* Cardenas: Families, seniors really feel state budget crisis

* Daily Herald: Recall: Approve it and rarely use it

* Attorney General Lisa Madigan joins country in probing mortgage cos.

* Study dings Illinois on energy efficiency

The report, by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, says Illinois does well on matters such as imposing building codes that require use of techniques and materials that will save energy, but ranks poorly on transportation, where the state has no fuel-efficiency standards for its own cars.

* Ethanol rule change a boon for farmers, refiners

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday afternoon is set to announce its long-expected decision to approve blending higher concentrations of ethanol into gasoline for newer vehicles, allowing mixtures of up to 15% of the corn-based fuel at the gas pump.

But the decision is controversial and complicated. It creates two grades of ethanol-blended gasoline, the higher of which isn’t approved for use in older cars, and could lead to confusion at the pump. Retailers will have to install new pumps or decide which of the two grades to sell.

* Police Union Slams Daley’s Public Safety Plan

Mayor Richard Daley says his 2011 budget proposal allows for 150 to 200 new cops. But his administration is vague about whether that’ll be a net gain, once police retirements are taken into account.

* Daley budget raids reserves

* Daley balances 2011 budget — but further drains reserves

* Aldermen likely to follow Daley in city budget punt

Even in the best of times, the city’s 50 aldermen are not known for thinking of much beyond their own wards. That’s doubly true in an election year.

* Some Aldermen Not Crazy About Daley’s Budget

* Tribune: Good night, Chicago

* Gang-infested neighborhoods to receive money, safety and small business

* University of Chicago trustee Stevanovich sued over ties to Ponzi scheme

* Tribune suspends Lee Abrams over ‘offensive’ e-mail

* Wal-Mart aims to build 24 Chicago stores

* Metra asks public: Do you want ‘quiet cars’?

* Cook County commissioner embroiled in legal dispute

According to court documents filed last month, when her former campaign treasurer “questioned Mrs. Gorman about her motives and expressed her concern. … Mrs. Gorman ’said (she) just wanted money moved out of that bank.’”

Now Gorman faces possible contempt charges for the December 2009 transfer. In a strongly worded opinion, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys recommended Gorman be held in contempt of court if she does not return the $68,000 to her campaign fund, which had been subpoenaed by Chrysler Financial Services.

* ‘Fast Eddie’ wheels, deals his way through community service

* Stroger’s newest hire was fired from city job

Details about his job duties weren’t available, but Talley does serve in a position exempt from the court-ordered ban on political hiring and firing, Bright said.

That means he serves at the will of the board president.

* Antioch fires police chief

The move came about two months after local political candidate Scott Pollak claimed the chief tried to attack him at the police station.

Pollak, a Democrat running for state representative against incumbent Republican JoAnn Osmond, had gone to the station because of an earlier confrontation between officers, Pollak’s teenage son and other teens over whether a permit was needed for door-to-door campaigning.

* Johnson seeks probe of revised FutureGen program

* Quincy Park District to look at higher tax rate, increase in fees

* Champaign County board member Knott plans run for Parkland board

* SJ-R: Boone should resign from coroner’s post