Good Thursday morning. Time to clean out the basement. "American Pickers" is coming to Illinois, via State Journal-Register.

TOP TALKER

There he goes again. Former President Donald Trump took a familiar swipe at Chicago during Wednesday night’s town hall on CNN.

While making his case that gun laws shouldn’t be tightened, Trump pointed to Chicago as proof, saying it has “the toughest gun laws in the country” while also being among “the most dangerous” cities.

The fact is: Guns linked to crimes in Chicago are usually traced to purchases in other states.

It was the least of his overlooked facts or outright lies. The former president repeated false claims about the 2020 election, saying it was “rigged.” He praised Jan. 6 insurrectionists and called a Capitol police officer that day “a thug.” He took credit for the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended Roe v. Wade. And Trump wouldn’t commit to giving aid to Ukraine.

Most disturbing: Trump dismissed the New York jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll. He decried the jury system and called Carroll “a wack job.” The audience of many Trump supporters laughed.

If that's a preview of the 2024 General Election, we’re in for another rough ride.

An issue Trump side-stepped: Whether he supports a federal ban on abortion and how many weeks he thinks should be allowable to get the procedure. Candidates' views on abortion could play a central role in the GOP primaries. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, just signed into law a bill to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

HEADLINES

Cable carnage: Trump turns CNN town hall into televised combat, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw, Kelly Garrity and Alex Isenstadt

5 takeaways from Trump’s CNN smackdown, by POLITICO’s Adam Wren, Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw

Joe Biden’s campaign is already using clips from Trump’s CNN interview, via Twitter

THE BUZZ

SPRINGFIELD ACTION: Gov. JB Pritzker was among governors briefed Wednesday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on preparations ahead of the end of Title 42. Mayorkas said in a separate briefing that the lifting of the order does not mean the nation’s borders are open. “To the contrary,” he said. “It means tougher consequences for people who cross the border illegally.” VIDEO via POLITICO

Heading to the governor’s desk: A bill that would prevent crisis pregnancy centers from using deceptive practices to keep people from obtaining abortions. Background on the bill

Destroying doxing: A proposal to allow victims of doxing to sue their Internet harassers passed the Senate Wednesday and heads to the governor’s desk, via WCIA’s Danny Connolly

Passed the House: A bill that would prevent information from automated license plate readers from being used to track individuals seeking abortion care or criminalizing a person’s immigration status. It now goes to the Senate. Background on the bill

Vanquishing vaping: A measure to ban e-cigarettes indoors heads to the governor’s desk. It’s sponsored by state Sen. Julie Morrison. Details here

All for one: A House bill that would require vehicle manufacturers to establish a 24/7 hotline where police can contact the manufacturer in the event of a carjacking or kidnapping to get the real-time vehicle location data passed the Senate with all 59 senators — D’s and R’s — signing on as co-sponsors. The bill was carried by state Rep. Marty Moylan and state Sen. Michael Hastings.

Pritzker signs bill guaranteeing disability pay to first responders who contracted Covid-19, by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles

 If you are Sen. Michael Hastings, Playbook would like to know how you rallied the troops. Email [email protected].

WHERE'S JB

At the Sangamon County Health Department at 9 a.m. “to honor public health and health care heroes.”

WHERE'S LORI

No official public events.

Where's Toni

No official public events.

Thank you for reading Illinois Playbook! Drop me a line sometime: [email protected]

BUSINESS OF POLITICS

— DeSantis is the zig to Pritzker’s zag: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law banning most abortions after six weeks. Gov. JB Pritzker, on the other hand, has repeatedly signed laws expanding Illinois' status as an island in the Midwest for reproductive health rights,” Brenden Moore writes in The Pantagraph ahead of DeSantis’ trip to Peoria on Friday.

CONVENTION ZONE

— Dems start fundraising for the 2024 convention: A group of high-profile friends and donors had planned to meet at Gov. JB Pritzker’s home in Chicago tonight to raise money to help pay for the expenses of the 2024 Democratic Convention. But the event was moved to a new location “because the guest list grew too large. Roughly 75 donors and prospective donors now are set to attend, including financier Michael Sacks, sources say, with the goal of getting commitments for $80 million to $100 million,” Crain’s Greg Hinz reports.

— Uber warns Dems, mayor-elect if tougher ride-share rules pass problems could arise during convention, by Tribune’s Rick Pearson and Jeremy Gorner

THE STATEWIDES

— Amy Coney Barrett is now the single U.S. Supreme Court justice weighing whether to block Illinois’ assault weapons ban, by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock.

— Pritzker reflects on three years of pandemic as disaster declarations are set to end, by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock.

— Elusive emu evades police on I-74 outside of Urbana, by WCIA’s Noah Nelson and Melissa Coyne

CORRUPTION CHRONICLES

— Lawyers for 2 convicted in ComEd bribery trial ask for permission to speak to jurors: “Attorneys for former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker filed a motion in U.S District Court, asking for an order granting them permission to speak to the panel of seven women and five men who last week found them guilty on every count,” by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles.

CHICAGO

— 53 people applied to be Chicago’s next police superintendent. Fred Waller is not among them: “More than half of the applicants came from people affiliated at one time with CPD. The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability will submit three names to Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson by mid-July,” by Sun-Times’ David Struett.

— Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson hits D.C. for meetings with VP Kamala Harris and Illinois delegation, by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet

— Barack Obama back in town to tout initiatives for young men of color, by Tribune’s A.D. Quig

— Faster police response would not have saved slain Officer Areanah Preston, Johnson’s chief of staff says, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman

— Days before leaving office, Lightfoot fills job of director of veterans affairs, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman

— $6B Lincoln Yards project seeks funds after delay, by Bloomberg’s Isis Almeida

— Chicago museums’ plans to deal with NASCAR race range from ‘We’re closed’ to ‘What race?’ WTTW’s Patty Wetli reports

COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS

— HUGE | Cook County is eliminating medical debt for almost 73,000 people: “Nearly $80 million in medical debt has been acquired, eliminating the financial burden accumulated by tens of thousands of people,” by WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch.

— Lara Sanoica sworn in as Rolling Meadows first female mayor and its youngest, by Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek

— Alex Zapien, 25, a Will County Young Democrat and Harvard alum, was appointed Lockport Township supervisor on Tuesday.

SPOTTED

Yinam Cohen, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, hosted a breakfast briefing Wednesday with district directors for members of Illinois’ congressional and senatorial district offices. At the table were Andrew Goczkowski, special adviser to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky; Rachael Chaiken, state scheduler for Sen. Dick Durbin; Shawn Borich Hernandez, district director for Congressman Eric Sorensen; Jenell Brown, district director for Congressman Jonathan Jackson; Hilary Denk, district director for Congressman Bill Foster; and Jake Kaplan and Ari Botbol, who are district director and deputy district director, respectively, for Congressman Brad Schneider. Also on hand were representatives from Indiana and Nebraska, as well as Itai Biran, the consulate’s head of political and economic affairs, and Mike Warren, director of public affairs.

Reader Digest

We asked about your epic car-towing stories.

Raymond Sendejas: “The 3 a.m. trip to lower, Lower Wacker Drive auto pound, where I had to use the conveniently located ATM to get cash because they didn't take credit cards in the mid-1990s.”

Sarah Peko-Spicer: “My car was stolen at the start of the pandemic. A year later, it turned up at the infamous Lincoln Park towing lot. But because of some botched paperwork, I spent several months driving around in a car that was still reported stolen. I found that out when I woke up one morning to a police officer banging on my door.”

Steve Weiss: “I saw my 1970 Impala being driven away. Called the cops. A sergeant came out with me to look for it. During that ride, he got a call that the car had been repossessed for lack of payments. Total embarrassment.”

What organization should President Barack Obama visit next time he’s in town? Email [email protected]

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— Biden rule tells power plants to cut climate pollution by 90 percent — or shut down, by POLITICO’s Alex Guillén

— Biden starts to throw some punches in the debt ceiling fight, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Lemire, Lauren Egan and Danielle Muoio Dunn

— Santos pleads not guilty to federal indictment alleging wide-ranging financial crimes, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden, Julia Marsh and Olivia Beavers

TRANSITIONS

— Tiffany Sanders Sostrin has been hired as managing director of the Chicago-based government affairs agency Daley Strategy. Sostrin was director of Legislative and Community Affairs at the Chicago Park District, and before that deputy director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Lightfoot administration.

— Bob Yadgir, longtime communications director for former Secretary of State Jesse White, is now White’s political director and volunteering his time as executive director of the Jesse White Foundation. He is also director of advocacy for the HAP Foundation nonprofit.

— Nick Bustos and Michael Morthland have joined Mercury, a global, bipartisan public strategy firm in Illinois. Bustos, the son of former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, served as a marketing exec in the agriculture manufacturing industry. Morthland was assistant counsel to the Illinois House speaker and the Pritzker administration.

MEDIA MATTERS

— Journalism honors for Sun-Times staffers: National Headliner Awards were given to Sun-Times reporters for last year’s Highland Park parade mass shooting. Lynn Sweet, Elvia Malagón, Sophie Sherry, Paul Saltzman and Manny Ramos took first place for breaking news. Contest judges said Sweet, who was at the parade as a spectator, “should be singled out for showing reporters how street reporting is done.” And Neil Steinberg also was honored for his local interest column.

TRIVIA

WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Christine Walker for correctly answering that G.D. Searle in Chicago produced the first birth-control pill, FDA-approved on May 9, 1960. h/t Eugene Daly for the question.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Where was the nation’s first planned suburban shopping center built and who was the architect? Email [email protected]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Illinois Senate Dems comms specialist Natalie Bak and former Illinois legislative aide Sam Mulopulos.

-30-