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

I'm Nick Plummer, Texas.

Democrats take refuge in Illinois to block a Trump backed gerrymandering push.

>> His turn to buy insurance policy go to the from the city find and up the number in the Republican majorities.

So it's easier for him to hang on to Congress.

Lonestar lawmakers evacuate their hotel after a bomb threat as a Texas senator claims the FBI will help track down the court breakers.

>> I'm here today because the elected leaders in the state of Illinois >> are ignoring the law.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem makes a return visit the Department of Justice at Chicago's Cook County in Illinois to its list of sanctuary jurisdictions.

>> Every day in our ER, we see people who cannot afford to wait.

Seconds matter.

Minutes matter.

>> Uptown Weiss hospital appears to be winding down after more than 70 years.

Plus the feds reversed course on to Chicago, environmental and housing discrimination cases.

Wildfire smoke choked.

Chicago skies.

And a new pension measure adds more weight to the city's already crushing debt.

>> And now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are Rob Heart from WBBM Newsradio.

Truth saying from Bloomberg News, Monica Ang of Axios, Chicago and from the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Hillary gallons.

Thank you all for being here.

Let's get right to it.

A-rod these 50 plus Texas legislators hold up here trying to block a quorum and the special session aimed at adding 5 safe, the Republican congressional districts.

But given the fact that the GOP controls Texas state government, is this more or less delaying the inevitable you think?

Well, they have gone to this playbook before 20 years ago, actually more than 20 years ago, 2003, when Tom DeLay was the House Majority leader that they want to do the same thing they wanted to draw out 5 Democratic districts in Texas and to make them more Republican friendly.

And in that case, the 50 plus Democrats in the state legislature across the border into Oklahoma and different situation back then they only had 5 days to run out the clock until the end of the session.

But they were national news.

Willie Nelson sent them red bandanas and whiskey.

So people follow their cause.

It became a nationwide story in this situation, though.

It's a special shut The governor of Texas can call it again and again and again.

If you want to.

And the problem here for the Democrats who are holed up here in Illinois is that they have to hold out until November December because that's the filing deadline for candidates running in next year's primary election.

And can they hold out for the next couple of months?

Can they stay in Illinois for the next couple of months?

Will date stick together for the next couple of months?

That's real question here, especially with day fines, you know, being levied at them for missing session.

You know, I Monica, obviously the Democrats here have some limited tools to block the redistricting effort.

They said this is one of the few things they can do.

But do you imagine some Democratic voters might be happy to you know, officials from their party finally using some of the kind of hardball tactics that the Trump and the GOP in play.

There seems to be some upside for And on the other hand, you know, >> this is a great platform for JB Pritzker.

It's become on national TV with on cold air for de Leon straight say, hey, and by the way, I'm running for senator on.

So you could say there's some grandstanding on that side.

>> But yeah, 2 point will they be able to run out the clock or is this just sort of a symbolic motion at the time?

>> Yeah, you know, some Democrats, Hillary have floated the idea of kind of fighting fire with fire, you know, launching their own redistricting efforts to create some new safe democratic seats getting that's likely to actually happen?

Well, I guess I would.

I would go back to the optics of this whole thing.

I you mentioned the cold air appearance and there was this really funny moment when Stephen Colbert held up picture of Illinois's Super Cherry mannered political map for NASA JB.

If he thought that the snake district made and I thought that was perfect.

And so I guess I think it's real.

This is a hard issue for JB to try to stand up and be the hero trying to save democracy.

You know, I think rom Emanuel said something earlier this week.

He said something like this idea that you can change the rules of the game.

Midway through and call it redistricting.

It is wrong.

think that's the right sentiment.

And when we focus all of our energies on making sure political parties have adequate power to the voters who lose out in the end.

Yeah.

Maybe this will be actually the thing that pushes the nation toward independent redistricting, although that's always an iffy proposition.

I think the UK leaving that.

right.

I've got a bridge to sell you well.

Speaking of Governor Pritzker, sure.

The late last week he signed that law boosting pension benefits for some Chicago police and firefighters that are pretty sharp warning from a ratings agency.

Tell us about SNP global ratings earlier this week warned that.

>> This particular piece of legislation that Governor Pritzker signed is going to make it more difficult for the city of Chicago.

