Nothing beats the rush of knowing friends who used to live in chicago are visiting & u gotta tailor a highly specific itinerary that says “i support the new life you’ve built but hope these incredible chicago experiences will subtly plant a seed of doubt that u should move back”
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson on Morning Joe right now with Al Sharpton, who asks him abt crime. Johnson says: “We tend to limit our conversations around toughness and more police officers, and what has been proven over and over again is that is not a recipe for absolute success.”
say what you want about Chicago’s struggling public transit system, but this Red Line sign is still half-functioning after apparently being pierced by a bullet (or other object?) on 69th Street
Chicago has become the largest US city to independently abolish the tipped wage, w alders voting 36-10 to deliver key plank of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s progressive agenda. Supporters say it’ll secure financial stability for service workers, critics say it will lead to cuts/$ hikes
A GOP Cook County commissioner mentions US Rep Sean Casten's dead daughter when telling him not to point fingers in the Highland Park mass shooting.
Casten responds: "STFU"
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley says she’s returned to her hometown Chicago to deliver a “love letter in the form of seven words: Elect Brandon Johnson for mayor of Chicago”
liquor store owner after i placed a bottle of malort on the counter: why?
me: my friend just moved back to chicago
owner: you could just slam the car door on his hand
😭😂
As the takes pour in on crime and the Chicago’s mayor race, remember that multiple things can be true: 1. Chicago is not close to being the most violent city per capita, 2. Chicago is the most violent of its major city peers
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office confirms deal reached today b/t allies & restaurant lobby on sub-minimum wage. If passed, Chicago would be largest city in U.S. to independently phase out tipped wage & the 2nd largest to require one wage for both tipped and non-tipped workers.
I doubt there are any Asian women who haven’t known the effects of being fetishized. Multiple times on assignment, I had to quickly leave after random men shouted crap like “Me love you long time,” that they want a threesome, that they’ve never had an Asian “friend” before.
Brandon Johnson makes his first address to Springfield as mayor-elect, saying it’s a “new day” for Chicago and Illinois and the end to the “zero sum game” of Chicago vs rest of state: “No one has to lose at the expense of someone winning. There is more than enough for everybody”
Paige and I have faced situations including but not limited to: guns pointed at us, catcalls, getting followed to our cars, and of course, repeated exposure to people facing traumatic loss. We still show up to scenes every day because it's our job. It is not an internship.
Brandon Johnson earns a new nickname — “Brandonski” — at this presser w Polish Chicagoans such as state Sen. Robert Martwick and union/activist officials who are endorsing him. “Well, here’s Brandonski,” the commissioner riffs after stepping up to the mic.
Swaths of the city live in the most violent ZIP codes in the nation, and their concerns are valid and pressing
Those swaths seemed to overwhelmingly back the candidate who emphasized root causes over more cops
The son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Is endorsing Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor. The candidate often says the anniversary of MLK’s death being the day of the April 4 runoff is symbolic for the city.
John Catanzara threatened the same thing when Mayor Lori Lightfoot cracked down on the CPD vaccine mandate in fall 2021, except back then he claimed up to 50% of the entire police force would stay home and that any violence would be Lightfoot's fault:
Mayor Brandon Johnson promises revival of guaranteed income pilot that is “intentional” abt including formerly incarcerated. “Listen, once a brother or a sister serves their time, we cannot continue to keep them incarcerated by keeping them away from housing, education, jobs.”
Paul Vallas concedes: “It's clear based on the results tonight, that the city is deeply divided. So tonight, even though, of course, we believe every vote should be counted, I called Brandon Johnson and told him that I absolutely expect him to be the next mayor of Chicago”
Not an April Fool’s joke: The press corps came with questions for Mayor Brandon Johnson about CCSAO Dem nominee Eileen O’Neill Burke’s platform, ShotSpotter legislation and more, but he said he wouldn’t answer “off topics” until the end. At the end, he ducks out without answering
—> Warning from
@Time
: "The Ds may have found a new rising star on Tuesday night, but adding a socialist to the Dem caucus is unlikely to help the Midwestern Ds’ efforts to pick off the 23 seats the party needs to capture the majority this fall.”
