and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

>> Here's what we're looking at.

>> Tonight at 8 JB Pritzker and Darren Bailey face off in the only televised governors forum.

>> Brandis Friedman gives us a preview of what to expect a federal antitrust lawsuit alleges McDonald's is using artificial intelligence to drive up the cost of menu items.

And and upcoming festival gives residents a rare behind the scenes look inside some of the city's most iconic buildings.

>> First off tonight, the Vatican announces Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

>> The Chicago born pontiff had surgery earlier today to remove the lower lobe of his right The Holy See Press office says the operation was successful and without any complications, according to a statement, Pope Leo has returned to his room from the hospital.

No word yet on further treatment.

But the 71 year-old pope said over the weekend that the nodule was caught very early and was well localized.

Elected officials are urging voters to make their voices heard on a proposed millionaire's tax.

Cook County voters will see a nonbinding advisory question on November ballot asking whether they support a 3% income tax surcharge on anyone making more than a million dollars.

Half the money would go toward public education, the other half toward property tax relief County Commissioner Allman, says rising property taxes are particularly difficult for the residents she represents on the southwest side.

>> area that continues to see their property taxes increase that continue to come to our office to tell us already paid off my property, but I may lose to come Cannot afford the property taxes in.

No, just a society.

Should a person lose their property because they're being overtaxed.

>> Any changes to the state's property tax system would require general assembly action and then for voters to approve a constitutional amendment in a statewide election.

Meantime, community leaders are urging Chicagoans to make a plan to vote and warning of a potential federal presence at the polls.

The coalition allies United comprising an array of social justice, an advocacy groups called on residents to make sure they're registered and be ready to report any ice activity or attempted voter suppression.

They witness at election sites.

>> And as we approach the November election, we are seeing attempts by the Trump administration to create even more fear and uncertainty.

need to deploy federal agents pulling leases and attempting to keep eligible citizens from voting.

Let's be clear.

Fear should not determine who participate in our democracy.

intimidation should never silence our communities.

>> New lawsuits accuse the Archdiocese of Chicago of turning a blind eye to a so-called ring abusing minors at a Southside Parish attorneys for the plaintiffs say children as young as 5 were sexually abused over 3 decades at Holy Angels Parish in Bronzeville.

The suits level allegations against for deceased priest, including the civil rights leader, father George Clements.

This abuse claims led to an $800,000 settlement in 2022.

7 cases were filed today in Cook County Circuit Court with lawyers saying they plan to file tends more.

Holy Angels.

>> Was not a sanctuary for children.

It was a sanctuary for predators.

predators.

Protected by the Chicago Archdiocese.

>> And Archdiocese spokesperson declined to comment.

We've got more details on our website.

Up next, we look ahead to tonight's forum with Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor Brandis Friedman has a preview right after this.

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

The Joyce Foundation.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donuts.

>> The midterm general election is 3 weeks from today.

And second on your ballot will be the race for governor of Illinois.

It's a rematch between Democrat and sitting Governor JB Pritzker and Republican former state Senator Darren Bailey.

Tonight will have them both in our studios for a candidate forum at 8 o'clock.

Our brand is Friedman will be moderating and she joins us now with more Brandis a big night ahead.

It is Nick.

It especially since ours is the only forum that these 2 candidates will be having in this election.

They've agreed to no other debate.

So this is really an opportunity for viewers voters to hear from both candidates and compare how they stack up on the issues.

>> So let's start with Republican Darren Bailey.

He won his party's nomination for the second time and he's running against strong headwinds.

No Republican has won a statewide office in Illinois since former Governor Bruce Rauner was elected in 2014.

Bailey is a farmer from Xenia and a former state lawmaker having served in both chambers of the General Assembly back during the 2022 campaign.

He was closely aligned with Vin former President Donald Trump.

We also got himself into some hot water with Chicagoans after calling the city, quote, a hellhole.

