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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Developers are releasing a new stadium proposal in a Hail Mary attempt keep the bears in the city.

>> A lot of cost and no real value.

>> They're the middleman of the health care system.

But what to pharmacy benefit managers do that?

Are they saving your money wasting it?

Chicago has no confirmed measles cases yet.

And infectious disease doctor on what you should know to prepare.

>> And there's no more iconic Chicago's Patrick's Day tradition and dying Chicago >> And Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Chicago.

We explain the history of the river's annual emerald dye job.

>> And now to some of today's top stories with the return of spring in Chicago.

Also comes the return of construction season once again, it means fewer lanes for drivers who take the Kennedy.

>> So definitely tomorrow morning, rush hour inbound.

You're not going to have the reversible is available to you because I'll be in the outbound direction.

So you're you're going to be down from 6 lanes to 4 lanes.

>> Starting tonight, crews will begin shutting down the left 2 lanes of the outbound Kennedy.

So construction crews can stage their work zone by the end of the week.

The entire 2 mile outbound stretch should be entirely closed.

Then in mid-July work will shift to the right 2 lanes with the entire project expected to be complete by Thanksgiving.

So this means drivers who need to take the exits were head to O'Hare.

You should stay in the local lanes reversible as will be directed outbound until the job is done.

Toni Preckwinkle is announcing she's running for another term as Cook County Board.

President.

The announcement was first reported in politicos, Illinois Playbook newsletter in a campaign email Preckwinkle says she's proud of having balanced budgets without adding new taxes.

She says she wants to build on efforts to her current tenure like criminal justice reform, expanding health care access and relieving medical debt.

Preckwinkle has held the office since 2010.

The election will be held next year.

And if you're flying in or out of Chicago this summer, be ready for the crowds.

The Chicago Department of Aviation says this summer is set to be the busiest in the history of O'Hare and Midway airports.

Airlines are scheduling nearly 18 million departing seats between June and August, 7% over last year.

The biggest carriers United American and Southwest have all announced some combination of an increase in seats, departures or destinations from the 2 airports.

Philanthropist and matriarch of one of Chicago's most powerful families.

Cindy Pritzker has died.

Cindy was married to Hyatt Hotels, founder Jay Pritzker and was the aunt of Governor JB Pritzker.

She was appointed to the Chicago Public Library board in the 1980's soon becoming the board's president and led the effort to build the Harold Washington Library, Cindy and her husband also co-founded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

In a statement, Governor Pritzker says, quote, Cindy shaped the city of Chicago just as much as it shaped her.

She will live on in the many institutions she strengthened the causes she championed in the more vibrant Chicago.

She helped build.

Cindi Pritzker was 101 years old.

Up next, developers reveal their proposal for a new stadium at the former Michael Reese hospital site.

But will the Bears bite?

>> 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.

>> One more Hail Mary attempt to keep the Chicago Bears in the city and to ditch their suburban plans.

Far point development Group has released renderings of new Lakefront Stadium located at the former Michael Reese hospital site in Bronzeville in an effort to convince the Bears to stay in the city of Chicago.

The team purchase the former Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights.

2 years ago for 197 million dollars.

But plans have yet to kick off.

Also in the mix, a new plan or a plan to build a new lakefront stadium just south of Soldier Field.

But that plan has stalled in Springfield over the proposed cost to taxpayers.

Joining us now is Marc Ganis, president and co-founder of Sports business consulting firm Sports Corp. Mark, Welcome back.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having the brand So what were your thoughts on this most recent proposal from 4 point?

Well, I'd much of it before.

>> And so wasn't surprised at what they laid out.

The one piece of was quite surprised that was that point said that they have not had discussions with the Bears.

That actually is a very telling statement.

That means the bears and not really had great level of interest in that site.

And and that that is, I think, entail what results the term.

The Hail Mary past that they're trying to throw by putting this out there for the public and for the politicians after all, see and react to.

>> That's right.

Well, because it's been reported today that, of course, these plans have been in the works for some time, but far point had been keeping them close to the vest.

Obviously probably hoping to have that meeting.

But now they're taking their shot before they lose it.

You know, so it's something of a last-ditch.

Could this work?

>> Well, could it work?

Sure, but a lot of things have got to fall into place.

None of which appear to have happened so far.

One of the most important things that would need to have happened is for some political leadership, particularly with in Springfield who stepped up and said, hey, this now makes sense.

Let's see if this is the best way to keep the Bears within the city of Chicago.

That hasn't happened.

You've Kam Buckner making some comments said it's a good idea.

He represents the district.

But other than that, you haven't seen the politicians who control the purse strings.

Stay that this is something that should be should be looked at very carefully.

And that's really what was needed either the Bears or the politician, the political leadership or both needed to step up and say this is a good idea.

Let's take a look at it.

And so far we've heard crickets.

Well, and as you mentioned, a state Representative Kam Buckner, a whose district includes that site location.

He's come out in support of it.

We haven't heard much from anyone else.

>> But this proposal supposedly comes with a price tag of about 600 million dollars for taxpayers compared to something billion.

that number is still seen several different numbers estimated for the lakefront proposal would not that price tag difference make this more palatable to lawmakers.

>> You think that it would, but they don't forget that the price for the area south of Soldier Field also included paying off the bonds that the city has refinanced.

Alright, least once a more often since they were first issued for the for the renovations at Soldier Field.

And includes a lot of infrastructure improvements in parks and and things like that.

But the real the real key point here is if the Bears are interested in this site, if they're not interested in it, then, Frank, not going to be interested in it if they're not interested in City Hall star could be interested in that.

That's really who we need to hear from.

And if we don't hear from them, I think that's an answer as well.

>> And Bears.

President CEO Kevin Warren, he's previously said that the Michael Reese, it is too narrow for the teams and missions.

What do you think their main focus is or should be in figuring out their next location?

>> Well, they clearly made it clear that their preferred site is the south of Soldier Field location.

They had a big press conference ahead.

The mayor and board that a lot of people show up for the announcement and unfortunately among the people who work there were were some important people from Springfield and those people said this is not something they want to pursue.

That claim is not what they want to pursue.

Haven't heard that.

There's been a lot of progress since then on that site.

But we have heard that there's been a lot of progress in Arlington Heights since then.

Finally, the Arlington Heights, taxing authorities, political leadership got together and said, look, this is a once in a generation once maybe multi generational opportunity.

And so we better not blow it.

Just a question trying to, you know, feed at the trough, which is a time honored Illinois tradition, of course.

But just for us, we're all trying to feed at the trough here.

Let's see if we can work partners.

And that's what they seem to have found a way to do with the bears work together as partners rather than one trying to take advantage of the other.

And since then they've looked looks like it made a lot of progress.

>> And of course, there are, you know, there's going to be benefits and to moving to Arlington Heights.

What are some of those for the Bears?

>> Well, that the the first challenge, of course, is changing is any kind of change in location creates logistical change.

Certain people have to change their mindsets to where they are, where they're going to go.

Watch the games, what they're used to coming downtown.

But they're also used to it being very difficult to get to soldier Field.

It's a beautiful picture.

Postcard shot the the The old good you're Blake.

visual is just fantastic.

But that only goes so far.

Read the the reality is that Arlington Heights is an exceptional site.

It is get their season ticket holder spending.

But it did heat map of the region.

It's actually a pretty good location.

Full bear season ticket holders.

It's easy to get to highway access rail access and I and that's really important because she got of people be able to get to and leave the building pretty quickly, not just for bear's cage, but for all the other events that they'd like to work, that there's like to have take place in the new stadium.

It also has a lot of land, the land so that they can do other activities and events in and outside the stadium, the tailgating, of course, but also enough land so that there can be development rights that can be granted or sold off to help defray some of the costs associated with building and operating the Stadium.

