* ICYMI: Ex-AT&T Illinois president in big trouble over ’small contract’ for Madigan ally — trial starts Tuesday. Sun-Times…

AT&T Illinois had finally scored a big win in Springfield in 2017, securing legislation that could help save it millions of dollars with the support of then-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.

But its victory came only after the utility agreed to pay $22,500 over nine months to a key Madigan ally. And later that summer, Madigan’s son came calling with another financial request. Paul La Schiazza, the utility’s president at the time, griped that “this will be endless.” […]

Prosecutors say that quip helps prove the $22,500 amounted to a bribe. But soon, it’ll be up to a jury to decide whether they’re right. La Schiazza faces trial Tuesday on a five-count indictment handed up in October 2022 amid the feds’ larger Madigan prosecution.

The trial, expected to take three weeks, is the last of a series of trials set to play out before Madigan faces his own racketeering trial Oct. 8. The once-powerful Southwest Side Democrat is also charged in the alleged scheme involving La Schiazza and AT&T Illinois. The utility previously agreed to pay a $23 million fine.

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Bribery trial of former AT&T boss to offer sneak preview of Madigan case

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Chicago never ready for reform: In the half-century since Mayor Richard J. Daley presided over Chicago’s notorious Democratic machine at the height of its power, nearly 40 aldermen from across the city have ended up behind bars. The roll call of aldermen convicted of corruption includes a father and son charged nearly 30 years apart, the two most powerful aldermen over the last five decades and a self-styled good government champion who was known to some as the “conscience of the council.”

* Crain’s | States that restrict abortion the most support families the least, Northwestern finds: In one of the first studies of its kind, Northwestern Medicine researchers point out a glaring contradiction in the emergence of abortion-restrictive policies across the U.S.: For all the resources some states put into establishing new anti-abortion policies, precious little goes into making childbearing and childrearing easier.

* USA Today | Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock emotional after Notre Dame upset: ‘I just couldn’t be more proud’: Every now and again, college football reminds fans that anything can happen in a game. That was proven again Saturday inside Notre Dame Stadium when Northern Illinois knocked off No. 7 Notre Dame 16-14 on Saturday in one of the biggest upsets of the college football season. That also resulted in an emotional postgame interview from Huskies coach Thomas Hammock as he joined NBC’s Zora Stephenson in postgame. A former NIU football player himself, Hammock was brought to tears as he talked about the impact of his team’s victory.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Illinois law mandating abortion coverage doesn’t violate religious freedom, judge rules: “This decision is a win in a years-long fight that is by no means over,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement today. “My office is continuing to fight for reproductive care on all fronts because abortion care is health care. Full stop. We are committed to protecting access to comprehensive reproductive health care that includes abortion. However, coverage for reproductive health care is just as critical as access to reproductive health care. We will continue to fight to ensure that all women are able to access the reproductive and abortion care they need and deserve without having to worry about the cost.”

* Journal & Topics | State Rep. Moylan Joins 40 Other Motorcyclists On Trip Down Route 66: Moylan and his fellow travelers rented their motorcycles at Eagleriders on Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines. Most of the participants reached Chicago through O’Hare Airport. Most participants are from Australia, England and Germany. “They love the wide openness of the United States,” remarked Moylan during one of his many stops in the state of Missouri. “For several people this was on their bucket lists.”

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | Advocates Seek Mandatory Training for Illinois Judges, Attorneys on Legal Needs of LGBTQ+ People: A letter to Illinois’ Supreme Court justices sent in late August by a couple dozen organizations says that mandatory cultural competency instruction is “imperative, especially at this time when we’re experiencing a fierce onslaught of anti-equality and anti-healthcare legislation and laws being advanced and passed across the country.” The campaign aligns with resolutions adopted this spring by the Illinois House and Senate that call on the Illinois Supreme Court and the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission to require LBGTQ+ and HIV cultural sensitivity training.

* Daily Herald | Who are the top federal campaign donors from Illinois?: The nearly $72 million a Lake Forest billionaire and his wife have contributed to federal candidates and groups this election cycle is significantly greater than any other Illinoisans’ donations, data from an independent research group shows. The total makes Republican benefactors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein the nation’s third-most prolific campaign donors ahead of the Nov. 5 election, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit group that tracks money in American politics.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | CTA Blue Line slayings, while unprecedented, are unsurprising to homeless, advocates: ‘You shouldn’t dread getting on the train’: Betty Bogg remembered how excited Margaret Miller and her husband were when they landed a place to stay at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. […] Bogg and her colleagues were devastated to learn last week that Miller was one of four people shot and killed as they slept on the train early Monday morning in one of the deadliest acts of violence on a CTA train in recent memory. Bogg said she had never heard of a client “executed” on public transit. But premature deaths among the homeless population that Connections serves are all too familiar.

