| | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by Uber Driver Stories | With help from Maria Carrasco Happy Tuesday, Illinois. It's been a year since we wrote this in a headline: "Highest death count in a day." Little did we know there would be so many similar days to follow.
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A Chicago alderman and Illinois state senator are working to get Navy Pier to release its financial records. | Choose Chicago tourism photo | Navy Pier is coming under increased scrutiny to release its financial records. Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), is calling for public hearings to determine how tax dollars are being spent by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns the tourist site. Villegas, who heads the City Council's Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, cites Better Government Association's (BGA) claims that MPEA hasn't been forthcoming about how it spends its funding. In a statement, Villegas says he's concerned that Navy Pier has since 2014 continually "denied" requests for such records. Late last year, an Illinois Appellate Court ruled that records detailing Navy Pier's operations are subject to Illinois' public records laws. MPEA has since appealed the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court, which last week ordered the case back to the trial court for further proceedings. Meanwhile state Sen. Bill Cunningham has introduced legislation to amend the Freedom of Information Act to include "a nonprofit entity that is created to manage state-owned real property under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority." Villegas says he just wants "transparency and answers," especially since the pier has received "millions" in PPP funding because of the pandemic. "The public has a right to know where the money is being spent, and the city has a right to see if it is losing economic opportunities because of a lack of public information," he said in his statement. Navy Pier did not immediately return a request for comment.
| | A message from Uber Driver Stories: Meet Fallon. Delivering with Uber Eats helps her pay for college while allowing her the flexibility to fit her schedule around studies. Fallon chooses Uber because, unlike most other gigs, she can control her hours and spend more time focusing on her future. Watch her story in her own words below. | | |
| | THE BUZZ | | Cannabis is a new industry, but in Chicago it's the same old political game, according to a scathing report by the Chicago Tribune that lays out a web of intrigue and political players involved in a "possible pay to play" scheme to secure coveted state licenses. The report says federal "investigators have been scrutinizing campaign donations and other steps Green Thumb Industries [GTI] took as it sought to secure growing and distribution licenses in Illinois and several other states." No charges have been filed, and a GTI spokeswoman said the company wasn't aware of any investigation. "Green Thumb takes compliance very seriously and operates with the highest standards of ethical business conduct," spokeswoman Linda Marsicano said in a statement emailed to the Tribune. The report threatens to tarnish the efforts by cannabis company owners to add professionalism to the infant industry. Bit it also gives more reason for social-equity advocates to try to even the playing field. The Tribune lists a litany of notable lobbyists and politicos who have worked with GTI over the years. A few also have "deep ties" to former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Among them is Michael McClain, who has since been charged by the feds with unrelated bribery conspiracy charges alleging he orchestrated a scheme to steer payments from utility giant Commonwealth Edison to Madigan-connected operatives in exchange for the speaker's help with legislation. The Trib's report also highlights GTI's donations to affiliate companies that have in turn donated to campaigns, including those of Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who said Monday she hasn't been contacted by federal authorities nor has she had contact with GTI "in quite some time." RELATED High anxiety over federal weed loophole: A seeming loophole in federal law is allowing people to buy products designed to get them high, and it's having an impact in Illinois. Small hemp farmers, like Paul ImOberstag in Banner, started making Delta-8 products after wholesale customers said they were only interested in purchasing them — instead of CBD products. POLITICO's Mona Zhang reports. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S LORI | | No official public events.
| | WHERE'S J.B. | | No official public events.
| | Where's Toni | | Moderating a virtual Women's History Month event at 4 p.m. with Cook County Commissioners Alma Anaya, Bridget Degnen, Bridget Gainer, Donna Miller and Deborah Sims.
| | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reported 5 new deaths and 1,761 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus. That's a total of 21,256 fatalities and 1,239,589 cases in Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from March 22-28 is 3.3 percent. Chicago's positivity rate is at 4.2 percent.
