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

voices, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> Traders to the country should not be allowed to work for the city of Chicago.

>> City Council members vote on whether to ban participants in the January 6th attack from working City jobs.

We're going to pay for schools in this city to thrive.

>> The Chicago Teachers Union approves a contract deal.

What it means for students and teachers.

>> And black women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

Why?

And what's being done to address it?

>> And now to some of today's top stories, U.S. District Court judge in DC says he finds probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for violating his orders on deportation flights.

But that judge stopped short of reasonable doubt.

Judge James Boasberg ruled the administration is demonstrating a, quote, willful disregard by not following his Mid-March orders to halt using the Alien enemies act to deport a legit Venezuelan gang members to Salvador.

The ruling comes as the administration continues to push its compliance with court orders.

It disagrees with.

The judge does not determine the potential penalty and is giving the Department of Justice Time to respond.

The White House says it will challenge the ruling.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is warning that major uncertainty might be ahead amid new tariffs from the Trump administration.

>> The level of tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated.

And the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.

>> In an appearance before the Economic Club of Chicago today.

Powell added that while the rate of inflation has slowed dramatically, consumers are still facing higher prices, which tariffs could increase.

despite the Trump administration's fight for the authority to fire members of independent agencies, Powell says he doesn't think that would apply to the Fed and that the central bank plans to remain above the political fray.

19 people incarcerated in Illinois prisons are claiming the Department of Corrections has systematically failed to provide adequate mental health treatment.

Attorneys with the Uptown People's Law Center and Equip for Equality filed the class action lawsuit in federal court today.

On behalf of the nearly 13,000 people with mental illness is being held in prisons across the state.

The suit says about 44% of all people in seek custody or on the mental health case load and a 3rd had a serious mental illness.

Yet the department only has 67 full-time mental health positions out of the 175 positions budgeted IOC declined to comment citing pending litigation.

For more on the conditions that the lawsuit alleges you can visit our website.

And the Bulls are facing heat tonight.

Literally they'll be taking on the Miami Heat in a win or go home matchup as part of the NBA's play-in tournament.

4 teams take part in the play-in tournament in each conference to battle it out for the last 2 seeds in the playoffs.

If the Bulls win tonight, they'll take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday for a chance to be the Eastern Conference's 8 >> Tip-off tonight is at 6.30 >> Good luck.

Bulls fans.

Up next, the latest on an effort to block January 6.

Rioters from working for the city.

>> Chicago tonight, he's made possible in part by the support of these don't use.

>> It took part in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Andrew been pardoned by President Donald Trump are now banned from working in city jobs after a vote today by the City Council.

The lopsided 44 to 3 vote came after an emotional debate about the aftermath of the attack.

Here are all D'mon Raymond Lopez and Andrea Vasquez.

>> Where is the line that you're willing to draw domestic terrorism is probably the line.

>> W T Tw News header.

Sharon joins us now with more.

Heather, why did the city council decide to take the stand?

>> Well, almost immediately after President Donald Trump took office in January, Governor JB Pritzker issued an executive order banning those who were pardoned for their role in the January 6 Capitol attack from state employment.

But Mayor Brandon Johnson did not follow suit, prompting the city Council to step in and that culminated with today's vote.

And Heather, who were the 3 city council members who voted against the ban.

>> Well, the older people were all representatives of the far northwest side Alderman Anthony Napolitano Alderman Jim Gardner.

And aldermen Nicholas Basado who spoke at length about frustration with with this ordinance saying that it was inappropriate to, quote, ruin the lives of the people who merely entered the Capitol without permission.

Of course, 5 police officers died as a result of the Capitol attack and more than 137 were injured.

>> Heather, you also reported earlier this week that the city council was set to exhaust its annual 82 million dollar budget to resolve law lawsuits that allege police misconduct.

Where does that stand?

>> It is official less than 4 months into the year that entire 82 million dollar annual budget has been exhausted with the approval of a 32 million dollar settlement for St. Louis man who lost both of his legs as a result of being struck by a driver who was fleeing Chicago police who should not have been chasing that car under departmental policy.

Now Al Durham and Gilbert Villegas was poised to use parliamentary procedure to force public hearings on a new strategy to address the hundreds of lawsuits facing the city alleging police misconduct.

He dropped to that to demand today after reaching an agreement with the Johnson Administration for private briefings he said he will press them to develop a new strategy and, quote, be more honest with the city council about the cost of these lawsuits to came at City Hall for us.

Thank you.

>> And you can read Heather's full story on our website.

It's all at W T Tw Dot com slash news.

>> The Chicago Teachers Union is one step closer to finalizing a deal with Chicago public schools after nearly a year of bargaining, 85% of its 30,000 members voted last week on a tentative agreement and 97% of them approved it.

The contract still needs approval from the Board of Education which is set to vote on it next Thursday.

But now to break down that contract is CTU President Stacy Davis.

Gates.

Welcome back.

Stacey, we talked about the several times over the last first off, you all have called this contract a turning point.

How so?

you know, if we're looking at the federal level of our government right now.

>> You have Elon Musk in Donald Trump wreaking havoc on federal institutions.

Windows.

We had that in Chicago are ready was call Renaissance 2010 with Arnie Duncan.

It was caused school reconstitution with Paul Vallas.

It was caught 50 school closings or Rahm Emanuel.

We are marking different standard of where we're going to get kids Opportunity.

Elementary school kids get 30 minutes of recess.

We put millions more dollars in the sports program.

They'll have transportation equipment and uniforms.

Sports that girls play will have parity with boy sports.

We're going to get kids more than what they've gotten before.

That's the turning So this is, as we've all mentions several times, this is the first contract deal to be closed in 15 years without a strike vote.

>> There was still some tension.

We're gonna come back to that a bit.

written Johnson, you know, he's a CTU member.

You and many CTU members endorsed campaign supported him during that election.

How would you describe his role in bringing this contract?

There?

Well, I think it was the week before we settled that the mayor brought us to city Hall.

We were summoned.

>> And what we were able to do in that particular meeting was understand how close we were to settlement understand that the issues that stood between us where negotiable and from that point, we were able to speak on terms of settlement and negotiate that and we got there and thank God we did.

How do you think those previous strike votes and 2 strikes?

One was a strike averted.

How do you think all of those built up to the contract that you have today and where the CTU is today?

That's a great question.

I think that they all built up to today.

>> People are celebrating no strike.

But what I would say is that it has been the organizing, especially with the communities that our schools are anchored in.

I think a diet high school not only did just reichheld diet high school, but there was a hunger strike for 34 days.

So once those people like Jeanette Taylor Whos an otter, one man, Mayor Johnson board member G to Brown.

They help say that school from closure and then the Chicago teachers union in 2016 took it to the negotiating table.

What we were able to secure through our community coalition was we able to keep school open.

We were able to resource that school with more support in.

Now, that school has an artist that's in residence.

It has a state championship basketball team.

It has more opportunity in kids from across the city are looking at that school as an option.

So let's talk about what's in the contract, raising teacher salaries by 45% each year.

>> Enforcing smaller class sizes, giving 10 extra minutes a day and prep time for elementary school teachers doubles bilingual education staffed and provides librarian positions among lots of other the points that you all spent a lot of time negotiating.

Why do you think it was difficult to get all of this?

>> I think there a lot of impediments.

I obviously, you know, the much reported, you know, push and pull of the politics.

But we also are doing new things in Chicago.

We have a school board that is partially elected.

They have a bigger boysen stake in how we land these deals.

So people like the board President Shannon Hardin members like gee to Brown Cairns, a core people who have an understanding the granular level of both movie man and the school district that help But also it was the first time in 30 years that our union was able to bargain a contract with our full bargaining rights.

So both sides needed to exercise a muscle where we exchange ideas across the table district had to learn that the union had to learn that.

So we got and I'm proud of it because this is an agreement that both sides can be proud of.

You have got bit of criticism from within the ranks.

A new caucus and members called the real caucus and they said in a statement, quote.

>> Many of us who voted to accept the contract were tired of the weight and lacked hope that our leadership have the tenacity to win more.

There are winds here, but this is not transformative.

We need CTU leadership with the integrity to be honest about the work that still needs to be done.

