>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

A federal judge grills federal immigration officials over their use of tear gas on protesters.

City council members weigh in on the mayor's budget proposal that calls for millions in new taxes.

This feels like a Chicago fire moment to me.

>> And how a new networking group aims to strengthen nonprofits.

>> First off tonight, the trial of a downstate sheriff's deputy accused of killing 36 year-old Sonya Massey begins today in Peoria with jury selection.

The murder trial for 31 year-old Shawn Grayson was moved from Springfield because of the national attention.

It's received.

Grayson is accused of fatally shooting Massey and her home in the summer of 2024. after she called 9-1-1, fearing a prowler outside her home body camera footage shows him confronting her about her handling of pot of boiling water on her stove before grace and allegedly will before Grayson shot and killed her Massie was unarmed and suffered from mental health problems.

Security outside the period courthouse today was an uncharacteristically tight with a police tactical team around the building and snipers seen on rooftops.

The city of Chicago files yet another lawsuit against the Trump administration.

This one over restrictions placed on emergency relief funding.

At issue are conditions.

The federal government is placing on Department of Homeland Security grants.

The city is calling those conditions is calling those conditions to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or lose emergency management funding, unlawful the tens of millions of dollars in funding go toward preparation and response to emergencies like public safety threats and natural disasters.

The city joins 8 other local governments, including Boston, New York and Denver in the suit.

As the Chicago Police Department's annual budget swells to more than 2 billion dollars.

The city's top cop promises to tighten spending on overtime for police officers.

budget is set to increase nearly 38 million dollars next fiscal year.

And it includes a doubling of the department's overtime budget from 100 to 200 million dollars.

That's the first increase since 2020 data shows the city's overtime spending has ballooned from 139 million in 2019 to 273 million in 2024, a slight dip from the year before and data from the city's inspector general says the city has already spent 190 million this year for overtime.

W T Tw News analysis shows it's on track to spend at least 241 million dollars by the end of 2025. for more on this story, please visit our website.

Up next, a judge questions.

Federal immigration officials about their use of tear gas on protesters or hadash a room with that story right after this.

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

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> Federal immigration agents were on the hot seat today over their use of tear gas on protesters.

A federal judge grilled officials with ICE and Border Patrol who defended a series of increasingly aggressive immigration raids across Chicago and the suburbs after 5 hours of testimony, the judge said she had even more questions about the conduct of federal agents.

Our Heather Sharon joins us now with more about today's high stakes hearing.

Heather, so us District Court Judge Sarah Ellis called today's hearing after she said she was concerned that federal agents had violated her court order to stop firing tear gas and other non lethal projectiles at protesters.

Did she reach a conclusion on She did not.

She said she needed more information from ICE and Border Patrol about exactly what they're doing in the streets of Chicago.

>> Throughout the hearing today, she seemed to be struggling to reconcile the images that we've all seen of federal agents pointing pepper ball launchers at protesters and tackling people with what she was hearing from 2 representatives want from the Border Patrol and one from ice.

He said that they had no choice but to take those actions because officers were in danger.

So Sean Buyers, deputy field office, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Kevin Harvick of the Border Patrol.

They testified for hours today.

>> What do they tell the judge that essentially that they had no choice but to result to tear gas and other forms of less than lethal munitions to make sure that agents could carry out their orders from the president to, of course, a said this is.

>> We are deporting all undocumented illegal immigrants from Chicago as he calls them.

But they said that they had listened order and followed it, that there was no defiance of her.

But that simply the people of Chicago is making it impossible for do their jobs.

They had been pelted with eggs and rocks and that in one case in Albany Park, not too far away from our studio here.

People locked their arms and prevented agents from leaving.

And that's when they said they deployed tear gas.

Did we learn anything new about how the federal agents are operating here in Chicago?

Not really that most of the hearing was that featured meticulous questions about when exactly force can be used against protesters.

