Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln
Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln
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Happy Thursday, Illinois. It’s feeling fallish today.
It’s been an all-hands-on-deck effort by Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and some members of the congressional delegation to secure federal funding for housing and other essentials to help migrants sent from Texas to Illinois.
The big pivot: The message has veered away from chastising Republican governors like Texas' Greg Abbott for political stunts to surprise Chicago with busloads of migrants. Instead, Illinois lawmakers are focused on helping immigrants land on their feet.
“The City of Chicago will continue to work with our federal partners and use all available resources to support migrants who have arrived in Chicago from Texas,” a spokesman for Lightfoot said in a statement to Playbook.
Next steps: The city first applies for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Chicago is among Democratic cities across the country calling on the White House for more assistance, according to reporting from POLITICO’s Julian Shen-Berro and your Playbook host.
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, a Democrat from Chicago, told Playbook in a written statement that he and his staff also have been in conversations with the White House on how to handle the matter of migrants being sent to blue cities and states. There's even a request for an additional $50 million to be added to FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program “for humanitarian assistance to migrants," Garcia said.
Downstate help: Lightfoot also “has had productive conversations with mayors in Democratic cities” around the state to help care for migrants. “We have a finite number of resources in Chicago and Cook County, so there may be a need for other resources across the state to step up,” the mayor’s office said.
To prove her point, Gloria Yen of the New American Welcome Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expects about 1,000 migrants will arrive each week for the next 15 weeks, according to WCIA’s Theodora Koulouvaris.
LaGrange School District, Pilsen art gallery welcome migrant children, WGN 9’s Dana Rebik and Eli Ong report
The 220-page lawsuit against the Trumps highlights the Trump International Hotel and Tower, located at 401 North Wabash in Chicago. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos
There’s a Chicago angle in the sweeping lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York against former President Donald Trump and his family, accusing them of lying about their assets.
The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, a jewel in the Trump real estate portfolio, is a prime example of undervaluing and overvaluing property when it suited the Trumps, according to the 220-page lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Tish James.
The River North property is singled out in the lawsuit for being appraised at $133 million in recent years by Deutsche Bank, which lent Trump money for the project, “but he gave a different story — saying it was worthless — when reporting his taxes,” according to the Tribune’s Ray Long and Jason Meisner explain in their report.
Simply put: When Trump needed collateral, “he and his team placed a high value on the property and when he wanted a tax break, he called the property worthless,” the Tribune reports.
James is making a criminal referral to the feds: “The pattern of fraud that was used by Mr. Trump and the Trump organization was astounding.”
What the lawsuit seeks: About $250 million in allegedly illegal profits netted from the scheme, as well as a five-year ban on the former president, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump participating in any real estate transactions, reports POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein, Erin Durkin and Kyle Cheney.
5 juiciest takeaways from the lawsuit, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney
Trump suffers setback as appeals panel rejects Cannon ruling, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney
‘He knows how to play the victim card perfectly’: Why Trump’s legal woes only make him stronger, by POLITICO’s David Siders and Meridith McGraw
Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: [email protected]
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At Kolmar Park at 2 p.m. for a park rededication.
At the Cook County Building at 10 a.m. to preside over the Cook County Board meeting.
PODCAST Episode 1 | Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders: Steak, Flowers, Tylenol: “Chicago Tribune investigative reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair uncover new and critical clues in law enforcement’s latest — and possibly last — attempt at closing one of the nation’s most infamous unsolved cases,” via the Tribune.
— Pritzker deflects on corruption after state Sen. Emil Jones III is charged with bribery: “We’ve seen Democrats and Republicans all across the state get in trouble for not living up to the standards of public service that demand integrity,” Pritzker told reporters. “So, it’s disappointing, terribly disappointing.” Tribune’s Dan Petrella reports
— Emil Jones III gives up leadership posts — but not his Senate seat, by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout
— How an idyllic farmland property lured many in the Chicago area for thousands of dollars: An eight-bedroom lakeside home in Farmington, Ill., "lured in customers hoping to escape the city. In the end, they say it was all a ruse, geared toward taking their money, and the mysterious owner behind the property is nowhere to be found.” NBC 5’s Lisa Parker reports.
— 2 lottery winners come forward to claim Mega Millions $1.34B jackpot, by ABC 7’s Diane Pathieu
— Pricey party: Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Illinois Democratic Party Chair Lisa Hernandez headline a Democratic Party fundraising reception Sept. 28. Prices to attend range from $1,000 to $22,000. Here’s the invite
— Eric Sorensen just launched a new ad, titled “Neighbor.” Sorensen is the Democratic nominee for Congress in the IL-17 Congressional District now held by Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos. The ad is airing in the Quad Cities, Peoria and Rockford media markets.
— Congressman Sean Casten, a Democrat, has released his second digital ad of the cycle in the IL-06 congressional race.. The ad features a doctor talking about Republican opponent Keith Pekau’s views on abortion.
— Republican Kathy Salvi, who’s running for U.S. Senate, has been endorsed by former Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan.
— People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, "Pritzker Must Go!” featuring Democrat Beverly Miles, who ran against Pritzker in the June primary and claiming the governor had her fired from her job.
— A land deal benefiting a billionaire’s soccer team is muscled through despite objections: “A zoning committee initially rejected the mayor’s plan to lease public housing property to the Chicago Fire. Less than 24 hours later, a new vote reversed a rare mayoral defeat,” by ProPublica’s Mick Dumke.
