BEGAN TODAY ON THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S FORMER PRINTING PLANT TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CITY'S FIRST PERMANENT CASINO AND IN-STATE ELECTION NEWS.

THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT SIDED WITH REPUBLICANS TOSSING OUT A LOT.

HE SLEEP ASKED BY DEMOCRATS THAT COULD HAVE IMPACTED THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND IN FEDERAL COURT ATTORNEYS FOR MICHAEL MADIGAN ASKED A JUDGE TO THROW OUT CERTAIN EVIDENCE AGAINST THE FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER.

HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT.

POLITICS TEAM AMANDA, VICKI HATTER, SHARON LYNN BURG.

WELCOME BACK, GANG.

I THINK WE'VE ALL RECOVERED FROM LAST.

KNOW WORKING ON AND WILL GET WHAT YOU WILL GET.

THAT WILL BREAK.

AND WHEN WE TELL PEOPLE SO LOCAL LANDMARK MCCAIN BEGAN COMING DOWN TODAY.

AS WE MENTIONED, POLITICIANS, COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, CASINO EXECUTIVES ALL ON HAND TO DO THE HONORS.

THEY WERE HELPING TO DEMOLISH WHAT WAS ONCE THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE PRINTING FACILITY ARE AT THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE PRINTING FACILITY.

IN ITS PLACE IS GOING TO BE CITY'S FIRST CASINO.

A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY'S TOURISM AGENCY SAID, QUOTE, THIS ISN'T A DEMOLITION DAY.

IT'S A CELEBRATION DAY.

HEATHER, THIS IS FINALLY HAPPENING NEARLY 2 YEARS AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THAT WHAT IT TAKES A WELL, THERE WERE BIG PROBLEMS WITH THE INITIAL PLAN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2022.

ORIGINALLY THE 35 STOREY HOTEL WAS SUPPOSED TO GO IN A LOCATION ON THE SITE THAT WOULD HAVE TO STRAIGHT CRITICAL WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO IT HAD TO BE MOVED.

BALLY'S ALSO HAD TROUBLE SORT OF FIGURING OUT THE FINANCES FOR THIS.

THIS IS NOT A SMALL UNDERTAKING AND THE CITY IS NOW HOPEFUL THAT NOW A PERMANENT CASINO IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THAT IT WILL GENERATE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 200 BILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS EARMARKED BY STATE LAW TO FUND CHICAGO'S WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED POLICE AND FIRE PENSIONS WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL GIVE THE CITY A BIT BREATHING ROOM, BUDGET WISE.

AND THERE HAD BEEN SOME CONCERN EVEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

IF THIS THIS PERMANENT CASINO WAS GOING TO COME TOGETHER.

27TH WARD ALDERMAN WALTER BURNETT REMINDED ATTENDEES THAT HE GREW UP 3 BLOCKS AWAY IN WHAT WAS THEN THE CABRINI GREEN HOUSING PROJECT.

THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THESE ARE MY PEOPLE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO IS ONLY INCUMBENT UPON ME TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD DO WELL AND PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFIT ON A PROSPERITY THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM.

WHAT DOES UNION WORKERS WEATHER SINCE THAT WORKERS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ME.

HEATHER ALDERMAN BURNETT SAID THAT HE STILL HAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CASINO WHAT ARE THEY?

WELL, NOW HE'S MADE A LOT OF PROMISES TO CITY OFFICIALS THAT THEY WOULD HIRE CHICAGOANS TO DO THIS WORK.

AND WALTER BURNETT IS NOT THE KIND OF ALL PERSON WHO WILL LET COMPANIES SORT GONE.

THAT SORT OF PROMISE.

AND THIS IS NOT ONLY SUPPOSED TO HELP THE CITY'S BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO HELP THE CITY'S ECONOMY, RIGHT, LIKE MAYBE A MINI DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION EVERY LONG WEEKEND.

THE CITY WOULD NOT OBJECT TO THAT.

I'M BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY THAT CHICAGOANS WORK.

THESE CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND WORK THESE CASINO AND HOTEL JOBS, WHETHER THAT WILL HAPPEN IS VERY MUCH UP IN THE AIR.

AND TODAY WE HEARD A WARNING FROM ALDERMAN BURNETT WHO SAID IT BETTER HAPPEN UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUN INTO SOME MORE BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME IS WHAT WE WERE JUST THINKING.

AMANDA NICK IN 2023, THE TEMPORARY CASINO IN THE MEDINA TEMPLE NEAR MICHIGAN AVENUE BROUGHT IN ONLY A QUARTER OF WHAT WAS PROJECTED THOSE REVENUE SHORTFALLS HAD SOME SPECULATING ARE SOME FOLKS WERE SPECULATING THAT BALLY'S MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE PERMANENT CASINO.

BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE TODAY.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS DEMOLITION SIGNALS THAT THE RIVERFRONT CASINO IS DEFINITELY AGO?

I MEAN, CERTAINLY BALLY'S IS PROJECTING A LOT OF CONFIDENCE, BUT NONE OF US HAS A CRYSTAL BALL HERE.

IT IS OBVIOUSLY CHEAPER TO KNOCK DOWN A BUILDING, THEN TO BUILD ONE.

AND I THINK ANYBODY WHO SAW THE GIANT HOLE IN THE GROUND FROM WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE CHICAGO SPIRE THAT SAT EMPTY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS KNOWS THESE PLANS AND ALWAYS COME TO FRUITION.

BUT AS FOR WHAT WE HEARD TODAY, A LOT OF CONFIDENCE FROM COMPANY OFFICIALS WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

MAYBE THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S LIKE GOTTA ONLINE BETTING.

WHAT ARE TOP PEOPLE ON OK?