It's already facing a more than billion dollar deficit for 2026.

>> And an even bigger one in 2027.

Now let's talk about 2 different things.

One, we're talking about the deficit and then you've got annual payment that the city has to make part of its budget.

But then they've got much bigger unfunded pension liability.

And that's what this legislation really sort of effects, which is the unfunded pension liability, which is already at 36.5 billion for the cities, pension funds.

And then this could potentially add another more than 11 billion dollars long term.

>> And, you know, those sorts of liabilities, what kind of an effect can that have on the city its ability to borrow its ability to to balance its budget, things like that.

pensions are actually one of the largest costs for the city of Chicago.

You know, property taxes are a major talking point in the city of Chicago and >> everyone realizes, but almost 80% of property taxes actually go towards pension payments.

So people are seeing their property tax increase over the last decade.

A lot of that has gone to increase the contributions towards pensions because they were so severely underfunded for so long.

And now the city it's playing catch up.

But let me just point out also that the city is not the only place where pensions are underfunded the state of Illinois.

Also under it's a it's a tradition that goes around here.

>> Rob, you know, the governor said Mayor Johnson, didn't ask him to veto the bill?

The mayor says his CFO filed a witness slip in opposition, which for folks who don't know takes about 30 seconds to do E E why do you think we didn't see a stronger push from the This seems to be a pattern of broken communication between City Hall and Springfield, which is shocking because you have.

Liberal mayor, you have a Democratic governor and a Democratic governor from the city of Chicago.

But it seems time and again, whether we're talking about pensions, whether we're talking about transit funding, the lack of coordination becomes very apparent when a lot of these measures either our past without.

The knowledge or approval of one party or legislation affecting Chicago fails in the 5 yard line.

Yeah, it's it's a lot of critical issues there where there seems to be sort of a mismatch.

I mean, Hillary, you know, we're talking a property taxes.

Obviously the mayor does not want to raise property taxes to pay for these pensions.

Not to mention to deal with that budget gap.

But, you know, the trip pushed back on one of the ideas he has floated a sort of a corporate head tax.

Why do you think that could be the approach?

>> Well, I think anyone who follows our job market or economy realizes that we have fallen behind our growth is pretty stagnant and and business leaders ranging from the folks at CME across the board have stood doing something like this would cause them to seriously consider leaving.

And that's very dangerous.

Obviously, for not just our economy, but for the people who live and work here.

I would also be something that would significantly dry up a lot of revenue that the city depends If this has been floated for several years it's very unpopular.

Pritzker doesn't like it.

I he Johnson should probably think of some other ideas to consider, you know, back to the Richard J Daily proposing the >> head tax 1976, they are burned, considered one in 1980.

I think every mayor at one time or another, he's kicked around the idea before realizing the math is just a is pretty dire for the city.

If they go ahead with that, that tax was actually just on sunset little over a decade ago, actually place.

>> Until about 2014.

And yeah.

And so this is something that was not popular and mayor former Mayor Emanuel actually had said this was something that her job so, you know, we'll see what happens.

But the negotiations right now for the budget are ongoing and we haven't seen yet exactly where things are going to land.

But it seems like I mean, for for business leaders that has to be a factor that they're considering whether when they're moving to Chicago you know, considering relocating.

Is that fair to say big, big thing on their So, you know, one of the things that whether it's at the state level or at the city level, people always point out is that Chicago, according to you know, several some trade publications is a top relocation, spot.

But at the same time we've seen some big names in terms of overall growth.

The city of Chicago, I think us book about month or so ago.

But the shake city's growth rate does lag some of the other large metropolitan regions.

And so there are questions about, you know, can they catch up?

Well, I was going say the event is one of the few things that the mayor does have his hands.

If you want to do a payroll tax to make up the funds, he had to heat up to ask Springfield, but this one you could own a >> Monica sticking with you for a minute.

You know, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem back in Illinois today claiming, you know, local sanctuary laws are aimed at protecting dangerous folks.

Criminals.

We also saw the state, the city and the county added to a sanctuary jurisdictions list.

Do you think that really has any practical effect?

I think everybody already knew Chicago and Illinois were sanctuary areas.

>> And getting up there and saying that of that JB Pritzker Brenda Johnson are protecting criminals.

