* ICYMI: The Democratic National Convention starts today…

* Block Club | First DNC Protest Kicks Off Downtown Sunday As Hundreds March For Gaza, Abortion Rights: Sunday’s rally and protest Downtown was organized by the Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws coalition, which includes a wide range of pro-choice, LGBTQ+, pro-Palestinian and various left wing groups. The march came about a week after the group was issued a permit, which it had to sue the city to obtain. The rally was held a day before the DNC officially kicks off Monday and will run through Thursday night.

Poor People's Army, an out-of-town protest group, plans to set up a tent camp in Humboldt Park during the DNC to show solidarity with unhoused folks across the country.

The area's progressive alderman told them to not do it saying it'll "strain an already delicate situation." https://t.co/6YGRo2ASJX

— Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) August 17, 2024

* Tribe | Organizers worry about mass arrests and police violence during DNC: “We have seen throughout history, from 1919 to 1968 to 2020, that the Chicago Police Department has used violence and other forms of police misconduct to quell protests, and particularly protests that are challenging the status quo,” Sheila Bedi said. She is a clinical law professor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and director of the Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic. “So there’s a real concern that some of those same strategies will go into play in response to protests for the Democratic Convention in 2024,” Bedi continued.

* Mother Jones | Chicago’s Mayor Owes His Career to Activism. How Will He Handle Demonstrators at the DNC?: Johnson’s political beginnings weren’t that different from those of the activists supporting his candidacy. He started his career as a public school middle school teacher in a neighborhood once dubbed “the most dangerous” in the city. He went on to become a paid organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, known for its polarizing yet successful teacher strikes in 2012 and 2019. In an effort to re-open a shuttered high school in 2015, Johnson joined a hunger strike and refused to eat solid foods for more than a week. Amid the racial justice protests of 2020, Johnson authored a resolution as a Cook County commissioner to “redirect funds from policing” to public services. (On the controversial concept of defunding the police, Johnson once said on a radio show, “I don’t look at it as a slogan. It’s an actual real political goal.”)

* NBC Chicago | Pritzker confirms members of Illinois National Guard ‘on standby’ during DNC: During a press availability, Pritzker said that the Illinois Guard members in the city are trained as military police, but that residents shouldn’t expect to see them taking on an active role during the DNC. “They are really on standby,” he said. “They are at the perimeter. Nobody expects that we’ll have to use them for anything very serious. We also want to make sure we have additional law enforcement type folks who are in uniform, and who are trained to be police available.”

Welcome to Chicago, Madam Vice President! #DNC2024 pic.twitter.com/rXHd4RebKf

— Juliana Stratton (@JulianaStratton) August 19, 2024

* Sun-Times | As DNC hits Chicago, Microsoft warns of deepfake artificial-intelligence attacks: President Joe Biden became a target of satirical, manipulated videos before he dropped his reelection bid. And a deepfake photo after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was altered to make it appear Secret Service agents smiled as they encircled him — apparently an effort to make the shooting appear to be a hoax.

* ABC Chicago | Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wants Chicago DNC to energize party, city: “Oh boy. Well, I have to say, if you look at the excitement level of the Democratic Party, and frankly, people all over the United States, independents and Republicans for the Harris-Walz ticket, you’ll see that this excitement is going to last all the way through the election,” Pritzker said. But the governor still expects the election will be close.

* Lake County News Sun | Lake County Democrats looking forward to ‘historic’ DNC: ‘I don’t think Hollywood could have scripted it better’: State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, a first-time convention delegate and attendee, said she is emotionally charged at the prospect of seeing a woman of color nominated to become president of the United States. Though the Democrats nominated former President Barack Obama as the first man of color in 2008, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the first woman in 2016, Vice President Kamala Harris could be the first to break two glass ceilings.

* Sun-Times | DNC related events you can attend, no convention credentials needed: The party will be jumpin’ for five days straight in the heart of downtown, thanks to the city’s “Celebrating Chicago at Daley Plaza” event, spearheaded by Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP). The schedule includes performances by House music DJs, youth tumblers and drill team members, and more. There will also be cultural activities, as well as local cuisine and unique items crafted by local vendors. From Aug. 19 to 23, Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Admission is free. Visit chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html for the full schedule.

