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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> 100 million dollars for a walkie-talkie on a pole.

>> Our spotlight politics team on last-minute maneuvering to keep the gunshot detection system spot.

Sharks ShotSpotter in Springfield.

They're eating the dogs.

And the impact of Donald Trump's false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.

We have local reaction.

>> And now to some of today's top stories, Illinois Supreme Court justices heard arguments today in Jussie Smollett's effort to overturn his conviction.

Smollett's attorney says the former Empire actor should never have faced the charges.

He was convicted of because of an earlier agreement he reached with the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx Small.

It was initially charged for faking a hate crime and lying to authorities about it.

But those charges were dropped by Fox's office in exchange for his $10,000 Bond and community Service.

But a special prosecutor filed renew charges against Smollett and he was convicted in 2021. small.

It was sentenced to serve 150 days of his 30 month probation sentence in jail.

But that sentence is on hold during his appeal.

In a wide ranging interview today with the National Association of Black Journalists, Vice President Kamala Harris answer questions about the most recent apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and expressed her confidence in the U.S. Secret Service.

She also answered questions about gun violence and potential solutions beyond universal background checks.

In closing the so-called gun show loophole.

>> We know that there is an aspect of this that is about treating the trauma.

And dealing with it at its source before it ends up manifesting itself in a problem.

There is the work that we need to do that is about putting resources into.

Communities around violence prevention bill.

>> Harris is a parent's was in stark contrast to Trump's contentious interview with a separate set of in a beach, a journalist when the group held its annual convention in Chicago this summer.

And it's one of few extensive sit-down interviews she's done since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate.

Trump is ramping up his campaign this week with stops in Michigan, New York, Washington and North Carolina.

Sky gazers won't have to stay up late to catch the next lunar eclipse because it kicks off in just a couple of hours starting around 07:41PM.

tonight, planet Earth will pass between the sun and the moon casting a shadow on the moon.

In this case, though, only about 10% of the moon will be in shadow looking more like the earth bit off.

A little nibble was shown on this graphic from the Planetarium but look reaches its maximum point around 9.44 Additionally, tonight's Moon is a full supermoon.

It's the second of 3 in a row you won't need fancy glasses and there's no path of totality.

As with the solar eclipse.

But at least you get to see it before bedtime.

So bonus.

Up next, our spotlight politics team on the debate over shot spotter technology.

Plus so much more right after this.

>> In 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 donors.

>> Illinois Republicans are calling for an end to dangerous rhetoric after a second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

This is a trial gets underway, challenging the state's assault weapons ban.

Meanwhile, it's been a year since Illinois because became the first state to eliminate cash bail.

We'll take a look at the impact.

It's had on the local judicial system.

course, here with all that and more is our spotlight politics team Amanda Vicki, Heather, Sharon and Nick lumbered.

Welcome back.

Doing so before we get to all those important issues.

Let's take a look at the drama over ShotSpotter.

It is set to be turned off in less than a week.

Mayor Brandon Johnson took aim yesterday at efforts to keep the gun shot detection tool operating.

>> 100 million dollars for a walkie-talkie on a pole.

And the reason why they said we needed it was to reduce gun violence.

It didn't do that.

You know, it's incumbent upon all of us to make sure that the investments that we're making, they have to get at the problem.

>> All right, Heather critics of Mayor Brandon Johnson's decision to scrap the city's gunshot detection system.

They are making another effort tomorrow to try and keep operational after a deadline that happens the Sunday.

What is fueling this debate?

So this is an issue that's been really tricky for Brandon Johnson to navigate because it pits the 2 most important parts of his base against each Black Chicagoans were reeling under decades of disinvestment that has fueled crime and violence and who want any tool, anything to make them safer in their homes and in their neighborhoods.

But on the other side is the Chicago progressive communities that see ShotSpotter.

>> As sort a Band-Aid that does not address the real problems with crime and they want ShotSpotter turned off and that money invested into programs that address the root causes of crime.

But if you talk to people who live on the south and the West side, they said they'd love root cause solutions, but they don't have time to sort of wait for that.

And they are furious that this tool, which they say is in effect is effective, although that is very much up for debate.

It's about to be turned off.

So there's going to be a whole lot of parliamentary shenanigans at tomorrow's meeting, whether it will sort of amount to anything.

