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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

One-on-one with Democratic candidate for Congress.

Daniel Biss on immigration enforcement, Iran and much more.

Coach houses are now legal in much of Chicago.

What the often called Granny flats could mean for affordable housing in the city.

>> Everyone right because president huge the community.

>> And how a local coffee shop is creating a welcoming space for seniors.

First off tonight, the civilian oversight Board for the Chicago Police Department is getting 2 new members, including activist in Jeannette, Young and a local high school student.

>> Mayor Brandon Johnson made the appointments today to fill 2 vacant seats to the community Commission for Public Safety and accountability until the end of their terms.

This June Young who endorsed Johnson in the 2023 mayoral race has been advocating to ban police from executing no-knock warrants back in 2018.

Cpd officers botched raid on her home handcuffing her as she stood naked until officers learned they have the wrong apartment.

The commission does not have authority over cp's search warrant policies young and the other nominee matter.

High school senior Andrew Leaguers Mon must both be confirmed by the City Council.

new effort to unionize nurses at Rush University Medical Center.

Supporters filed paperwork yesterday seeking a union election and say it is the largest filing seen in Chicago's healthcare sector.

>> This is more than paperwork.

This is more than a process.

This is a declaration, a declaration that nurses are ready to raise their voices to stand together and to claim their rightful seat at the table where decisions about patient care and working conditions are made.

>> Backers of the effort are calling a rush to allow a fair and timely election process in to negotiate a union contract to protect nurses, working conditions and patient safety.

In a statement to Rush spokesperson says the hospital is aware of the election petition and will be discussing the topic with their nursing team over the next several weeks.

Michael Madigan's attorneys were back in court again today.

This time they we're asking an appellate court to overturn multiple convictions for mannequins high-profile trial last year.

That's when a jury found the former longtime Illinois House speaker guilty on 10 charges relating to 2 separate corruption schemes.

Madigan is currently serving a 7 and a half year sentence in federal prison.

It's not immediately clear when the appellate court will issue its ruling.

And here's a pretty sweet story for you literally.

Chicago is getting the Candy Hall of Fame, the 60,000 Square Foot facility will be located on the Mag mile and celebrate all things sweet.

The National Confectionery Sales Association announced the permanent attraction today saying Chicago was selected after a national search.

The city has deep candy history with some of the country's most recognizable companies.

Like for our of Mars and Wrigley, having all been located here, in fact, at its peak 100 Chicago candy companies produced a 3rd of all candy in the United States Project is slated to open in the summer of 2027.

For more on the city's candy history.

Be sure to watch Chicago stories Candy capital.

You can find it at W T Tw dot com slash Candy may want to have some candy on hand for that one.

Up next, one on one with congressional candidate Daniel Biss right after this.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss won the Democratic primary for Congress in Illinois is 9th congressional district last month he'll face Republican John Ellison and independent Delilah Barrera in the November general election for the seat in this heavily Democratic district in a crowded primary field.

This one with 29% of the vote edging out strong challenges from candidates cattle way and Laura Fine and many other contenders.

If elected, he would represent a district that includes parts of Chicago's North side, Evanston Glenview, Gilmer and Algonquin joining us now is Democratic 9th Congressional district candidate Daniel best who is currently the mayor of Evanston.

Congrats and welcome back.

Thanks for joining Thanks for and it's great to be here.

So as we mentioned, hotly contested 15 candidates running for the 9th district.

We were talking before we came on.

That makes for a very different kind of campaign.

Why do you think your message resonated with voters?

You know, one thing that we stressed throughout the campaign is that in this moment, this moment of emergency with Donald Trump is the president and the fundamental >> values and priorities of our community under threat.

mean, somebody with 2 qualities, the ability to fight and win inside of government and the ability to fight and win out in the streets as an activist because by the way, this moment will not be solved without moving.

The people rising up across the country to demand something different I believe I've shown both of those qualities and I think that helps me a part in this very crowded field.

