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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Other people are pushing back on a pilot program allowing Chicago police officers to file felony gun charges.

A spotlight politics team on that and more.

>> Plus, funding for arts and cultural organizations takes a hit after the federal government pulls back millions of dollars.

>> A local groups are being impacted.

>> And now to some of today's top stories, a group of former northwestern football players who sued the university over a hazing scandal are settling their lawsuit against the school.

Both the university and attorneys for the former student players confirms a provisional agreement is in place.

But the terms of it are confidential.

A Northwestern spokesperson says the agreement is the result of mediation and would fully resolve the plaintiff's claims against Northwestern and former head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

The players alleged years of hazing that involved coerced acts and they say it happened under Fitzgerald's watchers.

His wrongful termination suit against Northwestern is still set for trial in November.

Cook County officials are announcing a new committee focused on developing the next stage of the county's guaranteed Basic Income program.

The county concluded its 42 Million Dollar pilot program last year and today is unveiling plans for a new advisory committee.

The Committee will be tasked with reviewing research, developing recommendations and designing a new model for the future of the program aimed at reducing poverty.

The pilot program distributed $500 monthly checks to more than 3200 families across the county.

Half of whom earned $21,000 or less annually.

Officials say participants use the payments to help cover everyday expenses like groceries and rent and to manage unexpected financial emergencies.

Without it, I could not afforded the caring needed in a moment of true crisis.

>> I'm alive today because of this program.

And I am back in my apartment.

For more on this story, check out our Web site.

>> W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

Division.

One football is making its way to the South side.

Coaching to me coaching to me, it's not in Stuart Ministry.

A call.

And I'm so blessed to be called to this community to this university, 2 COVID nation to be a head football coach.

Bobby roamed the second was announced as Chicago State University's first ever head football coach.

>> And he's tasked with building the program from the ground up.

It is coach Rome's 4th gig as a head coach.

And he says he's focused on building community support for the predominately black colleges.

New project.

The school says it plans to kick off its first season in 2026.

Up next, how federal funding cuts will affect local museums.

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

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> decision by the Trump administration to cancel 175 million dollars in grants to arts and cultural groups could soon be felt in Illinois.

That's because more than 1000 grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities were terminated by the administration last week.

The abrupt move means that Illinois Humanities, which was expecting 2 million dollars from the any age is now looking at a 1 million dollar shortfall in its budget for this year.

And the cuts will likely impact the agency's ability to deliver programming in communities across the state.

Joining us now with more our Gabrielle Lion executive director of Illinois.

Humanities and Jean Schulz.

Angel president of the Illinois Association of Museums and Associate vice president of Humanities at Neighbor Settlement Museum.

Ladies, thank you for joining us.

Thank you Gabrielle Island.

Start with you.

Please explain the mission of Illinois, Humanities and your link to the any age.

Please.

mean, we have an amazing mission.

It is literally to take tax dollars from the federal government and make sure they come back to Illinois.

>> And are available for everyone to benefit from particularly arts history.

Heritage, museums, libraries, things like that.

So we do 3 things in Illinois.

Humanities, we do grant making we do free public programs.

We do education and those federal dollars.

Those dollars that come every year as they have for 50 years.

To Illinois.

Humanities, that's our foundation.

That's the foundation for everything we do name, if you would an example or 2 of something that you funded, that all of us can go Some of us can go up that right?

Well, I mean, one of the things that is about to happen at neighbor settlement is a speaker will come and talk about the history of her grandmother's quilts.

You know, we actually activate programs in small towns and rural communities.

So if you're here in Chicago, you may not have heard of all of them, but we also have major programs in Chicago like The Odyssey Project.

It's an education program for adults who haven't had the chance to go to college.

They can earn college credit by taking humanities classes with us when and how did you learn about this funding cut?

learned about it in the dark of night.

I received an email shortly before midnight and I wasn't the only one to receive an email with a very short statement saying that our current and future funding was being terminated.

Illinois Humanities is a non-profit in Illinois, but every state has a humanities council.

Going back 50 years.

So our colleagues in Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, we all got the same letter that went in alphabetical order.

Did you receive any justification in that letter?

We did not receive justification the statement was funding has been terminated because the policy priorities of the administration don't align.

What we've been doing.

Jean felt angel, what impact are the spending cuts going to have on Illinois museums?

Well, you know, there's over 1000 museums across Illinois.

Most of them are small volunteer runner, one or 2 persons staffed places.

But those places are essential in small communities all over the state.

They are keepers of their heritage.

Their keepers of history.

