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Axios
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel considering 2028 presidential run
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is considering running for president, he confirmed Wednesday. The latest: In an interview with Crain's Chicago Business 's Greg Hinz, Emanuel said, "I'm looking at the (Democratic) field, and most importantly, what I have to contribute." Context: Emanuel has been vocal about the future of the Democratic Party after returning from his ambassadorship to Japan under former President Joe Biden, but this is the most he's said publicly about vying for the White House. Zoom in: He's pushing the party leaders to get back to "kitchen table issues" instead of focusing on more progressive issues and political correctness," he told Crain's. "We have to go back to how we won. Focus on middle-class economics and values." Flashback: Emanuel worked as a policy advisor under President Clinton beginning in 1993, before moving to Congress to represent Chicago's North Side. After orchestrating the Democrats' push to win the House in 2006, he left to join President Obama as his White House chief of staff in 2009. All this was before running the city of Chicago for eight years, before choosing not to run for a third term in 2019. Yes, but: Many progressive politicians don't see eye to eye with Emanuel, who has been criticized for his handling of the police murder of Laquan McDonald. He was accused of blocking the release of the video that captured the murder, which happened while Emanuel was mounting his reelection campaign in 2014. He was also criticized for closing 50 neighborhood schools. Reality check: The acrimony isn't just local. Progressives inside the Democratic Party, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), sought to block Emanuel's ambassadorship in 2021 because of the McDonald cover-up allegations, adding it "should be flatly disqualifying for any position of public trust, let alone representing the United States as an ambassador." Between the lines: That bad blood may be why Emanuel is on the hunt to reclaim the Democratic party. After the loss to President Trump in November, Emanuel has tried to rally the party back to the middle. The intrigue: Emanuel will be watching closely as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is also a potential candidate, as well as California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: For the love of Leo, hold your horses on seizing the pope's boyhood home, Dolton
Boy, did Dolton need that white smoke rising from the Vatican. The south suburb just outside Chicago has taken blow after blow in recent years. Former Mayor Tiffany Henyard's antics led to an FBI investigation and a separate investigation by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was appointed by village board members to look into allegations that Henyard had misused and mismanaged village funds. Tack on brawls in public meetings, and Dolton became a laughingstock, synonymous with dysfunction and corruption. But then came an unexpected win. Robert Prevost, a hometown boy, came seemingly out of nowhere to succeed Pope Francis as the next pontiff. That's right: Dolton nurtured the Holy Father, now one of the most famous and powerful leaders in the world. It's brought us all great pride. And now we must urge you, Dolton: Take the win. Take it, celebrate it, be proud of it. Don't let bad ideas muck it up. We were surprised and concerned by the news that Dolton plans to acquire Pope Leo XIV's childhood home either through direct purchase or by seizing it through eminent domain. The house on 141st Place in Dolton had been on the market since January. Once Leo was named pope, owner and Homer Glen-based rehabber Pawel Radzik planned to auction the home in mid-June, with a minimum asking price of $250,000. Radzik paid $66,000 for Prevost's old house and then overhauled it, saying that '80% of it is new — new flooring, new cabinets, new plumbing, new electrical, new kitchen.' Turns out, Radzik has a very determined would-be owner. 'Dolton is going to be the ultimate buyer,' village attorney Burt Odelson told Crain's Chicago Business earlier this week. It's unclear how the village would use the property, though the idea of turning it into a museum has been floated. The modest three-bedroom house is just a little over 1,000 square feet, and while it would suit a family fine, it's hard to imagine people crowding in for a guided tour. We much prefer recently sworn-in Mayor Jason House's other ideas to celebrate the village's connection to the Holy Father, which include granting landmark status to the home. We thought it made sense that the village board earlier this week approved naming the stretch of 141st Place that's home to Leo's former residence 'Pope Leo XIV Place.' And we certainly would support any and all protections to make sure nobody demolishes the childhood home of a pope. But we think it's a bad idea for