>> thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> The strikes were a spectacular.

Military success.

>> Iran attacks a U.S. base in Qatar following U.S. military strikes over the weekend.

What's next in this conflict?

And the Trump administration plans to shut down the suicide hotline for LGBTQ next month.

We hear reaction from local advocates.

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

The extreme heat warning in the area will continue through midnight tonight as the Heat index topped 100 degrees today.

The National Weather Service says the hot temperatures will continue into tomorrow with highs between 87 and 93 degrees for the rest of the week.

Humidity remains in temps will stay in the upper 80's to mid-nineties for highs even as chances for storms roll in the service reminds folks to stay hydrated.

Wear light, loose-fitting clothing in remain in air-conditioning as much as possible.

For more on where to find one of Chicago's 250 cooling centers.

Please visit our website.

Supporters of phasing out the sub minimum wage for tipped workers say their approach is working.

>> Tipped workers in Chicago have seen some of the passes income growth in the country.

In over 4 years.

42% increase.

And now restaurants are not just surviving or thriving.

In the city.

There's 856.

New food establishment license in 2024.

Alone.

>> In a new report, the group one fair Wage says research shows restaurant workers experienced 49% increase in their income from both ending the sub minimum wage, but also due to steady tip income.

The next phase of the increase begins on July.

First, when the hourly wage for tipped workers increases from $11, $12.62 But the Employment Policies Institute criticizes this new data saying it leaves out key economic indicators that would show a loss of jobs in 2024.

Compared to before the tipped wage law was in place.

And the Illinois Restaurant Association is calling on the city of Chicago to pause the next wage increase.

Catholics across Chicago are paying their respects tonight to the memory of Sister Rosemary Connelly for more than 50 years, sister Rosemary served as administrator of Misericordia heart of mercy.

Starting in designing its programming to provide services for children and adults with disabilities.

He's reported today provides a community for the 600 trip children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live on the North side campus as well as the 1200 employees and thousands of volunteers both on campus.

And as part of the outreach program, Chicago tonight visited with sister Rosemary to mark her 60th anniversary as a back in 2009.

>> I do remember my first day on the job.

But from the moment I walked into Mister Record it's seen like, hey, this is right.

And I wasn't afraid.

>> The overall goal >> would be to create environment that every single person, every child, every adult, no matter how disabled they are, would feel loved and respected and challenged and know that whatever they can accomplish is what?

>> We'll be and can be.

>> And will help them.

>> Visitation for sister Rosemary continues until 8 tonight at Misericordia with a funeral mass tomorrow morning at Holy Name Cathedral.

Up next, the latest on the aftermath of U.S. military strikes on Iran 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.

Don't >> Iran attacked a U.S. base in Qatar today.

No casualties are reported.

And President Trump thanked Iranian leaders for giving the U.S. advance notice of the strike.

Today's action comes after the United States bombed 3 nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday night and what Trump called a spectacular military success.

So what is next?

Joining us are Ibrahim Sharif, associate professor in residence in the journalism and Strategic Communication program at Northwestern University where his areas of focus include digital media and religion.

Globalization and contemporary Islam and Paul Post associate professor at the University of Chicago where his area of research and teaching is international relations.

Gentlemen, thanks to both for joining us.

Ibrahim Sharif.

Let's start with you, please.

Northwestern University has a campus.

The university in Qatar.

You have students there.

What are you hearing from them?

While they've been texting me all day with videos?

Also tell me what they're seeing, what they're hearing.

>> And the fears, of course.

But yeah, it's it's been ongoing.

I don't think anticipated.

don't think a lot of us anticipated.

That the Iranians will attack the American base in Qatar because entanglements and economic entanglements between Iran and Qatar are significant.

They have they have a shared gas field and they need each other.

So I think a lot of people were surprised by this.

But, you know, the the attack on American based looks a little bit choreographed.

You know, it's sort of, you know, we did respond what we did and like.

>> People post nodding his head in agreement to that part about the choreography.

I want to come back to you in a second, because Ibrahim, I wonder what was your initial reaction to that?

The U.S. striking Iran over the weekend?

>> Well, I was very disappointed I was with us or because I think it destabilizes the region and they're they're using nuclear war again.

Our new killer.

Sorry, Wilson, are nuclear weaponry as a reason to get engage militarily than other country.

This was we shouldn't forget what happened in Iraq and the senseless loss of life 100,000 civilians over something that panned out to be untrue.

