>> Hello >> and thanks for joining us on Chicago Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

In order restricting use of force by immigration agents in Chicago is home it.

Many Chicago homeowners are facing higher property tax bills.

We hear from the Cook County assessor on what's pushing the hike.

>> I was to find a Z. I'm stunned.

>> And too disturbing videos black women in labor circulating social media reviving the conversation about black maternal health.

>> First off tonight, a federal judge is sweeping order restricting federal agents use of force during immigration raids in the Chicago area has been paused for now.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to halt the order issued by District Judge Sarah Ellis.

While court proceedings continue.

Ellis issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month following a series of aggressive raids with witnesses testifying to being hit with pepper or tear gas.

And having firearms pointed at them without provocation.

Since Ellis's injunction was imposed, many federal immigration agents have left Chicago and begun operations elsewhere.

The appeals court says it intends to set an expedited schedule for its proceedings and left the door open that a more tailored injunction could be found appropriate federal terrorism charges have been filed against a Chicago man accused of lighting a woman on fire on a blue line train this week.

According to the complaint, 50 year-old Lawrence Reed entered the train at 09:00:04PM, Monday shortly after filling a small container gasoline at a gas station.

Leaders of air surveillance footage allegedly shows read walking up to the 26 year-old victim and pouring the liquid over her head and body.

The victim was riding North Brown.

>> Approaching the Clark in Lake subway, stop in the loop.

Minding her own business and reading her phone.

When the defendant doused her with gasoline.

In live her on fire.

When the train stopped and the victim was able to muster the strength to stumble on the platform.

2 good Samaritans put out the flames.

>> The suspect who has previous criminal charges was arrested the next morning with fire related injuries to his hand, the charges could result in a life sentence or death if the victim dies.

She's been hospitalized with critical injuries.

The family of Dexter Reed is asking a federal judge to reinstate their lawsuit against the city over the death of the 26 year-old killed while exchanging gunfire with Chicago police officers last year when Judge Jeffrey Cummings close the case a year ago, he indicated he'd reopen it and schedule a trial.

If City Council did not approve the settlement.

Well, City Council didn't even though Chicago's corporation counsel recommended resolving the case for one and a quarter million dollars, city attorneys will now have to convince a jury that 4 of the police officers involved did nothing wrong when they fired 96 shots and read striking him 13 times.

The Cook County State's attorney concluded that Reid himself fired a total of 11 shots before he died when determining that the cops would not face charges to Chicagoans met today in Vatican City.

Their names are Pope Leo, the 16th and Governor JB Pritzker.

The governor who is of Jewish faith said, quote, Pope Leo, the 16th message of hope, compassion, unity and peace resonates with Illinois and of all faiths and traditions.

Pritzker and Illinois first lady in K brought a few gifts, including art made by women incarcerated at Logan Correctional Facility.

A pair of books and a pack of beer burning Bush, breweries de Pope American mild Ale Pritzker's invited the pope back for a hometown visit whenever he'd like.

What's behind soaring property taxes for some Cook County residents right after this.

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

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these don't >> Some homeowners are searching for answers as they grapple with hefty and hearty property tax bills.

A new report from the Cook County Treasurer's Office says declining values for downtown commercial properties are shifting the tax burden on to homeowners Cook County Assessor.

Fritz Katie argues the property tax system favors corporations and says he's pushing for change.

Joining us to talk about this is the assessor himself for taking.

Welcome back.

Thanks for joining Thanks for having Brenda.

So as we just mentioned, we keep hearing at the explanation is that the valuations for commercial properties have fallen bus sort of tipping the seesaw to increase the valuations for residential properties.

Help us understand how that calculates.

Well, that's true.

far as that goes, so when we finished our reassessment of Chicago, homeowners would have had actually 2 percentage points.

Let's >> of the burden.

Then they started with because we saw a residential values going up.

But we saw a commercial values being higher than where they had been in the last 3 assessment, which is right after the pandemic.

But they were cut.

These values were cut at the Board of review by nearly 20% for commercial properties were is only for one percent for residential properties.

And that shifted about half a billion dollars of the burden.

According to the treasure on the homeowners.

That's about $700.

That's tacked on to the tax bill of every single home in Chicago and in some of the neighborhoods where we're seeing big increases this accounts for more than half of the increase.

>> So instead of you said when you initially started, it would have been about 2%.

But now the Treasury saying it's about 30%.

The median.

I think see you have a median increase.

Some people's bill was 16% according to the treasure.

But those on homeowners, Reza, commercial bills hardly changed at all.

And the typical commercial bill downtown fell.

28%.

So the question is, is this appropriate?

Now?

The county made a study of commercial properties and their sales over the last several years after the pandemic.

And it found that the board review his cut commercial properties.

