>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Organizers in Chicago and across the country are planning May day rallies to protest President Trump.

What you should know.

>> This is not something that unique to Streeterville.

We're downtown.

>> A new proposal looks to rein in large team gatherings, her spotlight politics team unpack snack and much more.

And local conservation is say a Trump administration proposal could up in protections for endangered species.

What it could mean in Illinois.

>> And now to some of today's top stories.

Mourners paid their respects today to fire Captain David Meyer who died in the line of duty last week.

>> It was probably the hardest working person I've ever met.

But I I don't really know.

never worked a day his life.

I mean, he wasn't credible Carpenter, gets to, you know, he can build anything if was a problem.

We always look to David.

They would just shrug your shoulders.

Love you want me to fix it or no.

And as far as the fire department was concerned.

It was just going to a picnic.

See his best friends for the weekend.

You you know, wasn't really like It told me one If you do something that you truly love, you never worked a day in your life.

>> Meyer was 54 years old and served 29 years in the department.

Many members of the fire department joined his wife and 4 children at today's service in Niles, a Chicago man is facing arson and murder charges had a fire that killed my or our lives.

More than 2 dozen states including Illinois, are suing the Trump administration over funding cuts to AmeriCorps.

The lawsuit alleges the administration illegally canceled.

Grandson put 85% of the agency's workforce on leave without approval from Congress.

The agency focused on community service and volunteerism was created more than 30 years ago.

part of sweeping cuts.

The Trump administration has made through billionaire Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government efficiency.

Neighbors near the Obama center say they fear a proposed hotel tower will worsen already.

Gentrifying conditions.

>> When you get fast track, a luxury hotel.

What everyone everyone around that hotel lives and blight.

Knowing that will raise the price of push them out.

You're intentionally trying to justify neighborhood.

And that's what's happening in Chicago.

>> Protesters stood on the lot near Island Terrace, Apartments urging the city to vote against a rezoning application that would allow a 26 Storey hotel to be built next to the apartment building and down the street from the Obama center.

The group Southside together says tenants in another building across from the Obama center already living with tests and plumbing issues and they fear a luxury hotel without a community benefits agreement will attract more developers and raise the cost of living.

Up next, what to expect from an upcoming May day rally in Chicago.

And later in the program, our Spotlight Politics team on Mayor Johnson's visit to Springfield.

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

The gym and Tay maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> As Governor JB Pritzker calls on Democrats to be more aggressive in their fight against the Trump administration.

Organizers in Chicago and across the nation are planning May day rallies this Thursday, more than 1100 protest events are scheduled in nearly 1000 cities across the country.

This comes on the heels of yesterday's presidential executive orders targeting sanctuary cities and ramping up immigration crackdowns.

Joining us to discuss are 3 of the rally.

Organizers, Laurene cargos scientists for the EPA, Great Lakes region and executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees, local 704.

Omar Lopez is on the executive committee of the Immigrant Defense Resistance Council.

He's also director of Cold Water, a nonprofit providing HIV prevention services to the Latino community.

Jorge movie CA is a campaign organizer for a ride.

Chicago, which advocates for workers rights.

Thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.

Or hey, moving car, let's start with you.

Please tell us about what you all have planned for Thursday.

What can folks expect to see?

Thursday?

You're going to see the biggest protest in to see that.

You can go in so many years say things seen settle toes and seeks one.

>> immigrant community on attack nowadays is not only Damian community, but all community says students, colleges, universities, workers, the environment.

Everybody's on attack by the administration.

So you want to be seen receives tense pushing back that agenda.

What's happening that day?

Can we expect a rally and march all of the above?

What's going to happen is we're going to be meeting at 11:00AM Union Park on Lake in Ashland.

We're going march towards downtown.

We're going to cause downtown and we're going to rally between Michelle in Grant Park and we are thinking about a quarter million people, at least.

Larry, you'll be speaking at Thursday's rally once it gets to gets to that part of the city.

What will you be speaking about?

>> All p raising the voices for the 1000 EPA workers here in Chicago and the Great Lakes region who are fighting against the Trump urgings agenda to dismantle our ability to protect clean air and clean clean water for the American people.

What is your message to the people who'll be there and to the Trump administration?

>> Our message is to our fellow workers.

We're not alone.

We have.

A lot of solidarity to build sand.

We know that right now our duty is to protect democracy.

federal workers, unlike other workforces, don't swear an oath to protect the Constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic we take that oath very seriously, especially right now as we're under attack.

