We revisit a conversation with Sting about his riskiest project to date – writing the upcoming musical The Last Ship, inspired by the shipyard in his hometown of Wallsend, England. Read a blog, watch a web extra video, and view a photo gallery.

We share what you had to say about our discussion with Ald. George Cardenas on the city's proposed plastic bag ban when we read some of our viewer feedback.

Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his annual state budget address. Paris Schutz has the details from Springfield. Read an article and watch Quinn's full address.

Making the income tax increase permanent, a property tax relief, and adding $50 million to a monetary assistance program for college students in Illinois will all be addressed during Gov. Pat Quinn budget speech. Carol Marin talks with Sen. Kirk Dillard from Springfield, and then analyzes the budget address with her panel of guests. View graphics of Quinn's 2015 budget.

Just three of the nearly 50 school buildings closed by Chicago Public Schools last year are now occupied again, though CPS says charter schools could move into the closed buildings if the community approves. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Read an article.

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that Northwestern University football players are employees and can unionize. Sports attorney and IIT Chicago-Kent adjunct professor Eldon L. Ham joins us to talk about the NLRB ruling. Read an interview with Chicago Sun-Times Sports Columnist and former Northwestern University football player Rick Telander about the ruling.

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Eliza Fournier joins us to talk about spring gardening. She brings tips and reminders on how to clear out the damage from a long Chicago winter and prepare for bountiful seasons ahead.

Could Illinois voters put an end to gerrymandering of districts? We have the details on why one campaign says it could happen this year. Read an article, watch a video, and view a map detailing how each state approaches the redistricting process.

The Affordable Care Act requires that employers provide health care to employees - including contraception at no cost. This is a problem for a number of business owners for religious reasons and they are taking their fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, justices hear oral arguments from two such businesses. We discuss the arguments and future implications. View a timeline on the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation cases.

Is the city about to join San Francisco and nearly 100 other cities across the country in passing a ban on plastic bags? We discuss the proposed ban with Ald. George Cardenas, chairman of the Committee on Health and Environmental Protection, who today held hearings on the issue and says he has the City Council votes to pass a ban.

Vaccinations for children have recently come up in the news with some celebrity moms opting out of vaccinating their kids and pointing to a potential relationship between additives in certain vaccines and autism. We talk with Dr. Adannia Enyioha of Rush University's Medical Center and Dr. Melanie Brown of Comer Children’s Hospital about vaccinations and the controversy surrounding the headlines. Read an article featuring voices from moms on both sides of the vaccination spectrum, and view a graphic of the CDC's recommended immunization schedule.

People who have been out of work for more than six months have a harder time getting hired again. Brandis Friedman has the story of a Chicago-based nonprofit ahead of the curve in helping those workers get back to work, and the support it’s getting from the White House. Read an article.

We preview the surprisingly varied work of American artist John Singer Sargent through The Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection. Known as the great American portrait artist, Sargent was a prodigy whose many talents extended beyond his reputation. View a slideshow of Sargent's artwork.