March 24, 2023 - Full Show

TWO AND SIX MONTHS.

CLEARLY AN EFFORT BY THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OVERTIME.

>> WE REPORTED EARLIER THIS WEEK ON OVERTIME.

WE TALK WITH SOME EXPERTS ON POLICING.

>> A SIMILAR STAFFING CRUNCH.

IN LOS ANGELES, THERE IS A NEW EFFORT BY THE MAYOR, KAREN BASS .

A SIMILAR PROGRAM IN SAN FRANCISCO.

DOWNTOWN MERCHANT BUSINESS AREA.

>> VALLAS WILL BE FACING BRANDON JOHNSON IN THE RUNOFF.

>> THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT RUNS FOR MAYOR.

HE WANTS TO FOCUS ON PROMOTING OFFICERS TO DETECTIVES AND EXPECT THEM TO SOLVE CRIME.

HE SAYS THAT VALLAS ' PROPOSAL IS RIDICULOUS.

>> RIDICULOUS, THAT WAS HIS WORD.

HEATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> YOU CAN READ HEATHER'S FULL STORY ON OUR WEBSITE.

>>> SOME OF TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

A COOK COUNTY JUDGE xL█DENIED T ñEQUEST FOR EMERGENCY INJECTION INJECTION OR FACE EVICTION.

RIGHTS UNDER A LEASE AGREEMENT.

THE JUDGE RULED IT DID NOT SATISFY THE LEGAL TOUCH POINTS.

THEY INTEND TO KEEP FIGHTING.

>>> CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY MAY MISS A FEW CLASSES.

THE UNION REPRESENTS FACULTY AND STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY AND FILED AN INTENT TO STRIKE NOTICE WITH THE LABOR BOARD.

MEANING THAT A STRIKE COULD HAPPEN AS EARLY AS APRIL 3rd.

THE CHAPTER OF THE UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONALS REPRESENTS 150 EMPLOYEES.

INVESTIGATIONS HAVE GONE ON FOR OVER -- NEGOTIATIONS HAVE GONE ON FOR OVER A YEAR.

MORE OF THIS STORY ON OUR WEõu÷tñ >>> IT IS OFFICIALLY SPRING.

SNOW IS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND JUST IN TIME FOR THE NEWEST SNOWPLOWS.

>> COME OUT.

DON'T BE SHY.

>> THE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER GOT TO MEET THEIR PLOWS TODAY.

THE DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION HAD TO PLOW HIS WAY THROUGH 17 TOWNSEND -- 17,000 RESPONSES TO SEE WHICH CLEVER NAMES TO CHOOSE.

>> I WAS WORKING.

I DID IT AT MIDNIGHT.

MY WIFE WAS UPSET.

I DIDN'T EVEN VOTE FOR MYSELF.

I TOLD MY PARENTS AFTER I WON, INSTEAD OF NAMING KIDS, I AM NAMING A SNOWPLOW.

THAT IS WHERE WE ARE OUT RIGHT NOW.

>> THE SNOW THAT IS EXPECTED TOMORROW, MAYBE 2 INCHES IN THE CITY.

THE PLOWS WILL BE OUT TOMORROW.

>>> COMING UP, ELECTION DAY IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY.

>>> CHICAGO TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY ALEXANDER AND JOHN NICHOLS.

THE POPE BROTHERS FOUNDATION.

AND SUPPORT OF THESE DONORS.

>>> LATEST POLLS SHOWS BRANDON JOHNSON.

THE ELECTION LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY.

BOTH CANDIDATES MAKING THEIR FINAL PITCHES TO VOTERS.

JASON DISSENTERS, WELCOME BACK.

IT SEEMS TO BE NECK AND NECK.

>> IT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT RIGHT.

THE WAY THEY CONSOLIDATED THE VOTE.

A PRETTY FAIR SHARE IF THE NUMBERS ARE TO BELIEVE.

JOHNSON HAS ESSENTIALLY DOUBLED HIS VOTE TOTAL.

>> JOHNSON GAINED MORE PROGRESSIVE VOTERS.

HOW MUCH VALUE DO YOU THINK ENDORSEMENTS HAVE?

EVERY DAY, I AM GETTING MULTIPLE -- >> THE IMPORTANT OF ENFORCEMENT , THOSE AT THE MARGIN, THEY COULD HAVE SOME IMPACT.

WHEN YOU THINK ENDORSEMENTS, YOU THINK OF FUNDRAISING.

YOU THINK ABOUT ORGANIZATION.

AND ALSO THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN TAKE THOSE ENDORSEMENTS AND ARTICULATE Ym█THAT YOU HAVE GOT SUPPORT.

THAT IS REALLY WHAT BOTH CAN CANDIDATES CAN DO HERE.#S█ DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS, DIFFERENT RACIAL GROUPS.

IN THE CLOSING WEEKS, WE WILL SEE WHO IS ENDORSING THEM NOW.

>> THE BOAT CONCENTRATED IN THE NORTHWEST SIDE.

WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW, VALLAS MEETING WITH ABOUT 70% WHITE VOTERS.

JOHNSON, 74% OF BLACK VOTERS.

NEITHER HAS HISPANIC VOTERS.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?

>> IT TELLS ME THAT RACE WILL NOT MATTER.

WE CAN ALL KINDS OF THEORIES ABOUT WHY THAT IS.

SCRUTINIZING THE RECORDS CAREFULLY.

BUT ALSO, BOTH OF THESE CANDIDATES, COMPLETELY, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM.

THEY ARE BOTH MAKING INROADS.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER A MULTIETHNIC COALITION, MULTIRACIAL.

WHAT THAT TELLS US IS THAT YOU GOT TO BE ABLE TO APPEAL TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF VOTERS.

RAHM EMANUEL, RICHARD DAILY, THEY HAD TO HAVE SUPPORT.

WE KNOW HERE THAT IT IS A DIFFERENT CHOICE.

THEY ARE WORKING HARD TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM ACROSS THE SPECTRUM AND ACROSS THE CITY.

>> IT'S GOING TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I KNOW FOR FACT THAT HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS WILL RETURN IF THERE IS NEW LEADERSHIP.

>> AFTER 25 PLUS YEARS.

>> CRIME IS THE PREEMINENT ISSUE FOR VOTERS.

>> I THINK EDUCATION IS ANOTHER KEY ISSUE.

WE WANT KIDS TO HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT EVERY OTHER HID HAS NO MATTER WHERE THEY GROW UP.

THE OTHER THING, LEADERSHIP ABILITY.

CHARACTER.

VALLAS IS GOING AFTER JOHNSON .

HE IS A PAID REPRESENTATIVE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.

I WANT VOTERS KNOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE INDEPENDENT.

JOHNSON SAYS VALLAS HAS FAILED EVERYWHERE HE HAS BEEN AS A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE.

THE REASON IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE RAN THE SCHOOLS LAST TIME AROUND.

THEY ARE USING THAT ISSUE AS A WAY TO TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP MORE BROADLY.

>> DO YOU THINK THAT WILL HAVE AN EMPLOYER ON VOTERS?

>> VOTERS ARE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO EVERY SINGLE DEBATE.

THEY HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD DEBATES.

I SAY THAT AS SOMEBODY WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND SOMEONE WHO HAS PREPARED DEBATERS FOR CAMPAIGNS.

FOR VOTERS, THAT IS IMPORTANT.

ALSO, DIFFERENCES ON ISSUES.

JOHNSON AND VALLAS ARGUING ABOUT THE REALITY ON THE GROUND AND BEING TOUGH ON CRIME ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

RECRUITING PEOPLE FOR DETECTIVES ARE RELEGATING -- ELEVATING THEM.

JOHNSON SAYING ABOUT VALLAS , DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED 25 YEARS ARE GOING TO COME BACK?

THOSE ARE SIMPLE, LOGICAL APPEALS.

WHAT'S THE REALITY HERE?

THEY ARE USING THAT, JOHNSON IN PARTICULAR, TO AFTER A QUESTION VALLAS.

VALLAS IS USING ITS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT JOHNSON IS BEING REALISTIC.

>> SOME FOLKS HAVEN'T MADE UP THEIR MIND YET.

>> IF WE LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU WERE TOUTING, 15 OR 20% OF THE PEOPLE, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE I WOULD ESTIMATE ARE PROBABLY ALONG THE LAKEFRONT.

>> WE CAN DO HALF UNTIL THE BIG DAY.

>>> UP NEXT, A NEW AND FASTER WAY TO GET TO O'HARE AIRPORT.

>>> CATCHING A FLIGHT IN 2025?

THE COMMUTE TO O'HARE MIGHT BE SHORTER IF YOU ARE FLYING UNITED AIRLINES.

THEY ARE SPONSORING AN AIR TAXI SERVICE.

IT IS ABOUT 10 MINUTES.

HERE TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL AIR SERVICE IS JOE SWEETERMAN.

WELCOME BACK, JOE.

IS THIS AIR TAXI SERVICE BECOMING MORE COMMON?

>> EIGHT OR SO YEARS AGO, WE WAITED AND WAITED.

NOW THE NEWS IS COMING UP FAST AND FURIOUS.

IT MAKES CLEAR THEY WANTED TO START.

VERTICAL TAKEOFF.

>> UNITED SAYS THEY WILL BE TAKING OFF THE NEAR WEST SIDE.

>> THEY HAVE A HELIPORT WHERE HELICOPTERS COULD LAND.

>> TO BE A LEADER ON THE SUSTAINABILITY SIDE.

TESTING AN ELECTRIC AIRPLANE TECHNOLOGY.

THIS IS KIND OF A BABY STEP TOWARDS THAT.

VERTICAL TAKEOFF DEVICES.

THE FIRST WANTS TO BE APPROVED.

THEY ONLY HAD ROOM FOR FOUR OR SO PASSENGERS.

SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE WILL SEE BIGGER TAKEOFF DEVICES.

THE PROPELLERS SWITCH TO MORE OF A LATERAL MODE.

WE ARE LIKELY GOING TO SEAPLANES WITH A 10 OR 12 PASSENGER RANGE.

>> STILL EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.

THE ONE THING THAT UNITED ARCHER DIDN'T MENTION WAS THE COST TO O'HARE.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

>> A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

THERE WAS SOME TALK IT COULD BE IN THE $50 RANGE.

THAT SOUNDS PRETTY REASONABLE.

THE SENSES IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE ON BOARD.

IT IS GOING TO MAKE IT TOUGH TO WORK.

A BIG QUESTION.

BACK IN THE OLD DAYS, THEY LANDED ON THE ROOF OF TERMINAL 2.

THESE, NOT SO CLEAR IF THEY ARE GOING TO LAND BEHIND SECURITY, DO SECURITY BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

>> DO SECURITY BEFORE YOU LEAVE, THAT IS ANOTHER COMPLICATION.

WE KNOW THAT THE KATY EXPRESSWAY CONSTRUCTION.

>> THE KENNEDY EXPRESSWAY, I THINK THE BLUE LINE.

THE FLIGHT ITSELF IS ABOUT 90 MINUTES.

YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PREDICTABILITY.

THAT IS A BIG SELLING POINT.

IF THEY DO LAND BEHIND SECURITY, 30 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT, AND YOU COULD GET SAFELY THERE.

MY SENSE IS IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR THE HIGH-END TRAVELERS , THE MAINSTREAM TRAVELERS.

IT MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY.

ONCE THEY TESTED OUT, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN ELECTRIC DEVICES TO GO LONGER DISTANCES.

>> THEYpóZARE USING IT LIKE AN UBER.

JOE, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> TWO BROTHERS $UTHAT THEY AR STILL WAITING FOR JUSTICE AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A CRIME THEY DIDN'T COMMIT.

IN 1994, THEY WERE CONVICTED OF MURDER.

THEY WERE EXONERATED IN 2021.

A JUDGE RECENTLY TOLD THEM THEY HAVE TO PROVE YOUR INNOCENCE IN COURT.

I ASKED WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM TO HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF INNOCENCE.

>> IT WILL ALLOW US TO FINALLY -- SOMETHING WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED.

YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT BY GOD.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

THERE'S TWO LEVELS OF FREE.

TO BE EXONERATED.

WE WANT THE OTHER FREE.

AS FAR AS BEING TREATED LIKE YOU ARE FREE.

>> WHAT'S THE FULL CONVERSATION SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE BLACKBOARD SERIES.

>>> A LOCAL NONPROFIT IS CELEBRATING THE EXPANSION OF ITS BOOKSTORE IN LOGAN SQUARE.

WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT ITS NEW CHICAGO LOCATION.

>> IT'S KIND OF HARD.

IT'S NICE TO TAKE A STEP BACK, TAKE SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF.

>> THAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHICAGO NONPROFIT, OPEN BOOK.

>> READING IS FUNDAMENTAL, A SAYING THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS.

I DON'T THINK I HAVE MUCH TO ADD TO THAT.

TO BE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE LITTLE PLACES WHERE READING SHOWS UP.

THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE FOCAL POINT.

>> LOGAN SQUARE IS ITS THIRD CHICAGO LOCATION.

MANY SHOPPERS WERE COMMUTING.

>> I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF THE LOCATION.

I AM GLAD IT IS CLOSER TO ME.

I FIND IT TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD SELECTION.

I HAVE A SMALL BUDGET.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE COMIC ARTIST.

>> OPEN BOOKS MODEL ALLOWS PEOPLE TO READ AT CHEAPER RATES.

THE POPULATION OF THE READERS AND TABLETS, IT CONTINUES TO SHOW UP.

>> OLD-FASHIONED MAGAZINES.

COULD BE THE RECIPE THEY ARE SHARING WITH HER CHILDREN.

PEOPLE FIND THINGS TO READ.

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE HABITS.

WE HOPE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT READING AND LITERACY MEANS FROM AN EARLY AGE.

>> SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

>> WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT READING?

>> I USED TO HATE IT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS MORE LIKE A PUNISHMENT WHEN I WAS A KID.

NOW, IT PUNISHES -- COMFORTS ME.

>> YOU CAN DONATE TO ANY OF THE OPEN BOOK LOCATIONS.

>>> THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS FRIDAY NIGHT.

YOU CAN GET CHICAGO NIGHTS ON FACEBOOK.

WTTW.COM.

JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:00 FOR CHICAGO NIGHTS, LATINO VOICES.

AT 6:30, TWO RETIRED BOXING LEGENDS REFLECT.

>>> FOR ALL OF US AT CHICAGO TONIGHT, THANKS FOR WATCHING.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE.