Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Governor Quinn is trailing Republican challenger Bill Brady by 10 points, according to a new poll; Forrest Claypool is running as an independent in the Cook County Assessor's race; United Airlines and US Airways have renewed merger talks; violence is surging on Chicago's deadly streets; and the Cubs and Sox embark on a new season. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: The state's bond rating was downgraded to the second-lowest in the country; voters are getting to know Governor Quinn's running mate, Sheila Simon; drivers are bracing for construction season delays; trade show customers are threatening to leave pricey McCormick Place; and the Cubs and Sox open the new baseball season next week. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; Governor Quinn is backing Paul Simon's daughter, Sheila, for his running mate; Illinois lawmakers finally pass pension reforms; U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan allegedly kept a clout list of requests to get into coveted Chicago magnet schools; President Obama signs historic health care legislation; an alleged beating by off-duty Chicago police officers was caught on tape; and the Cubs and Sox Opening Day lineups are taking shape. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines; Governor Quinn wants lawmakers to work during their spring break to vote on his tax hike; teachers accuse Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman of using scare tactics during the budget crisis; Chicago's unemployment rate is now nearly 12 percent; full body scanners arrive at O'Hare Airport; and the Bulls and Blackhawks playoff push is stalled by major injuries. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: Governor Quinn calls for a 33% income tax hike; CTA drivers are among the highest paid in the country; a racist yard sign infuriates neighbors; one of Chicago's underperforming public high schools is in the middle of a scandal where grades were allegedly inflated; and Derrick Rose is the latest Bulls player to be battling an injury. Guests:

Tonight's panel discusses the week's top headlines; U.S. Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias' family bank is on the brink of collapse; Chicago's longstanding hand gun ban is facing a Supreme Court challenge; the University of Illinois is considering hiking their tuition 20%; Chicago ministers are throwing their support behind another Walmart; and Bulls players are battling the injury bug. Guests:

Joel and his panel discuss the week's top headlines: As the state's budget crisis continues to grow, support is growing for a major income tax hike; legislation to end free CTA rides for all seniors is moving forward in Springfield; 8 underperforming Chicago Public Schools are set to be closed or completely overhauled; O'Hare airport gets full body scanners; Mayor Daley suggests privatizing parts of pricey McCormick Place; and the Cubs and Sox are working off the rust in spring training. Guests:

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:

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:

Joel and his panel discuss Tuesday's primary election results: Governor Quinn wins a razor-thin victory against Dan Hynes; Quinn's running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Scott Lee Cohen, is generating plenty of publicity because of his arrest record for domestic battery; Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard are locked in a statistical dead heat; Toni Preckwinkle topples embattled incumbent Todd Stroger in the race for Cook County Board President; and Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias are set to square off for President Obama's old U.S. Senate seat.

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: