>> And thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

State lawmakers weigh in on the budget process as the deadline to pass a spending plan approaches.

Former President Biden announces his prostate cancer diagnosis, a local doctor.

And what you should know about getting screened.

And Chicago's beloved piping plover Zara officially expecting.

We have the latest.

>> And now to some of today's top stories, the U.S. Department of Justice says it's investigating the city of Chicago's hiring practices to determine if they violate the Civil Rights Act.

In a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson sent today, the DOJ points to remarks he made at a church yesterday highlighting senior level positions his administration filled by a black person.

The department questions if the city is involved in a pattern or practice of racial discrimination.

In response, the mayor's office says it's quote, proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city.

Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago.

Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either.

After weeks of speculation.

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood announces she will not run for Durbin, Senate seat.

She made the announcement in an interview just hours ago on CNN.

>> When I reflected on the way that I could best serve families Illinois around the country really decided to stay in the House of Representatives and leadership and to help the DEA trip as we seek to reclaim the majority.

>> In the interview, Underwood also addressed an NBC Chicago reported Governor JB Pritzker was trying to deter her from running for the Senate seat when asked whether the governor had pushed her out of the race.

She replied, quote, Absolutely not.

The governor has also denied discouraging anyone from entering the primary Pritzker has endorsed Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton in the Senate race.

Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly have also announced they are running.

Cook County's top prosecutor is renewing calls for a new state law that would define attacks on reproductive health care centers as terrorism.

It comes days after a California fertility clinic was bombed.

Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill.

Burke is calling on Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill that would amend the terrorism article of the state's criminal code to include language protecting reproductive health care facilities.

Authorities say a 25 year-old man detonated a car bomb Saturday that injured 4 people and damaged fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California.

According to authorities, the man the FBI believes was responsible left behind, quote, anti prolife writings before carrying out an attack.

Investigators called terrorism.

Comed customers might notice an increase in their bills.

The summer starting in a couple of weeks.

The watchdog group, Citizens Utility Board Cub says there may be a silver lining but still blames the increase on poor policies.

>> Customers could be easily end up pain.

>> Well, over $100 extra on their power bills over the next 12 months.

>> And the infuriating that is that this was a completely preventable situation.

Unfortunately, this price spike is because of years of bad policy at at the regional pot power grid operator comment territory.

That's a little known organization.

Cole PJM Interconnection.

>> Cubs says it expects Cummins utility supply rate for June through September to be about 45% more than what it was last June.

credit through the climate and Equitable Jobs Act will provide some relief, reducing that cost by about 17%.

The group says the increase is caused by the soaring cost of reserve power and urges the utility to work with customers struggling to afford their bills.

This summer.

Among the gifts, vice president JD Vance gave the pope during his visit today personalized Chicago Bears, jersey.

>> This, of course, is Chicago Bears Jersey, which I believe the United States people are extremely excited about you.

>> Vance deliver the jersey bearing the name Pope Leo, along with a letter from President Donald Trump and an invitation to the White House.

The Veep who converted to Catholicism in 2019 lead the U.S. delegation, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the pontiff's first formal mask yesterday for more on their meeting, you can visit our website.

Up next.

State lawmakers on the fast-approaching end of session right after this.

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

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> It's crunch time in Springfield with the deadline to pass the state budget for next fiscal year.

Less than 2 weeks away, lawmakers are working to hammer out a balance spending plan amid federal funding uncertainties and mounting pressure from agencies asking for more money.

The governor's office is also projecting state revenues to be over half a billion dollars less than expected in February when he proposed his budget plan.

Here with more on how the budget process is going are Democratic State Representative La Shawn Ford and Republican State Senator Don DeWitt.

Gentlemen, thanks to both for joining us.

So you're already kind of far along in this process, right?

Only recently finding out that revenue estimates are shorter than they were predicted to be in February sales.

Tax income is down 150 million dollars federal dollars for programs like Medicaid and Medicare down 278 million and corporate income taxes down 88 Million.

And as we mentioned, the governor's office had already projected a 500 million dollar shortfall.

What is your reaction to these to these shortfalls?

Representative for to start with you, right, as I think that the governor and the leaders are doing a good job.

>> Looking at the uncertainty of Washington.

They had to readjust the revenue forecasts and had go down and the projections because of the possible recession.

So the governor and speaker House and president, the Senate, they've been doing a great job watching the market watching the federal funds that's coming in and making sure that we're prepared to take care of families in Illinois, regardless to how devastating Congress is acting toward Illinois.

>> Senator DeWitt, same question to you.

What do you think with your reaction when you hear about these shortfalls?

>> Well, I don't know that there's any significant dollars that have actually been accounted for that have been withheld by the federal government.

There was some federal dollars, some programs that discontinued, pandemic proven programs that were used to allow food pantries to acquire locally grown products here in Illinois.

But their product, that program was probably going away any way with the pandemic.

finally coming to an end.

Look, it's no surprise that there are significant revenue shortfalls.

We knew back in February and we made it clear that the day before the governor's budget address in February, there was a 3 billion dollar deficit in the revenue stream.

Miraculously the day before that number shrank to a billion dollars.

The reality is that's where it actually stands today.

The governor's talking about a 500 million dollar shortfall in revenue.

But there's actually another 470 million dollars in tax increases that are incorporated into this new budget.

He's still a billion dollar short on revenue and it's time for the governor start tightening his belt when it comes to protecting the taxpayers of Illinois.

>> So here's a bit of what Governor Pritzker said last week about the state's budget challenges.

>> This is certainly a tough year, but I would remind you that if you look around the country, every state is facing this challenge right now.

It's partly because of the slowdown of the expected slowdown of the overall economy.

Since the new administration came into office.

>> So senator, How much of these budget challenges do you think can be attributed to the Trump administration's changes in movements?

>> Well, I don't think any of the proposed challenges that the governor suggesting can be attributed to the change of administration in Washington right now.

Again, like I mentioned, when we sat with the governor's own Office of Management and Budget during appropriation hearings last 2 to 3 weeks.

I specifically asked his director, can you attribute any dollars that have been welcomed with help from the state Illinois for federal programs?

The only one she could the only one she could sign or relay was that federal fund to acquire for for the state to require food for food banks across the state Illinois.

Medicare is looking got some potential cuts.

But frankly, I think that's something that every state, specifically Illinois needs to be looking at when it comes to the waste and fraud that occurs and Medicaid spending here in Illinois, I don't have a problem with the federal government looking at every single dollar being spent on those federal programs right now.

And what's going to be important is whether the governor chooses to respond to those in in a financially responsible manner, whether he's just going to continue to gin up his support base as it continues to run for president and decide that he's going to make that an issue.

1, one really doesn't exist.

>> Well, I tell you, it's clear that the president's tariffs caused the consumer business community and the market too be worried and the law and that slows down any economy and it hurts our economy here in Illinois.

And so Washington, the Republican Congress, people and senators, they're hurting the economy because they won't stand up to this administration.

Illinois is already a donor state where we send more money to Washington than we return.

So I think that it's unfair that.

Our senator here doesn't recognize that we actually are being hurt by President Trump's policies.

>> Representative Ford, some Democrats, of course, are also pushing for additional funding for various programs that may not be possible without tax increases.

And I think a lot of voters and constituents probably want to know.

What kind of tax increases might be possible?

>> Well, we hope that we don't have to raise taxes on on people.

But our goal is to work through this budget and do everything that we can to take care of.

Families in Illinois.

We know that we've lost at your higher in appropriations and we've lost almost 300 million dollars in federal money from this administration along.

And that's a problem.

300 million that impacts our students going to college, start pumping Universal's often use.

And, you know, we know and the people that suffer from opioid challenges, substance use disorders.

There are nonprofits out here is not just our universities, but there are nonprofits that it's partnering with the state to take care of the most vulnerable people.

The homeless population, their funds have been cut.

And so we have a problem because federal government has our economy in uncertain state.

>> It meanwhile, agencies like the regional Transit Authority in Chicago, public schools are calling on the state to provide more funds.

Senator, to welcome to you on this one.

First, what is the likelihood of the state come to the rescue for those?

>> Well, I regarding the RTA specifically, I think we're looking at her potential new revenue streams that can help solve the problems that the RTA is currently having.

There's no question that the pandemic significantly reduce the number of travelers using mass transit across Chicago every day and federal dollars that were appropriated through arpa funding have dried up very similar to the situation we are now facing here in Illinois.

Those federal dollars that were granted the state of Illinois has now dried up.

And for years we've been cautioning the governor that we have to start tightening our belt.

Instead, he went had incorporated those revenues into operations and administrative programming.

But now there's no revenue around to support.

But to my friend, Representative Sean's comments, you know, we're 47th in the nation with regards to our economic stability.

We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

Those are problems created in Washington, D.C., those are problems created right here by the governor who continues to spend every dollar he can get his hands on a 32% increase in the state budget since he came into office in 2019.

My life is not 40% better.

My friends, neighbors lives are not 40% better.

But the state of Illinois is continuing to spend every dollar they can get their hands Senator, we've got about 25 seconds left and I give representative for a chance to respond.

important to know that our fy 25 budget had no money in it.

>> We ran our budget without any federal money from due to COVID funds.

So I think it's just important to know that if you are.

Regular person and you're not a part of the one percent.

The Republicans in Washington, they're gonna hurt you and they're gonna Kutcher your food.

You're going to cut your health.

You're going to cut education.

And I think we have to stand up to the Republicans in Washington.

I'm guessing centered with probably has a different feeling on that.

But we'll have to get that next time.

We have to have you here.

We're out of time.

Thanks to both.

>> Representative La Shawn Ford and Senator Don to pre.

She ate Thank you.

Thank you.

Up next, former President Biden's diagnosis puts a renewed spotlight on prostate cancer.

>> Former President Joe Biden has seen an outpouring of support following an announcement that he has prostate cancer.

The 82 year-old shared his diagnosis on Sunday, calling it, quote, aggressive and adding that it's spread to his bones.

The American Cancer Society says about one in 8 men will receive the same diagnosis in their lifetime.

And doctors are reminding patients how to catch it early.

Joining us with more now is Dr Heath and Patel.

Your Olive Urologic oncologist at Northwestern Medicine, Dr Patel, thank you for joining us.

Yeah, thank you for having me.

So we mentioned one in 8 men will be diagnosed with this.

How will give us a sense how how common is prostate cancer, especially among former President Biden's age?

>> Yeah, prosecuted very common.

And if you live long enough, most men are going to get prostate cancer.

But it doesn't mean that it's going to be one that needs to be founders be aggressive.

But we do try to find aggressive cancers and those that have family histories, a significant histories early as we can.

>> The announcement from Biden's office said that his cancer is aggressive and that he is in 9 on the Gleason's scale.

Explain for us, please what that means and what it indicates.

>> Yeah, we quantify how aggressive a prosecutor is primarily by the greed.

Also called Gleason grade.

The modern great group system we use.

It usually goes from one through 5 to be more intuitive.

But the old-school numbers went to 6 to 10.

So yeah, Nick Leeson score 9 on the old group.

That's a 5 on the current system.

Some of the highest you can have.

And so those that are for 5 on the scale have a higher risk of spreading and usually to the lymph node or bones.

And unfortunately he's in the bones, which means is that a state for?

>> Does that grade also have any indication for what kind of treatments might or might not be pursued.

>> Yeah, many high-risk prostate cancer gree group 0.5 actually are still localized to the prostate.

They could be potentially cured with radiation or surgery, but we think of metastatic cancers, ones that we can control, but not, you know, not usually cure so treatment for men with metastatic prostate cancer, like, you know, what's been described, the President Biden have and use experimental therapy and so hormonal therapy also called androgen deprivation.

Therapy is treatments that can be an injection or a medication that can lower a man's testosterone levels to lower castrate levels.

And that helps strenger keep the prostate cancer from spreading.

And that can work actually very well for a long time.

But like I mentioned, it's not generally curable.

In most cases.

And there are other things you can do as well.

But that's the mainstay of treatment is hormone therapy.

>> And when you say for a long time for an 82 year-old with with cancer, with metastatic cancer, what's a long time?

>> I could still be years.

So a lot of men will that even have metastatic or advanced prostate cancers may be able to control with the new therapies, at least in the last 10 years.

Hormone therapy is not even better.

You know, we try not to use it because we want to hear men before they have metastases.

But when you have it, it can be years where as long as it's responding to the hormone therapy, it can stay under control are a lot of men actually die of other natural causes rather than the prostate cancer.

When it's Connor treated appropriately.

>> What does this mean then for the quality of life for someone with Obviously it can be treated.

But what's it going to be like for him?

>> Yeah, I think for someone who has a metastatic prostate cancer, the hormone therapy really does cause, you know, sometimes menopause like symptoms, hot flashes that he those are things that are pretty common but can be controlled and some men may not have bad of side effects as others.

But generally we think of it is potentially less side effects than something like chemotherapy or other therapies you might think of for metastatic cancers to have on foot.

There are rules for those therapies as well as just form of therapy in general will cause that can also make your bones a little more fragile.

So things like keeping calcium up and keeping bone health is very important.

And medical colleges help manage that.

>> kind of factors are taken into consideration when doctors are deciding on a treatment plan.

>> I think first, just isn't localize or not because of its localized to the prostate.

That's going to take down one path way of attending cure.

It's not localized to the prostate.

Then we have to think about, well, what's a man's life expectancy?

Are there other medical problems and might outweigh this problem there?

I think it's still a mainstay of treatment, but we can intensify treatment and it really depends on their general other health.

And so there are many men who are very healthy active that we can, you know, going done more intense on treatment and will extend their lives.

And hopefully the goal is that they die of something else before.

This is what causes that.

>> Biden's cancer stage 4 and we often hear cancer.

Early detection is And that's the key to catching it with that of help here because surely he was having regular health screenings.

>> Yeah, I think that current paradigm is men are in their 50's to 70's is probably the best time to diagnose or find prostate cancer.

ideally, we're trying to find it.

Localized doesn't mean it happens or younger men who have.

Metastatic prostate cancer that could be in 50's even in the 40's man with risk factors that are black or have family history or genetic risk factors.

They may want to start in their 40's.

A screen think is important and can prevent metastasis but not all the time.

Even men have been treated for local prosecutors may have a recurrence, but I would say that there are things you can do to help find it early on with PSA blood test, which is a simple blood test.

Primary care doctors may be doing can be done early on and can find these.

But even if you are getting screened, generally guidelines say to stop at 70, I think that's appropriate for most people.

But when you're, you know, very healthy or you're going to live a long time.

But may be something we can adjust.

You know, 75 80 is not unreasonable, depending on your life expectancy.

Lot of these cancers, unfortunately, take 10, 20 years before they're going to cause any trouble.

And so if you're diagnosed early, the country them but if you're not sure if you have a 10, 20 year life expectancy or doctors to give other medical problems, it may cause more harm than good to treat And so a lot of times we're not looking forward unless more aggressive.

>> What folks need to know about about you than you just touched on some of it about when to screen.

But also what questions to ask.

>> Yeah, I think men in their 50 you know, 50 to 70 would be the ideal time to ask, hey, can I do a PSA blood test?

That's the simplest thing to start with.

And if you have risk factors at age 40, getting a baseline values, not unreasonable.

That number is less than one.

That's a good factor.

Now it does involve just a blood test to start.

Most men are going to be nothing else.

It's going to be reassuring test a digital exam is something that most men, you know, may hesitate on, but it's not actually required for prostate cancer screening, even though can help.

And so that is optional.

But the blood test, I think, is a good idea to initiate the conversation.

And we have good tools as urologist that if someone needed to see we now days make more rational decisions because of these other tests we have like getting imaging, which was not a standard 10 years ago.

So last 10 years, a lot of treatment, not just.

At advanced prostate cancers, but just finding the right ones and finding them early is out there.

>> Ok, and you you addressed the one that I wanted to be sure.

We got to cause.

A lot of men are concerned about the digital exam that you mentioned that you you got to it and that's where we'll have to leave it.

Dr. Ethan Patel, thank you so much for joining us.

Yeah, no problem.

Thank you.

Up next, an update on Chicago's 2 most famous beach goers.

But first, a look at the weather.

Chicago's beloved piping plover is our back and officially eggs spectating.

See what I did there.

Imani and see rocket were reunited at Montrose Beach barely a week ago and are not wasting any time getting reconnected.

Our Patty, what Lee joins us now with more.

So let's back things up.

Patty, remind us why clovers breeding in this area such a big deal in the Yeah.

I know that there's people out there who are like why with the planters all the time.

>> But remember, they're a listed endangered species.

There's only a couple 100 of them across the entire Great Lakes back in the 80's.

They were down to maybe only a dozen breeding pairs today.

Their stronghold is up north in Michigan by Sleeping Bear Dunes.

So the fact that Monti in rows back in 2019 found each other on a beach in Chicago, the 3rd biggest city in the U.S. is amazing.

And the fact that they continue to return and that their offspring have found love here.

That's pretty cool.

Endangered species on a Chicago beach.

That's a big deal.

That is pretty cool.

So what is the latest then with the money and see rocket?

So yes, Nancy record.

We know they have one egg clovers tend to usually have a collective eggs 4.

>> And they can lay an egg like maybe every day, every other day.

So few more days will know if we're going to get a full clutch and then I would expect maybe sometime by the end of June middle end of June.

We might see something hatches, marriage wings.

All right.

So this is not the pairs first year breeding.

Remind how last year went.

Yeah.

Last year they had 4 chicks.

Only one of them got most survived.

>> And we're still waiting to see a We don't know what gender.

>> They are.

And if they do come back, sometimes your first year, birds, their first migration, they arrive a little bit later.

So there's also some clovers up further north in Illinois on a beach, a private beach in Waukegan blaze and Pepper also were first time parents last year.

They're back.

We're waiting for an announcement on their nesting success.

And if any of their chicks from last year make it back.

So more excitement, we could have a clover explosions and going blow versus right.

So other plover is, as you've mentioned across the Great Lakes Basin nesting when are these eggs expected to hatch?

What we know?

Some of them got busy pretty fast.

They got back fast and laid eggs fast.

So we might have some of those starting toward the end of this month will will say, OK, I think we're all looking forward to it.

I know that you will love you.

I would be longer watch.

Plover Ahmed Clover mania.

We've got to come up with something cool.

Yeah, OK, Patty, what thank you so >> And you can read patties full story on our website.

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

And that's our show for this Monday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

Have a good night.

>> Closed caption was made possible.

Why Robert, a cliff and Clifford Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death.

That supports educational