>> thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight on Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> We're not going to shy away or apologize for.

We are.

>> Mayor Johnson hits back after the Department of Justice announces an investigation into the city's hiring practices.

Our spotlight politics team has the latest.

And what the city is doing to address Chicago's massive affordable housing shortage will sit down with the city's housing commissioner.

>> And now to some of today's top stories, a key City council committee advances a controversial curfew proposal today.

The measure would allow Chicago Police Department officials to preemptively impose a curfew anywhere in the city and begin enforcing it with just 30 minutes.

Notice the proposal backed by police Superintendent Larry snowing is an effort to stop large team gatherings.

Mayor Brandon Johnson questions the measure's constitutionality and says he does not believe expanding the city's curfew would stop the gatherings from turning violent.

>> Do I have concerns?

Of course I do.

You know what, you know, the you know, historic nature of of what we're confronting.

It's going to take all of us collectively to ensure that we are addressing an approaching this matter in the fullness of all of the experiences that people of Chicago that had.

>> So >> the measure now heads to the full City Council for a vote tomorrow.

Survivors of abuse by Catholic priests are accusing Pope Leo of covering up clergy abuse cases over the years.

And now that he's pope calling for him to do more.

>> This is the side of him and his management in his decisions.

We're finally being able to bring light.

Because it's about the whole man.

That's what's important.

And what we care about.

Is what he has done or not done.

What the abuse of children.

>> The group Survivors, Network of those abused by priests or SNAP says they have new documents from the pope's time as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru.

They believe the new documents directly implicate the former Cardinal Robert Prevost in mishandling abuse reports then and in other roles across the church, snap is calling on Pope Leo to establish a global Truth Commission adopt a Universal 0 tolerance law in to keep into Canon law and create a reparations fund among other steps thus far.

Pope Leo, he's made no public statements about abuse or cover-ups with and anonymous donation is making it possible for Northwestern University to expand its Jewish studies.

Programming.

The university isn't revealing the amount of the donation that arrives amid the Trump administration's investigations over allegations of discrimination and harassment targeting Jewish students on campus.

In a statement Northwestern President Michael Schill says, quote, recent events in our world highlight the urgent need for more education.

About 2 to Judaism and the experiences of Jewish people and an emphasis on making sure Jewish students always feel a sense of belonging at Northwestern.

The new donation will help expand teaching allowed more students to enroll in courses about Jewish culture and will grow events and programming in collaboration with Northwestern Hillel.

The Chicago Sky's season opener posted up record-breaking viewership.

Angel Reese and the Sky might have lost to Caitlin Clark in the Indiana fever.

But the game drew an average of 2.7 million viewers.

>> Making it the most watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms.

That's all despite the flagrant fouls and alleged racial slurs.

But the league is reportedly investigating that same day the games between the Las Vegas aces in the New York Liberty also netted an average of 1.3 million viewers.

Chicago native George Wendt has died.

>> The actor and comedian was best known for appearing in every episode of the long-running sitcom.

Cheers as the affable BarFly Norm Peterson and for appearing as one of the Chicago Bears, super fans on Saturday Night Live, he honed his comedic chops at the famed second city where he also met his future wife.

Winds appeared on Chicago tonight in 2015 when he came to town to perform in a play with fellow Second City alum, Tim Kaiser and Here he is remembering one of those sketches and important your take.

>> We have these ridiculous cowboy outfits because, you know, just find whatever you backstage at second City, Bruce and I got the only 2 guns.

So Tim improvised and used a blow dryer.

>> and we just started right now.

We thought, you know what?

We'll just right.

As long as we can.

as soon as they stop laughing will start to improve.

will do some sort of scene.

Well, they never stopped laughing.

So we just never did anything.

And then.

>> George Wendt was 76 years old.

Coming up next, a one-on-one with the city's housing commissioner on the mayor's Green Social Housing initiative, federal funding cuts and much more.

And later in the program, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood announces she's not running for Senate or Spotlight Politics team on how that race is shaping up.

>> 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.

>> Amid rising costs and threats to federal housing grants, Chicago is facing a shortfall of nearly 120,000 affordable housing units.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's new green Social Housing initiative aims to address that shortage by creating a city owned nonprofit housing developer, the Chicago Department of Housing is now tasked with carrying out the mayor's vision to expand housing opportunities for residents.

Joining us now is the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Housing.

Castaneda.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you so much for having your friend to.

So you write in Chicago Tribune op-ed that affordable housing is a misunderstood issue.

What do you think is misunderstood?

I think for a lot of people, they're very basic of the idea of like what does it mean to have affordable housing quiz, affordable housing for is one of those things that is often seen as for poor people or for others.

But at its core, affordable housing us just about can you afford your rent or your mortgage utilities without being rent burdened in Chicago, 51% of renters are rent burdened, which means that they're paying more than 30% of their income.

What we're looking for us to Chicago in which it is affordable for everyone to rent or own home.

How is creating more affordable housing for those who need it?

How is it beneficial to the rest of Chicago?

Affordable housing economic when we are able to have affordable housing when any one of us is able to afford the home in which we live.

We are able to spend on local businesses were able to contribute to the local economy and generally be part of a stable community.

Then there's green Social Housing initiative you will.

It was recently passed in City Council, of course, creating a city owned nonprofit housing developer.

It would offer low interest loans to developers with the goal of building 400 affordable units annually.

30% of each project must also be permanently affordable for households earning less than 80% of the area median income.

Tell us about the steps that your department has to take to deliver on this initiative.

Yeah, absolutely.

We're really excited that we were able to come to a place with city Council in which we were able to get this passed.

This will mean that we will be able to add to the production of affordable housing units every year.

In addition to what we were able to provide through low income housing tax credits.

So now that we have authorization from City Council, we're going to a seat at the next board.

The new board in order to get them confirmed by City Council and get them started on looking at deals and really getting this rolling out they're still concerned over which neighborhoods will be developed in that low income neighborhoods might be left out.

How are you all addressing Yeah, we really think of great social housing as the citywide initiative.

We know that there are some places where we will be able to begin with our projects.

But at the end of the day, we know that eventually we will be able to have increase social project, pre social housing project in each of the city.

77 community areas should not.

It would also be the biggest city to create this nonprofit housing development.

And sometimes when you're the first at something, it's a risky Why do you think this makes sense for the city?

Yeah.

So this is an innovative a proven model.

It is true that Chicago is the biggest city to take this on.

But at the end of the day, other cities have taken this on and we're just doing it at a larger scale.

We fully believe that there is a desire out there for low-cost capital that can really create not just the affordable units, but the market units that the city also needs the developers only slated to build 400 units year.

And as we've discussed, Chicago's need is is much greater than that.

When a focus on building more homes faster, the 400 unit would actually be the a number of affordable unit.

So that is actually the 30% of the total number of units that we would be looking to build in total.

And so we are looking to build faster.

The Department of Housing's other big undertaking has been to participate diligently in Mayor Johnson's cut the tape effort which aims to get affordable housing with shovels in the ground faster and at a pace that is necessary to keep up with them and in the city.

So then I mean, there's obviously the housing that would that would come as a result of the Green Social Housing initiative.

But it sounds like you're also saying that the cut, the tape initiative, would encourage other developers to contribute to the affordable housing shortage as well.

That is correct.

That the idea is that result or housing is one tool in the tool box.

But we have many tools in the tool box of that work in different neighborhoods.

And at the end of the day, re social housing as part of our growing the pie strategy.

So 3 cut the tape.

We are ensuring that our other tools in the tool box are also working up there best and highest use in order to deliver the units that we need in the city.

Some alders have said, you know, this is a good start, but this does not solve all of our affordable housing needs.

What more is there, you need?

Absolutely.

And we would wholeheartedly agree.

We have a shortage of almost 120,000 units in the city of Chicago.

And again, this is one tool in the tool box in one way in which we are addressing it.

We also need to do more for homeowners and helping to figure out how help people who want to buy a home, be able to afford to do that.

We need to build more and we need to build faster and other tools such as continuing to use our low income housing tax.

Credit resources will help us achieve that.

Let's talk a little bit about Aldermanic prerogative, which lets all people decide what gets built in their wards and what doesn't, of course, during the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that it fuels segregation in Chicago, violating the civil rights of black and Latino residents by limiting the creation of affordable housing.

What is the status of ongoing negotiations to resolve that probe?

Yeah, because there are ongoing negotiations, unfortunately can't comment on the ongoing legal matter.

But there are ongoing negotiations.

I mean, in to that point, Bill, what or or what is your office doing to ensure that the creation of affordable housing does not?

>> Contribute to the city's segregation issues?

Yeah, I think initiatives like social housing are actually a really great example of our ability to build various parts of the city, including parts of the city that have traditionally not had enough affordable housing.

It also has a really good indication of our ability to with elected officials to ensure we are able to reach a point where it is something that we're able do in all areas and of warrants because we can get to a good point partnership building costs have continued to rise as the city is still, of course, continuing to build affordable housing units.

And you may not necessarily have control over those costs, obviously.

But what are you doing to ensure that as we get closer to the end of any project, the budget has ballooned beyond affordability?

Yeah, absolutely.

So this has been a huge part of our cut.

The tape work, which is how do we maintain amendment minimum standard?

How do we say that?

We don't just want units that are good enough, but that are good and decent units to families can live at the same time.

How do we ensure that out costs are not skyrocketing.

And so part of our work through the cut, the tape initiative.

>> Has been an update of the architectural and technical standards Manual which will have some updated ways in which we will looking be looking at cost controls.

And also at continuing to be able to move faster because ultimately one of the biggest things that it's a challenge to projects that makes them more expensive.

It's time.

And so we're really trying to address how do we make these things move faster?

And we've mentioned it a couple of times.

I want to be sure our viewers know we're talking about the cut, the tape initiative.

Explain for them, please what this does because you also shared some your report earlier this Just on Monday, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the cut, the tape initiative launch.

tape is based on executive order that Mayor Johnson signed in December of 2023 where he asked 14 different city departments to work together on streamlining processes and figuring out what is getting in the way of development.

Are there any concerns that actions taken by the Trump administration might impact the costs of the work that you're planning?

Sure.

I think that, you know, like anything, you know, I was I was in loosening in the car on the way here.

And there's a lot of conversation about tariffs.

Those things are certainly a concern for us.

Also, the federal administration's budget from a couple of weeks ago.

Their initial sort of Ali included cuts things that are really important to us, like community development, block grants and home investment partnership funding.

Those are all ways in which we advance affordable housing.

And so we're certainly keeping a close eye on where those negotiations and up in Congress.

What's next?

What's next for for your office?

And of course, for this new initiative?

Yeah.

So the very next thing, of course, is, again, to seek the board of great social housing and make sure that we can get deals in front of us.

It's to release our updated architectural a technical standards manual and to continue some of the work that has already begun earlier this year.

Another initiatives such as rebuilt to Plano where we are taking vacant land and vacant buildings and ensuring that we're turning them back into good and productive use for neighborhoods on the south and West Sides, OK, building Commission, at least at Castaneda.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you so much.

Force.

Up next, the fast-approaching budget deadline facing state lawmakers are spotlight politics team on that and much more right after this.

>> The latest on a renewed push to allow Chicago police to declare snap curfews.

The Department of Justice says it's investigating the city's hiring practices and veteran Illinois lawmaker is ousted from his committee chairmanship after upsetting party leaders here with all that and more is our spotlight.

Politics team had a Sharon and Nick Blumberg So So as we heard the top of the show, the City Council's Public Safety Committee voting 10 to 7 to send this revised plan to give the Chicago police the power to impose a curfew that is going the full City council tomorrow for final vote.

Call a snap curfew.

Heather, what changed?

>> Well, the original proposal required police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Deputy Mayor Gary in gate would to agree that they needed to declare a snap cute curfew to prevent a teen gathering from getting out of hand.

That changed in the version that advance through the committee today.

Now, Larry Snelling has the unilateral power to to determine the snap curfew and that caused Alderman Jason Ervin, a member of City Council's Black caucus to pull his support.

He was actually a co sponsor of this measure saying that that concentrates too much power in one person's hand tomorrow.

But tomorrow's vote I expect will be very close.

Yeah, sounds like it's going to be a contentious one because despite a pulling his support, it still passed.

>> 10 to 7.

That is a relatively narrow victory in a committee vote.

Also the Public Safety Committee has a lot of the City council's most conservative her self-proclaimed pro police, older people.

>> So its fate will really just depend tomorrow on how many members of the progressive caucus can bring members of the black caucus to their side and reject this measure.

Yeah, obviously a lot of folks, including the mayor have raised questions about the constitutionality of this.

But just from a purely, you know, sort of policy perspective.

It's interesting to see this revised proposal move away from a power sharing model.

You have to imagine that's going to be a big factor.

>> Not just for bin, but for a lot of other alders as they're considering their votes.

Yeah, I was surprising when also so Mayor Brandon Johnson fiercely defending his decision to appoint what he says is the quote, most racially diverse cabinet in Chicago history.

This is, of course.

>> A day after the Trump administration announces that the DOJ has launched an investigation to see if city officials are engaging in a pattern of practice or discrimination based on race.

Here's a little of what the mayor had to say about that at a news conference this morning.

>> My administration reflects the country reflects the city.

His administration reflects the country club.

We're not going to be intimidated by the tyranny that's coming from the federal government.

The diversity of our cities, our strength.

>> And so when people.

Heather, what prompted this investigation from the DOJ?

Well, Mayor Brandon Johnson has been making a point to appear at.

>> Many local churches on the South side and he spoke Bishop Brays.

church in Woodland and he is has been for that whole 2 years.

He's in office, but very proud of how many black people are in leadership positions at City Hall.

There was nothing different that he said last night that he hadn't said 6 months ago or 9 months ago or year ago.

But what's different, of course, the Trump administration's crackdown on so-called dei diversity, equity inclusion.

They heard Mayor Johnson statements and said, Whoa, is that racial discrimination against white people.

And that's what prompted the Department of Justice's civil rights decision to loss this probe saying essentially that they suspect that Brandon Johnson has violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which of course, was the legislation but ensured that Jim Crow was no longer the law of the land in southern states.

