>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Calls for a federal investigation as Cook County.

Matt Cook County's medical examiner works to identify dozens of bodies at a funeral home in South Deering.

A new kind of flu vaccine is approved for older adults.

you should know.

And with cuts to Medicaid looming, we look at how the county health is anticipating a rise in uninsured patients.

>> First off tonight, 9 Chicagoans who are shot or tear gassed by immigration agents during operation Midway Blitz last fall are filing reports with the Chicago Police Department.

>> The federal government has made here.

There will be no fair investigations into these ICE and Border Patrol shootings and has been 10 months Charles at some tried to kill me.

>> And federal government has failed to act or even disappear.

Charles, Exxon.

They haven't never contact me for an interview to explain what happened that day.

>> My to my marking as was shot by a Border Patrol agent 5 times in Brighton Park back in October.

She and the others say they're hoping that with police reports officers can investigate and present their findings to Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill.

Burke Burke for her part has maintained that her office is unable to bring charges unless first given evidence by law enforcement.

Construction is on hold for Bally's Hotel concert venue and restaurant projects in Riverwest.

The company halted construction crews today amid a dispute with the city of Chicago over its expansion of video gambling.

But construction is still continuing on the casino.

That's what you're seeing here.

Ali says the city's decision last December to allow video gambling in bars and restaurants across Chicago.

>> Violates their agreement with the city City Council members voted to authorize video gambling over Mayor Johnson's objections in hopes of boosting the city's tax revenues while tossing a lifeline to struggling businesses.

The city's budget relies on nearly 7 million dollars in revenue from video has materialized so far in nue 2026.

As state officials have only approved 6 licenses.

Bally's Casino is slated to open early next year.

The family of a 43 year-old Chicago man shot and killed by police are suing the city over the officer's behavior.

>> How can?

>> How can that tell you that I am not I'm not sleeping.

I'm not eating and my family.

>> There is that I think dessert.

To that the way he that.

>> Attorneys for the family of Deer, Jordan say Chicago officer Max Walser immediately began yelling threats, including I will kill you at Jordan just before the shooting when it happened in March of this year, Jordan had been approached by several plainclothes officers and uniforms in Humboldt Park neighborhood.

When Walz are within 20 seconds on the scene fired 6 rounds through the passenger window into the car.

The family's lawsuit is alleging willful and wanton behavior in the shooting and seeks a jury trial.

Records show Walser is 28 years old and has been on for since 2022. police report from the day of the shooting says Jordan struck a pedestrian while attempting to flee and that a firearm was recovered from his car.

Water, babies and teens and grown-ups will get a little extra pool and beach time this summer as a Chicago Park district extends the season at a few spots across the city.

Most polls will close starting this weekend as the high school and college age workforce has back to class.

But the district announced today that 20 neighborhood pools and 23 swimming beaches will stay open through Labor Day.

>> The office says it took into account the city's heat vulnerability inin deciding which pools to keep open.

The index identifies neighborhoods where residents face the greatest health risks during extreme heat for key dates and pool schedules.

You can visit website.

Calls for an FBI investigation into the dozens of decomposing bodies found inside a Chicago funeral home.

Our Matt Masterson with that story right after this.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> county's medical examiner is working to identify dozens of bodies that were discovered last week inside South during funeral home.

It comes as a local activist is calling for a federal investigation into the funeral home South Chicago at Masterson joins us now with more.

Matt Mind, just what was discovered last week at South Chapel.

Yeah, Brandis.

It was the remains of 56 people in what officials said was various states of decay is they were left and improperly stored areas and they were left decomposing within within the building here.

State officials are identified and about incident previous week they sent some officials in the identified evidence of misconduct deplorable conditions.

They said that included a rodent infestation and maggot infestation inside the facility.

>> They contacted Illinois in Cook County officials who sent in forensic pathologist and their own investigators last week to start removing some of these bodies.

As the investigations have gone on that.

What we know about the operator, it's a husband and wife, Joanna in clerk, Morgan, they had license to operate this facility suspended last week.

And it's actually not the first time that they've run into an incident like this Susanna Mendoza, State comptroller her office last year shut down another crematorium that this couple have been running in Chicago Heights.

Her office said that there severly several improperly stored bodies identified at this facility.

The cremated remains that were never return to the families.

Some of these bodies have been left stacked on top of each other and not properly refrigerated.

Similar allegations as to what was found in this latest incident as well.

And what's being done to look into this now?

So the Chicago Police Department, they have opened up an investigation, a criminal investigation, though, no criminal charges have yet been filed against either of the operators, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office that they are still investigating.

