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

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Brandis Friedman is on assignment.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> It's been John.

The jury finds Chicago police officers used excessive force when searching a local family's home.

Only thing is one thing simple ship when they get nuclear weapon.

>> Tensions rise between Iran and the U.S.

as President Trump builds up military presence in the region.

>> And what this photo tells us about microplastics in the food chain.

First off tonight, a federal jury is ordering the city of Chicago to pay 5.7 million dollars to a family whose home was raided by Chicago police officers.

>> The jury found that 9 officers acted improperly and used excessive force against taint.

Her mother, Cynthia Easton and 4 children back in August 2018, the team set off flash bang grenades before breaking down the door and repeatedly pointing assault rifles directly at the children during the raid.

The jury also found the city liable for the officer's misconduct saying that officials in new officers were routinely violating Chicagoans rights while serving search warrants and improperly using force against children.

Here's Tate following today's verdict.

>> I'm just justice we have justice now.

And I just pray that this will for stop school, the wrongful rates for the next family should have to go through what we went >> The warrant obtained by police to search the apartment identified a man who did not and had never lived in the home that live nearby.

According to the lawsuit, the city's law department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

No more hidden costs in Illinois utility bills.

That was the cry from consumer watchdogs today as state lawmakers filed a measure aimed at blocking utilities from passing along certain costs to consumers in their bills.

Among the items, membership dues for trade associations, insurance protections for shareholders, advertising aimed at boosting the company's image and fees for lawyers pushing higher rates at the Illinois Commerce Commission.

>> Many Illinois consumers have no idea that their electric gas and water bills cover tens of millions of dollars and self-serving utility expenses that have 0 consumer benefit.

Rather.

They advance the agenda as Illinois utilities and increase political power.

Coming now, assist of documents filed in utility rate hike cases from 2023 to 2025 found that on average for the average year, repairs can say 40 million dollars a year across Illinois.

>> With Indiana poised to approve a new stadium authority.

A high-profile Bears fan is looking to pressure the team into staying in the land of Lincoln.

Former governor Pat Quinn is announcing an online petition drive called Bear Down for Illinois where fans can call on the team's owners to stay in state.

>> I think it's super important all of band together in the best traditions of George Halas.

The owner founder coach and player of the Bears George Dallas believed in Illinois.

He went to the University of Illinois many years ago.

>> He started the team more than a century ago and joined Challis understands.

I think the value of loyalty.

>> The Indiana House of Representatives voted 95 to 4 yesterday to approve creation of the state authority aimed at building a new football stadium.

That bill now goes back to the state Senate for final approval before it can head to the governor.

Up next, tensions rise between Iran and the United States.

Local specialists.

Way in 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 donors.

>> Iranian officials are arriving in Geneva ahead of tomorrow's critical talks with the U.S.

over Tehran's nuclear program during the State of the Union address last night, President Trump said Iran is working on missiles, quote, that will soon reach the United States.

Iranian officials say Trump's claims are false and believe the president is setting up a justification for military action.

Negotiations are taking place during a period of civil unrest in Iran with thousands of protesters killed by the Iranian government.

Joining us to talk about all that and more are Jacqueline Safer, author and Iranian American commentator and a native of Tehran.

Either he might sure Iif journalism and Middle Eastern studies professor at Northwestern and author of Social Media, Religious Authority and the Arab Gulf Crisis.

Robert Pape, political science professor at the University of Chicago.

He is the founding director of the Chicago Project on Security and threats via Zoom, Richard Porter and attorney and longtime member of the Republican National Committee.

He was a White House adviser to President George HW Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.

Thank you all for being here.

We appreciate your time.

Jacqueline Sapor, as we just mentioned, headlines for weeks about massive anti-government protest in Iran and harsh government response.

What exactly do we know about the situation on the ground right now about the protests in the >> Well, they've been many protests in Iran.

Basically they're seeking for new team and a normal life, not ideology.

Just a few days ago, February 21st and 22nd.

And you students from 3 universities clashed with anti protest.

Police.

So far.

You know, this regime has always had protests from the beginning of its inception.

The very first protest was March.

It's 1979 when I was a high school senior into her on and I watched thousands of women go to the streets to protest the panda to up and even then they were assaulted, verbally assaulted and some were attacked by nice and broken glass come to current situation.

In 2009, there were protests against the rig.

It presidential election that people chanted.

Where is my vote?

Then?

Of course we had I was here on this program in a January of 2020.

And I mentioned that a few months before November of 2019, were protests on fuel charges.

1500 killed.

Then we know the protests of 2022 I mean, he and his job and we come to today.

But as the protests today are different for a few reasons.

First, they are.

Massive pored over the country and they are now chanting death to the dictator.

So they want they want the regime to fall.