It just you know, yes, there are some of Pritzker's been clear.

He said absolutely.

If someone is a convicted criminal, get them out of here.

But the statistics show that the vast number of people specially recently have been people with no criminal record.

And so it just seems to be a misrepresentation.

Yeah.

And it seems like, you know, with with repeated visits to Illinois is somewhere that they see is a place that they can, you know, make some some political arco.

but even if there's not necessarily sort practical effect of anything.

>> We'll with the Trump administration for a minute.

You know, Hillary, the trip took aim this week at, you know what you called the Trumps shakedown of university saying it's an American.

What do you see is the danger?

>> you know, I'm a Northwestern alum.

So this we'll Yes, indeed.

So this week, for example, I saw several of the folks who worked with me when I was a student post on LinkedIn saying that their jobs have been cut because of funding concerns.

And so on a personal level, you it's sad to see what's happening.

And of course, this is just part of a bigger reckoning taking place in higher education, education across the board with if you are young people choosing to go to university in the first place, student loan debt is a huge concern for people.

So.

>> I think universities are really already feeling the crunch.

And so this adds a level of uncertainty that it's causing a lot of concern, distress uncertainty for folks at universities.

>> it's interesting, too, because I mean, traditionally at least, you know, for K 12 schools, the GOP has, you know, often resisted having sort of a nationalized curriculum.

You know, there was big push backs to, you know, some efforts under the Obama administration.

So it's odd to see things sort of flip now where it seems as though the Trump administration is taking a direct interest in university curricula.

Yeah, I mean, I think I we would all agree higher.

Education is really important that had university should be places where.

>> Intellectual curiosity, freedom, diversity should be fostered and encouraged.

And when things get in the way of that, we should be upset about that.

>> Well, you know, Rob, another Trump administration move that the Department of Housing and Urban Development reportedly dropping to Chicago cases.

One that would have blocked the metal scrap or once known as general iron from moving to the southeast side.

Do you think we could see that plan revived or is there still enough opposition at City Hall that it's not very likely welling in the case of the Trump administration dropping.

The suit says is simply a case of a new presidency coming in with different Justice Department and different priorities.

But that is certainly 2 cases that were on the back burner as other priorities took precedence.

But they had been around for a while and maybe with a change in administrations in 2029 that could be filed once again.

But right now, it just seems it's it's just where we are.

It's where we're at with with a a very ideological administration in Washington.

Yeah, it despite the unpopularity of that proposal, you speaking of pollution, environmental matters of Hanukkah, thanks.

2 Canadian wildfire smoke, Chicago apparently had the world's worst air quality.

Why was our air worse than places closer to the fires?

That's a great question.

My colleague Kerry Shepard asked meteorologist and they said because of.

>> Well, the fire close to Canada go high up in the year and because of the way the winds were going, it landed right in Chicago.

We were like him exactly the wrong spot.

We also asked why was there so much worse for people?

25 and under first as a middle-aged person like me and Brian, are bishops give respiratory Foundation said that your longer actually still developing 25 and any damage to get during that period can really like hunting for the rest of your life.

So, you know, all the young people dancing around for 4 days outdoors, Lollapalooza was like, guys, you know, coolant, I know it's, you know, one of the things you have to think about, as you know, what are the long, whether it's someone under 25 or someone older, you know, the long-term effects that we're likely to have to be, you know, grappling with as these, you know, summer wildfire smoke drifts.

You know, it seems like they're becoming kind of a new normal and people are not really taking it that seriously, especially young people I saw having a great time outdoors during the 4 days when everyone's like stay indoors, if you write know, exertion, I think that includes, you know, jumping around in the Congress, exactly.

>> Well, you know, through you mentioned the other case Hut is dropping, involves the use of >> aldermanic privilege to block affordable housing in a particular ward.

have to imagine it's a frustrating setback for affordable housing advocates.

Given as you've reported on, there's just a huge nationwide shortage here.

Yeah, I mean, just about a year ago when the DNC was here, I remember talking a variety of different mayors from >> large and small cities.

And the one thing that I remember hearing about constantly was the need for affordable housing and the constant question about how they we're gonna be able to do that, whether zoning changes, whether it was stimulus funding or any sort of help.

And this isn't the nationwide problem.

