Mayor Luke Ravenstahl hopes the contributions from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University or Highmark Inc. will serve as a catalyst to get other nonprofits to help the city financially.

Ravenstahl had called for the 1 percent tuition tax on the city's 65,000 college students as a way of getting money to help pay for some $15 million a year for the city's pension obligations.

Nonprofits are exempt from most taxes, but represent many of Pittsburgh's major employers and hold about one-third of the city's property value.

Neither the mayor nor the three institutions would disclose how much they would give, but Ravenstahl said he was optimistic the money would help resolve the city's long-standing financial problems.

The coalition of lawmakers said Tuesday immigration reform can protect American workers as well as bring into the mainstream economy productive immigrant workers who have lived in the shadows because of their illegal status.

"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who has become a leader of a multiethnic coalition of immigration reform backers, said immigration reform opponents "will use it as a wedge issue and will blame everything from unemployment to rising health care costs on immigrants."

The break-in occurred at the South Side offices of veteran Chicago criminal defense lawyer Sam Adam and his son, Samuel E. Adam, police said. They are two of the three leading members of the team defending Blagojevich on charges that he schemed to sell or trade President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.

Chief of detectives Steve Peterson told a news conference that detectives don't know whether anything related to Blagojevich's federal fraud case was contained on the computers. But he said they are interviewing the attorneys.

Even if the computers contained sensitive material related to the federal case against Blagojevich, the lawyers had all of its material in backup files on a master server elsewhere in the offices that was untouched by the burglars, according to an individual with knowledge of the legal defense team.

A three-judge panel Tuesday rejected another challenge to state constitutional amendments that give property tax breaks to Florida's primary homeowners, but not to owners of second homes.

The panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal disagreed with arguments that the amendments violate U.S. constitutional rights of travel and interstate commerce by favoring longtime Florida homeowners over those who have recently moved to the state.

The judges cited a July decision that also upheld the Save Our Homes Amendment, which limits annual assessment increases to no more than 3 percent for homesteads, in a case filed by out-of-state residents who own second homes.

In the new case filed by recently arrived Florida residents, the judges also for the first time upheld a new state constitutional amendment passed last year that includes a "portability" provision. It lets homeowners take at least part of their Save Our Homes benefits with them when they move.

The panel, though, returned a third appeal attacking both tax breaks to a trial judge for reconsideration because he erroneously dismissed the case on grounds that he lacked jurisdiction. That case also was filed by out-of-state residents who own second homes in Florida.

The appellate court in July ruled the tax benefit is based on the way the property is used, not on the status of the owner as a resident or nonresident. That case, now on appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, did not include the portability provision.

A South Florida lawyer suspected of operating a $1 billion Ponzi scheme is asking for his own disbarment.

A Florida Bar committee has approved the disbarment request submitted by attorney Scott Rothstein. A spokeswoman said Wednesday the final decision must be made by the state Supreme Court.

The FBI says Rothstein sold investments in legal settlements that did not exist. The total amount lost could top $1 billion. No criminal charges have been filed yet.

Once disbarred, Rothstein would no longer be allowed to serve on a panel that nominates appeals court judges. Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Rothstein to that panel in 2008. Rothstein was a major contributor to Crist and many other high-profile politicians nationwide.