Latest news with #Midwesterners
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Burrito Beach Marks 30 Years With Limited Edition Burritos From a Power-Packed Chef Lineup
is the James Beard Award-winning regional editor for Eater's Midwest region, and in charge of coverage in Chicago, Detroit, and the Twin Cities. He's a native Chicagoan and has been with Eater since 2014. Homegrown restaurant chains don't often last three decades in Chicago, but that's the milestone Burrito Beach will celebrate this summer. The quick-service chain — with seven locations in places like Lincoln Park and inside Northwestern Memorial Hospital's food court — has endured, giving Chicagoans options that cover a variety of dietary needs. Over those 30 years, Burrito Beach CEO and founder Greg Schulson has seen Chicago's understanding of Mexican food grow as he witnessed the rise of local chefs who proved to Midwesterners that there was more to Mexican food than just burritos and tacos. Burrito Beach's first location opened in 1995 at Lake and Dearborn, and it started as an assembly-line wrap concept. Though Chicago has a large Mexican community, chains often defined what Mexican food was to many outsiders. Chicago knows names like Pepe's and Chi-Chi's, but more casual options, like Taco Bell and Chipotle, which was founded in 1993, cast long shadows. Burrito Beach debuted with an emphasis on wraps, tiptoeing around using the word 'burrito,' a word with very specific connotation to locals in the '90s. Late-night lines routinely formed after the bars closed at places like Taco Burrito Palace No. 2, and recent college grads expected gut bombs with 'burritos as big as your head' from dives like La Bamba. 'I came up with this idea of, sort of this gourmet burrito concept that kind of took, like the spices and the flavors of Mexico and sort of the creativity of California, and we put them together,' Schulson says. 'And that was effectively what a wrap was back then.' As Americans began folding Mexican cuisine into everyday life rather than treating burritos and tacos as specialty items, Schulson says Burrito Beach ditched the wraps and embraced being a 'Mexican grill,' which served affordable food with better ingredients: 'We really do cooking at our restaurants,' Schulson says. '...I don't think a lot of our competitors necessarily do.' Affordability is especially important now, even as Trump's tariffs threaten to increase prices: 'No one wants to pay $17 for a burrito,' Schulson adds. This 2002 photo featured an all-star lineup of chefs who collaborated with Burrito Beach. Burrito Beach would also collaborate in 2002 with local chefs on limited-edition items. Chefs like Publican chef Paul Kahan and Spring chef Shawn McLain crafted their own burritos. To mark the 30th anniversary, Kahan is again teaming up with Burrito Beach, along with Thattu chef Margaret Pak and Parachute chef Beverly Kim (see below). Proceeds will benefit a charity of the chefs' choice, and the promotions go from August through January. Burrito Beach's recipes come from David Schy, a former corporate chef with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises who worked under legendary chef Jean Banchet as a cook at Le Francais in suburban Wheeling. He's come up with ideas like a current special, a fried fish taco inspired by a Chicago dog. Somedays they'll offer barbecue beef or Buffalo chicken. Schulson, a native of suburban Glencoe, is a past chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association. He's aware of dining trends and news. He indirectly mentions a 2017 story out of Portland, Oregon, when a pair of white women closed their burrito shop after they bragged about stealing recipes from Mexican women. The story drew cries of cultural appropriation, and that's something Schulson is sensitive toward. 'We're not pretending to be something we're not,' Schulson says, noting items like a Buffalo chicken bowl are far from traditional. 'I grew up loving Mexican food… I could eat this food every day. I'm not Mexican, but it doesn't mean I don't love the food, it doesn't mean I don't care about doing it right.' Chef Paul Kahan's spicy steak burrito with marinated sirloin steak, Guajillo chile sauce, white rice, black beans, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, and whole cilantro. Burrito Beach/Kristen Mendiola Media Thattu chef Margaret Pak's burrito with masala Kashmiri chile char-grilled chicken, tamarind-date chutney, garlic confit raita, white rice, cilantro slaw, and pickled red onions. Chef Beverly Kim's bibimbap steak burrito with thin-sliced bulgogi, kimchi fried rice, chipotle-gochujang, marinated cabbage, and pickled red onions. Burrito Beach/Kristen Mendiola Media Burrito Beach 30th Anniversary Celebrity Chef Burritos Starting in August, Burrito Beach will celebrate 30 years with special limited-time-only burritos from Paul Kahan, Margaret Pak, and Beverly Kim. For Kahan, the One Off Hospitality co-founder, it represents a