>> Well, one thing's for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> We had to start this war.

You just said 60 days ago.

The war in Iran reaches the 60 day Mark.

Well, President Trump need congressional approval going forward.

And the onion and Info wars, strange pairing.

But the Chicago based satirical site finally has a deal to take over.

Alex Jones, far-right former platform.

>> First off tonight, the U.S.

Supreme Court strikes a blow to racially based redistricting.

>> The case came from Louisiana where the population is about one-third black.

It had just one can congressional districts out of 6 with the majority of black voters.

A lower court had ordered them out to be redrawn, to include 2 black majority districts.

Now, the Supreme Court says that order was unconstitutional.

The 3 liberal justices dissented and said in the words of Justice, Elena Kagan, that minority citizens in Louisiana and elsewhere may quote, no longer have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

Florida lawmakers quickly acted to pass a new congressional map today that could lead to 4 more Republican leaning districts there.

Democrats and others are expected to challenge that map in court.

Governor JB Pritzker is sounding off on a judge's decision to release to defend a defendant on electronic monitoring the defendant.

Alfonso tally is now facing charges that he allegedly shot 2 Chicago police officers, one of them fatally Pritzker, though, stop short of blaming the state's safety act, which ended cash bail.

>> As you've seen in most of the cases where Republicans have complained about the safety.

actually been bad decision by a an elected judge in Illinois or up or no hearing at all.

Because the prosecutor didn't bring it to the judge.

And that has been a reason why somebody gets let out a judge can make this decision.

A judge should have made the decision to keep that person in jail.

>> According to reports, Talley had an arrest warrant pending for violating his electronic monitoring before Saturday shooting at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Pritzker's comments come a day after Cook County State's attorney called out electronic monitoring calling the system broken.

Chicago Officer John Bartholomew was killed in Saturday's shooting and another officer remains in critical condition.

Spending on overtime costs.

Chicago taxpayers a little less than 2025.

Compared to the year before W T Tw News analysis shows the city spent over 544 million dollars on employee overtime.

That's more than 6% less than in 2024, about half of that amount was to pay Chicago police officers for working extra hours for 2026.

CPD has budgeted 200 million dollars for OT but already spent nearly 61 million of that in the first 3 months of 2026. to finish on budget.

The department have to reduce spending on overtime by 30%.

The case of the so-called Broadview 6 is getting a downgrade.

Federal prosecutors have dismissed the felony conspiracy charges against the remaining 4 people still facing charges related to their protests against immigration enforcement efforts at the ICE facility in Broadview.

The government says the instead intent to file only misdemeanor charges against former political candidate, Qatar because Ali and others, many of whom are either local elected officials or were candidates for local office.

The case had been among the highest profile incident stemming from the Trump administration's operation.

Midway Blitz last fall in a social media statement because Ali says, quote, This is a huge win.

This case has cost myself and others in measurable amounts of stress, money and opportunity.

Who doesn't love a baby rhino.

A few Lincoln Park Zoo supporters got the first look at baby has Ina mom.

Kabuki gave birth to his unit on March.

19th.

The little clocked in at get this 60 pounds when she was born and is now around 130 pounds.

That's good.

She can pack on about 100 pounds a month eastern black rhinoceros is are critically endangered species due to poaching.

But efforts in the last 25 years have boosted their population to around 1000 mature individuals in the wild.

A look at the war in Iran 60 days since it first began.

That's 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.

>> This week marks 60 days since the start of the war in Iran.

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

The president needs congressional approval to continue military action after 60 days, though, he is allowed an additional 30 day extension.

The U.S.

and Iran are in negotiations after the 2 countries agreed to a cease-fire.

However, President Donald Trump has made threats of further escalation after rejecting a potential agreement earlier today.

Joining us to talk about all of this are Ibrahim Abu Sharif, journalism and Middle Eastern studies, professor at Northwestern University and author of Social Media, Religious Authority and the Arab Gulf Crisis.

Richard Porter, an attorney and longtime member of the Republican National Committee from Illinois.

He was a White House adviser to President George HW Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle and Ralph Donaldson, professor of law the fee at the Chicago can't College of law with a specialization in constitutional law.

Gentleman, welcome back.

Thanks for joining us.

Richard, let's start with you first.

Where would you say negotiations stand right now between White House and Iran?

I think that what we're looking for is a surrender essentially.

so I don't really think I think the negotiation is window dressing or they want to give the Iranians some face Saving avenue out by Green.

>> To basically surrender.

look, surrender worked out well for Japan after World War.

2.

It's the right move for Ron.

The RIAA was crashing today.

It's almost worthless.

They always run out of space to hold the oil that they've been pumping once they run out of space.

They have to cap out those well as it could have real damage to the petroleum industry in the run.

