>> Good evening and thanks for joining us on the week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

President Trump threatens to defy a court order and pull funding from sanctuary cities.

>> This president has threatened our city in other cities across America on multiple fronts.

Just one unnamed effect.

How unnatural this person's behavior is the sanctuary city threat comes amid a whip last week.

A funding freeze is as the administration slashes 2 billion dollars for mental health and substance abuse programs.

Then quickly reverses course.

>> more demonstrations over Rice's use of force in Minneapolis as shooting victim Renee Goods.

Family hires a high-profile Chicago law firm.

We're going to make sure that we do the best that we can for the Bears.

>> But most of all that we're not wasting taxpayer one.

>> Governor JB Pritzker reiterates that the state still willing to help the Bears but won't foot the bill for a stadium.

His comments come as Indiana's governor name checks the team in his state of the state.

Meantime, the Bears get ready for their second round playoff game against the Rams.

State lawmakers say they might tweak the safety act in the spring legislative session and the Supreme Court keeps GOP Congressman Mike Bost battle against late arriving mail-in ballots alive.

And now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are Justin Lawrence of Crain's Chicago Business.

Kerry, Shepherd of Axios, Chicago.

There's a legal mess.

All Donna of WBEZ and violent Miller of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Great to see you all.

Thank you for being Let's get right to it.

So Kerry, before we get to all the legal and funding battles with the Trump administration that we just mentioned.

>> There was also a big lawsuit this week with the state in the city.

Joining forces to sue over alleged illegal tactics during Midway Blitz.

What are the details there?

So this?

Yes, this is a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Kwame Raoul, one of many as he has.

This gets hard to keep track right?

>> Which raises another question of how much are all these lawsuits costing taxpayers that that's a different so he sued he and the city of Chicago studio.

Just for what you said is these.

>> Are these tactics that they say are disrupting public life.

People can't go to school.

People can their businesses and it's this idea of sovereignty.

You know, they're in charge of the city, state and the federal government is not a right to come in and up and all that is what their lawsuit says.

It's producing.

Took a pretty interesting tactic to use.

not necessarily saying that, you know, you can't.

It's not as much about the use of force.

I didn't know.

But it's more saying Putin also been litigated.

it's more about day-to-day life.

But that was sort an interesting approach to take, correct.

And I think that extra interesting right now, especially because as we're seeing Trump charter tease, this idea of the insurrection act in Minneapolis.

This is idea of like causing upheaval in chaos in these places.

So then they can bring in which they tried to do here.

Of course, the National Guard that didn't go anywhere.

The Supreme Court and lower courts knocked that down.

So it's this idea that, you know, the federal government can come in and cleanup, take care.

And this role and the city saying no, you're disrupting week.

We have it under control, especially because I think a lot of lawmakers there, you know, they hear from their constituents and they say do something about We are seeing people be injured.

enforcement officials, the injured.

What is it that you can do?

And really there isn't much that state law can do with regards to federal law.

So this is one way where I think they're looking to see potentially something happened.

But of course, this is unprecedented.

And this never been done before.

And we will see how it unfolds in court another.

I think they would also like to Gregory Bovino and whoever else they can back into the court room.

>> In a deposition and at the very if they don't win the lawsuit, least they get to.

Put those things out there and question them about their time here in Chicago with the very well could see with Judge Sarah Ellis presiding over the case.

And you know, she's obviously familiar with the facts of the case and got the vino in for a deposition before.

So I'm curious see how that plays out specifically.

Yeah, you know, do we think this could be in a sort of potentially difficult for the administration for federal prosecutors here given that Ellis has already put.

>> Some pretty significant restrictions in place.

Yeah.

So I mean, the higher courts, the appellate courts knocked some of those down.

And that's why the Chicago Headline Club and other groups that are suing on rescind did that lawsuit and tempted to because they feared a higher court decision that would knock some of those rules down.

So we to clean could see some of those come back into play or something adjacent to it.

But there is always that kind of appellate court ruling might give these folks into withdrawing the lawsuit.

At some point, they're only fight is in the courts as as we've seen, right?

It's very difficult as we've seen with Renee good.

You can't bring a criminal investigation against officers.

>> But something that's very savvy of our AG and other attorney generals, especially in blue led states is that they are seeing winds in the court.

So they're saying, look, we're gonna and I don't know.

You know, if you follow, he's great court reporters, Jason Meisner, John said, oh, yeah, they sat of these great recap.

