>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

As a city council and Mayor Brandon Johnson head into an election year.

Chicago faces a more than 880 million dollar deficit.

Plans to redevelop the Ford City Mall into an industrial facility sparked concerns from residents.

It's a form of planning.

>> So I definitely feel hopeful.

It's important.

And feminist journalist activist Gloria Steinem has died.

We look back at 3 of her appearances on Chicago tonight.

First off tonight.

>> Cardinal Blase Cupich is joining a lawsuit against the state of Illinois over its assisted suicide legislation.

That takes effect next week.

Cupich along with 2 orders of Catholic one of which is shown here and in Illinois, pharmacists argue the law violates their faith.

They say it requires health care providers who oppose suicide to inform patients of their right to die, help them qualify for lethal drugs or to direct them to a provider who can help them obtain life ending medication.

Attorneys also argue the law imposes a gag order by preventing them from speaking life affirming messages against suicide to a patient who's considering it.

The suit is asking a federal court to prevent the law from taking effect, which as of now is scheduled to happen September 12th.

Crews are back to work on a barrier intended to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

But Governor JB Pritzker says Illinois is still in the dark last night.

The Army Corps of Engineers lifted a stop work order on the billion-dollar project in Joliet.

That order was issued in late July with little explanation while work was stopped, crews found hundreds of juvenile silver carp just 80 miles from the lake.

A spokesperson for admission, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer says the governor discussed the project with President Donald Trump on Wednesday just before the order was lifted.

Meanwhile, a Pritzker spokesperson says Illinois has received no new communication from the Trump administration.

Experts have warned that carp invading the Great Lakes could cause the collapse of native fish populations as well as the boating and recreational industries.

2 more of the Shedd aquarium's beluga whales have died.

Beethoven.

A 34 year-old male in a decades long shed.

Resident and rain.

A 20 year-old female part of shed second group of rescue blue goods that arrived in mid August.

These deaths, Mark, a total of 3 beluga fatalities in 8 days as another whale in rains, group Pikachu died last week.

Earlier this week, the shed welcomed to more Valukas from that now defunct Marineland Park in Canada in operation that is now facing increased scrutiny from animal rights organizations.

The shed says staff are investigating what led to the deaths and whether they were related incidents.

Up next, another budget gap looms in Chicago had a Sharon breaks it down for us right after this.

Chicago tonight is made possible in part.

>> By the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> Chicago's facing an 882 million dollar budget gap in 2027.

A smaller than expected shortfall.

That's according to Mayor Brandon Johnson's office.

But heading into an election year, the mayor warned today that hard decisions lie ahead or Heather.

Sharon joins us now with more.

Heather, break it down for us.

Why does Chicago yet again have such a massive budget shortfall?

Well, Chicago's finances have long been out of black personnel costs are increasing the city's pension debt is massive and expenses are not keeping pace with tax revenue and that's how you end up with a budget that is structurally unbalanced in 2027 will be no different, but it is about 25% smaller than if city officials warn this year's budget gap would be a year ago.

Mayor Johnson today took full credit for that, So the forecast released today by the mayor.

It contains bad news, though, for Chicago public schools.

What's going on?

Well, CPS's budget relied on a significant amount of tax increment financing, property tax revenue from the city.

But the mayor said that he only plans to declare a surplus of about 340 million dollars.

Now, about half of that will go to CPS.

It will help ease their budget crunch, but they were expecting 100 million dollars more now.

That's on top of the 150 million are hoping to get from the state to avoid layoffs that they've already implemented once and then reversed and now have to figure out how to prevent write CBS Budget for 280 million dollars.

The mayor said today that Chicagoans quote, deserved the maximum level of transparency when it comes to the cost of resolving lawsuits that alleged police by police officers.

>> What's changing?

Well, the mayor said today that he's going to set aside 400 million dollars in next year's budget to resolve lawsuits and settlements, including hundreds of millions of dollars.

More specifically earmarked for police misconduct last it's now that is a change from last year when the city borrowed more than 230 million dollars to cover the cost of these settlements and judgments.

Now, the mayor says that the city will not borrow for those costs this next year, but it will be incorporated into its budget.

Didn't do that last So here's the 882 million dollar question.

>> How is the mayor going to propose to close this gap?

Well, he has until mid October to give us the details.

However, today he did not rule out a property tax hike and he did not rule out going back to the city council and asking them again to impose per employee tax on the city's largest corporations.

Now back in 2024, the city council unanimously rejected a property tax increase.

It be unlikely that he would propose such a hike in an election year.

Even more unlikely that the city council would approve it.

So it's not exactly clear how the mayor is going to come up with, you know, a cool 882 million dollars in the next month or so.

But we will be here to tell you all the details when we know it.

It's not quite a billion, not quite but it is close.

Okay.

Heather, Sharon, thanks so much.

Thanks Brandis.

And you can read Heather's full story on our website.

It's all at W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

>> A plan to overhaul the now shuttered Ford City Mall on the city's southwest side is facing opposition developers want to transform the site into a warehouse and distribution facility along with a new CTA bus terminal, reconstructed streets and sidewalks and a publicly accessible plaza.

But some community members worry about what an industrial site could mean for the health of the neighborhood.

Joining us to discuss this topic, more in-depth are Glenford Flowers, spokesperson for the South Side Flourish Movement.

A community group advocating for equitable neighborhood development.

And 18th Ward Alderman Derek Curtis representing neighborhoods on the southwest side like Ashburn, Scottsdale and Auburn Gresham.

We also invited the real estate development company Midwest Acquisitions and Management, which is leading the project but did not hear back.

We think the 2 of you for joining us.

So let's start with that.

200 million dollar development plan that was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission late last month.

It would replace them all with for industrial buildings.

904 passenger vehicle parking spaces, 160 truck parking spaces and 216 loading spaces.

Glenford.

What concerns do you have all >> So one of the biggest things is going to speaking to residents around the area.

Scott still in Ashburn, some in West Lawn.

And one of the biggest things that they have is the environment regarding noise and air pollution.

And again, it's such a big change to have go from a commercial area to industrial.

Again.

Semi trucks already can just sister after new a place keen 79th and residents are worried that that's going to make it much worse.

Just in addition to the possible noise and air pollution that will bring that someday.

Resonse have already complained about just as it is today.

And so to amplify that issue with simply to collect the voices of the community.

>> Alderman Kurtis, you've called this opportunity to bring jobs and investment back to the South side.

Why do you think this proposal is presently?

What do you think?

It's the best option for the community.

>> I think that is absolutely the best.

I for this community.

We're talking about >> long.

>> And his ownership.

And as a been absent for so for many years.

But we have to get permission to cut the grass to fix the potholes.

2 to to fix anything, even fire suppression.

Thousands of gallons of water leaking per day.

They don't know where this stuff is And basically as close right now due to the fact of public safety, if there was a fire.

Got be it.

If there was a fire, someone would be killed.

>> The project's developers, Midwest acquisitions in management.

They've touted some improvements that they believe will benefit neighbors.

Some of those additions include a reconstructed.

76 street new and upgraded public and private utility systems.

And the Ford City Redevelopment Plaza, which will have open space, landscaping and seating for residents glenford to those additions not assuage any of your concerns.

>> So again, going back to talking to the residents.

We show them again, the new version that curve industry put out to acknowledge the plaza and the new green space that they have adding and residents say that is not enough, nor is it willing to sway them from re industrialization of Ford City a lot of residents concerned about the impacts and so that out ways anything that curve industry has been trying to sway residents with.

>> Your organization glenford Southside flourished movement.

You come up with your own alternative plan when he proposed.

>> I am the author of that proposal and it's been a concept idea for around 2 years now.

And it is simply to make a sort of win-win deal out of the public and private sector, which is to involve a more commercial and tourist focus, then industrial so that the city of Chicago can have more of a tourism increase and swing some of passengers for Midway Airport around.

45 million passengers go through Midway Airport annually.

And so to have more of more of a tourism attraction to bring that to those tourism dollars to the South side, Chicago will be a great way of satisfying the No benefits of Dendy in industrial sort of planned.

It's ongoing.

And along with that, it's to acknowledge community concerns and make sure that community spaces are still involved in that area.

And so be the addition of the West outdoor sector and the East outdoor sector, which would have blackened from business subsidies and local business support to make sure that they're still economic commercial activity in that side of the ward and also making sure that there's green space as well with the addition of 2 water retention ponds to mitigate flooding.

The addition of a Fort City park to have that green space and activity for Families edition of EPIC Epic Theatre.

Addition of a fieldhouse, a memorial, a playground, things that can still attract the family aspect while also acknowledging be commercial need and basement into >> Ok, be okay.

So you're asking who's going to pay for it?

But are you open proposals at this point?

Are you locked in on the industrial campus idea?

>> speak to me.

Yes.

locked in on on and on our and us to a deal.

Just go back to and we're talking about reality.

You have to find investors that want to come here and take on this monster of a project to build number one, CIA's the water system underneath is a little 40 million dollars.

This project will bring 200 million dollars back on the tax rolls.

That the city definitely needs.

Also jobs to the city.

We're going to have that pipeline from the college.

So manufacturing and School, it's straight to the Johnson manufacturing.

Whether that be 0.

Any of the the new sites was Solo Cup company.

This is really a no-brainer.

This is better having what we've been having.

We have crime.

There was a guy that was shot last week Saturday.

It wasn't Chicago every week and that doing that street takeovers and a teen takeovers.

Why?

Chicago?

Want this or the community itself.

If we rebuild, we rebuild the.

>> The streets.

We rebuild the infrastructure.

>> We don't have that problem anymore.

People feel safe.

It was I ready industrial before.

All he's doing is going back to industrial.

>> alderman.

So there's been a history and, you know, a present reality for some communities of industrial pollution, environmental hazards plaguing some communities Chicago.

South side.

What measures will there be to prevent a to prevent that to ensure that those communities, you know, still have healthy environment to live in.

>> Yes, they we had a meeting and they explain to them that they have to follow.

Not only the city guidelines, but the federal guidelines when it comes to pollution.

Again, we do traffic studies.

This the streets that they'll be use in.

We'll be even less than what it was.

It's for city was running full capacity.

>> Glenford the mall has been shuttered for just over 2 months now remind us what the moment to the community.

>> So going around asking community members all across the warden all across the South side, it was a place where they could, you know, relax experience.

Joy happen is shop.

And Lou, something like that would be to lose a part of the South side itself.

And again, going back to a curse was saying about it was, you know, at one point industrial, that is true.

But it hasn't been done at that stage.

4 more than several decades now.

And so the community, that demographic has changed environment is such a has changed.

Port City is a brown and to demolish the Arizona and Re industrialized.

It winning next steps for this.

It's a it would go to the City Council committee.

>> Now that the plan commission has has approved that's what we'll have to leave.

It will keep an eye on this.

Of course, Glenford Flowers, Alderman Derek Curtis, thanks to both for joining us.

Thank you.

>> Up next, remembering the trailblazing journalist and activist Gloria Steinem.

Feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who helped inspire a generation of women to demand empowerment and culture change has died.

Steinem appeared here on Chicago tonight.

A number of times here she is talking about the status of the women's movement over a number of years.

If you were to step back.

>> And look, and I assume that you would see.

women's movement or feminist movement is having its.

Cycles and ups and downs.

Where would where would you see it today?

Where is it?

>> Well, if we sort of pull back to a mountain top >> I >> it's important to say historically that even in this rather young country, there was a first wave for 2.

Humanize or undercut the race CAS systems.

That was the abolitionist suffragist way that 250 years.

And it really was enormously.

I made huge change because succeeded in defining.

Everybody is a human being as opposed to simply white males who had been the only citizens and everybody else was possessions before.

So that we got a legal identity.

Now we're trying to get legal and social equality.

I figure by all historical precedence, least 150 years and there may be waves after that in this second wave where we now are we're maybe 15, 20 years into it and we have.

Achieved changed consciousness if he will I mean, when now we know that women's position racial, you systems on are not natural.

Which is a big step for.

We used to think that biology dictated them are God or somebody.

And now we know could be different.

And the majority of people say it should be different.

That's never happened in history.

But all that means is now the next step is upon us.

And the next step.

The logical result of this majority change is 2 things.

One we're making.

We're ready to make institutional change to really change the way we work.

hours, the patterns that how people get paid, how we raise our kids.

We're beginning to do that.

And the second thing is we have a backlash because now were taken seriously.

It's not a joke anymore.

It is a majority change.