And, you know, other people around, it's not necessarily clear that Sarah Ellis, the judge sees her sort of cases sort of value aiding what the Trump administration is doing.

Instead, she's trying to make sure that federal agents only use force when they're allowed to when officer safety is at risk.

And there are no other option.

So what happens next?

Well, she ordered that 2 high-profile officials with the Border Patrol and ice come back and answer those questions in depositions includes Gregory Bovino who's been all over the news and he's in charge of operations in Chicago.

She heard today and Russell hot who until Friday was the head of ICE operations Chicago.

He has now been sent back to Washington, D.C., she set the next hearing in the case for November 5th after those depositions are taking when she could decide whether to make her temporary order permanent.

Ok, we'll be keeping an eye on that.

I'm sure you will have Sharon around you so much.

Thanks, Brandis.

>> And you can read Heather's full story on our Web site that is at W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is proposing more than 617 million dollars in new taxes, mostly targeting Chicago's wealthiest residents and biggest companies.

It's part of an effort to close the city's billion dollar budget gap without raising property taxes or cutting services.

The new taxes would help fund violence, prevention and mental health programs.

But critics warn the plan could hurt job growth and drive businesses out of the city.

Joining us for more, 6th Ward Alderman William Hall, representing communities like Chatham, Auburn, Gresham and Englewood and 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin, who represents neighborhoods including West Garfield Park Austin in North Lawndale.

He's also the Budget Committee chair and 34th Ward Alderman Bill Conway representing downtown communities like the West and South Loop gentleman.

Welcome back.

Thanks for joining us.

So I want to go around and everybody's reaction to the mayor's budget proposal alderman home.

We'll start with I think it's a Trump who fly budget.

Number one.

People are still keeping a job.

No cuts in this budget.

Secondly, we're maintaining the support we have for mental health services, which is key.

>> Over 30% of the calls to 9-1-1, of people into distress.

We invested in jobs for young people.

You will give you yearlong jobs for young people.

Also what we see is no property taxes.

Macfie.

So we looked out for the Brit windows in the city of Chicago which are middle class.

Those who go to work every day.

want to come back home to the homes that they work so hard to opener been some question >> I agree with a lot of what ultimate hall, the many of the things puts on the table of the race, but on the table designed not to hurt everyday Chicagoans are in their pocket books was told us about increase property taxes as well as the assessments that were see.

We'll see it this year's times built whenever they show up as well trying to work toward Trump created some economic parity some of the larger corporations.

So again, it's not something everyone on sure he's happy with.

But again, at the end of the day, no one wants to decrease services.

We talk to residents about that.

They don't want to see decrease services.

We also want to maintain the line property taxes.

Well, understand hit.

Taxes is a one to talk about a little controversy.

I think we may ultimately have to make some adjustments there.

But at the end of the day, we want to make sure the city keeps functioning that we keep delivering.

Dropping our kron doubt delivery from for residents.

>> And we're going to come back to that had tax conversation in just a second.

Of course, aldermen.

Conway, though, your reaction, the mayor's budget proposal.

>> Yeah, time are already very much worried about affordability in the city.

I am concerned of all the taxes and and fees we are adding on on Chicagoans here in a brief look at our city more broadly really to grow the size of the city and what that's going require is affordable housing as well as jobs and this part really hurts both those things by taking a massive tip surplus which often is used in affordable housing as well the jobs tax, itself I be.

It's really will create at some people are trying to do that.

>> intervene.

You mentioned the mayor's plan, which includes a $21 per employee monthly tax on companies with more than 100 workers expected to generate about 100 million dollars.

Tell us about how this tax works and and how it gets towards some of the needs that you all are trying to fill.

>> Essentially, it is a tax individuals companies over 100 which are only looks 3% of the city's 97 1% of the companies are not impacted bothers chains previously, it was at 15 move to 50.

This is 100 people are a better meeting for time equipment.

So if you have 200 part time was working 20 hours a week.

