NETWORKING TIP OF THE WEEK: Sometimes the most rewarding conversation starts with “I was wondering if you might have any suggestions.” or “I’m having some difficulty with… ” Asking for help is not a weakness but a strength. It simultaneously strengthens your relationships with other people who will appreciate the opportunity to contribute their expertise, at the same time as it improves your overall results.
Enjoyed helping organize a fantastic political forum with Dan Proft, State Rep. Lou Lang and Rabbi Yona Reiss at Kehilat Chovevei Tzion
Attended Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl's State of the City lunch as a guest of AT&T Illinois
Update from S4: News and Politics from Illinois and around the USA
National
President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a federal appeals court judge, to the late Antonin Scalia’s Supreme Court seat. The Washington Post called Garland “the safe, conventional, even boring choice for the Supreme Court.” Although Garland has had support from both Democrats and Republicans, Republican leadership is still refusing to consider his appointment. Some individual Republicans, however, said they will speak with Garland when he is at the capitol. Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk is one of only two Republican senators who have said they would vote on a nominee. Most analysts are calling his nomination “dead on arrival” unless Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changes his tune. Read more in the New York Times and Washington Post.
The House Budget Committee approved an amendment along party lines to urge House leadership to cut the $30 billion that former House Speaker John Boehner had negotiated into the 2017 budget plan from future spending bills. House Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to throw out Boehner’s plan, much to the ire of Freedom Caucus Republicans. The language approved this week calls for restructuring Medicaid into a state block-grant program, turning Medicare into a voucher system, and raising the eligibility age to 67. All Democrats on the committee opposed the amendment. Read more.
If you have been itching to send a letter to Cuba, you are in luck: the US Postal Service resumed mail service between the US and Cuba. President Obama is schedule to visit the country this weekend. Read more in the Washington Post.
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Illinois Tuesday’s primary saw unprecedented Republican voter turnout in Illinois, and Democrats came out almost as strongly as in 2008. If we were to sum up the results in one sentence, it would be this one from Rich Miller of Capitol Fax: “Madigan had a much better day than Rauner.”
Speaker Mike Madigan easily won his district, and Rep. Ken Dunkin lost his. The speaker framed the primary results as a clear message that voters do not want more of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s influence in the capitol, while Gov. Rauner cited the many Republican incumbents who kept their seats as proof that “special interests backed by Speaker Madigan failed to defeat” the governor’s supporters. He then called on the Speaker to “end his month long vacation” and reconvene the House. Read more in Capitol Fax here and here.
Republican Sen. Sam McCann is “[Gov.] Rauner’s version of Ken Dunkin,” as Natasha Korecki of Politico Illinois put it. The governor heavily funded and campaigned for Sen. McCann’s primary opponent Bryce Benton in retaliation for Sen. McCann’s votes in favor of unions. In spite of the millions of dollars spent against him, Sen. McCann won his district with 53% of the vote. Read more in the State Journal-Register.
Voter outrage at Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez led to her ouster by Kim Foxx, who won with 62% of the vote. Alvarez has been under fire since the release of the videos from the Laquan McDonald police shooting case last year.Read more in the Sun-Times.
US Reps. Mark Kirk and Tammy Duckworth each won their respective primary and will face off for a US Senate seat in November.
On Wednesday Senate Democrats on the Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would authorize close to $4 billion in funding to higher education, social services, and other areas not currently funded by court orders. Gov. Rauner’s office criticized the measure for its lack of funding sources, and the governor will veto it if it ends up on his desk. The governor again called for the General Assembly to stay in town instead of recessing for spring break, but both chambers are in recess until the first week of April. Read more in the State Journal-Register and Capitol Fax.
According to Comptroller Leslie Geiger-Munger, Illinois could be $10 billion behind on bills by June of this year. The amount of overdue bills is higher than previously anticipated, and it will be even higher if the General Assembly passes appropriations bills. Many human services providers are concerned that if no appropriations measures are passed, even without funding, they may never be paid for their fiscal year 2016 services. Read more in the State Journal-Registerand Capitol Fax.
Chicago’s City Council approved an ordinance to raise the legal age for buying tobacco from 18 to 21. The ordinance also increases several tobacco taxes, including on cigars and pipe tobacco. Mayor Emanuel’s office estimates the tax hikes will increase revenue by $6 million per year, and the money will go toward a freshman orientation program at Chicago high schools. Read more.
An arbitrator ruled against the state worker union AFSCME and found that Gov. Rauner’s layoff plan from 2015 did not violate the state’s contract with the union. This particular case mainly concerns employees at the Illinois State Museum. The burden was on AFSCME to prove that the state’s actions were “arbitrary, capricious, or arose from an illegal motivation,” and they failed to do so, according to the arbitrator. Interestingly, the ruling also states, “The purpose of this arbitration is not for it to constitute an endorsement or a condemnation of the State’s actions, what has transpired with the Illinois State Museum, or the withholding of support for the social service and education programs historically funded by the State.” The arbitrator was apparently keen to emphasize that the ruling was not an ideological statement, but only a legal interpretation of the contract language. AFSCME plans to appeal the ruling. Read more on Capitol Fax.
Sen. Dan Duffy will retire early to take a job with Prevent Child Abuse America. Sen. Duffy would have served until January. |
Photo exhibition of papal visits to the Holy Land at DePaul University this spring
Photo exhibition of papal visits to the Holy Land at DePaul University this spring
A photographic exploration of papal visits to Israel from 1964-2014 will be on display at DePaul University this spring in a special exhibition co-sponsored with the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.
The 44 historic images depict stirring scenes as well as quiet, intimate moments during visits to the Holy Land by some of the most well-traveled popes in history: Blessed Pope Paul VI, Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
The exhibition titled “Building Bridges of Faith” features papal visits to nearly a dozen Holy Land sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is recognized as the site of the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus of Nazareth; Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust; the Cenacle on Mt. Zion, traditionally held to be the site of the Last Supper; and the Western Wall.
The archival images will be on display in the John T. Richardson Library, second floor, on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave. The exhibition opens March 29 and will be on display through June 10.
“I was in Jerusalem at the same time as Pope Francis in 2014, and I remember his visit as a very special moment for everyone living in that holy land,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. president of DePaul University. “DePaul is honored to host this exhibition with the Consul General of Israel and to show this unique glimpse of Catholicism and Judaism reaching out to one another over the past half century and Israel’s consistent warm welcome.”
“It is indeed our great honor to partner with such an important Catholic academic institution likeDePaul in bringing this exhibition to Chicago. The relationship between the Vatican and Israel had a slow start, but Pope Francis’ visit in 2014, which was the fourth visit of popes to Israel, reflected a peak in the relationship. We in Israel greatly appreciated the warmth in which Pope Francis conducted his visit to Israel. I do believe that this exhibition is a beautiful homage to this unique visit,” said Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.
The photographic exhibition at DePaul is one of three cultural events this spring co-sponsored with the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest. Each is designed to engage with the broader community and illustrate the positive interreligious dialogue between Catholics and Jews.
On April 18, a panel discussion titled “The Catholic Church, the Jewish People and the Jewish State” will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Richardson Library, Room 400. Speakers include the Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, professor of social ethics and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at the Catholic Theological Union; Rabbi Yehiel Poupko, the Rabbinic Scholar at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago; and Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest. The discussion will be moderated by Thomas O’Brien, associate professor and director of the Center for Religion, Culture and Community at DePaul.
On May 18, There will be a reading of a version of the play “Imagining Heschel: In Search of Radical Amazement,” written by Colin Greer. The performance is scheduled for 6 p.m. in The Theatre School building, 2350 N. Racine Ave. The reading will be followed by a Q&A and reception. David Y. Chack, with DePaul’s Theatre Studies faculty, is the director. Chack also is the artistic director of ShPIeL and president of the Association for Jewish Theatre.
For additional information, please contact Alice Farrell in DePaul’s Office of Mission and Values, afarrell@depaul.edu or 312-362-8822.
The photographic exhibition, when it closes in Chicago, will be on display this summer at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, in Mundelein, Illinois, and then this fall at Marquette University in Milwaukee.
Congratulations to my amazing wife, Elisheva Klein, on receiving the "Champion Of Our Community" award from the Skokie Caucus Party
Was invited by Fox News as a guest of Greta Van Susteren to participate in a townhall meeting with Ohio Governor John Kasich
Packed house at Jewish B2B Networking's event in GCG Financial in Deerfield
Networking Tip: Don't Sell
Networking Tip: Don’t Sell: First, networking is about meeting people and building relationships. It is not about selling (whether products, services, or yourself). However, once you build a relationship with someone (once they know, like, and trust you), they will buy what you have to sell if there is a fit with what they need. Just think – you may never “sell” anyone anything again – and yet, people may “buy” more from you than when you were trying to sell.