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

Here's what we're looking at.

We sit down with Chicago public school superintendent Macklin king ahead of put possibly contentious budget vote.

And as Chicago mayoral hopefuls start collecting signatures.

Candidate Lisa need joins us to share her vision.

>> That's why west of Pulaski, you immediately bump into streets like Keystone car lot and Ted them.

>> And why some Chicago Street names are alphabetically inclined.

First off tonight, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wants his federal corruption case overturned.

>> Now, Madigan has reportedly appealed his case to the U.S.

Supreme Court asking justices to weigh in on when a public official is acting quote, corruptly and whether an alleged promise of a job recommendation qualifies as an official act in their petition.

Attorneys write that Madigan's conviction threatens to, quote, throw a wrench into the everyday mechanics of state and local government for countless officials and their constituents.

Criminal laws carrying 10 20 year.

Maximum sentences always demand uniformity, but especially so when local governance is at stake, the court should grant the petition.

The sun was shining today, but signs of Monday storms are still visible.

The Morton Arboretum was closed to the public as crews worked to clean up storm damage and similar scenes played out across the Chicago area so far in the National Weather Service has confirmed 4 tornadoes from the storm, including 2 in Glen Ellen and one each in Orland Park and Hazel Crest comment says service has been restored to 90% of the 525,000 customers who lost power Monday as of 05:00PM.

More than 2000 outages were still affecting 52,000 customers.

Keeping taxpayer dollars from flowing to gun dealers who regularly flout the law.

That's the goal of a new executive order from Mayor Brandon Johnson.

It gives the city 90 days to develop new standards for purchasing firearms accessories and ammunition.

After consulting with Chicago police and other city government officials.

>> When you have 5% of these entities that are contributing to 90% of the problem.

We at least know where we can 0 in and focus in on.

>> The city along with the gun violence prevention group Brady United say they've already identified at least one contract with the dealer that sold guns that were later traced to crimes.

We have more of this story on our website.

Up next, the revised CPS budget proposal is up for vote tomorrow.

That's right.

After this.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> The Chicago Board of Education is expected to vote on a revised 10 billion dollar budget proposal tomorrow.

The new CPS spending plan avoid staff furloughs by upping the amount of expected to funding from the city from 200 million to 285 million CPS says it must pass the budget before the end of July to make payroll.

But it still includes 1600 layoffs and some members want to wait until the end of August deadline in hopes that more funding will come through from the state or Cook County.

Joining us now is Chicago public school Superintendent Macklin King.

Welcome back.

Thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

Brand.

So big day tomorrow.

What are some of the changes that you made in this now revised budget?

Why did you think those were necessary?

Some of big changes we remove furlough days and we increase the tip assumption from 200 million to 285 Million.

>> I felt that that was important because we entered into the two-week hearing period of the initial proposed budget.

But after hearing from the community about layoffs and that the instability and the potential of the budget not pass scene.

We decided that it was best to move forward with removing the furlough days in order to pass the budget, which is it's critical that the budget is passed tomorrow and that if a assumption increase from 200 to 285 Million.

>> What is that based on and is that those 85 million dollars covering the cost of what would have been those by furlough days?

That's correct.

The each furlough days equates to about 17 million dollars a day.

So that's 85 Million.

>> And the 285 million is still really conservative.

Our finance team analyzes the data and we we wanted to remain conservative.

However, if faced with impacting classrooms and making for the cuts or increasing.

The tip assumption, we chose to increase the tip assumption that if assumption is wrong, what if what, if what you budgeted for in the TIF?

Just because we don't know what's coming rate.

That's that's the best there.

So the 10 year trend data shows that on the last 2 years, CPS received well over 300 million and even prior to that 2.85, still below with the district historically had received a board members.

Technically you can legally you'll have until August 29th to approve a budget.

But you're asking them to do it.

>> At tomorrow's meeting, tell us why it needs to be done much sooner than typically is.

Well, actually, over the past 5 years, CPS passed the Budget 4 to 5 times in June or July last year was different.

However, this year, the situation is a little different.

The Klatt cash flow for the district is different.

So in order for CPS to make payroll, we have to secure short-term loan and that application is due and we're expected close September 2nd in order for payroll on September 4th.

Okay.

So you wouldn't be able to make that payroll without that short-term loan.

That's correct.

And of course, you're still waiting for tax payments from Cook County.

That's correct.

So we've had some movement.

And so we're slated to receive some additional taxes from the county, however, is not enough to cover the papal to cry SAISD Davis Gates, President Chicago Teachers Union joined us here last night.

Her organization as well as the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

>> They have cold or she has called the budget proposal a first draft.

Here's here's what she says.

>> We're calling on board members to call it a first drive for not calling for rejection.

I think what we saw today from the Chicago public schools is what we expected them to do, capitulate, that the budget is not yet.

