>> Hello and thanks for joining us Chicago tonight.

I'm John and this friend is Freeman has the evening off.

Here's what we're looking at.

Calls for a full-scale review of the Chicago Police Department's use of force.

Chicago.

Cinco de Mayo Parade is canceled for a second straight year in organizer joins us to discuss that decision in the ongoing impact of immigration Forsman.

>> The city's recycling rate been stuck below 10% since 2016.

How that we explain the history of recycling Chicago.

To know who I am.

We will child kidnapper.

And we were visit our conversation with Stranger Things.

Star Jake Colony.

>> First off tonight to Chicagoans testified before members of Congress today.

my my thing was shot 5 times by a Border Patrol agent in Brighton Park last fall after federal agents collided with her vehicle's Reverend David Black also testified before the Homeland Security Committee.

He spoke about ICE agents fired pepper at him as he prayed outside an ice facility in Broadview.

>> What was done to me is only a reflection of what is being done to people in my community who have no hope it and no platform on a daily basis.

I witness the fear and the suffering of those who are being targeted by this violent campaign.

>> This is not a performance.

This is our lives we're going through it.

We were traumatized and we want accountability.

We want change in transparency.

That's it.

>> And international Workers Day is next week.

And members of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are calling on organizations to join a citywide rally at a news conference today.

The coalition and other groups outlined plans for a May day event.

It's a highly it's a holiday highlighting workers rights in the history of labor organizing organizers say immigration will also be a central focus citing the impact of Midway blitz and emphasizing the role immigrants play in the workforce.

Is calling on everyone who banded together in the past year against attacks on our communities to join ISIS.

Immigrant rights contingent on May.

First.

Mayday calls on all of us to stand together for fair wages.

>> Safe workplaces and dignity for every single Regardless of where they were born.

>> The rally is set for noon at Parc 5, 7, 8, about a mile from Union Park.

In a new class of first responders is making its mark one Paul at a time.

The four-legged teams and their handlers are now certified as therapy.

Canine units.

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart tales of Redemption program launched in 2018.

The initiative pairs at-risk dogs with detainees for retraining in adoption.

Now some of the dogs are being trained as crisis response therapy.

Animals and sent to police departments across Illinois.

Sheriff Dart says many of the dogs one space with euthanasia now have a new purpose helping others.

>> What they do when they get the dogs, yes, they can help on particular cases where you have a victim of a crime.

He's been traumatized therapy.

Dogs amazing.

We can work with law enforcement officers.

He's gone through trauma that can help as well.

But the other component all these different agencies will have the ability which will strongly suggests to utilize these dogs to go to your local.

Hospitals with the dog.

>> Up next, an annual Cinco de Mayo event is canceled for the second year in a row.

And organizer joins us right after this.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> It's significant increase in the number of times Chicago police use force against residents since 2022. mayor, it's a full-scale review.

That's according to the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Our Heather Sharon joins us now with more now.

Heather, this isn't the first time attorney general sounded the alarm about the number of times Chicago police officers are using force against members of the public.

Why are they can what's the concern here?

>> Well, according to CPD is own data.

Officers used force against members of the public more than 3,000 times in 2025.

Now that is nearly 36% increase since 2023.

The attorney general's office is especially concerned about increases in the uses of force against youth and the increase in the amount at the highest of force against members of the public.

Now, back in November, the attorney general's office first sounded the alarm about this increase, saying that it threatened the entire consent decree reform push, which of course, started more than 7 years ago.

>> And Heather, with his attorney general should happen now.

>> Well, they say a full-scale review would look at specific representative samples where officers used force against members of the public to determine was that force reasonable wasn't necessary.

Did officers follow CPD policy and tried to de-escalate the situation before of use of force was necessary.

They say that will allow them to figure out what if anything needs to be changed policy or maybe that officers need to be retrained And how did the Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snowy respond to the attorney general's demands?

He pushed back the city's top cop said that he was concerned such a review would not take into the account, the totality of the circumstances.

And he said officers are human.

They make mistakes and that he says the department is prepared to hold them accountable for mistakes.

But he does not want these instance to be taken out context.

Now superintendent Snelling can't stop this review under the terms of the federal court order.

But it's clear that there is distinct disagreement on why officers and if officers are using force more often the top cop says it's because officers are simply doing a better job reporting it to authorities.

And now the latest report on Cp's efforts to comply with the consent decree is out.

What did that?

What it what did they find?

Well, the CPD is now in full compliance with 25% of the consent decree.

Now, this agreement overall is designed to stop officers for routinely violating the civil rights of black and Latino Chicagoans.

It first went into effect in March 2019.

