Chicago Politics

Press Availability 1.27.26

Chapters

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Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

Transcript

0:26 Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here, and I appreciate the work that you all do. First, I do want to thank the thousands of city workers who were out this weekend serving the people of Chicago and keeping our city running during this latest winter storm. While Chicago didn't experience the worst of what hit parts of the East Coast, that didn't happen by accident. It happened because of preparation. It also happened because of strong coordination and people who care deeply about our city.

1:01 It happened because of the tireless work of our emergency management teams, our first responders in CFD and CPD, our Department of Buildings crews restoring heat, and our streets and sanitation workers who showed up in a very powerful way in force for our city. It was because of the hardworking women and men who were out there in the cold that many Chicagoans were able to stay home. From Saturday evening on, when the snowfall started, we had more than 275 snow plows

1:34 and a fleet of salt spreaders across 9,400 miles of roadway. DSS crews also endured the harsh weather and, of course, ensured the safety of our CPS students coming and going from school by clearing the areas around our schools. Also, DFSS operated our warming centers and our senior centers as well. As a city, we will continue to monitor this week of extreme cold

2:07 and work collaboratively to respond to any issues that may arise and ultimately work to keep our residents safe. I also want to thank the Chicagoans who braved the code this weekend to stand in solidarity with Minneapolis and protest the unjust killing of Alex Preddy, a health care worker and a beloved community member in Minneapolis. Nurse Preddy, who was born right here in Illinois, was engaging in the time-honored and sanctified American tradition of protesting unjust actions by an overbearing federal government.

2:47 I was proud to march with the thousands of Chicagoans and residents who honored his life and made their voices heard to prevent another tragic killing like this from happening again. We are reminded that there is power in our protest. Greg Bovino has been sent on his way, as I've called for on Sunday for him to go. It's sad that it took the killing of at least three people under his watch for the administration to actually react.

3:19 But make no mistake about it, without Bovino in charge, there is still yet the threat of this administration to send another Bovino. He was certainly a petty, cruel individual who will one day have to answer for his actions. I stand with the leadership of Minneapolis and Minnesota in calling for DHS agents to be pulled from the city and for full transparency and accountability for the killing of Nurse Alex Preddy.

3:54 And I encourage Chicagoans to keep doing what we do best, participating fully in our democracy and peacefully protesting the unlawful, unjust, and dangerous occupation of ICE in our cities. Chicago is going to continue doing everything in our power to uphold democracy and to protect all of our people. As I speak here today, there is a hearing between the Joint Committee of Police and Fire and the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights to review the unprecedented and dangerous

4:26 immigration enforcement we've seen in Chicago over the past year. Specifically, we are discussing an amendment that would allow COPA to investigate alleged violations of our Welcoming City Ordinance. This is an important amendment that we have championed since the internal review. we conducted with our IMR team following the June 4th ICE raid. We support this effort because it is critical that the people of Chicago understand that we take violations of our welcoming city policies seriously, and they deserve a swift and transparent investigation into any...

5:00 alleged violations. It is not enough to be a welcoming city on paper. We must enforce our local law so that we can maintain the trust that we have built between law enforcement and immigrant communities throughout Chicago. Any violation or even the allegation of a violation can undermine that trust. So that is why it's important that there is an independent investigation when concerns are raised. This amendment would allow COPA to do just that and we hope that the council will support this common-sense measure.

5:32 We will not let fear-mongering or hatred dictate our values nor change who we are. We remain committed to using the full force of local government and our partnerships to protect the safety and dignity of all who call the city of Chicago home. My team is looking at additional measures that will be released in the coming days to continue to lead the nationwide response for cities. This moment challenges us to look at measures that we hadn't previously considered.

6:05 We are working closely with community leaders, our allies on the city council, and report responders on the ground to build in mechanisms for accountability and justice. So thank you all again, of course, especially to the Chicagoans who are standing up for our neighbors and our country at this moment, and I'm very proud to stand with you all. And with that, I'm happy to take and answer any of your questions. Good afternoon, you all. We'll have time for two questions. Start with Justin. Thanks.

6:37 Come here. It's been a week since the city council approved the hemp ban. Have you decided on a veto, and if not, what goes into that decision? Well, first of all, we're going to use the full time that's available to us. I believe a decision will ultimately have to be made by February 12th. 13th? Thank you, February 13th. There are concerns, of course, that I have and concerns that others have raised, and we're going to continue to work with folks to address those concerns.

