• In his budget address today, Gov. Quinn called for a hike of the state income tax from 3 percent to 4 percent to help avoid education cuts.
• Police have released information - including name and photo - of the suspect in last week's Southwest Side rapes.
• WBEZ has background on today's immigration rallies.

• A hearing date of March 10 has been set in the battle over Medill's Innocence Project and the involvement in the Anthony McKinney case.
• Indications are that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of black firefighters who have sued the City of Chicago.
• Bones were discovered at a Gold Coast construction site and authorities are trying to determine if they're human.

• The Medill Innocence Project got the backing of some of journalism's heavy hitters today in their ongoing battle with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office over the Anthony McKinney case. Chicago Magazine also has a great read on the case.
• James W. Lewis, the main suspect in the 1982 Tylenol poisoning case, is speaking out to maintain his innocence.
• Rahmbo is not only doing his best squash those rumors of a mayoral run, he's given Mayor Daley his stamp of approval for re-election in 2011.

• Students involved in the Medill Innocence Project denied allegations made by prosecutors they paid witnesses for testimony relating to Anthony McKinney; the students claim to have only paid transportation costs.
• CTA President Richard Rodriguez commented on last week's miracle stroller story, calling the mother's claim "plausible" and saying the investigation will now turn to the train's operator.
• The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is ditching Chicago in favor of Las Vegas for it's 2012 convention.

• At today's hearing, prosecutors alleged that an investigator working with students of the Medill Innocence Project on the Anthony McKinney case paid a witness, undermining his credibility.
• President Obama traveled to Fort Hood to take part in the memorial service for the soldiers killed in last week's shooting rampage. Video of the President's remarks is available here.
• The early release for state prisoners to save money has begun.

A hearing is currently taking place in the case of Anthony McKinney, a man who's been in prison since 1978 for murder that Northwestern's Medill Innocence Project says he didn't commit. While Cook County prosecutors have agreed that McKinney should get a new trial, but have battled the Project to gain access to the students' notes, grades, and other information claiming the work was done by students for good grades and have, thus, questioned the authenticity of the work. The school has fought the subpoena, arguing it has already turned over relevant material pertaining to the case. Medill professor David Protess said, "Prosecutors should be more concerned with the wrongful conviction of Anthony McKinney than with my students' grades." The judge may decide in today's hearing whether or not the Project has to comply with the subpoena. We'll update as we get more information. In the meantime, the Tribune has a nice write-up including more background of the Project and its involvement in the McKinney case. more ›

• The Cook County state's attorney's office is doing battle with Northwestern University's Medill Innocence Project over students' work in securing a new hearing for Anthony McKinney, who the project claims was wrongfully convicted for a 1978 murder.
• After months of pressure as a result of the Clout College scandal, University of Illinois chancellor Richard Herman announced his resignation, effective Monday.
• Anger is spreading over a fundraiser being held by the Fraternal Order of Police for Chicago Police officer Joseph Frugoli, who was charged with a DUI and reckless homicide for a drunk driving accident this past spring that claimed the lives of two men. Frugoli was off-duty at the time of the accident.