thanks for joining us on the week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

After a decade of anticipation, the Obama presidential center has its grand opening.

>> It is an expression of thanks.

And that knowledge meant that so much of what I hold most dear.

I owe to the people of this city.

The people of the surrounding former president's a list stars and a massive crowd of Chicago and celebrate Barack Obama's legacy.

>> This race is whether we have the courage.

And discipline to govern.

>> And we will fight every day to make sure every Chicago family it's a fairly forward.

>> Former Alderman George Cardenas announces his bid for Chicago as jacked up is this deal the City council's responsibility go through a thorough process?

Come our city council members for that commitment.

Dueling legal opinions in the fight over whether City Council should approve the resale of Chicago's parking meters.

Meantime, the broad view 6 defendants called for a special prosecutor to investigate.

Chicago's U.S.

attorneys office and the contest is on to name Chicago's newest piping plover chicks.

And now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are Justin Lawrence of Crain's Chicago Business.

They're selling on this all down of WBEZ.

Robert, her death of the Chicago Sun-Times and Michael Lyft ride a block club.

Chicago, thank you all for being here.

And we should mention we are recording this program in advance, but lots to talk about.

So let's get right to it.

We set 10 years after the announcement 5 years after the groundbreaking the Obama presidential center is here at last.

I want to know stood out to you all from the rollout we've seen today and over the past few weeks.

Michael, what about you?

It's not a long time coming the mic and it's something where it even on the opening was today.

>> It feels like this president and this change to the face of Maui, High Park and Jackson part.

But the South side as a whole is finally here as far opening, I feel like as deputies W Block Club.

Chicago, every outlet has done their walkthroughs previews and just today saying the concert were Stevie Wonder.

Bruce Springsteen really brought it on home.

So it's good to see and very interesting people came out 4.

Yeah, it fun.

Watching the crowd trying to pick out of the note of notable faces.

But what stood out to you?

That is sort of a bookend.

You know, I still remember, I will never forget watching Obama and his wife in the state to Grant Park when he was first elected.

And just look of sheer like just the enormity of it all.

And now this is sort of like the book end of that.

And that's just one just observation.

But the second thing I guess I would say is that not just today's the day it opened, but what about tomorrow?

Not literally, but tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.

Here's what the impact is.

And the South side neighborhoods where the there's only has so much attention on the South side and South Shore and >> I was really glad that there was great weather.

I know that that was kind problems.

also we back, there are so many people outside.

>> They look at their having a lot of fun.

A lot of distinguished guests we see, you know, former presidents and dignitaries and I didn't get invited, but maybe maybe some other time.

Don't take it personally.

Think area thank for that.

Big doesn't you would have fit right in with your suits their to unfortunately, my invite was also >> Yeah.

I I watch some of the speeches, not all of it.

>> what hit me is it kind of took me back to that time.

And in 2008, when politics seemed quite different than are now less bombastic in and some of the speeches, especially Michelle Obamas, I think succeed contrast the current president to Barack Obama.

Yeah.

And seeing, you know, George W Bush Laura Bush up there on the stages, Cindy McCain sitting in the crowd?

So certainly harkening back to a different time in American politics for sure.

>> All right, Justin, sticking with you for a moment.

We've got Cook County Board of Review commissioner, former Alderman George Cardenas.

He's latest contestant who wants to be Chicago's mayor.

What did we hear from him as he launched his You know that he's going rely on his his experience 20 serving the southwest side of Chicago in the 12th floor.

He's now a Cook county border of you.

>> Remember that their influence on your property taxes and he's going to his experience and his know how to.

Cut spending without cutting services, which is and bring you know, didn't directly criticize the current mayor, Mayor Johnson, but >> so, you know, bring better management to city Hall.

I think we're going to hear a lot of this from all of the candidates going forward.

I am hoping to get more specific about how you cut spending without cutting services and and where you might specifically cut spending.

>> Yeah.

Great questions with yes to answer rate.

And I'm hoping that he will.

I think a lot of the times the finger is pointed to the management mismanagement of, you know, exclude including city budget.