That tells you there's still a way to go before we reach that 100% Mark.

Well, thank you, Heather, for breaking that down for us.

Thanks, John.

A and you can read Heather's full story on our website.

It's all at W T Tw Dot com slash news.

>> W T Tw News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by the Joyce Foundation.

>> The annual Cinco De Mayo Parade is Chicago's Little Village community has been canceled for the second straight year because of concerns over immigration enforcement.

The parade typically draws hundreds of thousands of people to little village and provides a boost to let the local businesses.

Organizers say the decision to forego both the economic benefits in culture, celebration was difficult but necessary for a community that has faced scrutiny from the Trump administration.

Joining us is Hector school president of gusts up.

We have a lot in the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you, Hector, for joining us now.

Let's talk a little bit about this parade.

These 2 organizations, they put this parade.

Now, what when about making this decision?

I can imagine it was an easy one.

Yeah.

Well, first, thank you for inviting me >> No, was busy as took a while to decide if we keep going and doing festival and parade.

But Chris tense us Sen seen this new immigration enforcement with the New Department with a new head of the department going taken different tactics, tool.

Paco weigh in.

You know, they change.

They have us were was to Pepe Cups input, little flecks makes complex.

Iran, trucks and so to the skies them themselves into the community.

So because that recent we decide not keep going with that or festivities.

So you're saying that you started seeing that ice was using different tactics?

Yes, they're been doing it a matter of fact that.

>> One of are, yes, we're that we're targeting for the best 2 weeks was the border Little village and see so and targeting mostly.

He's been lit up elation and Gilson.

>> Yeah.

So tell me about how the decision come about.

Did you go to different community members?

Were you knocking doors?

How did you decide to we have to cancel?

>> Yeah, you should.

What we do.

We go around neighborhood where the party takes place from Ashland all the way to Marshall in their own we asked them.

What what what did he feel about the parade?

And so will this beautiful.

But the I don't think I want and that I mean, things are not that good.

So week has that thing that asked hundreds very many, many people because thousands boat out of her.

hundreds of thousands definitely.

In the thing, the business, I mean, business community gets harder to because they prepared.

Does that first event of the summer they that we have to tell them that that's not to some And I did want to talk about that because of businesses are going to be impacted.

You're talking about restaurants, stores.

>> People who want go out to the streets and sell their items.

So this is going to them hard.

The SDA that they did hit last year right times of the pandemic.

The Get the U.S.

trying recuperate from the pandemic.

>> Then immigration that started last year.

Now again, look changed different Department Homeland Security.

But the tactics, rest of races, people still there.

So we just have to very careful to say that the scale is a bit different of how they're targeting people.

They're not as you can't see them throughout the neighborhood as much.

Yes, you know that I could their load.

They were saying that like a coke with droughts, you know, with ice out and >> they hunted.

They're hunting Yeah.

And what was the feedback from people when you told them we're canceling those are people that were disappointed?

Yeah, very much there said.

people who could upend the said, well, you know, we cool Sussex portion of of having to can So I mean, what we said was very safety, people, people safe then sorry, that's the reality.

What did you love about putting this event together?

Well, actually takes a lot fix a lot of people to do it.

Then we 6, 7 months in advance to get to sponsors too, to see who is going to participate.

People from countries like Mexico.

formula.

There right to come and I know they're different presentations in the parade.

But, you know, at this point we had to play safe.

No Cinco de Mayo is a huge holiday for for Mexicans, especially for those who don't know.

>> Remind us a little bit about why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

>> Well, it was the war actually friends tried to take over Mexico because tried make some money from the Mexican government.

So and with that situation day, so they cannot pay.

So we're gonna do with taken to take over the country so they send floats through Veracruz, Mexico, but they were stopped in Florida.

My home and you know, because that thing all the voice will be in a French now and that from Mexico into United we stopped them.

right that point, the story is so interesting.

I know we were talking about that.

>> You know, Chicago is known to almost 70% of the population is Mexican living here in Chicago.

And we know the parade has been going on.

You mentioned since the 70's, yes.

How important was it at that time when parade for started?

>> Well, you season we had so many cultural, a par some of that by a single them IU September 16.

But single them it was more we trained to do in diversity fight about September's Heastie making sure what was the difference September in May in one of the things, some and some points what they were trained to the commercial.

So we're just trying to cultural just focus in cup and the community in care of our old That might mean that have real and judgment without something where one can come together is is is it a bit Saturday disappointing for you, too.

>> To know that you you can't have this event.

This parade.

Well, of course, I mean, not only that it you can that have many events?

I mean, this is more than 1000 people that it is a lot with 200,000 people.

