Latest news with #BillConway
Politico
4 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Conway's big money moves
Presented by TGIF, Illinois. It's National Donut Day! TOP TALKER MAYORAL INTRIGUE: Chicago Ald. Bill Conway's splashy fundraiser Thursday has folks wondering if he might have other political plans besides a reelection bid in 2027. The bash at the Hubbard Inn follows three other recent fundraisers at which Conway's campaign has raised nearly a half-million dollars from Chicago business, labor and philanthropic leaders. It's not the kind of donor attention seen in little-ol'-aldermanic races. Big donors already giving to his campaign include John Canning Jr. ($30,000), Citadel COO Gerald Beeson ($20,000), investor Adam Hanover ($20,000), developer Michael Reschke ($10,000) and Liam Krehbiel ($5,000), according to filings with the Illinois Board of Elections. Unions have been supporting, too, including SEIU Local 1, Operators Local 150, IBEW 134, Carpenters, Teamsters, Painters, Bricklayers and Ironworkers. What it means: Conway isn't ruling out a run for mayor. He joins a crowded field of interested potential candidates looking to challenge Mayor Brandon Johnson, who's also been ramping up his political operation ahead of 2027. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, state Rep. Kam Buckner, County Treasurer Maria Pappas, fellow Ald. Andre Vasquez, government consultant John Kelly and businessman Willie Wilson are all mulling a mayoral bid. About Conway: His name popped up months ago as a possible mayoral candidate. Then there was chatter he had promised to pass on running for mayor if Giannoulias were to jump in — the two are friends going back to high school. But Conway shut down the buzz, telling Playbook in a statement, 'The only promise I've made to anyone is to keep doing everything I can in 2025 to make sure Chicago will succeed in 2027 and beyond.' Spotted: More than 100 guests and two dozen elected officials popped in for Thursday's event, including: Ald. Pat Dowell, state Sens. Mattie Hunter and Lakesia Collins, labor leaders Don Villar, Jonathan Jones and Pasquale Gianni; and political insiders David Namkung, Billy Lawless, Sydney Holman, Kevin Conlon and Markus Pitchford. THE BUZZ Members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus have filed a lawsuit challenging the process that led to the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly passing a $55 billion budget just before midnight on May 31. Named in the lawsuit are Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch, reports WAND TV's Mike Miletich, who has more on the lawsuit here. Late-night shenanigans: The conservative Republican lawmakers point to a rule that mandates that every bill must be read on three separate days in each chamber before it can be passed. 'Democrats ignored these rules to push through a record spending bill in the dead of the night when no one is paying attention,' according to a statement from the Freedom Caucus. We noted last week that the titles of the bills were introduced Thursday to make sure they met the three-day rule. It's a problem, say Republicans: 'Springfield insiders have resorted to taking unrelated bills, gutting them with amendments and forcing through thousands of pages of last-minute government spending — often just hours before a vote is called,' state Rep. Adam Niemerg said in a statement. Not the first time: The Republicans noted the Democratic majority has used the same tactic to pass the Protect Illinois Communities Act, SAFE-T Act and several recent state budgets. If you are John Canning, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At 3410 West Lake Street at 2 p.m. for the Revolution Workshop ribbon-cutting — At the Harold Washington Cultural Center at 3:30 p.m. for the Urban Prep graduation ceremony — At 7801 South Throop Street at 4 p.m. for the Take Back the Block activation — At 35th and King Drive at 5 p.m. for the We Walk for Her March Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ POLITICO PRO SPACE: Need an insider's guide to the politics behind the new space race? From battles over sending astronauts to Mars to the ways space companies are vying to influence regulators, this weekly newsletter decodes the personalities, policy and power shaping the final frontier. Try it for free for a limited time starting today. Find out more. BUSINESS OF POLITICS — Rahm Emanuel leans into relationships with Obama and Bill Clinton as he looks to the future, by POLITICO's Gregory Svirnovskiy …. ALSO: This week's episode of 'The Conversation with Dasha Burns' will have Emanuel in the hot seat. Watch the preview clip here. — State Sen. Cristina Castro announced on Thursday that she isn't going to run for Congress. Castro had been nudged to make a bid for the IL-08 District seat that opened up with Raja Krishnamoorthi running for U.S. Senate. 