* Sun-Times…

With Republican senators approving President Donald Trump’s plan to rescind $9.4 billion in federal aid and public broadcasting funds, public radio and television stations in Illinois are closer to a worst-case funding scenario that local media leaders are calling a “critical gut punch.”

The package, which allows the Senate to strip previously approved spending with a simple majority, must still return to the House. And there’s a time crunch: Congress has to get it to Trump’s desk by Friday or the administration will be forced to release the funds. In total, the package rescinds $1.1 billion in funding for PBS, NPR and their member stations through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was intended to help fund the stations for the next two years.

At WTVP in central Illinois, more than 390,000 households in 17 counties tune into local programming like “A Shot of AG,” a talk show hosted by Rob Sharkey, a farmer from Bradford. Jenn Gordon, president and CEO of WTVP, calls it “a Johnny Carson talk show” that humanizes the agricultural community in central Illinois.

If the Republican-controlled Congress cuts the CPB funding, Gordon said the station would likely take a financial hit in October, when it typically receives federal grant dollars. About 30% of the station’s budget is reliant on those funds.

* A small update on Mike McClain’s request for probation…

NEW: The feds file a response to Michael McClain's request for probation in the Madigan bribery case, saying his positions are noteworthy "not because of any merit (they have none) but because of what the objections say about McClain’s acceptance of responsibility (he has none)." pic.twitter.com/BgiJXKZ2RE

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) July 17, 2025

* The Illinois Department of Employment Security…

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today nonfarm payrolls totals reached a record high in June, increasing over-the-month up +9,400 to 6,175,200. June’s record payroll job total surpassed the previous high set in March, marking another milestone in Illinois’ record-setting year for total payroll employment. The May monthly change in payrolls was revised slightly from the preliminary report, from +100 to -200.

The industry sectors with over-the-month jobs increases included Government (+10,600) and Private Education and Health Services (+6,200). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs decreases included: Leisure and Hospitality (-3,500), Manufacturing (-1,300), and Professional and Business Services (-1,100).

Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +35,000 jobs. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Private Education and Health Services (+22,900), Government (+21,700), and Leisure and Hospitality (+3,900). The industry groups with jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-8,100), Manufacturing (-6,500), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-3,800). In June, total nonfarm payrolls were up +0.6 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +1.1 percent in the nation.

The unemployment rate fell -0.2 percentage point to 4.6 percent in June, the first monthly decrease since February of this year and the lowest unemployment rate since August 2023, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised May unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.8 percent. The June payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. […]

The number of unemployed workers was 307,300, down -3.5% from the prior month, and down -9.5 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force decreased (-0.2%) over-the-month and was down -0.3% over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.

*** Statewide ***

* WICS | Illinois offers cash rewards for capturing invasive black carp: Through the “Keep, Cool, Call” program, individuals can earn $100 for each black carp they capture, with a maximum reward of $1,000 per month. Participants are encouraged to catch black carp using legal methods such as hook and line or bowfishing. To qualify for the reward, individuals must take clear photos of the fish’s head, mouth, and total length, note the location and water conditions, humanely kill the fish, and freeze it. Possession of live invasive carp is illegal.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Illinois could soon ease requirements for emergency vehicle drivers living outside the state: A bipartisan bill on Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could help address the shortage of emergency vehicle drivers across the state. Sponsors said people who live in neighboring states but work as public safety employees should be able to operate emergency vehicles in Illinois if they have the required driver’s license in their home state. The proposal states that nonresidents must complete the fire service vehicle operator program with the State Fire Marshal to be eligible.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Number of Unhoused Chicagoans Dropped 60% But Remains at All-Time High, Survey Found: The number of Chicagoans living in city shelters or on city streets dropped 60% between January 2024 and January 2025, according to the annual survey used by federal officials to track homelessness, but remains at an all-time high for longtime residents, city officials announced Thursday. More than 7,450 people in Chicago lacked a permanent place to sleep, according to the annual “point-in-time” count, which sends volunteers out to count the number of unsheltered people on the city’s streets on a single night and is used by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials to determine federal funding levels. The 2025 count took place on Jan. 23.

* Tribune | Lawyers for Chicago Housing Authority used ChatGPT to cite nonexistent court case: In the latest headache for CHA, law firm Goldberg Segalla used artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, in a post-trial motion and neglected to check its work, court records show. A jury decided in January, after a roughly seven-week trial, that CHA must pay more than $24 million to two residents who sued on behalf of their children, finding the agency responsible for the children’s injuries, including past and future damages. The firm apologized for the error in a June 18 court filing, calling it a “serious lapse in professionalism.”

* Sun-Times | Retiring Walter Burnett says his ’son of the 27th Ward’ has earned the right to take his City Council seat: Retiring City Council dean Walter Burnett said Thursday his 29-year-old namesake is not only his son but a “son of the 27th Ward” who has earned the right to replace him. Some community leaders have argued that the city’s fastest-growing ward deserves better than a continuation of the old-school, all-in-the-family parade of Chicago politicians who have bequeathed their seats to their children.

* Sun-Times | Jury sees final moments of Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso’s life: What followed was captured on Vasquez Lasso’s body cam. In the video, he jumps out of his car and begins to chase after the man, while screaming out, “Stop! Stop! Stop!” Seconds later, the man turns and points a gun at Vasquez Lasso, standing feet away. Shots ring out, and the officer falls backward. His body camera shows just the sky above.

* The Triibe | New lawsuit against The Duplex restaurant in Logan Square alleges wage theft: The Duplex, a popular restaurant in Logan Square, is being sued by former employees who allege various workplace violations, including failure to pay out tips, failure to pay minimum wage or overtime pay and neglecting to provide and retain records of time worked. Those employees are also seeking class action status against the restaurant group. The lawsuit was filed July 1 in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division as a collective action against For the People Hospitality Group LLC, the minority-owned parent company behind both The Duplex and Wicker Park’s The Revolver. LeQoinne Rice, who is the co-owner of For the People Hospitality, was named in the court filing along with his hospitality group manager, Christopher Scardina.

* Crain’s | Before tariffs hit, this Lincoln Square toy store made a big bet. It may save their season.: Shopkeeper Scott Friedland tapped into a line of credit to buy $700,000 in toys and games, and hired two extra employees to help manage the torrent of packages. The stock accumulated quickly in the toy shop’s basement. Friedland and his manager used their own garages and basements to store the excess. Friedland’s goal was to buy as much inventory at pre-tariff prices as possible, attracting customers with lower prices and in-demand stock. So far, the gamble has paid off. Timeless Toy’s sales are up about 18.4% year over year.

* Crain’s | RFK Jr. wants artificial dyes out — but Chicago candy makers aren’t biting: The candy industry, in particular, doesn’t seem to want to go along for the ride. It’s the biggest food user of the synthetic dyes, and the directive challenges Chicago-area confectioners, including Mars Wrigley, Ferrara and Tootsie Roll. The candy industry seems to be saying things are just fine as they are. “Consumers know that confectionery products are treats and that they contain sugar, food colors and other FDA-approved ingredients,” says Christopher Gindlesperger, a spokesman for the National Confectioners Association in Washington, D.C. “Chocolate and candy are safe to enjoy as they have been for generations.”

* The Athletic | What I’m hearing about NASCAR’s 2026 schedule: Mexico City, Chicago and more: Would NASCAR like to race in downtown Chicago next year? Yes, provided the league can strike the right deal. Are both the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago amenable to NASCAR coming back for a fourth consecutive year? Yes, provided they can strike the right deal. These caveats have left the future of the Chicago Street Course up in the air.

* Sun-Times | Kim Deal on making music with Steve Albini and warming up crowds for Olivia Rodrigo: There’s no way to start a conversation about Chicago with Kim Deal without the name Steve Albini. The late, great producer and audio engineer behind Chicago’s Electrical Audio recording studio was basically on Deal’s speed dial for almost 40 years, as she came up the ranks in iconic acts like Pixies and The Breeders. From his legendary Studio A, he zeroed in on the raw power and vociferous noise characteristic of Deal’s many seminal projects — albums like Pixies’ “Surfer Rosa,” The Breeders’ “Pod” and her 2024 solo debut “Nobody Loves You More.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | First 2025 human case of West Nile virus reported in Lake County: A county resident in their 70s became ill in early July, according to the Lake County Health Department, although the sex, location or condition of the person was not provided. Last year, six human cases were reported in Lake County. The first batch of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus in Lake County were sampled June 24 at a Southlake Mosquito Abatement District trap in Highland Park.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Mayor John Laesch to hear from community through town hall tour: The Community Listening and Action Town Hall Tour, officially announced late Monday, will be held four Saturdays in a row beginning on July 26. The workshops will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at locations across the city designed to cover each of the 10 wards, according to a city news release. “We want to give the community an opportunity to provide feedback on the state of Aurora,” Laesch said in the news release. “This listening tour will help my staff and I to better understand what our residents want to see from us and the City over the next four years.”

* Daily Herald | Making progress: Spring Hill Mall demolition ahead of schedule and sparking developers’ interest: The village, which envisions a mix of residential, retail and entertainment on the mall property, plans to seek proposals for redevelopment after demolition work is complete, Village President Chris Nelson said. “We’re still unwinding the spaghetti,” Cavallaro said. “Once we get everything clear, we’ll start.”

* Daily Herald | Prospect Heights approves land swap enabling hangars to replace hotel at Chicago Executive Airport: “The resubdivision cleans up old property lines from the days before it was Chicago Executive Airport,” Prospect Heights Building & Development Director Dan Peterson said. “It’s the first step necessary for Sky Harbour to move forward with the rest of their planning.” While nothing changes operationally for the Aviation Plaza building, the swap prevents it from being cut off from about a dozen parking spaces in the northeast corner of its lot, Peterson added.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Quad County Urban League celebrates 50 years of creating as ‘family’ and ‘game-changer’: Her photo may have been prominently displayed, along with Aurora matriarch Marie Wilkinson’s, when the Quad County Urban League celebrated its 50th anniversary at Monday’s open house, but Theodia Gillespie was determined to keep the focus of this event on others. With about 40 years working for the League – and over three decades as its president and CEO — Gillespie certainly has been at the forefront of the success of this group, which since July 14, 1975, has been advancing civil rights and empowerment through community partnerships for African-Americans and other underserved populations in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties.