They called the Union fractured in that statement.

What do you what do you say to all of them?

Well, 85% of our members participated and our democracy and 97% of those members say yes to the contract.

>> That is ridiculously high number of precedent.

fact, 65 of our rank and file members bargain this contract, every single governing body of our union approved this contract.

I think our democracy is one that should be modeled and most institutions.

And furthermore, I'm glad we are at a conclusion.

The Department of Education is being dismantled we speak.

We need to not only build a force field around the Chicago Public schools.

We're going to have to get into the work now of our local in our state government to build a Trump rainy day fund because he's put our city and our school district in its crosshairs.

And we're going to have to protect the investments that we have to make for our young people.

And so we're going to push them to figure out how we push those who have a little more to do a little more to help us protect our democracy and our ability to teach truth in CPS.

So on that subject of the district says that this is a 1.5 billion dollar deal.

That's what it's going to cost CPS over the life of the Contract.

Co Pedro Martinez has said that the district has the money for the first year of the contract.

And he has said that a couple of times during negotiations.

>> But that we know the district faces budget issues every year.

What do you say to people who are worried that the district is going to be in a bind when it's time to to pay what it needs to pay in the coming years.

Will Pedro said very clearly that he would not responsible party in this collective bargaining situation.

He rode IPads about it, in fact.

So we're confident that district is in a better financial position.

>> In fact, the 3rd party arbitrator provided the back by a new report said that the district was in a better position to fund this contract than they ever have been in years past.

So those 2 things couple together.

Give us a lot certainty.

Also, the state of Illinois has to do more.

We have that one of the best funding formulas in the state and it needs revenue.

And that's just Chicago that every school district across the state of Illinois.

So while the Trump administration he has his crosshairs on Chicago.

He also has a Illinois.

It's going to behoove us in this moment to find out what coalition alliance and solidarity looks like.

It's also going to ask those who have more to pay more in this moment so we can secure what we have in Illinois and in the city of Chicago to be a beacon in the world that is moving, you know, far too fast toward something very different.

20 seconds left.

What's next for CT you will see to you is going to do what we always do.

We're going to help our brothers at the firefighters then get their contract.

We rallied with them today.

We are going to be with a coalition partners and our students tomorrow rallying for our earth because we need it and we're going to implement this contract and not go indoors this summer to make sure that families know that we have their back seat to use.

Going to see to you.

Stacy Davis, Gates, thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

Up next, black maternal mortality has taken a downward turn.

Explore why right after this.

>> New research shows the rate of women dying from pregnancy-related.

Medical conditions has only worsened in recent years and the disparity that black women are 3 times as likely to die of such an illness as white women is no better.

This comes at a time when the very agencies charged with reducing these deaths is facing cuts from the Trump administration.

Joining us now with more our Denise Banton director of Rush University Medical Center, labor delivery and postpartum units Jameka Sampson, senior director of community Health and equity for Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Tony Taylor, co-founder of Chicago Birth Works Collective thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.

So Denise, want to start with you because in this recent study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows the rate of maternal mortality not only increased by 27.7% from 2018 to 2022, but that the racial disparities also widened black women having the second highest rate at 2.8 times higher than white women.

They are second to Native American women.

With all the we have learned about maternal mortality in this country in recent years.

What do you make of these new numbers?

>> I believe this is highly really to co-morbidities access to care, addressing women's concerns.

The the thought that people can be dismissed.

It's not acceptable.

We know our bodies.

We know what we're feeling.

We know what we're thinking and what are what are signs of symptoms are what doesn't feel right.

And trust of our health care providers, our healthcare providers to really acknowledge what women are saying.

What do you think more hasn't been done because we had we've had these these conversations in the last several years.

What do you think we have or have we just not moved quickly enough?

>> I just think we have moved quickly enough.

I think we've scratched the surface.

There's so many layers to this whole issue.

>> And I believe that we need to spend more time.

The real number one focus is shared decision-making with our patients in a hospital setting because I'm from a hospital setting talking about what are the expectations and unbiased information about care.

>> Tony, what would you say are some of the health challenge is that pregnant people face during and after the pregnancy?

