December 15, 2004 brought a rousing trifecta of events around the Chicago Transit Authority.

First, a city-wide farestrike was called to protest the CTA's misallocation of funds and a consequent threat of $55 million in budget cuts.

Then, a post to Chicago Indymedia's newswire and a parallel round of emails to corporate media outlets, ostensibly from the CTA, announced a day of free transit on December 15. The CTA has declared that the free fare day announcement was a hoax and groups calling for the fare strike have denied any involvement in the CTA 'announcement'. CTA officials have told the Chicago Tribune that they have called in the FBI to investigate the matter. At the same time, community reports suggest that many CTA workers supported today's fare strike. Read More: First Day Of Fare Strike Descends On Chicago | Fare Strike Update

Finally, reports from Springfield indicate that the CTA will delay funding cuts for six months until such time as the Illinois General Assembly can act to restore funding cuts -- a development that, if true, supports activists' contention that CTA threats to cut services and jobs were in fact an unnecessary attempt to strongarm state legislators for more funding. Update: CTA votes to delay service cuts

Additional Information: Midwest Unrest