I think it's very unlikely because the city council, despite its best efforts, does not have the legal authority to obligate anybody to contract with the city.

They just simply don't have that power under the way that contracting works in Illinois because it stops corruption.

And with that, you know, we talked about this before.

You can only have shot spotter on ward by Ward and the folks that shot spotter say no, we have not heard from the city of Chicago to talk about.

>> Extending this contractor making it anything other than it's already been.

Can I do one quick fact check of the mayor?

We heard him say that this has cost 100 million dollars to the city.

That's not accurate.

Since the program started in 2018, the city spent 53 million dollars.

And I think that people sort part of this debate is what should we spend taxpayer money on.

So I think something important to note important.

Thank you, A proposal to force city drivers to slow down is picking up speed.

Nic, what is the latest on a Chicago lowering its city-wide speed limit?

That's right.

This was an idea floated by Alderman Daniel spotted to lower the city's default speed limit from 30 miles an hour.

Time to 25.

>> Now there was a subject matter hearing on this back in the spring.

And advocates say someone struck by a car going 30 miles an hour, they have a 60% chance of survival if its 20 miles an hour that goes up to an 80% chance of survival.

And really key context here is that traffic fatalities have been on the rise in the last 10 years.

Black and Latino residents are disproportionately more likely to die because of a crash.

Part of this is that cars have just gotten so much taller and bigger.

It's harder to see pedestrians and cyclists their heavier a lot of other states.

22 states have lower default speed.

Then Illinois does.

>> Another was ordinance introduced in July, but was banished to the rules Committee where laws go to yesterday it was from from the rules committee with the idea being that it's going to get sent to pedestrian and traffic safety, which would, of course, you know, recommend this for a full vote and which alderman was spotted chairs.

The earliest it would go before that committee is October.

First, assuming we get council approval at the full meeting tomorrow just needs a couple old, older people to possibly delay that.

But this is finally moving ahead.

It is out of the much dreaded rules committee got back to has been.

>> And it's been one year since Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail.

As part of we all know that massive criminal justice reform package that was passed in the General Assembly.

What is the data showing?

How getting rid of bail has impacted the state?

So he's really is very majors tomorrow.

Is that anniversary, Illinois, the first state to do this completely.

Indiana is still coming in and researchers will be very clear about that.

And even some of the data that they have is limited in scope.

>> also have to at that every county does a little bit differently.

So although there is a state law that governs the parameters, you're seeing it play out differently depending on where you are in Illinois, but some of the big takeaways is that there has been no major spike in crime.

Again, those who've looked at the numbers say you can't necessarily say that there would have been bigger drop, had this not been in place, nor can you attribute that drop in crime to this pick.

For those who fear that this was going to just sort unleashing a torrent of crime that has not backed happened.

What you have seen is longer hearings, more attention being paid before.

Somebody who has caught for allegedly doing something what they are going to be having a greater hearing before a judge before it is determined that they have to be locked up.

As you look at this hearing, I want to point out brand us Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, one of the major individuals who'd pushed Cooke County had kind of begin to do this already in.

She really received a lot of criticism going into these changes And she said now that she is no longer running for election.

She really sort of let loose.

She's like I don't have to answer any more to voters.

I'm going to let my true feelings be known without any of that political posturing.

And she at a year in a conference that I went to last weekend.

Really, again, use the term unleashed on it.

And she said that she believes that a lot of that criticism was racist.

programming note, Kim Foxx is expected to join us tomorrow night here Chicago in a black voices.

So what?

>> Sure, we'll be talking about all of specifically on this topic as well.

Amanda Representative, Well-spoken City club.

House Speaker watch, of course, spoke at City Club today.

Did he have anything to say about the court trial and southern Illinois that is challenging the state's assault weapons ban actually But I court hearing that that is going on in East St. Louis.

This is a law that's been got about a couple of years now.

>> And was put in place after the mass shooting in Highland Park after the 4th of July parade during the 4th of July parade.

There.

>> And so the arguments are playing out.

It's day 2 is now done.

It's expected to potentially last throughout the week.

And what you really have is that gun owners and various organizations behind gun rights saying that this law and some of the most popular guns in America and therefore does not not constitutional to 2 previous hearings, previous decisions.

That is by the U.S. Supreme Court.

quickly, Heather City Council will consider paying nearly 15 million dollars tomorrow to resolve 4 cases of police misconduct tomorrow's City Council meeting.

