Topspin Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to introduce a blockbuster $8.5 billion plan to dramatically expand O'Hare International Airport at Wednesday's City Council meeting. Aldermen won't act on the proposal until next month at the earliest, but the mayor introducing it would put the eight-year terminal revamp plan in writing. The airlines also are expected to weigh in publicly after declining comment on Sunday as talks continued. The council will consider a $20 million settlement to the families of two men who were killed in 2009 when drunken off-duty Chicago police Detective Joseph Frugoli crashed into their car on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Also on the agenda is a $1.35 million payment to the family of Michael Jansson, whose body was discovered in a car in the Chicago River 11 years after he disappeared. Jansson's family sued on the grounds that he crashed into the river because the city didn't properly maintain warning signs. In other business, the council is set to vote on contracts for eight businesses to operate on the Riverwalk downtown, despite concerns from nearby condo owners about live music. And aldermen likely will expand a recently enacted ban on sexual harassment by elected officials to offer recourse to residents, lobbyists and business owners who interact with aldermen, the mayor and others in city government. (John Byrne, Bill Ruthhart) What's on tap *Mayor Emanuel presides over the City Council meeting. *Gov. Bruce Rauner will visit a business in Morton, which is in central Illinois. *The Illinois House and Senate are in session. Democrats hope to advance several gun control measures, and Cardinal Blase Cupich will be in Springfield to lobby for them. More on that here. *The Chicago Board of Education will vote on a series of controversial efforts to close, phase out and consolidate a group of city elementary and high schools. The Chicago Teachers Union will have a news conference beforehand. *Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker will visit a Polish-American breakfast on the Northwest Side and talk about gun control measures on the West Side. *Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy will meet with voters at a Brown Line stop, then later have a announcement with Chicago principals association President Troy LaRaviere. *Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss will be part of a Springfield news conference to propose a Social Security-style benefit for the elderly and people with disabilities. *Joyce Foundation President Ellen Alberding will speak to the City Club of Chicago. From the notebook *Kennedy tosses out the term "immoral" regarding Pritzker, Biss: Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy ramped up his rhetoric against rivals J.B. Pritzker and state Sen. Daniel Biss on Tuesday, questioning their morals and ethics while billing himself as the one who has the "moral framework" to govern. The campaigns of Pritzker and Biss fired back, accusing Kennedy of having acted in ways he is criticizing. Surrounded by supportive African-American clergy at a Bronzeville campaign stop, Kennedy labeled as "immoral" assessment reductions Pritzker sought for his property and asked, "Do you want someone who says, 'What I did do was legal, therefore it's right?' That is not the ethical, the moral framework that we want as the leader of our state." Kennedy went on to criticize Biss, an Evanston lawmaker, for his sponsorship of legislation later deemed unconstitutional that would have reduced pension benefits to public employee retirees. Biss "epitomizes the brutality of government (with) the idea that he would go and take away the retirement security from hundreds of thousands of people living in our state and do it illegally," Kennedy said. Asked later by a reporter if he was claiming he was the only moral candidate in the contest, Kennedy said, "I claim no morality myself." But in earlier remarks, he said of himself, "Do you want someone to lead this state who's prepared to lead, who has a moral framework and ethical background who understands the difference between right and wrong?" (Rick Pearson) *Pritzker hits back: Pritzker campaign manager Anne Caprara accused Kennedy of resorting "to the Donald Trump playbook of calling names." "We understand Chris Kennedy really wants to win, but for him to question the morality of his opponents is frankly disturbing," Caprara said in a statement. *So does Biss: Biss campaign spokesman Tom Elliott noted Kennedy's use of the property tax assessment appeal system, including getting a reduction for the family's Wolf Point development. "Chris Kennedy has no moral authority here," Elliott said in a statement. "Both Kennedy and Pritzker have taken advantage of a broken system they now want to fix," Elliot said. "And while hiring well-connected lawyers or ripping toilets out of their homes to reduce their property taxes aren't technically illegal, they do raise serious moral and ethical questions and puts into perspective where their priorities were before they decided to bankroll their campaigns for governor." *Ives wants $10 million: Republican governor candidate state Rep. Jeanne Ives says she needs to raise $10 million by primary day to get her message out in TV ads and for get-out-the-vote operations in her challenge to Gov. Rauner. In a red-meat-worded fundraising email to supporters, Ives refers to Rauner as a RINO: Republican in Name Only. "To liberal RINO's, you are NOTHING but a vote," Ives' email begins. "But to me, the President, and your fellow patriots who make up our America First movement, you are the lifeblood of our country. You are what it means to be an American." Ives continues: "To win, we will need to contact every voter in the state. We will need to get up on TV every single day. We will need to broadcast every single time Rauner has betrayed the people." Ives has raised nearly $3.2 million since Nov. 1, with nearly 80 percent of the money coming from conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest. That money has largely been spent on TV and radio advertising. (Rick Pearson) *Another twist in assessor's race: For now at least, a vote for Andrea Raila in the Democratic primary for Cook County assessor won't count. Circuit Judge Robert Bertucci on Tuesday agreed with a county Electoral Board decision to kick Raila out of the primary race against Assessor Joe Berrios. The board determined her campaign engaged in a "pattern of fraud" while collecting nominating petition signatures. But Bertucci denied a motion by primary rival Fritz Kaegi asking to remove Raila's name from city and county ballots and touch screens. Election authorities said doing so was "impossible" this close to the March 20 election. Instead, officials will provide notices that votes for Raila won't count. And they've agreed to print notices in newspapers, including the Tribune, advising voters of that fact. Kaegi wants Raila's name off the ballot altogether, believing some voters will still try to vote for her no matter what notice they are given. Meanwhile, Raila attorney Frank Avila vowed to appeal Bertucci's decision. (Hal Dardick) *Roskam, LaHood visit White House: Republican U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam of Wheaton and Darin LaHood of Peoria met Tuesday with President Donald Trump to discuss trade, including renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Afterward, Roskam's spokeswoman, Veronica Vera, said the White House "didn't break any new ground" on NAFTA and Roskam "didn't talk or share anything." Roskam and LaHood were among more than two dozen GOP House members at the meeting, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said. (Katherine Skiba) *New rules for home rule?: Democratic lawmakers want to greatly expand the number of Illinois cities with "home rule" powers, a move that would allow more local governments to impose taxes, issue licenses and create other local regulations without state oversight. The proposal from Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, would automatically give home rule powers to cities with populations of at least 5,000 residents home rule units, down from the current threshold of 25,000. The change would require an amendment to the Illinois Constitution. If put in place, 169 additional Illinois cities would get the authority. Nearly half of those are in the Chicago suburbs. Supporters say home rule allows local governments to have greater control of their finances during a time when money from the state government has been uncertain. Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole said Tuesday the threshold should be lowered because many smaller cities are required to pick up costs mandated by the state — such as employee pensions — but lack the ability to do so. Opponents, including the state's retailers, argue the home rule powers would be costlier for businesses and consumers as local communities seek to put in place higher taxes. (Bill Lukitsch) *Quick spin: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin tweeted that he met with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, saying "they're at the Capitol urging Congress to pass gun safety measures to prevent the next slaughter." ... Kaegi won the endorsement of Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in his race against Berrios. Kaegi also was backed by Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 308 and 241, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881, Indivisible Chicago and MoveOn.org. Meanwhile, Berrios reported $32,000 in campaign contributions. What we're writing *Madigan releases list of 9 misconduct complaints, but number could be much larger. *Obama makes pitch for his center in Jackson Park, says "too much development" has not been the problem for South Side. *Democrats set up for gun control votes Wednesday as CPD top cop Johnson pushes for changes. *Emanuel says Uber, Lyft fee hikes will pay for better CTA cameras. *Controversial South Loop school merger plan presents "myriad concerns and challenges," CPS-financed analysis says. *State statistics show more women seem to be crossing state lines to have abortions in Illinois. *Green card veteran facing deportation placed on suicide watch, advocates say.
What we're reading *Chicago-area health officials hope "worst is behind us" for hard-hitting flu season, totally jinxing it, probably. *University of Chicago butterfly scientist leads "double life" as runway model. *Macy's to sell top floors of State Street store for $30 million. Follow the money *Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy reported $245,000 in contributions, including a $100,000 check from his U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy's campaign fund. *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *Guns become a big midterm election issue. *New Fed chief optimistic about economy. *Hicks says little before House intelligence committee. *German court lets cities ban diesel cars. | 
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