At the end of the day Tuesday in the Tony Rezko trial, a picture had emerged of both the tangled web of connections among Rezko and his associates and the murky ethical standards guiding investments by the Teachers Retirement System.
Prosecutors led Steve Loren, a former lawyer for the state teachers' pension fund who has pleaded guilty in the case, through various investment deals and cell-phone conversations between him and Stuart Levine, who has also pleaded guilty on charges related to the investigation, sometimes line-by-line.
Proposed cuts in federal funding to domestic-violence services could lead to more cases such as those of Cindy Bischof and Mercedes McCauley, two Chicago-area women murdered by their ex-boyfriends in the past month, Illinois legal advocates fear.
Bucktown is once again a battlefield in the struggle between gentrification and prostitution. A stylish, family-oriented community by day and deserted, commercial-sex destination by night, its residential streets continue to lead double lives.
Despite an aggressive and controversial initiative against the sex trade in 2002, the prostitutes are back and community frustration is mounting.
“They [the prostitutes] should not be over here making this community their bedroom,” resident Sandy Johnson said.
When Glynis Brown decided that her sixth time in prison would be her last, she never dreamed that her path to recovery would lead to a state senator's office in Springfield.
Brown was among a dozen advocates and formerly incarcerated mothers who made the four-hour drive from Chicago this week to lobby for funding to create a residential treatment center for convicted mothers, instead of sending them to prison and separating them from their children.
For the price of an Amtrak ticket, Illinois residents can get off the train in Springfield, walk a few blocks to the Capitol and knock on any senator or representative’s door to discuss legislation that matters to them.
Although often less experienced, concerned citizens bring a personal dimension to legislation that gives them a distinct advantage over professional lobbyists, insiders say.
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an art to effective lobbying, and the pros have a few tips to help you hone your skills.
Connect with legislators
