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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> These on plastic bags and rideshares downtown.

Chicago's new budget means for yours.

>> Welcome Congressmembers.

Weigh in on the capture of Venezuela's president.

The expiring of health care subsidies.

The likelihood of another government shutdown and much more.

>> All that hot but staffing to making relief bill that you don't >> 10 city of big shoulders, Windy City's second city W T Tw News explains how Chicago that's nicknames.

>> First off tonight, some people insured through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are hoping Congress passes a bill extending tax credits to more people this week.

The subsidies expired at the end of last year.

And officials say it means more than 500,000 Illinoisans can see their premiums increase among them.

Cook County residents dug which art and his wife should Dean, who's lived with the new degenerative disease, ALS for the last 8 years.

Last year.

Her medical expenses.

>> We're over $300,000.

They do.

So we we have to have insurance because we can't afford not to have insurance.

And not knowing the exact cost.

It's very troubling.

>> Cook County health care officials say the ACA subsidies also stabilized care delivery by reducing uncompensated care and allowing patients to access service is an appropriate settings like doctor's offices instead of emergency rooms.

We'll have more with Congress members on a possible vote over this issue in just a few minutes.

Chicago police officers used force against members of the public 10% more often in the 1st half of 2025. compared with the 1st half of 2024, the police department is required to submit a mid-year report on its use of force under the consent decree.

And this year's report also shows a 9% increase in the time cops pointed a gun at individuals over the same time Period.

W T Tw News analysis shows officer shot 13 people killing 7 of them in the 1st half of 2025. which is more than the total number of people shot and killed in all of 2024, our analysis also shows for all of 2025 police shot.

22 people killing 9.

Cpd will issue a use-of-force report for all of 2025.

This summer, they did not respond to our request for comment.

Cook County's first new chief judge in more than 2 decades.

Just finished up his first month in office.

And he's highlighting some changes he's making Chief Judge Charles Beach says he's launched a new committee tasked with reviewing and improving communication related to violations in the courts.

Electronic monitoring program created a new leadership role.

The director of Juvenile services to address issues of safety and fairness and work towards better outcomes for youth added 3 new deputy chief judge positions and appointed new presiding judges and supervising judges and push to improve Cross Department collaboration.

In a statement, beach says, quote, These changes are intended to improve safety and make our courts more transparent, efficient and fair.

If you take the bill into the loop, you might have noticed something different today.

This is the first day of a three-year closure for the station at state and Lake, the 130 year-old stop is getting a fresh new look with whiter platforms, a much bigger canopy and a flyover bridge allowing riders to conveniently transfer between platforms.

train riders can board the CTA at nearby Clark in Lake or Washington and Wabash.

The new station is slated to open in 2029.

Up next, what Chicago's new budget means for your next trip to the store.

Sharon joins us to break it down right after this.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> After months of debate, Chicago finally has a new budget or Heather.

Sharon joins us now with what that means for Chicagoans and their wallets.

Heather, the city's spending plan for 2026.

Had to close a nearly 1.2 billion dollar shortfall which we knew about.

How did they do it?

Well, with a host of tech, new taxes and new fees, but not a tax on big firms for each employee that they have in Chicago.

That was the big sticking point.

Mayor Brandon Johnson really pushed for A healthy majority of the city council said no Also not in this budget.

Grocery tax, which is going to save the average Chicago family about $100 a year.

>> But people have to be sure to bring those tote bags because the cost paper and plastic bags to take that from home.

That's going to cost to double what it did last year.

Also, it's going to cost you more if you call Uber or Lyft from the expanded downtown area and it's really not clear whether cuts are fees are in the offing.

Great.

So I ask the question that everybody, especially those who own property in the city of Chicago want to know our property tax is going to go up because of this.

Yes, the average Chicago homeowner is going to pay about $12 more a year to restore funding for the Chicago Public Life.

Right?

That will keep about 70 positions that were set to be eliminated on the books.

But the big increase that people will see, it's not going to come from the city, but the Chicago Public schools which hiked property taxes by the most they're allowed to under state law that will add an additional $55 or so to the bills that are due for 2026.

In Twenty-twenty Mayor Brandon Johnson has repeatedly said that this budget is not ballots, that it leaves the city in a precarious financial position as the year starts.

>> Why doesn't matter if the city's budget is about?

Well, if the city is starting off the year, 163 million dollars in the red as his administration has said.

That means the city is in danger of not being able to pay its bills.

