Latest news with #CommonGroundCollective
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Book Review: ‘Hope in the Dark' by Rebecca Solnit
In an era of climate collapse and political upheaval, Rebecca Solnit's 'Hope in the Dark,' first published in 2004 and later updated in 2016, redefines hope not as naivete, but as a radical act of defiance. Part manifesto, part historical corrective, the book resurrects forgotten victories to prove that progress is often invisible, nonlinear, and collective. Solnit, a historian and activist, dismantles the myth of powerlessness by spotlighting movements that reshaped history despite seeming futile in their moment. The Zapatista uprising of 1994, she argues, redefined revolution not as a single explosive event but as a 'slow conversation' across generations. The fall of the Berlin Wall — unforeseen by experts — she wrote exposes the fragility of oppressive systems when met with sustained dissent. Her 2016 update weaves in Black Lives Matter and the Standing Rock protests, framing them as modern iterations of this 'subversive hope.' Central to Solnit's thesis is the metaphor of darkness, rejecting apocalyptic fatalism: 'The future is dark … like the darkness of the womb.' Hope, for her, is the audacity to act without guarantees, a lesson drawn from anti-nuclear campaigns of the 1980s and post-Katrina mutual-aid efforts like the Common Ground Collective. Stylistically, Solnit merges lyrical prose with critical urgency. She chastises media narratives that equate activism with failure if immediate victories are not won, noting that the eight-hour workday and abolition of slavery were once deemed impossible. Her chapters unfold as interconnected essays, blending memoir (her 1980s anti-nuke protests) with global dispatches (Chile's democratic revival, Ukraine's Orange Revolution). Critics may crave more policy prescriptions, but Solnit's goal is philosophical: to reframe activism as a practice of storytelling, where every protest rewrites the dominant narrative. The book is not a roadmap but a compass, guiding readers through despair with historical proof that 'the impossible is inevitable.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group opposing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and allies raises $10 million; progressives decry ‘sucker politics'
CHICAGO — The first well-funded shots against Mayor Brandon Johnson and progressive allies of his are already being fired, two years before they face reelection. A series of mailers sent earlier this year by the dark money Common Ground Collective argue 'Chicago is in chaos' in a bid to beat up the mayor and four City Council members. The group behind the mailers is tight-lipped on where its cash comes from and what it plans to do next, but has a staggering amount of money to keep throwing punches. The Common Ground Collective has raised $10 million, according to its executive director, Chuck Swirsky. It's a sum that's sure to grow but that is already similar to the combined amount Johnson received in his 2023 campaign from his top funders, the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union and related unions. The group, a nonprofit, is not required to publicly disclose its donor list, and Swirsky declined to do so. But he said the money came from around 90 donors, none of whom has contributed more than 5% of its total. And Swirsky said among the contributors is GCM Grosvenor CEO Michael Sacks, a Democratic donor and close friend of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Sacks declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune. The collective's first targets said the unspoken message — that progressives aligned with the mayor will face stiff opposition — would not change their course. Instead, they bashed the spending as, in the words of Ald. William Hall, 'sucker politics.' 'Show your face and your money,' said Hall, a key Johnson supporter. 'And your stance, which they don't have the courage to do.' But as the mayor faces political turbulence of his own and early indications that some members of his progressive coalition are distancing themselves from him while looking at their own 2027 re-election prospects, it remains to be seen whether the dark money group's efforts to tie aldermen to Johnson make it tougher for him to pass his agenda. In addition to Hall, mailers sent by the nonprofit and reviewed by the Tribune targeted Alds. Daniel La Spata, 1st, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, each a Democratic Socialist who played a key role in narrowly passing the controversial January 2024 ordinance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, among other progressive policy pushes. The mailers reviewed by the Tribune could signal how the group might continue to deploy its funds. The cards feature a smiling photo of each alderman with the mayor and a message that says they 'refused to stand up to Johnson, raising our taxes while crime remains too high.' The mailers also share each alderman's office phone number and encourage recipients to call and tell the City Council member 'to show some courage and stand up to Mayor Johnson.' On the other side, the mailers depict Johnson facing a black-and-white City Hall, his arms outstretched. 'Mayor Brandon Johnson is in over his head. And Alderman Hall has his back,' one read. In a statement to the Tribune, Swirsky said the group aims to 'educate and mobilize local elected officials, build grassroots coalitions, and proactively engage voters around effective policies.' 'CGC will work to defeat extremist policies from both the far right and far left that seek and serve to divide our city,' he wrote. 'Common Ground Collective is supported by a large number of committed donors who care about Chicago and the State of Illinois.' Swirsky previously served as a chief adviser to outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, who spent much of the last year in a series of high-profile battles with Johnson before the mayor fired him. He has repeatedly criticized Johnson on social media — with much of it focused on the mayor's schools policy and stances on the war in Gaza — and has also criticized President Donald Trump. Swirsky declined the Tribune's interview requests. The group is likely to continue painting Johnson in a harsh light in the coming months. But its deep pockets might also give the mayor an opportunity to present himself as a working-class-champion foil to the powerful and rich. Amid the beginnings of the well-funded effort to discredit him and his allies, Johnson has in recent weeks fired off his own criticism of Emanuel and 'the neoliberal agenda' with little prompting. Asked last month about Trump's expected cuts to federal education funding, Johnson said Trump 'is running the playbook Rahm Emanuel executed in the city,' a reference to Emanuel's sweeping school closures. 'We didn't get here because you just happen to have a tyrant in the White House,' he said. 'We got here because someone gave him the script.' Emanuel declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune about the mayor's comments. The group appears to have so far only targeted progressives, some of whom will soon face potentially close reelection campaigns. In 2023, Hall, the only City Council rookie against whom Swirsky's group has so far sent out a mailer, earned a spot in a runoff with 23.82% of a primary vote and won election by just under 1,800 votes in the South Side ward that includes the Chatham neighborhood and surrounding areas. La Spata avoided a runoff by just 15 votes, while Rodriguez-Sanchez and Sigcho-Lopez respectively dodged runoffs by 499 and 233 votes. Hall and Sigcho-Lopez, both among the most outspoken City Council members, blasted the group that targeted them, even before hearing the eight-figure sum it says it has raised. It's 'pretty early' for such attacks to be made so far from an election, Sigcho-Lopez said. 'The big money behind it reflects what I'm hearing in circles: that billionaires aren't happy that they don't have a mayor that does their bidding,' he said. 'These are people who do not believe in democracy, they believe they can buy their way into government.' Hall called the group's work a 'millionaire tantrum' and said its backers are spending to sow 'seeds of division.' The mailers were sent to every voter in his South Side ward, he said. But he pledged the offensive would not move him. 'I was built for this. This is what I was born to do,' he said. 'They want what they don't have, and what they don't have is power. What they don't have is relevancy.' La Spata said he was also targeted with similar digital ads linking to what he called the group's 'nothing burger of a website.' He believes the mailer targeting him was widely distributed across his Northwest Side ward. Asked about the mailer, La Spata says he 'has not been shy' about disagreeing with Johnson on important issues, even if he sides with the mayor more often than he sided with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 'I do not do this work for Mayor Johnson,' he said. 'I'm not going to let those mailers determine how and why I govern. I'm going to continue to listen to my ward. I'm going to continue to act on the values and vision I ran on.' La Spata, who has further distanced himself from Johnson in recent months than the other mailer targets, said he doubts the mailers would lead to a 'productive' conversation. He reached out to Swirsky for a meeting to discuss the issues the group raises, but did not hear back, he added. He said he did know who funded the group, but added there is 'no one in the city that I think of as my enemy.' 'I have yet to meet anyone in the city that there isn't something that we agree on,' he said. _______ (Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt contributed.) ______
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group opposing Mayor Brandon Johnson and allies raises $10 million, progressives decry ‘sucker politics'
The first well-funded shots against Mayor Brandon Johnson and progressive allies of his are already being fired, two years before they face reelection. A series of mailers sent earlier this year by the dark money Common Ground Collective argue 'Chicago is in chaos' in a bid to beat up the mayor and four City Council members. The group behind the mailers is tight-lipped on where its cash comes from and what it plans to do next, but has a staggering amount of money to keep throwing punches. The Common Ground Collective has raised $10 million, according to its executive director, Chuck Swirsky. It's a sum that's sure to grow but that is already similar to the combined amount Johnson received in his 2023 campaign from his top funders, the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union and related unions. The group, a nonprofit, is not required to publicly disclose its donor list, and Swirsky declined to do so. But he said the money came from around 90 donors, none of whom have contributed more than 5% of its total. And Swirsky said among the contributors is GCM Grosvenor CEO Michael Sacks, a Democratic donor and close friend of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Sacks declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune. The collective's first targets said the unspoken message — that progressives aligned with the mayor will face stiff opposition — would not change their course. Instead, they bashed the spending as, in the words of Ald. William Hall, 'sucker politics.' 'Show your face and your money,' said Hall, a key Johnson supporter. 