Danny Davis is making news
Illinois Playbook at the Hideout on Aug. 7 features Congressman Mike Quigley. Details here
TOP TALKER
END OF AN ERA: After more than four decades as a fixture in Illinois politics, Congressman Danny Davis is expected to announce today that he won't seek reelection in 2026 to his 7th District seat. More from the home page.
Talk about longevity: At 83, Davis is one of the most senior members of the House, both in age and tenure. His expected retirement marks not only the close of a storied chapter but the beginning of what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested race for his seat — which Davis has held since 1997. Before that he served on the Cook County Board and the Chicago City Council.
Davis is a progressive with deep roots in Chicago's Black political tradition. He's known for an unwavering focus on Civil Rights issues, affordable housing, health equity and reentry reform for former prisoners — as well as that resonant voice.
At a press conference this morning, Davis is also expected to endorse state Rep. La Shawn Ford, an ally who's already jumped in the race.
SCOOP: City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is jumping in, too. She's out today with an announcement video that strikes a populist tone: 'Those landlords? They're going to pay to fix those properties.' Watch it here
Others in the race: Attorney and former Davis chief of staff Richard Boykin, entrepreneur Jason Friedman and Marine-turned-comedian John McCombs. Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability President Anthony Driver Jr. is expected to jump in too. And others are mulling a bid.
More from the Tribune and the Sun-Times.
THE BUZZ
SCOOP: State Rep. Nabeela Syed, a two-term Democrat who upset a Republican in her first political campaign in 2022, hopes to do the same thing in 2026 as she runs for state Senate.
High-stakes: The 26-year-old Syed is challenging Republican state Sen. Darby Hills, who was just appointed to the seat after Dan McConchie resigned to lead a nonprofit advocacy group.
The race is shaping up to be among the most contested legislative races in November. The seat has been held by Republicans for years, including by McConchie, the former Senate minority leader.
Why she's running: 'This community isn't just where I work,' Syed said in an interview. 'It's home. I got into politics because I wanted to bring better representation to my community and since then I've worked really hard to be present and accountable to the people,' she said, adding she wants to bring that same energy and vision to the state Senate.
Syed is one of the youngest members in the General Assembly, winning her House seat in 2022 by knocking on doors. She eked out a 6-point win in a swingy northwest suburban district. Two years later, she doubled that margin.
The district spans both her own House district (the 51st) and that of Republican state Rep. Marty McLaughlin (52nd), who narrowly won re-election in 2024.
Since there's no other Democrat expected in the race, Syed is focusing on the November contest.
The district is primed for change, says Syed. She says voters she's talked to aren't concerned about party affiliation but about 'my dedication to advocating for policies that would help them. And that's what I've been doing in the General Assembly and plan to communicate that to folks across the 26th District.'
WHERE'S JB
At Chute Middle School in Evanston at 1 p.m. to sign legislation to implement universal mental health screenings in Illinois schools — At Bridgeport Art Center at 6 p.m. to accept the Champion for Families Award from One Family Illinois, which recognizes 'the state's efforts supporting the well-being of youth.'
WHERE's BRANDON
At the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 7 p.m. for the National Bar Association's gala.
Where's Toni
No official public events
Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
BUSINESS OF POLITICS
— Democratic governors have a fix for the party: Themselves: The governors are 'fond of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as well as Kentucky's Andy Beshear, if somewhat more skeptical either can claim a nomination and general election. Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer is well-liked, especially among the other women governors, but there are doubts she'll run for president. And former Rhode Island Governor-turned-Commerce-Secretary Gina Raimondo has her admirers. They're less enamored with California's Gavin Newsom, to put it mildly,' by POLITICO's Jonathan 'JMart' Martin.
— In IL-09: Bruce Leon made it official Wednesday. He's running for Congress in the 9th District to fill the open seat now held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. 'I'm running because I believe the people of the 9th District deserve leadership that bridges divides rather than deepens them,' Leon said in a statement. 'Our challenges demand practical solutions — not rigid ideology.' Leon is an entrepreneur who is self-funding his campaign. He also serves as Democratic committeeman in the 50th Ward.
— In IL-09: State Sen. Mike Simmons is out with his first round of endorsements in his bid for the open congressional seat. Among those backing him are Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden, former Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris and state Sen. Rachel Ventura. Here's the full list
-— In IL-09: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss has been endorsed by the Iron Workers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity in his bid for the congressional seat.
— In IL-02: Robert Peters has been endorsed by The People's Lobby, known for its field organizing efforts.