And we are stepping up to remind folks that when folks who come under attack autocratic rudel ruler, we know that our rights, our strongest right now at the beginning of the attacks as the attacks go on and on and on.

If we don't fight back, those we need become weaker.

And so.

We know what history has taught us.

You know, federal workers haven't seen an attack like this before, but other workers and other countries have so international.

What international Workers Day, we're standing up together with the workers of the world to say no to fascism May first, as you just said, has become known as International Workers Day.

Omar, do you see this as an opportunity to also defend immigrant rights?

>> Absolutely.

We're saying that the immigration issue is a labor issue.

We're saying that immigrants are not criminals to their workers.

So I think it's it's becoming that we should come out on May 1st.

I'm the workers Trice also the immigrants rights.

But I think it a lot more, you know, because in essence linking the immigrant struggle to the struggle of the rest of the workers around the nation, especially now with under the attacks from the administration.

>> Lorraine, you're still employed by the EPA, but many of your co-workers were laid off last week.

In fact, on Earth Day does that does all of Meek you know, take on a whole new meaning this year?

Does it make it that much more significant?

Absolutely.

Federal workers across different agencies beyond the Environmental Protection Agency.

>> Are seeing a tax on, you know, we 9 being dismantled that the department that investigates after every firefighter death in the workplace.

Department has been removed already.

We see Social Security administration under attack every service that that protects so many aspects of the quality of life in economy in this country are being attacked.

And so we're so empowered.

The federal union, this network is rising up to participate, all over the country and we're ready to fight along with our brothers and sisters and siblings all over the country.

How would you say morale is among you and your colleagues at the Morales been hard, but after 100 days of this, I see people ready to fight and ready to step into our power.

Even more than ever.

question to you does does have greater significance this year given what Lorraine just talked about, but also what is happening to the immigrant community right now?

>> Absolutely years.

The in your community has been target of several administrations, not on the Republican Social >> You expression back Obama was the reported chief when one that we don't like that for years ago were the heroes of society.

We would be essential workers know they are where the queen knows Myers making at fantastic point.

We're international workers.

We are simply workers calling to another country.

The looking for jobs.

That's who we are and ask how we want to be recognized.

If we fall into did discourse of being criminals, this incites is going to repair a loss.

We doubt understanding that we had the basic the basis of the economy we brought forward from the fields to the doors off everybody doing the bend.

Amy.

We are not going to let anybody for getting that.

The president signed 3 new executive orders yesterday cracking down on sanctuary cities Are you concerned that immigrant fears about the Trump administration and get ice reads that we've been seeing and hearing about?

>> That could impact turnout at the rally.

>> We are.

There's definitely fear in the community and this.

That's the idea that the Trump administration is has, you know, that to do that.

that's going to be our responsibility now to begin to change that kind of intelligence, especially in mansion that but the immigrant communities around the nation that we are not criminals we have protection under the law and that we need to.

Understand that the attack that are coming are coming from someone who isn't 100%.

So when when he violates the laws, you know, he's violating the lowsome.

So he's he's a criminal, were not the criminals.

We have to change the mentality that we have events and we have to begin to fight on use and the loss and we have to protect our families by educating them and know your rights.

We also have to have a complain where our members over the immigrant community.

It refers to vote fault.

Become citizens and the workers that are on that commended today they needed.

We need need to fight to get them work permits and this would be I think that's what we need right now.

I think today, too, be legal workers and let them work.

>> Okay, we're almost out of time.

But Jorge, are you seeing immigrant and undocumented community members are?

Are they free to go to work?

>> There's fear, no doubt, no doubt.

But also there's a lot of education.

We have been indicating people, Tom Homan live declared that order our West.

A very the border wells are we are not that, you kingdom he should have another tied particular life that you go was a very difficult target because people knew their rights.

And that's exactly what we need.

Not allow the administration to violate the law, OK, that's where we'll have to leave it.

Best of luck to all of you on May day this week.

Thank you for joining us on our Lopez for him.

We got and Lauren Tacos.

Thank Thank you.

Up next, the future of the Endangered Species Act and what it means for Illinois wildlife.

>> Conservationists say a proposed rule change could fundamentally up and protections for endangered species that have been in place for the past 50 years.

The proposed change by the Trump administration hinges on a single word harm.

Our Patty Wetland joins us now to explain the proposal and what it could mean for Illinois.

Patty, tell us what the administration is proposing and how would it change projections, right?

So the Endangered Species Act is roughly 50 ish years old at this point.

And it has kind of a laundry list of things that people which includes corporations can't do actions you can take against an endangered species.

