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What To Know This Week: Illinois Policy unleashes transphobic fear‑mongering on Fox, Block Club forces ICE to cough up January raid records, and Mayor Johnson marks two years by talking with local media and kicking off city‑owned green social housing.

🔥 3 Headlines: Illinois Policy Running New Plays, Stepping Up Against ICE, The Midway of MBJ

1. Illinois Policy’s Under the Radar Trans Bathroom Fear‑Mongering

This weekend, Mailee Smith of Illinois Policy hit Fox News national as a “concerned parent.” She attempted to connect CTU’s trans‑inclusive contract provisions to the usual right anti-trans flywheel , while pinning union failings.

I’ve written about Illinois Policy’s grift too many times, but I haven’t seen anyone cover or mention this particular media appearance or what it means. It’s quite significant, especially because they haven’t linked or shared it on their social media platforms (as far as I’ve seen).

Why it matters: Illinois Policy’s whole deal in Chicago is acting as a “good governance” watchdog, ostensibly focused on anti-corruption, budgeting, and finance.

Even as they attack JB Pritzker, CTU, and unions overall, or demand dismantling of the social safety net, it's masked as “accountability.” They’ve mostly avoided overt attacks on the civil rights of marginalized groups. But by running with the lucrative anti-trans right wing national frame, Illinois Policy is testing how comfortable they feel scapegoating trans kids even in a reliably blue city and state, as long as they can pin it on CTU and unions.

I made a quick video coming out soon about why this matters and how to fight back against this play, but wanted to mention here because I’ve haven’t seen much coverage. It’s a sign of Illinois Policy getting more comfortable with running national right wing plays — and it demonstrates how badly we need an equivalent flywheel for progressives in Chicago.

2. Block Club Chicago Sues ICE

Two months after ICE's fear and terror style Chicago sweeps, ICE still refuses to say who they arrested or where they’re held. So local publisher Block Club Chicago has sued, filing a lawsuit to pry loose those numbers and names.

At the same time, AG Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 20 states suing the Trump Administration for threatening to withhold billions in FEMA and DOT funds unless states enforce federal immigration law.

Why it matters: Resistance to ICE’s secrecy and Trump’s funding blackmail is happening on every level. Block Club’s local FOIA fight arms communities with data; Raoul’s multi‑state lawsuit protects essential safety and infrastructure dollars. Together, they’re the blueprint for pushing back against federal overreach.

3. Johnson’s Two‑Year Breakthrough

On his midterm anniversary, MBJ talked with local media about his last two years in office and what he wants in the next two years. Here’s the rundown of his midterm interviews: WTTW News got into how he has and hasn’t “disrupted the status quo,” The TRiiBE pressed him on policing reforms and Palestinian solidarity, Block Club dug into his housing, budget, and migrant‑crisis record, and the Tribune dove deep into his relationship with the progressive left and education overall.

Why it matters: Even with two years until the Mayoral election, dark‑money group Common Ground Collective has raised $10 million to target Mayor Johnson and progressive allies.

Read through his press tour (sorry to the TV outlets I’m probably missing btw, feel free to send me the clips) and come to your own conclusions about his term. As far as I see it, the left can either rebuild a united progressive coalition to wield power — or Chicago’s oligarchs will redefine the 2027 race on their own terms.

I’m not saying either are easy or great!

But it’s clear the real fight for Chicago’s future is already under way right now — we aren’t waiting for 2027.

🧠 1 Question: “The Bird Can Hit Its Mark”

I’m cheating this week, sorry. I’m thinking I’ll get enough impassioned emails about the MBJ two year take, so my only spiky engagement question for you right now is about the bird from Charlie’s Angels (2000).

This long form piece dives deep into how Hollywood (inaccurately) cast a pygmy nuthatch in a less than 15 second clip, somehow driving every bird enthusiast crazy even 25 years later. The behind‑the‑scenes sleuthing of Forrest Wickman in The Curious Case of the Pygmy Nuthatch is wild here, and I recommend reading it if only to justify your own weird research obsessions.

What Old Chicago Politics Intrigue do you feel as strongly about as the Pygmy Nuthatch?

Let me know what you think I’m missing or send the scathing takes by hitting reply.

🚩 2 Red Flags: The Covert MAGA Media Empire v. 300 Billboards

1. Hidden Right‑Wing Juggernauts

If you read nothing else this week: Kyle Tharp’s exposé on Making Web LLC reveals a pro‑Trump network with more Facebook followers than FOX News—20 brands, 35 M+ fans.

2. A Progressive Flywheel Starts With Billboards?

Vintage new media tactics: Labor digital media outlet A More Perfect Union is trying new old tactics for distribution. They funded 300 billboards across the country about Trump’s attacks on national parks, showing how a well‑funded progressive startup can out‑reach Trump’s media machine.

That’s It for This Week.

Even with Chicago scapegoating becoming more and more part of the right wing media flywheel, people are fighting back.

🎙️ I sent this edition of Chicago 312 a little early today because Beehiiv (the CRM I use) says it might more likely you’ll read it. True or false?

🪐 Processing post-Andor (the Progressive Competence Propaganda in Space show) grief? Snap out of it by firing off a hot take about this email, or sharing Chicago 312 on social media.

💬 Next week I’m sharing a Q+A with Nick Uniejewski—community organizer and 6th district Sara Feigenholtz challenger. You can read the convo I had with Kat Abughazleh here. Who else should I be talking with during this big reshuffle in Illinois politics?

_{All typos are intentional 4D chess.}