INCUMBENT PROTECTION In Illinois, Democrats have benefited mightily from getting to draw the legislative boundary map. But a lot of top-name Democrats have signed on to take map-drawing power away from political parties. See who's on the list here.
RESILIENCE Our seasons are extreme. Our government needs a reboot. Illinoisans are a tough, resilient bunch and we've got 10, GIF-enhanced reasons why. See the list here.
CHICAGO'S LOOMING TROUBLE Chicago's 2014 city budget does a good job of closing a gaping budget hole, but big trouble awaits in 2015 without help from Springfield. Laurence Msall of The Civic Federation explains in this report.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
YOU CALL THAT A TOWER? There's one tower in Illinois that never will take a back seat to One World Trade Center. Cartoonist Scott Stantis draws it here.
WHICH ONE'S FELIX? Gov. Pat Quinn and his newly selected running mate, Paul Vallas, made their first public appearances together Tuesday. That set pundit tongues a-wagging. We sum up the reactions here.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
JUST FOR FUN The morning after news of its pending demotion on the tallest buildings list, the Willis Tower stood tall in the sunrise. This image caught my eye. Click to see it full size.
HEADLINES Here are the top Illinois news stories today :
- 5. ChicagoTribune columnist John Kass says Pat Quinn's new running mate, Paul Vallas, passed the second banana stress test. (Chicago Tribune)
4. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is set to propose a new ordinance that would require contractors to report corruption by their employees. (Chicago Sun-Times)
3. Opinion: The Lake County Election Commission ruling wasn’t just an issue of semantics. (Daily Herald)
2. Tribune reporter Rick Pearson has a breakdown of all five tickets in the gubernatorial race. (Chicago Tribune)
1. Paul Vallas said Pat Quinn wants the “strongest team possible.” (Associated Press)
