Afternoon Briefing: Aldermen stall mayor's housing loan fund plan
Good afternoon, Chicago.
A downtown alderman said today he's negotiating with Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration on a new citywide teen curfew, averting what was expected to be a City Council showdown over how to address chaotic gatherings during the summer despite the mayor's office saying a deal has not been reached.
Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, texted some of his colleagues in the morning that he will no longer proceed with forcing a vote on an 8 p.m. curfew downtown after a series of so-called teen takeover trends ended in violence in his ward. Rather, he plans to introduce new legislation to grant Chicago police brass the authority to declare roving curfews for unaccompanied minors anywhere in the city on an as-needed basis.
Also today, Johnson reached a buzzer beater union deal to clear the way for his 'Green Social Housing' plan, only for aldermen to spurn his hopes for quick vote by sidelining the measure moments later.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
In Illinois, Democrats tout pro-labor bona fides, but sometimes push back when their staffs seek unions
Advocates say the real hesitation of bosses to recognize unions is the unwillingness of even self-professed pro-labor employers to give up control over their staff. Read more here.
Lawmaker calls for study of AI-powered cameras in effort to make DuSable Lake Shore Drive safer
Federal trial of ex-Ald. Carrie Austin may not proceed due to her health: judge
Many Illinois hospitals receive tax exemptions, but how much do they help their communities? New report takes a look.
Mount Sinai Hospital ranks the fourth highest among hospitals across 20 states for spending far more money on charity care and helping its community than what it saves through tax exemptions, according to a new report from the Lown Institute. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Column: Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is ready for his close-up. He credits Billy Donovan's tough love.
Matas Buzelis will get his first chance to show what he can do on a bigger stage tonight when the Bulls take on the Miami Heat at the United Center in a do-or-die play-in game. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
'Music is not a recipe': Violinist Itzhak Perlman talks about putting his life into an autobiographical show
Technically, it's not a one-man show — Itzhak Perlman will be joined by pianist Rohan de Silva, a longtime collaborator — but it's every bit as intimate, interspersing musical selections with personal anecdotes, photos and clips from the 2017 documentary 'Itzhak.' Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
Column: John Mulaney holds Netflix hostage: Week Six
Mavis Staples will headline Chicago Blues Fest 2025
RFK Jr.'s mixed message about the measles outbreaks draws criticism from health officials
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to contain an epidemic in a tight-knit, religious community in West Texas have run counter to established public health strategies deployed to end past epidemics. Read more here.
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Axios
13 minutes ago
- Axios
California to sue Trump administration amid LA protest standoff, Newsom says
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Monday post that California will sue President Trump, saying he "illegally acted" to federalize the National Guard during protests against federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. The big picture: Trump on Saturday signed a memorandum calling in the National Guard — despite opposition from the state's and the city's Democratic leadership. Driving the news: Newsom, after saying Sunday that the Golden State would be taking Trump to court, wrote in a Monday X post that the president had "flamed the fires." He added, "The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him." Trump's order cited "[n]umerous incidents of violence and disorder" and "violent protests" but did not specifically mention California or the Los Angeles area. The other side:"Gavin Newsom's feckless leadership is directly responsible for the lawless riots and violent attacks on law enforcement in Los Angeles," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement provided to Axios. Jackson continued, "Instead of filing baseless lawsuits meant to score political points with his left-wing base, Newsom should focus on protecting Americans by restoring law and order to his state." Friction point: Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other Democrats have argued Trump's deployment of the National Guard was an unnecessary escalation, while Trump administration officials have railed against their leadership. Border czar Tom Homan did not rule out arrests for Democratic officials in the state should they impede law enforcement or harbor undocumented immigrants in a Saturday interview with NBC News, but said he does not believe Bass had "crossed the line yet." "Come and get me, though guy," Newsom wrote in response. Homan, in a Monday morning interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" argued the NBC report was "dishonest." "I was clear they haven't crossed the line," Homan said Monday. "But they're not above the law either." Zoom in: Hegseth in his Monday post included a clip from an interview with commentator Brian Tyler Cohen in which the governor described Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as "a joke" and characterized Trump as "unhinged." "This is a preview for things to come," he said. "This isn't about LA, per se. It's about us today, it's about you, everyone watching, tomorrow." Context: Trump's Saturday memorandum, which called into federal service some 2,000 National Guard personnel for 60 days, cited rarely used federal powers and sidestepped Newsom.
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
'Musk Must Fall': Nationwide Protest to Take Place on Elon Musk's Birthday
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mass protests across the country are being scheduled for Tesla CEO Elon Musk's birthday on June 28, led by the Tesla Takedown movement. Despite no longer being part of the government, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) policies and his continued impact as a private citizen are still being felt across the country, from mass governmental layoffs to his involvement in running companies with large government contracts. The "Musk Must Fall" protests are planned for cities across the country, including in "red" states of Texas, Missouri, Georgia, and Ohio, with the Tesla Takedown team saying: "And our birthday gift to the Broligarch in Chief? A global party with one powerful message: Musk Must Fall." Tesla has been contacted via email for comment. New Yorkers gathered outside the Tesla dealership in the Meat Packing district in Manhattan to protest against Elon Musk and his actions with DOGE, 3/29/25. New Yorkers gathered outside the Tesla dealership in the Meat Packing district in Manhattan to protest against Elon Musk and his actions with DOGE, 3/29/25. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx Why It Matters Musk retains a lot of power over global politics as he is capable of endless donations to political parties and aiding in message amplification as the owner of X (formerly Twitter). According to public polls, he was an unpopular member of the Trump administration and, since leaving, has been in a public feud with President Donald Trump. Despite some political commentators recommending that Democrats try to win Musk and his billions over to their side, these protests show that Musk is still a deeply unpopular figure in American politics. What To Know Tesla Takedown protest in New York, March 29, 2025. Tesla Takedown protest in New York, March 29, 2025. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx Protests are planned for June 28 in 15 states: Virginia, California, Washington, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Missouri, as well as the District of Columbia. There are also protests planned overseas in the UK. These protests come amid a social media spat between President Trump and Musk. Musk has accused Trump of not being able to win the election without him, and Trump has threatened to pull government money for Musk's companies, such as SpaceX and Starlink. The Tesla Takedown team disputes the idea that Musk is no longer part of the current administration, saying: "Elon is still deeply tied to the Trump regime, still fueling conspiracies and fascist rhetoric, and still using his immense wealth to warp government policy and buy elections around the globe." These protests have been occurring outside of Tesla showrooms since Trump was inaugurated on January 20. Tesla Takedown is a non-violent movement and is not related to incidents in the U.S. where some Tesla cars and dealerships have been vandalized. The Trump administration has said that Tesla vandalism is "domestic terrorism," and the FBI has launched a task force to target attacks on Teslas and their dealerships. What People Are Saying Tesla Takedown: "On June 28—Elon's birthday—let's celebrate everything we've achieved and recommit to the long fight still ahead." An FBI spokesperson told Newsweek for a previous article: "The FBI is committed to protecting the U.S. from many threats including terrorism, violent crime, drug trafficking, and cyberattacks. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners here in the U.S. and internationally to detect and counter potential dangers. All our work is focused on providing safer communities for our citizens every day." What Happens Next The protests will take place on June 28. Other anti-Trump protests are planned for June 14, Trump's birthday.
