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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Activist organizations launched wide-scale response to Operation Midway Glitz and the increased vice presidents.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

event this weekend brings people affected by suicide together and how we can prevent more deaths.

This is the pacemaker.

>> It's about the size of point of reference.

Here sesame seed.

>> And break through electronics.

A promise to transform the future medical monitoring technology.

>> First off tonight, federal officials say Operation Midway Blitz has yielded more than 500 ice arrests in Chicago area since it began earlier this month, prompting a wave of protests and grassroots organizing volunteers from across the city are training to join neighborhood Rapid Response teams which respond to reported.

I sightings within minutes.

Other organizations have created know your rights campaigns and support networks for undocumented workers.

Joining us to talk about all that and more are.

About those are in Rica's president of the Little Village Community Council.

Miguel of a low Rivera executive director of the Latino Union of Chicago and Bertha and co-chair of the Latino Leadership Council Policy.

Gentlemen, thanks to all of you for joining us.

And welcome back.

that is our start with you.

Because the Little Village Community Council, you all been handing out hundreds orange whistles to alert undocumented residents of ISIS presence.

Hedge will come up with that idea and has been working.

>> I would like to thank our members are volunteers for being out We started in June and originally when we give up the whistle Beatles, what that what is that word?

when we met with our brothers and sisters over and and they and they look, when they're gonna deployed, the National Guard's and I seasons they will turn off cell phone towers.

So then we end up our campaign of letting people know, hey, if you blow the whistle, when you see and those that don't have legal status get away.

Close your doors and then we've got to team volunteers that actually go where there's ice ages they began.

Linda was so alerting the community and stopped or operative.

We stopped him from doing and the rest of connecting a family.

it does have an effect because his 3, 6 of us, going to squish.

That's what other than that.

asking a Florida and that, you know, you see that the communities organize has been working with, but if you would, if you have, I'm sure it's been used.

>> at the beginning when we were blowing the whistle I seasons.

>> They were confused.

Why is this guy going away?

So and people start locking doors, people start even the the block.

So they know what is that is an alert to the community that there are out there and for them to take the proper steps because they're not coming for criminals are coming for families.

They're coming for people going to work you know, this is another layer of trauma.

They bring to our neighborhood and that's where our team there's always available from 5 in the morning to 7 o'clock at night.

That's when they do their operation.

And we're out there every day.

Just put on the neighborhood.

>> They at a protest last week.

You spoke against ICE targeting undocumented people at places where work.

Here's a little bit of that.

>> In the last 2 days, ISIS target and Home Depot quarter hiring sites such as this one where we stand, where day laborers are neighbors who bailed pay fixed and beautify this city.

Have been the target of these unwarranted attacks.

>> House prices presence in communities in neighborhoods impacting people's willingness to go to work.

There is I think.

feels like an overwhelming sense of concern and But at the same time that that exists, I think there is just as much of an overwhelming sense of in need to connect as communities and they need to look out for each other.

So I've been able to witness both as part of my organization, we've had to navigate both right.

Both recognizing concerns and their fear, but also motivating to stand up for each other because one thing that we know and one thing that we've always known is the only people that will keep us safe is ourselves are like we say some what said about what.

>> The Latino Union, Chicago, you all set up volunteer powered worker support network to empower people to go back to work.

Tell us about that and how that how that works.

Correct.

let know.

Union has been organizing for 25 years at the 10 different corner hiring sites in the city of Chicago and now and suburban Cook County.

>> Part of our work has connecting with day laborers doing outreach with getting them to know their rights, both as workers, but also because many of them are can be on documented as migrant workers.

Now with the increased presence of ice of the corners for to currently in other states such as LA.

We have been preparing for months to mobilize groups of volunteers.

These are community members, people from all walks of life know the state labors and are signing up for shifts from 6 in the morning until 02:00PM and are there to keep an eye out on things and ensure that our working neighbors are just as safe as we all deserve to be safe.

So then should ice show outside, you know, day labors, for example, waiting outside the Home Depot Menards.

If ice should show up, what is the response from from those team members?

So we're integrated into the rapid response networks throughout the city we are connected with a family support network.

And then we're also replicating a lot of the tactics that we've learned from our mileage.

And it's really a citywide effort.

And we are just integrating the aspects of our work, which is day labors, which is domestic workers.

And to that broader community effort that's happening throughout Chicago, we know that you recently received her law degree from Northwestern been involved in creating some know your rights campaigns for people who are undocumented.

Tell us about.

>> Those campaigns and what what folks learn from Yeah.

So the idea has been with collaborating with partners all across the city has been a citywide coalition, a statewide coalition just at it.

But you Cayden community members that they have rights and to know their rights to exercise those rights.