>> Okay.

So obviously we're still watching this one.

We're going to have to leave it there for now.

I'm sure we'll talk about this again in the Our Dan Us, thanks so much.

Up next, the governor's plan to protect pharmacies and lower drug prices.

Governor JB Pritzker is calling it one of the great ironies of the modern age breakthroughs in life, changing even life-saving medicines.

They're so expensive.

They're out of reach and authentic.

He joins us now with the plan.

The governor says will lower prescription costs.

Amanda Rennes, we're going to get to the governor's pitch for saving consumers on drug prices in just a bit.

But first, I want to talk about an explanation is something that at first blush seems really basic and that's getting a prescription filled.

The doctor writes the script to you, get it filled at a pharmacy, but the pharmacy isn't in full control.

There's a go-between for called pharmacy benefit managers or >> pb >> So they're the Webster's dictionary definition of a middleman.

So the PBM sits between the durance company and the pharmacy and they determine what reimbursement is how it gets reimbursed personally reimbursed and most importantly and most frustratingly is what patients pay and what they can and cannot get when they go to the pharmacy.

>> You heard that right?

What patients can and cannot get from the pharmacy.

That's Chad Kodiak, who owns Cotto Care in Joliet.

He says PBM practices have nearly driven him out of business.

He shares one example of working with a parent to secure an attention deficit disorder, medicine for their child.

He order the medicine from a wholesaler, but the PBM didn't reimburse him.

The whole amount Kodiak says it's one of many instances in which he had to tell the patient our pharmacy can't afford to fill your prescription anymore.

>> The PBM is cut the reimbursement for those kinds of medications and others so severely and so deeply that every time we are filling the prescription, we're losing $50.

>> Plus, he says that the PBM also refused to pay the pharmacy dispensing fee.

That's a fee that they otherwise generally get that supposed to cover things like.

>> Labor uphill battle, the label and such.

I why not?

Well, Cody, a call back the billion-dollar question.

It is one that he and really nobody besides PBMs can answer.

>> Because not only is there no regulation for these PM's, they are completely protected by all kinds of secrecy.

So we have no idea.

There's no transparency.

There's no way to know.

>> critics have their suspicions, though, the major PBM zone pharmacies themselves and the thought is that these PBMs are paying their own pharmacies, higher reimbursements and independent ones.

Now it is one of the ways the Illinois lawmakers are considering stepping in by banning PBMs from steering consumers to pharmacies where they have a financial interest.

Then there's also a suggestion that Illinois can take control where it has it with prescriptions covered through state, run Medicaid also by dealing with the transparency issue by forcing PBMs to open their books to the state insurance Department and what a PBM about all this.

Well, so they rejected that they should be blamed for increased drug class.

Instead, they say look to big pharma for that.

Now the however it did not respond right away to my specific questions.

But when the governor made PBMs the focus of his budget address last month, the association representing PBMs issued a statement saying to be clear, the core mission of PBMs is to lower prescription drug costs and increase access to medications.

The statement says.

The Senate sponsor of the measure to further regulate them, so says instead he seeing patients who can't afford medicine, they need to be healthy.

>> Pharmacy benefit managers probably started out with good intentions and that is to be able to lower the price negotiating discounts with the manufacturers and then passing those on to know the plan sponsor or to the consumers.

That just hasn't happened.

>> The legislation still in negotiations, Illinois, somewhat limited by what it can do.

Pharmacies say really they want federal action, but the pharmacist that I spoke with lot.

Kodiak says that if something doesn't happen, he is serious about joining the 80 or so other independent pharmacies that last year closed in Illinois.

He said he's taking out a line of credit.

He's exhausted much of his personal savings and that's where things are at ensure.

A very tough spot for for those pharmacist.

Amanda, thank you so much.

Thank you.

>> And you can and those full story on our website.

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

The measles outbreak has mostly been concentrated in Texas and New Mexico, but it has snaked its way throughout the country.

