* ICYMI: A race for mayor — or re-run as state comptroller. Mendoza is making her move today. Greg Hinz…

- Mendoza has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference at a Southwest Side restaurant where she “will announce her plans for the 2026 election,” according to a media advisory.

-Other statewide Democrats have long ago announced their intentions, with the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization set to hold slating sessions tomorrow and Friday. That has fueled speculation that Mendoza wants to move on to City Hall.

- Also eyeing the mayor’s seat is another state official, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. Unlike Mendoza, he is seeking re-election to that job, but has kept his city options open, with associates expecting him to join the mayoral fray, too.

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Susana Mendoza may bypass reelection as Illinois comptroller for potential Chicago mayoral bid
∙ NBC Chicago: Answers on Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s future could come soon
∙ WJOL: State Comptroller Eyes Mayoral Race

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGLT | After Pritzker’s attacks on State Farm, insurance industry sees another push for rate review coming to Springfield: The head of Illinois’ insurance industry trade group said Tuesday that Gov. JB Pritzker’s attacks on State Farm were “unfortunate” and likely part of a push to give state regulators new power to reject rate increases. Kevin Martin has led the Illinois Insurance Association [IIA] for 31 years. During that time, he said he’s never seen a governor publicly go after a single insurer over a rate hike in the way Pritzker has. “It’s unfortunate. I kind of wish that the governor or his staff would’ve reached out to have that conversation directly with State Farm before issuing a public statement like that, because I don’t think it does anybody any good,” said Martin, the IIA’s executive director.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Report: Illinois graduates who earn college degrees make more money, but racial disparities persist: The report found that students from low-income households were less likely to obtain bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, or professional licenses than their peers from higher-income households. The report also found that the state’s high school students whose parents were among the highest earners went on to earn about 48% more than those whose parents were in the lowest-earning group. Among those who came from the same socioeconomic background, Black and Latino students earned less than Asian American and white students, the report found.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Illinois public broadcasters in Chicago, and especially downstate, fear impact as Senate vote to cut funding looms: Chicago’s public media outlets — WBEZ and WTTW — will undoubtedly get hit by the President Donald Trump-endorsed plan to take away $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two years. But the cuts would have a far greater impact on smaller stations that rely more on federal funding and predominantly serve rural areas.

* Sun-Times | After years of poor care, preventable deaths, Illinois is changing its prison health care provider: In 2023, IDOC awarded a new $4 billion contract to Wexford Health Sources. The move drew outcry from attorneys who represent incarcerated people because the private company has a track record of substandard care and preventable deaths. Now, in recent memos sent to correctional staff and people in custody, IDOC says negotiations over that contract have stalled. The state revoked its selection of Wexford and inked a short-term emergency contract with another provider, Centurion Health, to run the department’s troubled health care system.

* Tribune | Swarms of fireflies in Illinois this summer give enthusiasts hope that insect can overcome population decline: “I do think it is safe to say that many species of fireflies, their population have declined in the past few decades, just based on habitat loss, because that’s kind of a good proxy for firefly populations, in lieu of actually having data from people trapping or or counting fireflies out in the field,” Joyce said. While also hard to track, the 26 firefly species found in Illinois may not be in immediate danger, according to the Firefly Atlas. However, the cypress firefly species is listed as vulnerable as of 2020 and six other species are listed as data deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Evanston Now | State senate race fundraising neck and neck: The two candidates seeking to replace Laura Fine in the state senate are running close to each other in the fundraising race. But Patrick Hanley of Winnetka held a slight lead over Rachel Ruttenberg of Evanston. By Tuesday’s deadline to report second quarter contributions, Hanley showed $106,000 raised to Ruttenberg’s $93,532. About $26,500 of Hanley’s funds came from sources other than individual contributors, including a $13,800 check from a group called the Illinois Community Organizing Project and another $10,000 from the North Shore Organizing, a group linked to Hanley’s home address, records show.

* WAND | IDFPR launches 24 additional license types to new licensing system: According to the IDFPR, Phase 2 aims to incorporate additional license types into CORE that are currently limited to paper applications and aren’t supported by the legacy online licensing system. This initiative will eliminate the necessity for paper applications, which often lead to longer processing times due to the review of submitted materials.

* Capitol News Illinois | Intoxicating hemp remains unregulated in Illinois following legislative inaction: A spokesperson from the governor’s office said his position has not changed since he called for greater regulation. “I think that it’s agreed that, from the speaker of the House, the governor and the Republicans and myself, and the industry, everyone agrees that we should regulate this,” Ford said. “Over the months, we should be able to get something. It’s a priority.”

* WGIL | Dan Swanson launches re-election campaign for Illinois’ 71st District: “I have stood strong in opposing budgets that include pay hikes for politicians and overspending,” Swanson said. “Illinois families deserve safe communities, educational freedom, and a state government free from corruption. Taxpayers don’t need the tax-and-spend attitude of many Chicago politicians.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Report shows big drop in Chicago police traffic stops, but sharp racial disparities persist: Chicago police traffic stops plummeted last year, but the drop varied wildly across the city and sharp racial disparities persisted, a WBEZ analysis of Illinois Department of Transportation data has found. Compared to the previous year, 2024 vehicle stops by the Chicago Police Department fell 45% citywide with declines in all 22 police districts, according to the analysis. Yet while seven districts reduced their traffic stops by more than 60%, four others cut them by less than 20%.

* ABC Chicago | DOJ fires assistant chief judge overseeing Chicago’s immigration court: Judge Jennifer Peyton was the Assistant Chief Immigration Judge for Chicago’s immigration court for nearly nine years and says the past six months have been “brutal.” “I kept telling myself, and my husband kept saying, like, ‘They’re going to have to fire me. I’m not quitting,’” Peyton said. Peyton is still reeling after being terminated in an email over the 4th of July weekend while on vacation with her family. “There’s three complete sentences,” Peyton said. “No reason, no cause. And I’m not trying to flex, but I have a pretty spotless record.”

