It was Wednesday morning, and Foster was talking on the phone from Washington, D.C., barely 24 hours before his official return to Capitol Hill. His surroundings were in “various states of disarray,” he said — but some progress was evident. “We have the computers, but no passwords to get into the computers,” he said. A Democrat, scientist and businessman who lives in Naperville, Foster was on his way back to the Beltway after besting longtime Congresswoman Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale, in November to represent Illinois’ newly redrawn 11th U.S. Congressional District.

 The Will County Board made history on Monday when it unanimously elected the Rev. Herb Brooks Jr. as its first black leader. “It makes me proud not only to represent my party, but all the ethnic groups across Will County,” the Joliet Democrat said after the county board’s reorganization meeting. “More importantly though, it’s important that government recognize that it doesn’t matter what your race, creed or color is. What’s important is the job that’s at stake.”

 Local Wisconsin reporters say that as the national media begins to scrutinize Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) life and career following his selection as Mitt Romney's running mate, they may overlook details such as his inside-the-Beltway focus, the high level of unemployment in his hometown, and his family connection to the natural gas industry.

For Immediate Release:     After a protracted labor dispute which began in the fall of 2011, ATMI workers and management sign a contract, negotiated by Laborers’ Local # 681.   Things were not looking good for the workers of ATMI Pre-cast in Aurora last Thanksgiving when they were locked out of their factory while they were represented by another Union . Management had sharply cut their wages and benefits, and, when the workers resisted, management locked them out, fired their leaders, and began replacing them with temporary workers.      Now, as of June 15, 2012, those same workers are back at work, being represented by Laborers’ Local #681 and have a newly signed contract.      Major provisions of that contract include the following:   1)       The agreement is for 3 years. 2)       The members cannot be reprimanded, suspended or fired except for just cause. 3)       There is a grievance procedure to back up provision 2. 4)       If the company lays off workers, any temporary workers must be laid off first, before any of the union members are laid off. 5)       The company now pays about 75% of the insurance premiums, with a saving of $ 1,144.00 per member on co-pays, and, no deductibles for health care costs, 6)       The company can shop for other insurance coverage, but they cannot reduce benefits. 7)       The members now have Bereavement Pay in their contract. They will get three days off with pay, to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. 8)       If a member gets called for jury duty, he will get, up to five days off, with pay for jury duty. 9)       When the company lays off workers, they must do so by seniority. 10)   The original 40 members whose wages were cut in the fall of 2010; will...

  I am hardly an obsessive court watcher, granted, but I find it truly remarkable that anyone would think Justice Antonin Scalia would be swayed by his own past words on an issue. Of all the things Scalia is known for, judicial consistency is not among them: States' rights are considered sacrosanct for one given decision, then shredded and tossed to the dog in the next. I am  hardly the first person  to note how the Scalia opinion in any case can be far more readily predicted by the outcome desired by conservatives than any past suppositions of jurisprudence. Thinking he, in particular, would find himself constrained by his own legal theories seems a laughable argument. I would be astonished if he even  addressed  any apparent inconsistencies in his eventual decision.