George Ryan Appeal Rejected It was a roller coaster of a day for former Illinois Governor George Ryan as a federal appeals court upheld his conviction on corruption charges and ordered him to prison. Later in the day the court said he could stay out of jail pending another appeal. Eddie Arruza reports on the defense strategy. Then Elizabeth Brackett and her panel analyze today's ruling and why a dissenting opinion could be Ryan's last hope. Guests: Greg Hinz, Diantha Parker, Jeff Stone, Zach Fardon

Weather Watch From heavy rains and flooding in our area to a rare category five hurricane ripping through the Caribbean, August has turned out to be a wild weather month. Eddie Arruza tells us what Chicago's premier meteorologist makes of it all.

The Week in Review with Joel Weisman Governor Blagojevich does an end run around House Speaker Michael Madigan to fund healthcare, church immigrant Elvira Arellano heading to Washington, Congressman Hastert retiring while Congressman Gutierrez decides to run again, the Illinois tollway letting cheats off the hook, the CTA bracing for doomsday budget cuts, the Cubs sign pitching ace Carlos Zambrano to a 5-year, $91.5 million contract, and the Bears get ready for a Super Bowl rematch against the Colts. Guests:

News Analysis with Elizabeth Brackett Mayor Daley appointed a new Chief Environmental Officer today. Elizabeth Brackett finds out what Sadhu Johnston's grand (and green) vision for Chicago is. Black Harvest Film Festival The 13th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival runs all this month. The festival's director joins us for a preview of some of the films sparking the most conversation, and this year's line-up of Chicago-based films.

Budget Woes Continue The state budget is finally in the hands of the governor. The question now is, will he sign it or veto it? We'll get the latest budget news with a live report from Sun-Times reporter Dave McKinney in Springfield. News Analysis with Carol Marin The "family secrets" mob trial shifts to the defense today. Joey "the Clown" Lombardo's attorney claims his client is a "hustler not a gangster." Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins and law professor Len Cavise join Carol Marin.

The Week in Review with Joel Weisman at 7pm Bruising budget battle in Springfield, Democratic presidential hopefuls spar at Soldier Field debate, Mayor Daley strikes a 10-year labor deal with unions, a police shooting sparks outrage in the Lawndale community, the CTA unveils a scaled-down doomsday scenario, and Cubs All-Star Alfonso Soriano injured. Guests:

Budget Impasse AFSCME, the union representing thousands of state employees, is suing the state for workers' paychecks. Rich Samuels has the latest on the budget crisis.

State Budget Impasse Continues As the 10-week-old budget stalemate continues in Springfield, voter discontent is on the rise. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn joins us to talk about a resolution introduced Monday to institute recall elections here in Illinois. We'll also hear how CTA president Ron Huberman and AFSCME's Roberta Lynch are dealing with the prolonged budget impasse and find out how their worst-case scenarios could affect you.

Daley's Deal with Unions On a hot day Mayor Daley announced a cool deal with 33 labor unions doing business with Chicago. Rich Samuels brings us up to date. News Analysis with Elizabeth Brackett The federal government says Chicago-area coal-fired power plants are breaking the rules and putting too much pollution into the air. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel discuss the environmental and health consequences to the city. Guests: Ann Alexander, Joel Africk

State Budget Impasse Governor Blagojevich and Dan Hynes disagree whether paychecks will be sent out if no budget is in place by Wednesday. Rich Samuels tells us why the governor and state comptroller are at odds. Then Carol Marin and her panel assess the odds of the governor and legislators reaching a budget compromise before a government shutdown. Guests: Jim Tobin, Laurence Msall, Ralph Martire

Cook County Round-Up From the county building today come strong hints of a tax increase next year. Rich Samuels has the latest on that, and on allegations of racism in the Cook County State's Attorney's office. News Analysis with Elizabeth Brackett Mayor Daley's announcement about a $200 million city budget shortfall caught some by surprise. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel of aldermen take a look at what the shortfall might mean for city residents. Guests: Ald. Bernard Stone, Ald. Howard Brookins, Ald. George Cardenas

Mayors Against BP Dumping Congressman Mark Kirk gathered North Shore mayors together today to again blast BP's plan to dump industrial waste into Lake Michigan. Is BP's plan safe, as the EPA claims? Or should the dumping be prohibited? Elizabeth Brackett reports.

The Week in Review with Joel Weisman Congressmen bash BP's Lake Michigan pollution plans, Democrats continue to bicker over the state budget in Springfield, presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton trade punches over diplomacy, the sinking real estate market depressing sellers, the 'Chicago Reader' is sold, the Cubs closing fast on the Brewers, and the Bears open training camp. Guests:

News Analysis with Carol Marin The NBA commissioner insists that the referee who is accused of betting on games he worked is just one bad apple. But the sports world is reeling. Carol Marin explores the explosive story with Norm Van Lier, Mike Mulligan and Howard Pearl, a lawyer who represented the NBA referee's union.

News Analysis with Elizabeth Brackett As Democrats continue to bicker over the state budget, what's going through the minds of Republican lawmakers? Elizabeth Brackett talks to Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson and House Minority Leader Tom Cross from Springfield. YouTube Debate Questions for the Democratic presidential debate last night came from the website, YouTube. We'll see how well the candidates fared. Guest: John McIntyre, RealClearPolitics.com

Budget Impasse Can Governor Blagojevich and Illinois legislators agree on a budget by the July 31, or will state government have to shut down? Rich Samuels has the latest on the budget crisis. News Analysis with Carol Marin A Lake County jury this past weekend convicted Deerfield parents Jeff and Sara Hutsell for allowing teenage drinking in their home. Carol Marin and her panel explore the issue of parental responsibility and teen drinking.