All that grumbling about the corporate tax hike increase? Turns out that Illinois companies are doing fine even with it. more ›

The recently leaked letter from Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has been making the rounds around the state, lending itself to a lot of bloviating and freaking out by those who are generally nervous about the future jobs outlook in Illinois. If you're not up to speed on this drama, Oberhelman sent Quinn a letter last week, which was leaked to the press, telling the Illinois governor that he's been courted by other states, to move the company's headquarters out of it's East Peoria home. In spite of the outcry by local politicians (like Peoria's congressman, Aaron Schock), Oberhelman has been pretty upfront with Quinn that he's not threatening to move the company out of state, so much as he's offering to work with Quinn as an ambassador from the business community to find ways to solve the state's fiscal problems while maintaining Illinois's competitive edge among manufacturers. more ›

Illinois has proudly taken the title of the most deadbeat state in the U.S. We elect the best grafters and swindlers to positions of power and love wondering why it’s become so bad. With the latest numbers in from the Census Bureau, Illinois tax revenue declined by $2.2 billion in 2009-10. So, like any fiscally responsible leader the state increased it’s spending by $1.8 billion. more ›

Although no big businesses have left our dear state of Illinois quite yet, that all might change in the near future. Heavy machinery giant Caterpillar, Inc. has been thinking about uprooting from its headquarters in Peoria, Illinois and seeking a home base elsewhere. more ›

Two large labor organizations announced that they had reached agreements with key employers yesterday. At Peoria's Caterpillar, all seven of the United Auto Workers locals that represent some 6,000 hourly workers approved a six-year agreement which bargaining committee members said was “is as good as we’re going to get, this time.” more ›

• The Sun-Times looks at Amber Cremeens, the McHenry native killed last week by her ex-boyfriend Tyler James Martin, who shot himself after a stand-off with police in Logan Square on Friday.
• State Attorney General Lisa Madigan is prepping a lawsuit against Caterpillar, Inc. over the huge oil sludge spill from earlier this month.
• The Arlington Heights-based company responsible for Golden Tee is gambling on a new slot machine.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that clean-up from the February 8 oil sludge spill at the Caterpillar, Inc. plant in Rockdale has been mostly completed. The EPA is also currently reviewing Caterpillar's plan and plans to issue any further rulings at a later date. The EPA and other federal authorities claim there was "no significant impact" on the ecological surroundings where the spill happened on the Des Plaines River. Officials did not state how many Shamwows were used in the clean-up. more ›

Things are a mess at the Caterpillar plant in Rockdale (near Joliet) this morning after a holding tank overflowed, sending 65,000 gallons of oil sludge spilling out into the surrounding area. Of that, 6,000 gallons wound up in the Des Plaines River. By Sunday night, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency officials claimed the spill had been contained and, according to spokeswoman Maggie Carson, "there is no evidence of a fish kill or harm to water fowl." Ginny Narsete, a spokeswoman for the U.S. EPA, said there was not enough oil or sludge in the water to cut off the oxygen supply to any fish in the river, the biggest danger in these situations. Of course, it was a three mile stretch of the Des Plaines that was affected, so while it's not out of the question there wasn't much harm to wildlife, it's still 6,000 gallons of oil sludge; that's going to mess with some part of the eco-system, right? Officials insist there is no eminent danger to any humans living in the area, though. more ›

• Police continue to investigate the death of a three-month old baby who was found in a crowded, dirty apartment on the Northwest Side.
• Yesterday was a dark day for businesses nationwide with tens of thousands of jobs cut. Among them, 20,000 by Illinois-based Caterpillar.
• The ACLU has filed suit against the Illinois Department of Vital Records for refusing to issue new birth certificates to transgenders who have their sex change operation performed overseas.