* The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence…

The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) has released its annual Domestic Violence Homicide Report for 2023, noting a dramatic increase in the number of deaths resulting from domestic violence in the state. ICADV reports 120 people died in 94 separate incidents, an increase of 121% over 2022. Of the 120 deaths in 2023, 56% of victims were female. Victims range in age from under one year to 86 years.

Firearms were the means of death in 68% of the incidents indicating that removal of firearms is a life-saving effort. 13 deaths were individuals who killed and then turned the guns on themselves taking their own life.

On June 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in the United States V Rahimi case, upholding a decades old law that prohibits respondents subject to protection orders from possessing firearms. This prohibition is an extremely important tool in efforts to save lives where domestic violence is occurring. The ruling in the Rahimi case illustrates that reducing access to guns where domestic violence is occurring is universally recognized as homicide prevention.

Sarah Conlon, Interim President and CEO of ICADV said, “A homicide is the most devastating and tragic end to a domestic violence situation, causing harm not only to the victims themselves, but threatening the safety and security of entire communities. Domestic violence homicides are preventable. Through education and awareness, we can come together to be the voice of change here in Illinois, ensuring a strong safety net is in place for survivors and their children when they seek help.”

ICADV will continue to advocate for the means to reduce preventable homicides. We will continue to support efforts here in Illinois to pass legislation which would give the courts express permission to issue warrants for the removal of firearms when protection orders are issued. ICADV applauds the ruling in the Rahimi case and encourages others to join us in working to eliminate domestic violence in Illinois communities.

Click here to view the full report. [Fixed link.]

* Intersect Illinois…

Today, Intersect Illinois announced Preeti Chalsani, PhD as its inaugural Chief Quantum Officer, a new position created to reflect the state’s commitment to cementing Illinois as the capital for quantum technologies. As Chief Quantum Officer, Chalsani will be responsible for working closely with leaders within Illinois’ science, technology, innovation, government and economic development ecosystem to lead all business development efforts related to quantum. She will assume the role on August 14, 2024.

“Governor JB Pritzker’s historic investments in quantum information science and technology, coupled with Illinois’ strong existing ecosystem to support the industry’s growth, have led to our state being at the forefront of this transformative new industry,” said John Atkinson, Intersect Illinois Chairman. “With the addition of Preeti Chalsani to our team as our first-ever Chief Quantum Officer, Intersect Illinois will be well-positioned to develop and implement a comprehensive statewide strategy to further enhance Illinois’ position as the global quantum leader.”

Chalsani brings over 20 years of experience in industry-academic relations, technology commercialization, intellectual property, research and education in academic, government and corporate environments. Most recently, she served as the Director of Industry Partnerships for the Chicago Quantum Exchange in a joint position with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She also served as the Deputy Director of Duality, the first accelerator program in the US focused exclusively on quantum and enabling technology startups. In these roles, she built strong relationships with industry partners, quantum startups, researchers and other stakeholders that will be an asset to her work at Intersect Illinois.

“This is a critical moment for our state’s quantum industry and I look forward to working with our stakeholders and partners to further establish Illinois’ footprint as a global leader in all things quantum. It’s been an absolute privilege to have worked at the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the University of Chicago and the Polsky Center on efforts that helped advance QIST in Illinois, building it into a global quantum hub,” said Preeti Chalsani. “Intersect Illinois has played a crucial role in boosting economic development initiatives that have landed Illinois at the center of the quantum industry, and I am thrilled to join their team as Chief Quantum Officer.”

Chalsani earned a BS in applied physics from Yale and a PhD in applied physics from Cornell University.

As the state’s business attraction organization, Intersect Illinois generates new jobs and investment by showcasing the state’s assets, collaborating with partners and helping companies find a site to call home. Intersect Illinois works with industry, academic, civic and government partners to make it easier for companies to expand in Illinois and provides a range of services that help companies navigate the site selection process.

* Sun-Times…

City Hall expanded its high-profile lawsuit against firearm maker Glock this week by naming two Chicago-area firearms dealers as defendants and labeling them as among “the most irresponsible gun stores in the country.”

Lawyers for the city and the gun safety group Everytown Law filed the updated lawsuit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, according to the mayor’s office. That’s where the original complaint was filed in March before Glock’s lawyers removed it to federal court.

The city voluntarily dismissed the complaint that had been pending in federal court Monday.

The case revolves around the use of an auto sear, described in the new complaint as “a simple, quarter-sized device.” It can be used to essentially turn a Glock into a machine gun, the lawsuit alleges.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | A Supreme Court decision largely seen as anti-environment may help protect the Southeast Side: But in Chicago, the Environmental Law and Policy Center plans to leverage the ruling, commonly referred to as the Loper decision, to protect neighborhoods on the Southeast Side and the Lake Michigan shoreline. “This is not a good decision by the court. It is ideologically driven to hamstring sensible environmental regulations and agencies that protect public health. However, there’s an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade,” said Executive Director Howard Learner.

* Crain’s | This app wants to arm rideshare drivers in Chicago: The BlackWolf app launched in Atlanta in 2023 with the stated goal of making ride-hailing safer. Not only are drivers armed, they are also all former military, police or private security with at least four years of protective experience. Founder Kerry KingBrown said the guns are meant to emit the perception of safety, but drivers’ backgrounds in those protective professions are what should give passengers peace of mind.

* Triibe | It Takes a Village: Chicago’s systems of healing post-gun violence: In Chicago, dedicated individuals and groups work tirelessly to support victims and survivors of gun violence, addressing both immediate needs and long-term healing. Some survivors face the battle of regaining their livelihood and independence alone. Others rely on a network of support. According to the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab, there are about 600 homicides and 2,800 shootings each year in Chicago, underscoring the critical need for comprehensive support systems. Cook County, where Chicago is located, has a gun death rate of 18.2 per 100,000 people. In comparison, counties like St. Clair and Vermilion in Illinois have higher gun death rates, with 24.3 and 22.3 per 100,000 people, respectively.

* Block Club | Pigeon-Racing Season Is Here. Here Is How You Can Help Exhausted, Confused Birds: Natalie Quist, a board member of the Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue, said many pigeon races occur in Indiana, and the birds have to pass through the Chicago area to get home. The Chicago Pigeon Society Facebook group has seen an uptick in reports of banded birds in the area. For many bird lovers, pigeon racing is thought to be a cruel form of entertainment that involves bird owners taking advantage of pigeons’ ability to fly home from hundreds of miles away, Quist said.

* Crain’s | Ex-NBA owner in talks to buy distressed former Groupon HQ: Arizona-based 3Edgewood, a venture launched last year by former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, is negotiating a deal to buy the 1.6 million-square-foot office building at 600 W. Chicago Ave., according to people familiar with the talks. The purchase price was not immediately clear, and sources said the discussions could still fall apart amid tenuous times for office demand and financing for commercial property deals. But the historic Montgomery Ward catalog building is likely worth far less than the balance of a $374 million senior mortgage that lender Morgan Stanley provided to finance Chicago developer Sterling Bay’s $510 million purchase of the building in 2018.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | More than 10,000 Cook County residents to receive property tax refunds: The treasurer plans to send out more than $22 million in refunds by Aug. 9. Over half of the 10,099 property owners will have the funds directly deposited back into their accounts, while the remainder will receive paper checks in the mail. Most of the overpayments were due to property tax exemptions that many homeowners are entitled to, which include exemptions due to disabilities or senior citizen status, Pappas said.

* Daily Southtown | Southland homeowners aim property tax frustration at Cook County assessor during Calumet City forum: Residents packed the auditorium at Thornton Fraction North High School demanding answers at the prompting of Calumet City Mayor and Illinois State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who has blamed Kaegi for jumps in people’s assessed values that translated into massive tax increases for many. “Residents are pissed off because these assessments are going on — we didn’t get notice, we didn’t get communicated,” Jones told reporters before the meeting. “So we want to make sure that the assessor starts communicating.”

* Patch | Prosecutors Drop Charges Northwestern Filed Against Own Staff, Student: Prosecutors have dropped all charges against Northwestern University staffers accused of obstructing the school’s security forces during skirmishes surrounding the establishment of an on-campus encampment in April. Assistant professors Alithia Zamantakis and Steven Thrasher, librarian Josh Honn and an unnamed graduate student had been facing class A misdemeanors, a conviction for which is punishable by a maximum of a year in jail and $2,500 in fines.

* Shaw Local | McHenry County Sheriff seeks police social worker: The Police Social Worker Division serves 16 police departments throughout McHenry County in a collaborative effort to bridge the gap between law enforcement and social services, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Police social workers connect citizens with mental health resources.

* Daily Herald | ‘She always put residents first’: Vernon Hills mourns loss of former Mayor Barbara Williams: The Vernon Hills community is mourning former mayor and longtime village trustee Barb Williams. Williams originally from Richmond, Virginia, was a driver/dispatcher and later manager at a school bus company who got into local politics in 1981. She spent 28 years on the village board including four as mayor.

*** Downstate ***

* The Southern | Logan museum to host Simon, Bryant for ‘Women in Politics’: The General John A. Logan Museum will host the first ever “Brunch with Mary: Women in Politics” event, featuring Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and former Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon at 10 a.m. Aug. 17 on the museum grounds. Laura Varner, curator of the museum said the board would like to see “Brunch with Mary” recur every year to highlight the overlooked women in history. “We want to make sure that the people around John A Logan are not forgotten either, especially the women, because I don’t think that we get a fair shake in history,” Varner said.

* WTTW | Bears Have Been Spotted in Southern Illinois. Officials Say Northerners Should Also Be Prepared for Furry Visitors: “With established (black bear) populations in the adjacent states of Missouri and Wisconsin, occasional summer movements by bears into Illinois are anticipated,” the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said in a statement. During early summer months, yearling bears leave their birth ranges to look for food and to find a permanent home range, officials explained. Adult males travel in search of mates, and nursing females venture further afield for food.

* WAND | Illinois State Fair offers extended box office hours, discounts on passes: The Illinois State Fair Grandstand Box office will be open extended hours for in-person ticket purchases on Thursday, July 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Regular box office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available online using www.ticketmaster.com, but you can avoid additional ticket fees when you purchase at the box office.

* Press Release | WWII Airman from Metropolis finally laid to rest: In February 2024 the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that U.S. Army Air Forces Tech Sgt. William L. Leukering, 28, of Metropolis, Illinois, killed during World War II, was “accounted for” eight decades after his bomber was shot out of the sky. His remains were identified on March 20, 2023. Luekering was buried with full military honors exactly 80 years after his death.

*** National ***

* Popular Information | Top Sinclair anchor resigned over concerns about biased and inaccurate content: Eugene Ramirez, the lead anchor of Sinclair’s national evening news broadcast, resigned in January over concerns about the accuracy and right-wing bias of the content he was required to present on air, three sources told Popular Information. The sources — one current and two former Sinclair employees — spoke to Popular Information on the condition of anonymity, citing concerns about the potential professional repercussions of speaking out about Sinclair’s editorial processes. Ramirez’s show, which continues to air with a new host, appears on at least 70 of the hundreds of local television affiliates owned by Sinclair.