SO DESPITE THE RECORD BREAKING HEAT SCHOOL WENT ON AS SCHEDULED STARTING YESTERDAY WITH A CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HEARS CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ WAS ON CHICAGO TONIGHT WITH AND ASSURING US THAT ALL STUDENTS WILL HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.

SO LET'S WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT INTERVIEW FIRST OFF, ALTHOUGH THEY WELCOME TO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TOGETHER YESTERDAY PEDRO MARTINEZ SAYS THAT HE HAS NOT MET PRIVATELY WITH MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON IN THAT THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT IS ON THE SCHEDULE, THOUGH.

HE SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH.

AMANDA, WAS THAT SURPRISING GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE HEADLINES THAT MIGHT BE REPLACED?

IT IS CERTAINLY THINK FIRST OF ALL, HE SAID THE COMMUTE REGULARLY, BUT ONLY EVERY FEW COUPLE WEEKS WHICH CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF CPS AND THAT MAYOR JOHNSON IS A FORMER TEACHER IN CTU MEMBER.

THAT'S NOT ALL THAT OFF.

AND FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS SURPRISING IT PER SE.

AFTER STORIES CAME OUT THAT JOHNSON ONCE MARTINEZ OUT BECAUSE IF YOU'RE MARTINEZ, MAY BE A KIND OF JUST TRY AND STAY AWAY FROM HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.

KEEP HER JOB AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

AND IN AND WORK IT GO ON PROGRAMS LIKE OURS AND TRY AND MAKE THE CASE PUBLICLY TO THE MAYOR ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION.

LIKEWISE, IF JOHNSON DOESN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST UNILATERALLY LET MARTINEZ GO AT THIS POINT, IT HAS TO BE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD WHO VOTED WITH MARTINEZ REALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET OVER THE PREFERRED PATH THAT JOHNSON HAD ONE TO TAKE.

YOU DON'T MAYBE WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WHEN YOUR DUCKS AREN'T IN A SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON THERE.

BUT MARTINEZ WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE US A DATE FOR WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A FORMAL DISCUSSION.

IT I WILL SAY IT DIDN'T LOOK AWKWARD ON THE VIDEO YESTERDAY.

THEIR KIDS ARE PARENTS FROM THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR ANY SORT OF DEEP TALK, THEY REALLY TALK TOO CLOSE TOGETHER.

THEY JUST SORT MOVED IN THE SAME CIRCLES WITH MARTINEZ FOLLOWING AND TO BE CLEAR, THAT PREFERRED PATHWAY THAT JOHNSON WANTED WAS TO BORROW ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND PEDRO MARTINEZ SAYING I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE WAY TO GO CONCERN ALREADY ALREADY FACING 500 AND SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT FUNDING CLIFF THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, NICK, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS THE DISTRICT IS FACING, THOUGH, FINDING ENOUGH BUS DRIVERS, HOW CBS DO WITH PEDRO MARTINEZ SAYS THAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF HIS NEARLY THREE-YEAR TENURE, BUT HE SAID THEY'RE UP ABOUT 200 DRIVERS FROM WHAT THEY HAD LAST YEAR.

SO CERTAINLY MORE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN NEED.

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF NEED OUT THERE LAST WEEK.

THE NUMBERS WE GOT WERE ABOUT 15,000 STUDENTS, ABOUT 10,000 OF WHOM ARE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

AND YOU KNOW THAT NEARLY 2000 OF THEM WERE LEFT WITHOUT AN OPTION.

ALTHOUGH CEO MARTINEZ SAID HE THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING THAT NUMBER DOWN CLOSER TO ABOUT 1100 AND THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE THIS TAKEN CARE OF WITHIN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS.

THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME POINT DURING THIS FIRST SEMESTER TO CREATE A HUB MODEL.

THESE ARE FOR, YOU KNOW, JANET STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO A SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT SCHOOL FAR AWAY FROM WHERE THEY LIVE.

THE IDEA BEING THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO A SCHOOL THAT'S CLOSER TO THEIR HOME AND BE ABLE TO GET PICKED UP THERE.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL SORTS OF OPTIONS.

SHOVELING AROUND START TIMES IN CLOSING TIMES FOR SCHOOLS TO TRY AND MAKE THIS WORK.

BUT IT IS STILL A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE DISTRICT.

SO BEFORE RUN OUT OF TIME, ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT SIDING WITH REPUBLICANS OVER THIS CONTROVERSIAL LAW THAT DEMOCRATS PASSED THAT WOULD BAN THIS LEADING CANDIDATES.

AMANDA, REMIND US WHAT THIS BILL WAS ABOUT.

SO HES GOING NOVEMBER.

YEAH.

SO THIS IS PRACTICE THAT ISN'T USED ALL THAT OFTEN BUT ALLOWS BASICALLY PARTY INSIDERS TO HAVE SOMEBODY RUN IN A GENERAL ELECTION, EVEN IF NOBODY FROM THE PARTY RAN IN THE PRIMARY AND DEMOCRATS PASSED THIS TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE FOR THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE.

SO THAT'S WHERE THE PUSHBACK CAME FROM.

REPUBLICANS WHO YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME MIDWAY THROUGH.

WE HAD AGREEMENT FROM A LOWER COURT PREVIOUSLY.

NOW THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT ALLOWING THAT TO SLIDE.

ALSO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

SO WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HANDFUL OF REPUBLICANS AND REALLY ONE PARTICULAR RACE, IT PEOPLE SORT OF CALL THIS LAW BY THE NAME OF THE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THE INCUMBENT IS GOING TO HAVE PERHAPS A HARD TIME WITH REPUBLICAN COMPETITOR THAT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT, NOT LESS.

WE'VE SEEN OF IT, BY THE WAY, THEY'LL RUN THIS ELECTION.

BUT THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS FOR THE FUTURE, OK,