* Tribune | CTA boosted security spending, but violent crime rate remains above pre-pandemic levels: A gunman’s attack on four people sleeping on the Blue Line early Monday came during a difficult week on the CTA, highlighting the challenges city and transit officials face in tackling violent crime rates that have remained persistently higher than before the pandemic. The likelihood of being a victim of violent crime on the “L” remained lower through the first six months of 2024 than highs seen in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a Tribune analysis shows that reported transit crime has stayed stubbornly above pre-pandemic levels. And reports of gun crimes such as shootings, armed robberies or attempted armed robberies, while relatively rare, have also remained stubbornly high compared to the past decade.

* WBEZ | Homeless hotline partly restarted 2 months after closing: A hotline to help Chicago’s homeless population find housing is up and running this week after being shut down at the end of June, though the service has been scaled back. The Sun-Times reported last month that a call center — an important first step toward getting unhoused people off the streets — abruptly shut down June 30 with little warning.

* Tribune | Cannabis Research Institute opens in Chicago, looking to dig deep into marijuana: Nearly a year and a half after it was announced, the Cannabis Research Institute is getting operations underway in Chicago, with the goal of studying, among other things, how marijuana could help or harm people. The institute’s leader hopes to break new ground in finding medical uses for cannabis, possibly for the treatment of cancer. Researchers also can help with the creation of a new state reference lab to check for accuracy in the testing of commercial pot. And they could track down a virus that threatens to ruin crops.

* Sun-Times | It won’t always look like this for Bears, rookie QB Caleb Williams as they sneak by Titans 24-17: Even with the enormous expectations for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears hoped to bring him along gradually, making sure they didn’t ask too much of him too soon. Williams, who doesn’t need to be the reason they win yet, certainly wasn’t the reason Sunday as the Bears wrested momentum from the Titans late and escaped with a 24-17 victory to open the season. The Bears’ only touchdowns came on defense and special teams, and their three scoring drives — all Cairo Santos field goals — averaged 24 yards.

* Tribune | Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese suffers a season-ending wrist injury, bringing her record-breaking year to an unexpected finish: Coach Teresa Weatherspoon declined to give details of Reese’s injury ahead of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Wings. Reese sat on the sidelines in street clothes and shot baskets with her right hand ahead of the game. She will continue to attend all home games for the Sky, but the team has not determined if she will travel for any remaining road games. From her debut for the Sky, Reese dominated the boards on both ends of the court, leading the league in rebounds with 446. Reese broke the league’s single-season rebounding record in one of her final games.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | South suburban towns get crushed by the weight of heavy property taxes: In late June and early July, property owners in Chicago’s southern suburbs found shocking news in their mailboxes. Cook County had mailed residential property tax bills bearing increases larger than any in at least 29 years, with a median rise of 19.9%. Hit hardest were majority-Black municipalities with populations whose median household incomes range from $24,500 to $69,700. The skyrocketing increases in those towns of over 30% could force many of the region’s low-income residents to choose between taking on unsustainable debt and losing their homes. Property tax inequity is another example of how systems impose extra costs on Black homeowners and renters, putting low-income families — and entire communities — in precariously unstable financial situations.

* Daily Herald | Liquor at the library? Geneva set to approve license request: The library district’s initial fee will be $700, then $500 per year for an annual renewal fee, Dawkins said. The library’s liquor license is similar to one the council previously approved for the Geneva Park District, also for its events and fundraisers, officials said.

* Daily Herald | Amid 708 board flap, Democrats mount Wheeling Twp. challenge: Amid ongoing controversy over funding for mental health services, Wheeling Township Democrats plan to run a slate of challengers for township board seats in the April election. The upcoming race could turn into a second referendum on the township’s 708 mental health board. Voters in 2022 approved a referendum creating the board and a tax to fund it, but the township board has refused to levy that tax.

*** Downstate ***

* News Channel 20 | Retired Springfield Sergeant under DUI investigation: Chelsey Farley and Trevor Hopkins both suffered serious injuries, and their loved ones said they believe the proper measures were not taken hours following the crash. Farley’s sister, Caitlyn Weiss demands answers. […] “The state police told me that I shouldn’t believe things on social media and that I need to put trust in them,” Weiss said. “They wouldn’t give me an answer, the answer that we all need, of why there was no field sobriety test given to the Springfield police off duty officer.” Witnesses said Springfield Police arrived on the scene and gave Egan gum and hours to sober up. They also said that responding officers did not give Egan a field sobriety test.

