* NEW Russ Stewart: Shills, proxies set to do battle in primary

* NEW Press Release: New Study Finds African Americans, Low-Income Voters, Students and Seniors Least Likely to Have Valid Voter ID at Issue Before Supreme Court

* Chicago Public Radio: Strike threat looms for local news radio

* GOP opponents face off in Peoria

Absent from Wednesday’s debate was any discussion on Schock’s earlier proposal to sell nuclear arms to Taiwan as a way to get China to go along with U.S. policy toward Iran. Schock retracted that statement on Tuesday.

* 18th District Republican candidates participate in forum

* Clout Corner: Co defendants out alleged Troutman target

* Eight aldermen split on Daley plan, tax hike

* Tribune Editorial: More bleats from the sheep

After the last municipal election, many of the aldermen privately boasted that they intended to be the big, bad wolves of City Hall. No longer would the mayor’s every whim go unchallenged. Evidently, though, much of that was empty bravado […]

Maybe the museum folks will step away from their fixation on Grant Park. Maybe the mayor will offer them any of several alternate sites in wards longing for new development and not so burdened with traffic congestion.

Or maybe the Chicago City Sheep will beg Daley to tell them his wishes — and anxiously bleat their approval.

* Dick Simpson: Chicagoans have a lot to say No about

Joe Chicago, Mary Chicagoland and Aunt Molly need us now to amplify their voices to Bush, Daley, Stroger and all the powerbrokers. The people are possessed of more common sense and idealism than many of their leaders.

Chicagoans are saying no. No more Iraq war. No scapegoating immigrants. No corruption taxes. Chicagoans have always been willing to work and willing to sacrifice. We are willing to have a higher, fairer state income tax. But we won’t support bad wars, bad policies and unfair taxes.

Unfortunately, too often we elect bad politicians who don’t listen to the little people anymore.

* 47 days until new tobacco laws go into effect

* Perjury gets HDO official 15 months

* Hispanic political organizer gets 15 months for perjury

* Chicago Public Radio: City worker sentences for corruption convictions

* The Watchdogs: 22 convictions? Not a problem

At the time, three years ago, City Hall had an unwritten policy against hiring ex-cons. But Felske had clout: He was helping register voters for the Hispanic Democratic Organization, then a powerful patronage army delivering votes for Mayor Daley.

* School chief relents, teen protesters can come back

“I don’t regret the protest because I brought a lot of people to this question — about Iraq and what it’s doing to our country,” senior Joshua Rodriguez said.

He and other suspended students and parents protested the possible expulsions, along with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and other activists, garnering national attention.

Rodriguez and others insisted their protest — both against the Iraq war and military recruiters at their school — was peaceful.