There are just over 300 known cases and 2 measles related deaths in the U.S. Chicago in Illinois currently have 0 confirmed cases so far this year.

But public health professionals say it's just a matter of time before the virus is here as well.

Joining us to discuss more is Dr Andrew de Haas Road.

The Infectious Disease Fellowship program director at the University of Chicago and practicing physician at Howard Brown Health.

Dr.

Thank you for joining us.

Of course.

Thank you for having So the measles were previously eradicated in the United States in 2000 and we have maintained that status for over 2 decades.

But now we're experiencing this outbreak.

How did we get here?

Yeah, you're actually crack.

The measles is highly contagious virus.

One of the most contagious pathogens there are around that.

>> We were able to successfully eradicate on to advance one's public health and very effective vaccines.

But over the past several years, we've been noticing declines in our vaccination rates specifically against measles, which then makes us susceptible to allow no new infections to enter our system because of the herd immunity not being there anymore.

Who's most affected?

Yeah.

So generally measles impacts young children, children and infants the most.

That's where we see the highest amounts of morbidity and even deaths related to the 2 meals or measles outcomes.

Remind us if you would sort of explain, but the his own what or how the virus present.

What are some of the center?

Yes, and uses a it said on its restaurant, violent actions airborne iris sign that typically present with upper respiratory symptoms to begin with typically cough, sore throat and to and known its path and mix with skin lesions itself.

It can lead to severe pneumonia, and that is typically the most common cause of morbidity and death, but also has a lot of post viral on syndromes.

A specific related to I'm and supplied us issues a central nervous system.

So not just an issue that happens in the acute phase of infection, but also severe side effects later So as we said, no confirmed cases this year in Chicago, the measles vaccination rate sits at 92.2% 2 people in Chicago in Illinois need to be worried.

I would say yes, I'm so while we've seen the highest cases in for the most part, you know, just this past weekend, there was 2 cases are identified in Michigan.

So it is creeping its way into the Midwest and the magic number to really think about herd immunity is 95%.

You need a 95%.

So vaccination rate to really have that to keep yourself protected.

And particularly those most vulnerable protected.

And while close, we're under that number.

And so I would not be surprised if Illinois joins I'm I number of cases that we've been seeing across the country any any reason or any thoughts about why those vaccination rates have fallen?

Yeah, I think there's longer-term issues and shorter-term issues.

I think in general think about vaccines.

I think vaccine center be a victim of their own success.

When people don't see I'm I'm folks succumb to diseases that could be preventable.

They sometimes forget about how severe these bonds And I think that has really to buy the seen declines in vaccination, not just recently, but really for the past decade or 2, which then allows us to have these outbreaks.

But 9 to the degree that we've currently so far, no was a measles outbreak in Chicago last year.

67 individuals mostly at migrant shelter in Pilsen becoming infected.

How is the city able to contain Yeah.

So we saw those infections coming largely through migrants from the Darien gap.

And we know that measles is endemic in other parts of the other parts of the world.

Unlikely these were imported cases.

And again, you think of migrant shelters are very close contacts on.

And a lot of those folks were never vaccinate or did not receive a delay to get vaccinated.

The city set up and wait in created.

Massive vaccine clinics in the shelters and made sure that, you know, those most vulnerable are able to get vaccine that outbreak stop.

And that's the only way to extinguish outbreak is to bring that vaccination backup to protective levels.

Of course, Robert F Kennedy junior recently assumed the role of the nation's health secretary.

What do you think his confirmation says about the state of public health and what it means for the work that you and your colleagues Yeah, I think it's really troubling to see that the head of HHS is somewhat of a vaccine clinic.

you know, for those of his supporters, I always say he did write an editorial this past month saying that our vaccine is the number one way to prevent a measles.

That is so even he is coming around and are saying that vaccines are the only way out of this current outbreak.

What would you tell someone who might be hesitant or nervous to vaccinate themselves or or their children or that just kind of forgetting about it.