Now that said, you received, as we mentioned, 29.5% of the vote, the next 2 candidates at nearly 26 20% of the vote.

>> What does that tell you about the constituents that you are running to represent and how do you plan on reaching out to them?

really glad you pointed this out and very clear humble about this.

70% of the people voted for someone besides myself.

>> And so I'm spending time now reaching out across the district, working too, bring people together to unite, not only the Democratic Party and progressives in our community, but a whole community because, listen, there's so much at stake in this moment.

Every day brings more alarming.

Terrifying, horrifying, sickening news from Washington.

We need to fight back together, unified.

This race was also controversial for the amount of money that went into it.

And you had criticism for one of your opponents, Laura Fine for receiving funds from APEX supporters.

>> What is the role of big money in politics right now?

troubling, right?

We just saw not only in our campaign but campaigns for the for open House seats as well as the Senate seat.

>> Giant, big money, a path our race.

But also from a I've from the crypto industry, not just sweeping into influence races, which is bad enough to doing it with these massive amounts were the whole goal is we're gonna spend millions and millions drowned everybody out and swap some one thing that was particularly troubling about the pack handle.

This was the they hit it.

They set up show super PACs with funny or knock us names and they really try to mislead the electorate about where the money was coming from and why.

And I'm really glad that the voters seem to see through it and respond accordingly, which is so important in this moment, we're going to save our democracy.

We need people to understand where the money's coming from, what to do about it.

>> Just earlier today, DNC members rejected was a symbolic resolution to limit the influence of corporate dark money groups and a pack in the primaries.

All how is support for Israel impacting the Democratic Party right now?

>> Well, I was disappointed by that decision at the DNC today.

By the way, I think it's important for the Democratic Party.

send a clear message.

Here's where we stand on dark money.

And here's where we stand on these key issues.

Listen, the conduct of the Netanyahu government Gaza and the West Bank violence, the killing the utilization of starvation as a weapon of war.

It's unacceptable.

And I think the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters feel know that.

And I think they're looking for candidates.

We're going to stand up to that and not kind of toe a hardline far-right party line, which is really what a packed immense during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago last fall.

video of you circulated confront and former commander at large of a Border Patrol.

Greg Vino.

>> That video course went viral.

How do you think that interaction?

Have you think that rid during the campaign?

How did that play?

>> I think our across the Chicago area was deeply traumatized by the violence.

The brutality of the indiscriminate racism of operation of blitz of ice and CBP.

I think that was really the forefront of most of our minds as we're trying to figure out how do we heal as a community?

How do we fight back against Trump and who we put in office too, really be fighting in the most aggressive way possible using every tool at their disposal and unfortunately, as mayor of Evanston, I had the responsibility showing how I fight back against ICE.

And I think that was important in the campaign.

Several leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

They've called for this president to be removed from office via the 25th amendment, including former supporters, Marjorie Taylor Greene, even Alex Jones.

>> As a Congress member, would you support invoking the 25th amendment is needed?

Of course I would support invoking the 25th amendment.

I would support impeachment the way this president has been speaking and acting with the war in Iran launching illegal war.

But now with rhetoric that he's using with the threat, white out a civilization, right used to having this attitude that's just wacky Donald Trump.

Let's not pay too much attention.

can't afford to treat this kind of threat of genocide.

Threat of obvious war.

Crime is just something to roll our eyes at this is dangerous.

It's wrong.

It's immoral.

It's a threat to our core values and it's a threat to America's ability to ever enter into productive partnerships any other country.

We've got and that this person is dangerous and he's obviously falling apart mentally.

He's got to go.

A key focus of your platform has been affordability, which we've been hearing from a lot of Democrats this campaign season, particularly with regards to child care, health care, tariffs and housing.

How do you plan to make all that better for your constituents if elected?

Well, I hope it time those lot of different issues, but they're critical.

And I'm glad that you asked about them, you know, as mayor of Evanston, I'm really focused on See later on in this show.