Not just here in Chicago and of course, the that that the forever problem Aldermanic privilege is something that we've heard the last couple of mayors talk about.

But >> but tough nut to crack to actually do away with I mean, how do you stop other alders from saying okay, if you watch my head all last year you don't want this in your ward back you up.

>> And you look at say you can't legislate.

That puts people siding with their colleagues.

Yeah, it's it's hard to break some of that pattern at imagine.

>> Well, you know, Hillary, after sort floating the idea of the state assuming control of CPS, State Representative Curtis Tarver now says it's really see much appetite for a full takeover.

Do you think we could see some more piecemeal efforts state controller's?

The idea kind of debt for now?

I think he's right.

I think nobody really wants to see another statewide takeover think local control of school districts is really important.

That said it.

There's sort of this feeling like when we kind of need to see how bad things get before we figure out what to do.

>> And we're in this interim period where that still playing itself out.

local controls important.

But the local leadership needs to be willing to take on these hard conversations about the massive budget deficit we talked about earlier balancing the needs of kids and families and figure out how to make it work.

Yeah, you have to imagine that it's going to tough for them to get money from, you know, the state of Illinois, if there isn't some sort of give and take there.

Yeah, I think that's going to be a situation that we're going to see live in the next week or 2.

CEO of CPS is going to be presenting the budget in short are probably by Wednesday.

And then school board has to vote on it by the end of the month.

And >> try to close a budget gap of 734 million dollars.

That's, you a lot of for a district that's already very cash strapped and has a lot of needs.

Yeah, it's not chump change.

And, you know, I went to one of community listening sessions and everyone said, Yeah, we don't want to see cuts in the classroom, but they also when they looked at 800 million and just debt financing every year, he said we don't see any more borrowing, but borrowing is on the table.

Yeah.

Well, yeah.

So what are the challenges is there's been so much talk about whether CPS should take on more of own.

I cover the bond market along with covering budgets and what we're seeing right now is that the high-yield market, which is basically junk borrowers, which CPS is the largest in that particular segment of the market.

costs are going up.

The yields actually borrow are actually up right now.

And so this is a tough time for someone that has a junk rating to enter the market And there's a question mark right now about whether they're going to borrow to cover pension payment or whatever.

But they're they're an entity that has borrowed from the market regularly.

As does the city has of the state.

So they're not alone.

But right now it's a tough time for someone with that rating to come to the market because the yields are just higher.

Yeah.

If they're going to try to close some of the budget gap through borrowing, it's going to be a lot more difficult for them.

>> Will, you know, despite its many challenges, Mauna Kea reported on CPS, expanding its roster of sustainable community schools.

What's the detail?

So they've been added 16 of them had 20.

It's part of the union contract to a that 70 over the course of the contract.

>> The cost about $500,000 per school to at services like Health Services, meals, parental education.

They can help people apply for social services.

>> And many people do feel it's a good model.

I don't think the data is all there to say that it's >> really changed.

Everyone's lives, but yeah, with a weird time to say we're going to take on this no expense when they're like we need to find 734 million dollars in the couch cushions right to the body.

Have something laying around that could get our hands on.

Real quick.

>> Yeah, but I mean, you have to imagine, you know, maybe the hope there is to draw, you know, students and families into the district or keep them in the district through the sort of expanded, you know, services.

>> That would be one way to look at You know, other thing is they say, yeah, if you can keep kids in the schools, if you can make the community and the neighborhood better through the schools, but it's worth it.

So we will doubt that there are benefits to the schools.

But what I think we do know is that some of the sustainable community schools are some of the worst performing academically in the city.

>> And so, you know, if we're really focus on academic outcomes, then I think it's an extra bed time to be the making.

This announcement enrollment is a key data point for CPS.

They've had the couple of decades of enrollment dropping the last couple years.

Things have stabilized, but their finances their enrollment.

These are all numbers that are a big factor for their budget for the cities overall profile as well.

>> Well, another major local entity calm ahead.

Alderman Gilbert Villegas wants to force them to the negotiating table to offer some relief to customers dealing with high utility bills.

Rob, does the city have much leverage that it can use to sort trying to get a deal out of that?

One thing, anybody who is a scene there comment recently account it could become a nation of the extremely high temperatures.

