* Bloomberg Law…

A Chicago federal judge threw out the Trump administration’s challenge to an Illinois law regulating employers’ use of the E-Verify program, finding some of the federal government’s claims were “based on nothing but speculation.” […]

In granting Illinois’ motion to dismiss Tuesday, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman found that “the federal government’s broad interpretation of its power to regulate matters of immigration would swallow the historic powers of the states over employment-related issues.”

The federal government argued a preemption theory that was “broad to the point of absurdity,” wrote Coleman, of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. […]

The government “has alleged no facts at all to support an inference” that the Illinois law discourages E-Verify enrollment “such that the law is in conflict with Congress’s purpose in establishing the program,” Coleman wrote.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Richardson Electronics, Ltd. – a leading global manufacturer of engineered solutions, green energy products, power grid and microwave tubes and more – today announced the Company will expand its operations at its manufacturing headquarters in La Fox, Illinois. Richardson Electronics plans to make a capital investment of more than $8.5 million over the next four years with support from the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) program. The Company plans to expand its operations, retain nearly 200 skilled employees, and create 54 new full-time jobs in the region. […]

Richardson Electronics will build upon its existing alternative energy business to develop next-generation energy storage products that support electric grid stability. The Company will invest in equipment and structural upgrades in order to research, develop, and produce next-generation battery energy storage system (BESS) technologies at the Company’s Illinois manufacturing facility. These technologies are designed to address brownouts, reduce electricity costs, and support renewable energy integration, while demonstrating the commercial viability of long-duration energy storage (LDES). The Company’s BESS technology is being developed for industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and critical infrastructure operations.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Alderman Sigcho-Lopez Joins Speaker Welch’s Campaign for Democratic State Central Committee: “Speaker Welch understands that without investing in the city of Chicago, and the people who make it work, our state cannot thrive,” said Alderman Sigcho-Lopez. “The billionaires’ and oligarchs’ agenda of divestment, division, and disinformation has not improved our lives. Working people across our state and across the 7th District need leadership focused on bringing dignity to the lives of all Illinoisans, and Speaker Welch is committed to doing just that. I look forward to opportunities to bring our communities together in solidarity to fight for better days for all of our neighbors.”

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club Chicago | State And Lake CTA Station Getting $440 Million Overhaul With Glass Roof, Elevators To Red Line: The price of the project has ballooned from the $180 million estimated by city officials in 2021 to $444 million. Schroeder said the renovation is over 90 percent federally funded. On the street level below, the city also plans to remove columns and increase the vertical clearance to try to ease vehicle traffic. New sidewalk bump-outs will make crossing the busy Downtown streets a shorter walk for pedestrians.

* Block Club | Have Thoughts On Chicago’s Speed Cameras? You Can Weigh In Through A City Survey: Earlier this month, the Equity in Enforcement working group launched a survey to gain feedback on draft recommendations it has crafted since the group was created by the City Council in January. The survey is available in English, Spanish and Traditional Chinese and can be filled out here. It will be live through Monday.

* Tribune | Bullet that killed Officer Krystal Rivera struck her from behind in vest opening: autopsy: Investigators with the medical examiner’s office found Rivera was shot in her left flank from behind. The fatal shot pierced her skin near her left armpit and traveled through both her lungs, wedging itself in her ribs, autopsy records show. “Because the lethal injury was caused by another individual who volitionally fired a weapon knowing the action could cause death,” the record states. “The manner is HOMICIDE.”

* ABC Chicago | Retired Chicago priest reinstated to church after sexual abuse allegations, Archdiocese says: The allegations against Monsignor Daniel Mayall came in February 2025. At the time, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced he would remain out of ministry and school activities during an investigation. Six months after the letter, Cupich announced that Mayall would be reinstated. “While he strenuously denied the allegation, he fully complied with my request and cooperated with the investigation,” Cupich said in the letter. “After receiving the results of the thorough investigation, the IRB determined that there is not a reasonable cause to believe Monsignor Mayall sexually abused the person making the accusation. In addition, the IRB recommended that Monsignor Mayall be reinstated to ministry. I have accepted their recommendation effective immediately.”

