>> Good evening and thanks for joining us on a special edition of the Week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Amanda been a key has the evening off tonight.

We are ringing in the new year by focusing on the biggest stories of 2024.

And boy, what a year it was.

You can be forgiven for forgetting some of what we saw.

So here's a look back at a few major moments to help jog your memory.

>> A happy warrior is still a word.

You come for my people.

You come through Something divisions of having tantrums right now.

It's time to grow up.

People.

Chicago have time for from arguably the most powerful person at City Hall to inmate number 5, 3, 6, 9, 8 Dash, 4, 2, 4, >> Former Alderman Ed Burke reported to federal prison today.

We have war zone numbers of people being wounded by gun violence right now.

We are having a mass shooting on a regular basis.

>> Let's stop talking about 1968.

This is 2024.

It's goblins partners proving that every single I just missed Maasai heart.

I'm sick.

Feel like I've been shot.

My burning up.

>> The prosecutors need to show how powerful he was in order to show that he was worth writing for these companies to get legislation through that they need.

And what does the CEO see as the future of the Chicago Public Schools and how does he help to create that vision without cuts consolidations or closures.

We have been transforming this district.

>> It takes time.

But today I our schools have more resources than ever before.

We have more teachers in our classrooms, bad news Bears fans or is it good news last week the team fired their head coach Matt Eberflus marking the first time in franchise history.

A head coach has been sacked during the season.

>> And now to our year in review panel.

Joining us are Craig Delmore with WBBM Newsradio Rima mean with Chalk Beach, Chicago, Maggie Hendricks with Yahoo Sports and our very own Heather Sharon with Wt Tw News.

Let's get right to it.

Plenty remote.

Let's start with some news from earlier this week.

Outgoing CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.

He won a temporary restraining order to stop the school board from modifying his duties during his final 6 months on the job.

Do we know what Martinez was worried?

The board might try to do.

Yeah.

So the day before the judge made that ruling a handful of board you know, it ended see to negotiations for the first time in.

>> I think for the first time since 2019 and you know, Martinez of view that is an interference into normal bargaining processes.

To be clear, Martinez himself hasn't been at negotiations either, but he sent his designees.

And so that court ruling, you know, he he welcomed in.

He said it was a, you know, protective against board members, you know, unduly interfering in the bargaining process.

And what if we heard from him?

I mean, he gave a press conference after he was fired.

What's he saying about being like, oh, yeah, I mean, well about being let go.

You know, it was that night that he was fired.

It was the angriest.

I think I've ever seen him.

And he said that, you know, all he wants to do is finish out his job for the next 6 months.

He was given 6 months notice to he'll make it through the end of the school year and he he will continue to carry out his duties and he's he.

Pretty strongly said that he doesn't want the board or anybody else interfering in in his job and kind of told reporters, you know, this if they try to do that, get to know my lawyer.

Yeah.

he's not a not going to be shy about taking it to the court now needs to.

>> I mean, you know, Heather, in the last week after this very unusual late night firing, what kind of reaction have we heard to Martinez's dismissal?

Well, I think it's a little bit of shock, especially coming sort of in this sort weird holiday limbo week.

And nobody's quite sure what this will mean for the next 6 months, Is there going to be a Co-CEO?

There were reports that Sean hard and a new board president would sort of seek to sort of, you know, help run the district.

Nobody is really clear on what that looks like.

And of course, just a couple of weeks, we're going to have a whole new school board for the 3rd time in what, 3 months on And it's going to be 21 members.

We're still waiting for Mayor Johnson to appoint his final a person to that board.

And it's going to be the first time that Chicagoans have elected anyone to represent them on a school board.

So and, you know, nobody really knows what this will mean for the CT And there's a principal's contract standing and president elect Donald Trump promising to make Chicago ground 0 for his mass deportation effort, which means that thousands of undocumented immigrants in Chicago schools could be at risk.