7:10 What could change between now and then other than, you know, persuading some aldermen not to join an override vote? Well, you know, again, there were a number of concerns that were raised, particularly around the impact that it would have on small businesses. There are thousands of small businesses that have been or are being threatened by this ordinance. And as we continue to build safe and affordable communities, it's imperative that we encourage business and economic activity and vibrancy. We don't want to discourage that.

7:41 And, again, what has been put forward, there's been an admittance to how it could drag small businesses out of this industry. So we don't want to do that. We are a pro-business administration, and, again, those concerns that have been raised, we're going to work hard to address them. In the meantime, we'll continue to have those conversations with the respective people, And, you know, we'll make that consideration on or by February 13th.

8:16 Hi, Mayor. Hi. The state says it's probing whether the landlord of the South Shore apartment building tipped off ICE or other federal agents that led to the high-profile raid back in September. Has the city been contacted by the state as part of that investigation, or is the city also conducting an investigation of what happened there and whether it violated the city's ordinances prohibiting discrimination in housing based on race and ethnicity?

8:49 Obviously, there are some concerns that the residents experienced that are deeply troubling as far as the coordination between the state and the city of Chicago. And I have to get back with you on that. I don't believe anyone from the state has reached out to city officials on that matter. If they have, I'll get that response to you. But there are obviously some concerns there that warrant the investigation that the state has put forward. Can you give us an update on the proposal put forward by Alderman Hopkins at the last city council meeting

9:20 that would give the superintendent additional authority to issue dispersal orders if there is intelligence that there's a planned teen trend? Have you had additional discussions about what that ordinance will look like, and do you anticipate it coming back to council in February? We have not had additional conversations. As I've said before, the SNAP curfew in and of itself was problematic. There were some constitutional concerns there. That obviously is off the table.

9:50 There is an existing law that outlines the guidelines for curfew during the week and weekends. The ultimate goal of curfew is to be able to do the same thing. courses to keep people safe. That's my top priority and that's why we've worked so hard to make the critical investments to drive violence down in the city of Chicago as we've experienced the fewest amount of homicides in 60 years. There are some dispersal orders that base upon how these gatherings are promoted that could help support the type of safety

10:24 measures that are important to keeping people safe. So there were conversations with the chair and my administration around how we can ensure a constitutionally sound mechanism that provides the type of authority to disperse negative or potentially negative gatherings that doesn't provide a blanket pitch that could ultimately, again, violate someone's constitution.

10:55 Those conversations will continue to go. In terms of my anticipation of whether or not it will come up in February, there's a probability, but, again, the work has to be done, and I know that there are members of city council who are committed to getting it to a place where we all can be in agreement. Go ahead, William. Mayor Johnson, since Sunday, I've had over 300,000 real Chicagoans reach out to me and expressed their anger that instead of plowing the streets,

11:28 the first responsibility of the mayor of the city of Chicago, clean, safe streets, you are out protesting ICE. And they don't see that as being a real responsible role for the mayor of the city of Chicago. Your rhetoric has been encouraging people to rise up and fight ICE. Many people say that that is the cause of the violence, the real violence against federal agents and law enforcement.

12:03 There's also a concern that in light of this report that Governor Walz in Minnesota, that people in his office are actually coordinating these violent anti-ice protests. Please ask the question. Anyone? Yeah, I'm I'm trying to ask the question, please, if you wouldn't mind not interrupting me. Try not to ask it. Thanks. So the question is, people are wondering if anyone in your office is coordinating with these ICE protesters to coordinate protests and violence against federal law enforcement.

12:45 Well, first of all, let me again just commend the efforts and the work of the city employees that made sure that our streets were plowed and that we had warming centers available for individuals who were either unhoused or just need that type of assistance and support. In fact, again, we saw an accumulation of roughly 10 inches because of the lake effect. And so those hardworking men and women serve this city honorably.

13:19 So as the mayor of the city of Chicago, I do not personally plow streets, but we do have hundreds of workers that ensure that that work is complete, and they did that. We were able to ensure that the people of the city of Chicago were able to get up on Monday morning. No one was stuck. No one had to be dug out. They were able to go to work, and children were able to go to school. You know, as far as using my platform to speak out against an administration that's murdering people in the streets of America, that's well within my right and my authority in this moment.