This is after, of course, the Finance Committee unanimously endorsed the recommendations.

>> From city attorneys, why wasn't there more debate about these payouts?

Well, just a week ago, a federal jury awarded a man who spent 10 years in prison on a wrongful conviction, 50 million dollars.

So perhaps the older people look at these settlements for only 15 million dollars feel like maybe they've >> gotten off a little bit easy.

But this is a massive problem.

And we heard yesterday at the Finance Committee meeting aldermen, Gilbert, Villegas asking city officials and city attorneys.

What's planned because everybody who spent 10 years in prison on a wrongful conviction who is now sued the city.

That is essentially a billion and a half dollars in liability.

The city is facing even before you start totaling up the cost of hiring private attorneys to defend officers.

So this is a huge problem for the city, an especially painful in a moment when the city is grappling 980 million dollar budget deficit in next big problems.

Nick, before we go, the latest on problems with Legionella downtown federal buildings.

That's what we learned last month.

The sometimes that employees at the regional EPA office in the Metcalf Federal building filed a grievance saying they should be allowed.

>> To work from home.

We obtain some information sent to employees that shows not just Metcalf, but also the Kaczynski, federal building.

17 floors had hot water turned off for a time last year because of Legionella bacteria.

And at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

This has been a problem for a year now.

The General Services administration, basically the landlord, the federal agency that oversees these office buildings has been doing all sorts of testing has not been able to sort out the problem.

The federal court actually paid for some additional testing and mitigation efforts.

But we found out there was Legionella president in a kitchen used by federal jurors as well as in the open to the public cafeteria.

So certainly a lot of concerns about the potential health risks.

They're absolutely all right.

That a spotlight game.

Thanks again, Nick Lumber, Kindess and keeps you next week.

Thank you.

And if you're looking for more back story on the biggest news of the day, sign up for our e-mail newsletter, the Daily Chicago and >> not only do we dig in too complicated issues facing the city, but we also introduce you to new ways to explore Chicago.

You can sign up at Www Dot com Slash newsletter.

Up next, local reaction from the Haitian community on false claims made by Donald Trump in last week's debate.

Stay with us.

The governor of Ohio is deploying state troopers to reassure residents in Springfield, Ohio.

It comes after more than 30 bomb threats had been made targeting schools, hospitals and city hall.

The threats have come after the town became a focal point in last week's presidential debate when Donald Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating people's pets.

Officials and police there have denied these claims.

Here to talk more about the impact, our Illinois Attorney General, Kwame Raoul DePaul University political science professor Clements, the and via Zoom.

We have Columbus, Ohio, community advocate, Sophie, it Peerless.

Thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.

So first, I want to get your reaction to former President Trump perpetuating this claim that he made during last week's debate Clementa DB.

Let's start with you, please.

Thank you very much for having me.

>> The east is very disturbing.

I think if I'm a president of the United States should not do something like that.

But he's been there when Obama was president.

He he did, too.

But the reason thing got with it and we thought that that's gone.

Now he's been president.

So why do these is just half And that's really what it takes.

>> Well, when I when I first heard it, wow, at a debate watch party and I thought to myself, oh, great.

It shows hit his mental incompetence too.

Operate in Oval Office.

And they, you know, I even laughed at it myself, not thinking about the detrimental effect.

It has by way of people who blindly follow him.

Acting upon upon it.

And so and I even in the days that followed, I left that means and so forth.

And then we started hearing about bomb threats and other threats and then then you start thinking about the gravity of this and that as a professor said, this is not his first time we talked about S hole countries several years ago and it ended straight a lack of appreciation of the contributions that Haitians have made to this country from the outset of this country's existence.

Sophia, peerless in question to you.

What was your reaction when you heard the president say that last week?

>> I was shocked because I do not think that you want them actually put national committee coming season.

And but I wasn't surprised.

I was upset, but I was Matthew's price because it's not the first time being used is rhetoric.

He here years the Mexican before.

The use, Muslim before.

So now is patients in the last when he was not a was before the president.

You could some going rate which intense us before.

So is disturbing because a leader should be an example to greet simple.

So when need their own is saying certain things that will affect the whole nation.

A whole community.

I think it's the right thing to this kind of stuff.

I was very angry.

But right nothing of it.

>> Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

He didn't dismiss the claim as about migrants eating pets as, quote, false piece of garbage and the claims have been debunked over and over.

