* Rumors about Salvi stepping down as Party Chair have been circulating recently…

What Salvi told me before the gaggle: “I am the Republican chair today, yesterday, in the last 13 months and I'll continue to lead as well as I have. We've done an amazing job.” Definitive about the past and present, more open-ended about the future. #twill https://t.co/1uRkAoYMVR

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) August 14, 2025

* Tribune…

A Homer Glen man who was charged earlier this year with threatening state Rep. Nicole La Ha was found this week unfit to stand trial in Will County Circuit Court.

Steven Brady, 41, of the 13100 block of Rado Drive, faces charges of threatening a public official, a felony, and harassment through electronic communications, a misdemeanor, for allegedly contacting La Ha through her website and saying he would harm the representative and her family.

Brady was evaluated by a licensed psychiatrist and he was found unfit to stand trial, but he is likely to be restored to fitness within a year, according to court documents. […]

A spokesman for La Ha released a statement on her behalf.

“I’m relieved this individual is getting the help he needs,” La Ha’s statement said. “My hope is that this leads to a safer outcome for everyone involved.”

* Sen. Robert Peters…

A new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters ensures the state maintains strong protections for wage standards, coal mine safety and occupational health, even if federal laws are weakened or repealed. […]

The law prevents the Illinois Department of Labor and Department of Natural Resources from adopting any rules less protective than those in effect under federal law as of April 28, 2025. Peters’ law also requires IDOL to restore any repealed federal occupational safety rules not already covered under state law and allows legal actions against employers who violate them.

These changes will directly affect the well-being, job security and workplace conditions of Illinoisans. Whether someone works in a warehouse, factory or coal mine, Peters is guaranteeing their protections will not vanish in the wake of federal rollbacks – offering peace of mind to the employees and families who rely on the state to protect and, when necessary, strengthen workers’ rights. […]

Senate Bill 1976 was signed into law Thursday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | CPS board rebuffs budget plan from school district leaders: The majority of the Chicago Board of Education is demanding the school district’s budget include a controversial $175 million municipal pension payment and a loan to cover costs. Eleven of 21 members sent a letter to interim CEO Macquline King saying these two items need to be in the budget for the upcoming school year. It comes a day after King’s staff presented their budget proposal and touted that they were able to close a $734 million budget deficit without a loan. The budget proposal included the municipal pension payment, but made it contingent on the state or the city sending the school district more than it is anticipating in the budget.

* Crain’s | South Loop residents weigh in on Chicago Fire stadium plan: An online survey of 653 South Loop residents conducted in recent weeks by the South Loop Neighbors community group found 73% of respondents said they were “supportive” and nearly half were “strongly supportive” of the Major League Soccer team’s proposal, the neighborhood group said in a statement, while about 10% of respondents were opposed.

* Crain’s | Northwestern Memorial plans $96.5M project to expand, bridge ICUs: The price tag for the ICU expansion is $96.5 million with a total footprint of 69,741 square feet of new space. Construction is expected to begin in March 2026 and be fully complete by the end of June 2028, if its application before the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board is approved. The project would increase ICU bed capacity in the Galter Pavilion, at 675 N. Saint Clair St., by 22 beds and in the Feinberg Pavilion, at 251 E. Huron, St., by 20 beds. In total, the hospital has 139 ICU beds on the campus now and the 42 new beds would increase that to a total of 181 ICU beds, a 30% increase.

* Crain’s | Chicago Public Media taps Pulitzer winner as new editor-in-chief: Chicago Public Media has named Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kimbriell Kelly as its next editor-in-chief, effective Sept. 2. She will oversee the combined editorial operations of WBEZ, Vocalo and the Chicago Sun-Times, which CPM unified earlier this year. CEO Melissa Bell this morning announced the appointment in a memo to staffers obtained by Crain’s.

* Block Club Chicago | John Stamos Slated To Appear At Riot Fest After Years Of Online Harassment: Riot Fest has long held a fascination with the “Full House” actor. It seems to have kicked off with a 2013 tweet from the fest wondering if Jessie and the Rippers (Stamos’ fictional “Full House” band) would possibly play the fest. That year, the fest featured a John Stamos butter sculpture; Stamos tweeted he was “flattered” and “pretty frightened.” In 2017, the fest hosted “Have Mercy: The John Stamos Art Show” in which artists across the city offered incredibly detailed portraits of the sitcom star in a variety of formats.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Homelessness report highlights urgent housing needs in Kane County: Over 300 households in 2024 sought emergency housing after fleeing domestic violence, according to the report. An average of 367 people stay in emergency shelters each night, and more than 350 children were housed in emergency shelters or transitional housing during the data collection period. The report showed that affordable housing is in critically short supply, with a 1% vacancy rate for low-cost rental units in Kane County.