* Lawndale News | Forest Preserves of Cook County Expands Conservation Corps: More than 40 youth and young adults have summer jobs this year through the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Conservation Corps programs thanks to a program expansion made possible by funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Recognized for collaborative and successful Conservation Corps programs, the Forest Preserves is the sole recipient of the newly created IDNR Youth and Young Adult Conservation Corps (YYACC) grant. Since 2005, these three Conservation Corps programs have engaged more than 3,500 people. With the $344,000 YYACC grant, this year’s offerings have been able to add crews, equipment and more. Conservation Corps programs are managed in partnership with Friends of the Forest Preserves, the Student Conservation Association and Audubon Great Lakes.

* Daily Herald | Nostalgic for bar cars? Metra may introduce ‘café cars’: Through surveys and in conversations with riders, “’we’ve heard a lot of comments about ‘when are the bar cars coming back?’” Executive Director Jim Derwinski said at a Wednesday board meeting. The new models would offer refreshments but that might not include alcohol, officials said.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Where to get water as Mattoon ‘do not drink’ order continues:: The Salvation Army Mattoon and Walmart in Mattoon are teaming up to give out free drinking water. The water distribution will take place at the Walmart at 101 Dettro Drive in the northwest corner of the parking lot, and people attending are asked to use the McDonald’s entrance and follow the signs to Lawn & Garden. At Walmart, they’re handing out cases of bottled water, gallon jugs of water and nursery water. Donations are also being accepted for The Salvation Army. The water distribution is taking place until 7 p.m. on Thursday and will also take place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, or while supplies last.

* BND | Massage parlor prostitution ring in southern Illinois exposed, owners charged: Federal investigators allege that five massage parlors in southern Illinois and Indiana were operating as a front for prostitution. The parlor’s owners, Jianhong Hu Allbright, 57, of Shoals, Indiana, and Yalong Cao, 25, of Schaumburg, Illinois, were indicted Wednesday on conspiracy and money laundering through prostitution charges for operating five illicit massage parlors throughout southern Illinois and Indiana. The charges were filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

* BND | Poachers get heavy fine for spotlight hunting deer in southern Illinois: Five Mississippi men have been fined thousands and sentenced to years of probation after they used illegal hunting methods to poach deer in five southern Illinois counties, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Lee Johnson, 54, of Saucier, Mississippi, organized deer hunts in which he and four others used motor vehicles and spotlights to locate deer, mark their location, then would go back to shoot them with a rifle, according to court records.

* WCIA | Illinois leaders gather to honor Scott Bennett, continue his legacy at admin center dedication: Among those in attendance included familiar faces like State Senator Paul Faraci, Representative Brandon Schweizer and Vermilion Advantage President Mike Marron. The ceremony officially named the Champaign County building after him on the day he would have turned 48 years old. Stacy Bennett said the purpose of the dedication is to honor Scott’s life and legacy to a community he loved very much.

* Illinois Times | An intermission for change: Temporary closure brings much-needed refresh to UIS Performing Arts Center: The Public Affairs Center building at UIS is undergoing a major plumbing replacement project that will temporarily close the UIS Studio Theatre and Sangamon Auditorium. While this may be disappointing news for the patrons who look forward to our events, it also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Because, let’s face it, after more than 40 years, Sangamon Auditorium is ready for its “second act.”

*** National ***

* Barron’s | US Firms Passing Some Cost Hikes To Consumers: Fed Survey: Many US firms passed along “at least a portion of cost increases” to consumers in recent weeks, as businesses faced higher prices linked to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday. Businesses also expect costs to remain elevated, “increasing the likelihood that consumer prices will start to rise more rapidly by late summer,” according to the central bank’s “Beige Book” survey of economic conditions.

* Crain’s | Rivian picks Atlanta for East Coast HQ as $6B Georgia plant nears: Rivian is establishing its East Coast headquarters in Atlanta later this year to support operations at its second electric vehicle plant, set to begin construction in 2026, the company said. “The office will open in late 2025, followed by further expansion in 2026 as construction accelerates at the company’s new manufacturing site in Social Circle, just outside the city,” Rivian said July 17.

* NYT | Justice Dept. Asks for 1-Day Sentence for Ex-Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Raid: The chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights unit has asked a federal judge to sentence a Louisville police officer convicted in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor to one day in jail, a stunning reversal of the unit’s longstanding efforts to address racial disparities in policing. Last year, a federal jury in Kentucky convicted Brett Hankison, the officer, of one count of violating Ms. Taylor’s civil rights by using excessive force in discharging several shots through Ms. Taylor’s window during a drug raid that went awry.