* Emily Rosca at The Patch…

Debbie Kraulidis, who also served on the Will Board until 2022, delivered the Pledge of Allegiance to kick off the first day of the [Republican National Convention] Monday in Milwaukee. […]

Currently serving as vice president for Moms For America, Kraulidis interviewed Trump in late 2023 for the organization’s Presidential Candidate Podcast Special.

She was also among those to participate in the pro-Trump rally that stormed the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite sharing videos on her Facebook page to say she was there to make sure “only legal votes were counted,” she said accusations claiming she was part of the violence were “false” and “ridiculous,” Patch reported.

* David Paul Blumenshine is an alternate delegate to the national convention. This story is from January 6, 2021…

A candidate for Normal Town Council participated in the events that became an insurrection and riot at the nation’s capital on Wednesday.

David Paul Blumenshine hosted an event called the “Stop The Steal Bus Trip” to Washington, D.C., with Cities 92.9, a conservative talk radio station in Bloomington owned by Great Plains Media. Blumenshine hosts a weekly show on the station. The trip was in support of President Trump’s baseless claims that there was election fraud that overturned a result that favored him when, in fact, Joe Biden was elected president.

* The second story in Illinois Answers’ series on restraint chairs was published today…

Brice Fritz was naked, strapped down to a chair in a jail cell when a staff member monitoring her via video delivered 80,000 volts of electricity through the stun cuff on her leg.

“I felt like I was being electrocuted,” Fritz told the Illinois Answers Project, recalling the incident at Coles County Jail in 2021. The cuff is a sort of shock collar for humans that the manufacturer describes as a wireless device to control detainees, typically used during court or transport. […]

A recent Illinois Answers Project investigation into the use of restraint chairs statewide found county jails used the devices more than a thousand times per year from 2019 to 2023. The investigation also identified a number of extreme incidents at Coles County Jail, which restrained people in chairs more than 200 times during that period and continues to use the device.

In multiple incidents, staff shocked someone with a stun cuff right before restraining them or right after releasing them. In others, staff kept a cuff on a restrained person but did not activate it. At least one other person was shocked with a cuff while restrained, one was stunned with a Taser while restrained, and one was stunned with a Taser while partially restrained. […]

The following year, in 2021, Equip for Equality recommended the jail prohibit the use of stun cuffs, increase mental health staff, revise health screening protocols, curtail use of restraint chairs and limit their use to the shortest duration possible, among other reforms. The report said many of the jail’s challenges appear linked to “insufficient staffing levels – clinical and correctional – and deficiencies in the physical space.”

[Amanda Antholt], of Equip for Equality, said the sheriff’s department took “really quick action on important steps,” such as stopping the use of stun cuffs, which the sheriff says are now in storage.

* Tribune…

A group of West Side and near South Side Democrats are meeting later this month to choose a successor to the late county commissioner Dennis Deer.

That selection process could be a family affair. Multiple sources close to the deliberations say Deer’s wife, Barbara, is among the interested candidates, as is the husband of Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia and former 24th Ward Ald. Michael Scott, whose sister, Monique, is on the selection committee. […]

“As we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague Dr. Dennis Deer, we must also fulfill our duty to the residents of the 2nd District to select a replacement. I look forward to a fair and transparent process and encourage anyone interested in serving their community to apply,” 34th Ward Alderman and Democratic committeeman Bill Conway said in a release.

He has the largest share of Democratic voters in Deer’s district and will chair the selection committee to replace him.

* SEIU Local 73…

SEIU Local 73 has endorsed Barbara Deer for Commissioner in Cook County’s Second District. SEIU Local 73 represents nearly 3,000 workers in the district.

“Commissioner Dennis Deer was a staunch ally of labor unions and working families,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73. “Barbara Deer is equally committed to standing up for the workers we represent and that’s why we’re supporting her for Cook County Commissioner.”

“SEIU Local 73 has a strong track record of electing progressive candidates in Cook County,” said Jeffrey Howard, Executive Vice President of SEIU Local 73. “It’s clear Barbara Deer is the best candidate to carry on her late husband’s legacy.

*** RNC ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘rooftop pastor’ to speak at GOP convention: The South Side pastor who routinely crisscrosses the city among shooting scenes said on social media he was “grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to giving a shoutout to Chicago.” Brooks is a Republican who has boosted GOP candidates.