Lack of support with their family, lack of support and medical team.

>> And not understanding fully what they need during the pregnancy, not fully understanding what is what resources are available to them after they deliver.

Not planning to have mental mental health after care.

Oftentimes when moms as they make sure you get an appointment with a mental.

>> look, I have it there because I'm like that's not that they're that I'm talking about.

It's a completely different.

There And the care that you need for pregnancy is completely different from any other care.

And if you can't identify the gaps in your needs, you just kind fall in the cracks.

And so sometimes it's a matter of of women not knowing what they don't know.

It sounds like you're the Organizations association.

The recommendation also change, though, in the last several years that women should be seeing their providers sooner than the 6 weeks post Partum that it had been before.

But it seems like even that.

>> Hasn't solved our problems.

>> You know, it has it.

They.

A lot the doctors that I talked to had given some talks to a couple be residents and they just they don't have the time.

That they only have a certain amount of time and it and I'm like if you're not making a connection with the patient.

They're not feeling seeing they're not filling heard.

They're less likely to less likely to return to the appointment or follow up for the next appointment and that those gaps in care equal.

Missing parts of your medical file, missing parts of identifying problems that you're having soon enough that they can remedy them before.

It's an actual issue and delivery Jamaica, specifically in Chicago.

Tell us about how where a patient resides in the city can contribute to their maternal health.

we're seeing we've seen on the southwest side that there are more mature.

Several hospitals have closed maternity units.

>> So where you live determines your access to care and for you have travel.

The more stress you experience as a birthing person as a mom.

So Planned Parenthood of Illinois started the bridges to care program that connects people who decide to parent with care providers like rash.

And we have also began partnering with the deal.

deal is Chicago, collective to make sure that birthing people and moms have the support they need to have healthy and help happy pregnancies.

What services and resources do do you think that we need to see what more do we need to see on the south and West sides to help to close that gap I another several folks working on having birthing units on stand-alone you or a physician availability We were just had a baby shower and community baby shower and somebody stated they had a long wait to get care to to see being.

That's what Bridges hopes to support is be giving people the prenatal care until they can get into the point with there.

Obstetrician.

even fresh food and access to fresh food and care we need on the south and west sides.

Tony, what do you think?

It's crucial to include cultural, competency and even birth justice principles doula training.

>> If you don't understand the community you're serving year.

You're not gonna make a connection.

You're not gonna make a difference.

And the way that you can, it's almost as if there are a number and you're checking a box.

You have to meet people where they are and you have to figure out what they're not saying.

make them comfortable to share the things that they're not say identifying the things that you're seeing, that they're not and get them to talk about Even if you don't get them to talk about it because some some don't want to necessarily talk about it.

But just >> if I witnessed something has to do lower just in communication with someone I just share resources and just allow you to make the decision.

Because I don't want to put you on the spot.

You historically black woman, we don't we don't have good trust issues.

Medical?

Yeah.

And that's not instead of Dylan Isin us for that.

Which it's founded in truth that to need to hold themselves accountable for the trauma that's happening to us.

But if if we have to have more resources and just things made available to us without peer pressure of you got to do this in school days.

Denise, according to the American Heart Association, Black Women are 58% more likely to have high blood pressure because you mentioned comorbidities or compared to 43% of white women.

>> They often more they're more likely to develop fibroids as well or providers doing enough to look out for these potential complications?

Are they trained to, you know, to look out for those in and how those might impact maternal health have a boost.

Definitely the they are trained.

They have the resources and the have the knowledge.

>> To manage those.

It's just going back to what was just said.

How are you connecting with the patient to get the information that you need and the to utilizing each think of that.

Bt you can some communities.

The comment sugar.

What does that mean?

So you have to you have to sort of culturally competent and understand the language of this of the patients that you're serving.

And yes, think health care providers have the information.

We have the information we just need to utilize the screening tools and ultimately provide resources to patients.

Okay.

That's where we'll have to leave it Thanks for the work that all of you do.

And thank you for the knowledge you've shared in the Jamaica Sampson, Tony Taylor, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, Black Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

>> these may pass why Robert, a cliff and Clifford a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death that serves the needs of