You know, like it was good.

We eradicated measles right to there's no need to get the vaccine.

Yeah.

I always tell folks what questions do you need answered in order for you to comfortable to vaccine yourself or your loved one's?

This is a preventable illness.

>> And you know, it's there's no reason the year 2025, any individual United States ships that come from this illness itself.

And I tell my patients what questions need answered and making sure you're going to reliable places that don't have some other agenda or something else trying to sell.

You about this.

In the end, vaccines have been a these vaccines have been around since 1960's, highly safe, incredibly effective.

And again, our only way to extinguish this current outbreak.

It also sounds a little bit.

I don't know how much it might hurrican back for you to, you know that the debate over getting the COVID-19 vaccine over the last 5 years as well.

Yeah, that's more the shorter-term issues.

I think around vaccines.

I think people feel this kind of like vaccine fatigue around things.

But I will say people were, you know, jumping over each other, trying get the COVID vaccine early on.

And you think about that because people remember their loved ones dying and whatnot of COVID.

And it was shortly after when all of that memories for us really faded away that that vaccine uptake, sir lagged.

And I think we're sort of in the same situation right now.

And as the young kids say, like f around and find out, that's what's gonna happen.

If we continue to see vaccine rates decline and its unfortunately, the only way that we can potentially see higher rates of vaccination, particularly most hesitant, OK?

So we're gonna have to leave it there.

But I think we've covered it all.

Dr Honoree I thank you so much joining us.

Thank you.

And right back right after this.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Chicago.

But we know most of you probably didn't wait until today to start celebrating >> activities kicked off over the weekend with parades across the city.

And of course, the Chicago River being dyed green ever wonder how Chicago's beloved dye job tradition got started.

Here's units office on in Our W T Tw News explains series.

>> I've seen Patrick's Day in Chicago.

>> Well, for some the holiday green beer and lots of partying.

One thing's for certain Chicago's estimated 200,000 residents of Irish heritage take their traditions.

Serious and there's no more iconic Chicago's Patrick's Day tradition and dying Chicago >> The history of the Green River flows back to the local plumbers union.

They've been sponsoring the dye job for more than 60 years.

The story goes as the plumbers tell it that business manager Steven Bailey got the idea seeing a Palmer in stained green coveralls.

See city was working to enforce restrictions on waste going into river during construction projects and supplements reusing di to help trace the flow of wastewater and detect leaks.

Billion is Pow Mayor Richard J Daily initially considered dying Lake Michigan before ultimately picking a portion of the more manageable size of Chicago River.

And so in 1962, River got its first festive dye job.

They school wedding telling reporters that die with connect the city to Ireland going from Chicago to the Illinois River onto the Mississippi up the Gulf Stream and across the Atlantic into the Irish Sea.

The city has tried the few dye distribution methods over the years.

But today a couple of motor boats do the job, turning a roughly a quarter mile stretch of the river downtown.

Just the right shape, using what organizers say is orange vegetable based powder that lean on contact with the water, exact die recipe has always been a closely guarded secret.

Some local environmental groups have pushed back against the tradition like friends of the Chicago River feel it harkens back to a bygone era when the river was treated as it was a sewer rather than a living body home to fish and wildlife.

>> But regardless of one stance, there's no denying the traditions other U.S. cities have taken the idea dyeing their own rivers and canals.

Each march and with thousands gathering along Chicago River every year to see all unfold, the tradition does it seem ready to die any time soon?

>> And you can see more from our Emmy award-winning series W T Tw News explains on our website at W T Tw Dot com Slash explains.

And that's our show for this Monday night.

You can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube Channel every evening and catch up on any programs you may have missed and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10, a judge order Chicago to speed up efforts to make cross walks accessible to blind pedestrians.

Our spotlight politics team on that and more.

Now for all of us here actually part Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Woes was made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law a Chicago personal injury and wrongful That is proud to be a multi-lingual provides