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| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | — CDC chief warns of 'impending doom' as Covid cases surge: "The troubling signs come despite more than one-third of American adults now having received at least one Covid-19 shot," by POLITICO's Susannah Luthi. — Nearly 70% of Illinois residents 65 and older vaccinated, but hospitalizations and cases still rising: "State officials will be looking for a sustained decrease in measures of virus transmission over the course of at least 10 days before considering loosening restrictions on businesses and other activities, a Pritzker spokeswoman said," by the Tribune's Jenny Whidden, Dan Petrella and Gregory Pratt. — State launching new mass vax sites for all Illinois residents: "The new locations are set to open in Kane, Lake and Will counties with another site in Grundy County expanding to all eligible state residents regardless of where they live," via NBC/5 WITH VIDEO. — Chicago expands vaccine eligibility, opens site exclusively for essential unionized workers : "That eligibility group includes all essential workers and Chicagoans between 16 and 64 years old with underlying conditions," by WBEZ's Claudia Morell.
| | IN MEMORIAM | | Daily Herald executive dies rescuing children: "Pete Rosengren, the vice president of sales and digital strategies for the Daily Herald Media Group, died Sunday during a family vacation in Florida after he hurried into the Gulf of Mexico to help his sons and other children being carried out to sea by a rip current," by the Herald's Burt Constable.
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| | CHICAGO | | — Mayor's plan for $1.8 billion in federal relief won't go to City Council until May or June: Mayor Lori Lightfoot's timetable did not sit well with Ald. Brian Hopkins. "Nobody wants a done deal dropped in our laps at the last minute and then say, 'Take it or leave it. Vote it up or down,'" Hopkins said Monday, the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman reports. — Lightfoot wants to help Loretto 'get it right' after another vaccine favoritism flap: "The president and CEO of Affinity Health, which oversees COVID clinical trials at Loretto, requested 10 vaccinations for people he said were eligible under city vaccination guidelines, a Loretto spokesperson said. One was terminally ill, so all 10 were administered at a private home," by the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — Loretto CEO George Miller suspended for 2 weeks amid fallout, by the Tribune's Karen Ann Cullotta — In Chicago, the pandemic has not spurred an exodus of educators: "Bucking dire national predictions about a mass exodus of school employees, the number of retirements and resignations in Chicago's public schools has not ticked up from the 2018-2019 school year," by Chalkbeat Chicago's Mila Koumpilova. — Embattled FOP president wants police board to drop case that could lead to his firing: "John Catanzara filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss the administrative charges against him, citing unfair labor practice charges his union has lodged against the police department," by the Sun-Times' Tom Schuba. — Cops pull back in stopping man who alleged he was detained more than 60 times over mistaken identity: "After Darren Cole sued the city Thursday, Chicago police officials contacted Marion County authorities, who withdrew the warrant, according to Marion Moore, a lawyer for the city, who spoke at an online federal court hearing Monday. The department also sent a message to all officers indicating that Cole, 50, should not be stopped on that warrant, lawyers said at the hearing," by the Tribune's Dan Hinkel and Annie Sweeney. — Lollapalooza co-founder wants fest to be held in Chicago this year 'in one capacity or another,' reports the Tribune's Tracy Swartz — "Thief": The most Chicago of Chicago movies turns 40 this month, writes the Sun-Times' Richard Roeper. — New generation: PepsiCo Foundation is launching a $40 million scholarship program to give 4,000 Black and Hispanic students across the country access to technical training and scholarships to community colleges and trade-school programs. City Colleges of Chicago is part of the program. Scholarships are available on a rolling basis and students can apply directly through the school.
| | | | THE LATEST FROM INSIDE THE WEST WING : A lot happened in the first two months of the Biden presidency. From a growing crisis at the border to increased mass shootings across the country while navigating the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges. Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads to find out what actions are on the table and the internal state of play inside the West Wing and across the administration. Track the people, policies and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — RABINE to join governor's race: Local businessman and Republican donor Gary Rabine is scheduled to announce his run for governor today. The move comes on the heels of another big personal donation to his political campaign. He's added $140,000 to his campaign after already donating $110,000. — Bailey explains his platform: State Sen. Darren Bailey, who's also running in the GOP primary for governor, told WMBD's Matt Sheehan, "The platform in Illinois is very simple: to restore moral and financial integrity to the state." — APRIL 6 ELECTION: Party support appearing in nonpartisan races: "Concerns over partisan support for candidates Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and other local races have been raised in the days leading up to the April 6 election," by the Daily Herald's Eric Peterson.