— In IL-02: Yumeka Brown is out with an updated endorsement list in her bid for Congress in the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who is running for Senate next year. Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford and Sauk Village Mayor Marva Campbell Pruitt are among those backing Brown, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Here's the list
— Cook County board race: Elizabeth Granato has been endorsed by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) in her bid for the Cook County board. 'On the County Board, voters can trust her to make sure nobody is left behind, that wealthy corporations pay their fair share, and the MAGA agenda is stopped dead in its tracks,' Schakowsky said in a statement.
MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here.
THE STATEWIDES
— OPINION: Pritzker, Welch and Harmon: Homeowners deserve transparency from State Farm, not unexplained rate hikes: 'At a time when the cost of living — particularly housing — is increasingly onerous for families across our state, State Farm's move requires careful scrutiny and full transparency,' write the top Democratic leaders in the Tribune.
— Illinois Secretary of State launches campaign to end 'unfair and discriminatory' car insurance rate practices, by WTTW's Eunice Alpasan
— OPINION: Trump's cuts costing Black women their jobs, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Women Employed CEO Cherita Ellens write in the Tribune
CHICAGO
— CHICAGO JOE: Former President Joe Biden will be in town tonight speaking at the National Bar Association's Centennial Convention. National Playbook has a take about how his life has quieted down.
— Acting CTA chief makes her case for keeping the permanent job: 'Unlike her predecessor, who seldom if ever rode the system he was tasked with leading, interim CTA President Nora Leerhsen told a Council Transportation Committee on Wednesday she has taken more than 450 rides on the CTA over the last year,' by the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman.
— Federal funding for gun violence prevention axed by Trump administration — including grants to Chicago, by Reuters' Bianca Flowers
— Chinatown residents question benefits of planned Chicago Fire stadium, by the Sun-Times' Kade Heather
COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS
— Northwestern's new Ryan Field is taking shape nicely, but will football Saturdays live up to the hype? by the Sun-Times' Steve Greenberg
— Arlington Park 40 years ago: Racetrack's regulars recall devastating blaze, by the Daily Herald's Christopher Placek
ILLINOIS' POPE
— Pope Leo gets surprise Chicago pizza delivery while riding through Saint Peter's Square, via USA Today
TAKING NAMES
— Melissa Winter, who was Michelle Obama's first hire on the campaign trail and has been with her ever since, is taking on a new role with the Obama Foundation. Read our homepage story here.
— Abdon Pallasch and Bob Herguth won 1st and 2nd place in the Green Eyeshade contest — the awards for Southern journalism — for their podcast The Rebel Kind about a Chicago trucker-turned-spy who helped save the Irish peace process. Pallasch is a former Sun-Times reporter who is now the director of communications for Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Herguth writes for the Sun-Times.
Reader Digest
We asked about wild things you've seen in virtual meetings.
Robert Barry: 'Someone dialed in on their cell phone — not realizing the video was on and we could see and hear them at a restaurant having breakfast with a full view of the dining room.'
Ed Epstein: 'A cat sitting contentedly on a coworker's head.'
Mark Fowler, executive director of the Northwest Municipal Conference: 'We were on a Zoom with over 50 mayors in the region and were interrupted by someone ordering two chicken dinners from a drive-thru.'
Raymond Sendejas: 'During the height of Covid, my wife, Erika Poethig, was working for the White House and in a big Zoom meeting was when our then 7-year-old son chose to go full Spider-Man and climb the wall behind her in full view of everyone on the call. People still ask her about it!'
Scott Simon: 'One of our producers had to duck away from the screen to get something, leaving their cat onscreen to nod sagely at everything we said.'
NEXT QUESTION: What's a wild moment you've had getting signatures for candidate petitions?
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
— Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth were among Democrats voting to block arms sales to Israel. More via POLITICO
— Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) led a group of more than 30 House Democrats demanding answers from Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano about concerns from constituents who are 'struggling to access benefits,' according to their letter. The lawmakers urged Bisignano to take steps to improve customer service by rolling back the Trump administration's cuts and changes to Social Security Administration.
— Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) is featured in the One Decision podcast calling Tulsi Gabbard a 'certified idiot,' adding that her appointment to head National Security 'is far beyond the pale.' Listen here
THE NATIONAL TAKE
— Kamala Harris won't run for California governor, by POLITICO's Melanie Mason
— 47 things Trump would rather talk about than Jeffrey Epstein, via POLITICO
— Winklevoss brothers pressed Trump to dump pick for top Wall Street regulator, by POLITICO's Declan Harty and Sophia Cai
EVENTS
— Aug. 6: The Young Democrats of Chicago hold their summer social organized by Democratic Committee members Paul Rosenfeld and Lucy Moog of the 47th and 43rd wards, respectively. Details here
— Aug. 20: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy's summer fundraiser will feature Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch. Details here
TRIVIA
WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Mary Kay Minaghan and Ed Mazur for correctly answering that Ralph Metcalfe was the Olympic gold medalist who went on to serve in the Chicago City Council and U.S. House. Metcalfe, a sprinter, won his gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics in the 4x100 relay.
