>>> RIGHT NOW AT 10:00, THANKS FOR JOINING US ON CHICAGO TONIGHT.

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.

>> >> HUNDREDS GATHER FOR THE FUNERAL OF ALL A CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER.

>> KEEP AN OPEN MIND ABOUT THIS .

>> A LOOK OF THE LIKELIHOOD COVID-19 COULD'VE EMERGED FROM A LAB LEAK IN CHINA.

>> AS YOU MENTIONED, I'LL BE REPORTING LIVE TONIGHT AS PART OF OUR CHICAGO NIGHT SERIES.

WE HAVE THE LATEST ON THE CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO REPLACE WHOLE FOODS WITH DISCOUNT GROCER.

THE EFFORT YOU MENTIONED TO REOPEN A LONG SHUTTERED GREEN LINE STATION.

BUT FOR NOW, BACK TO YOU.

>> NOT TO OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT.

A LINE OF MOURNERS STRETCHED FOR BLOCKS TO PAY FINAL RESPECTS TO OFFICER ANDRES.

HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED RESPONDING TO A VIOLENCE CALL.

>> Reporter: A SEA OF BLUE.

32-YEAR-OLD ANDRES VASQUEZ LASSO.

>> WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE YEARS THAT HE ALLOWED US TO SHARE IN HIS LIFE.

>> Reporter: HIS FAMILIES AND BROTHER SIMPLY CAME TOGETHER FOR THE FUNERAL SERVICE AT THE SHRINE CHAPEL.

>> HE WAS ONE OF THE BRAVEST AND MOST SELFLESS INDIVIDUALS I HAVE EVER KNOWN.

>> Reporter: JOHN BASKET IS HOLDING BACK TEARS DESCRIBING HIS FRIEND .

>> WE SAY FAREWELL.

BUT WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICE YOU MADE.

AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, THE MEMORIES YOU LIVE BEHIND.

>> Reporter: BASKET IS LASSO SERVED FIVE YEARS WITH THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

HIS COMMANDER BRIAN SAYS THE YOUNG OFFICER DREAMED OF BECOMING A DETECTIVE ONE DAY.

>> HE WOULD'VE ACHIEVED IT.

ANYONE WHO KNEW HIM NOTICE THE PRIDE IN HIS APPEARANCE.

HIS PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION TO FITNESS AND HIS PASSION FOR FOOTBALL.

>> Reporter: BASKET IS LASSO MIGRATED TO CHICAGO FROM COLUMBIA WHEN HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD.

AT 27 YEARS OLD, ENROLLED IN THE POLICE ACADEMY.

>> EVEN THOUGH MY ACTIONS WON'T CHANGE THE WORLD, I CAN CHANGE EVERY PERSON I GET IN CONTACT WITH AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID.

FROM FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, I'M JOANNA HERNANDEZ.

>>> AFTER THE FUNERAL, LASSO FAMILY ATTENDED A PRIVATE BURIAL SERVICE.

START NOW TO DO SOME MORE OF TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

WORKERS AT THE CHICAGO FIELD MUSEUM HAVE VOTED TO UNIONIZE.

NEARLY 300 EMPLOYEES TOOK PART IN THE VOTE.

72% APPROVED THE NEW UNION WHICH WILL FALL UNDER THE AMERICAN FEDERAL AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL 31.

IT CAPS OFF A LONG AND SOMETIMES BITTER FIGHT BETWEEN THE WORKERS AND MUSEUMS AND NEXT UP, NEGOTIATING THE FIRST EVER LABOR CONTRACT.

>>> THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE RED LINE SOUTH TO GET A MAJOR INFUSION OF FEDERAL CASH.

SENATORS DURBIN AND TAMMY DUCKWORTH ANNOUNCED $250 MILLION IN FEDERAL TRANSIT DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT THAT WOULD EXTEND THE RED LINE FROM 95th SOUTH TO 130th.

THE FEDERAL FUNDING COMES AFTER MAYOR LIGHTFOOT PUSHED THROUGH A NEW TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT TO RAISE NEARLY HALF $1 BILLION OF LOCAL MONEY FOR THE PROJECT.

