GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT."

I'M BRANDIS FREEDMAN.

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT, PARIS DETAILS HIS INVESTIGATION INTO A COMPANY THAT DONATE MORE THAN $100,000 TO FUND CONNECTED TO ILLINOIS GOP CON DATE RICHARD IRWIN.

THAT COMPANY GOT MILLIONS IN CITY CONTRACTS.

>>> I KNOW THAT I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

>>> IT'S OFFICIAL THE 11TH WARD HAS A NEW ALDER PERSON.

MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER NICOLE LEE.

A LOOK AT WHAT THE LATEST OMICRON SUB VARIANT MAY MEAN FOR CHICAGO AND AS MILLIONS OF UKRAINIANS FREE RUSSIA'S INVASION SOME REFUGEES HAVE ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY TO CHICAGO.

WE LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE BEING HELPED.

AMID GROWING INFLATION AND INTERNATIONAL INSTABILITY PROTOCOL SAYS THE 2023 BUDGET PROPOSAL HE UNVEILED TODAY HIGHLIGHTS THREE PRINCIPLES, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, SAFETY AND SECURITY AS WELL AS INVESTMENTS TO BUILD A BETTER AMERICA.

>>> MY DAD HAD AN EXPRESSION, HE SAID DON'T TELL ME WITH YOU VALUE, SHOW ME YOUR BUDGET, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU VALUE.

WELL, THE BUDGET I'M RELEASING TODAY SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT WHAT WE VALUE.

>>> BIDEN AS PLAN INCLUDES A NEW TAX ON THE WEALTHIEST AMERICAN DIRECTING THOSE WORTH MORE THAN $100 MILLION TO PAY AT LEAST 20 PERCENT OF THEIR TOTAL INCOME IN FEDERAL INCOME TAXES.

INVESTMENTS INCLUDE $10 BILLION OVER TEN YEARS FOR STATES AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO SAFEGUARD THE INTEGRITY OF ELECTION PROCESSES THROUGH ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT.

BODIEN'S BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES $30 BILLION THIS MANDATORY SPENDING FOR STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.

TODAY THE POLICE HELD THE FIRST MEETING OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCE INSPECTION.

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE DIRECTOR BRENDAN KELLY SAYS HIRING ADDITIONAL FORENSIC ANALYSTS AND UTILIZING ARE T BOICS HAS REDUCED BACKLOGS OF THE FOLLOWING FORENSIC EVIDENCE FROM 2019 TO THE END OF 2021.

HE CITES A 52 PERCENT DECREASE IN THE TIME USED IN ANALYZING FIREARMS AND A 60 PERCENT DROP IN THE TIME ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL OFFED AND A 62 PERCENT DECREASE IN GUNSHOT RESIDUE.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY IS RECEIVING THE LARGEST GIFT IN THE 123 YEAR HISTORY.

GAME DESIGNER EUGENE JARVIS IS DONATING MONEY TO THE CENTER AND HE SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE ACTUAL AMOUNT SECRET ALTHOUGH THE LARGEST GIFT WAS $30 MILLION IN 122012.

THIS UNIVERSITY SAYS THIS GIFT EXCEEDS THAT AMOUNT.

THAT COLLEGE OF COMPUTING AND DIGITAL MEDIA OFFERS CLASSES IN FILM AND CYBER-SECURITY AMONG OTHER FOCUSES.

IT WILL BE RENAMED THE EUGENE.

JARVIS CENTER FOR COMPUTER DESIGN.

>>> UP NEXT AN INVESTIGATION LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC DONATIONS TO ILLINOIS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE RICHARD IRWIN.

>>> CHICAGO TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY ALEXANDRA AND JOHN NICOLES, THE JIM AND KAY MABE FAMILY, THE POPE BROTHERS FOUNDATION AND THE SUPPORT OF THESE DONOR DONORS.

>>> THE STATE'S WEALTHIEST RESIDENT KEN GRIFFIN HAS BET BIG ON AURORA MAYOR RICHARD IRWIN.

IRVIN IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR FOR A CHANCE TO TAKE ON DEMOCRAT JB PRITZGER.

BUT IRVIN'S OWN TENURE IS RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER POLITICAL DENAYSES TO HIM INFLUENCED THE AWARDING OF TENS OF MILLIONS IN MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS.

PARIS HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS STORY WHICH YOU CAN READ ON OUR WEBSITE AND PARIS JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

>>> KEN GRIFFIN HAS GONE ALL IN ON THE TWO TERM MAYOR OF AURORA IN HIS BID TO BECOME GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS.