So it's time for Iran to smell the coffee and agree to some terms.

The president has said they're going cry uncle what is what is his strategy here?

His strategy is to really lean on them.

He's got got he's got them on the ground and they're pinned and he's slowly choking at out until they realize that they've got tap it out.

They can tap floor, be done with for him.

>> I have a different point of view on the I negotiations has nothing to surrender.

What it does he going to give our takes the Iranians are more willing give up?

I think nuclear ambitions, although they will not get released their right to have nuclear enrichment.

So I think that we're looking at messaging here.

That's erratic.

mean, one point Donald Trump is seems conciliatory.

Another point he was surrender.

And so I don't think that we can read the situation simply by what the White House puts out.

What the what those at the apex of American political military power are saying because the messages are are mixed.

So I don't think Iran is going to surrender.

If this is what they're waiting for, they'll be waiting for According to a Reuters poll, just 34% of Americans approve of this conflict making it one of the lowest approval.

>> Ratings for any war in American history for him to you first.

What does that mean for the Trump administration?

Well, it used mean a lot more before bur right now.

I think this administration depends on bluster and rhetoric.

That to satisfy their own moves.

eagles.

>> So right now, this has ultimately go to legislations.

That has to go to last because know if if they're really concerned about the midterms and then they have to pay attention to that.

However, vines that are making decisions on the ground seemed to have little respect for what the polls are saying.

yeah, so well and night we're going to come back to the impact on the midterms as well.

Briefly, Richard, what do you think all of this means for the Trump administration?

I think they're going to hang in there until they get the job done.

And I think that's possible that they'll go back some more kinetic action.

>> You know, bring the bombs back if they don't get any further progress, they will open the Strait of Hormuz.

And so that or later, this will come to an end.

I think that like to get it done without putting any more American lives at risk, most striking things about this whole engagement has been the extent to which President Trump has been trying to avoid U.S.

casualties, avoiding putting troops on the ground in Iran, putting them in harm's way.

I think he's trying to finish this up without putting boots on the ground.

It might be that they have to do some more work in that regard.

>> Reptiles and Friday marks 60 days since the start of the war.

The 1973 War Powers Resolution says that Congress would have to approve any continued action either within these 60 days or after an additional 30 day extension.

What options are on the table for Congress here?

So Congress assuming that the War Powers Act is constitutional.

Congress has a couple of options.

So the War Powers Act itself says that Congress can at any period whether within the 60 days or without >> call that back in the action by resolution of the Congress.

So that's one option that they have.

It's not clear, however, if they're really the votes to do that, at least at this time.

Congress also can defund the war.

They can choose not to continue spending.

Congress has the power of the purse.

It's also a lot of talk with their whether they have the political will to do that either.

But those are the 2 basic options that that Congress has at this time.

Okay.

>> So, Richard, as we mentioned, we're coming up on the midterms with an increasingly unpopular war.

Where does that leave House Republicans?

Well, I I think that they're just as a matter of principle, not going to leave the president hanging on this engagement that some people that are unhappy with the war.

There's a split within the >> overall movement because there's been some sense of isolationism among some of the right.

There's concern about having boots on the ground most wars.

What I think Donald Trump has been able to pull off so far is remarkable amount of of work in terms of defending the run without having troops on the ground and it shouldn't be long-term engagement.

So I look, I think the presents real issue for something earlier.

He wants to have this all cleaned up by the 200 50th anniversary of the Declaration Independence, July 4th.

So I think he really wants to kick off the fall campaign season them with with a victory and and you're on a victory in Venezuela and frankly, also a victory in Cuba.

so we'll see.

I mean, I think that he wants to wrap it up, but he's going to wait it out.

If you to.

>> So Department of War were Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified on Capitol Hill today sparring with lawmakers including here he is start with lawmakers over why the war started.

Here he is with Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington.

>> Their nuclear facilities have been obliterated underground.

They're buried.

People watching will winning wars.

That we know where any nuclear material be.

Claiming time for watching second here.

>> We had to start this war.

You just said 60 days ago because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat.

Now you're saying that it was completely obliterated, not giving up their nuclear ambitions and they had a conventional shield of operation midnight.

Obama is nothing of substance what exactly the place we were before.

>> Okay.

So there's been some conflicting reports from the intelligence community as well before and after the war started.

Former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent resigned saying that Iran had posed no imminent threat to the U.S.

acting CIA director John Ratcliffe said that there is a constant threat.

Ibrahim, how solid are the reasons for the war in?

Do you think that the messaging is landing with the general public for I think the messaging is outlining because it's not based on something that's real.

>> Because Iran has not and was not a threat to United States.

It was not imminent threat.

And nuclear ambitions did not include the bomb.