IF COMPLETED, THE RED LINE EXTENSION WOULD ADD 5.6 MILES OF NEW TRACK AND CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE GARDENS UP UNTIL NOW HAVE BEEN TRANSIT DESERTS.

>>> THE PRAIRIE IN ROCKFORD IS NO MORE.

AT LEAST MOST OF THE PRAIRIE THAT IS.

DEMOLITION OF THE PRAIRIE HAPPEN TODAY TO MAKE WAY FOR AN EXPANSION OF THE ROCKFORD AIRPORT AFTER THE FAA GAVE APPROVAL TO THE PROJECT.

PRESERVATIONISTS HOPE TO STOP IT IN HIS TRUCK TO SAVE THE NATURAL AREA AND PROTECT AN ENDANGERED THE SPECIES.

PRESERVATIONISTS SAY THEY WILL TRY TO PRESERVE WHAT'S LEFT OF THE SOIL AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION.

STOMACH MOVING IT SPRINKLED TODAY AND A BILL THAT WOULD PROVIDE DISABILITY BENEFITS TO FIRST RESPONDERS SIDELINED BY COVID.

THE BILL WAS PASSED IN COMMITTEE.

IT WOULD GIVE FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE AND PARAMEDICS THE ABILITY TO CLAIM DISABILITY BENEFITS IF THEY GOT COVID AND ASSUME THAT COVID WAS A RESULT OF THEIR WORK.

THE BILL COMES AFTER HE BLASTED THE LIGHT FOOTED AFTER HER BROTHER WAS REFUSED DISABILITY DESPITE SUFFERING MAJOR HEALTH COMPLICATIONS FROM COVID.

LIGHTFOOT SAYS SHE WAS BOUND BY STATE LAW AND THE DECISION OF THE POLICE PENSION BOARD.

START UP NEXT, THE CONTROVERSY OVER NEW GROCERY STORE IN INGLEWOOD.

AFTER THIS.

>>> LAST SPRING, WHOLE FOODS SHOCKED AND ANGERED MANY INCLUDE RESIDENCE WHEN IT ANNOUNCED IT WOULD CLOSE ITS LOCATION AT 63rd AND HOMESTEAD.

MANY RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE STORE REPLACED BY THE DISTANT GROCER, SAVE A LOT.

DESPITE SIGNIFICANT PUSHBACK, THAT IS THE CURRENT PLAN.

AS PART OF OUR CHICAGO TONIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES, NICK HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THAT ORIGINAL DEAL THAT GOT WHOLE FOODS INTO THE SPACE.

IN INGLEWOOD WITH HER PRODUCER.

NICK.

>> Reporter: WHEN THE SAVE A LOT SIGNS WENT UP ON THE FORMER WHOLE FOODS IN INGLEWOOD SQUARE EARLIER THIS YEAR, A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY.

BUT A COPY OF THE LEASE BETWEEN WHOLE FOODS AND THE REALTY COMPANY THAT OWNS INGLEWOOD SQUARE OBTAINED BY WTTW NEWS SHOWS THAT SAVE A LOT WAS ONE BACK UP PLAN ALL ALONG.

>> Reporter: SAVE A LOT IS WRONG FOR INGLEWOOD.

THAT'S THE MESSAGE THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN SPREADING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.

>> THEY HAVE A HORRIBLE BRAND AND MOST SAVE A LOTS ARE IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.

FROM THE PRODUCTS THEY HAVE ON THE SHELVES.

FROM THE LOW-QUALITY FRUIT.

>> Reporter: DESPITE THE OUTCRY, SAVE A LOT WAS TO SUBLEASE THE SPACE FROM WHOLE FOODS.

>> OUR MEMBERS WERE UP IN ARMS ABOUT IT.

>> Reporter: WTTW NEWS OBTAINED THE ORIGINAL LEASE BETWEEN WHOLE FOODS AND REALTY COMPANY DL THREE WHICH OWNS THE SPACE.

THE DOCUMENT OUTLINES WHAT HAPPENS IF WHOLE FOODS WANTS TO LEAVE AND GIVES RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO A NOW CLOSED GROCERY BUSINESS THAT WAS ALSO MANAGED BY THE HEAD OF DL THREE, LEON WALKER.