So what goes on just leave the DOJ attorneys just don't seem quite as prepared as you'd expect them to be in some of these cases.

And a lot of these folks, these are the cases that they're used to litigate as with say this is not necessarily their bread and butter.

Well, you know, care.

You mentioned that, you know what's going on Minnesota.

We learned this week that Renee Goods family has hired Romanucci Blandin, Chicago based firm.

Yes, that also represented the family of George Floyd.

Greg, what what do you think that bodes you know, they said from a new cheese blog, they said that look there.

As I just mentioned, there is no that DHS and the front and DOJ have made it clear there's not going to criminal investigation into this ICE officer.

So they are looking into a civil investigation.

Civil complaint and, you know, try to bring some closure a stir in a good and her family.

Yeah.

And I think what they have mentioned, especially they're saying that they want transparency because they are trying to figure out what happened during the incident.

And there just isn't any answers from DOJ.

And so they're looking for transparency.

They say they're going to let the public know what they Yeah.

And you know, we're hearing from Minnesota officials that they're being completely shut out here.

You know, we we saw another non-fatal shooting during the immigration blitz in the Twin Cities.

>> There's been significant national media attention on Minnesota.

You know, violence is it feel like it's been more of a national story?

What's going on in Minnesota than perhaps Chicago was in the fall and early winter.

And it seems like it now.

I mean, they're definitely ramping up, right?

We're seeing the use of potentially even different chemical munitions against protesters.

You know, waiting for that to be verified.

But, you know, seeing the videos come out of there definitely seems like they've kind of step things out from where Chicago is out now to minimize anything with the city has been through.

But in folks that I've been talking to, it feels like a local story out of Minneapolis because it feels so close to home for so many La DC, You know, Chicago, all of the cities, you know, in across the country have felt this.

And so it feels like a local story, even though it might not be physically close.

And go ahead.

Just say, I think the the response to it has maybe a little more heightened as well, just because this has been going on for so long now we've cases we've seen response to that.

Us Representative Robin Kelly introduced articles of impeachment.

Chris Christie Noem.

So.

>> There's talk of defunding I where do you stand on that?

You really want to defund them completely or just water down the funding enforced change.

So the response from Democrats is there's been a little heightened as well.

I think in Minnesota is still twin cities my colleagues are saying, you know, the city still very raw George Floyd.

You mentioned that with George, from an AG lot alike.

>> This mean, this is this is tapping into a lot of those protesters and what they experience 5 years ago, 6 years ago, >> to your point earlier, I mean, these prosecutors very weird spot.

You know, we saw 31 criminal charges come out of Operation Midway Blitz against, you know, largely protesters.

Folks are accusing of, you know, doing essentially we're in a good was doing or, you know, other similar things.

And so, you know, with 31 of those cases, 14 have been dropped in 0, have led to conviction.

And so again, I think folks in Chicago are seeing the same thing there in just a tension from, like we mentioned, national media mean to to be honest, was an escalation.

There's 2000 people, federal agents on the ground that was more than here in Chicago, but also other details.

I mean, I've issue is she's a white woman.

She's a U.S.

citizen.

She wasn't a protester per se.

>> So that compared to the other fatal shooting that happened here in Chicago, which was immigrant from Mexico.

I let you and see video.

I mean, those things are different and people are kind of maybe 3, Dana, find more with 8 with what if it was me right?

Yeah.

I've seen folks make the point that, you know, this is the kind of thing that draws attention because it happens to your 0, 2, >> You know, a white woman in the street, you know, and and a lot of protesters, lot of activists have said, yeah, imagine whats happening behind closed doors.

You know that that's the sort of thing that doesn't necessarily get the attention.

And of course, there's also the fact that, you know, perhaps some of the the anti immigration agent, you know, Anti-ice protesters on the ground, they've learned from watching other cities.

So they're very prepared to respond think that's fair to say.

I think so.

I even just, you know, the little stories that you hear about how Chicago sending whistles to Minnesota and just >> like we mentioned, it happened in Los Angeles.

It happened in Chicago.

I think people are realizing, hey, what if my city is next?

Well, you know, certain somewhat related story.

Justin, we mentioned this at the top of the show.

The president has once again threatened to pull federal funding.

>> From Chicago and 33 other sanctuary cities.

Despite a court order blocking that move, he says this is going to take effect the first of February.

