Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Midterm Examination
The Reader's Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke give only adequate midterm grades to a new class of rookie aldermen who promised to bring accountability and integrity to what was widely dismissed as a rubber-stamp City Council.

Saving Chrysler?
Will bankruptcy revive the ailing auto company Chrysler? Jonathan Cohn reports that it is a possibility.

How Can Rights Feel So Wrong?
As the Supreme Court debates whether Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is still necessary, Slate's Dahlia Lithwick says the conservative justices are themselves acting as legislators.

To receive our “Around The Horn” update in your inbox every afternoon—along with links to our top stories and the breaking news of the day—sign up for the Progress Illinois Extra.  You can also learn what we're reading via our Twitter feed.