>> 5 YEARS AGO, FORMER MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT BECAME THE FIRST BLACK, A WOMAN TO BE ELECTED MAYOR OF CHICAGO.

BUT IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE A HOST OF CHALLENGES ROSE TO THE SURFACE DURING HER TIME IN OFFICE.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC RISING CRIME AND THE RACIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD.

A NEW BOOK OFFERS A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK INTO LIGHTFOOT'S TAMAL TILLIS SINGLE TERM IN OFFICE.

AND JOINING US IS GREGORY PRATT, CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORTER AND AUTHOR OF THE CITY IS UP FOR GRABS HOW CHICAGO MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT LEAD AND LOST A CITY IN CRISIS.

THIS IS A REAL PAGE TURNER.

GREG PRATT, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WATCHING THAT LAST INTERVIEW AS A AS VETERAN AND CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORTER.

YOU ARE NOW TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.

>> SO THAT'S THE CENTRAL QUESTION YOU POSE HERE IN THE INTRODUCTION.

THIS BOOK IS.

>> HOW DID LORI LIGHTFOOT GO FROM POLITICAL WUNDERKIND?

THIS RAPID RISE WHERE SHE EVERY SINGLE WAR IN THE RUNOFF.

>> 2 SULKING HER WAY OUT OF CITY HALL.

HOW DID SHE?

>> IT'S A FUNDAMENTALLY INABILITY TO HAVE POLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO YOU DON'T LIKE AND IT'S NOT DIFFERENT THAN A NORMAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENT WHERE MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR MANAGER, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S ON THE GO TO HACK EVERY DAY.

MAYBE YOU DO.

AND THEN PRETTY SOON THAT HAPPENS AT THE TRIBUNE OR AND WTTA W. BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A THING IN POLITICS THAT SHE JUST COULDN'T TRANSITION.

YOU KNOW, I TELL PEOPLE IT'S ADAPT OR DIE.

AND SHE WAS A PROSECUTOR AND SHE COULDN'T GET OUT OF THAT MINDSET.

WHAT IS TALKING ABOUT TRANSITIONING THE LIGHTFOOT THAT CAMPAIGNED WAS VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE WHO GOVERNED ON SO MANY ISSUES LIKE ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD.

POLICE OVERSIGHT, 180 DEGREE TURNS WHEN IT COUNTED FOR HER CHANGE OF POSITION ON THESE THINGS.

>> WHAT'S IT'S REMARKABLE.

SO THERE'S THERE'S ON THE ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS, RAHM EMANUEL WARNER ABOUT AND TOLD HER WHEN THEY HAD A MEETING.

YOU DON'T WANT THIS BECAUSE SHE CAMPAIGNED IN FAVOR OF AND SHE NO, I DON'T.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE BOOK USES SIPES.

I'M LIKE I'M NOT FOR THAT ARE SO BRIGHT THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE CAMPAIGNED ON THAT AND THEN WHEN THIS ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD HAPPENED, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE CHANCE THAT WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING IN SPRINGFIELD, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR HER POSITION HAD CHANGED.

SO SHE JUST KIND OF LET THE CTU AND THE LEGISLATORS DO THEIR THING AND THEN CAME UP AT THE LAST MINUTE LOSS.

AND THE ISSUE WAS THAT SHE CAMPAIGN ONE WAY AND GOVERN ANOTHER.

AS YOU POINT OUT AND THAT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE SHE WAS MASSAGING SOME OF HER REAL POSITIONS.

2 >> YOU KNOW, COMPETE WITH TONI PRECKWINKLE ON SOME OF THESE PROGRESSIVE ISSUES, WHICH IS WHERE CHICAGO FOR MOST PART IS.

BUT IN TRUTH, YOU KNOW, SHE RAN LIKE A LIKE A LEFTY AND SHE WAS A MODERATE LIKE EMANUEL.

AND YOU YOU CAN'T PRETEND TO BE KEVIN COSTNER ON DAY NUMBER 2, 3, YOU CAN PRETEND TO BE KEVIN COSTNER ON DAY ONE.

BETTER CALL SAUL REFERENCE.

BUT THE YOU GET THE POINT, A GUY GOT YOU YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ATTEND OF TEXT MESSAGES AND EMAILS FROM THE MAYOR.

YOU DID A LOT OF 4 WEIGHING TO GET >> A LOT OF LIKE ALARMING.

NOT ALARMING.

BUT YOU KNOW, LANGUAGE THAT THE MAYOR USES THAT KIND OF STANDS OUT NOT JUST TO HER PERCEIVED ENEMIES, BUT HER ALLIES.

GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME LIKE TEXT MESSAGES OR E-MAILS THAT SHE SENT TO PEOPLE, STAFFERS, OTHER ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST KIND OF LIKE EYE OPENING.

I REMEMBER AND I TELL THE STORY IN THE BOOK THAT I GET A PHONE CALL FROM A STAFFER SAYS YOU NEED TO FOR YOU THIS EMAIL.

IT'S THE CRAZIEST E-MAIL I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

>> AND IT'S A THING WHERE SHE WAS UPSET ABOUT, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, OFFICE TIME, WHICH IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH IS TIME WHERE SHE'S HAS FREE TIME TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, READ WHATEVER AND SHE IS.

SHE WAS IN OFFICE TIME WHEN SHE SENT THE EMAIL AND SHE SENDS E-MAIL AND SAYS I NEED OFFICE TIME EVERY DAY.

I MEAN, OFFICE TIME EVERY DAY.

I MEAN, OFFICE TIME EVERY REPEATS OF 16 TIMES IN THEIR 5 SONS IS REPEATED LIKE 70 TIMES.

NOBODY WANTED TO WORK FOR THAT, RIGHT.

AND AND IF YOU DO THAT OR I DID THAT WORK, WE GO TO HR.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S NOT A GOOD EMAIL.

AND THERE WAS THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT LIKE CHRIS TALIAFERRO.

THE ALDERMAN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT LOOTING AND RIOTING DURING THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS AND SHE SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO THIS.

WE NEED TO DO DO THAT.

AND SHE SAYS HE WAS AN ALLY SHE SAYS I'M GETTING I'M GETTING GUNK FOR FOR EVEN TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE THAT'S AT LEAST IN THE HEAT OF A CRISIS.

BUT IT WAS HER RESPONSE.

EVERYTHING.

I WAS LIKE THE THE TEXT MESSAGE SHE SENT MURRAY HAD AND ABOUT THE COLUMBUS STATUE.

SHE SAID I DON'T TAKE KINDLY TO DEMANDS.

AND MARIA JUST SAID THIS NEEDS TO COME DOWN.

CAN WE TALK INTERESTING?

SO IT I MEAN, DEFINITE DEFINITE SORT OF WAY OF DOING BUSINESS SAID THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE MAYOR.

>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT SHE WAS THROWN CRISES THAT NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC.

GEORGE WHAT IS YOUR SORT OF REPORTING HERE?

TELL YOU ABOUT HOW SHE MANAGED THESE 2 CRISIS.

>> SO I THINK ON COVID SHE AND THE GOVERNOR HAD A LOT OF CONFLICT AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE BOOK.

THE GOVERNOR SHUTDOWNS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT SHE WAS AGAINST IT.

>> BUT SHE DID THE RESPONSIBLE ADULT THING OF WORKING TOGETHER GOVERNOR PRITZKER.

>> OR A LITTLE?

>> NOT SHOW OFF A BUNCH OF FIGHTING LIKE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK AND NEW YORK CITY BLASIO AND CUOMO.

SO I THINK YOU SOME RESPECT FOR THAT.

I POLICING IN ON THE CIVIL UNREST, WE KIND OF GOT THE WORST OF BOTH WORLDS WHERE THE THEY REALLY DO THE REFORMS THAT THE PROMISE AND YOU DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKING AGGRESSIVELY.

SO SO YOU JUST KIND OF HAD A MIDDLING DEPARTMENT ALONG.

AND WAS REALLY UNFORTUNATE.

VERY QUICKLY.

ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE DECISION, THE HIRING OF THE POLICE CHIEF DAVID BROWN, WHO SHE REALLY TOUTED.

SHE REALLY WANTED.

>> BUT HE HE DIDN'T HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL TENURE BY ANY OBJECTIVE ACCOUNT.

NO.

AND IF SHE HAD FIRED HIM, SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GOT REELECTED BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT SHE WAS DOING ABOUT CRIME.

SHE HAD A ABSENTEE, A GUY REMEMBER PEOPLE USED TO SAY WHAT HE PAUSE.

OKAY.

HE'S POLLING IS NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHO HE IS.

AND THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT IS THE SECOND MOST VISIBLE PERSON IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO AT ANY GIVEN TIME ASIDE FROM WHOEVER IS LOSING GAMES FOR THE BEARS, THEIR A GREAT PRACTICE SO MUCH MORE.

WE COULD TALK ABOUT WITH THIS AND WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THE UNIVERSITY CLUB APRIL FOR THURSDAY.

SO THERE'S A PLUG.

THEIR GREG'S BOOK COMES OUT TOMORROW.

AGAIN, IT'S CALLED THE CITY IS