A top official at Navy Pier says the city should not put a casino at the tourist attraction. Illinois legislators recently passed a measure expanding gambling around the state, including the addition of a casino in Chicago.
Jim Reilly, the trustee of the organization overseeing Navy Pier, says he wants to see more attractions for adults, but a casino wouldn't fit in with the atmosphere of the pier."A casino is just totally inconsistent with the character of the pier," he says.

RTA Executive Director Stephen Schlickman. Credit: Regional Transportation Authority
The overseer of Chicagoland public transit, Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Stephen Schlickman, announced today that he will step down this October at the end of a tumultuous five years.
As head of the agency that oversees and provides funding to the CTA, Metra and Pace, Schlickman was the most powerful full-time staff member at the RTA.
Since he took the post in 2005, he oversaw multiple “doomsday” scenarios as the RTA’s subsidiaries struggled to balance their budgets — including another that may rear its head before he’s out the door. Read more...
The Regional Transit Authority passed its 2010 budget today -- a move that makes layoffs next year at the Chicago Transit Authority all but a certainty.
The RTA adopted a $1.3 billion budget that covers operations at the CTA, Metra, Pace and Pace paratransit services.
While the authority is forecasting a boost in 2010 sales tax revenue of 1.5 percent, the immediate future looks bleak to the RTA’s board of directors. Read more...

A train pulls into the Brown Line "L" stop on Chicago Avenue Credit: Alex Parker
Chicago Transit Authority riders will not face fare increases during 2010 and 2011, according to Gov. Pat Quinn and transit officials who unveiled a new agreement this afternoon.
The agreement, among Illinois state officials, the Regional Transportation Authority, the CTA, Metra and Pace, came after agency leaders wrangled over whether to increase fares in addition to cutting services at the CTA.
Read more...