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Presented by Uber: Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | | | Happy Tuesday, Illinois. On this day in 1804, Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton.
|  | TOP TALKER | | NEW DETAILS: Northwestern University fired coach Pat Fitzgerald over a hazing scandal, but outrage keeps growing in Evanston — six tenured faculty members and some community groups are now calling on the school to hold off its plans for the $800 million Ryan Field development project until it gets its athletics department in order. “We believe the university should halt that planning and marketing process until this crisis is satisfactorily resolved,” according to the faculty members’ letter obtained by Playbook. They also called for the investigator’s report to be made public and that “necessary support” be provided to students who experienced hazing and trauma. Community groups echoed the concerns in a separate statement. It's the tip of the iceberg: After the Daily Northwestern’s weekend story about sexualized hazing of football players, the student paper followed up Monday reporting that three former players described “a culture of enabling racism.” A university spokesperson told the Daily that the school was not aware of the allegations of racism. There’s also a separate investigation of ‘bullying and abusive behavior’ by Northwestern’s head baseball coach, reports Tribune’s Jonathan Bullington. And the football coach is pushing back. Fitzgerald has hired high-powered attorney Dan Webb to challenge his termination, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Nothing to cheer about: The scandals come two years after two other scandals. In one case, a Northwestern cheerleader sued the university for requiring her to attend alumni events where cheerleaders “were being presented as sex objects to titillate the men” at university donor events, the lawsuit said. And separately Black cheerleaders said they were penalized for wearing Black hairstyles such as braids. A matter of trust: Community groups that already had concerns about the stadium development project say the scandal raises bigger questions about “credibility” and trustworthiness. “If they can’t do the basic job of a university to protect and promote the dignity of their own students, how can they be trusted to make good on all the promises they’re making with this project,” David DeCarlo, president of the Most Livable City Association in Evanston, told Playbook. The university has no comment for the time-being, according to a spokesman. RELATED Column: Pat Fitzgerald’s coaching legacy is tarnished after a hazing scandal he refused to publicly acknowledge, by Tribune's Paul Sullivan Reax from students, former players and Illinois leaders, via Tribune
| | THE BUZZ | | | | 
Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez, new state Sen. Natalie Toro, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and state Sen. Mattie Hunter celebrate Toro's appointment. | Photo via Toro's campaign | Natalie Toro, a Chicago Public Schools teacher, was appointed Monday evening to the sought-after 20th District state Senate seat vacated by Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who’s now in the Chicago mayor’s office. Chicago Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) and Clerk of the Circuit Court Iris Martinez both endorsed Toro, giving her a huge block of support over the other seven candidates, some of whom she will face in next year’s election. Waguespack and Martinez held large weighted votes that pushed Toro over the finish line. Here’s how the votes are dispersed. The appointment process was tension-filled as it saw a range of Latino candidates from Democratic to progressive to left-of-progressive. Toro sits in the middle while Graciela Guzman, Pacione-Zayas’ Senate district director, is seen as the more progressive candidate. Only Toro and Guzman received votes. Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa said Guzman lost out because committee people backed by the Fraternal Order of Police picked a more conservative candidate. In a statement, he praised the Northwest Side Progressive Coalition for supporting Guzman. Toro drew a quick congratulations Monday evening from Sylvia Puente, CEO of the Latino Policy Forum and co-chair of the Illinois Latino Agenda. “We look forward to a productive working relationship,” she said in a statement. Along with winning the seat, the new state senator will have to get elected next year to hold on to it. She’s well-familiar with campaigning having finished third in the Democratic primary for the Cook County Board of Commissioners last year. Martinez endorsed her then, too. If you are Graciela Guzman, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | No official public events.
| | Where's Toni | | Online at 6 p.m. to give opening remarks at the virtual Public Hearing on the recently released Preliminary Budget Forecast. It’s taco Tuesday and time to send me a line: skapos@politico.com
| | A message from Uber: What the City of Chicago uncovered about Uber. An independent study by the City of Chicago found that most Uber and Lyft drivers make $21-$30 per hour and earn over $1,000 a week* on average. Learn more about the City of Chicago’s study. *Full-time TNP driver avg hourly and weekly earnings, PPV Study April,'23 | | | | | THE STATEWIDES | | — Taylor Swift and post-pandemic travelers help Illinois break hotel revenue record: “State and local tax revenue from visitor spending totaled in $4.2 billion in 2022, according to a Tourism Economics Report. The report also noted there were 270,600 workers in the state’s tourism and hospitality industry, an increase of 38,300 jobs from 2021,” by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles. — INVESTIGATION: A ‘pattern of problematic conduct’: Gaps in the police oversight system in Urbana allowed for an officer to use excessive force against detainees for years, according to a new report. The officer, who was eventually fired, is fighting to get his job back. Brian Dolinar reports for the Invisible Institute and Illinois Newsroom. — State struggles to implement 2019 law that allows ‘X’ gender on IDs for nonbinary residents: The Illinois secretary of state’s office says it’s “ready to launch,” but “other entities affected by the change have expressed the need for more time, putting in question when it will actually occur,” reports Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner. — To correct an injustice: State Rep. Mark Walker, a Democrat from Arlington Heights, has filed House Bill 4107 to return state-owned lands comprising the Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. — Ta-ta, DeSantis: The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) is moving its annual fall conference from Miami to Chicago, per the organization. — LOOK UP! Illinois will see the Northern Lights this week, via the Weather Channel
| | | | JOIN 7/11 FOR A TALK ON THE FAA’S FUTURE: Congress is making moves to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, laying the groundwork for the FAA’s long-term agenda to modernize the aviation sector to meet the challenges of today and innovate for tomorrow. Join POLITICO on July 11 to discuss what will make it into the final reauthorization bill and examine how reauthorization will reshape FAA’s priorities and authorities. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | 2024 WATCH | | — CONVENTION ZONE: West Siders want a seat at the table when Dem convention comes to Chicago: “U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who has represented the West Side since 1997, is pledging he and other members of Illinois’ Washington delegation will press the Democratic National Committee to secure Black businesses don’t get left behind when contracts and jobs are awarded ahead of the event,” by Tribune’s John Byrne. — In IL-07, Melissa Conyears-Ervin expected to announce in the coming months that she’ll challenge Danny Davis, by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet — Dan Brady will not seek election in 2024, via Pantagraph’s Kelsey Watznauer — Samantha Gasca, a self-described conservative Republican, is challenging Democratic state Sen. Michael Hastings for his 19th Illinois Senate Seat in Will County, per Gasca’s website. — Kelli Wegener has been endorsed by Congressman Bill Foster in her campaign for McHenry County Board chair. “In her nearly five years on the county board, Kelli has consistently demonstrated her dedication to fair local government, including lowering taxes,” Foster said in a statement. — Regan Deering, a Republican running for state rep in the 88th House District, has been endorsed by former McLean County Republican Chair Connie Beard. Deering is running for the seat now held by state Rep. Dan Caulkins, who isn’t seeking a fourth term.
