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

Black voices, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Some people want to say curfews don't work.

I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, they work.

City Council moves forward with giving the police power to issue a snap curfew for teens.

>> No amount of money will make.

James gives a whole.

>> Chicago awards, another multimillion dollar settlements were wrongfully convicted man who spent almost 30 years in prison.

>> No one has the right to betray them by restricting their ability to grow, explore and gather in any of Chicago's deadly 7 neighborhood.

>> And with that city Council curfew vote.

What 2 teens have to say.

New reporting has some clues.

>> And now to some of today's top stories, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirms he is eyeing a presidential run in an interview with Crain's Chicago Business Emanuel.

Also a former congressman and White House chief of staff under President Obama and most recently U.S. ambassador to Japan told Crain's, quote, I'm looking at the field and most importantly what I have to contribute.

Governor JB Pritzker is also widely thought to be considering a run as well.

Cook County officials are forecasting a budget shortfall of 211 million dollars for the 2026 fiscal year.

The projected gap is less than a shortfall of 218 million last year and significantly below the 409 million dollar shortfall during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Cook County Board, President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement, quote, by making tough decisions implementing budget, best practices and spending taxpayer dollars responsibly.

The county has created a strong fiscal foundation as it navigates the unpredictability and volatility being created at the federal level.

The Chicago City Council agreed today to pay.

23.4 million dollars to resolve 3 lawsuits alleging wide range of misconduct by Chicago police officers in the largest settlement, Chicago taxpayers will pay 14.7, 5 million to James Gibson who spent more than 29 years in prison after being convicted of a double murder.

He did not commit.

Gibson says he was tortured into confessing by detectives directly supervised by disgraced former Chicago Police Commander Jon Here's what Gibson's lead attorney had to say after the settlement was confirmed.

people think about Chicago, they think about former President Barack Obama.

They think about first lady Michelle Obama think about.

>> Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey.

What they don't think about Chicago is a wrongful conviction capital of America the wrongful conviction capital of America.

>> Less than 6 months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least 189.3 million dollars to resolve nearly 2 and a half dozen lawsuits exceeding its budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by more than 100 million dollars.

Now, that's according to city records.

And we will hear from James Gibson later in the show.

reminder that street closures for Chicago's 2025 NASCAR race began early Thursday morning starting at midnight, Balbo Drive will become fully closed between Columbus Drive and to Sable Lakeshore Drive no parking restrictions will also be put in place along Columbus Drive in both north and southbound lanes between Jackson elbow on Friday morning curb lane closures will begin for both directions of Columbus Drive between Jackson in Belbo.

The annual street race takes place July 5th and 6.

Details about the city council curfew vote right after this.

>> Chicago tonight, black voices he's made possible in part by the support of these donors.

>> The Chicago City Council voted 27 to 20 today to give the Chicago Police Department the power to preemptively impose a curfew anywhere in the city and begin enforcing it within just 30 minutes.

This is in defiance of Mayor Brandon Johnson who said the measure would hurt efforts to build trust between young people and police officers.

Here's a bit of that debate from City Council.

>> This curfew ordinance is simply one more tool in that particular tool box.

It will work.

>> I will veto this ordinance because it is counterproductive to the progress that we've made in reducing crime violence in our city.

It would create tensions between residents and law enforcement at a time when we have worked so hard to rebuild that trust.

>> W t Tw News reporter Heather Sharon joins us now live from City Hall with more on this decision.

Heather?

So after that narrow vote, eyes, of course, are turning towards Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has told us what he's going to do.

>> That's right.

He will issue with the first mayoral veto in Chicago in 19 years to prevent this curfew ordinance from becoming the law of the land.

As we heard, he says it will set back the progress.

He feels his administration has made in restoring trust between the police department and the youth of Chicago.

Now today's narrow vote came after a fierce debate where older people said that this measure would help them prevent violent teen takeovers that earlier this spring injured 2 people in Streeterville.

But other older people said it would be ineffective and it would essentially send a message to teens, particularly black and Latino teens that they were not welcome outside their own neighborhoods.

>> So Heather, Today's vote came after months of debate and controversy.

Remind us what CPD now has the power to do with this.

>> Assuming that the mayor does make good on his threat to veto, they would have had the power to essentially declare anywhere in the city off limits for people under 18.

If they had knowledge of a planned large gathering that they had evidence to believe that would turn violent.

Now, a lot of older people had a lot of questions about how exactly that standard would be met.

