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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

More than 1500 January 6 defendants are pardoned for the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

What it could mean for the future of political violence.

>> With the he'll the caused.

>> local restorative justice programs working to break the cycles of recidivism.

And tax season starts today.

What you should know that a new service letting some Illinois residents file for free.

>> And now to some of today's top stories.

One Chicago alderman says federal agents who rounded up undocumented immigrants this weekend were following standard protocol.

>> undocumented community right now is on edge.

Everybody's nervous.

People are are afraid to go to their jobs are afraid to go to school that as tragic as well.

You know, there's that there's a dearth of credible factual information out there.

And in that vacuum, you get panic.

You get people who are believing crazy rumors on social media that's destructive in corrosive to all of us.

And that needs to end to just so much about is that is wrong.

>> Alderman Brian Hopkins says while he agrees that violent criminals who are here illegally should be deported, he believes the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency ignored standard procedure.

I says it detained 956 people in raids across the country Sunday.

A malignant tumor stage.

Actor, a walking crime wave.

That's how Michael Madigan's legal team referred to former Chicago Alderman turned government mole Danny Solis in court today.

Madigan's attorneys say Solis tried to trick the former House speaker into discussing illegal plans orchestrated by federal investigators.

Today marks the 4th day of closing arguments in the federal corruption trial against Madigan and his former right-hand man Mike mclane.

Both pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors are expected to present their rebuttal tomorrow before a jury deliberations are set to begin.

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp in Poland on January.

27th 1945.

Soviet troops entered not see Germany's largest extermination camp marking the beginning of the end of the Holocaust and World War.

2.

>> It's concerning in that we're living in a of increased whole Acosta.

Nile and distortion.

And when we don't have living witnesses around to be able to tell us about their experiences.

I'm concerned that it becomes easier to deny that history.

>> More than 1 million people were killed at the site.

The majority were Jews, but victims also included polls, the Roma and Soviet prisoners of war, world leaders and Holocaust survivors gathered in southern Poland today to commemorate the history.

After an 18 month hiatus.

The newly renovated looking glass theater is set to reopen.

>> Like the pumping station next door.

We consider looking glass to be a public utility.

Providing an essential service to this community.

And we take that responsibility seriously.

We believe storytelling is as vital to the health of the city as the water flowing through it.

>> Yep, that's actor David Schwimmer.

You know, Ross from friends.

He is a co-founder of the Streeterville Theater and was on hand for today's announcement.

The theater paused operations nearly 2 years ago after funds failed to rebound after the pandemic.

Now looking glass has a new lobby bar and cafe ready to make their debut.

Their new production circus Keoni begins on Thursday.

Up next, examining the rise of political violence right after this.

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

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> People on both sides of the political aisle are calling out President Donald Trump's pardons for those charged in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

More than 1500 people received a full complete and unconditional pardon from the president last week.

And critics say Trump's actions could potentially send a dangerous message.

Here with more is Robert Pape, political science professor at the University of Chicago, terrorism specialist founding director of the Chicago Project on Security and threats.

And he's in the studio with U.S.

Professor, welcome back.

As always.

So what does this action granting clemency 1500 J 6 defendants?

What does that say to people who believe in using violence to achieve their political goals.

>> It tells them that as long as you're doing it for the president's goals, he's got your back.

This is profoundly concerning profoundly dangerous as we go forward.

We are are ready in a tinderbox of the country over the last few years.

We haven't just had January 6.

We've had assassination attempts against Nancy Pelosi say once with weapons trying to get into Barack Obama's Washington, D.C., home.

We've had 2 assassination attempts against Donald Trump just this week.

2 people have been picked up because they made assassination threats against Donald Trump.

So this is an ongoing problem.

And in the midst of this, the president has used the power of his office to a gym 8, a vast political violence against the U.S. Constitution and more than that 2 way to set forth hundreds of people.

Who are dangerous.

And and this this one is different.

This executive order is different from the couple of 100 others that he signed because >> the president has 48 cannot be challenged in court.

The president issued 26 orders on Monday.

His first day.

>> This is the one the most important one where there is no court challenge.

There is no possibility of pushback.

