May 4, 2026 Chicago Tonight - Full Episode

0:14 Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago Brandis Friedman.

0:17 Here's what we're looking at.

0:18 We unpack the Supreme Court's decision activists say has gutted

0:23 the Voting Rights Act and what it could mean for future elections.

0:25 Back to build.

0:29 Too deeply connected like family.

0:34 And a documentary airing on W T

0:36 Tw explores Filipino culture and cuisine with Chicago.

0:40 Restaurateur really DEC.

0:41 First off tonight, workers at Brookfield Zoo hit the picket line

0:47 this morning walking out after contract

0:49 negotiations with management broke down last week.

0:52 The strike includes grounds custodial and facilities, employees.

0:56 But animal care professionals are currently on the job.

0:59 According to a statement from the zoo, Teamsters local 7 to 7,

1:05 which represents the more than 200 workers rejected a deal.

1:08 But they say offered raises below 4%.

1:10 And also eliminated and existing 100% employer paid health care benefit.

1:16 But management disputed that claim.

1:17 The zoo remains open for guests.

1:20 Officials say the care and well-being of animals remains their highest

1:23 priority and they remain focused on reaching a contract that, quote,

1:28 supports employees while protecting the zoo's long-term sustainability.

1:33 Labor groups and some elected officials are pushing

1:36 for an increase in the federal minimum wage.

1:38 The rate has sat stagnant at $7.25 an hour since 2009 advocates are

1:45 pushing to bump it up to $25 an hour at an event today.

1:50 The National Education Association pointed out

1:52 how that impacts many school workers.

1:56 From clerical workers, bus drivers, the food service workers to custodial

2:00 and maintenance workers and para educators.

2:02 But often earn wages that barely scraped the 4th.

2:06 The Z S P's of the first faces students see in the morning

2:09 and the last one that they see before they go home.

2:11 Yet many of them cannot afford to support their own families.

2:16 One 3rd of the S P's earned $25,000 a year or less.

2:22 10% of them rely on food assistance.

2:26 Democratic congressmembers Delia Ramirez into a Garcia of Illinois

2:28 introduced to the living wage for All Act last week,

2:30 which calls for that increase many states, including Illinois,

2:35 currently have a minimum wage above the federal level.

2:37 Critics of increasing the minimum wage say it could

2:40 hurt business and result in higher prices for consumers.

2:42 If you're a business owner, a new state facility may come in handy.

2:48 Officials say the new Business Services

2:50 Center located downtown will streamline services,

2:53 improve accessibility and save taxpayer dollars.

2:56 Some of the services being provided at the downtown

2:59 facility include filing articles of incorporation for corporations and LLCs,

3:05 filing trademarks, getting assistance with certificates of good standing

3:08 and written statements and processing documents for international use.

3:13 And the fast lane DMV kiosk allows people to renew their driver's licenses

3:16 and state ID's and purchase vehicle registration

3:19 stickers with on site printing of temporary documents.

3:22 Secretary of state Alexi Giannoulias says the move eliminates nearly $650,000

3:29 in ongoing lease costs by consolidating operations into a state owned building.

3:35 The Supreme Court's decision to weaken

3:38 the Voting Rights Act explained right after this.

3:42 Chicago tonight is made possible in part

3:44 why the Alexandra and John Nichols family.

3:47 The Pope Brothers Foundation.

3:52 And the support of these donors.

4:22 I dissent then from this latest chapter in the majorities

4:25 now completed demolition of the Voting Rights Act,

4:28 that Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in her dissent

4:32 of a 6 to 3 ruling last week in Louisiana versus Callaway.

4:36 The ruling determined that Louisiana's congressional maps,

4:40 which include 2 majority minority districts designed to give minority

4:43 voters a chance to elect their preferred representatives are unconstitutional.

4:47 The decision is expected to have long-lasting ramifications.

4:51 That could be felt as soon as the 2026 midterms

4:54 with states racing to reach redraw their maps before November.

4:59 Joining us to break down the ruling

5:00 are Ryans Holley executive director of Change,

5:05 Illinois, a nonprofit that advocates for fair legislative maps in Illinois.

5:07 Michael King, a law professor at Northwestern University and Karen Freeman,

5:13 Wilson, president, CEO of the Chicago Urban League.

5:17 Welcome back.

5:16 Thanks to all of you for joining us.

5:19 Michael King, I want to start with you, please.

5:21 What was it that the judges were being asked to consider in this case?

5:26 Break it down for us.

5:27 Please.