Second is the use of technology today.

There's facial recognition.

The phone tracking drones so that the fear and the danger is not only the streets is going to when you go home because they can come and arrest you fair.

So it's quite different nowadays.

of course, the amount of people being killed.

Even President Trump mentioned the fact 2000 killed that could be more.

Yeah.

I mean, how about that?

Ibrahim up a Sharif.

You know, the president saying 32,000 human rights activists news agency says 7,000 the government, just 3,000 certainly significant number.

In any case.

>> But you run a saying President Trump's comments around these protests says is misinformation.

Do you think there's any truth to that?

Well, I think there's a lot of certain that the 32,000 is excessive, even by independent.

>> Authorities who are trying to look at the numbers.

But again, when we look at the numbers like this, we're looking at the case building.

And so the higher the number the more need there is for a nice is to be involved in Iran.

So I think we need to look at the messaging of statistics and messaging about why we should go into Iran's very particular place for last 20 years.

Iran has been a week away from having nuclear weapon.

And so that that threat itself this season be weaponized is a reason to get into the regime to get into the country and for its resources and let's not play games.

Iran has a lot of oil and it is also powerful military country regionally speaking.

And so I mean, the protest and to make a case against nyces going into Iran does not mean you're supporting the regime there at We're talking about 2 different things different conversations altogether.

But I think the United States is ready employees to do the same mistake that did with Iraq pouring trillions of dollars into genocide in Iraq.

As many people have called it.

That ultimately failed.

Well, how about that Robert Pape?

You know, there were, of course, those targeted strikes in July on the Fordo nuclear facility.

>> But, you know, you've written your substack that the U.S.

is falling into a trap that will lead to military escalation.

Do you see any way to break that cycle?

Well, it's important for the listeners know that I studied every year campaign since World War One, I published a major book bombing to win.

It still required reading by the U.S.

Air Force.

I've talked for the U.S.

Air Force.

>> not just an academic who's been behind the scenes.

I've advised every White House since 9 to 11.

Not this one yet, but that just to directly answer your question, we're falling into what I call the smart bomb trap again, we fell into that trap in 2003 was shock and awe.

Well, many of your listeners and viewers will remember that.

>> And then that led to terrorism, a civil war and 20 years of a forever war.

Why did we going to build democracy?

There was lots of pro-democracy movement.

I am very pro democracy of the way to build democracy is not the barrel of a gun.

It's not by dropping bombs because what happens when you drop those bombs is they do destroy the targets.

That's the trapped in the smart bomb trap.

You can be 100% tactically successful and strategically fail.

And that's what happened last.

will remember when President Trump said we obliterated the nuclear program in Iran no week what craters in dirt and concrete.

That's what we did with the smart bombs.

And just in last night you heard he's worried Iran is going to get a bomb.

Again.

He's admitting failure.

That is the normal cycle and of the smart bomb trap stage.

One of the smart bomb trap was last June.

We are now about to go into stage 2.

Hopefully we won't.

But if we do, this will be a much more difficult stage to get out.

We're about to cross the threshold of the smart bomb trap, which is not and then going to be up to us anymore.

Whether we can just walk away.

I may add something.

>> This is a very dangerous machine.

It's not like maderas Venezuela that he was a cartel criminal cartel.

This is a regime based ideological reishi based on concept a factory or Islamic jurisprudence with the Supreme leader.

And since inception of the resolution, they They have welcomed war isolation and sanctions.

For example, 1980, there were Iran Iraq war happened September of 1980, said war could in 1982.

With anybody.

Chanel Shaq, but then Supreme Leader Khomeini purposely wanted to extend the war, which he did for another 6 years.

And she is right in a broader sense because the history air power in trying to topple regimes.

>> Shows that radical wise is the regime.

We all think.

Oh, sure.

Let's killed, use their their bad and they'll be replaced by somebody better.

Almost always.

It's the opposite.

If you just think of to die of week, helped kill the Chechen leader, do die of in 1996 April 1996, thinking he was a bad guy.

And what did we get in his place as the of who's the guy who did the suicide attacks?

>> That went on for years inside of Chechnya.

If Hamas leaders, we've killed Hamas leader after Hamas leader after Hamas leader or help the Israelis do and what we end up with more radical wise, bad people taking over.

This is the danger of morning on trial.

And I want to get to Richard Porter in this conversation as well.

You know, the president spent just a few minutes on Iran during last night's State of the Union.

>> We haven't necessarily heard quite as many of the detailed plans leading up to potential war, perhaps the way we did in Iraq or Afghanistan.

What do you make of the potential for a strike against Iran?

Well, I think the the risk here and the and the president's possible strategies can be different in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

>> It's probably more akin to what he did against.

maybe what Clinton did in Serbia.