A 25% low in 2 out of those 3 years, too low in 2 out of those 3 years, meaning that there's too much burden that's been shifted on the homeowners in the past.

And I'm worried that this has happened again because I hear the same stories that heard brand us about how people are suffering.

They're shocked by the increase in these bills that are already stacked on top insurance, electricity, health care, all the other elements of inflation that affect people of especially affects people who work because seniors who have the senior freezer protected from these increases that allowed them stay in place.

But people who work don't have some of these protections and we need to think about what we can do for them.

So you mentioned that some neighborhoods in particular experiencing the worst of it some south and West side residents have seen their tax bill go up significantly.

>> Property taxes for homeowners went up by 133% in West Garfield Park.

99% in North Lawndale compared to nearly barely 6% in Lincoln Park.

How is it that this increase then is falling disproportionately on communities whose median home values are so much lower than those in Lincoln Park.

This really goes back to affordability.

So in some south and West side, neighborhoods, homes were home areas where homes used to sell in the 100,000 range or 150,000 range.

>> They're selling now in the $250,000 Range, for example, West Garfield Park Northland Austin.

So when you have those kinds of increases that can lead people's bills to be rising.

But why, you know, why are you know, prices rising in these neighborhoods?

It's because people who are searching for homes who are making maybe 60, 70, $80,000 a year.

They can't afford to buy a home on the North side, they're priced out.

So they've been looking in south and West side neighborhoods been driving up the most affordable prices home the home.

The prices for the most affordable home.

So that's the driver of that happening here.

But what really disturbs me is that these increases need not have been so big about $700 per home is tagged onto them because of the cuts that have been made on commercial properties, which we suspect 2 excessive on commercial properties.

And it's not just office buildings.

This is on hotels.

This is on data centers.

This is on retail properties, industrial properties that are apartments that are doing pretty well.

>> And so there's the you say there's the cuts that are happening at the Board of Review on those commercial properties.

But for as far as the increases in some south and West side neighborhoods, what about park, etc?

How much of those increases are driven by improvements in those neighborhoods and growth?

I think it's a lot of things.

First of all.

>> There are really great things happening in our neighborhoods, up in the people who have stuck it out through doldrums of the housing crisis that happened in the late 2000 the 20 teens.

They were pummeled by falling prices.

Their mortgages were underwater.

But a lot of people stuck it out and have taken care of their neighborhoods.

When you look at Austin, when you look at Garfield Park, when you look at North Lawndale, people have a lot of pride and their neighbor.

They have taken care of it in the end there.

They're now getting return on their investment.

So the last 3 years on the south and West sides, there's been more wealth creation in the growth of values in people's homes and over the last 20 years.

So that's good news.

Of course, it's hard when people's bills go up.

What makes you know and everyone, you know, needs to be paying their fair share.

Of course.

But when we're seeing big cuts on commercial properties and big industrial properties, commercial properties, corporate properties and its pushed onto the homeowner.

When past studies have shown that these cuts have been excessive.

That is what I find extremely concerning.

And that's what I'm fighting against.

So there's a tax bill and there's the assessed value.

Of course, the treasurer's report released earlier this week also found that West Garfield Park North Lawndale resident saw their property value assessments.

>> More than double.

That's right.

What's the cause Again?

This is affordability.

So a match in Austin a few years ago before the pandemic.

You can buy a house and the.

>> Maybe below $150,000.

It's very hard to find a home in Austin below $250,000.

Now.

And the reason also he's a great neighborhood.

Great things are happening that are they have great.

There's a revival in the the commercial strips there.

The homes are really nice.

And people were looking at homes are looking all over the city for affordability.

If you're someone who's making 60 70, $80,000 in your priced out completely out of buying a home in on the North side.

And if you've been an apartment where rents are rising, may be stuck there during the pandemic.

You go a home in Austin, right?

you're going to pay a little bit these neighborhoods across the city, which are great.

>> The kids to make sure that people's assessment estimated accurately.

We have to follow the prices.

The people are paying out there.

That's our duty and our and our office.

But we want to make sure that we get that right.

We try to walk humbly so we can go through a checklist about what homeowners can do to make sure that they're not paying more than they have to.

>> You say your office is advocating for a circuit breaker to relieve homeowners.

What is that what it looks like?

That's right.

So a circuit breaker program is a kind of property tax relief.

>> Program for people whose bills have spiked.

29 other states have programs like this of scour the nation meeting with her peers to see how those can work.

And with really important because this is the kind of relief that would help people in neighborhoods that are experiencing gentrification like the kind that we talked about for seniors who are falling off the senior freeze.

And for Pete for working people.

We need to have more protections for people who work and we don't have enough of them.

So how the with the circuit breaker work?