But since winning this primary, he's been more careful about how he about how closely he's associated with President Trump and he's walking back those comments on Chicago during Bailey's appearance on this program in March.

After that primary, he said he's demonstrating that he's made changes.

>> I will admit I haven't always had that open door.

I've been pretty close minded in the past.

asked earlier something else that's different.

I plan listening a lot more than talking.

But having that door open, bring in independents having that door open for Democrats who think that their party has left or them and making that convincing argument that to I'll hold true to my word.

I will make Illinois more affordable and all make help work with the leaders in Chicago to make it to a great city that I believe it should be.

>> Bailey did receive the president's endorsement, though he says he has not asked for it.

His running mate, Nick is Cook County Republican Party Chair Erin Delmore.

>> And of course Brandis Governor Pritzker here is hoping to achieve something that almost no Illinois governor has done before.

Right.

And that is he's seeking a 3rd term.

In fact, no Democrat Nick has completed 2 full terms in the governor's office.

Let alone sought a 3rd one Pritzker came to the governor's office back in 2018, a billionaire error and entrepreneur who never held elected office before.

Since then, he has led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic, the migrant crisis and he's become a very loud critic of President Trump.

More recently, he's also been spending some time boosting his national profile traveling and seeding a political action committee to help Democrats win the House in districts that Trump won in 2024.

Pritzker says he's running for a 3rd term because he believes his work isn't finished.

>> Balancing the budget and getting credit upgrades is a big deal for the state.

We're saving money for taxpayers.

We're being more responsible paying down debt for the state.

And if those things sound boring, too.

Well, just remember the hundreds of millions of dollars each year that we're saving as a result of being more fiscally responsible is inuring to the benefit of taxpayers were able to do more for them or provide them tax cuts like I have the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit.

The cut in the in fact, the elimination of the grocery tax in the state.

>> And that is, of course, from an interview that he did with Nick Bromberg shortly after the primary this time Pritzker's running mate, though, is one of his former deputy governors, Christian Mitchell, also from Chicago.

Of course, his current Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is running for U.S.

Senate.

That is right.

All right.

Brand is for folks who aren't paying attention or for mind them when and where they can.

Watch tonight's forum.

Glad you asked.

will be right here in our Chicago tonight Studios that is at 08:00PM.

It will also stream live, of course, on W T Tw dot com, Facebook YouTube.

And if folks miss it tonight, it will be available on our website.

It's also streaming and other parts of the state and it'll be available in Spanish on our website tomorrow night as well.

All right.

A great resource for voters looking forward to that brand is Friedman, thanks so much.

Thank you.

Up next, antitrust accusations leveled against McDonald's.

>> in >> lawsuit claims McDonald's is using an AI power tool to coordinate menu prices and drive up the cost of its food.

The Chicago based Corporation denies the claim, saying that tool is merely a recommendation engine and that the independently owned franchises set their own prices.

But the suit alleges the company is pressuring owners to use the AI pricing engine or risk their status as a franchisee.

Joining us to discuss the issue are Daniel in a junior professor of instruction in law and computer science and director of law and technology initiatives at Northwestern University.

And we hope to be joined later by Mike Bennett.

He's the associate vice chancellor for data science and artificial intelligence strategy at the University of Illinois.

Chicago having some technical difficulties with his audio.

We'll get that sorted out just as soon as we can.

But for now, Daniel in a thanks very much for being here glad to be here.

So, you know, as we mentioned, McDonald's accused of possibly harming customers using this technology mark up the price is a Big Macs fries.

All the staples.

You know where the plaintiffs need to demonstrate here to prove that the companies violating antitrust law?

Well, generally speaking just brought in broad strokes.

What we're looking for and I anti-trust violations.

Competitors agreeing on prices, right?

And then.

>> If they're sharing of nonpublic current information about costs and prices and then you can now situations where there could be a 3rd party been spoke sort of situation where there's information shared that 3rd party in the 3rd party is suggesting prices.