This is where the president has complete and full authority and discretion and he has used that power in order to Ruiz literally hundreds of people who were convicted of political violence, hundreds of people who weren't just a problem in the past but pose a danger going forward.

>> Enrique Tarrio, former proud boys leader.

He was among those who was pardoned.

Here's a little bit of what he has said.

>> President Trump said that he was going to view these cases, the nature of these cases on a case-by-case basis.

And I think he thoroughly did.

People who put their hands on a police officer should get charged with whatever it is, whether its assault on a police officer.

that's not where the problem in these cases like the problem is on these cases live the miscarriage of justice and how it was performed in these cases in DC.

>> Okay.

So a lot of questions in this entire thing about the criminal justice system will come back to that in a second.

But you have review these cases on a case-by-case basis.

What did you find?

I've reviewed all of the 1600 cases we've been doing this at our research center at the University of Chicago Project on security and threats with research teams.

>> Reviewing all over 100,000 court documents.

The key thing to know is that not just in a few cases, but in.

Case after case after case there is a voluminous photographic evidence of the individuals directly involved in the violence.

Now, the worst of those are directly assaulting police officers or using polls against police officers or other ways Shields.

However.

The others, even though they're only convicted for misdemeanors.

What counts is a misdemeanor here is you are using violence against a police officer and I 3 feet away and saying go get out.

You get assault for pulling of a police and you get the misdemeanor.

We are both encouraging that and we are overwhelming.

The Capitol Hill police.

So the idea that these are grandmas or tourists, the public needs to know that besides the 1600, there were another 400 cases, the ground laws and the tourists that the Department of Justice chose not to prosecute.

So this is not a case of where there's all these people who are no, no, no.

people doubt which I can understand why they would in today's world, our center is issue just recently to reports Chark full of this photographic evidence case by case by case this also, you know, brings up the question of for whom the criminal justice system works and how it works.

>> And what the president's pardon says about the efficacy about the criminal justice system and its validity.

If a president can just come in and write about 1500 convictions.

>> What this says on top of the pardons by President Biden is that we have politics now at the center of our criminal justice system.

We have not pardons being used to commute sentences because those somebody's been in prison for 30 years for a drug offense.

This is going way beyond that.

And in this case with President Trump's pardons, this is the first time in American history and the first time in the West the chief executive officer of a Western democracy has used the power of his or her office 2 free criminals who have been convicted of political violence and who pose on going threat.

Let me give you one example.

I could, which is Cleveland, Meredith, he's not a proud boy.

He's not an oath keeper.

He wasn't even convicted of assaulting police officer.

You know what he did?

He arrived at the Capitol with his AR 15, 1000 rounds of armor piercing ammunition.

He didn't make it into the building, but he stayed for 2 days to Hunt.

Nancy Pelosi can, as he directly said to put a bullet in here.

Her dog.

That is the kind of person that we are setting free and that person can now go by AR 15 and those 1000 rounds of armor piercing ammunition what we you argue for a national campaign to thwart political violence.

What does that look like?

What we need is a new more innovative national conversation on political violence.

>> Too often what we see is very much like a school shooting.

There's instance, a political violence and we talk about it for a week or 2.

It's mostly in what we call now the legacy media and I'm on the legacy made and then we move on to something else.

Well, at the University of Chicago Project on security and threats.

We are now actively developing a major national social media campaign that will operate on a daily basis because we have the voluminous content.

We have an ongoing need to have a sustained conversation and we need to use the new approaches.

We continue to be stuck in the technology of 2030 years ago.

We need to be able to communicate with the public in new ways.

And this is part of the dissemination now of scholarship and research.

Okay.

More to come on that.

Obviously a professor Robert Pape University of Chicago.

Thanks for joining Thanks for having me.

Up next, how restorative justice programs are working to stop the cycle of recidivism right after this.

>> To reduce the number of formerly incarcerated citizens returning to prison.

Some communities are turning to restorative justice.

It's a practice that promotes accountability and healing for those affected by the prison system.

In partnership with students from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

We explore why advocates say restored of justice is key in preventing further offenses.

Here's Taylor Hancock.

>> A new resort of that will open in early 2025.

And Lawndale a community where 12% of all Illinois prisoners are from it.