The program that we propose would be if your bills by 25% or more, you would get really for up to half of the increase in your bill for 3 years there would be income Your income would have to be below $100,000.

Is our proposal.

And I've written an op-ed with the meeting, mayors in the West and south suburbs who have high tax rates whose taxpayers have experienced problems just like this last couple years and has the support of the self and mayors and managers and the south and regional mayoral black caucus.

What's been reception from lawmakers so far?

Well, what we hear is that budgets are extremely stretched in Springfield, but the weeds here from legislators that there's a lot of need, what we've heard from leaders is that let's try to make a program that can work statewide.

So it's not just Cook County.

So we're going to be working into signing legislation just like that and introduce it in the spring.

And real quick before we let you go, talked a lot about the Board of review have not heard from them in time for this segment tonight.

But how would you argue for 4 different calculations once those appeals are made to the Board of Review's a commercial properties?

>> Or accurately valued?

Well, the good thing is that there's a road map.

county study group made so that will get more accurate assessments from the outset and will be fewer cuts on appeal.

So Beavis burden so be passed on a homeowner's that needs assessment will be more accurate.

There's more than a dozen recommendations.

>> It's led by study group led by President Preckwinkle.

We've already started implementing these.

We agree with him wholeheartedly.

And board review is working with us to implement them as well.

So we look forward to further progress in implementing them.

All right.

county tax assessor for Katie, thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

>> Up next, a shocking incident at a local hospital highlights challenges to black maternal health.

Demands for action after a black mother in labor is discharged from an Indiana hospital and gives birth in a car just 8 minutes later, the Chicago area mother Marcedes Wells spent hours at the hospital until her contractions were a minute apart before she was told she was being discharged.

>> we get transfer her to a different season tonight?

>> Anyone has ever been in Labor knows Wells had her baby in a car on her way to another hospital, but says the baby girl is doing well.

Now.

It comes just days after another high profile case in Texas where viral video showed Kerry Jones in visible pain.

Answer numerous questions before getting a delivery room.

The cases are raising questions over the treatment of black pregnant women and renewing conversations over medical racism.

Joining us now are Chad Smith, founder of Girls in the Hood and organization dedicated to providing young black girls and women with reproductive health care and resources.

Kerri Stewart, a certified nurse midwife with DUI Health and founder of Melanie did midwives and Blair Imani, author and creator of the TikTok series smarter in seconds.

She's also a commentator on issues of structural racism and is currently pregnant.

Congratulations on that.

Blair, thanks to all of you for joining us.

First, I want to get your reaction when you saw these videos circulating years.

Carrie Jones in Texas and the Wells family here in Indiana.

Smith first will be what was your reaction when you saw those discussed?

That was my first reaction.

Honestly could not watch the video in his full segment.

I had to keep coming back to it in part because it was so trigger.

you know, as a mother as a black mother.

>> And just as a woman period, you know, to see someone in that type of situation pay.

So I will say that just I was disgusted, but I wasn't a part Not surprised.

Okay.

Want to come back to Kerri Stewart was your reaction.

>> You know, unfortunately, I have to agree, very discuss it quite disappointing.

you know, just traumatized myself as a black woman as a mom and I could not vice the entire thing myself because as you can see, as you start to look at it, you know, this is what's going to happen.

And again, just very disappointed that these 2 young women had to experience those situations.

>> Larry money.

>> I have to echo both because it's just so terrifying.

You know, being 9 months pregnant myself.

You know, I'm ready to give birth any moment and the entirety of my pregnancy, the maternal mortality rate and systemic racism have been top of mind.

And so to see the worst case scenario play out, not just once but twice on video in full resolution is just really.

She just that makes you want to shutter.

It makes you cringe.

It makes you afraid.

But I also, you know, I'm leaning into my support system.

My OBGYN on last appointment brought it up before I did because she knows what her by patients are going through.

And it's really just unacceptable.

Hensel, if discussing and disappointing.

As you say, you weren't surprised.

don't know why not.

>> Yeah, I mean, this is what black women have been screamin but write a big case that our concerns are dismissed are paying is This is not taken seriously.

And as we saw that woman with invisible pay right.

And so, yeah, we've been saying this for the long isn't so well.

I hate that.

It was after the and his manner.

I'm glad that it is raising awareness that we need to.

Hopefully, you know, come up with some solutions to today's situation.

>> But yeah, I was a surprise it out.

This is what we've been saying to that point, though, this feels like an issue that we've been talking about publicly not.

You know, obviously these women have been talking about for some time, but publicly for the last several years.

Kerry.

>> Why does this seem to have not improved?

>> Because providers and institutions and not being intentional on caring for people their community.

And so, you know, I said this earlier today talking to my colleagues.

Yes, we had pro to cars.

