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

Can Sarah Palin attribute her popularity to her good looks? Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman thinks so, and he shares his controversial opinion.

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

John Harris, Rod Blagojevich's one-time chief of staff, has turned against his former boss. Rich Samuels tells us what happened today when he appeared in court. (PDF) Harris' complete plea agreement

Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced today that she would be seeking re-election to her current post, dispelling rumors that she would run for U.S. Senate or the office of Governor. She sits down with Carol Marin to discuss her decision and the state of Illinois politics. Full text of Lisa Madigan's announcement Office of the Illinois Attorney General

Today, Governor Quinn laid out more than a billion dollars in spending cuts to close the state's budget gap. Christian Farr tells us what state programs could be slashed. (PDF) State of Illinois Fiscal Year 2010 Budget

Elizabeth Brackett sits down with a panel of lawmakers to get their reaction to Quinn's proposed cuts.

President Obama is hoping to boost Chicago's bid to get the 2016 Olympics, but will his support be enough to put the bid over the top? Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet joins us with that story, and all the latest news from Washington, D.C.

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

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Lawmakers ignore Wednesday's deadline and fail to pass a balanced budget; Mayor Daley gets an earful from aldermen about the Olympics; the Chicago Public Schools skewered in a new report; Gary-native Michael Jackson remembered; Bulls scoring star Ben Gordon signed by the rival Pistons; and the Blackhawks make a big splash in the free-agent market. Guests:

There is a split among city unions as to whether or not to accept the concessions the city of Chicago is demanding in order to save more than 1,500 city jobs. Rich Samuels has more on the negotiations, and how Mayor Daley is applying pressure to those who are not cooperating with the city's plan.

Another fiscal year starts for the state of Illinois, and the General Assembly remains deadlocked over the state budget. Senate President John Cullerton joins Carol Marin to talk about where we go from here.

Some Chicago area organizations want the Chicago River to be disinfected in order to make it safer for people to use. There are others, however, who think that disinfection might not offer any improvement, and could waste a lot of money. Christian Farr has more on this debate.

Eleven aldermen introduced an ordinance that would cap the city's potential Olympic liabilities at $500 million. Rich Samuels has the latest from City Council.

Elizabeth Brackett and her panel look at the possible consequences of the Illinois budget stalemate as the deadline looms.

It was musical chairs at City Hall today. The former Commissioner of Transportation Tom Byrne moved over to head Streets and Sanitation. He bumps Michael Picardi, who was sent back to his old job as commissioner of Fleet Management. Elizabeth Brackett has the latest on the changes.