There is a lot going Amy Cregg Delmore how much harder will this, you know, firing make it for Mayor Brandon Johnson to shake off the allegations that he's just acting at the behest of the CTU, which should come out swinging against Martinez?

Well, I think probably anticipated that he was going to he's been getting that charge ever since he started running.

So.

>> I think that parts baked into the cake already.

The problem is that as Heather says, Martinez is still going to be around because of his contract saying that he can't just be thrown out without that period of 6 months.

The problem is going to be whether you see any real progress at the table.

And it's also a perception problem because you've got to see to you pretty much anything he says now.

Is that he is slowing things and the mayor is going to go along with that.

But people Martinez's set himself up as the person who was trying to keep the school board and the system from getting into even more debt and even more financial trouble.

And that's that's not a good look for the administration and some other people are split over that.

Yeah, well, and you know, to the point about this sort of mid-year upheaval, you know, Maggie Hendricks, how difficult is this kind of leadership change?

>> 4 for students and families, even if Martinez will serve out, you know, the the rest of the school year.

>> It just feels like there's so much in flux in any kind of change in the middle of the school year.

You know, I work to schools may also be ice and went to going to change like that.

Whether it's your teacher going up maternity leave it to change it.

Principal anything your sic so used to routine and schools that when that started off, even at the highest levels that's going to just mark everything up.

Yeah.

>> Well, we've got more education news that we will be coming back But turning to some of the big stories in the city, certainly one of the biggest one was a very contentious and public budgeting process.

Perhaps the most public in recent memory.

Heather?

Sure.

And you know, the city finally has a spending plan.

did the mayor's relationship with the council take damage, especially with his progressive allies.

It did because, you know, Craig has covered even more budgets than I have.

It's very rare to hear a mayoral ally during sort of the final debate over the budget to sort of tick off a list of things that the mayor did and not just one co-chair of the progressive Caucus did that.

But 2 co-chairs of the Progressive Caucus did this.

>> And another member of the progressive process Alderman Matt Martin voted no without saying even a word which I think is indicative of a hat.

How badly, you know, he damaged his relationship with those who wanted to support him.

People like Alderman Anthony Beale and Alderman Ray Lopez.

They were never going to vote for this budget.

I you know, even if it included unicorns and puppies for every ship has but the fact that he had trouble sort of crafting a budget that his progressive Ellis could get on board with, I think means that he has a lot of work to do in the coming months to repair those relationships.

I think it's another issue of perception.

>> This in some ways was not as unusual.

A budget process as it seems.

But what happened in past budgets?

Is that a lot of this hassling happened in the background and frankly, more all the people were involved.

A lot of people felt left out.

When you get someone to staunch ally like Maria Hadden, you know, on the north side.

Who was always a yes vote saying.

But this we were not listened to.

We could have prevented some of the hassles that, you know, starting with a 300 million dollar property tax increase in saying we need this and ending up with no property tax increase.

It undermines your position.

It might have been the way it was going to end up.

But all of this fighting happened in public.

>> Right.

I can you recall a time where there has been something like that?

I mean, it certainly it it dragged things on for much longer and it and it seems to have made the process that much more difficult.

I haven't seen anything where it happened openly like this and maybe there's there's something positive and having it happen openly.

But if people aren't used to it, it looks like chaos.

And in some cases it was chaos.

Well, I you know, speaking of some other political news, I know last month feels like about a million years ago, but we did have an election just You Craig, after an incredibly tight race voters returned former President Trump to office.

>> Illinois still deep blue.

But you know, the GOP picked up some support, particularly in the Chicago area, is is that a hopeful sign for Republicans?

That is a definitely a hopeful sign for Republicans and probably a lot to make Democrats very nervous because even though Chicago went for Harris.

There were a lot more votes for Trump.

Then we have seen in the past.

And a lot more people vocally open about it where it was very whispered one.

Now that, you know, the Trump incoming administration is laying out its priorities.

Heather, we've heard border czar Tom Homan say expect Chicago to be, you know, ground 0 for mass deportations.

What are you going to be watching for?

Well, I think the real issue that I will be looking at is whether President Trump once he takes office rescinds sort of a prohibition on Immigration and Customs Enforcement going into places like churches and schools and >> those sort of places that had been team sanctuaries before Chicago's a long history with the sanctuary movement to protect undocumented immigrants.

I think if those protections go away, it will be a signal that he means to make good on his promise to conduct the largest deportation Effort Inc in American history.

And that means that you will see, I think the alarm ratchet up very significantly in neighborhoods like Pilsen Little Village.

And I think that there will be increasing pressure on Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson to take action to protect those who could find themselves in the crosshairs of ice.

Well, and, you know, Rima to Heather's point about schools, there's a significant portion of.

>> You know, the CPS populations, students and families that could be affected by this.

You know, is there anything the district can do to prepare?

>> Yeah.

So the district I believe it was last month past that, you know, the Board of Education passed a resolution kind of recommitting itself to protecting students of all and make, you know, immigration backgrounds and kind of reaffirming, you know, we're not going to let federal immigration enforcement agents just into schools, but pretty boilerplate language.

You kind of see.

And, you know, I think the district has has conveyed that they're very committed to protecting students who are undocumented varying immigration status is.

But I mean, I think it's something that we really do need to pay attention to.

I mean, if you're removing that protection at a federal level, what kind of local protection, you know, exists?

I think it's a really important question.

And I I also think just like in 2016, it kind of threatens to send this chilling effect across like different immigrate immigrant families and populations from, you know, turning in certain paperwork for school are like really talking about background really at all.

Yeah, you know, I mean, >> Maggie, we heard sometimes these big promises, these big campaign promises from Trump.

It certainly mass deportations was a centerpiece of this campaign.

Do you expect he is going to have to try and fulfill that?

>> Yeah, I think the terrifying thing is that 2016 it was very clear he didn't know how to govern.

He had to be taught every member of the Obama people had to stay in for a little bit longer to make sure that the transition even happened this time.

They do know how to govern and they are planning on the very first day to start coming after people who live here work here who contribute to the city every day.

And it's terrifying to think that they could even go into schools and churches.

And I think look for a real court fight may be going to the Supreme Court.

>> If Trump goes through with his threat, that if they are deporting parents and they have children who were born in the U.S. who are citizens, that if they want.

The whole family might have to go grant, that will be a constitutional struggle.

And I think we're going to have to see how the court handles it and how Trump handles it.

If he is, in fact, going to try press that case.

>> Well, another big a local election in addition to the first-ever school board elections after a pretty hard fought primary.

The new Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill, Bird Cruise to victory last month.

Heather, how do we expect your tenure to differ from her predecessor, Kim Foxx?

What we're already starting to see a pretty significant difference.

We've seen a number, a significantly greater number of felony shoplifting case is filed under a state's attorney O'Neill Burke than it was under Kim Foxx.

And that was probably the largest policy difference between her and Kim Foxx, of course, wasn't on the ballot.

She didn't seek again.

>> But, you Eileen O'Neill Burke made a big deal about how Kim Foxx was not doing enough to sort of address shoplifting has sort of a an entry level crime.

And that was sort of adding to sort of, you know, sort of a sense that like stores were unsafe and it was hurting retailers.

So we've seen that already change.

Whether we will see additional changes.

I think we'll have to see.

She's only been in office for less than a month.

she made a lot strong statements.

>> About making sure that when someone is charged with a gun crime.

The state's attorneys are going to go into court and say that person needs to be detained and they are now making it a mandatory thing for the office.

That sounds like a big change.

It's not Kim Foxx was doing that.

You just wasn't mandatory.

So they are not all that dissimilar, but you're going to see more of a demonstration of in this administration.

>> All right.

Well, it was a big year for corruption related to Chicago reliever entities that cut or yeah, you know, the the very long anticipated corruption and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been underway for the last couple months.