* Block Club | More Parking Restrictions Near United Center Added Ahead Of DNC: Officials previously revealed the areas around the United Center and McCormick Place where pedestrian and vehicle access would be restricted during the DNC, which kicks off Monday. But parking in some areas outside the designated “security footprint” also will be affected due to “security and logistical needs,” officials said in a press release Thursday. Restricted parking and access for cars now extends as far north as Lake Street, while restricted access for cars now goes as far as Hoyne Avenue to the west.

* Sun-Times | Democratic convention roll call to be transformed into a Harris-Walz rally with DJ, music and surprise guests: The vibe of the first-of-its kind roll call on Tuesday, Democratic convention planners say, is intended to be that of a celebration. The roll call comes before the prime time speakers take the stage, former President Barack Obama and, the Sun-Times has confirmed, former first lady Michelle.

* Shaw Local | Trump supporters rally in Woodstock ahead of DNC, vow to fight ‘Kama-nism’: Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice spoke, calling Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, as “the most anti-parent candidate” and saying “there is no such thing as a transgender child.” Former Trump advisers Roger Stone and Michael Flynn were among those billed to appear but was a no-shows. Stephen Moore, an economist and visiting fellow at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, spoke and referred to Harris and Walz as “fiscal pyromaniacs.” Moore also questioned how to pronounce Harris’ first name.

* WBBM | Chicago church gets visit from Georgia senator ahead of Democratic convention: Ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) visited Bronzeville’s Apostolic Faith Church with a message to the congregation. Warnock, who’s been a pastor for decades, gave a sermon focused largely on what he described as a “precious exercise” in self-governance.

* NYT | JB Pritzker Is Ready to Party at a Convention He Made Happen: In short, the city might be the mayor’s, but the party this week will be the governor’s. “I think his role can’t be overstated,” said State Representative Kam Buckner, an ally in the legislature and a rising star in Chicago politics. “The world is watching, and Governor Pritzker is acutely aware of that.”

* Tribune | Former Mayor Richard Daley expected to be in Chicago for DNC but keeping it ‘low key’: Bill Daley said he also expects to attend some of this year’s DNC events along with his brother John, a Cook County Board commissioner. He didn’t detail when or where his brother the former mayor will appear this year but noted how important it was that Chicago pulled off a successful convention in 1996, adding a “debacle” back then would have made it tough for Chicago to land this year’s DNC.

* NBC Chicago | Gov. JB Pritzker proclaims Malort the ‘unofficial shot’ of the Chicago DNC: Pritzker has been a proponent of Malört for some time now, and he proclaimed it the “Unofficial Shot” of the DNC this weekend. During an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, Pritzker described Malört as a drink that tests the “mettle” of the person consuming it.

* USA Today | Gov. JB Pritzker was Biden’s man in the Midwest. Where’s that leave him with VP Harris?: “So here we sit, a few months out from the election, struggling with the answer to a profound question: How do we save ourselves?” Pritzker asked the Ohio Democratic Party faithful at their annual gathering on a sticky July afternoon. […] “If we stop worrying about whether they might call us woke and instead worry about whether we’re actually waking people up,” he continued. “If we stopped being so damned afraid of a little chaos and just embraced it as a path from here to there: we will win.”

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | On the eve of historic DNC, Chicago named host city for NAACP’s 2026 convention: The NAACP National Convention will hold its 117th annual gathering in Chicago in July 2026, the civil rights organization and the city announced Sunday. Chicago was previously the site of the NAACP convention in 1926 and most recently in 1994, when some 40,000 attendees saw then-President Bill Clinton as a featured speaker. Two years later, Clinton would return to Chicago for the 1996 DNC, where he was nominated for his second term as president.

* WCIA | ISP hands Heinz Funeral Home investigation to State’s Attorney: The Illinois State Police wrapped up their investigation to Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville and handed it over to the Macoupin County State’s Attorney. State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison told WCIA Friday that his office is reviewing the findings to determine if he should file charges.

