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

I'm Nick Lumber.

Brandis Friedman has the evening off.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> We'll annoyed publicans have not won statewide since 2014.

>> And meet the candidate looking to change that former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy joins us to discuss his bid for U.S.

Senate.

And local translators come together to discuss issues affecting the LGBTQ+.

community.

>> First off tonight, Supreme Court justices sounds skeptical of President Donald Trump's order attempting to limit birthright citizenship.

Trump himself attended part of the oral arguments at the high court today.

A first for a sitting president, birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment and was affirmed by an 18 98 Supreme Court case.

Here's a bit of the U.S.

Solicitor general defending Trump's executive order to Chief Justice John Roberts.

>> We're in a new world now.

Just lay to point out to where a billion people are.

One plane ride away from having a a child is a U.S.

citizen.

Well, it's a new world.

The same constitution.

>> Mayor Brandon Johnson is moving to oust the head of the Chicago Housing Authority board after board members defied the mayor and made their own choice for a permanent CEO to lead the agency.

Last month, the board voted 7 to 2 to hire Keith Pettigrew high ahead of the Washington, D.C., Housing Authority.

Today Johnson claim board chair Matthew Brewer appoint a Pettigrew in a quote, unilateral decision and action fully inconsistent with the Housing Authority's act and bylaws of the Ch a board of commissioners.

But Brewer and the other board members who voted for Pettigrew shot back saying the process was completely above board.

Quote, the mayor may disagree with the outcome but rewriting the facts doesn't change them and mischaracterizing the law does not change the actual law.

Johnson's move to force out.

Brewer was first reported by Crain's Chicago Business.

The owner of a now shuttered west Suburban hospital says he wants to reopen the facility, but a local lawmaker representing the area is expressing some doubts owner doctor, but no knows Persaud and state Representative La Shawn Ford addressed the temporary closure of west Suburban hospital in Oak Park today.

Fort outlined financial problems brought to his attention by state agencies side, meanwhile, blamed many of these on previous ownership and says he's taken measures to right the ship.

You use the today.

We're ending to oft-stated.

The plan.

>> So we eliminated lot east from the system.

That was the local beast happening.

Everybody.

Part whole.

Yeah.

This is the good old days.

They spending like there was no tomorrow.

Well, a >> Dr Syed says he hopes to reopen the facility this summer.

White Sox fans looking forward to cheering their team on in person will have to wait a little longer.

Tomorrow's home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays has been postponed because of expected stormy weather.

The game has been moved to Friday afternoon at one 10 tickets for the Thursday game will be honored on Friday.

The Sox are looking to rebound from a one and 5 start.

And just moments from now, NASA's Artemis 2 mission is expected to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mission will carry 4 astronauts on a journey around the moon and marks the first time astronauts have returned to the vicinity of the moon in more than 50 years.

The trip could break them and flight distance record by traveling farther from earth than any human ever has going around.

The far side of the moon, the launch it originally been scheduled for February and then March.

But technical issues pushed off until today.

Up next, meet the candidate hoping to become Illinois's first Republican senator in 10 years.

He joins us 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.

>> Former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy won the GOP nomination for U.S.

Senate pushing him closer to taking over longtime Senator Durbin seat.

He's facing Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton in November's general election.

Tracy is making his case in a state that hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate since 2010.

And joining us now is Republican candidate for U.S.

Senate Don Tracy, thank you very much for being with us.

Thanks for having me.

Neck.

So why are you interested in becoming a Illinois's next senator?

That's an important state that feel like I've got the skill set to do it.

You know, I think tell people all the time everybody should run for public office because it's just an it's an important thing.

>> And democracy that you need to have citizen participation and and the private sector for on many decades and then a lawyer more decades than I care to admit.

also been in business and I owned and operated my own small business times.

When I had to struggle to put food on the table and make payroll at the same time.

But I think with the hardest and most important all human endeavors is is politics.

And I feel like I've got the skill set that being a lawyer and having succeeded in business as well to do this.

Also on a student of as well.

And I just think more and you know what?

I'd call normal everyday.

Illinois does need to be involved in and politics instead of just career politicians.

>> And you feel like you can offer that with some of the background that you have outside of the political route, right?

I mean, I have significant political experience.

Having been chairman of the Illinois Republican Party elected twice there.

I've run for office a couple times before I've been helping elect Republicans throughout Illinois in the run for public office last 20 or 25 years.

But I'm not a career politician.

