Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Oprah Winfrey ending her talk show in 2011; Chicago School Board President Michael Scott's apparent suicide shocks the city; the Cook County Board votes to roll back the controversial sales tax hike; major conventions continue to leave McCormick Place for less expensive locales; and the Bears season on life support. Guests:

We get an exclusive look at the Chicago News Cooperative's investigation into the profits of the city's parking meter deal.

Mayor Daley stormed out of a City Hall press conference after questions about the death of School Board President Michael Scott. Rich Samuels tells us what was said.

DePaul student Frankie Valencia was shot and killed at a Humboldt Park Halloween party, and it happened in a condo that had been rented just for the party. Many properties around the city are being rented out by the night or week. We hear from an alderman and the owner of a vacation rental agency about the controversial practice.

A new report says Chicago women remain a minority in high-ranking positions at the city's largest public companies. Three local executives join us to discuss the findings. The Chicago Network

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says he will veto the half-cent sales tax rollback Cook County commissioners passed today. Rich Samuels has the latest.

Questions continue about the death of Chicago School Board President Michael Scott. Friends and family do not believe Scott took his own life, though the Medical Examiner again today called Scott's death a suicide. More than 33,000 suicides are committed each year in the United States. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel have some important suicide prevention information.

Carol Marin sits down with David Plouffe, the campaign manager for President Obama's historic election. Watch Carol Marin's entire interview with David Plouffe

Guantanamo Bay detainees could be headed to Illinois. The Obama administration is considering purchasing the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois to house terror suspects currently being held in Guantanamo Bay. Federal officials toured the facility today and Rich Samuels has the details of their visit. And Carol Marin and her panel discuss the pros and cons of bringing terror suspects to Illinois.

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

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: The CTA avoids fare hikes but service cuts and layoffs are still looming; Jeanine Nicarico's killer, Brian Dugan, gets the death penalty; Governor Quinn decides to release prisoners early; Congressman Danny Davis bows out of the race for Cook County Board President; Chicago's magnet school admission policies are revamped; and another devastating loss puts the Bears season on the brink. Guests:

Carol Marin sits down with David Plouffe, the campaign manager for President Obama's historic election.

According to a new research study from the Pew Center on the States, Illinois is one of ten states in fiscal peril. Can anything be done to get the state out of its current mess, and do lawmakers have the political will to do it? Eddie Arruza and his panel take a look. Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril -- Download a PDF of the report

Thanks to a deal with the state, CTA fare hikes have been averted. But, there still could be service cuts. Rich Samuels brings us the good news and the bad.

A new study finds that two-thirds of Chicago police officers accused of misconduct have actually kept their jobs. Carol Marin sits down with the study's author and the head of the Chicago Police Board. Chicago Police Board: A 10-Year Analysis--The Chicago Justice Project Read the executive summary of the study

Houses of worship and private schools have been receiving state tax dollars, and this has reignited the church-state debate. We talk with a state representative who has helped send money to a Jesuit-run high school and an ACLU member with concerns about the practice.