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s crackdown on retail window signs stalls: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to improve both public safety and retail corridor aesthetics by cracking down on businesses that cover or block more than 25% of their “public-facing window space” ran into a buzz saw of opposition Tuesday amid concern about the impact on struggling retailers. The opposition was so universal, mayoral ally and Rules Committee Chair Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) called off a vote by the City Council’s Zoning Committee to avoid what could have been a mayoral defeat.

* Sun-Times | Another crooked Bridgeport bank official gets home confinement, will be paying restitution the rest of her life: Caught by the feds, Jane Tran Iriondo pleaded guilty. She admitted her role in the embezzlement scheme at Washington Federal Bank for Savings that led to a rare government shutdown of a bank. And she worked with authorities to make their cases against her colleagues and bank customers whose insider connections got them millions of dollars in loans that never were meant to be repaid. […] Iriondo also was must pay 10% of any wages she makes for the rest of her life to help repay $27,899,991.

* Tribune | NASCAR Chicago Street Race sees lower national TV ratings as city explores keeping event: While attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, TV ratings for the Grant Park 165 on July 6 were down for the third consecutive year, averaging 2.1 million viewers on cable channel TNT, according to Nielsen. The races were broadcast on NBC during the first two years. In 2023, the debut Cup Series street race averaged nearly 4.8 million viewers despite a torrential rain delay. Last year’s race, also plagued by rain delays, averaged 3.87 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. Whether declining ratings for the Cup Series event reflect the shift from a broadcast to a cable network or perhaps waning interest in NASCAR’s first urban street race, it does represent diminished media value for Chicago, which provided the telegenic backdrop for the pop-up street course.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Aurora finds high lead levels in drinking water of some homes: Between January and June, 100 samples were collected and tested for lead using recently-heightened federal sampling and monitoring requirements, according to a city news release. More than 10% of the samples contained lead readings above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level,” meaning the city is now required to take certain actions, such as replacing lead service lines, adjusting water treatment practices and implementing public education programs.

* Daily Herald | District 214 puts prime Arlington Heights Road real estate up for sale, again: The school district is seeking a minimum of $5.5 million for the nearly 6.5-acre parcel at 2123 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. The site contains a two-story, 24,000-square-foot building — the former Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 headquarters — where District 214 administrative offices relocated during renovations to its Forest View Educational Center just a few blocks away.

* Tribune | Northwestern Medicine research finding opens the door to a viral link to Parkinson’s disease: A Northwestern Medicine research lab has found a usually harmless virus in brain samples from Parkinson’s patients. The idea that Parkinson’s could be linked to a virus had been theorized for years, but this is the first study to pinpoint a specific virus as more common in Parkinson’s patients. “The message that we want to give to the general public is, it opens a new field of investigation, something that we didn’t know about,” said Dr. Igor Koralnik, Northwestern’s chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology and lead author of the study.

* NBC Chicago | Animal shelter gets $200K thanks to Illinois’ unclaimed property program: Orphans of the Storm in Riverwoods has been in the community for nearly 100 years. It’s beloved by many, so much so that a Lake County woman left behind hundreds of thousands of dollars for them via a life insurance policy when she died. The problem was the shelter wasn’t aware, and the money went unclaimed.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Mattoon issues another ‘do not drink’ order: On Tuesday night at 9:10 p.m., Jeff Hilligoss, Mattoon Fire Chief, said the order was reissued because the harmful algal bloom neurological toxin was found at 0.38 parts per billion level. The advisory level for a “do not drink” order is 0.3 parts per billion. Both the Coles County Health Department and the City of Mattoon Water Treatment Plant said that residents should not use tap water for drinking and cooking until further notice.

* 25News Now | PPS Board of Education votes down security system with metal detectors for district’s high schools: The Board of Education for Peoria Public Schools opposes a new security system that includes metal detectors at Peoria, Manual, and Richwoods high schools. The equipment, called Evolv, also includes an x-ray system to check bags, and advanced software that can detect various kinds of weapons. Evolv was tested out at Richwoods High School for four days in May and comes with a price tag of $121,000 per year to rent and utilize the software.

* WSIL | Benton healthcare facility unveils new mental health treatments at open house event: A local healthcare facility is inviting the public out to see their new state-of-the-art medical equipment and new advanced treatment options for mental health in early August. This is taking place at the Benton Mental Health Wellness Center at 107 East Smith Street, Suite B in Benton, Illinois, on August 6, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

* WCIA | Champaign County Fair gears up to bring mix of classic, new events this year: The Champaign County Fair is nearly here, and organizers are looking forward to bringing nine days of classic fair activities like games, rides, and live music to the community. But, organizers also said they’ll be bringing a brand new event to the fair’s lineup this year. The fair kicks off on July 18 and events include a 4-H Horse Show, pro rodeo and live music by the band Philo Country Opry.

*** National ***

* AP | The tariff-driven inflation that economists feared begins to emerge: Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up from an annual increase of 2.4% in May. On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3% from May to June, after rising just 0.1% the previous month.

* AP | Robot umpires to make All-Star Game debut, another step toward possible regular-season use in 2026: MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 and will use it in an All-Star Game for the first time this summer. Each team gets two challenges and retains the challenge if it is successful. “Pitchers think everything is a strike. Then you go back and look at it, and it’s two, three balls off,” Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, starting his second straight All-Star Game for the National League, said Monday. “We should not be the ones that are challenging it.”