And we have to remember, this isn't the city, but problem is not new.

It's been going on for many years.

And this Chicago.

So you end interested to see comes out of the woodwork especially with a comptroller running as well as >> kindness the question of finance.

think these people with just that experience on that level is going to come down to a lot of those issues being pushed and pushing a lot of Johnson's record when it comes to the budget.

Special of how contentious it gets.

And just, you know, this past budget passing it without, right?

Yeah.

Nobody likes to see their property taxes go up, but nobody wants their services to call Yeah.

Well, and also, I mean, I think I've seen him portray himself.

>> George is progressive.

I'm not sure everybody remembers his his origins.

He was creature of HBO, the Hispanic Democratic Organization, a very can a shadowy group that grant of Mayor Daley's operation and that was his pathway.

So he is machine guy, least his origins and throughout much of you know, political career.

And it's also interesting, I believe I think it was his first automatic race that he won.

He was on the other side of Susana Mendoza and that where she was back in the candidate that he actually had card continues beating.

sort of little rematch way.

Maybe they like experience cuts both ways, right?

He was in the city Council and >> they approved a lot of the things that we're going to talk about right terms of the parking meter deal they're kinda put the city and the place that is now financial.

Yeah, I have a feeling a lot of his opponents with there will be many.

We'll be reading some of those All right.

We're going to come back to some of the city Council news.

But segment of the broad new 6 defendants calling for a special prosecutor to look into misconduct in the U.S.

Attorney's office Sally, we've heard from them, they're saying, well, officials are just pointing to this one single prosecutor, but, >> you know, the defendants or former defendants are arguing, you know, this could go, you know, be much more widespread.

This could go up much higher.

Yeah, I think a lot of people are looking into the office, especially because there's been so many allegations of misconduct.

There's also been recent departures of staff.

And I think when anything like when something like that happens.

>> People start asking a lot of questions.

Of course, we know that there's been calls for resignations and we're just wondering what's going to happen next.

Yeah, and you know, we've also heard the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee called for an investigation.

I mean, now about it kind of feels like despite getting the backing the acting attorney general, the pressure on rebuild trust and not on the U.S.

attorney.

>> Isn't letting up anytime soon.

Now it's I'm sure not.

I mean, one thing that struck me about this whole thing was his initial reaction.

>> Moos misinterpreting it.

He had put out a statement after all these former assistant U.S.

attorneys and U.S.

attorneys wrote a letter saying this is horrible which what you guys are doing here in E and he made some remark in the wake of that about, you know, political opportunism or something to that effect.

And I thought that that was kind unfortunate.

Granted, I'm sure there is quite a bit of that going on.

you know, these are legitimate, very fair questions.

And this what happened was not the norm.

And was it illegal?

Was it, you know, fireable and Central Bowl as an attorney or whatever?

I don't know.

But it was not the norm.

And for him to be so forceful, defiant about this is kind of surprising.

Yeah, you know, a lot of people that are that are watching this happen in potentially.

>> Paying close attention, you know, tax payers believe in justice and they believe you know, doing what's right, if you if you need to go to prison or jail, that that should be the case.

But I think they're very worried about people stepping on the scale.

And if that is the case, I think taxpayers can ask questions and they're lawmakers and elected officials can also ask questions.

So I think it is that's warranted.

already seeing this, you know, have an effect on a number of prosecutions, the Toronto right.

you can see to an extent why some people look for a scapegoat and it's very easy.

>> To have more or less the terms like fought one person falls on us or that way in terms of being able to blame know this is a bad apple.

This is not a system issue, but the possibility of that coming up, especially now with the body 6.

But just a lot of the legal actions that were happening around Operation Midway Blitz.

This going to be years, trying to figure out exactly a lot of the decision-making that went on through that.

Yes.

So these conversations going to extend far beyond Andrew Boutros.

Absolutely.

And we will be keeping our eyes on them.

>> All right.

We teased this.

But Justin, you've been reporting on sort of legal back and forth surrounding Chicago's much hated parking meter Fill us in on the latest.