5:27 Yes, technically speaking here, Louisiana was ordered by a lower court, too.

5:31 Draw second majority minority District under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,

5:36 which it basically guarantees minority representation

5:39 under certain conditions that it seems

5:40 that minorities are being denied their kind of fair share of representation.

5:45 That was appealed up to the Supreme Court in what

5:51 the state ended up arguing was that the intentional

5:53 drawing of the second district that it was being asked

5:56 to do one of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional,

6:00 that it unconstitutionally considering race by the state that defied

6:04 kind of voting Rights Act practice for 50 years.

6:09 But we have a different court that's ready to consider this sort of change.

6:13 And they declared that consideration of race

6:15 in the intentional drawing of this majority minority district unconstitutional.

6:18 This has huge ramifications for the way that politics are

6:21 conducted in the way that we think about voting rights.

6:24 Karen, from Wilson, what was your reaction to the court's ruling?

6:29 Well, the ruling was really a good.

6:34 Punch brandis further evidence that over the last 13 years,

6:38 this Supreme Court has been intent on not only gutting the Voting Rights Act,

6:47 but eliminating the Voting Rights Act.

6:50 And this.

6:51 In many respects was the final nail in the coffin.

6:57 Brian Todd Lee, the Republican governors of both Alabama and Tennessee.

7:01 They have called for special legislative sessions to potentially

7:04 adjust their congressional maps ahead of the midterms.

7:07 We just heard Michael King say

7:09 it that there could be long-lasting ramifications.

7:10 What could the effects of this ruling be on the 2026 elections?

7:15 Yeah, there's a few states, as you said are already considering redrawing

7:18 the maps because these legal tolls that voters had.

7:22 To ensure their representation are gone and what we're likely to see is just

7:27 lot more partisan gerrymandering because voters don't

7:30 have those tools to fight back 2026.

7:33 Some states are going to be

7:34 constrained because they already have primary Pastore.

7:38 They're too far into petition process.

7:41 But especially for 2028 and beyond, it's just going to be wide open

7:45 for states to gerrymander like we haven't seen previously.

7:48 I'm going see you Great.

7:51 Go ahead, Karen.

7:50 No, I was just going to say in Louisiana,

7:54 they literally canceled or postponed an election so that they could change

7:59 the It's sort of like changing the rules in the middle again.

8:05 But this isn't a game.

8:08 That's important part.

8:07 So it's all it's already happening is what you're saying.

8:12 Michael, paying the Roberts court has weakened the Voting

8:16 Rights Act twice before once in 2013 again in 2021.

8:20 Remind us of those rulings, please.

8:24 Yeah, this is really the 3rd act in a larger

8:29 kind of deconstruction of voting rights by this court.

8:33 The 2013 decision was Shelby County.

8:34 And that got rid of the really important part of the Voting

8:38 Rights Act section 5 that basically

8:40 forced covered jurisdictions to prove before it

8:43 could implement any sort of change their election rules that they were not

8:46 discriminating either in terms of a factor or intent that was wiped away.

8:52 And what that meant was a lot more pressure fell on the remaining

8:55 provision in the Voting Rights Act section to Section 2 is a little different.

8:58 It's not a preclearance provision that requires plaintiffs to come

9:02 forward and see what after an election changes been made.

9:06 If general even apply to redistricting.

9:08 So in a decision a few years ago, Brundage.

9:10 Basically the court had to review how to apply section 2 to election rules,

9:16 changes that previously had fallen under Section 5 before Shelby County.

9:21 A lot of conservatives had argued that we

9:23 don't need Section 5 because we have section

9:28 bring a bench that section 2 application

9:29 to these election rule changes was made much more difficult.

9:32 And really there hasn't been a successful section to see sense.

9:36 So those were 2 elements that came in.

9:37 And this is the 3rd part which basically makes it

9:43 almost impossible to bring a successful section to see in redistricting,

9:45 which is where Section 2 had had

9:48 a lot of force ensuring some minority representation, particularly in the south.

9:51 But but other than the south as well.

9:56 And this now requires proof of intentional discrimination,

9:57 which is very hard to prove in litigation.

10:01 And you have to show not only that minority voters are being hurt,

10:05 not just in terms of the a fact,

10:06 but because of race as opposed to party to the degree that.

10:11 You have a Republican government that is

10:14 intent on advancing Republican that hurting Democrats,

10:18 even if they target black voters say who vote Democratic.

10:23 That seems according to the court.

10:24 Okay.

10:24 Because that's kind of partisan discrimination and the court in.

10:28 And yet another decision had decided

10:31 the Constitution has no restrictions on partisan gerrymandering.

10:33 So when you combine all of those things,

10:35 you're likely to see partisan gerrymandering, just go crazy.

10:38 So I want to get into one of the things that you mentioned there,

10:41 Michael, with Karen.

10:41 Karen, the court ruled, as we just heard that the state legislatures are

10:46 allowed to redraw maps in pursuit of political ends, right?

10:49 That is so allowing Republicans to target minority populations

10:53 as Democrats rather than targeting them as black voters, Hispanics.

10:56 So on, what's your reaction to them?

10:57 Leaving that open?

11:00 Well, I think it just creates an opportunity.

11:08 For people to change maps.

11:11 To disenfranchise voters to essentially.

11:14 Use the the partisan political issue

11:24 a pretext for really discriminating racially.

11:30 And while you can't prove intent, we always see the impact.

11:37 And so the impact will be there without any protection

11:41 against it because people will be able to use the pretext.

11:47 We're not just focused on race.

11:50 We're really focused on political party and we just want

11:55 this to be a Republican or super majority Republican state.

12:01 And so next door to in Indiana.

12:05 My home state, there is peril.

12:06 seen too.

12:09 Districts that are represented by Democrats that have

12:15 a significant black population essentially having those people that vote,

12:22 Democrat, disenfranchised in the interest of advancing a did gender.

12:29 So, Ryan, some advocates are urging Democrat led states then

12:33 to respond in kind by redrawing districts to favor Democrats.

12:37 We've already seen California and Virginia

12:40 revisit their redistricting moves after Texas.

12:42 And you've already mentioned concerned about

12:44 this sort of setting off redistricting,

12:47 arms race, sort what could the impact be for for voters?

12:51 Will we see what Karen Freeman Wilson just referenced,

12:54 fewer majority minority districts?

12:56 Yeah, I think that's absolutely a reality we could be facing.

13:00 I think for a lot of state.

13:01 So we have to remember who is losing out

13:04 here and it's boaters and for states like Illinois,

13:07 there are tools available to us to protect Illinois voters.

13:10 There's legislation in the state House credit,

13:12 Illinois Voting Rights Act that would ensure a lot

13:16 of these protections for vote dilution voter suppression.

13:19 And I don't want us to lose sight either

13:22 that this is also going to affect state maps.

13:23 It's going to affect local maps.

13:25 And so it's really important for state

13:28 like Illinois to lead the way on protecting

13:30 voting rights by ensuring our state passes

13:32 legislation that gives us protections to voters.

13:34 And we don't see similar things happening, Illinois, with them.

13:37 Bernard, but both leash and voter suppression.

13:42 Be and since you mentioned Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

13:45 He has entertained redistricting in the past talks about amending

13:48 the state constitution to bolster the protections of the vra.

13:52 You mentioned that should.

13:53 Illinois.

13:54 You mentioned Illinois Voting Rights Act.

13:56 Should Illinois be passing this house other states responding?

13:59 Yeah, absolutely.

14:00 I think it's something that is that within the power

14:02 of the Illinois state legislature to pass and we should do that immediately.

14:05 We should be example for other states.

14:07 On how we can ensure voters are

14:08 protected with the last of these federal safeguards.

14:12 it's it's not going to be the end, all be all to to fix a problem nationally.

14:16 But we got to remember, we have to start somewhere in a state like

14:18 Illinois can lead the way here, Karen from Wilson.

14:24 But Roberts court has long held that policies should

14:26 not consider race whether it is to help or hurt.

14:30 Minority populations that sort of race blind argument.

14:33 What did you make of that policy is just

14:34 should stop discriminating on the basis of race period.

14:38 I think it's fictional.

14:42 And when you look at the fact that we have not existed in a color-blind

14:48 society for 400 years to say that today we're going to start being color blind.

14:57 Miss placed effort to negate history.

15:00 And you just cannot do that.

15:03 You can do it.

15:03 Obviously, the court hands, but mythical.

15:08 Michael Caine, we've got about 30 seconds left.

15:11 You know, the Roberts court has you

15:13 know that we mentioned made some decisions before.

15:16 Has this case fit into the broader pattern

15:17 of the court's approach to race, conscious loss?

15:22 I think it's of a piece with all the other decisions.

15:23 It's attempt to get law out of regulating

15:29 race discrimination in all different kinds of ways.

15:31 And so I think to the degree that you're worried

15:35 about discrimination in voting and in politics are worried about racial

15:40 representation getting wiped out this case sort of completes a kind

15:43 of retreat by the court of law from that space.

