DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS CHOOSES A RUNNING MATE TODAY.

MEANWHILE, THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSES A DEADLINE TO LAUNCH A STUDY ON HOW OFFICERS ARE DEPLOYED AND THE CTA TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS UPDATING ITS TRANSIT SYSTEM.

HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS AND DIVINITY HEADER.

SHARON AND NICK BLUMBERG.

HEY, GANG.

SO LET'S START WITH THE VEEPSTAKES, RIGHT, AMANDA, WHO IS TO MALLS AND AND WHAT YOU CHOOSE HIM.

SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY SHE CHOSE HIM BECAUSE SOME OF THIS, I THINK, REALLY IS CHEMISTRY IN THAT.

IT'S GOT TO BE PART OF THAT.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY DO OFTEN IGNORE.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PARTNER.

SOMEBODY YOU CAN COUNT ON SOMEBODY YOU'VE GOT A TRUSTING REALLY GET ALONG WITH.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY PART OF IT.

BUT HE'S ALSO A 2 TERM GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA, A STATE THAT HIS GAME DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN THE LEGISLATURE THERE AND REALLY ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS ORDERED.

FRANKLY, WHAT WE'VE ILLINOIS, IN TERMS OF PROTECTIONS FOR REPRODUCTIVE LEAVE FOR WORKERS, ALL THOSE SORT OF THINGS.

HE ALSO HAS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT BE WANTING A CANDIDATE TO SORT OF APPEAL TO BASE THINGS LIKE HE WAS IN ARMY NATIONAL GUARD.

SO HE HAS MILITARY EXPERIENCE SERVED IN KNOWS WASHINGTON AND THOSE ARE ALL THE SORT OF THINGS.

AND I THINK ALSO IMPORTANTLY, HE IS SOMEBODY SEEMS TO AT LEAST FAR ACCEPTED BY ALL PARTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE MODERATES AS WELL AS THE PROGRESSIVES THAT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF HER OTHER POTENTIAL.

HEATHER, HOW HOW'S THE PARTY RESPONDED SO FAR?

WELL, EVERYBODY HAS A MAN TO SAID ACROSS THE BOARD IS THRILLED WHEN YOU HAVE SENATOR JOE MANCHIN FROM WEST VIRGINIA AND REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDRIA OCASIO CORTEZ SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMN KNOW AND BOTH PRAISING TIM WALZ HAS THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT CHOICE.

THAT TELLS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS PICKED PICKED HIM.

BUT OF COURSE, RUBBER MEETS THE MORE THAN 70% OF AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS KIND ARE YOU LOOKING?

WHITE HAIRED GUY IS AND THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HIM IN SHORT ORDER AND IT CAN BE BUMPY, AS I THINK SENATOR JD VANCE WOULD TELL HIS NEW SORT OF COUNTERPART SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T ALWAYS GO TO PLAN.

THAT SAID TIM WALZ HAS LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AS A POLITICIAN.

THEN JD VANCE DOES.

AND CERTAINLY HARRIS IS HOPING THAT THOSE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WILL PROVE WELL AS HE STARTS CAMPAIGNING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH ACROSS ALL OF THE SWING STATES THIS WEEK IN THE PRODUCT NOT PERHAPS NECESSARILY TO BRING MORE PEOPLE ON BOARD.

THERE IS A LOT OF TALK, OF COURSE, ABOUT THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA AND TRYING TO WIN THAT BATTLEGROUND STATE.

BUT IT CAN ALSO BE TO YOUR POINT ABOUT VANCE.

PICKING SOMEBODY WHO IS IT GOING TO STEER FOLKS AWAY?

EVEN DOESN'T MAYBE BRING IN MORE VOTES TO THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN.

YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE ALL OF THE PENNSYLVANIA QUESTION, TOO.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DOUBT AS TO WHETHER THIS NOTION THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROM A EVEN A VERY POPULAR GOVERNOR WILL NECESSARILY BRING ALONG THEIR HOME STATE WHEN IT IS A SWING STATE LIKE PENNSYLVANIA.

SO I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THE ARGUMENT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE PATH TO 2.70, FOR THE HARRIS TICKET.

PENNSYLVANIA IS A REALLY, REALLY KEY STATE FOR THEM.

BUT JOSH PEER DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT THEY GET IT.

WHILE WE'RE ON IT, WHAT HAS REPUBLICANS REACTION BEEN TO THIS TICKET WILL TO STEAL HEATHER'S PHRASE?