Yeah, it's current owners led by Morgan Stanley are trying to transfer or sell.

>> Ownership of group called Stone Peak a private equity firm.

>> And the City Council has approve And so far it seems like the majority of them are saying I want to touch that for lots of reasons.

Politically.

They just don't want their names seem as sort member Sen secondhand stamping a deal with everybody hates rate and then some are saying maybe you should give us something or make the terms better for us.

And so Morgan Stanley and Chicago parking meters have told the city, hey, you guys are kind of playing with fire here.

And if storm peak walks away and we lose our buyer.

We're going to sue you.

And they they so could cause financial catastrophe for the city.

So like heated words, the city, the city's top attorney, Mary Lowry didn't dismiss the merits of such a lawsuit but really told them your weather isn't helping.

You don't have just to explicit right to city council approval.

We are going through the process.

You're not going to rush us it's really up in the air.

What's gonna happen over the next month or so?

Unfortunately, the leverage is not they're ready for so I think that people are looking at this.

And of course, it's a hated deal.

>> But at the end of the day, it's the council between rock and a hard place because they either, you know, potentially are going into a lawsuit which taxpayer money will have to kind of, you know, they will have to pay or they agree to this deal that nobody wants in the first place.

But unfortunately, they're all worried about political mailers.

You know that or they're not near wants.

They don't say, you know, the aldermen voted for this, but and they explore their options realize they had to do it know just about every they double down on the parking meter deal is so they.

>> They're all hoping for a little more out of the mayor as well.

Who has said explicitly like this is on the city council.

He is currently saying that he is bound by confidentiality agreement that the but the other party to that agreement says they waived.

So that is a back and forth that we're trying to figure out right now.

Watts of uncertainty.

were talking before before the show about.

>> Whether this ends up in litigation and if it doesn't mean who's to know, but if it does, I would love to be a fly on the wall in the depositions.

To drill down into the question of how this deal actually came together in the first place on the Mayor, Daley thought that would be something that I think we would all like to Alright, some other city council action this week.

Michael Alders rejected a proposal from Alderman Raymond Lopez >> 2 to find to penalize parents of young people.

You know, that aimed at trying curb these teen takeovers.

You know, he says it's accountability.

Opponents say it's going after people, many of whom might already pinched financially, right.

And stuff, the ideal of trying to both.

>> Have accountability without condemnation and then passing that on to parents.

Very, very controversial.

We've seen that from Joint C on to this and the idea of $1000 fines or community service on top of all the other woes in this economy that a lot of families are facing, that this is going to especially this a partially affect a lot of black and parents.

And we think about a lot of these teen takeovers those disparities following the same map of almost every other disparity that the city has looking at.

People can be affected by And it's it's a major issue that there is no.

Concrete, right answer for.

And the more we go, especially towards mayoral election.

And in the summer, the heat of these takeovers want to see a lot of different things he brought up.

But this revision to the ordinance was going to get far at all.

Yeah, we already saw, you know, >> City Council committee and a push back on at the council itself pushed back on it.

So although, of course, this conversation seems never quite to end.

All right.

Shifting gears to state news for a minute.

Governor Pritzker.

He officially signed the state budget that lawmakers pass last month.

You know, Michael, a lot of calls this session from some more progressive Democrats to more wealthy you know, more aggressively tax, I should say wealthy Illinoisans didn't really materialize tough to do in an election year.

Of course, do expect to see that push continue and further sessions.

So I expect it to continue.

And it's something where Pritzker is this budget impasse couple.

But very clear on that status maintaining and especially the cut down on spending.

>> As far as what this budget, I believe was a 50 something million to 6 billion and give it maintenance budget Ryan and that maintain I didn't maintenance.

And so I think overall going to see a lot, especially when it comes to majority of the house pushing for that.

But it's gonna be something to see whether or not that can really come together with it.

But overall, I would say, Pritzker's focus more so to maintain especially economy and the attacks that Illinois receiving from the federal government and the threat of federal funds being pulled.