return as he was a part of a collaboration back in 1993. Pak, chef and owner at Thattu in Avondale, will follow. Pak's connection comes through her love of Ketch On Fire, a spicy ketchup brand in which Greg Schulson and chef David Schy are partners. Pak's first food job was with the brand, and it grew out of passion; she caught the company's attention after maintaining an unauthorized fan page. Parachute HiFi's Beverly Kim rounds out the chef lineup. Kim lacks a direct connection to the brand, but Schulson and company have long been fans of Kim's Michelin-starred Korean American food. See details of the three burritos below. Proceeds will benefit a charity of the chef's choice Paul Kahan's spicy steak burrito, available from Monday, August 4, through the end of September. Margaret Pak's masala chicken burrito, available from October through November. Beverly Kim's bibimbap steak burrito, available from December through January.
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Paging Gen Z: It's not a ‘micro-retirement.' It's a vacation.
It's July, and many Midwesterners are flocking to the lake, driving south to go to the beach, or simply sticking around to enjoy the fleeting hot weather at their local pool. Even Pope Leo XIV, arguably one of the busiest and most important people in the world, is taking a summer vacation. (True, his break includes six weeks off, something most of us can only dream of.) That's why we were intrigued to see a new Gen Z term crop up. A 'micro-retirement' refers to the growing trend of taking unpaid time off when younger workers haven't yet accrued sufficient paid vacation days. According to the Fast Company article that catapulted the trend to the national spotlight, this can take a few different forms. You might quit a job and re-enter the workforce only when you're ready, or you might arrange with your employer to take regular, unpaid breaks from work. If you're an entrepreneur, it might mean stepping away from your business periodically and letting others do the work. It's so popular that 1 in 10 Americans are doing it, if you believe a recent study from a gig and part-time job board. Hustlers reading this may be perplexed, scratching their heads, unable to fathom how someone can be a successful entrepreneur while walking away and unplugging. People without sufficient savings or financial support likely aren't so comfy with quitting a job without knowing there might be another role waiting when they are ready to go back to work. All of this is to say, the need for new branding is confusing to many of us. A vacation is temporary rest from work. Retirement is a permanent exit from it. Gen Z's 'micro-retirements' land somewhere in between — and that's part of the confusion. Rather than roll our eyes, we ask: Why do Gen Zers feel the need to rebrand vacation? Are they uncomfortable taking time off? Are they even getting enough of it? Or is something deeper going on? Younger generations are less likely to use their vacation time even when they have it. Research shows Gen Z and millennials take about one week less vacation each year than workers 55 and older. And instead of using vacation to recharge, many Gen Z workers are taking paid time off to care for loved ones. This paints members of Gen Z in a more nuanced light than they're often given credit for. While older generations tend to see these younger Americans as the TikTok generation, it may be that technology and our country's increasing tendency to saddle younger generations with economic uncertainty may be taking its toll. It's possible the micro-retirement trend is actually a cry for help. For a long time, there's been a nagging sense among younger American generations that they won't be able to retire the same way their parents did, or will sometime soon. That's especially true for Gen Z. A 2024 report from the TIAA Institute and UTA's NextGen Practice found that many adults under 27 don't expect to retire in the traditional sense — echoing earlier data showing nearly half either don't want to retire, can't afford to or haven't thought about it. In Illinois, many of today's retirees were able to quit working at age 55, living for decades on public pensions and making as much as they did during their career if they were, say, public school teachers. That will not be normal in 20 or 30 years when millennials and Gen Z are in their 50s. Still, both generations are saving for retirement, with Gen Z doing so at a surprising clip. Which leads us to believe they understand what 'retirement' means. Please, let's preserve the discreet meanings of both terms: Vacations are a necessary and useful break that keep us invigorated, able to be in our careers for the long haul, and leave us happier and more productive. Retirement is the last big adventure, a respite and release before, well … you know. We stand with Merriam-Webster, which had this to say about 'micro-retirement' on the social platform X: ''Vacations.' The word is 'vacations.''
