>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Lumber.

Brandis Friedman has the evening off.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> We're going end mail-in voting.

It's a fraud.

>> President Trump announces plans to ban mail-in voting.

What could the impact be here in Illinois?

As Russia continues to bombard Ukraine?

We talk with the new head of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on the chances of a peace deal emerging.

>> First off tonight, some of today's top stories.

Officials gather on the southwest side after the area's repeated pummeling by storms and flooding Mayor Brandon Johnson joined local all the people in other city leaders encouraging residents to pick up flood support packets from their local ward office.

Call 3, 1, 1, to report basement damage and fill out damage assessment surveys by a Friday deadline.

3, 1, 1, has seen more than 5600 calls about basement damage in just the last 3 days.

Johnson says a combination of poor infrastructure and climate change makes the southwest side particularly susceptible to damaging floods and that the city can't go it alone.

>> We need the state as well as the federal government to provide emergency relief for homeowners as well as our businesses.

We will not allow this disaster to to turn into a tragedy.

We need state and federal dollars so that we can help residents prepare their homes and ensure a small businesses can fully recover.

>> And speaking with reporters at the news conference, Johnson declined to say whether he supports the CPS budget as proposed last week.

A plan that doesn't contain borrowing or a pension payment.

The mayor has advocated for, but he did say there would be no budget stalemate or school district shut down.

A new community plaza is in the works for Belmont, Craig and residents today marked the groundbreaking for La La Cita at Fullerton and Grand avenues on the city's northwest side.

The currently underutilized plot of land will one day play host to vendors public art and performances with a walking path central long and shaded seating.

>> ventured on this as an opportunity to figure out how can we support our small street vendors connect with our culture.

We can't wait to laugh with our neighbors.

Can some sauce and the square and to welcome folks into what we consider to be one of the best on place here in Chicago.

>> Love see the is set to open in the spring.

Cdot is planning to start to other plaza improvements this year in Pilsen and Wicker Park.

Up next, what President Donald Trump's calls to end mail-in voting could mean locally.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols the gym and K maybe family the Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> President Donald Trump wants to change how elections are run.

Trump says he's working on an executive order to ban mail-in ballots and voting machines as an effort to eliminate voter fraud.

Despite election officials saying such fraud is extremely rare.

Mail-in ballots are corrupt.

>> Mail in ballots where you can never have.

A real democracy with mail-in ballots.

And we, as a Republican Party going do everything possible that we get rid of Mill is also going to start with an executive order that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail in ballots because they corrupt.

You know, that we're the only country in the world.

I believe I may be wrong.

But just about the only country in the world that uses it because of what's happened.

Massive fraud all over the place.

>> But advocates say such a move would reduce voting access, disenfranchising people who can't vote in person and that the president can't unilaterally make such changes.

Joining us to discuss more, our Betty Magnus, a vice president at the League of Women, Voters of Chicago, Ryan Tolley executive director at Change, Illinois and new group to interim executive director at the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

Thank you all for joining us.

We appreciate you being here.

Thank you for having think so.

They Does the president have the authority to eliminate mail-in voting with just a simple executive order?

Absolutely not.

The article one of the Constitution states that.

States actually have the right to determine the time and manner of elections.

That includes how mail-in votes.

>> Work, whether we allow them, whether we don't, the president does not have the authority respective.

>> What he says to pretty straightforward there in the Constitution.

Now, you know, in the 2024 general election, more than a million votes were cast by mail accounting for 19% of the total votes here in Illinois.

But magnet.

Why is it important to have mail-in ballots as an option for voters?

are a number reasons.

One reason people with disabilities can always get to the polling place.

>> The other reason is senior citizens don't always have the time or have an individual in the family who can take them to the polling place.

So if they get a ballot, they can fill it out.

They can mail it if they don't trust the post office, they can even take Uber early voting site and just put it in the ups.

Going about their business.

They also have the ability to watch the news.

Find out about candidates and then fill out their ballot in the.

Lich early fashion so that they can cool day one in be sure of who they want and then send it in.

You know, it's just unconscionable that he would think that mail In-ballots Annette's 8, Illinois.

He's the best voting laws in this country.

Not just one, not just into Congo, just in the city, but in the country.

We have the most lenient voting laws.

And if you talk about balance when you vote, you vote by machine.

But you also cast a ballot which runs you can run it back and see it.

So there's a paper ballot to go along with putting on a machine that voting by mail has been the election re in.

Right.

Most seniors and persons with disabilities.

>> Well, you know, how about that?

You know, Ryan, that the president's made several claims about mail in ballots or about voting machines leading to fraud.

Is there any evidence of that?

The simple answer is no.

>> There's been no evidence that mail-in ballots lead to fraud here in Illinois.

We have a robust system to check and ensure you know, the press about go through to be reviewed and on to ensure they're legitimate.

The check signatures on those ballots.

Ensure the signatures match.

If there's an issue with the ballot, they contact the voter and say here's issues.

They have a cure period, too, and sure that that's corrected.

But there it in Illinois, across the country.

There's been no evidence that mail-in ballot leads to fraud or that there have been any widespread or any really minor issues with the system, guards to traditional boating weather.

That's on Election Day early voting.

>> In my day and that.

When you send in your request for ballot and mostly news have e-mails now, they get email that says we received your request.

They get email that we mailed your ballot when you mail your ballot or if you take it to a drop box, they get email that says when perceived your belt so Illinois boards of election are in constant contact with the voter who has a mail-in ballot.

So there's no way there could be any fraud.

>> you have any want to add some, I was just going to say that.

I think it's actually the opposite, which is all the evidence and data suggest that.

Mail-in ballots are really effective and legitimate way of voting.

So.

I don't there is no data that suggests that fraud occurs with mail in ballots happen.

Yes, certainly there's that chain of custody there.

But I mean, you know, when when there is sort of misinformation or disinformation about the safety, the lack of efficacy of.

>> Vote by mail of voting machines.

How do you combat that?

So I I think we need to talk about voting like we talk about love is blind.

to.

>> We need to talk about voting.

>> All the time with our friends, with our communities.

That is how we combat disinformation.

>> Around the fact that mail-in ballots are corrupt.

They're not they're perfectly legitimate and safe.

I also just want to add that lawyers Committee for Civil Rights has a hotline.

8, 6, 6, our vote.

We talk with voters.

If you have questions, we are happy to answer them.

Are lawyers are experts.

>> You know that that idea of rhetoric casting doubt on election integrity, as we've heard multiple recent elections, you know, rain is that have the potential to depress voter turnout of people have don't feel confident in the integrity of the system.

Yes, absolutely.

And we do voter education all the time, particularly in light of some of the actions of the federal ministration because it confuses people.

People don't know.

They hear something.

And the news that's being considered, they think it's the way things operate now or they hear it from, you know, local community groups.

And so.

creates a lot of confusion.

People don't know and the harder we make it for people to vote they're just less likely to with the busyness of their day-to-day lives.

And so really for us, that's been a big part.

Even pre-dating.

The most recent announcement announcement with the introduction of the save act earlier in the year other executive orders by the current administration.

We've had to do a lot of work to say to folks know mail-in ballots are still available to, you know, you do not need these onerous and more forms of ID to register to cast your vote.

So we're already experiencing some of that and it's only going to get worse.

The more and more that, you know, these tactics are used to try to scare mothers It could just add for anyone watching tonight that.

>> What the president has suggested is not law.

There's no executive order.

He doesn't have the authority to do it.

yours.

The position.

Yeah, right.

Your ballot, your mail in ballots are effective and legitimate there's no reason not to put in the mail in ballot.

>> And if you repeat a lie often enough, people believe So when he's repeating a lie saying good organizations like ours have to continuously say that is not true.

It is safe.

If you try to before, you know, it works.

So all of the seniors and people with disabilities who have used mail-in ballots know that it works and we just have to keep repeating.

It's our responsibility as leaders of organizations who for honest and a Democratic election to continue to say the truth is Upton is of those tell a lie.

And certainly, you know, many of the communities you mention often ones that have been disenfranchised in the past anywhere in any case.

>> You know, get back to your Ryan about, you know, more calls to prove voter citizenship.

We've also seen the Department of Justice demanding units are sensitive voter records from the state of Illinois.

Do you think we could see or are we already seeing the federal government trying to play more of a a role, have a heavier hand in how states run elections?

Absolutely.

I think we're seeing there are a number of tactics like this.

The threats of an executive order like request from the Department of Justice for voter Records in the state of Illinois and others.

