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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Monday morning, Illinois. Get out your dibs equipment. Winter is coming.
|  | TOP TALKER | | DONALD TRUMP LOOMS. Headlines over the weekend focused on the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The big question: How will it impact the 2024 election? So far, Republicans don’t seem to care one bit about Trump’s involvement or not in the attack. With a week away from the Iowa caucuses, polls indicate he’s on his way to winning the Republican presidential nomination. But independents aren’t so forgiving, and that might give Democrats an opening, reports POLITICO’s Steven Shepard. It doesn't mean much in Illinois. This is a Blue state that isn’t likely to get behind Trump. But he’s making headlines nonetheless: Trump didn’t sign the Illinois loyalty oath that says he won’t advocate for overthrowing the government, reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney. From the story: “Trump did not voluntarily sign the state’s loyalty oath as part of his package of ballot-access paperwork submitted Thursday to the Illinois State Board of Elections. That omission … is a departure from his presidential candidacies of 2016 and 2020, when he affixed his signature to the oath both times.” President Joe Biden and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis both signed the oath, as did others running for president. About the oath. By signing it, candidates attest they “do not directly or indirectly teach or advocate the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state or any unlawful change in the form of the governments thereof by force or any unlawful means,” the oath states. Trump’s eligibility status: The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether states have the power to disqualify Trump from the ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6 riot, via POLITICO. Why it matters: A group of Illinois voters filed paperwork to keep Trump off the ballot for the March 19 primary in Illinois. RELATED Biden: “Trump is running as the election denier in chief,” via POLITICO
| | THE BUZZ | | NEW THIS MORNING: The Tribune is out with a story about drama in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration: Johnson fired staffers after they complained about how they were treated by top officials, report Alice Yin and Gregory Royal Pratt. From the story: “Top City Hall adviser Jason Lee walked into a press aide’s office and began yelling, according to a complaint filed by former deputy director of digital strategy Dora Meza with the state’s human rights department and the city inspector general.” Lee was upset with the digital team, “made up of people hired during the Lightfoot administration who had stayed on after Johnson took office, for not posting a photo recap of Johnson’s appearance at the NBA Draft Combine to the mayor’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, according to the complaint Meza filed. Meza said she told Lee they were holding off on posting content because they were livestreaming the funeral for slain police Officer Aréanah Preston. Press office colleague Azhley Rodriguez was also present, both told the Tribune.” The episode signals “the bumpy transition in the mayor’s office,” according to the story. If you are Jason Lee, 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. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (gasp!) a complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
| | 2024 WATCH | | — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Some supporters of Clayton Harris III say it’s time for a Black man to head the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. “In the more than 100-year history of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, there has never been a Black man elected to the post,” according to a letter obtained by Playbook and going public today. It's signed by former U.S. Sens. Carol Moseley Braun and Roland Burris, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Full letter here.
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — State Rep. Jonathan Carroll announces his resignation: The Northbrook Democrat wasn’t running for reelection but had been expected to finish his term. Tracy Katz Muhl is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the March primary. No Republican filed to run, via the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau. — Brandun Schweizer appointed to fill 104th district vacancy: “Schweizer served in the United States Marine Corps for 21 years, and retired earlier this year. He currently works as a code enforcement inspector for the city of Danville.” He replaces state Rep. Michael Marron, who now heads Vermillion Advantage, an economic development organization, by WCIA’s Danny Connolly.
