* WGN…

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch on Monday gave his endorsement to Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton in her bid for US Senate, highlighting what he said is her compassion and commitment to public service. […]

“I know Juliana Stratton is the fighter we need in Washington because I’ve seen her be the fighter we need in Springfield,” Welch said.

Welch was joined in his endorsement by the Democratic Party of Proviso Executive Committee, representing all 14 communities of Proviso Township. […]

The endorsement comes during another important week on the campaign trail. The Cook County Democratic Party hosts its slating meeting Thursday and Friday.

* Raja Krishnamoorthi also announced endorsements from across the state…

Our team is growing every single day, and today I am thrilled to announce over 40 local leaders are proudly part of Team Raja! pic.twitter.com/HUkuEcVQUY

— Raja Krishnamoorthi (@RajaForIL) July 14, 2025

* Illinois State Board of Education…

The Pritzker administration today unveiled the Children’s Adversity Index, a new tool designed to measure community childhood trauma exposure for children ages 3 through 18 in communities across Illinois.

The Children’s Adversity Index was developed by Chapin Hall and the Illinois State Board of Education in collaboration with eight state agencies and leading experts. It builds on the administration’s commitment to creating equitable, inclusive, and supportive environments for every child. This groundbreaking Index, which originated from the 2022 Whole Child Task Force Report, became a legislative mandate in 2023. It marks a pivotal step in identifying and addressing systemic challenges impacting communities statewide.

“The Children’s Adversity Index provides an opportunity for us, as a state, to come together and address the interconnected, systemic challenges facing Illinois children and families – from food insecurity, to lack of access to safe and affordable housing, to over-imprisonment,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “The concept of the ‘whole child’ means recognizing the need for partnerships and inter-agency action to address inequities beyond the school walls. The ‘whole child’ approach begins with a data- and research-driven understanding of community-level adversity. The Children’s Adversity Index empowers us to better understand the challenges communities face and to take meaningful action to most effectively allocate resources and programming to uplift children and families across Illinois.”

* Crain’s…

On July 1, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Prescription Drug Affordability Act into law, putting restrictions on PBMs, which act on the behalf of health insurance plans to negotiate lower drug prices and create formularies that tend to favor lower-cost prescriptions.

The Illinois law, modeled on several such laws passed or considered by other states, would make it illegal for PBMs to steer patients toward pharmacies where they, or their health-plan owners, have financial interests. […]

On the national front, legislation introduced last week in Congress would mimic much of what Illinois and other states are trying to do locally.

U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., along with nine other representatives, introduced a bipartisan PBM Reform Act, with regulations centered around Medicare and Medicaid.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Governor Pritzker Announces $7 Million Tech Incubator Enhancement Grants: This program will enable the State of Illinois to provide capital grants to support facilities and equipment to establish new incubators in parts of the state where entrepreneurs do not have access to these services. By supporting existing incubators’ adaptation to a changing business environment, the State is increasing their resilience so they can continue to play a foundational role in Illinois.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Chicago was supposed to warn residents about toxic lead pipes. It’s barely started: Months past a federal deadline, more than 90% of at-risk Chicagoans haven’t been told their drinking water could be unsafe. Of the 10 cities with the most lead pipes, only Chicago has confirmed it hasn’t finished sending out notices.

* Block Club | ‘Call Me Red’: Walter Burnett’s Son Wants His Own Legacy As Alderman: The younger Burnett is aware his appointment could be viewed as classic Chicago nepotism. But, he said, he’s earned his place at the table through his community involvement. “I’m not a slouch,” Burnett said. “I’ve done a lot to participate within my community … I am a steward of this community, regardless of if I’m afforded the opportunity to be in this aldermanic seat or not.”

* Tribune | Chicago-area officials are bracing as summer storms roll in following Texas tragedy and weather service budget cuts: So far, the Chicago area has felt less of an impact from those staffing reductions than other regions, particularly less-populated areas served by weather service offices in the Quad Cities and downstate Lincoln, 30 miles northeast of Springfield. But Trump’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in October, calls for further cuts at other agencies within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the elimination of research centers that study climate. While Chicago has so far been spared, Illinois Democrats in Washington, D.C., remain critical of the cuts and note that any trims to weather service offices downstate will have an impact on Illinois residents.

