Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; Primary election voters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday; President Obama refocuses on the economy during his State of the Union address; Ford is adding 1,200 new jobs at its Torrence Avenue plant on Chicago's South Side; Chicago area home sales are on the rise; Mayor Daley canceled the traditional July 3rd fireworks extravaganza this week; and the surging Bulls are turning their season around. Guests:

Be sure to tune in at 9pm tonight, right after a special 2-hour telethon for earthquake-ravaged Haiti. On tonight's program: Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; Candidates have launched a wave of negative ads in the final days leading up to the primary election; 14 underperforming Chicago Public Schools are going to be either closed, consolidated, or overhauled; Drew Peterson was back in court this week as lawyers argued about hearsay evidence; McCormick Place may lose yet another major convention; and the red-hot Blackhawks are the talk of the NHL.

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: The primary election is now less than 3 weeks away; Governor Quinn renews his call for a tax hike in the State of the State address; the Chicago Public Schools will spend $60 million on citizen patrols; lawmakers are demanding major changes at McPier, the agency that runs pricey McCormick Place; the Bears are rebuffed by top coaching candidates; and Sammy Sosa's home run derby buddy, Mark McGwire, admits that he used steroids. Guests:

Tonight's panel discusses the week's top headlines: the Chicago Sun-Times endorses Governor Quinn in the upcoming primary election; the University of Illinois is in a major cash crunch; a lawsuit claims that the CTA's funding formula is racist; many McPier employees are making six-figure salaries as conventions flock from pricey McCormick Place; the Bears stand by beleaguered head coach Lovie Smith; and Cubs legend Andre Dawson is heading to the Hall of Fame. Guests:

On tonight's program, Joel and his panel look back at the biggest stories of 2009. From the shocking fall of former Governor Rod Blagojevich to Chicago's stunning 2016 Olympic defeat to a sour economy, the year was packed with plenty of news. Be sure to tune in to our annual year-in-review edition of the Week in Review. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's re-election bid suffers a set-back after a new poll of Democratic primary voters shows him in third place; Governor Quinn signed a sweeping law this week that limits campaign donations; Illinois now has the second-worst bond rating in the nation; Chicago is battling the bitter cold; and Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro is on the hot seat after the team loses 9 of their last 10 games. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Dueling Democrats turning up the rhetoric in the governor's race; Illinois trying to stave off an Asian carp invasion; Cook County commissioners slash president Todd Stroger's controversial sales tax hike; Chicago's rainy-day parking meter fund is nearly depleted already; Brian Urlacher has some harsh criticism for the Bears woes; and the Tiger Woods saga is drawing worldwide attention. Guests:

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:

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:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: President Obama marks the one-year anniversary of his election; former Attorney General Jim Ryan launches another gubernatorial bid; CTA drivers may strike over threatened layoffs; the agency that runs McCormick Place and Navy Pier is battered by the weak economy; and Bears fans are worried about the team's lack of offense. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: State lawmakers busy during the fall veto session; Cook County property taxes soaring; Illinois grappling with the swine flu; terrorism suspects arrested in Chicago; protesters take to the streets against the American Bankers Association annual meeting; new Cubs owner Tom Ricketts officially takes over; and the Bears hope to bounce back from one of the worst losses of the Lovie Smith era. Guests:

Tonight's panel discusses the week's top headlines: Mayor Daley dipping into reserve funds to plug gaping budget holes; the long-stalled Block 37 project runs into yet another delay; Cook County property taxes going up; Brown's Chicken killer James Degorski sentenced to life in prison; the EPA cracking down on BP's refinery expansion in northwest Indiana; Bears quarterback Jay Cutler signs a $30 million contract extension; and Bulls star Derrick Rose battling an ankle injury. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; The CTA proposing $3 fares and service cuts; Mayor Daley urges lawmakers to repeal free senior transit rides; 90 African-American ministers endorse Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's re-election bid; downtown office vacancies at a 3-year high; Playboy hoping their new CEO can spark a revival; and the Bears getting ready for the Falcons. Guests:

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists take a look at what the impact of the failed bid will be on the city, politics and the country.

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Oprah Winfrey joining Chicago's Olympic pitch team in Copenhagen next week; University of Illinois president Joseph White resigns in the wake of the admissions clout scandal; O'Hare Airport cited for numerous safety violations; Chicago cab drivers asking for a major rate hike; combustible Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley suspended for the rest of the season; and the Bears getting ready for the Seattle Seahawks. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; President Obama throws a rally at the White House for Chicago's Olympic bid; former Rod Blagojevich confidant Chris Kelly commits suicide; Governor Quinn lands key union support; American Airlines expanding operations at O'Hare; Chicago Sun-Times union members vote against proposed concessions; Bears great Brian Urlacher out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury; and debate rages over a proposed statue of Walter Payton at Soldier Field. Guests: