Chicago Newsroom: Recent Episodes
Chicago Newsroom
From Chicago’s CAN TV, a look at the week’s local stories as reported in the newspapers, online and on radio and TV. This is the audio version of Chicago Newsroom, hosted by Ken Davis.
The Network hosts a candidate forum for the Cook County State’s Attorney candidates to address questions around gender-based violence in Cook County. Sexual and domestic violence is epidemic throughout Cook County, affecting people from all walks of life – particularly women and girls, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is the second largest in the country and is responsible for the prosecution of all misdemeanor and felony crimes committed in Cook County. They are a leader in all issues related to the criminal justice system and have major responsibility for public safety as the chief law enforcement agent in Cook County. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A candidate forum with the Democratic candidates for the Illinois State Senate 13th District. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The Chicago Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association celebrates it's 32nd Annual National Black Nurses' Day. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Discussion on the 2019 Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Act which requires all publicly funded Illinois schools to study the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, transgender and queer people in the history of Illinois and the United States. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
This Local School Council summit's goal is to educate people on how to run and win an LSC election for Chicago Local School Council elections in April of 2020. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Candidates for the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court discuss their policies and stances in this debate forum hosted by the Civic Federation. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Discussion about the history of the first African-American fire company in Chicago. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
People with disabilities encounter numerous barriers to community mobility that span across travel modes of fixed route, paratransit, ridesharing, and the pedestrian network. Dr. Yochai Eisenberg of the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences will explain how community mobility is related to health outcomes and healthcare access. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Elizabeth Kolbert recounts the stories of five mass extinctions throughout the history of the earth and reports on the predicted sixth extinction event, this time caused by humanity’s impact on the earth and climate. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The League of Women Voters of Illinois celebrate their 100 year anniversary. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Garfield Park Conservatory and Urban Roots celebrate the works of several black pioneers of science whose contributions to ecological and plant science have been lost in time.
Hear directly from the Cook County Judicial candidates and understand the impact these elected officials will have on the community. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)
Poet, Danez Smith, presents their new collection Homie. Rooted in the loss of one of Smith’s close friends, this book comes out of the search for joy and intimacy within a nation where both can seem scarce and getting scarcer. Smith is joined by writer and performance poet Britteney Black Rose Kapri. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A public forum featuring the candidates running to fill the First District seat on the Illinois Supreme Court. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The University of Chicago Institute of Politics welcomes candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney Bill Conway for a conversation on his campaign and his vision for the office of State’s Attorney. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Pianoforte Studios hosts a performance by Rob Clearfield and the Ben Lewis Trio, presented in conjunction with WDCB. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The Chicago Bar Association hosts an Illinois Supreme Court candidate forum moderated by WGN-TV political analyst and anchor, Paul Lisnek. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Join us for a special event, in conversation with U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg—a national authority on the Constitution, and host of A More or Less Perfect Union (2020). This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Professor Michael Steizer Jocks investigates the Holocaust through the diaries of Anne Frank and other diarist. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A curator talk about the life and times of Japanese-American photographer and poet, Jun Fujita. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Richard W. Porter discusses options to solve Illinois' and Chicago's financial woes at this event hosted by Truth in Accounting. For more informaton vistit https://www.truthinaccounting.org/. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
State Representative La Shawn K. Ford and the Illinois Environmental Council host a press conference and town hall meeting on the dangers of lead in Illinois drinking water. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Overview of how to start a cannabis business in Illinois, whether it be a dispensary, craft growing operation, or another entity. This panel will discuss the process of starting a cannabis business, including the State’s licensure process. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
An overview of the expungement provisions of the state law, including automatic expungement and the rap sheet process. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
An explanation of all things pertaining to cannabis legalization, including the current state of the industry, key provisions of legalization, upcoming dates to be aware of, and consumer rights. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Keynote panel discussion with Mayor Lightfoot and other industry professionals at the city’s first-ever cannabis resource fair. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Dr. Greg Kimathi Carr will Kick-Off Black History Month with a Lecture and Tribute to Dr. Carter G. Woodson & the Continuing Challenges of Miseducation. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Join Professor Simon Balto, Assistant Professor of African-American History at the University of Iowa for a discussion of his most recent book, Occupied Territory: Policing Black Chicago from Red Summer to Black Power. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The Stigler Center hosts a conversation with New York Times editorial board member Binyamin Appelbaum and Booth professor Erik Hurst on Appelbaum’s new book, The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society, and the role of economists in the world. The conversation will be moderated by author and Vanity Fair journalist Bethany McLean. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Roosevelt University welcomes Audra Wilson as their keynote speaker in their 2nd Annual Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
This summit's goal is to educate people on the process of running effectively for Chicago Local School Council elections in April of 2020. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
This program assesses the historical context of shifts taking place over the past 100 years, provides a more detailed analysis of population change across Chicago neighborhoods from 1990 to 2016, and examines where Chicagoans who are leaving the city are going. This program was hosted by the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy and recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A candidate forum with the Democratic candidates for the Illinois 1st Congressional District. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Hosted by Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, an exploration of the overlooked stories of black women in Illinois who advocated for voting rights and stood up to the racism within the suffrage movement – past and present - what is remembered, what is forgotten and how little has been told. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Celebrate with the Chinese Fine Arts Society at the Citywide Chinese New Year Kickoff for 2020. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A debate on the future of the Democratic Party, featuring IOP Pritzker Fellow Abdul El-Sayed and former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Jill Wine-Banks, former Watergate Prosecutor and MSNBC legal analyst, shares her thoughts on the current impeachment trial, the cover-up and what it could mean for the future of our democracy. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Hear from Corinne Betty Magness, Illinois Political Director for Rainbow Push Coalition, who will help us understand the impact of the Census and our rights with respect to questions asked. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Using Indian performing arts and dance, students interpret the lives and credos of Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Photographer, historian and architecture critic Lee Bey presents and answers questions about The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side on January 16, 2020 in the Gand Lecture Hall at the Chicago Architecture Center. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
The American Constitution Society - Chicago, Chicago Appleseed Fund For Justice and the Chicago Council of Lawyers host a Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Candidate Forum featuring candidates Richard Boykin, Michael Cabonargi, Iris Martinez and Jacob Meister.
Drawing on the Newberry Library’s collection of Chicago Typographical Union records, the Newberry Library revisits a salient but neglected moment in the labor history of typography. This program was recorded by CAN TV.
The Society of Midland Authors present a panel of distinguished Authors who discuss their experiences and aspects to writing a memoir. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Chapman discusses the history of the pipes and presents a narrative on the story behind one of the oldest instruments still played in the world. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Chicago City Council - Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards Meeting - January 14th, 2020
Presidential candidate and former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh discusses the future of American politics, the Republican Party, and more. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
An Illinois General Assembly hearing on whether or not to prohibit schools from placing students in seclusion. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
A conversation examining how the Census shapes public policy, representation and impacts local resources for LGBT+ youth and older adults in the face of COVID-19.
This conversation aims to bring together non-Black people of color to examine and dismantle ways in which non-Black POC communities may be complicit in anti-Black racism.
Hannah Fernandez from SCORE Chicago highlights ways to start your own business and become a successful entrepreneur.
AFF-Phoenix and legal experts at the Goldwater Institute share first hand knowledge and experience with civil asset forfeiture.
Journalist Karen Kring interviews Chicago media veteran Tracy Baim about her first 20 months as publisher of the Chicago Reader, about her family and her ambitions for community journalism, journalism education and our society.
This Task Force meeting is for the community to listen and learn from people with experience in recovery so programs can be better at addressing gaps in treatment. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)
Exclusive coverage of the Chicago Journalism Town Hall 2020. Big thinkers and decision-makers in Chicago’s media and journalism gather to discuss the challenges they face in 2020 and beyond. This program was recorded by CAN TV.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is our first guest on this final Chicago Newsroom. She talks about the personal impact on her life as she realized that she was almost certainly going to win. She discusses her relationship with the police, and tells us she believes that despite her frosty relationship with the police union, they will be able to forge a labor contract. She says the police academy legislation has been completed, so it will be built despite her objections before the election. But, she says, she may be able to influence the project in some significant ways. She also predicts that, despite the CTU's endorsement of her opponent, she will be able to reach a contractual agreement with the teachers. She says that she feels the rank-and-file teachers supported her in large numbers, and that their support will be helpful in the future.
We're also joined by WLS-AM morning news host John Dempsey, who talks fondly about his lengthy career in both public and commercial radio, much of it with CN host Ken Davis. They discuss the stratification of electronic media and the partition of audiences into interest groups.
Our final guests are two great friends of Chicago Newsroom, A.D. Quig and Heather Cherone of the Daily Line. They help us evaluate the first ten days of the Lightfoot administration - and the mad dash toward the close of this Illinois legislative session, which seems poised to hand major victories to Governor Pritzker and his Democratic majority.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
On this penultimate episode of Chicago Newsroom, we invite three friends of the show to share their memories and observations about the current political and professional scene. Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Hal Dardick tells us that Lori Lightfoot, with her remarkable mandate, has a short, but powerful window in which to initiate significant change in Chicago government. Carol Felsenthal, prolific author, blogger and journalist, speculates on Rahm Emanuel's post-city hall professional life, Donald Trump's pardoning of Conrad Black and her belief that Scott Waguespack will claim the chairmanship of the Finance Committee. NBC 5 correspondent Phil Rogers talks with us about the current state of local television news and how he began his Chicago career in journalism by covering the Flight 191 disaster 40 years ago for WBEZ. This program was recorded by CAN TV.
Flint Taylor discusses his new book The Torture Machine, which details fifty years of police abuse of power, on this week's show. He discusses his early involvement with the murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark on December 4, 1969, and how he and other young Northwestern law students, having recently founded the People's Law Office, visited the murder site and gathered evidence that would ultimately lead to revelations that that police and law enforcement organizations had conspired to murder the Black Panther leaders. He also discusses in detail his thirty-year involvement with the discovery of systematic torture sessions in the basement of CPD's "Area 2," and the role played by a parade of mayors, police superintendents, states' attorneys and other officials in covering up the torture.
We’re also joined by “Live From the Heartland” host Thom Clark. Thom was co-founder in the 1970s of the Community Media Workshop, whose purpose was to open up access to Chicago media for community organizers and others whose voices were rarely heard. Thom appears on this show as a co-host to help lead the discussion. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Alderman of the 35th Ward, is our guest this week. He was, until the recent election, the only Democratic Socialist in the City Council, but he will soon be joined by five others, thereby creating a six-member Progressive Caucus. Ramirez-Rosa discusses the Emmett Street Project, which, when built, will house 100 affordable units, many of them 3-bedroom. It's a dramatic departure from other large rental projects in his ward, which are generally small apartments renting for the highest possible market price. He tells us that, although he thinks Alderman Scott Waguespack would make an excellent Finance Committee Chairman (Replacing the disgraced Ed Burke), he believes that Tom Tunney (44) has the votes and will probably become Chair.
Despite having introduced the proposal for CPAC, a reorganization plan for oversight of the Chicago Police Department, he indicates that Lori Lightfoot's plan, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, might be more acceptable to the majority. He describes it as something like the Affordable Care Act - a compromise plan that can garner the votes needed to pass. Speaking of the plan to build a nearly 100-million dollar police academy on the west side, against which he cast the Council's only dissenting vote, he observed that it's fascinating to see how many major projects in Chicago boil down to big real estate deals.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network.
Professors Mary Patillo (Northwestern) and Stacey Sutton (UIC) speak with us this week about the many ways in which the City of Chicago exacerbates poverty with its injurious, escalating fines and punishments. At the municipal level, we cite the example that a person can receive a $200 fine for not purchasing a $100 city sticker. The fine doubles to $400 if not paid, and can easily lead to booting and impounding of the car. When one's car is a lifeline to employment and education, its loss can be crippling. On the state level similar situations occur with violations that can also lead to probation and even prison time, all for the failure to pay fines or fees. We discuss the myriad ways in which minority populations, particularly African-Americans, have never had equal access to capital in the form of proper mortgages and bank loans, and how this inability to access wealth has held an entire segment of our city in poverty for generations. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television.
Aneel Chablani, the attorney from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights who filed suit to invalidate the TIF funding for Chicago's Lincoln Yards project, is one of today's guests. He's joined by Brenda Delgado, Board President at Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education. They assert that tax increment funding for a project in such a wealthy community victimizes less affluent populations across the city since it deprives schools, law enforcement and smaller development projects from access to city-based funding. If their suit succeeds, it will cancel about 1.3 billion in city funding that would have been used largely to reimburse the developer for the construction of critical infrastructure such as bridges, streets, lighting and other amenities. But hey insist they don't want to cancel the TIF program itself. They want to force a re-write of the TIF legislation so that it would be more directly beneficial to economically under-served communities and projects.
If you want to understand how a big city works, you pretty much have to understand its demographics first. Chicago's demographics are fluid, bordering on chaotic. According to Rob Paral of Rob Paral and Associates, Chicago's loss of African American population is historic. There's been almost as much out-migration as there was in-migration during the mid-century 1900's. Further, our Spanish-speaking population is down slightly, due mostly to reduced immigration. The Latino population, Paral explains, saved Chicago from significant declines in population during the last half of the 1900's because their immigrants compensated for the loss of whites and blacks. Chicago, he says, has been an incredibly efficient "processor of immigrants," but that era may be coming to a close. A couple of interesting nuggets: Mexican families are experiencing dramatic declines in fertility rates, down significantly from the eight-children families of a generation ago, and that means fewer immigrants for us. And that popular view that many of Chicago's black out-migrants went to Atlanta as isn't necessarily true. They went to Atlanta's suburbs. Atlanta, like Chicago, is experiencing dropping declining black population.
This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television.
Communications consultant Peter Cunningham, Chicago Newsroom producer David Resnick and Openlands CEO Jerry Adelmann appear on today's show. Cunningham says of Tax Increment Financing that it's been proven not to work in blighted regions- the very areas they were designed to help. He also tells us that Chicago's dropping population is a significant issue, because it affects tax policy, education planning and almost every other aspect of City management. In the second segment Jerry Adelmann tells us that he's optimistic about the Lightfoot administration's commitment to environmental issues, and says that Chicago's urban forest is in a serious state of decay. He also discusses a number of open-space initiatives with which his organization is involved, including Treekeepers, which trains residents in basic arboriculture so they can perform volunteer work caring for neighborhood trees.
This program is a production of Chicago Access Network.
The Klonsky Brothers - Fred and Mike - join Ken Davis for a conversation about the incoming Lightfoot administration and the controversy that erupted over the Lincoln Yards/78 TIF vote in City Council yesterday. Both insist that the Mayor-Elect did not "cave" to pressure from Rahm Emanuel, and that she will have many opportunities to put her imprint on the projects as they get constructed over the years. They also discuss Governor Pritzker's efforts to pass a graduated, or "Fair" tax through the legislature and a perception some have expressed that, since the tax requires a Constitutional amendment, legislators who oppose the current pension provision could amend it "while they're in there." Their weekly radio program/podcast "Hitting Left With the Klonsky Brothers" airs on Lumpen Radio WLPN-FM 105.5 (and live streaming) on Fridays from 11 AM to noon. This program was recorded by CAN TV.
Three of Chicago's most knowledgeable observers of the mayoral political scene convene this week for a conversation about the Lori Lightfoot landslide. Panelists include Delmarie Cobb (the Publicity Works); Bruce DuMont, host of Beyond the Beltway; and the Daily Line's A.D. Quig. We discuss the factors that led to Lightfoot's overwhelming victory, the challenges she faces with labor contracts, the raising of revenue for pensions and other needs and the curious fact that she drew strong support from just about every economic, racial and philosophical corner of the city. We also discuss the critical issues she faces with the Chicago Public Schools and Police Department. This program was produced by CAN TV.
Sarah Karp, WBEZ education reporter, tells us about her most recent story in which she dissects CPS' claim that graduation rates are quickly improving in the city's public schools. A major part of the success, Karp reports, is the use by CPS of commercial "alternative schools" that take at-risk students from traditional high schools. The curriculum, she tells us, is considerably less challenging, sometimes consisting of little more than sitting in front of a laptop for to or three hours a day. There are serious questions about how meaningful a high school diploma from one of these schools can be in today;'s complex job market. Nevertheless, there is good news to report, because the overall graduation rate has risen by more than ten percent in just five years.
Jawanza Malone, Executive Director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, echoes concerns about the value of this "alternative" schooling, and laments the fact that these troubled, at-risk teens are not being given a higher level of more intensive instruction.
Malone tells us that displacement and gentrification are already serious problems near the site of the Obama Center, as real-estate speculators are flooding in to buy inexpensive properties before the Center opens. Malone Says that what's needed is a comprehensive community benefits agreement that would stipulate compensation for people who are displaced and standards for property preservation. He says that KOCO has not taken a position on whether a location in the park or in the community is preferable, but he says that putting the OPC in the neighborhood would be highly disruptive,with potentially 800,0000 visitors annually coming into a residential community. Malone says that, no matter where people stand on the controversial Presidential Center, the one thing he believes everyone agrees on is that there's no need for a Tiger Woods-designed PGA golf course in Jackson Park.
Audrey Henderson, writing for Next City, has surveyed the current status of the Obama Presidential Center development. As Chicago prepares to install a new Mayor, there's renewed emphasis on the demand for a Community Benefits Agreement, something the Obama Center developers have so far refused to accept. We also discuss plans to eliminate seven blocks of Cornell Drive, the lawsuit seeking to prohibit construction in Jackson Park, the proposed "world-class" golf course and significant concerns about displacement and gentrification.
In our second segment, business writer Robert Reed (Chicago Magazine)talks about the serious implications for Boeing in light of the Company's role in the development and deployment of the 737-Max and possible legal troubles for the company. We also discuss casino gambling, and how it's losing its luster in the face of stringent Internet competition. Reed says the hope that tax revenue from casinos may help bridge the infamous pension gap may be seriously overblown. And he tells us that the business community in Chicago is staying largely on the sidelines in the Mayoral race, because they see Preckwinkle as an energetic taxer and Lightfoot as an unknown quantity. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
Maya Dukmasova (Chicago Reader) and Paul Vallas join Ken Davis this week for separate conversations about the April 2 Mayoral election. Dukmasova says that twin votes taken yesterday in the City Council tell a lot about the way some alderman facing runoffs are reading their electorates. In several notable matchups, aldermen who would never normally vote against the Mayor's key initiatives did so yesterday because they believe they're facing strong progressive trends in their wards. But Dukmasova also reports hat there is a perceptible split among progressives when it comes to supporting either Toni Preckwinkle or Lori Lightfoot.
Paul Vallas, the former City budget director and revenue director who ran for Mayor in this round, tells Ken that there are a couple of ways in which the City could defeat the crushing pension obligation the City faces. The issue, he explains, is not that the City is paying too much in pensions. It's that the City has chronically underpaid its loan repayments over the years and today the pension debt alone is fully ten percent of the City's budget. Vallas offers several prescriptions, including working with the State to assure the prompt delivery of funds Vallas says are due the City of Chicago but are not being paid. Vallas believes that, using a number of financial processes in tandem, the City could get out from under this crushing debt in four years. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
Willie Wilson and Ja'Mal Green, both former contenders for the Mayor's office, appear in separate conversations this week about the upcoming election that will settle once and for all who's about to be our new Mayor, Treasurer and, in about a dozen Wards, the next Alderman. Wilson tells us that he's about to endorse in the Mayoral race, which can be significant since about 60,000 Chicagoans voted for him, mostly in the City's black communities. Although his decision won't be announced until Friday, he drops broad hints when he criticizes Preckwinkle for her association with Joe Berrios and for the failed "soda tax." Wilson says that Berrios inflicted severe damage on low-income communities, African-Americans in particular, by assigning higher tax rates to poorer communities than to the City's highest-income areas. He also describes his own personal journey, in which he came to accept that gays and lesbians should be judged by God, not by mortals such as himself. He says he has spent a great deal of time in his communities attempting to persuade ministers that they shouldn't judge others by their declared sexual preferences.
Ja'Mal Green didn't make it into the election itself, in part because Wilson challenged his petitions. Green talks with us about the petition process and how it discriminates against those who don't have expensive lawyers and consultants to navigate the approval process. Green says he isn't pleased with either of the remaining candidates, because Preckwinkle imposed the soda tax and other regressive taxes and Lightfoot was not respectful of the young activist community while she was head of the Police Board. However, Green says he intends to endorse a candidate before the April 2 election. In the meantime, he's busy working with the newly-reconstituted Bernie Sanders campaign, he tells us.
This program was produce by Chicago Access Television.
Bruce DuMont (Host, Beyond the Beltway), Jacky Grimshaw (former advisor to Harold Washington), Bill Ruthhart (Chicago Tribune)and the Daily Line's AD Quig join Ken Davis for a wide-ranging conversation about Tuesday's municipal election. They consider whether the twelve losing candidates will endorse either Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle and what the political composition of the City Council might be after the runoffs. They also ponder whether Chicago has advanced beyond the Council Wars period, since many white people voted to elevate two African American women to the mayoral runoffs. This program is produced by Chicago Access Television.
WGN-TV's Tahman Bradley and the Daily Line's Heather Cherone join Ken Davis for a final analysis of next week's municipal election. They agree that Chicago should brace itself for a long night next Tuesday because the two candidates emerging in the Mayoral runoff might not be known for a week or two if neither commands a clear, decisive victory. This is due in large part to the fact that more than sixty-thousand mail-in ballots have been requested, and they won't be counted until after election day. So, if the top vote-getters fail to score enough votes to make the potential mail-in vote irrelevant, we'll all have to wait - possibly two weeks - until the mail-in votes are counted. In addition, there are as many as a dozen hotly contested Aldermanic races, many of which could also end up in a runoff - all of which adds to the intrigue of Chicago's second-only runoff-style election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
Melissa Sanchez (ProPublica Illinois) and Elliott Ramos (WBEZ) join Ken Davis for a discussion about their multi-part, multi-platform series of investigations about spiraling fines and impoundments in Chicago. These City policies, they report, are driving thousands of Chicagoans into bankruptcy and creating intractable indebtedness. They reveal that 67,000 cars were booted in Chicago in 2017 alone simply for failure to pay City sticker fines and non-moving violations such as expired license plate stickers. They discuss the fact that, as the City has raised penalties for these infractions since 2007, Chapter 13 bankruptcies have risen from 1,000 to more than 10,000, and that individual debt to the City has risen from $1,500 to $3,900. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
Ken Davis is joined by mayoral candidate La Shawn Ford. He shares his observations about the current economic and social issues facing Chicago, the police code of silence, the need for a massive infusion of funding for affordable housing and the ways in which he, as mayor, could influence business and banking executives to re-think how they invest in Chicago's neighborhoods. It's time, he says to move away from machine politics and the thinking of the past. This program was produced by Chicago Access Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky, who was fired last month from his highly-acclaimed radio show on WCPT for what he believes are political reasons. They discuss the upcoming Mayor’s race, candidate by candidate, and speculate on the relative strengths of the candidates believed to be current front-runners. This program was produced by CAN TV.
Ken Davis is joined by mayoral candidate Bill Daley. They discuss his recent proposals to reduce the number of local school councils from about 500 to 60, and his assertion that the City Council should be reduced from 50 to 15 aldermen. He also proposes a hybrid school board, composed of four mayoral appointees and three members chosen from the local school councils. With respect to retirees,S he says he wants to see a revision to the Illinois Constitution that would allow negotiations which could eventually lead to the reduction of certain retiree benefits, such as the 3% compounded cost of living adjustment. This program was produced by CAN TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Amara Enyia. They discuss her vision for Chicago’s education, policing, housing and finance. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Daniel Kay Hertz, author of The Battle of Lincoln Park. They discuss the profound impact that urban renewal had on the mid-century development of Lincoln Park, when early artists and rehabbers began reconstructing dilapidated brownstones and Victorians in the Old Town Triangle. Although the process began almost a hundred years ago, the patterns of displacement and gentrification are almost identical to those being criticized today in Pilsen, Logan Square and along the 606. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the BGA’s Casey Toner and WBEZ’s Miles Bryan to discuss “an American Suburb2018: Dolton Illinois.” In their joint reporting, they chronicled the rapid decline of that south suburb over the past 20 years as thousands of jobs evaporated and people who didn’t have the resources to move away got stuck with financially underwater houses, the inability to pay property taxes and the increasing number of shallow-rooted renters occupying formerly abandoned housing units.
Toner and Bryan tell heartbreaking stories of schools that can’t maintain academic standards, a police department that can barely staff its shifts, unpaid municipal water bills and a town council that’s deteriorated into shouting matches and recrimination. Although the story is about Dolton, it can easily be about a number of Chicago suburbs, they tell us, because for the first time last year, poverty in American suburbs has eclipsed that in cities. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot. They discuss her recent filing of petitions and her strong confidence that she’ll survive challenges and appear on the February ballot. She discusses the corrosive effects of aldermanic prerogative, which she blames for the total lack of affordable housing construction in 22 of 77 community areas. She speaks forcefully about the vanishing middle class in Chicago and the serious need for a wide range of affordable housing options. She says she opposes further closing of public schools, despite their declining enrollment. She says she’s not sure a publicly-owned bank would work, but she’d study it. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Rehab Network’s Executive Director David Jackson. They discuss yesterday’s City Council action which sought to create pilot programs in Pilsen and Little Village that could stem the rapid gentrification and Hispanic displacement in both communities. The Council also re-established the Department of Housing, which had been disbanded in 2008 (although with considerably less funding than it had a decade ago.)
They discuss the effect on affordable housing that the loss of Amazon might trigger in Chicago, and the long-term result of Mayor Emanuel’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, which collects fees from developers who opt not to include affordable units in their buildings.
In the second segment, The Better Government Association’s Madison Hopkins tells us about her investigation into the multiple failures of the City’s Blue Cart recycling program, which is turning in the worst recycling rate of any major American city and is mired in charges that a private contractor, Waste Management, is incentivized to reject carts-full of recycling, because then city crews haul the content away, often to landfills owned by Waste.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Do you really want to know what happened in Tuesday’s mid-term elections, and why? Join guest host Bruce DuMont and his stellar guests Delmarie Cobb and Ray Hanania on this week’s Chicago Newsroom. You’ll learn who got elected and why and you’ll also hear about the next big election in Chicago – the race for Chicago Mayor. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Jamie Kalven has played a significant role at every phase of the LaQaun McDonald shooting investigation. He was able to meet first with a critical eyewitness to the crime. He was first to obtain the autopsy report, which he says was almost as effective as having McDonald himself as a witness. And finally, Kalven played a major role in forcing the dash-cam video to be released to the public. As our guest today, he looks back at the Van Dyke verdict, which he considers fair, and sets the stage for the upcoming “conspiracy” trial of the officers who were at the scene with Van Dyke on the night of the shooting. Kalven takes us for a brief, live tour of their new Citizens’ Police Data-base Project web site, which includes registries for nearly a quarter-million accusations of police misconduct between the early 1960s and 2016. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Guest host Kitty Kurth talks environment and science today with Howard Learner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Monica Metzler of the Illinois Science Council. They offer advice to Chicago’s next mayor and other elected officials about how to make the city, and the region more environmentally friendly and how the intersection of science, technology and public policy can be used to attract and to retain business and technology concerns to the city. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Robin Amer, creator and host of USA Today’s new podcast series “The City”. She discusses the histories of two massive construction debris dumps that were created in Chicago during the 1990s, one in West Lawndale and another near Addison and Western. Both spurred strenuous community outrage, but both were resolved differently. Amer also tells the nuanced story of Bill Henry, the Alderman of the west-side 24th Ward, who was accused of taking as much as $5,000 a month in bribes to allow the dumping, and the protracted legal battle to evict the dumper, John Christopher, through years of court battles. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sylvia Ewing and Marilyn Katz, two prominent, deeply experienced Chicago political consultants and activists. They discuss the impending elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and the conclusion of arguments in the Jason Van Dyke trial. They also share some behind-the-scenes stories about the Chicago Mayor’s race. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Delmarie Cobb (The Publicity Works), Marj Halperin (Democratic Analyst for WGN TV’s Morning News) and Indivisible Chicago’s director Darcey Regan. They react to the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings as Christine Blasey Ford is testifying. They also share their opinions on next spring’s Mayoral race, the aldermanic races and the ongoing Jason Van Dyke trial. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Tribune’s City Hall reporter Bill Ruthhart, and in the second segment, newly appointed Chicago Teachers’ Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates.
Ruthhart shares his observations about the February Mayor’s race in the aftermath of Mayor Emanuel’s announcement that he’s not running again. He tells us that, as of this morning, there are fifteen candidates that have formally announced their candidacy, three who are formally considering it, and another group of people who’ve been “mentioned.”
Davis Gates talks with us about organizing teachers and staff in the city’s charter schools, the challenges of running a public-sector union in the post Janus era, and the pressure for the union to announce an endorsement in the Mayor’s race. It’s too early for an endorsement, she says, because the union is focused on the upcoming governor’s race, where defeating Bruce Rauner is a major priority for the union.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sun-Times’ Kathy Chaney, former State Senator and City Clerk (and 2011 Mayoral candidate Miguel Del Valle, and the Daily Line’s A. D. Quig. They discuss the impact that Jason Van Dyke’s decision to accept a jury trial will have on the trial itself, as it begins Monday. They also discuss the current status of the Chicago Mayor’s race, the impending announcement of an agreement for a consent decree for police reform, and President Trumps’ tweet that three thousand people did not die in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Troy LaRaviere, who was the first announced candidate in the now hyper-crowded race. They discuss policing, crime, economic development, privatization of school services, the Obama presidential center and public transportation – and LaRaviere gives his evaluation of Rahm Emanuel’s tenure in office. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by business journalist Robert Reed to discuss a variety of topics related to the economic, physical and social changes occurring in Chicago. They talk about the upcoming mayoral election, and some speculation in the press that Mayor Emanuel may be seriously considering not running for a third term. They discuss the rapid modernization of O’Hare, the suburb-city divide, and the potential for the “Manattan-ization” of Chicago. They also discuss the possible issuance of “pension obligation bonds” to hopefully stabilize the pension funds, and the possibility that Tronc, and with it the Chicago Tribune, might be bought by the same investors who bought the Los Angeles Tribune from Tronc in the first place.
In the show’s second segment, Ken speaks with WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch about the rapidly escalating costs for “uncompensated care” at the Cook County hospitals (Stroger and Provident.) In the past two years, care for which the hospital is not paid back has doubled, to a level that’s projected to hit a half-billion dollars in 2018. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Hal Dardick and the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability’s Ralph Martire. They discuss Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to sell up to ten billion dollars’ worth of low-interest bonds and dedicate the proceeds to the four city pension funds. There’s a range of opinions on the effectiveness and potential danger of such a financial scheme, but Martire is cautiously in favor. Dardick reports that a major issue is finding a way to assure that the funds can never be tapped in the future for other purposes, thereby robbing the pension funds and increasing the debt for future generations to pay. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green. They discuss a wide range of topics, including the pending consent decree for police reform and the appropriate role of police in combating violent crime. They also discuss Pat Quinn’s campaign for mayoral term limits, Mayor Emanuel’s proposal for retiring pension deficits with bond funding, rent control, gentrification and funding for Chicago’s public schools. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined in the first segment by Kim Wasserman, Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. They discuss the group’s initiatives to persuade the City to conduct a full re-evaluation of the neighborhood’s industrial corridor, and ways to stimulate sustainable, meaningful employment within Little Village. They have expressed public concerns that, as the North Branch Industrial Corridor in Lincoln Park transitions into offices, residences and recreational spaces, many of the less-desirable, polluting industries will be driven into their neighborhoods and others further from the central core.
The second segment features a discussion with Chicago Tribune writer and critic Chris Jones, who has written a series of recent columns about the possible revival of Chicago’s Uptown Theater. Shuttered for over thirty years and severely deteriorated, the building was once among America’s largest movie palaces, featuring “an acre of seats.” Jones says that a confluence of demographic and economic change in the neighborhood, combined with strong interest from city government, has drawn interest from the City’s most influential business leaders, including Jam Productions. They appear to believe that their $75 million plan to reopen the theater has a better chance to succeed than the dozen-or-so schemes that have failed over the decades, and that they may actually have the money to accomplish it.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Northwestern University School of Law’s Sheila Bedi, The Chicago Reporter’s Jonah Newman and Black Lives Matters Chicago’s Jonathan Projanski. They discuss the City’s recent release of a draft consent decree covering police reform in Chicago. They talk about the fact that community organizations won the right to participate in the drafting of the proposed decree, and their concern that many of the recommendations their groups proposed did not make it into the final draft. They also discuss the role of the Chicago police union in opposing many of the group’s proposals and speculate that, even if the ultimate federally-monitored decree is accepted by the judge and assigned to a monitor, the process of reforming the CPD will take many years, perhaps decades. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by 45th Ward Alderman John Arena. They discuss reports that the City and the Police Department may be close to an agreement that would produce a consent decree for police reform in Chicago, but there still may be disagreement about whether officers should report each time they point their gun at a citizen. They also discuss recent reports that the city has collected more than $660 million this year in TIF proceeds, and efforts on the part of the Progressive Caucus to regulate the ways in which the funds can be expended. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Mayoral candidate Garry McCarthy. They discuss his tenure as police superintendent from 2011 to 2015 and his assertion that Chicago has to completely reform it’s economic, educational and law enforcement policies. He also discusses his difficult relationship with Mayor Emanuel, and his dismissal following the Laquan McDonald shooting. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who’s spearheading a petition drive to impose a mandatory two-term limit on Chicago’s mayor’s office. Quinn claims that he’s well within the time-frame for gathering the 40-to-50-thousand signatures he needs to get his initiative on the November ballot as a binding referendum. If it achieves 50%-plus-one positive response, Rahn Emanuel will be prohibited from appearing on the ballot next February. Quinn also discusses Bruce Rauner’s role in the Janus v. AFSCME case, which, decided yesterday by the Supreme Court, restricts the way unions can fund their operations by prohibiting the collection of “fair share” payments from non-members. Quinn also says he doesn’t favor clemency for Rod Blagojevich unless and until he expresses remorse for his crimes. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by two powerful advocates for union representation in the public sector as it faces strong opposition from the Supreme Court. Robert Bruno of the University of Illinois’ School of Labor and Employment Relations and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees’ Public Affairs Director Anders Lindall discuss the current state of collective bargaining in Illinois and in the United States.
