* Here you go…

* Tribune | Tim Mapes perjury trial opens in earnest with clash over alleged lies in sprawling federal probe: The Mapes defense team countered with a far different picture: Mapes “did his level best” in giving answers during an intimidating grand jury process but simply could not remember details about key questions prosecutors asked about Madigan’s political association with a top confidant.

* Sun-Times | Defense in perjury trial of ex-Madigan top aide begins with talk of high school reunions, old crushes and a faulty memory: But Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur argued that Mapes was once part of a tight inner-circle involving Madigan and fellow Springfield insider Michael McClain. She stressed that Mapes claimed in 2021 not to know anything — “anything” — about work that had been done by McClain for Madigan.

* ABC Chicago | ‘Butter Cow’ sculpture unveiled ahead of 2023 Illinois State Fair: One of the most famous stars of the Illinois State Fair made its first appearance Wednesday. The 2023 “Butter Cow” was unveiled ahead of Thursday’s fair opening. The cow made its first appearance in 1922 and has been a fan favorite ever since.

* Block Club | As Illinois Becomes Hub For Abortion Care, New Hotline Connects People With Complex Cases To Hospitals: The CARLA hotline, which stands for Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access, will connect abortion clinic staff with four major Chicago-area hospitals so they can schedule abortion appointments for patients who need hospital-based care.

* Sun-Times | Lawsuit over ‘sham’ Waukegan casino selection process could delay construction, developer says: Full House Resorts has been running a temporary casino in the north suburb since February, but an appellate court ruling could end up forcing officials to restart the selection process following complaints from the Forest County Potawatomi Community.

* Florida Phoenix | CFO Patronis goes after Gov. Pritzker over abolishing cash bail in IL, says it’s ‘pure insanity’: With Illinois set to become the first state in the nation to fully abolish cash bail next month, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis made an appeal to Illinois business owners on Wednesday, saying they should consider moving their businesses and family members to the Sunshine State.

* Daily Herald | 14 more suburbs, DuPage County join program to become ‘EV ready’: The 15 local governments — which include those of Batavia, Elgin and Highland Park, as well as DuPage County — will receive training programs and technical assistance to prepare for a growing demand for EVs and charging infrastructure.

* WTTW | From Delayed Ambulances to Late Buses, Some Chicago-Area Communities Hit With Lengthy Blocked Train Crossings: Illinois has registered 8,550 complaints, the third highest total in the country since blocked crossings began being tracked at the end of 2019 by the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency within the United States Department of Transportation.

* Sun-Times | Keeping campaign promises will take time, top Johnson aide says: ‘Nothing can be done in a single year’: Johnson campaigned on a promise to make $1 billion in investments in people, with that money coming from $800 million in increased taxes, fines and fees. But Chief Operating Officer John Roberson said the mayor knows it’ll take years to deliver those investments, with the pace of progress depending on how much new revenue he can get, and when.

* Greg Hinz | The top cop pick is a decision Johnson — and the city he runs — can’t afford to blow: In theory, Johnson could reject the three finalists sent to him by the Chicago Commission on Community Safety & Accountability: Larry Snelling, a long-term Chicago Police Department veteran who now heads its counterterrorism unit and appears to be the front-runner; Angel Novalez, CPD’s chief of constitutional policing and reform; and Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes, who despite working in Wisconsin’s capital has lots of Chicago experience.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago will get smaller share of state’s increased K-12 education budget for second year in a row: The largest share of the state’s new K-12 funding – $35 million – will go to Elgin U-46, Illinois’ second largest district. Plainfield School District 202, the state’s fifth largest district, will receive $13.1 million of the increase.

* Capitol News Illinois | 160 years later, activist Elizabeth Packard honored in place of psychiatrist she exposed: “Today we are putting a spotlight on the real hero associated with this institution,” Gov. JB Pritzker said before signing an order Wednesday to change the name of the 120-bed mental health hospital. Packard, he said, is “someone who, in truth, better expresses our proud history of positive reform; someone who changed our world for the better.”

* The Intelligencer | Glenn Poshard shares struggles: Poshard, 77, is a former U.S. representative and was a 1998 gubernatorial candidate. He was also the system president for Southern Illinois University from 2006 to 2014. Poshard discussed those parts of his life and much more Tuesday afternoon at Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University in a signing for his new book, “Son of Southern Illinois: Glenn Poshard’s Life in Politics and Education.”

* Tribune | Videos show longtime Tylenol murder suspect James Lewis discussing the crime with undercover agents: Arlington Heights police, the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation, provided the video clips late Tuesday in response to a Tribune open-records request. The Tylenol investigation remains open, but Lewis’ July 9 death from a blood clot in his lungs cleared a legal path for some of the long-confidential recordings to be released.

* Sun-Times | Can classical music deter panhandlers? Walgreens blares Bach outside Chicago stores: The Sun-Times this week found classical music greeting customers as they approached the entrance of stores in Greektown, the West Side and River North at 641 N. Clark St. It plays from speakers connected to the building that are covered by a protective screen.

* Sun-Times | Leo Louchios, an adviser to Jesse White and Alexi Giannoulias and Greektown staple, dies at 66: “Ever since I was much younger, he was always the guy, not just in the secretary of state’s office, but in the Greek American community, he was one of our leaders and someone everyone knew,” Giannoulias said.