>> Hey, everyone.

Thanks for joining us on the weekend review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Amanda has the evening off.

President elect Donald Trump begins announcing Cabinet picks with some choices raising eyebrows even among Republicans.

>> I'm calling on the House Ethics Committee to preserve and share the report all robot documentation, Mr. Gates with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

>> As Trump starts rolling out his nominees, Democrats try to roll out some roadblocks for candidates.

They call unqualified and dangerous.

We really are beacon not just pass the country when it comes women's reproductive health.

And we believe protections would be place even Trump.

and the Congress tried to pass a national abortion ban.

>> Based on states rights, lawmakers return to Springfield for the fall veto session and start conversations about quote, Trump proofing, Illinois have said from the very beginning this is a proposal.

>> I'm a collaborative mayor for the first time in the history of Chicago.

You're actually seen.

>> That type of collaborative approach, older people engage in some collaboration of their own.

Joining together to unanimously vote down.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's 300 million dollar property tax hike proposal.

>> Meanwhile, attorneys for former House Speaker Michael Madigan start mounting their defense and the Bears start looking at yet another potential new stadium site the former Michael Reese Hospital campus in Brownsville.

>> And now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are or Washington of ABC, 7 News and the Chicago Tribune, Danny Acker of Crain's Chicago Business Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune and joining us from Springfield via Zoom, Malik Ball of WBEZ.

Let's get right to it.

The President Elect's choice for Attorney General Matt Gates resigned from the House shortly after he was announced and right before an ethics panel report about claims of drug use with minors was set for release allegations.

We should say.

You know, Laura, we heard Senator Durbin calling on that panel to preserve that report.

Do you think this could escalate to say one chamber of Congress subpoena another that that's definitely a possibility.

There's going to be some tensions around it.

Now, of course, he resigned so that, know, in the hopes that the report would not be released, as you say, some folks think that's very necessary.

Speaker of the House today said, though, that he did not believe it was appropriate to release it.

>> Because cases no longer in Congress.

But certainly this is not something that seems likely to go away with a potential confirmation pricing.

this going to be a furious fight over union down from has a lot of controversial appointments here and he's it looks like given the controversy that surrounds so many he's not going to have to get them all through it.

So he's going to probably have to do some wheeling and dealing with even within his own party.

Well, another controversial choice.

Democrats reportedly some Republicans raising concerns about Trump's choice for defense secretary.

That's former FOX News personality Pete Hegseth who among other things has said women should not serve in combat roles.

Here's what Iraq War Combat veteran and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth had to say.

>> Truck drivers, a job that women have been doing since World War.

One were some of the most often hit people in Iraq by hitting being hit IUD.

So this idea that you can exclude women from combat is really one that shows his lack of experience.

And really, you know him him being an qualified to be the secretary of defense because it's not where modern warfare is.

>> You know, even on more nitty-gritty level rate hikes, doesn't have the kind of management experience overseeing thousands of employees as he would be at the Pentagon.

Is that the kind of thing that matters to the president elect necessarily?

I think the president is looking loyalists and he wants people who can carry out whatever he wants them to do.

>> Whether you view that or whether it is retribution or that, I believe that that's what he's trying to get a group of people who will do what he wants without question.

that is what a lot of the Democrats fear.

think I think the present president elect Trump is also a disrupter.

He loves the idea cape and they did this on this the first time and again it to taking down Washington.

>> Throwing out all the rules, throwing out all the traditions and doing it his way.

these are people, obviously these means folks are disrupters in there.

All right.

And that's enough to kind of thing he's looking for.

Yes, some of the picks he made during his first administration were maybe more mainline Republicans that were familiar faces in Washington this time around.

It doesn't really seem like that.

Much of a concern.

You know, one of the things about it, though, is it this is how unpredictable the whole thing is, right.

That that's what I think with people who were thinking this would be a pro business vote.

This is better for the economy to have someone like Trump in there.

There's a lot of unpredictability that's in play now with some of these appointments and what you're going to see and what how this is going play out various various departments, different policies.

I think it's gonna be really interesting see how you know, the people watching to see what are these people if they are confirmed what they're going to do, and how's that going to really affect?

You know what they but what businesses are going to do in decisions of people are gonna be making.

