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New Ryan Field faces its neighborhood test

The new stadium is set to bring 35,000 people to Central Street in Evanston on Friday.

Sports

Northwestern football returns home Friday night, unveiling its $870 million Ryan Field nearly three years after the old stadium was demolished.The big picture: The Wildcats kick off against Penn State at 7pm Friday, exactly 100 years after the original Ryan Field opened.

Bite Club: The Reuben sundae

Kith Treats is serving three Katz's-inspired desserts, including a wild Reuben soft serve.

Food and Drink

New York&#x27;s legendary Katz&#x27;s Delicatessen has landed in Chicago, but don&#x27;t expect pastrami and corned beef.

New book highlights healing power of dance and more 

New book by Chicago's Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark illuminates many paths to healing.

Health

When Chicago physician <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Geeta Maker-Clark" data-vars-click-url="https://drgeetamakerclark.com/about/" data-vars-content-id="a2308e2a-253a-4d1f-a866-650dff87df41" data-vars-headline="New book highlights healing power of dance and more " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://drgeetamakerclark.com/about/" target="_blank">Geeta Maker-Clark</a> launched her book &quot;Medicine For All People&quot; this summer, she knew there had to be dancing — and lots of it.

Chicago neighborhood quiz, volume 2: Do you know these famous landmarks?

There are so many landmarks in Chicago that it's ripe for a second quiz!

Neighborhoods

Last week, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="I quizzed you" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/09/25/chicago-neighborhood-quiz-landmarks-lakeview-beverly-pilsen-gold-coast" data-vars-content-id="9efdac03-893d-41ff-b5ca-53b20dff4fc1" data-vars-headline="Chicago neighborhood quiz, volume 2: Do you know these famous landmarks?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/09/25/chicago-neighborhood-quiz-landmarks-lakeview-beverly-pilsen-gold-coast" target="_self">I quizzed you</a> on Chicago neighborhood landmarks. <ul><li>I gave you the landmark; you gave me the &#x27;hood.</li></ul>

How to vote in Chicago in the 2026 midterm election

A 1-minute guide to all the dates and information you need for Election Day.

Election

Chicagoans can officially start casting ballots in the 2026 midterm election.Why it matters: You don&#x27;t have to wait until Election Day on Nov. 3, but deadlines for registering, voting by mail and finding an early voting site are approaching.

Brandon Johnson launches reelection bid for Chicago mayor

Johnson joins a crowded 2027 field as challengers line up to make the case for change.

Politics

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Brandon Johnson" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/05/19/mayor-brandon-johnson-reflects-on-3rd-year" data-vars-content-id="5eb53f7b-6f45-4f5f-95b2-84bec72d1a98" data-vars-headline="Brandon Johnson launches reelection bid for Chicago mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/05/19/mayor-brandon-johnson-reflects-on-3rd-year" target="_self">Mayor Brandon Johnson</a> will seek a second term leading Chicago, he announced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sunday on social" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdO_6P4OLCr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" data-vars-content-id="5eb53f7b-6f45-4f5f-95b2-84bec72d1a98" data-vars-headline="Brandon Johnson launches reelection bid for Chicago mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdO_6P4OLCr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank">Sunday on social</a> media ahead of an official event on the city&#x27;s South Side.Why it matters: Johnson&#x27;s entry officially kicks the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="crowded 2027 race" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/08/chicago-mayoral-hopefuls-2027-johnson-mendoza-giannoulias-quigley" data-vars-content-id="5eb53f7b-6f45-4f5f-95b2-84bec72d1a98" data-vars-headline="Brandon Johnson launches reelection bid for Chicago mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/08/chicago-mayoral-hopefuls-2027-johnson-mendoza-giannoulias-quigley" target="_self">crowded 2027 race</a> into gear as he asks Chicagoans for four more years.

Chicago faces a nearly $900 million budget gap

The expected deficit shrank by more than $200 million but is still approaching $900 million.

Business

Chicago&#x27;s 2027 budget deficit checks in at $283.9 million less than what was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="expected at this time last year." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/11/five-paths-to-shrinking-chicagos-deficit" data-vars-content-id="0697a0e4-2d35-4a18-bd47-1f13092d0143" data-vars-headline="Chicago faces a nearly $900 million budget gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/11/five-paths-to-shrinking-chicagos-deficit" target="_self">expected at this time last year.</a>Why it matters: While good news, it still leaves a whopping $882.4 million gap for Mayor Brandon Johnson and a contentious City Council to fill by the end of the year, according to projections released by the mayor&#x27;s office Thursday.

Cook County homeowners' taxes increase again 

The growth reflects continued underperformance from the commercial real estate market.

Real Estate

Once again, Cook County <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="homeowners will shoulder" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/11/17/cook-county-homeowners-tax-hike-loop-losses" data-vars-content-id="75b3d79e-18a8-447f-9b1b-cdb9e3457051" data-vars-headline="Cook County homeowners&#x27; taxes increase again " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/11/17/cook-county-homeowners-tax-hike-loop-losses" target="_self">homeowners will shoulder</a> a greater portion of the tax burden than commercial building owners, whose properties continue to underperform while many homes gain value, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new analysis " data-vars-click-url="https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/researcharticles.aspx?articleid=2026082401" data-vars-content-id="75b3d79e-18a8-447f-9b1b-cdb9e3457051" data-vars-headline="Cook County homeowners&#x27; taxes increase again " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/researcharticles.aspx?articleid=2026082401" target="_blank">a new analysis </a>by the Cook County Treasurer&#x27;s office.The big picture: This marks the fifth consecutive year that a growing tax burden has fallen mostly on homeowners

Pritzker loses potential home-state edge in 2028 DNC lineup

State Democrats were angling to be one of the first primaries in 2028, but were denied by the DNC.

News

Illinois won&#x27;t be among the Democratic Party&#x27;s early presidential primary states in 2028, despite an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="aggressive lobbying effort" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/20/illinois-primary-early-pritzker-2028-democrat-president-trump" data-vars-content-id="5cca1dc2-2cad-4856-ad39-f54183d9bf8c" data-vars-headline="Pritzker loses potential home-state edge in 2028 DNC lineup" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/01/20/illinois-primary-early-pritzker-2028-democrat-president-trump" target="_self">aggressive lobbying effort</a> by Gov. JB Pritzker and state Democrats to move the state to the front of the nominating calendar. Why it matters: Early primary states receive outsized candidate attention, media coverage, campaign spending and political momentum. <ul><li>Illinois missing the cut means Pritzker, if he runs for president, won&#x27;t have the potential advantage of an early home-state primary.</li></ul>

Illinois Democrats condemn USPS election mail proposal

State leaders are threatening supboenas and lawsuits if the Postal Service moves forward on new voting rules.

Illinois Democrats are warning the Trump administration could sidestep a federal court order blocking parts of President Trump&#x27;s election executive order, raising concerns about <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="voting by mail" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/29/supreme-court-mail-in-voting-grace-period" data-vars-content-id="ad4551be-91ac-4e43-9e43-93dcf3908c4c" data-vars-headline="Illinois Democrats condemn USPS election mail proposal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/29/supreme-court-mail-in-voting-grace-period" target="_self">voting by mail</a> before the 2026 midterms.Why it matters: Illinois officials say the dispute could force changes to election procedures and voter education.

What to know about Chicago school board elections

Voters will be asked to select a president and representative from their subdistrict.

Education

Chicago&#x27;s first full <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="school board election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/11/06/results-chicago-first-elected-school-board" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/11/06/results-chicago-first-elected-school-board" target="_self">school board election</a> hits new milestones this week as officials accept final candidate objections Tuesday and decide ballot placement Wednesday morning.Why it matters: This consequential Nov. 3 election features 10 districts, 21 seats and staggered terms depending on the type of incumbent holding the current seat.<ul><li>In other words, voters will need a lot of public education.</li></ul>How it works: Chicagoans will be asked to vote for two candidates — one for school board president and one for their particular subdistrict.<ul><li>The city is divided into 20 subdistricts (identified by a number and letter) where the candidate must live. You can find yours <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here. " data-vars-click-url="https://www.cps.edu/about/chicago-board-of-education/member-map/" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cps.edu/about/chicago-board-of-education/member-map/" target="_blank">here. </a></li><li>Most of the 21 races have at least two candidates running, but two subdistricts feature candidates running unopposed.</li><li>So far, five people have thrown their hats in the ring for board president: Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, Hilario Dominguez, Victor P. Henderson and Sendhil Revuluri.</li></ul>By the numbers: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="51 people have filed petitions " data-vars-click-url="https://cboeprod.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/prod/2026-05/Candidate%20Filing%20Report_20260526172953563.pdf" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cboeprod.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/prod/2026-05/Candidate%20Filing%20Report_20260526172953563.pdf" target="_blank">51 people have filed petitions </a>to run for president or as a board member.<ul><li>Yes but: Many could be eliminated through petition and signature challenges that will play out over the next several weeks.</li><li>Board president candidates need 2,500 valid signatures, while board candidates require 500 to 1,500 from residents of their districts.</li><li>The challenges can be costly and brutal. In 2024, a pool of 45 initial candidates [for school board] was whittled to 31 by the end of the process.</li></ul>The intrigue: As of Monday afternoon, not a single petition challenge had been filed against a school board candidate, Board of Elections officials tell Axios. Follow the money: Board members get no pay for their service, but spending on the 2024 partial school board races exceeded $13 million. Spending on this wider contest is expected to exceed that, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chalkbeat reports. " data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/04/17/chicago-public-schools-board-races-draw-cash/" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/04/17/chicago-public-schools-board-races-draw-cash/" target="_blank">Chalkbeat reports. </a><ul><li>Much of the money came from the Chicago Teachers Union or super PACs funding candidates supportive of charters or school choice.</li></ul>Friction point: Despite heavy CTU spending on the 2024 election, union president Stacy Davis Gates <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="has warned" data-vars-click-url="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019e-4176-d410-a1be-e5771aa10000" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019e-4176-d410-a1be-e5771aa10000" target="_blank">has warned</a> businessman and Democratic donor Michael Sacks to stay out of this year&#x27;s race — comparing &quot;billionaire&quot; campaign funds to Jim Crow voting laws, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Politico reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/20/chicago-schools-elections-get-ugly-00929035?is_magic_link=true&amp;template_id=OT5J0E7B7DD7" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/20/chicago-schools-elections-get-ugly-00929035?is_magic_link=true&amp;template_id=OT5J0E7B7DD7" target="_blank">Politico reported</a>.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="In return" data-vars-click-url="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019e-415b-d0fd-a3de-f75f6acc0000" data-vars-content-id="e20238de-d984-4b83-8e73-f8d01b82cd6a" data-vars-headline="What to know about Chicago school board elections" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019e-415b-d0fd-a3de-f75f6acc0000" target="_blank">In return</a>, Sacks accused Davis Gates of defamation and hypocrisy, writing, &quot;no one in this city is focused more on spending big money on politics … than you do.&quot;</li></ul>What&#x27;s next: Expect coverage of specific races, campaign spending and more as this historic election unfolds over the next five months.Editors note: An earlier version of this story indicated that the two subdistricts with uncontested incumbents were on the North Side, but only one is.

Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order

The Illinois ACLU says it would disenfranchise millions of voters.

Illinois advocates are challenging President Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest effort to change voting laws" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" target="_self">latest effort to change voting laws</a>, which would create voter lists that the Postal Service would use to identify who gets a mail-in ballot.Why it matters: The U.S. Constitution <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="places the job of election administration" data-vars-click-url="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" target="_blank">places the job of election administration</a> in the hands of the states and Congress.

What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King

King has served as interim CEO, but has not previously led a school district.

Macquline King became the official <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chicago Public Schools" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/18/first-day-catch-up-chicago-public-schools" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/18/first-day-catch-up-chicago-public-schools" target="_self">Chicago Public Schools</a> CEO Monday as the board voted 8–1 to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="approve her" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/03/30/chicago-board-of-education-hires-macquline-king/" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/03/30/chicago-board-of-education-hires-macquline-king/" target="_blank">approve her</a> for a three-year contract.Why it matters: Running the nation&#x27;s fourth-largest school district is tough in the best of times.<ul><li>But the next year could bring huge leadership upheavals as CPS shifts to a fully elected board and the city could elect a new mayor, who traditionally wields great power in the district.</li></ul>Between the lines: This period will require a steady but flexible leader.<ul><li>King has served as interim CEO, but has not previously led a school district or managed a CPS department or network.</li></ul>Catch up quick: After 15 years as a CPS elementary school principal (at Dumas on the South Side and Courtenay on the North), King became an education policy adviser to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and was kept on by Mayor Brandon Johnson.<ul><li>Johnson tapped King as interim CEO last June, after the acrimonious <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="departure of CEO Pedro Martinez," data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/12/21/cps-pedro-martinez-fired" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/12/21/cps-pedro-martinez-fired" target="_self">departure of CEO Pedro Martinez,</a> who refused to accede to the mayor&#x27;s wishes for a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="high-interest loan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/10/02/cps-budget-deficit" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/10/02/cps-budget-deficit" target="_self">high-interest loan</a> to cover non-teacher pensions.</li><li>Facing a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$734 million budget deficit," data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/07/21/chicago-school-budget-listening-session" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/07/21/chicago-school-budget-listening-session" target="_self">$734 million budget deficit,</a> King presented a balanced FY 2026 plan, which also <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rejected the loan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/14/cps-interim-ceo-defies-johnson-budget-pensions-loan" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/08/14/cps-interim-ceo-defies-johnson-budget-pensions-loan" target="_self">rejected the loan</a> Johnson wanted.</li></ul>The search: Last fall, a search firm and the board drew up a list of permanent CEO finalists (which was later leaked) that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="did not include King" data-vars-click-url="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2025/11/05/cps-ceo-search-macquline-king" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2025/11/05/cps-ceo-search-macquline-king" target="_blank">did not include King</a>, prompting blowback from the NAACP and Chicago Teachers Union.<ul><li>When the firm was dismissed and a new search was launched, some elected board members <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="charged sabotage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/02/12/school-board-terminates-contract-with-alma-advisory-group/" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/02/12/school-board-terminates-contract-with-alma-advisory-group/" target="_blank">charged sabotage</a> and called for a delay in the search until a fully elected board could be seated in January.</li><li>Instead, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="King was announced as a finalist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/03/13/chicago-public-schools-has-three-ceo-finalists-king-porter-narcisse/" data-vars-content-id="8456b23d-bc66-404c-aef1-ae0ac3d459df" data-vars-headline="What to know about CPS CEO Macquline King" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/03/13/chicago-public-schools-has-three-ceo-finalists-king-porter-narcisse/" target="_blank">King was announced as a finalist</a> this month along with candidates from New York and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.</li></ul>What we&#x27;re watching: How King balances the demands of CPS families, the board, the mayor, and Johnson-averse Springfield lawmakers who will be asked for more funding as the district faces a projected $520 million deficit in 2027.

Pritzker tightens grip on Illinois Democrats after primary wins

Pritzker flexed his political power Tuesday night.

Tuesday&#x27;s primary wins have Democrats across Illinois sending a clear message: call him Boss Pritzker.Why it matters: Gov. JB Pritzker has consolidated control of the state Democratic Party in a way not seen since Richard J. Daley or Michael Madigan — towering figures in state political history — with major implications for Illinois&#x27; future.

Election 🗳️

How to vote in Chicago in the 2026 midterm election

Brandon Johnson launches reelection bid for Chicago mayor

Chicago faces a nearly $900 million budget gap

Cook County homeowners' taxes increase again

Pritzker loses potential home-state edge in 2028 DNC lineup