Big money in historic Chicago school board race: The Rundown
Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and I’m saving this clip of Lincoln Park Zoo’s new red panda for whenever I next need a pick-me-up. Here’s what you need to know today.
1. PACs, billionaires and labor unions are gearing up for November’s historic school board race
After a summer of tense budget debates, a handful of Chicago school board members that blocked the district from borrowing to erase a deficit got a little gift from a man with big pockets.
Billionaire Michael Sacks contributed the legal limit of $7,300 to seven incumbent board members’ campaign funds, my colleague Sarah Karp reports for WBEZ. It was part of a donation spree in which Sacks also gave $400 to many City Council members who went against Mayor Brandon Johnson to pass an alternative city budget.
Through a spokesperson, Sacks said “he will continue to proudly support independent CPS Board candidates who make decisions in the best interest of CPS school children and their families.” Sacks is also a major donor to a new super PAC called the Common Ground Collective, which plans to back certain school board candidates.
Many expect spending on this election cycle to exceed what was spent on Chicago’s first-ever school board race in 2024, which topped $13 million but involved just 10 seats, according to an analysis by Chalkbeat Chicago. Now, all 21 seats are up for grabs, and the at-large board president will need to run a citywide campaign.
Hal Woods, a chief of policy at the parent advocacy organization Kids First Chicago, told WBEZ he thinks labor-backed and pro-charter school factions will battle like they did in 2024, but some new entities also will play a role, like the Common Ground Collective. The business community has come out strongly against Mayor Johnson and his allies on the school board, painting them as financially irresponsible for wanting to spend, tax and borrow rather than cut. [WBEZ]
2. The Chicago Bears said an Indiana site near Wolf Lake is now the main stadium focus
An Indiana House committee advanced legislation today creating a stadium finance authority that would help the team build a stadium in northwest Indiana, a move the team called “the most meaningful step forward” in a saga that has stretched on for about three years.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said he wouldn’t call the Bears legislation that passed the state Senate last month without a commitment from the team that they’ll make the move.
But he brought it to his chamber’s Ways & Means Committee, which unanimously passed the measure during a hearing that saw some officials, including Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, tear up — though no team official addressed the panel directly.
“Hammond’s ready to partner with the state of Indiana. Hammond’s ready to partner with the Chicago Bears,” McDermott said. “Basically, Hammond will do whatever it takes to help make this project a success.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
A retired Chicago Police detective accused of orchestrating torture at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, insisted yesterday he used no coercion to elicit a man’s confession, my colleague Chip Mitchell reports for WBEZ.
Zuley testified for about three hours at Cook County’s Leighton Criminal Courthouse as a witness for State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office, which is fighting Anthony Garrett’s bid for a retrial. The former detective said threats and physical abuse were less effective at getting information from suspects than developing a trustful connection.
“Rapport-building is the only thing that works and the only thing that’s reliable,” Zuley said, denying he so much as raised his voice while extracting Garrett’s confession.
The testimony contrasted with alleged Zuley ties to coercion in numerous other Cook County cases. It also clashed with a Sept. 11 terror suspect’s testimony that Zuley, as a Naval reservist, helped lead months of torture at Gitmo in a case made famous by “The Mauritanian,” a 2021 film drama starring Hollywood’s Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch. [WBEZ]
4. Some Chicago Muslims are leaning on community as Ramadan begins
Ramadan, which began Tuesday evening in the United States, is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, prayer and spiritual reflection.
“The whole exercise [of Ramadan] is like a boot camp of turning back to God, recentering yourself, remembering your purpose, your mission,” said Abrar Omeish. “It’s turning back to remember who’s in control.”
But as worshippers at the Downtown Islamic Center of Chicago focused on spiritual renewal, Omeish said many are also navigating uncertainty because of renewed immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump; many members of the community come from immigrant backgrounds. Still, Omeish said, Ramadan offers a reminder to remain grounded and steadfast in their faith. [Chicago Sun-Times]
The Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Architecture Center and Goodman Theatre provided diversity data with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times after initially declining or not responding to requests, my colleague Erica Thompson reports. Last year, we surveyed the city’s largest arts, culture and humanities nonprofits about the diversity of their boards and full-time staff in 2021 and 2025 to measure progress five years after the murder of George Floyd.
The Joffrey Ballet and The Goodman Theatre reported majority-white boards and full-time staff. Meanwhile, the Chicago Architecture Center has the most diverse board among all survey respondents so far; people of color account for more than half its members. The organization also nearly doubled the number of people of color on its full-time staff.
There was other progress to report: These groups also showed impact through programming that reflects the diversity of Chicago. In November, for example, the Joffrey Ballet presented “Matters of the Heart,” which featured works by female choreographers of color.
All three institutions said they plan to forge ahead with their diversity, equity and inclusion plans and programming, even as the Trump administration criticizes and cuts arts funding for such efforts. [WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times]
Here’s what else is happening
- Immigrants who came to the U.S. as refugees could be detained after a year of arriving here under a new policy from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. [NPR]
- Former Prince Andrew was arrested in the United Kingdom over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. [BBC]
- The Cook County state’s attorney outlined a process to charge lawbreaking immigration enforcement agents. [Chicago Sun-Times]
- Garth Brooks, Post Malone and Megan Moroney are among the headliners at this year’s Summerfest in Milwaukee. [Rolling Stone]
Oh, and one more thing …
Nearly 20 years before Black Twitter’s #OscarsSoWhite campaign generated a firestorm over the lack of Black nominees at the Academy Awards, Rev. Jesse Jackson lit a spark with a call to protest the 1996 ceremony.
Just one Black person was included among 166 nominees that year: short film director Dianne Houston.
“We are going to open up the consciousness of Hollywood,” said Jackson, who died at 84 on Tuesday. The Chicago civil rights leader called for attendees to wear a symbol against “race exclusion and cultural violence” in Hollywood, and others to picket outside of ABC-TV affiliates in Chicago and other cities.
The protest ultimately faltered, and Jackson was criticized by the academy, viewers and other industry insiders, including Black actors who attended the event. But the civil rights leader’s critiques proved prescient amid the public outcry over the 2015 and 2016 ceremonies, which did not recognize any actors of color in the acting categories. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Tell me something good …
Pączki Day was this week. Where is your favorite spot in the Chicago area to get this traditional sweet treat?
Susan writes:
“I really enjoyed the ones from Somethin’ Sweet Donuts in Albany Park this year.
Their donuts are delicious if you ever want to stop by another time of year, too.”
Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.
Discussion in the ATmosphere