The issue became confused and controversial after Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told a federal judge that he would never enforce a curfew with just 30 minutes.

Notice for fear that it would sweep up otherwise.

Law-abiding teens just going about their business.

So it was really not clear if this measure even was allowed to go into effect, how would be would be used?

That is another example of the differing opinions about how Chicago should be kept safe even after the city has seen stained and significant drops in both homicides and shootings since the beginning of the year.

>> And had a why was this so controversial?

>> Well, this is the fundamental issue that Chicago has been grappling with for decades.

How do you balance the need to keep people safe in Chicago with people's civil liberties?

That is why the Chicago Police Department essentially under a federal court order to perform and it is a direct challenge.

What Mayor Bridge young son says he was elected to do, which was essentially to remake CPD into yes, a law enforcement agency, but to beef up the city's other aspects to prevent crime from happening rather, just enforcing the law once a crime had been committed.

It.

>> All right.

How Detroit City Hall for us.

Thank you.

And we'll have more on this story later in the program.

And of course, you can read Heather's full story on our website.

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

29 years.

4 months and 7 days.

That's how long James Gibson spent in prison for a crime.

He did not commit the confession that led to Gibson's convention conviction was tortured out of him by Chicago police detectives under the direct supervision of John Berge.

The disgraced former Chicago police commander who left a legacy of torture, confessions and wrongful convictions.

As we mentioned earlier today, the Chicago City Council approved a 14.7 5 million Dollar settlement for Gibson's wrongful incarceration.

And joining us to tell more of his own story is Exoneree James Gibson.

Thank you for joining Thank you for having So you were exonerated in 2019, you received a certificate of innocence in 2020.

What is the settlement today?

What does it mean to you?

What does it represent?

>> Not pretty on camera.

for that question.

What it does represent pop on justice.

So to speak Com.

>> A continuation justice.

also has to continue a lot of people making comments trying to guess and just got 15.5 million dollars on assignment.

If you look at all of the settlements, this for the last 23 at the last 30 days, 60 days, 90 days verdicts.

And Latino, the Mexicans, the whites again, 2025 30 million dollars Santa.

So somebody contacted said 15 made dollars a lot of money, 15 million dollars.

A lot of mine.

Somebody that would be risky fall.

So there's no justice, no peace in these cases notes and atrocities across Chicago's lead nation told the city Chicago 2019 when I was released on a little rather excellent Christ.

My mother's birthday, April 15th, the must-see path away, able second that on these cases come about and why not cities Kabul got expose it.

2.5 billion dollars.

And so when you say 15 E dollars, I'm happy.

Not not happy about that.

do you feel like there's there's no dollar amount.

>> That makes up for what you've lost.

That means east.

Now I know dollar national dollar amount that can make of what I love last.

My mom, I lost everything.

And I never got a chance to be married.

I went off to the army my country Adams and I never did that.

the set up for me to do graduate the high school going to cause.

did anything up play by the rules, sent out a get one ideas for want to 7 days.

I can get that back.

As we mentioned, John Berge, the detectives that worked for him, they became known for torturing confessions out of dozens of men.

>> for a long time, no one believed these men when they told people what was happening to them.

When did you realize that what had happened to you was part of a much bigger systemwide problem.

>> I will laugh and it was a much bigger problem when I hadn't gotten to from ideal.

See the deal.

C. I stopped litigating found most of them back in 1990, it on the record.

When I got to tell your And so I became a jailhouse lawyer assigned present when I became a jailhouse lawyer, so to speak.

And I was in Pontiac statement not.

I thought live and dead on.

I thought meeting people from the South side most at the West sent a sass to Kabul and they all had the same story and we never met each other before in lives.

2 on that imprisoned started.

Learning each other stories.

I was it within that they would learn each other's stories.

I with the the voice and the voice send out the jailhouse lawyers.

I had the best job in the prison out of the gallery work on Porter, our work.

They got detailed fire, had access to all of the prisoners were on.

The president have access to.

And so but would be having this movement free movement throughout the whole system.

I was able to communicate find out many from out West, not south, if not a system out west, might know of the not by looking at the brothers that was coming not in the wood.

57 not be is like 16 off my block.

Hello, my nephew, Robert Robinson who was just released not too long month between ad is from 28 years and 10 months, no cents off by saying wow, is something going on in.

But the same time nobody was able to put the pieces together because they would never able to move around to be able to communicate.

And so I was the ears and the voice of the land.

stock understanding what was going on, like man, this is bigger Disney.

