The Associated Press

Starting next year, Illinois businesses will see a tax increase and the recently unemployed will lose a week of unemployment benefits.

That's because of a compromise bill passed this month in the Illinois Legislature.

The Rockford Register Star reports the deal is part of a longer-term plan to help contribute to Illinois' depleted unemployment trust fund, which is $3 billion in debt to the U.S. Treasury.

Updated 4:35 p.m. April 11, 2011 with comment from Jones and Tilley.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says Congress overstepped its constitutional powers under the commerce clause when it mandated that most Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty.

Koster says he filed a document (see below) Monday with a federal appeals court supporting a Florida lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new federal health care law.

Jury Selection Begins in Coleman Murder Trial

Jury selection begins today in Perry County Illinois in the trial of Christopher Coleman. That’s according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The former Marine is accused of strangling his wife and two sons and then staging the crime scene with threatening messages on the walls.

A federal prosecutor says the case against an ex-CIA officer charged with leaking classified documents to a reporter may not make it to trial because of potential problems with a witness.

Jeffrey Sterling of O'Fallon, Mo., worked for the CIA from 1993 to 2002. He is accused of leaking secrets about Iran to New York Times reporter James Risen.

Names of people authorized to own guns would be declared secret under legislation approved by the Illinois House.

The state police would be barred from releasing information on people who have Firearm Owner Identification cards.

The House approved the bill 98-12 Friday. It now heads to the Senate.

The attorney general ruled last month that the list of people with FOID cards must be released under the state Freedom of Information Act.