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

Here's what we're looking at.

A new report warns the Great Lakes Water Supply could be at risk amid the rise of massive data centers.

Local veterans affairs workers are pushing back against the Trump administration's move to cut union protections.

And audiences are getting a new take on the Shakespearean classic.

>> First off tonight, some of today's top stories, former north Western head football coach Pat Fitzgerald reaches a settlement in his lawsuit against the university.

The settlement comes more than 2 years after Fitzgerald was fired amid allegations of widespread hazing Fitzgerald and his attorneys announce the, quote, satisfactory settlement in a statement.

But the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The longtime Wildcat head coach Sue Northwestern in 2023 for 130 million dollars in damages claiming he was wrongfully and illegally terminated in denying he had any knowledge of his team's hazing activities.

In a statement, the university says the evidence uncovered during the lawsuit did not establish that any player reported the hazing to Fitzgerald or that he condoned or directed any hazing.

Good news for drivers, more lanes on the Kennedy Expressway are set to reopen the Illinois Department of Transportation is announcing that all lanes north of Addison Street will be available in the next week to facilitate the 2 mile stretch of lanes reopening seen here in Green.

Idot says several overnight ramp and lane closures will take place starting tonight.

Idot says the three-year 170 million dollar project is on track to be completed by Thanksgiving.

The work includes rehab on bridge's pavement.

Patching sign replacements and lighting improvements among other work.

And for more on what you need to know about that reopening, you can check out our Web site.

And Brookfield Zoo is about to get a new furry addition.

A polar bear named Amelia Gray is on her way to Brookfield, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

The 8 year-old female will join polar Bears hope and Hudson in the great bear wilderness at Brookfield.

The zoo says her addition will help scientists deepen their understanding of the challenges facing polar bears in the wild and help and help find solutions to prevent their extinction.

Polar bears were the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act because of rising global temperatures causing significant changes to their arctic habitat.

Research projects up to two-thirds of the polar bear population could disappear by the end of the century.

Zoo goers can expect to see a million Graham whole crew as early as mid October.

And by the way, last night we told you that Chuck D from public enemy would be joining us tonight.

Well, he is not here.

I guess we believed the hype.

Some other time.

Hopefully.

Up next, the environmental cost of a booming tech business.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these do >> A new report shows massive hyperscale data centers are endangering the Great Lakes.

Those computing centers consume vast amounts of water proving that while the lakes are a vast resource for the region, they're not infinite or Patty.

Wet Lee joins us now with more.

Patty, explain how the water rich Great Lakes could ever experience water shortages.

Right?

When you hear that the Great Lakes hold 20% of the world's fresh water, you think that sounds like a not been?

>> The report does a great job explaining how Great Lakes states have worked together to protect that.

Nobody is going to be running a pipeline from Lake Michigan to Phoenix.

But what the report also makes obvious is.

How reliant we all are on groundwater.

Ground.

Water moves back and forth between the lake.

It flows in and out of it.

That's what some vulnerable to extraction and what could actually be termed do watering when you run out of that underground resource.

And of course, we should mention that this report.

It's from Great Lakes.

Thank you very much.

So what is creating this new demands on water supply?

agriculture's mining is another, but as you mentioned, data center specifically these hyper scale data centers, which are the massive ones either use for bitcoin mining or something like generative AI.

Those are the scale is growing and they're coming online faster and faster and they require massive amounts of water to cool all that equipment through like an evaporative process.

So that's what the water is being used for.

Up to one to 5 million gallons a day for just one center.

That's as much water 12,000 people use an entire year combined one center.

That is a lot of water.

So what sorts of proactive solutions does.

The report recommends one is for states to stop offering tax breaks and incentives to data centers to locate here and to instead provide benefits back in terms of agreeing to efficiency.

As you know, there are maybe more efficient ways to cool that equipment other things are to set the fission see standards and revisit was for how much groundwater can actually be extracted by a single entity.

There are a lot of proposals in this.

And as the report says, when governments sense urgency, they do find a way to act quickly.

But speed is of the essence here about the report's author told me, you this is happening really quickly as we all know and we need to act quickly in response proactively.

because we know there are some other states that have experienced water shortages.

We are going to come one of those.

Patty, what thank you so much.

Thanks, friend.

And you can read patties full story on our website.

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

>> Local veterans affairs workers are pushing back after losing their collective bargaining rights.

The Trump administration cut union contracts for Department of Veterans Affairs employees earlier this month as part of a larger effort to strip federal Workers of Union protections.