TODAY's QUESTION: Who did the Chicago Cubs trade to get Ryne Sandberg and Larry Bowa? Email your answer to: skapos@politico.com.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Former House GOP leader Tom Cross, Former state Rep. Mary Flowers, former state Rep. Helene Miller-Walsh, Edwardsville Township Supervisor Kevin Hall, Chicago Mayor's Political Director Christian Perry, First Assistant Deputy Gov. for Budget Amanda Elliott, Sen. Dick Durbin's Legislative Director James Floyd, real estate attorney Langdon Neal, ADL Midwest Chief of Staff David Goldenberg, U.N. Foundation Senior Director of Advocacy Micah Spangler and Public Communications Inc.'s Katie Heinz.
-30-
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
16 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump injects new dose of uncertainty in tariffs as he pushes start date back to Aug. 7
WASHINGTON — For weeks, President Donald Trump was promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place. It was an ironclad deadline, administration officials assured the public. But when Trump signed the order Thursday night imposing new tariffs on 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated. The change — while potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. — injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what's going to happen and when. Trump told NBC News in a Thursday night interview the tariffs process was going 'very well, very smooth.' But even as the Republican president insisted these new rates would stay in place, he added: 'It doesn't mean that somebody doesn't come along in four weeks and say we can make some kind of a deal.' Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly $3 trillion in goods imported to the United States will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect. The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America's global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed. As the clock ticked toward Trump's self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president's determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades. The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an 'emergency' under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval. Trump was ebullient as much of the world awaited what he would do. 'Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,' he said Thursday morning on Truth Social. Others saw a policy carelessly constructed by the U.S. president, one that could impose harms gradually over time that would erode America's power and prosperity. 'The only things we'll know for sure on Friday morning are that growth-sapping U.S. import taxes will be historically high and complex, and that, because these deals are so vague and unfinished, policy uncertainty will remain very elevated,' said Scott Lincicome, a vice president of economics at the Cato Institute. 'The rest is very much TBD.' Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates unveiled then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements. Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate, 39%, than the 31% Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37% to 15%. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10% tariff. Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them. The EU was awaiting a written agreement on its 15% tariff deal. Switzerland and Norway were among the dozens of countries that did not know what their tariff rate would be, while Trump agreed after a Thursday morning phone call to keep Mexico's tariffs at 25% for a 90-day negotiating period. The president separately on Thursday amended an order to raise Canada's fentanyl-related tariffs to 35%. European leaders face blowback for seeming to cave to Trump, even as they insist that this is merely the start of talks and stress the importance of maintaining America's support of Ukraine's fight against Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already indicated that his country can no longer rely on the U.S. as an ally, and Trump declined to talk to him on Thursday. India, with its 25% tariff announced Wednesday by Trump, may no longer benefit as much from efforts to pivot manufacturing out of China. While the Trump administration has sought to challenge China's manufacturing dominance, it is separately in extended trade talks with that country, which faces a 30% tariff and is charging a 10% retaliatory rate on the U.S. Major companies came into the week warning that tariffs would begin to squeeze them financially. Ford Motor Co. said it anticipated a net $2 billion hit to earnings this year from tariffs. French skincare company Yon-Ka is warning of job freezes, scaled-back investment and rising prices. Federal judges sounded skeptical Thursday about Trump's use of a 1977 law to declare the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency that justifies tariffs on almost every country on Earth. 'You're asking for an unbounded authority,' Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit told a Justice Department lawyer representing the administration. The judges didn't immediately rule, and the case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court. The Trump White House has pointed to the increase in federal revenues as a sign that the tariffs will reduce the budget deficit, with $127 billion in customs and duties collected so far this year — about $70 billion more than last year. There are not yet signs that tariffs will lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs, and the U.S. economy now has 14,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than it did in April. On Thursday, one crucial measure of inflation, known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, showed that prices have climbed 2.6% over the 12 months that ended in June, a sign that inflation may be accelerating as the tariffs flow through the economy. The prospect of higher inflation from the tariffs has caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on additional cuts to its benchmark rates, a point of frustration for Trump, who on Truth Social, called Fed Chair Jerome Powell a 'TOTAL LOSER.' But ahead of Trump's tariffs, Powell seemed to suggest that the tariffs had put the U.S. economy and much of the world into a state of unknowns. 'There are many uncertainties left to resolve,' Powell told reporters Wednesday. 'So, yes, we are learning more and more. It doesn't feel like we're very close to the end of that process. And that's not for us to judge, but it does — it feels like there's much more to come.'