#NY14
Brandon Johnson declares victory as Chicago's next mayor: “Chicago, how the heck are you? You know, they said this would never happen. So you know, if they didn't know, now they know.”
BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson joins the call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, saying that “the killing needs to stop” after the deaths of 25,000 Palestinians, and supports the resolution that the City Council did not vote on today.
Johnson: “We need a ceasefire.”
@wttw
as a californian living in new york, my take on this LA vs. NYC fight is that all of you are Wrong and the only way to measure a city is by its proximity to lake michigan and presence of elevated public transit
An anti-abortion advocate is trying to speak at a downtown Chicago protest but is drowned out by revving motorcycles from counterprotesters from the abortion rights movement
Mayor Brandon Johnson announces at the annual Treatment Not Trauma summit: “My administration is going to reopen the mental health clinics that are publicly funded.” Also commits to passing the TNT ordinance: “Isn’t it about freaking time that we do something different?”
tennessee GOP’s genius political strategy:
1. expel 2 Black legislators and not the white one
2. they instantly become national martyrs within the Democratic party
3. they will likely get back their seats soon
4. ??? am i missing something
🚨Job alert/Personal news: I’m taking over as the Tribune’s chief City Hall reporter & we’re hiring a 2nd journalist to tag-team on this important beat! If you wish to either 1. Send tips on Chicago govt, or 2. Learn more abt the job, DM me!
Apply here:
Mayor Johnson said earlier the state didn’t communicate guidelines on assessing migrant camp.
Gov spox responds: “while the City might be comfortable placing asylum seekers on a site where toxins are present without a full understanding of whether it is safe, the State is not”
Gov. JB Pritzker has scrapped Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan to build a mass migrant camp in Brighton Park, citing soil toxicity.
“We will not proceed with housing families on a site where serious environmental concerns are still present." From
@byaliceyin
:
Mayor Brandon Johnson starts Day 1 w/ fiery inaugural address betting on “soul of Chicago,” emerges from his new office after hourslong meet & greet: “No matter who you are, where you live, what you do, the 5th floor belongs to the people.” W/
@royalpratt
:
More than 3/4ths all journalists in the US are white.
The "whitest" beats:
-Energy and the environment (84% white)
-Sports (82% white)
This is per new data from
@pewjournalism
Last North Side stop is this D&D themed bar where the owner got him to pose w the “20” face of the 20-sided die (it means an automatic win) and the bar labeled him a “chaotic good”
btw, this (spectacular) student newsroom y’all are praising was the subject of a relentless 24-hour twitter pile-on a few years ago, w/ big name journalists acting like an editorial misstep was the death knell for the future of our industry. can we all agree now that was crazy
Brandon Johnson joins his first First Tuesdays as mayor of Chicago. He starts w answer on balancing left w/ mainstream: “Being Black and progressive and having a clear view of the world through the lens of working class ppl … that will always be threatening to a number of ppl.”
5. Many Chicagoans both feel neglected by our police resource allocation but also mistreated when officers do show up
To sum up: We shouldn’t dismiss the public safety focus of this election. It just wasn’t the cut-and-dry angle pundits wanted after observing NYC and SF results
Mayor Brandon Johnson makes his first visit to the police stations where migrants are sleeping on the floor, calls out unspecified politicians for deploying “wicked, unconscionable” tactics “to score some political point.” 8,000+ asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since Aug
people from other cities get so deep and worked up when explaining why they like living there and meanwhile chicagoans just need to say "people in chicago having lots of fun" and "look at all the buildings" and it makes sense
Four years of living in the city and it finally happened: I got approached by Medill students downtown for an interview about my opinions on gun violence
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson on his pitch to President Joe Biden last week on picking Chicago for DNC: “I just said: Look, there's a great deal of excitement in the city of Chicago around Democratic values. And that's something that I believe that the entire world gets to see.”
A visibly shaken Mayor Lightfoot conceded the race just before 9 p.m. and said she will be “rooting and praying for our next mayor to deliver for the people of the city for years to come.”
“Obviously, we didn't win the election today, but I stand here with my head held high.”
woah, this dude impatiently pushed me out of the way to grab the best seat on the red line tonight. then his pants ripped at the crotch as he sat down 🤯 and they say the CTA is lawless …
Brandon Johnson disses Paul Vallas at a West Side sneaker gala: “He’s bragged about going to Haiti so many times, I’m worried about our people on Haiti. Once I win the election in Chicago, we're going to have to provide some support for our Haitian brothers and sisters.”
Once while on assignment I asked a Streets and Sanitation worker if I could call him for an interview later. He said he can’t because he is married. I said this was for journalism and not romance but he again declined. What a guy
Mayor Brandon Johnson takes a selfie with the new Chicago City Council ahead of the first regular meeting he will preside over. Expect votes on committee reorganization and $51M in funding for migrant services
Immigration chair Ald. Andre Vasquez, sitting next to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deputy COS, says: “I am saddened by the possibility that we are on the precipice of this administration moving forward with building military grade tent base camps in our great city.”
Kenosha PD just told us there will be NO questions allowed today’s press conference because they dont want to “speculate” or answer questions based on info they dont know yet. …
Remote work has generated a lot of discourse about super-expensive cities like San Francisco and New York, but the place that I think is really going to be in big trouble is Chicago.
As 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale and others endorse Paul Vallas at Josephine’s, Beale says: “April 4, we’re going to send a clear message that this race is not about race, and we're not gonna let somebody dictate that this race is about race.”
A mayoral forum in Beverly got heated when Brandon Johnson attacked Paul Vallas for his record on schools, Vallas retorted that Johnson and CTU’s work stoppages during COVID led to children being murdered plus youth committing crimes: “So do not lecture me on schools.”
Spookiest question of all the mayoral forums I’ve attended so far: Do you believe in ghosts?
Sophia King: No
Kam Buckner: Ghost buses
Paul Vallas: Yes
Lori Lightfoot: I believe in spirits from the material world
Chuy Garcia: Sometimes
Gov. Greg Abbott’s press sec Andrew Mahaleris says TX's 1st migrant flight left El Paso Tues, landed in Chicago w/ 120+ passengers. Says this is retaliation for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bus crackdown & going forward, “we are expanding our operation to include flights to Chicago.”
Earlier this cycle, Asian American leaders in Chicago worried they would lose all representation once again in City Council, including in the 1st majority Asian ward. Now for the 1st time there will be two Asian women aldermen here, representing the Chinatown and Argyle enclaves.
Congratulations
@ald_nicolelee
and
@lenifor48th
on your historic wins! For the first time in Chicago history we will have two Asian Americans serving together on City Council!
Brandon Johnson gets convinced to do an impromptu shoe shining in the middle of his walk down 75th Street. The manager shares, among other things, disappointment over Ald. Roderick Saywer (apparently an old friend) endorsing Paul Vallas.
As of today I have finished my year of overnights, which means I no longer have an excuse for accidentally saying “Have a good night!” at 7am. It was not an easy year, but I won’t forget the wisdom and grace of people I met at crime scenes and hospitals.
Brandon Johnson is seated for a community forum with the Coalition for Spiritual & Public Leadership in Bronzeville. It seems the organizers were hoping for Paul Vallas too but flipped his sign on the chair to “absent” 15 min into the event
Actually, the most savage thing said tonight came from 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata, after beating back a challenge from predecessor Proco Joe Moreno: "I really encourage him to do some self reflection, some self awareness, some healing and figure out what is the right path."
At South Side rally ft. Bobby Rush, Mayor Lightfoot reiterates, “Any vote coming from the South Side for somebody not named Lightfoot is a vote for Chuy Garcia or Paul Vallas. … If you want them controlling your destiny, then stay home. Then don't vote.”
Chicago is creating its first Chief Homelessness Officer, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on the eve of a City Council hearing on placing a proposed hike to the real estate transfer tax on the March 2024 ballot. 6,139 residents were on the streets/tents/shelters earlier this Jan.
Paul Vallas easily won the more affluent downtown/Lincoln Park wards, but Brandon Johnson got a decent chunk of Lakeview and narrowly beat him in Uptown and everything north. The never-ending saga of the lakefront liberal continues!
Tbt to a December evening I spent shadowing Vallas along the lakefront and heard multiple voters/politicians express doubt on how he'd play with white liberals:
Mayor Brandon Johnson, addressing Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, says he made 8 mi bike ride yesterday in 32 min “bc of all the energy and frustration that I woke up w/“: “So if that’s any indication of how determined I am. Trust me, I’m working hard.”
Brandon Johnson back at the Rainbow/PUSH HQ to accept the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s endorsement for mayor. Jackson opens in a prayer thanking God for democracy and asks him to bless a “new face” in Johnson
normal ppl when they can’t sleep: melatonin, count sheep, read a pleasant novel
me when i can’t sleep: painstakingly concoct a harebrained formula to decide whether i should take the CTA vs a rideshare in any given situation
Standing room only now in this packed Wright College gymnasium as Ald. Sposato holds a community meeting on city’s plan to turn this space into a migrant shelter in order to relieve 16th District CPD station
United Working Families leader — the muscle behind the vast ground game operation for Brandon Johnson — shared a lowkey but interesting anecdote of when she felt the momentum was shifting for his once-longshot candidacy:
On his first day as Chicago’s mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson echoed his winning promise to rethink the city’s approach to public safety, while his lame-duck predecessor Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned him to show humility to first responders. W/
@royalpratt
:
Ald. Maria Hadden, lead sponsor of Bring Chicago Home, on referendum being struck down:“I’m absolutely disgusted that a small, very moneyed-interest group of people are trying to disenfranchise Chicago voters … Like, this is how they want to fight? We can fight, and we can win.”
Rodriguez Sanchez continued: “Chicago is always going to be a sanctuary for Jewish people and we are going to work towards that always. But that cannot be at the expense of the lives of Palestinian people. The name of Chicago should not be signed on to commit genocide.”
Brandon Johnson, again bringing up Paul Vallas’ past comments on CRT, African American history, says: “Paul Vallas doesn’t want us to be woke.”
Responds to Q on Willie Wilson backing Vallas w: “Today I was endorsed by SEIU Local 1.”
Allies of Brandon Johnson in City Council announced during today’s housing committee they will vote in the fall to put the Bring Chicago Home real estate transfer tax hike on the 2024 primary ballot, seeking to advance a key promise from the mayor’s progressive campaign
Brandon Johnson is 47 now. The mayoral candidate blew out candles at a Brighton Park rally where he repeated that he was leading a “multicultural movement” and said: “I did make my wish. I think you know what it was.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson throws support behind Ald. Maria Hadden's proposal to ban natural gas in new buildings. “Too many Chicagoans are having trouble paying their gas bills, and too many families are exposed to chemicals that cause cancer and asthma.”
increasingly convinced i was brought to this earth to spread the gospel of chicago’s asian cuisine via an intensive, long-running psyop campaign on my IG stories … watch this space
Johnson addresses FOP Prez John Catanzara’s “blood in the streets” comment: “Well, first of all, I don't believe there's a difference between me and the police department. Now, what the (FOP) leader has said, that doesn't necessarily reflect the values of the city of Chicago.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson joins Gov. JB Pritzker to call on DHS to streamline work authorization for migrants, offers his strongest words for Biden admin: “The city of Chicago cannot go on welcoming new arrivals safely … without significant support and immigration policy changes.”
an absolutely pointless tweet: i finally got a physical copy of today’s paper and immediately had to cede it to my cat who for some inexplicable reason must keep sniffing the two candidates’ photos for the rest of the afternoon. idk what he knows but i trust his process