And the old groups whose power depended.

On race, whatever are up in arms.

And even though they're in the minority, they may win.

I where is it written that the majority has to win?

>> Well, you've been watching even watching all involved from this particular vantage point.

Anyway, for 30 years, MS magazine was founded.

Think officially in 1972.

So even at this first for some time how would you assess the progress that women have made in these decades?

>> I think the important assessment is in the minds and hearts your listeners because each person experiences this in a different way.

But if I risk generalization, it would be that we have advanced hugely in consciousness.

We now understand that that place of women is not.

Due to biology or God or fried or something.

It is political and it can change.

And that's a huge difference.

That consciousness change.

And we have made him very important symbolic victories achieving legislation, which is more than advancing toward equal pay.

We haven't yet achieved equal pay.

But people agree with the principle when we have the principal now.

Well, that what other areas.

>> I'm sorry you Well, I think that that we've we we know that we can move forward and we have move forward substantially.

>> We have, for instance, demonstrated that women can do what men can do.

But we haven't really moved towards men doing what women do.

>> So now it is what is that that women raising children and taking care of the home and so on.

And the whole point is that that all human beings can do all of these things.

And it's very important for children and for men that man nurture children as much as women do.

>> Where is the movement right now?

The women's movement?

I mean, is it stronger or weaker?

Is it more relevant, less relevant?

No, it's it's stronger than it's ever And it's certainly it's more relevant in an interesting way.

>> Which is that we are now finally beginning to see the connections.

I think in the beginning it was it was presented as discrete separate, you know, now we're beginning to understand that the biggest indicator of militarism and violence in society is whether or not violence has been normalized at home.

Now we we haven't absorbed this yet and our academics because the study of family forms and childbearing is, quote, unquote, feminine.

And the study of governance and foreign policy is sort of masculine.

And every time I go on a campus and I speak on campus is a lot I say, OK, tell me, is there one course in which these are connected and I've yet to discover one, which is too bad because this dictates that one.

And you know so and we're beginning to better understand the connection among and between movements.

So so we see, you know, sometimes on campus, people will say to me, well, why are the same people against contraception analyst being >> the reason is because they feel strongly that any expression that can't and in conception is wrong.

>> I talked to students, female students all the time.

And I can't tell you how many times I've heard a young woman say on post feminist, you know, that's or it's too radical.

>> All of which leads me wonder if the movement is in fact, a strong as you believe it.

Well, I mean, just at the level of public opinion polls, there are there are many more young feminists than older feminists.

So it's a little bit different when you ask them on a piece of paper and then when you ask them in public because Russia, Lynne, about all these folks have demonized the word feminist and there are other words, woman, a stand You know, there are all kinds of other words, but there's also another truth, which is that women's pattern of generally speaking, not everybody, but is is the reverse of man's that is women are more conservative when we're young and gets steadily more activist and radical.

Whereas men are more radical and rebellious when they're young and get steadily more conservative because endgame power with age.

Women lose power with age.

Do we take that to mean that you are more radical you haven't been?

Oh, yes.

Less right >> Well, I I mean.

I don't know about the mellow part because I do it perspective.

A long-term perspective does mellow you out a little bit because you realize that it's a it's not going to be revolution tomorrow, but I certainly hope that I'm more radical radical means going to the root.

It doesn't mean violence.

You know, so I hope that I now much better understand that dividing us into masculine and feminine in and into who eats in who cook sent into, you know, normalizing that young.

It's what digs a trench in our brains and makes us except race except class except other divisions and as a feminist and as an activist is your glass half full or half empty.

You optimistic about what we're going to see in the next decade or the next?

Well, look hope is a form of planning.

so I definitely feel hopeful.

It's important to be skeptical because otherwise we waste our energies, but I wouldn't remove thing pessimistic because that would mean you had had defeated myself.

But I have I have in front faith that we will get to the place where we are regarded as unique individuals.

All of us, all of us.

>> The Gloria Steinem on Chicago tonight, Steinem died today at 92.

And that's our show for this Thursday night.

Some are technically isn't over just yet.

So check out our online festival guide for details about Street fests.

Art shows outdoor concerts and more.

It's all at W T Tw dot com slash festivals and join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the week in review.

Now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law, offices of personal injury, law firm that