ONLY AT THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT DRAMATICALLY CHANGING HOW TRANSIT WORKS IN CHICAGO.

MEANWHILE, THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT IS COMING UNDER FIRE AS WE JUST HEARD FROM THE CITY'S INSPECTOR GENERAL AND ILLINOIS.

REPUBLICANS WILL SOON HAVE A NEW PARTY LEADER HERE WITH ALL THAT MORE SPOTLIGHT.

BALTICS TEAM AND VICKI HAD A SHARON, NICK BLOOMBERG, WELCOME BACK.

GANG.

SO, NICK, LET'S START WITH YOU.

STANDING ROOM ONLY TODAY, AS WE SAID AT THE FIRST OF 6 SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARINGS TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF MERGING THE STATE'S 3 TRANSIT AGENCIES.

THE IDEA IS TO COMBINE, OF COURSE, THE CTA, METRA AND PACE INTO ONE SUPER AGENCY OVERSEEING TRANSIT.

WE HAVE DETAILS ON WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

WE'VE GOT SOME, YOU KNOW, OUTLINES HERE.

BUT AS WITH THINGS LIKE THIS, THEY CAN ALWAYS BUT THE PROPOSAL IS FOR SOMETHING CALLED THE METROPOLITAN MOBILITY AUTHORITY.

AS YOU MENTIONED, IT WOULD COME BY AND, YOU KNOW, URBAN NEAR SUBURBAN BUS AND TRANSIT BUS AND TRAIN, RATHER, YOU KNOW, COMMUTER REGIONAL RAIL, SUBURBAN BUS AND PARATRANSIT UNDER ONE ROOF.

IT WOULD HAVE A SINGLE BOARD APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR AND COUNTY BOARD HEADS IDEAS, BETTER COORDINATION, A SINGLE FARE, IMPROVED SERVICES ADVOCATES SAY THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT SEES CREATED BY ELIMINATING REDUNDANT JOBS.

AND THE BIG THING HERE IS THAT THIS PLAN ALSO CALLS FOR A BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS IN NEW FUNDING.

BUT YES, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE VIDEO, A LOT OF INTEREST, YOU KNOW, TUESDAY MORNING AT 10:00AM IN THE SUMMER AND WE PACKED THE ROOM.

GOOD JOB, THE HEADS OF CTA, METRA AND PACE, THEY ALL ADDRESS LAWMAKERS TODAY PUSHING BACK ON THE MERGER IDEA, BUT ECHOING CALLS FOR SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUNDING.

HERE IS WHAT SOME OF THEM HAD TO SAY.

WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER.

WE ALL WANT TO DO THE BEST JOB WE CAN.

I DO NOT BELIEVE COMBINING US INTO ONE ORGANIZATION WILL MAKE BETTER FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.

THE INADEQUACY OF CJ FUNDING FORMULA HAS BEEN OPEN SECRET WITH THE CAN KICK DOWN THE ROAD YEAR AFTER YEAR AND DECADE AFTER DECADE.

WE MAY VICTIMS OUR OWN SUCCESS.

WE DO OPERATE ALINA SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.

WE KEEP MAKING IT HAPPEN.

WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES.

SO, NICK, WHAT KIND OF REACTION TO AGENCY HEADS GET FROM LAWMAKERS?

WILL STATE SENATOR RON BELIEVE WHO IS ONE OF THE BACKERS OF THIS LEGISLATION SAID AT THE OUTSET THAT AGENCY LEADERS SHOULDN'T EXPECT MORE FUNDING WITHOUT REFORMS NOW, BUT INTO THE HEARING, HE THAT A LITTLE BIT SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS CONSENSUS WILL MOVE AHEAD WITH THIS MERGER LEGISLATION, IF NOT, HEY, MAYBE WE COULD KEEP THE STATUS QUO.

BUT THE FOCUS WAS PRETTY SQUARELY ON MAKING AT LEAST SOME REFORMS, IF NOT A WHOLESALE MERGER.

THEY WERE ASKED AGENCY LEADERS WERE ASKED, YOU KNOW, DO YOU BELIEVE THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT LATE LAST YEAR SUGGESTING THIS AS ONE OF THE WAYS FORWARD FOR TRANSIT AND THEY SAID PRETTY SQUARELY THAT WE DON'T THINK COMBINING THE 3 OF US INTO A SINGLE AGENCY IS THE RIGHT IDEA.

THEY WERE ALSO ASKED ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BETTER IMPROVE SERVICE AND BETTER COORDINATE WITHOUT A MERGER THAT SOMETHING THEY SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE NEW DAY PAST THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO RIDE CTA, METRA AND PACE FOR A SINGLE PRICE.

TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE BUS, RAPID TRANSIT.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FROM LAWMAKERS IN TYING THAT EXTRA BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS OR WHATEVER.

THE FINAL NUMBER ENDS UP BEING TO SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT REFORMS.

SO ONE UNIVERSAL FAIR FOR SINGLE PAST THAT COULD BE USED WITH ANY OF THE 3 TRANSIT COMPANIES.

OF COURSE, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS WHEN IT COMES TO MORE FUN, MORE REFORMS AND OF COURSE, FUNDING AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS IS A HUGE LIFT.

THESE ARE 3 VERY SEPARATE AGENCIES WITH A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BUREAUCRACIES AND BOARDS AND PLANS AND PROCEDURES AND UNION CONTRACTS.

THERE WILL BE AT LEAST 5 MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER.

WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR FROM POLITICAL LEADERS, COOK COUNTY BOARD, PRESIDENT TONI PRECKWINKLE IS OPEN TO THIS IDEA.

CTA PRESIDENT DORVAL CARTER TODAY SAID AT THE HEARING THAT HE'S HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYOR JOHNSON AND CITY LEADERS.

AND THERE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT GOVERNMENTS ISN'T THE PROBLEM.

IT'S DECADES OF CHRONIC UNDERFUNDING OF TRANSIT.

SO BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE THE SERIES OF HEARINGS AT THE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN FILED.

BUT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY MOVEMENT ON THIS, AT LEAST UNTIL THE VETO SESSION AT THE EARLIEST.

AND FRANKLY, I'D BE SURPRISED IF WE SAW A VOTE ON THIS BEFORE THE ELECTION IN AND A SHAKING HER NO WAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

THAT IS FIRST OF ALL, TOO BIG OF A CHANGE TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT BY THEN.

BUT ALSO THAT'S POLITICALLY RISKY.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF FIEFDOMS THERE.

A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WHO ARE IMPACTED.

IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE THE ELECTION.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE CLOCK IS TICKING BECAUSE 2026, 7 130 MILLION DOLLAR FISCAL CLIFF THAT THESE 3 AGENCIES ARE GOING TO HIT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WAIT A WHILE, BUT THEY CAN'T WAIT TOO LONG.

DON'T HAVE TOO LONG TO WAIT LIKE FOLKS WHO MAYBE WAITING FOR A BUS OR TRAIN.

ADDED THERE ARE 8.

WHAT?

YEAH, ON ITS FACE, RIGHT?

IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA LIKE THIS MIGHT BE MORE CONVENIENT FOR PASSENGERS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT REMAINS A QUESTION.

SO WE SO WE JUST HEARD FROM CHICAGO INSPECTOR GENERAL NUMBER, WHAT'S BERG LAYING OUT HER ARGUMENT FOR WHY SHE BELIEVES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION INTO 8 OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN FOUND TO HAVE TIES TO FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST GROUPS.

HEADER DURING THE 2023 CAMPAIGN, BRANDON JOHNSON PROMISE TO FIGHTERS CPD WITH TIES TO THESE GROUPS.

WHY HASN'T HE?

IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

ONE, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIRE CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS.

THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS.

YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ACTUALLY A LEGAL PROCESS TO DO IT IN A CONTESTED FIRING BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE POLICE BOARD HAS TO CHANGE ITS PROCESSES BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE, ARBITRATION, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, WHICH IS STILL IN THE APPELLATE COURTS RIGHT NOW.

BUT THE OVERALL QUESTION IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE A CANDIDATE, IT'S REALLY EASY TO SAY, YEAH, I'M GOING TO FIRE BAD COPS.

IT'S A LOT HARDER WHEN THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD AND THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT PROTECTING THESE OFFICERS.

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF ASSEMBLY AND SORT OF HAVING THEIR OWN POLITICAL VIEWS.

BUT THE OTHER SIDE, AS WE HEARD EVER WITH BERG SAID THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.

CHICAGOANS, PARTICULARLY CHICAGOANS OF COLOR AND AND CHICAGOANS HAVE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OFFICERS WHO BELONG TO THIS GROUP WHO SORT OF A SPOUSE, A WHITE-SUPREMACIST APPROACH TO THIS NATION, WHETHER THEY CAN REALLY BE COUNTED ON TO HELP THEM ON THE WORST DAYS OF THEIR LIVES.

THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION THAT BRANDON JOHNSON IS GOING TO HAVE TO CONFRONT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

YOU BEING VERY DIFFICULT TO FIRE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

OBVIOUSLY THEY WHAT'S CONSIDERED A STRONG UNION THAT REPRESENTS AND PROTECT THEM AS WELL.