And I don't think there's a feeling intelligence.

I think it's failure of moral policy because I think the the the brain, the rain said in the White House knew about this.

So here we are again, we've been told for almost 25 years at the Ron just is 3 months away from a weapon.

So I think we need to be a little bit curious about about that statement and using nukes as a reason to destabilize the regime.

And they mentioned the word regime change.

I don't think that's the goal.

I think surging failure and they're hoping to turn Iran into a failed state because power in that region pregnancies really any kind of because there's also been talk of sort of mission creep.

Great.

Is this about preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon or is this about changing the regime in Iran?

>> And obviously people are going to have different thoughts about about approaching about how to approach either of those Should people in the U.S. here should they be concerned about what's happening?

>> I think.

>> The the key word to use here is choreographed or I've even talking about this be posturing or symbolic and I would apply that both to the strike today Ron watched against the U.S. space, but also to the U.S. strike over the weekend.

In many ways, it was also highly choreographed.

Apparently, Iranian officials also had some prior notice to the attack.

They were able to actually move out some of the material from the facilities that were bombed and it was done in a way to minimize casualties, which is good.

But it was mostly downs way to kind of signal that the U.S. would do something.

I do think that President Trump was reluctant to get fully involved in a war, but he also may be felt a bit of a pull because Benjamin Netanyahu has been asking him to be able to become involved.

I think this was the way he could do it.

But in a manner that again was kind of symbolic and choreographed.

And then we've seen a Ron kind of respond in the same way.

What that means then is that this is probably not as serious of the situation as it could have been.

And so in that sense, there's less of a level of concern.

There was some concern over the weekend when it wasn't yet clear how much this was choreographed because they're the FBI had even issued warnings about possibility of Iran using say proxies around the world to perhaps launch tax to U.S. citizens as weather was a travel warning, for example, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

>> Ibrahim Trump has said the president has said that he wants peace in the region that he wants to negotiate.

If that is the case, why do you why did he take the step?

What do you think he I think the whole thing is puzzling.

I don't think that he has full agency in this decision.

>> The United and Iran were in talks actually about 2, the to diffuse the situation.

And it's it's really important to stress here that I don't think Iranians are really that interested in having a weapon.

They're interested in having the sanctions removed from their country to have assets are frozen and unfrozen and to join the international Commerce community and to prosper.

And so I think that they would mean they were pushed to the point of finding some leverage in making some international noise by having this enrichment, uranium enrichment.

So I think that they're pushed to this there since 1979 revolution.

They were a pariah in the international community.

George Bush called him one of the axis of evil.

And all of these words that in public and that their propaganda theory, that's those are carefully chosen words because you can't reason with evil.

You can.

You can only defeat it.

And so these wars create a sort image of Iran that really has roots in colonial mindsets about, you know, about the global south in general.

And so I think the Iranians would prefer to have a diplomatic solution to this.

I think having nuclear weapon is not on your top schedule.

>> Paul Post, there's still debate about exactly how close Iran was to having nuclear capabilities.

If that is the case and it was uncertain then is this attack premature?

Well, that debate is still going on.

>> I like my colleagues earlier statement about that.

Iran has been 3 months away for 20 years and it features a lot of truth to that statement.

Just over the weekend, someone was sharing a video of the number of times that Benjamin Netanyahu over the past decade has said that Iran on the brink are on break and he's not the only one who has made those kind of statements.

And of course, heading into this past week were actually heading into Israel's most recent escalation or attacks against Iran.

Even Macron, the president France raised the alarm about concerning evidence.

So it wasn't just a Netanyahu raising the alarm.

There are others, but it's still not clear exactly how close Iran is.

What is clear is they're closer now than say they were back in 2017 when President Trump ended the Iran nuclear deal, which was, of course, brokered by the Obama administration as a way to try to achieve the kind of sanctions relief that Iran is seeking.

And turn, create monitoring systems to ensure that any kind of program that's the bill would be for peaceful purposes.

That was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2017 that it opted instead for their maximum pressure campaign.

What is notable is that Trump did seem to want to go back to negotiations.

They had been in the process of negotiations when Israel wants to strike.

We could talk more about why Israel would seek to do that in this instance when it seemed like they were close to reaching a deal.

However, it now seems like maybe those talks will be back on.

>> Ibrahim Iran already responded with missile attacks on.

We know, of course, obviously about the U.S. military base Qatar cutter.

what do you make of Iran's response and?

>> Well, I think it was it was an attempt to destroy the base.

It was it was the 10th to make some noise.

I do think even if you look at the choreographed, the response that this indicates it's a signal that singling that we're ready get back to diplomacy and running our minutes.

Our Ashley considerable.

But they they help back they they have a public.

They have to satisfy.

They have.

They're the only local internal narrative.

They have to produce.

And so I think that this was interesting, but I think it tells us.

That they want to get back to diplomacy.

What does this mean for future negotiations?

If I mean, if it sounds like that, that if you believe this to be a signal that they want to get back to the negotiating table?

>> Well, I think there's going to be some time there's nationally go.

So when the Eagles are reset.

>> And they can go forth with the with negotiations.

It may take a look.

This definitely putting a dent.

There was an attempt 2 to have this thing resolved through diplomacy.

But that was shot down by the Israeli attacks on Iran.

Iran.

You know, took a severe hit by that.

But again, it's I think United States did not have the strength to resist.

Israeli needs to to bomb Iraq.

This is this is the Obama probably out of loud how to do this.

It's an interesting easy game to play by saying what somebody else would have done.

But I just don't think that this is this is a show weakness on the Trump administration.

And that's right.

You I see the bluster and bravado.

Yeah.

With a great.

But again, you have to look back passes.

No words.

>> Paul, how has the U.S. standing on the on the world stage shifted over time?

>> Well, this is something has shifted.

This is something that a lot of people have been talking about ever since Trump came back in office.

You've heard a lot about the decline us reputations were.

I think right now people fully sure what to think because it's not fully clear what Trump himself thinks and what he wants.

I think what's less important, what's more important than the U.S. reputation world is just simply predictability.

People want to know that this is what the U.S. is seeking to achieve in right now.

It's not clear and that is one of the things that even this past week when you looked at the various tweets that Trump was putting out there as they are, they looking for regime change?

Are they trying to?

Are they trying to disable the nuclear program?

It's not clear what's going on.

Having said all that, it is the case that throughout the region.

Iran is viewed as a destabilizing force.

And there's a lot of nations in that region that would not be happy if Iran had a nuclear weapon.

Now, of course, we can go back to the conversation of how close was a Ron.

Is Ron actually truly seeking a weapon?

But I think that one thing in terms of looking at international standing, even if the rest of the international, even if like say countries in Europe are questioning about the legality of the operations, either by Israel or the United States.

But a lot of countries in the Middle East region, the greater Middle East region that even if they're not saying it publicly, I think are actually OK with taking steps to prevent Iran from having to have and they don't want to see a large war.

But these operations are successful and safe dismantling.

They would be okay with that.

>> Israel no doubt among nations that would not like to see a run with with and nuclear weapon.

And we should mention that the president did share on truth Social, a post really just one last 30, 40 minutes saying that the cease-fire had been agreed to force.

There will more to learn about that in the coming days.

That will have to leave it there for now.

Thanks to my guests bring that Sharif in you.

And we're back with more right after this.

The Trump administration is shutting down and LGBTQ suicide prevention hotline, the substance abuse and Mental Health Services Department said the 9, 8, 8, suicide crisis Lifeline will close the specialized services program for the LGBTQ+ youth on July 17th.

The administration has said the proposed budget would not grant taxpayer money to a chat service quote, encouraging children to embrace radical gender ideologies.

They say the services will be folded into the main suicide prevention line.

Joining us now with more are Shannon Parker CEO, a Brave Space Alliance and Precious Brady Davis commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

Ladies, thank you both for joining U.S. Commissioner, starting with you, please.

Since its launch in 2022, there have been over 1.3 million contacts to the service.

Why were these specialized services needed for the LGBTQ+ community?

This is so important because we know LGBTQ youth are 4 times as more likely to commit suicide than their youth counterparts.

You deserve people who understand what it's like to come out.

It's important for people who don't have resources in particular and in red states for them to be able to call someone to have someone to hear them to get support.

it's absolutely disastrous.

When users call what what's provided for them on that line?

Its support services, its resources, its comfort.

It's someone telling them that it's OK to be who you are when people see themselves reflected, they say I can be that too.

And with hotline being removed, I'm scared about the disastrous results and that LGBTQ young people will not have hope.

>> And I have someone on down the line when there's not a resource.

>> Shannon, Trump administration is saying the 9.88 call line can handle all the calls that they may receive for LGBTQ+ service would have received.