And if this was a case they would have had it.

And so for the last 25 years around this whole thing and a very bizarre twist of time.

Special realities was 2 weeks away from having a bomb.

>> And so that that rhetoric pass, if it has to stop because it's untrue because we're talking about cleaning up kinetic continue with the operations in Iraq were talking about killing people.

civilians like the schoolgirls who died and the very first early days of the war.

And so you're on.

think for 40 years Iran has been demonized American Western mentality.

And so when your demonize and when you are can, when your humanity is changing or or converted into an obstruction, you can do whatever you want with them.

But I think right now Iranians messaging system is probably better more mature than the Americans.

I'm not an apologist for Iran not to pause for a repressive regime, a regime in the world.

But I do think that Iran is a victim here.

United States attacked Iran.

And we can never forget that.

I think the whole notion that there are in a threat to United States is and are not reporter.

So the whole death to America thing was made up.

I mean, come on.

That's ridiculous.

100 bison have 60%.

>> Refined uranium, other than to make bombs and they can take that from 60 to 90% less than 2 weeks.

They told the U.S.

negotiators uranium for 11 bombs and they had every intention was they took it out of trying to do that.

And if they had the bomb, we would be able to do any of this.

That's precisely why we had to go They have a missile that hit these did able to or see a 2000 miles away.

They they have the ability to love nuclear weapons into Europe.

In a short period time the bill actually North America.

This was a real risk.

It's been a real risk and they've been blowing up Americans for 39 to 49 years.

It's crazy lines us up first on the radar.

Not they were not.

not going up for Americans.

This is nonsense and I'm sure they were Iraq.

Iran has been surrounded by American bases in before they pulled out a path pass completely surrounded by American bases.

>> It's only past pathway to head to preserve its sovereignty is to the threat of nuclear weapons.

It's never been serious that once we got to talk about constitution draft because what is the president when it comes to war powers resolution and how have past presidents do with it?

To dealt with this in a couple of ways.

Most presidents have not conceded that it's constitutional.

And there are a number of scholars, including myself.

We think that there are some >> constitutional issues with the with the war powers resolution.

President Obama actually was one president who actually conceded that resolution is constitutional.

But most presidents have, despite those homes have attempted to follow the framework that it sets up.

So as we mentioned at the top, there's a framework that the war powers resolution sets out that says essentially presidents have 60 days to conduct military action and then they can either seek explicit was an authorization from Congress or they can pull out or they can do another 30 days to essentially wind down the operations.

So that is the president likely to take advantage of those 30 days.

And if so, then what is Congress likely to do in about 20 seconds?

>> So that the president elect take the extra that line is is coming up.

And I imagine that our Congress we'll probably not do very much but allow this to continue as it has so far, OK?

Well, watch it.

Play out them.

What have to have the 3 of you back to to discuss it Ibrahim Abu Sharif raft Donaldson, Richard Porter, thanks to all of you for joining us.

Appreciate it.

Up next, Chicago based a terrible publication.

The Onion reaches a new deal to take over.

>> Alex Jones's Infowars.

We're going to hear about that incites plans for the platform right after this.

Chicago based satirical news site, The Onion is poised to finally take over Info Wars.

That's the far-right platform created by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The deal was close to 2 years in the making about 18 months ago.

The Onion won a court mandated auction for Infowars, parent company after Jones was found liable for defamation after calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax.

He was ordered to pay over a billion dollars in damages to the families which he has yet to do.

The acquisition has been held up in court until now.

Joining to talk about that acquisition is the executive editor of The Onion Jordan LaFleur.

Welcome back.

Thank you so much for having So last time you were here is was just after you all when that bidding war for Info wars.

lot has happened since.

what got in the way of the acquisition.

You know, Alex Jones is a bit of a character, threw up a lot blockers hurdles.

But we've >> been tenacious been borrowing the tenacity of the families the Sandy Hook families themselves.

And we've just stuck with it.

To that point.

Why?

Why be tenacious?

Why?

Why keep going with I think first and foremost, this is about We want to replace something that was put in a lot you know, negative.

I'm gonna go in called evil into the world.

Start to use such a definitive word, but I think we can replace it with something better and more beneficial to the wider world.

So what is this new agreement mean?

What is this new agreement mean?

we will be taking the keys to Infowars and we will be replacing it with something >> is a more open world comedy platform, inclusive of voices of all times.

>> So tomorrow in Travis County, which is where Infowars is based.

There will be a hearing on the onions licensing agreement.

How significant is that?

>> It's extremely significant.

We imagine this will be the definitive proceeding and we're ready to move forward immediately.

What's going to happen at this hearing as our as I understand it the judge will be declaring we have the keys.

We've done it.

We're at finish line, OK?