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — Most owners of assault-style weapons in Illinois appear not to have registered them as required by law: “There are minimal consequences for failing to register, and whether the law is even enforced depends heavily on where you live and how authorities discover an unregistered gun,” by the Sun-Times’ Matthew Hendrickson. — Hate crimes overall are on the rise in Illinois: “Out of 319 hate crimes reported, 28 percent were anti-Black, while 11 percent were anti-white, 6 percent were anti-Hispanic or Latino, 2 percent were anti-Asian and 3 percent were multiracial in origin,” reports the State Journal-Register’s Zach Roth. — New Year’s pardons: A look at how some Illinois governors have granted clemencies, by Kerry Lester Kasper for the Center for Illinois Politics
| | MIGRANT MOVES | | — COMPELLING READ: Dropped off in suburb wearing T-shirts and sandals, migrants finally reach Chicago by Metra train: “With so many asylum-seekers arriving over the past few weeks, the city has had to put overflow migrants in warming buses to sleep while they wait for shelter,” by the Tribune’s Nell Salzman. — No migrant restrictions in Western Springs, reports the Patch’s David Giuliani. — Migrants are leaving NYC for Illinois and other states, by Newsweek’s Katherine Fung
| | CHICAGO | | — Real estate interests seek to block ‘Bring Chicago Home’ referendum: “A coalition of real estate and development groups filed suit Friday seeking to knock the binding referendum off the ballot, calling it an example of ‘log-rolling,’ a legislative tactic of combining a politically unpopular proposal with popular one so voters will swallow the bitter pill,” by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — City Council ethics package could face uphill fight without Johnson in the lead: Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t making ethics reform a priority the way former Mayor Lori Lightfoot did, writes the Tribune’s A.D. Quig. — 15 community organizations awarded $2.7 million to revamp vacant storefronts: “Groups receiving the funds will use them to revitalize commercial corridors across Chicago, including Michigan Avenue downtown and business districts in Garfield Park, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, Uptown, West Loop, Lake View and Chatham,” by the Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn. — Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago shifting to 100% renewable energy this year, writes the Chicago Catholic’s Michelle Martin — “The Bear,” which takes place in Chicago, was a winner at the Golden Globes, per The Associated Press — The Bears ended the season with an ‘L,” by the Bears Digest’s Gene Chamberlain
| | NONPROFIT NEWS | | — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MacKenzie Scott, the noted philanthropist, is set to announce a $3 million donation to HIRE360, which connects underserved minority businesses and communities to contracts and careers in unionized construction jobs. — Bears president’s family foundation makes $1M donation to Lurie Children’s Hospital, by the Sun-Times’ Phyllis Cha. — Big Brothers Big Sisters to open 4 new mentoring sites across Chicago area, by the Sun-Times’ Audrey Hettleman
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — FAA temporarily grounds Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft after in-flight incident: “The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate Friday night’s incident where an exit door blew out of an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight. No one was injured,” by POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk.
| | | Reader Digest | | | We asked about a place you never want to visit again: Charles Keller: “New York City, San Francisco, London, Paris. All once beautiful. Now, not so much.” Jim LaCognata: “I’ve been to 54 countries and about 43 states. There isn’t a place that I wouldn’t want to return to — although Texas and Florida are getting close.” Gail Morse: “Texas and Florida.” Mark Rosenberg: “Myanmar. I was there in 2017 before the military junta began the genocide of Rohingya people. Beautiful country, terrible cruelty.” Raymond Sendejas: “Houston. I felt like we spent the entire weekend in the car when we took a trip. Everything seemed far away from everything else, and the traffic was terrible.” Patricia Ann Watson: “Rural Zambia. I was sick the entire time.” Next question: What kind of cult would you start?
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — China competition meets Chicago: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the China, is hosting a series of events today with elected officials and businesses. The goal: “to out-compete China economically and technologically,” according to his team. Events include a tour of the Becton Dickson plant in Downers Grove to discuss supply chain challenges, a visit to the Elgin O’Hare Western Access project to discuss domestic infrastructure investment, a roundtable at the International Systems Audit and Control Association to launch a new program to improve cybersecurity, a tour of Motorola’s plant in Elgin to focus on investments in artificial intelligence and a panel at Harper Community College in Palatine on initiatives to strengthen the American workforce.
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Johnson strikes his first bipartisan deal — a $1.7T funding deal, by POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes — Defense secretary fails to inform the White House that he’s hospitalized, by POLITICO’s Lara Seligman, Alexander Ward and Connor O’Brien — How the U.S. is ‘Bibi-sitting’ an Israeli leader losing control, by POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi
| | EVENTS | | — Tuesday: “Chicago's Modern Mayors: Harold Washington to Lori Lightfoot” is the subject of a Chicago Midland Authors panel discussion with Betty O’Shaughnessy, Dick Simpson, Kari Lydersen, Monroe Anderson, Daniel Bliss and Dennis Judd. Details here — Saturday: Kelli Wegener, a Democratic candidate for McHenry County Board chair, will hold a “Pull Up a Chair” fundraiser. Tickets here
| | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering that the Chicago Board of Trade shut down to honor Marshall Field upon his death in 1906. TODAY's QUESTION: Who was the first Illinois-born Olympic Medalist? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former state Rep. Kathleen Willis, former Congressman Mel Reynolds, Catholic Charities’ Strategic Initiatives Executive Director Matthew McCabe, business networker George Bliss and marketing exec Trish Kapos. And belated greetings to Congressman Jonathan Jackson, who celebrated Sunday. -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 | | | | |  |
