Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
After Friday’s announcement that Chicago’s entire Board of Education would be resigning, Mayor Brandon Johnson held a news conference this morning to announce his new board appointments.
The group will hold their new positions until November’s election, when Chicagoans will vote for their preferred candidates for the job.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll look into the new “class of 2024” and what’s next Chicago Public Schools.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the players you need to know ahead of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s trial Tuesday, a look at the Illinoisans laying down small-dollar donations for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid and more.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Johnson names new CPS Board after resignations
Reporting by Nader Issa and Sarah Karp
Class of 2024?: Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed six new members to the Chicago Board of Education today after an uproar over the resignation of the entire board last week.
Meet the board: Olga Bautista, a Southeast Side environmental activist; Michilla Blaise, a longtime political consultant and chief of staff for Cook County commissioner Frank Aguilar; West Side activist Mary Gardner; the Rev. Mitchell Johnson, an economic and community development expert; Debby Pope, a retired teacher and former Chicago Teachers Union staffer; and Frank Niles Thomas, a labor and political organizer.
One may stay: Blaise had been a candidate for a seat on the elected school board but withdrew, and may be able to stay on as an appointed member after the Nov. 5 election.
Key context: Friday’s announcement of the resignations of all seven board members was a stunner, drawing concern from city and state officials. The resignations were preceded by months of strife between Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez over how to address the school system’s financial shortfall.
Council concerns: Johnson’s quick turnaround appointments will aim to project stability and control of a situation that has rocked the city’s political landscape. A supermajority of City Council members signed a letter over the weekend signaling deep concern over the developments at the city’s school district. All but nine of 50 City Council members signed the letter, including several mayoral allies and 13 of 19 members of the Council’s Progressive Caucus.
What’s next: Johnson’s appointments come less than one month before Chicagoans will vote for school board members for the first time. That new, partially elected and partially appointed board will be seated in January.
To-do list: In the face of those political pressures, the new school board will likely be tasked with executing Johnson’s orders to fire Martinez, land a contract deal with the CTU and move forward with a loan to pay for part of the forthcoming teachers’ contract and a pension payment.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Harris nets small-dollar donors: Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign brought in 60,000 small-dollar donations from Illinois in late July and 91,000 in August. President Joe Biden’s campaign never collected more than 25,000 small contributions in any single month.
Communities in mourning: One year after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, many in the Chicago area are mourning the 1,200 Israelis killed that day and 41,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s yearlong offensive in Gaza. In today’s Morning Edition newsletter, we covered how people observed the tragic benchmark over the weekend. More commemorations are planned today.
Apply for rental assistance: A new Illinois rental assistance program for tenants and landlords with a pending eviction case has started taking applications. Those who are eligible could receive thousands of dollars to help cover past-due rent or prevent an eviction.
Goodbye, American Toby Jug Museum: The Evanston museum, a longtime destination for scores of ceramic enthusiasts and fans of oddball Midwestern attractions, will close its doors next spring.
The Get Up Kids’ victory lap: During their two-night stint at Metro this week, the band will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album, “Something to Write Home About,” which helped usher Midwest emo into the mainstream and influenced pop-punk bands including Chicago’s Fall Out Boy.
USA VS. MICHAEL MADIGAN
Mike Madigan among cast of powerful characters ensnared in corruption cases playing out in Chicago
Reporting by Jon Seidel
Federal authorities have pursued former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan for more than a decade, and there’s been collateral damage along the way.
At least 21 individuals and businesses have faced related criminal charges since his investigation began. Nine have been sentenced to prison.
Here’s a look at some of the players caught in the wake of the Madigan investigation.
Michael McClain: McClain is a former state lawmaker who developed a close friendship with Madigan and became known in Springfield for passing along messages and carrying out tasks for the powerful but reclusive speaker. He’s now set to face trial for the second time in two years, this time as Madigan’s co-defendant. A jury convicted McClain and three others in May 2023 for a lengthy conspiracy to bribe Madigan to benefit ComEd. McClain and the others have yet to be sentenced. They are challenging their convictions after a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jay Doherty, John Hooker, Anne Pramaggiore: Onetime City Club President Doherty, former ComEd lobbyist Hooker and former ComEd CEO Pramaggiore were convicted at trial with McClain in May 2023. They were found guilty of a nearly decadelong conspiracy to bribe Madigan.
ComEd: Federal prosecutors first implicated Madigan in wrongdoing when they filed a bribery charge against ComEd, the largest utility in the state. ComEd acknowledged wrongdoing in the scheme by McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty to bribe Madigan. It also agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate in the investigation. However, ComEd’s attorneys pleaded not guilty in court. And in July 2023, a judge dismissed the bribery charge under the terms of a deal struck by ComEd.
AT&T Illinois: The utility was charged in late 2022 for a similar scheme as above. AT&T Illinois was accused of funneling money to former state Rep. Edward Acevedo to influence Madigan. It entered into a two-year deal with prosecutors and agreed to pay a $23 million fine. It also agreed to cooperate in their investigation, and in return, the charge could be dismissed as soon as this month.
Edward Burke: Last year’s blockbuster trial of Burke — Chicago’s longest-serving City Council member — grew out of the Madigan investigation. Charles Cui, a developer, was also convicted. But longtime Burke ally Peter Andrews was acquitted by a jury. Burke was accused of using his powerful position to squeeze developers for business for his private tax law firm, while Cui was convicted of bribing Burke. Burke was sentenced to two years in prison and began serving his sentence on Sept. 23. Cui has been sentenced to 32 months and is due to report in January.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
South Side Science Festival give youngsters a close-up look at STEM
Reporting by Violet Miller
Hyde Park residents Randall Mcauley and Celia Paris have brought their three kids to the South Side Science Festival every year since they “serendipitously” stumbled upon it after moving to the area.
Their kids — Ilsa, 6; Soren, 3; and 6-month-old Quins — have built DNA strands and observed liquid nitrogen demonstrations along their way to their intended destination: the robotics demonstrations.
“I feel like every single year we come and learn a little bit more,” Mcauley said. The kids are “just immediately captivated.”
Saturday’s event at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park was the third annual science showcase, where youth can meet those devoting their lives to studying the subjects they’re presenting. The event featured interactive demos led by U. of C. students and panels with top scientists discussing topics such as artificial intelligence and opportunities to learn about science, technology, engineering and math education and jobs.
Two of the co-founders, Sarah King, an assistant professor in the university’s chemistry department, and Maanasa Raghavan, an assistant professor in the human genetics department at U. of C., said that’s the intent — the event’s tagline is “Science is for everyone.”
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
How has the war in Gaza (and beyond) affected you?
Help us document the ways, big and small, that the violence abroad has touched everyday life in the Chicago area.
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers