Will it soon cost six dollars for a round-trip ride on the CTA? Today CTA President Richard Rodriguez presented the transit agency's 2010 budget to the Cook County Board. We talk to him about the challenges mass transit is facing in Chicago.

Families might be forced to scale it back again this holiday season because of the economy. We talk to a local financial guru about how to shop for your kids on a tight budget. Money Savvy Generation

4G, or WiMAX, has arrived in Chicago. It means super-fast internet connections from just about anywhere. The Chicago Tribune's Wailin Wong joins us to explain why people are so excited about it.

It's official: Chicago's Ricketts family has bought the Cubs. What will it mean to have a fan running the ball club? Kris Kridel of WBBM's Noon Business Hour joins us with some insight, plus the rest of the week's business news.

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: State lawmakers busy during the fall veto session; Cook County property taxes soaring; Illinois grappling with the swine flu; terrorism suspects arrested in Chicago; protesters take to the streets against the American Bankers Association annual meeting; new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts officially takes over; and the Bears hope to bounce back from one of the worst losses of the Lovie Smith era. Guests:

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their destination while allegedly working on their laptop computers have had their licenses revoked. But the incident has also raised questions about what's happening in the cockpit. Eddie Arruza talks to a retired pilot and aviation consultant about airline safety.

As unemployment numbers have soared, so have the numbers of hungry people. And not just in Chicago. Elizabeth Brackett reports on the efforts to combat hunger in the northern suburban and rural areas of Illinois. Northern Illinois Food Bank Contact Information

What do you need to know to plan a successful retirement? Author, Sun-Times columnist and financial analyst Terry Savage joins us to crunch the numbers on your retirement savings. The New Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire?

The second installment property tax bill you're about to receive will very likely be higher than last year's. How can that happen in a time of declining property values? Rich Samuels tells us how the Mayor is responding.

Eddie Arruza finds out more about rising property taxes when he talks to Cook County Assessor James Houlihan about the bad news that's coming in the mail.

On the eve of finally opening its doors, the downtown property known as Block 37 is threatened with foreclosure. WBBM Newsradio 780's Kris Kridel joins us with those details, plus the rest of the week's business news.

Tonight's panel discusses the week's top headlines: Mayor Daley dipping into reserve funds to plug gaping budget holes; the long-stalled Block 37 project runs into yet another delay; Cook County property taxes going up; Brown's Chicken killer James Degorski sentenced to life in prison; the EPA cracking down on BP's refinery expansion in northwest Indiana; Bears quarterback Jay Cutler signs a $30 million contract extension; and Bulls star Derrick Rose battling an ankle injury. Guests:

Phil Ponce sits down with world-renowned chef Rick Bayless to talk about his newest restaurant, Xoco.

A new news organization is forming in Chicago that will, among other things, produce local content for the New York Times. We talk to the group's editor and learn about the prominent role WTTW will also play in the group.

The printed newspaper may be approaching extinction, but there still seems to be an endless variety of magazines. We visit what could be Chicago's best-stocked magazine stand.

British Petroleum's $3.8 billion dollar refinery expansion plan in northwest Indiana was dealt a major blow this week. The Environmental Protection Agency says the permit, issued for the project in the last months of the Bush administration, must be rewritten. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel have the latest developments.