear the deadline at the 11th hour was Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. In doing so, he secured the last spot on the ballot.

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Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Borrowing Bonanza
The Tribune's Rick Pearson calculates just how much the General Assembly has borrowed to patch up its budget this year.

Keeping The Sewage Boss Flush
An investigation by the Sun-Times' Tim Novak found that Cook County Board President candidate Terrence O'Brien has landed at least $3 million in government contracts over the past decade while serving on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board.

An Open Letter To Steven Levitt
A University of Chicago climate scientist finds his colleague, economist Steven Levitt, guilty of "academic malpractice" in SuperFreakonomics.  

To receive our “Around The Horn” update in your inbox every afternoon—along with links to our top stories and the breaking news of the day—sign up for the Progress Illinois Extra.  You can also learn what we're reading via our Twitter feed.

Quinn Happy With Campaign Finance Deal
Calling it a "historic day for Illinois," Gov. Pat Quinn all but assured reporters that he would sign campaign finance legislation that lawmakers approved Friday.

Abortion Notification Begins Tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, physicians in Illinois must begin notifying a parent or guardian when a minor seeks an abortion. A federal appeals court in Chicago lifted a federal injunction in July on a 1995 version of the controversial state parental notification, clearing it for enforcement.

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