Stories by Yasmin Rammohan

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the year's top headlines.

A veil of mystery has long covered North Korea. Now, the "Dear Leader" has died and a transition of power has begun. What's next for the Communist country? And what does it mean for already tense global relations? Eddie Arruza and his panel discuss this and more.

Police cameras dot the city to help prevent crime. But a new report sheds light on what the camera didn't record during a police altercation. We talk with WBEZ reporter, Robert Wildeboer.

What if you were told you had a great aunt who could fly and heal the sick? Luis Alberto Urrea joins us to discuss his new novel, Queen of America, based on his great aunt who could do just those things.

Nearly 75 years later, the legacy of Chicago favorite -- Maurice Lenell cookies -- lives on. Ash-har Quraishi reports.

What does a gothic chapel in downtown Chicago have to do with Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park? Geoffrey Baer has the answer to this and other viewer questions in Ask Geoffrey.

We asked you if Congress should go back to Washington to find a compromise on the payroll tax cut extension and if you think Chicago will be safe during the G8/NATO Summits. We read what some of you had to say in Viewer Mail.

Millions of Americans are likely to see their payroll taxes go up in January. We hear from both Illinois U.S. senators about the prospects for a deal.

The Chicago Sun-Times is being sold again -- the second time in three years. We hear why some local investors are taking a chance on the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning paper chain.

Billionaire Sam Zell is just the latest to sue former Tribune Company shareholders in an effort to claw back more than $2.5 billion. We speak with a bankruptcy expert to see if this can actually happen.

Suburban poverty has exploded over the last 10 years. Census data now shows there are more poor people in the suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area than in the city. Elizabeth Brackett looks at what that means for the newly poor, and for the public and private agencies trying to meet their rising needs.

Arguably one of the greatest engineering feats in history took place in Chicago. Over 100 years ago, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed. We talk with two authors who collected 22,000 photographs documenting the event.

We take a look at a small press in Champaign, Illinois that publishes everyone from Herman Melville to Aldous Huxley, and brings modern European fiction to the USA in Arts Across Illinois.

We speak with two of Chicago's financial leaders -- the city budget director and comptroller -- about how they've overachieved their budget, and what's next for Chicago in 2012.

It's increasingly becoming the new doctor's office -- but without doctors. They are health clinics at retail stores. Eddie Arruza tells us why more people with everyday illnesses are opting to go to their local drugstore or big box chain for treatment.

A Chicago organization aims to dispel misperceptions about Islam and its followers through the power of television. Ash-har Quraishi talks to the organizers and shows us their plan.

Why do we gossip? And why are celebrities so much fun to talk about? We chat with the author of a new book that focuses on our love to gossip.

Chicago's Union Stockyards closed 40 years ago after handling more than a billion animals. We have some never-before-seen footage and interviews with workers on the last day.

Check Please! Host and Master Sommelier Alpana Singh joins us to talk about low-calorie holiday drinks, cost-effective champagne and hard ciders in Ask Alpana.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to avoid the kind of clashes with protesters that occurred at past G-8 and NATO Summits. Elizabeth Brackett and her panel look at the benefits and possible problems that await the city in May.

Does the new Inspector General of the Chicago City Council have the ability to fulfill his job description? We talk with the man himself to discuss the future of his new position.

Kris Kridel of WBBM Newsradio 780 and 105.9FM joins us to discuss the year's top business stories, including the protracted battle over corporate tax breaks.

The Bears' nosedive is complete after a punishing loss to the Seattle Seahawks. On our Bears Alumni Club, 1985 Super Bowl Bear Otis Wilson joins us, with all the lowlights and where the Bears go from here.

He's everywhere these days, taking requests and sitting for pictures, but being Santa Claus requires more than a big belly and a red suit. Eddie Arruza pays his own visit to the City of Chicago's Santa Claus and reports on some insider secrets.

Last week, we reported on an obscure state law that makes it a felony to make an audio recording of police actitivies without their consent. We asked what you think of the "eavesdropping" law. We read what some of you had to say in Viewer Mail.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.