You have to wonder whether Trump officials are really just watching the mayor and I'm sure other, you know, big city Democratic mayors.

>> Very closely because this was not the kind of comment that made national news.

This was not getting splashed on.

Exactly.

So, you know, certain informal chat like this.

It seems they have him under a microscope and you have to imagine he is not the only one.

Well, they also have the help of social media.

They of this immediately a sort of made the rounds of all of the X account, the quote, end Wokeness account almost immediately posted what the mayor said and we've seen time and time again, the Trump administration taking their cues from conservative influencers and people active specifically on X, formerly known as Twitter.

And this is another example of something that's risen to the sort of attention of the social media world that was quickly jumped on by the Trump administration.

Nic, you're heading to Springfield next week as the Illinois General Assembly.

They've got to hammer out this budget by the May 31st deadline.

Of course, we know money is tight.

>> What are you expecting to see next week?

Absolutely.

And that's going to be a huge factor as we've been talking about on the show, you know, 500 million dollars in revenues revised down.

That makes an already tough budget year.

Even tougher.

And I think a lot of reporters and probably a lot of politicians themselves are going to be paying close attention to just how long this process takes, just how late they walk it up to the deadline we've seen in many years past even easier budget years that this process to put together a spending plan and a revenue plan can take a long time and also to get both those plans past.

We saw last year it took several rounds of voting to have enough members present enough, you know, Dems present because some of them peeled off to get that spending plan passed.

We've heard from leadership that they think they've got the process more buttoned-up this year.

They think it's not going to be quite so difficult to make sure all those votes are actually physically present when needed.

But I think a lot of folks are going to be looking at both the, you know, sort of the revenue and spending how that all comes together, as well as the logistics of the process.

How do we think some of the Chicago land priorities are going to fare, of course, like transit funding money from CPS?

Because, you know, they're asking for more as usual.

They are in.

In fact, Chicago teachers, union members are going back down to Springfield.

They've been down several times and heading down again yesterday to the to lobby and lobby lawmakers and rally among the things they're calling for is additional funding for CPS.

I think a lot of observers say any additional money from the city or state to help CPS with that reported 500 million dollar deficit is pretty unlikely.

As for transit, it's it's still a big lift.

They're looking both at governance reform and they started to take a harder look at some of the revenue issues here.

They've been meeting regularly just couple days ago.

You the stakeholders and lawmakers put their heads together on this.

So there does seem to be a bit more optimism on the transit side of things that this is something that could get resolve this month that they're not necessarily going to kick it down the road to veto session in the fall.

But I will be as curious as anybody to see where that goes ensuring this is something that we also discussed just last night here on the show, as you said, with senators Senator Dwight Representative La Shawn Ford okay.

So the Senate race U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood.

She says that she is not running to replace.

>> Senator Durbin, Heather, did she say why?

What did she say about why won't she says she wants to stay in the house and to help Democrats reclaim the House.

She is a member of the Democratic leadership in her job in this upcoming midterm cycle will be to recruit candidates who can run for seats now held by Republicans and win those seats back because >> everybody's talking about the big budget debate in Washington right now.

Republicans only have a 5 vote majority in so a lot of these contests greats will determine who controls the house after the 26 elections and warned Underwood says she can have a bigger impact and do a better job of standing up to Trump rather than jumping into already crowded center.

course, she responded to some speculation yesterday about whether or not the governor had an influence.

What is she No, not not so And the governor has said I I wasn't trying to push her out of the race, although he firmly behind Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, as is Senator Tammy Duckworth.

So nobody thinks he sort of objective in this race, but he doesn't necessarily want to get crosswise with representative underway.

Not so much know.

All Nick veteran, Illinois lawmaker Fred Crespo from Hoffman Estates.

He's been ousted from his committee chairmanship after upsetting Democratic leadership.

>> What did he do to earn that?

I will this is the second year in the row.

He is that, you know, fiscally conservative Democrat and he again, was putting together a more FIS, what he sees as a more fiscally conservative spending not necessarily making cuts, but withholding funding in this upcoming budget for, you know, certain.

>> Of the different budget buckets in the budget there to try and preserve things.

He says, you know, like health insurance for folks who most need it.

But, you know, to hear state, state House leader Chris Welch, tell it, it wasn't just that Crespo was coming up with potentially alternative plans, us that he wasn't communicating.

He was not doing his job.

You know, as a member as a committee, we And that was ultimately what wealth says is what earned him that All right, that a spotlight.

Politics other Berg, thank you.

Thank you.

And that is our show for this Tuesday night.

>> Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter, the Daily Chicago and for more back story on the biggest stories of the day that is at W T Tw Dot Com Slash newsletter and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 from police community relations to dei pledge is a look at where the country is 5 years after the murder of George Floyd.

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

Stay healthy and safe.

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 for that serves the needs of clients in the