Illinois' Financial Crisis Among Nation's Worst
The Pew Center for the States has ranked Illinois among the 10 most financially unstable states in the nation because of the huge gap between its revenue and spending. A looming deficit, along with a high unemployment rate, are among several other factors that has put the state's finances on dangerous ground, researchers found.

The Cost Of The Budget Crisis Climbs
Meanwhile, Illinois taxpayers are poised to fork over a record $60 million in late fees and interest to vendors whose payments have been delayed because of the ongoing budget mess.

Quinn Behind Controversial Petition Challenge
Gov. Pat Quinn acknowledged Wednesday that some of his supporters "may have challenged" William "Dock" Walls' nominating petitions for the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Illinois Foreclosures Spike In October
Foreclosure filings may have dropped nationally in October, but that wasn't the case in Illinois. The Prairie State experienced a 56 percent spike over the previous month, registering the highest number of monthly filings --  almost 20,000 -- since January 2005.

Transit Stop-Gap Plan Unveiled
Chicago Transit Authority will avert fare hikes and major service cuts next year thanks to a plan by the Regional Transit Authority to float $166 million in bonds for capital improvements, thus freeing up aditional operating cash.

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