13:54 And quite frankly, any notion to suggest that somehow that peaceful protest and the petition of this government is somehow antithetical to who we are as a democracy, I will call into question how much that person actually loves this country. In fact, to not protest in this moment would be a derelict of duty, particularly at a time where we see the rise of tyranny and fascism that threatens the sensibility of our humanity. So, of course, I'm going to use my platform as those who have come before me to make sure that we have a democracy that works for all people.

14:27 Working people are struggling right now in this moment, and they are afraid and they have a great deal of anxiety because of what this administration is doing, taking food assistance away from people, taking housing opportunities away from people. Health care costs continue to go up. So the protest, I believe, has to match the energy, quite frankly, that's coming from the White House. So, yes, I'm going to continue to encourage people to rise up, lift their voices up against this authoritarian rule, because if we do not do that, all of us will be subject to the type of harm.

15:00 and cruelty that this administration wants to continue to spread against the hard-working people of this country. Well, speaking of the hard-working people of Chicago, who you are telling them that they need to pay their fair share, they need to pay their bills, their fees, their fines, their taxes, there's a report that your political mentor, CTU President Stacey Davis-Gates, is not paying her bills.

15:33 Obviously, there's a question about your water bill, the outstanding fees and fines that you haven't paid to the city of Chicago. And now we're even hearing that former mayor, Lori Lightfoot, hasn't been paying her personal bills. She's being sued for her credit card bills. How is it possible for elected officials and other people who work for the city to not pay their bills, their fees, their fines, their personal bills, when you are berating the people of Chicago, the working people of Chicago, to pay their fair share?

16:12 Well, first of all, if you have been paying attention, which what you're articulating suggests otherwise, I've called on the ultra-rich and big corporations to pay their fair share in taxes, and that is a worthy, righteous call. Whether you live in the city, I would ask that you respectfully not interrupt me, because I didn't interrupt you respectfully. Whether you live in the city of Chicago or any city across America, whether you live in a rural America, the people of this country are hurting as prices continue to go up under the Trump administration.

16:49 And so the big tech companies and the corporations that the Trump administration has favored have to pay their fair share in taxes, right? And so that's what we're calling. Are you going to ask her to pay her bills? Are you going to ask her to pay the $300,000 or $400,000 that she owes the city? Yes or no? As I've said repeatedly, these big corporations and the ultra-rich have to pay their fair share in taxes. Thank you for your question. So you're not going to ask her to pay?

17:19 She gets a special pass? I hate that to remove you. Thank you. Hi, Mayor. Which way are we going? With Alice. Okay. Hi, Mayor. Hi. Hi. The city's three sister agencies, CPS, CTA, and CHA, have been without a permanent head for a while now. How soon is that going to change? And what do you say to concerns that this makes it more difficult to fill other exec positions, such as general counsel, IGA, for these agencies? Yeah, look, you know, the interim leadership that we've had in place,

17:52 We continue to work hard to ensure that government does not get halted as we go through a full vetting process. So, for instance, you mentioned an interim CTA president, right? Having an interim did not stop us from working hard in Springfield to land critical investments to ensure that our CTA can be affordable, reliable, and safe, right? You know, the interim process of going through, again, the standard process of vetting for CHA has not stopped us from ensuring that we're building affordable homes

18:31 and we're making critical investments around how public housing has to show up for working people in this city. Same thing with our Chicago public schools, right? We've secured contracts with essentially all of our labor groups, with the exception of Unite Here, which we're going through that process now. to make sure that our lunchroom workers get a fair contract, and I'm going to work hard with CPS to ensure that that takes place. So in other words, the interim process does not prevent us from executing government.

19:01 We're going to make sure that we have individuals in these positions that bear the conviction that I have, and that is to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, And we do that through critical investments around public sector operations. That includes all of them. So, you know, again, it's not indicative of whether or not we can continue to accomplish our goals. It just shows you how thorough I am. And just to follow up, any timeline for those three? As soon as we find individuals that fit the mode, as I said, someone who bears the conviction that I have,

19:36 which is to build the safest, most affordable big city in America. Thank you. And your senior advisor, Jason Lee, told Punchbowl News that he's been volunteering for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett's Senate campaign. Is that also your understanding? And how could he prioritize being a top aide for your office if he's also helping out with a pretty high stakes Senate campaign in Texas? Yeah. Well, look, there's no secret that. Our nation is in turmoil right now, serious turmoil, and we're going to have to have leaders that have the real core conviction to stand up for working people in this country.