THEY'VE CERTAINLY BEEN SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMNAL, BUT THEY ARE NOT EXACTLY SONGS OF WORKED REALLY QUICKLY TO PAINT HIM WAS, YOU KNOW, FAR LEFT ILLINOIS GOP CHAIR CATHY SAUDI CALLED HIM A RADICAL LEFTIST.

SHE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A DIG AT, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER MIDWESTERNER WHO WAS IN THE RUNNING JB PRITZKER SAYING AMERICANS CAN BREATHE EASY.

THAT PRITZKER IS NOT GOING TO BE THE VP ON THE TICKET.

YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM THE NATIONAL REPUBLICANS AS WELL, REALLY TRYING TO TIE TIM WALZ'S.

THEY HAVE MANY DEMOCRATS THIS ELECTION CYCLE, TOO.

YOU KNOW, THE INFLUX OF NEW ARRIVALS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA HAS BEEN A TOP DESTINATION FOR MIGRANTS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES.

OF COURSE, OVERLOOKS THE FACT THAT TIM WALZ REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH US.

YOU KNOW, MIGRANTS WHO HAVE BEEN BUSSED BY TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT TO NEW YORK.

THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT NEW YORK'S MAYOR PUT INTO PLACE TO GIVE THEM BUS TICKETS TO ALLOW THEM TO MOVE TO OTHER CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE MIGRANTS SHOWS THE TWIN CITIES, CERTAINLY YOU CAN SAY THAT'S BECAUSE OF MINNESOTA'S WELCOMING POLICIES TOWARD THEM.

BUT IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WALLS ENGINEER NECESSARILY.

I THINK WE'LL ALSO SEE REPUBLICANS MAKE AN ISSUE OF WALLS BEING GOVERNOR DURING THE PROTESTS THAT FOLLOWED AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER.

AND SO THAT CERTAINLY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING A LOT ABOUT DID HE WAIT TOO LONG?

DID HE DO THE RIGHT THING IN CALLING IN THE NATIONAL GUARD?

SO WE'VE MENTIONED GOVERNOR PRITZKER AND WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF HIS RESPONSE EARLIER IN THE SHOW, AMANDA, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HE WAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT A LITTLE BIT WHEN HE WAS IN CONTENTION AND GOING THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS, THOUGH HE WAS NOT CHOSEN.

OBVIOUSLY, WHAT HAS HE SAID IN RESPONSE TO IT TODAY?

HE ACTUALLY GOT SOMEWHAT CANDID TODAY AFTER BEING REALLY KG IN SORT OF COY.

HOW WE FAR WAS IN THIS PROCESS AND HOW IT WENT.

WE DIDN'T GET A TON OF DETAILS, BUT HE DID SAY THINGS LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT SUCH AS IT WAS AN HONOR AND HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE HARRIS TICKET.

HE REVEALED IT.

HE KNOWS WOLOSZYN CONSIDERS WELL AS THE FRIENDS THAT THEY WERE GOVERNORS ELECTED THE SAME YEAR WENT THROUGH THE COVID PANDEMIC TOGETHER AND MADE A LOT OF SORT OF SIMILAR DECISIONS IN TERMS OF THERE EXECUTIVE ORDERS WITH MASKING AND SUCH.

SO HEAT SAID ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

WE ALSO QUESTIONED HIM THIS MORNING ABOUT HIS POLITICAL FUTURE.

AND IS HE LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, RUNNING AGAIN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2 YEARS SEEING AS HE WILL BE ON THE TICKET OR WOULD HE CONSIDER A POSITION A PRESIDENT HARRIS'S CABINET?

SHOULD THAT AN OFFER?

MADE AVAILABLE TO HIM AND HE DIDN'T GO THERE.

HE SAID THAT HE ISN'T CONTEMPLATING EITHER OF THOSE THINGS RIGHT NOW THAT HE LOVES HIS JOB AS GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS.

AND HE'S ACCOMPLISHED A LOT BUT WANTS TO MORE NOT PLAYING ANY OF THOSE THOSE WHAT IF TEAMS, BUT HE DID REVEAL, BUT THAT THE VETTING PROCESS THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN WAS EXTENSIVE.

I THINK RULING WAS THE WORD THAT HE'S GROWING IN LONG AND LONG, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME.

SO SOME NOTABLE, ILLINOIS AND SO ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL SUPPORTING THIS TICKET.

