* ICYMI: ‘You preferred secrecy and lies’: Madigan confidant gets 2 years for role in ComEd bribery scheme. Capitol News Illinois…

- Mike McClain, who spent decades as one of the most influential lobbyists in Springfield due to his close relationship with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison.
- McClain is the third of his “ComEd Four” co-defendants to face sentencing for his role in a yearslong bribery scheme aimed at Madigan, in which the speaker’s allies got jobs and contracts at electric utility Commonwealth Edison to grease the wheels for major legislation the company was pushing at the Statehouse.
- Like Madigan, McClain plans to appeal and will be asking to stay out of prison while the legal process plays out.

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Madigan’s political fixer gets 2-year prison sentence: ‘You preferred secrecy and lies’
∙ Tribune: Judge hands 2 years in prison to ex-ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, calls bribery scheme with Speaker Madigan a ‘criminal alliance’

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Johnson rules out property tax hike in 2026 budget: “I will not be proposing a property tax increase in my budget,” Johnson told reporters today at an unrelated press conference. “I’m going to continue to work hard to find progressive revenue so that we can continue to make the critical investments transforming our city.” During a discussion with Bloomberg News on July 22, CFO Jill Jaworski said “it is likely that that will be part of the package” when asked about a property tax hike.

* Sun-Times | ICE arrests person without warrant at Maywood Courthouse, coalition says: A two-minute video shows two people in plainclothes, who advocates say are agents with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement, surround a man and hold onto his arm, at the Maywood Courthouse. The two never appeared to have shown a warrant or identify themselves during the video, which was shared by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “This incident is an escalation by the federal government, and is yet another example of ICE denying immigrants their constitutional rights to due process,” ICIRR said in a statement. […] ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | State Farm’s Insurance Rate Increase Sparks Backlash From Advocates, Lawmakers: Abe Scarr, director of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, said those types of regulations are important to keep insurance companies in check. He said Illinois should be like other states and adopt basic laws that give public institutions the authority to review rates and determine whether increases are excessive. “It’s not necessarily the case that it means they need to raise rates by half a billion dollars,” Scarr said. “Fundamentally, we think that rate increases of this size shouldn’t be allowed to go through without some scrutiny from public institutions. This makes the case quite clearly for the need for Illinois to adopt very basic consumer protections that almost every other state has.”

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | At 1st City Council Hearing on Consent Decree in 15 Months, No Sign of Urgency Around Reform Push: None of the alderpeople at the sparsely attended committee hearing, which lasted for approximately an hour, pressed Deputy Chief Ralph Cruz or Executive Director Allyson Clark-Henson of CPD’s Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform on why CPD had fully complied with just 16% of the court order known as the consent decree by the end of 2024. Only Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) expressed frustration with the time it was taking for CPD to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers, as required by the now nearly six-and-a-half-year-old binding court order.

* WTTW | Top Prosecutor Calls Program Allowing CPD Officers to Directly File Felony Gun Charges ‘Overwhelming Success.’ Critics Renew Objections: The pilot program has been in effect for nearly seven months in the South Side’s Englewood (7th) Police District and for nearly five months in the Calumet (5th) Police District. In all other parts of Chicago and Cook County, an assistant state’s attorney must sign off before felony gun possession charges are filed. Officers assigned to the Englewood District used the pilot program to charge 68 people with gun possession between January and July, according to data provided to WTTW News by the State’s Attorney’s Office.

* Tribune | Chicago Public Schools struggles to solve budget woes as deadline looms: In an update at a Chicago Board of Education meeting Thursday, CPS Chief Budget Officer Michael Sitkowski reiterated the district has identified $165 million in spending reductions, including cuts to its administrative staff, vendor contracts and operational efficiencies. That leaves CPS with just a few weeks to balance its books, facing hundreds of millions of deficit. Sitkowski told the board that the district is prioritizing cuts that have less impact on the classroom.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | To accommodate bus routes, 22 Chicago school bell times will change this fall: Arrival and dismissal times will be pushed back by 15-30 minutes at nearly all of the schools and families and staff at each school were notified of the changes last week, said CPS spokesperson Evan Moore. District officials did not provide exact bell schedules for each school.

* Tribune | Long-delayed $250 million Bally’s Chicago IPO may finally close in August: Eight months after launching its $250 million initial public offering, Bally’s Chicago is making a final push to solicit investors and complete the long-stalled offering within weeks. The IPO, which has navigated lawsuits and regulatory delays, was refiled for a second time July 15 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to update the company’s financials, according to the company. Bally’s Chicago is hoping to get SEC approval and close the offering by early August, according to a note to prospective investors Wednesday.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Tribune lays off 8 from newsroom, including 5 union members: The Chicago Tribune laid off eight employees Thursday, five of whom were members of the paper’s union. The cuts amount to roughly 10% of the newsroom. The laid-off employees include three non-Chicago Tribune Guild editors and reporters who covered housing, food and the Bears, the guild shared on social media. Leaders at the Chicago Tribune and Alden Global Capital, which owns Tribune Publishing, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard released from contempt, fines in one FOIA lawsuit; village assessed in another: After several weeks of back and forth between attorneys, a Cook County judge Thursday released former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard from contempt for repeated violations of court orders in an ongoing lawsuit. Henyard will also no longer be held accountable for fines incurred for each day she failed to produce records requested by the nonprofit Edgar County Watchdogs in early 2024, as her affidavit was judged as sufficient in proving she no longer has them.

* WGN | Former suburban mayor charged (again), this time with forgery: The sordid story of a suburban mayor—previously accused of lying about being threatened by a village trustee—took another twist when he was charged with election-related forgery. WGN Investigates has learned former Glendale Heights village president Chodri Khokhar turned himself in to authorities Thursday after being charged with forgery and perjury. Prosecutors accuse Khokhar of forging signatures on petitions in a failed bid to remain on the ballot for re-election in 2024.

* Daily Herald | Former Glendale Heights village president accused of forgery, perjury: The forgery charges accuse Khokhar of submitting a petition, with the intent to defraud, that contained three signatures that were not genuine. The perjury charge accuses Khokhar of “knowingly making a false statement, under oath or affirmation, which he did not believe to be true,” certifying that the signatures were done in his presence and were genuine. Khokhar denied the allegations on Thursday, adding the charges are “100%” nonsense.

* Daily Southtown | More problems at troubled Park Forest apartments that village claims are unsafe: Separately, in a court filing earlier this month, the village said that Autumn Ridge, with nearly 400 apartment units in Will County, is unsafe and a public nuisance. The filing calls on a Will County judge to appoint a receiver who will collect rents and make necessary repairs, which Park Forest complains cover virtually every aspect of the buildings, including plumbing, roofs, windows and electrical systems. The complaint alleges Autumn Ridge ownership and management “have permitted the structures…to remain in constant and continuous disrepair.” The latest issue concerns lack of natural gas service to some adjacent townhouse units as well as air conditioning still being out at one of the four high-rise apartment buildings, Mayor Joseph Woods said Monday.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council delays consideration of grocery tax extension: Aurora receives around $4.5 million in revenue through the grocery sales tax each year. Without those funds, which help pay for public safety, road maintenance, public works, community programs and environmental services, the city would likely need to look to alternative funding sources or make cuts to services, Chief Financial Officer Stacey Peterson previously said. City officials, especially Mayor John Laesch, have been saying the city is in a difficult financial state. During his inauguration speech in May, he said that the city is in “serious debt,” that his administration needs to get the city’s “financial house in order” and that residents will likely be seeing a property tax increase.

* Shaw Local | Will County sheriff’s lieutenant fired after internal investigation of fatal shooting: A Will County sheriff’s lieutenant who avoided charges over the fatal shooting of a hostage taker who surrendered to police has been fired following an internal investigation of the incident. Sheriff’s Lt. John Allen was the subject of an investigation conducted by a retired law enforcement officer over the fatal 2022 shooting of Gregory Walker, 65, of Crest Hill. Earlier this year, a $2.7 million settlement was reached between Will County and Walker’s family in a federal lawsuit case regarding the shooting.

* WGN | State’s 3rd human West Nile Virus case of 2025 confirmed in DuPage County: Health officials from the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) confirmed Thursday that the county’s first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) had been detected in a resident in Glen Ellyn. The resident who contracted the case is in their 50s and began experiencing symptoms in mid-July.

* Daily Southtown | As federal funding dries up, 94-year-old Drama Group in Chicago Heights gets ‘proactive’: “It’s not putting us in danger of closing. We still have a great deal of money in our savings, but it’s us being proactive,” said MaryEllen Fawk, president of The Drama Group board. “It’s important for us just to keep looking at where we will be in five years.” President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, the federal agency awards grants to nonprofits, arts agencies and organizations in support of arts projects across the country.

* Naperville Sun | All lead water service lines in Naperville will be removed by 2029, official says: When the 68 lead service line replacements being done this year are complete, there will be only 207 left to do – less than 1% of the city’s more than 42,000 water service lines, Darrell Blenniss said. The replacement is part of broader state and federal initiatives governing lead service lines, which are the pipes that connect a municipal water main to a residence or business. Last October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that all drinking water systems must have their lead service lines replaced by 2037. Those lines have the potential to release harmful particles into water that’s used for drinking and cooking.

* Elgin Courier-News | Elgin plans to remove lead water service lines at 900 more properties in 2026: That will bring the total to nearly 3,800 of the approximate 10,000 lead lines that need to be removed by 2037. More than 1,000 lines were replaced this year, officials said. As part of the ongoing process, the Elgin City Council this week approved a $683,000 contract with Engineering Enterprises Inc. to do the work needed so the city can apply for state funding to help offset the cost involved with taking out old lead lines and replacing them with copper, officials said.

* Sun-Times | Ironworkers new Broadview training facility is a glassy, bold roadside attraction: Next time you’re on I-290 west of Chicago — a stretch of road that’s notorious for traffic tie-ups — there’s now a good reason to slow down a bit, courtesy of Ironworkers Local 63. The union built a 12,000-square-foot training center that’s visible from the expressway at 25th Avenue. It’s a hardworking industrial facility filled with equipment and lab space that give apprentices hands-on experience learning skyscraper facade construction and other aspects of architectural and ornamental metalwork. But the building also punches far above its weight, design-wise, with a sharp, transparent curved glass facade that changes moods depending on the sky — giving the training center a certain grace and beauty that’s worth a bit of gapers’ block.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘Complete garbage’; Sonya Massey’s family reacts to Grayson’s motions of self-defense: One claims Sonya was the initial aggressor in the viral body camera footage of the shooting. The motion says she “directed an act of violence” against Grayson by throwing boiling water in his direction. Reacting to this new development, Sonya’s cousin Sonate Massey called the claim “complete garbage.” “Everyone on this planet who watched that video knows what happened,” Sontae said.

* WIFR | Concerned neighbor sounds alarm on sirens shutting down near Byron Nuclear Plant: Federal law requires companies like Constellation to maintain alert systems for anyone near nuclear facilities. Recent approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has updated Constellation Energy’s procedure. Rather than own and operate 68 sirens around the company’s Byron nuclear power plant, Constellation will switch to alerting those nearby by pinging phones.

* WGLT | Longtime McLean County Sheriff’s lieutenant announces candidacy for top post: McLean County Sheriff’s Lt. Jon Albee is running for sheriff. “While I take great pride in the responsibilities and expectations of being the sheriff, I’d like to think I’m no different than anyone here, but I also know this position comes with high expectations and to do the right thing — even when no one is watching,” said Albee in announcing his candidacy.

* IPM Newsroom | Danville youth aim to find solutions to combat gun violence with upcoming town hall: The event, called “Voices for Change”, will take place on Thursday, July 31, at 6 p.m. at the Laura Lee Fellowship House. It is organized entirely by local youth and supported by the non-profit Project Success. Organizers say the goal is to create space for young people to speak about their experiences with gun violence and share ideas for preventing it. The town hall will include presentations, personal stories from survivors and a Q&A session with community leaders. Resources for counseling and support will also be available.

* WGLT | Scope for imagination and small town vision: 4th vintage arcade in McLean: About 20 minutes south of Bloomington on old Route 66 [or I-55, if you prefer speed to scenery] is the town of McLean, population 743. McLean is home to Arcadia, the multi-site vintage arcade full of pinball machines and classic games from the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s. And soon there will be another new arcade in McLean — Arcadia Unlimited will be opening this fall and will eventually feature more than 500 restored arcade games, including rare and vintage games. With likely the highest arcades-to-people ratio in the world, McLean has become a national hub for restored pinball machines, classic games and arcade oddities because of the creativity and vision of one man: John Yates, the purveyor and singular imagination behind Arcadia.

* BND | Coach who was fired by one metro-east school district is hired by another: After retiring in June from coaching at East St. Louis Senior High School, Barry Malloyd continued to work as Mason Clark Middle School’s juvenile transition coordinator and athletic director. He was fired from this second job weeks after he was accused of letting a convicted sex offender be around student athletes — an assertion he vehemently denies. Cahokia Unit School District 187 Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said that, pending paperwork and an orientation process, the district intends to hire Malloyd as the high school’s head boys track and field coach. “His track record speaks for itself as a champion of children,” McCall said, referencing Malloyd’s multi-decade coaching career.

* WCIA | 171st Coles County Fair opens Sunday: Events begin Sunday at noon with the opening of the Merchants Building. The carnival opens at 5 p.m. and 30 minutes later, the first grandstand event of the fair will begin — the Miss Coles County pageants. Other grandstand events throughout the week include harness racing, a truck and tractor pull, a demolition derby and bull riding. There will also be an art exhibition, livestock and horse shows and a K-9 demonstration by Coles County law enforcement.

*** National ***

* Steve Kornacki | How redistricting could change the fight for the House majority: In the coming weeks, Republicans in Texas and Ohio are expected to redraw their states’ congressional maps. Their intent is transparent: to bolster their party’s chances of protecting its super-slim House majority in next year’s midterm elections. As it stands now, there are 220 Republican districts, meaning the party can afford a net loss of no more than two seats in 2026 and still keep the House. In theory, the redistricting effort could shift as many as eight seats from the Democratic to the GOP column, although the ultimate yield will depend on how aggressive the GOP gets — and how much the courts and voters will tolerate.

* The Atlantic | Two Democrats Are Bolting From a Bipartisan Governors’ Group: At least two Democratic governors—Tim Walz of Minnesota, the 2024 vice-presidential nominee, and Laura Kelly of Kansas—plan to stop paying dues to the organization this month when they are asked to renew their membership. They have concluded that the organization’s usefulness is now in doubt, according to two people familiar with the governors’ thinking, who requested anonymity to speak about plans that were not yet public. Other Democratic-governors’ offices have also been discussing their frustrations with the NGA and how they should respond, three other people familiar with the governors’ thinking told us.