Another few years, several months, few weeks to go likely the prosecution has rested.

You know, Craig, what do you make of what we've heard so far?

I think what we have heard is is pretty much what we have heard all along because of the news reporting.

>> That.

Come companies, political figures, anyone.

Knew that they needed to please or 2 us Mike Madigan in order to get things done.

worrying thing is that now there is a Supreme Court decision that actually made a distinction between when payment or when a benefit is given.

So if it's before you take action, it's a bribe.

But it's after its a gratuity and 2 of these are not necessarily against the law.

That's of reason.

That's something that's gonna we're gonna have to see how that plays out.

But we can't obviously Mike Madigan was the power in Springfield.

The question was, is, was everything that happens?

Illegal?

>> I think that is something that the prosecutors are probably pretty worried about.

The tents for Supreme Court ruling.

I mean, you know, he hit high-profile political leader long tenure, news junkies and political watchers.

I think care a lot about this case.

Rima, how much do you think the general public is paying attention?

That's a great question.

I think I think the general public, you know, associates, corruption with Chicago.

We've we've have a host >> you know, elected officials who have gone through the court system here.

But, you know, if you if I just if I asked my family like, you know, you know, Ed Burke is, you know, Mike Madigan is, you know, that they're facing major trials this year and you kind people are not totally aware.

So I found that pretty interesting.

But.

>> no, I mean, and speaking of Ed Burke, you know, he finally started serving his sentence earlier this year in Heather, sure.

Iran.

Does this feel like the end of an era to see him behind in part?

Because certainly, you know, I think what is the end for a case in the Michael adding in case are very similar in that.

>> It was all of these sort indirect sort of benefits higher.

My law firm, you make sure that you give an interview to the daughter of my good friend, that sort of thing.

What I think was my takeaway from that Burke case was that it was just so routine and nobody blew the whistle.

Nobody sort of said, hey, this isn't right.

I shouldn't have to hire your law firm to get a permit or to get a fee increase or whatever I need for my city hall.

I you know, I think that the fundamental question is the culture read for so long, Chicagoans and I'm a longtime born and raised here is that we sort of accept that level of craft.

And I think on some level you get the government that you accept.

And for so long, Chicagoans have sort of said, well, yeah, but, you know, was it really hurting?

>> And I think the question that the prosecutors in both at for case and now Mike Madigan case, they had sort of prove to the jury that everybody suffers.

If it's not a playing field, when you go to city Hall or down to Springfield.

All right.

Well, turning briefly to news in policing.

You know, Heather.

>> The CBD largely praised for its handling of protests around the DNC and not universally but one area where they are falling short is compliance with the consent decree aimed at reforming the department.

Why are things going so slowly?

Well, it is a complicated agreement.

And police superintendent Larry Snelling and Mayor Randy Johnson would be the first people to tell you that.

But this agreement will turn 6 in early March and the CPD has.

>> Only complied with 9% of it fully.

And we are starting to hear the federal judge get a little bit frustrated.

And, you know, in this is not sort of can be sort of, I think, you know, it can seem technical and confusing, but fundamentally, the Chicago Police Department was found to routinely violate the civil rights of black and Latino.

Chicagoans in this agreement is designed to make them stop doing that.

And there's no evidence that they have stopped doing that to the satisfaction of the federal court.

And the question is, is will that effort ramp up in the new year or will it continue just sort of halt along costing the city hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

The budget for next year is more than 200 million a figure.

I think that should make people's eyes pop a little bit because, course, they sort of fought over 300 million dollar property taxes.

And and it tells you just how serious these issues are and how complicated this.

>> And indeed, the the mayor's original budget.

For the people who are responsible for monitoring and complying with the consent decree that has now been pulled back after a lot of squabbling from the monitor herself, the judge and the Illinois Attorney general.

want to get back to some education news before we run out of time.