* WICS | Sangamon County narrows down sheriff candidates to seven finalists: Interviews with the finalists will begin next week, and each candidate will undergo a comprehensive background check. […] In a joint statement, Chairman Van Meter and Committee Chairman Kelley said, “We are truly thankful for the interest and willingness to serve shown by so many candidates. The Sheriff’s Office is crucial to public safety and community trust, and we are confident that from these seven finalists, we will find the best person to lead with integrity and transparency.”

* Rock River Current | Rockford Sets Out Plan For Spending New Wave Of Hard Rock Casino Revenue: The city has set forward its plans for spending the guaranteed $7 million in annual Hard Rock Casino gaming revenue by expanding a college scholarship program, investing in economic development in high-risk neighborhoods, contributing toward police and firefighter pensions and supporting arts and culture, among other initiatives. The plan was released Friday in anticipation for City Council members to begin discussing the proposal from Mayor Tom McNamara’s administration during Monday’s meeting of the Finance & Personnel Committee. The plan requires City Council approval, and Monday’s meeting is the start of those public discussions.

* KHQA | Western Illinois University sees 6.2% increase in high-performing admits for Fall 2024: Western Illinois University’s Fall 2024 total new student (freshman, transfer and graduate for Macomb, Quad Cities and online) enrollment is 1,729, according to 10th-day data released by WIU’s Institutional Research and Planning. Western’s total Fall 2024 enrollment is 6,332.

* WCIA | Lincoln Fire Dept. details fire response, thanks community in press release: A total of five trucks were positioned around the building, including ladder units that could provide an elevated position to shoot water streams from. Johnson said these aerial units were requested to be on standby in the event firefighters had to switch a defensive attack from the outside of the building. That happened after about 90 minutes of fighting the fire on the inside, Johnson said. Firefighters were also positioned in neighboring buildings on the block to prevent the fire from spreading. Thermal imaging from a drone also helped firefighters direct water streams, as visibility was extremely poor due to the smoke.

* WCIA | Champaign County Clerk stresses importance, appreciation of election judges: The State Board of Elections has launched a social media campaign to stress the integrity of the voting process. Several Facebook posts highlight voter registration, election judge safety and warn of misinformation. In Champaign County, Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons stressed the importance of supporting local election workers. He said his office expects to have about 325 election judges working this year.

* WCIA | New Macon County early voting facility ready for election season: Board member Debra Kraft says work on the new building started a year ago. “I was very disappointed that we didn’t have it ready for the primary,” Kraft said. “However, I’m very ecstatic that I mean, this is a big election, the general election year.”

* WSIL | Carbondale salon debuts new name in push for confidence among LGBT+ patrons: The E. Claire Salon changed it’s name to E ² Salon, pronounced E squared Salon, to honor the founders Elizabeth and Chrissy Strusz’ teen. “This name change is particularly personal and significant,” said Strusz. “As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I believe that if we say we support our trans community, it must start at home.

* WSIL | Dolly Parton library passes 6,000 registrations before first shipment: Over 6,000 children in our region have joined the Dolly Parton Imagination Library since it came to Southern Illinois two months ago. […] “We are thrilled to see the overwhelming response from families in Southern Illinois,” said the Southern Illinois branch of the Imagination Library. “Reaching over 6,000 children is a testament to the community’s commitment to nurturing a love of reading and supporting the educational growth of our youngest learners.”

*** National ***

* NYT | Missouri Judge Rules That Abortion Ballot Measure Is Invalid: With the state scheduled to print ballots on Tuesday, the judge said he would wait until then to issue an injunction instructing the secretary of state to remove the measure that was certified last month. That will give the abortion rights groups a chance to appeal to a higher court. The coalition behind the measure vowed to do so immediately, calling the ruling “a profound injustice to the initiative process.” They have expressed optimism that the appeals court will be more sympathetic to their arguments.

* AP News | Google faces new antitrust trial after ruling declaring search engine a monopoly: The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintains a monopoly over the technology that matches online publishers to advertisers. Dominance over the software on both the buy side and the sell side of the transaction enables Google to keep as much as 36 cents on the dollar when it brokers sales between publishers and advertisers, the government contends in court papers.