Tennessee’s governor welcomed the National Guard. Illinois’ JB Pritzker is a hard no.
President Trump on Monday said he intended to send National Guard troops to Memphis as part of what he says is an attack on crime. Trump added that he still hopes to send troops to Chicago, though it’s unclear how he legally can do so. The news gives fresh relevance to our recent interview with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who has declined to ask for the military.
This interview with Pritzker was an opportunity to see him respond to an immigration enforcement surge in Chicago — and to hear from one of the governors who is thinking of a run for president.
Democrats have talked of Pritzker as a possible candidate at least since 2022-2023, when he was seen as a possible alternative to President Biden, should Biden drop out. Pritzker was a governor of a big state, and also a billionaire, which would make it possible for him to jump-start the financing for a campaign.
“Oh, I had no aim or desire. I didn’t take it seriously, other than I’m flattered,” he told me. When Biden at last did drop out in 2024, it was too late for a primary and Pritzker supported Kamala Harris, the president’s choice.
Will the 2028 campaign be different? Pritzker hasn’t said, but indicated that he feels ready. “There are things that governors will learn in their executive functions and things that I came into office understanding, having executive positions in the private sector, that are very helpful in running any kind of organization, especially the largest organization that exists in the United States.”
He’s one of several governors — along with California’s Gavin Newsom, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, and Kentucky’s Andy Beshear — who may see an opening. Democrats and Republicans alike will be scanning interviews like ours for relevant information.
At the Supreme Court, the case of the candidate who sued, even though he won
At issue was a suit by Rep. Michael Bost, R-Ill., challenging an Illinois regulation that allows ballots mailed in by Election Day to be counted for up to 14 days after polls close.
Israel and Hamas agree on the ‘first phase’ of Gaza ceasefire deal
The deal raises the possibility that the war may now be over, ending the bloodiest fighting ever between Israelis and Palestinians.
After Spain’s blackout, critics blamed renewable energy. It’s part of a bigger attack
When millions lost power in Spain and Portugal this spring, some were quick to blame too much solar and wind power. That wasn't the cause, but the misinformation had an impact.
‘Fairyland’ recalls a girl’s life with her poet father in pre-AIDS San Francisco
Alysia Abbott's memoir about growing up in 1970s San Francisco with her gay, single father, has been adapted into a film directed by Andrew Durham and produced by Sofia Coppola.
Los Angeles: Spaghetti Cumbia, a band born from cultural fusion
Photographers and storytellers Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky document cumbia music in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.
What are your holiday shopping plans? NPR wants to hear from you
Is this the season of cutbacks or splurges? As we prepare to cover holiday shopping and deals, NPR wants to hear from you, whatever your plans may be.
