Another mass shooting downtown, Chicago's 62nd, ruins the annual Christmas tree lighting event. Chicago leaders were aware of the teen gathering for the event. Did political leaders do enough to prevent the shooting? How did Mayor Johnson react? The good folks at WBEZ published an article revealing an increase in Chicago Police pointing their weapons at people.

Is this a problem? With CPD suffering an increase in attacks with a firearm, is it a surprise officers are forced to remove their firearms more often?

Rob Reiter, who heads the Chicago Federation of Labor, is calling on aldermen to consider an increase to property taxes to solve the budget impasse. Is Reiter thinking out loud or is this part of City Hall's strategy to move budget discussions forward?

Mayor Johnson suffered a humiliating defeat when the Finance Cmte. overwhelmingly rejected his tax package. The mayor was defiant after the loss and placed the onus for a solution on aldermen. Will aldermen cave, find a compromise, or will there be a stalemate? After a horrific crime on the CTA, questions about a secure, safe public transit system have reemerged.

The mayor insists a repeat offender setting a woman on fire is an isolated incident. Is the CTA safe? What is the mayor's solution to save the CTA after this crime? A fixture in Chicago politics, Maria Pappas, has thrown her hat into the ring for mayor. What does Ms. Pappas bring to the table? Our venerable panel will discuss.

An OIG report revealed CPS employees spent freely on unnecessary trips. Why would CPS employees need to travel abroad? Is this waste, fraud, and abuse the norm at the district? As federal agents reduce their footprint in Chicago, a controversy has developed over what impact their presence had on crime in the city. Have federal agents contributed to

lower crime rates? The GOP is essentially non- existent in Chicago. We'll discuss the state of the Republican Party in Chicago.

NYC voted in a socialist to the mayor's office. What are the parallels between Mayor Johnson and Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani? After four terms in the U.S. House, 4th District congressman, Chuy Garcia, will step down. A dark-of-the-night decision, Chuy anointed a top staffer to succeed him. Was Chuy citing health concerns legitimate or did the Little Village congressman deceive voters? What did Chuy accomplish in his four terms on Capitol Hill?

In a brilliant essay published in Contrarian, Paul Vallas describes how progressives have adopted a policy of replacing residents who exit the state with illegal immigrants. The results of the this policy, Vallas says, will be catastrophic for the state.

Mayor Brandon Johnson objected to the use of the term "illegal alien" at a press conference last weekend. After rebuking the reporter, Johnson followed days later by invoking slavery.

What is Johnson's purpose? Students at two Chicago public schools staged a walkout last week over ICE immigration operations in Chicago. Where would students, some as young as 14, get the idea to protest a political issue? Is this part of a pattern? What role did the CORE caucus or media play in the student walkout?

Social media influencer and Progressive candidate for the 9th congressional district Kat Abughazaleh was indicted for allegedly obstructing federal agents at the ICE facility in Broadview. Is Kat in serious trouble? How will this affect her campaign for Congress?

On today's episode, panelists will explore the meaning behind the "No Kings" rally in Chicago. What was the purpose, if any, and how many truly showed. Governor JB Pritzker poured cold water all over Mayor Johnson's proposed Head Tax. The governor, who is no fan of Chicago, claimed it's a job killer.

Is Mr. Pritzker on to something? Chicago Teachers Union Grand Poohbah Stacy Davis Gates was elected to lead the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

How will her assuming control over the IFT affect education statewide? How will suburban and downstate schools take to her style of leadership? Will Stacy do the same damage to state schools as she has done to Chicago public schools?

Mayor Johnson unveiled his 2026 budget, the "Protecting Chicago" spending plan. Unsurprisingly, the budget is awash in tax increases. How will his proposals impact residents and businesses?

The mayor has often stated his progressive policies are the singular reason for reductions in crime. While crime has fallen, the drops to crime Chicago has experienced began in January 2025.

Are Mayor Johnson's policies the reason for crime's decline, or are there other factors? Alderman Raymond Lopez is proposing conditional amnesty for illegal immigrants. Is amnesty worth considering at this point?

The Chicago City Council weighed a resolution calling for an apology for slavery. In Paul Vallas' reasoned response, the former mayoral candidate says if any apology is to be delivered, it should be Democrats offering contrition for policies which have crushed Chicago's black community.

ICE agents were assaulted by anti-ICE activists. What unfolded was the norm for progressive lawmakers: Denial of a problem, inflammatory comments about ICE operations, and no condemnation of protesters. Respected Chicago businessman Willie Wilson wrote a thoughtful piece in the Tribune.

Is Jim Crow returning to the Windy City? Maria Pappas' poll says she has an advantage over likely mayoral candidates. It also reveals Mayor Johnson has lost the lakefront and support among blacks and Hispanics in Chicago. We will discuss.

The Chicago Teacher Union memorialized a convicted cop killer on its official X account. The union faced a heated backlash but did not delete the message. Chicago media is in the midst of publishing a cascade of pro-illegal immigration articles.

How much influence does Chicago media have in shaping public opinion on this issue? Danny Davis will leave his seat in Congress in January 2027. For the first time in decades, the 7th District seat is open. 16 primary candidates have lined up to succeed Davis. The panel will discuss the race.

Restaurants in Chicago are suffering. A major part of the city's economy, what is provoking the decline? The industry barely recovered post-COVID.

Is there a pathway for restaurants to flourish again? Last week, Mayor Johnson defined law enforcement a "sickness. " What did the mayor mean? Was the mayor misunderstood, caught in an unscripted moment, or was the mayor revealing his true view of police, the prosecution of crime, courts and the prison system?

The mayor's comments caused a backlash from supporters of Chicago Police and evinced a response from State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke.

We will discuss. The Chicago Public Schools sacked its network chiefs and all assistants. Though this was presented as a cost-cutting measure to save millions in the troubled school system, employees can reapply for their jobs. Were the firings carried out in