And as of today, we also heard from local community activist Rabbi Michael been Yosef who called for a federal investigation.

He wants the FBI to look into not only the Morgans, the operators, but also the oversight processes that allow them to continue running this facility in south during after their previous one had been shut down for these types of allegations last year.

And Matt, what should families do if they think they have a loved one who's remains might be?

It's Chicago Chapel.

So as the Cook County Medical Examiner's office is still looking into identifying these bodies that were discovered here.

>> They're asking for families who believe one of these bodies, maybe of a loved one to reach out to them, to contact them and provide him with their own name and information their relationship to the person deceived into was left there so that they can hope to connect these families with the remains that were identified case.

disturbing case there.

Matt Masterson, thank you.

Grant us and you can read Matt's full story on our website.

That's all it.

W t Tw dot com slash news.

>> There's a new tool in the fight against influenza as the U.S.

nears another flu season.

Believe it or not.

Last week, the FDA approved an mrna based flu vaccine for adults 50 years and older marking the first time the same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines has been approved to prevent the seasonal illness.

The vaccine could be available within weeks, but it also arrives amid renewed debate over the technology and federal fundings role in researching it.

Joining us to discuss the new vaccine is Dr.

Richard Novak, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Welcome back.

Doctor Novak, thanks for joining us.

Thank How significant is this approval from the FDA?

>> it's that strikes significant because vaccine very promising and looks like it's more immunogenic and more effective at preventing infections.

and it's also.

more easily changed if cars are says that are circulating are different and this vaccine can more rapidly be change the newer viruses that are circulating, right?

Because the typical flu vaccine for the season is is based on what we know about last season's Usually they make the decision about what's in the vaccines and >> late winter early spring this year's March they make the decisions they make the vaccines.

And so something changes with the virus.

Between are any time after the actions are than they really can't do anything about it.

And the that happened last night, this past season of the season before.

They the vaccines are made and then a new strain of Taipei of influenza, a center circulation.

and there's not much they can do about give the same vaccine.

And it was much efficacious.

>> A lot of us remember, you know, the science lesson that we got during the pandemic about mrna vaccines how they work.

Remind us what exactly is an mrna vaccine.

>> name it's code for protein.

The usually they select approaching antigen component of the virus that they want to buy and make it an immune response to so instead of giving a protein, they give code our code as an injection enter cells.

cells are and started by this code to synthesize a protein.

The next president, the surface of the south, which is how I mean system for and substance or point antigen.

We call that so.

It just turned out to be a very effective way to administer vaccine.

And tends generate much more potent immune responses and straight protein.

Vaccine.

>> So the new mrna flu vaccines and how different is it from, you know, the other flu vaccines that we've been getting do we think because of this that it will have the chance it will be more effective?

>> Well, they've they've done trials are ready.

And so we do know actual of that.

It is somewhat more effective than the existing vaccines.

compare several comparative trials actually with this vaccine against what we're currently using and vaccines for about.

25% more immunogenic.

And the existing vaccines and they also resulted in when they did clinical trials to prevent flu, they show reduction in hospitalizations about half of what we see and people are receiving standard vaccines.

And so it looks very promising.

>> And do we think this will be available for this flu season?

>> That should it's now on the market.

Took a while for that.

to come around to approving it.

But now it's approved.

So manufacture the vaccine.

as I said before, generally much quicker than with flu vaccine.

So it should be able to have a supply ready.

>> And approval for now is just for adults 50 and over.

Why start with that age group?

>> Well, it's because they they did that the clinical trial and talking about time in people over the age of 50 people over the age of 50, Eric greatest risk of having complications of the flu.

And up in the hospital or even dying of the flu.

And so it's probably the right population.

Are they groups that target with with a vaccine these vaccines like all vaccines have side effects that actually bit more common in young people turns out polling not much more efficacious and young people with the standard vaccines.

But in the age group, they tested the 50 and over.

definitely advantage.

>> It is their likelihood than that in the future.

I mean, is it likely that those of us under 50 for now, anyway, we'll will eventually be able to access the mrna vaccine is that approval being sought down road.

But is I mean, they they need to do actual what the plan to collect.

I'm going data.

>> And people receiving the vaccine, make sure it's safe and efficacious unreal.

And the real world and real world population.

and they will do other clinical trials.

Make sure that it's useful younger populations.

>> And approval comes after what we know, the reduced federal support for Mrna vaccine research.

How might that lack of support effect research?

That's, you know, in the works or in the future.