HAVE WE HEARD FROM FROM THE UNION, THE POLICE UNION ON THIS ISSUE, WHAT WE HAVE AND BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO FORMAL DISCIPLINARY PROCESS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD 3 SEPARATE INVESTIGATION INTO OFFICERS WITH TIES, THE OATH KEEPERS AND THE PROUD BOYS AND OTHER.

THERE'S ONE STILL ONGOING TO ANOTHER EXTREMIST GROUP.

THE 3 PERCENTERS, NONE OF THEM HAS EVER GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE UNION WOULD EVEN GET INVOLVED BECAUSE NONE OF THE CHARGES HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED.

THE QUESTION OBVIOUSLY SUPERINTENDENT LARRY SNELLING DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT SIMPLY SORT OF ASSOCIATED WITH THESE GROUPS SORT OF SIGNING UP ANALYSTS, SORT OF SAYING I WANT TO JOIN.

IT'S ENOUGH TO TERMINATE SOMEONE.

I THINK THAT'S AN OPEN QUESTION WHETHER ALL OF CHICAGO AGREES.

THAT'S HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD WORK.

WELL, AND ALSO APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO THE IG, IT'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS FACT AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY REASON SAYS OFFICERS JOINED SAID SHE FINDS THERE RESEARCH TO BE HAS SHOULD EXAMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

VERY FEW PEOPLE WILL.

IT MEANT TO WRONGDOING SIMPLY WHEN ASKED A DISCIPLINARY PROCESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR JOB IS ON THE LAWN, AND SO THE QUESTION IS, IS, YOU KNOW, SUPERINTENDENTS TELLING SAID THESE INVESTIGATIONS WERE THOROUGH AND THAT HE STOOD BEHIND THEM.

I THINK THERE ARE NOW REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THOROUGHNESS OF THAT INVESTIGATION.

AND I REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY CPD HAS REFUSED TO SORT OF TAKE DENVER WITH BURNS, CRITICISM AND CIRCLE BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD IN EACH OF THE PREVIOUS 2 INVESTIGATION OF EXTREMIST COPS THINK DID GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

AND IN ONE CASE, AN OFFICER AGREED TO A SUSPENSION OF 120 DAYS.

THE OTHER THE OTHER INVESTIGATION, NOTHING CHANGED.

OKAY.

LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL REPUBLICANS DESCEND UPON MILWAUKEE.

THE FOLKS AT THIS TABLE WILL BE THERE EXCEPT FOR JUST 90 MINUTES AWAY FROM WHERE WE ARE RIGHT AND THINGS AS CHAOTIC FOR THE REPUBLICANS AS THEY ARE FOR THE DEMOCRATS SAY LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL WE PORT ALL THAT GOES ON.

THERE WERE ARE CHICAGO TONIGHT, VIEWERS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THINGS ARE QUITE AS CHAOTIC AND NOT IN MILWAUKEE YET.

SO WE WILL AGAIN WIND OUT OF COURSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHO'S GOING TO BE PRESIDENT.

DONALD TRUMP'S RUNNING MATE.

WE DON'T KNOW.

DOES HE KNOW HE'S JUST NOT SAYING OR DOES HE NOT EVEN KNOW AT THIS POINT?

I THINK THAT IS AT THIS POINT.

THE BIG OUTSTANDING QUESTION.

I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD DESCRIBE THAT, HOWEVER, IS CHAOS BECAUSE MANY OF THE PEOPLE, IF YOU'RE A DELEGATE FOR DONALD TRUMP, I DON'T THINK YOU REALLY GET MUCH OF A WHO THE RUNNING MATE IS.

THESE ARE THE TRUMP FAITH GOING TO SAY PARTY FAITHFUL.

IT IS BEYOND THAT.

THEY ARE THE TRUMP FAITHFUL AND THEY'RE THERE FOR HIM.

NOT THE ONE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ROTTEN LAST WEEK AND A HALF THAT BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVE HAD.

I DON'T THINK THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SEASON IS BEATING HIM POLITICAL SELF-INTEREST TO COME OUT WITH A BIG SPLASHY PLAY FLOYD HILL.

AND YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF OF BYE AT THIS POINT?

IF YOU'RE THE REPUBLICANS, ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY, MEANWHILE, EXPECTED TO HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

THAT IS FOLLOWING STATE GOP CHAIR PERSON DONTRE SEE REVIVE RESIGNING JUST OVER 2 WEEKS AGO.