* Tribune | Cook County public health head fired for not renewing medical license: After more than two years on the job, Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck was fired this January after failing to renew his medical license, according to his personnel file received as part of a Tribune open records request. Hasbrouck, who said he was “fully transparent” about his licensure status, said the matter “has been amicably resolved” without filing a formal court claim. When Hasbrouck was hired in the spring of 2022, the Chief Operating Officer post was empty for nearly two years — the bulk of the pandemic — before Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Hasbrouck’s hiring. Preckwinkle had let go of the previous public health chief, Dr. Terry Mason, to the surprise of other county officials, as COVID-19 was just beginning to surge in the spring of 2020.

* Daily Southtown | Homer Glen joins other towns in replacing state’s 1% grocery tax: While the state plans to eliminate its grocery tax Jan. 1, it provided municipalities the authority to enact a replacement local sales tax. Municipalities that want to implement a 1% grocery sales tax must pass an ordinance and submit it to the Illinois Department of Revenue by Oct. 1 in order for the tax to be imposed on Jan. 1, according to the Illinois Municipal League.

* Daily Herald | DuPage Animal Services celebrates $1 million gift as shelter is ‘overflowing’ with cats: Animal Services accepted the $1 million donation from DuPage Animal Friends. The nonprofit organization has been “energetically fundraising to help pay off the construction costs of the new DuPage Animal Services facility,” DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy said. The gift was made possible by the “unwavering benevolence of our donors,” DuPage Animal Friends board president Jennifer Martyn said.

*** Downstate ***

* WJBD | St. Louis postal center audit confirms widespread problems: US Congressman Mike Bost appealed to the U.S. Postal Service for an audit and says he is thankful the Trump administration conducted it, identified the problems and demanded accountability. The Inspector General’s report included 12 recommendations. They include filling vacant positions, improving supervisor oversight, fixing dock congestion, and enforcing proper handling of registered mail. The audit found all the changes would help restore timely and reliable service.

* IPM News | After his first 100 days in office, what’s Urbana Mayor DeShawn Williams planning next?: The city has already hit the ground running, he said, with initiatives like a new comprehensive plan – Imagine Urbana – and funding a reparations study. Williams announced he and his staff are working on the new “Philo Road Ahead” initiative, which will ensure the corridor serves everyone who depends on it.

* WCIA | Emotions run high at PBL school board meeting amid ongoing issues: Ford County residents aired out their concerns at the Paxton-Buckley-Loda school board meeting Wednesday night as they looked to deal with multiple issues within the district. And now, locals are pushing for one public official to announce his resignation. First is the new contracts for the teachers in the union, as the old one has been expired for a couple of months. The meeting also talked about the search for a new superintendent after Travis Duley resigned last school year. And looming over all of it are people still asking for answers concerning Robert Pacey.

* WSIL | Carbondale’s Quatro’s Pizza to celebrate 50 years: “Quatros is more than just a pizza place — it’s a part of our city’s identity,” said William Lo, the Executive Director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. “For 50 years, they’ve brought people together around great food, and we’re excited to honor their legacy.” […] Additionally, the City of Carbondale will recognize Quatro’s contributions with an official proclamation. This will take place during the Carbondale City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Carbondale City Hall, 200 South Illinois Avenue.

*** National ***

* NPR | The fight is on. How redistricting could unfold in 8 entangled states: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker continues to leave the door open to redistricting the state’s congressional map as he hosts more than two dozen Texas House Democrats in suburban Chicago. “Sure, we could redistrict. It’s possible,” he said Monday. But finding another Democratic seat in Illinois is a tall order.

* WFAA | Private equity firm increases offer to buy out Dallas Morning News parent company: MNG, a subsidiary of Alden Global Capital, increased its offer to buy the DallasNews Corporation, the parent company of the Dallas Morning News, by $1. The increase brings Alden Global Capital’s total “non-binding” offer to $17.50 per share in cash, according to the letter, valuing the company at over $93.6 million. The competing bidder, Hearst, which owns several other major Texas papers, offered to merge with the DallasNews Corporation in July for a price of $14 per share. After Alden Global Capital initially offered $16.50 per share, Hearst increased its offer to $15 per share.

* NYT | Appeals Court Allows DOGE Access to Sensitive Data at Several Agencies: The decision cleared the way for teams put in place this year by Elon Musk to reclaim “high-level I.T. access” to government databases, Judge Julius N. Richardson wrote, over the objections of a number of labor unions who had sued, arguing the move violated federal privacy laws. Writing for the majority, Judge Richardson said the circumstances of the case mirrored those in a lawsuit involving data that the Supreme Court had weighed as an emergency application this year. In an unsigned order in that case, the Supreme Court intervened to allow the DOGE analysts to continue sifting through the records “in order for those members to do their work.”