A Supreme Court ruling on Janus v AFSCME is expected at any time, and it’s virtually assured that the Justices will side with the plaintiff. The effect of such a ruling, our guests say, will be to force the 23 states which allow collective bargaining to become de-facto “right-to-work” states. The case was brought here in Illinois.
Bruno and Lindall say that while the ruling will have its intended effect on unions at least initially, there is a possibility that the attack on union organizing may energize those who’ve benefited from union representation but not bothered to become union members, to do so. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Chicago Tribune’s Juan Perez, Jr and Jennifer Smith Richards, two reporters with the on-going “Betrayed” series, which details a decade of sexual abuse at Chicago Public Schools. They tell us that there are serious issues with the way that reports of sexual abuse are handled at CPS, in that all staff are “designated reporters,” and are mandated to contact DCFS before their own supervisors. There are also, they report, critical issues with Illinois’ State’s child protection laws with their weak background check requirements and their failure to legally prohibit sexual contact between school staff and students who are 18 or older. They outline the “dual role” the CPS Law Department has had as both a collector if information and, at times, a prosecutor of its students. And they point out that Nicholas Schuler, the CPS Inspector General, will now be tasked with investigating both current and past cases for the school system.
In the second segment, Davis is joined by the BGA’s Alejandra Cancino, who, along with Odette Yousef of WBEZ examined “thousands of public records” to conclude that the CHA has been negligent for years in the inspection, operation and maintenance of its more than 150 elevators. Firefighters have been called to their buildings hundreds of times to free trapped people from jammed elevators just in the past couple of years. Some buildings, she tells us, date from 1956, but have never had their elevators’ mechanical systems upgraded or replaced. Coincidentally, shortly before the BGA/WBEZ story published, the CHA announced a $25 million contract to renovate all of its elevators by 2020. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson. Wilson is highly critical of Mayor Emanuel, who he accuses of handing out contracts and opportunities to his friends and associates while ignoring minority communities. Wilson says he favors an elected school board and strong community participation in the management of the police department, a department that he’d split into four separate entities, each with its own superintendent. He says he’d re-open the 50 schools Emanuel closed in 2013, converting them into training schools for the trades. He tells us that he sees no need for new taxes, including the graduated income tax, because the budgets can be balanced with existing revenue. He says he approves of ex-governor Pat Quinn’s petition drive to term-limit the Mayor’s office, and pledged that he’d limit himself to two terms if elected. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Lauren FitzPatrick, education reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, and Sarah Karp, education reporter at WBEZ. They discuss yesterday’s announcement by Mayor Emanuel that he intends to bring four-year pre-K classes to every CPS elementary school in the next several years, and the free pre-K that already exists at Oscar Mayer school, which serves some of Chicago’s wealthiest residents. They also discuss the recent report by the University of Chicago on the aftermath of CPS’ closure of almost 50 elementary schools in 2013. The report concludes that the process “caused large disruptions without clear benefits for students.” Lauren FitzPatrick brings us up-to-date on her report about filthy conditions in the schools since the hiring of two private contractors, and Sarah Karp explains her ongoing reporting about cuts in Special Education, a story that resulted in the state taking control over the management of the program. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Tony Arnold, WBEZ’s State Politics Reporter, Hal Dardick, investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune and Heather Cherone, City Hall reporter for the Daily Line. They discuss this week’s raucous meeting at the Chicago City Council in which about a hundred police officers showed up to express their frustration with slow progress toward a police contract, and hundreds of other protesters vented their concerns that too much money was being directed toward Mayor Emanuel’s proposed police training academy. But, as Cherone reports, all sides seemed united in their displeasure with Mayor Emanuel. The approval for the Obama Presidential Center sailed through, but not without a lone dissenter, Ald. David Moore. Moore and Ald. Carolos Ramirez-Rosa were highly visible dissenters at the meeting, and shortly afterward the Latino Caucus announced that it had expelled Ramirez-Rosa. Tony Arnold provided an update on WBEZ’s ongoing investigation into deaths at the Illinois Veteran’s Home, and their most recent revelation that one victim probably remained in her room for as much as 48 hours before being discovered by the staff. The panel also considered Governor Rauner’s re-write of a bill to license the State’s gun stores and extend the “cooling-off’ period to 72 hours for assault weapons. He extended the waiting period to all guns and reinstated the death penalty – a proposal that seemed to leave politicians on both sides of the aisle scratching their heads. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. They discuss Vallas’ proposals for increasing the police force to about 14,000 officers, of whom 1,200 would be detectives. Vallas says his policy would begin to address the city’s serious issue with low clearance rates for shootings and murders. Vallas also expresses support for Mayor Emanuel’s proposal for a police training academy on Chicago’s West side. They also discuss education issues. Vallas says that he still has many supporters from his time as what he bills as a highly accomplished stint as the first CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He says that when he left Chicago had only fifteen charter schools, but that the proliferation of charters after his departure – in particular during the Renaissance 2010 program – introduced over-capacity to the system and permanently damaged many schools. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Cameron Davis spent the entire Obama Administration as the president’s Great Lakes guy. He coordinated the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 2012. He convened the Asian Carp Coordinating Committee, offshore wind energy policy and what was identified as “water quality and quantity policy” for the EPA. He’s our guest this week, and he tells us about the next phase of his life, in which he intends to be a Board member at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. It’s a seat vacated by the sudden death of a Board member, and because of the short time-line, a write-in election was needed. Davis got more than 50,000 write-in votes in the March 20 primary, although only 8,000 were needed. But there’s a big dispute about whether he can claim the seat since Governor Rauner appointed an ally to the seat at about the same time. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Dockless bike sharing is being introduced to Chicago. It’s a system in which customers can locate a bike through a smart-phone app, unlock it and ride it, then lock it in an approved location anywhere in the service area, all without the traditional Divvy “docks” Chicagoans are familiar with. Ken Davis discusses the new program with Deloris Lucas of the south side’s We’ll Keep You Rollin’ and John Greenfield of StreetsBlog Chicago and the Reader. They also talk about a parallel program to bring car sharing to large parts of Chicago that would work in a similar way, using smartphones to rent and return cars. Numerous aldermen have objected to the program, however, and have not allowed it in their wards. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Michael Hawthorne, who has written extensively on the issue of lead in Chicago’s water. The lead is not in the water as it leaves the filtration plants or gets distributed beneath the streets, but it’s introduced when the water passes through lead pipes that connect individual buildings to those water mains. Until the mid-1980s, the City of Chicago mandated that these so-called service pipes be made of lead. Today, Chicago has the largest number of lead pipes of any large American city, and Hawthorne reports that when over 2,000 Chicagoans voluntarily had the City test their water, alarming numbers of homes reported elevated levels of lead in their drinking water. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Reader’s housing and criminal justice columnist Maya Dukmasova. They discuss a lawsuit being brought against the city by a developer who claims that the ago-old tradition of “aldermanic prerogative” is not lawful and should be declared illegal. The dispute stems from a plan to build a 300-unit apartment building in the 41st Ward, a project the Alderman approved but then rejected immediately before zoning approval. They also talk about a dispute at Atrium Village, where developers say they’re planning to move all the low-income residents into a single building and deny them access to the amenities at neighboring buildings. And they talk about Mayor Emanuel’s plan to build a $95 million police academy in West Garfield Park, and the rigorous opposition it’s sparked in the community. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Sun-Times Editor-in-Chief Chris Fusco. They discuss the radical redesign of the printed paper, the company’s digital presence and its public imaging, all of which went live on March 28. Fusco also talks about the challenge every news organization faces as newspapers, magazines, television stations and radio stations begin to compete with one another for space on the hand-held screen, and the constant vigil to combat fake news. He also talks about perceptions that the paper can’t be objective due to its partial ownership by labor unions, the future of beat reporting, and the existential advertising competition with Google, Facebook and Twitter. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Lori Lightfoot, Chair of the Chicago Police Board. They discuss a recent memorandum of agreement between the city, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, a coalition of community and legal activists and the Chicago Police Department to jointly seek a consent decree that will outline an action plan for reform of the Chicago Police. They also discuss recent events related to the Quintonio LeGrier and Bettie Jones police shootings. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability ruled that officer Robert Rialmo was at fault for the killings and should be fired, but Superintendent Johnson disagreed with the finding. This could trigger a complicated string of legal maneuvers that involve hearings before Lightfoot’s Police Board. And they discuss the need for improved training at CPD, especially in the proper and appropriate use of Tasers. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Tribune investigative reporter Michael Hawthorne for a discussion about environmental issues in Chicago. They discuss recent efforts to regulate the storage of manganese in Chicago, and the recognition that, despite its ability to hold almost five billion gallons of storm-water, the Deep Tunnel and McCook Reservoir can be filled to capacity in a few hours after a two-inch rainfall. Hawthorne also reviews recent developments with Foxconn in Wisconsin, and its success in connecting to Lake Michigan water despite being technically outside the eligible boundaries – and the elevation of Wisconsin’s former Department of Natural Resources head Cathy Stepp to Director of the Great Lakes region of the EPA here in Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by three expert political journalists – WGN-TV’s Tahman Bradley, Chicago Magazine’s Carol Felsenthal and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney – to dissect the results of Tuesday’s Illinois primary. The panel discusses the near-loss for Bruce Rauner, the overwhelming win for JB Pritzker, Chuy Garcia’s rapidly-growing political influence in Chicago politics and the collapse of Joe Berrios’ County Assessor career. Also, the CTU’s apparent success in defeating the most outspoken proponent of the “soda tax,” and the likelihood that Pat Quinn may have run his final political race. And a little talk about Garry McCarthy’s run for Mayor. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by educator, political leader and author Dick Simpson for a conversation about his new book The Good Fight, which traces Simpson’s sixty years of activism for progressive causes. They discuss his City Council battles as an alderman in the 70s, his time as an ordained minister and his participation in fights to disband the Chicago Police Red Squad, end most patronage through the Shakman decrees and redistrict the City Council to provide Harold Washington a Council majority in his final year as Mayor. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Regional Transportation Authority Chair Kirk Dillard for a discussion about the serious fiscal shortfalls the RTA is experiencing in federal and state funding. There’s at least $20 billion in unmet capital needs just to repair or replace equipment and facilities that have exceeded their useful life, and about ten billion needed over the next decade for proper maintenance of the most heavily used equipment in day-to-day operations. Dillard says that the RTA is working with Metra to study the possibility of using expanded Metra Electric service instead of a full-scale Red line extension to 130th Street, and he’s trying to convince legislative leaders and the governor that Illinois needs to raise its gas taxes to fund mass transit. The State, he says, is a “deadbeat” in funding transit, because it owes the RTA more than half a billion in allocated funds that were never delivered. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis talks about the status of Chicago’s thousands of DACA recipients with three activists in Chicago’s immigrant rights community: Ruth Lopez-McCarthy (National Immigrant Justice Center), Laura Mendoza (Resurrection Project) and Fred Tsao (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights). They discuss the ways in which the program grew to encompass more than 800,000 people nationally and how DACA has been severely challenged by the Trump administration. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by three veteran Chicago reporters: WBEZ’s Sarah Karp, Chicago Public Square’s Charlie Meyerson and NPR’s David Schaper. They discuss the surprising degree of youth activism that’s sprung up in Florida following the mass shooting there and the effect it’s having on American politics. They also discuss the recent change of administration at Chicago Public Schools and assess new CEO Janice Jackson’s likelihood for success after Forrest Claypool – and Sarah’s recent report on the “hollowing out” of Chicago’s Hope High School. Finally, the panel assesses the likelihood for success of President Trump’s infrastructure plan, which proposes to spend 1.5 trillion dollars, almost none of it federal money – and the prospects for Block Club Chicago, the new company that proposes to replace DNAInfo Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. They discuss her reaction to Governor Rauner’s budget address yesterday. She says she believes the proposed budget is more than 1.5 billion out of balance, and that the Governor’s proposal to shift about a billion dollars in pension costs to the local school districts, which she opposes, will never pass the Legislature. She talks about how she has worked to re-define the role of Comptroller as an activist watchdog for the State’s finances, and has begun publishing a “debt transparency report. She reaffirms her strong support for JB Pritzker, and says that her political ally Mike Madigan should take the sexual harassment charges in his office very seriously. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by transit consultant and Chicago Reader columnist Ed Zotti, to discuss a range of issues facing Chicago’s transit systems. Ridership is falling, and it’s thought that ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft may be cutting into the system’s customer base. But significant improvements are being made to both the rail and bus system, and Zotti is optimistic that Chicago public transit’s best days are still ahead. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Daily Line’s A.D. Quig, who explained the complicated battle over ballot petition legitimacy that’s roiling the Assessor’s race in the upcoming primary. She also discusses the decades-long effort to bring certain Cook County offices’ IT systems up to date, especially those in the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office, which have attracted angry comments from County commissioners. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Description: Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Tribune columnist Robert Reed. They discuss the future of retailing in Chicago, the upsides and downsides of an Amazon HQ in our city, Net Neutrailty, the rollout of 5-G internet, ridership erosion on the CTA, modernization challenges for McDonald’s and how Walgreen’s will combat Amazon’s logistics dominance. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Illinois Solar Energy Association’s Lisa Albrecht, who discusses the impact of President Trump’s 30% tariff on solar panels manufactured in China and certain other countries. Solar is now a $9 billion industry employing over 300,000 Americans, but only a few thousand are in the manufacturing sector. Critics have charged that, in order to help the small minority of workers in manufacturing, the new trade policy will actually victimize the hundreds of thousands who install the panels. But Albrecht, whose company Solar Service in Niles, installs solar throughout the area, says she believes the new policy will be a minor hindrance since demand for solar is now so strong. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Craig Newman is joined by ProPublica Illinois' Editor in Chief Louise Kiernan and reporter Jason Grotto. They discuss being the first regional publishing operation of ProPublica and their reporting around Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Craig Newman is joined by Lauren FitzPatrick of the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reporter's Kalyn Belsha to discuss the state of education in Chicago and the future of CPS under new CEO Janice Jackson. Kalyn also discusses her reporting on the drastically changing dynamic at CPS as thousands of African American students leave the system. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The South Side Weekly’s Michael Wasney, to discuss his recent article about the rapid adoption of high-tech policing in Chicago. Specifically, Wasney talks about ShotSpotter, a network of hundreds of pole-mounted microphones that “listen” for the sound of gunshots, then refer the co-ordinates through special cell-phones to police cars. The system currently covers about half of Chicago’s footprint. This is a very expensive enterprise, and it raises serious concerns about privacy and entrapment. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Stacy Davis Gates, the Chicago Teachers Union’s political director. They discuss the Union’s assertion that moves by the Chicago Public Schools to close four Englewood high schools is a violation of their contract. Davis also talks about the need for an elected representative school board and an end to mayoral control, and an end to student-based budgeting, which she says assumes that every student in the system costs the same to educate. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Tribune’s City Hall reporter Hal Dardick and the BGA’s Madeleine Doubek, who’s their Director of Civic Engagement. It’s a conversation about the current status of politics and policy as 2018 comes on-line. The panel discusses Chris Kennedy’s claim that Rahm Emanuel has a “strategic gentrification plan” to empty Chicago of minorities and ramp up gentrification across the city, along with the likelihood of Rahm Emanuel’s and Bruce Rauner’s re-election, the retirement of Lisa Madigan and the prospects for the candidates attempting to win her seat, and the ascension of Janice Jackson to CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who led the fight against the County’s “pop tax.” Boykin says that President Toni Preckwinkle “doesn’t like me” and has arranged for a challenger to take him on in the 2018 election. He says that the fact that the Board was able to replace the pop tax’s $200 million in tax revenue with strategic cuts and budget realignments proves that the tax was unnecessary. He also talks about his visit last week to the United Nations, where he talked with UN officials about a range of issues related to street violence in Chicago, including having the UN send peace-keeping troops into Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by media strategist Sylvia Ewing and political consultant Kitty Kurth to discuss the aftermath of the Alabama Senatorial election, the ascension of the “#MeToo” movement, the Al Franken resignation and local political issues. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Juan Perez, Jr. to discuss their recent series on Chicago’s shrinking high schools. They identified 17 designated neighborhood high schools whose populations have shrunk significantly in the last five years and whose very existence is now in question. In the case of Gage Park High School, for example, 2,700 students live within the school’s boundaries, but with 330 students, the school is currently at about a quarter of its capacity. Its students have dispersed to 153 other CPS high schools. They also discuss the recent resignation of Forrest Claypool as CEO and the appointment of Janice Jackson as interim CEO. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by City of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson to discuss the current round of collective bargaining agreement negotiations involving 90% of Chicago’s work force. They also discuss his sense that technology and greater professionalization of management has resulted in a significant reduction in street-level corruption among the work force. They also discuss current police-community relations, and the IG’s role in helping police management identify corruption and unfavorable administrative practices. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by four veterans of the Harold Washington years in Chicago. Jacky Grimshaw was the mayor’s Director of Intergovernmental Relations and is currently Vice President for Policy at the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Patrick O’Connor was (and still is) the Alderman of the 40th Ward. Cheryl Corley was City Hall reporter for WBEZ and is currently Midwest/Chicago correspondent for NPR. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia was elected Alderman during Washington’s term and was part of the realignment of the City Council that awarded Washington majority control of the Council. He’s currently 7th District Commissioner at the Cook County Board. The guests tell behind-the-scenes stories about their interactions with Washington, who died in office thirty years ago this weekend. The panel also looks at the Washington legacy and speculates about how Washington, had he survived and been re-elected, might have grappled with the difficult issues Chicago is facing today. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the co-founders of City Bureau. It’s a non-profit news organization that strives to train members of minority communities in Chicago as news reporters and “trackers” who attend all manner of public meetings to document the official proceedings with written reports and live tweets. They discuss the demise last week of DNAInfo, which was shut down by its sole owner, Joe Ricketts, after the New York staff unionized. Chang and Holliday talk about how DNA, for which they, themselves once worked, did wonderful work but was ultimately unsustainable because it didn’t have a diversity of financial sources. They believe that their mix of member support, donations and philanthropy is ultimately a more reliable model. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner to discuss the recent release of the City of Chicago’s Gun Trace Report. The report follows about 21,000 guns confiscated by the Chicago Police in the past three years and traces them back to their first owners and the stores or dealers from which they were originally purchased. The report reveals that 40% of Chicago’s crime guns originate from Illinois, mostly from a small number of high-traffic gun stores in the Chicago suburbs. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Jessica Droeger and Jeff Radue, both organizers with Indivisible Chicago. They discuss their efforts to disengage Illinois from CrossCheck, a national program that compares voter rolls from multiple states to root out voter fraud, but has been shown to be a significant threat to data security and personal privacy. They also talk about the complicated role that social media plays in today’s political environment, and the need to resist further consolidation of media ownership. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Today on Chicago Newsroom Guest Host Kitty Kurth is joined by two guest who know an awful lot about gun violence and present some interesting and innovative ways to address the scourge that it has become. Kathleen Sances from GPAC Gun Violence Prevention PAC talks about legislation in the Illinois legislature which if enacted would save lives in Chicago, and throughout the State of Illinois. Also joining Kitty is Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winning songwriter and “artivist” Che Rhymefest Smith, a well-known figure on the Chicago scene, who’s the Creative Director of Donda’s House and who has been working for years trying to prevent all types of violence. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Today on Chicago Newsroom Guest Host Kitty Kurth talks current affairs with two of her all-time favorite girl pundits. Guests Sylvia Ewing and Joanna Klonsky cover a wide range of topics from what they provocatively describe as a “non-old white guy perspective”. They tackle the news of the day and also discuss how the media tackles the news. Both guests have long resumes which include political, social, and community activism and organizing in Chicago and beyond. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sara Gronkiewicz-Doran and Nick Kryczka, both members of Neighbors for Affordable Housing in Jefferson Park. Their group has launched a campaign to support affordable, accessible and inclusive housing on Chicago’s Northwest side. They discuss an effort to build an affordable-housing complex at 5150 N. Northwest Highway, for which Mayor Emanuel recently denied tax credits, making the building’s construction far more difficult. They also talk about the affordable housing ordinance that passed City Council yesterday. The measure mandates that at least 10% of all new multi-unit housing developments built in two pilot areas contain a minimum of 10% “affordable” units. Critics, however, maintain that “affordable” rents in such buildings would be nearly a thousand dollars a month for a one-bedroom, which is out of reach for lower-income people and that the units are too small for a family. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by AFSCME’s public affairs director Anders Lindall to discuss Janus vs AFSCME, a significant case to be heard this year by the United Sates Supreme Court. If the Court decides against AFSCME it would allow workers in a unionized public-sector workplace to reject the payment of union “fair-share” fees. Fair share fees are required from workers who are not part of the union, since benefits negotiated by the union accrue to all workers in the unit whether union members or not. The case, strongly advocated by Governor Rauner, seeks to severely limit, if not completely dis-empower, public-sector unionism. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sun-Times columnist Dan Mihalopoulos to discuss his recent column revealing a possible financial conflict for Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who has been leading the push to repeal the County’s Sweetened Beverage Tax.
Mihalopoulos reported that Boykin, an employee of the national law firm Barnes and Thornberg, has been a paid lobbyist for PepsiCo and the School Nutrition Association, which receives funding from PepsiCo. In that capacity he has advocated against efforts to pass “soda taxes” in Illinois and other states. Boykin says that he has sent a letter to the firm instructing them that he does not wish to receive any proceeds as part of his share as a partner, from PepsiCo or Coca-Cola. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Rehab Network’s Kevin Jackson to discuss recent proposals to amend the City’s housing ordinance in an effort to build more “affordable housing.” The proposal is controversial, however, because some aldermen argue that the amendments do nothing to stem gentrification. Since 2000, according to CRN’s most recent report, one-half of Chicago’s homeowners are paying more than the standard 1/3of their income for their mortgage. And today, in order to afford the average Chicago two-bedroom apartment, a family must earn at least $21 an hour. Chicago now has 100,000 more residents who earn more than $75,000, but the rising housing costs – combined with stagnant wages – have “hollowed out the middle,” Jackson says. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Chicago Reporter’s Jonah Newman, who has compiled an interactive web-based tracker of Chicago police reform efforts. The Department of Justice identified 99 items they believed needed reform at CPD, and the Reporter’s tracker lists each, describes it, and labels each as implemented, partially implemented, planned, not done or unclear. It shows only 6 of the 99 in the implemented category. They also discuss moonlighting by Chicago police and the high number of cash settlements (943) the City has paid out since 2011 because of police misconduct. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by AJ LaTrace, editor of Curbed Chicago. They react to Chicago’s bid for the new Amazon corporate headquarters, and assess the likelihood that Chicago will be chosen. They discuss several transformative development projects that are reshaping large portions of Chicago, including Wolf Point, the North Branch and the Obama Library. They also talk about several City projects, such as the Theater on the Lake redevelopment and the new Wabash CTA station. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Michael Hawthorne, who writes extensively about Chicago environmental issues. They discuss Chicago's readiness for extreme weather events, including how the City's Deep Tunnel system would be able to handle large deluges of rain such as those that inundated Houston. They also discuss lead poisoning, including a series of stories Hawthorne wrote about lead in the private-market Section 8-subsidized apartments now used by thousands of CHA families. In addition, they examine the issue of lead water service pipes that connect almost every home in Chicago to the water mains under their streets. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
On this second part of our two-part conversation, Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Police Board Chair Lori Lightfoot to discuss the Police Department’s Strategic Subject List; The City’s effort to dismiss Campbell v City Of Chicago, a multi-faceted lawsuit seeking comprehensive police reform; and Lightfoot’s views on illegal gun seizures, arrest rates, and the interconnections between violent crime and unemployment and poor educational opportunity. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
For part one of this discussion, Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Police Board Chair Lori Lightfoot. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about police training and the renewed mission of the Police Board under her stewardship. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Tribune education reporter Juan Perez, Jr for an extended conversation about the current status of the Chicago Public Schools. Despite crushing budget difficulties, CPS has several high schools that are rated among the best in the nation, and its math and reading scores continue to rise, if only incrementally.