As we all know, even some of the people who made social media post that originally fed this fire, they, too, expressed regret over what they've done and what they said.

But attorney general is the damage already done by then?

>> Certainly because Donald Trump does have a following.

I know Governor Jindal DeWine, I have actually travel to Haiti with him 2008 and he has an appreciation affinity for for a personal affinity for Haiti.

And so I I commend Governor DeWine for pointing out that allegations are unfounded.

On the other hand, my counterpart in Ohio, the attorney general did the opposite, as did JD Vance, the senator from Ohio, vice president.

And and so if you have officials from the state saying it and then you have Donald Trump that has line following.

we've already seen what they'll by way of interest, insurrection with regards to things that come out of his mouth.

It's it's a dangerous situation.

I do appreciate I actually had outreach from the hate head of Jewish United Fund offering a for for patients and and and the high.

>> Sophia.

What conversations are you having with the larger Haitian community there in Ohio?

>> The conversation is education.

Educating, too.

And that would benefit them because so many fled their country because political instability.

they wanted safe place to and many of them trouble from country to country.

I'm trying to find the peace and safety, they were hoping to find a Many of them didn't make it and already started a life.

And they had the find a good job.

We're kidding.

Thank you.

And good Many of them over the building business in Central Ohio and they're well.

And the composition is to come to them.

So that do not need that.

The fake then because wouldn't believe it or meant to his will Trump being traumatized.

His will I able to be stable and then now people see you too.

ended up in everything behind Ron because you anything in life, it's a repeat of what the be facing gone home.

My position within the schedule, keeping them to not fear to stay calm and to be able to report any allegations, accusations, anything so that we can have vitriol.

>> So if your house has this impacted, you and your family personally.

>> And the vocal was a vocal in advocating for everyone that only the patients and then because I was so vocal, I was threatened.

Okay.

sorry.

don't Yeah.

Yeah.

people to dig into the details with them.

My kids, my children and myself.

I'll be tracking witness.

>> I'm sorry to hear that.

And I hope that you and your remain Vice President Harris.

She spoke to the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia earlier today where she condemned what the former president said last week.

>> And we've got to say that you cannot be interested.

With standing behind the seal of the president of the United States of America.

Engaging in that hateful.

Rhetoric that as usual.

Is designed.

To divide us as a country.

>> Ag, what is the current administration need to do to better support migrant communities?

>> Well, I think as president has done, we need to call it out for what it is and we need to make sure that we speak to the fact that people here legally.

Who are contributing to the economy, that there's a long history of Haitians Haitian-americans Haitian immigrants contributing his country.

And it's ironic and that the U.S. attorney in southern Florida that's responding to the assassination attempt Mr. Trump.

And born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, who serving as U.S. attorney is just one more example of of the contributions that haitian-americans have have made.

But I think the vice president.

Made a critical point.

It's demonstration of the danger.

Of letting Donald Trump any wind near the Oval Office again.

And to be clear, the immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, they're all here under a protected status because of the status what's happening in your home country right now.

>> There's also been a lot of social media post about this topic.

You know, as we stated, you know, sort of making fun of President Trump for restating the story.

But as we discussed their, you know, we're looking at some of those tweets right now, but they're real world implications commented, E-bay.

Can you think of other instances where, you know, specific ethnic groups have been used as basically political All my God.

>> We don't want to go I was born in major area in Africa.

This is the kind of qualities you want to run away We've seen that over and over again.

All report that just came out from Sweeting.

Form, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

K just publish reports.

In past Well, let's say BT 2008.

And 2022.

For it.

Did no more people participate in the elections.

U.S. and points.

People move within Baucus is any more people no longer.

Very complimentary about democracy on Portsmouth.

These does not help.

And this is the United States.

We need.

The Democratic So what president has done really to to to make journey a lot more difficult for society's ever went at it to build democracy.

And that is the that a stay.

And that is what we'll have to leave my thanks to a Clements Attorney General Rule and Sophia Peerless for joining us.

Thanks to all of Thank you very much.

>> And that's our show for this Tuesday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 city council members take up police misconduct, settlements and the future of shot spotter.

And last year, Illinois became the first state in cash bail.

A look at the impact in Illinois one year later.

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

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Woes caption was made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death that is committed to supporting diversity.

And when and