Illinois is among 12 states that will divvy $1.2 billion in high speed rail funding previously allotted to Wisconsin and Ohio. Illinois will receive $42 million in funding. more ›

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin met with the press Monday outside of the Shedd Aquarium to defend the practice of earmarks - directing federal spending to specific projects, often in a congressman's own district or state. The two Democrats were referring specifically to $4 million set aside to fund reconstruction of a portion of the city's crumbling shoreline. more ›

The long-rumored CTA Circle Line is one step closer to reality this morning after the U.S. Congress passed the omnibus spending package yesterday; the bill includes a $6 million earmark for the line. The bill counted Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin among its sponsors and Durbin considers the Circle Line key to the city's 2016 Olympic bid. Using new and existing tracks, the Circle Line would connect all existing CTA lines as well as Metra lines (read the CTA's 2002 report on it here). The Circle Line isn't the only earmark for Chicago transit, though. It also includes around $250,000 for both the Red and Yellow Lines to extend (a drop in the bucket) and $30 million for upgrades to the Brown Line, which is what we thought has been going on for the past year and a half. [WBEZ] more ›

• Police have arrested Marni Yang in connection with the 2007 murder of Rhoni Reuter who, at the time, was pregnant with the child of former Bears star Shaun Gayle.
• It seems Rahm Emanuel has several earmarks, worth $8.5 million, in a bill that's before the U.S. Senate this week.
• The City of Chicago has signed on its 11th PR firm, bringing the grand total of money being spent on PR to $55 million.