AMANDA, ARE YOU HEARING RUMBLINGS ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE CHOSEN TO LEAD TO SEE IF THERE IS A CLOSED DOOR MEETING ON FRIDAY WHERE THEY COULD MAKE A DECISION.

IT MIGHT NOT BE SETTLED BY THEN WHO THE CHAIR OF THE PARTY WILL BE THERE, AT LEAST, HOWEVER, GOING TO HEAR FROM THE HANDFUL OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE PUTTING THEIR HAT IN FOR THAT JOB IS VERY MUCH A DIFFICULT JOB BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PARTY THAT IS FRANKLY QUITE SPLINTERED.

WE'RE SEEING THOSE DIVISIONS COME TO THE FORE, INCLUDING WITH TRACY'S RESIGNATION.

SO WE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF NAMES THERE, FOR A COUPLE OF IT, MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE GAINING SOME TRACTION DOWN.

STATE SENATOR JASON PLUMMER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY RUN FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.

THERE IS REPUBLICAN ON PALATINE WHO PREVIOUSLY LED THE COOK COUNTY GOP DEL MAR.

WE DON'T KNOW WHO ALL IS GOING TO BE MAKING THEIR PITCH.

AND AGAIN, ALL EYES ON THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT COMES AT SUCH A PIVOTAL TIME, OBVIOUSLY, AGAIN, WITH THE RNC JUST NEXT WEEK.

SEEMS LIKE THE KIND OF THING YOU'D WANT TO HAVE LINED UP BEFORE YOU BEFORE YOU HEAD MILWAUKEE NEXT WEEK.

I'M NO EXPERT, BUT I'M OK.

SO YOU MENTIONED THE DEMOCRATS FLAILING.

TODAY, GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER TOLD REPORTERS THAT HE IS ALL IN ON BIDEN.

I'M NOT ENGAGING IN ANY HYPOTHETICALS.

YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL IN FOR JOE BIDEN.

JOE BIDEN'S GOING TO BE THE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY CAMPAIGN FOR HIM.

I'VE ENDORSED HIM AND KAMALA HARRIS.

HE'S GOING TO BE AT THE CONVENTION IN AUGUST ACCEPTING THE NOMINATION AND I'LL BE CHEERING FOR HIM IN THE AUDIENCE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THE DEMOCRATS HAVE SOME ISSUES QUESTIONS, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, REMAIN OVER WHETHER OR NOT CANNED REMAIN OR WILL, IN FACT, BECOME THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.

CONGRESSMAN MIKE QUIGLEY FROM ILLINOIS, THOUGH, SAYING THAT THE PRESIDENT'S INTERVIEWS OVER THE WEEKEND DID NOTHING TO REASSURE HIM, AMANDA, WHERE OUR OTHER ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS IN TERMS OF THEIR SUPPORT FOR BIDEN DO QUICKLY IS REALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS OPENLY CALLED AT LEAST PROMINENT ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT WHO HAS SAID THAT HE WANTS BIDEN OUT OF THE RACE AND BELIEVES THAT THE PRESIDENT CANNOT WIN ANOTHER TERM.

YOU JUST HEARD FROM THE GOVERNOR THERE CLEARLY TAKING THE OPPOSITE TACK.

OF ARE NOT EXPECTING GOVERNOR PRITZKER TO DO ANYTHING BUT THAT HE IS ONE OF THE TOP SURROGATES FOR THE CAMPAIGN.

BUT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING.

THAT CLIP THAT WE ACTUALLY HEARD WAS IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ASKING, OK, SO ANOTHER NAME THAT'S OFTEN ON THIS SHORT LIST OF WHAT IF IT DROPS OUT MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER AND SHE SAID NO, THAT SHE EVEN BIDEN DOES DROP OUT OF THE RACE, SHE WOULD NOT BE THE NOMINEE GOVERNOR PRITZKER WHETHER HE WOULD SAY THE SAME AND HE DIDN'T YEARD RIGHT THERE AS WE HEARD CALLING IT A HYPOTHETICAL, HE IN THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING, REPORTERS REALLY HOUNDING HIM A LOT.

HE SAID THAT HE DOESN'T THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

HE DOES NOT EXPECT THERE TO BE A BROKERED DNC.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT IS A BIG TAKEAWAY.

HE IS NOT RULING OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE WOULD BE ON SOME SORT OF WHITE HOUSE TICKET.

SHOULD THE OPPORTUNITY ARISE?

ALSO A LITTLE BIT AWKWARD FOR HIM ISN'T HE SORT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE HOSTING OF THE DNC?

AND SO IT WOULD WELL, THE LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IF IT GOT TO THAT WHEN WHEN THE DNC GOES