What at the same time asking people who are maybe more protective of their U.S.

citizens to exercise their rights to have the right to film.

They have the right to alert community members and to use our privilege to collectively help each other out and protect one another.

There's also no same and I-70 will.

The people United will never be defeated and we all have to do our part to take care of one another to if you have citizenship like me, go out and document these things.

you community members that ice may be present blow the whistle, right.

Let people know and also shop at your local businesses.

Help them out because they're hurting right now.

And so it's a know your rights campaign, but it's also campy to exercise those rights and to let people know that we have will beautiful tradition in Chicago peacefully protesting and peacefully assembly and ensuring that all races, our rights are respected.

The Mexican Independence Day parade kicked off a little village last week early last week.

Despite that increased ICE presents Umberto, you at the parade along with about 30 attorneys ride.

You will feel that organizing that legal support is important in advance of events like that and didn't, you know, didn't what do you do for the energy of the parade?

Yeah.

I think working together will record response crews on the scene.

>> You know, it's going to take a collective effort right community residents for me, rapid response groups, legal support to document the things that need to be documented people in broadview exercising their rights people in back of the yards.

People in Elgin coming together and taking care of one another.

And with the legal presence does is it allows community members to know, hey, there's attorneys right?

There are people who like in conflict seek advice from what?

Why can just Lee not to know how to document and to de-escalate a situation.

And that's what we did at the Mexican Independence Day parade.

And now we're just planning to use our law degrees and use our legal resources to provide more legal support.

By the point, attorney volunteers to keep communities 2 key events to ensure that we're all doing our part and and helping the community out.

>> Real quick before we go, we've seen some protests across the city.

You just mentioned outside the broad view detention facility.

Here's a little bit of some of what we've seen.

>> Oh, my God.

Only.

My God.

>> couple for this out to all of you.

What do you make of advice is, you know, general use of force about those are?

>> You know that they're going to try to be aggressive as is as they can to show that.

We will get feared.

You know that your winter and a lot of the neighborhood that are not coming out.

And that's because there been so aggressive detaining mothers kick that a new fathers and in front of their kids.

So.

>> That's was Jen still Spirit awards and children, other community members.

Unfortunately, we're out of time.

Unfortunately, this is something we'll have to keep talking about.

My thanks to the 3 of you look forward to having you back to Enriquez me go of Elo Rivera and their things think it Up next, a major suicide awareness and prevention event coming Chicago.

We have details.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols the gym and K maybe family the Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> In 2023, more than 1500 people in Illinois took their own lives.

That's according to the CDC this weekend.

People who have been touched by suicide are coming together to honor the lives lost in a local event.

Organizers say it is the largest suicide prevention event in the United States.

The out of the darkness Chicagoland walk will also help share information about suicide warning signs and where to find help.

Joining us now, our Angela Cummings, executive director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Illinois Chapter Sean Connelly board member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Illinois Chapter.

Thanks to both for joining Thanks for having so.

Currently suicide is the 14th leading leading cause of death in the state of Illinois.

Angela, what direction would you say?

The suicide rate in Illinois is trend which going?

Well, actually, we're leveling off.

So we were fortunate in 2019 2020.

We did see a death in the rates at during those years.

And then, of course, the pandemic came along and then we saw a U-turn.

>> And they did kind return to the pre pandemic.

>> pre pandemic phases.

And so now we're just kinda leveling off, which is not where we want to be.

We want to bring the suicide rate down and we know that there are warning signs that their incomes are every winter and interventions that anybody can learn.

And so we really feel hopeful that we can start to bring this rate down for to what do you attribute or what factors to can you attribute to win rate changes that we did obviously COVID.

>> That is an outlier, right?

But when goes up or down, what can you attribute that to when it went down?

We like to think that it was because of the work that we're doing, educating people about the risk factors, educating people about the warning signs and then the protective factors that can help people if they are experiencing, you know, a mental health crisis and then how to get the help you know, the pandemic was not good for anyone for various reasons.

One good thing that did come out of it, though, is telehealth.

I will say that was a silver lining before COVID people.

Insurance companies did not think that you could.

see if through zoom and then that was the only people can get help.

And now suddenly that's how many people get help.

And it's much more equitable.

Very calm.

And so, yeah, yes, Sean, we know that we lost your sister, Alex to suicide.

We're sorry for your loss.

Tell us more about her.

Please get my sister died 12 years ago this year and she had diagnosed bipolar.

And I think that's a common thread.

We see a lot of times and suicide deaths is.

>> But overall, majority time that either have a potentially treatable are diagnosable mental health condition and she was the last survivor looking at her now.

Yeah, she had attempted to take her own life once before.

