Progress Illinois

Obama Raises $52 Million in June
After a lackluster May in which he barely outraised his Republican opponent, Barack Obama netted $52 million in campaign donations in June, $30 million more than John McCain and more than twice the amount he raised one month earlier. Campaign manager David Plouffe told supporters the average contribution to the campaign was $68.

McCain Talks Education at NAACP
A day after Obama addressed the NAACP, McCain discussed his plans to improve education for children in black communities in front of the largely-African American audience. He also told the crowd that Obama's success has made McCain proud of the country.

Obama Amping Up Virginia Efforts
The Illinois Democrat's campaign announced Wednesday that it is adding an unprecedented 20 offices across Virginia, a sign that he plans to compete energetically in a state that has gone red for the past 34 years. The plan makes sense according to an AP analysis, which found that If Obama reached his goal of a 30 percent increase in black turnout, he could win Virginia and other Southern states.

House Restores Funding to State Programs in Symbolic Vote
Yesterday, the Illinois House voted to restore more than $400 million in state spending that they feel Gov. Blagojevich unfairly cut last week, including programs that provide counseling to drug and alcohol abusers. But since Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) may not call his chamber back to Springfield to act on the overrides, the move was largely symbolic.

Governor Suggests State Forces for Chicago Neighborhoods
As a way to quell what he's calling an "epidemic" of gun violence, Gov. Blagojevich said Wednesday he's holding discussions with his State Police and Illinois National Guard officials about what role they could play in Chicago. Blagojevich said the discussions were preliminary and he hasn’t talked to Mayor Daley about the issue yet.

"El" Changes On The Way?
With ridership jumping 6.9 percent last month, the Chicago Transit Authority is considering a bevy of changes to make public transit faster and more convenient for customers. For instance, the agency is considering removing seats on busy trains and bus routes to fit in more passengers and bringing vendors like dry cleaners and mini-banks into stations.