Pending legislation in Springfield could bring significant relief to CPS and other challenged Illinois school systems, but Governor Rauner has vetoed it and there may not be enough votes to override. Perez, Jr talks about what the options may be if the override fails, and about the possibility that the City of Chicago may have to contribute almost a quarter-billion dollars of its own money to keep CPS afloat.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Tribune’s John Byrne and Politico’s Natasha Korecki. They discuss the situation with state funding for schools and the impending effort to repeal Governor Rauner’s amendatory veto. They also tackle Cook County slate-making, which begins today, and the potential challenge to Toni Preckwinkle, whose popularity is falling as a result of the much-despised “pop tax.” Also on the agenda: Mayor Emanuel’s highly public defense of Chicago’s “welcoming cities” status, despite his record of being lukewarm to the rights of undocumented immigrants. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by The Daily Line’s Mike Fourcher, who discusses in detail the status of current education funding legislation in Springfield. They also talk about the possible reappointment of Lori Lightfoot as Police Board President and the proposal for massive redevelopment of the South Works property on Lake Michigan. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Better Government Association’s John Chase and Danny Ecker of Crain’s Chicago Business. They discuss “Pier Pressure: How City Power Players Diverted $55 million in Blight-Fighting TIF Cash to Navy Pier.” Their recent story has revealed heretofore unknown details about how the Mayor’s staff channeled money from the organization that owns both McCormick Place and Navy Pier to Navy Pier when an equal amount of TIF money was sent to McPier by the City for construction of a new McCormick Place hotel. It’s a complicated, but fascinating story of political and fiscal intrigue. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Tony Arnold, Illinois political reporter for WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times Managing Editor Chris Fusco. They talk about the battle over state funding for education that threatens the timely opening of public schools throughout the state. They also discuss Governor Rauner’s recent personnel changes that appear to steer his administration strongly to the right, and the stalled Cook County sweetened beverages tax that jeopardizes hundreds of County jobs because the anticipated revenue has not materialized. There’s also some conversation about Fusco’s position as managing editor at the Sun-Times and his role with the new ownership structure. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the BGA’s Madeleine Doubek. They discuss the current dysfunction in Springfield and the stunning backlog of unpaid bills faced by the Rauner administration. They also talk about the upcoming 2018 governor’s race, Mayor Emanuel’s record on police reform and the collapsing Illinois higher education system. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis talks with the Daily Line’s Claudia Morell about two mayoral programs intended to help local businesses. But there’s little public accountability for the programs, and in one case, a loosely associated package of tax incentives intended as a way to attract and retain jobs in Chicago has resulted in more than 90 million in tax savings for developers with only a few thousand jobs as a result. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart, who discusses his recent writing about the status of police reform in Chicago. They cover Mayor Emanuel’s apparent change of tactic, since he seems willing to move forward with police reform strategies that may not have the level of authority that community leaders and reform advocates demand. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s investigative reporter Jason Grotto. They discuss Grotto’s multi-part series, a year in the reporting, about the inherent inequities in the Cook County property tax assessment system. Grotto describes situations in which homes in lower-income communities are most often assessed at higher values than sales numbers would indicate, while in high-income areas, homes are most often under-valued. These inequities result in poorer people paying a vastly higher tax rate than wealthier people. And they have spawned a vigorous industry of tax-appeal law firms which win appeals by overwhelming numbers, although their services are used disproportionately by homeowners in wealthier neighborhoods. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by NBC5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern for a discussion about the Illinois Governor’s race, the possibility of an elected school board in Chicago and president Trump’s infrastructure plan.
In the second half, Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Reader Music Editor Phillip Montoro and Chicago News Guild representative David Roeder. They discuss the impending sale of Wrapports, which publishes both the Sun-Times and the Reader. Both guests have been active in the effort to find an alternate buyer for the properties in order to promote a greater diversity of views and coverage. Their campaign is promoted at the No News Monopoly Action Network. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown and City Hall reporter Hal Dardick. They discuss recent revelations that J.B. Pritzker had several conversations with Rod Blagojevich about his potential appointment to political office, including Barack Obama’s then-vacant Senate seat and what they thought might be a vacancy in the State Treasurer’s office. The panel assesses the possible damage to Pritzker’s campaign. They also discuss the recent controversy over the proposal to build a low-income housing building near the Jefferson Park CTA station in John Arena’s 45th Ward, and the fact that collective-bargaining contracts for nearly 90% of the City’s unionized workers will have expired by the end of this summer. In particular, Mayor Emanuel had expressed support for revising some police department rules, as recommended by his own police reform commission. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by media observers Thom Clark and Scott Smith. They discuss the Chicago media landscape, in particular the likely sale of the Sun-Times and Reader to Tronc, which already owns the Tribune, Chicago Magazine and dozens of other smaller publications. They also discuss the rise of other news sources in Chicago such as ProPublica Illinois, the South Side weekly and City Bureau, and they express their concern that the Reader might not survive the transition. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for a conversation about the dramatic effect repeal of the Affordable Care Act would have on County health services. More than 480,000 individuals have obtained health insurance through the Act, or about ten percent of the county’s entire population. Replacing the services currently covered by the ACA would cost County taxpayers more than $300 million annually, she argues. Preckwinkle also discusses crime issues, including her opposition to the efforts to pass legislation increasing penalties for illegal gun possession and her concern that reform of the Chicago Police Department may stall without strong mayoral leadership. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by urban policy writer Daniel Kay Hertz. They discuss the CTA’s plan to extend the Red Line to 130th street and an alternative Hertz proposed in the South Side Weekly to institute rapid-transit-style service on nearby Metra tracks. They also talk about seemingly-stalled efforts to build a Bus Rapid Transit line along Ashland Avenue, and the possibility that autonomous vehicles could someday completely reinvent what we think of today as public transportation. They also discuss the possible loss of the Thompson Center, which Hertz says will one day be included in photo-books of lost architectural treasures. And he extolls the virtues of four-plus-one apartment buildings. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by three Chicago education reporters: Lauren FitzPatrick of the Sun-Times and WBEZ reporters Sarah Karp and Becky Vevea. They discuss Mayor Emanuel’s efforts to find money to keep the Chicago Public Schools open until the end of the school year, the new CPS high school application process, the likelihood that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will be able to institute school vouchers in Illinois and Chicago, and the sentencing of former CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Alden Loury and Sun-Times reporter Mick Dumke. They discuss a recent Dumke story about the spike in Chicago Police arrests of parolees for “unlawful contact” with people the police identify as gang members. They also discuss an MPC report that quantifies the cost of segregation in Chicago, expressed in lost wages, missed education opportunities and disparate law enforcement procedures. In addition, they analyze MPC data pointing to severe job losses that occur a few years after significant white population loss in individual suburbs, and consider a suggestion that some tax-strangled south suburbs might want to consider allowing the City of Chicago to annex them. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-13) to discuss the recent passage of his Safe Neighborhoods Reform Act in the Illinois Senate. Consideration in the House should begin shortly. Raul’s bill calls for more stringent penalties for individuals caught carrying an illegal firearm for the second time, although the bill also provides for some measure of judicial discretion. Raoul argues that a person caught a second time with an illegal firearm demonstrates a high potential for future armed violence. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Chicago Reporter’s Curtis Black. They discuss the likelihood that Mayor Emanuel will continue with police reform in the Donald Trump era and the details of Sen. Kwame Raoul’s proposed legislation intensifying penalties for the illegal possession of firearms. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago political strategist/consultants Carolyn Grisko and Chris Robling for an analysis of the Republican Convention. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and Becky Vevea to discuss the details of their recent reporting on how capital development funds are being spent at CPS. Of the nearly 600 million spent or budgeted, 2/3 has been allocated to schools with at least 25% white enrollment, and additions are being built at schools less than a mile from under-enrolled schools. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by the Tribune’s John Byrne and WLS-AM’s John Dempsey. They talk about the budget compromise that allows CPS to open on time and the Police Superintendent’s statement that he might need more officers. They also analyze the surprise announcement that a newly-enacted TIF might enable progress on the Red Line North rebuild and its extension south to 130th St. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Natasha Korecki of Politico’s Illinois Playbook. They discuss the apparent compromise in Springfield that may result in full-year funding for schools and 6-month funding for most other services. Korecki also analyzes Mayor Emanuel’s inability to deliver the Lucas Museum, and Police union Dean Angelo’s assertion that Chicago “doesn’t have the backs” of Chicago police officers. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Reader News Editor Robin Amer and reporter Aimee Levitt. They discuss the paper’s recent expose on Profiles Theater which revealed allegations of wide-spread physical, sexual and verbal abuse toward actors and crew members, and the efforts of some cast members to expose the issues publicly. As a result of the Reader story, the theater closed permanently yesterday. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sun-Times Education writer Lauren FitzPatrick and Tribune Springfield correspondent Kim Geiger. They discuss the political impasse in Springfield and its effect on CPS and scores of Illinois school systems with large numbers of low-income students. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Hal Dardick (Chicago Tribune) and Dave McKinney (Reuters) to discuss the recent collapse of budget negotiations in Springfield and its impact on Chicago.