HERE'S DEPOTTED 20 MILLION DOLLARS INTO THE CAMPAIGN, AND HE'S PLEDGED THAT IRVIN WILL CLEAN UP WASTE AND CORRUPTION THIS SPRING FIELD.

BUT AS YOU MENTIONED THE MAYORAL FUND HAS RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM COMPANIES THAT WOUND UP GETTING TEN OF MILLIONS IN.

S IF THE CITY OF AURORA, ONE COMPANY THAT STOOD OUT A FIRM CALLED SCIENCE-TELL SOLUTIONS.

THAT INCLUDES $67,000 TO IRVIN'S MAYORAL COMMITTEE, MANY OF OF THOSE DONATIONS WERE ROUTED THROUGH THE CEO, HIS SPOUSE AND EMPLOYEES.

THE COMPANY ALSO GAVE $68,000 TO A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CONNECTED TO IRVIN CALLED BUILD OUR FUTURE.

THAT COMMITTEE IS RUN BY IRVIN'S MAYORAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER, DENNIS COOK.

>>> AND PARIS WHAT HAS THE COMPANY RECEIVED IN IRVIN'S TERM?

>> NAMELY 3.2 MILLION DOLLARS IN CITY CONTRACTS DEALING WITH TECH AND SECURITY CAMERAS AND ALSO IRVIN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUSHING APPROVAL FOR THE COMPANY TO BUILD 195-FOOT COMMUNICATIONS TOWERREN ITS SITE.

THE AURORA CITY COUNCIL INITIALLY VOTED IT DOWN, IT WAS CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE THEY FEARED IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH ANOTHER BROADCAST THE TOWER RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, THAT ONE OWNED BY A COMPANY CALLED CYRUS ONE.

THAT TOWER IS CONNECTED TO A DATA THAT HOUSES THE ELECTRONIC PLATFORM FOR THE CME GROUP, THE MERCK, SO TRADING FIRMS WANT TO HAVE AN TEN NASS CHLOE TO THERE SO THEY CAN PULMOD PULL OFF HIGH FREQUENCY TRADES AND THAT IS WHERE A COMPUTER AL ALSO ALGORITHM GETS HIGH FREQUENCY TRADES AND THEY CAN BEAT FIBER OPTICSn CABLE OR REGULAR INTERNT IN NANO SECONDS.

SO FAST-FORWARD THREE MONTHS, AFTER LOBBYING THE CITY COUNCIL REVERSED THE INITIAL VOTE AND VOTED TO APPROVE THE TOWER.

NOW, A 2019 BLOOMBERG ARTICLE SAID THAT TOWER WOULD BE USED FOR HIGH FREQUENCY TRADING AND SPECULATED THAT THE FIRM USING IT WOULD BE CITADEL SECURITIES, AND THAT IS THE THE FIRM OWNED BY KEN GRIFFIN.

SETTLE DELL DECLINED COMMENT WHEN ASKED IF THIS WERE USING THIS TOWER AND THE COMPANY SAID IT WAS QUOTE NOT ACCURATE AND AS FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRVIN, THE COMPANY'S CEO WROTE US THAT THERE ARE NO CONNECTIONS TEEN BENEFITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS HE SAID QUOTE, ALL OF THE CONTRACTS WENT THROUGH A COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS MANAGED BY A THIRD PARTY IN WHICH THE THIRD PARTY MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO CITY STAFF AND THESE DECISIONS ARE GENERALLY MEDAL ON THE BASIS OF THE APPLICANT'S EXPERIENCE AND PRICING.

AND IRVIN SAIDNEVER TALKED CANADIANS ABOUT CAMPAIGN DONATIONS BUT A FORMER AURORA AILEDDER MAN WHO DID RUN FOR MAYOR AGAINST IRVIN IN 2021 SAYS HE BELIEVES THIS DOES NOT PASS THE SMELL TEST.

>> THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR AURORA.

IT'S JUST -- WHETHER IT'S LEGAL OR NOT IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.

I THINK IT'S WRONG.

>> AND HE SAYS HE PROPOSED CONTRIBUTION LIMITS IN AURORA BUT THAT PROPOSAL GOT SHOT DOWN.

NOW, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT SOME OF THESE DONATIONS HAVE RECEIVED SCRUTINY.

