Possible Support for Riverboat Gaming
Illinois Gov. George Ryan signaled he may be willing to support the transfer of a dormant riverboat gaming license to Cook County, despite campaigning against the idea last year. While not explicitly endorsing a specific casino site, he acknowledged without the crucial support of legislators who want riverboat gaming in the county, no gambling package could move forward in the Illinois General Assembly. Cook County is the only Illinois county prohibited by law from having a riverboat casino. Rosemont Mayor Donald Stephens is pushing for a riverboat there, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has endorsed Stephens' bid for a casino. Daley said he is not interested in bringing riverboat gambling to Chicago, but if Rosemont wants the dormant Silver Eagle license, he won't raise objections
Guns on Coast Guard Vessels Trigger Protest
Reuters reported that machine-gun fire will puncture the calm of the Great Lakes if the U.S. Coast Guard follows through on its plan to set up firing ranges there, despite volleys of criticism fired by environmentalists, boaters and politicians. As part of its expanded responsibilities to police U.S. coastlines in the name of national security, the Coast Guard has mounted gas-powered machine guns on the decks of its patrol boats and cutters, capable of firing 600 rounds a minute. To train its seamen to fire the powerful weapons on the lakes' choppy waters, the Coast Guard proposed establishing 34 target ranges at least 5 miles offshore.