>> This vaccine is as moderna vaccine Moderna actually is funding the research.

sounds so they're not relying on federal dollars to to their studies part of the federal government to approve it.

Of course.

And which that happened that he approved the vaccine.

but for smaller start-up companies, it's a bigger problem because they don't have the resources to.

Conduct clinical trials.

They do rely on the federal government.

To do those studies.

And so and the the government their support them will not.

She smaller companies come forward and they may have.

all ideas on and new vaccines.

>> So our companies but universities as well didn't did any of them received him?

Earn a research funding.

>> I maybe I don't know.

I know that funding has been cut back significantly.

>> find out if and when the next to Markieff have vaccine is on the market.

That's where really the doctor.

Richard Novak, thanks so much.

Appreciate so much.

Up next, we check in with the leader of Cook County Health.

Stay with us.

Across 2 hospitals, 16 community health centers and inside Cook County Jail.

Cook County Health aims to provide health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

But with Medicaid work requirements looming, the health system's budget is facing new challenges in 2027 Cook County Health is anticipating a 138 million dollar drop in patient revenue.

At the same time, charity care costs are expected to rise by 100 million dollars.

Joining us now is Dr.

Erik McKnight CEO of Cook County Health.

Welcome back.

Doctor, thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

So what are some of the federal policy changes that are expected to impacts Cook County health?

So there's a few and there are some that already gone into play at the beginning of 2026, there was an enhanced enhanced tax subsidy.

>> For our Affordable Care Act, adults that was taken away.

So people saw anywhere from 25 to 30% increased out-of-pocket expenses and Illinois.

We've already seen over 90,000 people forego their coverage.

>> Because of that increase cost.

Now looking forward on October first, there's going to be a redefinition of who qualifies for Medicaid in the immigrant population, essentially victims of human trafficking domestic violence qualified asylum seekers will no longer be eligible.

In fact, they won't even be in trouble.

And then in January, as you mentioned, work requirements are going to go into effect on.

That's going to require the ACA will prove up that they are working, volunteering or in school 80 hours a month.

But there's also one more piece that's in a policy change.

And that is for that same population.

They're going to double the cadence of re determination.

That's the that's the process whereby people prove up that they're still eligible right now.

It's once a year that group is going start doing that twice a Boy, OK, so how many residents are we expect are expected to lose health care.

Illinois were anticipating 400,000 people will lose their coverage and that's outside of the 92.

That's already.

That's that's the upcoming changes in policy.

About 400,000 and half of them live right here in Cook County, the crime.

how is how is county care keeping patients up to date on these changes?

Because it sounds like with all of these rules.

>> It's a lot of people work for you to make sure that, you know, your patients in compliance or not.

It is yeah, on so county, her specifically our team does a lot of work to make sure that we have very frequently determination events.

So we offer one-on-one support for people to stay and that's open to all covered peoples are not just county care.

Everybody is welcome to come continue getting re enrolled.

So and so they do a lot of work there.

However, we did implement a broader effort called the Medicaid Impact Workgroup and that's across all the whole health system.

And from that group, we actually invited people inside and outside of healthcare.

So we've had business leaders, academic leaders, philanthropic and community organizations.

We have technology leadership all come together to have a more meaningful conversation about how we mitigate these impacts.

And one of the big outputs from that is a communication effort.

We've launched the website, get Medicaid facts dot com to really try to help people understand what all these changes are going to be.

So there's actually 2 areas of focus, one for the patients who might be impacted.

And there's an FAQ on the website.

There's a link out fest which is the state's Medicaid administrator where people can validate their insurance and make sure that it's up to date.

And then there's the schedule of our re determination events.

The other focus is for our community partners.

There is a free to download tool kit that helps with standardized messaging and we intentionally didn't brand it to any organization.

We're encouraging the organizations that use to use it to brand it to their organization.

We think that's going to add an extra layer of trust for the community members that receive it from the organization that's using the tool.

It's available in 14 languages.

And again, it's free to download.

Yeah.

All that said, right?

Like you can do as much work as you can to make sure that folks know about the re determination and all that.

But some folks are still going to lose their coverage.

>> The 2027 budget anticipates providing 485 million dollars in charity care.

How does that compare to current or previous budget?

Yeah.

So we it's 100 million dollar increase from this year and over the last few years, just for perspective at the height of the pandemic, when determination was paused, we were in the low 100 Million.

So we've gone from about 125 million out of close to 500 million in the last 5 or so years.

Okay.

A significant Take it.

That is that is a reflection of that need.

it >> Where's the health system looking to save money?