There keepers of collections of assets.

So, you know, museum funding all across the state is very diverse.

Museums are funded in many different ways.

And so to a source of funding for grant projects for exhibits.

For collections.

For what have you is going to make an impact and it'll have a ripple effect.

Not every museum gets federal funding, but the ones that to make incredible strides in what they're doing and what they're able to offer people all over the state.

Now in the context of the federal budget, the 175 million dollars in grants that National Endowment for the Humanities make.

That's a fraction of the federal 6 to 7 trillion dollar budget.

What do you think the Trump administration is doing?

Is Jane?

And then I want to hit you got somebody come to you, too.

I I I wouldn't venture a guess on why they're doing it.

I think I would people who enjoy museums.

You know what impact that will have on their family experiences on the memories they make and those institutions and, you know, I would time is now to have a voice for museums and what those museums mean for your community.

I totally agree with what Gina saying and I think this thing about how do we make memories is really important.

You know, as an organization that is working in every nook and cranny in the state, but also working right here in Chicago with the Haitian American Museum or the Cambodian Heritage Museum.

You know, we are in the places that are maybe not the largest but mean the most to the people they serve.

And I think we're most concerned about the kinds of things programmatically that this will really a fat.

Reading groups like re-imagining the American Dream.

That's a program that Illinois humanities has been doing, especially in Collier counties to say what is it like?

Where did you come from?

What is your story?

And to have a protected place in space to be in conversation just people, you know, not because of your political party.

So free programs, history, heritage exhibits like the ones Gene is talking about and the funding doesn't only come to Illinois, Humanities, but our funding is particular.

These are tax dollars were in statute.

Congress appropriated them and it's, you know, a question that I have.

Why can't we decide here in Illinois what to do with the dollars that are supposed to be coming here what do you think people should care if funding for humanity's is cut?

What's lost with that?

Well, the first thing is the kind of program we have happening right now in this conversation, the protected places and spaces for us to talk about things that matter.

So sometimes those happened at libraries or senior centers are veterans homes.

Sometimes they happened at the gym.

You know, they might happen in a Bible study group.

Those are the kinds of conversations, but its also the enrichment.

You know, my grandmother's quote, collection starts to become more meaningful when I can go to a purse adamant in program and be with other people who have that same kind of interest, but its culture, its community, its connection.

And that's the fundamental mission we're working to protect.

What do you say to people then who think the federal government shouldn't be paying for, you know, arts culture, humanitarian or humanities programs and that this is one way for the government to save money.

I think that's a really, really good point.

And back to I think our biggest concern, these are not general dollars.

These are tax dollars that we have already contributed that are supposed to be coming back to Illinois.

And the big question for us is how do we continue to serve people in programs?

They're at their highest demand of all time coming out of COVID.

These are standing room only programs and then the second thing is, you know, with major events on Dak the 200 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independents, you know, our own commemorations Juneteenth.

How do we commemorate those things?

If we don't all do it together, I can tell you why people should care because your children are going to museums.

They're learning from museums.

We're supplemental in informal educators.

>> We educate we, we work we provide quality of life.

You know, it's one thing to have really great streets.

It's one thing to have make sure that there are is enough food to feed people and, you know, the hospitals are good.

It's another thing.

Also and important to swell to have that layer of culture and humanities because it enriches our lives and it makes a quality of life in our American communities communities across Illinois that much better.

Jean, what is the possibility of funding from elsewhere to cover the shortfall that's going to have?

know, that's a really challenging question for the museum industry.

>> Museums are funded.

Every museum is not funded the same way we go.

And we look for diverse funding sources so we can be sustainable and because of that.

We are always looking for opportunities.

And when you cut off federal funding sources, you're cutting off a significant way of funding really wonderful, wonderful exhibits that are not inexpensive to put And what's the likelihood that this has a disproportionate impact on the smaller institutions?

The smaller institutions will feel the effect of this by the fruit of the vine.

So if a larger institution has to look to other places rather than the federal government for funding, they're going to be looking to places that smaller institutions are already looking to those places as well.

So it's just a smaller source of grant funding and it's going to affect all museums across the state one of the things that I think is so important about this question is Illinois.

Humanities is the champion for small towns, rural communities and community-based places.

So >> the museum's but also History Center's Archives Arts Center's cultural centers.

Those are all destinations.

>> Not only because they're a luxury, but that might be the place where you get to speak in your own language.

>> That might be the place where you get share your story and history for the future.

So I think we're really, really looking at, you know, moving forward.

