Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. Props to all the parents still making sandwiches as we head to the end of the school year.

TOP TALKER

BON VOYAGE! Mayor Brandon Johnson leaves for Montreal today on his first out-of-country trip as mayor.

On the docket: Johnson will join mayors, dignitaries, business leaders and water advocates at the 2024 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Annual Conference. The event fits with Johnson’s vision for a “blue-green economy” for Chicago, his press team told Playbook.

It’s a foursome: The mayor will lunch with Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Québec City Mayor Bruno Marchand. The four big-city mayors will then take part in a forum to talk about their shared interests in building economies along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.

Lots of Canucks: The trip includes receptions and a visit to the Port of Montréal Tower. Johnson will also meet with Quebec Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, who is minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, and Canadian Minister François-Phillippe Champagne, the minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

Joining in: Jean-Francois Hould, who represents Quebec in Chicago, and Chicago Department of Environment Commissioner Angela Tovar.

Sounds familiar: Johnson, obviously, isn’t the first Chicago mayor to travel to another country. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot led a delegation to London and Paris. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel traveled regularly overseas in an effort to lure businesses to Chicago. And former Mayor Richard M. Daley traveled to China.

THE BUZZ

IN SPRINGFIELD: A key component of Gov. JB Pritzker’s Birth Equity Initiative (HB5142) was drawing scrutiny Tuesday from the state Senate. There was a move to omit coverage for abortion services.

To the bill: The legislation, a priority in Pritzker’s budget proposal, already passed the Illinois House. The measure allows for better access to “affordable pregnancy, postpartum and newborn care services,” which can include abortion-related care.

The governor wants the abortion funding in and to press his point, his political team issued a polling memo Tuesday showing the measure has the support of voters. The memo also points to support for the Healthcare Protection Act, which Pritzker also hopes to see cross the legislative finish line.

Some fingers are crossed: Sarah Garza Resnick, who heads the abortion rights group Personal PAC, has been watching the negotiations on the Birth Equity bill closely. She told Playbook she’s “hopeful” that the initiative “will move forward with the abortion coverage intact.”

Resnick added: “All families, no matter their income level, should be able to access the care they need throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. It makes sense to include abortion in the bill.”

Supporters say the measure will remove another barrier to abortion.

If you are Cavalier Johnson, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email [email protected]

WHERE'S JB

No official public events.

WHERE's BRANDON

In Montreal.

Where's Toni

No official public events.

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email  [email protected]

CONVENTION ZONE

— Migrants and the convention: | Mayor with activist roots prepares for a potentially volatile Democratic convention: “In an interview, Brandon Johnson said he wouldn't tolerate chaos but stopped short of committing to remove encampments should they appear in the run-up to the convention,” by NBC’s Natasha Korecki.

— OPINION | Tale of two conventions— Dems enter final sprint to the 2024 Democratic National Convention: Democrats are working in coordination “to build a convention that will bring the story of the party and the president to the American people,” writes Alex Hornbrook, executive director of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee, in Newsweek. And he adds: “It's a stark difference from the story of revenge and retribution that will be seen when Republicans descend on Milwaukee.”

BUSINESS OF POLITICS

— Chicago Ethics Board wants fines and suspensions for lobbyists who give money to mayoral candidates: “The proposal would see lobbyists face fines three times the amount of their improper contribution on the first violation,” by WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg.

— Some Illinois voter data still being published by right-wing outlet following judge order, by State Journal-Register’s Patrick M. Keck

THE STATEWIDES

— Civic Federation urges 'cautious' spending, warns of 'looming fiscal crisis' for transit agencies: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s $800 million in tax changes and enhancements would help close the state’s budget deficit, the group noted, but ‘further tax increases could prove unsustainable for taxpayers given the state’s already high tax burden,’” by the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles.

— Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals: “The case was among several heard by the high court Tuesday, including a case that could change how police handle certain firearms possession violations,” by Capitol News’ Dilpreet Raju and Andrew Adams.

— As EV popularity grows, Illinois corn farmers turn to aviation as a possible market for ethanol, by the Tribune’s Karina Atkins

— Prosecutor opposes bill to help moms whose babies are born with drugs in system, by the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin

— Some policy research: Long-term liabilities weigh on state finances, via Pew

— Prison educators and abolitionists have mixed feelings about Pritzker’s proposal to rebuild Stateville and Logan correctional facilities, by the Triibe’s Tonia Hill

— Opinion: Hospital CEO says state, like insurance companies, needs to be accountable for care, by St. Anthony Hospital CEO Guy Medaglia in the Tribune

— At the Capitol today: Hundreds of CTU members and parents are in Springfield today along with officials from Chicago Public Schools to urge state lawmakers to provide more funding. They arrive after state senators haggled behind closed doors on Tuesday over House Bill 303, which would protect selective enrollment schools in Chicago from being closed until a fully elected school board is in place. The Chicago Teachers Union has opposed it.

— At the Capitol Tuesday: It was Cheesecake Day. Pic!

CHICAGO

— Museum Of Science And Industry renamed for billionaire Ken Griffin: “The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry will have free admission Sunday so visitors can see new exhibits that were funded by the Griffin’s $125 million donation in 2019,” by the Block Club’s Gwen Ihnat. Griffin is a former Chicago resident who moved to Florida in part because of his concern for crime in Chicago.

— Anniversary time: Johnson pushes education agenda with ‘urgency’ during first year in office, by Chalkbeat’s Reema Amin

— Loop restaurants are clawing their way back to health: “Even though many downtown office workers are still absent Mondays and Fridays, restaurateurs have found ways to compensate,” by the Tribune’s Brian Rogal.

— Chicago police officers kept the pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups apart during downtown event, by the Sun-Times’ David Struett

— Civil rights group says Chicago should take tougher action against cops linked to Oath Keepers, by the Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba and WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos

— Media Matters: The Chicago Reader, one of the few weekly alternative newspapers in the country, is bringing back its print publication starting next month, and the CEO has an ask. Read it here.

— Analysis: CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. has delivered on getting federal funding for big projects but has failed at day-to-day operations, experts say, via the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman

COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS

— Dolton trustees approve temporary mayor position, act on garbage pickup payments: “Dolton trustees have named a fill-in replacement for Mayor Tiffany Henyard as a “precautionary measure” in the event she is absent from a meeting or otherwise unable to fill her duties,” by the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan.

— Aurora Police work to improve operations by collecting community feedback surveys, by CBS 2’s Adam Harrington

— Red Gate Woods area of Palos Preserves system is seeing most ambitious restoration project Cook County has ever tackled, by WTTW’s Patty Wetli

HIGHER-ED

— DePaul University cancels FEST 2024, cites campus 'environment': “The cancellation of the end-of-school-year music festival comes days after the university said it has reached a stalemate in negotiations with organizers of a pro-Palestinian encampment,” by the Sun-Times’ Isabel Funk.

TAKING NAMES

— Jerry Morrison, the Chicago political consultant who retired last from SEIU Local 1, is opening a House music store in the Bridgeport entertainment district, he announced on Facebook. Music will be his focus, but he still will have his fingers in politics. He’s doing some political consulting in Michigan.

Reader Digest

We asked how you pamper your pets:

Laura Kotelman: “I bought my Poodle a vintage Henredon armoire for his 2nd birthday to store all his sundries.”

Charles Keller: “I was convinced by wife #1 to take the dog to a doggie psychiatrist. And, yes, it ended up on Prozac.”

Mark Rosenberg: “I bake my own dog treats, various flavors.”

NEXT QUESTION: What's your go-to spot to take out-of-town guests?

FROM THE DELEGATION

— The doctor who saved Sen. Tammy Duckworth in Iraq is trapped in Gaza. Now she's trying to save him: “Adam Hamawy, from Princeton, N.J., is among a team of doctors from the Palestinian American Medical Association that was blocked from leaving Gaza on Monday,” by NBC’s Frank Thorp V, Zoë Richards and Abigail Williams.

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— Warning signs for Trump: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries, by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard and Madison Fernandez

— Trump’s lawyer confronted Michael Cohen with a bang (and an expletive). Then things fizzled, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden, Ben Feuerherd and Kyle Cheney

— U.S. greenlights potential weapons sale to Israel, by POLITICO’s Joe Gould

Transitions

— Joey Orr has been named deputy director and chief of curatorial affairs at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago. Orr has been the Mellon Curator at the Spencer Museum of Art and as affiliate faculty in Museum Studies and Visual Art at the University of Kansas. Earlier, he was a fellow at the MCA.

TRIVIA

TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Ashvin Lad for correctly answering that Brigadier General John Buford, who grew up in Rockford, played a key role in the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, by identifying, taking and holding the "high ground" while in command of a division.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Who is the architect of the country's first planned suburb, which happens to be in Illinois?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ald. Jeanette Taylor, former Ald. Carrie Austin, former Illinois Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, MWRD Commissioner Dan Pogorzelski, ophthalmics consultant Vincent Brandys, PAWS Chicago CEO Susanna Wickham, Goodman Williams Group President Linda Goodman, University of Chicago exec Alicia Berg and Sun-Times’ D.C. bureau chief and columnist Lynn Sweet.

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