Ken Davis is joined by CTU President Karen Lewis for a wide-ranging discussion about school finances and leadership, including the years-long bargaining process, proposed draconian budget cuts and current legislation. This show was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by 21st Ward Alderman and Education Committee Chair Howard Brookins, Jr. They discuss the State Senate’s effort to change the education funding formula in a way that would provide aboiut $300 million additional for Chicago. Governor Rauner has called it a “bailout”. They also discuss expanded privatization of school services, the firing of principal Troy LaRaviere and the appointment of Eddie Johnson as police superintendent. This show was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Maya Dukmasova and Robin Amer of the Chicago Reader. Their recent report on what’s come to be called “super-vouchers” details the short-lived effort by the CHA to offer qualified voucher-holders a slightly higher monthly stipend to allow tenants to move into better buildings in safer neighborhoods. Faced with negative press and political headwinds, the CHA phased out the program after only about three years. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Aldertrack’s Mike Fourcher. They discuss the Hastert sentencing, the Tribune/Gannett takeover, the potential relocation of the Lucas Museum and the release of the Tiffany Jacobs police video. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by two members of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force, Maurice Classen (MacArthur Foundation) and victor Dickson (Safer Foundation). They discuss the key findings of the recently-released report recommending police reforms, including revisions to the police contract and dissolution of the Independent Police Reform Authority. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Maya Dukmasova and Robin Amer of the Chicago Reader. Their recent report on what’s come to be called “super-vouchers” details the short-lived effort by the CHA to offer qualified voucher-holders a slightly higher monthly stipend to allow tenants to move into better buildings in safer neighborhoods. Faced with negative press and political headwinds, the CHA phased out the program after only about three years. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Aldertrack’s Mike Fourcher. They discuss the Hastert sentencing, the Tribune/Gannett takeover, the potential relocation of the Lucas Museum and the release of the Tiffany Jacobs police video. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by two members of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force, Maurice Classen (MacArthur Foundation) and victor Dickson (Safer Foundation). They discuss the key findings of the recently-released report recommending police reforms, including revisions to the police contract and dissolution of the Independent Police Reform Authority. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Kate Grossman from the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. She recently authored a report for the Atlantic on the drastic fall in enrollment at Chicago’s traditional neighborhood high schools. They discuss the underlying factors that have driven students by the thousands from these once densely populated institutions. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by civic activist Tom Tresser. He talks about his history of organizing against privatization, TIFs and the Chicago Olympics. He’s currently crowdfunding a new book, “We Are Not Broke”, which argues for a more rational method of funding municipal government. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business. They discuss mayor Emanuel’s appointment of Eddie Johnson as Interim Police Superintendent and Friday’s one-day CTU strike. They also discuss the employment numbers in Illinois, which are higher than might have been expected. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Steve Rhodes, editor/publisher of The Beachwood Reporter. They discuss today’s ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court that the City’s plan to reorganize pension plans for thousands of City workers was not constitutional. They also discuss a recent op/ed piece Steve wrote for Crain’s in which he criticized Michael Ferro’s leadership of Tribune Publishing, especially the replacement of Chicago Magazine Editor Beth Fenner with Suzanna Homan. In addition, they talk about Mayor Emanuel’s pending police chief selection. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by NBC5 Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern. They discuss the results of, and the political fallout from Tuesday’s election, which may have left both Mayor Emanuel and Governor Rauner wounded politically. They also talk about what’s next for Kim Foxx, whose overwhelming victory could put her in the position of needing to tamp down elevated expectations of community activists who will likely demand quick, favorable results. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Bruce DuMont, host of Beyond the Beltway on WIND radio. They discuss the Presidential primaries and the upcoming Illinois primary, including the fierce proxy match between 5th District Representative Ken Dunkin and his challenger Julianna Stratton. They also talk about Hillary Clinton's unexpected loss to Bernie Sanders in Michigan and what it means for her still-presumed candidacy against (the also presumed) Donald Trump. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mike Holzer of North Branch Works. They discuss the future of the Planned Manufacturing District on the North side between Clybourn and Elston avenues, where several large plants have left and there’s pressure to redevelop the zone for residential and commercial projects. Chicago needs to redefine “industrial” to include modern manufacturing, he says, in order to keep the PMD and encourage jobs in the area. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Bruce Sagan, Chicago Sun-Times. They discuss his new assignment as Chairman of Sun-Times Holdings, which now operates the newspaper. He expresses his deep optimism about the paper’s future, building on its strong brand, knowledgeable staff and its debt-free status. He also tells us that the Sun-Times will be launching a new website in March, which he hopes will overcome many of the criticisms the current site has endured. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by George Schmidt, publisher of Substance News and current member of the CTU House of Delegates. We discuss Governor Rauner’s budget address, in which he made it clear that he doesn’t favor giving CPS schools a higher proportion of the budget, and about what was going on behind the scenes as the CTU rejected CPS’ recent contract offer. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Peter Cunningham, a long-time consultant and communications specialist associated with the Chicago Public Schools the national self-described school reform movement. They discuss the recent rejection of a “tentative offer” by the CTU, the role of charter schools in Chicago’s inner city, relief from toxic swap financing, elected school boards and the large-scale layoffs that could occur at CPS on February 29. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Tribune investigative reporter David Kidwell. They discuss the dozens of stories Kidwell has authored over more than four years about the deployment and operation of Chicago’s red-light and speed camera system, and the massive bribes for which its principle coordinator, John Bills, was recently convicted. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Rod Estvan, Policy Director at Access Living Chicago. They discuss financing for the Chicago Public Schools from a historical perspective, along with present-day issues such as yesterday’s postponement of an $875-million bond issue, a possible cash infusion from surplus TIF money, a legislative initiative to restructure the way all Illinois schools are financed, and the impact of the fiscal crisis on special-educations students and their families. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Ethan Michaeli, author of The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America. They share stories from his new book about Robert Abbott’s founding of the paper on his landlady’s dining room table, through John Sengstake’s remarkable 57-year leadership of the paper, and the Defender’s crucial role in chronicling and shaping the African-American history of Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Donna More. They discuss today’s slating session, in which The County Democrats endorsed her opponent Kimberly Foxx. They also talk about the LaQuan McDonald case, the police “code of silence”, and her conviction that she would be a politically independent prosecutor. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Sun-Times investigative reporter Mick Dumke. They discuss the City's recent release of police dispatch audio recordings and more than a thousand emails related to the Laquan McDonald case. They also talk about Mayor Emanuel's decision to increase the availability of Tasers in the CPD, the role of chief lawyer Steve Patton, IPRA and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Phillip Jackson, Black Star Project. They discuss the origins of the youth-led protests that have played a prominent role since the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video. Jackson also decries the state of Chicago’s education system and calls for a new spirit of entrepreneurialism in Chicago’s minority communities. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mike Fourcher, Aldertrack. They discuss Mayor Emanuel’s address to the City Council about the Laquan McDonald scandal, the impact on the Council’s African-American aldermen, the youth movement leading Chicago’s street protests and various calls for reform, including an aldermanic demand that Chicago Police “stop shooting people in the back.” This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Glenn Reedus of DePriest Voter Chronicles. They discuss the fallout from the Laquan McDonald dash-cam videos, including the firing of Superintendent McCarthy, the Magnificent Mile protests on Black Friday, the calls for Mayor Emanuel’s resignation, and the role of State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Phil Rogers, NBC5 Chicago and Paul Meincke, ABC7 Chicago. For this Thanksgiving Day program, they talk about their combined 55 years of covering breaking news as general-assignment television reporters in Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune. They discuss the City Council’s passage of ordinances reaffirming the City’s refugee status and creating new guidelines for privatization of City assets. Dardick also talks about the Trib’s revelations that the City’s speed cameras have dispensed as many as 2.4 million improper tickets. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Phil Rogers, NBC5 Chicago and Paul Meincke, ABC7 Chicago. They discuss the budget impasse in Springfield, and Representative Ken Dunkin’s refusal to vote with his Democratic colleagues for an anti-Rauner measure. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Kim Foxx, Candidate, Cook County State’s Attorney. They discuss the need for the State’s Attorney’s office to take a more holistic approach to prosecution and law enforcement and advocate for a broad range of policy changes. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Lauren Chooljian, WBEZ. They discuss Wednesday’s historic City Council vote that raised property taxes by almost $600 million, along with a host of additional taxes on services – and approved the construction of the Lucas Museum just south of Soldier Field. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)
Ken Davis is joined by Linda Lenz, publisher of Catalyst - Chicago. They talk about the big-picture education issues that Linda has covered in her 25 years at the magazine, including Local School Councils, Mayoral control, charter schools and Rahm Emanuel's record as an "education mayor". This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)
Ken Davis is joined by Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader. They discuss Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and the indictment of Barbara Byrd-Bennet, former Chicago Public Schools CEO. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Alex Holt, Budget Director for the City of Chicago. They discuss Chicago’s Tax Increment Financing Program and how the program impacts the property tax system. Holt argues that TIFs have improved blighted communities, funded critical infrastructure repairs and built new assets, such as schools and CTA stations. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Craig Newman, former Sun-Times Managing Editor. They talk about the modern news cycle and whether, in the digital age, the definition of “news” has changed forever. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Magazine’s Carol Felsenthal and Beyond the Beltway host Bruce DuMont. They discuss the political implications of Mayor Emanuel’s significant tax increases, the Democratic race for the Illinois Senate between Tammy Duckworth and Andrea Zopp, and Joe Biden’s potential run against Hillary Clinton. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mike Fourcher, Aldertrack. They discuss the range of municipal boards and commissions that govern everything from zoning to fashion. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Natasha Korecki, Chicago Sun-Times and Bill Ruthhart, Chicago Tribune. They discuss proposed local tax increases and Mayor Emanuel's town hall meetings. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by independent journalist, Dave McKinney. They trace Illinois' path to become the worst pension system in the nation. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Alderman Scott Waguespack and Alderman Susan Sadlowski Garza, two members of the Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus join Ken Davis to talk progressive reform. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by environmental investigative reporter Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune. They discuss new federal carbon pollution standards for power plants.
Ken Davis is joined by Tracy Siska, Chicago Justice Project. They discuss police accountability, police interrogation practices, and the latest reporting on the Chicago Police Department's 'black site', Homan Square. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Hunter Clauss, WTTW/Chicago Tonight and Claudia Morell, Aldertrack. They discuss Tuesday's Chicago City Council meeting including the proposal to end garbage collection for apartment buildings with more than four-flats, and the Fitch Ratings downgrade of CPS bonds to junk status. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Blaine Elementary School Principal, Troy LaRaviere. They discuss public school funding inequities, privatization, and the failure of Chicago charter schools to perform. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by George Schmidt, Substance News. They discuss the appointment of Forrest Claypool as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, and the problems with Student-Based Budgeting in the CPS. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Saqib Bhatti, The Roosevelt Institute. They discuss "disaster capitalism", how government austerity enables predatory lending to municipalities, and the possibility of a Chicago bankruptcy. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Lauren FitzPatrick, Chicago Sun-Times, Sarah Karp, Better Government Ass’n and Melissa Sanchez, Catalyst Chicago. They discuss CPS borrowing to fill its budget gap, the announcement that the CTU and CPS may be on the verge of a contract deal and CPS' inflated graduation rates. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune and Ted Cox, DNAInfo/Chicago. They examine Mayor Emanuel’s $1.1 billion borrowing package, Gov. Rauner's attempt to govern through TV ads and a review of ways the city and state might boost revenues. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by author, Thomas J. Gradel and UIC Professor, Dick Simpson. They discuss their book, "Corrupt Illinois" and the history of patronage, cronyism and criminality in Illinois politics.This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Becky Vevea, WBEZ, and Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop. They discuss the shakeup at the Chicago Board of Education and public opposition to new charter schools. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. They examine a range of proposals to fix the state's pension shortfall. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Paul Green, Roosevelt University/City Club and Kristen McQueary, Chicago Tribune. They discuss Illinois' revenue crisis, and Police Supt. Garry McCarthy's claims of "progressive policing" and record low crime statistics in Chicago. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Natasha Korecki, Chicago Sun-Times and Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times, ABC 7. They discuss Spike Lee's production "Chiraq", Chicago's junk bond credit rating, and the announcement to house the Obama Library on Chicago's South Side. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Flint Taylor, People's Law Office and Steve Rhodes, The Beachwood Reporter. They discuss the Chicago City Council's vote to approve a $5.5 million reparations package for police torture survivors. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by John Bouman, Shriver Center, Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune and Glenn Reedus, DePriest Voters' Chronicle. They discuss Gov. Rauners's "turnaround budget" proposal to cut essential services and slash subsidies to cities and towns. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Chip Mitchell, WBEZ and Flint Taylor, People's Law Office. They discuss the costs, consequences and politics of Chicago police misconduct. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Sarah Karp, Catalyst Chicago. They discuss the FBI investigation of CPS CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett and Gov. Rauner's support for "bankruptcy" at CPS. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune and David Schaper, NPR. They discuss Mayor Emanuel's election victory and aldermanic runoff race results. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
In this special runoff election edition, Ken Davis is joined by Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader, Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader and Cliff Kelley WVON. They examine aldermanic contests in wards 16, 21, and 29. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
In this special runoff election edition, Ken Davis is joined by Jimm Dispensa, Aldertrack. They examine aldermanic contests in wards 18, 37, 41, and 43. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
In this special runoff election edition, Ken Davis is joined by former City Clerk, Miguel del Valle and Claudia Morell, Aldertrack. They examine aldermanic contests in wards 10, 15, 31, and 36. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
In this special runoff election edition, Ken Davis is joined by Mike Fourcher, Aldertrack. They examine aldermanic contests in wards 2, 7, 45, and 46. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Ethan Michaeli, We the People Media and Glenn Reedus, DePriest Voters Chronicles. In this special runoff election edition, they examine the aldermanic contests in wards 11, 20, 24, and 33.