Well, you know, I think to some of these put these appointments he has he did for Santa like the RFK Junior appointee, for example, for health human services.

You know, he's there was a deal that was made when when when when Kennedy agree to support him.

Yeah.

And we and we saw this upcoming.

So I think that some of the voters should have seen this coming some of the shooting.

But a big surprise, you know, my all we're talking about confirmation hearings with the GOP controlling.

>> The Senate confirmation process.

Do you expect any Republican members to potentially oppose some of Trump's picks?

>> really.

I mean, I well, I guess maybe if there are more moderate Republicans in the Senate might want to the party away from Marc, you're saying as Trump's loyalists.

Thanks probably.

yeah, it seems like it's probably a fairly clear road for at least most of these folks.

>> But perhaps not all of them.

>> I mean, you know, Ray, given the you know, the idea that, you know, RFK is going to potentially be.

>> The health and Human Services secretary, is that the kind of thing that say state and local public health departments are going to be worried about?

Well, I think there are concerns all across nation about about this.

But there are also concerns.

>> Democrats ought get out of the way.

And we had to clean all these places up.

Now, you may not agree with that.

And a lot of people don't.

I think there are people out there say, yeah, let's put Matt Gates in there and and get rid of all the things that Democrats were hiding as if they were hiding a lot of stuff.

But if the get somebody like Matt Gaetz in there, I do believe that you know how it will be Katy Bar the door.

What could You know, Laura, given that Trump took all 7 swing states in play last week as well as the popular vote.

>> Are there lessons that Illinois Democrats should be taking to heart of the things even though, you know, especially in the General Assembly, folks did well.

Are there things people should be paying attention to here?

Well, obviously, the Democrats misread this election and they.

>> The bank, I think too much on some of those wedge issues reproductive choice, like issue of whether or not democracy is going to be safe in 8, they completely missed fact that people were most concerned about the economy, even though overall the warning signals were there and and that's going to be country can continue to be something they're going to really have to look at.

And and pay close attention to even a state like Illinois, which is which has a progressive governor, which is a progressive General assembly.

But people still when it comes down to most important and bottom line is going to be there on personal interest in the economy, both suspended.

I mean, if they're they're finding bigger prices at the grocery store.

>> Deaths, their economy.

And that's what the Democrats overlooked.

You can say, hey, the economy's doing great.

We're doing better in a place else in the world.

But not showing up.

When you go to the grocery store line or the gas pump, then you're going to have an issue.

>> Yeah, it doesn't feel like the rain is doing better.

Even if look at some of the brain, the metrics around jobs around relation absolutely.

You know, we mentioned this idea of, quote, unquote.

Trump proofing Illinois Malik ball, you know, Democratic lawmakers, the governor thinking about how do we prepare for a second Trump administration?

What is on their agenda now that they're back in Springfield for the veto session and certainly looking ahead to next year as well.

>> Governor Pritzker he's working with the Colorado governor, Jared Polis to create this coalition called the governors safeguarding democracy.

And we don't have too many details on what it is yet.

We know that it's a nonpartisan group.

So Chris said that this is open to Democratic governors as well as Republican.

Anyone who, you know, has the interest protecting democracy.

They haven't really named Trump specifically in like their materials like they have a Web site for.

It doesn't you know, wearing trying to Trump proved art state level didn't democratic institutions, but it definitely is implied.

Governor Pritzker has press conference is just in regards to that, you know, this is something that we trying to make sure that, you know, under Trump administration, what if they come after, you know, as the mass deportations and family separation of undocumented immigrants and if they come after, you know, and remnants of regulations or really backing productive rights acts as then, how can we, as governors and specifically Illinois and work to improve that?

And so it's it's interesting, but I think, you know, he said, too, that he doesn't have a specific agenda yet because it is still too early to tell.

Right then the administration hasn't actually taken effect and says that he's going to be something that they'll see probably in lame duck, lame duck session, which will be in January or spring session.

That starts later in that month.

>> Do you think it's possible we might see something like a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion access here in Illinois, a, you know, an idea that's bandied about before.

>> You know, you know, it's definitely I mean, it's something that Pritzker ran on when he was running for re-election as governor and the in time sort dissipated a little bit.