'And your stance, which they don't have the courage to do.' But as the mayor faces political turbulence of his own and early indications that some members of his progressive coalition are distancing themselves from him while looking at their own 2027 re-election prospects, it remains to be seen whether the dark money group's efforts to tie aldermen to Johnson make it tougher for him to pass his agenda. In addition to Hall, mailers sent by the nonprofit and reviewed by the Tribune targeted Alds. Daniel La Spata, 1st, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, each a Democratic Socialist who played a key role in narrowly passing the controversial January 2024 ordinance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, among other progressive policy pushes. The mailers reviewed by the Tribune could signal how the group might continue to deploy its funds. The cards feature a smiling photo of each alderman with the mayor and a message that says they 'refused to stand up to Johnson, raising our taxes while crime remains too high.' The mailers also share each alderman's office phone number and encourage recipients to call and tell the City Council member 'to show some courage and stand up to Mayor Johnson.' On the other side, the mailers depict Johnson facing a black-and-white City Hall, his arms outstretched. 'Mayor Brandon Johnson is in over his head. And Alderman Hall has his back,' one read. In a statement to the Tribune, Swirsky said the group aims to 'educate and mobilize local elected officials, build grassroots coalitions, and proactively engage voters around effective policies.' 'CGC will work to defeat extremist policies from both the far right and far left that seek and serve to divide our city,' he wrote. 'Common Ground Collective is supported by a large number of committed donors who care about Chicago and the State of Illinois.' Swirsky previously served as a chief adviser to outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, who spent much of the last year in a series of high-profile battles with Johnson before the mayor fired him. He has repeatedly criticized Johnson on social media — with much of it focused on the mayor's schools policy and stances on the war in Gaza — and has also criticized President Donald Trump. Swirsky declined the Tribune's interview requests. The group is likely to continue painting Johnson in a harsh light in the coming months. But its deep pockets might also give the mayor an opportunity to present himself as a working-class-champion foil to the powerful and rich. Amid the beginnings of the well-funded effort to discredit him and his allies, Johnson has in recent weeks fired off his own criticism of Emanuel and 'the neoliberal agenda' with little prompting. Asked last month about Trump's expected cuts to federal education funding, Johnson said Trump 'is running the playbook Rahm Emanuel executed in the city,' a reference to Emanuel's sweeping school closures. 'We didn't get here because you just happen to have a tyrant in the White House,' he said. 'We got here because someone gave him the script.' Emanuel declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune about the mayor's comments. The group appears to have so far only targeted progressives, some of whom will soon face potentially close reelection campaigns. In 2023, Hall, the only City Council rookie against whom Swirsky's group has so far sent out a mailer, earned a spot in a runoff with 23.82% of a primary vote and won election by just under 1,800 votes in the South Side ward that includes the Chatham neighborhood and surrounding areas. La Spata avoided a runoff by just 15 votes, while Rodriguez-Sanchez and Sigcho-Lopez respectively dodged runoffs by 499 and 233 votes. Hall and Sigcho-Lopez, both among the most outspoken City Council members, blasted the group that targeted them, even before hearing the eight-figure sum it says it has raised. It's 'pretty early' for such attacks to be made so far from an election, Sigcho-Lopez said. 'The big money behind it reflects what I'm hearing in circles: that billionaires aren't happy that they don't have a mayor that does their bidding,' he said. 'These are people who do not believe in democracy, they believe they can buy their way into government.' Hall called the group's work a 'millionaire tantrum' and said its backers are spending to sow 'seeds of division.' The mailers were sent to every voter in his South Side ward, he said. But he pledged the offensive would not move him. 'I was built for this. This is what I was born to do,' he said. 'They want what they don't have, and what they don't have is power. What they don't have is relevancy.' La Spata said he was also targeted with similar digital ads linking to what he called the group's 'nothing burger of a website.' He believes the mailer targeting him was widely distributed across his Northwest Side ward. Asked about the mailer, La Spata says he 'has not been shy' about disagreeing with Johnson on important issues, even if he sides with the mayor more often than he sided with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 'I do not do this work for Mayor Johnson,' he said. 'I'm not going to let those mailers determine how and why I govern. I'm going to continue to listen to my ward. I'm going to continue to act on the values and vision I ran on.' La Spata, who has further distanced himself from Johnson in recent months than the other mailer targets, said he doubts the mailers would lead to a 'productive' conversation. He reached out to Swirsky for a meeting to discuss the issues the group raises, but did not hear back, he added. He said he did know who funded the group, but added there is 'no one in the city that I think of as my enemy.' 'I have yet to meet anyone in the city that there isn't something that we agree on,' he said. Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt contributed.