You've got people talking about some of the House and policy changes that are being talked about in Chicago.

We've been pushing that direction in Evanston to make sure but housing is affordable and Evanston on health care.

On the proud longtime supporter of Medicare for all, which I think is the boost official way to get health care access to every single American irrespective of employment status or any other condition.

You know, I think that Donald Trump is unfortunately after promising to be a president who bring prices down on day one.

given us in the opposite direction through his tariffs, but also through immigration policy.

I wanted to connect your previous question to this one.

But American economy that thrives is one that has a saint functioning immigration policy that welcomes people in through a functioning system of legal immigration.

And that's a part of making sure the price is going the right direction.

If elected, some residents have expressed disappointment that you'd also be leaving without finishing your second term as mayor of Evanston, if elected.

What lessons would you be taking from Congress are taking to Congress from your position as mayor?

>> Well, so many I I feel that this is really a gift.

experience of having been the mayor of a city in managing municipal budget is going to be really important in understanding how federal law interact with municipal governance, but also the things that we've done, for example, on housing, for example, on reparations, for example, on climate we've tried to use a as a kind of a laboratory to test out policies that really ought to go national.

And I'm excited to go to Washington and say, hey, listen, we did this in Evanston.

It worked.

It made an impact.

It's time to bring it to almost at a concerns and complaints that there have been from neighbors about the northwestern football stadium, which you did end up how should potential constituents think about you and your ability to listen to community concerns >> well, proud of the way that I listen to people on all different sides of issue.

And it was a tough, controversial issue.

But after really thinking it through and driving a hard bargain with the university, I'm proud of where we landed, but I also want to end here.

What you're going to get with me is not only someone who listens to everyone who brings in every voice who works with every community partner, but then someone who after that discussion, I conclude the right thing is to make something happen.

Even if it's controversial, I'm not scared to take a tough stance to move the community forward candidate for Congress.

Daniel Best, thank you so much for joining us.

Good luck to you on the campaign trail.

So that is advice.

>> Up next, new hopes to increase Chicago's housing stock.

>> some >> Chicagoans could be getting additional neighbors living in so-called granny flats.

measure passed last year by city Council ease restrictions on additional dwelling units.

80 use also known as coach Houses.

The ordinance took effect on April first allowing 34 of Chicago's 50 wards to build ad use the move more than doubles the amount of city parcels eligible from 116,000 to 320,000 and is one of the city's efforts to create more affordable housing.

Here to tell us more are Alderman Bennett, Lawson of the 44th Ward representing neighborhoods like Wrigleyville and Lake Few and sponsor of the ordinance.

And Stephanie Bahama co-lead volunteer at abundant Housing, Illinois.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

Thank Alderman you introduced it was a different ordinance, but it was on your first day as a member of the city Council.

Tell us about the atu expansion and what it seeks to accomplish or sure.

I was one of 3 ordinances I put on my very first day that value statements at the time I wasn't trying to be the one running the ordinance of certainly that's a knew would change.

>> But basically I wanted to take what had been a successful pilot that we saw in 5 different areas of the city and make it available.

Citywide.

We had a lot of interest from colleagues in different corners of the city to do that.

I've been able to see in my neighborhood very multi-unit.

We have coach eyes as we have attics and basements.

How successful that can be and want to make sure that we're bringing those options, which helps with housing every neighborhood that we that desperately need to every corner of the city.

those who oppose this have expressed concerns about overcrowding, straining resources tells about the different types to use that Chicagoans can expect to see more of what this ordinance now in effect.

Of course, there's mainly 3 big types of 80 user accessory doing news as they're known.

You can have mother in-law.

Units are at a cow you could have basement units and everyone's favorite.

The granny flat or the coach.

But >> something we're really grateful for is the fact that it's gonna be able to bring in a lot of multi-generational housing.

People are going to be able to age in place, see their kids and grandkids grow.

That's why they call it the granny flat.

That was going to my next question.

Why do they call it a granny flat?

thank you for getting to that alderman.

There are some aldermen who negotiated exemptions from this ordinance and we have a map of where ad use are permitted now.

So parts of the north, west, South West and South sides, those are the parts that you see in purple here where these legal these units can still not be built legally.

Those alderman cited concerns about population density threats to neighborhood character.

What do you make those arguments?

Well, I just want to be clear that even within that map in every purple zone, every business and commercial rezone property, which largely mixed use are now eligible to use.

And if you can go to 5, you can build an 80.

So it's single-family zones around the city that are not eligible.

>> And I'll tell you, I think a lot of my colleagues are having a look.

This is new for a lot of areas of the city.

If we look at it as a single-family pilot in those areas that it's happening, we're gonna get data every single year back to the city council and some of my colleagues having conversations and their communities now about expanding.

So I think there's a time that we can get to a full citywide ordinance in my lifetime before.

you know, make that a reality.

Citywide.

>> Stephanie could adding 80 use lead to overpopulation overly dense neighborhoods.

I disagree with that pretty strongly.

Chicago's down about a million from our peak.

Pretty much every city has had.

I'm sorry, every ward in the neighborhood.

Every word in the city, every different community area has had these.

They were legal prior to 9 to 57.

So chances are, you know, someone who's lived in one of these before.

I'm really looking forward to having them.

And I think they're gonna help with cost of living increase.

He's here in Chicago.

These units were once upon a time prohibited.

As you said, why were they historically band?

There's a variety of reasons for that.

The concerns of around overpopulation overcrowding are, in fact, rooted here in Chicago largely through races, exclusionary measures.

So I myself on Clement American.

I live in multi-generational household with my brother and my mom.

Soon people back in 1957, didn't want to see neighborhoods like that.

Especially around the time of Folks moving up from great Migration.

undoing some of those races policies together with the work that autumn in Lausanne and many other orders are pushing forward.

Alderman this ordinance it as we mentioned, expand a pilot program launched in 2021.

The pilot now the expansion expansion includes restrictions on area median income.

>> And long-term rent for property owners.

What are some of those requirements?

Why do you think are necessary?

Right?

So we actually did not change the affordable requirements in the atu ordinance.

It mirrors we have an affordable apartment, certain citywide for any new rental properties over 10 units.

>> We did not change that from the pilot, although that may one of conversations coming up.

Basically every other unit needs to be affordable with 6% I and restrictions.

I also want to say there is no short-term rentals allowed to use so no Airbnb VRBO are friends, the citizens housing housing for Chicagoans.

And so right in those cases where it has become affordable for the period of 30 years that you do have the same restrictions as we have in our are Stephen, your colleagues at WBEZ report that someone making 50% of the city's median income in the year 2000 could rent.

>> Half the apartments in at least 12 of Chicago's 77 community areas by 2022, though, that number shrank to just 5 community areas, what is causing housing and rent in Chicago to become so expensive despite what you mentioned earlier, the population decline over the years.

There's a variety of things that are going on in large part household sizes are becoming smaller.

So we're actually a peak household size.

And generally speaking, you fight with other households for rent.

>> There has been none building in parts of Chicago and in other parts of Chicago, the ramp of disinvestment that we've also seen effect, things like the streets and the schools.

Some hoping that something like this will also make it easier to grow more and have development without displacement into parts of Chicago that unfortunately been historically investment.

Alderman.

There may be some property owners who are watching this.

They want to build an ad you what's the process?

There's actually really easy landing Page City.

It's Chicago DOT Gov.

Slash Atu.

>> Obviously already flagged is not that's a that's a year you thought but basically one page form, it's clickable.

You put your address ownership type.

The number of units on the property.

And we'll tell you whether or not you're eligible for an ad on the property.

Now, obviously take back of the building permit, get your drawings and then constructed.

We had a lot of interest in the last week.

There were 126 applications already filed through that preapproval process that mirrors the last year of the pilot.

