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| By Shia Kapos |
Happy Wednesday, Illinois. Thanks for plugging in.
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 | TOP TALKER | |
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Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at the Grace and Peace Church in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. | Shia Kapos/POLITICO |
MIGRANT MOVES: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has teamed up with Chicago churches to accelerate efforts to house migrants. Seventeen parishes will each take in about 20 asylum seekers with the help of a $350,000 donation from Fish Potter Bolaños law firm. Organizers hope the effort prompts more donations so additional parishes can be added. “The timing could not be more crucial,” said Johnson at a news conference Tuesday, a day that started with temperatures in the teens. The Unity Initiative, as it’s called, is a ramped-up program that Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration started on a smaller scale because there were fewer asylum seekers at the time. “It’s not just housing. It’s hope,” said Pastor John Zayas, who is working with Johnson’s administration to build the program. The program is also an indication that the Johnson administration sees there’s no one answer to solving the migrant crisis. Along with brick and mortar shelters, the mayor's office is now getting help from parishes while also pursuing efforts to build large tented cities as the stream of migrants continues into the city. Chicago has now seen nearly 25,000 new arrivals, more than the city can find space for in shelters. About 1,200 migrants are without shelter, down from nearly 4,000 a few months ago. The smaller sheltering program connected to parishes is “more manageable” and “not so overwhelming” to new arrivals, said Jackie Rosa, the city’s chief philanthropy officer, explaining that case managers will work with the churches to provide wrap-around services to some 350 people. Related reads: Johnson defends construction at Brighton Park migrant camp, by the Tribune’s Alice Yin, A.D. Quig and Dan Petrella Construction Brighton Park is set to break ground today, by Block Club’s Mack Liederman and Madison Savedra Pritzker details ongoing efforts by the state to house migrants, too, by NBC 5’s Charlie Wojciechowski
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| CONVENTION ZONE | |
HOSTING THE SHOW: The 2024 Democratic National Convention Host Committee has announced its senior staff and the names are all familiar. Giving props: “They bring a breadth of talent, experience, and commitment to the Host Committee’s mission and I look forward to working with them to host a successful Convention next summer,” Host Committee Executive Director Christy George said in a statement announcing the team. The names: Maurice (Mo) Green is senior director of civic and community engagement, Natalie Edelstein is comms director, Shaunna Sims-Davis is chief equity officer, Joanna Belanger is senior director of partnerships and donor relations, Jake Mikva is operations director and Morgan Prewitt is senior director of events management and production. Their backgrounds: Green has served as political director for SEIU Local 73. He previously worked in Gov. JB Pritzker's administration as public affairs director for the Illinois Department of Human Rights. He also was Illinois deputy state director in Joe Biden’s successful 2020 campaign for president. Edelstein is familiar to Playbook readers. Before pivoting to the host committee, she was the Pritzker campaign's communications director. Sims-Davis worked in the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office as chief deputy of external affairs. She also was political director for former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Belanger is a political consultant who previously was political director at Giffords Courage to Fight Gun Violence. She got her start doing fundraising for Sen. Dick Durbin and former Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Mikva is a political consultant who most recently was federal policy adviser in the Chicago Mayor's Office. Yes, he’s the grandson of the late Judge Abner Mikva. Prewitt is an event pro who’s worked at ComplexCon Chicago, Obama Foundation Town Halls, Major League Soccer Draft Chicago and Amazon Web Services. Here’s the full release If you are Christy George, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com
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| WHERE'S JB | |
At the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Rock Island at 10 a.m. to celebrate completion of Sergeant John F. Baker Jr. Mississippi River Bridge restoration. — In Dekalb to celebrate the opening of a new Meta data center.
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| WHERE's BRANDON | |
| In City Council chambers at 10 a.m. for the Carter Harrison and Lambert Tree Award Ceremony. — At Midway Central Market at 11 a.m. for announcements.
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| | Where's Toni | |
| No official public event. After you clean out the dishwasher, email at skapos@politico.com
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| 2024 WATCH | |
— Citing Trump factor, former House GOP leader Jim Durkin takes himself out of Cook County state’s attorney race: “After crunching the votes cast in the past few cycles, an already ‘daunting challenge’ of running as a Republican in Cook County grew greater with former President Trump as the likely GOP nominee for president,” he tells the Tribune’s Rick Pearson. — Former Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni is leaving the Republicans and joining the Democrats: “With his new party label, DiCianni, a former Republican DuPage County Board member from Elmhurst, is running for recorder,” by Patch’s David Giuliani.
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| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | |
| — Gotion lobbies up: The EV battery component manufacturer that plans to open a plant in Illinois has enlisted veteran lobbyists to help contain the fallout from opponents concerned about its ownership connections to China, retaining Mercury Public Affairs and the Vogel Group. Worth noting: Former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos heads Mercury’s Illinois office. First reported by Caitlin Oprysko in the POLITICO Influence newsletter.