*** Statewide ***

* Effingham Radio | Finalists And Winner Of 2024 Governor’s Hometown Awards Announced: Each year, these awards give formal recognition to those who contributed to projects that improved their community’s quality of life. […] Teen Turf is a year-round operation that operates a free after-school and summer program for children. They serve an average of 20-45 students from toddler to high school age with reading, creativity, and team building; additionally, they encourage community service through their “Clean and Green” program.

* Journal & Topics | Aaron Del Mar Named State GOP Co-Chair: Aaron Del Mar, one of three in the running last month for Illinois Republican Party chairman, was appointed state party co-chair on Thursday, Aug, 15. Del Mar, Palatine Township Republican committeeman and Republican state central committeeman for the 5th Congressional District said he was “humbled and honored” to be given the co-chair role by the party’s new chair, Kathy Salvi.

* Center Square | Wrongful conviction awareness now taught at all police academies: With Illinois being home to the top state in the country for wrongful convictions, the state agency that oversees police training has now signed off on a plan mandating Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance Training courses at all local police academies. Approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, the first of its kind courses come as data shows wrongly convicted individuals have spent upwards of 21,000 years in U.S. prisons before being exonerated.

* WTTW | Swarms of Dragonflies Are on the Move Across Illinois, Part of a Great and Mysterious Migration: “This is the time of year right now, this is the thick of it. It’s just so exciting to see hundreds of them aloft,” said Crosby, who coordinates dragonfly monitoring at Morton Arboretum and Nachusa Grasslands. “We’ll see 100, we’ll see 300 in a migrating swarm. You’ll see them move across interstates — I’ve seen them move across I-90.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Decayed State Street towers attract interest from Chicago developer betting on Loop turnaround: Federal officials, including judges in the U.S. District Court here, had deemed the buildings a security threat and Congress set aside $52 million to raze them. But because they are part of the Loop’s historic retail corridor, the GSA couldn’t act until it finished hearings about their future. In a surprising bureaucratic turn, the agency last week published its preference for renovation instead of wreckage, while attaching conditions that could scare off private sector interest. It said it must retain property ownership and it ruled out uses that could affect security such as creating residences, a hotel or worship space.

* Daily Herald | Strike by drivers hits Chicago paratransit riders: Pace warned paratransit riders in Chicago Friday about delays and reduced capacity on vehicles after workers with contractor SCR Medical Transportation went on strike. The action came after SCR Medical Transportation drivers voted to authorize a walkout Wednesday, leaders with Teamsters Local 727 said. “Service will continue to be provided, but this will likely impact service in the city of Chicago, resulting in limited capacity and service delays,” Pace administrators announced in a statement on their website.

* Sun-Times | For migrant kids in Chicago, a free soccer program offered a little summer fun: The Amigos Unidos FC, or United Friends, program mostly drew children who are from Colombia and Venezuela. Two friends at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign started it, aiming to reach migrant kids who love soccer.

* Sun-Times | Mike Royko exhibit aimed at people who admired the columnist and people who never heard of him: For a certain generation of Chicagoans, it’s unimaginable growing up not knowing the name Mike Royko. But a lot of people in their 20s and younger who grew up as print media declined have never heard of the famed Chicago newspaper columnist. Northwestern English professor Bill Savage and a group of curators at the Newberry Library hope to change that with an exhibition that opened Thursday entitled “Chicago Style: Mike Royko and Windy City Journalism.”

* Sun=Times | QB Caleb Williams flashes magic, eventually, in Bears’ victory: For 1½ quarters Saturday, Caleb Williams looked awfully similar to the ghosts of Bears quarterbacks past, stumbling through three consecutive three-and-outs, being flagged for intentional grounding and taking a sack. When he finally led the Bears to a field goal by Cairo Santos, he was aided in part by a 43-yard pass-interference penalty on a deep shot to Tyler Scott.