Do you think the standard line is equipped to handle the volume of calls but also the nature?

Because I think that's presumptuous at Bakst right.

>> Where we think about the scores of young people, particularly in the LGBTQ community, more narrowly the trans community who attempt suicide yearly.

I would like to see the data that supports such a such an assumption.

It's I think it goes without saying that.

Sabine better covered in case of its better than to be not prepared.

All right.

So I would not want to test theory out, especially when it comes to really rate.

Right.

And when talk about youth in particular, right under under the age of 25 which >> trans or not is a tricky is a young person's life of the statement released from the Sevens Abuse and Mental Health Services administration notably removed that he in the L G B.

In THE L G B is what it referred LGB.

Plus, removing that T what does it say to you?

It says to me Trans people per this.

Purvis group, our disposal population.

It says that this is an administration that wants this population to disappear.

And whatever disappearance looks like.

I think it's left up to the imagination right again, it says that there is a blatant the pirates as they shun of this really vulnerable community.

Do you think it's coincidence that this decision was made the middle of Louis?

absolutely not.

Commissioner, see, you're shaking your head as well.

I think that this administration has shown and a miss.

>> From operation we saw President Trump that there are only 2 genders that gender good or not confirm youth that they don't exist.

Last week we saw this committee ruling from the Supreme Court.

What is it like to be a trans young person in this country at this time?

They're literally trying to erase trans young people.

And I think that we as leaders in the community, we say we're going to fight back.

I young people.

Mental health is a part of public health and young people deserve the same services in particular as everyone else, according to a national survey conducted by the Trevor Project.

>> Black transgender and non-binary Young people report disproportionate rates of suicide risk with 58% seriously considering suicide.

25% attempting suicide.

That's in 2022.

Shannon, why is this rates a disproportionate?

What we My goodness.

I was just talking about this earlier.

It's really interesting because suicidality in communities of color is relatively We're talking about in the 9 LGBTQ community.

But when we talk about in the LGBTQ community, particularly trans community.

Oh, my goodness.

We see suicidality, which is >> so small.

>> In the majority community skyrocket.

In the LGBTQ community.

So what this says is there is a lack of supports.

There is a resources.

just an overall encouragement for this community, whether spoken or unspoken to go away.

Commissioner, are you concerned that without a service like this, we could see those numbers increase.

Absolutely concerned.

There's no way that I can to be the first black trans woman elected to public office.

>> Without mentors investing in me without saying you go be you.

You go be great that there were great trans people who came before you.

You are part of a great legacy.

And so I'm disheartened to see that this resource will no longer be available for LGBTQ youth.

of course, as you mentioned, the Supreme Court upholding Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for minors last week.

Commissioner, what's your reaction to that?

>> Once again, it's a disgrace.

Trans young people deserve access to gender affirming care, just like every one else.

This administration has blood on their hands and we're not going to stand Shannon.

What recourse to advocates have absence of this hotline?

Is there a lot of lawsuits have been filed against choices that have been made by this administration.

What what can be done here?

So lawsuits are tangible way X speaking out.

But I think again, right now it's important that we focus on the individuals who are being most affected by this.

So we have to go back to grassroots methods.

You know, we have to open up our own hotlines.

We have to open our doors.

We have to be available for these young people.

You know, we're so blessed to live in a time where there is social media, right?

There are more outlets and group supports and we're just going to have to really remind young people that those resources are available.

>> At our local community organizations and beyond.

And to that 0, 30 seconds left, what are some other services for LGBTQ+ youth that you want know about absolute least.

So we have great space alliance.

Of course, we have the central host.

It we have other organizations like life.

This work.

We have so many players task force.

My goodness, they do a lot of great work on the city's west side, but also to I would encourage young people to do their research and look at what their local organizations are in their communities as well.

Commissioner couple, you want to shout out also.

Yes, I also say gender cool.

How roundhouse.

I'm proud to be the chief strategy officer at center Hall said we have a great new program.

>> For young people, ages 13 to 24, OK, we'll have to leave it there.

Precious Brady Davis, Shannon Lynn Parker, thank you both for joining us.

Appreciate you.

And that's our show for this Monday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 sellers of the magazine Street Wise share their stories in a new book we hear from the local high school student who helped them put words to paper.

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

Stay healthy and safe.

Have >> Closed caption made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford a shoe Congo, personal injury and wrongful