And as we mentioned, you know, Illinois hasn't had a Republican in the Senate since 2017 or a statewide officer since 2019.

>> When you left your post at the state GOP, he had some concerns that there was more infighting among Republicans than there was focus on.

Defeating Democrats do still see.

That is as an issue.

There's infighting and every party and never in every state they're out.

>> a problem.

When I took the job as chairman alone are Republican Party, they told me had to things to do.

One unify the party and the other was to raise money.

And I thought unifying the party would be the easiest Why was I-90?

Here's what when I was you know, if there was infighting that would break out all over the state and he's like whack a mole and then it then it got to the board level on.

And that's when I said, well, this, you know, I've done for 3 and a half years is time for somebody else to do it.

But in a way, it seems like candidacy for U.S.

Senate has has helped unify the party.

And I want every county in Illinois except for us for small ones who Southeast Illinois Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to spend any time so hoping reverse that trend.

Absolutely.

All right.

Well, you know, President Trump scheduled to address the nation in just a couple of hours to discuss the war in Iran.

What are you hoping to hear from the president?

>> Well, I'm hoping to hear that we're making a continuing to make progress, that it's going to be a very short conflict and that we will have successfully degraded Iran's nuclear ambitions and its intercontinental ballistic missile ambitions.

And base a state, the largest sponsor of state terrorism the world.

And that this will lead to at last that long last peace in the Mideast and elsewhere.

>> So you would be looking for, you know, this conflict to come to an end relatively quick.

Absolutely.

You know, with the president's, as we mentioned earlier today, attended Supreme Court oral arguments about his executive order looking to do away with birthright citizenship.

You spoken at length about immigration in your campaign to support the president's position here.

>> Yes, I mean, from a policy standpoint, I certainly support it.

I am a lawyer, but I've not studied the.

have read the briefs in this case.

It's a complex issue.

It's really odd that we have Pierre birthright citizenship right now unless the Supreme Court says else otherwise.

I don't think there's any European country that has appear birthright citizenship.

Just weird to me that you can just take a vacation to the United States have a baby there on your baby is up, you know, citizen of the United States that people can intentionally do that.

That and you can be in the country illegal.

And if you have a baby, your child is citizen.

The United States, even though you're here illegally to.

It's we're dying.

But we'll have to wait and see what the Supreme Court says.

What the actual law is.

>> Sticking with immigration for a moment, House and Senate Republicans reportedly have a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security but excluding funding for the time being for immigration, Customs Enforcement, there've been a number of national polls showing, you know, disapproval of ice.

How do you assess the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago and several other U.S.

cities?

Well, we have to remember how we got here have to the Biden Open borders policy, 10 to 20 million unvetted.

>> and plus getaway.

Emigrants came into this country illegally and then the question is, what do you do about it?

Well, the federal government has a responsibility to enforce immigration law.

And the by the I think the administration has done a pretty good job of that throughout the country except in sanctuary cities where there has been massive resistance, not only by many in the population, but also by the political leaders of like Chicago and Minneapolis.

For example.

But in areas where there's not been that massive resistance has worked pretty well.

I lived in Memphis and then and for about 10 years as a traveling salesman and then as a a law student and then as a lawyer.

And visited Memphis recently, were they on just had a federal surge immigration, law enforcement and and it worked out great down there.

But the governor cooperated the local co-op the Memphis mayor cooperated.

And there as a result United 7200 arrests.

They removed 1100 illegal firearms from the streets.

A lot of they removed a lot of narcotics and contraband and they found 15242 missing children and carjackings are down almost 50%.

Murders are down there.

And Memphis, like Chicago is the murder capital on a per capita basis.

So, you know, it's been very successful down there and in New Orleans in DC and other places with the local authorities have cooperated.

But whether or not cooperating, the administration needs to find a better way to enforce immigration law, in the sanctuary cities.

And I'm confident Tom Homan would do that.

Tom Homan was borders.

Are an Obama got an award from Obama for doing that job?

He was borders are under a Trump one and now he's he's back in charge of of self enforcing immigration law in the sanctuary cities and confident he'll figure out a better way to do it than what we saw here in Chicago.

>> You know, affordability has been a focal point of your campaign.

How would you work to lower costs for Illinoisans?

>> Well, I certainly wouldn't follow the Democrat approach which is 2 and a to cost of living.

You know, that's one thing we we agree with the Democrat.

Democrats and Republicans agree the cost of living is a huge issue in this country.

But it's a huge issue because a Biden inflation over 20%, 20 to 30%, depending on who you talk to, the highest inflation, almost 40 7 years.

And the elect so that we can reduce the cost of living.

But everything Democrats do increases it.

You know, it's the spending under Biden increased inflation, which increases the cost of living their war against traditional, affordable, reliable energy increases utility prices, particularly in closing down power plants prematurely, as they're doing here in Illinois and elsewhere.

They're their health care approach, which is government run health insurance.

That's what my opponent supports, which which is go will cost trillions of dollars that that's a result.

Health care inflation running at 3 to 4 times regular inflation.

Housing is increase in part because of you and bring in 10 to 20 million Yuan House immigrants attracting them to Chicago with 3 billion and benefits government benefits.

that had to put pressure on an area where you already had a shortage of of housing and then crime being soft on crime.

You know, as a result of that, we have an epidemic of shoplifting in this country, not just in Chicago, not just in San Francisco, but in my hometown of of Springfield.

And I talked to any store clerk and that tell you, people walk out stuff all the time and they're told not to do anything about it.

That's increased the retail cost of everything.

You can carry out a store.

So when contrast for like health care, you know, we believe in more market competition, more price transparency, more consumer choice and better Drug pricing negotiations and on energy.

You know, we believe in more energy production and not not going green overnight.

I mean, we Republicans were environmentalist and we have been a my birthday's on Earth Day, but we've were rational.

We can ourselves rational environmentalists.

President Nixon started the EPA Republican president.

But, you know, this trying to go green overnights going bankrupt this country.

>> All 7 months until the general election, we hope to speak with you plenty of times before then.

Don Tracy, thank you very much for your time.

Thank.

Thank Nick.

Appreciate the opportunity.

And on a programming note, the Democratic candidate running for U.S.

Senate Julianna Stratton is set to join us on the program Monday evening.

We're back with more right after this.

In an 8 to one decision, the Supreme Court this week ruled against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for and transgender youth over concerns.

It violates the First Amendment rights of mental health providers.

The controversial practice has been criticized by medical professionals and those in the LGBTQ+ community with critics calling it abusive and ineffective.

The ruling came during yesterday's trans day of visibility marking what many call an anti LGBTQ+ attack on a day dedicated to celebrating that community.

Here to discuss issues facing trans people in Chicago and beyond are Shannon Lynn Parker, CEO of the Quality, Illinois after Muck founder and executive director of Trans upfront, Illinois and Silas Leslie advocacy and community engagement manager and special projects trainer and data analyst at Chicago Therapy.

Collective.

You're a busy person.

Thank you all for joining us.

We appreciate it.

So, you know, Silas, we just mentioned this ruling yesterday.

Do you think the Supreme Court's move could make it more difficult for people and the LGBTQ+ community were seeking mental health treatment.

Absolutely.

I think it opens store ways >> denigrate and take away, you standards of care.

>> For a folks looking to have mental health care.

I think generally there is a need for more affirming affordable mental health care for the LGBTQ community.

And I this decision just largely and currently makes it more difficult to find safe care, putting barriers into place for people who really need it.

You know, Shannon, according to the ACLU in in Twenty-twenty 6 alone, there have been some 500 anti LGBTQ+ bills introduced around the country at the state level.

>> Kansas, for example, recently passed a bill voiding driver's license licenses of a gender marker doesn't match someone's birth certificate.

Even if these bills don't become law, what kind of an effect do they have on trans folks around the U.S.

coordinate attacks?

You know, these are demoralizing.

They are demoralized bills that are being proposed.

That absolutely diminish the humanity.

>> And the lived realities of trans people.

goal to expose them to the general public.

Those cause harm and put them in immediate threat of danger and in harm's way.

>> And I want to get to that later on because that is a huge issue.

You know, Asher, as we mentioned yesterday, was international trends day of visibility.

What's the significance of that celebration?

You know, visibility, especially this year really every year is incredibly important because >> we are able to come together as a community and celebrate who we are and be visible for people who can't.

are so many people around the country right now who are scared to be out and who they are.

And we want to come together to remember that no matter what's happening, they can't take our community for mask.

They can take our joy for mass and now we are here celebrate every person regardless of what that means to them and where they are in their lives and that there are people here fighting for them.

And you mentioned people who, you know, may not feel comfortable may not feel like they're in a place where they're seen.

>> You know, according to UCLA is Williams Institute, there's more than 382,000 trans youth living in 29 states with a restrictive law or policy.

That's more than half of all trans young people in the country.

lot of them come to a more welcoming place like Illinois.

What kind of work does your organization do to support that?

Maybe connect them with things like gender, affirming care?

Yeah, absolutely.

So our organization, search trends, individuals, ages for the 25 in their support of says systems without any financial barriers we founded.

>> The gender affirming current immigration system so people can come to us and get matched with mental health medical surge, a call.

We just solidified our partnership with elevated access.

We can provide free flights and transportation to people to get them out of the red states, whether it's temporarily to access care or permanently to move into the state.

And we just started the gender affirming care fund that we can actually cover the costs of medical care.

We know right now, especially with these coordinated attacks by this administration, were moving into a time in which this care is becoming a privilege to pay out of pocket.

And we want to make sure that no one's left behind.

You know, Shannon, even though many trans people feel more welcome in places like Illinois because of laws aimed at protecting them.

>> Certainly no place is immune from challenges.

What are some of the issues you see facing transit Illinoisans are trans Chicagoans.

>> Not being a batch state is not enough.

Right, that that should be a we see systems capitulate.

Ing.

Way before they have to write.

We're so fortunate to have a supporter governor and support of attorney general who has said emphatically do not stop providing gender affirming care, particularly for minors, but yet a state.

We have institutions who are going to head of that order and doing so which is causing a great deal of harm and it for a lot of the folks who rely on those safety nets for care.

Yeah.

I mean, how about that silence that, you know?

>> Even if you are, you know, someone who's already receiving this care, you're it, you know, in immediate danger of losing it, seeing those organizations pulled back from their commitments cannot have an effect on folks and make them feel a bit less secure.

Absolutely.

I think, you know, things like this have a chilling effect.

>> briefly impact the ability for folks to get that care and feel secure that, you know, there is a safe space that there is a safe place left in the country.

And and folks rolling back hair in places like Chicago just really reinforce that.

We are in a time.

That is incredibly it's incredibly dangerous to be trance.

Your organization is working with state Senator Mike Simons on a measure that would remove lgbtqia plus identity as a symptom of mental illness.

Why is that significant?

Yeah, bill SB 594.

>> modifies the or it amends the definition of mental illness to explicitly exclude LGBTQ identity.

This is critical in a time political zeitgeist around trans folks at using language like trans insanity, translate se.

And this is a very dangerous time and we're seeing this put college isolation of LGBTQ identity and bills like this, especially in light of that conversion therapy ban decision from the Supreme Court.

These protections, the shield laws in Illinois are especially necessary.

And you mentioned earlier some of the threats that folks face 2024 sometimes reported on research out of Florida state that found law enforcement agencies, many of them not tracking homicides of trans people, 300 beach in about a 10 year period.

>> With only a 14% clearance rate, many of them black and Latinx women are enough people paying attention to this threat.

They're not paying attention.

They are nowhere of the threat as well.

When information goes unreported.

That's less education.

Opportunities for the public to be made aware when it comes to the plight and the experiences of trans folks.

I used to work a Cook County Department of Corrections and I've seen firsthand the harms from the system, but also history of abuse that lead folks to being justice involved in the first place.

So again, it is a vicious, cyclical cycle transpo, particularly black and burned trans women experience Asher for people who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable or maybe even hostile to the trans community.

What do you hope they take away from conversations like this?

You know, I have the privilege of traveling the state.

All the time and meeting people.

>> And for me, I'm always about a really good conversation.

I want to hear.

What misinformation they've been can what conversation can we have people every person is expert on who they are.

When I got to sit down with people, even those who are hostile my goal is always for them learn a little bit more to learn that each person just wants to live their life and who they are.

These kids just want to go to school and learn, you know, go to work without having to worry about harassment or about losing their job.

You know, we're all just individuals living lives in the most authentic way that we can.

>> All right.

We appreciate you all here sharing your thoughts.

Shannon Lynn Parker Ash make my her and Silas.

Leslie, thank you very much.

Thank goodness.

And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

You can watch President Trump's address to the nation on the Iran war right here at 08:00PM.

Sure to sign up for our free email newsletter, the Daily Chicago and at W T Tw Dot Com Slash newsletter.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

Local reaction as the U.S.

Supreme Court hears arguments on a birthright citizenship case.

We leave you tonight with shots of NASA's space launch today carrying the first astronauts to fly by the moon in more than 50 years.

Now for all of us here in Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Lumber.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> A closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices, Chicago, personal injury and wrongful