We've been dealing with the last couple of months.

running the air conditioning all the time along with this rate increase that was passed along the customer.

There's a great deal of sticker shock going on and that 10 million Dollar Relief fund low-income customers.

And for nonprofits was drained almost immediately.

Just a one-time payment just to kind lessen the sting a little bit.

So it's probably a good place to start the conversation.

And just to talk about how this really is biting for a lot of people, especially a time when you can't turn off the air condition.

Heat.

It's not like it's a an optional thing right >> I thought it was interesting kill.

He has presented this because he's also asked for more data centers in the city which are behind a lot of the price hikes.

So it's like you to want more data centers that are going to hype this up.

But then you want help.

kind of circular eternal balancing act of an older person.

Well, speaking of ComEd, the final member of the so-called comment for >> former city club.

President Jade already sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

Hillary.

The judge admonished him as someone who put on a civic minded, you know, face and should have known better.

Do you think that's an effective anti-corruption message?

I guess when I think about the story, what I what makes me smile, not in a happy way just in.

this is ironic way is that 2 of the biggest stories this week are about the need for relief and energy bills.

>> And then the sentencing of this comment consultant for corruption.

And I think that's kind of all you need to know.

Yeah, for years long scheme to try to get a favorable legislation out of Springfield.

>> Okay.

Wells.

Another big topic we should cover before we run out of time.

Chicago Bears seems like they really are on the move around.

Bear down to Arlington Heights.

Kevin Warren, the team president saying that they're engaging with leaders in Arlington Heights.

So in other words, it seems like the Bears will getting on the Jane Addams Tollway and getting off Route 53 and they'll get off at Euclid.

And that's the new home of the Bears.

The northwest suburban Chicago bears completing a process that began 50 years ago.

George Halas wanted to put the team in Arlington Heights.

Soldier Field was all I see this kind of the temporary stop after Wrigley Field.

So I guess >> that they play the long game.

The really long game, 50 years long game.

And it's going to be a northwest suburban football stadium and we don't even need GPS when we've got you here guiding us all the way acre, right?

Yeah, but don't parking lot Park.

And that spent you taking the train.

Well, yes, if we have trained by them, I was going to say if they're fun to would like to see that.

>> I still think it may be a game of chicken.

I think that other maybe something work out.

I wasn't on this 3 hour.

Crews with Brian Urlacher recently and I asked him, do you think they should go early tonight is like no, we advantage with all the snow from the lakefront precipitation coming in on as in those Florida guys, they can't compete.

We need to stay Soldier Field, but it's kind of like looking at a big open field in thinking I can build a brand new house or I can spend a fortune fixing up old one on the lake.

Yeah, it's really hard to get to that.

We're still paying for the renovations when it made it look like a spaceship land on there and it.

>> Still doesn't seem like any money is forthcoming from Springfield, think say or at least anything significant.

I think that's the question that I think a lot of people have is that is there going to be any sort of taxpayer funded assistance.

we just don't know right now and nor muscly unpopular idea.

But you for are enormously popular, at least with me.

Even great panel.

But we are about out of time.

So my thanks to.

>> Rob Hart Trophy saying Monica and Hillary gallons.

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

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

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

Be sure to check out our website for the very latest from W T Tw News, including an interview from our archives with legendary astronaut and Lake Forest resident Jim level, who died this week at age.

97.

Now for the weekend review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay informed.

Have a great weekend.

And OK, we've got a piece of gym level history available to the public that right, pollen weight at the Museum of Science and Industry and I take my kids there and we always like to see Apollo 8 because it was an amazing At the end of 1968.

To see.

>> Humans, certainly another planet on Christmas Eve.

I mean, just redeeming everything that happened that year was amazing to see.

And that you just realize they went to the it's it's such a tiny capsule.

terrifying that I mean, you see how big the the Space X and the blue origin and all the stuff that's built up and then you see this little getting box.

But sure was this a good idea what I mean?

you know coming inspiring story to obviously do.

Commanding Apollo 13 as to stick at level for bringing him back alive mission being a successful failure.

think a lot of people will be streaming Apollo 13.

I get I think that is a very worthy frightening everybody involved >> alright, closed captioning is made possible by Clifford and Clifford Law offices, Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death that