And it's very possible that the Johnson administration is going to have to come back in relatively short order to the City council and say, hey, we need to make some last minute adjustments.

It's not clear what those adjustments could be, but this is a start of the year in Chicago financially speaking, unlike we've ever seen before, not the best start a move to tax online.

Gambling has already prompted a lawsuit and a push to tax social media companies.

It's likely to trigger a major legal fight.

What else he watching for now that is, you know, now that it's officially 2026.

Well, the big question is whether Chicago will see a second consecutive annual downgrade in its credit rating.

Now, this is just like your FICO store.

If you've got a high focus square, you're going to pay less to borrow money for a new car or get a mortgage for a house.

The state's credit rating is already pretty low because he's a massive amount of debt and its budget is long been out of whack.

So if the Wall Street agencies hit the city with another downgrade, it's gonna make it that much harder for the city to keep the lights on and the trash trucks rolling and it will make it very hard in the coming years for the city sort of bring its expenses in line with its revenue supposition for the city to be in.

Heather Sharon, thanks again.

Thanks.

Brandis.

And for more on the city's new budget checkout.

Headers full story on our website.

It is all at W T Tw Dot com slash news.

>> As >> the new Year begins, lawmakers are returning to a deeply divided Congress in the weeks ahead.

Debate over extending Affordable Care Act, tax subsidies and the threat of another government shutdown are expected to take center stage.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife over the weekend has added a new layer of uncertainty to the 2026 session.

Joining us with more now, our Congressman Sean Casten, a Democrat from Downers Grove and Congressman Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat representing parts of Chicago's South side and south suburbs.

Of course, we also invited all Republican members of Congress from Illinois, but they did not respond.

Congressman, we thank the both of you for joining us again.

First off, I want to get your reaction to the Trump administration's military capture.

Of course, a Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the and his wife over the weekend.

Representative Cassel, let's start with you, please.

>> This to say problematic is an understatement.

It's a violation of international law and the was never any attempt to secure congressional approval.

The to the extent that they ever ask for approval, it was approval to drug running boats in international waters and their argument for that was it was because some drugs kill Americans and there for selling drugs is an act of war against the United States.

By that logic and American gun manufacturers are guilty of acts of organs.

Mexico.

>> The >> it's going to be really hard to put this genie back in the bottle.

When we get back, it's going to be critical that we have appropriate briefings, whether classified or unclassified settings and and some degree of humility because of, you know, if if the chair and if the Russians decide to follow our example, this gets really bad in a hurry.

>> Congressman Jackson, your reaction.

Well, I agree with own Curtis been cast following that logic, if this is the world of my this right.

And that means that larger army of the Russians can go into take Ukraine into land.

That means Saddam Hussein, the right to go into Iraq and go into Kuwait.

It's a that was his 19th province.

That means trying to go into Taiwan.

That means United States.

can say some slave doctrine of the Monroe policy having territorial supremacy in the Western Hemisphere concluding the land of the Venezuelan people and say it's our oil.

It's just wrong.

And Venezuela us remind you from Caracas to Chicago.

It's 2,500 at 4 miles.

It's walkable.

You can ride a bike.

You can drive a car, so it's going to further destabilize the country.

What he's done.

>> Representative cast and the War Powers Act of 1973.

This requires the president to brief Congress on military actions within 48 hours of American troops.

Contact with hostilities.

We know that there was expected to be a classified briefing between the White House and select members of Congress, mostly of foreign affairs.

And I think some intelligence members this evening.

What have you heard from the Trump administration?

>> personally have heard nothing.

As of yesterday on our caucus goal.

And, you know, the ranking members of our committee is Jim Harms, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, Adam Smith, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

They have not received any briefings either.

We were told was that the White House reach down.

>> To some degree to a few Republicans in advance.

And there's some meeting that's going on the cold center because that's when Congress called it.

But again, it's only with Republicans in the Constitution.

Doesn't say that you you only give your party notifications that you have to give Congress notifications.

So Congress is still very much in the dark on this operation of than what we see in news reports.

I think we're all troubled by the fact that we had a classified briefing before we left, the provided no classified information other than location of some military assets before we left at the end of December.

That is, but they also made it very clear that this surely to attack boats in international waters did not make any mention of actually and dating a sovereign nation much kidnapping president in this way.

>> Now the Trump administration officials, they have argued that that this attack on Venezuelan removal of the president and his wife that this has been a law enforcement action that used military military resources and therefore did not require congressional notification.

But the White House is also used several different justifications for this action.

