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

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Brandis Friedman will join us later in the program.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> Safe and compassionate immigration policies I believe are vital.

>> Governor Pritzker faces off with Congress members as he defends state protections for undocumented immigrants DC here.

>> No more Trump, DHS ice.

>> Organizers are preparing for large-scale protest against the Trump administration.

What you can expect from Saturday's no Kings rally.

And audiences are getting a new take on a Shakespearean classic.

And now to some of today's top stories.

Police from out of state have been illegally accessing data from license plate readers from Illinois.

That's according to Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias who says out of state police have used the information to target people seeking reproductive health care or for immigration-related enforcement in violation of state law.

The Mount Prospect Police Department is facing an investigation for sharing information in hundreds of immigration cases and data on a woman from Texas who came to Illinois for abortion care.

>> This demonstrates a broader problematic trend of other states leveraging this emerging technology extending their reach beyond their jurisdictions to surveil.

And hunt down law abiding individuals.

Make no mistake.

This is a fundamental threat.

To the liberties of all Americans.

>> The secretary of state's office says it plans to look into whether other departments have also violated that law.

School's out for summer.

Today marks the final day of the academic year for Chicago public School students.

The milestone came just a day after the city school board picked former principal and city hall adviser masculine King to lead the district on an interim basis.

The Chicago Tribune reported last week that as a principal King was investigated, though, not disciplined over negligence concerns related to student safety policies.

The school board has hired a search firm to help find a permanent CEO with directors reportedly hoping to hire someone by the end of September.

And Puerto Rican fest is back.

The annual celebration of Puerto Rican culture kicks off today in Humble Park with food live music, carnival games and dancing.

What more can ask for?

And the star of the show, the Puerto Rican People's Day Parade is on Saturday festivities last through the weekend.

Up next, what Governor Pritzker said while testifying in Washington, D.C., Today, Heather Sharon gives us a rundown.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> Governor JB Pritzker found himself in a white hot spotlight on Capitol Hill today.

He was called to defend Illinois's efforts to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee Pritzker struck a defiant tone when asked if he was worried Trump's border czar would order his arrest.

>> If Tom Homan were to come to try to arrest as my me rather, I can say, first of all, you can I can also tell you that I will stand in the way of Tom Homan going after people who don't deserve to be frightened in their communities.

You don't deserve to be threatened, terrorized.

That would rather that came and arrested me then do that to the people of my state.

>> Now alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and New York Governor Kathy Hochul Pritzker urged Republicans to help him fix the nation's quote, broken immigration system.

Let's listen to a bit of the governor's opening statement.

>> I have seen firsthand how states have had to shoulder the consequences of a broken immigration system.

I'm proud of how we have responded by promoting public safety.

Treating people with dignity, supporting our economy and respecting the rule of law.

>> Our Heather Sharon joins us now with more on the governor's very long, very long and very high stakes day, Heather, even though this hearing was supposed to focus on laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation didn't quite turn out that way.

What happened in sure didn't.

It was overtaken by events.

Of course, we've now seen large-scale protests against the president's mass deportation efforts.

We there are protests going on right now in Chicago and across the country.

But during the hearing, officers protecting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tackled forcefully handcuffed.

California Senator Alex Padilla that created just chaos in this hearing.

Governor Pritzker took a moment to sort of to cry that action and as Republicans sort of celebrated it.

And Democrats said that this was a clear threat.

>> To Congress is a co-equal branch of law lost in the shuffle.

Was the need to grieve over what exactly the Illinois trust acted.

But that is well Treinen territory.

Of course, Mayor Brandon Johnson faced a lot of those questions back in We certainly saw, you know, perhaps perhaps a lack of understanding back in hearing will, as we've reported, the Justice Department is suing Illinois to overturn the Illinois Trust Act.

>> Well, anything that happened today potentially influence that case, which, you know, of course, could determine whether the president can claw back billions of dollars from from the state from the city.

Not really.

It was mentioned only briefly as Pritzker insisted the state complies with federal law and Republicans insisted that it, in fact, did not again and again.

Pritzker said that Illinois law enforcement agents on or judicial warrants and they simply don't interfere with ICE agents if they're conducting other immigration enforcement activities.

I don't think either side really learned anything new Pritzker.

Of course, he has yet to announce whether he's going to run for a 3rd term as governor.

And he has, of course, considering running for president in 2028.

>> Did we learn anything perhaps about his political future today?

Well, he certainly staked out land on sort of the far left side of the Democratic Party, sort of vigorously combating the president today.

He sort of was very milquetoast for much of the day, but towards the end, perhaps he was a little tired and annoyed.

Got a little punchy with some of the Republicans and clearly is willing to show that he is a fighter.

>> The question is, is that what Democratic voters are going to be looking for a 3rd term as governor or perhaps in 2028?

Will have can imagine.

You are a little bit tired after uncovering marathon hearing, but thank you for watching that, Heather.

Thanks, Nick.

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

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

>> As President Trump marks his birthday with a massive military parade in DC organizers in Chicago and around the country are pushing back.

Demonstrators plan to gather in Daly Plaza at noon on Saturday for one of many so-called no Kings events with activists rally against immigration enforcement and other federal policies.

Dozens of other gatherings are planned across Chicagoland from neighborhoods like South Chicago and Edgewater to suburbs like Evanston and Schomberg.

Joining us now with more are 2 of the groups organizing the demonstration, Kathy fallen and a visible Chicago's board president and Ed Young Cook Communications and public policy director at the ACLU of Illinois.

Welcome both of you to Chicago tonight.

Kathy, what are the groups putting his demonstration together?

Want to counteract the message of Saturday's parade in DC.

>> We are facing national crisis that is only growing every day.

It seems on days like today that it's growing every hour.

All right.

The president has weaponized the military against the American people.

Ice agents are terrorizing and kidnapping and disappearing.

Our neighbors and the president and his administration continue to work to undermine democracy.

That's what's happening while the military parade is happening in in Washington, in Chicago and around the country on Saturday, we have the opportunity to stand up and say no out.

We are not a country with a king.

We are not a country we're not a country where chaos and and cruelty rain.

We're not a country in service of billionaires.

We are a country of laws and lost in service of the people.

And that's why we are gathering Saturday to say.

No kings.

>> But you know, and there was a lot of conversation about what a lot of people called the resistance during the first Trump administration.

Do you think those forces are as active during this go around?

>> I think they really are waking up and becoming more active each and every day as Kathy said, you know, every time you see, you know, mask heavily armed agents careening through our streets and sweeping people up in kidnapping them when the president is cutting funding to things like head start, you know, when you look at the kinds of policies that are targeting transgender folks, people are recognizing the reality that today this week he's targeting those people next week.

It could be all of us.

And I think you're starting to see a coal less saying around this.

You see it in the polls and I think you're beginning to see it in actions like Saturday.

You know, that list of communities across just Chicago land is really impressive in terms of people wanting to come out and reject this kind of authoritarianism.

What you know, that this Saturday's protest follows a week of demonstrations against immigration enforcement.

Both here and around the country.

Here's some of what local advocates had to say earlier today.

>> We cannot allow the Trump administration to continue to need also hotel.

individuals detained state.

I wasn't even have those faces to hold that many people.

medical They have no humanity or and order.

>> And we also learned this week, Chicago is one of the cities expected to be targeted for heightened immigration enforcement.

You know, Ed, what kind of work can you do with immigrant communities to prepare for that?

So I think there's a couple of things.

The first thing is is is, you know, the the groups like Oak had a nicer who held that press conference today have done such a great job of really educating a broad swath of people about their rights.

So they're ready to prepare.

But the second thing is, is that what's really I think important now is that all of us from every community watch what's happening to our neighbors and our friends and our co-workers and be prepared to speak out to demand that our federal officials provide oversight of this process to ensure that, you know, our local officials are doing everything to follow the Illinois Trust Act.

That was the you know, that was the subject of that high.

Circus act today in in Washington, D.C., Sure, you know, Kathy, there's been some media coverage of clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement here in Chicago as well as in L a do you think this represent a majority of the demonstrations?

>> Oh, absolutely not.

And I would say the individual, Chicago and all of our our 60 plus partner organizations sponsoring the rally on Saturday are committed to nonviolence.

We are committed We committed to nonviolence and we are preparing to work to ensure the safety people who attend.

And we take we take safety very seriously.

We teams of trained and experienced safety marshals.

And we know that the Chicago Police Department also be there to protect our our right to protest.

You it at something about this.

You know, I I hear this.

I see the headlines about, you know, the outbreaks you know, some limited amounts of violence in cities like L a.

>> You know, I relish having that conversation.

If I weren't having it with someone who pardoned the people who beat police officers on January 6, it is really ridiculous that we're responding to what Donald Trump thinks ought to be peaceful protest when that's what he's forgiven.

So I think this idea that somehow protest is dangerous has really grown up in a way that's really precarious.

I will tell you, having been number of these, you know, you see people there with their families with children in strollers with, you know, multi generations together because they're just fed up with what this guy's doing.

And that's what Saturday will feel like.

All right.

Well, I'm sure there will be a lot of eyes on Saturday's gathering.

That's where have to leave it for tonight.

But Kathy phone at Young thank you both for joining us.

Thank you so much.

>> And we're back with more right after this.

>> We will get back to our program in just 2 minutes with Brandis Friedman and an unusual twist on one of Shakespeare's most famous works.

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Thank you, Chicago tonight returns in a moment.

>> Tragedy, betrayal, revenge.

Those are some of the themes of most any Shakespearean drama.

But audiences are now getting a twist of the beloved classic hamlet, rather than a stage.

Production creators are giving audiences an earful with an audio adaptation.

Here to explain more about the magic that is Hamlet are Jeremy McCarter adapter of director executive producer and founder of the Make-Believe Association and Daniel Kyree, a Chicago native and star of the new adaptation of Hamlet.

Welcome.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

Good to be here South.

Jeremy, tell us how this works.

Handle it, but make it podcast.

That's right.

Why would we do such a thing a couple of years ago realize that our audience people listen to podcast tend to do so on headphones.

>> And we have the audience between a set of headphones.