IN 2018 THE AURORA BEA CON NEWS DOCUMENT SEVERAL COMPANIES THAT GAVE BIG AND ALSO WON SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS IN CITY BENEFITS AND AS YOU MENTIONED THERE'S MUCH MORE ON THAT STORY ON OUR WEBSITE.

>>> SOME GOOD REPORT THERE, PARIS, THANK YOU.

>>> THE CITY COUNCIL WELCOMED THE NEW THEST MEMBER WITH WARM APPLAUSE TODAY.

NICOLE LISA CHINA TOWN NATIVE AND CHICAGO'S FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.

SHE SPOKE AFTER BEING SWORN INTO OFFICE.

>> I KNOW THAT I'M IN THE EXACTLY RIGHT THE PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, TO BE A PART OF THIS BODY TO HELP LEAD THIS GREAT CITY AS WELL AS TO REPRESENT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE 11TH WARD, THE STORIED 11TH WARD OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

>>> NEWS REPORTER HEALTHER WAS THERE AND SHE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

SO HEALTHIER OBVIOUSLY A HISTORIC DAY FOR THE CITY.

REMIND US WHO NICOLE LEE AND HOW HER CONFIRMATION TO CHICAGO ALDER PERSON CAME TO BE.

>> HER FAMILY HAS DEEP ROOTS IN CHINA TOWN AND AS YOU SAID SHE IS THE FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

SHE'S ONLY THE SECOND ASIAN AMERICAN TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND SHE IS THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN.

SHE REPLACES CONVICTED FORMER ALDERMAN PATRICK DAILY THOMPSON WHO WAS REMOVED 42 DAYS AGO AFTER HE WAS CONVICTED ON SEVEN FEDERAL CHARGES.

SHE FACES A STEEP LEARNING CURVE, SHE SAID AS SHE GETS UP TO SPEED NOW THAT SHE'S IN OFFICE.

>> SO MOVING TO A LITTLE BIT OF OTHER NEWS THE MAYOR HAD A PROPOSAL FOR GAS TAX RELIEF.

YOU WERE ABLE TO ASK HER ABOUT THAT TODAY, WHAT CAME OF THAT?

>> SHE SAID THERE WASN'T -- SHE'S NOT READY TO UNVEIL IT YET.

I ASKED HER IF SHE HAVE CONCERNED THAT WAIVING THE GAS TAX COULD CREATE A DEFICIT AND SHE SAID NO, BUT WE'RE NOT CLEAR WHAT SHE'S GOING TO PROPOSE EVEN THOUGH SHE WANTS IT TO HAVE MAXIMUM INPUT ON CHICAGO FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO FILL UP THEIR CARS WITH GAS.

>>> HEATHER, I'M SURE THERE WILL BE MORE REPORTING FROM YOU ON THAT.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>>> AND WE'RE BACK WITH MORE RIGHT AFTER THIS.

>>> CERTAINLY WE CAN CELEBRATE BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH BECAUSE OF RACISM AND WHAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH.

>>> I THINK THAT AMERICANS ARE FINALLY BEGINNING TO EMBRACE THAT WE ARE AFRICAN, WE ARE INDIGENOUS, WE ARE EUROPEAN, WE ARE ASIAN.

WE ARE EVERYTHING.

>>> EARLIER THIS MONTH CHICAGO BEGAN SEEING A SLIGHT UPTICK IN COVID CASES.

TOP CHICAGO PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THE BA TWO OMICRON SUB VARIANT WILL BE MAKING UP MOST OF CHICAGO CASES BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

BUT HOW DOES THE SUB VARIANT COMPARE TO THE BA ONE THAT SET RECORDS IN THE CITY?

JOINING US WITH AN ANSWER TO THAT IS DR. RICHARD NOVAK, THE HE HAS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT IU HEALTH.

SO CHICAGO COMMISSIONER PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THIS CURRENT INCREASE IN CASES ISN'T QUITE CAUSE FOR ALARM WITH IN SUB VARIANT, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE?

>> I THINK THAT SHE'S PROBABLY RIGHT.

I'M HOPE.

THAT SHE'S RIGHT.

THIS VARIANT IS A MORE CON TABLES THAN THE BA ONErvrvrv8W , ABOUT 30 PERCENT MORE CONTAGIOUS.

WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND BOOSTED WILL STILL HAVE PROTECTION AGAINST THIS VARIANT.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD OMICRON INNEXTS ARE ALSO PROTECTED SO HOPEFULLY IT WON'T TURN INTO THE SAME THING THAT OMICRON DID.