And those include things like kill hunt, harass trap, capture and one of the things you can't do is harm.

And for the past 30, 40 ish years harm has been interpreted.

Do include you cannot modify their habitat.

You can't destroy their habitat.

You can degrade their habitat.

>> The Trump administration wants to rescind the inclusion of habitat modification as part of harm.

So that harm has to more intentional.

You know, injury.

And so that would remove a species habitat protection.

So somewhat I talked to said, you know, you can't club a but you could, you know, draining the scene that poison the water poison the ocean cut down the spotted owls trees.

>> So so that's what they're proposing.

If the rule change does go into effect, how could things play out here in Illinois?

>> Well, so Illinois is one state, not every state has this has its own Endangered Species Act and the to kind of work in tandem.

And they're very similar.

But they do differ in some Ways.

And Illinois Act does specify habitat.

So it.

If there was a ruling that came through, even if the federal government said inaction was OK, it's still would have to be reviewed by Illinois, which could then perhaps deny a development permit.

So a lot of people think that because Illinois's law seems perhaps at this point stronger than the federal rule, that there might not be a lot >> changer or harm to come to endangered species in Illinois.

But Illinois has some gaps in its last specifically as it relates to plants where there aren't a whole lot of protections and either the federal or the state level for plants.

And so folks and who deal with endangered species are like it's good to start talking about this now, even if if we think that Illinois will protect, it's endangered species, we need to start talking about it.

Looking at where there might be gaps in the state law that you might need to compensate for something in the federal law.

I'm sure you'll you'll keep us posted on how this out.

Yeah, at Lee, thank you so much.

Thanks.

Brandis.

>> And you can read patties full story on our website.

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

A proposal to expand police curfew powers goes before a key City Council committee.

Meanwhile, Mayor Johnson heads to Springfield and financial reprieve for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Here with all that and more is our spotlight.

Politics team, Heather, Sharon and Nick Blumberg.

Welcome back.

Team.

So let's start with that proposal to expand police curfew powers to limit what some are calling out of control.

Teen gatherings.

Here's a little of what Mayor Brandon Johnson and police Superintendent Larry Snelling had to say on the subject on Monday.

>> We have not seen any substantive evidence Laura, the curfew is going to change that.

What we want to do is prevent violence.

We want to prevent the young teens who are coming down to wreak havoc on the city to not form up.

>> So Heather, tomorrow, a proposal to allow police officials to impose a curfew anywhere in the city to prevent these large gatherings of teens goes before a city council committee.

What with this proposal Well, if one of these teen gathering happens, sometimes they're called teen trends.

It would give the police superintendent and other officials at City Hall the ability declare a snap curfew.

>> And give everyone 30 minutes notice to leave the area or face either curfew violations or citation.

now this would be a dramatic expansion.

The city's curfew power, which right now applies to everybody after 10:00PM.

If you're under 18 70's okay.

Next, the mayor and his hand-picked superintendent, they don't seem to see eye to eye on this issue.

Really?

Will that complicate efforts to win City Council approval?

I think we'll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.

But as things stand right now, there is a significant amount of council support in the form of co-sponsors of this ordinance.

>> Such that it should pass handily, you know, and depending on how people end up voting on the floor may or may not have a veto proof majority there.

But, you know, you even heard snowing yesterday expressing some concern about how this would be applied, you know, saying we don't want to accidentally criminalize, you know, young people who just happened to get caught up in it and weren't part of these, you know, teen trends or teen takeovers.

You know, I think the other thing we should be watching out for is just how quickly should this pass and be, you know, become part of the city code legal challenges to this.

There are a lot of folks who are saying that this pretty dramatic expansion of power may or may not pass constitutional muster.

So I think that's going to be a key element to watch for going forward as well.

Should this, you know, proposal advance and city Council and head of one of the last time the city expanded the curfew was back in 2022, what happened then?

Well, he didn't really do much according to documents obtained from the Chicago Police Department, the ability to cite people who are between 17 and 18 for extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights was only used.

A handful of times, maybe a dozen times.

All of last summer.

>> all summer, there were only 300 curfew violations.

Rick ordered and only about 75 teens and their parents were actually cited for either repeat curfew violations or for being arrested on suspicion of committed another crime.

So the curfew ordinance is not something that Chicago police used very often and we'll have to see whether it would be effective way of sort tamping down these gatherings.

And as we talked about before, the city already has policies in place to declare an unlawful mass gathering, the new policy that went in place.