Do you think this is a bluff?

total?

The >> And February 1st.

So put it out into the future, right?

Which makes me think that there's good chance to get walked Like you said, I mean, it would go against a court order.

It's it's not.

It would be extraordinary.

But we live in ensuring time.

So I want it coming to that.

But I mean, this is just been a constant.

Threat for over a year right hand, trying to enforce his policies through the courts, trying to punish his political allies of earth through that the use of federal funding.

And I whether this gets done on February first.

And I think that the new threat will happen on February.

Second, it's hard think as not to get too in the weeds at it.

But as reporters, you know, so we jump at these lawsuits and they keep coming and they keep coming.

And then there so quickly walked back like we saw this week with mental health in.

>> Drugs.

It's substance.

Use grants.

Okay.

They that they decided not to do that.

I went to a press conference this week with child care providers who are saying if we lose as 150,000 Illinois kids who rely on these child care providers, if they lose that funding, parents can't go to work.

The economy gets upset.

So it's like and then they decided not to freeze those funds.

So it is always this game of like big.

You we're sort joking that which which of these are still which lawsuits are still active.

How do you do well, and to that point, I mean, you know, the move to freeze that funding, that mental health substance abuse treatment that got pushed back even from folks within the president's own party.

Exactly images that feel like perhaps he has a weakening hold on Republicans or is this just something that has such bipartisan support?

>> Yeah, I mean, I would say that is we're seeing that weakening or even seen it with some Republicans like Justin mentioned about what how to handle a sub polish defunded would just water it down.

Some Republicans are on board that too.

And that has a lot to do with the fact that the election is coming up were seen in polling that the public has a very different opinion on immigration tactics in the U.S.

compared to the for many more are saying it's just too hard now.

So that's going to change how they vote.

And I'm just thinking, I mean, I would have not wanted to be a public health agency or public health organization in the last 48 hours.

But I think what's back to your question it being pushed back on both sides.

I think that just the way was brought up.

It was there was no no type of warning about this.

But also to say that mental health and addiction services are not aligned for the Trump administration.

very strange thing to say.

And I think that's potentially why was quickly brought back.

Yeah, even some of these arguments that folks might say are sort of specious about things like dei, at least they can point to.

Well, yes, perhaps, you know, race or gender were taken into account here.

Where is this is something that touches every aspect of society.

>> Won't you know violent?

You've been reporting on another attempt to free some federal funds in this instance.

This is over the administration's anti-trans position.

Tell us about that case.

Yeah.

So this is not even just he specifically targeting trans people thread of funding that the Trump administration has made in the last month.

So currently Attorney General Cuomo rules to add to the pile of lawsuits is suing the Trump administration along with a coalition of other attorneys general over specifically in this case title 9 fund.

So that goes to >> schools, prisons NGO's, different programs.

They all get this funding to the tune billions of dollars.

so, you that's what the Trump administration is targeting now last month they announced that DHHS they're going to be trying to pull Medicare and Medicaid funding for institutions that provide gender affirming care to you.

Thats 19 below.

So not just minors and rivals, you know, filed another lawsuit to that and got an early victory and that the judge is looking at a motion that could end the case of filed for summary judgment.

And the federal government has agreed to hold off on their proposals.

Tell at least mid April.

And that's on top of the lengthy bureaucratic process.

Those rules need to go through before they become concrete as well.

So again, role, you know, mounting winds in the courts and it seemingly, you know, the fight here in the court says where they're seeing the most wins.

And I mean, that does Medicare and Medicaid dollars for a lot you hospitals for a lot of providers.

>> That would be sort of a death blow.

Absolutely.

And this is not a new threat.

This is something that we're seeing a lot last summer.

A lot of institutions.

While again, this is in no legal or being enacted were, you know, pulling this scare anyways, leaving thousands of patients without, you know, their medical treatment.

And that's just out of fear.

And University of Chicago, specifically when they released their statement said that they were choosing either between their entire patient body or they're trans patients and they were leaving us trance patients behind.

You turning to another court case this week, Justin, we saw the Supreme Court ruled that.

>> And Illinois congressman can sue over the state's mail-in ballot policy.

But this was just about whether he a stand that we've got a ways go.

Yeah, they did not rule the merits of the case, right?

But this is, you know, these are ballots that are post stated before the election, but they come in after.

>> To get counted.

You know, I don't think it's lost on anyone.

This is something that that the president often rails about rate.

