* Here you go…

* Crain’s | Progressives hope to scare off challengers for Northwest Side state Senate seat: Pacione-Zayas stepped down earlier this month to become Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deputy chief of staff. Progressive elected officials and organizations are making it clear they want her former chief of staff, Graciela Guzmán, to replace her in representing the 20th District, despite not controlling the votes in the appointment process.

* ABC | Progressives launch their own campaign to flip school board seats nationwide: Some high-profile Democrats are mounting their own campaign from the other side of the spectrum, as seen with Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent outlaw of book bans. PCCC’s fundraising launch on Friday comes just a week before conservative nonprofit group Moms for Liberty holds its annual meeting in Philadelphia, where several Republican 2024 hopefuls, and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are slated to speak.

* Crain’s | S&P warning to Illinois on pension debt: You’re still not doing enough.: “We believe pensions have an elevated probability of stressing the state and local governments,” the report says. “Costs will keep rising because contributions are significantly short of meaningful funding progress, plans are poorly funded, and the Illinois Pension Code allows plans to use assumptions and methodologies that defer costs.”

* Crain’s | The week ahead: Pritzker defends Johnson’s pension fix panel: Johnson walked by reporters without taking questions, but Pritzker stopped and defended his decision to impose new enrollment limits and copays on the state’s insurance program for undocumented immigrants. The Legislature’s Latino Caucus “knew what was going on,” Pritzker told reporters. The cuts “saved the program” from financial collapse, he added.

* Tribune | The next generation of Latino leaders are being forged by the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation: “We needed to build a pipeline so that we could put forward folks as opportunities came up, whether it was within city government, state government, county government, corporate boards, commissions that both the city and state have where citizens can serve,” Villegas said.

* Crain’s | With diversity on boards lagging, Giannoulias and researchers target more corporate cooperation: As required by the amendment, Illinois corporations are required to submit diversity reports to the secretary of state. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers then compile those filings into an annual report which analyzes the makeup — including gender, racial and ethnic and sexual orientation — of members of the Illinois corporate boards that file the mandated reports.

* Sun-Times | City could open as many as 5 migrant shelters: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration also plans to open a welcoming center at Roberto Clemente Community Academy High School, 1147 N. Western Ave. Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), chair of the City Council’s Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee, described it as a point of entry for migrants arriving in Chicago.

* Crain’s Editorial | More questions swirl around Lightfoot’s casino deal: On June 23, the Sun-Times pulled back the covers on the relationship between the financial services consultancy hired by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot to evaluate pitches for the Chicago casino and the gambling company that eventually won the contract.

* Center Square | New Illinois law ends insurance restrictions on certain dog breeds: “For years, harmful stereotypes of certain dog breeds have allowed insurers to punish families for owning a specific dog breed, resulting in cancellation or stiff premiums for their policies,” said state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora. “This measure will help ensure that all dog owners are treated fairly in the insurance market.”

* WMAY | Illinois Supreme Court Justice Holder White to run for full term in 2024: Holder White’s appointment runs through late 2024, so she will run next year as a Republican for a full ten-year term in the court’s 4th District; she and her husband live in Sangamon County.

* Tribune | Chicago police log 11,000 complaints since consent decree went into effect, as monitor cites ‘real concerns’ about effort to analyze use-of-force issues: “They have a plan and they’re working on it, but it is very important to have that up-to-date because that’s where they spot trends,” former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey said, and staffing challenges continue to hinder CPD’s efforts.

* Sun-Times | GI Bill case filed by decorated Army veteran James Rudisill to be heard by the Supreme Court: James Rudisill, 43, says the federal Department of Veterans Affairs wrongly cut short the number of months of college benefits he earned under both GI bills over the course of multiple periods of service in the Army.

* Lake County News-Sun | Brownfield site may doom Waukegan’s push for Bears stadium: But doubtful in Waukegan, which sees its possible location as no laughing matter, while the team weighs and negotiates and wrangles offers from a growing throng of locations. Those communities want to be at the goal line if the historic and soon-to-be-razed former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights falters as the Bears’ chief stadium pick.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community ‘visible, vibrant’ — but concerned for transgender members’ ability to ‘live your life freely.’: As Pride Month comes to a close, the Sun-Times spoke to advocates, service providers and members of the community about the key issues affecting Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community — and what more needs to be done to protect them.

* Block Club | South Shore Neighbors Push For Law Locking In Protections For Longtime Residents Near Obama Library: A revised proposed ordinance aims to protect locals from being displaced by the Obama Presidential Library. New Ald. Desmond Yancy has pledged to introduce it in his first 100 days in office.