CITY RECORDS SHOW THAT WALKER'S BUSINESS WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN DISSOLVED WAS ONCE LICENSED TO OPERATE A SAVE A LOTS.

>> WOW.

THAT IS WHAT WE THOUGHT AND HE WANTED TO SEE THAT IN WRITING.

WE HAD BEEN TOLD SEVERAL TIMES THAT THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

SO THAT'S NOT SURPRISING , BUT IT IS DISTURBING.

>> Reporter: IN A PHONE INTERVIEW, DL THREES WALKER DECLINED TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE LEASE BUT SAID DL THREE AND YELLOW BANANA HAVE NO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP AND THAT THE DECISION TO BRING IN YELLOW BANANA RESTED ENTIRELY WITH WHOLE FOODS.

SPEAKING GENERALLY ABOUT THE LEASE WITH WHOLE FOODS, WALKER SAID OUR PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THE USE FROM GROCERY TO ANOTHER KIND OF STORE.

QUOTE, WHOLE FOODS HAD AN AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO CANVASS THE MARKET AND TALK TO A LOT OF OTHER RETAILERS.

BUT IT'S A SMALL FORMAT STORE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE POPULATION HAS GENERALLY DECLINED AND IN AN OVERALL GROCERY ENVIRONMENT, IS UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE .

>> THIS INFORMATION WAS NEVER TOLD TO OUR COMMUNITY .

>> Reporter: 16 FORT ALDERMAN STEPHANIE COLEMAN SAYS SHE'S UPSET AT THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND SO FAR HASN'T HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH YELLOW BANANA, THE NEW COMPANY COMING IN TO OPERATE THE SAVE A LOT IN INGLEWOOD.

THAT FIRM HAS ALSO GOTTEN MILLIONS IN CITY GRANT MONEY TO REHAB AND REOPEN SEVERAL OTHER SAVE ALLOTS AND TO BUILD A NEW ONE.

>> GOD BLESS THE PRE-EXISTING GROCERY STORES .

THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT INVESTMENT, BUT WE DON'T TRUST THIS YELLOW BANANA BRAND.

THEY HAVE YET TO SHOW US WHAT THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A MODEL.

INGLEWOOD IS NOT A GUINEA PIG.

WE ARE NOT AN EXPERIMENT.

>> Reporter: COLEMAN SAYS TO GO BACK THROUGH DESERT, PLACES LIKE ENGLEWOOD NEED CITY INVESTMENT IN PLACES LIKE THE GO GREEN MARKET AT 63rd AND RACING.

>> IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE.

IT'S A DRIVER THAT HAS OUTCOMES AND IT'S ABOUT BUILDING RESILIENCE .

>> Reporter: THE MARKET IS A PARTNERSHIP AMONG THE INNER CITY NETWORK, E.G.

WOOD, RAGE AND TEAMWORK INGLEWOOD , AS PART OF THE LARGER GO GREEN ON RACING EFFORT WHICH IS WORKING TO REPURPOSE THE SHUTTERED SCHOOL AND REOPEN THE RACING STOP ON THE GREEN LINE.

>> IT'S REALLY ABOUT PUTTING IN CONCENTRATED INVESTMENT IN A SMALL GEOGRAPHY AND BRINGING ABOUT ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TO THE CITY INSPECTION AND SEEING ITS RIPPLE EFFECTS ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Reporter: THE COMMUNITY FRESH MARKET WHERE YOU'RE STANDING RIGHT NOW IS CELEBRATING ITS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY COMING UP, WE WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT EFFORT TO REOPEN THE SHUTTERED GREEN LINE STATION THAT WE MENTIONED AND WE SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT YELLOW BANANA DID NOT RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR COMMENT.

>> NICK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT REPORT., UP NEXT, WHERE DID COVID COME FROM?

STAY WITH US.

STOMACH THREE YEARS INTO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NEW QUESTIONS EMERGE AS TO HOW EXACTLY IT BEGAN.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE FBI BOTH THAT COVID-19 MAY INDEED HAVE A LEECH FROM A LAB IN WUHAN, CHINA.