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Group opposing Mayor Brandon Johnson and allies raises $10 million, progressives decry ‘sucker politics'
The first well-funded shots against Mayor Brandon Johnson and progressive allies of his are already being fired, two years before they face reelection. A series of mailers sent earlier this year by the dark money Common Ground Collective argue 'Chicago is in chaos' in a bid to beat up the mayor and four City Council members. The group behind the mailers is tight-lipped on where its cash comes from and what it plans to do next, but has a staggering amount of money to keep throwing punches. The Common Ground Collective has raised $10 million, according to its executive director, Chuck Swirsky. It's a sum that's sure to grow but that is already similar to the combined amount Johnson received in his 2023 campaign from his top funders, the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union and related unions. The group, a nonprofit, is not required to publicly disclose its donor list, and Swirsky declined to do so. But he said the money came from around 90 donors, none of whom have contributed more than 5% of its total. And Swirsky said among the contributors is GCM Grosvenor CEO Michael Sacks, a Democratic donor and close friend of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Sacks declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune. The collective's first targets said the unspoken message — that progressives aligned with the mayor will face stiff opposition — would not change their course. Instead, they bashed the spending as, in the words of Ald. William Hall, 'sucker politics.' 'Show your face and your money,' said Hall, a key Johnson supporter. 'And your stance, which they don't have the courage to do.' But as the mayor faces political turbulence of his own and early indications that some members of his progressive coalition are distancing themselves from him while looking at their own 2027 re-election prospects, it remains to be seen whether the dark money group's efforts to tie aldermen to Johnson make it tougher for him to pass his agenda. In addition to Hall, mailers sent by the nonprofit and reviewed by the Tribune targeted Alds. Daniel La Spata, 1st, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, each a Democratic Socialist who played a key role in narrowly passing the controversial January 2024 ordinance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, among other progressive policy pushes. The mailers reviewed by the Tribune could signal how the group might continue to deploy its funds. The cards feature a smiling photo of each alderman with the mayor and a message that says they 'refused to stand up to Johnson, raising our taxes while crime remains too high.' The mailers also share each alderman's office phone number and encourage recipients to call and tell the City Council member 'to show some courage and stand up to Mayor Johnson.' On the other side, the mailers depict Johnson facing a black-and-white City Hall, his arms outstretched. 'Mayor Brandon Johnson is in over his head. And Alderman Hall has his back,' one read. In a statement to the Tribune, Swirsky said the group aims to 'educate and mobilize local elected officials, build grassroots coalitions, and proactively engage voters around effective policies.' 'CGC will work to defeat extremist policies from both the far right and far left that seek and serve to divide our city,' he wrote. 'Common Ground Collective is supported by a large number of committed donors who care about Chicago and the State of Illinois.' Swirsky previously served as a chief adviser to outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, who spent much of the last year in a series of high-profile battles with Johnson before the mayor fired him. He has repeatedly criticized Johnson on social media — with much of it focused on the mayor's schools policy and stances on the war in Gaza — and has also criticized President Donald Trump. Swirsky declined the Tribune's interview requests. The group is likely to continue painting Johnson in a harsh light in the coming months. But its deep pockets might also give the mayor an opportunity to present himself as a working-class-champion foil to the powerful and rich. Amid the beginnings of the well-funded effort to discredit him and his allies, Johnson has in recent weeks fired off his own criticism of Emanuel and 'the neoliberal agenda' with little prompting. Asked last month about Trump's expected cuts to federal education funding, Johnson said Trump 'is running the playbook Rahm Emanuel executed in the city,' a reference to Emanuel's sweeping school closures. 'We didn't get here because you just happen to have a tyrant in the White House,' he said. 