| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. Election Day is four weeks away.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to a question during a news conference, where he introduced nominees to the Chicago Board of Education on Monday. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP | WHAT A TRUMPY DAY: Mayor Brandon Johnson took a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook Monday, criticizing the press corps for questions about how he’s upended the Chicago School Board and suggesting reporters’ questions are racially motivated. About the new board: Johnson named six of seven new members to the Chicago School Board — none of them especially remarkable or seemingly experienced to manage the Chicago Public Schools’ $10 billion budget. There’s an environmental activist, a one-time member of an elementary school board, a former superintendent in the city’s Streets and Sanitation Department, a neighborhood activist and a chief of staff for a Cook County commissioner. One appointee, Debby Pope, is a member of CORE, the union group that runs the Chicago Teachers Union. Johnson also had plans to appoint Margarita Ramirez, the mom of Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, a mayoral ally. But she currently serves on a local school council and would have to resign from that position before being appointed. The mayor says he has the right — and he does — to appoint board members as he sees fit, and he compared opponents to his upending the board to being Confederates who supported slavery. Critics say Johnson made a power move to appoint a compliant board to approve the CTU’s contract demands — and approve a high-interest loan to cover expenses and the CPS pension payment — before the larger board of 21 members takes office after the November election. Even though half will be appointed, it would be harder for the mayor to control. Johnson admonished ABC 7’s Sarah Schulte, who asked the newly appointed school board members if they approved of Johnson’s plan for the board to take out a short-term interest loan. The mayor said he wouldn’t allow the group to be questioned, adding, “It’s disrespectful” that Schulte would even ask such a question. Watch the clip. He got more defensive when another reporter asked who was paying for his upcoming trip to London (an economic development trip that includes seeing a Chicago Bears game). “It's pretty jacked up the way you framed that. … It’s disrespectful and condescending that the Black man is going to London for a game. It’s disrespectful.” Watch the clip. Johnson drew his share of criticism: He was interrupted by protesters shouting “this board is not legit, not legit!” And he was attacked on social media for holding today’s presser at a South Side church headed by a minister who had lobbied against gay marriage. Next up: There are two special meetings in the City Council. One will address the latest school board developments with requests for that old and new board members testify. Johnson has rejected that. In a separate meeting, the council will take up the issue bringing back ShotSpotter. It’s going to be a long week. SOME INSIGHT What will Johnson's CPS power play mean in Springfield? “State Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, said the political turmoil would undermine the case Mayor Brandon Johnson hopes to make for additional state funding for CPS. ‘Everyone wants to help children, but I don’t think anyone wants to help him — given his lack of leadership,’ Tarver said,” by the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles and Fran Spielman. Johnson scrambles to contain CPS school board turmoil, picks 6 new members, by Chalkbeat’s Mila Koumpilova Most City Council members are bucking the mayor before what is surely to be a contentious budget season, by the Tribune’s Alice Yin, Nell Salzman and Ikram Mohamed Tribune editorial: Lessons from Detroit for Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union
| | THE BUZZ | | MADE IN JAPAN: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is documenting the economic development trip to Japan that he, Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and others are embarking on. Dear diary: “Monday afternoon’s panel in Japan with Jetro — Japan External Trade Organization, Intersect Illinois Incoming CEO Christy George and Related Midwest’s Curt Bailey was such an engaging conversation highlighting the strength of our partnership and the innovative industries that Illinois is taking all over the world,” Welch posted on X. NEWS: Japanese subsidiary announces Illinois expansion, by Center Square’s Kevin Bessler If you are Debby Pope, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | | In Japan, where he’s leading an economic delegation meeting with Japanese businesses and government officials “to foster economic cooperation and promote Illinois to a global audience.”
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | At City Hall at noon to host a birthday celebration for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. — At Moore Park Fieldhouse at 6 p.m. for the Quarter 3 update for the People's Plan for Community Safety
| | Where's Toni | | No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: skapos@politico.com
| | 2024 WATCH | | — SPOTTED: Eileen O’Neill Burke, the Democratic nominee for Cook County state’s attorney, headlined a fundraising event at Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse in Chiago’s Gold Coast on Monday. The party was hosted by Marko Iglendza and Neal Zucker, both business entrepreneurs. In the room: Lt. Gov. Kwame Raoul, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, state Rep Margaret Croke and her attorney husband Patrick Croke, Illinois Arts Council Chair Nora Daley and her businessman husband Sean Conroy, Ald. Timmy Knudsen, former Ald. Tom Tunney, former city Commissioner Ken Meyer, entrepreneur Matthew Pritzker, Liberty Justice Center Board Chair Sara Albrecht, civic leader Liam Krehbiel, entrepreneur Lally Daley Hotchkiss, businessman Peter Thompson, civic leader Leslie Hindman, restaurateur Manolis Alpogianis and LIFT Management’s Robin Loewenberg Tebbe. — Bob Fioretti, the Republican nominee for Cook County state’s attorney, has been endorsed by Republican Congressman Mike Bost. — Lesbians for Kamala: More than a hundred lesbians and friends for Kamala Harris attended the lesbian-owned Whiskey Girl Tavern in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood for a campaign fundraiser. Spotted: former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, QForce’s Mary Morten and former House Majority Leader Greg Harris. — Gwen Walz, wife of Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz, headlines a fundraiser tonight in Evanston. Details here — Watch for: Congressman Eric Sorensen to get the endorsement of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s political action committee, ACTIVATOR, in his reelection bid for the IL-17 District. — Forum featuring Underwood, Marter canceled because candidates wouldn’t agree to a virtual forum, by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau — Rivals for 46th District state House seat compare their motivating issues: “Democratic incumbent Diane Blair-Sherlock and Republican challenger Robert “Rusty” Stevens first ran in 2022 when they sought to succeed Deborah Conroy, who stepped down to run for DuPage County Board chairman,” by the Daily Herald’s Eric Peterson.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Madigan judge has experience with Shakespeare, Michael Jordan — and law being used to target ex-House speaker: “Judge John Blakey’s father wrote the federal racketeering law that has famously been used to take down organized crime figures. But Blakey also established himself as an authority on the subject long before Madigan’s historic trial,” by the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel. — In Illinois, a private prison company’s long trail of deaths and high-dollar contracts, by Boltsmag’s Shawn Mulcahy — Bullying is pervasive in the legal community, according to a new study by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. The report says one in four lawyers reported being bullied, with it disproportionately impacting women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, younger lawyers, and lawyers with a disability. Lawyers also reported being told that bullying is an inherent part of the job that they should learn to accept, said Erika Harold, executive director of the commission, in announcing the report.