| | THE JUICE | | The House speaker just plugged nearly $100,000 into his war chest from two dozen donors from a range of industries.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Where schools aren't reopening: What one district's decision says about the challenges ahead: "The reasons why Dolton West chose not to reopen school buildings are complex, but boil down to this: School leaders wanted to reduce uncertainty during an unpredictable year in which Black communities like theirs have borne the brunt of a deadly virus," reports Chalkbeat's Kalyn Belsha. — Organized labor pushes Exelon nuke bailout in new clean energy bill: " A coalition of unions is backing a new measure to hike electric bills in order to preserve financially ailing nuclear plants, as well as double the state's budget to finance new wind and solar facilities," by Crain's Steve Daniels. — 'Once their kids get hungry, they call for help:' The pandemic's toll on familie : "More than 1 million Illinoisans who have experienced food hardship since the state largely shut down in March of 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. According to one expert, the rate of food scarcity has roughly doubled compared to pre-pandemic times. And the picture is even worse when you look at who has been most severely affected: Black and Hispanic households with children," by WBEZ's Odette Yousef. — Illinois auto dealers sue Jesse White's office, electric vehicle companies: "At issue in the case is whether automobile manufacturers should be allowed to own and operate their own dealerships rather than contracting with independent dealership franchises, which has been the case in Illinois and most other states for decades," by Capitol News' Peter Hancock.
| | A message from Uber Driver Stories: As a woman of color, Fallon's number one priority is to better herself through her education. And that means finishing her bachelor's degree in business.
At first, Fallon tried to go down the traditional route of working part-time. But she says it didn't offer the flexible schedule that she needed.
"I like the flexibility of driving with Uber," she says. "I can drive when I want to."
With Uber, Fallon can choose when, where, and how long she wants to drive. If she has an exam that needs her attention, she doesn't have to worry about asking her boss or requesting time off—she can take the time she needs on her terms.
To see more stories like Fallon's, click here.
*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables. | | |
| | LEGISLATIVE UPDATE | | — Proposal would pay exonerees $50,000 per year served: "Under current law, exonerees with Certificates of Innocence who served five years or less can receive up to $101,000. If an exoneree serves six to 14 years, they can receive up to $201,000. For wrongfully served sentences of 15 years or more, an exoneree can receive up to $236,000. However, courts have the discretion to award less than those amounts. "Brian Otwell, legal and policy coordinator for the Illinois Innocence Project, told legislators that passing the measure would 'increase the woefully inadequate amounts currently awarded to innocent people who are wrongfully imprisoned,'" by Illinois Times' Madison Angell. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Personal PAC, the abortion-rights group, has created the Repeal PNA website to support a repeal of the Illinois' Parental Notice of Abortion (PNA) law. State Sen. Elgie Sims and state Rep. Anna Moeller, both Democrats, are heading the legislative effort to end the law that requires parents be informed when a minor decides to have an abortion. Their bills, SB 2190 and HB1797, would strike PNA from Illinois law. In a statement to Playbook, Personal PAC said PNA is one of many anti-abortion laws across the country that puts young people "at risk" because it "interferes with their access to time-sensitive health care." The concern of Personal PAC and others is that minors from violent or abusive homes won't get the care they are seeking.
| | CORRUPTION CHRONICLES | | — Feds charge political operative with ties to Ed Burke, Martin Sandova: "Rudy Acosta Sr. allegedly concealed information from the FBI about cash payments made to a state senator, who a source confirmed was [the late] Martin Sandoval," by the Sun-Times' Jon Seidel and Robert Herguth.