'After serious consideration and long conversations with my family, friends, and community — it's become clear to me that the Illinois General Assembly is where I can continue to make the most meaningful difference in the lives of those around me,' she said. Her full statement is here. — Endorsement: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has been endorsed in her bid for U.S. Senate by Illinois Democratic Central Committeewoman LaToya Greenwood. A former state rep, Greenwood served the East St. Louis region from 2017 to 2024. — NEW: Walter Adamczyk, the Republican Committeeman of the 29th Ward in Chicago, has announced he's running for Illinois secretary of state. Adamczyk is a community activist. In a statement announcing his bid, Adamczyk said he's committed to seeking 'effective government and full transparency' if elected. — Rachel Ruttenberg, a Democrat running for state Senate, will host a campaign kickoff Saturday in Evanston. Details here THE STATEWIDES — A plan to save downtown Springfield: 'County and city officials want to expand BOS Center and build a new hotel,' by the Illinois Times' Dean Olsen. — Illinois rental assistance program sees funding cut for 2026 budget in another blow to state, city housing programs, by the Tribune's Lizzie Kane — Springfield mayor's chief of staff is out, by the State Journal-Register's Steven Spearie CHICAGO — Local immigration advocates, politicians condemn Trump travel ban as discriminatory: 'U.S. Rep. Jesús 'Chuy' García lambasted the ban, which is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, while accusing President Donald Trump of using the restrictions as a political diversion tactic,' by the Tribune's Angie Leventis Lourgos. — Aldermen in the Latino Caucus call for hearing into Chicago police response to ICE demonstration: The City Council's Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which Latino Caucus Chair Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) leads, will hold a hearing 'to examine the extent of ICE's misconduct and determine whether the Chicago Police Department played any role in (Wednesday's) actions,' according to a letter, by the Tribune's Alice Yin. — Jerry Reinsdorf agrees to complex deal with the Ishbias for White Sox: 'The multistep agreement gives Reinsdorf the option to sell starting in 2029 and Justin Ishbia the option to buy him out starting in 2034,' by Front Office Sports' Margaret Fleming. — Chicago's air quality ranked among worst in the world due to Canadian wildfire smoke, by the Sun-Times' Mohammad Samra, Brett Chase and Shannon Tyler. — Green Mill building for sale in Uptown: 'It's not clear yet what may happen to the iconic jazz club that was once Al Capone's Prohibition-era hangout,' by the Sun-Times' David Struett. COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman faces felony charge, announces mayoral run before turning herself in: After announcing her bid for mayor in front of City Hall, supporters followed her to the police station where she turned herself in to face a felony aggravated battery charge stemming from a meeting that got out of hand, reports the Daily Southtown's Olivia Stevens. — 'It's a house on fire': Top Cook County prosecutor lays out plan to address domestic violence crisis, via ABC 7 — Former Wheaton chief chosen to lead Wheeling Police Department, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau — Residents ask Mount Prospect to fly Pride flag, but village sticks to flag policy, by the Daily Herald's Steve Zalusky Reader Digest We asked if not the Bulls, what Midwestern NBA team you're willing to root for. Janice Anderson: 'Pacers — my mom's hometown.' Brian Berg: 'Cleveland Cavaliers, Guardians, and unless they move to the suburbs, the Browns too.' Bill Finucane: 'NIU men & women's basketball.' Donna Gutman: 'Cleveland Cavs. Donovan Mitchell gets the job done.' Ron Michelotti: 'Reluctantly will be rooting for the Indiana Pacers in the finals and waiting patiently for the Bulls to return.' Kevin Morris: 'The Minnesota Timberwolves. Lived and was based in the Twin Cities for 17 glorious years!' Cristina Nonato: 'Indiana Pacers.' Joan Pederson: 'Timberwolves (My father was from Minneapolis.). College (which I prefer to the NBA): Illinois.' Donovan Pepper: 'Since I'm a Vikings fan — and have tons of family there, I'll go with the Minnesota Timberwolves!' James Scalzitti: 'Detroit gets a real bad rap from people who've never been there, but it's resilient and vibrant — and I'd have no trouble pulling for the Tigers or Red Wings. But as a longtime Bulls fan, I could never root for the Pistons. I'd just become a total Chicago Sky supporter.' NEXT QUESTION: Who's the politician you'd like to follow for a day? FROM THE DELEGATION — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a decorated combat veteran, will speak at the Unite for Veterans rally today in Washington to address how