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Democrats are drawing closer to the crypto industry despite Trump divisions
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump builds a crypto empire — including hosting a private dinner with top investors at his golf club — Democrats have united in condemning what they call blatant corruption from the White House. But the Democratic Party's own relationship with the emerging crypto industry is far less cut and dried. Work in the Republican-led Senate to legitimize cryptocurrency by adding guardrails has drawn backing from some Democrats, underscoring growing support for the industry in the party. But divisions have opened over the bill, with many demanding it prevent the Republican president and his family from directly profiting from cryptocurrency. 'I'm all on board with the idea of regulating crypto,' said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. 'But at this moment, when cryptocurrency is being so clearly used by Donald Trump to facilitate his corruption, I don't think you can close your eyes to that when you're legislating.' The legislation is moving ahead more rapidly than Congress usually acts when an industry is new. But the big money and campaign donations flowing from cryptocurrency firms have made them a new powerhouse on the political scene, one that's increasingly gaining allies and capturing the attention of lawmakers. A look at what to know about the industry's clout and the political fight over what's known as the GENIUS Act: To understand the growing clout of the crypto industry, look no further than the 2024 election. Fairshake, a crypto super political action committee, and its affiliated PACs spent more than $130 million in congressional races. Fairshake spent roughly $40 million supporting Republican Bernie Moreno in Ohio in an effort to defeat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Brown, who lost to Moreno by more than 3 percentage points, was seen as a chief critic of the industry as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. 'DC received a clear message that being anti-crypto is a good way to end your career, as it doesn't represent the will of the voters,' Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, wrote in a social media post the day after the 2024 election. Coinbase — the largest crypto exchange in the U.S. and biggest contributor to Fairshake — does not view support for its industry as partisan, according to Kara Calvert, the company's vice president of U.S. policy. The industry also spent heavily to support Democrats Ruben Gallego and Elissa Slotkin in their races for open Senate seats in battleground states. Fairshake spent $10 million in support of Slotkin during her successful Senate run against Republican Mike Rodgers, and Slotkin, who won the Michigan race by fewer than 20,000 votes, spoke in favor of crypto on the campaign trail. Slotkin declined to be interviewed. Similar dynamics are setting up ahead of 2026 in contested House and Senate races. Fairshake said in January that it already had $116 million in cash on hand aimed at the 2026 midterm elections. 'We're not slowing down, and everything remains on the table,' Josh Vlasto, a spokesperson for Fairshake, told The Associated Press. Hours before a May 19 vote to move forward on cryptocurrency legislation in the Senate, an advocacy group tied to Coinbase sent an email to the offices of U.S. senators warning that the vote would count toward their crypto-friendliness scores. 'What the spending does is put crypto on the map. It lets members know that this is not a phase, this is real industry, with real dollars, that is developing its hold in Washington,' said Calvert. A significant number of Democrats, 16, joined Republicans in advancing the crypto legislation. The GENIUS Act would create a new regulatory structure for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency typically pegged to the U.S. dollar. It is viewed as a step toward consumer protections and greater legitimacy for the industry. The sticking point for many Democrats is that while the bill prohibits members of Congress and their families from profiting off stablecoins, it excludes the president from those restrictions. Trump, once a skeptic of the industry, has vowed in his second term to make the U.S. the global capital of crypto. Meanwhile, he and his family have moved aggressively into nearly every corner of the industry: mining operations, billion-dollar bitcoin purchases, a newly minted stablecoin and a Trump-branded meme coin. Days after Trump's interests in the industry became public in early May, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York urged the Democratic caucus to unite and vote against the package to have a stronger hand in negotiations, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss private discussions. On May 8, a bloc of Senate Democrats who had previously backed the GENIUS Act reversed course — ultimately voting to block the bill from advancing. Negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans followed. The White House was also involved, and in contact with senators' offices on both sides of the aisle, according to a senior official granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. The new version of the bill is now expected to pass the 100-member Senate this month. Amendments are still possible. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. has filed an amendment — cosponsored by Schumer — that would bar the president and his family from profiting off stablecoins, though it's unlikely to pass. 'There is room for improvements as there often is with a lot of legislation. But with this in particular, we've got issues with the president,' said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona 'Having said that, this was negotiated with Democrats and Republicans. We got to a place. We voted on it. I expect this is the version we're going to pass.' Still, the legislation is stirring unease. Schumer, asked if he's urging members to vote against the bill, noted that he has opposed the legislation and said 'there's division in our caucus on that issue.' 'There's a gaping hole in this bill that everybody sees,' Murphy said. 'After it's passed, it will be illegal for me to issue a cryptocurrency, but it's legal for the president of the United States.' 'If this bill passes, we kind of go from a dirt road to a paved road,' he said. If the Senate approves the stablecoin legislation, the bill will still need to clear the House before reaching the president's desk. Crypto advocates say the next priority is pushing Congress for market structure legislation, a far more sweeping effort than simply regulating stablecoins. 'Stablecoin is one step of the path. Then you need market structure. We're hopeful that the Senate works together to pass something quickly,' Calvert said. Some Democrats view the legislation as a chance to impose basic guardrails on a rapidly growing industry that's particularly popular among men and younger voters, two groups that drifted from the party in 2024. ___ Associated Press writers Alan Suderman, Lisa Mascaro, Matt Brown and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