That would be 100 FTSE as we as we call them.

And again, it's designed toward today-it's of people talked about which have been focused toward public safety.

All of these things do.

We're looking to fun with this particular set of dollars around public safety to include summer jobs violence intervention program.

it's a mental health component as well.

So again, this is something I believe corporate Chicago's continuously talked about We need to step in.

We need to fund.

We need to work through some of the challenges we talk about public safety.

This has been a method to mayors come forth to LeBron.

>> All the rain, Conway and the mayor says that the head tax would affect only 3% of Chicago businesses, challenge that.

What is your concern?

>> Yeah, well, first of all, that math is just not accurate.

21 $21 a month or B $252 a year.

21 times too well, he said it's going to raise 100 million dollars 100 million dollars divided by $252 a month is about 400,000.

There are about 1.2 million private sector workers and city Chicago.

So I don't really see how that math mask.

effects to raise that kind of money or have perfect a 3rd of the private sector workforce.

The city.

>> do you think this is the right time like to to reinstate this?

The city have won once upon a time it was repealed.

>> Yeah, they tried this in Seattle back in 2018 and they reveal that more less than a month later based on all pushback they got from private sector as well as just the taxpayers.

>> All all, what do you make of the argument the Pentax could stifle job and business rules are one of things.

I will Chicago's a global city.

16 billion dollar economy.

Top 10 in the world.

Corporations want to be in Chicago.

United Airlines, for example, one of the big U.S.

corporations that we have you 6, 0, 6, 1, 9 zip code producing some of the longest standing career workers for United Airlines.

Will companies leave Chicago?

They don't have the workforce.

It follows.

They don't have the record a single get people to work at these companies.

So again, 3% paying for rolled paying for safety.

It's not access impossible.

It's essentially making sure that we get are P a share as a big city with a 60 billion dollar economy.

>> in his address to the council last week, Mayor Johnson, he framed his budget proposal as a response to President Trump and federal funding cuts.

Here's a little bit of that.

>> The Trump attack and our city is economic attack on our city.

Harsh reality is we're dealing with the Trump cuts.

The Trump cuts to public health, the cuts to public safety to Medicaid, to snap, to services that address homelessness.

And drug addiction.

His cuts to violence prevention is cuts to public education and transportation.

This is not rhetoric.

This is a reality.

>> Way.

What do you make of that framing?

>> You don't want I actually appreciated Mayor Johnson talking about SNAP and Medicaid benefits.

I think all of us I think we as Democrats don't talk about the tens of millions of Americans that that will hurt and specifically one thing I didn't really appreciate in the mayor's budget what he talked about.

How we We need to beef up the Department Law.

I mean, the Department Law is going to be our first line of defense regarding regarding grants that may be taken to us from the federal government.

So, you know, I I think we as Democrats have not spent enough time talking about snap and Medicaid in particular and how it's going to hurt so many Chicagoans.

And I appreciate the mayor talking about.

>> Alderman Irvine, the budget also proposes a new tax on social media companies.

How would that work and why do you think now is the right time to to start bringing them into the taxing structure?

>> Well, ultimately they argue the feeding off of the data of many individuals in our city.

They're also creating second public health crises around mental health and the dollar's targeted from this particular taxa designed to help people.

We're experiencing mental health challenges.

Now, granted, this is the first of tax of its kind in the nation.

But I think it feeds into what is causing the issues.

So again, taxing those at over 100,000 users at the at the Reid has been set for, I think is a is a different way.

That's also a smart way to go about this because again, the social media platforms are created all types of havoc in all communities from a public safety perspective as well as from a mental health perspective, Alderman Conway.

>> Yeah, I know I I I first what I understand this would be popular with a lot of people, the social media companies of and a lot of times become platforms of hate and misinformation.

But significantly concern that there is going to be federal preemption in this area with the Commerce clause and otherwise.

So another I'm happy on.