Some of that policing the Western hemisphere, some of it being about oil and assets and and all of that and how it impacts the United States.

>> Congressman Jackson, what do you make of some of these explanations?

>> first of all, we would like to at the at at the secure briefing.

They told us there would be no regime change very explicitly.

And so that should be brought I mean, mrp the except for him to resign.

He should resign.

Members of Congress, we were elected.

He was appointed and he should through a confirmation hearing.

He will not tell us truth.

We have an obligation to be told the truth so we can convey that American people who's going to pay for this is appropriation that they screwed around this thing usually cost a billion 2 billion dollars.

There was no oversight.

There was no meeting before the United States Congress too habits to have any any sort of briefing on this and then he's going start this precedent and now threatening the the government of Cuba, the government Colombia.

The man is becoming unhinged.

And so we have to bring this part.

We had and this is really lies with the sole power of Speaker Johnson.

He has the power people ask me every How can this happen?

It's because the Speaker Johnson and the Republicans.

>> And as you were speaking, Congressman, of course, we're seeing video there of President Maduro being escorted into a by officials being escorted into court by their New York today, President Trump spoke at a news conference Saturday morning in which he said that the U.S.

will run Venezuela.

Let's listen.

Is not quite the sound bite that we're hoping to get to, but Congressman cast and I want to ask you, you know, the president has said that the U.S.

is going to run the country.

Do you think that's a good idea?

In his words to, quote, run the country?

>> The president has no authority to do with whether it's a good year, Betty.

I mean, let's let's be very clear.

And the door was a guy.

It is true that Maduro was inducted indicted in U.S.

courts.

That does not give any law enforcement agency that jurisdiction to go into another country.

And international law is pretty clear.

You really need to go get and you go to the UN Security Council and get approval.

Remember Colin Powell going and making those speeches at the UN Security Council before going to Iraq?

The alternative is if you imminent military threat, your country, none of those conditions were present.

So you can't go in and say I broke the country.

I depose the leader and now I have the obligation to run That's, you know, that's putting an arsonist in charge of home repair.

This is this this is so far beyond the pale of the Constitution or international law or U.S.

law I think the only honest thing that Trump said that this is that it's all about the went and I think we need to improve closely to see >> Congressman Jackson I want I want to ask quickly because I do want to run on move on to the tax credits or excuse me the Obamacare subsidies before and time.

But, you know, the White House says that they are doing what many Democrats have called for over the years.

And that is standing up to Maduro for a number of reasons.

Is this not an issue where both parties actually agreed?

>> No, it's absolutely it's not issue.

We both agree.

If this is going to be the new norm us this is going to be the new rules of engagement that there are 2 dozen presidents.

Prime ministers Kings around the world that you also expect this will started posing governments all around the world.

It's simply wrong and it's not the truth.

And so the president, one moment he wants to run the Kennedy Center.

One moment he's become chief United States Army and the armed services.

Now he wants to run villas.

We look, I mean, the guys are for power.

Grab.

I mean, he's egomaniac and needs to be reined in by the Republican leadership.

And it's unfortunate that they didn't come on this program.

We can have honest debates and healthy debate in the Congress and they won't even do town halls to face there, constituents.

And now he's embarrassing them.

>> So a bill to extend enhanced affordable Care Act subsidies for 3 years expected to reach the House floor this enough GOP members have joined the Democrats to bring this bill to a floor via a discharge petition.

Representative Jackson, to you first.

Are you hopeful this will pass the House this week?

>> Absolutely.

And once again, I don't want to fix the blame on the fix.

The problem put the blame right here has to be fixed squarely Speaker Johnson.

He will ask you what are you all doing?

Harcum.

Nothing is happening.

They have been given the reins of all the power we have to put back in the path forward.

You have to register.

You have to come out and vote in overwhelming numbers.

And I think Republicans are beginning to break and you'll see more people resigned and a record number of people, they're fun seek reelection.

And I hope that we continue reign in some level of with civility.

President Trump is making some very dangerous environment.

>> Representative cast.

And if if the bill to expand those ACA subsidies does make it out of the House, will it survive the Senate?

>> It'll be interesting to see, but I'm I think I'm kind of optimistic about this week.

We're going 3 significant votes this week.

One is on the ACA extender one is on overriding some details from the White House on unanimous bills.

We're going to issues in Florida, Colorado.

And then the 3rd is we appear to be on pace to pass 3 of the funding bills we need to do shutdown by January 30th.

All 3 of those are extremely bipartisan.

