Call it "Arne Duncan Unplugged," an unscripted Monday afternoon exchange at QuEST between the U.S. education secretary and AFT members on the issues that matter most to education's frontline. The July 13 session began with a drum roll: AFT members' handwritten questions for the education secretary were collected in advance and placed inside an onstage sweepstakes drum. After a few turns, AFT president Randi Weingarten reached in and selected a handful at random, and Duncan took the stage to provide some answers.

Highlights from the recently concluded 2009 AFT QuEST conference in Washington, D.C., included AFT president Randi Weingarten's keynote address, a town hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a panel on community schools and remarks from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Daily updates from the conference, as well as video highlights, can be found on the AFT's QuEST 2009 Web site.

The Illinois Senate concluded the impeachment trial of Governor Rod Blagojevich on Jan. 29 by removing him from office, effective immediately. After the Senate vote, Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke administered the oath of office to Patrick Quinn.

The Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) wants to get the word out to senior citizens that those with at least $3,000 annual income (including Social Security, VA benefits and railroad retirement) are eligible for a rebate check.