the Trump administration has targeted the veterans in his government cuts. Duckworth says President Donald Trump has used veterans 'as political pawns to get elected then completely abandoned them once he took office,' according to a statement from her team. — Congressman Brad Schneider has joined fellow U.S. Reps. Jesús 'Chuy' García (IL-04), Danny Davis (IL-07) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and other Democratic members of the Illinois delegation in sending a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers about the decision to close all Head Start offices in Region 5. THE NATIONAL TAKE — 'Massive crack in the MAGA coalition': The Trump-Musk feud threatens the GOP's future, by POLITICO's Andrew Howard and Adam Wren — Steve Bannon on Elon Musk's big breakup: 'Told you,' by POLITICO's Rachael Bade — GOP senators question cost of Army's parade spectacle, by POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky, Joe Gould and Paul McLeary Transitions — Charles Lee Isbell Jr. has been named University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor and U. of I. System vice president. He's now the provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He starts in Illinois on Aug. 1. via Crain's Brandon Dupré. — Steven Mroczkowski is now a shareholder attorney at Buchalter in Chicago, where he focuses on the litigation and construction practice groups. He was a partner at Ice Miller. TRIVIA THURSDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Bridget Hatch for correctly answering that Illinois Gov. Henry Horner, who served from 1933 until his death in 1940, started his political career as a Cook County probate judge, serving from 1915 to 1931. TODAY's QUESTION: What's the body of water near Springfield that political folks have been known to use as the setting for rallies and fundraisers? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Today: Pritzker Organization Chair and CEO Thomas Pritzker, CPS CFO Miroslava Krug, Secretary of State Digital Media Director Martin Burciaga, Chicago Theological Seminary Rev. Brian Smith, Datasite Sales Director Luke Phelan and comms strategist Sally Duros Saturday: Philanthropist Lester Crown, who turns 100, Former VP Mike Pence, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Peggy Chiampas, retired Cook County Circuit Court Judge Janet Adams Brosnahan, government consultant and lobbyist Julie Currie, Seyfarth Shaw Senior Comms Manager Claudia Banks, social media wizard Tracy Schmidt, The Support Network Executive Director Caitlin Briody, congressional staffer Chrissy Rabuse, journalist Rita Pyrillis and journalist David Mendell Sunday: State Sen. Laura Murphy, former state Sen. Tom Bennett, Senior Caseworker for Sen. Tammy Duckworth Karolina Zaczek, Secretary of State Executive Correspondence Coordinator Andrew Paisley, Peoria Convention and Visitors Bureau President JD Dalfonso, BGA policy analyst Geoffrey Cubbage, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Associate VP Patti Frazin, political consultant Kady McFadden, UIC Senior Associate Director and Bilingual Storyteller Carlos Sadovi, Democratic campaign manager Rachael Lund and rapper Kanye 'Ye' West And belated greetings to Zion Mayor Billy McKinney, whose birthday was Thursday. -30-
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chicago City Council passes resolution barring employment for Jan. 6 participants
CHICAGO (WGN) — Alders on Wednesday approved a resolution that calls on the city's human resources department to disqualify any participant of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol from employment with the city. 'These individuals really made it very clear that they did not want to accept the results of the election,' Mayor Brandon Johnson said at his post-council press conference. 'I do believe that as a city we do have to draw the line. We have to set a standard for how we work to continue to do the things that are necessary to make sure that our democracy continues to evolve.' The vote was 43-3, with Alds. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) and James Gardiner (45th Ward) voting against the measure. 'There's 500 that deserve no mercy as far as I'm concerned, those 500 that fought with the police. I have no sympathy for them,' Sposato said. 'But the thousand that were only trespassing? We're going to ruin somebody's life, even though this is nothing. This is a nothingburger.' Gardiner said that while the attack was 'despicable' and that he's never voted for Donald Trump, he had concerns about the legality of the measure. 'Do we have the authority to say yea to somebody and nay to somebody else depending upon the type of crime committed?' he asked his colleagues. 'My concern: is the city setting themselves up for problems in the future?' Ald. Gil Villegas (36th Ward), who previously served in the US Marine Corps., said those who broke into the capitol were 'criminals' who assaulted police officers, vandalized public property and threatened the lives of lawmakers. 'Those who participated in this attack those who encouraged it and those who continue to spread falsehoods to justify it must be held accountable,' he said. 'You should not be able to work for the same government that you are attempting to overthrow.' Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward), a US Navy reservist who was acting as senior intelligence director of the US European command during the attack, agreed. 'I will only say that is not a day or night I would like to repeat and I say that on behalf of myself, our military and our country,' he said. Villegas was the chief sponsor of the resolution, with Alds. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Bill Conway (34th Ward), and Matt Martin (47th Ward) co-sponsors. Gov. JB Pritzker took similar action at the state level earlier this year. The Chicago Sun-Times notes that more than 50 Illinoisans faced Jan. 6 charges, including Chicago police officer Karol Chwiesiuk, who was later fired. President Donald Trump made good on a long-standing campaign promise, issuing pardons to nearly all Jan. 6 defendants just hours into his second presidency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Get Behind the Vest' breakfast looks to raise money for new bulletproof bests for CPD officers
CHICAGO – At St. Ignatius College Prep, pancakes fed the prayers of people looking to help. On Saturday morning, Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward) hosted a 'Get Behind the Vest' breakfast for the first time. Since 2014, these events have cooked up the funds for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's efforts to help Chicago police officers buy new bulletproof vests. 'Chicago police officers have our back, so it's important that we have theirs and we're putting a good bulletproof vest on their backs,' Conway said. Weekend Break: White Sox celebrate families with Kids Opening Day on the South Side While the city gives each officer a bulletproof vest when they come out of the academy, officers are responsible for replacements every five years. 'Officers don't replace their vests like they should upon expiration. They kind of roll the dice and wait to see, and they spend their money on family and the house and everything else,' Maureen Biggane with the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation said. Just last year, Officer Edwin Gramajo's life was saved when his vest caught a bullet. 'He was in his squad car. You'll see pictures of where the bullet penetrated the windshield and then struck him in the vest. Thank God he was wearing his vest, saved his life undoubtably and we were able to provide him with a replacement vest after that incident,' Biggane said. So far, the police memorial foundation has replaced 14,000 vests at a cost of about $500 each. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines 'Any protection we can get for our officers, especially when they're facing the types of challenges they're facing out there. We know how many officers we've lost over the last two years and we don't want that to happen again. We want to keep our officers safe when they're out there keeping others safe. Those bullet proof vests do a lot to protect our officers,' CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said. Conway hopes to raise over $100,000 from sponsors and pancake sales. 'In the military, I was in Afghanistan and wore a bulletproof vest. So I want to make sure that our police officers have the protection they need,' Conway said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
30-03-2025
- CBS News
Breakfast at Chicago's Saint Ignatius College Prep raises money for CPD officers' protective vests
A "Get Behind the Vest" pancake breakfast was held on Chicago's Near West Side Sunday to help those who protect and serve to stay protected. The event raises money to buy new bulletproof vests for Chicago Police officers. Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) has been hosting Get Behind the Vest events in the Beverly area. The event Sunday was organized by Ald. Bill Conway (34th) and was held in Tully Hall at Saint Ignatius College Prep, 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd. "They have our backs, so we've got to make sure they have the best on their back as well," said Conway. Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling attended the event as a special guest. "To have an event like this and a turnout like this in support of the officers who are out there keeping the city safe is just a blessing," Snelling said. For $5, those attending the event at Saint Ignatius got their fill of pancakes, sausages, and other breakfast favorites. The money raised will all go to purchasing those new protective vests for Chicago Police officers.
