President Joe Biden’s team looks to Taylor Swift for a touchdown. Considering the obvious ability that pop star Taylor Swift and her NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, have shown for stealing the limelight, it comes as little surprise that, without even trying, they have generated their own conspiracy theory, too.

Long-standing conspiracy theories about the NFL and the “deep state” and other far reaches of the fever swamps produced a photo on the Twitter account @NFL_Memes that claimed a connection between Super Bowl logo colors and the teams playing in the big game itself. In response, faster than you could say “touchdown,” right-wing conspiracy theorists were claiming Swift’s involvement with Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is really part of a plot to gin up support for Biden in the 2024 election.

Considering the lackluster state of Biden’s campaign, the president needs all the help he can get. Besides, the success of Swift and her record-breaking Eras Tour have made this such a successful time for the pop star that it is not surprising to see the Biden campaign dream of sharing some of the glory and good fortune.

After all, it didn’t hurt Biden to have Swift’s endorsement in 2020. Last year a single Instagram post from her led to 35,000 new voter registrations. Even if old-timer football personalities disparage the couple’s star appeal as a big distraction, as retired coach Tony Dungy did recently, the entertainment industry known as the NFL has to be delighted with the publicity, merch sales and other revenue that the fun couple has brought to the sport.

Just as John F. Kennedy enlivened the White House with Frank Sinatra and his “Rat Pack” of pals and began a long-running tradition of Hollywood hobnobbing with presidents — mostly Democrats, as it turned out — today’s campaigns seek their own stars and welcome those who come along. As it struggles to hang onto such core constituencies as young liberals and people of color, at least according to polls, the Biden campaign has begun discussions with celebrities and social media stars about promoting Biden on Instagram and TikTok.

Old-school pols made good use of TV ads. Given today’s sensibilities, Biden’s campaign has enlisted “influencers” with a following on Instagram and TikTok — which I’m going to figure out one of these days.

Biden’s plan, insiders say, leans toward direct assaults on Trump and a big emphasis on abortion rights — an easy issue to contrast with sound bites of Trump boasting about picking Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. Democratic success at restoring abortion rights in red states that have put the issue to a referendum justifiably encourages the Biden campaign, but it’s likely not enough by itself to defeat Trump.

Biden’s campaign reportedly believes that the more the public sees and hears Trump brag about wanting to be “a dictator on day one,” the more voters will be brought to their side on issues like abortion and health care. Such a reversal won’t come easily. No one seems to thrive as much off of criminal indictments as Trump does.

But it’s still early in the campaign calendar and there’s still hope, according to longtime supporters. One who knows how that works is Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and key Biden ally, who was credited with Biden’s crucial turnaround in 2020. He told The New York Times that Democrats needed to make an affirmative case and remind voters of tangible changes to their lives — like capping insulin costs, infrastructure cash for roads and bridges and other important promisesBiden kept.

But those “promises kept” have not mattered enough to younger and more progressive voters who have not given the administration much credit for itsaccomplishments — or harbor, in many cases, resentment toward Team Biden’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas. Complex issues like that are not easily debated in the midst of a presidential campaign, but campaigns are, after all, a nation’s sometimes ungainly debate over issues determining its future.

Politics often look like a game, but now it’s time to get serious.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime

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Welcome to City Limits’ NYC Housing Calendar, a weekly feature where we round up the latest housing and land use-related events and hearings, as well as upcoming affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon.

If you know of an event we should include in next Monday’s calendar, email jeanmarie@citylimits.org.

Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

Mayor Eric Adams at a small businesses-related event in 2022. The City Planning Commission will vote on his “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” proposal on Wednesday.

Upcoming Housing and Land Use-Related Events:

Monday, 3/4 at 1 p.m.: The City Planning Commission will hold a review session. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 9:30 a.m.: The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission will meet on a number of properties. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 10 a.m.: The NYC Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions will hold a hearing on plans for a 547-seat primary school in Bronx Community Board 8. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 12 p.m.: The NYC Council’s Land Use Committee will meet. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 1 p.m.: The NYC Council will hold a hearing on the mayor’s preliminary budget for the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 6 p.m.: The Department of Housing, Preservation and Development will host an online workshop for homeowners are city rules and requirements. More here.

Tuesday, 3/5 at 6 p.m.: The Midtown South Community Council will hold a panel discussion on urban displacement. More here.

Wednesday, 3/6 at 10 a.m.: The City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a number of land use applications, including a vote on the mayor’s City of Yes for Economic Opportunity proposal. More here.

Wednesday, 3/6 at 10 a.m.: The NYC Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings will hold an oversight hearing on the latest Housing and Vacancy Survey. More here.

Wednesday, 3/6 at 10 a.m.: The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and State Sen. Persaud will offer free legal services help on civil issues, include immigration and housing (for tenants only). More here.

Saturday, 3/9 at 12 p.m.: The Crown Heights Tenant Union and Brooklyn Eviction Defense will hold a rally in defense of rent regulation at 285 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn. More here.

Monday, 3/11 at 1 p.m.: The NYC Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings will hold an oversight hearing on preliminary budget plans for the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development. More here.

