Just weeks before Gov. Pat Quinn is set to make his budget address, government watchdog group The Civic Federation releases a proposal it says will balance the state’s budget. The plan would pay down the state’s backlog, but would impose a tax on pension and social security income. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall and State Director for AARP Illinois Bob Gallo discuss how the proposal could affect retirees. Read the full report.

The majority of Chicago Public Schools students in 3rd-8th grade are taking the ISAT test this week, though parent groups who oppose the test say the number of students who have opted out of the test continues to rise. Elizabeth Brackett reports. Watch a web extra video interview with Sarah Chambers, a teacher at Saucedo Scholastic Academy.

The first wave of concealed carry licenses in Illinois are ready to be printed and sent to their new owners. Brandis Friedman has an update on the process.

As the March 31st deadline for Affordable Care Act enrollment draws closer, we check in with Illinois Deputy Governor Cristal Thomas and director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, about the number of state residents enrolled and the final month of the program. Read an article.

Sting talks to us 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.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Sheriff Tom Dart are being sued for an alleged culture of brutality and violence at Cook County Jail. Paris Schutz has the details.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy joins us to discuss the increased use of the so-called Hug-A-Thug interventions, whether the severe weather has played a role in Chicago’s declining crime rate, and the impact that the capture of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán may have on drugs and gangs in Chicago.

Illinois is now rated as the least credit-worthy state in the nation. It seems increasingly likely that some form of state tax reform must be a part of any plan to address the state’s long-term fiscal woes. But what type of reform? State Rep. David McSweeney and State Rep. Christian Mitchell debate the merits of a progressive vs. a flat tax. View an infographic from Reboot Illinois for a nationwide overview on taxes.

New research shows that the combination of mentoring and intensive tutoring can make up for three years' worth of lost learning for 9th and 10th grade boys who were previously at risk of dropping out down the road. Brandis Friedman has the story. Read an article and watch a web extra video.

Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman joins us with a sneak peek at the 2014 season. Read more about the concert season.

The Civil War is remembered through art and literature that capture the American spirit on the Northern home front. We revisit a preview of The Newberry Library's exhibit, Home Front: Daily Life in the Civil War North. A book of the same title is a companion volume to the collaborative exhibition. Read an excerpt.

We share what you had to say about our conversation with Mark Caro of the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire on the life and legacy of Harold Ramis and the skyrocketing pothole claims in the city when we read some of our viewer feedback.

The brutal winter has led to skyrocketing pothole claims in the city. What can residents do? And when will they be filled? Paris Schutz has the story. View the city's Pothole Tracker map to see where potholes have been patched in the last seven days.