Advocates say the move threatens the quality of veterans care and impacts 400,000 workers across the country.

Joining us with more are any part or a union steward for the American Federation of Government Employees.

Local 7.89 and I go vice president of health systems at SEIU, Healthcare, Illinois, and Indiana and Henry Vega, U.S. Army veteran and employee at Hines VA Hospital, a facility serving veterans.

Thanks to all of you for joining us.

Any partner starting with you, please.

What does this termination mean for for union Workers, for Employees, for Union members?

>> Well, I think it means the mega regime just removed union rights for 1 million federal employees be a Social Security.

Epa.

And this is 100 times worse than what Reagan did.

Great harm on veterans are most vulnerable communities.

We're already seeing impact on veterans care.

They can't access pay basic mental health treatment, substance use housing services.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Now they can try to fire us.

That will for advocating for people that have risked their their lives fighting for our country.

It's pretty shameful.

This is our 5 alarm fire.

It's why we have to mobilize with each other.

union siblings and allies and show up for Labor Day.

>> for Labor Day, which is next week in week from this Monday.

And can do that?

just Terminator union contract like that?

They And so the problem is, is that we don't currently have.

>> Checks and balances in our government.

So, you know, SEIU, Fte, National Nurses, United other federal employee unions have all sued.

>> Around this, you know, we have stated and we continue to state and the law backs up that this is an illegal termination and expansion of administrative executive powers.

But the courts right now.

You know, stacked by Trump are saying differently, but they haven't killed our union.

So they've canceled.

They've canceled contracts, but our members are still members of our union are still working at the VA are still fighting to protect workers and most importantly, to protect quality care at the VA.

So are union members are still going to work every single day to have that fight to me about that care.

What's the scope of care that VA members are workers that workers provide?

>> So, you know, veterans who serve this country are promised care and many veterans come back injured, disabled, harmed in many different ways.

A lot of them facing mental health problems.

And so our members you know, the 375,000 VA employee support their care specialized care so they receive care within medical centers.

You know, specialist who know about PTSD, who know about neurological problems, who can care for amputees Hart, who are trauma informed.

This is the care that veterans receive inside the medical center.

care that you can't receive specialized outside of the VA into the threat and specifically the threat of credit privatizations.

So Trump, you know, attacked the unions.

He attacked the biggest advocate for workers, you know, inside the union, but workers who are speaking up.

For veterans, many of whom are veterans themselves.

So this attack on our voices, an attack to attempt to silence workers who are saying stop privatization, stop the cuts to the VA. And we do have a statement from the VA, but I want to get to in just a second.

But want to get you in here first.

How does this impact the quality of care?

I mean, are you already beginning to see longer wait times at work or staff shortage is yes.

the staff shortages spend their way before even from got in.

>> example is.

I had an appointment set up for September.

back to call me with the nurses that's now going to push it out for another 6 months, which would be in February.

We're falling through the cracks, but not by fault because short staffing so roll down the hill and then it affects effects.

The workers also most important, the community and the better.

Are you concerned?

mean, after hearing something like, you know, a doctor's appointment that has been pushed out 6 months.

>> Are you concerned about the kind of care that you and your fellow veterans are going to getting?

Yes, depending on what type of specialty care you're gonna get, sometimes you might even have to go to the emergency room to get that done.

Because who knows what it is that you can't wait 6 months.

>> Okay.

So I mentioned that statement from the Veterans Affairs Department from their press secretary.

It reads, quote, No one lost their job or was fired as a result of this move.

Instead about 1900 union representatives who have been collecting government salaries to do union work have returned to full-time VA work on behalf of veterans, terminating contracts for VA unions which have repeatedly pose significant bipartisan VA reforms rewarded bad employees for misconduct is a huge win for veterans because of this.

It goes on to say because of this decision VA staff will spend more time with veterans.

Va facilities can focus on treating veterans instead of catering to union bosses.

Nba can manage its staff according to Veterans needs not union demands.

Amy, how do you react to that?

Well, I think we've seen the impact of.

>> For example, Dei has had on our organization.

We have clinical staff that are concerned about their licenses and standards of care impacted by executive orders and the denial of care for LGBTQ veterans.

And upholding clinical standards of care.

The end of local equity and inclusion programs.

This is cause a chilling effect of and fear of retaliation speaking out against discrimination and other illegal violations.

Further traumatizing, our workforce many of the people who work at the VA are veterans themselves.