Winnipeg Free Press
05-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bond between brain docs led to crucial breakthroughs
Since the early 1990s, the charitable organization Historica Canada has produced over 100 'Historical Minutes,' video tributes to important Canadians across many fields and specialties. One vignette, about Dr. Wilder Penfield, dramatically shows his discovery of the area in a patient's brain which triggers the smell of burnt toast and signals her seizures. Dr. Penfield is credited with this game-changing advance in neurological surgery and treatment. Quebec Globe and Mail correspondent Eric Andrew-Gee begins his excellent first book with this moment, determining to expand the record, telling the detailed story of the Montreal Neurological Institute — The Neuro — and the close relationship between 'the Chief,' Penfield, and his colleague and friend 'the Boss,' William Cone. Mackenzie Lad photo Eric Andrew-Gee Andrew-Gee's intricately researched and plotted paean to these surgical pioneers reads like a novel. It traces Cone and Penfield's decades of investigation, exploration and treatment of problems with humanity's most complicated and mysterious organ. The two met at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, finding 'a remarkable amount in common: they were both fatherless Midwesterners from medical families with dreams of transforming neurosurgery.' Collaborating in learning various aspects of the art — not yet a science — from practitioners around the world, Penfield and Cone eventually gain international fame. Penfield is hired by Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital, on the condition they hire Cone as well. The development of their differing styles and areas of study, and the inevitable conflicts which their friendship covers, make for fascinating reading. Information about hospital conditions, and specific advances and inventions, as well as insight into the politics and culture of 20th-century Quebec intersperse the narrative. Andrew-Gee likens the pair to the 'two solitudes' of Hugh MacLennan's novel of the same name about language and relationships in Quebec and to the two halves of the brain. Penfield, known for intricate study of what different parts of the brain do, was the head of the Institute, focusing on memory and the effects and relief of epilepsy. More generally, he searched for the human mind residing in the physical brain. Cone was intent on patient care, from prepping to surgery to follow-up. He was obsessed with sterility (his father had died of typhoid fever caught from tainted water) and kept unhealthy hours on the job, all to the benefit of others. As in the 'Historical Minute,' Penfield was the face of the operation, publishing and receiving accolades for the work which they shared. 'Fortunately for the harmony of the institute,' notes Andrew-Gee, 'Cone didn't care about credit.' Cone was happiest when busy, and thrived when he served with the Canadian military medical corps at Hackwood, an English estate vacated by its baronial owner for the war effort. Cone, 'no longer Penfield's subordinate,' now led 'a hospital twice as big as The Neuro in the thick of history's most decisive conflict — and he was excelling.' Reunited in Montreal later in the war, the two continued to new heights in the treatment of brain injuries and illnesses, to international acclaim for Penfield. The Mind Mappers Andrew-Gee describes Cone's increasing symptoms of alienation, while still maintaining a breakneck schedule and his closeness to Penfield. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Readers today will recognize clear signs of clinical depression, noticed but ignored at the time — ironically, in that centre of near-miraculous neurological discovery and development. After the much-foreshadowed tragic end of the collaboration, Andrew-Gee includes multiple tributes to Cone which demonstrate that 'he had shown… what it means to be a good doctor.' This chronicle of the friendship between Penfield and Cone demonstrates how relationships should work, acknowledging issues and weaknesses, while celebrating the positive and productive results of altruism and decency. Bill Rambo is a mostly retired teacher who lives in Landmark.
