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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Aug 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Complaint deemed unfounded against state lawmaker surfaces in downstate legislative race. Sun-Times…
- In a press release shared by a GOP-aligned consultancy firm and the campaign of Briel’s Republican challenger, Liz Bishop, Jackson accused Briel of unwanted “repeated sexual advances, workplace drug use, harassment and retaliation” while working in the legislator’s district and campaign offices. - “Laura Jackson felt ignored by Springfield and sought assistance elsewhere. After working hard to promote a candidate she felt obligated to correct the record,” Bishop said. * Related stories… Sponsored by Chronic Care Policy Alliance It’s a fact: obesity is a chronic disease. Access to FDA-approved obesity treatments shouldn’t depend on a patient’s financial situation. A recent study of Illinois voters found:
- 81% believe access to obesity treatment is especially important for communities facing higher rates of chronic disease. - 78% agree that when programs like Medicaid cover obesity medicines, they help improve lives and lead to better health outcomes down the road. Expanding access to obesity medicines through Medicaid can help eligible patients receive the care they need to manage a chronic disease and prevent long-term complications. Learn why Illinois policymakers should provide Medicaid coverage for obesity medicines and help ensure every eligible patient has access to treatment. * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Tribune | Nearly six years after indictment, plug not being pulled on ‘ComEd Four’ case just yet: Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur proposed that both sides come back in two months, which would give Pramaggiore’s new legal team time to review the extraordinarily large volume of evidence in the case, which includes millions of documents, wiretaps, undercover videos and emails. […] “I want you to be thinking about February 2027 (for a trial),” Shah said. “It’s obviously a case of some vintage. It has been tried before, so in theory, people could get prepared and be ready for it.” * Tribune | RTA approves funding estimates in final meeting before being replaced by Northern Illinois Transit Authority: Current RTA board members’ terms expire Sept. 1, although a handful of current board members have been appointed to the NITA board that will replace it. Thursday was the RTA’s final regularly scheduled board meeting. Members of an RTA transition committee are scheduled to meet again next week. * IDES | Record High Payroll Jobs, Unemployment Rate Down in July: The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in July, down -0.2 percentage point from June, and up +0.6 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised June unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. Total nonfarm payrolls saw a fifth consecutive over-the-month increase in July, up +11,700 (+0.2%) to 6,176,400, a record high. The June monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +1,500 to +1,800. The July payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. * Statewide | Changing juvenile detention: Recent state inspections show numerous county-level juvenile detention centers fail to meet state standards. There have also been claims of abuse and lack of oversight. Studies have also shown locking up juveniles can have long-term consequences. Two new state laws seek to change the system. Peter Medlin speaks with Elizabeth Clarke, founder of the juvenile detention watchdog Juvenile Justice Initiative about the impact the laws could make. * Rockford News First | Loves Park bakery owner inspires change in state law: Malone said the harassment started again, called the sheriff’s department and learned the person accused of stalking her had not received the final paperwork. “I was so angry that I thought that this was in place for my protection, and it wasn’t,” she said. “Until that person is actually served that paperwork, you’re not protected at all.” Malone then called State Senator Steve Stadelman’s office and explained what happened. * NBC Chicago | Bally’s says its Chicago casino will open on time despite financial issues: Still, Bally’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel Kim Barker says all things are go for an on-time casino opening. “Bally’s continues to be in a strong position to deliver the integrated casino and resort,” Barker said. “That is without question, we do have the funding and we will complete it on time.” * Crain’s | Chicago home prices make biggest jump in over 5 years: The median price of homes sold in Chicago was up 13.3% in July from a year ago, according to data released this morning by Illinois Realtors. That’s a higher year-over-year jump than prices have made in any month since January 2021, when they were up 15.9% from a year earlier. * Sun-Times | With PPP fraud case looming, son of Chicago’s ex-top cop avoids suspension over chaotic arrest: The recommendation to suspend Terry Hillard’s son for as long as a month was wiped out after then-police Supt. Larry Snelling intervened in the case. The younger Hillard faces potential dismissal for allegedly getting more than $18,000 in fraudulent PPP loans. * Sun-Times | Lobbyist John Kelly, a mayoral candidate, vows to use relationships he’s built to save a ‘city in decline’: Kelly is not saying precisely how he would pay for all of that when Chicago is facing a $90 million mid-year shortfall, a $1 billion gap in next year’s budget and a $36 billion pension crisis that has police and fire pension funds dangerously close to bankruptcy. He would only talk in the broadest of strokes about reducing police overtime, cutting the mayor’s 154-member bodyguard detail and approaching private businesses, maybe even some of his own lobbying clients, for help. * Crain’s | O’Hare overhaul shifts gears to speed up new global terminal: The city of Chicago is going back to its original construction plan at O’Hare, building two satellite concourses ahead of the new global terminal that is the centerpiece of the massive facilities overhaul underway at the airport. The Department of Aviation says the move will save money and time. It also will provide some operational flexibility during a major construction project. * WTTW | Chicago Won’t Host 2028 Democratic National Convention: Chicago and Atlanta were eliminated in the first round of cuts made by officials with the Democratic National Committee, leaving Boston, Philadelphia and Denver to battle it out to host the gathering planned for Aug. 7-10, 2028, officials said. All five cities put forward “incredibly strong bids” to put on an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that did not explain why Chicago and Atlanta fell short. * Daily Southtown | Will County renews Flock camera agreements despite some dissent: The board approved the proposals by a 14-8 vote, with four Democrats and four Republicans casting no votes. “They can follow you from the second you walk out your door,” said board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican, who voted against the proposal. “Our liberties are more important than these surveillance (cameras).” Board member Katie Deane-Schlottman, a Joliet Republican, said residents don’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy in public. Cameras are on highways, private property and people’s doorbells, she said. * Daily Herald } https://www.dailyherald.com/20260820/news/bartlett-community-debates-use-of-flock-cameras-as-village-considers-extending-contract/: Bartlett, which has been using Flock cameras for four years, is mulling whether to extend its pact with the company for at least another year. A vote on the extension could happen as soon as Sept. 1. But on Tuesday, a group of 10 residents spoke out against the use of the license plate readers. “Bartlett doesn’t feel any safer today than it did in 2024, than it did in 2022,” resident Keith Humphrey told the village board. “I don’t feel like you trust me because you constantly watch me.” * Naperville Sun | Why the Naperville council is taking its time on kratom ban decision: Councilman Benny White acknowledged the relief some speakers said they found from natural leaf kratom but said he still supported a complete retail ban. “Quite frankly, our top responsibility as councilmen and women up here is public safety,” he said. “We talk about fire and police all the time but when it comes to public health … this falls right in line with that for me.” For other council members, the distinction speakers drew between synthetic and non-synthetic kratom products merited more information before making a final decision. * Daily herald | No truth to conflict allegations made against D203 board members, Cush says: Cush addressed the allegations at Monday’s board meeting, saying the district has no contracts with the Alive Center and the board members have not benefited from their involvement with both organizations. “I am making this statement for transparency to our community and to address the detrimental impact that this board member’s recent conduct and allegations have had,” Cush said. * Shaw Local | Village of Manteno lacks quorum; mayor asks police to arrest non-attending board members: The absent board members were CJ Boudreau, who messaged before the meeting that he had matters to attend to at work; Todd Crockett, Annette Zimbelman, who messaged beforehand that she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t make it; and Joel Gesky, who messaged Village Administrator Chris LaRoque that he wouldn’t be able to make it. Also missing was Village Attorney Joe Cainkar, who had an event to attend at his children’s school. The village of Manteno is suing those same four trustees regarding a special meeting held in June, where they reappointed Cainkar as the village attorney. LaMore terminated Cainkar but the four missing trustees reinstated him in a June 25 special meeting that LaMore said was illegal under village code. That lawsuit got continued on Monday to 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21. * Rockford News First | Flock cameras in Lee County cut down: The three cameras taken down were near Interstate 39 in eastern Lee County. According to the sheriff’s office, the poles were cut over the previous three weeks and will cost hundreds of dollars to repair and replace. * WGLT | Rivian’s tax appeal remains a sticking point for Unit 5’s proposed $252M budget: Rivian, which makes electric vehicles in Normal, has challenged the assessed value of seven properties [including the main plant] impacting its 2025 taxes. Unit 5 says Rivian initially appealed to a county review board that kept things as-is, leading the company to file an appeal with the state’s Property Tax Appeal Board [PTAB]. The appeal remains pending in front of PTAB. “We’re closely monitoring to see what the impact will be because there’s the potential for it to have a significant impact to Unit 5,” Superintendent Kristen Weikle said at Wednesday’s Unit 5 school board meeting. * WMBD | Heavy flooding leaves Central Illinois Farmers watching crops ahead of harvest: The flooding left standing water across parts of the farm and caused physical damage to some crops. Ackerman said water was running through areas of the farm on Wednesday night that were beginning to dry by Thursday. He called it an unusual amount of rain for August. While farmers can benefit from rainfall this time of year, particularly for soybeans, Ackerman said this was simply too much at once. * WICS | Workers Escape Moments Before Mattoon Collapse: City Manager Kyle Gill said officials reviewed video and spoke with witnesses who indicated everyone was able to get out safely. No injuries were reported. “We believe of all the videos that we’ve looked at and talking to witnesses that everybody was out of the buildings. Nobody was injured. But we are going slow to get to the front of that building so we can get into the building and verify,” Gill said. * Fox 32 | One monthly bill Americans can’t avoid is quietly surging thanks to emerging industry: Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas finds that the rapid growth of AI data centers could make electricity more expensive for households in the coming years. And researchers estimate existing data centers that have popped up all over the country in recent years have already pushed average wholesale electricity prices 2% to 6% higher nationwide, with even larger surges in areas where these facilities are concentrated. * Press release | AAPOR Responds to Fabricated Polling Data: An organization acknowledged Monday that it produced fake polls as part of a “short-term social experiment.” At least one news outlet, some online polling aggregators, and a political candidate shared the fabricated data masquerading as legitimate survey results. The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), the leading association of public opinion and survey research professionals, strongly condemns the fabrication of data in any polling or public opinion research. Intentionally misleading the public is a serious breach of ethics and undermines legitimate polling and public opinion work. * AP | Nebraska’s largest school district asks police to stop using electric shock gloves on students: Omaha Superintendent Matthew Ray requested that police working in the schools, known as school resource officers, stop using the gloves. Omaha Police agreed. However, the suburban Bellevue police department that patrols two Omaha schools and the large Bellevue district said its officers will continue carrying the gloves. Three other large school districts in the metro area that have Omaha school resource officers assigned to their buildings have not taken action to stop police from using the devices. * Inside Climate News | The Data Center Industry’s PR Blitz Is Backfiring: The ad extolled the purported economic benefits of data centers, including the claim that these enormous power-hungry facilities pay their own energy costs so “North Carolina families don’t have to.” “I knew it wasn’t true, and it concerned me that other people wouldn’t know the other side,” said Parrott, whose land could back up to a proposed data center. “I figured somebody in the data center industry had to be behind it.”
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Good morning!
Friday, Aug 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Aug 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Aug 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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