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | CHICAGO | | — DEEP DIVE: Heat down below is making the ground shift under Chicago: “Basements and train tunnels constantly leak heat, causing the land to sink and straining building foundations. Scientists call it ‘underground climate change,’” report The New York Times’ Raymond Zhong and Jamie Kelter Davis. — Calls to move migrants out of police stations grow louder after cops accused of sexual misconduct: “A police station is no place for anyone to live," said Ald. Andre Vasquez, who oversees City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, via Block Club’s Madison Savedra and Jacqueline Cardenas. — Once targeted for demolition, Lincoln Square motel slated to be ‘stabilization housing,’ by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman — Ex-Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson accused of failing to pay restitution in tax case, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner — The confusing saga and upcoming next steps for an elected Chicago School Board, by Kerry Lester Kasper for Center for Illinois Politics
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Lake County says some residents should keep boiling tap water: “For more than a week, Aqua Illinois's customers in the area have had to boil tap water because of broken or leaky pipes and fire hydrants serving their neighborhoods. Some went days without running water,” by Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau. — Evanston Council set to vote on cashless ban, by Evanston Now’s Bill Smith
| | | | UNLEASH THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE WITH POLITICO, A 7/20 INTERACTIVE EVENT: Imagine a future where rare genetic diseases are not only treatable, but potentially curable. Where our approach to chronic illness takes a monumental leap forward. That future is already taking shape in the form of next-generation health care treatments such as gene therapy. Join POLITICO on Thursday, July 20 and delve into the burgeoning field of gene therapies, which hold the power to redefine our health care landscape. Are you ready to explore this new frontier in health care? Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked if you’ve ever been hazed. Kevin Lampe: “I was hazed in my fraternity. But I did everything in my power to stop hazing. As chapter president, I led the fight to change the behavior. As a chapter, we eliminated the practice.” Stephen Sadin: “There were immature activities when I was a fraternity pledge in 1968.” Andy Shaw: “There was consumption of too much grain alcohol and participation in embarrassing semi-nude bodily ‘games’ in my college fraternity initiation ritual counts, but I viewed it then as crude sophomoric hi-jinks that left no permanent scars.” What’s an out-of-the-box place to campaign? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Trump wants classified documents trial delayed until after 2024 election, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — GOP goes all out to avoid another Senate primary mess, by POLITICO’s Burgess Everett and Ally Mutnick — Now waaaaaaiiiit a minute! Presidential candidates keep stumping at the Animal House frat, by POLITICO’s Sam Stein — FIRST PERSON: Tylenol suspect James Lewis tells Tom McNamee that anyone could have poisoned those capsules — and calmly explained how, via Sun-Times | | A message from Uber: Going where taxis won’t go
The City of Chicago’s own study found that nearly 30% of Uber & Lyft rides start in underserved neighborhoods like Avalon Park and Pullman.*
Learn more about the City of Chicago’s study.
*PPV Study April,'23 | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Amy Crawford starts next week as first assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Law Department. She most recently oversaw work of the Civil Actions Bureau Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. — Jaylin D. McClinton has joined the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts as director of policy and advocacy. McClinton was a staff member on Mayor Brandon Johnson's transition team. Earlier, he had stints in the Obama-Biden administration and with then-state Rep. Juliana Stratton.
| | TRIVIA | | MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Matthew Beaudet and Graham Grady for correctly answering that Cubs pitcher Myron “Moe” Drabowsky surrendered Stan Musial's 3,000th base hit. TODAY’s QUESTION: What building now sits on the site of the Grand Pacific Hotel, where the system of dividing the United States into four time zones was established? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former Champaign County Treasurer John Farney, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski’s Chief of Staff Anne Sokolov, lieutenant governor’s office senior adviser Robert (Rob) Baren, political consultant and LGBTQ rights activist Richard Streetman, Opendoor senior comms manager Charity Greene, nonprofit exec Susy Schultz and National Endowment for the Arts Chief of Staff Ra Joy. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