But still looking at the Texans that were introduced, particularly to social media taxes and the other digital asset taxes still including other taxes.

But whether or not the ultra wealthy tax comes together, it was come.

Some say Governor Pritzker had a lot of wins this legislative session.

But Bob, one item that he's been interested in pushing that hasn't gone the way he wanted so far as changes in gambling regulation.

Tell us about that.

Yeah.

My one of my work partners measurement, right?

I did a couple of stories on >> It wasn't it was an interesting kind quietly attached to some legislation that we kind of supple maybe a month ago or something like that, which was merging the Illinois Gaming Board and the Light Racing Board Gaming board Overseas casinos and video poker and sports gambling racing board is horse racing, which is troubling to dine in Illinois.

So merge the 2 bureaucracies, you know, made some sense.

But beyond that, what the plan was to do was to eliminate by my understanding really and element of FA public accountability in public meetings and stop so as it now stands to border state along the members are appointed by the governor, whoever the governor is and then the meetings they have, you know, regularly and anybody come.

You ask questions, you can see things deliberated, how who's been vetted and who's been approved, especially on the gaming board, cited billions and billions of dollars.

the governor wanted to put that behind closed doors and he included.

He insisted through his aides that this wasn't about secrecy was about improvement and law.

I think that you have to be seen, but the but the bottom line is under this governor gambling has exploded.

I mean, beyond anybody's while his dream, 6 epic scene owners and it's going to be expanding presumably much, much, much, much more if a deal poker goes into the city, Chicago, which it's headed that way, but has been affectionately just yet.

So, you know, there's an argument there are more regulation, more public, you know, oversight, especially given the nature of gambling, the corruption of Illinois that play pay the plays special interest stuff that we already know just permeates Springfield.

And picking up on idea video gambling, Justin, there was also some action and city council this week.

>> Voting against banning the so-called sweepstakes machines, which are basically video gambling.

But they pay you have tickets that you redeem rather than just cash directly.

What it all have to say about the bees are essentially the gray market cousins of video gambling machines and got voted down.

As you said, and it's somewhat surprising because there is a majority of the city council that >> has approved video gambling terminals in Chicago.

And so you would think that they would want to explicit we ban those the competition there, but chose not to.

And I think it it kind of exposes a divide here where maybe there isn't as much support for video gambling as there was when they approved it in the budget.

That is something that Bally's is is really pushing.

And of course, they say, hey, you're eating into our casino revenue, which you get tax revenue from.

So they Bally's and Mayor Johnson put forward ordinance that eventually got pulled back.

That would explicitly essentially waive video gambling being allowed in Chicago.

It was interesting to see this when for for the mayor and the city council, especially because >> I do think there's bit of chess that's happening where we're going to ban But then, you know, also just banned all video gambling.

>> Because they really want Bally's to succeed.

I mean, we're talking about jobs and revenue for the city.

So I think that.

Bally's themselves are the kind of looking sideways to the mayor saying what's happening with remember Bally's comes with lots of jobs and lots of union jobs.

Right?

And those unions are on valley side and trying to.

>> video gambling.

So if that does happened, I think Bally's will obviously be a part of that.

But I will be looking to the but unions who I think will be trying to force that their son come make a gamble.

you're going to get that on it right the predictive.

Put kalshi or something.

>> some news out of Evanston Araceli.

The Trump administration is trying to hope the reparations program there for black residents.

Remind us of the details of that program.

you know, basically U.S.

Department of Justice is.

>> Joining a pending lawsuit civil lawsuit against this first of its kind reparations program out of the city of Evanston.

There is no other city or state that has something like this.

And really what the Trump administration has basically claiming is that this is discriminatory because some of the qualifying matters are based on race.

And so they're saying that that kind of that basically violates the U.S.

Constitution.

Now the city of Evanston says know everything that we're doing is legal.

There is no qualifying things for black residents to receive the reparations that can be money or home improvements.

The basically had to live in the city of Evanston from 1990, to 1959 or have descendants.

And so there is a process I think so far more than 4 million dollars have been distributed to black residents of the of Evanston.

