>> Good evening.

And thanks for joining us on the week in review.

I'm Nick Lumber.

The Trump administration deploys ICE agents to airports across the country, including O'Hare.

>> In order to work those secure positions.

We have to have weeks and months of training to be able to be on your own.

>> And those trained TSA agents could start seeing paycheck soon as Congress mulls a larger DHS funding.

It's been terrible tragedy.

And I know that Mormon families suffered mightily.

The Loyola University community mourns eighteen-year-old Sheridan Gorman after her shooting death as right-wing anger forces an alderperson to temporarily shutter office.

Meantime, a federal judge orders the release of funding for the CTA Red Line renovation and extension.

The Supreme Court casts a skeptical eye on late arriving mail-in ballots, potentially a pending Illinois elections and Illinois topples Houston to land a second elite 8 appearance in 3 seasons.

now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are Crain's Chicago Business contributor Dan McGrath.

Talia saw one of the Chicago Tribune freelance journalist Brandon Pope and medicine surveyed or a block club.

Chicago, thank you all for being here.

Busy week as always.

let's get right to it.

>> Telly, we saw ICE agents arrive at O'Hare Airport among others, as we just mentioned, we just heard from the local TSA union president who said, you know, these agents are trained for airport security.

What do we know about what they're actually doing?

>> Yeah, you know, so TSA agents have been working without pay for almost 2 paychecks.

Now, though, it seems like they may start getting paid on Monday.

You know, I spoke to the union president earlier this week and he said, you know, some of these people, our state in their cars at the airport overnight because they don't have enough gas to get back to back and forth.

Meanwhile, Trump deployed ice agents to airports because a lot of these teens, ages agents have been calling out of work Les hair than at some other airports, but still seeing some call out.

And, you know, my colleague Jake shirt and went to the airport earlier this week and he saw them kind of standing in Paris, the ice agents that is sometimes talking a TSA agent, some of them on their phones later in the week.

It seems that some of them were getting it rained a little bit to look at ID's at some other airports around the country, but it's not entirely clear.

You know what they can that on the job.

Training not necessarily ideal player.

He called out the National Guard to assist with crime prevention.

These guys crime.

Fighters they don't patrol the streets.

didn't think it up trash and it's going to do a They're just not prepared.

Are trained to do.

I think president probably knows that by threatening ice, which already is a pretty hot button issue in Chicago.

I mean, we saw ICE agents at the airport >> in the fall, but obviously for a completely different purpose.

They were, you know, detaining rideshare drivers and stuff like that.

So the administration has to know that out around stuff like that like threatening to send ICE agents gets people listening, but also Trump also expressed of that.

He hopes that this could be a little bit of a re-branding or image repair for ICE agents after he admits things escalated and things went away.

He didn't want.

Then again, what are they actually doing have that image be even just what I've seen so far monitoring situation.

Well, and just this afternoon, the House rejected DHS funding bill that the Senate had approved.

>> But the president signed an executive order to pay TSA agents with checks possibly going out as early as Monday.

You know, do we know what them so long to get to come up with this solution?

It seems like classic politics here.

At the end of the the Democrats put on the table a bill that would just fun.

Tsa.

>> The Republicans saying no, we want to add in the Save America Act at the behest of President Donald Trump.

Of course, that rankles people as you throw more things in, there's more than just to disagree with what seems to really moved the needle here was with the Delta that ended up saying we're not going to be allowing any exemptions or special privileges for members of Congress.

At the end of the day, all of a sudden we get some movement political fight the people that want to lose their Gold star what you know, it was interesting.

Tell you medicine mentioned that we've heard from a lot of local leaders pushing back on this deployment saying, >> you know, are they here to help or they just to to intimidate, even try to make arrests, perhaps?

>> Yeah, and it's absolutely something people are scared of because exactly is not a summit talked about.

You know, you did have federal agents, Border Patrol making lots of arrests right near the airport during operation Quick.

Let's of rideshare drivers so of course, having federal agents and the airport is going scare people.

>> And you know, Dan, it's interesting.

We heard the Republican, Illinois Congressman, Darin LaHood, kind of question whether ICE agents along an airport.

That was interesting, too, because he's I wouldn't say he's a Trump are buddies.

Pete leans conservative and he's still very staunch Republican.

And I'm.

>> If he starts getting pushed back.

Hello, I don't know much how much he cares about pushback from his own party.

I mean, the guy just does what he wants to do.

But it is interesting that more and more Republicans are starting to say this is not what I signed up for.

This is not what we should be doing.

So we'll see if that builds any momentum rolling.

Interesting as well to hear from LaHood and other Republicans saying, you know, we didn't off-ramp for the war on Iran.

I mean, could could that kind of pressure?

You know, we think about whether that might change that the direction of this.

And that's now at a story this morning holding an insider who said he's just he's bored with Iran.

He's you know, what's next doesn't have an off ramp, but he's just bored with it will anything he can declare victory and get out because it's lost.

Just lost its appeal for him.

it seems like the dam is breaking when it comes to the Republican coalition around President Trump when it comes to this very issue here no more wars.

He's one of the Nobel Peace cities.

What to do a ward of sell these things.

>> Yeah, it according to what many people in Congress, the senators said that closed door meeting that they talked about boots on the ground was floated as a possibility.

And people like Congresswoman Nancy Mace was a big August supporter has come that I I can't get with that.

And I think that's gonna be the case for a lot of Republicans as more and more start to It's a permission slip for others.

That's a political problem for Trump for this caucus as they look into the midterms in 2026.

All right.

Well, turning to locals local story that's gotten a lot of attention.

Madison.

>> The shooting death of University freshman Sheridan Gorman.

just got word that suspect and that was denied pre-trial release today.

Some of the the attention around this ended up causing threats to Rogers Park Alderperson Maria had tell us how that got so heated.

>> Yeah.

So this shooting has garnered a lot of national attention after local police officers arrested and ultimately charged.

A 25 year-old man with Gorman's death because the Department of Homeland Security made public that the man is of migrant from Venezuela, which as we know is a very hot button topic in national news, especially when it comes to sanctuary cities like Chicago, sanctuary states like Illinois and the older woman before charges were even made against this individual.

The older woman made a public statement where she described the shooting while answering a question.

She kind described it as wrong place, wrong time.

Kind of thing suggested that maybe garment and her friends had startled this individual.

As you know, she speculating what could have prompted this seemingly, you know, random targeted shooting, trying tell the Rogers Park community that they didn't have to be concerned.

But her comments did not land well with a lot national conservative media.

Her comments went viral she ultimately said that she had to close her.

Her word office neighborhood word office because they were getting inundated with with e-mails and calls.

She said mostly from out of state, you know, conservative anti Immigrant anti Century City colors.

But she said because of those threats of violence in and out of abundance of caution, she has closed the office and she did apologize for her comments saying that she was never intended to try to dismiss or victim blaming and she apologized for any additional pain she caused.

I mean, this is a horrific incident and garments family and friends, I'm sure are still in shock.

And the Rogers Park community is still reeling.

Yeah.

And we've heard from some of the government saying, you know, we don't want our daughters death to you know, politicized to become part of these are coming here.

They want action.

They want real conversations happening and we'll have to see what kind of follows.

A lot of these politicians were marks on it.

All right.

Some other big city news this week after a monthslong search process.

We got word yesterday.

Chicago school board has chosen Macklin king to go from interim CEO to permanent CEO.

>> Brandon, how frustrating the feel-like this process has been for for parents and families and students.

Just all this back and forth became one of the probably the most frustrating part was that this has been billed as a process that supposed to be to public input in community input.

>> All of a sudden.

Not not never.

My we're gonna we're gonna go ahead.

And just rubber stamp you concerns from those who are of the elected school board, temper it.

They put out open letter previously Philo the mayor had interference and how this all went down.

So that if you're a community member, you you probably do feel like at this point, did you get much of a say when it comes to this?

Does he look building building wide search certainly someone, you know, with a lot of experience the field.

But he's She might be good.

she was a principal.

Yeah, you know, she understands ASU has always to and that may actually benefit her and benefit the district more than having someone come from New York City.

You're at Andrews one other different another district.

challenges for CPS Chicago are so unique.

This is a different type of The other preach to the choir.

it's so you know, I think having someone with that experience in that back really knows the system right now.

It could be a plus.

All right.

Another big story this Tell you a federal judge ruled too.

>> At least temporarily released funding for these major CTA Red Line project.

What are the details there?

Yeah.

So this is about 2 billion dollars.

Most of it is for the CTA Red Line Extension, which is this.

>> Long, long awaited project to bring the red light from 95th Street, 200 30th Street.

That's something people in the far South Side have been asking for for years to get CTO CTA, rail access the CTA was doing early site work project on that site.

Work on that already and they plan to break ground early this year.

But in October, the federal government froze the funding for that project, setting an investigation into racial preferences and contracting, which meant that the CTA could continue doing work, but they couldn't get any federal money reimbursed for the work that they were doing.

So they sued over that last week and then we saw this week federal Judge Thomas Durkin saying going ordered you the feds to release its money.

You can't be doing at least for now.

And so the CTA is going to get their money, at least for the next little bit.

About 150 million worth on.

jump change so far.

>> All right.

Well, the Tribune also had a big investigative piece about assaults on CTA passengers and employees.

>> And how it compares to some of its peers.

How does the CTA stack So we looked at assault against workers and also writers on the CTA compared with other big mass transit system.

So New York, Philadelphia cities like this.

>> Adjusted for the passenger volume.

And we did see that the CTA had these, you know, elevated rates of assaults compared to other comparable transit systems.

You know, comes as there are still under pressure from the feds on crime also from from local officials who have their own concerns.

I I do want to note that it's not one story on CTA crime overall, FBI classified serious crimes are down.

But we do see these, you know, assaults, they have a problem So there it's not just one story, but it's definitely, you know, our problem that we identified.

Yeah, still a transit detail.

The police still ride the train here in the CTA has also beefed up that detail kind of units tonight.

There's there's a canine unit.

There's Chicago police and they have.

>> need to, you know, achievements they've made and then lowering rates of crime, including assaults on transit workers since the beefed up those that security in December.

And of course, there's a whole new security apparatus that's going to be coming into place with the newly merged transit agencies that will.

>> Soon ish be living with.

So be very interesting to see what comes of that.

All right.

With the Supreme Court heard arguments over mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.

One of the court sounded pretty skeptical, Dan, you know, how much of people could this cause and Illinois and other states that a question And I mean, Trump himself votes by mail.

I this all part of >> He's trying to, you know, reduce the voter rolls said and it's it's very transparent.

What he's trying to do.

But what you're correct, it would disrupt the whole system and other holder people.

There are people who travel.

There are military people.

People left to vote by mail.

You know, you just can't get to the polling places it just doesn't make any sense because every single case that's been brought alleging fraud in 2020 24, they've never proved anything.

There's never been documented instance where they could prove that voter fraud took place.

And yet he continues to assists that mail-in ballots are corrupt can it?

There's just no evidence to support the other issue, too, as you can guarantee that the ballots get mailed into the place they need to to get counted by and are you it Election Day deadline.

>> You're bound to have a better way.

You're at mercy of the post actually and we don't people to start be at the mercy of that raises clearly that's disenfranchisement.

You're here and you're cutting people out of the process of the system when it comes to that?

>> Well, there was more pushback this week from Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill, Burke.

lot of folks have been calling for a special prosecutor looking into misconduct by federal agents.

But, you know, Madison, essentially she's doubling down and saying her office really has very limited authority Yeah, it's so she has repeatedly said that it's not something that her office can do.

>> I think that's really frustrating for advocates who really want to see people held accountable.

But don't seemingly have this method easily available to to see any justice served for the Chicagoans yeah were at the receiving end of, you know, probably some misconduct by these ICE officials.

like you said, the state attorney has doubled down.

I don't see her her line changing anytime soon.

But I imagine that advocates would like to see, you know, some counties, city state officials, at least to some advocating on their behalf to maybe the pathways that do exist for for investigations to happen.

I don't know if we've really seen that now, even if it's not at the Cook County.

Look, exactly.

All right.

We'll Mayor Brandon Johnson has been very vocal about the attempt to roll back the phasing out of tipped minimum wage, which this week he made good on his promise to veto.

But there's now a bill in Springfield that would supersede the city's authority, including.

>> With the backing of some Chicago lawmakers.

Brandon, are you surprised to see the city and the state potentially at odds again kind of a hot button issue?

It's not quite a surprise because it's kind of the pattern here.

There's not much collaboration between the city and stay on on numerous issues when it comes to this.

>> It's really a fascinating issue when you look at it because Brendan Johnson and his office are arguing that, you know, black and brown women are really who this is about and who he's trying to help here.

You also have blackened will come with it and say this doesn't help it's a it's a it's a really median weighty issue where I think you need more time to dig into it.

Perhaps Springfield can do that.

The collaboration between the city and Springfield.

It's rare to come by this point.

>> Well, and it feels like to you know, for some folks, it may work out.

Well, it may be an economic boost to for others.

You know, they're saying I'm gonna lose money the landscape for restaurants right now is really big context here.

It very difficult.

It's prices.

you add in tariffs, the cost of things going up?

It's already tough.

Is your small restaurant?

One of those major ownership groups Eric Williams who owns the Bronzeville winery he's been making his media rounds and he said, hey, I support the mayor.

I understand the mission.

He's saying it doesn't help us here.

It actually hurts our business and our servers would actually make less money with initiative going for it.

It's quite a complicated issue.

All right.

Well, nother issue in Springfield, State lawmakers moving ahead on.

Governor Pritzker's priorities, new social media restrictions and cell phone ban statewide in classrooms.

>> Dan, that couldn't get across the finish line last year.

There were concerns about the unfair application of discipline.

You know, does it seem like it?

It has better odds at this time.

I would think it doesn't if anything else that the ruling in the medic case with millions of dollars in Yeah.

>> himself banning cell phones and classes.

We do it at high school.

Put him in a pouch and the door and they can get them.

This one is classes over and die.

done it for a number of years.

And they're they're they're really hasn't been an issue.

They can get to the phone if they need access to it, but they don't have it classes in session and it doesn't seem unreasonable.

How do parents feel about They think going long.

You know, we ran it by the parents before posted.

Another parents were fine with it.

So means work for us.

That's a works for everybody.

I was fascinated by ruling, though.

I mean, it doesn't guess it's like big tobacco.

You don't think of 9 something being addictive, but they came up with some pretty compelling proof that even if it's not addictive, it definitely affects.

Behavior and development.

And, you know, just how young people view themselves.

And, you if you've been on your phone's, unsure 9 or 10 years old can really be an I'm also curious about the argument that is kind of made from the social media and tech side that.

>> This is a First Amendment issue.

And I feel like, you know, algorithms things like that gets into First Amendment and freedom of expression.

That's an interesting line.

The droll and when we talk about this lull that Pritzker, once they get through here, you know.

Tweaks to how do you know that you got to put in your age?

You know, notifications being turned off that is certain time for young people.

What is the ability of a social media company to actually do that on a state level?

they have to do that across the board for they're at and those that violate their First Amendment right to the center really quite into think the bill of rights social media coming.

yeah.

But you have to imagine they made the state may be facing some legal challenges and a right to tell your transportation story of a very different thing this week Chicago residents familiar with the food delivery robots that have popped up recent Box is with googly eyes.

They feel like a very love him or hate him type topic.

>> To those robust into their best work this week, what happened?

to robots drove into a city bus shelters and shattered them this week.

Next.

>> you know, there was already kind of growing anti robot sentiment Chicago.

Some people don't like them.

I think.

But when you look at why that is what people talk about is in some cases, you know, they look at how use our public spaces and they say cars get all this space pedestrians, get less space world here on the side and are being asked to share our pedestrian space with robots.

So I think seeing the robots literally shattering infrastructure for public transportation.

It's surprising about touched a with a ticket.

are looking into what caused that it believed see Yeah.

Here is who's going to pay for the bus shelters, Ida But they didn't seem to have much to say about.

>> How exactly this happened.

You know, I think we'll all have to see.

You know what the results of their they're looking into.

This is.

>> It's going to be very interesting.

But yeah, I think drive folks look phone technology in the mix.

It things like this are going to happen.

It's not perfect.

There's going to be glitches and that can cause real damage issues of I think that's quick or Weiss happened.

Yeah, short Pa, I think that also really hiding people like.

>> Are they starting right We're like what's happening here anti robot resistance?

I think making it easier you tendency to have any stake in the game.

Really have budding well under the influence.

Yeah.

they're operating under a pilot program.

So that runs until May 2027 after which point the city council would have to take action.

So they're not here permanently.

we'll have to see you know.

City leaders decide.

All right.

Well, Danielle Line a are headed to the second time in 3 seasons.

How far do you think they could go?

can play Iowa next.

And that's interesting.

They beat him both times during the regular season.

They won 9 of the last 10 with Iowa.

it would appear they have Iowa's number if they win one more there in the Final 4.

>> But I was playing terrific to they've sort of come out of the pack.

I don't think lot of people didn't see this coming because Illinois scuffled a bit at the end of the regular season and then they lost in the first round of the Big 10 tournament.

But then when the lights went out NCAA Tournament thinks they've been playing really, really well.

seems like they've really turned around.

really showing.

I mean, they can score.

They've got a lot offensive firepower.

And I think Underwood's a really good coach and a lot of size to Billion overseas like and they are packing a deadly international recruiting.

They anybody power this and I la area and, you know, Brad Underwood that could coach got let the call up.

all right.

Well, to to end our sports chat on less fun note comes in stocks both to baseball fan's hope.

So we spring eternal.

What are you watching for from the team here?

Think Cubs, you know that you'd like to win that opening day.

Could everybody feeling good?

But it's only one game and it was brutal weather and >> have avoid just didn't have it.

I mean, the Nets jumped all over him and that, you know, you get in a hole early.

And when the weather's like that, it's hard to come back.

>> But I think they're going to be fine.

I really the Cubs.

I think that when the division I think Milwaukee traded its best picture.

They're going to back up a little bit.

The Reds best picture is injured.

The Cardinals are very quietly rebuilding Pittsburgh Paul Skenes and not much else.

So I I think I really do think that when the division, then they have to contend with the Dodgers and the Phillies and the Mets there's some other good teams in the National League Plan to.

I definitely think that when the division White Sox to move toward 500 data they have to they can't be as bad as they only got exciting to go work the move it to close and Montgomery is the real deal to.

saw him.

>> Number of times last year, he's a good looking young player.

And if the economy can help him at all, you know, score.

>> Pitching, opening-day starter as a rule.

5 guy, rule, 5 guy.

If you not if you're if you sign a contract in your net and a major league roster within 6 years to become a free agent to a minor league free agent.

Then anybody can say new so called white Sacks last year saying the sky is a minor league free agent and he's their opening-day starter tonight.

So the speak much They might not be done coming home or for its first MLB hit.

So there's a nice bright I do want to say, I think they've got some young guys are coming along with them.

If they're patient with help be improved.

I don't.

>> Would that be a 4th straight year?

The 100 losses?

Let's say that well, and with 0 losses here at the table for ordinary, we are out of So our thanks to dam a graph.

Tell Glenn.

Brandon, Polk and medicines of a drug.

And we're back to wrap things up right after this.

Chicago tonight.

>> Is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols fate.

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

>> that's our show for this Friday night.

Now for all of us here at the week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay informed.

Have a great weekend.

All right.

You covered a building that a lot of folks have been watching go up for years.

Health-packed a timeline theaters.

they are officially in their new home in Uptown right near Broadway in Argyll.

Really exciting day totally transform this old warehouse and this really feel like Lassie facade and they have so much more space than they had in their commissioner location.

So should be fun.

And their first made it enemy of the people that you know anything about that.

I cover some timely topic.

I have a feeling they chose that one.

For side.

I read that plan high school.

So I actually would love to go see this new adaptation.

Yeah, so we saw closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death from.

>> That is a multi-lingual