A nice murals and warm welcoming space restorative justice in size is repairing harm after a crime rather than imposing severe punitive measures.

>> What better way to pay your debt to society than to actually he'll the harm that you caused to the community and the relationships they have in your own community.

>> Clifton Ellis is the founder of Lawndale Christian Legal Center.

Lcl See where youth to get in trouble with the law can get a lawyer and social services for free.

No says he hopes to counter the idea that restoring justice is soft on crime.

>> You know, this idea that it's like you slap on the wrist and you're out.

It's quite the opposite.

Actually, you is a much more meaningful human connection and human connection doesn't happen.

You know.

>> Lcl sees Oh, you have offer housing structured social programs and dining options.

That's the key support systems prevent every incarceration in 2022.

LCL sees holistic team served 380 people.

69% of clients did not re offend well, working with the group.

Now says the impact of restorative justice cannot be reduced to just one outcome.

Sure, justice is much more nuanced in gray.

>> And we say, you know, we're gonna take the situation and we're going to try to help everyone become whole and heal the harm that was caused by that crime and restore the situation.

>> Englewood, the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation.

Pbr is dedicated to creating spaces for survivors and offenders.

Pba Mars prevention programs such as this cooking class are designed to help build self esteem and teach fundamental life skills to young people in the area.

At the ages of 19.

And 21 Curtis Dickson was arrested.

>> But today he is goal working to prevent other young people from following a similar being here and working with the, you know.

>> men women lie.

>> I rely my passion is really what I want to do.

>> After growing up in the back of the yards neighborhood Dixon found PBM are through a basketball tournament over the past 6 years.

He says the organization has kept him away from a life of crime by addressing trauma and providing a support system.

>> It was just so special.

We know we can't go in the kitchen and makes a fool.

If we wanted to to sit out play board games would have a well.

I just sit down and talk and somebody goal isn't.

So that's really what campus com.

>> Now he's 22 and mentor at the organization.

>> I was bump on my head along the way.

You're locked up stuff like that.

But president would have gave up on and I started to change over He circles offer former offenders the opportunity to share openly about themselves.

>> Both the good and the bad some circle groups that PBM are also bring together mothers who have lost their sons to gun violence or prison.

Each circle uses talking sticks, a symbolic agreement to listen and show respect.

piece circles were also part of Lisa Daniels.

Healing Journey.

Daniels lost her.

25 year-old son Daron to gun violence over a decade ago.

From the time we moved here in 1997.

This is the where >> Darren Cain who found football.

He found a love for football.

>> During the trial of her son's killer, Michael Reed.

Daniels pleaded for leniency.

Michael Reed ultimately served only 7 years of a 15 year sentence.

>> When Michael was leaving the courtroom.

Shaq old.

>> And he looked at me as he was turning away to leave the room and he thank you.

and I said, welcome.

>> Daniels founded the daring be Easterling Center for restorative practices to help those impacted by violent crime and mass incarceration.

I didn't want to be committed to grief.

I wanted to be committed to.

>> Healing in living.

>> The center offers tailored support for those who served time in prison.

And for those who have lost loved ones to violence or incarceration.

>> I still believe that there's room to bring people who have caused harm and people who been harmed give each and each and the other opportunity to be heard.

to promote healing.

>> Danielle says she hopes to one day connect with 3.

He could not be reached for an interview.

No other reason for me.

>> Except to do say just to check in and see if he's OK. >> For Wt Tw and Northwestern's Medill School of journalism, I'm Taylor Hancock.

>> Study Show participation in restorative justice programs led to a 34% decrease in juvenile recidivism.

We're back with more right after this.

Are you keeping an eye out for W twos?

Because it is now that time of year again.

But this tax season will be a little different for the first time ever.

Some Illinois residents will be able to file their federal taxes for free with the IRS is IFI tax returns system direct file.

The tool aims to cut tax prep costs and make filing easier.

Here to tell us more, our Jacob Golden, a tax law professor at the University of Chicago and via Zoom, Richard Kaplan, a law professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign.

Thank you to you both for joining us.

Illinois, we know is joining 24 other states that are already offering this free tool.