Ken Davis is joined by political strategist, Delmarie Cobb, Miguel Del Valle, Illinois Commerce Commission and author/blogger, Carol Felsenthal. They analyze last Tuesday's municipal election results and discuss the prospects for Chicago's first mayoral runoff election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Linda Lutton, WBEZ. They discuss the long-term impact of increased school choice, and how it has stratified school populations by achievement levels. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader, blogger Fred Klonsky, and Claudia Morell, Aldertrack. They discuss the prospects for a mayoral runoff, Gov. Rauner's assault on public employee unions, and predictions for Chicago's aldermanic races. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop is joined by John McCarron, Chicago Tribune and Salim Muwakkil, In These Times. They discuss issues that may affect the outcome of the upcoming mayoral election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by John Dempsey, WLS-AM, Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader, and Cheryl Corley, NPR - Chicago. They discuss Chicago's upcoming mayoral election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ethan Michaeli, We The People Media, is joined by journalist Glenn Reedus. They discuss the Obama Presidential Library and the upcoming mayoral election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
Ken Davis is joined by Mike Flannery, Fox 32 News. They discuss the University of Chicago proposal for the Obama Presidential Library, the proposed financial transaction tax and Gov. Rauner's call for sacrifice from Illinoisans.
Ken Davis is joined by labor attorney and author, Tom Geoghegan. Geoghegan argues for a revitalized and democratic labor movement to combat rampant inequality. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Jimm Dispensa and Mike Fourcher from Aldertrack. They discuss Chicago's aldermanic races in the upcoming 2015 election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis discusses Chicago's affordable housing crisis with Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune, Jonah Newman, Chicago Reporter, Ethan Michaeli, We the People Media and Natalie Moore, WBEZ. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Cook County Commissioner, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, his wife Evelyn Garcia, and Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune. They discuss Garcia’s mayoral bid. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)
The pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" are debated. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Cassandra Francis, Friends of the Parks and Odette Yousef, WBEZ. They discuss automated red-light cameras and the Friends of the Parks lawsuit against the Chicago Park District and the city of Chicago over plans for the Lucas Museum.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Melissa Harris, Chicago Tribune and Micah Maidenberg, Crain's Chicago Business. They discuss the advisers likely to join Gov.-elect Rauner's administration and the difficulty landlords have accessing loans on Chicago's south and west sides. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined Delmarie Cobb, Democratic strategist and Chris Robling, Republican strategist. They discuss the consequences of last Tuesday's mid-term election. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Julie Wernau, Chicago Tribune and Mark Denzler, Illinois Manufacturers' Association. They discuss the implementation of the controversial fracking process in Illinois. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by David Kidwell, Chicago Tribune and Chris Fusco, Chicago Sun-Times. They discuss Chicago's red light ticketing controversy and the extent of Illinois House Speaker Madigan's political clout. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by John Byrne, Chicago Tribune and Alex Keefe, WBEZ. They discuss the 2015 mayoral election and Mayor Emanuel's 2015 budget proposal. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Wendy Katten, Raise Your Hand, Lauren FitzPatrick, Chicago Sun-Times and Sarah Karp, Catalyst Chicago. They discuss the decline in public school enrollment, selective enrollment high schools and school funding disparities in the CPS. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Ann Alexander, Natural Resources Defense Council and Dr. Lora Chamberlain, Frack Free Illinois. They discuss the science, politics and environmental costs of fracking.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Carol Felsenthal, Chicago Magazine. They discuss her new article, "Will the Real Bruce Rauner Please Stand Up?"
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis. They discuss education policy, public pension funding and city politics.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis celebrates Chicago Newsroom's 4th anniversary with Thom Clark (Community Media Network), Ben Joravsky (Chicago Reader) and Sarah Karp (Catalyst Chicago). They discuss the credibility of CPS data, Chicago's TIF program, and the upcoming mayoral election.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader and Natalie Moore, WBEZ. They discuss Chicago police violence and its coverage in the media in light of the recent events in Ferguson, MO.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Jon Hilkevitch, Chicago Tribune. They discuss the state of transportation in Chicago and rate Mayor Emanuel's efforts to upgrade the system.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Kate Grossman, Chicago Sun-Times and Sarah Karp, Catalyst Chicago. They discuss public school funding, school closings and privatization.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune and Lynne Marek, Crain's Chicago Business. They discuss the Chicago Housing Authority's controversial fund surplus and the prospects for the newly spun off Tribune Publishing Company. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by David Kidwell, Chicago Tribune and Alex Richards, Chicago Tribune. They discuss the city's highly suspect red light camera system.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Chicago historian and activist, Hal Baron and Salim Muwakkil, WVON. They discuss the case for reparations for African Americans and the economic and political barriers to racial justice in the United States.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader and Natalie Moore, WBEZ. They discuss the upcoming mayoral election, and question using the term, "Chiraq" to describe violent crime in Chicago.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader and Randell Strickland, Little Black Pearl Art and Design Academy. They discuss the causes of Chicago's most recent wave of gun violence and Mayor Emanuel's proposal to boost the minimum wage.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Jennifer Vollen-Katz, the John Howard Association and Rob Wildeboer, WBEZ. They discuss the politics, costs and consequences of Illinois' adult and juvenile prison system.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Tom McNamee, Chicago Sun-Times and Kristen McQueary, Chicago Tribune. They discuss yesterday's Supreme Court decision requiring police to secure warrants to search the cellphones of people they arrest, the legacy of former Mayor Jane Byrne, and CPS revisions to the Student Code of Conduct.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV
Ken Davis is joined by Angela Caputo, The Chicago Reporter and Ethan Michaeli, We the People Media. They discuss the questionable spending and priorities of the city's Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the glut of vacancies in Chicago public housing.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by author Kari Lydersen and Ken Dunn, The Resource Center. They fracking, coal and the state of the environment. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Alex Keefe, WBEZ and Randi Belisomo, WGN-TV. They discuss legacy of former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne, machinations in City Hall and Springfield to address Chicago's pension problems, and a roundup of the week's most interesting news stories.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by George Schmidt, Substance News, Jay Rehak, Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund and Dan Fabrizio, Chicago Firefighters' Pension Fund. They discuss the history of Chicago's municipal employee pensions and the long-standing failure of government officials to adequately fund the system.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Sarah Karp, Catalyst Chicago, Charlie Meyerson, Rivet Radio and David Schaper, NPR. They discuss Blaine Elementary principal, Troy LaVierre's public criticism of Mayor Emanuel, and growing support for alternative tax revenue streams to fund public pension obligations.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
They discuss CTU Pres. Karen Lewis' proposal for a financial transaction tax to to address the city's pension problems and the Administration's controversial plan to build Barack Obama High School in the middle of Stanton Park on Chicago's Near North Side.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Bill Rutthart, Chicago Tribune, Richard Steele, WBEZ, Ray Salazar, The White Rhino blog and Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune. They discuss recent revelations regarding the Emanuel Administration's coordination of the production of CNN's "Chicagoland" and assess the journalistic ethics of the series.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times, Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business and John Byrne, Chicago Tribune. They discuss the history and politics of Illinois chronically underfunded pensions.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop, Andrew Schroedter, Better Government Association and Cheryl Corley, National Public Radio. They discuss the city's massive outlay for police misconduct, the challenge to Illinois tornado-ravaged communities to secure FEMA funds, and the difficulty making hyperlocal news commercially viable.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, Henry Henderson, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Journalist/Author, Kari Lydersen. They discuss the politics of the recent oil spill from BP's Whiting refinery and the environmental threats posed by petcoke on Chicago's Southwest Side.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Charlie Meyerson, Rivet Radio, Jon Hansen, DNAInfoRadio and Tim Akimoff, Chicago Public Media. They discuss the affect of mobile platforms on terrestrial radio news.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader, Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader, and Matt Farmer, Huffington Post Chicago. They discuss local primary election results and Governor Quinn’s announcement to maintain the state tax hike.
Ken Davis is joined Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. They discuss how the state's budget woes are caused by a chronic lack of revenue rather than high taxes, and how the state's flat tax policy is unfair to taxpayers and is damaging economic growth.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Metra Chairman, Martin Oberman. They discuss Oberman's new role at Metra, the complexity of the Metra rail service, and proposals to reform governance of the system.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.
Ken Davis is joined by John Dempsey, WLS-AM, and Carol Felsenthal, Chicago Magazine. They discuss the upcoming GOP gubernatorial primary.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Melissa Harris, Chicago Tribune and Chip Mitchell, WBEZ. They discuss the new Goose Island advanced-manufacturing technology center fueled mainly by a Defense Department grant, and whether the recent arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will disrupt Chicago's illicit drug trade.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Ted Cox, DNAInfo Chicago and Sarah Karp, Catalyst Chicago. They discuss the UIC faculty strike, city unions allying to oppose pension cuts and Chicago Public Schools revised discipline policy.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Mick Dumke, Chicago Reader and Steve Edwards, Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago. They discuss Republican race for Illinois governor and discuss whether conceal-and-carry laws are necessary to keep people safe.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Tony Arnold, WBEZ and Chris Fusco, Chicago Sun-Times. They discuss the homogeneity of the GOP field for governor, Gov. Quinn's State of the State address, and the Vanecko verdict.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Demond Drummer, Teamwork Englewood, Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, and Frank Sennett, Crain's Chicago. They discuss the consequences of the recent federal court decision which invalidated the Federal Communications Commission "Net Neutrality" rules.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Matt Farmer (Huffington Post) and Art Golab (Chicago Sun-Times). They discuss the Chicago archdiocese release of documents detailing sexual abuse by priests and the Chicago Board of Education's ongoing drive to open more charter schools.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Andrew Schroedter, Better Government Association. They discuss the controversies surrounding UNO, the nation’s largest Hispanic charter school operator.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop and Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader. They discuss the effects of the polar vortex and plans to open new charter schools in the wake of public school closures.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Steve Bogira, Chicago Reader and Paul Goren, education consultant. The discuss the effects of poverty on academic achievement.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Don Washington, Mayoral Tutorial, Alex Keefe, WBEZ and Tom McNamee, Chicago Sun-Times. They discuss corporate welfare, the minimum wage, and the history of public pensions in Chicago.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.
Ken Davis is joined by Marcus Gilmer, Chicago Sun-Times, Mark Konkol, DNAInfo Chicago and blogger Fred Klonsky. They discuss Tuesday's landmark legislation to cut public employee pensions and how the juvenile justice system adjudicates gun crimes.
This program was produced by Chicago Access Network TV.