Milt Rosenberg Hark!

Oh, Chicago. Where did we go wrong? With our shocking fiscal crisis, looming and potentially crippling property tax hikes, rampant crime, out flight of businesses and youth, crumbling infrastructure, education system mired in corruption and under performance, rising cost-of-living...the list of ills goes on and on.

What can Chicago teach the rest of the nation? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Here we diagnose the patient and, hopefully, suggest a way out of the mess for our beloved yet beleaguered city.

Ted Dabrowski of the Illinois Policy Institute has been studying this issue in depth and joins us alongside Donald Haider, a one-time mayoral candidate and esteemed professor at Northwesterns Kellogg School of Management.

Interesting to this conversation is the input of our listeners. Some think our days are numbered. Others see a bright future for this beautiful town.

(Cartoon courtesy of Eric Allie. Even more of Mr. Allies work here)

Richard Lindberg is one of the foremost authorities on Chicago history. Hes written multiple, fine books on some of the lost history of this city. In his latest book, Gangland Chicago, Richard talks gangsters. From the organized crime outfits to vice to booze and gambling and all that these endeavors entail, this is the book you need to read if youve ever been interested in crime. Chicagos done it as well as any other city. Lindberg tells this fascinating story from the beginning, when Chicago was a nothing town, all the way up through the modern-day street gangs and organized cartels involved in the drug game.

Joining Lindberg is one of our favorite guests, John Drummond. John is a legendary newsman who knew of all of the crooks and bosses during his day and is still keeping up with it.

After the thoroughly depressing and emotionally exhausting events from Paris last week and lengthy discussions of them this week, we turned to one of our refuges--movies. Here we talk about some of the greatest directors. Were joined in studio by our mainstay of film talks, John Kupetz of Medill and the College of Lake County, and welcome a newcomer, Kyle Richard Henry of Northwestern. As always, we examine some classic moments from numerous films.

On this show we again investigate the events of another devastating attack on the French capitol. Were joined in studio by W. Rand Smith of Lake Forest College, a political scientist who studies French politics and Daniel S. Kamin, adjunct professor of International Relations at DePaul.

Via phone we check in with Fred Kagan of American Enterprise Institute and Fred Burton, VP of Intel at Stratfor.

Like the rest of the civilized world, we were horrified by the weekends events in Paris. Immediately we moved to bring you the most sober and informed analysis possible.

In this episode, were joined by to fine academics who study terror and its machinations--John Allen Williams of Loyola and Barry Kellman of DePaul--in studio. Via phone we talk to Daniel Greenfield, who has some very strong assertions toward Islam and the role of the faith in terror and the inimitable Victor Davis Hanson, who had a timely article on the tragedy.

What began as a show on the political world at large and the insanity on the campuses (campi?) of American colleges quickly turned into a discussion of the events in Paris, again, following the attacks on a concert venue and other locations Friday evening last. Charles Lipson of the University of Chicago and Richard Baehr, both members of our Political A-Team, were with us on all topics. Also joining was Michael Barone, Fox News contributor and Washington Examiner political correspondent. This is a topic we will cover in depth over the coming days.