'We got here because someone gave him the script.' Emanuel declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune about the mayor's comments. The group appears to have so far only targeted progressives, some of whom will soon face potentially close reelection campaigns. In 2023, Hall, the only City Council rookie against whom Swirsky's group has so far sent out a mailer, earned a spot in a runoff with 23.82% of a primary vote and won election by just under 1,800 votes in the South Side ward that includes the Chatham neighborhood and surrounding areas. La Spata avoided a runoff by just 15 votes, while Rodriguez-Sanchez and Sigcho-Lopez respectively dodged runoffs by 499 and 233 votes. Hall and Sigcho-Lopez, both among the most outspoken City Council members, blasted the group that targeted them, even before hearing the eight-figure sum it says it has raised. It's 'pretty early' for such attacks to be made so far from an election, Sigcho-Lopez said. 'The big money behind it reflects what I'm hearing in circles: that billionaires aren't happy that they don't have a mayor that does their bidding,' he said. 'These are people who do not believe in democracy, they believe they can buy their way into government.' Hall called the group's work a 'millionaire tantrum' and said its backers are spending to sow 'seeds of division.' The mailers were sent to every voter in his South Side ward, he said. But he pledged the offensive would not move him. 'I was built for this. This is what I was born to do,' he said. 'They want what they don't have, and what they don't have is power. What they don't have is relevancy.' La Spata said he was also targeted with similar digital ads linking to what he called the group's 'nothing burger of a website.' He believes the mailer targeting him was widely distributed across his Northwest Side ward. Asked about the mailer, La Spata says he 'has not been shy' about disagreeing with Johnson on important issues, even if he sides with the mayor more often than he sided with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 'I do not do this work for Mayor Johnson,' he said. 'I'm not going to let those mailers determine how and why I govern. I'm going to continue to listen to my ward. I'm going to continue to act on the values and vision I ran on.' La Spata, who has further distanced himself from Johnson in recent months than the other mailer targets, said he doubts the mailers would lead to a 'productive' conversation. He reached out to Swirsky for a meeting to discuss the issues the group raises, but did not hear back, he added. He said he did know who funded the group, but added there is 'no one in the city that I think of as my enemy.' 'I have yet to meet anyone in the city that there isn't something that we agree on,' he said.
Politico
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
New campaign targets ‘extremism'
Happy Monday, Illinois. Congrats to the Eagles on the big win. TOP TALKER SCOOP: A new issue advocacy effort 'focused on ensuring that integrity, transparency and competence remain central to leadership and policy making in Springfield and City Hall' has launched with a digital ad attacking Mayor Brandon Johnson and left-leaning aldermen. Who's in charge: Common Ground Collective is led by Chuck Swirsky, who will serve as executive director. Swirsky is the former senior adviser to the Chicago Public Schools CEO and most recently accused the Chicago Teachers Union's of 'hateful antisemitism' on his social media accounts. In a statement to POLITICO, Swirsky didn't mention antisemitism specifically but said Common Ground Collective will work to 'protect the city and state from extremist policies that focus on division and threaten the economic well-being of hard working families.' Swirsky's take: Illinois needs to 'recenter conversations around issues that can help us emerge from the multiple crises we face, and hold leaders accountable who continue to push personal agendas that ultimately harm our communities and institutions,' he said in his statement. It's a targeted campaign: Swirsky has also worked on political campaigns for members of Congress and was the longtime campaign manager for Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut — so he's well-familiar with how a targeted issue campaign works. Common Ground Collective has already launched an ad focusing on several Chicago aldermen who Swirsky says, 'have supported extremist policies at the expense of prioritizing solutions to address our city's various real crises.' One ad reads: 'Chicago is in a crisis: budget crisis, violence crisis, education crisis, transit crisis. Mayor Brandon Johnson is in over his head. And Ald. [Daniel] La Spata has his back, not ours.' The ad also urges voters to call the alderman and 'tell him to show some courage and stand up to Mayor Johnson.' See the ad here. Common Ground Collective is a 501(c)4 that could launch an independent expenditure in the future that would help boost candidates. 