>>> HOW DOES THIS ONE COMPARE TO PARENT VARIANT, THE OMICRON VARIANT THAT WE KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT AT THIS POINT?

>> WELL, AS I SAID IT'S ABOUT 30 PERCENT MORE CONTAGIOUS, WE DO HAVE INFORMATION FROM EUROPE THAT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO OMICRON ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO GET THE BA TWO VARIANT, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

MOSTLY IT'S IN PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE UNVACCINATED.

WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND BOOSTED DO HAVE IMMUNITY AGAINST BOTH OF OMICRON AND THE BA TWO VARIANT.

I HASTEN TO ADD THAT THE IMMUNITY SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE LESS AGAINST THE BA TWO VARIANT THAN THE BA ONE OR THE ORIGINAL OMICRON.

THAT MIGHT BE WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO THE IDEA OF GIVING A SECOND BOOSTER AT THIS STAGE.

>>> WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN SURGING IN OTHER COUNTRIES, IN EUROPE AND HONG KONG.

ARE THOSE OTHER NATIONS -- WHAT CASTE DO WE HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE, HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT US HERE?

>> YES, WELL A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE DEGREE OF VACCINATION AND LEVEL OF IMMUNITY IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE KNOW IN THE UNITED STATES THE LEVEL OF IMMUNITY IS HIGHER THAN IN SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WON'T SEE MUCH OF A BUMP HERE.

WE HAD A BIG WAIVE OF OMICRON, SO IMMUNITY TO OMICRON IS CREDIBLING TO THE RELATIVE IMMUNITY AGAINST THE BA TWO VARIANT BUT I THINK WHAT WE SEE -- WE'RE SEEING SOME INCREASES NOW AND IT'S GOING TO BE MOSTLY IN PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED.

BUT THERE'S CONCERN THAT IMMUNITY MIGHT WANE PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE VACCINATED FOUR TO SIX MONTHS AGO AND SO INCREASING THE IMMUNITY MIGHT BE USEFUL PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE AT HIGHER RICK RISK.

>>> SO WE KNOW THAT BREAK THROUGH INFECTIONS WERE PRETTY COMMON WITH THAT FIRST WAVE OF OMICRON, HOW WELL DO THE VAST VACCINES STAND UP TO BA TWO?

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SECOND BOOSTER.

>> WELL, IMMUNITY DOES WORK WELL AGAINST OMICRON AND ALSO BA TWO WITH THE EXISTING VACCINES BUT IMMUNITY WANES AND PARTICULARLY FOUR TO SIX MAST OF THE LAST DOSE, THERE'S A GREATER RISK OF GETTING INFECTION.

HOPEFULLY THE INFECTION WILL BE MILD AND WE DO KNOW THE VACCINES DO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM HAVING SERIOUS ILLNESS THAT WOULD PUT THEM IN THE HOSPITAL.

BUT IMMUNITY DOES WANE AND IT'S A LITTLE LESS EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE BA TWO VARIANT THAN THE ORIGINAL OMICRON, SO THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASING INTEREST IN THE IDEA OF GIVING A SECOND BOOSTER.

>>> ARE WE EXPECTING ANY GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC ON THAT IS THIS.

>> WELL, YES AND NO.

I MEAN, THE TRUTH IS THE THE CDC IS GOING TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT'S BASICALLY -- WHILE THEY'RE NOT ENDORSING A SECOND BOARD OF EDUCATIONER THEY'RE OKAY WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE AT GREATER RISK GETTING ANOTHER BOOSTER AND THE REASON THEY'RE HESITANT IS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RESEARCH YET ON THE SECOND BOOSTER.

THE LITTLE THAT WE KNOW IS BASED ON STUDIES DONE IN ISRAEL, WHICH SHOWED THE IMMUNITY DID IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY WITH ANOTHER BOOST BUT WHAT -- AND WE DO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GIVE AN ADDITIONAL BOOST YOU GET BETTER PROTECTION AGAINST OMICRON AND IN TURN AGAINST THE BA TWO VARIANT, ALTHOUGH THERE'S VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AND FRANKLY WE DON'T KNOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO LOWER RISK OF INFECTION, ALTHOUGH IT'S LIKELY THAT'S TRUE.

BUT ANY HESITANCY BY THE CDC TO MAKE A REPPING RECOMMENDATION IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PROOF YET.