The Hill
25-02-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Carlyle Group co-founder Bill Conway's $1 billion plan to end the nursing shortage
Bill Conway didn't start out wanting to make a big impact on the nursing profession. In 2011, the financier announced he would give away $1 billion to create jobs for the poor and asked the public to send him ideas. In came around 2,500 suggestions. Most were sob stories, but some people had good ideas, he says, and several suggested backing bachelor's degree nursing programs. 'It was along the lines of: If we support potential students to get a nursing degree, then they'll always be able to get a job and take care of themselves, their families, and the rest of us,' remembers Conway. 'My wife and I thought that sounded pretty good.' Currently, private giving for the nursing profession accounts for only one cent of every dollar given for health care, according to a report from the foundation arm of the American Nurses Association. And giving to nursing isn't a popular cause among most wealthy donors. But there are exceptions. Leonard Lauder has given $177 million to nursing schools at the University of Pennsylvania and Hunter College, and Mark and Robyn Jones donated $100 million to expand Montana State University's nursing program. Yet no other wealthy donor has dedicated as much money to such a wide range of nursing programs as Conway, the 75-year-old co-founder of the private equity giant the Carlyle Group, and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, who died in January, 2024. Those efforts are destined to grow, with Conway only about a third of the way toward his target of giving $1 billion to nursing. So far, he has donated $325.6 million to support student aid, new buildings, efforts to recruit and retain faculty, and more at 22 nursing schools in the Eastern and mid-Atlantic regions. He also is backing a pediatric nursing program at Children's National Hospital, in Washington, D.C. Over the past decade, that money has helped produce more than 7,000 nurses. Now, he says, he wants to take his support of nursing programs nationwide. 'I expect that of most of the money I leave to charity will go to continuing this mission,' says Conway, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $4 billion. 'I see that we're starting to make a difference in some places, and I'd like to make more of a difference over time.' Faculty shortage America's nursing shortage is misunderstood, says Linda Aiken, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's nursing school. The public hears about a nursing shortage and thinks there are not enough nurses or people who want to become nurses, but the problem is more complicated than that, she says. While nurses are the largest group of health care professionals and the backbone of health care, their contributions are frequently undervalued by health care systems, and many are underpaid and experience a higher rate of burnout than other medical professionals, according to Aiken and other nursing experts. Many more people want to become nurses than there are spots available in nursing schools because there are not enough nursing professors. As a result, nursing schools can accept few of the students who apply. In 2022, roughly 78,000 qualified applicants were not accepted to U.S. nursing schools because of insufficient faculty, classrooms and lab space, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. There are also about 2,000 full-time nursing faculty vacancies at U.S. nursing schools, says Katie Fioravanti, director of the foundation arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 'Attracting people to teach nursing is challenging because they can make considerably higher salaries in actual practice,' Fioravanti says. 'By the time they get a Ph.D. and go back to become a nursing faculty member or a dean, they're already in their 50s, and that means they retire sooner.' Philanthropy by learning The Conways didn't know much about nursing when they decided to donate to the field. With the help of a colleague whose wife was a nurse, the couple began learning about the profession and university nursing programs. They first gave money to support tuition at nursing schools, largely at the behest of Joanne Conway, a onetime scholarship student, and because her husband wanted to ensure students graduated without the burden of college debt. 'I wanted them to be free to be the kind of nurse they wanted to be,' he says. 'If they wanted to work in an inner-city clinic and not make too much money or if they wanted to work someplace where they were going to make a lot of money, I wanted them to do what they wanted.' Gradually, Conway supported building projects that expanded classroom and lab space, the hiring of additional faculty, and scholarships for nurses seeking advanced degrees to teach. His giving process has mostly stayed the same. When Conway is considering a first-time gift, he and the head of his Bedford Falls Foundation, Elizabeth Carrott Minnigh, visit nursing schools, meet with deans and ask for data related to graduation rates and nursing licenses. 'We're looking to see if it's going to be a partnership where we could fund a reasonably large number of students who would actually get to the finish line without debt that will cripple them in their career choices and opportunities,' Carrott Minnigh says. Conway and Carrott Minnigh then visit the schools regularly to talk to deans, faculty and students about any challenges they might be facing. These conversations have often translated into more targeted grants. 'We don't have a one-size-fits-all grant-making process,' Carrott Minnigh says. 'It's all customized to what we hear at the schools about what they want and need.' For example, in 2013, the Conways gave $4 million to Catholic University's nursing school. Since then, their giving to the institution — now named the Conway School of Nursing — has grown to more than $64 million, expanding full scholarships, largely paying for a new nursing school building and backing graduate nursing programs. The Conways also have supported mentoring efforts and a review course to prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. 'Calling his donations transformational is not saying enough,' says Marie Nolan, dean of Catholic's nursing school. Over the past decade, Conway has also significantly funded the University of Virginia's nursing school. In 2013, he gave $5 million for nursing scholarships and over time has donated nearly $50 million to expand scholarships for undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, support nurses who want to become professors, and help people pivot into nursing. UVA's nursing school's dean, Marianne Baernholdt, says Conway's extensive giving to nursing programs, and particularly his efforts to help nursing students early in their education, is rare among wealthy donors. 'There are a couple of nursing schools that got big sums to increase their advanced practice nursing programs,' Baernholdt says. 'But very few invest in pre-licensure, which is what the Conways have done.' _____ Maria Di Mento is a senior reporter at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
