* Chicago Bans the Sell of Baby Products Made With BPA

FLORES: It spans anywhere from $300 to $500, but it also allows for revocation of the business license. It’s going to be enforced and if we have to have committee hearings on this to maintain and follow the enforcement we will.

But Mayor Richard Daley says the city is in no postion to enforce the ban. Daley says the bill just sends a message to companies. BPA is used by some manufacturers to harden plastic. Some studies have linked the chemical to medical problems, including cancer. But the American Chemistry Council says BPA does not harm children or infants.

* Chicago becomes first city to ban BPA bottles, cups

* Chicago BPA ban: Chicago bans sale of baby bottles, sippy cups with dangerous chemical

* City Council Approves BPA Baby Bottle Ban

* CTA: Fare increase, service cuts possible for 2010

The CTA is addressing a $155 million shortfall for this year mainly by moving $128.6 million designated for capital projects into “capital eligible” alternatives, that includes preventative maintenance and bus and rail car rehabs

This means the capital money will not be spent on other projects, such as fixing up old stations or 100-year-old bus garages.

The CTA also plans to fill this year’s gap through $3.8 million in savings in labor costs, and reducing by $10 million its reserve for injury and damage. No further fare increases or service cuts are planned for this year. A fare increase was imposed Jan. 1.

The CTA had hoped to receive an additional $56 million from the RTA to cover its 2008 shortfall — however, the RTA has since informed the CTA that the money is a loan and will have to be repaid.

* CTA tightens belt, postpones station upgrades

CTA Board Chairman Carole Brown said she was disappointed by the RTA’s flip-flop on the $56.1 million, as well as by RTA inaccuracies in predicting the level of public subsidies. Only last month, the RTA told the CTA that the $56.1 million was being provided as a grant, not as a loan, officials said.

In the future, the CTA will independently monitor the public funding stream more closely, rather than rely on RTA projections, “so we are not surprised” again by the RTA, Brown said.

But RTA officials said they had to obtain bank loans to address the CTA deficit.

* Craigslist plan met by skeptics

* Dart Not Yet Dropping Craigslist Lawsuit

* Dart gives qualified OK to new Craigslist

“The postings are definitely toned down a lot,” he said. “My goal was to get the over-the-top stuff off. … They’ve done that.”

* Craigslist dropping ‘erotic services’ ads

* Craigslist erotic services: Legal pressure shuts down section tied to prostitution

* After Cook Co. sheriff’s suit, Craigslist to pull ‘erotic services’ ads

“It appears as if we have been successful,” Dart said at a news conference in Chicago Wednesday, adding that he is “cautiously optimistic” the new policies will reduce prostitution ads on the site.

The reversal by Craigslist was also praised by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose office had sued the Internet site earlier, winning some concessions.

“We think it may make a dent” in Chicago area prostitution, Madigan said of the changes.

But both Dart and Madigan said there likely would still be thinly veiled prostitution ads on Craigslist under the new ‘adult services’ category even with pre-emptive monitoring. But they said that is better than the current anything-goes ‘erotic services’ pages.

* Park board slices Art Institute admission fees by $2 following pressure

* Art Institute fee cut from $18 to $16

* Freight train traffic: Suburban leaders seek help from Obama in rail traffic fight

State Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) introduced a resolution in Springfield calling on Obama to nominate a member to the Surface Transportation Board who will consider “significant community impacts related to public safety, noise, vibration, traffic congestion, and other environmental concerns…”

* Suburban officials trek to Springfield to protest CN blockages

* ArcelorMittal plans ‘mass layoff’ at East Chicago plant

* Gas prices springing up — and up and up and up

* Don’t get used to lower electricity rates

* Farmers hope for dry days

* Mayor Daley alters furlough plan

Under pressure from the City Council, Mayor Daley has agreed to revise his mandatory furlough plan to include a sliding scale: the higher the salary, the more unpaid days off.

* Daley Opens Door to Furlough Changes

* Rules For Furlough Days Don’t Apply To Everyone

* Pedicabs are coming to downtown Chicago

The Daley-sponsored ordinance introduced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting would require pedicab operators to purchase a $400 license that would only be issued to those with insurance to cover $50,000 worth of property damage, $100,000 to cover injuries to one passenger and $300,000 to cover multiple injuries.

* Chicago Could Require Licenses for Pedicabs

* Chicago slashes waste-bin fees

City fees on private metal waste containers will be reduced just months after the Chicago City Council imposed them.

* City Council OKs 37 percent reduction in Dumpster fees

* Moody elected Sangamong Democratic county chairman

* Park panel stalls vote on Olympics site plan

* Nearly 700 ignition lock devices put in use

As of Wednesday, 666 Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices have been installed in the vehicles of first-time DUI offenders in Illinois.

The devices are not new, but the law requiring first-time DUI offenders to have them installed in their vehicles if they wish to drive during their mandatory driving suspension period is. It went into effect Jan. 1.