* Block Club | The Onion Is Back In Print: The Onion is known for its satirical headlines, but the latest news to come out of the Chicago-based publication isn’t a joke: It’s back in print after more than a decade. The Onion is offering 12 monthly print editions for a limited-time price of $60, including a special issue for the Democratic National Convention available for those who subscribe within the next two weeks. The price will normally be $99. Learn more and buy a subscription here.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* CBS Chicago | Chicago area corrections officer brought drug-soaked paper into jail, police say: The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said Jones was paid $1,000 to take the paper and deliver it to a man in custody at the jail. Testing revealed the paper contained synthetic cannabinoids. Jones was hired as a deputy in June 2019 and has been on “injured on duty” status since July 15, 2024, after she was injured while attempting to intervene in a fight between two individuals in custody. She was de-deputized on July 25 after she was interviewed by investigators related to the drug case. The sheriff’s office is conducting a separate internal investigation and Jones may be subject to disciplinary action including being fired as a result of the probe.

* WGN | Dolton deputy police chief facing new lawsuit over overtime pay: Lacey is being sued by the Village of Dolton for overtime they say he paid himself but was never eligible to receive. The lawsuit alleges that between August of 2023 and July of 2024, Lacey submitted and approved nearly $140,000 in overtime for himself, even though he’s a salaried employee and not entitled to overtime pay.

* Daily Herald | ‘It’s all about the bumblebees’: Dogs looking for nests help effort to boost pollinator habitats and population: “Today, it’s all about the bumblebees,” explained Kathryn McCabe, wildlife ecologist. More precisely, finding bumblebee nests generally located underground. Finding them helps researchers studying habitat preference and colony behavior. There are 12 species in Lake County, including the federally endangered rusty patched bumblebee.

* Crain’s | Activist investor takes stake in Portillo’s: Engaged Capital, an activist investor with a track record of targeting restaurant operators including Shake Shack, has taken a nearly 10% stake in Oak Brook-based Portillo’s and said it has been in discussions with management about “potential steps to unlock the intrinsic value” of the business. In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based investment firm disclosed that those conversations have included potential changes to the company’s board of directors and a possible sale of the business. Citing unnamed sources, the Chicago Tribune reports management changes are not being discussed.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Sangamon Co. announces commission to address systemic issues after Sonya Massey’s death; volunteers wanted: The announcement of the new group came Friday morning. County officials said the purpose for the commission is to “address systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses, and community relations” and come up with tangible solutions to implement in the county. County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said he has been working with Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) to come up with solutions since last month, and the latest board meeting affirmed the idea for the commission.

* SJ-R | Senior housing locations across Illinois listed for sale following bankruptcy: Two Springfield area elderly assistance locations have been listed for sale according to their parent company, Christian Horizons. The St. Louis-based senior housing company, which operates and owns Lewis Memorial Christian Village in Springfield and The Christian Village on South Seventh Street in Lincoln, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 16, according to Senior Housing News. The nonprofit company served 12 communities of independent living, assisted living and long-term health services for seniors across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri. The Christian Horizons website lists all of their locations currently operating.

* PJ-Star | Police reports reveal evidence of embezzlement by former WTVP CEO Lesley Matuszak: The Peoria Police Department would have had probable cause to arrest the former CEO of Peoria’s PBS affiliate on embezzlement charges had she not killed herself, according to a recently completed investigation. Police reports obtained by the Journal Star indicate that both police and the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office agreed that there would have been probable cause to arrest Lesley Matuszak, who served as CEO for WTVP from 2019 to her resignation in September 2023, on charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the station’s coffers over a two-year period from 2022-2023.

*** National ***

* NBC | Elon Musk’s rightward turn includes a fringe fascination: Civil war: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has repeatedly prophesied a future civil war related to immigration. Musk has posted about the subject on his social media platform X at least eight times in the past 10 months, according to a review of his posts by NBC News. And his posts usually include a specific prediction: He thinks that Europe in particular is headed toward a “civil war” due to the arrival of refugees from other continents.

* Bloomberg | CVS defeat shows quiet ways drug middlemen try to influence care: A recent court defeat for CVS Health Corp. is shining a light on how health-care corporations wield their financial might over doctors and pharmacies in ways that can put profits over patient care. With more than a dozen similar cases still pending in private arbitration, the pharmacy giant has millions of dollars on the line. The most recent conflict got so heated that members of Congress cited it as an example of CVS’s overreach during a July hearing where pharmacy benefit managers faced bipartisan scorn over the power they exert over patient care.