— Lightfoot proposes new, improved — and permanent — outdoor dining program: “If the council approves the new program, the Chicago Department of Transportation will establish an “outdoor dining street permit” valid from May 1 through Oct. 31. It would allow restaurants to set up extra tables in curb lanes,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.
— After McDonald’s CEO says Chicago needs to ‘face facts’ about its ‘crisis,’ Mayor Lightfoot says he should ‘educate himself’ before speaking, by Tribune’s Gregory Pratt
— Open letter also disputes 'city in crisis' narrative: “Michael Fassnacht, head of the city's World Business Chicago corporate recruitment arm, writes that McDonald CEO Chris Kempczinski’s take, which received national media coverage, was 'incomplete' and that the truth of where the city stands is 'complex.'” by Crain’s Greg Hinz.
— City’s new weapon against climate change: Requiring new homes be ready for easy installation of electric appliances, by Tribune’s Nara Schoenberg
— Anti-violence group says permits pulled for softball league after Washington Park mass shooting, by Sun-Times’ Emmanuel Camarillo
— O’Hare and Midway rank below average as passenger satisfaction at U.S. airports falls in J.D. Power study, by Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat
— Bill Conway, who’s running for alderman of Chicago's new 34th Ward, has been endorsed by IOUE Local 399, Ironworkers Local 63, IUEC Elevator Constructors 2 and Illinois Vets for Change. Conway is a Navy veteran and former prosecutor.
— As school book bans gain traction in the U.S., Barrington rejects bid to remove two LGBTQ books: “The northwest suburban school board voted narrowly Tuesday to keep the books. Book bans nationally often target books with LGBTQ content,” by WBEZ’s Susie An.
— Pace to drop some bus transfer fees, introduce new passes under proposed 2023 budget: “Pace would introduce Pace-CTA passes offering unlimited rides between both agencies for one or three days, under plan. The one-day pass would be $5, and the three-day pass would be $15,” by Sun-Times’ Manny Ramos.
— North Chicago will start transition to an elected school board in 2025, with a fully elected board in 2027, by Chalkbeat’s Samantha Smylie
— Aunt accused of throwing 3-year-old boy into water off Navy Pier. ‘Not once did [she] scream for help, call for help, ask for help’: “Victoria Moreno, 34, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a child, according to police. She appeared in court Wednesday,” by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba, David Struett and Sophie Sherry.
— INTERVIEW | Julie Morrison, Highland Park’s state senator, wants to feel safe at parades again: “One of the things I’ve heard discussed is drones. You know, throw a drone up and do surveillance to make sure there is nobody up on the roof, nobody standing there with a gun. It’s really sad that we’re at this point in our history that we are taking those extra measures so that people feel safe,” she tells Chicago magazine’s Edward Robert McClelland.
— Longtime Illinois educator Steven Isoye named chair of state board of education, by Chalkbeat’s Samantha Smylie
— Ernesto Martinez, deputy press secretary and Hispanic liaison for Secretary of State Jesse White, was one of seven people honored Wednesday by the Chicago City Council for work helping immigrants arriving in Chicago. Martinez is a native of Venezuela.
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We asked if gas were free, would you rather take a sailboat or speed boat:
Graham Grady, attorney: “Sailboat. To harness the power of the wind and water — there’s nothing else quite like it on Earth!”
Ed Mazur, City Club: “Sailboat. Less maintenance, lots of quietude.”
Pamela Calvert, One Roof Chicago: “Sailboat. There’s no such thing as free gas; see ‘climate collapse.’”
Leo Driscoll: “Sailboat! W/O hesitation.”
Timothy Thomas Jr.: “A sailboat with an emergency/reserve motor.”
What’s the top issue you see resonating most with voters in November? Email [email protected]
— Social Security and Medicare are wildly popular. So why do GOP Senate candidates keep talking about privatizing them? POLITICO’s Natalie Allison reports
— The best way to save the Constitution from Donald Trump is to rewrite it, writes POLITICO’s John F. Harris
— Jan. 6 committee and Ginni Thomas reach agreement for testimony, by POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu
— Sen. Durbin says his son was a victim of PPP fraud, calls for more oversight of federal Covid-19 funds, via Fox News
Lisa McLafferty has been promoted to chief talent officer at Winston & Strawn in Chicago.
WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Mary Kay Minaghan for correctly answering that C.D. Peacock jewelry store was established in 1827 and continues today, making it the longest running business in Chicago. And h/t to all who mentioned Ryerson. It was founded in 1842.
TODAY’s QUESTION: What matter did the Chicago City Council take up on a Holy Saturday in 1995? Email [email protected]
Former Congressman Bill Enyart, attorney and former statewide candidate Steve Kim, district director for Rep. Bobby Rush Mary Datcher, legislative director for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi Rebecca Lauer, Chicago Mayor’s Office policy adviser Golnar Teimouri, Instituto del Progreso Latino CEO Karina Ayala-Bermejo, Penn National Gaming’s Martin McAlpin, tech entrepreneur Brent Payne, Albany Theater Project Associate Director Devika Ranjan, retired Eastern Illinois U. exec John Schmitt, comms exec Marguerite Murer Tortorello and Ascent Media’s James Slepian.