So we've actually been doing a lot of work after the election in 2024, we knew we probably have to prepare for some leaner times and we started work to reduce expenses to really improve our operations.

And I'm really proud of the team.

They've actually been able to remove 315 million dollars out of expenses during that time frame while at the same time improving our revenue cycle operations.

So that would for the cases where we can get paid, that making sure we're not leaving any revenue on the table and then improving operations.

So we make sure that we're maximizing access for patients.

Have you already started to notice an increase in in the the charity care that that you're giving and to the care that people need.

Absolutely not necessarily the care that people need yet.

But we have seen at the beginning of the year when the tax subsidies away, we went from 21% uninsured to almost 25% uninsured within a month.

So anticipating now with the future changes, the cuts that are coming that will probably grow next year to 30%.

And then we'll have to see after that.

It will probably continue to increase into 28.

What does it mean for patients were kind of choices?

Are they making before they end up in in your office is hear E D. That's exactly why I said we haven't seen the problems Unfortunately, we know when people don't have health insurance, they avoid preventative care on, you know, the ration medications not see their doctor.

So I kind of use the simple analogy of instead of managing high blood pressure and diabetes in a clinic will see them down the road in the emergency room with strokes and heart attacks, which is obviously much more burdensome to the patients.

It's much more costly to provide that care.

Not to mention the impact on families and the communities that they come from.

Right and the outcomes that can happen.

Winds when it gets that serious so Cook County Health operates Stroger and prominent hospitals.

How next year's budget affect those services.

>> So again, proud to say we have not had to do any service reductions or layoffs.

We've done a lot of the belt tightening.

And as you know, that fiscal discipline.

>> We do have right now 40 million dollars additional that we are asking the county to supplement so that we don't have to consider reductions in the coming year.

Okay.

And is that enough to feel like that 40 million dollars meet your needs unless there's a surprise?

I think it'll get us through 2027.

The question will be what happens in the out years.

Okay.

Okay.

What happens if it doesn't come through?

it what were toy says you have to make?

Well, we'll have to start making some difficult decisions around what services we want to reduce potential positions that we eliminate.

Other hospitals in the area.

They have shut their doors this year because of financial struggles.

How do you expect, though, those closures to the change in demand a county health?

I think that's the big unknown.

We've already seen 2 hospitals close in the last year or so.

And we know that several are struggling right now.

So the question then becomes what happens to the broader safety net?

As as you know, all of these federal cuts come come into play.

I anticipate we'll probably see more closures and in the coming years.

So what that means, I think for the broader community is.

People still need care, right?

So they're still going to have to go find your hospitals to receive that care.

So potentially has access images.

It's going to be longer waits for everybody.

>> Have rising costs of drugs, materials, you know, has that impacted your or your your bottom line, right?

And what you can provide?

>> Yeah, in terms of supplies and pharmacy, we've done a lot.

That's that's part of the reductions that we're working through as being, you know, better better stewards of those resources, no cost to continue to increase across the board.

What about hiring?

Will that be affected by the budget?

So we've what we did have to freeze some vacant positions.

But again, we didn't or lost their job with but we have done a lot of work in that regard as well in reducing our reliance on agency staffing, which comes at a premium costs more to do that.

So we've actually reduce those costs by about 50% over the last year and a half before any, you know, planned capital investments you know, equipment, that kind of stuff that you would like to do at hospitals that might have to be put on pause that we're kind of.

Are you making this decision we had?

We have had to pause a few things, kind of delay it out to see just how deep these cuts are going are going to you know, machines, those types of things, right, its correctional facilities.

How how will that be impacted?

As you know, the Cook County Jail in Cermak?

>> Yeah.

So it's so that's a piece that I think maybe is worth delving into a little bit We before the ACA, the health system got about 50% of its budget from the county.

It was a tax allocation.

>> After the ACA, we open county care and that allocation drop to 30.

And we've landed now to kind of 8 to 12% of our budget being supplemented by the county and that is essentially our unfunded mandate that the work that we do that doesn't generate revenue.

So the care at the jail is an example of that.

Similarly, we are responsible for operating the County Department of Public Health which sees the public health needs of the roughly 2.5 million suburban residents in Cook County, OK?

So.

>> That means got you still going hear for those patients right like definitely not insured, right?

That's right, OK?

All right.

So a lot of work for you, Dr Behind Thank you for joining us.

We appreciate Thank you.

You bet.

And that's our show for this Monday 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.

>> Scientists are forecasting a super El Nino this winter with could mean for the Midwest and the rest of the country.

>> for all of us Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and >> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert a and Clifford law Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death that