Joining the show this week is Alderman Pat O’Connor. O’Connor is the chairman of the City Hall Finance Committee. He is running for Alderman to represent the 40th ward. Pat and Bill discuss issues affecting the 40th ward, the upcoming election, and what his hopes are for the newly elected mayor.
In this week’s round table segment, Bill is joined by Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune, Greg Hinz of Crains, Lynn Sweet and Fran of the Chicago Sun-Times. The round table opens up the discussion with a preview of the upcoming Mayoral election. Does Lightfoot still have the advantage over Preckwinkle? Lynn reports from Washington D.C with an update. Can President Trump win re-election?

This week’s community spotlight segment is with Nick Gale. Nick describes the recent flooding that has hit parts of the state. It also features Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Emergency Management Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau.

High river levels along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers has impacted residents and is also responsible for the closure of several ferry services that shave dozens of miles off of car and truck trips in the southern part of the state.

Closer to home, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has toured flooded northern Illinois neighborhoods and asked the state’s emergency operations center to expedite help to the area.

The National Weather Service says the Rock and Pecatonica rivers have been at flood stage since last week. About 200 residents were evacuated and the American Red Cross was operating shelters and serving meals.

Winnebago and Stephenson counties were hit particularly hard.

In freeport Wednesday, Pritzker said the conditions are “some of the highest river levels this area has seen in more than three decades.”

So far the state has provided more than 234,000 sandbags, 125 rolls of plastic, 16 pumps and Illinois Department of Corrections crews to fill sandbags.