The Hill
16 minutes ago
- The Hill
Biden's autopen controversy says more about AI than you might think
Would a love letter mean the same if you knew it was written by a robot? What about a law? Republicans are asking similar questions in their investigations into former President Joe Biden's use of the autopen — an automatic signature machine that the former president used to sign a number of clemency orders near the end of his term. Trump and his allies claim that Biden's use of the autopen may have been unlawful and indicative of the former president's cognitive decline. If Biden had to offload the work of signing the orders to a machine, then how can we know he actually approved of what was signed? And if Biden wasn't approving these orders, then who was? It is unclear what the outcomes of these investigations will be. More importantly, however, these probes get at a larger concern around how different kinds of communication can lose their meanings when robots or AI enter the mix. Presidents have used the autopen for various purposes (including signing bills into law) for decades. In fact, the prevalence of the autopen highlights how, today, a presidential signature represents more than just ink on paper — it symbolizes a long process of deliberation and approval that often travels through various different aides and assistants. The Justice Department under George W. Bush said as much in a 2005 memo advising that others can affix the president's signature to a bill via autopen, so long as the president approves it. Trump himself has admitted to using the autopen, albeit only for what he called 'very unimportant papers.' House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) even used digital signatures to sign subpoena notices related to the investigation for his committee. President Obama used the autopen in 2011 to extend the Patriot Act. Even Thomas Jefferson used an early version of the autopen to replicate his handwriting when writing multiple letters or signing multiple documents. But the dispute around the use of the autopen is more than just partisan bickering; it is an opportunity to consider how we want to incorporate other automating systems like artificial intelligence into our democratic processes. As a researcher who studies the impacts of AI on social interaction, my work shows how automating legal, political, and interpersonal communications can cause controversy, whether via a low-tech robotic arm holding a pen, or through complex generative-AI models. In our study, we find that autopen controversies illustrate that although automation can make things more efficient, it can also circumvent the very processes that give certain things — like signatures — their meaning. Generative AI systems are posed to do the same as we increasingly use them to automate our communication tasks, both within and beyond government. For instance, when an office at Vanderbilt University revealed that it had used ChatGPT to help pen a condolence letter to students following a mass shooting at Michigan State University, students were appalled. After all, the whole point of the condolence letter was to show care and compassion towards students. If it was written by a robot, then it was clear the university didn't actually care — its words were rendered empty. Using GenAI to automate communication can therefore threaten our trust in one another, and in our institutions: In interpersonal communications, one study suggests that when we suspect others are covertly using AI to communicate with us, we perceive them more negatively. That is, when the use of automation comes to light, we trust and like each other less. The stakes of this kind of breach are especially high when it comes to automating political processes, where trust is paramount. The Biden fiasco has led some, like Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), to call for a ban on the use of the autopen in signing bills, executive orders, pardons and commutations. Although Rep. McDowell's bill might prevent future presidents from experiencing the kind of entanglement the Biden administration has gotten caught up in, it doesn't address how other kinds of emerging technologies might cause similar problems. As attractive automating technologies like generative AI become more and more popular, public figures should understand the risks involved in their use. These systems may promise to make governing more efficient, but they still come at a significant cost.
San Francisco Chronicle
16 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump calls on Federal Reserve board to wrest full control of central bank from Fed Chair Powell
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday called for the Federal Reserve's board of governors to usurp the power of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing the head of the U.S. central bank for not cutting short-term interest rates. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Powell 'stubborn." The Fed chair has been subjected to vicious verbal attacks by the Republican president over several months. The Fed has the responsibility of stabilizing prices and maximizing employment. Powell has held its benchmark rate for overnight loans constant this year, saying that Fed officials needed to see what impact Trump's massive tariffs had on inflation. If Powell doesn't 'substantially' lower rates, Trump said, 'THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!' Trump sees the rate cuts as leading to stronger growth and lower debt servicing costs for the federal government and homebuyers. The president argues there is virtually no inflation, even though the Fed's preferred measure is running at an annual rate of 2.6%, slightly higher than the Fed's 2% target. Trump has called for slashing the Fed's benchmark rate by 3 percentage points, bringing it down dramatically from its current average of 4.33%. The risk is that a rate cut that large could cause more money to come into the economy than can be absorbed, possibly causing inflation to accelerate. The Supreme Court suggested in a May ruling that Trump could not remove Powell for policy disagreements. This led the White House to investigate whether the Fed chair could be fired for cause because of the cost overruns in its $2.5 billion renovation projects. ___