So we knew this risk.

Was there.

It 2013.

It was a different time via the ACA was just getting rolled out, which ensured that mental health care was held as an essential health benefit on insurance plans made it hard for her to maintain consistent access to high-quality care.

And I think in the years since she died, I mean, it's brought so many conversations of grief is real complicated emotion.

It's complicated experience.

But for me, it's really brought home.

This idea of I don't think before this thought of suicide preventable.

Cause of death.

You know, you words like the person committed suicide.

You don't say someone committed cancer, you know, 6 committed heart disease.

It's the same sort of thing trying to figure out the actual root causes that could increase suicide risk in addressing those in in a thoughtful half away.

And that comes through all sorts of different news in ways.

But said she died.

It's been really interesting.

Eye-opening experience for because you mentioned, you your experience with grief, which can be different for every one.

Of course, what was what was your Yeah, I think, you know, ongoing still.

I think, you know, there's always a NICU period of time for people where it's it's really bad and it's really hurt and it can have a lot of different emotions.

But as you continue on past, whatever lost your grieving, you know, it stays with you.

And I think it's something that sometimes we think of as it has an end point.

And I don't think that's always the best way to think about it.

For folks.

I think it's better to think about it like something that you carry with.

You.

It's all your memories and all the love you have for that person.

Pre last through the last bit anger, sadness, you feel it.

Sometimes you have to engage the different components of grief.

But it's something that.

It's nice to remember that as you grieve, that means you still have the person with you.

That's how I always think about it.

And there's no right or wrong way to do.

It's not anybody schedule and sometimes goal year.

Do you think about it some years?

It's like a this is hard me every day.

So I really think it support people have one-off perspective on it, of course.

And what are some of the risk factors warning signs that people need to be watching out for?

risk factors are different than warning signs and risk factors are kind of those environmental things that might exist in someone's life that could increase their risk.

>> A job loss or relationship lost a history of mental illness in the family and undiagnosed mental illness.

And the warning signs are those observable signs that someone may be entering a suicidal crisis moment and those are typically group and talk behavior and mood.

yeah, people talk about it.

Their behavior is obviously different.

Their mood is different and it's not going back to baseline that this is when you want to reach out.

What do you think?

Stops people from getting help?

Well, there are a lot barriers to care.

The cost for one stigma, cultural stigma, for example, can be a big factor to their some communities that thank you.

Just need to pray and prayers, wonderful and a protective factor.

But just like any other health condition, if mental health, if treated properly, you can get better.

And so we just want to make sure that people understand that know how to get to that care.

we can bring down those various barriers, workforce expansion is a huge thing to there.

Just are not enough mental health care providers in Illinois and really across the country.

And what we know.

You've got the walk, A F S P It is it to it out of the darkness.

Walk and Saturday.

We that money go that the money that is raised on that out of your awareness.

Great question.

So if this guy is the largest private funder of research into suicide prevention in the world, so a large chunk of though fundraising goes into research specifically about suicide and suicide prevention.

>> And mental health, the rest of it goes to all of our free programs and free resources.

We are and we never charge for a program or resources in Illinois.

So we're really lucky that people are so generous come out of this walk and donate what they can and it allows us to go out there and do our work advocacy education survivor support and research.

Of course, Sean, of course, you know, so as I can be a very sensitive topic, right to getting a lot of people together who share have a shared experience right to describe the mood.

>> At the Yeah.

Like the Chicago and Walk.

It's it's a beautiful day.

We do it in Montrose Harbor.

See right on the lakefront.

And there's just real community care.

>> So whatever motion you're coming to the day with that'll be taken care of so it can be of deeply.

You know, I'm still takes a lot of pain.

We'll take care of you.

It could be a day where I feel good.

The sun is up.

I'm surrounded by other people were all feeling.

What we feel together and could just sort of be like a big bear.

Hugs have always described to get out there.

It's a couple 1000 people.

It's just a really beautiful event.

And, you know, you're surrounded by carried if you never meet all the people that are caring for you out there, we all have each other's backs.

We all understand what everyone else is going to in some meaningful way.

And it's very fragile with one another.

And I feel like it's a lot of vulnerability out there.

is really beautiful, really great lot of understanding people such a hopeful event.

People just feel so hopeful, hopeful that they can.

>> Keep keep another family from going through.

That loss are hopeful they can keep another person from ever reaching that crisis moment I got to have hope, OK?

Well.

>> I hope you all have a good walk on Saturday to awnings.

And Connelly, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And if you or someone you know, is struggling with depression or suicidal ideation, you can call or text 9, 8, 8, to access the 9, 8, 8, suicide and crisis lifeline.

>> Or find help online at 9, 8, 8, lifeline dot org.