| | CHICAGO | | — NASCAR’s 2024 Chicago Street Race generated $128M for the city, study say, by the Block Club’s Melody Mercado — Opinion: Before City Hall launches this $1.5B bond issue, stop and think: “The City Council is scheduled to vote Oct. 9 on a $1.5 billion bond issue originally designed to refinance $980 million worth of debt. City Council members should wait until Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration shows them and Chicago taxpayers the math explaining how the growing bond issue will save city taxpayers $90 million and what exactly the full $1.5 billion will be spent on,” by state Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
| | | TAKING NAMES | | | 
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is out with her new calendar. | Maria Pappas | — Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is out with her 2025 calendar featuring her eclectic style for each new month. Pappas started the calendar in 2021, and it’s become an annual tradition. Here’s the full year. — Michael Jordan and Front Row’s Bob Jenkins standing firm in their fight against NASCAR, by The Associated Press
| | Reader Digest | | We asked about your lunch and lunchboxes going to school: Mayor Nancy Rotering of Highland Park: “A Fluffernutter sandwich, Jay’s potato chips, Salerno butter cookies and a funny cartoon drawn on my napkin by my Dad, all toted in a paper bag.” Stella Black: “I went to a parochial school and Mrs. Koester was our cook, so we had great lunches. I was allergic to fish and she always remembered.” Robert Christie: “We had a fabulous hot lunch program at my Catholic grade school in Quincy. Favorites were beef and gravy on mashed potatoes, Hungarian goulash and peanut-butter-and-honey sandwiches.” Russell Lissau: “PB&J sandwiches first in a lunchbox and then a lunch bag around middle school.” Jim Lyons: “A sandwich and can of pop in a paper bag.” Ed Mazur: “A kosher salami sandwich with mustard on rye, a fruit and two cookies carried in a brown paper bag.” Pat McCann: “PB &J sandwich (or two) in a paper bag.” Marilynn Miller: “I walked home for lunch, a block away from my two-room country grade school. We pretty much had either peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and raisin sandwiches.” Gail Morse: “Mom's delicious sandwich from whatever roast or leftover carried in the hot tin lunchbox for the year. Flintstones or something such fun.” Patricia Ann Watson: “Baloney and American cheese with mustard on Wonder Bread and an apple or orange in a brown paper bag.” Next question: What’s your favorite laptop short-cut? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — U.S. disaster programs are teetering. Milton could topple them, by POLITICO’s Thomas Frank — Musk the surrogate: The tech titan will hit the campaign trail for Trump, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt — Swing state election officials were ready for anything. But not a hurricane, by POLITICO’s John Sakellariadis, Liz Crampton and Jessica Piper
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Charles Kyle is joining the Harris campaign as the Illinois organizing director. He’s taking a leave of absence as chief of staff to Ald. Desmon Yancy. Kyle is a Warren For President alum and spent time with Wisconsin Democratic Party.
| | | WEDDING BELLS | | | — Chicago Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa married his longtime partner, Bryan Bautista, over the weekend. The ceremony was officiated by Illinois Appellate Justice Ramon Ocasio, who is Ramirez-Rosa’s uncle. In attendance: state Sen. Omar Aquino, state Rep. Lilian Jiménez, County Commissioner Anthony Quezada, Alderpeople Jessie Fuentes, Ruth Cruz and Rossana Rodriguez, and Democratic state Senate candidate Graciela Guzman. Chief of staff to the mayor Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Cook County Democratic Party Executive Director Jacob Kaplan also attended. Pic… Another pic
| | WELCOME TO THE WORLD | | — Benjamin Rhodeside, legislative director for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Lauren Rhodeside, senior counsel and operations director for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), on Sept. 5 welcomed Rory Griffin Rhodeside, who joins big sister Rosie. Pic ... Another pic
| | TRIVIA | | MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Abdon Pallasch for correctly answering that the Noble-Seymour-Crippen house, is the oldest existing house in the city of Chicago. TODAY’s QUESTION: What year did the State Fair’s butter cow tradition begin? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Cook County Circuit Court Judge Carolyn Gallagher, former state Sen. John O. Jones, comms consultant and former Highland Park council member Alyssa Knobel, state treasurer’s campaign finance director Samantha Fendt, political strategist Dan Cohen and Bob Kieckhefer, former UPI Illinois editor and former Blue Cross VP who’s turning the big 8-0. -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 | | | | |
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