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Quick Hit
by Aricka Flowers
3:54pm
Thu Feb 9

Return Of The Golden Toilet: Activists Say Returned TIF Money Should Go To Jobs (VIDEO)

In a show of victory, about 50 activists returned to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) yesterday with a giant check for $33 million — and the now infamous golden toilet meant to symbolize the millions of dollars in TIF money allocated to the CME Group to renovate CBOT's bathrooms. The giant check was indicative of the collective $33 million in TIF funds that were returned last week — including the $15 million the CME Group turned down — by Bank of America, CNA, and the financial exchange.

“We took our money back from CME, and now we’re ready to get that money for jobs for our people,” said Charles Brown, a retired police officer and organizer with Action Now, at the rally.

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Quick Hit
by Nathan Greenhalgh
2:30pm
Thu Feb 9

Lessons From Emanuel's Social Media Successes Could Help 2012 Candidates

The use of Facebook in Rahm Emanuel’s successful 2011 mayoral campaign could offer progressive causes — and candidates — important lessons in utilizing the social network to galvanize support.

“The ’08 campaign taught everyone in politics that by talking to people where they are, on Twitter and Facebook, you could quickly get your point across to them,” said Thomas Bowen, executive director of Emanuel’s political action committee, New Chicago Committee. “I’ll give you one example. We knew that early voting would be very important, so we used Facebook to push specific messages, even during specific time periods. If it was a weekend, you saw something like ‘your early voting location is open now’ ads.”

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Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
11:15pm
Wed Feb 8

Tea Party Speaker Praises Emanuel On Education (VIDEO)

EmanuelThe Chicago Tea Party may not like many things – taxes, Mitt Romney, even the Republican Party. But the Tea Party did like a video made by Andrew Marcus, which champions Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s education policies.

Marcus, director of the video, “A Tale of Two Missions,” produced by the Michigan-based Education Action Group, was the featured speaker at a Chicago Tea Party event downtown tonight.

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PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
12:54pm
Wed Feb 8

Report Reveals How River Reversal Could Protect Great Lakes, Reduce Coal Access

A new report that called for reversing the flow of the Chicago River to curb the invasion of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes may have gained attention from top Illinois politicians, but experts are already raising concerns about the proposal, including its price tag.

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
4:21pm
Tue Feb 7

A New Attempt To Deal With Foreclosed, Vacant Properties

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has announced a new pilot program aimed at assisting homeowners and rehabilitating vacant, foreclosed upon properties in Cook County.