* Tribune | Man charged with threatening to bomb West Side alderman’s office on Fourth of July: Kenneth Weddington, 28, faces one count of threatening a public official and one count of felony disorderly conduct via a false bomb threat, Chicago police said. He is accused of posting on Facebook on July 4, “BOMB PLANTED AT YOUR OFFICE FOR SUPPORT THIS (expletive) AND BEING A FOLLOWER,” according to the police report, which says Weddington was referring to Ervin. Weddington was arrested Friday evening on the sidewalk in the 200 block of South Michigan Avenue “without incident” and due in court Monday afternoon, police said. In 2021, Weddington was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated battery to a peace officer, court records show.

* Crain’s | Johnson avoids financial rebuke as City Council committee rejects stricter bond rules: The ordinance would have required a two-thirds majority vote in the City Council to issue city bonds, up from the simple majority needed under current law. But in a 17-16 vote, the Finance Committee rejected the measure, with opponents arguing they needed more time to consider the proposal or that, if approved, it would allow a small group of aldermen to grind city spending to a halt during the final years of Johnson’s first term.

* Dan McGrath | The joy and agony of waxing nostalgic for the ‘05 White Sox: But anyone who witnessed it would agree that El Duque’s cold-blooded Fenway shutdown set the stage for all of it. And as the weekend’s festivities unfolded at Rate Field, an underlying question was why didn’t the magic last? Why couldn’t a talented, balanced, undeniably appealing team make some inroads into the Cubs’ market domination at a time when the North Side Nine was vulnerable?

* Tribune | From fast casual to fine dining: 50 years of the American gyro, and a look at the dish’s Chicago history: In 1974 and 1975, only a few years after Dengeos first opened, two Chicago-based companies, Grecian Delights and Kronos Foods, began mass-producing the world’s first hydraulically pressed gyro cones. This modern marvel of rotisserie meat allowed for a more consistent, and therefore easier-to-sell, product. Eventually, the two companies merged in 2020, but in the years prior, they helped turn an ancient dish (some estimate the cooking techniques behind the gyro could be at least 2,000 years old) into a fast-casual staple, one that launched as many Dengeos-style Greek eateries as Helen launched ships from Troy.

* Sun-Times | Scream Club Chicago offers a safe release of bottled-up energy: On a breezy evening at the North Avenue Beach, a small group gathered for an unusual Sunday night ritual: screaming toward the lake. The new weekly event, dubbed Scream Club Chicago, was created by Manny Hernandez, who recently moved to the city from Los Angeles. Hernandez is a breath work practitioner and men’s transformational coach, and he said the idea for a Sunday night scream session came from his own experience with breath work and the emotional release he has witnessed with clients.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Citing safety risks for election officials, McHenry County clerk seeking 35% pay hike: McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio went in front of a county board committee last week to make the case for a raise in salary for his position and others. Among the offices being reviewed for salary increases are treasurer, sheriff and clerk, who also handles the responsibilities of the recorder. All three seats are up for election next year, and the incumbents — Tirio, Sheriff Robb Tadelman and Treasurer Donna Kurtz, all Republicans — are seeking reelection. Salary changes would go into effect after the next election and, historically, the county has approved them before the primary election for those offices, Tirio said. The 2026 primary is March 17.

* Crain’s | Suburban office vacancy hits another record — but not for everyone: The share of available workspace in the suburbs inched up during the second quarter to an all-time high of 32.4% from 32.2% at the end of March, according to data from real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The suburban office vacancy rate is up from 31.3% one year ago and 22.1% at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, having now hit new record highs every quarter for 4 1/2 years. […] The end of the post-pandemic pain looks closer for owners of top-tier, or Class A, suburban office properties, where the vacancy rate has dropped slightly since the end of 2024, JLL data shows. Companies trying to encourage in-person work keep gravitating to buildings updated with modern amenities, which is why 73% of leases signed over the past three months were in Class A buildings, according to JLL research.

* Tribune | E-bike laws a confusing patchwork for suburban riders: Illinois law divides e-bikes into three classes based on their maximum assisted speed and whether the motor requires the rider to pedal. No one under 16 is allowed to ride a bike that can reach more than 20 mph under Illinois law. State regulations also require riders to label their bikes with the motor wattage and classification type. Elk Grove Village officials, however, believe it’s more important for riders to follow the rules of the road, said Scott Eisenmenger, the deputy police chief.