* WTTW | Illinois Republicans Urged to Take Their Message to Democrats – and Take Advantage of Early Voting Laws They’ve Decried: That was the guidance from former U.S. Rep Lee Zeldin (R-NY), the day’s guest speaker, who said if laws expanding voting access are on the books, Republicans ought to take advantage of them. “I believe that every state in the country should have voter ID,” Zeldin said to a round of applause. “Ballot harvesting should not be legal in any state. Universal mail-in balloting should not be legal in any state. But when the Democrats change an election law in a particular state and it is the law for that election, I believe that we should be leaning into that law instead of boycotting that law.”

* WTTW | RNC Live Blog, Day 2: Tuesday Night Speaker Schedule, Republicans Told to Take Part in Early Voting: Zeldin, who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, told attendees about his time campaigning in solidly blue districts with a large number of Black, Latino and Asian voters. “I was told when I was first elected, don’t go there. Don’t waste your time. You will not get their vote,” Zeldin said. “It somehow made me think that that’s exactly where we need to be. If the political consultant is saying, ‘don’t go there, it’s not worth your time,’ … maybe no one in either party is going there.”

* Capitol News Illinois | State GOP members insist it’s a “big tent” party: State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, said while he wasn’t a member of the Freedom Caucus, the fact that he gathered signatures for Trump shows the ILGOP is a “big tent” party. When asked if the party has room for “anti-Trumpers,” Meier said, “I believe so.”

* CBS Chicago | Illinois delegation at RNC excited about future of GOP nationally and statewide: With day one of the Republican National Convention in the books, the GOP is hoping to build on their momentum on day two in Milwaukee. Republicans aim to whip up the base to get excited about their candidates and spread a message of support.

* Sun-Ties | Suburban native, far-right conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk speaks at RNC: Speaking during a prime-time slot on the first night of the Republican National Convention, far-right conservative talk show host and northwest suburban native Charlie Kirk said former President Donald Trump would reject a “fake, pathetic, mutilated version of the American dream” he claims has taken hold under President Joe Biden. During a four-minute talk that was otherwise largely focused on economic numbers, Kirk bemoaned Democrats “whose vision is this: limit your dreams. Give up. Aim lower, be content with less.”

* Daily Herald | An appeal to youth? Veep choice of Vance a key strategic move, delegates say: “He’ll bring in the young crowd, and that’s important,” said delegate Steve Balich, the Will County Board Republican Leader. “And he’s somebody that the people see as part of them.” Delegate Rick Lawrence was an early supporter of Vance. “It’s nice to see somebody that hasn’t been there forever,” said Lawrence, a former Aurora alderman. “There’s a whole generation looking for younger people.”

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Push to Give Chicago Voters Power to Recall Mayor Raises Less Than $300 in 3 Months: Despite a flurry of media attention after Daniel Boland announced the creation of the Committee for Chicago Mayor Recall, a required campaign finance report filed late Monday with the Illinois State Board of Elections showed just $258.47 in contributions. With 20 days to go before the initiative faces a deadline of Aug. 5 to file at least 56,464 signatures to put the question to Chicago voters on the Nov. 5 ballot, the committee has just $83.47 on hand after spending $175, according to the report.

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson plans to remove George Washington statue outside his City Hall office: Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to remove the statue of former President George Washington from the hallway outside the mayor’s office on the fifth floor of City Hall in a move that, a top aide said Tuesday, has nothing to do with the first president’s role as a slave owner. Ronnie Reese, Johnson’s communications director, said the statue “is being removed from the hallway outside the mayor’s office as we make updates to some areas around City Hall.”

* Crain’s | Service workers strike at UChicago Medical Center: The strike by painters, carpenters, building engineers, grounds crews and supply chain specialists represented by the Service Employees International Union Local 73 is not impacting patient care, UCMC said in a statement, and the Hyde Park hospital has engaged replacement workers. […] The union issued a 10-day strike notice earlier this month, saying contract negotiations were at an impasse after more than six months of negotiations.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago cop faces suspension for marching in uniform in pro-Palestinian demonstration: Raid Ghanimah, who’s been on a leave of absence since early 2023, was wearing his black battle-dress uniform and holding Palestinian and Blue Lives Matter flags during a downtown demonstration on Oct. 18, 2023, according to the report. Battle-dress uniforms, or BDUs, are used for special operations. Ghanimah, who was hired as a Chicago police officer in 2000, is accused of using tape to cover his name and star number on his uniform and failing to identify himself to a member of the Chicago Police Department when he was asked. The report said he violated several department rules, including one involving officers engaging in political activity.

* Tribune | Chicago White Sox in the 2024 MLB draft: 15 picks so far, including Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith at No. 5: “[Hagen Smith] took Oregon State for a ride I’ve never seen a college pitcher take any lineup for,” [Chicago White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley] said. “On the big stage. It was (17) punchouts. It was the most dominating stuff I’ve ever seen since I’ve been scouting. “As the great Jim Thome said, ‘I might need to take a day off when we face this guy.’ That’s part of it, this guy’s real.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Rebuilt bridges, improved intersections among this year’s projects in DuPage County: DuPage County has kicked off projects totaling more than $36 million to ease traffic congestion, improve safety and resurface more than 57 lane miles of county roads. The county’s 2024 road construction plan includes major projects such as the reconstruction of the Geneva Road bridge over the west branch of the DuPage River, the widening of Fabyan Parkway in West Chicago west of Route 38, reconstruction of the Warrenville Road bridge over the East Branch of the DuPage River, and York Road reconstruction from Devon Avenue to Irving Park Road.

* Crain’s | Suburban office vacancy just keeps climbing: It’s been four years since the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote work began drubbing suburban office landlords with weak demand and surging vacancy. They’re still waiting for the beatdown to end. The share of available office space across the suburbs wrapped up the first half of 2024 at a new all-time high of 31.3%, according to data from real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The vacancy rate is up from 28.9% one year ago and 22.1% at the beginning of the public health crisis, and has hit new record highs for 14 consecutive quarters.

* Daily Herald | 180,000 without power after severe storms spawn multiple tornadoes Monday night: Nearly 200,000 people are still without power after severe storms rolled through the Chicago area late Monday, spawning multiple tornadoes, uprooting trees, downing power lines and killing at least one person in Indiana. Radar-confirmed tornadoes near Sugar Grove, Oswego and Warrenville were reported by the agency Monday night. The twisters were reported in those areas around 9 p.m.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Normal council approves expanded enterprise zone for Rivian: The Normal Town Council approved a new ordinance Monday that will expand the boundaries of the Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone to include 320 acres along Rivian Motorway to support potentially more expansion at the electric automaker. The zone offers financial incentives for economic development within its boundaries. The benefits include potential tax exemptions and credits for businesses that want to come to a community, including sales tax exemptions on building materials and “personal property used or consumed during the manufacturing process,” utility tax exemptions on gas and electricity, qualified investment tax credits, a natural gas tax exemption for “purchasing direct from the pipeline,” and the potential for real estate property tax abatement.

* AP | Downstate Illinois dam fails after heavy rains and tornadoes sweep the Midwest, killing 1 in Indiana: Water overtopped a dam near Nashville, Illinois, sending first responders to the flooded area to make sure everyone got out safely, officials said. There were no reports of injuries in the community of 3,000 southeast of St. Louis, but crews were sent to a home where a woman reported water up to her waist, said Alex Haglund, a spokesperson for the Washington County Emergency Management Agency.

* WGN | Illinois dam fails, residents told to evacuate area: IEMA spokesperson Alex Haglund said a portion of the dam failed early Tuesday, but it wasn’t clear if it was a break or an overtopping. A “secondary failure” happened later in the morning when the dam was overtopped.

* SLPR | Hundreds of Nashville, Illinois, residents evacuated after heavy rain and dam failures: A shelter has been set up at Trinity Lutheran Church, and the American Red Cross has been activated, according to the Washington County Emergency Management Agency. The state Department of Transportation has closed I-64 north of Nashville in both directions.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford area residents cope with loss, cleanup after flooding, storms: Hundreds of Rockford area homes and businesses flooded after the weekend’s heavy rains, but for Cynthia Lumzy it was both. The 14th Street resident and hairstylist awoke to a shock Sunday morning. The basement of her home where she has her hair studio had two and a half feet of standing water. The damage, she said, including loss of products, is thousands of dollars. […] A Rockford man drowned in floodwaters Sunday night about a mile from where Lumzy and Nunez live near Churchill Park. On Monday, high winds knocked down power lines and trees across the Rockford region, causing another round of property damage for area homeowners and businesses.

*** National ***

* Lexis Nexis | Disclosure Becomes Legislators’ Latest Tool for Regulating AI: In March, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed SB 149, making the state the first in the nation to require individuals who use generative AI to interact with others to “clearly and conspicuously” disclose when they are doing so. Two months later, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB 205, sweeping legislation to regulate the use of AI in the Centennial State. Among the bill’s many provisions aimed at combating algorithmic discrimination are requirements that websites post disclosures about any automated systems that use AI to make “high risk” or “consequential” decisions, like screening for job openings.

* AP | Singer Ingrid Andress says she was drunk during panned MLB anthem performance, will get treatment: “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition.” […] Sports Illustrated writer Alex Carr posted on X, formerly Twitter, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.”