>> Ahead of the DNC in which police officials said was very successful in, you know, allowing people to gather ensuring that they stayed.

>> You know, peaceful and orderly.

And they, you know, they said after the DNC, this was a It's interesting to see, you know, perhaps why not use this policy that's already in place rather than, you know, this expansion of existing powers and these rules are subject to sort of the approval of the independent monitoring overseeing the enforcement of the consent decree and the federal judge charge of these reforms because these are areas where the Chicago Police Department has had problems.

We all remember sort of the George Floyd protests calls for social justice.

There were hundreds of complaints filed filed against Chicago police and those rules were revised to give officers.

>> Clear guidance on when to declare a gathering unlawful and how to disperse that.

the other thing that I think some older people have raised as well as issues about equity and how this is equitably enforced.

If that time she comes will be really curious to see what some of the arguments are and how that plays out.

Heather on sticking with CPD for a bit.

They unveiled the first draft policy governing traffic stops.

What would it do?

Well, it would allow Chicago police officers to continue to make traffic stops based on minor violations, such as an expired license plate sticker or broken headlight that are otherwise to sign to find evidence of other crimes.

Now, I asked police Superintendent Larry Snelling why he thought CPD should continue to have that power.

And he forcefully defended that as a way to sort of prevent dangerous drivers and keep the city safe however, the prep community Commission for Public Safety and accountability disagrees with 6 of those 7 members believes those stop should be banned because they essentially don't make the city and safer and put police officers in Chicagoans in a dangerous situation which we have seen all too frequently result in violence.

So this is going to be a big controversy.

I couldn't get Mayor Johnson to sort tell me which way he was leaning.

So this is another potential area of conflict between him.

And as you said, his handpicked police superintendent, no doubt you'll keep asking him So Nic, federal prosecutors say saying they are no longer seeking this 3.1 million dollars from former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who earlier this year, we all know was convicted of bribery and conspiracy but less than a month ago, the feds were explaining why Madigan should have to forfeit that money.

What happened?

>> Well, there's not a lot of detail in the filing from federal prosecutors.

They essentially say we stick by our case.

We stick by our arguments.

But we're dropping this as a matter of discretion, independent of any other issue.

>> We should also point out there is another issue in this case.

Madigan filed his attorneys filed a post trial motions saying he should get a new trial.

The jury didn't receive proper instruction.

They're evidentiary errors.

Federal prosecutors just today responding to Madigan's motion saying any areas that you can point to were not substantial at all did not affect the outcome of the case and should not, you know, grant mad at the judge should not take this sort of extraordinary step of overturning, you know, the jury's decision and granting a new trial.

But no longer will they be pursuing that, you know, restitution from Madigan.

So we will see where how the judge decides on those 2 outstanding motions.

So also Nick Mayor Brandon Johnson, he is in Springfield Wednesday, hoping to get some financial relief from lawmakers.

What is he asking for on the strip?

He's got a laundry list of some issues.

You notice things like bringing back a tax on prepaid cell phones or phone minutes cards.

>> But a reimbursement rates for certain services that CPS provides more money for the city shelter system.

They're looking to, you know, boost certain 9-1-1, surcharge on phone bills, which is an issue that state rep Cambon are actually is supported and has successfully run a bill on in the House.

But he's not really going after a lot of these big ticket issues.

And as we know, there are plenty.

I mean, there is the billion dollars, the states that the CPS says it's owed by the state.

There is this looming transit, fiscal cliff of 770 some million dollars.

There's the question of the Bears Stadium.

But, you know, Johnson's asks are pretty limited in scope.

And of course, he has had limited success in Springfield with, you know, Governor Pritzker earlier this year expressing frustration, saying you got to reach out and work with us more.

You're not going to build relationships this way.

And Prince was also pointed out this is very late in the game.

A lot of the budgetary issues, you know, that some of the bones of it are decided before the governor stands up and makes his budget speech in, you know, the beginning of this section in the wintertime at the beginning of the year.

So, you know, the session is barreling to a close very quickly.

So it'll probably be a big lift for a lot of lawmakers, especially those outside the Chicago area to try and push for some of these measures that Johnson seeking right eyes on Springfield and to see what, if anything, they actually come back.

Chicago with that a spotlight game.

number Blumberg, I can say your name and Heather Sharon, thanks.

Thanks, We're back right after this.

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

You can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube channel every evening and >> catch up on any programs you may have missed and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 local stakeholders on the Governor Pritzker's budget proposal and priorities.

They'd like to see the state make.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm 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