That's that's the money can imagine is frustrating.

Yes, very much so.

But you know what?

most important take care of people then making money and Alyssa's.

That's that's a good reason.

I know this is far away.

But are you hoping the maybe next year you'll take another look and hopefully can bring it back?

Well, we things are different next year.

So we'll be glad needed no matter what we want to plan didn't see.

Hopefully the think you have thank you for joining us and thank you very much.

Back with more in a moment.

So don't go away.

>> Reflecting the people perspectives that make up This story is part of Chicago tonight.

Not the >> Chicago and celebrate Earth Day today by participating in cleanup events across the city.

One area where Chicago has historically struggled in terms of waste management has been its recycling rate.

Tonight, we explain the city's tortured relationship with the process.

Here's Patty.

What Lee with more.

>> Chicago >> be a world-class city when it comes to recycling.

Let's just say it isn't winning any The city's recycling rate has been stuck below 10% since 2016.

How bad is that?

Will places like San Francisco in LA clean 8 their way said of Landfill.

So what went wrong here?

Let's take a deep dumpster dive flashback to the 1990, Chicago's first try recycling was the bag program along with the usual charges of corruption in the program had a serious image problem when people, some blue bags recycling collected in the same trucks, trash.

>> Chicago and smelled a rat.

Was anything actually being recycled.

>> Blue bags were scrapped and fast forward to 2007 when the city pulled up cards only to residences with 14 hits or fewer.

Tough luck fire risers first blue cart.

Recycling seemed easy instead of separating paper or plastic, aluminum glass, everything goes into a single This method is called single stream where the sorting happens on the back end single stream is popular because it's simple, but it has some major flaws.

For starters, some people took everything goes a little too literally tossing things like bowling and lumber into their carts, which for the record are not recyclable.

>> Another problem with single stream is contamination contamination, Moon and entire load recyclable.

That's where the most successful programs separate waste when the city tried to stop contamination, recycling got more complicated.

Lots of things can't go in the cart.

>> Chicagoans smelled rat again.

Is anything actually being recycled?

>> The city is trying to take this runaway recycling train back on track.

>> Including 2017 back to basics campaign and a new vendor contract.

But is it too little too late?

The market for recyclables plummeted and the future of waste management is looking more and more like compost maybe this time Chicago will get right.

>> And you can see more of our wbtw news explains series on our website.

That's W 2 D W Dot com Slash explains.

And that made its spinoff of Stranger Things Premiers on Netflix tomorrow.

The series is called Stranger Things.

Tales from 85 and it takes place between season 2, 3 of the original series which wrapped up late last year.

We recently spoke with one of the breakout stars from the final season who is also a Chicago native.

Here's Nick Bloomberg with another look at that conversation.

>> It may be hard to believe, but the phenomenon that is Stranger Things premiered a decade ago.

The epic saga just came to a close after 5 seasons, the most recent 5th season introduced us to a new character who quickly became a fan favorite Derrick Turnbow, affectionately known as delightful Derek and less affectionately known by nickname We won't repeat here.

>> As you continue breathing, I want you to picture yourself on The water is moving blue as this summer.

If you listen to it, lacked the scene, the shore we could dog slurping from school.

It's called official La Station.

Mom doesn't when she's out of allium.

>> They had to the play's.

Derek, the comic relief turn protecting us.

Chicago area native Jake Connelly and he joins us now.

Thanks for being here.

Appreciate it.

Thank you so much for having me.

It's an honor to be here.

I've always been a lifelong Wtd W fan.

Thank you.

We would have booked you anyway, but we appreciate You know, so before doing stranger things you've Falco window commercial.

You've done a short film have what's it like now to be part of such a high-profile show?

>> I've actually I really did enjoy being on some smaller productions because that was really just dipping my toes into the water doing a couple foco commercials here and there and that short film was definitely a great way get double into Chicago film industry, which I'm really huge fan have.

But that was a really good way to do with my toes in.

And I really enjoyed that to be able to help me lead into this bigger, huge project.

Yeah, I can imagine it might have an overwhelming to jump into without having something beforehand for sure.

Yes, you see you are just a few years old.

We mentioned stranger Things was premiered about a decade ago.

Are you a fan of the show before you got the role?

>> Actually, my family and I you know, my mom and dad, we they both grew up in the 80's and they were huge fans of the show even before I was able to watch it.

But finally, one season for came out.

They were like, yeah, you're good to her brother and I I really fell in love with I was just so amazed.

But I actually got the audition for it.

Let alone being on the project itself.

That's great.

>> You know, while you were filming season 5, you are around the age that a lot of the original cast was back when they were filming season one.