INTERESTINGLY, SOME OF THEM CALLING THEMSELVES REPUBLICANS FOR HARRIS.

NICK ON THIS.

WELL, THERE ARE SOME PRETTY NOTABLE ILLINOIS FORMER CONGRESSMAN ADAM KINZINGER, JOE WALSH, FORMER GOVERNOR JIM EDGAR.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM A OBAMA ERA TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY.

YOU KNOW, LONGTIME REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN, RAY LAHOOD, WHO'S A SON DARON, IS CURRENTLY IN CONGRESS, IS ALL IN FOR, YOU KNOW, THE TRUMP PENCE TICKET.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE WHAT YOU WOULD THINK THAT AS THE TRADITIONAL ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN, NOT NECESSARILY THE FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE REINS OF POWER IN THE STATE PARTY RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS PEOPLE WHO WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, APPEAL TO A WIDE SWATH OF VOTERS AND WHO HAVE BEEN VERY UPFRONT ABOUT SEEING TRUMP AS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY, TO THE NORMS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO SOME ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE BOUNDARIES THAT SHOULD BE AROUND THE PRESIDENCY AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

WE'VE ALSO SEEN KINZINGER'S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF IS TAKING A ROLE WITH THE NATIONAL HARRIS CAMPAIGN AS DIRECTOR OF REPUBLICAN OUTREACH.

SO, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME FOLKS HERE WHO ARE WILLING TO CROSS PARTY LINES FOR WHAT THEY SEE IS A CANDIDATE WHO AT LEAST AS FAR CLOSER TO THEIR MODERATE PRINCIPLES YOU KNOW, THE GUY AT THE TOP OF THE REPUBLICAN TICKET.

WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS GROUP WILL BE ABLE TO BRING ALONG?

SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, MAY BE DISGRUNTLED, ILLINOIS.

REPUBLICANS WEREN'T PLEASED WITH THE CURRENT POSITION OF NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY.

WELL, ILLINOIS IS A BLUE STATE.

SO THEY'RE NOT PLAYING FOR THE MARGINS HERE, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO SET UP A PERMISSION STRUCTURE FOR REPUBLICANS IN OTHER STATES SO THEY SEE PEOPLE LIKE JIM EDGAR AND RAY LAHOOD WHO SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF PARIS IS OK FOR THEM, MAYBE SHE'S OKAY FOR ME AND MAYBE I'M GOING TO GIVE HER A SECOND LOOK.

BUT THIS IS THIS ARTWORKS WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE ON THE MARGINS HERE RIGHT I'M HEATHER CITY COUNCIL GIVING OR GAVE CPD 90 DAYS TO LAUNCH THIS THAT WOULD LOOK INTO HOW THE DEPARTMENT IS DEPLOYING OFFICERS REMIND US WHAT THE STUDY WOULD DO AND WHY THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED IT.

WELL, YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD SIMPLE QUESTION TO ANSWER, RIGHT.

WHERE DO OFFICERS WORK?

WHEN DO THEY WORK AND WHAT THEY DO?

BUT IT IS NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES, THE CITY COUNCIL SAID, LOOK, CPD NEED FIGURE OUT.

HOW TO TELL US WHERE OUR OFFICERS ARE.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THIS IS REQUIRED BY THE CONSENT DECREE TO FEDERAL COURT ORDER THAT ORDERED CPD TO REFORM ITSELF.

SO THEY GAVE US THE NCPD 90 DAYS TO FIGURE OUT 3RD PARTY GROUP FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS WORK IN TO GET STARTED.

THAT THAT WORK IS NOW 2 MONTHS OVERDUE.

AND THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS BASED ON A NEW AUDIT BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

JUST DE PERE BERG.

HOW CPD IS TRACKING SORT ANY OF HOW THOSE OFFICERS ARE ASSIGNED NOW, INSPECTOR GENERAL SAID, LOOK, I'M LOOKING INTO THIS.

CAN YOU GIVE ME MORE DATA ON THIS?

AND CPD SAID, SURE, HAPPY TOO.

IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE THAT DATA HAS BEEN OFFERED AND SORT OF THE UNDERLYING POLITICS OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT OFFICER SIMON 0 SUM GAME.

YOU CAN PUT ONE OFFICER IN ONE PLACE.

AND IF THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND THAT IS A POLITICAL DECISION.

IT ALSO MEANS THAT YOU CAN SEE PARTS OF THE NORTH SIDE IN DOWNTOWN SORT OF MAKING HAVING TOO MANY OFFICERS.

WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF MURDERS AND SHOOTINGS AND VIOLENT CRIMES THAT OCCUR ON THE SOUTH AND THE WEST SIDE.

BUT YOU'RE AN OLDER PERSON, YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO SEE OFFICERS REDEPLOYED FROM YOUR AREA.

SO THIS IS A BIG ISSUE AND IT IS ONE THAT POTENTIALLY A FEDERAL JUDGE COULD GET INVOLVED WITH IF THE CITY DOESN'T SO LET'S GET A LITTLE BIT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS BEFORE WE GET TO A COUPLE OTHER THINGS BEFORE WE RUN NICK CUT THE RIBBON ON THE NEW L STOP AT DAMON IN LAKE JUST YESTERDAY.

WAS THIS AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE GREEN?

MUCH WON'T THIS STATION HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 1948.

AND IT FIXES WHAT WAS A MILE AND A HALF GAP IN THE GREEN LINE.

THERE.

SO THIS IS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, TO STATIONS THAT WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR ONE ANOTHER.

THIS IS GOING TO CREATE FOR THE DNC.

YOU KNOW, A TRANSIT STOP THAT IS FAR CLOSER THAN ANYTHING WE HAD BEFORE.

ALTHOUGH THE PINK LINE TRACKS GO CLOSER TO THE UNITED COUPLE OF WEEKS.

YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, LOCAL LIKE ALDERMAN WALTER BURNETT HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE SAID AT THE UNVEILING THAT THIS WAS PARTIALLY ABOUT ECONOMICS AND IT WAS PARTIALLY ABOUT ETHNICITY.

THIS IS PASSING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, A LARGELY BLACK WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE KINDS OF TRANSIT SERVICE THAT OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY RELY ON.

SO THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN A BIG PART OF THE CTA HAS PUSHED IN RECENT YEARS TO CLOSE SOME OF THESE EQUITY GAPS.

SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE CALLING THE STATE THE CITY TO HIT THE BRAKES ON A PLAN OVERHAUL OF LAKESHORE DRIVE.

WHY AREN'T THEY ON BOARD WITH THIS PROJECT TIME?

THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOT UP 3, 4 BILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG POTENTIALLY TO DO A HUGE OVERHAUL OF ALL THE LANES ON NORTH LAKE SHORE DRIVE.

BUT WHAT YOU KNOW, SOME OLDER PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, STATE REPS HAVE BEEN SAYING IS, LOOK, THIS PROJECT HAS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO SEE THINGS LIKE BUS, RAPID TRANSIT OR, YOU KNOW, BETTER BIKE OPTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THE LANE ALIGNMENTS THAT THEY'VE COME OUT WITH.

THEY JUST THINK IT'S STILL TOO CAR FOCUSED.

AND I THINK IT'S NOT GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND STATE WHERE THEY WANT TO BE ON CLIMATE GOALS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS.

AND I THINK THE FACT THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE COMING OUT NOW AND MAKING A PUBLIC SHOW ALONG WITH A LOT OF INFLUENTIAL LOCAL, YOU KNOW, PLANNING TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS AND SAYING THIS ISN'T A GOOD IDEA.

WE NEED TO PAUSE AND RETHINK THIS I THINK IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CONSIDERING THIS IS A PROJECT RIGHT NOW THAT HAS THE IMPRIMATUR OF THE STATE AND CITY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS.

AND YESTERDAY GOVERNOR PRITZKER SIGNING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD END THE STATEWIDE ONE PERCENT.

GROCERY TAX.

WHEN CAN ILLINOIS AND EXPECT TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE GROCERY BILL.

A LITTLE BIT IS RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S JUST A ONE PERCENT TAX.

SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE SAVING A TON OF THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE UNTIL 2026, YOU ALSO HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT.

WE'LL SEE HOW MUCH THAT NEW ONE PERCENT CHANGE DIFFERENCE MAKES.

BUT ALSO THIS IS MONEY THAT CURRENTLY GOES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

AND SO THEY'RE ALSO WE HAVE BUILT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO INSTITUTE THEIR OWN TAXES.

YOU MIGHT BE SAVING ON THE STATE SIDE.

THIS IS A CAMPAIGN PROMISE THAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT FROM PRITZKER, WHATEVER HIS POLITICAL FUTURE DOES, BUT IT MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY SAVE YOU ANY MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE WE'RE EXPECTING A LOT OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES TO