* Daily Herald | Carpentersville honored for project to remove lead water lines: Construction on the project began in October 2023 and involved replacing 400 lead water sources in the community. Lead in water sources has been shown to cause several health issues, including cognitive and learning disabilities, developmental problems, and kidney damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In June 2023, the village received $4 million from the Illinois EPA’s Public Water Supply Loan Program. The funding ensured the entire program came at zero cost to village residents.

* Daily Southtown | Work continues, but Tinley Park’s Harmony Square still set to debut on Friday: Amanda Gaus, Tinley Park events specialist, said Friday the square’s turf still needs to be finalized, mulch needs to be put down and items for the stage, such as speakers and lighting, need to finished. Eventually, she said, there will be more landscaping, such as perennial flowers plants, outside of the mulch and turf planned for the 2-acre square. The property is 6 acres total, including the planned townhouses and apartments, according to the village.

* Daily Herald | St. Charles philanthropic group aims to expand giving: The Fox River Business Alliance raised $27,000 for Kane County charities in 2024, and group members hope to outdo that record this year as efforts expand. The FRBA, a philanthropic group of business people based in St. Charles, established an advisory fund in 2021 to support local charities that benefit the group’s families, friends and neighbors in the Fox Valley. FRBA treasurer Lee Kolodziej said the fund starts from scratch each year, since 100% of the funds raised get donated and no management fees or costs are incurred.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | DCFS visited Fairview Heights foster home two days before death, report shows: A 2024 report by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services Office of Inspector General says the placement worker made “regular visits” and last saw Felmlee on May 9, two days before she died. During pretrial hearings for Williams and Reid in June, St. Clair County prosecutors described their treatment of Felmlee as “torture” and showed photos taken from Williams’ cellphone documenting what they called a pattern of abuse. They included pictures of Felmlee sitting in a car with clear bruising and abrasions to her face, head, shoulder and arm, which were taken on May 7, two days before the placement worker’s final visit.

* The 21st Show in Vermilion County | Why are young people leaving small towns in Illinois?: On the Friday, July 11, 2025 edition of The 21st Show, we took our program on the road to Vermilion County, which sits on the Illinois/Indiana border. We talked to a panel of students about why they are less likely to stay in the small communities where they grew up. It’s something we’ve heard before in Carbondale and Peoria. Our conversation took place at Danville Area Community College.

* BND | Metro-east shut out of federal radiation exposure compensation funds: However, residents of Venice, Madison and Granite City will again be stuck waiting to be included in the fund for people with radiation-related illnesses tied to Manhattan Project-era nuclear bomb making, after their single Illinois ZIP code didn’t make it in the final bill. The latest action by Congress serves as yet another example of the metro-east victims going unnoticed in their fight for compensation. “This small group of people here in Venice and Madison in Illinois have been left out once again,” said Larry Burgan, a former employee of the factory that processed uranium and thorium and a longtime advocate for RECA. “In part, I believe it’s because of their status, where they stand in life: They’re a poor Black community.”

* WGLT | 50+ supporters write letters for Aaron Rossi ahead of sentencing in criminal case: Lawyers for former Reditus Labs CEO Aaron Rossi are pointing to his traumatic childhood and a desire to “prove his worth to everyone” in seeking leniency from a judge sentencing him this week. Rossi will be sentenced Tuesday on health care fraud and wire fraud charges, to which he pleaded guilty in April. It’s among the last steps in resolving multiple criminal investigations into Rossi’s alleged profiteering during the pandemic, when Pekin-based Reditus became a major player in COVID-19 testing. A federal civil lawsuit is also nearing a settlement. […] Reditus made hundreds of millions of dollars from state contracts for COVID-19 testing and brought hundreds of jobs to Pekin. Reditus had testing contracts with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Corrections. It ran the COVID testing site at Bloomington’s Interstate Center for much of the pandemic.

* WIFR | Part of Illinois 72 to close for a week for maintenance: The Illinois Department of Transportation announces Illinois Route 72 will be closed at the Illinois Railway crossing in Davis Junction in Ogle County beginning on Monday, July 14. The crossing is located nearly a mile west of Illinois 251. The closure will allow the railroad to perform needed maintenance to their at-grade crossing. The road is anticipated to be closed for a week. A detour will be posted directing traffic to use Illinois 251, Illinois 64 and Meridian Road.