And I think that that.

very important to him, I guess.

And so we'll see where it But as you said, it's it's not settled.

There's another case.

I think that they're going to bring up and yeah, to potentially provide some clarity well and we were talking about this as well that the other changes to USPS mail handling that could completely through everything for a loop.

Yeah.

I mean, the postmark system is not the same as it used to be.

You know, it's no longer the day that dropped off.

It's on the day that process that can take, you know, days at a time on.

>> And possibly with, you know, you know, this case the way the Trump administration wants to handle mail-in ballots could invalidate a large number of them.

And that's just the latest in a line of attacks.

we've seen executive orders that, you know, Illinois election bodies have said won't affect Illinois elections, but it is continuation of this pattern.

Yeah, I remember the last my mail something, but I definitely don't know when it was time.

I so I don't understand how people are going to know this if they're just trying to do you know, their duty and vote.

But that's just said about most people do mail when they but, you know, I mean voting by mail is sometimes the only option for people not everybody can get off work to go vote.

You know, sometimes it's the best option for them.

Yeah.

Mobility issues trap station issues.

>> all right.

Well, speaking of election personally, state lawmakers heading back to Springfield.

>> State House Speaker Chris Welch says, you know, they're considering this new tax on millionaires to help close a 2 billion dollar budget gap.

But we've got an election in here year.

How might you know how tough might it be for lawmakers to swallow passing a new tax on their thinking about, you know, the ballot?

But I think I think be tough You know, great movie.

I mean, yeah.

Bebe obviously looking for ways to to kind of try and get over this.

>> Billion 2.2 deficit, of course, a surcharge on people income is over a million dollars.

But at the end of the day, you know business, what needs to be discussed?

You know, of course, we've we've seen a lot of discussions around taxing the rich that's getting a lot of momentum.

But how do you get that through?

>> As we saw in the city council's budget, you know, it's yes, crime.

How how you want to tax the rich.

It's very hard to put together a package to do well on.

Some lawmakers appointed to Massachusetts, which side, you know, billions of dollars coming in from their own million or tax.

But they also have twice as many millionaires is Illinois.

So >> a much larger pool to draw from.

So you're saying is we need to get more might I think we've got 5 likely millionaires, right?

All right.

With Justin, you mentioned City Council for folks who aren't as much of a political nerd as we are.

The City Council zoning Committee chairmanship might not sound that exciting.

>> But this is a really consequential job.

And it's one that's the subject of an ongoing dispute.

Tell us about that ongoing two-year this has been a thorn in the mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson side literally over 2 years.

There is a.

>> now it does have to step out of the position and when taken for almost a year and in the interim, the vice chair and then it lost an who's a freshman white moderate from the North side was the acting chair.

Then eventually the mayor turned former Alderman Walter Burnett.

He took it for almost a year and then he retired and but a lot took over again.

And now in January, he said, look, unless you make me the full time chair, I'm not calling a meeting which he did not do in January, which means all of these regular zoning chair or zoning change, request for developments all over the city.

Put on pause, release a month and there is still no real resolution to who will be the permanent zoning chair and appears between him and Obama ill be, I guess who is not ally of the mayor and I don't think the mayor would support the I guess, but as we saw during the budget, the city Council has this new a pep in their step that they are independent.

They can do things themselves.

So he's going to try to do that.

And if it all falls apart again, I would project that been a loss and we'll just get major.

Yeah, I mean, how unusual is this to see it and older just say we're not calling.

it's pretty unusual.

he's kind of war.

And at the end of last year and >> to be honest, I there's no way they're going you know, alderman care about projects in the war.

They you know, what I mean were fairly late in the term.

So they're not going to be at ribbon cuttings anytime soon for things that happened.

But that's the bread and butter of of how you get to get in the newspaper.

If your home and used you stand, you cut the tape on a new affordable housing project.

It's a powerful position.

I mean, even if you're not a political nerd, you know about finance committee.

No, but zoning great.

And I think just story did a really great job of >> digging into the details of the fact that this is more revealing that who are the mayor's allies.

Traditionally these heads, these zoning had some air pick somebody and that's who it We're not seen that.

Like you said, Bill Villegas is not an ally of him, but maybe the Latino caucus wants him.

But what about last?

And so I think that when we saw that with the budget go down, like one who is with who's on the mayor side is kind of the big question here.

Yeah.