ALBEIT THE FBI HAS LOW CONFIDENCE IN ITS ASSESSMENT , FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY SAYS THEY HAVE MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN THEIRS.

SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT ALL MEAN?

JOINING US NOW TO HELP PROVIDE SOME CLARITY IS DR. ROBERT MURPHY, PROFESSOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

WE TALK SO MANY TIMES, BUT NEVER IN PERSON.

GREAT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON.

SPAIN AGREED TO MEET YOU TOO.

'S PAYMENT WHAT YOU MAKE OF THE D.O.E.

AND FBI WEIGHING IN ON THIS , THAT IT COULD'VE ORIGINALLY LEAKED OUT ABOUT WUHAN LAB, AND NOT A WHAT MARKET?

>> FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ASKED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.

IT'S A THREE-YEAR-OLD QUESTION WITH NO NEW INFORMATION.

NONE.

THEY SAY THERE'S NEW STUFF.

THERE IS NOTHING I'VE SEEN.

ZERO.

WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY MAKING THIS STATEMENT WITH LOW CONFIDENCE.

THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO NO CONFIDENCE.

>> WHY EVEN MAKE THAT STATEMENT IF THEY HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE?

DOES THAT MEAN THEY HAVE MODERATE OR HIGHER CONFIDENCE IN ANOTHER THEORY?

>> WHAT DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PANDEMIC , WITH A VIRUS AND HOW DISEASES ARE TRANSMITTED?

I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THEIR REAL HOUSE.

ALL THE OTHER MEDICAL GROUPS , THE NIH, THE CDC, THE WHITE HOUSE GROUP, WHATEVER, THEY DON'T THINK THAT OR THAT THE POSSIBILITY IS REMOTE.

DOCTORS DON'T SAY ANYTHING IS 100%.

I WILL SAY THERE'S A 1% CHANCE OR LESS.

>> AND 1%, YOU CAN'T REALLY SAY.

WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION?

>> SAME THING.

>> IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT CHINA HAS BEEN SO OPAQUE THAT INSPECTORS HAVEN'T GOTTEN A LOT OF AXES TO GET ANSWERS?

>> OKAY.

THE CHINESE ARE OPAQUE.

HOWEVER, THEY LEAD TWO INTERNATIONAL GROUPS OF SCIENCES AND TWO AT TWO SEPARATE TIMES.

TWO INCLUDED AN AMERICAN BECAME AN INTERVIEW PEOPLE AT THE LAB.

THEY INTERVIEWED PEOPLE AT THE MARKET.

THE INTERVIEW THE PUBLIC HEALTH PEOPLE.

THEY DID A HUGE REPORT AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING.

WE CAN TELL.

IS LESS THAN 1% CHANCE.

IT'S MOST LIKELY THAT IT CAME FROM THESE ANIMALS.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THE BIOLOGY OF THE CORONAVIRUS THAT SHEDS LIGHT ON WHETHER IT'S SPILLOVER VERSUS LAB?

>> THE GENETICS OF THE WUHAN VIRUS, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE NAMING IT AFTER A CITY BECAUSE IT REALLY DIDN'T START THERE.

IT STARTED IN SOME ANIMAL, PROBABLY IN SOUTHWEST CHINA SOMEPLACE AND THEN IN A MARKET.

THE GENETICS OF THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT'S IN THE ANIMAL.

WE KNOW THE CORONAVIRUS GOES INTO LOTS OF ANIMALS FOR THEY GO IN DEAR.

CATS HAVE IT.

LIONS IN THE ZOO HAVE CORONAVIRUS.

CORONAVIRUS REALLY IS IN MANY ANIMALS.

THIS SHOULD BE WILLING NO SURPRISE.

THE GENETICS.

>> BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS, IT STILL MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO THEORIZE THAT IT CAME FROM A MARKET.

>> YES.

THAT'S HOW IT GOES.

THE OTHER THING IS YOU WOULD THINK AFTER THREE YEARS THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME WHISTLEBLOWER.

THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMEBODY, ONE PERSON COME FORWARD WITH SOME REAL EVIDENCE.

NOTHING.

