Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. It’s Vietnam War Veterans Day, as the Daily Herald reports.

Brandon Johnson accused Paul Vallas of dismissing him because he’s Black. Vallas denied it, saying he was only criticizing Johnson for his “lack of management competency.”

That’s pretty much how Tuesday’s debate went last night on CBS 2. Little digs here. Questions dodged there. A lot of phrases that we’ve heard before, like, “the fact of the matter is” and “at the end of the day.” And everyone’s supports treatment not trauma, thank you.

Here’s the full CBS 2 debate.

Tribune’s take

At the City Club luncheon, Vallas said he’s running for mayor because ‘our house is on fire’: “Our downtown is half-vacant, a ghost town in the middle of the workweek. Our schools have lost a year of learning or more. Test scores have plummeted. Every public agency is facing a financial cliff,” he told attendees of the City Club of Chicago. Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman reports.

Here’s Vallas’ speech. And in case you missed it, here’s Johnson’s speech from Monday.

A forum tomorrow is sponsored by WBEZ and the Sun-Times.

The fact of the matter …

Ald. Sophia King’s news Tuesday that she was endorsing Vallas for mayor caused a stir among some members of the Chicago City Council’s Progressive Reform Caucus, which she chairs.

They want to make it clear that “King does not speak for the caucus” in endorsing Vallas. The statement was signed by aldermen endorsing Johnson: Daniel LaSpata (1st), Jeanette Taylor (20th), Michael Rodriguez (22nd), Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Rossana Rodriguez (33rd), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), Andre Vasquez (40th), Matt Martin (47th) and Maria Hadden (49th).

King was speaking for herself, of course. Until Tuesday, she had been quiet about endorsing, as she was doing her homework and talking to Vallas and Johnson about their stands on issues.

“As a leader, I have to make tough decisions. And it was very tough,” King told Playbook about her endorsement.

In an op-ed in the Tribune, King said at the end of the day, she looked for “proven leadership skills and the ability to bring us together.”

King isn’t the only progressive alderman endorsing Vallas. Ald. Roderick Sawyer, who also ran for mayor, is backing him, too.

POLL | There’s a ‘striking’ lack of mayoral campaign outreach to Latino, Black voters: A Northwestern University poll on the mayor’s race finds Latino voters are still “up for grabs” while race and a generational divide are also key factors in the election, reports Sun-Times’ Mariah Rush.

Why young people aren’t voting, by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet

Chicago schools are at a crossroads. The new mayor will determine the district’s next steps, writes Chalkbeat’s Becky Vevea.

How Vallas and Johnson differ on plans for CPS, by Sun-Times’ Nader Issa and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp

Overwrought: FOP President John Catanzara says there will be “blood in the streets” if Johnson wins, via a New York Times story about unions in the race.

Endorsement: Watch for Martin Luther King III to endorse Johnson today.

Mailer melodrama …

Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not OK an anti-Brandon Johnson mailer with her photo, campaign says: “The mailer, paid for by the Paul Vallas campaign, features a Lightfoot past tweet criticizing Johnson’s stance on policing,” by WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel

Vallas’ campaign is also out with a new ad attacking Johnson on economy issues.

BORDER HELP: Gov. JB Pritzker is among a few billionaires who have each given $1 million to the Wisconsin Democratic Party ahead of next week’s state Supreme Court election pitting progressive Janet Protasiewicz against conservative Dan Kelly.

A win by Protasiewicz, which could shift control of the court from a one-seat advantage for conservatives to a 4-3 liberal majority, “could have a domino effect in the state,” write POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro and Megan Messerly.

Why it matters: “Most immediately, the court will likely decide the fate of abortion rights in Wisconsin; that and crime have been the focus of much of the debate surrounding the race. But there’s another hugely consequential matter the court could take up: a challenge to the state’s congressional district and legislative lines. And an adverse ruling for Republicans would pose a direct threat to the delegation’s GOP-heavy makeup,” according to Montellaro and Messerly.

Pritzker has vowed to donate where he can in states that need protection from new abortion restrictions.

Other $1M givers: Billionaire financier George Soros, and Tulsa, Okla., philanthropists Stacy and Lynn Schusterman, via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

If you are George Soros, Playbook wants to hear your take on 2024. Email [email protected].

At the Illinois State Library in Springfield at 9 a.m. to give remarks at Agriculture Legislative Day. — At the Governor’s Mansion at noon for the Maker’s Madness Awards Luncheon.

At the Prairie Shores Community Room for a groundbreaking on the proposed $3.8 billion Bronzeville Lakefront mixed use development.

No official public events.

Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: [email protected]

— Former Congresswoman Marie Newman has been named CEO of Little City, which advocates for and offers services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She starts April 17, succeeding Shawn Jeffers, who is retiring after leading the nonprofit for 20 years.

Newman represented Illinois’ 3rd District before it was redrawn last year, forcing her to compete in a contest against fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Casten, in the newly drawn 6th District. Newman has a background in business and nonprofits, so Little City is a natural fit.

— Patrick Collins’ next big case: The former federal prosecutor will defend Socrates in a mock trial May 22 to benefit the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. The case examines whether the Greek philosopher was corrupting young minds or just encouraging free thought.

Prosecutors are Robert A. Clifford (Clifford Law Offices), Dan K. Webb (Winston & Strawn) and Sarah King (Clifford Law Offices). Along with Collins of King & Spalding, defense attorneys are Tinos Diamantatos (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius) and Julie Porter (Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter). John Kapelos, an actor and The Second City alum, will portray Socrates. Tickets here

— Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: “CPCs are accused of deception — and steering patients away from abortions despite an Illinois law requiring facilities to refer patients for services they don’t provide themselves,” by WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal.

— Native American history, repatriation measures advance in Illinois House, by Capitol News’ Nika Schoonover.

— Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses, by Capitol News’ Jerry Nowicki

— Danville could soon have an abortion provider, but opponents are pushing back, by Farrah Anderson for Illinois Public Media

— Brewing at the Capitol: A coffee station (with pastries!) is opening in the hallway between the governor and secretary of state offices starting today. The indoor pop-up is operated by Elm City Roastery based in Jacksonville. The secretary of state, which maintains the Illinois Capitol Complex, put out the bid for a local coffee shop.

— 6th, 21st wards | Two pastors, a retired firefighter and a community activist are in the running: The two seats are open due to departures of longtime Alds. Rod Sawyer and Howard Brookins, by Sun-Times’ Mariah Rush.

— 43rd Ward: Ald. Timmy Knudsen has been endorsed by mayoral candidate Paul Vallas and Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

— Jurors see undercover videos of Michael Madigan associates in ‘ComEd Four’ trial, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner and Ray Long

— ‘How else can we help you?’: Testimony points to “vast patronage system inside ComEd,” write Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles

— A list of Chicago City Council committees and their chairs is up for a vote Thursday. Approval to create the committees would give independence to the City Council. In the past, it’s the newly elected mayor who’s determined who sits on what committee. Both Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson have said they support the idea of a more independent council. But the Better Government Association and the League of Women Voters say there should be more public discussion on the idea before a vote is taken. WTTW’s Heather Cherone has more.

— Chicago home price growth tops national rate for the first time in years, by Crain’s Dennis Rodkin

— NASCAR Chicago adds Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois as founding partner, via Crain’s

— Ballpark guides: Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, by WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers.

We asked what you do even though it’s wrong.

James Castro: “Sing in public.”

Graham Grady: Fritos.

Bryce C. Harris: “Smoking. I know it’s wrong, but I love that first drag with my morning coffee.”

Marilynn Miller: Sweets and junk food.

Joseph Monack: “Thinking negatively.”

Derik Ohanian: Eating meat.

Victoria Villalpando: Glazed donuts.

Patricia Ann Watson: “I judge, harshly, those claiming ‘trauma’ as an excuse for bad parenting. I have to refrain from saying out loud, “adult up and get your selfish and weak self together.’”

What’s a committee would you add to your town’s City Council? Email [email protected]

— THE FIFTY: Schumer’s highway to the Catskills angers environmentalists, by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio Dunn

— Why a Glenn Youngkin Presidential Candidacy Makes Sense for the Republican Party, by POLITICO’s John F. Harris

— Full list of the GOP presidential field, from declared candidates like Donald Trump to an unlikely Chris Christie, via POLITICO’s Steven Shepard.

— Biden’s favorite Middle East ally is spoiling his democracy party, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Lemire and Nahal Toosi

— Rob Clark has joined FGS Global as a managing director based in Chicago. He was senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Caris Life Sciences and is an Exxon Mobil and Medtronic alum.

TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Janet Mathis, State Sen. Bill Cunningham and MWRD Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos for correctly answering that Morgan Park Academy was the first high school in the country to have an organized basketball team.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the first mayor to open bridges over the Chicago River to prevent civil unrest from spreading downtown? Email [email protected]

Ald. Anthony Napolitano, former White House press secretary now Bully Pulpit Interactive partner Robert Gibbs, Endeavor Co-CEO Ari Emanuel, SDI Presence co-founder and rabid Loyola alum Jack Hartman, Better Government Association’s VP of operations Sally Gonzales, Secretary of State executive assistant Angel Alicea, CTA comms director Tammy Williamson Chase, University of Chicago economist Roger Myerson, CNN correspondent Casey Wian and former POLITICO columnist Roger Simon.

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