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Politico
2 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Who Pritzker could pick for his No. 2
TGIF, Illinois. Stay safe this weekend. It's gonna be hot. TOP TALKER POLITICAL CHESS: With the state budget signed and the D.C. immigration hearing behind him, Gov. JB Pritzker is focusing on a few big decisions. Will he run for president? Will he seek a third term as governor? And who would his lieutenant governor running mate be if he runs again? Don't expect an answer anytime soon about a presidential run. But in the coming weeks, Pritzker will decide whether to seek re-election. What's next: Democratic candidates for statewide office in 2026 will ask for endorsements from the Cook County Democratic Party during its slating meetings July 17 and 18. As for his No. 2: Even if Pritzker announces he'll go for a third term — and all indications are that he will — we hear he wouldn't name a running mate right away. But that hasn't stopped the buzz about who might step up to the pos that Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has held since taking office with Pritzker in 2018. Now that she's running for U.S. Senate in 2026, she wouldn't be able to be on the governor's ticket, too. So, Pritzker would have to name a new running mate. Names that have popped up: Deputy Gov. Andy Manar, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell and Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia. They all bring something to the table: Manar is the budget maestro in the governor's office. And the central Illinois native is someone Pritzker trusts to carry out his vision for the state should he leave for D.C. Gordon-Booth was a House budgeteer. Mitchell is a former state lawmaker who served during Pritzker's first term, overseeing public safety, energy and infrastructure issues. And Valencia is a City Hall veteran who, like Stratton, is a good retail politician. RELATED Republican Congressman Darin LaHood doesn't rule out a run for governor, by Catrina Barker for The Center Square THE BUZZ La VETO Loca: The Chicago City Council approved a curfew ordinance to control 'teen takeovers,' but Mayor Brandon Johnson said he would veto the measure. 'It would create tensions between residents and law enforcement at a time when we have worked so hard to rebuild that trust,' he said after the vote, adding the measure 'is counterproductive to the progress we have made in reducing crime and violence in our city.' The veto would be the first by a Chicago mayor since 2006, according to WBEZ's Mariah Woelfel. The other side: Ald. Brian Hopkins spoke passionately ahead of the vote about his concern that more needs to be done to stop violent acts that have occurred in his downtown ward. The measure passed 27-22, short of the 34 needed to override a mayoral veto. The Tribune's Jake Sheridan reports Hopkins plans to keep making the case for his ordinance but added he won't be heavy-handed about it. RELATED — The next big battle in City Hall will be about the mayor's plan to raise the grocery tax: Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) had hoped to delay the measure this week, but before the Council realized it, the legislation was introduced without calling it a 'grocery tax,' by Crain's Justin Laurence. If you are Brendan Reilly, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON His schedule didn't make it to our inbox. Where's Toni At Idlewild Country Club in Flossmoor at 5:30 p.m. for the Southland Dinner with the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ IN THE SPOTLIGHT — Former Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis survived political violence. Now he carries a gun 'to fire back:' The Illinois Republican has been both a victim of political violence and a key player in overseeing the protection of elected officials. 'A survivor of the 2017 congressional baseball shooting where Majority Leader Steve Scalise was badly wounded — Davis was at home plate when the gunman opened fire from behind third base — the former Illinois congressman [now head of government affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce] later became the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, which oversees security arrangements for members of the House of Representatives,' by POLITICO's Ben Jacobs. — The Supreme Court decision to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors drew criticism from MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis, the first Black openly trans woman appointed and elected to public office in Cook County history. 'I am outraged,' she said in a statement. 'This ruling puts trans children at risk by allowing politics to overrule medical expertise. No court should come between a doctor and their patient. Stripping doctors of their ability to provide life-saving, affirming care is not just bad policy, it's a direct threat to our community's health, safety, and dignity.' BUSINESS OF POLITICS — More confirmation: Rahm Emanuel says 'of course' he's looking at a presidential bid, by Crain's Greg Hinz — FIRST IN POLITICO: The Congressional Black Caucus PAC — which operates with the goal of increasing the number of Black members in Congress — is jumping into the race to replace retiring Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin with an endorsement for Congresswoman Robin Kelly. 'We're excited to continue to grow our representation in the Senate with one of our own,' New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, who chairs the PAC, said in a statement. He added that Kelly is a 'fierce advocate on gun violence prevention, maternal health and health care.' Kelly is locked in a crowded race for the Senate seat along with fellow Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. — In IL-02: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller's formation of an exploratory committee to run for Congress in the 2nd District has been getting support from elected officials. Here's a list. — Pastor Anthony Williams of south suburban Dolton is gathering support for a 2026 U.S. Senate bid as a Democrat. Williams, who is a trustee at South Suburban College, is a familiar name to the political scene, having run for U.S. Senate in 2022 as a Republican. He says his priorities are to 'bring needed resources to the state of Illinois and address the issue of violence [through] the tools of civility.' — Erin Chan Ding, a twice-elected Barrington school board member, is running for state representative as a Democrat in Illinois' 52nd District. The seat is held by veteran Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin. Chan Ding wants to 'invest in public education, make child care affordable, fight for livable wages, protect the environment and steward taxpayer dollars responsibly in Springfield,' according to a campaign statement. — Sports betting powerhouse DraftKings is jumping into electoral politics with a new corporate PAC, by POLITICO's Caitlin Oprysko in our Influence newsletter THE STATEWIDES — Plano, the first Illinois town to recognize Juneteenth, had to move this year's party to Yorkville due to low turnout and social media criticism, by the Tribune's Rebecca Johnson and the Aurora Beacon-News' Molly Morrow — University of Illinois soybean lab took a big hit from Trump cuts, by Miles MacClure for The Hechinger Report — Largest air-supported sports dome in the world is inflated in Springfield, by the State Journal-Register's Claire Grant — 'Starved Rock killer' loses bid to overturn 1961 conviction,: by the Sun-Times' Frank Main CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson didn't conduct formal national search for CTA head despite claiming otherwise, records show, by the Tribune's Talia Soglin — Gale Street Inn, a Jefferson Park institution, closes for good without any advance word to customers, by Bob Chiarito for the Sun-Times COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Chicago Heights crematory shuts down permanently after accusations of mishandling bodies: 'Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who regulates crematories, announced Tuesday she has permanently revoked Heights Crematory's license through a consent order,' by the Sun-Times' Cindy Hernandez. — East Dundee allows golf carts on village streets, by the Daily Herald's Alicia Fabbre TAKING NAMES — WBBM Newsradio political reporter Craig Dellimore is retiring: His last day in City Hall is today. Here's a looks back at his career, by CBS 2's Jeramie Bizzle. — Ellen Bromagen announced she'll retire from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The first vice president and chief operating officer, will step down in February after 36 years of service to the bank. — Lou Sandoval, the president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, will receive the Cuauhtémoc Leadership Award by the National Latino Education Institute at its Fund It Forward fundraiser. — Pope Leo XIV joins White Sox chant in Vatican City, by the Sun-Times' Mitchell Armentrout Reader Digest We asked for must-haves on a picnic. Denise Barreto: 'Charcoal-grilled food, melon/berry melody bowl and strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream.' Mark Gruenberg: 'Hot dogs, beverages and people to consume them.' Henry Haupt: 'Family, friends and food! (And no rain!).' Charles Keller: 'When I was young, it was beer, my girl and whatever food she brought. Now, it's just beer, cigars and grilling meat on the driveway.' Ed Mazur: 'Deviled eggs, paper plates and cups, and cold liquid refreshments including 'bug juice.'' Kathy Posner: 'A large suite at the St. Regis, George Clooney and Diet Coke.' Jaimey Sexton: 'Wine. A wine bottle opener. Non-breakable wine glasses. The End.' Patricia Ann Watson: 'Chilled melons, sandwiches, ice teas.' Jennifer Welch: 'Rose' wine, farmers market produce and free movie, music, or theater at a Chicago park.' NEXT QUESTION: What skills make a good lieutenant governor? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — ICE imposes new rules on congressional visits: The policy says that ICE field offices are not subject to a federal law that allows members of Congress to make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities that 'detain or otherwise house aliens.' The news comes after four Illinois lawmakers tried in vain to enter an immigration processing facility near Chicago, by The New York Times' Michael Gold. — Congressman Brad Schneider said leaders he met with in Middle East don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, by the Lake County News-Sun's Steve Sadin THE NATIONAL TAKE — Trump says everything is coming 'in two weeks,' video via Bloomberg — Appeals court blocks Newsom's bid to reclaim control of National Guard from Trump, by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — Megabill could derail hundreds of planned clean energy projects, by POLITICO's Kelsey Tamborrino and Jessie Blaeser — Black church leaders pressure companies over Trump's anti-DEI push, by POLITICO's Cheyanne Daniels IN MEMORIAM — Former Des Plaines civic leader Rosemary Argus has died: She was a former member of the Mount Prospect Park District board and the Des Plaines City Council, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau. EVENTS — Sunday: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton headlines the Lake County Women Democratic Women gala where Anna Williams will receive the 'Insist Resist Persist Award.' Details here TRIVIA WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Roger Flahaven for correctly answering that Eugene Debs formed the American Railway Union on June 20, 1892, and within a year, it had 150,000 members. Also: Playbooker and author Richard Joyce has details in his book, 'Spring Valley Is a Mining Town.' TODAY's QUESTION: What Illinois town's name was inspired by the writings of Washington Irving? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Today: State Rep. Sonya Harper, state Rep. Maurice West, Cook County Circuit Court Judge James Shapiro, communications consultant David Prosperi, former U.S. Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy and Benjamin Marshall Society's Jane Lepauw Saturday: Deputy Director of External Relations for DCEO Dan McManus, Acacia Consulting Group President Morgan Harris, Portal Innovations VP of Operations Mike Faulman, government relations pro Chris Kane, Agency H5 CEO Kathleen Sarpy, gallery owner Monique Meloche and former Homeland Security official Timothy Thomas Sunday: Former state Sen. Chuck Weaver, Aileron Communications Account Exec Carlie Hansen, restaurateur Michael Kornick -30-
Daily Express
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Express
Jalan Kolam, Jalan Sang Kancil streetlight outages
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: A skymaster was deployed to help restore the affected lights in this part of Karamunsing. CITY Hall is trying to determine the reason for the recurring outage of the streetlights on a 512 metre-section of Jalan Kolam, in Luyang. The agency is also keeping tabs on Jalan Sang Kancil, which extends for some 384 metres from end to end, to ensure that this Karamunsing stretch is properly illuminated at night. Advertisement This action was prompted by feedback from two road-users about the safety hazards which drivers faced at night due to the failure of the public lighting at both locations. Both motorists provided Hotline with the pertinent details which were forwarded to the agency. A spokesman for City Hall's Engineering Department said its electrical contractor checked on what was transpiring on both roads, shortly after being contacted by the media. 'His workers found that the power to the lights had tripped,' he said. 'The ELCB [Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker] was reset, before the lights came on again. Advertisement 'This has happened on and off several times this year, especially when there is a downpour.' He explained that an ELCB was a safety device that detected and interrupted electrical faults, specifically earth leakage or ground faults, to prevent electric shocks and potential fire hazards. The spokesman said the agency was in the process of trying to isolate the fault in the underground line in this area. He said the agency would consider enlisting the assistance of Sabah Electricity (SE) to stabilise the electricity channelled to the lights. 'Our engineers made a joint inspection SE technicians some time back.' He said a fuse for one of the latter's installations here kept blowing during that check. 'We were made to understand that this might stem from rain-water seepage. 'The run off was likely finding its way into part of the electricity cable between the installation and the lights.' He estimated that there were more than 10 lights on the median between the junction Lorong Zirafah 8 and the Foh Sang intersection. When asked how often maintenance was carried out on City Hall's streetlights, the spokesman said there was no fixed-schedule for this work. 'These amenities are attended to as and when it becomes necessary to do so.' In the case of Jalan Sang Kancil, the spokesman said a problem with the power being channelled to a control panel along the road temporarily rendered the lights on the slope inoperable. 'We alerted SE about this occurrence and the company promptly despatched a team to resolve the problem,' he said. 'The contractor's staff later checked on the lights and related fixture and confirmed that everything was in order. A sky-master was deployed to facilitate this effort.' He said the individual had been asked to keep an eye on the public lighting on Jalan Kolam, as well as Jalan Sang Kancil, from time to time. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Inside NYC's voting system to rank candidates
With so many options, New Yorkers will choose their next mayor like they pick ice cream in the summer. The city's ranked choice system allows voters to choose their top five candidates for mayor, plus top picks in other city races. Even if your top choice doesn't make it, you can still get flavors, or candidates, you prefer. Ranked choice "allows for people to vote in a way that expresses how they feel," said Susan Kang, an associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The system aims to give voters more choices in a crowded field of nearly a dozen Democratic and a handful of Republican mayoral hopefuls in closed primaries for both parties. It also hopes to bring up candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, often without access to vast campaign war chests. The system, first approved by voters in 2019, has been used in elections around the country - from Alaska to Maine, and from San Francisco to tiny Woodland Hills, Utah (population 1,571). Other places, including Washington, D.C., more recently adopted it. Australians use the system. Winning New York City's