On The 21st: Despite demand in the labor market for the skills that trade schools provide, many parents and teachers still push for four-year college. Wes Aymer in Springfield wants to change the perception around trade school. Plus we discuss ways to exercise and eat smarter in the new year. But first, with the new year comes new laws. This year, more than 250 new laws took effect here in Illinois. Which do you need to know about? 

In this week's Legal Issues in the News the University of Illinois College of Law's Bob Lawless looks at what happens when laws change. 

On the 21st: With more people in the U.S. in need of effective and affordable drug addiction treatment, what are the most important things you should know when looking for a provider? Plus, we round up some of the new state laws that took effect this week, and preview this Sunday's Golden Globes.

In response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s order for a 10-day special session, the General Assembly returned to Springfield this week to focus on crafting a budget. Three weeks ago, legislators tried to beat the end of the official spring legislative session and worked to pass measures on a wide range of issues.

The state still doesn’t have a budget. A stopgap spending plan, which was approved over the summer, will end on January 1, leaving social service agencies, institutions of higher education and others in the lurch. But, in the past year, legislators did approve hundreds of pieces of legislation, which the governor signed. Nearly 200 laws will go into effect at the start of the new year — close to the number that went into effect at the start of each of the past three years.