This is a pattern and practice.

Somebody's got to be notice about this atrocity.

They've is still in a buzz and could is that all comes in.

>> Grandfathers.

And so that's I relaxed.

It was something big in need.

>> So you just heard the reporting from head Sharon while not for But earlier in the show about the settlements that were reached, that the city council's had to make over over the years, hundreds of millions of dollars.

What does that tell you?

does that sit with you?

>> What I got to hit nothing from what the city that told me behind been the one putting these cases out since 1990, from the South side, West's at the North's and he says the cause I've was sending these BDD Stones, Vice Louis hail because LGBT than all the rest of these bugs, the net, he know then the Mexican.

So you're saying gang members who are gang members were conflicted or Ross leak sent prison.

You know, if what time I want to I just went crazy.

Just battle with turning cases just to be overturned.

>> But then I started realizing that said that it was a missed just this one me to in justice like this.

stout, overturning case that was only innocence.

And then I realized was honza that he knows it was Han African-American.

From the South side, North side and he Cada had the same officers.

How did you put all of those skills to work for yourself?

Well, I put all those skills work for myself in the county jail.

This time the county jail will not not.

I came from, quote, wind and I seen a Perry Mason show.

>> In an I noticed that in the county jail, all the inmates or offenders, whatever you want to name a baby doll looking up in air.

Because the TV was in the air and I came off off off a call not act to do it about another justice, a photograph that they had took my injuries and he told me action million in other person objection and the flak to do is what they did any told action noise.

So they put me out.

The court moved.

And it's going back to the sale.

How I think gathering was watching on TV and Perry Mason was on any said objects.

>> So that the rest is history.

sounds like, we have.

So we know that very close with your mother.

sadly she was she lost.

She passed while you're incarcerated.

What do you think she would say about the settlement?

>> To Tim, you say thing to see told me when first was in Fafa presidency told me Babe.

You have to do about 20 years.

She why folks play family too to say.

But to come home to say.

But have to get a few things.

I to go hot and for a look at do they need to do for you and say right?

Nicely.

Sit on the right.

His side, a God.

Lord state.

I got to believe it is a God have that.

That is over now.

Baby.

>> You've been involved in social justice activism since your release.

What is next for you would have to miss that.

That's understatement.

When you say I've been involved with social justice I've been I've been involved with social justice.

It packs.

it 90?

I've been involved with social impact before they had a social impact.

So I imagine that something that >> well, I have going I have become too, and I am goal of 40 from number catena move for the problem.

And I've I was released on the eve what a rather back to the cries 2019, given all my advice is to fit in a did Formo foundation.

The first of the candidates had declarer in a day and getting found basis.

It was captured all of the book and I've been doing the last 30, 60 and all of these cases I've been overturned call from the cities of Kabul, 759 million dollars.

And I know that I know that you're a musician as well.

We'll have to have you back to talk about that next time because we're out of time.

>> James Gibson, thank you so much for joining us.

Best of luck to you.

And thank you, too, for having me and get to land.

Up next, reporting about what teens may think about the new snap curfew law.

>> As we heard earlier city council narrowly passed a controversial snap curfew ordinance this afternoon following months of debate.

The measure is aimed at curbing large gatherings of teens.

But for many young people in Chicago, there aren't many places for them to gather and socialize.

Joining us to discuss the snap curfew measure and why it's harder for teens to find places to together are shima community engagement editor at South Side Weekly and Corley J Community Investment reporter at the Tribe.

Thanks to both for joining us.

So the tribe in South Side weekly, the 2 of you have been working on collaboration to cover this snap curfew debate Corley.

Let's talk about the terms teen trends or gatherings versus teen takeovers.

They're sometimes called.

What exactly are these events and what are some of the misconceptions people might have about them?

Yeah, for sure.

Thank you for having Brand-new.

So team trend insult injury Cockburn's takeovers.

>> Our speeds come inmate Randy's that reason demands are mostly downtown as many lot of misconceptions about Biden to some of the trains had in with people.

We one notably get good with team that is live reading in part because you read to a curfew.

And so says since there has been a lot talk about how to kind of prevent the scene treating together.

It's >> So FEMA had a teen gatherings haven't had provide an outlet for teens.

>> Yes, so it gives them a place to essentially will, you know, they're board right there.

Spending time at the House lies, Ashley in the summertime when they're out of school veterans.