So a lot of folks have been waiting for this day and this week to come to bring in new house and for their their families or their community or as investment can help stabilize some houses that could use the investment income, the rental income as well.

Stephen, you smell really big win.

He said 126 applications just recently when it held 6 Teslas 6 days.

What tell you, it means that we're going to have more Chicagoans are going to have more people living happy lives close.

Their neighbors close to him.

>> People they already live with their family.

And I just love to hear it.

I want I love Chicago.

I think it's the greatest city in the world.

And I want there to be more >> Great.

Well, you're the ultimate you.

And Mayor Johnson, who also supported this ordinance got about 30 seconds left town of this as an example of cutting the procedural red tape getting government out of the way of property owners and developers or city regulations and laws of the getting in the way of building affordable housing in the city?

You know, it's I think it depends on who you ask.

There are certainly things that we're always going to get out of our own way.

And I appreciate that.

The mayor has taken a deep dive in the Cup, the tape initiative and what that looks like.

>> I know Mayor Emanuel did the same with some business license and types.

I think some of its legislative, some of its process, some of it is in the bureaucracy.

And we always have to make sure what we're doing.

What we can to make this easier to keep people housed.

Okay.

Well, best of luck to granny flat or and Alderman been lost.

And Stephanie Bahama, thanks to both for joining Thank >> Up next, connecting seniors to community through coffee.

As people age, staying connected can become harder.

Study show nearly one in 4 adults.

65 and older are considered socially isolated.

A local coffee shop in a southwest side neighborhood is creating a space welcoming seniors to come together and build community.

Are Joanna Hernandez visits for a cup of Joe and some conversation.

And we're ready those and how bring your give yourself it's called senior Monday said back of the Yards, coffee house.

>> The idea came after owner Justin Negus said his wife watched their own parents struggle to find spaces for seniors in their I'm I'm the senior.

>> lot of folks, my generation, I think kids and, you know, the seniors in and in some cases issues that locked you know, behind closed doors and and they're invisible.

>> On this Monday, a group of seniors gather for a free coffee and pastry following a yoga class sharing conversations and laps.

>> It's the same community members who are hosting these the sessions, you know, from yoga to be no to to let it at 2.

Now we have, you know, they're playing dominoes over there.

>> Creating more than just a place for coffee, but an environment where seniors can find friendship, support and sense of belonging morning.

The Co saying we still see every day you just missed on You know, So to me that this is my that is.

>> you as good.

Look at with that with media.

>> 67 year-old for he gotta has called back of the yards home for more than 3 decades, raising 6 children and building a life here.

Now retired.

She says she's focusing on staying active in the community, not one us and beat know somewhat the number wanted to was elected to the comfort I love most about in a book in just environment.

>> does it get mostly when I might add in that the display and then then You know, for can be made?

Was that low was up with us.

>> Any his father-in-law says being part of these events has given him a new calling.

>> Simple goodness, it will.

But I remind us U.S.

could be in good idea go.

This is going in school book looking for people him so long when investment that >> says the neighborhood's deep Mexican roots are reflected in the lives of seniors.

Many who have spent their lives working and providing for their families.

>> people retire, sometimes it makes it so that like they don't have anything to do.

And we expect interior right.

you start to find a new you start realizing that do then discover new friends in bringing life and new motivation to it.

We want to see us to be here for for a long time and then release.

He says, hosting these events is exactly what he envisioned for the business.

>> The message we want to shift to our seniors and people our community that they truly are a blessing to our community.

>> For Chicago tonight, join on this.

Seniors can have your free coffee and pastry while connecting with neighbors every Monday from 09:00AM until noon.

If you're interested in making a donation or sponsoring an event will have those details on our website.

>> Reflecting the people perspectives that make this story is part of Chicago tonight.

Not the >> And that's our show for this Thursday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the weekend review.

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

Stay healthy and safe and have a good thing.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices, Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death with more than 40 years