Democratic primary is almost always a ticket to City Hall in a city that's about two-thirds registered Democrats. Primary lessons: Trump rules, Dems are revved. NYC's melee is next. How Cuomo v. Mamdani shows ranked choice voting Andrew Cuomo, New York's longtime governor who resigned in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment, had led comfortably in polls. Many voters see Cuomo, 67, as an experienced moderate executive who can fight President Donald Trump. But with ranked choice, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist calling to freeze rents, has inched ever closer to Cuomo. That's because under ranked choice, a candidate has to get over 50% of votes. While polls have Cuomo ahead, he's unlikely to win most first-round votes. At each round, candidates with the fewest votes get eliminated. Voters who ranked less supported candidates first will have their subsequent choices allocated to their next ranked candidate. New York first used ranked choice voting in 2021. With many candidates vehemently opposed to Cuomo, their supporters' next-round votes can help Mamdani, who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive star. The process continues until there are two candidates left. Cuomo is favored to win, though polling has tightened between the former governor and Mamdani. Cross-endorsements, cooperation The city's first time using ranked choice, in 2021, resulted in the narrow, eighth-round victory of Eric Adams, the swaggering, scandal-plagued mayor. (Adams dropped out of the 2025 Democratic primary, opting to seek re-election as an independent.) Back in 2021, Adams' last standing opponent, Kathryn Garcia, received a late endorsement from Andrew Yang, another candidate. Yang supported ranked choice during a failed 2020 presidential run. "The ranked choice voting system enables you to take advantage of being someone's second- or third-place vote," Yang, now a third-party advocate, told USA TODA. "A smart candidate will try and capitalize on that." In 2025, there are more cross-endorsements between Mamdani and other candidates to Cuomo's left, such as city Comptroller Brad Lander and former lawmaker Michael Blake. Ranked choice challenges Under this relatively new system, voters need to know how to correctly rank their choices. In a 2023 study, Lindsey Cormack, an associate professor of quantitative social science at Stevens Institute of Technology, found higher levels of voided ballots in lower income areas and communities with lower educational attainment. There were also issues among people who speak a language other than English. "Anytime you change a system, you make it nominally harder, or at least the capacity for errors goes up, because there's just more boxes to tick," she said. Complicating matters, the primaries use ranked choice, but the general election does not. Nor do state or presidential elections. Only growing beyond June 24 primary election Politicians and experts agree that, with time, voters can get used to their new system. For now, ranked choice appears to continue expanding across cities and states. In November, Washington, D.C., approved ranked choice voting. Christina Henderson, one of the district's at-large representatives and a Brooklyn native, has supported ranked choice to help people dissatisfied with polarized politics. "If provided the right information, they can make the right choice for themselves," Henderson, an independent, said. "Now, the key is providing the right information." New York City's primary is June 24. Early voting is underway. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Higher water bills sinking in for Winnipeg homeowners
The City of Winnipeg has upped its rates for water and sewer services and people are seeing the jump in their bills. CTV's Jeff Keele reports. Bernie Lemanski rarely waters his grass, and when he does, there's not much of a yard anyway. He lives with his brother and their water usage is low. 'The only thing you do is the dishwasher, washer and dryer and a shower,' said Lemanski. So it was sticker shock when he opened his quarterly water bill from the City of Winnipeg. 'I was just flabbergasted, in shock, like I couldn't believe it,' he said. Last quarter he paid $157 dollars and this quarter the bill is $269 dollars. 'Give me a break,' said Lemanski. 'What are they thinking?' Other homeowners are flooding Facebook with comments too, many asking the same question as Lemanski. 'I'd like to know why, why they increased it that high,' he said. Winnipeg's water and waste committee chair Ross Eadie says some people missed the discussion and debate around this issue at City Hall this year. 'It is catching people off guard,' said Eadie. In March, city council approved new sewer and water rate hikes to help fund the $3 billion north sewage treatment plant. There is also a new levy. A $23 per quarter fee was eliminated, but replaced with a higher $63 per quarter waste management fee, to pay for services like garbage, recycling, green carts, yard waste and damaged carts. It's a new utility model to take the heat off property tax bills. 'For the waste management we looked at here's what the cost is, we have contractors who pick up and collect your garbage and there's all kinds of costs related to it,' said Eadie. Things could have been worse. The mayor and council rejected a proposal to jack water and sewer rates by a $1,000 a year for a family of four. Still, Lemanski says the approved rates and fees are tough to swallow. 'A lot of single parents and they're on their own and they're living on a fixed income and they can't afford this kind of increase.'
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Largest US city tries to be more democratic with voting. It's like picking ice cream.
Largest US city tries to be more democratic with voting. It's like picking ice cream. The candidates for mayor in the nation's largest city are, arguably, as diverse as the residents they seek to represent. Show Caption Hide Caption NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander detained by ICE Brad Lander, New York City's comptroller and mayoral candidate, was detained while escorting a defendant out of immigration court. NEW YORK − The candidates for mayor in the nation's biggest city are, arguably, more diverse than the residents they seek to represent. Among those in New York City's June 24 primary election are a disgraced former governor; a democratic socialist state representative (and former rapper); a street performer named Paperboy who dons a clown face; and a former hedge fund executive trying to channel Mike Bloomberg. With so many options, New Yorkers will choose their next mayor like they pick ice cream in the summer. The city's ranked choice system allows voters to choose their top five candidates for mayor, plus top picks in other city races. Even if your top choice doesn't make it, you can still get flavors, or candidates, you prefer. Ranked choice 'allows for people to vote in a way that expresses how they feel,' said Susan Kang, an associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The system aims to give voters more choices in a crowded field of nearly a dozen Democratic and a handful of Republican mayoral hopefuls in closed primaries for both parties. It also hopes to bring up candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, often without access to vast campaign war chests. The system, first approved by voters in 2019, has been used in elections around the country − from Alaska to Maine, and from San Francisco to tiny Woodland Hills, Utah (population 1,571). Other places, including Washington, D.C., more recently adopted it. Australians use the system. Winning New York City's Democratic primary is almost always a ticket to City Hall in a city that's about two-thirds registered Democrats. Primary lessons: Trump rules, Dems are revved. NYC's melee is next. How Cuomo v. Mamdani shows ranked choice voting Andrew Cuomo, New York's longtime governor who resigned in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment, had led comfortably in polls. Many voters see Cuomo, 67, as an experienced moderate executive who can fight President Donald Trump. But with ranked choice, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist calling to freeze rents, has inched ever closer to Cuomo. That's because under ranked choice, a candidate has to get over 50% of votes. While polls have Cuomo ahead, he's unlikely to win most first-round votes. At each round, candidates with the fewest votes get eliminated. Voters who ranked less supported candidates first will have their subsequent choices allocated to their next ranked candidate. New York first used ranked choice voting in 2021. With many candidates vehemently opposed to Cuomo, their supporters' next-round votes can help Mamdani, who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive star. The process continues until there are two candidates left. Cuomo is favored to win, though polling has tightened between the former governor and Mamdani. Cross-endorsements, cooperation The city's first time using ranked choice, in 2021, resulted in the narrow, eighth-round victory of Eric Adams, the swaggering, scandal-plagued mayor. (Adams dropped out of the 2025 primary, opting to run for re-election as an independent.) Then, Adams' last standing opponent, Kathryn Garcia, received a late endorsement from Andrew Yang, another candidate. Yang supported ranked choice even in his 2020 presidential run. 'The ranked choice voting system enables you to take advantage of being someone's second- or third-place vote,' Yang, now a third-party advocate, said. 'A smart candidate will try and capitalize on that.' In 2025, there are more cross-endorsements, seen with Mamdani and other candidates to Cuomo's left, such as city Comptroller Brad Lander and former lawmaker Michael Blake. However, barbs are out over accusations of antisemitism, islamophobia and documented sexual harassment. Ranked choice challenges Under this relatively new system, voters need to know how to correctly rank their choices. In a 2023 study, Lindsey Cormack, an associate professor of quantitative social science at Stevens Institute of Technology, found higher levels of voided ballots in lower income areas and communities with lower educational attainment. There were also issues among people who speak a language other than English. 'Anytime you change a system, you make it nominally harder, or at least the capacity for errors goes up, because there's just more boxes to tick,' she said. Complicating matters, the primaries use ranked choice, but the general election does not. Nor do state or presidential elections. Only growing beyond June 24 primary election Politicians and experts agree that, with time, voters can get used to their new system. For now, ranked choice appears to continue expanding across cities and states. In November, Washington, D.C., approved ranked choice voting. Christina Henderson, one of the district's at-large representatives and a Brooklyn native, has supported ranked choice to help people dissatisfied with polarized politics. 'If provided the right information, they can make the right choice for themselves,' Henderson, an independent, said. 'Now, the key is providing the right information.' New York City's primary is June 24. Early voting is underway. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