Did you get any advice from them kind of on how to handle the attention that comes with something like stranger things during the table.

Read worry week when we are actually beginning to start to read the scripts million Bobby Brown and her boyfriend at the time.

Jake Bon Jovi.

>> They gave me some amazing advice.

you know, we are about to go get food and she's coming over during huge pink Humvee.

Tuesday Moos.

Amazing advice.

And she said, Jake, if you need anything, you can always come to me and make sure that if you need help and get help in, I'm always there for you and just make sure that we know that you we've been in your shoes before.

We know how nervous it is getting on to a new set, especially as a younger actor.

Yeah, specially and coming in when they've already been established for so many seasons that that's great that they were looking out for you.

>> You know, so Derek starts off the season is kind of a bully.

But, you know, pretty soon he shows there's a lot more to himself.

And that was it fun to play that character to sort of get to play that turn?

I feel like the duality of it was a really fun concept and I really enjoy acting because I get to see how life is in another person's shoes.

But it was actually a very interesting experience to be able to play what was pretty much 2 characters in one because Derek is just heat.

I underwent so much change throughout the entire season.

You know, it was really fun.

Experience.

So, you know, we were just talking about the 1980's stranger things full of 80's nostalgia, 80's references.

Do you have a favorite 80's movie?

Oh, that is a tough one.

But I've always been a big fan of the lost boys.

My parents, you know, since the year of 80's, they know all the good classics, you know, stand by me.

The Goonies, all those.

It's a really kind of a 3 way tie between those.

But I would say the loss was comes on top of So so you are in Georgia for about a year filming season.

What did you miss most about Chicago while you were away?

I think I would say the food here in Chicago assist unbeatable.

You know, you never get pizza quite like you do in Chicago with tavern style deep dish, whatever it is, it's always so amazing.

And I just really miss the it all the foods and Compher foods of Italian beef and eat this piece is that.

Are Chicago classics for a reason?

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

So that's what you missed.

What was your favorite part of being on the shoot?

I imagine it could be almost production at this scale.

I really enjoyed the amount of practical effects where they actually did explosions and he even late people on fire for real, with protective gels and all that in that one military seen it was very interesting to see with people flying Yeah, very amazing to see all those practical facts.

Instead of all CGI.

All right.

So you're gone for a year.

So what did you tell your friends you're doing while you are away?

So actually, I had told my friends that I was and a sack humanity as home.

I didn't know many people who had that many follow-up questions to man okay.

But you know what?

If they thought they pass that once they found out what you're actually up, 200 folks A couple of my friends are kind of disappointed.

The man is documentary wasn't coming.

I would like to see Yeah.

I think everybody they were just made me feel so supported.

I'm just so glad that I have a strong backbone of my family and friends that really made me feel good about the work that we did.

And I'm really glad to have that.

Yeah, so I know you also you play football baseball, you practiced karate.

How did you get interested in enacting in addition to I feel like that.

with sports, you know, I did Arlington Cowboys, football and Arlen tonight, some the Arlington Heights Kids, Karate Club.

All of that really builds the amount of discipline that you need to be able to be an actor because it is very tough in some situations.

And as long as you're prepared, it's definitely a fun experience.

But you got to make sure you have that preparation before you can actually have all the fun of it.

Yeah, and it sounds like you've got some of that team environment on the set as well for sure.

Yeah.

Just being in sports incur it definitely helps me bill.

That sense of teamwork that, you know, it's teamwork makes the dream work one broken.

The whole machine is broken.

Are you still interested in pursuing acting roles?

Are there other things you want to try right now?

I'm I'm just signed on to be doing it in the film here in Northern Illinois, which is really exciting because I love supporting Chicago from industry.

Now, that's her phone that I had done was really great.

We filmed here in Chicago.

It premiered at this Gene Siskel Film Center, which that was really exciting to see myself up on the big screen for the first time.

But I'm just really looking forward to doing a couple more things in the Chicago area and yeah, just exploring all my opportunities.

I can find.

All right.

Well, as a lot of fun watching you in the season Jahana Thanks so much for joining us.

Such an honor to be here.

Thank you guys so much.

So Lee.

We're back with more right after this.

I-70 to finish some of the past 2 injured things season.

So I got some talking.

>> And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter.

The Daily Chicago in an urban nature at Www Dot com Slash newsletter and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

Now Chicago has seen heavy rainfall so far this spring.

A look at the impact flooding is having on the region now from all of us here Chicago tonight, I'm John, that man this.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

>> Good night.

>> Woes captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and flipped law offices Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death for that is a multi-lingual law firm