>> ME AT THE SAME TIME, ISN'T IT STRANGE OR MAYBE A COINCIDENCE THAT THIS LAB STUDYING CORONAVIRUS IS IN WUHAN AND THIS IS WHERE THE VIRUS INITIATED?

>> THE LAB IS STUDYING VIRUSES.

A BUNCH OF IRISES AND THE CORONAVIRUS.

THEY STARTED TO STUDY THAT.

THERE ARE LABS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SO THIS JUST HAPPENS TO BE A LAB .

THE LAB HAD SOME FUNDING FROM THE UNITED STATES , FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROJECT.

COMPLETELY UNRELATED.

SLEEP WE KNOW SO MANY DIFFERENT CONSPIRACY THEORIES BUBBLED UP.

THE FACT THAT THEY ARE A LAB.

THE U.S. MAY HAVE HAD INVOLVEMENT.

IS KIND OF TANGENTIAL THINGS, CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARISE.

>> IT GOES BACK TO CHRISTOPHER WRAY.

I SAW THE PRESENTATION , THE HEAD OF THE FBI.

MODERATE CONFIDENCE.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY IS A PHILOSOPHY MAJOR FROM YALE UNIVERSITY.

HE THEN GOT HIS GED, HIS LAWYER DEGREE ALSO FROM YALE.

THE GUY PROBABLY HASN'T TAKEN A BIOLOGY CLASS SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.

I MEAN, WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?

THE REASON WHY OUR HEAD CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS IN THE COUNTRY ARE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE LAB IS BECAUSE THE CHINESE ARE SO OPAQUE.

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TESTIFY.

WHEN SOMEBODY REFUSES TO TESTIFY, THEY THINK YOU'RE GUILTY.

BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT HAPPENED AND HE WILL NEVER ADMIT IT.

LET'S HEAR FROM DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, FORMER MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN.

HE HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS THE NEXT PANDEMIC.

>> WE ARE PARTIALLY READY.

THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE GONE RIGHT WITH THE PANDEMIC .

PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE FOR COVID-19.

AND SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED UPON .

IT MAY NOT OCCUR IN THE NEXT YEAR OR 10 YEARS OR 15 YEARS, BUT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER PANDEMIC , AS HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US.

>> YOU ARE EARLY ON IN THIS PANDEMIC PREDICTING IT WOULD BE THE DEADLIEST EVENT IN THE UNITED STATES HISTORY OR ONE OF THE DEADLIEST EVENTS .

HAVE WE LEARNED ANYTHING IN THESE FEW YEARS?

>> WE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE VACCINES FAST.

DR. FOX SHE MYSELF AND MANY OTHER EXPERTS IN THE FIELD .

WE DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD EVER GET A VACCINE FOR WELL OVER A YEAR.

LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS WHEN HE STARTED MAKING THE VACCINE.

AND WAS APPROVED 10 MONTHS LATER.

THAT WAS GREAT.

THEN THE TESTING.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER BACK TO EARLY 2020.

YOU COULDN'T GET A TEST IF YOU HAD $1 MILLION.

>> PEOPLE WERE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING HERE.

GETTING MASKS.

PPE.

>> MASKS, EVERYTHING.

NONE OF THAT WAS THERE.

NOW, BECAUSE OF OUR PROGRAM CALLED RAPID ACCELERATION OF DIAGNOSTICS FOR CORONAVIRUS, WE LIKE TO USE THE ACRONYM , THERE IS OVER 8 MILLION TESTS DONE PER DAY AND 50 COMPANIES GOT EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.

THAT IS REALLY GOING TO HELP US IN THE FUTURE.

AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH POINT WHICH IS WHAT DR.

FELT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE ARE NOT READY.

>> AT THE NEXT PANDEMIC BE DEADLIER THAN THE CORONAVIRUS OR AS DAILY AS A CORONAVIRUS WAS?

>> HOW IT'S AFFECTED HUMANS, UP UNTIL 2003, IT WAS JUST A COMMON COLD.

THEN WE HAD SARS.

SARS, HARD TO TRANSMIT.

APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE GOT IT.

BUT 10% DIED.

THEN THERE WAS MERS, THE ONE IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR THE MOST PART.

THAT STILL EXISTS, BUT LESS THAN 2000 PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN IT.