* Block Club | Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: ‘The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog’: Garrido was told by officers that the two people who brought in Bam Bam found him near the station in the 5600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, though details are still murky, he said. Once owner information was found through Bam Bam’s chip, Santiago was contacted and picked up Bam Bam. Garrido was not there for the reunion but was told Santiago was ecstatic.

* Chicago Reader | Car racing on Chicago’s streets before NASCAR : The Chicago Times-Herald Race was held on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1895. It was the brainchild of Times-Herald publisher H.H. Kohlsaat and was created not just to sell newspapers but also to promote the burgeoning auto industry. The first cars in the U.S. had been produced only two years earlier. The winner of the race was promised $2,000, with $1,500 for the runner-up, $1,000 given to the third-place racer, and $500 for fourth. (In 2025 dollars, $2,000 in 1895 is approximately $76,539.)

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Nurses sue Endeavor Health alleging wage theft, dangerous understaffing: Four nurses are suing Endeavor Health and an executive, alleging wage theft, dangerous understaffing and invasion of privacy by the suburban health system. The federal lawsuit from Tricia Poreda, Karen Hernandez, Jessica Balagtas and Juline Patlan accuses Endeavor of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, and Illinois wage laws, with claims of nurses forced to work off the clock, having meal breaks deducted despite having to work through meals and withheld promised pay for certifications and leadership duties.

* Daily Herald | Naperville City Council seeks to renegotiate terms of proposed electricity contract: The city is proposing contract revisions that would increase Naperville’s voting rights within the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency and would set measurable benchmarks to lower its carbon footprint. City council members voted 7-2 to support the measure, with Ian Holzhauer and Mary Gibson casting dissenting votes. The contract proposal comes after months of debate about whether to extend the city’s contract with IMEA. Opponents objected to an extension, noting IMEA’s reliance on a coal-fired power plant to meet energy needs for its 32 member communities. Others also questioned the need to decide on a contract when the current contract does not expire for another 10 years.

* Oak Park Journal | Oak Park terminates Flock license plate reader contract: The Oak Park board of trustees voted to cancel the village’s contract with Flock Safety, shutting off the eight license plate reading cameras the company operates in the village. The board opted to cancel the contract outright rather than adopt a measure that would’ve shut the cameras off for 90 days. The decision comes weeks after the state announced it was investigating the company that runs them.

* Tribune | With no Chicago Street Race, NASCAR will return to long-dormant Joliet track in 2026: NASCAR said it paused the Chicago Street Race because it needs more time to explore rescheduling the event away from Independence Day and finding ways to speed up the build-out and breakdown of the pop-up racecourse, in response to concerns from the city. That left a gaping July Fourth hole on the racing schedule, which Joliet will now fill, at least in 2026. Launched in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted NASCAR’s premier racing series for 18 years. But the 1.5-mile oval has essentially been idled since it was acquired in 2019 by NASCAR as part of a $2 billion merger agreement with International Speedway Corp.

* Naperville Sun | Longenbaugh announces she’s resigning from the Naperville City Council post: Longenbaugh, whose term expires in 2027, announced her resignation at Tuesday’s council meeting, citing a job offer she received that conflicts with her ability to serve. Her vacancy is effective Aug. 25. “I love my career and I love serving on city council, which has made this a gut-wrenching decision not just for me but for my entire family,” she said. Longenbaugh lost her job at J.P. Morgan last February, a company she had been with for 31 years. While she could not disclose what her new job is, it was one she thought she could not reject, she said.

* Evanston RoundTable | Evanston library employees to rally against plan to split from city: The employees, represented by AFSCME Council 31, and their supporters plan to gather at Fountain Square at 6 p.m., then march to the main library at 1703 Orrington Ave. to speak at the Library Board’s regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the union said in a news release late Tuesday. “Library employees have always stood against any proposal that could result in cuts to library services, hours, programs and jobs,” Anders Lindall, AFSCME Council’s 31’s public affairs director, said in a statement. “That’s why they’re unified now with their community of patrons and supporters to strongly oppose the plan to split the library away from the city of Evanston.”

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg favors bike path on west side of Springinsguth Road, further use of roundabouts: Schaumburg village board members Tuesday generally favored having the Springinsguth Road bike path entirely on the west side after a 2029 renovation. The discussion also included further consideration of the use of roundabouts at appropriate intersections on a case-by-case basis. One roundabout is proposed for the intersection of Springinsguth and Weathersfield Way, though there wasn’t 100% agreement on several aspects of the 1.5-mile improvement project between Schaumburg and Wise roads.

