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WTTW News: Wednesday,‌ May 20,‌ 2026
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Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Daily Chicagoan — WTTW News

It’s the middle of the week and it’s almost thirty degrees cooler than yesterday. Warm up with an RSVP to our May 26 event at Thalia Hall, “Policing & Public Trust: A WTTW News Town Hall.” Also, check out these stories from WTTW News. 

City Council Committee Advances Mayor’s Pick to Serve as Chicago’s Watchdog

David Glockner, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to serve as inspector general, addresses the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee on May 19, 2026. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News)

David Glockner, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to serve as inspector general, addresses the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee on May 19, 2026. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News)

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to serve as the city’s watchdog won the endorsement of a key Chicago City Council committee Tuesday, as former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Glockner vowed to “prioritize problem-solving over finger-pointing.”

The City Council’s Ethics and Government Oversight Committee unanimously approved the nomination of Glockner to serve as inspector general, setting up a final vote by the full City Council on Wednesday.

Glockner said he would focus his efforts on areas “that matter most for the effective, equitable and efficient delivery of city services” and use his office’s audit authority to probe the “most significant risks.”

“I think there is an opportunity to ensure that the (Office of the Inspector General’s) body work is more consistently focused on topics where the potential for impact and value for policymakers is greatest,” Glockner said, adding that he sees the city’s finances as an area “where I see the big opportunity to do things differently.”

In addition, Glockner said he would work to speed up the office’s probes.

“While investigations and audits must be thorough, they lose value and impact when they take longer than necessary,” Glockner said.

What else happened: 

A scaled-back measure crafted by Mayor Brandon Johnson to ensure that Chicagoans can exercise their right to vote and honor the legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. is set for a final vote on Wednesday.

After winning the endorsement of the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee, a final vote on the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy Ordinance by the full City Council is scheduled for Wednesday. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) cast the lone vote against the measure.

Jackson spent much of his career working to end voter suppression and increase voter turnout through Operation PUSH, which was “built on a single sacred conviction that the ballot is the people’s most powerful weapon,” said Stephen Thurston, the organization’s chief impact officer.

The original version of the ordinance, released in March, would have created what Johnson called “democracy zones” around Chicago polling places amid concerns that President Donald Trump planned to order federal agents to patrol voting centers as part of an effort to carry out the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.

“The president has made it very clear that he wants to suppress the vote of working people,” Johnson said in March. “He’s very clear about targeting Black and brown folks.”

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New Exhibit at International Museum of Surgical Science Highlights Role of Filipino Nurses in Healthcare

“Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America” runs until Aug. 2 at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The exhibit highlights stories of Filipino nurses from the 1940s until present day. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

“Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America” runs until Aug. 2 at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The exhibit highlights stories of Filipino nurses from the 1940s until present day. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

A new temporary exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science aims to give visibility to an often overlooked segment of the healthcare profession: Filipino nurses.

The exhibit, “Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America,” runs until Aug. 2. 

Merle Salazar is a retired nurse and board member of the Filipino American National Historical Society Greater Chicago Chapter, which co-curated the exhibit. Salazar said she wants more nurses to share their stories and be more outspoken about their experiences, both positive or negative, working in the healthcare industry. 

“It’s about time that we should really tell our stories, our experiences as immigrant Filipinos, as nurses,” Salazar said. “What we’ve been through, what we’re still going through and what we need to do. … We need to really be more loud, be more outspoken and step up for who we are.”

More context: 

The Philippines is the top country of birth for foreign-born nurses in the U.S., with Filipino nurses accounting for 25% of immigrant nurses, according to an American Immigration Council analysis of 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data. That amounts to about 171,200 Filipino immigrant nurses in the U.S., according to the analysis.

About 4% of all nurses in the U.S. are of Filipino descent, despite people of Filipino descent making up only 1% of the U.S. population.

The exhibit explores the Filipino nurse stereotype; the role of U.S. colonialism in the Philippines that contributes to the migration and labor market patterns related to Filipino nurses in the U.S.; the misogyny and gender roles Filipina nurses face; and personal journeys of immigration and life in the U.S. 

The exhibit expands on another exhibit, “The Halo Halo Project,” previously displayed at the Harold Washington Library. One of the curators of that exhibit, Angel Abcede, wrote the book “House of Nurses: An American Journey,” which tells the story of his mother and aunts, Filipino nurses who immigrated to the U.S.

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Faith Leaders Allowed Daily Access to Broadview ICE Facility Under New Agreement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility officers stand guard outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility officers stand guard outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Catholic and interfaith leaders will be allowed to provide spiritual care to detainees held at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview under a new agreement reached this month.

Community leaders from the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership announced they reached an agreement with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to allow daily pastoral visits inside the west suburban facility. Those visits began last Friday.

“This agreement represents a recognition of the human dignity and basic human rights of our detained sisters and brothers,” CSPL Executive Director Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz said in a statement.

Civilian access at the controversial processing center had been highly restricted last fall when the detainee population exploded during the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement efforts under “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Among the lawsuits filed in response to that limited access was a case brought by the CSPL and other faith leaders who sought to provide spiritual care to those held in Broadview on a daily basis.

In April, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction sought through that case which blocked ICE’s blanket denial of clergy visitation requests at Broadview, finding that doing so violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The sides last week then reached an agreement detailing how and when religious leaders may visit the Broadview facility each day.

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More From WTTW News:


  • Via AP: Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in a win over the Minnesota Lynx and will miss the remainder of the WNBA season, the team announced Tuesday.

     


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Back in the Day: May 20, 2006 - Cubs vs. Sox Catcher Brawl 

 

The crosstown rivalry between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox has always been heated. Whenever the Northsiders play the Southsiders, there’s history, tension and years of fierce competition coloring every moment in the game. Whatever happened in this most recent series is nothing compared to 20 years ago, when the match turned into physical violence. In the second inning of a game held on May 20, 2006, the White Sox had the bases loaded and a sacrifice fly by Brian Anderson led catcher A.J. Pierzynski to run towards home from his position on third base. Cubs catcher Michael Barrett was guarding the plate on the baseline and collided into a barreling Pierzynski before the throw could hit his glove. Their collision meant that Pierzynski was safe and as Pierzynski went up to celebrate, he moved towards Barrett. The Cubs player took offense to this move and punched Pierzynski, which led to a benches-clearing brouhaha. The Sox would soon hit a grand slam after play resumed, winning the game 7-0. Their marketing department led a “Punch A.J.” fan voting campaign to get their catcher into the All-Star Game. Barrett was suspended for 10 games for his punch.

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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for May 20-26

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Wednesday, May 20: 
Anjimile, Oyeme at Hideout. Tickets.
This North Carolina artist’s intimate and revelatory songs can quiet the rowdiest audience. 

Quiet Light, Lipsticism at Schubas. Tickets.
Immersive, eerie and mesmerizing electropop in Lakeview. 

Thursday, May 21: 
Trash Kickers, Pleaser, Joe Glass at Schubas. Tickets.
A raucous collection of local talent gathers in Lakeview to celebrate the release of the headliners’ new LP, “Way Out.” 

Friday, May 22: 
Hum, Nothing, Chapterhouse, she's green, Total Wife at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets.
Slide Away Fest is a two-day festival in Uptown featuring some of the most exciting names in indie rock, shoegaze and more. 

The Orchard, Dogs With Hats, Poolish at Schubas. Tickets.
Rock music at its most folky and countryfied performed by locals at a Lakeview venue. 

Saturday, May 23: 
Lone Rock Bride, The Part Timers at Judson and Moore. Tickets.
Want some twang? Head to Avondale for a solid bill of Americana-tinged rock music. 

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pixel Grip, Tortoise, Smerz, YHWH Nailgun, Kumo 99, Mark William Lewis at Salt Shed. Tickets.
Warm Love Cool Dreams is a two-day music festival named after a line in Nelson Algren’s “The Man With the Golden Arm” that showcases innovative acts from around the world in electronic, indie rock, pop and more. 

Hum, Nothing, Chapterhouse, loveliescrushing, Cloakroom, Sunshy at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets.
Slide Away Fest is a two-day festival in Uptown featuring some of the most exciting names in indie rock, shoegaze and more.

Sunday, May 24: 
Courtney Barnett, Whitney, Toro y Moi, Nourished By Time, Moin, Being Dead, Tobacco City, Lauren Auder at Salt Shed. Tickets.
Warm Love Cool Dreams is a two-day music festival named after a line in Nelson Algren’s “The Man With the Golden Arm” that showcases innovative acts from around the world in electronic, indie rock, pop and more. 

Tuesday, May 26: 
Modern Cults, Mildred, Josh Leahy and The Phonebook at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Mildred, the wildly collaborative Bay Area folk rock band, might have this newsletter producer’s favorite LP of 2026. 


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The Weekly Question

What's your favorite sandwich shop in the city? Tell us what to order. 

 





Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. 


Tonight on Chicago Tonight
  • Recapping a jam-packed and eventful City Council meeting.

5:30 PM | 10:00 PM

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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry 


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