>> It seems like they're prodding every way they can to add distrust and sow doubt.

And the the election system.

And it really, I think.

Where we find a very concerning is this kind of feels as though we're this is like that ramping up as we get closer to the 2026 election for more dis-information and it is very concerning for us as an organization wants everyone to go out and exercise their right to vote and do that.

through easy and accessible means.

We've got about 30 seconds left, they do.

I want to ask, you know, what sort of complications could that create, particularly for local election officials if there is?

>> More of an effort to federalize at least have a stronger federal role in how elections are run.

>> Currently the federal government doesn't have a role in how elections are run.

So up until that happens, and that can only happen by an act of Congress.

Right now.

States are the ones that determine how elections are run.

So until something else happens, Illinois, we'll decide how mail-in ballots come in and when they come on much more to say, I'm sure in the run-up to next year's midterms, but that's where we'll have to leave it for tonight.

>> My thanks to Betty Magnus Ryan Tolley and Bannock up to thank Thank you for having us.

>> Up next, a local organizations global role.

For more than 100 years.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs has sought to play a positive role and helping to shape American foreign policy and its engagement with the world.

But with war raging in Europe and the Middle East and the Trump administration's tariff policies, a pending longstanding trade relationships, the challenges are immense.

So what role can the organization play in a world that too many people feels increasingly unstable?

Joining us to discuss more is Leslie binge Amaury.

The new president and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs prior to this role.

She was with the Royal Institute of International Affairs known as Chatham House in London.

She served as the director of the U.S. and the Americas Program.

Welcome to Chicago Tonight and Welcome.

Thank Thank please, to have you here.

So what Drew you to this role with the Council on Global Affairs?

Well, for those of us in the world of global affairs, the Chicago Council has a very big reputation as one of the world's.

>> Leading organizations created at that moment that many of the global affairs organizations were formed, including where come from Chatham House.

Also the Council on Foreign Relations.

The Chicago Council was formed in 1922. and really for the last at least 5 decades, it has been a leading authority on questions of where Americans sit, how they feel about the big issues war and peace in the global economy, but also has sort of convene globally has certainly convened around the country.

And here in Chicago has just a tremendous history and reputation for really elevating the public conversation, public knowledge.

And when when leaders come, whether it's from Washington, New Yorker or from across Europe, Asia and beyond its really the Chicago Council, that is host of that conversation and brought people together.

Well, you know, and speaking of, you know, sort of America's role and the council's thinking on that, you know, we're in a moment, as we mentioned, multiple conflicts around the globe.

>> You know, in some of the country's political leaders here at home with sort of an America first mindset, how has that affected?

The United States has role on world stage?

Well, you know, I've just spent 19 living in London of traveling across Europe in Asia.

But back in the U.S. every month.

>> And and I think we all assume, but I can tell you it's true that people are very concerned about where America is going.

There is a to sort sometime shock sometimes score that America doesn't seem to be invested in playing that role of leading on the provision of the major global public goods, whether it's global health, the Climate War and peace.

Introducing measure of balance and committing to rules that have made trade possible.

That of allowed people to be lifted out of poverty to provided for development.

All of those things, people are just very concerned about where America is heading.

And also, you know, we know the world is transitioning.

We know that China has extraordinary power now that the rules have to be renewed renegotiated.

But it's really time when people want to see America in that conversation leading that conversation and the and there's just real concern about, you know, whether the American people want and where is the United States having turning to some recent news?

We just saw President Trump's Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin followed pretty quickly by meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders.

>> We have a good sand, a sense of of where United States support for Ukraine currently stands.

Yeah.

I think that Americans, if you pull Americans and again, the Chicago Council has done this brilliantly.

>> You'll see that that Americans across the think that support for Ukraine is important.

If you break it down, we all know that the partisan divisions are very strong, but even Republican support for a defending Ukraine for America, providing defense for Ukraine.

>> Has risen by 20% just in the last few That's a significant ship.

So Americans are in the game.

Is America in the game will clearly President Trump wants to see a peace deal.

he made this clear on the campaign trail.

He wanted to do it very quickly.

And, you know, to his credit, he's trying to create diplomatic momentum behind that piece.

The question is, you know, as soon as you then drill down, what does that mean?

The Ukrainians and the Europeans insist on the cease-fire.