* NYT | Chinese Students Flocked to Central Illinois. Their Food Followed.: Surrounded by miles of flat, green fields of soy and grain corn, the cities have a combined population of about 127,000 people and a skyline that rarely pokes above 15 stories. The area isn’t anybody’s idea of a major metropolitan center. It certainly isn’t the first place you’d think to look when you are in the mood for serious Chinese food. After a quick walk from the university’s main quad, though, you can sit down to a faithful rendition of spicy bullfrog hot pot in a Sichuanese broth studded with green peppercorns. A nearby restaurant serves yangrou paomo, a Shaanxi lamb soup with floating scraps of flatbread that is a favorite in Xi’an. If you are struck by a late-night craving for stinky tofu in the style of Changsha, you can get it after 8:30 p.m. from a chef who dresses fried black cubes of fermented bean curd in a glistening orange chile oil, the way vendors do on the streets of Hunan’s capital city.

* Muddy River News | Fanning the flames: Local coach builds a homegrown Special Olympics team from the ground up: Since fall of 2024, the Quincy Embers have grown from a small group of seven players into a full team of fifteen, competing in tournaments across the region. But their story isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about second chances, belief, and the power of community. “I was told once during an anger management course that sometimes there’s only one shot at a particular opportunity,” said Hinkamper. “When I found out the only thing stopping Joshua Hill, a close family friend, from playing was needing a coach, I said, ‘Is that all?’”

*** National ***

* AP | Trump appointees have ties to companies that stand to benefit from privatizing weather forecasts: “It’s the most insidious aspect of this: Are we really talking about making weather products available only to those who can afford it?” said Rick Spinrad, who served as NOAA administrator under President Joe Biden, a Democrat. “Basically turning the weather service into a subscription streaming service? As a taxpayer, I don’t want to be in the position of saying, ‘I get a better weather forecast because I’m willing to pay for it.’”

* WaPo | Defense Department to begin using Grok, Musk’s controversial AI model: On Monday, xAI said its products will be “available to purchase via the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule,” allowing “every federal government department, agency, or office” to buy them. In a news release, the Defense Department said the contract award is worth up to $200 million. The department issued similar awards to Google, Anthropic and OpenAI, it said. […] Grok came under fire last week after launching into an antisemitic rant and invoking Adolf Hitler after it was a programmed to be less politically correct. The incident prompted the company to say it would improve its model. A day later, xAI unveiled a sweeping update that it claimed put Grok on the cutting edge of AI development.

* The Atlantic | The AI Mirage: It turns out that I would have needed an entirely new phone for Siri to have surmised that I wanted to go to the store. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said in an interview last month that the latest version of Siri has “better conversational context”—the sort of thing that should help the software know when I’m asking to be guided to the home-improvement store rather than to a guy called Lowe. But my iPhone apparently isn’t new enough for this update. I would need cutting-edge artificial intelligence to get directions to Lowe’s.

* 404 Media | The Media’s Pivot to AI Is Not Real and Not Going to Work: Despite the fact that generative AI has been a destructive force against their businesses, their industry, and the truth more broadly, media executives still see AI as a business opportunity and a shiny object that they can tell investors and their staffs that they are very bullish on. They have to say this, I guess, because everything else they have tried hasn’t worked, and pretending that they are forward thinking or have any clue what they are doing will perhaps allow a specific type of media executive to squeeze out a few more months of salary.

* Harper’s Magazine | Shadow of a Doubt: How OCD came to haunt American life: The disorder has racked some of Western civilization’s most luminous minds. Martin Luther, who some historians suspect had OCD, was hijacked by thoughts of cursing Jesus and mental images of Satan’s ass, which moved him to take confession with such frequency that he alienated his fellow priests. When the artist William Hogarth met Samuel Johnson, another apparent sufferer, around 1750 at the house of Samuel Richardson, he found the lexicographer standing at a window “shaking his head and rolling himself about in a strange ridiculous manner” and, not knowing who he was, figured Johnson “an idiot” who’d been entrusted to Richardson’s care. Then Johnson opened his mouth, displaying “such a power of eloquence” that Hogarth sat astonished, concluding that he had been divinely inspired.