15:47 Okay.

15:48 That's what we'll have to leave it More to come on this.

15:51 I'm not sure.

15:54 Michael Caine, Karen Freeman, Wilson, Ali,

15:55 thanks to the 3 of you for joining us.

15:56 I appreciate it.

15:57 Thanks so much.

16:00 Thank you so much.

15:59 Brandis.

16:00 Up next, serving up Filipino cuisine

16:02 and culture with Chicago restaurateur Billy DEC.

16:08 Reflecting the people and perspectives that make up our communities.

16:11 This story is part of Chicago tonight.

16:24 Black voices.

16:39 A documentary airing on W T Tw is

16:41 serving up Filipino cuisine as the main course.

16:44 From back to Philippines.

16:46 Too deeply care act like family.

16:48 Really reconnect with the culture.

16:56 This is unbelievable.

16:57 Heritage.

17:01 with that, I grew

17:05 To discover food routes follows restaurants who are believes act as he returns

17:08 to the Philippines to reunite with family

17:10 and learn some new dishes along the way.

17:14 And joining us now is Billy DEC restaurants who are actor,

17:15 former adviser to President Obama's Commission

17:18 on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

17:20 Just to name a few of the literal hats

17:24 that you Welcome the is so good to be back.

17:27 So what made you want to document this journey?

17:31 And in this way?

17:32 Yeah, the documentary Well, originally I was just document it so that when I was

17:36 going back to the islands of the Philippines to learn the rescues,

17:39 my ancestors finding family and all

17:41 these remote villages and mountains and beachside towns.

17:44 I wasn't consumed with the process of reading things down.

17:47 I just want to be president because the whole reason I sort of left out,

17:52 I didn't learn the recipes that are never

17:54 written down because I wasn't president was in America.

17:55 You know, trying to hustle and, you know,

17:59 be everything that America tells you need to be to be successful.

18:02 But going back to the Philippines, you know,

18:06 documenting it just going from food to family to life.

18:11 All these things start unwind and we got home.

18:13 We noticed that the footage was unlike anything we

18:16 have our expected in an Oscar-winning producer friend Graham,

18:21 Emmy-winning Filipina director who knew the culture as well.

18:25 Saw the footage Apple,

18:26 the after Black Eyed Peas started putting music to it and they

18:30 made this magic come about Philippine Filipino food is having a moment,

18:34 More restaurants are opening in thinking about Boonies

18:38 shout-out Qasem a has a James Beard Award.

18:41 2 Michelin stars what do you think is driving all of this interest?

18:44 Well, I think genre food is extremely exciting.

18:49 It's always evolving.

18:49 It's totally innovative.

18:51 Part of its unique characteristics is that it's been,

18:56 you know, had influences from all around the world.

19:00 And it's so bright and beautiful and delicious and unique.

19:03 But at the same time,

19:05 it's just been this genre food that hasn't really been explored.

19:07 And I think with the explosion of chef TV and food adventurers

19:11 and all these content creators that have made their way around the world.

19:15 These beautiful 7,641 Islands of the Philippines,

19:17 they started to really create intrigue and excitement.

19:21 Demand an attraction to this.

19:24 This type of food in this.

19:25 This really beautiful part of the world in the documentary.

19:29 You said that as a kid you experienced bullying bullying from other kids

19:34 making fun of the Filipino food that you would bring Shannon School for lunch.

19:40 You were jealous as a kid of you know what other kids what made you know,

19:45 and once you grew up fall back in love with Filipino food.

19:48 Yeah, I mean, no one wanted to trade with you know,

19:51 they had like 100 sandwiches, smushed, you know, like old school.

19:54 And I had like these.

19:56 You know, fish and vinegar and things that people freak out about now in love.

20:02 You know, you grow up loving what your grandma.

20:05 My Lola raised me on in the house.

20:06 And once you hit middle school and high school,

20:08 you begin to push way that because people making feel uncomfortable.

20:11 I think once I left for college and went

20:13 on to be an adult and especially law school and when a way and lost by little I

20:21 I really how to avoid something was wrong in missing.

20:24 And that's when we started play around with Sunday, which is 18 years old.

20:28 Now we had to be very careful with the introduction of Filipino

20:32 food back in the day because nobody really was interested in it.

20:33 So as a Southeast, Asian elevated and it

20:38 played with all these different countries around the region,

20:41 including Filipino food.

20:41 So, yeah, let's talk about Filipino food just a little bit.

