Politics

News Analysis: Ballot Challenge Process

Election officials have thousands of petition signatures to sort through and hundreds of ballot challenges to deal with. Now Mayor Daley calling on the Feds to investigate fraud. We take a closer look at the ballot challenge process.

Big Cat and the Bears

Bears Alumni Club

The Bears overcame a sluggish first half to claw past the toothless Detroit Lions. So what did Lovie Smith say at halftime to change the course of the game? We talk about it with this week's Bears alumnus, former running back and Northwestern star Darnell Autry.

Education

UNO Charter Schools

The United Neighborhood Organization Charter Schools is one of the major charter school operators in Illinois with long lists of students wanting to get in. Eddie Arruza tells us why the organization's political ties have made them controversial.

Politics

Race for Mayor

There are five fewer candidates for mayor today. Elizabeth Brackett tells us who is off the ballot and why.

The Week in Review

The Week In Review with Joel Weisman

On this week's edition of Chicago Tonight: The Week In Review: legendary Cubs third baseman and broadcaster Ron Santo dies in Arizona; the Illinois legislature passes Civil Unions, granting same-sex couples some of the same rights as those currently married; police and firefighter pension reform also passes; Mark Kirk is sworn in as Illinois' junior U.S. senator; and controversial Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is out. Chicago-based Groupon is targeted to be gobbled up by Google for more than $5 billion. Finally, the White Sox snare slugger Adam Dunn and the Bears take their four-game winning streak to Detroit on Sunday.

Guests:

• Mary Ann Ahern, NBC-5 News
• David Greising, Chicago News Cooperative
• Mike Flannery, FOX Chicago News
• Lou Canellis, FOX Chicago News

Ask Geoffrey

Ask Geoffrey

A monument on the Midway Plaisance honors a man who was both a professor in Chicago and a president in Europe. We find out more in this week's edition of Ask Geoffrey.

• For more information about the film Accidental Army: The True Story of the Czechoslovak Legion visit the Czech Legion Project; You'll also find more information there on what the Czech Legion Project calls "the most amazing story you never heard."
• More on the Cregier fire hydrant

Politics

The Shakman Decree

The Cook County Sheriff's office will no longer have to comply with the Shakman Decree. Sheriff Tom Dart and his court-appointed monitor join Eddie Arruza to talk about this major development.

Politics

Civil Unions

The Illinois Senate passed a bill permitting civil unions for same-sex couples -- now what? We speak with a law expert on the particulars of this historic bill.

• Read the bill

Health

Midwives in Illinois

Should midwives, without training as a doctor or nurse, be allowed to deliver babies in Illinois? We have more on the growing debate.

Health

World AIDS Day

We get an update on the state of AIDS on this World AIDS Day.

• AIDS Foundation of Chicago