TGIF, Illinois. It may be new to the president, but Juneteenth is a 150-year-old tradition and we at POLITICO are celebrating with pride.

The Chicago Teachers Union deleted the tweet we told you about yesterday — the one showing Mayor Lori Lightfoot as a character tied up by a rope in a scene from a “Scooby-Doo” cartoon. Lightfoot was supposed to be the villain.

On Thursday, the mayor said she hadn’t seen the tweet but was informed about it. She described it to reporters as “clearly racist,” “deeply offensive” and said that if a “right-wing group” had posted it, “we would rightly be denouncing them.”

The tweet still stayed up through much of the day before it ultimately disappeared from CTU’s Twitter feed. High-profile activists and politicos had already weighed in about it.

Deborah Cosey-Lane, of the Amalgamated Transit Union, tweeted, “I’m all for labor support. But very disappointed in this tweet from CTU. A black woman surrounded by whites in a police uniform. In this racial war. Really?”

Toni Preckwinkle, the Cook County Board president who faced off against Lightfoot in the mayor’s race, said she “thought it was in poor taste,” according to the Tribune’s John Byrne. Asked whether she’d ask union leadership to remove the tweet, Preckinkle said she wouldn’t go that far: “What they do is on them.”

And David Goldenberg of the Anti-Defamation League tweeted: “Deeply concerned about this tweet and image. @CTULocal1 needs to do better than this—and owes @chicagosmayor an apology.”

CTU didn’t apologize but it didn’t comment either about why it took down the tweet.

While it was up, CTU spokeswoman Chris Geovanis offered a lengthy statement, accusing the mayor of rejecting the calls of protesters on behalf of “our Black brothers and sisters.” Geovanis said, “Our intent was, as it always has been, to stir the powerful from their slumber and stand steadfast behind those Black people — and especially young black leaders — in their struggle for a new Chicago built on real justice, not broken promises and failed policies. To every demand, this mayor and this administration has offered a resounding ‘no.’”

This back and forth between Chicago’s black mayor and the teachers union isn’t just about race. Nor is it about the mayoral election, exactly. After all, CTU wasn’t the only union to support Preckwinkle in that race.

But where other unions pivoted after the election and made a choice to work with the new mayor, CTU dug in its heels and seems to have adopted a shoot-from-the-hip communications strategy that in this case misreads the moment.

Irony: After a wild school year that included an 11-day strike, it’s ironic that this Twitter imbroglio would happen on the last day of school. Jeepers.

Amid pressure to reform the Chicago Police Department and to consider cutting its budget, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City of Chicago have missed 70 percent of the recent deadlines called for by the consent decree to reform CPD.

Independent Monitor Maggie Hickey’s latest report, which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, “found that only 22 of the 74 deadlines were met between Sept. 1 of last year and Feb. 29,” according to the Sun-Times, which includes interesting graphics to tell the story.

Long before the nationwide interest in reform, Chicago joined in a federal consent decree after 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times and killed by former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014.

In a statement, Hickey referenced the recent unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Hickey also acknowledged that progress has been made, too, adding she hopes “the current momentum” pushes the city and the CPD to “accelerate its efforts.”

Lightfoot and new police Superintendent David Brown pointed to the changes the city has made so far “but acknowledged the city ‘can do better,’” the Tribune writes in its examination of the report.

No official public events.

Attending a peace march in celebration of Juneteenth.

Attending a peace march in celebration of Juneteenth. Then she’ll deliver meals to frontline workers at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

— BY THE NUMBERS: The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 55 new deaths due to the coronavirus and 593 new confirmed cases. That brings the total to 6,537 deaths and 134,778 cases in 101 counties in Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 11–June 17 is 3 percent.

— Chicago has a unique Covid strain: “Northwestern Medicine scientists have determined that the Chicago area ‘is a melting pot for different versions of the virus because it is such a transportation hub,‘ Dr. Egon Ozer, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician, said in a statement today,” by Crain’s Chicago Business’ Stephanie Goldberg.

— State regulators strike deal with ComEd, other utilities to extend help for customers struggling during pandemic: “Illinois residents struggling to pay their electric, gas and water bills amid job losses and other economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic received additional relief Thursday from the state’s top utility regulator,” by Tribune’s Dan Petrella.

— Cheat sheet: Dr. Ngozi Ezike’s personal Covid-19 do’s and don’ts: “The chief of the Illinois Department of Public Health shared her personal thoughts on when she will feel safe partaking in a variety of activities. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version,” by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles.

— ‘Solitary confinement in my bedroom’: Illinois AG describes his Covid-19 symptoms: “Kwame Raoul says it started with sweating, shivering, teeth-chattering and feet that felt like they were on fire. Then, a cough that wouldn’t quit and a sore throat that was ‘out of this world.‘ His fever reached 101.4 degrees,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.

— These private consultants are guiding the city and state’s recovery plans: “Behind the scenes, Bain and Boston Consulting staffers are managing much of the process of deciding to reopen business here,” by Crain’s Greg Hinz.