And but it may be hard.

But in terms of what the Trump himself did in Venezuela with Maduro, I think that there is no taste in the Republican administration for boots on the ground and then extended or massive way in Iran.

I think in the wake of the wreck in Afghanistan, the president has promised no more far away forever wars.

And I think that would severely damaged his standing politically if he were to launch a war that looks and smells like the Iraq war.

So, Robert, I don't think that's a risk.

because he running out she will effective.

And we do see that I is right.

I mean, its often the case, you need to have more than just bombs coming from the sky to change the regime to change behavior and that sort of thing.

One of things the strategy that the Trump administration used in Venezuela was to identify leaders down a level that they thought that would be responsive to United States concerns and certainly not in the Venezuela case.

Concerns were around drugs and political prisoners and so forth.

if extent that there is some, you know, I hate to use the word moderate because we know there are many that was mistake the Reagan made but dealing with Iran.

But if there is some other level down a level or 2 if they kill Khamenei and some of the other leaders of the IRGC and otherwise they might get to someone who they can work with, who will then assure the West to show the world that Iran will focus on a run and not be seeking to built the bomb.

I don't think that there's going to be invasion of Iran.

not predicting an invasion.

That's not what's going to happen.

>> What's going to happen is we're and you can hear Trump is looking for an off-ramp and the off-ramp is over.

Just go into a little strike.

Walk away.

The problem is we are encouraging Iran to accelerate its movement to a nuclear weapon.

And so if we do this kind of small strike and it's only going to accelerate this even more and will become even more fearful a few months from now.

So what we are facing is the smart bomb trap where every time we get mesmerized by this idea of tactical success.

We're digging hole deeper and we are encouraging the bad people to do things worse and what's worse, the nuclear weapon?

Well, and there's also, you know, another round of peace talks scheduled in Geneva tomorrow Richard Porter.

Back to you for a moment.

>> You know, we've heard cut back and forth from Iranian leaders, some of them calling out President's lies, but also saying that they'll do what it takes to get a nuclear deal.

Do you think negotiations could still be fruitful here?

>> Well, I think that that's the hope Ronald Reagan said of the Soviet Union trust but verify.

I think with the Ron you have to distrust and verify.

I don't think there's any chance.

>> Iran be telling the truth.

I just you it's not who they are.

If they wanted peace, they could have If you know, they've been their pursuit of the of the nuclear bomb is disconnected from an independent of whatever the United States does, that the there's been kind of a Adam and coal focus and Iran.

It's a revolutionary regime.

They want to spread the revolution.

They want world domination.

That's what they are.

That's what they You know, we have to get them to change.

Their strategy very unlikely that that's going to be the case.

And for that to occur, they cast personnel change.

I think some people have to die.

And if the new people that are going to built the leaders Iran that's the only way you see a change in Iran.

No, I do think that this is buying time for the U.S.

to pull its forces to build the defensive missile sites and so forth.

The rounds are more vulnerable facilities to move people out of the region and get ourselves prepared for what's going to be much rougher engagement that Venezuela was.

I think that was it.

agree with that comment.

I saw that China's moves ship missiles that are.

So, you know, look, I think it's a likely the talks will succeed.

Then Trump would be thrilled if they did.

He's established real credibility by his willingness to use force and use it effectively both in Iran and Venezuela.

So we'll I think it's unlikely to be successful evening.

>> Yeah, just a couple comments.

The use total rising Iran as being dishonest.

Have a problem with the truth.

And also world domination.

These are words of propagandist.

And I think that we need to avoid that.

Iran had a deal with the Obama administration.

They're willing to do it and they would give up their their nuclear ambitions if the sanctions are lifted and they are not no longer a world pariah.

And so their economy can can be more robust.

And so I think what I want one of the things that as a teacher of professor Postcolonial studies, some of the things that we're looking at, the United States posture toward Middle East and South America has colonial appetite involved with it.

mean, we're looking America bombing harming the global south.

They're not doing this in Norway, Sweden or whatever.

So let's let's week live with their eyes open little bit.

Let's look at the patterns that we're seeing here.

This is a colonial app.

Tyre, certainly surfacing to take you know, whatever that to to make secure a region from what I mean, the firm will freeze rent is is that was going to drive your policy.

Is that the whole policy?

>> If I do say why Saudi Arabia been worried about Iran, it isn't just the idea.

This is colonial.

That's nonsense.

This is this is a regime threatening its really its its neighbors.

It.

But it is important trouble for the Saudis.

>> Excuse me, as a person who lived in the Arab girl for 18 years.

What you're saying right now, especially untrue.

The Saudis have come closer to Iran.

The Qataris have come closer to Iran.

Rockies have come closer to Iran.