the village to acquire the house. There's going to be plenty of demand — why not let someone buy it on the open market? We're particularly skeptical of the idea of using eminent domain to seize the property. The village would have to pay a fair market value if it does, but what's fair? A price tag of $250,000 seems awfully low for a home that suddenly holds so much cultural significance. Eminent domain is meant to serve the greater public good — building schools, roads or infrastructure. Using it to secure a modest home for an uncertain purpose risks setting a troubling precedent, and could expose the village to legal blowback. Not to mention another important question: Does it make financial sense for Dolton to do this? Lightfoot's investigation revealed that the village's general fund dropped to $3.65 million in debt, a sharp decline from the $5.6 million surplus it held when Henyard took office. There's a lot Dolton could do to infuse their papal ties into the village's culture that doesn't involve taking on debt and seizing private property. Hold your horses, Dolton. Celebrate your papal legacy — but do it wisely, transparently, and without burdening taxpayers or overstepping your authority. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: For the love of Leo, hold your horses on seizing the pope's boyhood home, Dolton
Boy, did Dolton need that white smoke rising from the Vatican. The south suburb just outside Chicago has taken blow after blow in recent years. Former Mayor Tiffany Henyard's antics led to an FBI investigation and a separate investigation by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was appointed by village board members to look into allegations that Henyard had misused and mismanaged village funds. Tack on brawls in public meetings, and Dolton became a laughingstock, synonymous with dysfunction and corruption. But then came an unexpected win. Robert Prevost, a hometown boy, came seemingly out of nowhere to succeed Pope Francis as the next pontiff. That's right: Dolton nurtured the Holy Father, now one of the most famous and powerful leaders in the world. It's brought us all great pride. And now we must urge you, Dolton: Take the win. Take it, celebrate it, be proud of it. Don't let bad ideas muck it up. We were surprised and concerned by the news that Dolton plans to acquire Pope Leo XIV's childhood home either through direct purchase or by seizing it through eminent domain. The house on 141st Place in Dolton had been on the market since January. Once Leo was named pope, owner and Homer Glen-based rehabber Pawel Radzik planned to auction the home in mid-June, with a minimum asking price of $250,000. Radzik paid $66,000 for Prevost's old house and then overhauled it, saying that '80% of it is new — new flooring, new cabinets, new plumbing, new electrical, new kitchen.' Turns out, Radzik has a very determined would-be owner. 'Dolton is going to be the ultimate buyer,' village attorney Burt Odelson told Crain's Chicago Business earlier this week. It's unclear how the village would use the property, though the idea of turning it into a museum has been floated. The modest three-bedroom house is just a little over 1,000 square feet, and while it would suit a family fine, it's hard to imagine people crowding in for a guided tour. We much prefer recently sworn-in Mayor Jason House's other ideas to celebrate the village's connection to the Holy Father, which include granting landmark status to the home. We thought it made sense that the village board earlier this week approved naming the stretch of 141st Place that's home to Leo's former residence 'Pope Leo XIV Place.' And we certainly would support any and all protections to make sure nobody demolishes the childhood home of a pope. But we think it's a bad idea for the village to acquire the house. There's going to be plenty of demand — why not let someone buy it on the open market? We're particularly skeptical of the idea of using eminent domain to seize the property. The village would have to pay a fair market value if it does, but what's fair? A price tag of $250,000 seems awfully low for a home that suddenly holds so much cultural significance. Eminent domain is meant to serve the greater public good — building schools, roads or infrastructure. Using it to secure a modest home for an uncertain purpose risks setting a troubling precedent, and could expose the village to legal blowback. Not to mention another important question: Does it make financial sense for Dolton to do this? Lightfoot's investigation revealed that the village's general fund dropped to $3.65 million in debt, a sharp decline from the $5.6 million surplus it held when Henyard took office. There's a lot Dolton could do to infuse their papal ties into the village's culture that doesn't involve taking on debt and seizing private property. Hold your horses, Dolton. Celebrate your papal legacy — but do it wisely, transparently, and without burdening taxpayers or overstepping your authority.