— Greek gifts: The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, the diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Midwest, and the Hellenic American Leadership Council delivered 4 tons of food to Chicago neighborhoods affected by Covid-19 and racial unrest. The group worked with Chicago CRED, headed by Arne Duncan. “Greek Americans helped build Chicago and today they’re stepping up again,” Duncan said in a release about the donations. Notable: Peter Parthenis Jr., CEO of Grecian Delight, and Chris Wright, CEO of Shepard Medical Products, were big donors. Alexi Giannoulias, the former state treasurer who chairs the Hellenic American Leadership Council, was also on hand.

— Field Museum scientist and ‘inspiration’ Lynika Strozier, 35, dies from coronavirus, by Tribune’s Doug George

— Chicago Fire Lt. Leroy Hearon, who traveled the world to tango, has died at 63: “He died of pneumonia after contracting the coronavirus, according to his sister. He loved being a firefighter. And he loved to tango,” by Sun-Times’ Maureen O’Donnell.

— Chicago to lay off 700 teachers and support staff as district sets out to fill 1,900 new positions: “As student enrollment in Chicago has declined over the last decade, the district’s teacher workforce has shrunk, to 21,430 this year compared to more than 25,000 educators in 2009-2010. Next fall’s number, however, represents a slight uptick from the past three years,” by Chalkbeat Chicago’s Mila Koumpilova.

… BACK TO SCHOOL: Watch for an announcement today that Chicago Public Schools will return in September with students required to wear masks.

— Illinois Supreme Court says cities can keep police records longer than union agreements allow: “The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of the City of Chicago’s right to keep records, even though the union contract calls for them to be destroyed after five years. The court says destroying such records violates public policy. And it comes at a time the public is seeking more disciplinary information in light of police brutality cases,” by NPR’s Bill Wheelhouse.

— Lightfoot opposes removal of Christopher Columbus statues: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she doesn’t want Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago that have been targeted for vandalism taken down, but instead used to help educate people about ‘the full history‘ of the U.S. In recent days, a Columbus statue in Grant Park had ‘BLM’ and ‘genocide’ spray painted on it, and a statue in the Little Italy neighborhood was spray painted with the word ‘killer,’” by Tribune’s John Byrne.

— Finding jobs around Chicago will be tough even as economy reopens, experts say: “‘There are a lot of jobs that are basically on life support right now,’ outplacement firm exec Andrew Challenger says. ‘If the demand doesn’t come back, they will be gone,’” by Sun-Times’ David Roeder.

— Returning to the lakefront? A rising Lake Michigan — near the historic high water mark — awaits, reports Tribune’s Patrick O’Connell.

— South Shore grocer partners with Instacart to bring relief to food desert: “Local Market opened in December of last year. During the pandemic, the store had to start its own grocery delivery service to make sure the most vulnerable in the community could get food. On June 24, that’s going to change because of a partnership with Instacart,” reports CBS/2’s Suzanne Le Mignot.

— Column: Aunt Jemima’s great-grandson enraged her legacy will be erased: “A great-grandson of ‘Aunt Jemima’ doesn’t want [Chicago-based] Quaker Oats — or white America, for that matter — to easily erase its racist history by ‘retiring’ the iconic breakfast brand,” writes Patch’s Mark Konkol.

Ken Griffin, Illinois’ wealthiest resident, is giving $4.75 million to Chicago to repair a bike trail he helped build four years ago. In 2016, Griffin donated $12 million to create separate paths for bikes and pedestrians on the Lakefront Trail, which has become damaged from recent storms.

Griffin is a complicated figure on the Illinois political scene. He’s donated heavily to Republicans over the years (including to former Gov. Bruce Rauner), which grates on Democrats. Still, Dems can’t help but admire the guy for all he’s done for civic causes. In 2019, for example, Griffin’s charitable organization gave $125 million to the Science and Industry Museum. In 2018, he gave $10 million to the Chicago Police Department and University of Chicago Crime Lab’s joint effort to combat crime. And in 2017, Griffin gave $125 million to U. of C. for scholarships for third-year and fourth-year economics students.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Griffin and his partners at Citadel donated $2.5 million for public schools and food insecurity relief efforts in Chicago. Citadel was behind the “Stay Home. Hit Play” educational programming to keep kids engaged while staying at home. And Griffin helped fund the citywide high school commencement ceremony that took place Sunday. “They were there for us,” Lightfoot said Thursday in announcing the latest gift.

— Cook County Board advances resolution to defund police ‘to take a bold step forward to break the systemic cycle of oppression’: “The critical issue is implementation,” Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “I hope that in the committee, there’ll be a healthy discussion about how we want to redirect resources," by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.

— Arlington Park, ITHA still trying to hammer out contract: “Sides have outstanding issues related to the 2021 race schedule; deal deadline is Friday,” by Sports Handle’s Chris Altruda.

— Land Bank audit: Watch for the independent audit of the Cook County Land Bank Authority to pop today. In a statement released before the report, the Land Bank said the findings of the audit are “favorable.” The organization says it also “reached a milestone of bringing 1,000 vacant properties to productive use.”

— Unemployment rate 15.2% in May; state on pace to enter Phase 4 on June 26, by Capitol News’ Jerry Nowicki

— IDES acting director says more staff were needed to address unemployment at start of pandemic: “The Illinois Department of Employment Security is opening up about the significant hurdles they faced with the Covid-19 pandemic. Thursday was the first time the Illinois Employment Security Advisory Board met since Gov. JB Pritzker started the state’s stay-at-home order,” by WGEM’s Mike Miletich.

— Mobile sports betting launches in Illinois — finally: “Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, which opened the state’s first retail book March 9, was first out of the gate once again with its BetRivers mobile betting app through partner Rush Street Interactive,” by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.

— A growing number of Illinois employers will observe Juneteenth as a paid day off: “Akele Parnell has been celebrating Juneteenth for many years, but this Friday will be the first time he officially has the day off from work,” reports WBEZ’s Odette Yousef.

— Central Illinois lawmakers express frustration, concern over Covid-19, budget: “[L]awmakers said the governor has not adequately recognized differences among regions when outlining when and how businesses could reopen. They also expressed concerns over the recently enacted state budget for fiscal year 2021 and the impact a graduated income tax could have on the business community and the middle class,” by Pantagraph’s Lenore Sobota.

— KLOBUCHAR shuts down VP speculation, urges Biden to pick woman of color, by POLITICO’s Marc Caputo and Matthew Choi

— Ciampoli running for state representative: “Lisa Ciampoli, a local nurse anesthetist and former Madison County Board member, announced her campaign as a Republican for state representative of the 112^th District today,” via Advantage News.

— Trouble and feuding in 52nd District House Race: “Just as there’s no crying in baseball, there’s no mercy in politics, particularly if a candidate leads with his chin. Take the case of Champaign lawyer A.J. Ruggieri. Not only is he running for the state Senate as a Republican in a district gerrymandered to elect a Democrat, he also got a late start in his campaign,” by News-Gazette’s Jim Dey.

— ‘My biggest risk’: Trump tells POLITICO mail-in voting could cost him reelection, by Alex Isenstadt

— Debate rages over new lifeline for small business as loan program ends, by POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt

— Trump loyalty purge roils Pentagon, by POLITICO’s Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman

— Trump can take a DACA do-over. Will he? by POLITICO’s Anita Kumar

… Durbin warns: “This isn’t resolved until this president says ‘I’m not going to go after DACA,’” Durbin tells the Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.

… Illinois officials, immigration advocates applaud DACA decision, by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock

… Castro, Hernandez also praise DACA ruling, by Yvonne Boose for WNIU

Today at noon: City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and State Treasurer Michael Frerichs sit down with banking execs to discuss “systemic racism in banking” and diversity on corporate boards. Also in the discussion: David Casper, the U.S. CEO of BMO Financial Group; Eric Smith, the vice chair of BMO Financial Group; Michael O’Grady, chairman, president and CEO of Northern Trust; and Connie Lindsey, executive VP and head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Northern Trust. Registration here

Today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. DuSable Museum partners with Zakat Foundation and Social Change to provide a food giveaway for 300 families in the museum’s parking lot. The first 19 families to arrive will receive a free 1-year membership to the DuSable Museum. At 6 p.m., the museum is sponsoring a discussion about Junteenth. Details here

Today: The Chicago Bears are encouraging their fans to celebrate Juneteenth, too. Details here

— Terry Murphy, the longtime executive director of the Chicago Bar Association, is retiring. Murphy is the CBA’s longest serving executive director; he has been with CBA for nearly five decades. He’s drawn national attention for his work overseeing legal programming, creating the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, and founding the CBA Insurance Agency, a subsidiary of the CBA that offers full insurance services for CBA members and Chicago’s legal community. Murphy also was a guiding force in the CBA’s Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Barristers Big Band.

— Elizabeth (Beth) McMeen has been named executive director of the Chicago Bar Association. She starts Sept. 1 and succeeds Murphy. McMeen, a University of Wisconsin law graduate, will be the first woman to hold the position.

— Rob Karr will serve on the Commission to End Hunger. Karr currently serves as president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. He previously was VP of government and member relations for the Retail Merchants Association and a manager of government affairs for the Illinois Manufacturers Association. Karr is a member of the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board and the Employment Security Advisory Board.

— Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, has been elected to serve on the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur’s Board of Directors. He joins in September, according to MacArthur.

Today: Touch Communications owner Nina Mariano, GreatPoint Energy CEO Andrew Perlman, and Playbooker William Olson;

Saturday: State Rep. Sonya Harper (6th); Jane Lepauw, president of Benjamin Marshall Society; Dan McManus, director of Strategic Initiatives for Sen. Duckworth; Circuit Court Judge James Shapiro; and state Rep. Maurice West (67th);

Sunday: Mike Faulman, head of business development at Shinola and a former spokesman in the Emanuel administration; public-policy pro Chris Kane; art gallery owner Monique Meloche; and Kathleen Sarpy, CEO of Agency H5 public relations and marketing company.

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