| | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Happy snowy Tuesday, Illinois. It was Monday Vaxday as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle received their Covid-19 shots. |  | TOP TALKER | | While Rep. Liz Cheney and other Republicans face pushback for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the Capitol riot, Rep. Adam Kinzinger is talking about how to reshape the Republican Party. During an interview Monday, CNN's Jim Sciutto asked Kinzinger if he'd stick with the GOP if it remained "Trump's party." Kinzinger said the Republican Party he "fell in love with" as a kid was gone. "And that's why I'm going to fight like hell to bring it back to the party that I believe in." The Illinois Republican took GOP leaders to task for focusing on primaries instead of "restoring the integrity of the party." | 
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger wants the GOP to regroup post-Trump. | AP Photo / Noreen Nasir | Kinzinger believes "every day that goes by there are less and less people [who] would consider themselves Trump Republicans… as the emotion wears off. In six months it's not going to be necessarily the party of Donald Trump." That may be true or just wishful thinking as Kinzinger weighs his options in running for re-election or another office — and whether Trump supporters will take revenge on him at the polls. Unlike most of the other 10 representatives who voted to dump Trump, Kinzinger's blue home state shrugged its shoulders. Though there's talk that he could lose in a future primary for his congressional seat, most GOP political observers don't think that's likely. Kinzinger has faced multiple primaries over the years and has won easily each time. He also outperformed Trump in the general election, so even a strong challenge from the right would likely lean in his favor in a House race. All that could change in a statewide race should Kinzinger decide to run for governor or U.S. Senate. Surviving a primary means facing a Democratic opponent who would dismiss Kinzinger's moderate Republican message and point to his voting record: Kinzinger voted with Trump more than 90 percent of the time. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Given a remap of the congressional districts hasn't happened yet, primaries are an eternity away, allowing Kinzinger to stick to reshaping the Republican Party. | | THE BUZZ | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A renters' rights measure has gained traction in the Cook County Commission. Board members Scott Britton and Kevin Morrison have secured the support of five more commissioners to sign on as co-sponsors for the county-wide Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO), which protects renters from unlawful lockouts and "bad actor landlords," as Britton calls them. Commissioners Brandon Johnson, Dennis Deer, Bill Lowry, Deborah Sims, and Larry Suffredin have signed on to the proposal. And Republican Commissioner Sean Morrison told Playbook he expects to vote for it, too. "We've been working hard to help craft a fair ordinance for both tenants and landlords in mind. I believe we got there today. I'm for it," he said last night. The measure puts in place landlord regulations across the county, where some 245,000 households are in rental properties not covered by the strict rules that cities like Chicago, Evanston and Mount Prospect have enforced. (Somewhere, Jimmy McMillan is cheering .) If passed, the measure would go into effect June 1 and would limit how much landlords can charge for late rent or deposits and would require landlords to meet basic habitability standards and disclose cited code violations. RTLO also exempts "mom and pop" small owners, single-family homes where an owner can't sell, and SROs that serve the most vulnerable residents. The RTLO also protects landlords against property destruction and abandonment, though that may not be enough to appease critics. Real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin reports that landlords foresee the ordinance "adding to landlords' costs of ownership and eventually dampening the investment climate." The measure will be discussed today among commissioners and go up for a committee vote Wednesday. Final vote is Thursday. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com | | | | TRACK THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: A new president occupies the White House and he is already making changes. What are some of the key moments from Biden's first week in office? Find out in Transition Playbook, our scoop-filled newsletter tracking the appointments, people, and emerging power centers of the first 100 days of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | WHERE'S LORI | | No official public events. | | WHERE'S J.B. | | No official public events. | | Where's Toni | | Presiding over a 10 a.m. virtual meeting of the Cook County Forest Preserves District. | | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reported 49 new deaths and 2,944 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus. That's a total of 18,798 fatalities and 1,104,763 cases in Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from Jan. 18 through 24 is 4.7 percent. Chicago's positivity rate is at 7.2 percent. | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | — LIGHTFOOT unveils plan to send more vaccines to Black and brown communities: "In an effort to boost Covid-19 vaccination rates in Chicago's hard-hit Black and Latino neighborhoods, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she plans to increase the number of doses for mostly South and West side communities while partnering with local groups on a U.S. census-style outreach plan," by Tribune's Gregory Pratt and John Byrne. ... Half of Chicago residents to get vaccine so far are white, by WBEZ's Becky Vevea, Mariah Woelfel — 8 new cases of more contagious Covid-19 strain found in Illinois: "The latest cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, bring the total number of cases in Illinois