Barack Obama Speaks on Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Barack Obama's foreign travels have put him squarely in the middle of
the Israeli/Palestinian debate. When questioned by Arab reporters
Tuesday about "the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land," Obama
stressed that Israeli security would be a U.S. priority regardless of
who is U.S. president in 2009. His visit to the Middle East has still
raised the hope among some Palestinians that, if elected, he might bring fresh approaches to solving the decades-long conflict.
Conservationists Plead With Blagojevich Over Budget Cuts
Included
in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $1.4 billion in spending cuts is $14 million
from the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources' budget. With only two days remaining
for any chance of re-evaluating those cuts, a coalition of over "100
conservation, environmental and outdoor-recreation constituent groups"
is calling on the governor to take a second look at how the spending
reductions might affect the environment. Meanwhile, the governor's
office has remained silent about how it plans to deal with the fallout from the widespread cuts.
Three Illinois Counties Declared Disaster Areas
Heavy rains and winds tore through Northwestern Illinois on Monday,
damaging property, cutting off power to thousands, and prompting Gov. Blagojevich to declare Bureau, Henry, and Rock Island
counties state disaster areas. That brings to 57 the number of Illinois counties declared disaster areas so far this year.
Cook County Votes to Maintain Tax Cuts
Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners took a final shot at
repealing the county's sales tax increase on Tuesday. The move sparked
a contentious debate over the need for the tax increase and the
management of the county under board President Todd Stroger. Efforts to
repeal the tax cut failed by a 7-10 vote. You can view the full roll call here.
Stroger Campaign To Pay Nearly $27,000 In Fines
While Stroger defended
his management of the county, state officials disclosed
that his 2006 campaign has been fined $25,581 for not filing contribution
reports on time, and docked an additional $1,175 for not filing
required paperwork. Stroger campaign officials say they expect to face
additional fines for other campaign violations.
Gun Buy-Back Set For This Weekend In Chicago
The City of Chicago has announced that this year's gun buy-back program
will be held this weekend. Police Chief Jody Weis said he hopes to take
13,000 guns off the streets of Chicago in the program which offers $100
dollars per gun turned in, no question asked. Chicago's Mayor Daley
defended the program yesterday against charges that it was underfunded and ineffective.
Higher Gas Prices Mean Fewer Traffic Fatalities
Looking for another silver lining to high gas prices? The AP is
reporting that traffic fatalities dropped nine percent nationwide
through May of this year, probably as a result of decreased driving
because of the price of gas. That means higher prices at the pump have
literally save thousands of lives. The last time researchers saw such a
drop was during the oil embargo of the late 1970s.
Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Springsun.
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