Now, interestingly enough, there is some case law that to suggest center in a franchise or franchisee relationship, the franchise art can suggest prices and if the the franchise, these are not going along with the pricing that the franchise are can refuse to do business with them now.

And in that situation, what the plaintiffs are alleging is that McDonald's was taking a proprietary information that these franchisees are competitors and then making pricing suggestions, which were more than a suggestion, really a requirement that they had to fallen line.

Interesting.

Okay.

So lot of nuance here.

I mean, you know, obviously I think this is getting attention.

>> Because of the fact that it's an AI power tool that's very much top of mind for folks.

But how is AI powered pricing?

You know, different from a company using more traditional methods, like, you know, sales data, economic models.

Yeah, well, I think there's a lot of similarities in the law applies in very similar ways actually into the space.

But what has really changed is in about it.

>> 10 years ago, the pricing was more general from market.

But now in the McDonald's lawsuit, it's alleged that the pricing is are our suggestions for specific stores, right?

So it's very granular.

These AI tools are looking at massive amounts of data in the past prices.

Just since you had a data scientist kind of crafting formula to figure out the price got to now used.

Huge amounts of data can updated instantly.

And so it's one of the concerns here is that this can be all go over into the space of even suggesting individual pricing, although that's not what is at issue in this case.

Individual pricing like per consumer for exactly.

Yes, interesting.

Yeah.

I mean, would imagine sort touched on this, that it can be kind of an instantaneous thing that that.

>> This can just operate a speed that a data scientist or even a team of data scientists couldn't possibly Right.

And then there's some opacity there.

That's another concern.

And so in this whole anti-trust space, one of the concerns is you have to show agreement between the parties right or at least be able to infer Ning agreement.

But if the parties are using algorithms and the algorithms and up engaging in collusive behavior without the parties agreeing, how does that work under the law?

That's one of the concerns here.

One, especially as we've seen AI models, you know, going rogue, you know, filing false police report, you know, doing hacking.

So I guess there is the potential that, you know, these models may be behaving in ways that their creators don't want them to.

Yeah.

And, you know, I'm kind of on the side of the craters have more control kind of some of the narrative around this, but nothing on the individual side.

People are sometimes surprised to hear that that there really aren't express laws against price discrimination.

As long as there's not out there sort of of discrimination that we that is illegal.

So an exam for about 10 years ago as test prep company.

If you logged into the website with a Mac book, you got charged a higher price than a few used like a PC, OK?

And so there's legislation being proposed now that there are concerns that algorithms could be used to discriminate on pricing of for against individuals.

And there's a concern that there won't they do it, upset the competitive balance in the marketplace.

Interesting will.

MacDonald's declined to join us.

But in a statement the company did say these speculative and uninformed claims attempt to recast a standard business practices.

Something controversial.

>> does not set the price of a Big Mac or any other menu item that the use of pricing recommendation, tools and analytics is widespread across industries.

It goes on McDonald's franchisees make their own pricing decisions.

The pricing portal is a tool, not a mandate designed to provide restaurant specific recommendations to help franchisees deliver value for customers and make informed business decisions to that point about this being, you know, kind of a widespread practice.

Do we know how common the use of these sorts of AI tools to set?

Prices incredibly common.

They're everywhere and you can't compete in the marketplace anymore.

If you're not doing something like this.

Now the question here is, is that this cross over into being something that was anti-competitive and the majority of the lawsuit we've seen so far are scenarios where, for example, Real page, you had landlords who are sharing information with a 3rd party about vacancy rates, the rents they were charging and then that 3rd party providing all these landlords information about how to set their rents.

Right.

And so some of that is still playing out.

But you can easily see the concerns there that wait a second.

The markets not operating kind of coordinating with with other parties.

>> This is one of the first, if not the first case.

That is kind of a franchise or right.

We're not talking about Burger King and Wendy's also being involved in this like the real page case.

So it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

>> Well, you know, even if McDonald's franchisees are generally setting their own prices, do you think it's likely that at least being influenced by this AI tool?