President Trump has already walked back America's commitment to having a cease-fire before a peace deal on the question of, you know, land for peace.

Is Ukraine going to see the land that it considers to be vital to its sovereignty to its people.

Doesn't wish to do that.

That that question is very much unsettled on the question of security assurances, will the United States provide assurance that of Russia violates the terms of an agreement tries to take more land.

What we the United States to all of this is, you know, very opaque, a very undefined.

But at least President said, yes, we are willing to talk about security assurances.

So the tough crushed the quest.

The tough questions are unresolved.

But to Europe's credit, it, you know, the Europeans at peak summer for Europe, right?

Peak sometime August turned up all Mass in Washington because they understand that the West that for them really means the transatlantic partnership, the United States and Europe must be united.

A signal that clearly not only to Vladimir Putin but also to Zelensky.

He's fighting a war home.

They did And now the question is, you know what, what are the next steps?

Very difficult moment.

The war is there's no sign of the war ending.

but Donald Trump has, you know, made this one of his signature I think many of us are skeptical, but it but it's incredibly important that diplomacy move forward.

>> Well, I mean, seeing, you know, the the European leaders mobilize so quickly, as you said, you know, many of them leaving their summer vacations reportedly what sorts of concerns do you think Americans, European America's European allies have about their relationship with the United States, the reliability of the United States under a second Trump administration?

Well, clearly, you know, this was the most extraordinary thing to me to watch after the election and especially the inauguration of President Trump.

Again, I was in Europe.

>> Traveling across the continent, listening to European leaders talk and the level of energy and drive and desire to reduce Europe's dependence on the United States.

You know that the conversation had has been for decades.

Europe must do more to provide for its own security.

Europeans notice they have stalled growth.

Productivity is low.

All sorts of internal issues that prevented them from doing this.

Now there's tremendous momentum and it's really sparked by the uncertainty that they feel coming from the White They're in a precarious position.

They're dependent on the United States.

They need to keep the United States in as a supporter of Europe's security at the same time that they're moving as quickly as they can.

And this is not something that's going to happen very quickly to provide for their own security also said that they can secure the continent so they can support Ukraine before we run out of time.

I want to turn to the Middle East as well you know, recent reporting that Hamas appears close to, you know, accepting a cease-fire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

Do you think the Netanyahu government interested in such a deal?

Well, they're they're clearly under pressure.

We saw the extraordinary photos of the hundreds of thousands of Israelis on the street saying we want a deal.

We want those remaining 20 hostages who they believed to be alive to come home.

They want peace.

I believe that they they wished have food delivered so that the Palestinians can not suffer the severe hunger that they're suffering.

But, you know, Netanyahu said that he will let us know on Friday.

I think likely not satisfied with the terms of the current proposal, which, you know, as we're hearing are not very far off what they had previously agreed to a deal that had been brokered by Steve Witkoff.

But are there enough?

Is there a great enough promise for all the remaining hostages to sent home?

Not clear, but Netanyahu seems to again not be very committed to ending this war.

He has his own personal situation.

He's his authority.

Depends many people believe on this war continuing.

So a very difficult position for Israeli citizens for the security of Israel and for the Palestinians in Gaza who are suffering and extraordinary plate.

Right now.

We've got about a minute left.

But, you know, a growing number of countries are moving toward recognizing a Palestinian state.

How might that affect the equation in terms of, you know, bring an end to this conflict?

All right.

You know, I don't think this is the this this is symbolic.

It's certainly significant for some in Palestine.

>> For others, it creates more political problems, right?

Because it sort puts Israel's back out at a time when you're trying to get a government that has not been keen to to solve this problem that isn't supportive of a two-state solution.

Historically on the back foot, the U.S. position has been that we arrive at that through a negotiated solution with the parties at the table.

I think the symbolic move is coming out of, you know, images that we're seeing of children dying of starving Palestinians in Gaza.

So one understands the symbolism.

It's extremely important.

I think we all know that a two-state solution has got to be the way to go.

It seems a very long way off right now.

All right.

Well, that's where we'll have to leave it for this evening.

But help you can come back and join us again soon.

We appreciate it.

Thanks, Lisa Marie.

>> And that's our show for this Tuesday 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.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

>> The head of the Chicago teachers Union Stacy Davis.

Gates on the first week of school.

The district's budget proposal and more now for all of us here in Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

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