The Illinois Department of Transportation has reached a cooperative agreement with Union Pacific and Amtrak that permits the release of a $1.1 billion federal high-speed rail grant to the state of Illinois to fund passenger rail improvements between Chicago and St. Louis.

Sen. Marco Rubio officially has a new job and a whole lot of ambition to go with it.

An executive at the St. Joe Co., which has led an explosion of residential and commercial development that has transformed the Florida Panhandle, was named late Wednesday to head the state agency responsible for overseeing growth.

Curious fact, unearthed by Gerald Seib of The Wall Street Journal. The average age of Republican House members in the new Congress convening this week is 54.9, younger than the Republicans' average age in the previous Congress, 56.5. But the average age of House Democrats has risen, from 58 to 60.2.

As the Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, prominent politicians looking to be the GOPs standard bearer in 2012 weighed in on what the new majority should focus on -- and not surprisingly, pointed toward the nations sluggish economy.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, and according to tradition, Marco Rubio walked down the aisle of the Senate floor with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., on his left and retired Sen. Mel Martinez on his right.

Dennis Ross was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, becoming the ninth person to represent Floridas 12th Congressional District. And looking at the veteran staff he's recruited, he begins with considerable style.

When Floridas legislators gather in March for the 2011 legislative session, tackling the states $3.5 billion deficit will be one of their most difficult tasks. Many states face similar (or worse) situations, but that fact wont make it any easier.

Federal regulators are turning up the heat on Progress Energy's proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County.