* Here you go…

* Injustice Watch | In Illinois, a system meant to protect against elder financial exploitation is failing: Cases are near an all-time high, while arrests and prosecutions have plummeted. Meanwhile, many older adults, like 91-year-old Paul Borik, are losing their life savings as social service caseworkers watch from the sidelines.

* Sun-Times | Illinois Supreme Court plans to rule on semiautomatic weapons ban Friday: The suit, filed by state Rep. Dan Caulkins of Decatur, was part of a flurry of challenges to the constitutionality of the ban after it was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 10.

* Tribune | State representative takes witness stand at perjury trial of Madigan ‘gatekeeper’ Tim Mapes: “Who in the analogy did you understand the wizard to be?” a federal prosecutor asked Rep. Bob Rita, who testified in Mapes’ perjury trial Thursday. “Madigan,” Rita answered.

* Sun-Times | Madigan was ‘different from any other politician I’ve seen,’ veteran FBI agent testifies at perjury trial of ex-top aide: Agent Brendan O’Leary told jurors that Michael Madigan depended on “his tight inner-circle,” which is why the FBI was so interested in hearing what Madigan’s longtime chief of staff, Tim Mapes, would say in front of a grand jury.

* SJ-R | Hundreds of bill signings: What still awaits on Gov. Pritzker’s desk?: According to the Illinois General Assembly website, Pritzker has signed 513 bills and vetoed one due to “irreconcilable drafting errors” from the spring session as of Monday. Still, others await the governor’s John Hancock. A total of 53 bills - 37 from the House and 16 from the Senate - fit that depiction.

* Lake County News-Sun | Casino clash coming down to who gets a piece of the action: A state appellate court overruled a Cook County Circuit Court judge late last month saying the Forest County, Wisconsin, Potawatomi Community wasn’t given a fair deal in 2019 when state gaming officials and the Waukegan City Council decided to grant a casino license to Full House Resorts of Las Vegas. From that ruling, there’s a lot of uncertainty, especially if the entire selection process begins anew.

* Center Square | Deadline for Pritzker to act on bill lifting nuclear power moratorium looming: “There are aspects of it that I think are worthy,” Pritzker said Thursday. “My concern is to make sure that we have all available options for growing our energy production in the state.” […] Pritzker has until Aug. 16 to take action, or the bill automatically begins law.

* ProPublica | Years After Being Ticketed at School for a Theft She Said Never Happened, Former Student Prevails in Court: Earlier this week, Amara Harris had one last chance to take a plea deal. For $100, she could have avoided a trial, the testimony of her former high school classmates and deans, and the stress of not knowing whether a jury would believe her when she said she had mistakenly picked up a classmate’s AirPods — not stolen them. It would’ve been over. Instead, as she had for more than 3 ½ years, she chose to fight. Like other families and students across Illinois who have been ticketed by police for alleged behavior at school, Harris and her mother saw the system as unfair and capricious.

* Tribune | Chicago Board of Health asks Mayor Brandon Johnson to keep Commissioner Allison Arwady in her job: ‘It’s not political’: The nine-member health advisory panel convened a special meeting Thursday evening where the seven members present members unanimously pledged their support for Arwady, who to some was known for her unflappable assurances as Chicago’s COVID czar. But others have said she was too hasty in loosening pandemic restrictions, especially reopening public schools, while failing to uphold activist demands regarding environmental permitting and mental health services.

* Sun-Times | Striking Loretto Hospital workers hail tentative pact with management: Although the hospital had received $10 million in funding from the state of Illinois specifically to address worker recruitment and retention, union members went back and forth with hospital management for months before landing on an agreement, the statement said.

* Tribune | A Chicago man has been in prison 20 years for murder though 6 witnesses said he didn’t do it. His lawyers allege police misconduct.: No other direct testimony or evidence presented at the trial implicated Porter, but a Cook County jury nevertheless convicted him. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office in 2018 rebuffed efforts by his former attorney to have Porter cleared, saying they believed he was properly convicted.

* WICS | Gaming Board welcomes new gaming agents at police academy graduation ceremony: The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield following the completion of a 560-hour basic training course for law enforcement officers by the trainees and other recruits. This is the IGB’s second police graduating class this year, bringing a total of eight new Police Academy graduates to the agency in 2023.

* Tribune | Hair relaxers have been linked to cancer among Black women, litigation says. ‘Nobody cares except us.’: The complaint alleges women and children were exploited for profit and hair relaxer products were advertised as “organic,” “natural,” “botanicals,” and “safe,” all while manufacturers had knowledge that the hair relaxer products they designed, manufactured, advertised and sold contained carcinogens. “Defendants failed to give appropriate and adequate warning of such risks,” the complaint says.

* WMBD | 2023 Illinois State Fair Ag Day Breakfast canceled: The event was canceled due to storms with strong winds predicted to hit the area Friday morning. The Fair also said that those who were planning on attending the Ag Day Breakfast are welcome to make their way to the Ag Tent on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a complimentary breakfast.

* SJ-R | As Twilight Parade marshals, state FFA leaders bring ag to the forefront: “I’m looking at all of the cars and the people who are lined up,” said the 18-year-old President of the Illinois FFA, prior to the start of the Illinois State Fair Twilight Parade, “and I can’t believe I’m a grand marshal of it. It really makes me proud to be a part of Illinois FFA and a part of the industry of agriculture that’s put us here and that’s valued. That says a lot.”