I will say after he was elected, I remember asking about it reading about it.

And he had said that it's not really >> priority for us at this point in time just because of all the robust protections that Illinois has enacted to protect abortion access.

But certainly, I mean, like now that the administration has teens right he said all that during the station.

Now the administration is teens, you know, and it's unclear whether Trump will push forward with the nationwide abortion ban.

I know he's tried to distance himself from that, but also yeah.

So so I guess you know what?

We'll see if the lawmakers trying to, you know, bring that up back again to codify abortion rights in the state constitution.

>> Well, Ray, we heard from Speaker Welsh earlier this week on the show saying, you know, Illinois laws, you know, ensuring reproductive rights would be safe from federal action because of states rights.

If further federal restrictions go into place, do you think that state's rights argument is likely to hold up?

This is another.

>> Who knows what the U.S. Supreme Court is going to do.

Question and I we think that you could argue that strongly and make a good case and in a normal world, you might be able to win that argument.

The current U.S. Supreme Court is not always followed what has been precedent and so they could deviate on almost anything >> Well, you know, in on a local I will mention the idea of mass deportations.

We heard from Mayor Brandon Johnson this week saying Chicago is going to remain a sanctuary city.

For example, the city officials won't cooperate with ICE.

mean, Danny, even so given the promise of mass deportations, how concerned the think city officials are, you know, all the people are about what's next, how you have to remember that, you know, during the Trump administration, the first time around Chicago was a punching bag for him, you know, especially in social media.

>> I think that, you know, especially now that we have governor who is as a kind of rising profile on a national stage potentially over the next few years becoming someone that that, you know, Trump may be targets for seasons a bit of a foil.

And is that does that bring more negative attention from the president-elect to Illinois to Chicago?

That's not helpful for tourism and for other things that Chicago relies on.

I and so think that's going to be something to watch to see.

You know, certainly that Chicago becoming this maybe a face.

And for me on a national scale for for for, you know, being anti Trump area, right when we we've already seen is over the last year or so in terms of the assault from from states like Texas sent all these migrants here that was very, very political and was it was an attempt to.

>> To jam the city entered into force the city into really on difficult position in terms of having to find the funding for all that we are a sanctuary city.

mayor has been very strong on that.

He's going to be strong on that.

But that may make the Chicago even bigger target going forward in this issue of federal funding.

There's the possibility that but tremendous risk and hope withhold federal funding if we continue, we continue this policy to in terms of protecting immigrations, right?

Yeah.

Well, speaking again of Springfield now, all the states also facing this projected.

>> 3 billion dollar budget deficit for the coming fiscal year.

We heard some Republican demands earlier this week on budget issues.

What's the latest there?

And in terms of what lawmakers are thinking about this pretty big potential deficit?

>> Yeah, I mean, you know, you thought the Republican lawmakers that are coming out, this worsen and like we were talking about just Pritzker's national profile.

So Senate Republican leadership held a press conference earlier this week in Springfield that kind of like, you know, criticize Pritzker for eating, you know, gallivanting across the country.

you know, having these aspirations of running for president in 2020 e should be, you know, back home worried about budget deficit and, you know, for the Republicans, the and this is something that they've said, you know, for the past few years now is that we need to cut spending on the states Medicaid program for undocumented adults.

They they say that it's billions of dollars in spending we need to cut that now to sort of offset some of deficit bent.

Certainly I think it'll be interesting to see what the Democratic budget tears and the leadership decide to do decide to offset some of the deficit with more tax increases.

But just something that they in the previous budget cycle no be interesting, but I think for now because we're still in veto session, they haven't really had much discussion about what they would want to do.

>> Gallivanting is an excellent vocab word.

That will be the that I that's my that's my prediction Well, you know, closer to home Chicago's budget deficit will not be filled in part with that 300 million dollar property tax allure.

Are you surprised to see the council vote against it unanimously or did folks see the way the political winds are blowing that?

That was an extraordinary both.

I mean, we haven't seen a like that.

And city councilman, most of the veteran city council members have said they haven't seen that, certainly and in their 10 years.

>> And and and to have it be that early on in the ball and budgeting process.

You know, the mayor.

He retroactively FB, put the number out there.

He said, well, you know, that was this a negotiated point.

But the problem was, I think through the city council is not included discussions negotiations until after the cat was out of the bag and they made it very clear that they were going over with the be tremendous pressure on them to vote against this because their voters don't want Well, interesting to think about it as an opening argument as though these are, you know, 2 sides of the table negotiating a contract versus mayor hypothetically working with his city council.

I mean, she collaborated as he calls himself Hicks heckling, I mean, you know, Ray, does this further weaken the mayor's relationship with people, does it demonstrate that their relationships already kind of fraud?

Well, I think it's the latter.

And I do think there is history that he should be studying here and >> oddly enough, it was Paul Bell as well.

He was working with well, he was a chief budget guy for Mayor Daley, who had worked with alderman to bring out correct me if I'm wrong here, Laura, but I believe it was a unanimous vote on the budget.

it wasn't unanimous, that was clearly close And that was because they worked ahead of time and work with the alderman to address requests.

Their needs all of their concerns.

And if you just come out and say, hey, we're going to do this thing and we're not going to do anything.

But because we're going to protect jobs that may be.

Talking to his base and maybe he's looking for somebody to blame when he has to make cuts.

If he has to make cuts and say, hey, the city council forced me to do it.

course, the alderman also get to now say we said no to this in a resounding way, So everyone gets to do their jockeying Doesn't really help us to getting to fixing.

The problem is back in the in the know in the city council's court now.

So okay.

So you don't rise 300 Million.

So where is the money going to come from?

>> And this is a very unusual police for older persons to be in because usually the mayor has been in charge, even though we supposedly living in in a strong council week mere city.

Yeah, yeah.

But that's the kind of vote that, you know, they don't want to have a, you know, their opponent having mailers out in 2027 saying, oh, look vote on this.

>> Another item this week, the CPS board approved a resolution trying to approve the Cerro Charter network not to close 7 schools.

>> But they don't really seem to have any actual power to stop it.

Danny Acker, is there value in a symbolic vote from the CB CPS Board It's hard to say.

I mean, I think that on the scene for the comes to CPS drama.

It's just.

>> look at this, as you say, what's the impact on the city has a hole in the perception of the city?

I think anytime you have more of this stuff coming on happening, just look at families were saying here's another reason why I should be concerned about having my kids and CPS.

That's what that's what you have to avoid is the city.

And that's I think you kind of lose sight of it when you are looking at the drama around Peter Martinez and board.

Yeah, well, there's also, you know, the board retained the firm coast on O'Connor.

>> You know, hypothetically this is so they can find cause to fire CEO Pedro Martinez.

I mean, you know, how big of a hit on ongoing distraction is this man's fight with?

My team huge.

It's huge.

And everybody's looking for a reason that they can justify his is actually his ouster.

>> And, you know, he may be the only standing in the breach.

They're trained.

>> Hold back.

Some of the of the the Mares distractions or the mayor's desires to get rid of him.

it's really puzzling to.

And it's just as cascading effect here.

We have the current, situation with the the closing schools.

But we've also had this rotation of of people that have been bad choices for the school board.

And it just makes people crazy.

Yeah.

Well, former House Speaker Michael Madigan's defense team started their cross-examination this week.

What we've been hearing from them so far.

Well, the defense team has been trying to be star witness for the prosecution, which right now is former commented Vice president Marquez.

He's already pleaded guilty plea to guilty several years ago.

He helped the prosecution and convicting the so-called ComEd 4, which included Michael McClain, went to the co-defendant Mike Madigan's trial.

Now.

>> what the prosecution has been trying to do is rehabilitate Marcus.

Every time the the defense of dragging down its quite quite the back and yeah, I mean, Mike Madigan is put aside a million dollars from his campaign funds to help pay for his defense.

They're going to take every swing they can.

And this and they've now said that this trial that was going to end in mid December may go into Mid-January.

>> Well, another long-running drama of an entirely different kind.

Danny, you first reported this week the Bears have a new new new site in my hand for their new stadium.

Tell us about the idea of the Michael recent, still the next one.

Yes, exactly right.

got to tell Well, so, you know, the Bears drama obviously since April, been pushing this idea of building a stadium on the lot south of Soldier Field that strong.

