Progress Illinois

Crowd Reacts Angrily At McCain Rally
Playing the underdog card at a stop in Waukesha, WI yesterday, John McCain told supporters they should not write off his campaign while it struggles in the polls. More notable was the crowd's apparent fury, likely spurred by the campaign's negative tone; according to the Washington Post, "there were shouts of 'Nobama' and 'Socialist' at the mention of the Democratic presidential nominee" along with wild booes and middle finger salutes.

Global Stocks Tank, Crisis Meeting Scheduled Today
Hours after the Dow Jones industrial average lost more than seven percent and saw its first close below 9,000 since 2003, global stocks plummeted Friday and credit markers remained frozen. European markets fell more than 10 percent at the opening, although they regained some of their losses later in the day, and the the Nikkei 225 stock average dropped almost 10 percent for the second straight day. 

Sauerberg Calls Durbin Unpatriotic, Again
One day after walking back an attack suggesting Sen. Dick Durbin was unpatriotic, Republican challenger Steve Sauerberg went back to the well in a debate Thurdsay at Knox College, accusing the incumbent of endangering troops in Iraq by criticizing the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in 2005. "I don't know where the bottom is anymore in your campaign," Durbin fired back. "Why don't you debate the issues?''

Dart, Judge Discuss Eviction Reform Plans
After making an unprecedented and controversial announcement before national news outlets Wednesday, Cook County Sherriff Tom Dart met Thursday with two county judges to discuss his proposed moratorium on evicting residents from foreclosed homes. One reform Dart suggested was that the judiciary make lenders warn tenants when their landlord's building falls into foreclosure, a responsibility often left to the Sheriff's deputies. Meanwhile, a mortgage lender filed a lawsuit to force Dart to obey an eviction order in south suburban Dolton.

Police Oversight Agency Unveils First Report
According to the first-year report released yesterday by the head of Independent Police Review Authority, the agency created to investigate misconduct by Chicago police officers, the department has improved efficiency in closing cases and instituted reforms intended to make investigations more transparent. The report also includes the agency's first summary of sustained complaints against officers, although the names of officers and dates of the incidents aren't made clear.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Chloeloe.