So what you're looking at is absolute his point of view that is no longer in effect.

That may be that work.

And Reagan Times but not now.

The real problem is not wrong.

It's whether we would take yes for an answer.

>> So President Trump didn't take yes for an answer with the he's the one who ripped it up.

And 2018 and go back to Saddam Hussein in 2003.

So did everything possible to turn over every site possible that we asked, including everything the CIA said over 400 sites inspected by the UN.

And you know what?

We couldn't take?

Yes for an answer.

How are we going to take?

Yes for an answer here unless we actually control the country.

Are we just going to trust that somehow out of there is no bomb making material?

I think this is the problem with the smart bomb trap.

We've gone down a road and this is exactly the fear that's driving us forward.

Not the reality.

We just got about 20 seconds.

he wants Foreign Minister head chief has said he too, did mistress these negotiations.

>> And Steve, which cuff invite to the Middle East has said why doesn't doesn't don't to on Kathy today because of all Navy presence there.

But this will talk about new pair issues.

This machine has about 2000 but is Stickney south and people don't want this vision is beyond that and they may harm.

They have blocked 3 to 4 That's a problem, But and courage to the Supreme has dedicated anybody.

Tiny has a he's targeted to.

There is successor, pace, not as a supreme leader, but this week she will fight to the last to survive.

Unfortunately, that's where we'll have to leave it much more we can say on this topic and we thank you us tease.

>> Jacqueline, safer for Heat on Sharif, Robert Pape and Richard Porter.

>> And up next, local birders accidently make a scientific Discovery Brandis treatment.

And Patty, what explain in a conversation recorded earlier.

>> Birding enthusiasts in Chicago have been treated to some unusual sightings over the winter as migratory ducks chill-out along our waterways.

But in the process of photographing these visitors, some people have managed to document something else altogether.

They captured an image of an invasive species that happened to be a key piece of evidence for researchers at Loyola University, Chicago to use here to break down all the twists and turns of this story is W T Tw News reporter Patty, what Lee, OK, Patty, there's a lot going on is a lot going on.

were gonna start docks.

Yes, I'm OK, so we've got a photo was released showing a duck, even a crayfish.

Yes.

What is so special about that photo?

So many things special about it.

First, it was a white wind scooter.

>> Which they breed up in northern Canada.

They usually spend the winters along the coast.

So to have them here is interesting to have one in the Chicago River instead of on open water of the lake was what drew so many people to River Park, which is not that far from the studio here in the North side, people they could get closer views of it.

And one fellow Mike McCauley who shares pictures with me caught one diving, came back up.

Has he snapped the photo crayfish its mouth and people are like that's a big crayfish.

It is.

It's red swamp crayfish, which is invasive and really only found in that stretch of the Chicago River.

And there are researchers.

Rubin Keller has a lab at Loyola University studying those crayfish in the river there.

And they had always suspected that birds were maybe eating them, had no way of proving it.

This photo 100% proves without a doubt that crayfish are being eaten by the birds.

And that's important because with the research also showed was that these crayfish full of micro-plastics.

And so proving that the birds are eating them, that's showing one-way.

That microplastics might be moving up.

The food chain.

So Yang, good bad to see it happening.

And I just very so this picture than this evidence, very helpful for the researchers at Loyola.

Yeah, because otherwise, you know, these crayfish are in the murky Chicago River.

You have no way.

How are you ever going to capture a diving bird under water?

>> Ending one of these, you know, but they said it's so helpful.

Birders know where to go to get these photos.

They're out there with their amazing equipment that can zoom in on these things.

So it's a great example of, you know, community science or just how an everyday person observations can actually help with scientific discovery through exciting.

So what is what's been the focus of the research for the Loyola researchers?

>> I mean, they're looking at this invasive It is really very limited to that stretch of the Chicago River right now.

These can outcompete so many other things, but it's it's that.

>> They are such a source of food.

For fish and for birds, but also they themselves like they said, they're not selective in what they eat.

So they just hoover up, whatever is on the ground.

And they said they were finding fiber of micro-plastics stuck inside these crayfish.

That they can't expel and it's like we have no idea.

How is this affecting the crayfish?

And now that a bird is eating it whole consuming it, assuming that fiber ball is going with It brought up so many more questions so so many and more questions, so much more research.

But they do know now you now.

>> 100% sure birds are eating these great ideas that are top people on that.

Their own and not only search for them to do heavy wet Lee, thanks so much.

Thanks.

Brandis.

And you can read patties full story on our website.

That's at W T Tw Dot com Slash news.

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

Don't forget, you can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube channel every evening and catch up on any programs you may have missed.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

Now for all of us here in Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Lumber.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Sketch a possible by Robert, a cliff and Clifford law Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death.

Right?

And