Progress Illinois

State regulators are moving to repeal the licenses of seven nursing homes in Illinois, including one that is partially owned by State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago).

As the controversy over GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk's military record appears to be dying down, Alexi Giannoulias' campaign is raising questions about how Kirk describes his experience as a teacher.  After being tipped off to the issue, the New York Times found "more imprecise references ... as it reviewed his [Kirk's] background."

Jon Burge announced in court Wednesday he will take the stand at his federal perjury trial, possibly today, to testify that he did not condone or participate in the torture of suspects during his tenure as a Chicago Police commander.

Illinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin is requesting information on how Peabody Energy Corporation is guarding the safety of its workers at an Illinois mine that has paid $230,000 in safety violation fines since 2008.  Last week a panel that deals with disputes over mining violations had agreed to speed up its review of this particular mine after federal regulators argued that workers are threatened by the conditions.