to nine, health officials said," by Sun-Times' Emmanuel Camarillo. — States taking back Covid shots unused by nursing homes: "Under pressure to speed up vaccinations, states are holding back or redirecting doses earmarked for long-term care facilities," by POLITICO's Rachel Roubein and Brianna Ehley. — Tinley Park gets large vaccination site as state moves into next stage of inoculation plan, by Sun-Times' Rachel Hinton and Isabelle Sarraf — Walgreens, Jewel Osco open vax appointments for Illinois residents in Phase 1B, by NBC/5 | | BIDEN TIME | | — HAIL TO THE CHIEF: President Joe Biden lifted the ban on transgender troops serving in the military, prompting quick praise from Col. Jennifer Pritzker. "I am pleased," Pritzker, who identifies as a transgender woman, said in a statement to Playbook after learning the news. "This action will help the Armed Forces access a larger pool of qualified recruits for our all-volunteer force, and it is based on extensive research showing that inclusive policy is successful and strengthens our military. Quite simply, it is the right thing to do for our military and our country." Pritzker served 16 years in the Army Reserves and Illinois Army National Guard before founding and overseeing the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago. The governor is her cousin. Col. Pritzker had donated $250,000 to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign only to be thoroughly disappointed when in 2017 he dismissively tweeted that he'd issue a ban transgender soldiers. Pritzker spoke out against Trump and went on to donate $247,000 to Biden's campaign. — Springfield family gets phone call from Biden, invitation to the White House: In a 20-minute conversation, Dr. Francis Abiola Oke of Springfield talked with President Joe Biden about their families' immigraiton stories. Oke, who was among supporters Biden contacted in the days before the inauguration, said he contributed small amounts of money to the Biden/Harris campaign, writes State Journal-Register's Steven Spearie. | | | | HAPPENING TODAY - DRAWING THE ETHICAL LINE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: As AI becomes increasingly ingrained in our everyday lives, there are concerns about biases in these systems and ethical standards to guide their fair use. Without an international framework or set of principles governing AI, the ethical guidelines for its use vary across countries and cities and sometimes even come down to individual policymakers, elected leaders, the private sector, and grassroots advocates' work. Join POLITICO for a conversation to explore the pace of global AI innovation and development and what it means for the future of ethical standards in this space. The virtual program features an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and Workday EVP of corporate affairs Jim Shaughnessy. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | CHICAGO | | — BIDEN addresses the Chicago Public Schools and teachers union debate: "I believe we should make school classrooms safe and secure," President Joe Biden said, suggesting that widespread testing was the way to do that. "Chicago Public Schools and the city's teachers union each seized on the statement," reports Chalkbeat. ... CPS parents caught between district and CTU fear students are falling behind, push for stability: "While the union and district work out their issues, our kids should not suffer as a result," a parent petition says. Sun-Times' Nader Issa reports. ... A Wall Street Journal editorial calls the Chicago Teachers Union's opposition to going back to the classroom an act of "taking kids hostage to extract more money from Congress with no guarantee that it will release them if it does." — Over 100 flights canceled in Chicago as winter storm hits: "O'Hare International Airport reported 119 cancellations Monday night, while 46 were reported at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation website," according to the Sun-Times. ... Chicago's 10 largest snowfalls since 1886 — and how the Tribune covered them, by Kori Rumore — Feds investigating Pritzker EPA for OK'ing scrap shredder on Chicago's heavily polluted Southeast Side: "The probe announced Monday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency comes amid a separate-but-related investigation of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration," by Tribune's Michael Hawthorne. — What Chicago is doing to address a spike in carjackings: "Following a surge last year, Chicago has seen more than 160 carjackings so far in 2021. The Chicago Police Department says it's taking a more comprehensive approach to deal with that spike, like adding detective staff and expanding the citywide carjacking task force," by WTTW's Blair Paddock with video interview with Brandis Friedman. — Survival Economics: High unemployment pushes Black Chicagoans into informal jobs: "High unemployment rates on the city's South and West sides have pushed many residents into the informal, or off the books, economy. Decades of few job opportunities, disinvestment and deindustrialization forces people into survival mode without formal training or licensing. Street vendors, auto mechanics, childcare providers and movers are some of the jobs," reports WBEZ's Natalie Moore. — 80 white supremacists rally in Loop: 'Definitely troubling': "Dozens of members of the Patriot Front, a Texas group, gathered outside the Cook County Building Saturday, witnesses say," by Sun-Times' Tom Schuba. — Aldermen advance settlement in 2015 police traffic stop shooting, by Tribune's John Byrne — FROM THE BELTWAY: American University's Sine Institute for Policy and Politics is announcing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez as its 2021 distinguished lecturers. (H/t national Playbook.) | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | Metra gets an earful from aldermen: "Several Chicago City Council members asked why Metra wants to upgrade the seven crossings — and build a new Fulton Market Station — on the Near West