* Nicor wants $140-mil. rate hike

* Chicago Tonight: Children’s Museum

* The Corruption State

Tuesday’s ruling has to worry corrupt Illinois pols and their pals. No more hiding now in make-believe defenses, no more hoping the courts—judges are political creatures, right?—will leave definitions vague.

* Public Affairs with State Rep. John Fritchey

* Bill proposed to extend honorary degree eligibility

State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, said he introduced Senate Bill 2682 – which would allow school boards to award high school diplomas to honorably discharged Vietnam veterans – after hearing about Raymond Collins’ struggle to get his.

* 2 yrs. later, is Illinois still ’state of shame’?

* Health care job eludes Iraq vet

Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Veterans’ Affairs Department for the last 1? years, said she hears similar stories “over and over again.” The nation is becoming “overwhelmed,” she said, by the length of the war and the number of veterans who have come home needing jobs.

* Gavel-to-Gavel: This morning, Rezko a ‘free’ man

* Rezko freed on $8 million bond, home monitoring

* State helps fill local food pantries’ shelves

* Want Obama’s Senate seat? Join the crowd

* Suburbs try to angle ComEd transmission line

* A training exercise or free pool boys?

* Brenda Sexton, public libraries team up on book-film series

* Tollway tale gets more tangled

* Fix the toll collection system — now

* Strong aftershock reported in Illinois

* Inspections follow shaky morning

* Bridges Inspected For Possible Damage

* Autism Center waiting for money

* Single-Sex Ed Takes Hold in South Carolina

* SJ-R: Misguided bid to ‘protect’ marriage

* Energy speaker: Don’t underestimate the power of coal