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Local students join in nationwide protests over access to gun control. House Speaker Michael Madigan grapples with the #MeToo movement. And a new milestone in the race for governor.

Chicago reels after highly regarded Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer is killed. House Speaker Michael Madigan comes under fire. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget pitch to lawmakers falls flat. 

From City Hall to the halls of Congress, 2017 has been a transformative year. Chicago Tonight recaps the top stories of the year.

Trump says there’s “no excuse” for hundreds of Chicago shootings. Mayor Emanuel proposes a municipal ID program for undocumented immigrants. Rauner launches a campaign ad, while Democrats push their own “comeback agenda.” 

Trump again takes aim at Chicago violence while Oprah mulls a presidential run. The Illinois Senate’s budget “grand bargain” hits a big snag. CPS may be cutting classes. And Northwestern’s buzzer beater could lead to the Big Dance.

Eddie Arruza and and guests discuss the mayor's support for Eddie Johnson as police superintendent, Dennis Hastert's apology and other top stories of the week.

Thousands of Chicago public school teachers and supporters took to the streets Friday for a one-day strike. Pickets and protests were held all around the city. Eddie Arruza and his guests talk about the strike and other big news on this week’s edition of the Week in Review.

One of the most sizable redesigns of the Chicago lakefront is underway at Fullerton Avenue beach, and the change is predicted to be eye-popping. By next summer, everyone passing through the area will have a lot more breathing, sunning, and picnicking room. Chicago Tonight's Eddie Arruza has the story.

Trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade in 1993.

The famed frenzy of open outcry trading that filled the Chicago Board of Trade’s pits for more than 80 years will cease Monday. The closure of most of the futures pits comes as most futures are traded electronically these days. Eddie Arruza visited the CBOT and has the latest.  

Eddie Arruza and his panelists discuss the national trend of decriminalization of marijuana, and the likelihood of Governor Bruce Rauner signing it into law here in Illinois. 

Eddie Arruza and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top stories on Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review. Headline topics include Mayor Emanuel's second-term agenda, the problematic Peoples' Gas main replacement program, and the fight for $15 minimum wage. 

J.B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

The Museum of Science and Industry premieres a new national touring exhibit that explores how robots, created by human ingenuity, will ultimately be our companions and colleagues, changing how we play, live, and work together.

Film director Spike Lee is giving few clues into the approach he'll take with his controversially titled Chiraq. But at a press conference this morning outside St. Sabina Church on the South Side, Lee did say “Chicago will survive” his take on the city’s violence that has made international headlines. We hear from the controversial director and some victims’ relatives about their support for Lee’s film which is currently in preproduction in Chicago.

Chicago Tonight Participates in Chicago Community Trust Initiative

As part of the Chicago Community Trust’s On The Table, Chicago Tonight correspondents Eddie Arruza, Elizabeth Brackett, and Brandis Friedman hosted dinners with area residents on Tuesday. We hear from them and the dinner guests about the conversations they shared.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been lobbying hard for a Chicago casino ostensibly to help tackle the city's pension and budget woes. Meanwhile, state Rep. Bob Rita is sponsoring two bills that would create as many as five new casinos in Illinois, one of which would be a mega casino in Chicago. How would a casino in Chicago impact the city? And how would it affect existing state casinos? 

In 2011, the Chicago Park District bought 20 acres of land on the city's north side. The plot of land had sat unused and untended for many years. Nearly four years later, work on the nature preserve is moving quickly with a scheduled unveiling set for this summer. We get a preview.