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
From the Farm: Morel mushroom season in full swing, heralded by annual Ottawa fest
My longtime journalist pal Bob Tita was a newsroom desk neighbor of mine two decades ago before he left Northwest Indiana in 2002 to become a reporter for Crain's Chicago Business, and later, a similar writing position for the Dow Jones. Bob was born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, and now, he and his editor wife Polly Smith, who was also one of my early editors, live in Bob's parent's family home in Berwyn. For years, Bob would tell me about the annual Houby Festival held in Berwyn and one of the wacky memories of his Chicago-raised youth. 'Houby' is Czech/Slovak as the Bohemian word for 'mushroom' or 'sponge.' Launched in fall 1968, the Houby Festival expanded over the years to swallow up joint hosting duties for both the neighborhoods of Berwyn and Cicero, usually held the first weekend of October and including returning features and festivities such as mushroom dining delicacies sold as food fare, a carnival, a Mushroom Parade, a crowning of a Mushroom Queen Pageant competition, live music and many attendees donning traditional Eastern European attire. The three-day celebration, now in its 57th year, is hailed as the International Houby Festival and draws an estimated 88,000 attendees. It's now only fall fungi that get the royal treatment. At our farm, we've been scouring our fields for spring morels, the delicate, honeycomb, coned-cap mushroom delicacies. About 90 minutes south of both Northwest Indiana and Chicago is Ottawa, Illinois, population just over 18,000. During my journalism career, the claim-to-fame I've always associated with Ottawa is that it's the hometown and headquarters of registered nurse-turned-celebrity-weight-loss/healthy eating advocate Seattle Sutton. She grew her small business of catering healthy, fresh prepared meals delivered from her home kitchen in 1985 into a multi-million brand and empire, which she later sold in 2018. Today, at age 93, she enjoys retirement with family. In more recent years, Ottawa became associated with the world of 'mushroom hunting,' with an emphasis on giving spring morel mushrooms their due as a treasured menu favorite of the Midwest. Earlier this month, on the weekend of May 3, Ottawa hosted the 11th Annual Midwest Morel Festival. This was a special year because the festival honored the passing of its founder, Tom Nauman, of Henry, Illinois, who died at age 74 in February. It was Nauman's idea to invite guests to his hometown community to join him on his guided mushroom hunts. According to Nauman's published obituary: 'His passion in life was morel mushrooms, so he founded Morel Mania, Inc. The story goes that after seeing a carved morel at a craft fair, he said, 'I can do better than that!' and so he did. In addition to offering hand-carved morel 'decoys,' shroom sticks, and various other accouterments for the eclectic morel maniacs of the world, he founded and ran the Illinois State Morel Mushroom Hunting Championship from 1995-2004, first in Magnolia, Illinois, then in Henry, and finally in Ottawa. 'The 2002 hunt, with 697 participants, was the largest gathering of mushroom hunters anywhere –ever. In more recent years, the hunt and festival made a revival in Ottawa, being rebranded as the Midwest Morel Fest. The Ottawa Visitors Center presented him with an 'Honorary Fungi' award for his contributions to the community in May 2024.' Even if the guided public mushroom hunts are sold out (which happens often), there are still plenty of fresh morel mushrooms sold during the festival along with food vendors, live music and entertainment. The festival is hosted by the 'groovy' mascot Mr. Morel, who loves to pose for photos. For more information about the morel festival, has details, as does for Houby Festival. Today's rich and delicious mushroom bisque recipe is from Chef Melvin Taylor, who spent years as the head of the kitchen operations at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond. He served this delectable creamy soup recipe in the ballroom of the Horseshoe for the New Year's Eve celebration dinner that welcomed the arrival of 2006. When he shared the recipe with me, he said it has been served to and enjoyed by Ivana Trump, actor Richard Roundtree and sports greats Michael Jordan, Dick Butkus and Brian Urlacher. 1 quart chicken broth 1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms of choice, chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 8 tablespoons half-and-half 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt White pepper Hot sauce Directions: 1. In a 2-quart pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add mushrooms and onions and bring back to a simmer. 2. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover for at least 1 hour. 3. In a separate pot, prepare a roux by melting butter and slowly adding flour. Whisk until evenly incorporated. 4. Continue to whisk roux while slowly adding half-and-half. Add bay leaf to thickening sauce and stir briskly. Remove bay leaf and discard. 5. Add roux to mushroom broth and stir until blended. Add seasonings, including white pepper and hot sauce to taste. Serve immediately.
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Column: South Sububan Land Bank rehabs Park Forest house in pilot project
No matter the community, there are vacant and neglected homes not fully owned and not legally abandoned. These are the 'zombies' of local housing and, like the walking dead of movie fame, these dwellings are to be avoided. Uncut grass, decrepit gutters, a bad roof and unpaid taxes are the usual logos of decay, often caused by death, debt or disinterest. Be it the vacant house next door, down the street or in the community in which you live, this virus of neglect infects everyone. Sadly, the hardscrabble south suburbs are often seen as the epicenter of this plague, and that is what the 13-year-old South Suburban Land Bank, comprised of 28 communities, is confronting with injections of time, money and work. The agency has rejuvenated some 200 homes, businesses and vacant lots. The rehabbing of these decrepit buildings is not something a village wants to be in, says Andrew Brown, Park Forest's assistant director of economic development That's where the land bank steps in, getting title to properties by paying all debts and working to develop, sell or demolish the property, thus eliminating the pungent odor of decay before putting it on the market. Under the leadership of Joe van Dyk, the executive director of the land bank, it has, for the first time in its existence, bought and then rehabbed an entire house. This pilot project is a two-story house at 345 Miami in Park Forest, on the market for $179,999 after the land bank spent about $130,000 in a clean-up, fix-up, patch-up effort that turned a community eyesore into a home with up-to-date plumbing, new kitchen fixtures, glistening floors and what was said to be some 50 gallons of paint covering the inside and outside of the house. It also exudes the heady perfume of a new beginning, 'and it is affordable,' said van Dyk. Doing it this way 'gives us more control over the outcome,' he said. Chances are, van Dyk said, 'that if you have a vacant or abandoned home some 300 feet from your property your values will go down.' This program is meant to stabilize communities and increase the tax base. Even zombies can be reborn under this plan. Last December, in Crain's Chicago Business, van Dyk wrote that along with a fragile economic base, the area, now challenged by extremely high property taxes, needs new taxpayers by expanding the tax base. He notes under Cook County's recent increase in 2023, Harvey's median tax bill increased 82%. In Calumet Park, by 72%. In Phoenix, by 107%. In just the last two years, van Dyk wrote, the land bank 'reactivated 75 properties, generating $930,000 in new tax revenue,' as well as employing local electricians, carpenters, painters and builders. Kicking the can Johnnie Thomas, the Rich Township School District 227 superintendent, earns more than $307,000 this year; a salary that will increase to nearly $336,000 by the end of the 2028 school year. When the rumor spread that Thomas was asking for a year's extension on his contract, as well as requesting he receive medical benefits for 12 years after his departure, one might think irate district residents facing massive property taxes hikes would storm last Wednesday's board meeting. Not quite. Before the board went into closed session, Richton Park resident Kim Jones was the lone voice heard as she urged the board to vote no on both the proposed increase in salary and perks. Jones estimated the total cost to the district would amount to $1,5 million in salary and benefits, adding her tax bill increased to more than $6,500 and that 'our community cannot afford this.' After more than one hour of discussion the board returned. Board President Andrea Bond combed though some of the issues before quietly announcing the proposal was tabled, proving again that a hot potato always needs an asbestos glove.