Well, it's no doubt.

I think that they're being influenced by Dan McDonald said as much that.

>> You know, this is the kind of guidance they're giving to their stores to run them.

Profitably.

But it's really up to the stars as what make McDonald's is saying.

And, you know, there's been a lot of focus on it lost or one mile away from the other one might have very different prices for you.

Think about even just here in Chicago when I go into a restaurant Michigan Avenue, I expect to pay a little bit more than if I'm, you know, outside the city in a rural area, right?

So some of this makes sense.

And using algorithms could be very good for efficiency and for the economy.

But there's concerns here.

There's concerns about the ways that they could be used that would harm consumers get if you find a cheap fancy restaurant, going let me know.

Absolutely, you know, is AI becomes, you know, more involved or, you as you already say is it is quite involved in price setting.

What should consumers and regulators and lawmakers be looking out for?

>> Well, it's it's it's really important.

There continues to be competition right in.

And so no, the real page case there's ever been some cases about airlines hotels, setting prices there's been kind of some mixed outcomes in the courts, but at the at the bottom at the bottom.

>> Consumers and policymakers, lawmakers, we need to make sure there's competition ride and all this works out.

If there's there's true competition, the algorithm, kind of a 2 sides of the opacity issue.

It's not really clear what factors are being used to set prices.

And if you get kind of help, but it just says this is acts.

This is what the pressure being.

You're not really sure the factors that are driving at, but at the same time from an anti-trust perspective, you have more data there.

There may be actually more things to point at 2 to prove that there's coordinated behavior, that there's some sort of collusion going on.

That's a really interesting case.

I will be watching to see how it turns out.

>> All right.

That's all the time that we have.

Daniel in a thank you very much.

We appreciate it.

Yes, enjoy a drink joining Thank you.

Thank you.

Up next, we explore the city's iconic skyscrapers ahead of the Open House Chicago festival.

And upcoming festival will give people access to buildings across the city that are normally not open to the public.

And it's free.

The 16th annual open House.

Chicago is this weekend and features a lineup of more than 200 sites across more than 30 neighborhoods.

Joining us now with the preview is Adam Rubin, senior director of public engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center.

Welcome to Chicago tonight.

I'm glad to be here.

So for folks who might not have participated in open House Chicago before, how exactly does that work?

So open House Chicago has effectively been doing for about 16 years where we open up sites all over around the city, working with people who run buildings, people who advocate for buildings and you basically ready choose your own adventure.

You find the buildings that you want to see the places you want to go, the neighborhood you want to explore.

>> You pick a few of them and you get out there and do it.

>> So there's some pretty cool new additions on this year's lineup.

Tell us about the muddy Waters, Motown Museum.

>> So the muddy Waters Motor Museum is a passion project of Monday's great granddaughter who was able to acquire the house a few years ago, restore it and turned into a House museum.

So this is gonna be the first time barge public is going to be able to come in there and see the exhibits.

Second be completely finished, but it's a preview into what's to come.

I think Blues fans will take any preview thinking head of it's one of the great landmark status.

Tell the story of Chicago Blues.

We don't have as many of them as you think that the muddy Waters house is an important one, and tell us about the Women's athletic club as well.

That's That's a because that's right.

On Mag mile.

You know, a lot of us walked past that probably thousands of times.

But this is this multi-story 1929.

Private club that has all these incredible finishes on the inside these art deco rooms and other period rooms that absolutely less you're paying member.

You're not going to get in there to see it.

But I have.

But it's it's a really stunning space.

Very Another building that a lot of folks might have walked past but never been in there.

The 101 year-old uptown theater, which has long had its stores closed, a pretty highly anticipated stop this year.

How significant is it to?

>> To add the Uptown theater to open House Chicago?

Well, I can say that we've been doing the festival for 16 years and it's the first time it's ever happened.

And this is one of those sites that people ask us about all the time.

