* Let’s start with SAFE-T Act coverage…

* Sun-Times | Illinois Democrats celebrate court decision ending cash bail: ‘Monumental change is possible’: Many Republicans argued it would put violent offenders back on the streets and would not protect victims. Illinois state’s attorneys and sheriffs also challenged the law in courts. A short statement from Pritzker — who has been in the United Kingdom on a trade mission since last week — belied the months of pummeling he and other Democrats weathered on the campaign trail last year from Republicans who tried, and mostly failed, to rally votes around on the issue.

* NYT | Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Measure Designed to End Cash Bail: The Illinois Supreme Court upheld a measure on Tuesday eliminating cash bail in the state, finding that Democratic legislators acted properly when they passed the law, which will transform the Illinois criminal justice system and limit judges’ ability to hold defendants in jail before trial.

* Sun-Times | What happens when cash bail ends in Illinois? In other states, there have been successes but the debate continues: Other states, red and blue, have tried limited versions of what Illinois is about to do. That has made it difficult to know exactly what to expect. As researchers at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government found, “There are so many different approaches to bail reform and because few jurisdictions rigorously evaluate the bail reforms they have implemented, there is not a clear blueprint for what works.”

* WGEM | Quincy police will be ready for ‘no cash bail’ changes: [Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates] Yates stated the Quincy Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department and Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office met in late 2022 to prepare for the changes that were initially set to go into effect Jan 1. He stated police would work over the next 60 days to ensure they are ready for implementation on Sept. 18.

* Daily Herald | Elation, dismay from suburban leaders over state Supreme Court’s landmark bail ruling: McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally, who was among the prosecutors who sued to block the change, said his office is disheartened by the decision, He believes it will make the job of prosecutors, judges and police more difficult. “That said, we have no choice other than to accept the decision and move on,” he said, adding that his office will do everything within its power to ensure that dangerous offenders remain behind bars while awaiting trial and other measures are in place to minimize risk to the public. “As the flaws of this haphazardly enacted and poorly conceived law become immediately apparent in the form of compromised safety of communities across the state, we will also seek to work with our legislators on common-sense reforms,” Kenneally said.

* WSPY | Kendall County officials ready for SAFE-T Act implementation, again: Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis was among those who filed suit against the act, delaying a January implementation of a cash free bail system. With Tuesday’s ruling, the act will now go into effect in September. […] Circuit Clerk Matt Prochaska says that his office was ready for the financial impacts of the act before it went to litigation.

* WMBD | Reaction to the Illinois Supreme Court decision on the SAFE-T Act case: State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat in the Illinois General Assembly: “This decision reflects the countless hours of careful consideration that went into every component of the SAFE-T Act. Responsibly modernizing our pretrial procedures will not only create a fairer process, it will help to make our communities safer by basing release decisions on a public safety assessment instead of a defendant’s access to cash.

* BND | What public officials are saying about Illinois Supreme Court ruling on SAFE-T Act : REP. CHARLIE MEIER, R-OKAWVILLE “I voted against eliminating no-cash bail when this law passed in 2021. The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to support the elimination of cash bail will set criminals free that should otherwise remain behind bars. I am very disappointed with the ruling made by the Illinois Supreme Court Democrat majority that was elected by Governor Pritzker.

* News Channel 20 | State lawmakers react to SAFE-T Act: State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield): “It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court overruled our state’s constitution and the will of the people of Illinois by upholding the SAFE-T Act. This ruling is just one more blow to the credibility of the Illinois Supreme Court, particularly after two of the justices accepted a million dollars from the main proponent of the Act—Governor JB Pritzker. This is yet another victory for the people who choose to commit crimes in our state. Where are the victories for the victims?”

* And here’s the rest…

* Tribune | COPA unable to find victims in probe of Chicago officers allegedly having sex with migrants housed at stations: Citing the public scrutiny around the allegations, COPA’s chief administrator, Andrea Kersten, held a rare news conference at the agency’s office in West Town Tuesday morning. Kersten told reporters that COPA has received a second allegation of sexual misconduct involving at least one still-unknown Chicago Police Department officer and a migrant, whose identity also wasn’t known as of Tuesday.

* Politico | The long, hot money race: If second-quarter fundraising numbers are any indication, 2024 is going to be a snoozer for most of the congressional races in Illinois. Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) has outpaced all of his Illinois colleagues (again). He has nearly $13.5 million cash on hand, more than most members of Congress across the country.

* Crain’s | There’s a stealth campaign to lure business away from Illinois. Lawmakers must halt it.: Today in Washington, D.C., the fourth phase of a multi-decade strategy to entice business from Illinois and other Midwest states using legislative stealth continues apace. Utilizing the “boiling frog” approach — moving sufficiently small to not draw attention until it is too late — hostile business interests work through their federal representatives to quietly nullify small advantages of Midwest commercial interests. In so doing, they cripple a critical component of regional air travel, which raises their odds of capturing high-value meetings and conference business.

* AP | Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews: The railroad will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but officials say this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful.

* Crain’s | These Chicago execs want their fraud convictions overturned. Here’s their argument.: Rishi Shah and Shradha Agarwal are using a novel argument in asking a federal judge to throw out their April convictions on federal fraud charges or at least grant them a new trial. Shah and Agarwal, co-founders of Outcome Health, say prosecutors seized more of their assets than they should have before trial, which left the two without enough money to hire the attorneys who were their first choices.

* WICS | State representative to host free family resource fair at Rantoul sports complex: State Representative Mike Marron is hosting a Family Resource Fair at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 8.

* WCIA | Ford County reports first West Nile virus bird case: “The positive bird is an indication that West Nile Virus is circulating in our area and individuals should take appropriate preventive measures to protect their health,” said Nancy Mandamuna, Environmental Health Specialist for the FCPHD.

* Borderless | Behind The Scenes Of “After The Buses: Meet The Migrants At The Center Of Texas’ Manufactured Crisis”: Last week we published our series, After the Buses, a three-month-long project where Borderless Magazine and Block Club Chicago reporters followed 10 out of the more than 3,700 migrants who arrived in Chicago from Texas as part of Texas’ Operation Lone Star campaign.

* Crain’s | Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois looks to fill 300 jobs in Pilsen: BCBSIL, one of five insurance plans owned by Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp., plans to initially hire up to 70 people for customer service positions, with a focus on applicants who can speak both English and Spanish, according to a statement. The insurance giant will continue hiring over the coming months, and about 30 of the roles will be information technology jobs.

* Tribune | Chicago madam sentenced to home confinement in ‘unusual’ federal case targeting West Side fetish house: Jessica Nesbitt 35, who also goes by the name “Madame Priscilla Belle,” admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors that she raked in more than $1 million in payments from clients for sexual services over seven years through her business, Kink Extraordinaire.

* Reuters | Taco Bell wins ‘Taco Tuesday’ trademark dispute with rival chain: Yum Brands’ (YUM.N) Taco Bell prevailed on Tuesday in its self-described bid to “liberate” the phrase “Taco Tuesday,” as competing fast-food chain Taco John’s told the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) it would abandon its federal “Taco Tuesday” trademark.

* Daily Herald | How some suburban parks have parted ways with pesticides: Following in the footsteps of Elgin, Naperville and Park Ridge, Lake Forest has launched a pesticide-free pilot program at Everett Park this year, using natural methods such as compost top dressing and overseeding to combat weeds without herbicide.

* WAND | Chevelle to perform at the Illinois State Fair: “We are excited to add Chevelle to an already diverse lineup,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “From country to rock, to pop and hip hop, we feel we have built a grandstand lineup for every musical taste. We can’t wait to welcome fairgoers to the 2023 Illinois State Fair next month.”

* Crain’s | Illinois residents getting more biometric privacy settlement cash — this time from Instagram: The $68.5 million preliminary approval is the result of a class-action lawsuit in which Illinois alleged that Meta platforms violated the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. Instagram allegedly collected and stored biometric information — personal identifiers like fingerprints and facial recognition — without the proper requirements.