Monday, 3/11 at 10 a.m.: The NYC Council’s Committee on General Welfare will hold an oversight hearing on preliminary budget plans for Department of Social Services, Department of Homeless Services and the Human Resources Administration. More here.

NYC Affordable Housing Lotteries Ending Soon: The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) are closing lotteries on the following subsidized buildings over the next week.

909 East 229th Street Apartments, Bronx, for households earning between $66,789 – $198,250

1009 Nelson Avenue Apartments, Bronx, for households earning between $84,000 – $146,900

1629 Brooklyn Avenue Apartments, Brooklyn, for households earning between $123,395 – $198,250

4622 Fort Hamilton Street Apartments, Brooklyn, for households earning between $85,715 – $165,230

1120 Nelson Avenue Apartments, Bronx, for households earning between $106,458 – $165,230

58-12 & 58-14 Granger Street Apartments, Queens, for households earning between $85,166 – $227,630

The Metropolitan Senior Apartments, Queens, for households earning between $55,578 – $122,000

Borinquen Place Suites, Brooklyn, for households earning between $121,303 – $198,250

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org.

The quarterback conversation will dominate chatter for the Chicago Bears leading up to the NFL draft in three months, and that ought to be a major focus this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Even though top prospects such as USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy are not in the game, it will be a chance to get a close look at Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix.

Add Tulane’s Michael Pratt, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler and Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman — who aren’t candidates to be the No. 1 pick — and it would be an intriguing bunch of passers in any draft cycle.

The Bears will be able to see Penix and Nix up close four weeks before the scouting combine, and general manager Ryan Poles likely has a detailed plan to vet all options.

Penix threw for 9,504 yards over the last two seasons at Washington, and teams will have plenty of questions about knee and shoulder injuries that interrupted his first four years at Indiana. Nix also thrived after transferring, passing for 8,101 yards and 74 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions at Oregon the last two years after three up-and-down seasons at Auburn.

The Bears drafted four players who participated in the Senior Bowl last year, all in the first four rounds: right tackle Darnell Wright (first round, 10th pick), cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (second round), defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (third) and running back Roschon Johnson (fourth). They also signed undrafted quarterback Tyson Bagent, who improved his stock with a week in Mobile.

The Senior Bowl was loaded with talent last year, when 36 of the first 100 draft picks participated in the game. Overall, 100 players who were in Mobile were drafted, accounting for 39% of all selections.

While it’s unlikely the first pick in this year’s draft will be in Mobile, you can’t rule out the possibility the ninth pick — which the Bears also own — will be on display.

UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu is one of the highest-regarded prospects committed to the Senior Bowl. Latu had 23 1/2 sacks over the last two seasons for the Bruins, and NFL teams will have a chance to see him perform in practice and the game.

They will have a lot of medical questions for Latu that will require due diligence at the combine, as he briefly retired from football with a neck injury after beginning his college career at Washington. Latu proved to be durable at UCLA, though, and for teams comfortable with his health, he could emerge as the top edge rusher in the draft.

That’s certainly a position the Bears need to figure out as they seek a presence opposite Montez Sweat. It’s not a great draft for pass rushers overall, but Alabama’s Chris Braswell, coming off a 10 1/2-sack season, is regarded as a potential Day 2 pick and is playing in the Senior Bowl.

Center figures to be a primary need for the Bears, and there’s an interesting crop of hopefuls. Before we dive into the names, it’s worth wondering what philosophy the Bears will take. If they plan on drafting a quarterback, would they hesitate to have a rookie snapping the ball? Given the option, a lot of teams would prefer a veteran center to aid a rookie quarterback with pre-snap reads and calls.

But if Poles and the coaching staff believe there’s a savvy prospect who can be an asset to a young quarterback — assuming the Bears draft one — perhaps they like the idea of more youth on the line.

In that case, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Barton — a left tackle in college who is expected to play center this week — are interesting possibilities. Add Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini, and there’s no shortage of options.

Top wide receivers rarely head to Mobile, and you won’t see any of the elite prospects such as Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze. But it’s not only a top-heavy wide receiver class; there’s also tremendous depth. And that’s where players such as South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, North Carolina’s Tez Walker, Arizona’s Jacob Cowing, Louisville’s Jamari Thrash and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley come into play.

The Bears, for the first time in a while, have the No. 1 receiver spot figured out with DJ Moore. With Darnell Mooney coming out of contract, they don’t have a No. 2 and could use some competition for Tyler Scott, who just completed his rookie season. Considering the wealth of options, the draft would seem to make more sense than a splurge in free agency, where proven options will be available.

Free safety looms as a question on defense, and Miami’s Kamren Kinchens will be in the spotlight as a potential late first-round pick. He made 11 interceptions the last two seasons for the Hurricanes, and while there are questions about his consistency, few draft options possess the kind of range he has.

Teams are always seeking talent for the defensive line, and Texas’ Byron Murphy is an undersized player (6-foot-1, 297 pounds) who could be a nice fit for the Bears as a disruptive interior player. He had 15 sacks in three seasons for the Longhorns with 8 1/2 this past season.

It might be more of a want than a need — and the Bears were pleased with the development of 2023 second-round pick Gervon Dexter — but there’s no such thing as too many quality defensive linemen.

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