20:16 That's an important race. It's the state of Texas. The opportunity to elect someone like Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, that doesn't happen very often in this country. And, you know, his support as a volunteer in this moment, considering the stakes are so high, I would encourage more people to volunteer and get involved in races across this country. You know, I mean, there are politicians that are endorsing in other races, right?

20:47 You know, so for a senior advisor or even a governor to weigh in in races across this country that will have profound ramifications on the future of our democracy, that is the beauty in this moment, that we have people who care deeply about this country. And I'm grateful that there are volunteers across this country and across the state of Texas that have aligned themselves with Congresswoman Crockett, because I do believe she is absolutely what this country needs in this moment.

21:20 you know what if i could follow up on it does that mean lee is he still a full-time employee of the city of chicago and is his permanent address chicago or texas he lives in chicago you know the answer to that he lives in chicago and as far as his you know full-time status of course he's a intricate part in the movement that we have built in this city to elect a middle school teacher and organizer uh to this position you know look i don't know if any of you sit on boards or you volunteer and you still have full-time jobs, but I know a number of

21:52 people who have full-time jobs and they volunteer. In fact, that's the beauty, I think, in this moment is that even in the midst of the work that we're doing here in the city of Chicago to build the safest, most affordable big city in America, I recognize as mayor of the city of Chicago that we're going to need partners at the federal level. And that means the people who are close to me that will support an endeavor for a woman like Jasmine Crockett to become a United States senator in the state of Texas?

22:22 Could you imagine the power that that would provoke? Particularly because we know it was the state of Texas, their governor attacked our city and other cities across America when the federal government failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. So all of this is interconnected. That's the part that I don't mean to sound luxury, but that's the part that I just want people to to understand that whether I am working hard to build safe and affordable communities, that doesn't prevent me from speaking out against what's happening in Minneapolis.

23:00 See, if look, if we all stay in our individual silos, that's what the Trump administration wants for us not to care for one another and figure out how we can show up for one another. So we're going to have to do more than what we've ever been asked to do before. And that's just the political moment that we're in. You mentioned at the podium that you're, speaking of this political moment, you've tasked leaders with coming up with ways to respond to DHS and ICE in ways that perhaps you wouldn't have thought of before. Can you give us some examples of what those things might be?

23:30 Yeah. I mean, look, after what we've seen in the streets of this country, we have to seriously look at how local government can ultimately not just bring charges and investigation against the federal overreach, but how we can create a process that allows for prosecution of these individuals. On the streets across this country, federal agents are being directed by the Trump administration to shoot and kill.

24:05 And my team is working overtime to locate measures that I can use through my executive authority to not just hold people accountable, but to ensure that there's a mechanism in which that can take place. So we'll continue to explore all options and take a deep look into what we can do to not just investigate, but to prosecute. We'll go Jeff and then Tamon. How are you doing here, John? I'm doing well, thank you.

24:35 City of Chicago is involved in a bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 28 and in 32. How involved have you and your office been, and do you expect to be mayor when the Democrats and if the Democrats come back? That's pretty smooth. It's a good way to get it. I know you must have watched Taman's show last night, which congratulations again. He tried to get that out of me. And look, I... I will say that I'm incredibly proud of how the city of Chicago responded to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

25:07 It will go down as arguably as one of the most dynamic and significant moments in America's political history. You know, as far as our involvement, you know, moving forward, you know, I've expressed that there are, you know, concerns about the political climate that we're in. And so, you know, you know, look, I mean, there's no secret here that, you know, the Democratic National Convention would would take place at a time in which the Trump administration would still be in charge.

25:44 and what we've seen in cities across America and more recently in Minneapolis, that to turn over the security of our city to the Trump administration, it's not just me, but there are a number of us that have profound concerns about that. You know, as far as whether or not I'll be here for those conventions, look, I'm focused on ensuring that the moment that we're in right now, that we're showing up for people today. I don't make prognostications about the future.