Side while Metra property outside the Central Business District is in sorry shape," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. | | DAY IN COURT | | — RITTENHOUSE focused on social media while in police custody: "Kyle Rittenhouse and his mother fixated on social media comments about them in the hours after he fatally shot two men, and the teen immediately asked for a lawyer when he sat down with detectives, according to video released Monday. The nearly four hours of footage was captured at the Antioch police station, the far north suburban department where Rittenhouse turned himself in following the shootings during Kenosha protests in late August," by Tribune's Stacy St. Clair, Megan Crepeau, Christy Gutowski, Dan Hinkel and David Heinzmann. — Court deadlocks on how to interpret juvenile court law: "The state's highest court deadlocked Friday over how to interpret a state law that outlines the procedure judges must follow to sentence a minor who is found guilty of a crime to a state juvenile detention center. The case, out of Rock Island County, raised the question of whether, under Illinois law, a judge must state directly in the court record that commitment to a juvenile detention facility is the "least restrictive" sentencing option," by Capitol News' Sarah Mansur. — Court candidate pursuing claims of election fraud: Frank DiFranco, a candidate who lost his bid for Cook County judge, has filed two lawsuits — one in U.S. District Court and the other in the Circuit Court of Cook County — claiming election fraud. Patricia Fallon of Glenview, who opposed DiFranco and was certified Nov. 24 as the winner of the race for judge of the Cook County 12th Subcircuit district, was named as a defendant in the suits along with Cook County Clerk Karen Yarborough and the Illinois State Board of Elections. The Cook County Board of Elections was named as a defendant in the federal suit. By Journal & Topics' Lauren Barry. | | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | SALLY TURNER picked for Bill Brady's former Senate seat: "A former Logan County clerk has been appointed to fill out the rest of state Sen. Bill Brady's term. Sally Turner of Beason was chosen over the weekend from a field of nine applicants, said McLean County Republican Party chair Connie Beard. The decision by county GOP chairs was unanimous, she said. Turner served six terms as Logan County clerk and now works in government consulting," by WCBU's Ryan Denham. | | CORRUPTION CHRONICLES | | MADIGAN confidant, others mostly withdraw request for information about grand jurors: "Defense attorneys agree to only seek records confirming that grand jurors were chosen before the COVID-19 pandemic," by Sun-Times' Jon Seidel. | | Biden's Beltway | | — Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, has been appointed to multiple subcommittees, including: Defense, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Energy and Water Subcommittees. — Republican Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15) has been named to serve on the House Committee on Agriculture. It's a good fit for Miller, who with her husband, Republican state Rep. Chris Miller, runs a grain and livestock farm outside of Oakland in Coles County. "As a farmer myself, I can bring a new level of expertise and understanding to the committee," Miller said in a statement announcing the appointment. | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Biden open to breaking his immigration bill into pieces, by POLITICO's Laura Barron-Lopez, Anita Kumar and Sabrina Rodriguez — McCarthy claws his way back to Trump's good side, by POLITICO's Melanie Zanona and Tara Palmeri — Trump's second impeachment trial launches with questions over witnesses, by POLITICO's Andrew Desiderio and Marianne LeVine — Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces bid for Arkansas governor, by POLITICO's Quint Forgey — LONG LIVE THE FILIBUSTER: The weeklong standoff between Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer over the filibuster is coming to an end, according to POLITICO's national Playbook. McConnell late Monday signaled he'd drop his demand that the new power-sharing agreement for the 50-50 Senate include a provision explicitly protecting the chamber's supermajority threshold. | | EVENTS | | TONIGHT at 7 p.m.: Ethics Town Hall, a virtual event co-sponsored by Reform for Illinois and featuring Ald. Michele Smith, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, and state Sen. Elgie Sims. Former Cook County Clerk David Orr will moderate. TONIGHT at 8:30 p.m.: The 35th anniversary of the Bears winning the Super Bowl is today and to celebrate, Marquee Sports Network is airing the documentary, "'85:The Greatest Team In Football History." Along with Bears greats, former President Barack Obama, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and Rev. Jesse Jackson pay tribute to the greatest team in NFL history. Watch the film trailer here | | TRIVIA | | MONDAY's ANSWER: It turns out there are two politicos served as alderman, bailiff and county commissioner. Congratulations to Chicago-Kent law student Jaylin McClinton for correctly answering that the late Mathew Bieszczat served as alderman (1950s), bailiff (1960s), and county commissioner (1966-1986). David Addis and a few others correctly answered that Anton Cermak was a municipal court bailiff (1919), alderman (1909), chairman of the Cook County Commission (1922) — as well as Illinois House rep (1902) and Chicago mayor (1931). TODAY's QUESTION: Who is the suburban police chief who once lost a statewide election and also lost a coin flip that resulted in his being shot during active duty? Email to skapos@politico.com. | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Illinois Appellate Court Judge Sheldon "Shelly" Harris, global business leader and former Urban League CEO Cheryle Jackson, LIFT Management President Robin Loewenberg Tebbe, and Booth School of Business MBA candidate Jon Tomashoff. -30-
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