So I'm not sure who Doug Collins and his counterparts are referring to because this impacts everyone right up because, you know, he'd make sure that the statement, you know, makes the argument that unions have been opposed to some reforms.

>> That were bipartisan.

Are there reforms that that it would you say to that right or their reforms that you all opposed that I'm aware We ensure that our facilities are clean.

We ensure that people have appropriate working conditions.

>> We ensure that people work 8 hour schedules and take their breaks and lunches some on sure how you know that kind of rhetoric.

Is factual.

Henry, what concerns do you have about how this impacts you and fellow veterans?

We talked about it a bit a minute ago.

>> question, job security.

Job performance.

>> And most of all, my my health, it's most important because if I have no health, I have no life.

And for my family off.

And the community and for our fellow brothers and sisters, the veterans.

>> To me a bit about that, the work that you do it to be a I am a motor vehicle operator.

I pick up food.

Tickets are certain to see box highs.

>> I pick up I deliver to this around local area and also take the veterans out field trips, Nichols, he they go water skiing, they go horseback riding and they go golfing.

>> And so, you know, this, these cuts and changes they come as federal employees across the country are also receiving cuts in different departments, not just the VA. What what are these sweeping cuts mean?

Because veterans also receive other services from federal agencies that are seeing similar cuts.

happening?

So one of things that unions advocated a long time for is staffing and is staffing.

>> And under President Biden, we passed the Pact Act which cut down red tape.

So that veterans could receive the services that they're owed with these Biden increased the number of employees at Veterans Affairs by 60,000 with these cuts mean is he wants to go back to those pre Biden numbers.

These cuts mean that the red tape that was removed under Biden is going to be put back up under veterans are going to have to be delayed in.

receiving healthcare deleting receiving access to pension and making corrections around pensions, housing support.

G I bell.

These are all cuts that are happening and the folks who you know, employee to be able to provide these services are no longer going to be employed when they say that, you know, no one was laid off or there's been 7,000 folks who have either been terminated or resigned come September.

We're going to find out the real numbers about the fork in the road in terms of folks who took the offer.

And right now there's an empty seat at the VA where there are no longer working.

And so these cuts are going to be severe and we're going to see it and wait times and we're going to see it adverse.

you adverse actions for veterans, President Trump, he peeled heavily to veterans when he was campaigning.

Many veterans voted for him in hopes things will get better for them because we have all been reporting on some of the struggles.

>> That VA facilities have had over the years.

Henry, you know, how do you feel about like promises that the president made to the veteran community when he was campaigning in light of what's happening now in about 30 seconds.

He hasn't kept not one of them yet.

>> And I hate to see what he has in store for us for the future.

Because we're a promise medical care for fighting for our country.

And that should be.

Constitutional.

And we do have a right speech and that's why we're just coming out and letting the people know letting the veteran snow that what's going on behind the door at the VA hospital.

>> Okay.

That's where we'll have to leave it.

Henry, thank you for your service.

Thanks to all of you for joining Any Potter and I go and everybody got.

Thank Thank you.

Coming up next, re-imagining one of the most famous pieces of theater ever revisit that conversation next.

>> Tragedy, betrayal, revenge.

Those are some of the themes of most any Shakespearean drama.

But audiences are now getting a twist of the beloved classic hamlet, rather than a stage.

Production creators are giving audiences an earful with an audio adaptation.

Here to explain more about the magic that is Hamlet are Jeremy McCarter adapter of director executive producer and founder of the Make-Believe Association and Daniel Kyree, a Chicago native and star of the new adaptation of Hamlet.

Welcome.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

Good to be here.

Come South.

Jeremy, tell us how this works.

Handle it, but make it podcast.

That's right.

write why would we do such a thing a couple of years ago realize that our audience people listen to podcast tend to do so on headphones.

>> And we have the audience between a set of headphones.

We have this special super power that we can do.

We can make them feel that they're inside the main character's head.

>> And I just thought, well, if we can do that, what would be more interesting head to be inside then hamlets, which is the family is the most famous play ever written because of the way that Shakespeare puts us inside his mind as he is dealing with his world falling apart around him.

So did the adaptation found Daniel Carey?

He's going to do it.

And we went.

>> What goes into process of making a project like this visually appealing to an audience without visuals because we're used to seeing this on a stage for sure.

>> We are blessed to have as one of our closest collaborators, Mikhail Fix.

Tony Award-winning sound designer who has this incredible ability to render worlds that are so vivid.

You think you're seeing them even though all you're doing is listening to the sound effects of these creating and then we have the performances of the actors and the way that they respond to the cues that they're getting from from Isha sound design.

What the response we're getting from early audience is that people feel like they're really in it.

>> Daniel Currie, most folks probably know you from your role on Chicago but why did you want to play this role?

Very different from how we're used to seeing totally.

I mean.

>> Hamlet is one of those.

It's like it's like the Moby of the acting.

Well there.

I feel like a lot of actors.

Alright, in pursuit of what their version of this iconic character can can be.

It is rife with challenges, The ability to it's to do your analysis of the tax and what's happening and to translated into living grieving being this I think is something that it just worthy of the challenge.

And so for I I was thrilled to another crack at it.

What have you prepare for something like that?

I mean, it requires a world of studying and specificity and I am lucky enough to have been blessed with such thorough and talented collaborators like Jeremy McCarter Sydney Charles, who associate director on this project as mentioned, thick thick skull.

These are all folks that I can kind of go into a room with bounce ideas off of you know, rely on them to give me kind of guidance and a lot of ways.

My team was my north star for this project.

>> Also as a Chicago you've been on Chicago fire for some time.

And I'm gonna come back to him with the second a promise what what's that been like for you to be able to act in your hometown on a successful series?

Yeah, absolutely incredible.

I mean, you know, I have done a lot of locally in Chicago on.

>> Many stages across the city and I was actually doing my first round of Hamlet when I was cast on the show, Chicago Fire and so, you know, there is difference, I think in perhaps a platform.

impact in some ways in terms of just like the recognize ability of something like Chicago fire.

And so, of course, I go back to my like, you know, like you're on TV and you know that whole thing.

there's something that's just really >> affirming for me as as an actor because, you know, it's a it can be a tough business and I've been very, very fortunate.

So you're ready for him Let's listen to one of hamlet's inner monologues that you're talking about.

>> I just I She would hang on to as increase of appetite had what it fed on.

>> And yet within a month, I mean, think on it.

Frailty name woman.

>> And little month.

those shoes were called with which she followed my poor father's body.

I can.

I hope the all he hears why she.

>> Jeremy, of course, have been don't know how many countless iterations and productions of Hamlet over the years.

What sets this one apart, obviously being that it it's an audio production >> I mean, even among audio productions of Hamlet of which there have been many as far as we can tell, no one is taking the specific approach, which is to adapt to text so that you are experiencing the entire story from Hamlet own point of view.

So when you put headphones on and you hear things happening, you're hearing as they're happening to end around Hamlet.

That is a completely different way of its a fresh angle.

It coming up the play and we did it.

We obviously weren't.

Audio company wanted to make a cool audio story the audience will love.

But also we felt like we can use these tools, the specific tools of podcasting to maybe give people angle on this play never had before in 425 years.

That was, you know, the fun part of the challenges.

People who really love Shakespeare.

>> Daniel, on the audience can't physically see you.

But we know you're black, right?

And you said you played Hamlet before.

How do you think was it mean to you to be a black man stepping into this role?

>> I think that it really is opportunity to perhaps myself my characters because I'm like, please The kinds of perhaps expectations that might come up right from people visually seeing me and to just kind of lean in and listen to his story, what he is experiencing and just empathize with his humanity in a way that sometimes I feel because, you know, we are in divisive times.

It's sometimes it's little bit more difficult for us to see another person's point of view, especially when there kind of clearer more obvious separations are could do to train us.

And so differences yet.

And so and in this case, I think it's just a wonderful opportunity to chess.

Let our imaginations go and feel what we feel from the circumstances that this human person is experiencing.

It's exciting for >> 10 seconds left.

Jeremy McCarter 10th anniversary of Hamilton.

You co-wrote Hamilton.

The Revolution with the creator Lin Manuel Miranda.

When you look back on these 10 years, what do you see?

>> I see it plays a show that had an unbelievable legacy.

I mean, none of us, I think thought 10 years later, it's still be on Broadway or that it would have shifted the culture and all the ways that it shifted I mean, I feel unbelievably lucky that I got to have the view on that on that comer accuracy experience that I Congrats to you both.

Thank you for joining us.

Jeremy McCarter and Daniel Khiree.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

And we're back right after this.

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

Stay connected with our reporters and what they're working on by following us on Instagram at W T Tw Chicago and join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the week in review.

We leave you tonight with sites from today's Senior Fest event in Millennium Park.

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

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed caption was made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices, a personal injury law firm.