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Evanston bookstore owner suing Amazon over alleged price-fixing scheme: " Contracts that Amazon has with the nation's "Big Five" publishers — Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster — block the publishers from giving other retailers better prices," according to lawsuit filed by Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends and Beginnings. the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek reports. — Settlement in suit alleging retaliatory discharge following sexual harassment: "Former Community Development official "reached an unspecified settlement" with Madison County in a suit alleging she was wrongfully terminated for resisting sexual harassment by former county board member Phil Chapman," by the Madison-St. Clair Record's Heather Isringhausen Gvillo
| | HIGHER-ED | | Illinois college campuses make plans for in-class learning this fall: "The University of Illinois has also announced its plans to restore in-person learning for the majority of classes at its three campuses in Urbana, Springfield and Chicago. Southern Illinois University, Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University have announced similar plans," by Center Square's Kevin Bessler.
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Biden to tap former Chicago public defender for federal appeals court seat: "If confirmed, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi would be the only Black female judge on the Seventh Circuit," reports the Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet. — MarySue Barrett resigning after 25 years with area planning group: "Her work at the Metropolitan Planning Council has included advocacy and research to support equitable growth," by the Sun-Times' David Roeder.
| | TAKING NAMES | | — CINDY McCAIN, widow of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), will keynote the Rush Woman's Board annual Spring Luncheon on May 11. She had been scheduled to appear at last year's luncheon, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19. This year's event will be virtual. McCain recently published a memoir, "Stronger," which will be included in gift bags for the top tier ticket levels. — Jill Wine-Banks' 'The Watergate Girl' to become a movie: Actress Katie Holmes has optioned The Watergate Girl: My Fight For Truth and Justice Against A Criminal President, an autobiography by former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks. Holmes will star and produce the project, according to Deadline. Wine-Banks is a Chicago lawyer who was a prosecutor during the Watergate scandal. — Geoffrey Stone, a law professor and noted First Amendment scholar, will receive the University of Chicago's 2021 Norman Maclean Award for "extraordinary contributions to teaching and to the student experience within the University community."
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Freedom Caucus frets over how far to push its rebellion, by POLITICO's Olivia Beavers and Melanie Zanona — Most Capitol rioters unlikely to serve jail time, by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — THE TRIAL: Witness describes seeing George Floyd 'slowly fade away,' reports The Associated Press — THIS DAY IN HISTORY: On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest outside a Washington hotel by John Hinckley Jr. Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy suffered a gunshot wound protecting Reagan. McCarthy went on to become the Orland Park police chief, retiring just last year after 26 years on the force. H/T Joe Alexander, a University of Illinois history grad, Trump campaign veteran and former appointee in the Trump administration's Agriculture Department.
| | MEDIA MATTERS | | VIDEO INTERVIEW: New buyers step up for Tribune: There are now two more investors who have stepped forward "in a last-ditch effort" to prevent hedge fund Alden Global Capital from taking control of Tribune Publishing, which owns the Chicago Tribune and eight other newspapers. WTTW's Paris Schutz interviews Chicago Tribune Guild President Gregory Pratt, BGA journalist David Jackson and Medill School of Journalism Dean Charles Whitaker about what it means for Chicago journalism.
| | EVENTS | | Tonight at 6 p.m.: Rep. Bobby Rush hosts a virtual Women's History Month panel discussion about the "disturbing cases of missing Black women and girls in the Chicago area" and the need for a "robust" response. Panelists are Rosie Dawson of the Stop Taking Our Girls Campaign, Thomas Hargrove of the Murder Accountability Project, and journalist Samantha Latson. Moderator is ABC/7 anchor Evelyn Holmes. Event will be livestreamed on Rush's Facebook and YouTube pages.
| | TRIVIA | | MONDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to former Cook County Commissioner Edwin Reyes and KMM Consulting President Kelly Marie Murphy for correctly answering that state Sen. Omar Aquino (2009), and state Reps. Fred Crespo (1980), La Shawn Ford (1995), and Thaddeus Jones (2004) earned their undergrad degrees from Loyola University in Chicago. TODAY's QUESTION: Who was Chicago's first Latina council member? Email to skapos@politico.com .
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | State Rep. Avery Bourne, Chicago Dowel Co. President Paul Iacono, and comms specialist Omari Prince. -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 | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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