Bates.

We know that it's July.

We do this every single summer and by the end of August, we have a budget >> first draft.

What's your reaction what the president is saying?

>> The budget is a strategic budget and it is my final budget is to recommend recommended budget that I'm asking the board members to approve on tomorrow.

>> The budget protects classrooms.

It protects our commitments to our educators.

And most importantly, the services that are students students rely on.

This year's state budget increase the evidence base funding amount by 350 million dollars.

Ctu says that that's still about 2 billion short of what the district should be receiving.

Of course, based on the >> evidence-based funding Formula CTU is calling on lawmakers and the governor to hold a special session for more funding for schools.

Do you think that's likely?

What are your thoughts?

We are in alignment.

We do support will participate in advocating for additional resources.

>> Outing community during Budget roundtable, Sessions with families and students.

They, too, are seeking additional funding.

And so there's an opportunity for families, parents, the District and CTU to partner with advocating for additional funds.

>> Is it the kind of thing, though, where you could ask board members to wait a month?

In hopes that lawmakers and the governor had back to Springfield to come up with more funding between now and your August 29th deadline.

>> So passing the budget as is does not stop the governor or any entity for providing such Chicago public schools with additional funding we could with gladly accept it and then we would be able to make adjustments to the budget is needed to restore any impacts that have been made.

>> CBS, accused the wealth, not CBS.

He's easy to use accuse the Cook County Treasurer's Office of delaying property tax payments in shorting the district by about 250 million dollars have you heard from Cook County about when you'll receive your your tax payments?

Are you working with that office?

We are working with that office and over the past several weeks, it has been a concern that we raise as well.

>> And we're looking to receive a payment as early as next week.

Illinois Federation of Teachers there saying the best way to get that debt paid is by filing suit as they have done this week.

What is your reaction to a lawsuit for that?

>> My reaction is that the district has experienced delays for some time and it with a shortage that off that the timing of our tax payments had exist existence since COVID.

However, the COVID Esser dollars kind of covered, you know, mask the delays and we had a cushion.

We no longer have that cushion.

And so our approach has been to work with the Cook County, the Office Cook County Office to secure the funds that we need.

>> The new proposal, it avoids the furloughs.

As you've mentioned, it still includes the 1600 layoffs, which includes more than 700 teachers.

Those cuts have already happened.

Stacy Davis, Gates has said that the cuts at the school level should be a last resort.

Do you feel like the district has exhausted all of your options before cuts that might impact classroom?

>> So we the impact over a little over 700.

I think 760 teachers were laid off and we have 1600 vacancies.

And so part of that layoff just planning at the local level planned at the local level.

So schools adjust their budgets accordingly.

And those teachers that are impacted those based on the principles planning or those that were impacted by the adjustment in the teacher allocation.

Usually come with that.

We have space for them.

1600 vacancies and we have a retention pool for all of these special education teachers.

They were impacted.

We have a mechanism to retain those teachers to allow those teachers to go to schools where there is a So this is really more so of a resource allocation strategy because we have the need.

We have a shortage of teachers in some areas.

And so we have a finite number of dollars, finite number of teachers.

But the need is high.

>> Did you have to, just your student teacher ratio by just a little bit right?

Like is by one?

Yes.

How does that in adjusting the the allocations?

So CPS has an allocation of teachers, different allocation student to teacher ratio for high school and elementary school.

>> We adjusted each by one but still within the confines of the agreement.

So we did violate the agreement.

We are still within class size.

So we did achieve some savings with that with that reality with that reduction of Milwaukee Public Schools is holding job fair in Chicago today and tomorrow, probably hoping to pick up or scoop up some Chicago public schools.

Teachers who are part of sort of like that.

The shuffle basically where it may be been laid off from one school to get picked up another.

Are you concerned at all about losing, you know, members of your quality talent pool?

I'm not surprised.

Chicago public school teachers are talented.

And so if I want walk, probably use the same strategy.

>> However, I do know that the opportunities abound in Chicago and I believe that ultimately as in years past, we're it we retain 65 to.

85 1% of those teachers not feel confident that we'll do the same this year.

CPS received.

You mention those Esser dollars.

2.8 billion dollars of the COVID federal relief funds back in 2021.

>> On the district use that money to hire hundreds of teachers, support staff.

And of course, we know those funds have run out.

The district has been accused of spending tip or temporary money on permanent needs to think that was the case.

>> I believe that at the time the administration sought in need during the pandemic and during the recovery post pending up during recovery.

And then shortly after students return to schools, I believe the district did make decisions that was best for students.

And you saw some of the gains as a result of how the dollars were utilized.

And so I believe that those with Dallas well were well spent because our students are now at his place, not quite return to pandemic pre-pandemic levels, but with beginning best of luck to you tomorrow.