>>> SO CHICAGO IS ROLLING BACK THE VACCINATION PROGRAM, THE GIFT CARD INCENTIVE AND VACCINE REQUIREMENTS IN PUBLIC PLACES HAVE BEEN ROLLED BACK.

ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT SOME OF THESE ROLLBACKS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR THANKS SPIKE?

>> YES, FRANKLY I DO.

I THINK THAT WE RUN THE RISK OF HAVING AN INCREASE IN CASES AS WE ROLL BACK PROTECTIONS, AND THIS IS A MOVING TARGET, WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL MORE TIME PASS IF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE CHANGED.

EVERYBODY IS HOPEFUL WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE MUCH OF A PROBLEM WITH THE BA TWO VARIANT AND WE CAN ON ABOUT OUR LIVES BUT THINGS CAN CHANGE AND WE MAY HAVE TO BACKTRACK AGAIN.

LET'S HOPE THAT OPPORTUNITY HAPPEN >>> DOCTOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US >>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.

>>> UP NEXT LOCAL I I FELTS TO HELP UKRAINIAN REFUGEES WHO HAVE ARRIVED IN CHICAGO, BUT FIRST A LOOK AT THE WEATHER >>> SINCE THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE AN ESTIMATED 10 MILLION UKRAINIANS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY THE CONFLICT.

THAT'S ROUGHLY A QUARTER OF THE POPULATION.

APPROXIMATELY HAVE FLED TO THE SAFETY OF NEIGHBORING NATIONS LIKE POLAND AND SLOVAKIA, BUT WHILE MOST ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN EUROPE PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID THE U.S. WILL ACCEPT 100,000 UKRAINIAN REFUGEES.

AND IN CHICAGO SOME HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED WITH THOUSANDS MORE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW.

JOINING US NOW ARE MATTHEW, U.S. DIRECTOR OF CHURCH MOBILIZATION AND ADVOCACY FOR WORLD RELIEF, A NONPROFIT PROVIDING SERVICES FOR UKRAINIAN REFUGEES.

AND ANNA, PRIVILEGE AT ST. NICHOLAS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL IN CHICAGO'S UKRAINIAN VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SCHOOL HAS ALREADY WELCOMED 20 STUDENTS FLEEING THE WAR IN UKRAINE S THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH JOINING US.

ANNA AS WE JUST SAID YOU WELCOMED 20 UKRAINIAN STUDENTS TO YOUR AND.

HOW DID THEY COME TO CHICAGO SO QUICKLY AND HOW DID THEY COME TO YOUR SCHOOL?

>> SO EVERYONE THAT'S ALREADY ARRIVED HAS VISAS THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE WORKS, MAYBE SOMETHING THEY HAD STARTED A YEAR AGO OR WHATEVER SO THEY KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO NEED THESE VISAS.

THEY CAME IN ON EITHER A TOURIST VISA OR A STUDENT VISA.

SOME OF THEM WERE ABLE TO GET THAT EXPEDITED BUT EVERYONE THAT WAS HERE WILL ALREADY HAS A VISO THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED PART OF THE REFUGEES THAT THE U.S. IS ABOUT TO ACCEPT.

>>> SO OBVIOUSLY STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE EXPERIENCED A GREAT DEAL OF TRAUMA IN THESE LAST FEW WEEKS, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE?

>> YEAH, CONSECUTIVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ARRIVING HERE WITH THE VISAS THEY STILL HAD THE -- THE STORIES OF WALKING TO POLAND FOR A WEEK OR FOR NINE HOURS DEPENDING ON THEIR SITUATION, AND SO WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY HAVE NOTHING.

THEY LITERALLY HAVE THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACK, MAYBE THEY HAVE ONE OR TWO CHANGES OF CLOTHES SO WE BRING THEM INTO A ROOM THAT HAS EVERYTHING THEY NEED FROM TOYS; CLOTHES, EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, EVEN GIFT CARDS SO THEY CAN GO GROCERY SHOPPING SO THIS CAN GET EVERYTHING THEY NEED AND ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO SUPPORT US.

>>> MASTER BEDROOM YOU, WHAT KIND OF WORK IS WORLD RELIEF DOING TO SUPPORT UKRAINIAN REFUGEES HERE IN CHICAGO AND OF COURSE ELSEWHERE.

>> SO WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING REFUGEES FOR MANY YEARS AND WE AS AN ORGANIZATION WERE SETTLED NATIONALLY ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE UKRAINIAN REFUGEES WHO COME INMENT MOSTLY IN CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON STATE BUT SOME HERE IN CHICAGO.