Go to a program, participate and ideally, if this is something you're concerned about, that you in fact, share your concerns with elected folks, particularly Congress before we run out of time.

I want to ask what recourse do you have?

Is there anything that you can do to push back on these cuts and 30nd, I would say the first thing we're asking everyone to do is get involved.

You can go to the Illinois Humanities website at Illinois.

Humanities stopped work.

The second thing is we're looking at the legality of it.

And the 3rd thing is we are extraordinarily energized by the response.

If you thought the humanities we're invisible, I can tell you that people are coming out of the woodwork and we're so thrilled to be in partnership visit a museum.

There you go.

All right.

We'll have to leave it Gabriel Line and Jean Charles Angel, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you.

Up next, our Spotlight POLITICS team has details on a new approach to building affordable housing in Chicago.

>> The bribery trial for a long-time lawmaker gets underway.

Public transit workers lobby in Springfield for transit funding and older people consider banning January 6th participants from city jobs.

Here with all that and more is our spotlight.

Politics team had a Sharon and Nick Blumberg.

Welcome backing, missed So Heather, the centerpiece of Mayor Johnson's effort to build more affordable housing facing a key test tomorrow in City Council.

What makes this proposal unique?

Well, it would create a nonprofit organization run by the city to essentially >> fund these projects directly.

So it is a new approach to funding affordable housing that would have the city take a much more direct role in giving these units built before the city really work to leverage federal income tax credits and to sort of connect developers with sort of a smaller set of city subsidies and perhaps help them borrow money from banks or private equity funds.

In a sense the city would take that lead role in trying to help finance these developments and they'll do it as part of the mayor's 1.0, 2, 5 billion dollar bond borrowing that was approved a year ago.

This proposal would sort of take 135 million dollars of that and use it just to sort of create this new development corporation.

Any insight into how this is going to go over with all the people tomorrow?

This is the details.

Now the general analogies was approved as part of that borrowing approved a year ago.

But it will be a real test for the mayor.

And we've seen a lot of reporting about his tense relationship with older people.

So it will really be a chance for the mayor to show that can not only make promises, but sort of fill in the details and get that through the city Council.

So Public transit workers were in Springfield today.

Head of the Transportation Committee meeting Friday in the Senate.

What was today's rally about?

Well, this is a group of more than 30 labor organizations.

They are backing an effort that they're calling United.

We move.

So this is an effort to governance reform to the public transit system here in northeastern Illinois.

It would stop short of this sort of wholesale merger that we've seen a proposed of the different bus and rail systems.

>> But it would involve, you know, having a newly empowered to, you know, RTA, you know, changing all sorts of questions about, you know, the composition of, you know, these different systems in ways that they say can address some of the structural issues that they've heard from lawmakers are really key to tackling.

It's been a very clear message that we know you have that 770 million dollar fiscal cliff coming up next year.

But we are not going to come through with the money unless we see some of these governance reforms.

So, of course, this is an effort to to keep the bill moving forward.

There was a lobbying day about a month ago.

But this session, you know, the end of the session is coming up in just a few weeks.

And, you know, transit organizations and, you know, their labor organizations that are supporting them are really concerned that they might just see governance reform get passed in the spring session, but they won't have certainty and funding until the veto session in the fall, which I think is probably causing a lot of heartburn to say the least so we will see where this goes.

You know, just today, RTA Chair, Kirk Dillard had a, you know, and at that out in the Tribune saying, you know, listen, the state is not doing its share.

The state is not funding public transit the way deserves to certainly Dillard a former lawmaker knows the power of trying to put some public pressure on lawmakers.

We will see where this goes.

Well, we know you'll be a you write that out for us.

Heather, you focus this week on a significant change in how felony gun possession cases are being brought into Southside police districts in particular.

>> Why is this change from the Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill?

Bert Weiss been controversial.

I heard from a lot of older people this week that there are concerns that it sets up a 2 tier system of justice.

So if you are arrested and police want to charge you with basically felony gun possession anywhere other than in Inglewood police district or the Calumet Police District, which is Roseland on the far south side of the city.

Those charges have to be approved by Assistant state's attorney before it starts making it way through the legal process.

But in those 2 districts, only a Chicago police lieutenant has to sign off on those charges before they're filed.

And this, I mean, Burke says is an important change, sort of streamline efforts to get cops back on the street.

It has the full support of police superintendent Larry Snelling, however, at the Chicago Police Department is under a federal court order to reform itself after decades of abuses and other problems.

So there are real questions about whether it makes sense to certain gives more power to the police department, which is only complied with 9% of that court order.