* NBC Chicago | 4 new stores opening at suburban Chicago outlet mall, including high-end and beloved brands: According to a release, Rag + Bone will open at the outlet store at the mall Aug. 21. The popular New York label will be located near the Aritiza and Versace outlets inside the mall, and will offer discounted fashion-forward denim, casualwear, footwear and accessories for men and women, the release said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Dates announced for Christkindlmarket in Aurora and Chicago: The holiday market in Aurora is organized by German American Events, a group which will also operate the Christkindlmarkets at Daley Plaza and Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville in Chicago during the holidays. This year’s Christkindlmarket in Aurora will be open Thursdays to Sundays from Nov. 21 through Dec. 24. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, according to a press release about the market.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | O’Fallon beefing up security to preserve annual City Fest: After disturbances at some local festivals, including disruptive behavior at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church annual parish picnic in May and skirmishes at last year’s City Fest, organizers have put new safety plans in place. City Fest Chair Marcie Lapolice said Police Chief Kirk Brueggeman has been meeting with the committee, and they have reviewed site plans and security measures. “These are precautions,” Brueggeman said. “It’s unfortunate what happened at Nickfest. If we can do these safely, we’re all for it. It’s very taxing on public safety, and we understand this is good for the community, so we’ll do what we can to make it successful.”

* WGLT | Multiethnic houses of worship in Bloomington-Normal are hubs of faith and resources for parishioners: Community engagement and resource services evolved as the attendance at Spanish services expanded. They include a three-day-spiritual retreat called Cursillo, Spanish Bible study, and translation and notary services, said Joaquin. But due to President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, Joaquin said they’ve pivoted to advocacy. “We started working on information for immigrants. We hosted a ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop,” she said.

* WSIL | Free fun at Du Quoin State Fair with music, shows, and art: Fairgoers at the 2025 Du Quoin State Fair can enjoy a wide array of free entertainment throughout the event. With free admission, families are invited to experience a full day of fun without financial worries. “We recognize that families may be experiencing tough times financially, and entertainment dollars are stretched thin,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “Expanding free entertainment options keeps the fair affordable, allowing families to make memories that last a lifetime.”

*** National ***

* Straight Arrow News | Interactive ‘ICE Detention Map’ shows 71% of detainees have no criminal record: Of all the statistics in the spreadsheet, this may be the most telling: Of the 46,113 individuals detained by ICE, 71% have no criminal record. That finding was highlighted Friday at the Hackers on Planet Earth conference in Queens, New York, where the privacy organization Lockdown Systems unveiled a new tool that visualizes all of ICE’s data on an interactive map of the country.

* Pew Research Center | How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age: There is a lack of consensus – and perhaps some uncertainty – about whether someone who primarily compiles other people’s reporting or offers opinions on current events is a journalist, according to a new Center survey. Americans are also split over whether people who share news in “new media” spaces like newsletters, podcasts and social media are journalists. In some ways, Americans’ ideas about journalists are still tied to what the news industry looked like in the 20th century. When asked who comes to mind when they think of a journalist, many everyday Americans who participated in our focus groups said they think of traditional TV newscasters like Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw, modern anchors like Lester Holt and Anderson Cooper, and even fictional characters like Clark Kent.

* Cal Maters | Why one union became one of the most pro-housing voices in California: The Carpenters’ involvement has given some Democratic lawmakers the opportunity to address the housing crisis with the blessing of a construction union. They’ve presented an alternative to more traditional demands from organized labor embodied by the State Building and Construction Trades Council, which has opposed nearly all high-profile proposals to lower hurdles for developers that do not include minimum pay levels and union hiring requirements that some housing advocates see as so stringent and costly they effectively hamper building more housing.

* Chalkbeat | Plenty of schools have no-zeroes policies. And most teachers hate it, a new survey finds: Eight in 10 teachers said giving students partial credit for assignments they didn’t turn in was harmful to student engagement. Opposition to no-zeroes policies came from teachers of various racial backgrounds, experience levels, and who worked with different demographics of students.