BUT 30% DIED.

AND WE HAVE COVID-19.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THE VIRUS, BUT LESS THAN 1% HAVE DIED.

>> SO MUCH WERE CONTAGIOUS YEAR.

A SMALLER PERCENTAGE BUT STILL LOTS OF PEOPLE.

>> THE NEXT PANDEMIC, YOU HER DOCTOR THOUGHT SHE SAY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER PANDEMIC.

I SAY THE SAME THING.

EVERY INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR WOULD PROBABLY SAY THE SAME THING.

WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT PANDEMIC?

WHAT IF THE MORTALITY RATE IS 3%?

WHAT IF IT'S 5%?

WHAT IF IT'S LIKE SARS AND IT'S 10%?

>> ESPECIALLY IF IT'S THIS CONTAGIOUS.

>> EXACTLY.

THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL.

>> DR. MURPHY, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE .

ALL THE SIGNS WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS, AND WE WILL BE TALKING TO YOU AGAIN.

>>> UP NEXT, WE CHECK BACK IN WITH NICK IS REPORTING LIVE FROM CHICAGO SINGLE WORD NEIGHBORHOOD.

FIRST, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEATHER.

>> >>> FRIGHTENING LOOKING FORECAST.

NOW WE GO BACK TO NICK AS PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES.

>> Reporter: EIGHT MILE-LONG GAP BETWEEN GREEN LINE STATION.

THAT'S WITH SOME GREATER INGLEWOOD RESIDENTS HAVE FACED FOR 30 YEARS SINCE THE RACING STATION SHUT DOWN.

AFTER YEARS OF EFFORTS TO REOPEN THAT SHUTTERED STOP, THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A BIT OF MOMENTUM IN RECENT MONTHS, INCLUDING AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT AT THE BALLOT BOX LAST WEEK.

>> IT SHOWS A SIGN OF WHAT THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS DONE TO THE ENGLEWOOD AREA.

>> Reporter: WHEN THE PEAK START WAS CLOSED IN JANUARY 1994, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR REPAIRS.

THE STATION NEVER REOPENED.

>> THEY GET OFF THEIR HORSES AND WE HAD TO SPEND AND EXTRA MONEY OR WE HAD OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TRAVELING TO AREAS THAT WERE UNCHARGED FOR THEM THROUGH DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.

TRYING TO GET BACK TO RACING WOULD CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE.

>> Reporter: FOR YEARS, VOCAL LEADERS HAVE PUSHED TO GET THE STATION REOPEN.

THEY GOT AN ADVISORY REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT IN FEBRUARY ELECTION ASKING VOTERS WHETHER THEY WANTED TO SEE RACING BACK UP AND RUNNING.

>> 92% OF VOTERS NOT ONLY IN THE PRECINCT OFFICE STATION OR SURROUNDING PRECINCTS, BUT ALL PRECINCTS OF THE 16th WARD VOTING YES AND DEMANDING THAT THE STATION BE REOPENED.

>> Reporter: IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, THE PDA TOLD WTTW USER DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING NEEDED TO REOPEN THE STATION AND SAID A 2017 RIDERSHIP STUDY SAID THE STATION WOULD HAVE FEWER AVERAGE WEEKDAY RICE AND IT WAS CLOSED IN THE 1990s.

BY DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE PRESIDENT SAID IN A SUN-TIMES OP-ED THAT QUOTE, THE CTA AND CITY ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO REOPENING A GREEN LINE STATION IN RACING AND MAKING IT A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION.

IN JANUARY, THE CTA GOT $2 MILLION FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON REOPENING THE STOCK.

>> THERE'S COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

CTA SUPPORT AND THERE'S ALREADY SOME INVESTMENTS GOING ON.

SO THAT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.

THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING COUNCIL AUDREY IS SAYING IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT APPROVED TRAVEL TIME.

IT'S A WAY TO ADD MOMENTUM TO ONGOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS.

>> OPENING THE STATION COULD BUILD FURTHER, HELP ATTRACT A POPULATION AND CREATE A MORE WALKABLE AREA.

>> Reporter: THE EFFORT IS STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES WITH THE FULL COST AND TIMELINE UNCLEAR.