I know you've got a big meeting ahead of you.

Chicago Public School Superintendent Mequon King.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you so much.

Thank >> Up next, meet one of Chicago's candidates for Mayor.

>> Its UK reporting on Chicago tonight is brought to you in part by press forward.

Chicago.

>> Chicago's race for mayor is officially underway as candidates can begin collecting signatures this week for a spot on February's ballot.

Former cardiologist.

Lisa, me is one of those candidates saying her campaign will be focused on affordability, safety and fiscal responsibility.

She's part of an already crowded field of candidates who announced a run for the city's top job.

And she joins us now to talk about her campaign.

Welcome Drd.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

So you you say that you're not a politician.

We know you're a and not a politician.

Much like some of the last 2 people or 2 of the last elected mayor of Chicago.

But what do you see as your qualifications to lead the city?

I think the qualification start with first being a lifelong Chicago.

I mean, I've lived here my entire life, so corrupt humble park.

>> And very poor section and learns to, you know, navigate those challenges.

The other have follow me on the journey from nursed a physician to whistleblower.

cancer survivor.

We're going into corporate health equity and now really wanting to leave the city.

I think it's a combination of all of those things that you learn to navigate.

Situations, but also learn like we leverage is and who your stakeholders are to get things sell for people.

Your campaign calls for fiscal responsibility and protecting the next generation from inherited debts.

>> What specific proposals to you have to improve the city's financial well-being?

I think fiscal responsibility starts with the first building trust from the people in the city.

Right?

There has to be more transparency and more accountability.

We're just not really doing a good job with doing that and letting voters know how we're making decisions what the data is behind it.

I also think if you look at there's been a lot of work already done.

There's been stunned young, a budget task force.

I mean, there's significant data already out there.

So we really shouldn't reinvent the wheel we should be looking at the top 3 things that keep coming up.

And it's about increasing revenue decreasing costs and then dealing with pension, which is a much bigger problem, though, involves the governor and state legislature right?

Many fiscal reforms, of course, light.

As you said, they would likely require approval of state lawmakers, city council members as well.

>> Are you confident that you could win their support without, you know, having prior relationships with elected officials, the way people who typically elected officials.

What I think we're coming in from an outsider into any organization and you're coming in and people are asking you to make change.

It starts with looking internally and saying what was the root cause analysis that got us here, right?

Everybody is trying to move in the same direction.

All the people in the city Council want to do what's best for the city.

The mayor wants to do what's best for the city.

That should be the easiest relationship to build from, right.

It shouldn't be about ideology.

You are a public servant.

You're here to serve.

The public should all be moving in the same direction.

How would you go about building those relationships if elected?

I think you start with talking to the people already here in the city council because they're here.

You have to work with them and then you get a really great transition team that has done this with other either other cities.

I mean, we have great cities in this country that have done things.

Unfortunately, a little better than we're doing the right now.

And so it's bringing that subject matter.

Expertise some innovation.

The people on the council and then knowing what you can do to pull it through, right, to have to be very intentional on how you're solving these problems.

Another focus of your campaign is to create more affordable housing in the city, especially for working families on how to utilize city-owned space is build housing costs.

I think we can do 2 things a little easier.

Some of these things are going in which our problems.

But I think 2 things, the permit process needs to be expedited.

There's a lot of waste in there and I've spoken to people who wanted to build housing and it took too long and I decided to go somewhere else.

We can't be losing those people to other cities that are growing while we are not growing and then looking at the vacancies.

I think there's about 120,000 vacant places that we can start expediting.

And how do we get that up to speed and filled those?

You know, we just heard Macklin King King of talk about, you know, you be if elected mayor, would you be willing to increase property taxes to fund housing projects?

For example, I think that's a very difficult question.

I'm never going to lie to people and say that it's completely off the table.

However, you would want to steer clear of that.

We are depleting the tax base.

We have a lower population and we keep asking more and more from taxpayers.

So we have to take responsibility as leadership.

First, are we doing our job?

One of the things I'm advocating for sounds very simple.

It's a job description for the mayor.

Everybody that goes to work as a job description.

If they don't fulfill it, they don't get their job any longer.

So we should have a job description that says these are the metrics.

The mayor should be hitting to make sure they're accountable to the people.

What ways would you raise revenue for the city?

I think you have to grow the tax base, but I really think in talking to so many like small and medium-sized businesses, people want to invest here, but they're afraid you're not handling your own fiscal responsibilities.

You're not being true accountability and you're not being transparent.

I think that's where it starts.

When people start building our confidence that you're handling your own internal problems, that they will start coming in and investing in the city later this year.

Mayor Johnson and the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, they'll be with selecting the city's next CPD.

The police superintendent.

>> If you are mayor, what would you be looking for in the next police superintendent?

Well, I think superintendents Ellington a really great job.