This is yeah.

That's that's the big show.

That's right.

Alex Jones, he filed an emergency motion to block this deal.

He and his team as we know, as we have demonstrated quite litigious, do anticipate more legal obstacles I imagine that Alex Jones is not going to ever give up, but I imagine he's going do it on a different platform he wants to because we've got this one >> he and fans, they tried to frame this story is a free speech issue repeatedly claiming that the defamation cases and social media bans were an assault to his First Amendment right.

>> What do you say to people who believe this is, you know, silencing a viewpoint?

>> I think that people have a misunderstanding of what the First Amendment offers us has a population.

It is intended to ensure that Congress makes no law abridging our speech, defaming others causing willfully the emotional distress of people is not a privilege afforded to us and I'm happy to play a role in diminishing that voice.

>> This started in part as a way to help bring justice and accountability, of course, to families that you've mentioned who lost their children in the tragedy of Sandy Hook.

How are you continuing to work on that mission?

>> I think by holding the initial version of Infowars accountable by replacing it with a better version.

I think that's the way forward.

Yeah.

there are you able to explain for us the licensing agreement and how how that means these families actually get paid the something of the billion dollars that he is supposed that he's supposed to be paying My understanding is that, you know, their task is ongoing.

They will pursue out Jones.

>> And any earnings that he receives, the licensing agreement will allow us to generate revenue by any means.

We wish and we will be a.

>> Giving them a portion of those.

Okay.

That's yeah.

That's not trying to get out.

So able to generate revenue from the Web sites.

>> And some of that goes towards the families.

Yes, that's exactly You have plans, of course, to expand your comedy network with Info wars as another layer to the onion, get What can we Yes, this is a new wholly distinct operation.

I I don't know how interested people are in my ongoing involvement with it.

But I we intend to make it a a more open that allows individual creators to.

>> To mimic an parity, more modern Internet voices.

So whereas the Onion is a parody of institutional voices.

We're looking forward to having a platform that allows individual creators to speak their minds.

When you say that, I mean, it's sort of a parody of institutional voices seemed like sort of typical newspaper right?

Yes, and particularly now that we're back in print, the focus on being a newspaper back to being top of mind.

So the new Info Wars will be a parody of you said more modern voices.

That's right.

I think all all say that at first were, you know, we're thinking of it in phases.

I think people are expecting a more direct parody of the existing InfoWars.

>> We'll do that for a beat.

But I think that only has so much legs so much only so much community value in fairly short order.

We intend to expand the world and again, bringing some individual creators.

So do I understand you brought on some talent, who can parity?

Alex Jones himself?

Absolutely.

I mean, that's one of gentleman's name that we've brought on as creative directors to might occur.

A legend in many circles and one of his many talents is parity now stones.

But he's he's got more talent and we'll explore all of them.

I'm sure we'll get to see all of them.

I guess I'm curious about, you know, in addition to parenting Alex Jones, are you not giving Alex Jones more air by doing that?

I mean, with it a brief stop on the more direct parity, I think we give people a catharsis and a and opportunity to to take the take the past.

I see rain.

>> All you mentioned that there's been, you know, fatigue or you've mentioned in the past.

There's been some fatigue over parenting, white right wing extremism.

I can say that.

And last time you were here, you also talked about, you know, the difficulty of heightening from such a place of, quote, bombast, an untruth.

So basically, you know, how the plan and getting around that issue, you know, how do you sort of make fun of?

Those folks and still be funny?

Oh, absolutely not.

I think that's the the evolution that I'm referring I think it was that inside that I apparently shared with you months ago that >> led to the idea that we can only pause on right-wing parity so long.

I think I think people will find it.

Cathartic to start.

But over time we want to give people the opportunity to come and more widely on a modern media ecosystem.

Just this week, Jimmy Kimmel and first lady Melania Trump got into a squabble not the first time Kimmel has tussled with this White House.

>> What do you think of what do you think is the role of comedians did you know in times of political and social unrest, I think coming gives you a unique avenue into a >> all manner of news stories.

I think a way break down a complex issue and get to the core of the matter.

And I think it gives people a way to understand complex issues in a way that they would not have previously.

Okay.

>> Do you think it's, you know, could also be a tool for accountability in a couple of seconds.

Oh, absolutely.

comedy is maybe the best tool in media for holding people accountable.

Of course, I have a biased opinion but yes, absolutely.

Joining the Fleur executive editor of Onion.

Thank you so much.

Best of luck to you.

Yes.

Thank you so much.

And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

You can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube Channel every evening.

>> And catch up on any programs you may have missed and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

The state commission investigating potential wrongdoing by federal immigration agents is set to deliver its final report.

We hear from its leaders what they found.

Now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Woes caption he's made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death with