Tax season starts today.

Professor Caplan, what does this mean for the millions of Illinois residents are filing federal taxes this year?

>> For the vast majority of Illinois taxpayers, they will be eligible to access this program called Direct File, which will not only be free but might actually improve face with the Illinois program so they don't have to enter some of the same information a second time.

>> So that'll be helpful when filing both your Illinois and your federal taxes, the IRS direct file program.

It started last year with just 12 states as a pilot.

Jacob old and what's the difference?

Our what different about the program this year?

Yeah.

Well, this year is kind of taking us into the 21st Century of Tax Administration for the first time.

So you mentioned watching out for those who use.

>> And like, you know, like making sure when you're doing your taxes, they haven't missed a former type something Enron.

That's the time when the stressful part of this but this is the first time in the U.S. now you can be able to start, able to use this new program, direct file.

If are able to do it, you're going to be able to start your tax return using some of the information the IRS already has about you.

So you'll be able to import your W twos.

Some of the information from last year's tax return and hopefully it should tax filing into a less painful process.

>> People also have a variety of different tax situation.

Some can be very complex.

Richard Kaplan, who would most benefit from using this tool?

>> that already of people aboard But there are limits, for example, if income a married couple of more than a quarter million dollars, then they are not eligible if they have a lot of investment income, can get capital gains.

They are not eligible if they would be itemizing their deductions, mortgage interest or charitable contributions, then they are not alone.

But the vast majority of people have fairly straight forward returns have wages, Social Security income are not itemizing their deductions and those kinds of returns will be eligible for direct file.

And with quick click of a button, there will be directed to the Illinois program called My Tax or and that will creep populate meaning many of the numbers will carry over.

>> We know the IRS partners with some services that allow people to file for free if they need the income requirements.

Jacob, what makes IRS direct file different?

>> Well, I direct file is some of those problems that already exist.

The U.S. for the filing partner with commercial tax preparation companies the free File program, which you could still use instills in existence.

One of the big differences, though, is you know, with free college, all these different companies and the eligibility rules to use each one very so you have to worry.

Do you really meet requirements for the company are using you?

Might people sometimes get worried?

They're being up sold for a product, you know, with direct file.

You know, the information is going straight to the IRS and again, for the first time this year, they're gonna IRS will try to incorporate the information that they already have about you into the return.

So at list this year might be an easier process through direct file.

>> know, as we mentioned the program, it was piloted last year, got some high ratings from some users.

The IRS said General Services Administration Touch points survey of more than 11,000 direct file users found that 90% of respondents ranked their experience with direct file as, quote, excellent or above average.

But it has gotten some criticism from Republicans who are concerned that the program is costly.

And, you know, sort likened it to a FOX guarding the henhouse kind of situation.

Richard, what's what's your response to that argument that the Republicans are concerned that IRS is not trusted by all.

Taxpayers.

>> Well, that's certainly true that it's part of the America East not writes the tax authority.

There's also a more philosophical objection, mainly that the private sector is providing this service and in the case of 10 companies that are doing it for free if people's incomes under 84,000.

And so the idea is that is the government appropriating and opportunity here that the private sector is already doing.

Very private sector program is already So it's not as if this is cheaper than that.

Other people, however, feel comfortable having the IRS yet the information directly and don't have that same objection.

But there's no doubt that private sector is lobbying against this.

Not because they see the absence of all a lot of returns.

But is sort of a camel and camel's nose in the tent.

when the program is starting small with very simple returns.

But hasn't been proven as it develops.

It may expand many more returns.

And that's really what worried about.

>> Jacob, we've got about 30 seconds left.

You know, could this be, you know, potential competition for some of those private tax prep companies like TurboTax and H R Block which can charge a decent amount of money to taxes electronically.

Well, that's one of the benefits for our taxpayers.

Hopefully down the road is people with very simple returns.

They can get these benefits for free.

Get the credit without some of the money going to prepares that if you don't use it, you don't have to.

You don't have to everybody makes their own choices.

That is Hadley where we'll have to leave in our Richard Kathleen.

Jacob, Golding, thanks to you both for joining us.

And that's our show for this Monday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

>> Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Is made possible by Robert.

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