Wednesday, December 14, 2005

City Council Developments
Only one new tax in the $5.2 billion Chicago budget passed by the City Council today. Cigarette smokers get hit with a 20-cent increase but all other taxes remain stable. Revenues and interest from the sale of the Chicago Skyway helped balance the budget as did restructuring the city's debt. Elizabeth Brackett reports on today's council meeting.

News Analysis with Phil Ponce
It's been 24 hours since aviation officials re-opened runway 31c following last Thursday's Southwest Airlines accident. Phil Ponce and his panel look at just how safe Midway Airport is in the wake of last week's tragedy.

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Blind Justice
Retired Cook County Judge Nicholas Pomaro will likely never add White Sox GM to his resume but that won't take away from his distinguished career. Eddie Arruza has the story of the blind judge and the crusade he's taken on in his retirement. Click here for Lighthouse for the Blind.

Letters to Santa
Chicago's main post office gets 12,000 letters a year written by needy families to Santa Claus. We'll read some of them and let you know how you can help make Christmas happier for those less fortunate. To help, call the Santa hotline at 312-983-TOYS (8697).

Vanilla Factory
Some of the finest vanilla beans in the world are processed right here in Illinois at the Nielsen-Massey factory. We'll have a behind-the-scenes look at the local plant that's home to a different kind of bean counter.

Chris Elliot
You know him from TV shows like "David Letterman" and "Get a Life". Chris Elliott has a new life as an author. He'll be here to talk about his career and his new comic novel.

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