UPI
01-07-2025
- Health
- UPI
Pop, soda or coke? The fizzy history behind a linguistic debate
The word you use generally boils down to where you're from: Midwesterners enjoy a good pop, while soda is tops in the North and far West. Southerners, long the cultural mavericks, don't bat an eyelash asking for coke -– lowercase. Photo by Vika_Glitter/ Pixabay With burgers sizzling and classic rock thumping, many Americans revel in summer cookouts -- at least until that wayward cousin asks for a "pop" in soda country, or even worse, a "coke" when they actually want a Sprite. Few American linguistic debates have bubbled quite as long and effervescently as the one over whether a generic soft drink should be called a soda, pop or coke. The word you use generally boils down to where you're from: Midwesterners enjoy a good pop, while soda is tops in the North and far West. Southerners, long the cultural mavericks, don't bat an eyelash asking for coke -- lowercase -- before homing in on exactly the type they want: Perhaps a root beer or a Coke, uppercase. As a linguist who studies American dialects, I'm less interested in this regional divide and far more fascinated by the unexpected history behind how a fizzy "health" drink from the early 1800s spawned the modern soft drink's many names and iterations. Bubbles, anyone? Foods and drinks with wellness benefits might seem like a modern phenomenon, but the urge to create drinks with medicinal properties inspired what might be called a soda revolution in the 1800s. The process of carbonating water was discovered in the late 1700s. By the early 1800s, this carbonated water had become popular as a health drink and was often referred to as "soda water." The word "soda" likely came from "sodium," since these drinks often contained salts, which were then believed to have healing properties. Given its alleged curative effects for health issues such as indigestion, pharmacists sold soda water at soda fountains, innovative devices that created carbonated water to be sold by the glass. A chemistry professor, Benjamin Stillman, set up the first such device in a drugstore in New Haven, Conn., in 1806. Its eventual success inspired a boom of soda fountains in drugstores and health spas. By the mid-1800s, pharmacists were creating unique root-, fruit- and herb-infused concoctions, such as sassafras-based root beer, at their soda fountains, often marketing them as cures for everything from fatigue to foul moods. These flavored, sweetened versions gave rise to the linking of the word "soda" with a sweetened carbonated beverage, as opposed to simple, carbonated water. Seltzer - today's popular term for such sparkling water - was around, too. But it was used only for the naturally carbonated mineral water from the German town Nieder-Selters. Unlike Perrier, sourced similarly from a specific spring in France, seltzer made the leap to becoming a generic term for fizzy water. Regional naming patterns So how did "soda" come to be called so many different things in different places? It all stems from a mix of economic enterprise and linguistic ingenuity. The popularity of "soda" in the Northeast likely reflects the soda fountain's longer history in the region. Since a lot of Americans living in the Northeast migrated to California in the mid-to-late 1800s, the name likely traveled west with them. As for the Midwestern preference for "pop" -- well, the earliest American use of the term to refer to a sparkling beverage appeared in the 1840s in the name of a flavored version called "ginger pop." Such ginger-flavored pop, though, was around in Britain by 1816, since a Newcastle songbook is where you can first see it used in text. The "pop" seems to be onomatopoeic for the noise made when the cork was released from the bottle before drinking. Linguists don't fully know why "pop" became so popular in the Midwest. But one theory links it to a Michigan bottling company, Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works -- today known as Faygo Beverages -- that used "pop" in the name of the sodas it marketed and sold. Another theory suggests that because bottles were more common in the region, soda drinkers were more likely to hear the "pop" sound than in the Northeast, where soda fountains reigned. As for using coke generically, the first Coca-Cola was served in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta and the founder of the company. In the 1900s, the Coca-Cola Co. tried to stamp out the use of "Coke" for "Coca-Cola." But that ship had already sailed. Since Coca-Cola originated and was overwhelmingly popular in the South, its generic use grew out of the fact that people almost always asked for "Coke." As with Jell-O, Kleenex, Band-Aids and seltzer, it became a generic term. What's soft about it? Speaking of soft drinks, what's up with that term? It was originally used to distinguish all nonalcoholic drinks from "hard drinks," or beverages that contain spirits. Interestingly, the original Coca-Cola formula included wine -- resembling a type of alcoholic "health" drink popular overseas, Vin Mariani. But Pemberton went on to develop a "soft" version a few years later to be sold as a medicinal drink. Due to the growing popularity of soda water concoctions, eventually "soft drink" came to mean only such sweetened carbonated beverages, a linguistic testament to America's enduring love affair with sugar and bubbles. With the average American guzzling almost 40 gallons per year, you can call it whatever you what. Just don't call it healthy. Valerie M. Fridland is a professor of Linguistics at the University of Nevada-Reno. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Politico
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Pritzker v. Trump. Get used to it.