26:17 I can just talk about what we have to do today, and what we have to do today is to continue to invest in the people of this city to ensure that this city shows up for working people. Today in the Health and Human Services Committee meeting, the president of the Minneapolis City Council talked about that city's response following the shooting of Alex Preddy and talked about the conversations that leaders here have had with folks in Minneapolis. If you had any renewed conversations with Mayor Fry or other people or Governor Walz there in terms of how Chicago can help Minneapolis in this moment and beyond.

26:57 Thank you for that question. And I'm grateful for the partnerships that we have formed across this country. You know, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, working with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, it's a good example of that partnership. Yes, I have reached out to Mayor Fry, the U.S. Conference of Mayors. I believe I'm leaving in the morning for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which will be held in Washington, D.C., where we will continue to have ongoing conversations of how mayors live at the intersection of, you know, life and hope

27:33 and how we can use our executive authority to help support, you know, mayors who are faced with, again, this unprecedented challenge of occupation. So that work is going to continue, and again, today's hearing is a clear example of how we have formulated a coalition across this country to defend our democracy. Thank you for those questions. Hi, Mayor.

28:03 I wanted to follow up on something that we talked about last night, but I didn't get a chance to seek clarity, and that's the millionaire's tax. The House Speaker is looking at that in Springfield. you want them to pass something like this what help can you offer springfield to get this done and giving your polling numbers does it help to have you you know helping to lead the charge on this issue well first of all you know i've provoked this conversation for some time this

28:37 the millionaire's tax the digital ad tax these are progressive tax proposals that can help provide real relief to working people across the city of Chicago and, quite frankly, across the country. That's what's especially important in this moment, is that we are providing tax relief for working people. We're providing critical services for working people. We're funding our public education system across the city and the state. You know, I mean, as far as what else I can do, I mean, again, you know, I've been the loudest champion.

29:14 You know, the Speaker of the House has expressed support for this. That should be some indication of how I'm helping. I've spoken to the Senate president about this as well. He understands the need for progressive revenue. And, you know, as far as polling is concerned, I believe 80 percent of Chicagoans supported a corporate head tax. Seventy percent of Illinoisans believe that we need to fund our schools stronger. What's the most important polling here?

29:45 A moment in time around how people might feel about a politician or a moment in time how people feel about how politicians should show up for them? See, that's my focus. Right. Look, I get it. I understand why people want to continue. you to take shots and dig in on that. I get it. Let's center people, okay? The vast majority of Chicagoans have made it very clear that the ultra-rich and these big corporations have to pay their fair share in taxes. Make it about the people, not a politician. I would actually be

30:17 curious how politicians feel about the polling that I just described. That overwhelmingly working people believe that politicians should do more to challenge the ultra-rich. That's what my focus will always be. It's not about my own personal ambition or endeavor. I have one responsibility to build the safest, most affordable big city in America and stand up for working people. We need Springfield to do the same. Something about this venue, my questions always fire you up.

30:48 Way off topic, my colleague is doing a story about Bronzeville's black metropolis area. Yeah. So Bronzeville has a history as one of the most impactful black communities in the country. What's ahead in Bronzeville's future? Yeah. Thank you for that question. And, you know, me being fired up to mind, I don't know if it's about you. I think it's just something that comes in, Nate. You do have a way about yourself, though. Let me watch his show.

31:19 All right. No one has ever said that before, by the way. Yeah. I mean, look, I think, you know, the story of, you know, black Chicago is a real profound one. I was just with some people last night and just having a discussion around what this political moment means for people who have always seen Chicago as a place of comfort and refuge.

32:03 And, you know, if you've ever read the book Boss, it talks about how the hypersegregation that existed in our city was centered around language and survival. Right. And when I think about, you know, the Bronzeville community, you know, you can't leave the Austin neighborhood out of it. The Austin community where I live is the largest concentration of black voters in terms of a neighborhood than anywhere in the country, I believe.

32:36 And as a result of historic disinvestment, it has saw population decline. And the question around the future of Bronzeville and its historical relevance of the future of black existence in this city, It's why we put forth the $1.25 billion bond deal to build more affordable homes. It's why we released the largest TIF surplus back into our schools in the history of Chicago to ensure that black families feel confident that they will send their child to a school that's fully resourced.

33:10 And so the missing middle program, if you will, building multi-units with owner-occupied space where you can build generational wealth and set up shop in the neighborhoods that have been indigenous to black folks for generations. So I believe the future of Chicago as a whole is bright. I certainly believe that the neighborhoods that have historically embraced black Chicagoans as they have come up from the deep south during both migrations,

33:43 that we can hold to that history while also preparing and building for the future. So as long as we're investing in homes, investing in education, creating economic opportunities for development, I believe the future is certainly much brighter than what it was before I arrived. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. So Mark Armstrong, and today's Chi Guardian Deep South Press Corps City Hall coverage which is also for two WVON Sunday programs.

34:14 Okay. So certain news audiences and the pundit likes of Judge Joe Brown suggest that you pushing back on Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion about protecting repair programs by injured class instead of race smacks of leftist liberal spite instead of pragmatic governance. What will you do to make the city's reparations task force sabotage proof against race-baiting lawfare like the judicial watch lawsuit. Yeah, well, look, the reason why, let me just first of all say the reason why we put forth

34:47 this reparations investment was so that we can have a pathway of what repairing harm could look like, you know, to the previous question. Around the future of communities like Bronzeville or Austin, you cannot have a blanket general conversation around reparations without talking about the specific harm and the damages that have been done specific to Chicago. As you know, and as many people in the city know, I was on the front line fighting for our neighborhood schools.

35:22 I went on a hunger strike. I've taken arrests in this city because we saw how previous administrations intentionally harm black folks. I mean, the school closings, for instance, I believe that there were well over 1,100 or 1,200 students that the system never accounted for after the school closings, of which 223 of them roughly were in my neighborhood. So we have seen that harm. We've seen how a cover-up of a young boy being murdered by a police officer,

35:54 created a great deal of distrust and harm to people. We know that there are a number of black men and brown men in particular that have been tortured by the police department here, and then it was covered up by the state's attorney. I could go on and on. I mean, there's certainly enough information available to us about the specific harms. So this task force that's fully funded is going to go through a series of conversations so that that harm can ultimately be fully documented.

36:26 And then we'll have recommendations moving forward of how we can repair that harm. I've offered up some things in the meantime. Again, this investment bond, again, investing in youth employment, again, investing in mental health clinic. You know this, Mark. When I was on the county side, we saw the harm of mental health clinics being closed. That's why we reopened them. And then finally, you know, as far as Clarence Thomas is concerned, it's just hard for me to accept any frame centered around Clarence Thomas who voted against affirmative action.

36:59 Right. And so this is not like sort of a leftist ideological position. That's the position that the justice have taken. And no, there aren't examples of how Justice Clarence Thomas has shown up for working people across this country. In fact, there's more evidence of how he has exacerbated the very harm that we're trying to repair through this reparations task force. As I move on to the next question, the bottom line is that jurists and reparations experts say that your executive order does not narrow it down to an injured class,

37:31 which in this case would be descendants of chattel slaves based in the United States. The whole point of the executive order is to, and as I said to you last week, it's not I want to be as specific as I know I can be, which is this is about repairing the harm done to descendants of slaves. And just keep in mind, if you go back and review my response to your question, I was just simply calling out the hypocrisy, right? Because it's the Trump administration and right-wing ideologues that have accused me of concentrating too much on black folks, right?

38:04 And then at the same time, now they're trying to suggest that somehow that concentration doesn't exist in the task force of reparations. They can't have it both ways, is simply what I'm saying. It's a heightened hypocrisy that exists in this country, in this moment, and not just in this country, but even this city. I just read the other day ago how the Civic Federation, for instance, that recommended a corporate head tax a year ago and then did not recommend it this time. And then the same civic federation that helped the so-called alternative budget get passed are now giving it a failing grade.

38:37 So that hyper hypocrisy exists at every single level. And yes, I'm going to call that out because if we don't call it out, it allows for misinformation to promulgate throughout the ether and therefore confuse people. And then people miss out on their blessing. And the blessing is, is that I'm leading a city right now that is leading a resistance in this country that ultimately is calling for us to stand up for working people. So when people are being hypocrites, particularly the Trump administration or anything that's connected to it, I'm going to call it out.

39:10 OK, got it. So our infamous cauldron of sources say that the city's reparations task force is currently on pause. So that leads to the question of where is the body of activity, where is the body activity-wise, that is, beyond paying out stipends for members and partner organizations? What are the partner organizations? And has the body met yet, and what has it accomplished at this point? They have met, and it's open and transparent. And, you know, the body of work and those meetings are all open to the public.

39:42 We want people to participate in them. If you want some of the initial readout, we can definitely put you in contact with the entity of my administration that is facilitating these community organizations as well as these individuals who are essentially giving their time up for this moment to ensure that. Whatever comes out from this presentation or from this task force, it puts us on a pathway to ultimately heal and to restore and reconcile, again, the very people who have been harmed by slavery.

40:12 Can you do that today? Sure, we can get that to you. Yeah, thank you. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. I've been trying to gather data and historical curfew information from CPD. and it was told today that revealing the number of yearly curfew arrests would violate juvenile privacy. Do you agree that saying Citi had 10 curfew arrests in 2022 would violate the privacy of juveniles? It's possible, right? I mean, we think about juvenile records. So before I was a teacher, I used to work for Aunt Martha's Youth Services.

40:45 I've done a lot of youth development work where you have hypersensitive situations. As a mandated reporter, it was important that we protect the identity of individuals. So there's no identity. I'm just asking numbers. Say five people were arrested. Again, I'm happy to explore and look into it. But as I said, it's possible that it could be in violation of the protective acts that ultimately are designed to keep young people safe. Okay. Yeah, I've talked to tons of reporters who have gotten tons of numbers, plain numbers, not names, not even where they live. And they say that they just didn't give it to you, but other reporters have it.

41:18 Yes. Justice Watch has a whole story on news. Oh, well, you should have just led with that. So that could be some sort of misunderstanding. You're saying these numbers have been made available? No. Twelve days ago, I FOIA'd them, and I took them 12 days, took the FOIA office at CPD, 12 days to say, oh, these can't be revealed because it's. . . Well, perhaps there was a misunderstanding in the FOIA request. If you're just asking for some specific numbers, again, I don't have the answer to that. There could be a legitimate bona fide reason why it was not released, depending on what was in the FOIA.

41:48 I'm happy to have our team look into it. Ten people. Got it, loud and clear. Including me. I got arrested for a curfew, totally, and you know what? I want the world to know. Oh, wow. Okay. Because I'm that young. Oh, yeah. It was in the 80s. Okay. For decades, Chicago has determined the lead safety of Chicago's water by sampling just 50 homes every three years. And those homes are largely in city workers' homes on the far southwest and northwest side, Mount Greenwood and Edison Park. Now that the city is expanding its samples to 100 homes, should we also test the water of black and brown neighborhoods,

42:21 even if it's not the home of the city worker? Or should the city just stick with the same Richard Daly and Rahm Emanuel methods of testing the water of city workers in relatively rich enclaves of the far southwest and northwest side? We should test all homes, and that's what the resources that we secured from the federal government are designed to do is not just test, but to replace the lead service pipeline. And just keep in mind, I mean, I'm glad you mentioned those previous administrations, right, because, you know, again, there's clear indication and records of how there's been historic failures

42:56 as it relates to how black Chicago has been treated. Again, whether it's mental health clinics being closed, schools being closed, the lack of opportunities for economic development for small businesses and contractors, There's a real nasty, ugly history in this city, and that's why I'm working hard every single day to overturn that nasty history. So I can tell water management they should really just get out of Mount Greenwood and Edison Park and really start testing the rest of the city too. Thank you for your questions, and thank you for raising that. Hi, Mayor.

43:27 There were some comments this morning during the Committee on Health and Human Relations where there's an anticipation that ICE and Border Patrol could be coming back in March. Do you have any information on that? And when you go to Washington tomorrow to meet with the other mayors, what might you share with them about, you know, if it happens in their cities, how should they prepare? Thank you for that question. I'm obviously very much still concerned about the private, masked, terrorizing police force that the Trump administration continues to sick on working people across this country.

44:06 It's why I've used every single tool that's available to me, and many mayors have looked to those tools that we've used, right, whether it's through the ice-free zones and even the litigation around the ice-free zones so that we can strengthen and codify our ability to enforce it. And again, as I said to one of your colleagues earlier, looking at ways in which we can actually prosecute. You know, as far as, you know, again, ways in which we can continue to communicate with one another, I've had multiple conversations with Mayor Bass, and, you know, again, we've been in contact with Mayor Fry.