'We will be well funded and prepared to have this effort make a difference,' said Swirsky who also serves as board president alongside Paul Rosenfeld, a Democratic insider whose wife, Ellen Rosenfeld, was elected to the school board after a bitter campaign. THE BUZZ HENRY HYDE'S NAME: The DuPage County Board is considering a resolution at that would change the name of the Henry J. Hyde Judicial Office Facility to the Judicial Office Facility, stripping Hyde's name from the title. Hyde is the late Illinois congressman and abortion-rights opponent who's known for the Hyde Amendment, which bars the government from helping fund abortions. The reason: 'While Congressman Hyde was a well respected Republican elected official, the Hyde Amendment is very offensive to women,' said Board Chair Deb Conway, who's behind the resolution. 'Women who cannot afford private insurance should not have less access to health care.' During her campaign for the board, Conway told the Daily Herald she would remove Hyde's name from the court building. Conway is a Democrat who previously served in the Illinois House. Her resolution has drawn scrutiny from Jeanne Ives, a Republican who also served in the Illinois House. In her Breakthrough Ideas email, Ives called the resolution 'mean-spirited,' noting it follows President Donald Trump's executive order Enforcing the Hyde Amendment. The DuPage County Republican Party posted a message on its Facebook page urging residents to tell board members to reject the measure. WHERE'S JB At 555 West Monroe at 10 a.m. to sign Karina's Law that protects survivors of domestic violence WHERE's BRANDON No official public events Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@ IN THE SPOTLIGHT — ALL THE GLAMOUR: Saturday's Equality Illinois gala offered up glittery sequins, an open bar and a celebratory mood. Check out the parade of politicos here. But the party chit-chat at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue also was dark. Guests trashed President Donald Trump's executive orders to upend diversity, equity and inclusion programs. They criticized Republicans' support for cuts to social service programming. And they shook their heads at Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller's dig at the trans community. 'It was vile,' said Precious Brady Davis, a transgender elected official who sits on the water board. She was referring to a floor debate in which Miller yielded her time to 'the gentleman from Delaware, Mr. McBride,' a reference to Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress. The mood shifted to action when Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker took the stage. The rallying cry: 'We must close ranks and fight. Your allies, our allies who talk a good game when it's easy, have to steel themselves for battle now,' said Pritzker, who received an extended standing ovation before making his remarks. 'I will fight like hell for you. When Donald Trump comes for our LGBTQ+ community, I will do everything in my power as governor, as a human being, to stand in the way to block him.' Johnson gave an equally powerful speech that was interrupted numerous times by applause from the 1,300-plus guests. 'I'm hoping this evening reinvigorates and reassures and re-energizes us for the future,' said the mayor. The event raised more than $1.1 million for Equality Illinois. RELATED Lurie Children's Hospital pauses gender care surgeries for those younger than 19, by WBEZ's Kristen Schorsch Illinois among 19 states sue Trump, Treasury to halt DOGE access, by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Emily Ngo Illinois joins in accusing Trump administration of continuing to block federal climate funding, by POLITICO's Nicole Norman and Blanca Begert Republican response: Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi urged Pritzker to 'get out of the way' of the White House efforts, saying the governor's 'relentless attacks on the Trump administration have alienated federal partners, jeopardized critical funding opportunities and left Illinois taxpayers holding the bag,' according to a statement,' via WBBM's Hayley Hansen. Pritzker pokes at Trump: The governor had some fun by poking at Trump renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. With his tongue firmly implanted in his cheek, Pritzker said Lake Michigan should be renamed Lake Illinois. Watch his 'special announcement' here. THE STATEWIDES — Behind-the-scenes staff acrimony mirrors public tension between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker: Anne Caprara, the governor's chief of staff, pulled out of planning meetings with chiefs of staff of the mayor and Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle after the Springfield battle over hemp. It indicates 'Pritzker was chapped at Johnson for working against the governor's hemp tax proposal, but also portends that conflict could persist between the two Democratic leaders as they try to repel President Donald Trump's agenda and tackle other issues facing both the city and state,' by the Tribune's