The Tea Party Movement has spread like wildfire all across the nation. We take a closer look at the political uprising and its surprising origins right here in Chicago. American Thinker A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes

The long-running case putting the City of Chicago against applicants who took the 1995 firefighter exam is finally before the U.S. Supreme Court. Elizabeth Brackett has the story.

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Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: George Ryan's wife reaches out to President Obama to release the former governor from prison early; Mayor Daley is letting the public apply for open aldermanic seats; more controversy is brewing in the race for lieutenant governor; Governor Quinn signs a bill that ousts the entire McCormick Place board; red-light cameras are being scrutinized by lawmakers in Springfield; and the Bulls were busy at the trade deadline. Guests:

Should former Illinois Governor George Ryan be granted an early release from prison? Ryan's attorney is asking President Obama to grant clemency to the former Governor, claiming Mrs. Ryan is near death and citing Ryan's own deteriorating health. Eddie Arruza and his panel take up the issue.

We meet Green Party candidates for some of the top offices on the November ballot. Rich Whitney's campaign website Tom Tresser's campaign website LeAlan Jones's campaign website

How did Osama Bin Laden go from shy son of a wealthy Saudi businessman to the most wanted terrorist in the world? We find out when we take a look at a new book by DePaul University history professor Thomas Mockaitis. Osama bin Laden: A Biography

Should the controversial red light cameras be abolished? The debate over whether to do just that is heating up in Springfield, and we take up the subject with our own panel.

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh has decided not to run for a third term. Eddie Arruza and his panel discuss the partisanship and gridlock in Washington, and how they affect the outlook for the Democratic Party.

Betty Loren Maltese...is back! Having completed a seven-year prison term for corruption, today the former Cicero town president moved into a West Side halfway house. Eddie Arruza tells us what lies ahead for Loren-Maltese and the hefty debt she still owes society.

State Senator James Meeks wants to reform education in Illinois, in the form of more vouchers and less power for local school councils. Meeks will discuss his controversial education plan with Carol Marin.

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Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Democrats are jockeying for the Lieutenant Governor's ballot spot vacated by Scott Lee Cohen; Mayor Daley orders a budget review of the Chicago Police Department and wants to give the city's Inspector General the power to investigate aldermen; CTA service cuts are making for a longer commute; the Chicago Auto Show rolls into town; and former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas announces his retirement. Guests:

In the wake of the Scott Lee Cohen debacle, Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan filed legislation to amend the state's constitution to abolish the office of Lt. Governor. We take a closer look at the proposal.

Mayor Daley has ordered all city employees to take 24 unpaid days off this year in an attempt to help balance the city budget. So why are he and the aldermen not required to do the same? Reporter Dan Mihalopoulos will be here with the Chicago News Cooperative story.

We hear what you have to say about some of our recent stories when we read our viewer mail.