20:43 And what some of the, you know,

20:45 the staples and flavors are you know, Filipinos who are familiar with that food.

20:49 Yeah.

20:50 The stuff they call home.

20:51 I like to say it's very much a foundation

20:53 of Southeast Asian flavors and feels that you're used to.

20:57 But then you get to integrate some things,

21:00 especially from Spain and China are the big ones for me.

21:04 But there's, you know, Japan, Malaysia, India, us, you name it.

21:08 There's so many different influences I think

21:12 that there's a really wonderful mix of mommy,

21:15 this burst of of real savory flavor that people aren't used to combine

21:20 with these fresh bright citrus and fruits

21:21 and vegetables to come from the Philippines.

21:24 But yeah, it's just a mix like another.

21:26 And again, it evolves.

21:27 And that is what's great about it.

21:31 So it always is something new.

21:32 There's a moment in a film where you make lumpia with with your low

21:35 lower brand on because it sounds like

21:37 that is applied to both grandmothers and granddaughters.

21:41 granddaughter, great What did that mean to you to be able to do that with her?

21:44 It was first of like for being transported, almost spirits,

21:48 Lee to be with my little of light mist so much that she passed away.

21:53 This was her sister and the last remaining elder of that generation.

21:56 I really felt like an incredible connectivity with her.

22:00 I was really like flash backing on cooking or see Milo Cook,

22:04 but also learning that there is a way in which she did it different

22:08 from everyone that really unveiled a family

22:12 story and a story about Filipinos and Pierce,

22:15 perseverance and all these sort of things.

22:18 She had grown up in another home and I would have never known that.

22:20 Lets someone told me that.

22:23 But that's what these journeys due back in time.

22:26 When you really deep dive on what your ancestors did

22:28 to come together and love and take care of other.

22:30 A nurse, shocking stories.

22:33 You also get, you know, very personal in the film you're sharing,

22:37 you know, the tragedy of the deaths of your father,

22:39 your brother, both of whom struggled with mental illness and of course,

22:41 the deaths of your other Lola's.

22:44 Was making this film sort of therapeutic for you as well total.

22:46 Hey, I think coming up in Chicago,

22:48 I had a lot of things that I was hiding because it seemed

22:54 as if I would not be able to excel in this world right around.

22:59 If I didn't act like I had it together and then I was projecting

23:03 sort a person that had control of their situation and I really you know,

23:13 went out there with the same way in which I do cooking shows and segments said

23:18 local national shows and it was me

23:19 the character that I built with the strong walls.

23:23 But when I was engaging with these elders through story, something happened.

23:29 Something broke down.

23:30 And I think that's when you know,

23:33 these Oscar Emmy, Grammy winning producer is like what's that?

23:37 We need to explore that and it was essentially me having

23:41 to tell the truth about my real challenges and it was super therapeutic.

23:45 I feel so blessed to have this out So surprise.

23:48 We did film fest routes across the country

23:53 in these theaters were filled with people that are completely diverse.

23:55 Nothing like me.

23:58 And they all were like reacting emotionally like laughing, crying,

24:02 starving all the things and it's because it's a human story.

24:05 I think a lot of people go through, you know, whether it's mental illness,

24:12 whether it's being poor being challenged in certain ways teams

24:15 that kind of went through in and out of the story.

24:17 It just shows that we can persevere.

24:21 We can keep going, you know, really resonate with a lot of people.

24:25 So it made you feel good.

24:28 the release that you're talking about was their.

24:30 Yeah, there's a lot of definitely beautiful moments in the film.

24:33 There's another one later on.

24:34 I will tell people about they have to go and watch on the blood.

24:40 It does blood.

24:40 the looks Definitely made me hungry.

24:43 Billy Dec, congrats on the film.

24:43 Thank you so much for joining Thank you so This is great.

24:46 You bet.

24:48 And food routes airs here on W T Tw at 09:00PM on Monday.

24:53 May 11th.

25:00 And we're back right after this.

25:10 And that's our show for this Monday night.

25:14 It's starting to warm up outside

25:15 and with the nice weather comes hundreds of festivals.

25:18 Check out our website for details on events happening across

25:22 Chicago and the suburbs from parades and concerts to food,

25:25 fests and art shows it's all at W T Tw

25:27 dot com slash festivals and join us tomorrow night at 5,

25:31 30 10 now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman,

25:34 thank you for watching.

25:35 Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

26:30 caption reads cost by Robert a cliff and Clifford law Chicago, personal injury