A lot of pushback from friends of the Parks Preservation Group.

And you have that group as well as the Civic Federation saying maybe ought to consider this other side.

The former Michael Reese hospital site just south of McCormick Place the Bears have said publicly numerous times, at least the CEO Kevin Warren has said that sites to narrow it doesn't work.

There is this sort of, you know, kind of quiet proposal in the background saying, hey, we can build it over the metro tracks that run alongside the site.

Now, the Bears, I think, are recognizing that their effort to one winning legislative support for their idea next, a soldier field and obviously, you know, get past some of the opposition, local opposition isn't going well.

And so they've had to basically reconsidered and start these conversations to say, you know what, let's explore some different alternatives at the former Michael Reese hospital site.

There are some advantages.

It's could be an extension of McCormick Place is right by the convention Center.

Does that bring in other funding opportunities?

Does it become another asset for the city and bringing more conventions to to Chicago show?

It's, you know, the latest chapter.

But of course, the big question remains, is this worth public money?

And that's the bigger question at play here will now, if all, how about that?

I mean, state lawmakers have been very reluctant to offer any public funding for a sports stadium.

Does this have any better chance than the other proposals to?

>> Not sure.

I mean, Mike, yeah, like you said, you know, Governor Pritzker has come out repeatedly against doing any outing any state funding to the Bears project.

And I think it's it's really, you know, if it'll be interesting to see now with this looming budget deficit, right, like what they decide to do in the spring.

I should also mention there's been a lot of drama that came up a lot this veto session actually this past funding the tier 2 pension system which has been chronically underfunded for many, many, many years.

And so I'm a bunch workers, public workers, EMS workers came in Bobby for that.

So that's another financial consideration that lawmakers will have to wrestle with soil.

Be interesting.

I'm I'm kind of I be interesting to see what happens.

I'm not I guess in a lot of hope into it.

want to see that yeah, probably a wise choice on your part.

I mean, Danny, we've got about 30 seconds left.

The fact that this has been such a long vacant site that they've struggled to get any, you know, any traction on.

>> Do you think that could be a, you know, a point in its favor, perhaps to gin up some more support?

>> I think there's because of its location.

It's closer to the south side of the city that has some opportunities there for people to come support this.

Toni Preckwinkle who obviously knows that neighborhood quite well.

She's basically trying to quietly pushes and say, hey, there might be some opportunities to support this year.

So, you know, there there there could be again, few more boxes that could be checked, a less opposition, a clear path for the bears there.

But again, it comes down to funding and until that piece of the puzzle changes, this is all just kind of ideas.

Well, you were perfect pieces of the puzzle tonight.

appreciate you joining us.

>> We're out of time.

So our thanks to Laura Washington.

Danny Acker Ray Long and from Springfield, Mo, it fall.

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

>> Tonight's presentation of Chicago Tonight Week in review is made possible in part by rich car.

Bnsf railway, Francine and Doctor Anthony Brown.

And the moment, however, progressive philanthropic fund in honor of even moment supporting quality journalism.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

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

Don't forget, you can get with a Chicago tonight and the weekend review streamed on Facebook, YouTube and our Web site W T Tw Dot com Slash News now for the weekend review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a nice weekend.

>> Okay, Dani, some other Bears news offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is out after just 9 games on the job.

Is he really that Well, see, this is more people are more interested in this new era.

this is unfortunately it's just the same.

>> Cycle of bears, right?

It's new quarterback, the new coach, all that coached in draft that quarterback.

Okay.

So then it's, you know, quarterback after that.

And unfortunately rinse and repeat for the bears drives people nuts.

There's this is another sign that's not changing.

And these young inexperienced quarterbacks that that, you know, they're not just taking some time to learn the ropes that awesome out there and see what they can do.

>> Yeah, it's it's and it's a 90 time and you can look back on the way to Justin Fields and go cash.

Can pull it up?

You know, there's kinds of talk about who could have done it right?

Who could have done it better?

7.

>> But maybe if they had their big beautiful stadium out in Arlington Heights closed captioning is made possible by Clifford and Clifford Law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death that is proud to recognize its turns recognized in the 2025