* Durbin’s first TV ad of the season: Don’t Give Up

* Durbin, Sauerberg to Debate Monday Night

* NEW: Congress’ boost to Amtrak fueled by high gas prices, too much traffic - Chicago would be hub of nine-state, high-speed network

* NEW: Riding rails to Dubuque? Rising Amtrak ridership could net new Illinois lines to Quad Cities, Galena

* NEW: Cash grabs sell state’s future at a discount

* NEW: Hundreds gather at park rally

* NEW: High school juniors improve on PSAT, but scores still down

* NEW: Why do Chicago and Mayor Richard Daley face $420 million budget shortfall?

* NEW: City cuts hit two key areas: Police, Streets & Sanitation

The 1,080 layoffs are projected by the Daley administration to save $98 million. They represent the biggest purge in Daley’s nearly 20-year tenure as mayor.

* NEW: Unions reject mayor’s furlough request

* NEW: Mayor’s airport lease deal gets first vote today

* Economy forcing many seniors to cut on health care

*Chef says Peraica ad half-baked

Izard, the Chicagoan who won the most recent season of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” is the latest famous face appearing on campaign materials for Tony Peraica, the Republican Cook County Board member running for state’s attorney.

* Much debate over proposed Kaneland boundary changes

“Our community would be further divided,” she said. “Children from the village of Sugar Grove would go to three different elementary schools. Our goal is to regain our sense of community.”

* DuPage assessors say your property values haven’t dropped

“Houses aren’t selling at the prices sellers are looking for, but they are still selling them for a profit,” said Naperville-based Coldwell Banker agent Gail Niermeyer.

* Suburban mayor charged with forging license

Charged Friday with forging a name on a liquor license, Island Lake Mayor Thomas Hyde is the third current or former public official in the rural Lake County hamlet to be arrested since last year and accused of crimes related to their official duties.

* New law requires computer techs to report child porn

* Cook, 6 area counties eligible for flood aid

Gov. Blagojevich on Friday announced that his request to President Bush for federal disaster assistance has been approved.

* Mitsubishi workers in Illinois ratify contract

* Judge rules against Michigan over wine shipments

* State’s small-town hospitals undergoing building boom

* New Lincoln titles on the horizon

heard at the National Archives that over sixty new books on Lincoln will be published during the bicentennial. I believe it, too; seems like everybody wants to get a new Lincoln title into print sometime soon.

* Lincoln/Douglas debates come to life at Knox

* Davlin first VP of Municipal League

* SIU raises over $100 million in capital campaign

* “Because” - The Story of an Organ Donor

* A Network to Satisfy the Appetite of Baseball-Hungry Fans