Up next, scientific breakthroughs in medical monitoring.

In a laboratory just north of Chicago.

The future of medical monitoring is quietly taking shape, think flexible electronic monitors the size of a Band-Aid and tiny pacemakers that dissolve harmlessly in the body when they're no longer needed.

The work of query.

Simpson instituted by electronics at Northwestern University at times seems almost miraculous.

What makes such breakthrough is possible is a new generation of flexible.

And yes, at times does a lovable electronics.

Pioneered by Professor John Rogers, Chicago tonight, producer poking recently visited with Rodgers and his team to learn the secrets of the lab's success.

>> I've always been interested in how you can connect sort of fundamental scientific research to technologies that have a broader societal impact.

actually got my career started laboratories.

And so that was where the transistor was invented.

The solar cell.

So I think it was probably the world's most successful basic science lab.

In the sense that 10 Nobel prizes of come as a result of the work that was done there.

>> as longtime collaborator and colleague Tony Banks explains what makes for a just different what attracted me to start working with him is because his mindset was, you know, hey, we want to make these great gadgets way to make these great things.

But >> not for the sake of making them.

We want to make a difference in society.

>> Bedded one such invention is the lapse creation of Small's like School Health launches first developed by Russia's team.

Feed you some premature babies in Lurie, Children's Hospital that technology has since evolved to help babies and pregnant mothers halfway across the globe program managers from the Gates Foundation and the Save the Children Organization proactively reached out to us and ask whether we could adopt those technologies for deployment into resource constrained areas of the glove.

>> That became really an interesting engineering challenge.

How do you go from what we originally developed as a single use, purely skin like device.

>> To something that could be used in Zambia where the device would have to be reused 1000 cycles in order to amortize the cost of the device.

>> Russia sent his team took less than 12 months to come up with an answer So the next version of the device that we developed for deployment in the lower middle income countries little bit thicker more like a Band-Aid rather than temporary tattoo.

>> But as battery power on board, it also uses communications standards that are compatible.

Smartphones.

It's already in these countries.

Had they have smart phones.

We just use that as the monitor to reduce costs.

This was put through FDA approval is part of a small start-up company in the Chicagoland area that that we launched as a result of this opportunity brought to us by the Gates Foundation version that's deployed currently has a little bit different form factor a little bit larger battery, but it's designed to separate to a greater extent.

The electrodes we get a stronger electrocardiogram signal and it sort of wraps around the chest of of the infant in in this way.

>> While the raw, some unique materials used to make them on buses.

We're just says many of the base component a different what you might find this month.

>> So the fact that these devices are reusable and wirelessly rechargeable with no external ports that could be contaminated with bio foods and things like that that can be cleaned.

You could just dump them in and Al Qa Hall that Bath, for example, that that's been the real focus is reuse to hundreds of cycle.

So you don't even worry about the cost of the device in a tour of the labs that Banks explains how you can rapidly develop and then involves new devices.

And we design build, make all our own electronics.

A lot of the >> electronics like The small flexible device you can see here that stretches and molds in the can conform to the human body.

Along with several other devices that you can see here that a lot of these postdocs are working on.

And so this is the first step in the process of making those devices.

Once you do the design, then this is the prototyping, the stage where you start building the devices.

One recent invention is the development of a tiny pacemaker babies.

>> The once implanted ISIL Thomas Lee in the body when no longer required negating the need for additional surgery to extract the device.

This is the pacemaker.

It's about the size of it.

Point of reference.

Here sesame seed heroes like to put nearby this interfaces with the surface of the heart, it's self powered.

So sort of a battery capacity built into the device itself on this side that sort of cardiac tissue contacting side.

>> And on the other side is a photo activated switch that we can use to set the pacing rate implantable.

So getting through the FDA regulatory process will take some some years.

But this was just published in April.

So so Red brand brand new technology.

>> But while Russia's lab may already be creating cutting edge technology is for the benefit of all.

Well, just says his most important legacy will be his students.

>> We're talking about the longer arc of my career, the largest impact that I'm likely to have is all of the students who have passed through this group and then go on and start their own research groups and join companies and sort of impact the world and that I so that's my number one.

Focus for Chicago tonight on came walking.

>> And as for those infant health monitors, Rogers estimates so far about 10,000 devices have been deployed to monitor some 30,000 infants in about 20 countries around the world as far away, including as far away as Zambia, India and Brazil.

Rogers says the goal is to get a million devices deployed to monitor a million patients per year.

And that's our show for this Tuesday night.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter.

The Daily Chicago win at W T Tw Dot Com Slash newsletter and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 now for all of us here in Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible.

Why Robert, a cliff?

And Clifford law offices,