Now, Mayor Brandon Johnson, I asked him about it this week.

He said it is worth trying whereas there are a lot of people sort of wondering whether this is the right move even as crime continues to come down, soared across the board in Chicago, along with other cities across the nation.

One of those people in addition to the alderman that you that you speak about or other people you speak about is the Cook County Public Defender has raised some concerns when so strong.

Mitchell highlighted the fact that even if you're only arrested and charged inserted not brought to trial, that could have a profound impact on people's lives.

You can lose your job.

You can lose your housing.

You can sort of child custody issues.

And he said that it doesn't make sense to lower burden to file those charges into police districts where 85% of the residents are black.

And we know that Chicago has faced sort of the problems with systemic racism.

Now even older people who are in favor of this program say why not roll it out?

Citywide?

We'll have to see what happens Of course, there's the contacts that has been very well reported that the delays in the Cook County Criminal Court system that folks can be arrested and go to jail.

And if they do not have the financial means to get out, they can stay behind bars for quite some time while they await, you know, their case to be resolved, whether that's, you know, a settlement charges dropped going to trial.

What have you so this can have, you know, to to Heather's point about what public defender Mitchell said.

>> It's gonna be a very lengthy process.

If you don't have the means or someone, you know, close to doesn't have the means to get you out.

>> So also for a vote tomorrow, Heather is a measure that would disqualify anyone who participated in the January 6th Capitol riot from working for the city.

Why is the city Council stepping it?

Well, if you remember one of the first things, Governor JB Pritzker did after President Donald Trump took office was to issue an executive order saying, hey, if you are arrested, charged and convicted and then pardoned of participating in the January 6 Capitol Riot, you can't work for the state of Illinois.

Mayor Brandon Johnson did not sort of follow soon and the issue of state similar executive order for city employees.

So this is the city council led by Alderman Matt Martin stepping in to say actually, we think that's the right way to go.

faces its first test tomorrow.

This I think is especially important because, of course, one of those people pardoned by President Donald Trump, former Chicago police That's right.

And that.

But the mayor supported the governor at the despite not issuing something of his own.

It's you know, I a lot of people told me this was a no-brainer, right?

Every day we hear sort of from the mayor how terrible President Donald Trump is for the people of Chicago.

It's not clear, I think to a lot of people why he didn't issue this executive order.

And of course, Nick, this comes on the heels of tens of thousands of people gathering Saturday in Chicago and across the city protest of the current administration happened all over the state here all over the state.

I mean, there were folks in, you know, Rockford in Arlington Heights, in Gurnee, you know, all over the country.

There are these demonstrations in all 50 states, this sort of hands-off is what they're calling this movement.

You know, many local organizers said this was the largest Anti-Trump demonstration they'd seen in a long time, of course, now has the flavor of also being anti.

Elon Musk.

>> But it's a, you know, a really broad cross section of folks who helped organize this to gather this in a granddad advocates, environmental activists, folks who, you know, are concerned about the effect on the abortion access reproductive rights, the community, of course, the question here is always how do you funnel this into further action in Divisible, which is one of the organizations that helped, you know, sort of lead the charge here literally and figuratively.

They say that's kind of the next step is how do you make sure that this isn't just people out in the streets expressing their anger and their frustration?

But how do you channel that into something that has an effect on our current, you know, state of politics in the nation.

And before we go another week, another state lawmaker a criminal charges yesterday.

>> Bribery trial for state Senator Emil Jones.

The 3rd getting underway.

these charges been pending since 2022.

>> Remind so Senator Jones was among the people caught up in this red light camera scandal that snared quite a few politicians in its way.

He was on tape allegedly accepting a $5,000 bribe from the executive of a red-light camera company as well as a job for someone he was trying to, you know, allegedly help out It's definitely an interesting time to be, you know, as we've talked about with the trial of Mike Madigan with the so-called ComEd 4 Supreme Court is significantly weakening bribery law.

I think that's something that defense attorneys are very hopeful of.

They're also hopeful that they can paint this executive who cooperated with the FBI has no choir boy, someone who folks shouldn't be listening.

You know, folks on the jury shouldn't be listening interesting time to keeping an eye on that header.

Nic, thanks again.

That spotlight.

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

Stay connected with our reporters and what they're working on by following us on Instagram at W T Tw Chicago.

>> You can also follow us on Blue Sky at W T Tw and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

How the brand new National Public Housing Museum commemorates the history and community of public housing.

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 thing.

>> Closed caption News may cost why Robert a cliff and Clifford law a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

That serves the needs