Yes, everybody's time in a fit into that situation.

But everybody Labor's differently.

She's not hauling.

She's not screaming.

That does not mean her pain is at a 10 12.

And so you need to use common sense to know that the lady did not need to be discharged, especially if this is our 4th child we know is providers that someone can go from 3 to complete in a matter of 8 minutes.

As we saw.

And so I think we're just not.

As much you know, everybody likes to say, listen, listen, listen, I'm listening not acting appropriately and that's the problem.

>> Most recent figures show that while maternal mortality nationwide has declined since its peak in 2022. black women are still more likely to die in childbirth.

50 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 14.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women, LARRY money, what we know about the causes for these disparities.

>> You know, when we look at these different outcomes for different community, sometimes because of consciously think, well, that must because, you know, hypertension is more common in the community or this illness is more common when it comes to the black maternal mortality rate.

I'm sad to say that it is because of systemic racism.

It is because of medical racism.

It is because of systemic bias.

It's because we have medical students who are being caught as recently as 2020 that black people have thicker skin or that we do have this high pain tolerance, things that are rooted in complete.

Pseudo science but are still being, you know, cause fact.

And it goes all the way back Marion Jason's and the creation of an oncology as you know, as a health care system.

But what we see again and again is that this isn't something that is specific to a specific education bracket.

It's not specific to an income bracket.

It is something that all black women are dealing with an indigenous women as well are dealing with it there to times more likely to pass during due to pregnancy-related cause as well.

As you work with young black women and teens in pregnancy were some of the challenges in getting them the support and care they need.

>> So bad for our girls.

You know, they are faces stigma and judgment just right off the bat, right for being a teen.

Mom would be it.

You know, a young parent.

And so when encounter it, the healthcare system that just goes is so bad.

We get calls from girls who are crying were in tears.

And you know to so mean to me here.

So from the point entry from registration to triage to about a time to get to the provided is so beat up this spirit that so broken, right.

And I want people to understand it.

Why isn't that a business on, you know how someone got pregnant while they're pregnant at their age and things like that?

That's number one.

Number sometimes things happen because of assault, you know, abuse of things.

I imagine how you're making this situation worse for our girls.

And so growth foundation we out there will just jump in the hood mobile and go to the clinic appointments with the girls to advocate for them.

We decent and with little notebook so that they you know, take notes.

And right now, providers names and things like that.

But really hands-on with them to try to south and those polls.

Kerry, tell us a little bit about the work of Melanie did midwives briefly and in the kind of support that you all aim to provide to lower black maternal mortality >> we're really trying to aim for diversification of the workforce.

And we know that we need more providers that look like individuals that they care for in the community.

We know that, unfortunately, some of the dei measures have, you know, been barriers for us to do so.

But words still boots on the ground, trying to get folks educated, found that wise and other health care providers that they could do as a career choice.

And so if that means we're providing resources such as scholarships and internships, but also just doing more education community for families about how to select the right institution had to select the right provider.

What things you can do to advocate for yourself.

And these women were advocating for this effort is very hard to do so when you're in labor, so having that support system, too, be able to advocate getting considering that would free care and knowing that there are other options and other places that you can go that are providing care.

That is support your needs and your wishes.

>> Now, we should mention we do have an official statement from France get Franciscan Health, which is where the Wells family initially went.

That says that they found concerns deeply troubling and that they are, quote, committed to meeting and exceeding all regulations and best practices for care and we will take appropriate action based on the findings of our review.

They say they'll be conducting a thorough investigation.

Larry money we've got under a minute left.

What is that enough?

What what needs to change here?

>> We need entire systems change.

We need more embrace delivering care anymore.

Embrace of doula care.

We need that to be more accessible.

We also have an extremely hostile administration in this moment which is spreading misinformation about guidance for pregnant people about things like what pain relief are allowed to use.

And so this is the worst time.

But because of organizations like girls in the hood needed midwives like birth, unlike Black Mamas Matter Alliance, this is It's really the community stepping up and showing up for one another lifting as we climb.

And you know that we will get through these difficult times through the support of one another, as we always have.

But it's going to take wild to see more systems change.

But we have to continue to speak up and we can't just do it when something goes viral.

So this was in a week and then on that for many people, I hope that continues.

All right.

That's where we'll have to leave it.

A best of luck for wishing you a safe and joyful delivery.

Blair Imani chose Ms.

Kerri Stewart, thanks to you all for joining us.

Thank you.

>> Thank you.

Brandon.

And we're back right after this.

>> Reflecting the people and perspectives that make a buck This story is part of Chicago tonight.

Black Voice.

>> And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 11, one-on-one with surprise congressional candidate Patty Garcia, who's vying to succeed the retiring to a Garcia relations year.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Clifford and law