We're beefing up the department a lot because we're certainly going to have to litigate this year.

It is worth noting in the budget that has has poured forth.

Now does not yet have any revenue allocated to to the social media tax.

Maybe that will be in a future amendment from the mayor's office.

didn't see that in there.

reading it this weekend.

>> Alderman Hall supporters in the City Council's progressive caucus say that this budget is a step towards ensuring that the wealthy Chicagoans pay their fair share.

Do you think that's an accurate description?

I think it is accurate enough.

Number one, we are the home of millionaires from Chicago Way down downstate our governor is a billionaire.

He just won 1.4 million playing, you know, gambling in Vegas.

And so at the end of the day, a fair share of taxation is what keeps to street paving keeps the lights on.

And moreover is keeps our investments that are essential to keep in Chicago say $144,000 is a cause.

Any time someone gets shot, 10 people shot.

1.4 million.

We opened up for me in 2 clinics in the midst of budget cuts in the midst of the migrant crisis.

And so those investments is what's driving down Biden's.

That's just one example of how investments from the rich to taxes keep Chicago State.

We cannot have a number one city that attracts people all over the world without people.

Pan De Sheriff city services as well as Sussex City areas that keeps Chicago stable.

So the one word that we haven't that none of us has mentioned so far in this conversation the P word that property that is not mentioned in in the mayor's proposal this year.

It was this time last year.

You all unanimously voted it down.

It has even come up in conversation.

Is that off the table entirely?

Well, we hope that we can have a hopefully a three-peat next year.

I mean, not raising property taxes fees is essential to everyday Chicagoans again, my war, 42,000 people, the average income is less than $40,000 a year.

And so we must make sure that people stay in their homes.

That's how you have a Trump proof.

A as you have people working.

People maintaining their homes and paying their fair share of property taxes without increasing.

the question now becomes, was it going to backlog from the assessor's office not providing tax payers what the costs will be for property.

We can fix that a later date.

But to keep people in their homes that they can afford and making sure that their neighborhoods looked decent for investment that they pay.

Their properties is what's to go.

And again, hopefully next year we have 3 years in a row when a property tax increases, Alderman Irvine, same question to Property taxes off the table.

I think that for this current year, I believe that they are off the table.

But I do caution we live.

These the same time.

>> And the daily use where we did not look at our property taxes there with the most stable former revenue.

And when you look what we did, what we did not do as a city during those years where we kept relatively flat levees that he's with the same time went and sold Now we would have had incremental increases along inflation.

During same time, the taxes would be the same level they are today, but we still are parking meters.

And we still on the Chicago Skyway.

So we must not be shortsighted thank August and it.

It sounds very good to say we're not doing that, but we have to understand the long-term ramifications of those types of decisions.

So I believe that there will be off the table for this year.

But I do believe that it's something that we may have to go back to in the future as we begin to stabilize unless we see some relief from Springfield in various points in other days.

One thing that I will say in that I that I look at this budget and we talk about to to surplus, not sure if you were going to talk about that, but that is a record level surplus that we're doing on this year.

And one thing that I will commit to today is that the budget for the city of Chicago will not leave the but government operations without side agreement from Chicago, Public schools, it's to their pension obligations and what they will be doing for the taxpayers of the city of Chicago.

I think it is unfair to the city's taxpayers end debt level of surplus to CPS without an agreement place.

>> Okay.

So before I let you all go got under a minute left Alderman Conway, one criticism of this budget from a watchdog Civic Federation is that the budget doesn't mean fully incorporate any of the suggestions that came from the budget.

The mayor's budget task force that was assembled earlier this year, which included property taxes tied to the rate of Was that task force to think it was just for show?

>> Well, I don't know.

That just for show over to your point, this is group that the Mayor's Office commission and a lot of that's not in there.

For example.

I mean, they identified in Fleet management savings are 16.5 to 30.9 million.

They said in terms of office optimization there will be potential savings of 23.9 million noting that we have 1200 more deaths in office is that we have employees.

we have.

>> So it sounds like there's right to more of those suggestions.

So they're those include.

Well, that in the management ordinance will be San additional items related to some of these things that they may not come out of the budget as they state on the paper.

But it's part of the management in the ordinance.

They could work to ensure that it will come about.

Yes, okay.

That makes understand it.

I do have to lead point we will.

We will have more conversations as his budget process continues.

We have to leave it there Alderman.

>> Jason Ervin, Bill Conway and William Hall, thank joining us.

Thank you having Up next, we'll tell you about a new networking group working to strengthen nonprofits.

But first, a look at the weather.

Non-profit organizations around the country are under stress.

They've seen cuts to their funding from the federal government.

But >> the community needs they try to meet are more pressing than ever the difficult job of running a nonprofit often means there isn't always time to collaborate with other groups.

The new networking organization, Chicago nonprofit connects aims to help local organizations break out of their silos and find ways to make the work they do more effective and sustainable.

Blumberg recently brought us the story.

Here's another look.

>> What do you think about that comforter on a recent morning at digs with dignity workers were combing through their 10,000 Square-foot warehouse of donated items getting ready to help families exiting homelessness, furnish and decorate their new space.

Oftentimes we come into our families, homes and they're sleeping on the floor.

They maybe have one bad one air mattress that the whole family is sleeping on and >> and that's about it.

>> Dick's with Dignity Partners with social service agencies meeting with their clients to learn what they need and what they want.

>> The best thing for us to hear is oh, my gosh, you listen to me.

You're asking what color I liked.

And that's the color that splashed over my apartment and, you know, my kid loves Spiderman and you delivered.

done.

>> It's not just collaborating with social service agencies in the past digs with Dignity has partnered with organizations with similar missions like the Chicago Furniture Bank on volunteer exchanges are swapping needed items to be able to come together and unite as nonprofits inside of, you know, competing against each other because we're not out here to do that.

>> Those sorts of collaboration among nonprofits may sound like a natural fit that there isn't always a formal way to make them happen.

We're all doing super important work and a lot of us are like strapped for time strapped for resources and maybe we just don't have the the time or ability to connect with other people.

Josie Flanagan's Day job is with the Honeycomb project which connects families with volunteer opportunities.

Earlier this year, she put that networking mindset to use by co-founding Chicago, nonprofit Connect bringing together people from an array of organizations online and in person to share expertise and learn how they might work together, shouting at their events at their organization.

What sort of fundraising platform or research platform to do.

They use collaboration between organizations getting to know each other.

we've been hearing again and again from folks in this network is to really appreciate the positivity because there's so much doom and gloom these days.

And this is a space where we can kind of take the time to come together and work through these problems collectively.

Christina Lowenstein is co-founder and executive director of the Honeycomb Project which hosted a recent breakfast event we have been working with, you know, now 50 different organizations across the city on a regular basis.

And so for us to be some part of facilitating deeper connection between all of these great organizations.

think it's so important this feels like a Chicago fire moment to >> Longtime nonprofit leader Brooke McKean says moments of crisis create an opportunity for organizations to rethink how they operate.

>> Incentivizing collaboration, rather than competing for limited resources or duplicating efforts.

>> They're focused on serving their mission and the people that they serve as a part of that mission and meeting the needs and funders and plan to And when you're on this hamster wheel of the starvation, Tyco, you have time to look up and think, oh, maybe we should work together on this.

I see some really positive relationships forming already.

So I would love to see this become something that's long-term unsustainable.

>> For Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Lumber.

>> Since launching earlier this year, Chicago nonprofit connects says it now has hundreds of members across Slack and LinkedIn.

With about 350 different organizations represented.

We've got more information on our website.

And that's our show for this Monday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5.30, and a special time 11 now for all of us here in Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed caption News me Pass by Robert a cliff and food.

Congo personal injury and