Inside Chicago Government

How the General Assembly's "ladies of the lake" resisted pork; the mayor's interference in the free market of property development; and who owns the property on the land where the city wants to build an arena. Length 5.2 minutes.

How an almost-dead TIF district can rob from its younger neighbor; what makes the arena/hotel plan a tax-losing proposition; and Mayor Daley's last-minute raid on the area's TIF funds. Length 5.2 minutes.

CPS's statutory obligation to retain policy-related records; whether the Emanuel or the Daley administration responded better to records requests; and the chances of aldermanic efforts to strengthen the inspector general. Length 5.7 minutes.

How one might get one's kids into the Lab School; why Lab teachers didn't join the Chicago Teachers Union; and whether Mayor Emanuel and others involved in school policy should explain why their kids don't attend public school. Length 5 minutes.

How Lincoln Park H.S.'s diverse set of programs created an integrated student body; parents' perception of the International Baccalaureate "brand"; and when the mayor chooses to supercede a contract. Length 11.9 minutes.

The multiple freebies and discounts the Sox organization gets while using the ballpark; the nobility of rainmaker Gov. Thompson; and whether the White Sox could survive financially without taxpayer subsidies. Length 14 minutes.

Mayor Bilandic's disregard for black voters; a clear contrast in Mayor Emanuel's treatment of black and white constituencies; and citizens' attitudes about government polices based on their distance from the destructive impact. Length 15.8 minutes.

How a crowded school with low-income students can perform well; how the administration has transformed its school-closing message; and who closing schools evolved from decades-old segregation. Length 14.1 minutes.

Overcrowding at the city's remaining mental health clinics; the worst time to remove mental health services for Chicago's kids; and how aldermen cling to a greater power. Length 15.5 minutes.

At what age adults should let kids read violently or sexually explicit books; CPS curriculum professionals undermined by CPS administrators; and CPS's previous book purge. Length 16.5 minutes.