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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | TGIF, Illinois. I hope you got to light the first candles of Hanukkah with friends like I did.
|  | TOP TALKER | | Mayor Brandon Johnson snagged some time with White House officials Thursday to talk about the migrant issue in Chicago. Also on the agenda: In the mayor's meeting with administration officials, they also talked about gun violence — and the need for measures to curb it — and how the city has beefed up youth jobs, according to the mayor’s adviser, Jason Lee. Big city confab: The mayor spoke with New York Mayor Eric Adams, too, about “advocacy strategy." Adams and Johnson were in Washington, trying to get some face time with administration officials before attending a White House holiday party. Also attending the party: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, state Sen. Cristina Castro, state Reps. Bob Morgan and Anna Moeller and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. East Coast swing: Johnson also was making time to visit Harvard University for an event.
| | THE BUZZ | | DEJA VU: Friends of the Parks is opposing the idea of building a new Bears stadium in the parking lot south of the old stadium, which was first reported on 670 The Score. Should be no surprise: The non-profit group that advocates for open spaces famously opposed movie mogul George Lucas’ plan to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on the same site. The group filed a lawsuit in 2014 that ultimately forced Lucas to take his museum idea to California. Same old song: “Our board is calling our lawyers as we speak," Juanita Irizarry, the executive director of the nonprofit Friends of the Parks, told Crain’s Danny Ecker. Adding to the intrigue: The timing of the latest idea to build up the parking lot came a day after Irizarry announced she planned to step down as executive director of Friends of the Parks. If you are Cristina Castro, 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 | | No official public events. Hang up the garland and email me at skapos@politico.com
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Sangamon County to consider tourism district in first step to expanded convention center: “Having everything in one place next door to hotels such as the Wyndham Springfield City Centre and the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield DoubleTree, also is an advantage,” by the State Journal-Register’s Zach Roth. — Athletic supporter: State Rep. Kam Buckner has introduced two measures: the Student Athletes Bill of Rights and first-of-its-kind anti-hazing legislation. “The lack of protection and the prevalence of exploitation in the college athletics ranks has severely damaged student-athletes, their families and the institutions they represent,” the Chicago Democrat and former college football player said in a statement.
| | CHICAGO | | — Chicago is seeing largest spike in robberies in over 20 years, analysis shows: “Nearly 4,900 robberies happened between July 1 and Nov. 26, a more than 55 percent increase compared to the previous five months. That’s the largest percentage increase in robberies between consecutive five-month periods since at least 2001,” by the Sun-Times’ Sophie Sherry and Alden Loury. — Migrant shelter at closed St. Bartholomew school expected to open next year: “The Portage Park school closed this year and is expected to house up to 350 people starting as early as mid-January,” by the Sun-Times’ Violet Miller. — Man fatally shot near West Loop homeless encampment: “Ald. Bill Conway and nearby residents had petitioned the mayor’s office to address the encampment, citing open use of drugs and drug dealing,” by the Sun-Times’ Mary Norkol and Isabel Funk. — Johnson administration’s early days marked by lapses in transparency: “From shelter for migrants to the future of ShotSpotter, will Chicago be left in the dark, again,” the Chicago Reader's Shawn Mulcahy. — Split decision for police union: Council committee OKs contract extension, rejects arbitrator’s ruling on cop discipline, by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman What it means: Stage set for a potential legal fight and protracted turmoil between police union and Mayor Brandon Johnson, reports the Tribune’s Sam Charles and A.D. Quig
| | TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES | | — As fiscal cliff looms, CMAP pitches bold plan to overhaul Chicagoland public transit: “State lawmakers passed a measure charging the regional planning agency CMAP to think big and come up with a plan to improve service, make buses and trains more accessible and make sure all the different bus and train lines effectively link up with one another,” by WTTW’s Nick Blumberg. — Des Plaines cracks down on street parking by O’Hare travelers: “The suburb’s City Council approved parking bans on several streets near the airport. Violators face fines of up to $250,” by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau.