I think he very >> positive and how he went about his job.

And I think he had a lot respect both internally and externally.

I would definitely want to make sure that that individual is part of this process.

And I would want to hear from him while he was stepping down.

There has to be a reason why if you're at a place in your career that you're getting accolades and now you've chosen to leave, I would like to learn more about that.

>> Recent Newark poll says that 44% of Chicago residents, they think that crime is going up through city date, though.

City data says otherwise.

think we all know the crime in the city has been going down to think current efforts are not enough to help Chicagoans feel safe.

I don't think people feel safe.

That's what they're saying.

So you have to take that as reality, right?

You want people to feel safe in their own neighborhood and that means every neighborhood.

>> And so what resources are we not utilizing properly?

And what do we need?

More of I think the churn rate of the CPD is a concern, right?

You're losing people more than you can replace them.

That's an issue.

And the other community-based programs.

What metrics are you holding them to?

Right?

Are they achieving what they're supposed to be bringing people back to the community and looking in and making people feel safe in their own community.

Again, we just heard from CPS Superintendent Macklin Cain about the 9.9 billion dollar budget proposal for CPS.

That includes, you know, hundreds of staff, layoffs that have already happened calls for the city to grant CPS 285 million dollars in TIF funding when that surplus is declared.

>> You know, has control over the school district continues to shift away away from the mayor and more towards the voters because we've got the election of the entire school board coming up this fall.

We know how do you see the role of the Chicago mayor with CPS going The the role of the mayor should be collaborating.

You know, you have.

Cps wants to do what's best for students and teachers.

You have CTU that's representing teachers which are in trouble to the education.

And you have the mayor that wants to have a great education system here.

So you're putting people out.

>> They have opportunity and they want to stay in the city, right?

You want to retain the talent that you're putting out, making sure they have opportunity.

Your job as the mayor is to make sure that everybody is moving in the direction for those students and teachers to make sure that happens.

Real quick, 30 seconds.

How do you plan on competing and raising funds in this race when you're going up?

Some some fairly heavy hitters?

I think people want different type of leadership.

I think people want transparency and I think people believe in someone who was a federal whistleblower who stood up to the federal government and didn't back down that you're staying true to Dr Li Cindy, that's where we'll have to leave best of luck to you on the campaign trail.

Thank you so much that.

And additional candidates running for mayor have also been joining us on Chicago tonight.

You can visit our website to find those interviews at W T Tw dot com slash mayor 2027.

>> When you think of learning about the alphabet on W t Tw, you probably think of Sesame Street, but the ABC's Aren't just the building blocks of words.

They're also literally blocks that make up part of Chicago Street grid spawning the nickname of a section of North Lawndale as part of our series W T Tw News explains.

Nick Bloomberg has a lesson on how some of Chicago's streets got their alliterative names.

>> What's in a name like most major cities.

Many of Chicago's streets are named to honor important people.

You've got the cluster of presidents downtown like Monroe Madison in Washington, former mayors like Ogden Cermak, fairly developers like John can see Patrick Toomey and in 2021 Chicago change the name of one of its most famous their affairs, Outer Lakeshore Drive to honor Jean Baptiste Point du Sable.

The first non-indigenous settler of our fair city.

But as travel, always west from the lake, it's hard not to notice clusters of North-South streets that all start with the same letters K L M what gives back in 1913, the city Council and the Chicago Bureau of Maps were cooking up a plan to revamp the city's street names because Chicago grew piecemeal by annexing surrounding townships.

It was all a mishmash of mismatched nomenclature and quite a few disorienting duplicate John Riley, the superintendent of the city's map euro, wanted to make things way, way more simple, like ABC's Simple Starting at the Indiana State Line, all North-South streets where to start with the letter.

at the One Mile Mark bait.

Switch to be at the 2 mile mark.

They go to see and so on.

except many North South streets in the eastern and oldest portion of the city already had well established and recognized names.

So the proposal only got partial approval for streets.

Farther west.

>> That's why west of Pulaski, you immediately bump into streets like Keystone car lot had And that's why part of North Lawndale is nicknamed Cape Town.

>> But that doesn't stop at Cape Chicago stretches so far West, you can find streets like Octavia Osceola and Ozark.

so next time you're passing by these alphabet blocks, you'll know it wasn't just a Sesame Street sensibility, but an effort by city leaders of your to make your life a little easier as easy as ABC or KLM.

>> For more on our W T Tw News explains series you can visit our website that's at W T Tw Dot com Slash explains.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight.

That is our show for this Wednesday night.

Be sure to check out our website for our Chicago Summer Festival guide from Street Fests and art shows to outdoor concerts and cultural celebrations.

We've got you covered.

It is all at W T Tw dot com slash festivals and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman, thanks for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> captioning is made possible by Clifford and Clifford Law offices, Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death for