AND THE FORMER RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM WAS PUT ON PAUSE BECAUSE OF THE INVASION AND WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE PROCESS WHOSE FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED BY THE GOVERNMENT BUT WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE PR WE'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE CASES RESCHEDULED AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY REFUGEES WILL BE COMING THROUGH CHICAGO, BUT WE HOPE IT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE CONCERN FOR FAMILY REUNIFICATION.

THAT'S ONE WAY OF RESPONDING, WE'RE WORKING WITH CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONINGSES TO WELCOME PEOPLE IN AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE HOUSING AND JOBS.

BUT WE'RE ALSO RESPONDING IN EUROPE.

WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS BOTH IN WESTERN UKRAINE AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF MAY BEING EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WHERE THOSE REFUGEES HAVE FLED TO WITH BASIC HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, WITH FOOD AND SHELTER AND TRANSPORTATION ON TO OTHER DESTINATIONS.

SO WE'RE RESPONDING HERE AND THERE.

>>> AND MALT YOU THE VISA PROCESS IS NOT A SPEEDY ONE.

BASE THE PROCESS LIKE TO BRING REFUGEES HERE?

>> I THINK SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE THE SITUATION FROM AFGHANISTAN FRESH IN THEIR MIND AND THAT IS NOT A GOOD CASE STUDY IN HOW THIS WORKS.

THAT WAS A UNIQUE EVACUATION WHERE PEOPLE FLED KABUL AND WITHIN A FEW WEEKS WERE HERE IN CHICAGO, WHAT'S MORE TYPICAL IS PEOPLE ARE FLEEING A CONFLICT, SO WHETHER THAT BE SLOVAKIA, OFTEN FOR MONTHS OR YEARS AND THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE'RE EAGER TO WELCOME UKRAINIANS WHO ARE ABLE TO BE REUNITED WITH FAMILY; WE ALSO WANT THE ENCOURAGE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT FORGETTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STUCK IN CAMP FOR 20 YEARS.

WE WANT TO WELCOME REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE BUT ALSO FROM SYRIA, FROM AND OTHER CONFLICTS THAT MAYBE HAVE GONE OUT OF THE MS.

HEADLINES BUT THE CONFLICTS ARE)8ñ OFTEN STILL UNRESOLVED AD THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL WAITING WITH THE HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT.

>>> MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH REGARD TO THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.

ANNA, ANY IDEA ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU BE ANTICIPATE AND HOW MANY CAN YOU TAKE?

>> SO EARN ORIGINALLY I SAID 50 AND WE'RE ALREADY HALFWAY THERE AND THEY PROCESS, SO AS THE NUMBERS GROW TO BE GROWING RATHER QUICKLY JUST IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE'LL REASSESS WHAT WE CAN DO.

BEFORE COVID OUR NUMBERS WERE HIGH, SO HIGHER THAN THEY ARE NOW SO WE ARE VERY FLEXIBLE WITHIN THAT FIRST 50.

IF WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE IT WILL REQUIRE TAKING MORE PEOPLE ON STAFF.

WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF STAFF THAT SPEAK UKRAINIAN HERE SO THE OWNED BOARDING PROCESS IS FAIRLY QUICK AND EASY AND I FOR THE FAMILIES SO IT JUST MEAN BRINGING ON MORE STAFF AND POTENTIALLY WE CAN TAKE ON ON ANOTHER 50 ON TOP OF THAT.

AND ONCE WE GET HIGHER TO A HUNDRED NUMBER, 150 IS WHERE WE NEED TO ASSESS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, EQUIPPING THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE NECESSARY MATERIALS FOR A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.

>>> A LOT OF WORK THAT LIES AHEAD FOR THOSE OF YOU SUPPORTING THE REFUGEES.

OUR THANKS TO OUR GUESTS FOR JOINING US.

>>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND WE'RE BACK THE TO WRAP THINGS UP RIGHT AFTER THISmcn .

>>> AND THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS MONDAY NIGHT.

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IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF VOTING RIGHTS IN THE COUNTRY.

LOOKING BACK AT THE 19TH AMENDMENT.

WHO WAS AND WASN'T INCLUDED IN THAT LEGISLATION.

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FOR ALL OF US HERE AT "CHICAGO TONIGHT", THANKS FOR WATCHING.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT