* WIRED…

Databases containing sensitive voter information from multiple counties in Illinois were openly accessible on the internet, revealing 4.6 million records that included driver’s license numbers as well as full and partial Social Security Numbers and documents like death certificates. Longtime security researcher Jeremiah Fowler stumbled upon one of the databases that appeared to contain information from DeKalb County, Illinois, and subsequently discovered another 12 exposed databases. None were password protected nor required any type of authentication to access.

As criminal and state-backed hacking becomes ever more sophisticated and aggressive, threats to critical infrastructure loom. But often, the biggest vulnerabilities come not from esoteric software issues, but from gaping errors that leave the safe door open and the crown jewels exposed. After years of efforts to shore up election security across the United States, state and local awareness about cybersecurity issues has improved significantly. But as this year’s US election quickly approaches, the findings reflect the reality that there are always more oversights to catch.

“I’ve found voter databases in the past, so I kind of know if it’s a low-level marketing outreach database that someone has purchased,” Fowler tells WIRED. “But here I saw voter applications— there were actually scans of documents, and then screenshots of online applications. I saw voter rolls for active voters, absentee voters with email addresses, some of them military email addresses. And when I saw Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers and death certificates I was like, ‘OK, those shouldn’t be there.’”

Through public records, Fowler determined that all of the counties appear to contract with an Illinois-based election management service called Platinum Technology Resource, which provides voter registration software and other digital tools along with services like ballot printing. Many counties in Illinois use Platinum Technology Resource as an election services provider, including DeKalb, which confirmed its relationship with Platinum to WIRED.

* VPM Mentor…

According to their website, “Platinum Technology Resource has been providing election technology and services to counties throughout the State of Illinois for over thirty-five (35) years. Through voter registration, election-day support, ballot management, tabulation, and election management software, we have incorporated lessons learned into our product PlatinumVR”.

The exposed databases contained.csv documents with lists of available or active voters, absentees, early mail-in voting records, and duplicate voters. Other documents marked as “voter records” contained far more potentially sensitive personal information, including full name, physical address, some email addresses, date of birth, SSN (full and partial) or driver’s license number, and historical voting records. The database also contained copies of voter registration applications, death certificates, and records of change of address, jurisdiction, or state. There were also candidate documents (such as statements of candidacy) detailing personal phone number, email address, and home address. These candidate documents also included petitions with voter signatures, addresses, candidate loyalty oath, economic interest, and additional supporting documentation. There were also documents marked as official ballot templates for primaries and general elections.

* IPM News…

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office hired now former deputy Sean Grayson despite his history of policing at five other police departments in 3 years, serious misconduct in the military and integrity issues at former jobs. […]

In an interview conducted August 1, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell defended his agency’s vetting of Grayson. Campbell, 60, has said he won’t resign amid public criticism in the wake of the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman, at the hand of Grayson, who is white. […]

Invisible Institute, IPM News, and Illinois Times obtained Grayson’s personnel file and application materials through a public records request to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. After reviewing these records, Burbank said he believes the Sheriff’s Office was negligent in hiring Grayson.

“My bottom line — they were insufficient in evaluating this individual’s background before hiring, and to that extent, I believe they negligently hired this person, and bear some responsibility for his poor actions,” said Burbank, who is now a law enforcement strategy consultant with the Center for Policing Equity.

In the interview with Illinois Times, Campbell disagreed, calling Burbank’s comments “opinion and speculation.”

“There was no indication that anything in his background would lead to a violent event like that,” Campbell said in his first round of news media interviews after the nationally publicized incident between a 30-year-old white police officer and a 36-year-old, unarmed Black woman inside her home.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

Today Governor JB Pritzker signed SB3762, the Language Equity and Access Act, into law. The bill requires the Governor’s Office of New Americans (ONA), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), to craft, implement and oversee statewide language access requirements. The legislation seeks to ensure that language proficiency is not a barrier for Illinoisans seeking to access state agency resources.

“Illinois is a diverse state made up of people with cultural and linguistic backgrounds from around the world—hundreds of unique languages are spoken in households across the state, and those people are equally as entitled to access public services as their English-speaking counterparts,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation will regulate access standards across state agencies and work to ensure no one is left behind.”

“Language should never hinder a person’s ability to live safely and healthily in Illinois,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This legislation removes barriers to essential resources and support services, ensuring that every person can access the tools needed to succeed. By bridging communication gaps, we’re building stronger, more inclusive communities.”

The legislation requires ONA and IDHS to prepare a Language Needs Assessment Report to be updated every 10 years in order to assist State agencies in the creation of language access plans for state resources. The ONA will also provide oversight and central coordination to State agencies in the implementation of language access requirements and ensure that each State agency develops an internal complaint and review process specific to the provision of language assistance services in addressing complaints in a timely manner. The Act, which is effective immediately upon signing, also includes a requirement of an annual compliance report to the Governor’s Office and the Illinois General Assembly.

Nearly 24% of Illinois households speak a language other than English in the home, with Spanish being by far the most common. Polish, Chinese, and Tagalog round out the top five most spoken languages in the state. Among English-language learners in Illinois public schools, 158 distinct languages are spoken in the home, with Spanish being the most common followed by Arabic, Polish, and Urdu.

* National Archives…

The National Archives and Records Administration today announced the upcoming closure of three facilities and relocation of two offices. These changes will allow for the reallocation of more than $5 million in facility costs per year into digital transformation and other critical priorities to advance the agency’s mission.

“The federal government’s transition to electronic recordkeeping requires us to invest significantly in next-generation systems to support preserving, protecting, and sharing the increasingly born-digital records of the United States,” said Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan. “The decision to close facilities was not made lightly. These changes will allow us to invest in digital transformation, expanding access, improving customer service, and increasing public engagement with the history of our nation.” […]

Barack Obama Presidential Library Temporary Site at Hoffman Estates, IL

The records and artifacts of the Barack Obama Presidential Library, which have been held temporarily at Hoffman Estates, will be permanently moved to College Park, MD, in late FY 2025. The center of operations for the Library will also shift to College Park, MD, beginning late next year. To learn more about this digital-first Presidential library, see www.obamalibrary.gov/about-us.

*** Statehouse News ***

* SJ-R | Illinois House Speaker’s staff continues attempt to unionize: The Illinois Legislative Staff Association filed a response on July 31 to the speaker’s motion to dismiss their case, alleging Welch has failed to engage in collective bargaining. The association formed in 2022 after voters approved the Workers’ Rights Amendment that November — codifying a worker’s ability to organize and collectively bargain in the state constitution.

* WSPY | Oswego State Rep. Kifowit expresses interest in new quantum computing program, highlights benefits to Illinois: Kifowit said the field of quantum computing is an idea that shows Illinois is thinking about the future and developing a sound strategy to show other sectors that Illinois is the place to be. […] Kifowit said she appreciates the effort made by her colleagues in the General Assembly and Governor Pritzker for moving this project along, and she hopes the campus will be the beginning of more quantum computing sites and other developments across the state.

*** Olympics ***

* Tribune | Chicago’s Shamier Little and the US mixed relay team sets a world record at the Olympics: The U.S. team – consisting of Vernon Norwood, Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown – crossed the finish line in ​​3:07.41, beating the previous record by more than a second. The French team, second in the preliminary round, finished more than three seconds behind. “I always knew we were going to run fast,” Little said. “We talked about, you know, it’s going to take a record to win a medal, but it took a record to win our prelim.”

* WCIA | Deanna Price to compete in third Olympic Games: Illinois Assistant Coach Deanna Price has had quite the journey to qualify for the Olympics, in a sport many may be unfamiliar with. “It’s an 8.8-pound ball so, if you ever go in your kitchen, pick up like a cast iron skillet,” Price said. “I can generate up to 70 miles per hour and I could throw it almost the length of a football field and you have to throw it between two cage doors, and do it within a seven-foot diameter ring.”

* Tribune | How a father-daughter bike ride turned Lake Villa’s Felicia Stancil into a 2-time Olympian: After a young Felicia Stancil’s mother died in a car accident, her father began looking for things they could do together. Activities that would help them both heal, he thought. Activities that would bring them both joy. When she was only 4, he took her on a short bike ride through their Lake County neighborhood, watching carefully as she pedaled her way around with the help of training wheels. As soon as they arrived home, however, Felicia had a demand. “I wasn’t going in the house until he took off my training wheels,” she recalled to the Tribune. “I just stood there and wouldn’t let him go inside. So he went into the garage and took them off.”

*** Chicago ***

* WGN | Feds say they’ve foiled plot to kill witnesses in Chicago homicide trial: Federal prosecutors say they have foiled a plot to kill two witnesses in an upcoming homicide trial. Christopher Yates is accused of providing a gun and a $250 down payment to another man last month in an effort to silence witnesses set to testify against the alleged shooter in a September 2020 attack that killed a woman and injured a man.

* Block Club | Do You Know The Woman Posing With Obama In This Photo? Chicagoans Are Trying To Find Her: Earlier this week, Reddit user 99ell posted online about wanting to find a woman whose photo they’d snapped with Obama — then a senator, but soon to be president — in 2006. The poster was unable to get the photo to the woman at the time and wants to find her so they can share the photo with her now, they wrote. “I also have a similar pic of myself with Barack that I’ve cherished, so I feel bad that I never got this pic I took of this woman,” 99ell wrote. The poster could not immediately be reached for comment.

* Block Club | Chappell Roan Recruited Some Of The Strongest People In Chicago To Lift Weights During Her Lolla Set: Lawrence Scott received a call from a producer with Lollapalooza looking for something “unique” three weeks ago. The producer said there was an artist at Lolla who wanted to recruit people from Scott’s gym, Rockwell Barbell at 2861 N. Clybourn Ave. Scott was shocked. “The only thing that I remember him saying was that the artist is essentially looking for people like [us] that are weightlifters …, that are unique looking, that are … jacked,” Scott said.

It's Chappell's world and we're just living in it pic.twitter.com/8HbNS2eeYS

— Lollapalooza (@lollapalooza) August 2, 2024

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Bathtub is at the center of this suburban Chicago corruption investigation: In Westchester, Scott Russell, the west suburb’s former public works director, has been charged with using village resources to buy and install a bathtub in a supervisor’s house. Records show investigators are now looking at others in connection with “the bidding and awarding of contracts” for a now-dropped Village Hall complex.

* Daily Herald | After years of planning, removal work to begin on Carpentersville Dam on Fox River: After nearly a decade of planning, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has approved a contract to remove Carpentersville Dam in the Fox River Shores Forest Preserve. Officials announced in a news release that work to remove the dam could begin by the end of the month. […] The dam’s removal will begin healing the Fox River and restoring the natural riverine resource, [Forest Preserve Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur] said in the release.

*** Downstate ***

* Daily Southtown | A star at Homewood-Flossmoor, Jacob Schroeder goes to NIU. ‘I was comfortable.’ Then, at 23, he plays for Illinois.: “But it was worth it. To end up at Illinois where my family could come to every home game and to play for a program that competes for championships, it worked out so well for me.” Schroeder, who has graduated from Illinois, still has one season of eligibility remaining and plans to use it while starting grad school next year. The decision to stick around for another season in Champaign was certainly aided by his breakthrough performance this spring, which also increased his hopes for a future in the pros.

* WCIA | Champaign County Fair to become more inclusive : The Champaign County Fairgrounds board will be holding a meeting next month to hear about the needs of people with disabilities. County fair organizers said it could include a sensory-friendly area or a place of respite from the sights and sounds of the fair, but they’re still working out details with the community.

* WSIL | 170-Year-Old Historic Covered Bridge in Southern Illinois to be Repaired After Storm Damage in 2023: Mary’s River Covered Bridge will see construction starting in late fall to help restore the famous bridge, according to Dawn Johnson with the Illinois Department of Transportation. A local contractor was recently awarded $311,702 by IDOT to help repair it, Johnson said.

* WCIA | Springfield firefighters celebrate ribbon cutting of new station: Springfield firefighters celebrated a historic moment Thursday for the ribbon cutting of Station 13. The new station — located on Spaulding Orchard Rd. — will be open for business starting Monday.

*** National ***

* NY Mag | Everybody Is Mad at Bloomberg News for Its Embargo-Breaking Gershkovich-Is-Free Scoop: According to multiple sources at the Journal and other major outlets, the Bloomberg scoop left journalists and government officials fuming. With a prisoner swap, you don’t know if it’s going to happen until it happens. (As one Journal reporter put it: “We literally had Yaroslav Trofimov on the ground with binoculars waiting to see Evan come off the plane, and we pubbed as soon as that happened.”) Which means that Bloomberg’s story proclaiming Gershkovich was free was inaccurate, given that the Russian plane was still in the air at the time of publication. That plane could have just turned around and gone back to Moscow, which is why the Journal and other publications had agreed to hold off.

* Bloomberg | Nasdaq 100 is in correction territory with AI darlings sinking: The index was down 2.2 per cent in midday trading on Friday, taking its loss since hitting a record on July 10 past 10 per cent. If that holds through end of the session, it will meet the definition of correction. The index remains up nearly 10 per cent for the year. Several megacaps have seen concentrated selling, with both Nvidia Corp. and Tesla Inc. down more than 20 per cent from recent highs, putting them in bear-market territory. Meanwhile Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. have each lost more than 10 per cent. However, with the exception of Tesla, all remain higher for the year.

* NYT | Harris Has Votes Needed to Be Nominee, D.N.C. Says: The party chair said she had won enough delegates to secure the nomination, setting up Kamala Harris to become the first Black woman and person of South Asian heritage to earn the top spot on a major political ticket for president.

* WaPo | Dry lightning, heat and wind could escalate fire activity in the West: California and the other western states face a combination of thunderstorms, heat and wind that threatens to further escalate an already high level of wildfire activity. Beginning Friday and into early next week, conditions could spark new blazes or intensify existing fires. And there isn’t much relief on the horizon, with widespread high fire risk forecast for much of the West this month and September.

* Texas Monthly | How a Mariachi Ballad Became a Soothing Touchstone for Texans Grieving After Gun Violence: Violins led the way, though their warm tones were quickly echoed by the brassy hum from a set of trumpets, the steady plunk of guitarróns, and crisp guitar strums. It was June 2022, and an audience of mourners had gathered in Uvalde’s town square. Medrano, a longtime violinist, had traveled there from San Antonio with nearly fifty fellow mariachis who had answered the call to console the shattered community with music after the shooting at Robb Elementary that ended the lives of nineteen students and two teachers. “Amor Eterno,” a heartbreaking ballad and perhaps the most famous song by Mexican icon Juan Gabriel, would undoubtedly be on their short set list. The song was becoming a common tribute alongside memorials of white crosses and masses of flowers that appear when this kind of tragedy visits predominantly Latino communities.