A.D. Quig and Alice Yin. — Head Start headaches: Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth addressed concerns about the effects of federal cuts will have on Head Start programs. They made their point Saturday at the Two Rivers Head Start Agency. Duckworth said 'the uncertainty' is prompting some Head Start providers to consider pulling out of the program. — Massey family, Sangamon County reach agreement to $10M settlement, by the State Journal-Register's Steven Spearie — Happening today: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs and JPMorganChase will unveil a reproduction of a ledger that contains records of Abraham Lincoln's banking activity ahead of the former president's birthday on Wednesday. CHICAGO — Chicago restaurant workers prepare as ICE arrests cast fear, uncertainty over industry: 'Restaurant owners are preparing alongside workers and their advocates. One of those restaurateurs posted a 'Know Your Rights' flyer in his kitchen. Another chef said he was keeping a binder of talking points at the front door of his restaurant of what to say if ICE agents tried to enter,' by the Tribune's Zareen Syed and Talia Soglin. — Immigration advocates rally in Little Village in response to Trump administration sweeps, by the Sun-Times' Jessica Ma — Chicago to be home of global Covid-19 monument to honor victims, frontline workers, by Joanna Marszałek for the Sun-Times — The United Center hasn't been served by a Pink Line station since it opened. Could redevelopment plans change that? The Tribune's Sarah Freishtat reports. DAY IN COURT — CTA not liable in death of woman who tried to retrieve cellphone from tracks in 2019, appeals court rules, by the Sun-Times' Mary Norkol — Soldier from Chicago gets 9 years in prison for trafficking guns that fueled South Side gang war, by the Sun-Times' Frank Main COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — BUSINESS OF POLITICS: Democrats far outspent GOP rivals in suburban U.S. House races — none more than Raja Krishnamoorthi, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau — 'Yeah, I gave him the finger': Campton Hills trustee in hot water again over zoning flap, by Shaw Local's Brenda Schory — MWRD, Forest Preserves are partnering in a flood control study focused on the southeast suburbs, by the Daily Southtown's Mike Nolan TAKING NAMES — Former Gov. Pat Quinn is calling for new laws to change the petition drive process to address ethics issues in government. 'It's long overdue,' Quinn told a gathering for the League of Women Voters of Illinois' annual Issues Briefing. He hopes the pending verdict for former House Speaker Michael Madigan on corruption charges spurs lawmakers to act. 'Illinois shouldn't be the laughing stock because of corruption in government,' he said. — U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and The Chicago Community Trust's Marisa Novara will be honored next month at the Neighborhood Housing Services gala. Details here — Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey was inducted Saturday into Saint Louis University Law School's Order of the Fleur de Lis. Reader Digest We asked who your first guest would be if you were a late-night talk show host. Matthew Beaudet: 'Matthew McConaughey. He's a straight shooter but a caring dude too.' Bea Campos Cottrell: 'Barack Obama, of course.' Mimi Cowan: 'Christy George talking about the crazy behind-the-scenes events of the Democratic National Convention.' Janyce Eviston: 'Gov. JB Pritzker.' Charles Keller: 'Economist Thomas Sowell.' Alison Slovin: 'Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho, who wrote The New York Times best-seller 'Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew.'' James Straus: 'Taylor Swift, of course.' John Straus: 'Barack Obama.' Ian Tobin: 'My favorite presidential historian, Heather Cox Richardson. She can help contextualize where we are and how the hell we got here.' Next question: Do you still use pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters? Email skapos@ THE NATIONAL TAKE — Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost, by The Associated Press — Inside the House GOP clash over tax cuts, by POLITICO's Benjamin Guggenheim and Meredith Lee Hill — As Trump steamrolls Washington, courts flex their power to slow him down, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Joe Noonan for correctly answering that Bertha Palmer, whose husband Potter Palmer built the Palmer House Hilton, is credited with creating the world's first brownies. Here's the recipe TODAY's QUESTION: What two artifacts were added most recently (the same year) to the Tribune Tower facade? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY 49th Ward Constituent Services Coordinator Luca Ripani, ComEd Senior Communications Manager Lauren Huffman, Prospero Capital Management President Ben Bornstein, PBS News' John Yang, birding expert Jarod Hitchings and Playbooker Matthew Feldman -30-
