TGIF, Illinois. Here are the best of the “dibs” in Chicago, courtesy of Tribune photographers.

More than two weeks after launching his GOP primary campaign for governor, Richard Irvin is talking to reporters and feeling the media scrutiny that comes with running for statewide office — along with the pushback from political opponents on his left and right.

In an interview with WGN 9’s Tahman Bradley, the Aurora mayor pauses and dodges a question about whether he voted for Donald Trump in 2020.

When ABC 7’s Craig Wall asked the same question in a separate interview, Irvin skipped the pause but he still didn’t answer. “Listen, Joe Biden is the president of the United States. That [question] is exactly what JB Pritzker wants to be talking about. Anything other than his record.”

Irvin pivoted again with Crain’s Greg Hinz. Asked to what extent Trump should influence the party, Irvin said: “When I’m elected as governor of the state, I’ll be the chair.”

And though he would welcome support from billionaire donor Ken Griffin, Irvin reiterated he’s “no puppet” to an outside influence.

Irvin repeatedly criticized Pritzker’s proposed budget, using the standard “it’s a gimmick” line. And he told Wall that Pritzker’s proposal “almost looks like he’s trying to buy votes.”

In his one-on-one with the Tribune’s Rick Pearson, Irvin blamed criminal justice reforms signed by Pritzker, a Democrat, for the recent deaths of eight law enforcement officers — even though many of the law’s provisions have not yet gone into effect.

The accusation from Irvin “came during a brief 12-minute interview with the Tribune.”

Pritzker’s team responded that Irvin’s attempt to blame the governor for actions under “a bill that hasn’t even gone into effect demonstrates a frightening lack of understanding for someone seeking the state’s highest office.”

His sit-down with Fox 32’s Mike Flannery prompted another awkward pause during questioning about abortion. Irvin said he’s “pro-life” but accepts that “there are always exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother.”

Flannery followed up, “so you would allow abortion in those circumstances?”

There was silence for a beat before an aide was heard commenting from off-camera, and then Irvin said plainly, “I think we’re done.”

It appeared the interview was abruptly cut off because of the abortion question — hardly a gotcha. But campaign spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis told Playbook she had tried a few times to end the interview in an effort to give equal time to all the reporters sitting down with Irvin.

Demertzis pointed out that Irvin answered the questions. Fair enough.

Nevertheless, Irvin’s GOP opponents pounced. “Perhaps they should send Democrat Irvin back to the basement with his boy Joe Biden. He clearly hasn’t learned all of his Republican talking points yet,” tweeted Republican gubernatorial opponent Darren Bailey.

Get used to the venom. There are still 144 days to the June 28 primary.

PLAYBOOK Q&A: Chicago Ald. Matt O’Shea is behind a pilot program that offers educational and job opportunities to young adults who are pushed out of special education programs in the public schools once they turn 22.

It’s a project close to his heart. Playbook talked to the 19th Ward alderman about the project — and of course the conversation touched on the broader concerns such as violence, redistricting and politics.

We’ve edited for length and clarity.

How did you come to be involved with the After 22 Project?

My family has been supporting Misericordia and Special Olympics Chicago for years. I was president of Special Olympics Chicago from 2018 to 2020. And Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences is in my ward. About 20 percent of its population are diverse learners, so I’ve heard the stories of parents who have had to see their children have to leave the day they turn 22. They age out. It’s called the cliff. They try to get into other programs but the waiting list can be five years. That’s five years of social isolation and deterioration of skills.

So when I went to the first meeting with Anixter Center, I knew I wanted to be involved. We worked with Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, City Colleges chancellor Juan Salgado, Daley College President Janine Janosky [and others]. This was a vision that we all had that we are so excited to see come to fruition.

What about funding?

Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities is funding the pilot program at a cost of about $520,000. I think we can show the corporate world, organized labor, and the overall business community that this is a life-changing, revolutionary program, and one that’s worth investing in.

Switching to City Hall, you’ve been outspoken about crime. How does Chicago turn the page on it?  

We need to try to rebuild trust between the community and law enforcement. If we don't partner with Chicago Police, we won’t see an end to this epidemic. In some communities, people are scared to speak out and step forward. We need to change that culture.

Do you have ideas to address the problem?

We are down more than 1,200 officers from where we were two years ago today. More than 900 officers retired in 2021. People are simply not applying to be police officers. We need to invest in additional technology, including more cameras and helicopters, so our officers have the resources they need. These tools are already in place but in a greater quantity in other major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston.

In regard to the new ward map, Black and Latino aldermen are at an impasse. What does that mean for the council — besides a possible referendum?

I’m concerned about the relationships between council members and concerned about where this is going if we can’t bridge the divide and find compromise. It will be a lengthy and disruptive and expensive process [to go to a referendum]. If you talk to people in Pilsen or North Lawndale or Englewood or Little Village, they don’t care about the remap. They care about public safety.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called for compromise but hasn’t gotten involved. More broadly, do you think her lack of rubber-stamp control on the council is a problem?

There needs to be more collaboration and more mutual respect between people. It’s a two-way street. We aren’t serving the people we’re elected to serve if we’re constantly bickering, whether it’s between council members or between council and the mayor.

Is running for mayor something you’ve considered?

[Laughs] I’ve been approached but no. I have three young children and would never want to put my family through that. There’s a lot of work to be done in my community and I want to help.

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: [email protected]

At the Jewel on North Des Plaines Street in Chicago at 12:30 to talk about the one-year grocery tax suspension in the proposed FY 23 budget

Joining a virtual discussion at 9 a.m. with local and state leaders in a Readiness Summit on recovery funding.

Joining a virtual discussion at 9 a.m. with local and state leaders in a Readiness Summit on recovery funding.

— Hospitals can’t accept this as ‘normal’: “Covid has pushed one Chicago institution into crisis again and again. The Omicron surge is receding. Now what?” Atlantic’s Ed Yong reports.

— Frozen sewage slows down coronavirus surveillance: “Public health officials were unable to collect some wastewater samples as part of a coronavirus surveillance program because the sewage froze during extreme cold snaps this winter,” by Sun-Times’ Brett Chase and WBEZ’s Matt Kiefer

— New twist in Newman’s ethics scandal: Negotiating anti-Israel positions: “Rep. Marie Newman is under investigation for an agreement she signed handing one of her political rivals a job. They also negotiated her anti-Israel positions. In an Oct. 2018 email to Newman, Yemen Chehade memorialized that he and Newman had met earlier in the week and discussed a proposal where Newman would not only pledge to hiring Chehade, but would also ‘commit’ to a number of anti-Israel policy positions,” writes the Daily Beast.

— GOP set to rebuke Cheney, Kinzinger: “The measure rebukes Cheney and Kinzinger for their involvement on the Jan. 6 select committee investigating Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the result of the 2020 election,” by POLITICO’s David Siders and Natalie Allison.

… Kinzinger pushes ‘uneasy alliance’ to thwart Trump’s allies, by The Associated Press.

— ‘Ground up and spit out’: Inside the Hill staffer Instagram rebellion,by POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus, Nancy Vu, Eleanor Mueller and Ximena Bustillo

— Fauci is the villain in new GOP campaign ads, by POLITICO’s Stephanie Murray

— Comptroller says proposed budget could lead state to another credit upgrade: "The state's unpaid bill backlog, which climbed to $16.7 billion during the budget impasse between former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly, now sits at about $2.9 billion,” by Capitol News’ Grace Kinnicut.

— Pritzker proposes 5.4% increase to education funding in 2023 budget, by Chalkbeat’s Samantha Smylie

— Most counties will get a slice of the state's $760M share of a nationwide opioid settlement, by Crain’s Katherine Davis.

— More girls accuse detective's son of sexual abuse, by Illinois Times’ Scott Reeder.

A Daley goes on trial, writing a new chapter in Chicago history: “Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson’s tax fraud case opens Monday. He’ll be the first from Chicago’s Daley political family to face trial and the first sitting Chicago City Council member on trial in more than two decades,” Tim Novak and Jon Seidel

— Voices raised in the Loop after ex-cop Jason Van Dyke, convicted in shooting of Laquan McDonald, leaves prison: “For years, prison officials refused to disclose where he was being held. And the details of his departure were not disclosed until more than 12 hours afterward, when a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Van Dyke had been released from a minimum-security facility in downstate Taylorville at 12:15 a.m.,” by Tribune’s Megan Crepeau, Jason Meisner and Shanzeh Ahmad.

— Protesters arrested calling for federal charges against Van Dyke, by Madeline Kenney and Tom Schuba

— Longtime Mother McAuley teacher fired after using racial slur in class discussion about sports teams: “A student asked why the former name was offensive, and Mary DeVoto said she was ‘trying to emphasize that that is as abhorrent (to Native Americans) as the N-word, which I used in full,’ she said Thursday. ‘I can’t believe it came out of my mouth,’” by Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan.

— New report details factors in CPS enrollment drop: “The report, produced by Kids First Chicago, says the slowing growth of Latino families and a steady out-migration of Black families from Chicago are big reasons for the downward trend at Chicago Public Schools,” by Sun-Times’ Manny Ramos.

— Furious fans ask for refunds, throw out apparel and cite dismay at Blackhawks chairman’s comments: “It’s such a dark winter for the Blackhawks.” Tribune’s Madeline Buckley reports.

— Plan on a bite-size Taste of Chicago: The summer event once lasted 10 days, including the July 4th weekend. “But with hundreds of CPD vacancies, it’s hard to justify a long summer showcase that requires taking police officers from neighborhood districts,” reports Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.

… Chicago announces its summer events calendar, per Tribune’s Doug George

— Greek Orthodox Archdiocese sells 35-room Gold Coast office mansion for $3M, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune

— Column: Rocky Wirtz’s hostility — and refusal to answer questions about the 2010 scandal — shows the Chicago Blackhawks chairman is a chip off the old block, writes Tribune’s Paul Sullivan

— GOP challenger Lauf outraising Foster in 11th District race: “Although Foster's fundraising total for the final quarter of 2021 vastly exceeded any of his Republican challengers' efforts, one of them -- Woodstock's Catalina Lauf -- received more money from individual donors than Foster did during the period, a comparison of the newly filed finance reports showed. Foster came out on top because of money from political action committees,” by Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau.

— Jessie Sharkey for mayor in 2023? He won't say, reports NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern

— Anna Valencia has been endorsed by the Democratic Party of the 49th Ward in her campaign for the Democratic bid for Secretary of State.

Pilsen man admits he set fire to a CPD vehicle while wearing Joker mask during 2020 riots: “A magistrate judge found that video of the incident “is indeed quite damning,” and wrote that Timothy O’Donnell also “self-reported that he has gone by the name ‘The Riddler’ in the past,’” by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine was in Springfield wearing a bright orange Chicago Bears insulated jump suit and helping get cars out of the snow. “I was scheduled to meet with state legislators,” he told Playbook. When everything got canceled because of the snowstorm, he went down anyway with his team ready to work. “We got dozens of cars unstuck, plowed a bunch of driveways and shoveled the steps up to the Honest Abe statue at the Capitol late Wednesday night.”

We asked if you’d rather be an American Idol judge or a Supreme Court judge, and the answers were mixed: And the message is clear: The Supremes rule.

What do you own that you’d like to get rid of? Email [email protected]

— Lindsey Hess is the new comms director for the Health Care Council of Illinois. Hess previously was spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections, where she was tasked with developing and implementing the department’s communication plan in response to Covid-19. Previously, Hess worked as a broadcast anchor and reporter.

— Francis “Frank” Graffeo has been named president of The People’s Music School in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. The school has provided tuition-free music education for thousands of kids from underserved Chicago neighborhoods since 1976. Previously, Graffeo was executive director for the Joy of Music School in Knoxville, Tenn.

— Melissa M. Root is the new managing partner of Jenner & Block’s Chicago office. She joined Jenner & Block in 2005 and is the first managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office, which is home to more than 330 lawyers.

Former Lake County Coroner Barbara Richardson remembered for bringing ‘charm, grace and civility to her job every day,’ by Lake County News-Sun’s Daniel Dorfman

THURSDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to former Ald. Joe Moore and Chicago Department of Law’s Kalpana Plomin for correctly answering that Peter Schwartzman, professor of Environmental Studies at Knox College in Galesburg, also is mayor of the town.

Hat tips to elections attorney Michael Dorf for noting that Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen (co-author with Dorfe on the Sid Yates biography) is an adjunct faculty at Oakton Community College; and Dennis Potthast correctly answered that George Barber is mayor of Greenville and is coach of the Greenville University men's basketball team along with being part of the phys ed department.

TODAY’s QUESTION: How many mastheads of Black newspapers were showcased at the journalism booth of Chicago’s 1940 Diamond Jubilee of Negro Progress? Email [email protected]

Today: Cook County Assistant Deputy Clerk of Elections Matt Fruth, Corporate Cleaning window-washing company CEO Neal Zucker, and Adelstein Liston Media’s Ann Liston.

Saturday: Senate Demos deputy comms director Reena Tandon, RubyRose Strategies founder DeRondal Bevly, photographer Suzette Bross Bulley, reform activist Lowell Jaffe, and WCBU reporter Hannah Alani.

Sunday: House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, state Capital Development Board Executive Director Jim Underwood, Illinois Senate Dems comms director Reena Tandon, U.S. House legislative aide Tommy Brown, and remembering late President Ronald Reagan, who was born on this day in 1911 in Tampico, Ill.

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