All 3 of are supported by overwhelming majorities of the American people, regardless of how they vote and all 3 of those require some degree of fortitude of standing up to the president.

You know, if you're obviously a overriding the president's veto that standing up to the president, if your extending the ACA, given how much President Trump is demonize the and that's a big deal.

And in those provisions to fund government, we have things like, you know, pulling responding to control saying you can't use money build an arch, you know, honor of President Trump and Washington.

And I think we're seeing a number of our republic and Poland to know better who are who are willing to start standing up right now.

And I think that's encouraging because the American people want to see Congress working didn't work very well in the 1st half of this term.

But in and hopefully this will be a good start to balance.

>> Congressman Jackson, are you confident can because that Congressman Kason just raise the budget issue because we know you all pass a temporary funding plan to end the the government shutdown from late last year is government funded through January.

30th?

Are confident that we'll get another full year bar bipartisan spending plan here or could we run into some issues?

>> optimistic.

I can say confident, but I would like to congratulate the people in the Indiana legislature.

They have Republican majority.

super majority in both houses and the executive branch and they stood up to the president.

They pushed back and let that be a good sign at the end of last year, the momentum we can carry Gordon this year, Republican team you think that that's an indicator that to the discharge?

>> Well, that's what I was going to ask.

think that's an indicator that Democrats and Republicans in Washington will work together?

>> In 45 seconds.

>> Yes, this warm gleaming hold specifically that action that came out of Indiana in Georgia in Florida now in Mississippi that the tides have turned Democrats picked up in Virginia and New Jersey.

So, yes, the tides have turned and I'm excited about that.

>> All right, Congressman cast in 30 seconds.

What are your other priorities for 2026.

>> the big priority and focus on is we've been working for a long time energy, permitting reform and specifically to try to accelerate the deployment of cheap energy.

So stay tuned.

We've got a fairly large piece of legislation to try to make sure that it's easier to deploy energy.

It's going to lower people's costs.

The United States.

>> Ok, I'm sure we'll talk about that next time.

My thanks to the both of you for joining Congressman Sean Casten and Jonathan Jackson.

>> Thanks so much.

Thank everybody.

>> Up next, W T Tw News explains some of Chicago's nicknames.

What's in a name?

How about a nickname?

Chicago has a lot of them.

Where did they all come from?

Erica Gunderson takes on that question in tonight's edition of WT TW News explains.

>> When it comes to nicknames, Chicago sure has gotten stuck with some stinkers.

Maybe it's because the city's actual name comes from a smelly wild or maybe it's because other cities like to drag our city through the month.

In fact, one of Chicago's first nicknames was mud.

accurate is not exactly flattering.

Then they're Chicago's best known nicknamed The Windy City.

>> Sounds about right to anyone's caught a face full of Frosty Lakeland in January.

But Chicago was only that India City in the U.S.

>> A lot of folks think the Windy City moniker came from New York.

>> When brash upstart Chicago was competing to host the 18 93 world's Fair.

The New York Sun editorialized.

Our politicians as quote, full of hot but references to Chicago as the Windy City long predate that the Cincinnati Enquirer used it 18.

76 headline to report on a tornado that blew through Chicago, though.

Historians say there was likely a double meaning at play there fast forward to 1914 and beefed up Chicago in his pomp, Chicago Carl Sandburg characterize the growing city as a young working man.

>> In his words, Stormie husky Wally, a line from that gave the nickname City of Big Shoulders.

Make sense of that hot but stacking into making will really feel that don't >> Chicago's most contentious nickname might be the second city.

Some believe it was sparked by the Great Chicago fire of 18.

71 when the city had rebuild emerging as a stronger, more resilient second, Chicago.

But Chicago was America's second most populous city for nearly a century to lose.

More likely started there and annoyingly.

It was a New Yorkers poison pen that need it sticks when writer aging.

found himself in a room Chicago for a few years in the late 1940's, we've got a collection of essays outlining all the ways he felt Chicago felt sort of his hometown.

The book was titled Chicago, the second city.

But in classic Chicago fashion, we embraced an amen run us down and use it to lift us instead because >> we're from Chicago.

You can watch our whole series of explainers on our website.

Everything from how the city's grid system works.

Why Chicago's pension debt is so high, just go to W t tw dot com Slash explains.

And that's our show for this Monday 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, 30 10 now for all of us here in Chicago Brandis Friedman, thanks for watching.

Stay healthy and and have a good thing.

>> Closed caption News may pass by Robert a and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death and sponsor program that