>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST IS THE NEW MAYOR OF
CHICAGO, AND AFTER A HISTORIC WIN, SHE'S THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN
AND THE FIRST L.G.B.T.Q. PERSON TO HOLD THAT POSITION.
PLEASE WELCOME MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT!
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS )
BEING HERE.
>> OH, IT'S MY PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOUR NIEWNT-YEAR-OLD MOTHER WAS AT
YOUR INAUGURATION.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO HER AND TO YOU FOR HER TO BE
THERE AND SEE YOUR HISTORIC WIN?
>> WELL, I-- IT WAS AWESOME FOR ME.
MY PARENTS SACRIFICED A LOT TO PUT ME IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES.
AND FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT, COMING FROM A SMALL TOWN AND
EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH IN OUR LIFE, IT WAS A
PRETTY AWESOME MOMENT.
>> Stephen: WELL, AS THE-- I LIVED IN CHICAGO FOR 11 YEARS,
AND I HAVE SO MANY HAPPY MEMORIES.
BUT THERE ARE-- THERE ARE CONFLICTS IN CHICAGO.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT-- PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT ALL THE TIME THERE.
WE'LL GET TO SOME OF THE SERIOUS ONES IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT LET'S START EASY HERE.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DEEP DISH IN CHICAGO?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> GOTTA BE PIZANOS.
>> Stephen: INTERESTING, INTERESTING.
>> SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY GINO'S.
>> Stephen: SOME WOULD SAY GINO'S EAST.
THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
SOX OR CUBS?
>> SOX ALL THE WAY.
I'M A SOX-SIDE GIRL.
>> Stephen: JUST WRITING OFF THE NORTH SIDE.
JUST WRITING OFF THE NORTH SIDE RIGHT NOW.
NOW, CHICAGO ALSO HAS SOME VERY SERIOUS ISSUES FACING IT.
THERE HAVE BEEN 530 MURDERS IN CHICAGO LAST YEAR.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I KNOW YOU TALK THEM VERY SERIOUSLY.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE DIFFERENTLY THAN MAYOR EMANUEL DID BEFORE
YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM?
>> NO.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FOCUS EVERY
TOOL OF CITY GOVERNMENT ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
SUPPORTING THE NAWBDS.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS DEFINITELY A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE VIOLENCE, MAKING
SURE THAT WE'RE, IN EFFECT, FLOODING THE ZONES OR THE AREAS
THAT ARE MOST DISTRESSED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING
RESOURCES, JOBS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO JUST
SHOWING THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE CARE
ABOUT THEM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES
TO BE PART OF THE LEGITIMATE ECONOMY AND DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> Stephen: HOW DOES--
YOU DESCRIBE-- YOU DESCRIBED ALL THESE GUN DEATHS AS A PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HOW DOES FRAMING IT THAT WAY, HOW DOES
APPROACHING IT THAT WAY CHANGE IT FOR YOU?
>> IT FORCES US TO LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSES.
WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 25% OR
HIGHER.
WHERE 90% OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEPEND ON GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
THERE'S AN ABSENCE OF JOBS, GOOD-QUALITY SCHOOLS.
AND THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT WE KNOW ARE THE
BUILDING BLOCKS FOR REALLY HIGH-QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY
DON'T EXIST IN A LOT OF THESE PLACES.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON REALLY BUILDING UP
THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF WE DO THAT,
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO DRIVE DOWN THE VIOLENCE.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE WHO ARE AGAINST ANY KIND OF GUN
LEGISLATION, SAY, WELL, CHICAGO HAS STRICT GUN LAWS.
AND THEY HAVE TERRIBLE GUN VIOLENCE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE?
>> PART OF THE CHALLENGE FOR CHICAGO IS WE'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR
TO INDIANA, WHERE YOU CAN LITERALLY DRIVE ACROSS THE
BORDER AND GET MILITARY-GRADE WEAPONS IN ANY QUANTITY WITHOUT
A BACKGROUND CHECK AND THEY BRING THEM BACK INTO THE CITY OF
CHICAGO.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.
>> Stephen: SO A PIECEMEAL APPROACH TO GUN CONTROL OR GUN
REGULATION ACTUALLY DOESN'T WORK.
>> NO, IT DOESN'T WORK.
>> Stephen: IT DOESN'T STOP THE FLOW.
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP EVERY CAR DRIVING BACK.
>> WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PROACTIVE STRATEGY THAT
ENGAGES OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS SO WE CAN LOOK ACROSS BORDERS BUT
IT HAS TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, MAKING SURE WE'RE
FOCUSED NOT ONLY IN CHICAGO BUT IN GARY, IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
MILWAUKEES AND STATES THAT ARE THE SOURCES OF THE ILLEGAL GUNS
THAEND UP ON THE STREETS OF CHICAGO.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD ANOTHER BIG EVENT IN YOUR LIFE RECENTLY,
BESIDES ASCENDING TO THE MAYORSHIP.
YOU HAD DINNER WITH OPRAH AT HER PLACE IN MONTECITO THERE.
( APPLAUSE )
NERVE-RACKING THAN ELECTION NIGHT?
>> IT WAS-- IT WAS DEFINITELY MORE NERVE-RACKING.
>> Stephen: SHE'S AWFULLY NICE THOUGH?
>> IT WAS VERY, VERY NICE.
SHE WAS EXTREMELY GENEROUS, WENT TO HER HOUSE, HAD A GREAT
CONVERSATION, FABULOUS MEAL.
>> Stephen: THIS IS YOU AND YOUR WIFE, AMY, THERE.
DID YOU GET A PRESENT OR ANYTHING?
DID YOU GET A CAR OR ANYTHING?
( LAUGHTER )
>> I WAS HOPING.
I WAS LOOKING FOR THE KEYS.
>> Stephen: NOTHING?
>> JUST A GOOD CONVERSATION AND A GREAT MEAL.
>> Stephen: I GOT A SET OF STEAK KNIFES.
I'M NOT GOING TO BRAG.
>> MAYBE NEXT TIME.
>> Stephen: NOW THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME RUNNING FOR ELECTIVE
OFFICE.
THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE TO HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK THE FIRST
TIME.
YOU HAVE NEVER RUN FOR ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE.
>> THAT'S NOT EXACTLY TRUE.
WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I RAN FOR CLASS PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU WIN?
>> I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WIN.
>> Stephen: WOW.
AND WHAT WAS YOUR-- WAS THIS SENIOR YEAR?
>> I WAS PRESIDENT ALL THREE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE RAN ON THE PLATFORM OF "GET ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH
LIGHTFOOT."
IT WORKED.
>> Stephen: THERE WAS ANY-- ANY, YOU KNOW, WERE THERE ANY,
LIKE, YOU KNOW, BIG PROMISES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, "BUILD THE
WALL?" WERE THERE ANY GIANT-- WHAT WAS
THE BIGGEST REAP?
>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES-- AND THIS WILL MAKE SENSE FOR A
HIGH SCHOOL AUDIENCE-- WE HAD TERRIBLE FOOD IN OUR LUNCH.
SO I LED A BOYCOTT OF THE LUNCH ROOM WHICH, OF COURSE, TURNED
INTO A FOOD FIGHT.
( LAUGHTER )
FAME.
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE AN AGITATOR.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW,, YOU KNOW.
YOU HAVE TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: WELL, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: GIVE MY BEST TO CHICAGO.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT, EVERYBODY.
CHICAGO, HER HONOR.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY THE RACONTEURS.