Pat Quinn news and stories by mail.com

Pat Quinn

Court ruling on Ill. gun ban sets stage for fight
Backers of Illinois' ban on concealed weapons vowed Wednesday to fight for continued controls on gun possession, a day after a federal appeals court ...
Tax credit luring pre-Broadway shows to Chicago
The New York-bound musical "Kinky Boots" enjoyed a pre-Broadway run at a downtown Chicago theater this fall, but only after the state of Illinois ...
Jockeying under way to replace Rep. Jackson Jr.
The jockeying to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. began before the ink was dry on the former congressman's resignation letter. Among those expressing an ...
Rep. Jackson Jr. resigns, citing mental health
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. quietly resigned Wednesday, effectively ending a once-promising political career months after the civil rights icon's son went ...
Low Mississippi River water levels may halt barges
The gentle whir of passing barges is as much a part of life in St. Louis as the Gateway Arch and the Cardinals, a constant, almost soothing backdrop ...
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. leaves Mayo Clinic
Questions about Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s health and political future swirled again Tuesday as the Chicago congressman left the Mayo Clinic for the ...
Illinois Amtrak train hits 111 mph in test run
For the first time on a key Midwestern route between Chicago and St. Louis, an Amtrak passenger train topped 110 mph Friday, ripping through ...
Politics and truth: Uneasy partners, easy enemies
It's unprecedented, the experts say: The volume and audacity of distortion, deception and truth-stretching in this year's presidential campaign has ...
He's her man: First lady says 'we can trust' Obama
First lady Michelle Obama lovingly praised her husband Tuesday night in a prime-time Democratic Convention speech as a devoted spouse and caring ...
Governor rejects plan to expand Illinois gambling
Citing Chicago's reputation of mobsters and corruption, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a plan Tuesday to bring casinos to the city and four other ...
Prosecutor hopes to stir debate on Ill. gun laws
Despite a statewide ban on concealed weapons, gun owners in one central Illinois county don't need to worry about facing charges because its top ...
Colo. shooting prompts gun bills in big states
Democratic leaders in three big states have used this summer's mass shooting in Colorado to push bills that would crack down on assault weapons and ...
Some states try to fill national gun control void
OVERVIEW: The July 20 shooting at a suburban Denver movie theater that killed 12 people has prompted Democratic leaders in at least three large states ...
Half of US counties now considered disaster areas
Nearly 220 counties in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S. government's list of natural disaster areas as the nation's ...
AP Exclusive: Shakedowns of prison staff ordered
Illinois authorities conducted a "mass shakedown" of guards and other prison employees last week, taking the unusual step of searching workers as they ...
Drought now grips more than half of the nation
The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading, with more than half of the continental United States now in some stage of drought and most of the ...
Where states stand on implementing health care law
Here is a look at where each of the 50 states stand on implementing President Barack Obama's federal health care overhaul, which the Supreme Court ...
A look at the health care law in all 50 states
With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to rule Thursday on the President Barack Obama's federal health care overhaul, here is a look at where each of ...
States divergent in plans for health care ruling
As the nation awaits the Supreme Court ruling on President Barak Obama's health care overhaul, states across the country are considering how they will ...
Ill. prosecutors refuse to defend gay marriage ban
Twenty-five Illinois couples were prepared for a long legal fight when they joined lawsuits challenging the state's ban on gay marriage. Turns out ...
Study: State pension shortfall ballooned in 2010
Recession-plagued states diverted scarce money away from pensions to pay for more immediate concerns, leaving a $757 billion hole in the retirement ...
Obama proposal to raise dropout age falls flat
President Barack Obama's call for states to raise the minimum age at which students can drop out of high school seems about as popular as a homework ...