Democratic politicians are largely condemning the U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran, including Illinois congressional hopefuls backed by funders linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Why it matters: Critics argue that AIPAC-linked funding could make candidates —including state Sen. Laura Fine, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller and former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean — more sympathetic to Israeli government interests.

• All four of those candidates have released statements denouncing the AIPAC-supported bombings.

What they're saying: "Donald Trump is leading us into another military conflict to distract from his own failures," Fine said on social media.

• "Even before today, I thought Trump had lost his mind. But now I know for sure. What president sends tweets declaring war in the middle of the night?" Conyears-Ervin posted on Facebook.

Yes, but: When asked specifically whether they'd support strict limits on U.S. military aid to Israel in a WBEZ/Sun-Times survey, none of the four Illinois candidates receiving AIPAC-linked money would answer.

The other side: "In a time of war, clarity is not optional. Will these candidates finally and unequivocally reject AIPAC's pro-war agenda?" asked Progressive Caucus PAC candidates Robert Peters, Anthony Driver Jr., Junaid Ahmed and Daniel Biss in a Monday statement.

• "I think it shows that they understand that their positions are wildly unpopular," Illinois 9th candidate Kat Abughazaleh, who proudly proclaims her opposition to AIPAC, told Axios.

The bottom line: Giant super-PAC donations are shifting the conversations around U.S. congressional campaigns from largely local concerns to national and international issues.

More candidate statements

Illinois is in a multi-year rollout to ensure companies pay all workers a fair wage.

The big picture: Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Dignity in Pay Act last year, requiring companies to pay workers with disabilities at least minimum wage by 2029.

Zoom in: Easterseals' HB Threads apparel company has always paid its workers above minimum wage, and all associates make at least Chicago's $15 hourly minimum wage, director Korrey Kooistra told Axios during a visit.

• HB Threads makes buttons, magnets, and apparel for clients like the White Sox, Huntington Bank, and Rockford IceHogs, and focuses on hiring workers of all abilities. Its current associates are all on the autism spectrum.
• "We're a regular business [that has] people that have disabilities and don't have disabilities, and they work together, and it takes that stigma away," Kooistra said.

State of play: The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities is providing technical support to companies to move away from subminimum wage by the 2029 deadline.

What's next: The law's lead sponsor, state Rep. Theresa Mah, along with an HB Threads associate and other advocates, will discuss the topic on Tuesday, March 10, "Building Stronger Workforces Through Disability Inclusion," at Impact House in the Loop.

Go inside HB Threads

It's been a brutal winter for business closures in Chicago.

The big picture: Winter closures are part seasonal, part survival — but they offer a window into Chicago's changing restaurant and retail landscape.

Here are some notable closings in February:

The "Pride" of the South Side: Pride Cleaners, one of the most striking buildings on the South Side, has closed. There are no plans for new ownership and the building, with its geometric, modern design, is not landmarked.

• Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey is worried about the building's future and that worries us, too.

Lightning-quick expansion forces move: Hattie B's, which just opened its first Chicago outpost in Wrigleyville last week, announced plans to set up shop in Wicker Park by 2027. They are moving into the Urbanbelly space just south of North Avenue on Damen Avenue.

• Urbanbelly will close at this location, but promises to relocate.

When it rains, it pours (drafts): A cluster of Chicago-area breweries has already called it quits in 2026.

Notable closures include Whiner Beer Company (Back of the Yards), Illuminated Brew Works (Norwood Park), Alarmist Brewing (Sauganash), Casa Humilde Cervecería y Cocina (Forest Park) and Short Fuse Brewing (Schiller Park).

Razed and confused: Affordable Portables on Clark Street may have closed in 2022, but the massive building near the Wiener's Circle is in the process of being demolished to make way for a new condo project.

• Without that building, the Clark Street jog looks and feels a lot different.

More recent closures

🫏 Chicago is one of five cities in the running to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention. (Axios)

🚇 Assaults and aggravated battery incidents have risen on the CTA since 2020, even as violent crime has dropped across the city. (Sun-Times)

🔥 A volunteer firefighter has been charged with arson for a wildfire that destroyed 700 acres in northwest Illinois. (Tribune)

🎨 Friends and family of the late street artist Dont Fret have launched a petition to rename a Bucktown park near The 606 after him. (Block Club)

🏒 The Blackhawks traded veteran defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers for a second-round draft pick in 2028. (ESPN)

👋 Hi, it's Justin! It's time for another "History Mystery" photo contest!

The photo: This was taken in 1929 somewhere downtown as a massive building was under construction.

• You'll find a few clues, but mostly just cool hats.

📬 Reply to this email if you know where this photo was taken!

• We'll reveal the location in tomorrow's newsletter.