This weekend's flooding across Northeast Illinois has prompted a flurry of declaration activity from local government. Yesterday, Gov. Quinn declared 12 counties as disaster areas and today Cook County Board President Todd Stroger issued his own proclamation for Cook County, hoping to bolster the push for federal aid for homeowners who sustained flood damage to their homes. Per the Trib: more ›

If President Obama gets his way, the Great Lakes could be in for a nice clean-up come next year. The President's 2010 budget, released in February asked for an additional $475 million in funds to clean the Lakes; if the funding were approved, it would put the yearly cost of funding for the Great Lakes at over $1 billion per year. Per the Associated Press (via WBBM): more ›