We have this special super power that we can do.

We can make them feel that they're inside the main character's head.

>> And I just thought, well, if we can do that, what would be more interesting head to be inside then hamlets, which is family is in those teams play ever written because of the way that Shakespeare puts us inside his mind as he is dealing with his world falling apart around him.

So adaptation found Daniel Carey.

He's going to do it.

And we went.

>> What goes into process of making a project like this visually appealing to an audience without visuals because we're used to seeing this on a stage for sure.

>> We are blessed to have as one of our closest collaborators, Mikhail Fix.

Elisa Tony Award-winning sound designer who has this incredible ability to render worlds that are so vivid.

You think you're seeing them even though all you're doing is listening to the sound effects of these creating and then we have the performances of the actors and the way that they respond to the cues that they're getting from from Isha sound design.

What the response we're getting from early audience is that people feel like they're really in it.

>> Daniel Currie, most folks probably know you from your role on Chicago but why did you want to play this role?

Very different from how we're used to seeing totally.

I mean.

>> Hamlet is one of those.

It's like it's like the movie deck of the acting well dry.

I feel like a lot of actors are in pursuit of what their version of this iconic character can can be.

And it is rife with challenges right the ability to to do your analysis of the tax and what's happening and to translated into living grieving being this I think is something that you just worthy of the challenge.

And so for me, I I was thrilled to another crack at it.

What have you prepare for something like that?

I mean, it requires a world of >> studying and specificity.

And I am lucky enough to have been blessed with such thorough and talented collaborators like Jeremy McCarter Sydney Charles who associate director on this project as mentioned, think 6 ul these are all folks that I can kind of go into a room with bounce ideas off of you know, rely on them to give me kind of guidance and a lot of ways.

My team was my north star for this project.

>> Also as a Chicago you've been on Chicago fire for some time.

And I'm gonna come back to him with the second a promise what what's that been like for you to be able to act in your hometown on a successful series?

Yeah, absolutely incredible.

I mean, you know, I have done a lot of work locally in Chicago on.

>> Many stages across the city and I was actually doing my first round of Hamlet when I was cast on the show, Chicago Fire and so, you know, there is difference, I think and perhaps a platform.

impact in some ways in terms of just like the recognize ability of something like Chicago fire.

And so, of course, I go back to my like, you know, like you're on TV and you know that whole thing.

there's something that's just really >> affirming for me as as an actor because, you know, it's a it can be a tough business and I've been very, very fortunate.

So you're ready for him Let's listen to one of Hamlet's inner monologues that you're talking about.

She would hang on to as increase of appetite had what it fed on.

>> And yet within a month, I mean, think on it.

Frailty by name is woman.

And little month.

>> those shoes were called with which she followed my poor father's body.

I can.

I hope the all he hears why she.

Even she >> Jeremy, of course, have been I don't know how many countless iterations and productions of Hamlet over the years.

What sets this one apart, obviously being that it it's an audio production tour.

>> I mean, even among audio productions of Hamlet of which there have been many as far as we can tell, no one is taking the specific approach, which is to adapt to text so that you are experiencing the entire story from Hamlet own point of view.

So when you put headphones on and you hear things happening, you're hearing as they're happening to end around Hamlet.

That is a completely different way of its a fresh angle.

It coming up the play and we did it.

We obviously were not.

company wanted to make a cool audio story the audience will love.

But also we felt like we can use these tools, the specific tools of podcasting to maybe give people angle on this play that through never had before in 425 years.

That was, you know, the fun part of the challenges.

People who really love Shakespeare.

>> Daniel, on the audience can't physically see you.

But we know you're black, right?

And you said you played Hamlet before.

How do you think was it mean to you to be a black man stepping into this role?

>> I think that it really is opportunity to perhaps myself my characters because I'm like, please The kinds of perhaps expectations that might come up right from people visually seeing me and to just kind of lean in and listen to his story, what he is experiencing and just empathize with his humanity in a way that sometimes I feel because, you know, we are in divisive times.

It's sometimes it's little bit more difficult for us to see another person's point of view, especially when there kind clearer more obvious separations are could between us and so differences yet.

And so and in this case, I think it's just a wonderful opportunity to chess.

Let our imaginations go and feel what we feel from the circumstances that this human person is experiencing.

It's exciting for >> 10 seconds left.

Jeremy McCarter 10th anniversary of Hamilton.

You co-wrote Hamilton.

The Revolution with the creator Lin Manuel Miranda.

When you look back on these 10 years, what do you >> I see it plays a show that had an unbelievable legacy.

I mean, none of us, I think thought 10 years later, we're still be on Broadway or that he would have shifted the culture and all the ways that it shifted.

I mean, I feel unbelievably lucky that I got to have to view on that on that come or accuracy experience that I make congrats to you both.

Thank you for joining Jeremy McCarter and Daniel Khiree.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

>> And we're back right after this.

That's our show for this Thursday night.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter.

The Daily Chicago and at W T Tw Dot Com Slash newsletter.

Join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the weekend review.

Now for all of us here in Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Lumbered.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> A closed captioning is made possible.

Why Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death that serves the needs of clients in the