44:41 You know, we have seen how this has played out in other cities. I've had a conversation with Mayor Young in Memphis. You know, it's deeply disturbing that the cities, of course, that he's targeting overwhelmingly are working-class cities with a very diverse population. I think the next step and level, quite frankly, has to be real organized resistance as what we saw organized and prepared during the civil rights movement, that we cannot just simply leave it to protests that just react to the egregious and the harmful and deadly actions coming from the Trump administration.

45:24 Because, look, we've seen this before with the Trump administration, Bovino being sent and now has to pack. There's another Bovino in the waiting, right? He's already essentially identified Tom to fill in as the interim here. And we know how Tom feels about working people across this country. He's not concerned about safety or real immigration. So there's going to be a number of panels, workshops, and conversations that we're going to have while I'm there.

46:00 And we're going to, again, we're going to have to be innovative and bold and creative. And that's the message that I'm going to continue to send to mayors and working people across this country. This moment calls for boldness, not some sort of pragmatic pragmatism to a tyrant. In fact, that's how we got in this mess in the first place. is because we were too tepid, we nibbled around the edges as Democrats, and instead of fighting and standing up for the interests of working people, we capitulated to corporations and the ultra-rich.

46:32 So that's going to be my message. We've got to challenge these corporations and the rich to pay their fair share in taxes, and we have to call for real, organized, systemic, sustained resistance in this country to ultimately save our democracy. Just to follow up with a question from Taman. on Mayor Rahm Emanuel, reading the tea leaves in the wake of Laquan McDonald, opted not to run for re-election. Should voters interpret your reluctance to say if you're going to run again as an indicator that you may not? Based upon a scandal that covered up the death of the vote?

47:04 No, no, I'm just using that as an example. Just walk me through that because I'm trying to understand the correlation here, the parallel. Because he decided not to run again is because he was a part of a massive cover-up that led to the death and the embarrassment of his administration. What are we talking about here? My question, are you reading different tea leaves perhaps about your reelectability that is an indicator of why you're reluctant to say whether you would want to run again from the mayor who said he intends to serve more terms than daily?

47:34 So then there you have it then. Do you want to just tell us you're going to run again? So let me just say this. No, I got you, man. And I know I understand the spirit of your question, but like, look, I just personally believe that the people of this city, they want a mayor that's going to focus on the here and now. The politics, we'll get to that. I know people are becoming more accustomed to election cycles lasting four years.

48:07 In fact, to that point, I just thought this was hilarious. So when I was first, when I first won April 4th of 2023, the Tribune editorial said that Mayor Johnson or Mayor-elect Johnson thanked everybody, including God, except for Barack Obama.

48:37 Like I couldn't even make up that headline. I mean, like this notion that somehow I'm distancing myself from my base. The reason why I'm not quick to talk about my political future is because I do not want the people of Chicago to be distracted today. You know, we're coming off of, you know, 10 inches of snow and, you know, extreme weather. and I'm working hard to make sure that the delivery of services are reaching people.

49:08 Of course, we're building an operation in this city that's going to finally show real legitimate care to working people. So I don't take it as animus. It's just that I have been more focused on the here and now just because I don't want, and I know I can't control this, but just bear with me as a former middle school teacher. I just don't want my political future to become the dominant discussion while people are hurting every day. We'll get to that when that time permits.

49:39 You've got people who have kind of declared, almost declared, at a time in which the president of the United States of America is not even being held accountable by Congress. So that's where my focus is going to be as far as my own political future. there's a song that I remember my older brother would sing growing up in the church would just sing this song called One Day at a Time. Y'all know that song, One Day at a Time? There's a... Okay. No.

50:12 You know, I will say this, though. Governor Westmore, that was risky, all right? Because I don't know if you all saw, but Governor Westmore broke out in a sermonic solo at Richard Smallwood, who is this incredible, you know, artist, you know, gospel writer, and nominated for multiple Grammys. and he's saying and I will just tell you this if I ever start singing it's because I did not clear it with my senior advisor Jason Lee. Thank you all very much.

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