And especially in a city where older people have an enormous amount of sway, you know, where is yet another town or city, perhaps the studio local departments.

would be making more decision.

many of All right.

We'll carry sticking with you for a second.

It's looking likely the opening of Bally's Permanent Casino is going to be delayed.

Yes, but you've been doing some reporting this week.

was gambling access expands in the city online that there can be some consequences to such easy access.

Yeah, I look just talk to some gambling addiction you know, use disorder experts and meet.

The main thing they mention is just this rise of sports betting and how its gambling these problems are primarily.

>> Mostly affecting young There's this access issue, right?

It's not like the old days where you find a in a CD place.

You can sit your couch, good you know, you can siphon off funds directly from your bank account.

That's not to say that all sports betting was terrible.

Of course But this ice or anything about this, too, because speaking of the city budget video gaming was something else that's been thrown around.

And if you go to the suburbs, if you go to my hometown Rockford, Illinois, it's that's everywhere.

These are everywhere in.

These are not in Chicago right now, but we are seeing more casinos and 2019.

You know, the governor signed a massive gambling expansion bill.

So I asked, you know, people I asked experts straight out of you seen an uptick and they said, yeah, we have and we're seeing, you know, young men come in.

But sort of the good side of it is that there's more awareness.

There's more people able to seek help.

There's a lot, you know, they're not to stigmatize, but also maybe people recognizing a little sooner that they have a problem units, it screaming kind of strange bad situation where and as we expand gambling and city expands game when you rely on the revenue rights and is becoming so popular.

So >> you get even more revenue from its taxes more and same time you're seeing this huge swell people suffering from addiction.

Right?

And it's hard to see going, you know, putting the genie back in bottle.

Yeah.

Yeah.

>> All right.

Well, going to the sports side without the gambling Governor Pritzker reiterating the state is willing to pitch in for things like infrastructure for a new bear stadium and that talks are ongoing with the team.

But, you know, air sell your resident whose are We heard Indiana Governor Mike Braun, state lawmakers really seems like they're making a serious play for the team here in the last night paid attention to the Indiana State of the State address.

But definitely part by air.

>> And really, I think don't do you think that this is exactly what when the Bears owners want is for people to start saying, hey, who's got a better offer at the end of the day, you know, Indiana is willing to just give up anything really to bring the bears over.

>> So that neck of the woods and I'm interested to see what city officials have to say about it in the governor, of course.

But I don't know if people are so excited about the Gary Bears.

we were just talking about the, you know, the Arlington Heights officials now are coming out and saying we'll wait, OK, what about us like let's get this bill done.

How many sites if we've been through now?

I mean, they're fun so many proposing.

Thank the lawsuit also Arlington, millions, billions to secure that site.

I you know what?

I'll give the Bears.

They're having a good season.

The White Sox asking for >> not so good.

Maybe next tough.

would be happening if the Bears were not in the playoffs.

Yeah.

Yeah, true.

But yeah, you know, it's interesting to see that, you not just talking about this in the state of the state, actually, you know, introducing a bill in the Indiana legislature.

So I do want to be a bit of a wet planted on talk of the Bears being granted and that that spring, this is the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowls in a they put it up for a referendum in their voters said no, we pay for this and eventually.

>> And you know, now came just Florida.

Yeah, it's so well.

Hey, dozen necessarily translate that.

There is a lot of the discussion happening and we'll if that was But you all up to a referendum vote.

I know the viewers would absolutely approve you, but we are out of time.

So our thanks to Justin Lawrence, Kerry, Shepherd.

>> They're selling gonna Saldana and violent Miller.

And we're back to wrap things up right after this.

>> Tonight's presentation of Week in review is made possible in part by an and rich com BNSF railway.

And Francine and Doctor Anthony Brown.

Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexandra and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

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

Check out our website for the very latest from W T Tw News.

Especially if you want to relive the Bears beating the Rams in the 1986, NFC Championship game ahead of this week's matchup.

Now for the weekend review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay informed.

Have a great weekend.

All right.

What do we think about the 2026 Bears Rams matchup, folks?

going to be coma thinking, know we've all heard the staff played apparently and again colder than 45 degrees.

So Stafford Stafford you know, obviously the jurors, Troy, but can only do so much.

yes, mean, it's going very least in 40's Measure their stands with a miserable up until the last 3 minutes of Morning.

>> That is their special to Relate to correct closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices.

>> A Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

Writing