So they might not have this after school programming and especially in people who are coming from neighborhoods where maybe there's not a lot to do recreationally in the neighborhood or, you know, those record recreational activities might be in places that aren't safe for them to go.

teens trends were takeovers are providing them with his base to be able to meet up their peers, their age mates, their classmates, you friends that they have that live in other neighborhoods.

It's giving them a neutral settings, be able to meet up with other teenagers and also just to have fun, find something to do during the summer time, etc.

>> At the same time, unfortunately, as you mentioned, Corley, some of these teen gatherings have led to activities that make people concerned for their safety.

What had people that you spoke with said about how the violence can be prevented.

>> Well, my colleague, Tony, and reporting talking to actual teens about just have a more safe spaces for them to go to the kind of curving because they don't have places to our gate.

Are you going some down?

But they want people to know that it's not all teenagers right now.

That's a problem he had with something like.

That's for You know, I'm kind in prison the or on criminalizing teens who may be at the wrong place at the right place at the wrong times.

Looking for something to do.

>> And I think some of your colleagues also Cheema.

They've also reported on the impact of curfew is whether or not they work on because as we just heard from had usher and supporting City Council did, in fact, pass the snap curfew ordinance.

The mayor has said he would veto it, but what is the impact of a >> Well, Jim Daly, the investigative it editor itself a weekly.

He did some really great reporting on the fact that there's really no answer to that.

It's actually unclear whether or not curfews keep people safe or not.

And the issue was that, you know, providing this idea, safety in one place can then create this bubble of and safety or violence, cetera, and other the curfews and actually meeting the issue at its root.

And if they're not getting downtown, then their meeting somewhere else, it almost seems as if we're trying to segregate this violence to their own neighborhood to their communities and saying like, yeah, you know, these areas are just off limits because that's what's most valuable to us.

And that doesn't actually solve the issue.

So it's actually hard to determine whether or not curfews actually keep people safe.

And even in city of Chicago, the enforcement of curfew seems to be varying and it's not always consistent.

And so even with the curfew that we had before this curfew ordinance was it's not like it was being enforced on a consistent basis and sometimes even weaponized to be used a case-by-case situation as opposed to being a blanket things.

So it's hard to even tell.

>> Also, China and based on your reporting, you've spoken to parents about the challenges of raising 18 2025 in Chicago.

What have they said?

>> They said that will one, you know, social media is.

Influencing a lot of the way they go about, you know, communicating with each other and navigating the road around them and that's had its benefits.

But it's also had, you know, some problems because obviously like if you're trying to mitigate what's going on among teenagers and how they influence each other these way for them to be able to connect with each other without supervision, cetera, is on social media.

And like I said, that can provide them with some freedom and autonomy.

But that also creates a space for young people because we have to remember their children to be able to influence each other, to handle things, go about things in a way that may not be the safe safe is but that being said, though, these parents are also expecting that the reason why large chunk of the time there's many socializing, huge other socializing with each other is online is because there's not as many things to do out in the real world.

Right.

So one of the pair's mentioned how she had a cool in a public housing complex.

Where's the public to lack and tell you where the nearest public police in the right how a lot of young people were gathering in Milwaukee.

One of the parents grew up Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and they were taken to the streets because they were bored when they were out of school and the city decided, hey, let's just move on to a place that's safe or not.

think over the stadium parking lot for a couple hours and, you know, stay out the way and not be in traffic as opposed to telling them they can't do one thing and not giving them an alternative.

Right.

So I think the main thing is that young people are needing a place or places to feel safe.

And also to a lot is and there are things away from them without Aleutians.

Yeah, Corley.

You looked into some of that like the lack of amenities and 3rd spaces for teens compared to in the past.

What were some of those amenities >> what happened to them in about 30 seconds?

>> Yeah, we places safe places for teens.

It close also known juice bars.

They no longer exist.

They didn't exist when I was growing up.

So I know they keys today have no idea what that was like.

Also, we have and keys were able to go to teenagers.

But those have long going out, you know, because online shopping, but also because of the sport house.

And you can go to 5 miles games hours after right or 5 o'clock without a parent or is for which also here has the same count is for house.

And so places, these teens safe places, I'm going end with the lack of people teams like a place to kind of move up and that's why they can slide down >> Okay.

Reporting from currently J. Coro, thanks to you both for joining us.

Appreciate it.

Thank And that is our show for this Wednesday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, Black Voices.

I'm Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching healthy and safe and have a good >> news may cost why Robert, a cliff and Clifford a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

That serves the needs