We've asked the owner before, and it just really felt like the right time to be able to show this off to a big audience and build a constituency of people who are going to want to see this theater brought back to its former glory yet because there's been a lot of efforts over the years to get it restored.

But, you know, >> much fits and starts to this point.

Absolutely.

And you know, it's one of several neighborhood theaters that we have in the festival.

We have the Regal down in South Shore.

We have the Central Park Theater and North Lawndale.

All of these are neighborhood theaters that speak to a time that neighborhoods had resources like this for people to go and get their entertainment and times have changed.

But the buildings are still there and they're still important and they have fans who want to see them used and brought back.

Alright, little bit of a plug here.

A Chicago stories on WT TWA premiering its next episode about skyscrapers later this week.

>> Obviously, you're pretty states in the architecture world.

I mean, from your perspective, what makes you know, the skyline so special?

Well, we like to say that Chicago is really the birthplace of the skyscraper.

There's other cities that we're developing around the same time.

But they really kind of came into their own as a unique American style here in Chicago.

>> So open house is a great way to see a few of these.

We've got them an add-on building.

We've got the Marquette building.

We've got the auditorium building.

All of important places that buildings have gotten taller over time.

But these are these really the buildings that gave Chicago its initial architectural character.

>> When it's interesting, too, because you've got you mentioned them and had not building one, 50 north Riverside to Pittsfield building.

How do those kind of tell the story of not just a, you know, the importance of the skyscraper, but its evolution while you still have a building like them in at which is a great example, you've got one half of it, which is a load bearing building, which basically means tone stacked on top of each other.

>> Completed in 18, 91.

The other half of the building is all steel skeleton.

That is it perfect example of what Chicago did is going from load-bearing buildings into buildings ago, taller and taller and taller.

And that when it's all in one building.

>> And you mentioned it's a little bit of a choose your own adventure.

You know, when folks do go visit a site are they're guided tours are the kind of exploring freely.

It depends on the site.

You know, the great thing about open houses, we coordinate it all and bring all these 200 sites together.

But ultimately it's every single building that's going to present the way that they want to a lot like to do guided tours because that's a lot of our audience likes to see.

Some of them are just going to let you go off and explore.

Some are going to be programmed with musicians playing music or art activities.

It really is a range.

So depending on how what interests you and how you like to engage, you can go through our website which 7, how Chicago Dot org and see what's going on at the sites and then figure it out.

How you want to get out there and get involved.

When you mention programming and others.

Also special programming this year revolving around 3 sites in Woodlawn.

Tell us about that.

Yeah, that's a great one.

So we are lucky enough to be working with a grant from the Lilly Endowment on a built on belief which is exploring intersections of architecture with religion and sacredness in Chicago.

So we've focused on Woodlawn has sort of our initial project.

We're working with a former synagogue called Near Bridge Arts Club, church, the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago and Oakwood Cemetery.

All of these are going to have activations.

Some of that some pieces of art that have been installed on the up, you know, the property.

Some of them are activities or tours that you're getting.

But all of them are going discuss are going to kind of engage and how would line has been shaped by religious communities over time.

Just about 30 seconds left.

But the hope folks take away from participating in an event like this.

You know, the great thing about open houses that people are coming together and doing something in person.

We all want to live in a city that has a lot going on.

It's why we moved to Chicago.

It's why we stay in Chicago.

So this is a chance to get out.

Talked out Chicagoans who love the city, who love the buildings and really just be outside doing something together.

All right.

It's a great lineup this year.

Adam Rubin, thank you so much.

Thanks for having me.

And make sure to tune in this Friday evening at 8 for the premiere of Chicago's stories, skyscrapers.

>> You'll also be able to stream it on our website at Wt Tw dot com slash Chicago stories.

And that's our show for this Tuesday 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 tonight at 08:00PM as JB Pritzker and Darren Bailey face off in the only televised governors forum.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

>> We'll see you again tonight >> closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law, offices of personal injury, law firm that