We mention the new hybrid elected appointed school board will soon be sworn in.

>> Rima, what's its makeup going to be like?

Yeah.

So it's going to be 21 people.

11 of them will be appointed by the mayor.

He's appointed 10 so far.

So we're waiting on that last appointment.

>> And then there are 10 elected people.

3 of them are candidates who are backed by the Chicago teachers Union, which of course, helped Catapult Mayor Brandon Johnson into office.

Another 3 were backed by school choice Pro tartar school groups.

>> And then the you know, remaining, I'm sorry, there's one more person who is backed by the Chicago teachers union.

He was uncontested.

>> And then the final 3 kind of independent of both of those >> Honestly like politically speaking pretty diverse group of elected.

It's all right.

Well.

>> Before we run out of time for sports to talk about that.

It wasn't a banner year, Maggie, that we did have a bright spot in the form of Angel Rees.

What kind of impact she had?

It was so fun thing injuries coming to Chicago and really adoption Congo as their own.

also really taken.

But on the basketball court, you know, this guy didn't do as well as I think that we all would hope that the same time into Reese's just brought in crowds and brought an excitement and brought into hope for the future, which I thing that we know to to get excited about Chicago pizza between the Olympics in the WNBA, you know, really feels like women's basketball is finally getting the shine that it deserves.

I mean, is that fair to say?

Absolutely ratings, the attendance, this has been on an upward trajectory past 5 or 6 years.

But this is year that it took a job my biggest example of that was when I was in line at the Portillo's in Skokie.

I heard 2 guys talking about Caitlin Clark and Reece behind me.

And I thought that the best sight.

That's okay.

Yes.

If that's not taking the Okay.

Let's talk about the bad stuff.

Not a great year for the local coaches, black Hawks and sky parted ways with Theirs Sox skipper pay trigger a full and Bears.

Coach Matt Eberflus both can midseason.

First time the Bears have ever done that.

>> Do we think it's the coaches that are to blame for the poor records or is that the organization, organization day when you continue to lose when you continue to?

>> Not make the choices that are going to strengthen the team.

You continue to be decades behind the rest of league's.

You can't really look at individual people anymore.

You have to look at how the organization has worked as a Jen particularly in the Sox from the Bears well.

And both of those organizations also hoping for public funding for new Stadia they're saying no dice, no chance that's going to change.

Now, I do not think that I don't care how many cruises Jerry Rice truck takes people They are not going to change that.

And I feel like Governor Pritzker would like stand in front of a bulldozer before he would let that happen.

So and there's been a lot of sentiment in Springfield, even for sports fans.

I mean, you know, at least one of the leadership people >> is is a former football player and says vote.

finally learned across the country did not get duped.

>> And let's keep going that.

Well, nobody is getting duped by this panel.

You are all stars.

We are out of time.

Our thanks to Craig Delmore.

Rima mean Maggie Hendricks and Heather.

Sure around.

We'll be back to wrap things up right after this.

>> 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 tonight.

Be sure to check out our website for all the latest from W T Tw News including information on 5 new Illinois laws to know in the New Year.

Now for the Week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for joining us tonight and throughout the year.

>> Happy holidays.

Stay healthy and safe.

Have a good night.

>> Alright, burning question.

Any particular New Year's Eve New Year's Day traditions?

You'll be observing, sir.

Next week at Black Eyed Peas.

my husband and I always make a really nice dinner and then asleep by 9 a New Year's Eve.

only out for that again.

>> Of course, counseling help count.

So who knows what noises?

you may have the fireworks year.

Fireworks with the bat area.

feel glad to be fireworks >> I'm going on to a nice dinner with a friend.

No, no real traditions.

Just try to yeah.

The traffic and out.

Yeah, no.

I you know, a good movie on New Year's Day that some comfort that that sets the tone for the coming that sitting on the Couch channel this ER.

What that does look interesting that CNN looks good for 15.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff.

>> And Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

And he's proud