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| | THE STATEWIDES | |
| — Temporary staffing agencies seek to block new state labor law, by Capitol News Peter Hancock — It's a family affair: Congressman Darin LaHood and former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently sat down for a conversation at the Paul Simon Institute. The congressman also talked about the dysfunction in Washington, saying the recent House speaker shakeup was “traumatic” for the GOP. “Democracy is messy and complicated,” he said. Here’s the whole conversation.
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| CHICAGO | |
— Aldermanic prerogative fuels segregation and violates Black, Latino Chicagoans’ Civil Rights, according to federal officials: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development called out the practice that allows Chicago City Council members to have veto power over housing developments in their wards — troublesome when the wards have a majority of white residents, according to HUD. WTTW’s Heather Cherone reports. — Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban starts Friday, by Block Club’s Joanna Hou — Infographic: How demolishing public housing increased inequality, via Chicago Booth report.
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| COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | |
— The big reveal: Cook County treasurer offers a way to find out what all those property taxes pay for, by the Sun-Times’ David Struett — Player reinstated to Hinsdale South basketball team after mother files suit, by the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin and Caroline Kubzansky — Many older adults in Cook County die without an estate plan. A legal tool is helping heirs hold onto family homes, by the Tribune’s Lizzie Kane — Rosemont closes on $12.7 million purchase of last undeveloped property in town, by the Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek
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| PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | |
— As O’Hare expansion price tag climbs, airport’s two biggest carriers want project scaled back – or grounded: “United and American airlines are slated to share a new ‘global terminal’ handling both domestic and international flights — a project funded in part by airlines. But now both carriers want Mayor Brandon Johnson to alter those plans,” by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman and David Roeder.
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| The Trial of Edward Burke | |
— Jurors hear first secret recordings by FBI mole Daniel Solis, by the Tribune’s Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau and Ray Long — FBI agent tells how morning visit led to ex-Ald. Danny Solis wearing a wire on longtime colleague Ed Burke, by the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel — Five years ago today: Butcher paper signaled FBI raid on offices of ‘untouchable’ Ed Burke, changing Chicago history, by the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel
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| GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.N. SUBSCRIBE NOW. |
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| SPOTTED | |
— BOOK IT: Corboy & Demetrio hosted a book party Monday for author Kelly Cervantes, who wrote “Normal Broken” after grieving the loss of her and “Hamilton” star Miguel Cervantes’ young daughter Adelaide. In the room: Circuit Judge Celia Gamrath, who’s running for Illinois Appellate Court as a Democrat; Judges Thomas Lyons and Eve Reilly; and Cure Epilepsy CEO Beth Lewin Dean. Eli’s Cheesecake Owner Maureen Schulman led a Q&A with Cervantes. Marc Schulman was there, too.
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| Reader Digest | |
We asked about the practice (tradition) of challenging primary opponents’ signatures: Brian Bernardoni: “Petition challenges identify fraud, narrow the field and increase your odds of winning if you can bounce the opponent.” Pamela Calvert: “If the signature count requirements weren’t so ludicrously high, with so many inconsistent and massively confusing restrictions, there would be less opportunity for fraud and mistakes and a reduced occasion for the ballot challenge hunger games. But it’s a nice racket for the lawyers.” Patrick Cortesi: “We should hold candidates and elected officials to the highest standards, including following the rules for gathering signatures. They should be challenged when not done correctly.” Chris Kolker: “Challenges are a necessary evil. They create a hurdle so only more credible candidates get on the ballot.” Jim Nowlan: “Checking petitions for good faith efforts is fine. Aggressive nit-picking to throw candidates off the ballot is anti-democratic.” Jay Pearce: “I have an issue with signatures being contested for minor, honest mistakes.” Kyle Ryan: “It's a petty practice that reeks of good old Chicago corruption. Yet it always seems to yield some signatures being thrown out.” Ray Sendejas: “Barack Obama challenged Alice Palmer's petitions, prompting her to exit the race. If he hadn’t challenged those petitions, he might not have ever been president!” Patricia Ann Watson: “It’s a legitimate tool to cull the lazy and/or unscrupulous who are seeking elected office.” For tomorrow, what primary match-up are you watching?
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| THE NATIONAL TAKE | |
— Activists wanted a Middle East cease-fire. They got something else from Dems, by POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu and Ursula Perano — Why Senate Dems are prepared to swallow a border policy compromise, by POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn and Burgess Everett — Pope punishes leading critic Cardinal Burke of Wisconsin in second action against conservative American prelates, by Associated Press’ Nicole Winfield
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| EVENTS | |
— Friday: Reparations town hall in Evanston. Details here — Monday: The Aurora Navy League is hosting its Pearl Harbor Day luncheon. Details here
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| TRIVIA | |
TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Kristin DiCenso for correctly answering that the floodplain of the Mississippi River in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois is also known as the American Bottom. TODAY's QUESTION: How many people died in the shipwreck of the David Dows? Email skapos@politico.com
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY | |
U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Executive Director Dan Kovats, Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter Jr., Walgreens' Local Government Relations national director Donovan Pepper and Roberts Enterprise Development Fund CEO Maria Kim. -30- |
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