But that's early days because it's only about 5% of their 20 million dollars at the wish to allocate in the future.

Stevenson says they're going to continue giving out these reparations, but they do have to respond to the motion by July 20th.

And of course, you know, Chicago has its own reparations task force.

They're actually set for some meetings next week.

>> I mean, you know, Michael, you have to wonder whether that federal opposition that Evans tons facing is going to be on the minds of the folks studying the potential for what happens in Chicago.

That's definitely a big-picture implications of it.

I actually the last Saturday in May there was a big reparations vent on the West side in Austin.

>> And I met one of the members of the task force there and they have spoken about just a current city efforts when it comes to that.

And in contrast with Evanston, because right now, Chicago just had a survey that closed at the end of May.

That was getting of a gauge of black residents.

What they want to see operations for and what they want.

Not only the injustices, but what reparations would look like.

One time cash payment infrastructural things.

And the biggest thing that with Everest you can see and appreciate compared to the rest of countries.

Just how clear focus it 15 years.

People have a documented history as far as a family living there and some from just as in terms of city policies, redlining and such.

And even after that period, people can still qualify.

>> But with this federal effort, contrast, Chicago, Chicago, get these efforts going is very clear.

president being said that they cannot expect any federal funds.

And then the question of the city have the money for such a larger black population and then would there even be a reason?

My fixation for the state contribute to that and the reality like airs it was saying millions have already been given out.

Should this be put on hold the question of reparations determinant, whether or not you can access preparations being based on what parties in the White House.

just want to know, you know, Chicago has allocated money towards this task force and to do meetings and conduct the surveys.

They have not allocated any money towards actual program yet.

So that would have to come.

>> like you said, Chicago doesn't have flood of money right?

I would be fight that I would be very interesting to watch its Well, we're almost out of time, but I do want to get to a positive story on the housing side that you've been covering.

A new development in Garfield Park where the details there.

>> Yes, and this is I care manner.

Disses in Garfield Park.

>> Is through a church in area Temple Church of God in Christ.

And really that church is one of the first projects that were announced through the cities, housing economic development bond.

So bomb from state funds are going toward stance to ultimately have this affordable housing complex.

Be right with the church's social social services so right across street, from the smell of it, there's going to be center with social services, including ago education after school programs as such.

So really great opera.

Great thing for people to get going.

They just broke ground on it earlier on Sunday and they're hoping to open later summer of 2027 going into the fall.

2027.

All right.

We're under a minute left, but everybody's talking about clovers.

Bob, you've been focusing on this tiny little snake out of the Illinois prairies that having a tough time that's going on with this It's a >> people always think we have garter snakes.

That's about it.

But there's the smooth green snakes.

I'll talk they are there.

So on the verge of being threatened.

there was a study that I just >> come across.

It was done by scientists.

thank you note about a museum that just found that when they're laying their eggs, these snakes lay eggs, right?

Just like the birds and up that there's a lot more lead and arsenic and stuff like that that they're finding in the eggs that are either from the soil or from the Mamba snake and stuff like that.

And it's sort create new challenges for already kind of, you know, under under threat kind creature.

One interesting.

Yeah.

One more reason we need to be looking out from other.

All Well, we've got to let the for abuse litter way.

Unfortunately, we are out of time, thanks to.

>> Justin Lawrence are selling Gomez held on a Robert her death.

And Michael, it rot.

We're back to wrap things up right after this.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part by the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

>> Tonight's presentation of Week in review is made possible in part by an and rich com BNSF railway.

And Francine and Doctor Anthony Brown.

>> 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.

And by the end of this weekend, 7 o'clock Sunday night is the deadline to submit your ideas for the plover naming contest and brilliant thoughts panel.

I wonder it's going to be Obama really they said it should be something that reflects the city's heritage and culture.

But did see a warning that no politician, came up that make an excuse if he's out about yeah, I was going to say I wasn't even to Chicagoans to come up with really clever stopped sir.

I mean, if we can do the snowplow naming to know that I know it's it's hard to actually think critically about the one.

caption >> By Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and