| | | The Trial of Edward Burke | | | — Defense: ‘Computer mistake,’ not pressure from Ed Burke, caused delays in Burger King work: “City Hall bureaucracy took center stage in former Ald. Ed Burke’s corruption trial Thursday as one of the finer disputed points in the case came to a head,” by the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and Mariah Woelfel. — Danny Solis, alderman who turned FBI mole, is expected to hit the witness stand next week, by the Tribune’s Jason Meisner, Ray Long and Megan Crepeau
| | 2024 WATCH | | — Mariyana Spyropoulos has been endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union in her bid for Cook County Circuit Court clerk. Spyropoulos is a third-term commissioner on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and is challenging incumbent Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez. — Biden fundraiser co-host Matthew Pritzker has invite pulled after sexual assault accusation, by Newsweek’s Katherine Fung
| | SPOTTED | | — IN TOWN: Bono was in a Chicago bar Thursday singing holiday tunes, via Liz Garibay on X. — IN CHICAGO: Lobbyist Ben Lazare hosted an intimate birthday party fundraiser Thursday at his swank Logan Square home for state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz. High-profile guests included Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O'Brien, 44th Ward Ald Bennett Lawson, former state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, former state Rep Julie Curry and lobbyists Brian Daly, Chris Lowrey and Hector Villagrana. — IN D.C.: The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition co-chaired by Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski held an event this week with Illinois AFL-CIO, Climate Jobs Illinois Equity Director Chynna Hampton and IBEW Local 146 Electrician Jeff Westendorf on Capitol Hill. What they talked about: a clean energy workforce, of course. Also spotted: materials handler Eric Romero Sr. and assembler Eric Romero Jr., who are both with IUE-CWA Local 301; electrician Kilton Webb with IBEW Local 567; and BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh.
| | Reader Digest | | We asked about what you listen to for holiday cheer: Andrew Davis: Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas.” Lucas Hawley: “Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey.” Kevin Lamm: “No holiday music until two weeks before and then it’s Spotify lists of old-time music by the Crystals and Ronettes, and, of course, I love Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas Is You.’” John Lopez: “You’re a Mean One Mister Grinch.” Ed Mazur: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" “or in my case, the Hanukkah menorah.” David Melton: Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.” Marilynn Miller: “I turn on TV stations with holiday music, including piano jazz (which I LOVE, especially Gene Harris).” Josh Mogerman: “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC. Alison Pure-Slovin: The Maccabeats, which "this year they pivoted from the joy of the holidays to the reality of our history ‘We’re Still Here.’” Mark Swartz: Low’s “Christmas.” Timothy Thomas Jr.: Angela Lansbury singing “We Need a Little Christmas.” Patricia Ann Watson: Luther Vandross’ “Every Year, Every Christmas” and Stevie Wonder’s “That’s What Christmas Means to Me My Darlin’.” Bob Yadgir and Christine Walker tune in to ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’” For Monday, what activity put on by your state rep have you participated in?
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — Sen. Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03) are part of a delegation heading to Guatemala and Honduras to meet with elected officials, the private sector and “civil society leaders.”
| | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | | — The stop Trump effort has been abysmal, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin — Hunter Biden charged with nine criminal counts for allegedly failing to pay taxes, by POLITICO’s Betsy Woodruff Swan, Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — Gaza hostage talks hit roadblock, raising fears of prolonged captivity, by POLITICO’s Erin Banco — Obama’s massive prisoner release led to Jesse Webster’s Chicago success story and three failures, by the Sun-Times’ Frank Main — Jail starvation death brings $7.2M settlement, largest in Indiana, by Newsweek’s Eric Ferkenhoff
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Arnold Randall has been named executive director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. He starts in January. The foundation “supports efforts to protect and restore fragile natural areas, helping to build vibrant communities through local arts organizations,” Randall wrote on Linkedin. He just announced earlier this week that he was stepping down as head of the Cook County Forest Preserve. Timnetra Burruss is chief deputy commissioner at the Cook County Board of Review. It’s the agency’s highest-ranking employee. Burruss is the first woman to lead the agency. She’s been with the Board of Review since 2008 in other positions. — Maurice J. Scholten has been elected president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois. Carol Portman, TFI’s president since 2013, becomes president emeritus in January. Scholten has been legislative director for the organization since 2015. Earlier, he was senior legal counsel to Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.
| | EVENTS | | Monday: The Institute for Work & the Economy is discussing AI in the workplace. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | THURSDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to state Rep. Norine Hammond and Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering that the Twinkie was invented during the Depression by Chicagoan Jimmy Dewar. It was originally filled with banana cream, but bananas were scarce during WWII, so vanilla cream was substituted. TODAY's QUESTION: Which two Illinois municipalities, other than Chicago, are named in the title of a full-length motion picture? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Today: Political consultant and former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, Illinois Liquor Control commission legislative liaison Curtis Franklin, Publicis Groupe Chief Inclusion Officer Renetta McCann and attorney Nick Colvin. Saturday: Chicago Ald. Chris Taliaferro, Brunswick Group CEO Neal Wolin, McHugh & Howlett Public Affairs’ Ed Howlett, Chicago Housing Authority Marketing Manager Nicole Berry and Emily’s List Great Lakes Regional Director for Campaigns Brittany Maloney. Sunday: Former Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, Chicago Ald. Felix Cardona Jr., former state Sen. Jacqueline “Jacqui” Collins, entrepreneur Valerie Beck, G2 enterprise sales leader Jason Anciulis and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. -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 | | | | |  |