IN A STATEMENT, THE TRANSIT AGENCY TELLS WTTW NEWS, QUOTE, AS WITH ALL CTA PLANNING PROCESSES, COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION WITH THE COMMUNITY WILL BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND THE CTA LOOKS FORWARD TO DISCUSSION WITH ALL COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND RESIDENTS.

SEE MAP FOR RESIDENTS, IT'S A NO-BRAINER .

FOR LIVE DECISION-MAKERS, IT SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER TO OPEN SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSED.

AND TO PUT A CONCENTRATED EFFORT IN SUPPORTING CORE DOORS IN ENGLEWOOD.

>> Reporter: THERE ISN'T YET A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE TO REOPEN THE STATION, SO HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT NEED?

>> Reporter: THE CTA TOLD US THAT THE ESTIMATED PRICE TAG COULD CLIMB AS HIGH AS $100 MILLION.

THAT WOULD BE TO DO EVERYTHING FROM RECONSTRUCTING THE STATION HOUSE, THE PLATFORM AND DOING SOME HISTORIC PRESERVATION WORK.

THE CTA SAYS THE FIRST STEP IS TO DO PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND ENGINEERING .

ONCE THEY'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THAT, THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO PROCEED AND WHICH LOCAL AND NATIONAL FORCES MIGHT HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND THIS PROJECT.

>>> WE WILL FOLLOW THE GROCERY STORE AND RACING LINE STOP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>> HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST NIGHT IS THIS WEEKEND.

THE 95th ACADEMY AWARDS ARE ON SUNDAY AND THIS YEAR 'S LIST OF NOMINEES SEE HISTORIC ASIAN REPRESENTATION.

THE OSCARS ARE STILL COMING UNDER FIRE OVER ISSUES OF REPRESENTATION.

NOTABLY THE FACT THAT THE FILM THE WOMAN KING DIDN'T RECEIVE A SINGLE NOMINATION.

WE EXPLORE THE TOPIC ON CHICAGO TONIGHT'S BLACK VOICES.

HERE'S A SNEAK PEEK OF THE CONVERSATION WITH HOST, ANGEL ITO.

>> I THINK IT'S TELLING THAT THE WOMAN KING WAS NOT NOMINATED FOR A SINGLE CATEGORY AND BY ALL LOOKS, IT DID EVERYTHING RIGHT.

IT WAS A $50 MILLION BUDGET FILM.

IT WAS A BOX OFFICE SUCCESS.

LACK , ENTIRELY BLACK LEAD FEMALE CAST.

DIRECTOR .

SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW COULD THE ACADEMY NOT RECOGNIZE THAT WITH OTHER FILMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE ACTION ADVENTURE CATEGORY , HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN NOMINATED.

>> WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR NOMINATIONS?

>> THAT'S PART OF ME THAT SURPRISED BY IT AND ANOTHER PART OF ME THAT'S NOT SURPRISED, KNOWING THAT HISTORICAL BARRIERS BEHIND BLACK DIRECTORS AND FILM MAKERS AND BLOCK STORIES BEING HONORED.

SO WHEN THE NOMINATIONS DROPPED AND I THOUGHT , I SAW "THE WOMAN KING" WAS NOT NOMINATED, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE A TOTALLY BLANK.

BUT I WASN'T SHOCKED MOSTLY BECAUSE WE SEEN THE STORY BEFORE.

>> YOU CAN WATCH THAT CONVERSATION ON CHICAGO TONIGHT BLACK VOICES THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT 6:30.

>>> THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS THURSDAY NIGHT.

PLEASE JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00 FOR THE WEEKEND REVIEW AND AT 10:00 FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT.

A NEW REPORT SAYS BLACK AND LATINO DRIVERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET PULLED OVER BY POLICE, AND THEN WHITE DRIVERS.

AND ON CONDO BUILDING GETS READY FOR ITS DEBUT IN THE WEST OLD TOWN AREA.

>>> FOR ALL OF US HERE AT CHICAGO TONIGHT, THANKS FOR WATCHING .

STAY WARM OUT THERE .

GOOD EVENING.