* AP…

Illinois has one of the nation’s worst problems with child sex abuse at juvenile detention centers, attorneys representing more than 900 survivors who have filed lawsuits said Wednesday.

Dozens of complaints, including several filed this week in Chicago, allege decades of systemic abuse of children by the employees of detention facilities. Similar lawsuits have popped up in states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, but Illinois stands out for the volume of cases that began piling up last year and the lackluster response from state leaders, according to attorneys.

“The scale and the magnitude and the severity of these cases are some of the worst we’ve seen all over the United States,” Jerome Block, an attorney who has filed lawsuits nationwide, said at a news conference.

The latest Illinois complaints, filed Tuesday, represent 107 people who experienced abuse as children at 10 centers statewide. Some have since closed. The lawsuits allege abuse from the mid-1990s to 2018, including rape, forced masturbation and beatings by chaplains, counselors, officers and kitchen supervisors.

* Rep. Margaret Croke secured the Cook County Democratic Party’s endorsement for comptroller after a motion to make the race an open primary failed. We’re told New Trier Democratic Committeeperson Dean Maragos flipped his vote…

Croke is close to Gov. JB Pritzker. She worked on his 2018 campaign and was deputy chief of staff at @IllinoisDCEO before her election to the Illinois House. She’s also on the board of Pritzker’s abortion rights advocacy group @Think_Big_USA. #twill https://t.co/sIwTh7Hvxx

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) July 18, 2025

* Sun-Times national political reporter Tina Sfondeles…

Cook County Dem Party decides not to slate anyone in the Senate race to replace Dick Durbin. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton spoke before the party; Rep. Robin Kelly had a surrogate after missing a flight amid late night House votes.

— Tina Sfondeles (@TinaSfon) July 18, 2025

* The US Senate approved cuts to NPR, PBS yesterday. Illinois Times reporter Dilpreet Raju…

Here are the public news stations in Illinois that will experience the biggest hits from federal funding being cut, pulled from data compiled by Alex Curley of semipublic (https://t.co/1tjeLhELGJ) pic.twitter.com/9Amscjjp78

— Dilpreet Raju (@dilpreetraju) July 18, 2025

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | UChicago Medicine suspends gender-affirming care for minors: “UChicago Medicine has reached the difficult decision that in response to continued federal actions, it will discontinue all gender-affirming pediatric care effective immediately,” the Hyde Park-based medical center announced. “We understand that this news will have a significant impact on our patients.” UChicago pointed to recent actions by the Trump administration to cut back Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements as a key factor in the decision. “We reached this conclusion in light of emerging federal actions which would place at risk our ability to care for all Medicare or Medicaid patients. These patients make up the majority of those we serve,” the statement read. “As the largest Medicaid provider in Illinois, this step is necessary to ensure UChicago Medicine can continue serving our broader community and delivering on our mission. Our focus right now is working with affected patients to discuss options going forward.”

* Sun-Times | Trump to reverse environmental racism, housing discrimination cases in Chicago: ProPublica reported Friday that the two Chicago cases are among seven that the Trump administration is dismissing. There is no official word from HUD and the agency has not responded to multiple requests from the Sun-Times for comment. One high-profile case involved the General Iron scrap metal operation that was being relocated from white, affluent Lincoln Park to a low-income community of color on the Southeast Side.

* WTTW | Chicago’s Top Lawyer on Ethics Reform, the Cost of Police Misconduct Lawsuits: Mary Richardson-Lowry, corporation counsel for the city of Chicago and leader of the city’s Law Department, told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” on Thursday that her office didn’t obstruct any probes. “It just wasn’t factual,” Richardson-Lowry said. “That was a mischaracterization, but I view it as an attempt to lift the issue to further evolutions in ethics reform. This structure gets us to a place where we don’t erode our obligations as lawyers, nor do we have an adverse impact on the Office of Inspector General — who’s also my client — and their ability to do their job.”

* Sun-Times | Damen Silos demolition underway as historic structures make way for new development: Just five days in, the smaller buildings surrounding the massive structures near South Damen Avenue along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal are already torn down and destruction of the silos has begun, according to city officials and owner Michael Tadin Jr. The biggest portion of the demo project includes two sets of 80-foot concrete silos and a tower that’s about 110 feet tall. The demolition will take months.

* Tribune | Renovated Red Line stations on North Side to reopen Sunday: The four stations — Argyle, Bryn Mawr, Lawrence and Berwyn — were renovated as part of a $2.1 billion Red and Purple line modernization project paid for by a combination of grants, federal money, transit tax increment financing dollars and CTA funds. The CTA has operated temporary stations at Argyle and Bryn Mawr during the construction period, but the Lawrence and Berwyn stations have been shuttered for more than four years.

* WBEZ | Car, bike, public transit: What’s the best way to get around town?: In this episode, the Curious City team puts the different modes of transportation to the test in a good old-fashioned transit race. From the Garfield Park Conservatory to Navy Pier, who will win? Car, bike or public transportation?

* Sun-Times | Work-zone speed-enforcement cameras still not being used on the Kennedy Expressway: But the “photo enforcement” signs still carry that empty threat in spots on the Kennedy, the Edens Expressway, Illinois tollways and some state roads in the suburbs. The Illinois Department of Transportation — the agency overseen by Gov. JB Pritzker that’s responsible for the state’s highway system — says it’s required to place the warning signs in work zones if there’s a possibility cameras will be used to snare speeders in reduced-speed construction zones. IDOT says there’s so much traffic congestion in Chicago and close-in suburbs that speeders generally aren’t as much of a problem in work zones there as they are farther away from the city, so that’s where the camera-enforcement efforts are focused.

* Block Club | Chicago’s All-Girls Baseball Team, Full Of Barrier-Breaking High School Stars, Heads To Nationals: The Humboldt Park Gators, Chicago’s only all-girls baseball team, captured the hearts of locals on their way to winning a national youth championship on their first try in 2021. Now, the Gators have spun off into a new team — with many more girls playing baseball, too. Perfect Catch Chicago will take four teams to Sparks, Nevada, next week for the 2025 Baseball For All Nationals, the country’s annual all-girls baseball tournament.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Audio recording by District 203 school board member prompts police investigation: A Naperville Unit District 203 school board member is the target of a complaint after she claimed to have recorded a citizen’s finance committee meeting. Naperville police are investigating a claim that Melissa Kelley Black violated eavesdropping laws by recording a meeting of the advisory panel without approval. A police spokesman declined further comment. No criminal charges had been filed as of Wednesday.

* Daily Southtown | Will County approves solar farms in Crete, Lockport townships; deny two in Troy: The village of Homer Glen objected to the Lockport Township proposal; Crete Township voiced concerns over the solar farm proposed in its community and 10 agencies, including Shorewood, the Troy Fire Protection District and various school districts, objected to the solar projects for Troy Township. Concerns included the solar farms not being a right fit for the site, potential depreciation of nearby home values and concerns regarding soil and groundwater contamination.

* Evanston Now | Report: Housing, funding cuts among top city issues nationwide: A report released Thursday by the National League of Cities found that housing, economic growth and the impact of federal funding cuts are top of mind for municipalities across the country, mirroring concerns raised by leaders in Evanston. The NLC’s annual State of the Cities report found that 70% of mayors surveyed reported “challenges associated with the lack of housing supply in 2025,” with another 57% calling the availability of housing in their communities “poor” or “very poor.” Housing supply is top of mind in Evanston, too, as noted in Mayor Daniel Biss’ State of the City address on May 14, a speech in which he touched on zoning restraints that limit increases to housing supply.

* Tribune | Chicago-area nursing homes fined for ‘severe’ violations that led to patient deaths, Illinois health department says: One of the heftiest fines, at $50,000, was given to Cicero’s City View Multicare Center. IDPH found that the facility didn’t properly supervise a cognitively impaired resident’s eating, saying the 60-year-old man choked and died as a result. The resident was admitted to the facility in August 2023 with terminal illness under hospice services, the report stated. The man had diagnoses of dementia, diabetes and bipolar schizophrenia, and required supervision when eating. His name isn’t included in the report. Staff told emergency responders on Oct. 12, 2024, that the man — who was on a pureed diet — grabbed a turkey sandwich and began choking. Nurses said the resident clutched his throat and looked like he was “trying really hard to cough,” the report said. When the nurse opened his mouth it was full of saliva. Although staff and paramedics attempted the Heimlich maneuver, the man died that night around 7:48 p.m. at the hospital of “hypoxic cardiopulmonary arrest,” the report said.

* Daily Herald | Eviction suit added to dispute between Kane County horse rescue and landlords: The dispute between a horse rescue group and its landlords has taken another turn, with the landlords trying to evict the nonprofit organization from the rural Kane County farm it calls home. However, a Kane County judge has slowed the eviction process by ordering that it be merged with a lawsuit that Casey’s Safe Haven filed in March against the owners of the Maple Park property. The owners of the farm filed the eviction suit on June 3. According to court paperwork, the property owners gave a 30-day notice of termination on April 11. The eviction case was due to have its first court date on Tuesday, July 15, before Kane County Judge Elizabeth Flood.

* Daily Herald | ‘This is a blessing’: Suburban charity helps retired police dogs get health care: Hogyn, now 11 years old, has continued to live with his partner in his retirement, as do most police dogs. However, his police department no longer picks up the tab on the German shepherd’s health care and other needs. That’s all on Baron. And for older dogs that spent years chasing bad guys, searching rugged terrain for missing people and sniffing out drugs, explosives and other dangerous items, the aging process can be more difficult — and costly — than for the average family pet.

* Daily Southtown | Homewood ceremony pays tribute to nearly forgotten veteran who died in 1995 heat wave: Emilio Aguirre, a World War II combat veteran, died in his apartment in Chicago 30 years ago, not from illness, nor injury. Aguirre died just two weeks before his 82nd birthday from heat as temperatures reached up to what felt like 125 degrees during the 1995 Chicago heat wave. For nearly three decades, the Army veteran’s death stood lonely, unrecognized and forgotten. Despite being a Bronze Star recipient, there was no formal military funeral, no proper headstone or marker. That changed last month with a headstone placed at Aguirre’s final resting spot at Homewood Memorial Gardens, where he had been buried with 41 other heat wave victims and other unclaimed or unknown city residents. And on Thursday, 30 years to the day after his death, Aguirre received full military funeral honors.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Bloomington mayor says reassessing sales tax sharing with McLean County hinges on what’s in it for the city: Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said this week’s decision by the county board executive committee against approving a hiatus on sales tax sharing drives home the seriousness of the matter, as talks continue about the intergovernmental agreement to fund mental health and other services. “Those are … at the table, I don’t know if they convey it enough to elected county board members to understand the delicacy of this,” Brady said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.

* WICS | Sangamon County Jail operations disrupted by infrastructure mishaps: The first incident occurred on Monday, July 14, 2025, when contractors from the City of Springfield, working on the rail project and new transportation hub, accidentally struck a water pipe in the alleyway behind the jail. This resulted in a disruption of the water supply to both the jail and the Sheriff’s Office. In response, bottled water was provided to inmates, and normal operations resumed by 8:00 a.m. the following day. The second incident took place around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16, when the same contractors hit an underground power line in the same alleyway. This caused a power outage affecting the jail, Sheriff’s Office, and parts of the Courthouse. Backup generators ensured essential systems remained operational, and full power was restored by 2:30 a.m. Thursday, with normal operations resuming at 8:00 a.m.

* Muddy River News | Honoring its roots, Adams County Fair gears up for its 83rd year: Highlights of this year’s fair include a concert with country music icons Sara Evans and Mark Wills on the evening of Saturday, July 26, sponsored by Gem City Ford Lincoln and SIU Center for Family Medicine in Quincy. Other musical acts include “Silver Bullets,” “Stealin’ Copper,” “Mugshot Bandits,” and Fuedin’ Hillbillys. These acts will take over the Buss Ag Services stage inside the Beer Garden throughout the fair.

* SIU | SIU Carbondale police welcome public input in law enforcement accreditation: An IACLEA assessment team will arrive on Aug. 10 to examine all aspects of the department’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, said Benjamin Newman, director of DPS and chief of police. Verification by the team that DPS meets IACLEA’s state-of-the-art standards is part of gaining a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence, Newman said. To achieve four-year accreditation, DPS must comply with 227 standards, Newman said. This is the first time DPS is seeking accreditation with IACLEA; the department is already accredited with the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

* WCIA | Paxton increasing video game machine fees by 900%: One Central Illinois city has worked hard to give their downtown a facelift. The same city has also increased fees for gaming machines by 900%. While these two things may not seem related — city officials said one eventually led to the other. Paxton revamped its downtown and plans on continuing the work. They realized gaming machines would be a part of it, but didn’t want them lining all of downtown. So, they created a plan to regulate it.

* KFVS | Concert to benefit Carbondale homeless shelter: Kevin Lucas will host the concert with guest Grant Maloy Smith. It’ll be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda. Organizers say there is no cover charge. All music costs and tips will go to the Good Samaritan House homeless shelter in Carbondale.

* World Atlas | Why This Illinois Town Deserves More Attention: Only 30 minutes from St. Louis, on the historic National Road, Lebanon, Illinois, presents one of the Midwest’s most vibrant small-town tourism experiences—without the crowds, gimmickry, and over-commercialization that can detract from more famous locales. Lebanon is a rare gem with its rich history, preserved architecture, lively arts scene, and strong connection to its natural and community heritage. This is a town where yesterday and today converge on brick-paved streets, and there is never a shortage of something worth exploring.

*** National ***

* CNBC | Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 ‘visa integrity fee’ — what to know: The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived. However travelers may also be able to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision. Details about the new requirement are scant, which has resulted in “significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation,” a spokesperson from the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC Travel.

* AP | Britain is lowering the voting age to 16. It’s getting a mixed reaction: There has been a mixed reaction in Britain to the government’s announcement that it will lower the voting age from 18 to 16 before the next national election. The Labour Party administration says it’s part of a package of changes to strengthen British democracy and help restore trust in politics. The opposition says it’s a power-grab by the left.

* NBC | FEMA records show Kerr County didn’t alert all cellphones as flooding began: The FEMA message archive shows that as the water began rising in Kerr County on July 4, the National Weather Service sent an IPAWS flood warning to cellphones as early as 1:14 a.m. However, weather service forecasters cannot issue instructions on whether to evacuate or wait for rescue; those messages are up to county or city officials. The FEMA archive showed that Kerr County did not send any wireless alerts through IPAWS on July 4, when the flooding began.