Happy Tuesday, Illinois. Steven Colbert opened 'The Late Show' last night with an homage to Pope Leo XIV and Chicago. Watch here. TOP TALKER SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state's $55 billion budget into law Monday, after a legislative season clouded by economic uncertainty in Washington, D.C. Balancing act: 'While the Trump administration goes on Fox News lying about being fiscally responsible, Illinois is showing a better way — balancing the budget while maintaining the programs that most people rely on,' Pritzker said, taking a swipe at President Donald Trump. It wasn't the only one. The governor made a point of highlighting that Congress is working on a reconciliation bill 'that has one of the largest budget deficits ever, in a year without a war or a pandemic.' Maybe Trump got word. While he was at the G7 Summit in Alberta, Canada, the president attacked Pritzker. 'I look at Chicago. You've got a really bad governor, and a bad mayor. The governor's probably the worst in the country,' Trump said in explaining why he wants to ramp up immigration raids in Democratic-run cities and states. Here's the video. Get used to it: The blow for blow, tit for tat is an example of the extent that politics has permeated every level of government. And with Pritzker a possible 2028 presidential candidate punching at the White House, Trump will surely punch back. Joining Pritzker at the budget signing was Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch and Democratic leaders of the Illinois General Assembly. Here's a detailed report by Capitol News' Ben Szalinski and Andrew Adams. Pritzker also took questions: Asked what Illinois will do if Trump calls in the National Guard, as he did in California, to help immigration agents in deportation efforts, Pritzker said he doubts the president would do so. 'I do not believe that he will call out the National Guard. I think he's seen that this has not gone well for him politically [in California]. And he's all about the politics.' On Trump's threat to 'expand' deportation efforts in Democratic cities, Pritzker said, 'We know that ICE is coming once again in force to cities across the country, so we expect to see them once again in Chicago. I don't know exactly how big the force will be.' About Minnesota: The governor noted that he was in Minnesota on Friday evening, headlining a state Democratic Party fundraiser that was attended by House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who was shot dead just hours later in her home. Here are some details about the suspect who was apprehended late Sunday, via POLITICO's Alfred Ng. Not on the list: Pritzker also acknowledged that his name was not among the Midwesterners found on lists kept by the man charged with the murders of Hortman and her husband. THE BUZZ IN CITY COUNCIL: Chicago Ald. Debra Silverstein, the only Jewish member of the City Council, is introducing a resolution calling for the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to hold hearings to address 'the rising incidents of antisemitic and radicalization' in Chicago. She's got support: In a statement, the 50th Ward alderwoman said she has the support of a majority of members of the City Council to approve the measure. By the numbers: Silverstein, who represents the city's largest Jewish population, says anti-Jewish hate crimes accounted for 37.62 percent of all reported hate crimes in Chicago in 2024. The figure is notable given Jewish residents comprise only 3 percent of the city's population, she said in a statement. Silverstein called on Mayor Brandon Johnson to support the resolution and issue an executive order 'declaring anti-Jewish hate an emergency in Chicago.' 'Empty words and symbolic gestures are not enough,' she said. If you are President Trump, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At City Hall at 10 a.m. for his regular media availability — At Daley Plaza at 12:05 p.m. for the 2025 World Refugee Day celebration Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ SPOTLIGHT — Serious subject: Combat veteran and Sen. Tammy Duckworth appeared on CBS' 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on Monday to rail against President Donald Trump for the millions spent on Saturday's parade saluting the U.S. Army on its 250th anniversary (and on his 79th birthday). 'It was an ego stroke and a waste of time and money,' Duckworth said. 'If you truly want to honor the Army, maybe you could find some scholarship programs for military children.' Watch here Duckworth's tough talk followed Colbert's opening monologue making humorous digs at the parade's crowd size. Earlier in the day, Duckworth echoed her complaints on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' That interview is here. BUSINESS OF POLITICS — BIG ENDORSEMENT: California Congressman Ro Khanna, a national leader in the progressive movement and vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is endorsing Junaid Ahmed in his campaign for Congress in Illinois' 8th District. 'Junaid Ahmed is a progressive fighter and exactly the type of leader we need in Congress right now,' Khanna said in a statement. 'With Donald Trump destroying everything we care about to give billionaires a tax break, I need a partner like Junaid in Congress to stand up for working families and fight back.' — A newcomer: Melissa Steele is running as a Republican for state representative in the 109th District, setting up a Downstate primary with Republican state Rep. Charles Meier. Steele is 'a mother, a neighbor, a survivor,' according to a statement announcing her candidacy. She told Playbook that her priority is 'dismantling DCFS.' She says her life experiences — living in a half-way house and serving time to now owning a home and running a business — make her a good candidate. — Endorsement in IL-02: State Sen. Robert Peters has been endorsed by Local 881 United Food and Commercial Workers, the folks who work in grocery, retail, pharmacy and cannabis stories. Peters is running for Congress in the 2nd District. ILLINOIS' POPE — Ex-Dolton Employee files motion to prevent village from acquiring Pope Leo XIV's former home: 'You can't cry broke in court and then try to spend taxpayer funds on nonessential acquisitions,' said Matthew Custardo, the attorney for Lavell Redmond, who filed the suit, by WTTW's Matt Masterson. — A look at the family tree of Pope Leo XIV, going back 500 years: 'His diverse ancestry reflects the history of American immigration' with forebears identified as being born in France, Italy, Spain, Cuba, Canada, Haiti, Guadeloupe and, of course, the United States. 'Seventeen of the pope's American ancestors were Black,' by Henry Louis Gates Jr. in The New York Times. — Chicago native receives one-of-a-kind Pope Leo trading card: by Jake Wittich and Violet Miller in the Sun-Times CHICAGO — Chicago Fire unveil detailed look of their proposed privately funded stadium for South Loop: 'The new stadium is scheduled to break ground as early as this fall, pending approval from the city, with a target completion date ahead of the 2028 MLS regular season,' by the Tribune's Robert Channick. — Plan to upgrade Wrigley Field security advances in City Council — and an MLB All-Star Game in Chicago could follow, by the Tribune's Jake Sheridan — Uber, unions reach labor peace deal in exchange for dropping driver wage hike ordinance, by the Tribune's Jake Sheridan and Talia Soglin TAKING NAMES — SPOTTED: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot hosted a farewell and thank-you party Monday evening for outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. The event was held at the Roots Pizza restaurant in the South Loop. We hear attendees included CPS principals, network chiefs and central office staffers past and present, along with current and former CPS board members, education funders and 'a smattering' of elected officials and former members of the Lightfoot administration. — Amy Coney Barrett is confounding the right and the left: 'President Trump appointed her to clinch a conservative legal revolution. But soon after arriving at the Supreme Court, she began surprising her colleagues,' by The New York Times' Jodi Kantor. Reader Digest We asked if you could play any sport with any athlete, what and who would it be: Susie Evans: 'Basketball with Michael Jordan or football with Walter Payton.' Henry Haupt: 'Major League Baseball, facing Greg Maddux, who would strike me out on three pitches.' Bob Kieckhefer: 'With all due respect to His Airness, anyone who doesn't say baseball and Ernie Banks is no true Chicagoan. And if you're from Southern Illinois, substitute Stan Musial.' Ashvin Lad: 'A round of golf with Michael Jordan.' Jim Lyons: 'Hockey with Denis Savard.' Ed Mazur: 'Tennis with John McEnroe.' Barry McAnarney: 'Football with Dick Butkus.' 'Ron Michelotti: 'Golf with Rory McIlroy.' Josh Mogerman: 'Michael Jordan to hear him talk smack and whip me in what would surely be a fast game of HORSE.' Kevin Morris: 'Golf with Jordan Spieth.' Jake Parillo: 'A football catch with the Danimal Dan Hampton of the Bears.' Kathy Posner: 'Gymnastics with Simone Biles — even as a spotter.' Stephen Sadin: 'Golf with Jack Nicklaus.' Ray Sendejas: 'Bowling with PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber. We're both from Florissant, Missouri.' Andy Shaw: 'Golf with Tiger Woods.' Steve Sheffey: 'Chess with Garry Kasparov.' Scott Simon of NPR fame: 'I'd like to turn a double-play with Ernie Banks and shortstop (though surely I would throw the ball only halfway to first).' Steve Smith: 'Golf with Scottie Sheffler.' Myk Snider: 'Croquet with baseball catcher Moe Berg, so I could hear his stories and ask him questions while we walked around.' Timothy Thomas: 'To jog (and chat) for a mile with 1968 Olympic track medalists and Civil Rights icons Tommie Smith and John Carlos about their clenched fist protest on the victory stand.' Corrine Ann Williams: 'Football with Walter 'Sweetness' Payton.' Bob Yadgir: 'Baseball with Ron Santo at 3rd to my right, and throwing to my all-time favorite athlete, Mr. Cub himself: Ernie Banks.' NEXT QUESTION: What issue do you see driving the 2026 campaigns in Illinois? THE NATIONAL TAKE — Trump abruptly leaves G7 summit after signaling deepening Iran-Israel conflict, by POLITICO's Eli Stokols and Adam Cancryn — Trump's focus on blue state deportation belies a red state problem, by POLITICO's Samuel Benson, Myah Ward and Jake Traylor — Senate GOP tax bill would hit politically explosive Medicaid provision, by POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill, Benjamin Guggenheim and Jordain Carney KUDOS — The Lincoln Presidential Foundation's documentary series, 'Fortifying Our Democracy: Lincoln's Lyceum Address,' has won the American Association of State and Local History's Award of Excellence. The three-part series explores Lincoln's arguments for civic education and the dangers of taking political institutions for granted. You can watch it here. TRANSITIONS — Ernestine Key is now chief of staff to Ald. Desmon Yancy. Key most recently worked for Kansas City Public Schools as community relations manager. — Kevin McKinley is state lead on the government affairs team at Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm. He was director of state legislation at Meta. EVENTS — Today: The Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus Foundation is hosting its Scholarship Soirée honoring Juneteenth. Details here — Wednesday: State Sen. Robert Peters is hosting a fundraiser in his bid for Congress. Among the hosts: state Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Ald. Andre Vasquez. Details here — Saturday: State Sen. Julie Morrison is hosting a Community Advocacy Fair to connect residents with local nonprofits and advocacy organizations. Details here — Sunday: The Tazewell County GOP is holding its Family Freedom Fest. Details here TRIVIA MONDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Rick Bryant for correctly answering that Red Grange was the University of Illinois college football star who helped the NFL gain legitimacy. TODAY's QUESTION: Who was the ambassador from Illinois who warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration of rising fascism and Hitler's growing threat to humanity? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY State Rep. Jeff Keicher, MWRD President Kari Steele, Cook County Forest Preserve Interim General Superintendent Eileen Figel, Latino Policy Forum VP of Civic Engagement Jose Marco-Paredes, EMR principal consultant David Dolkart, public policy consultant Adam Schuster, MWS-Global Senior VP Craig Roberts and marketing pro Kiran Advani -30-
