* WTTW…

The governor on Wednesday said his office has not received any calls from the White House or federal officials regarding the suburban naval base near North Chicago after President Donald Trump has threatened to send troops into Chicago.

“They don’t seem to want to communicate at all,” Pritzker said following an unrelated event in Maywood. “And that’s odd, because it sounds like what they’re trying to do is to march right over local police.” […]

Pritzker on Wednesday said much about Trump’s possible plans for Chicago remains “rumor.” He also blasted the president for defunding the violence interruption programs that would actually help drive down violent crime.

“We only know so much,” Pritzker said. “We haven’t seen troop movements yet, we also haven’t seen a call up of our National Guard, but we are on guard hoping that that does not happen.

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced an agreement requiring the Trump administration to release, no later than Oct. 3, the full balance of around $219 million in education funds owed to Illinois. The money supports critical programs, including after-school enrichment, workforce development and instruction for students learning English.

On July 14, Raoul filed a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration over its unconstitutional, unlawful and arbitrary decision to freeze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Raoul and the coalition filed the lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing the freeze violates federal funding statutes and regulations authorizing these critical programs and appropriating funds for them. Additionally, the coalition argued the freeze violates federal statutes governing the federal budgeting process, the constitutional separation of powers doctrine and the Presentment Clause.

“This agreement is a step in the right direction, ensuring federal funds are released for essential educational programs across Illinois and the entire country,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand with other attorneys general to prevent Illinois students and their families from feeling the impact of the president’s unlawful acts that jeopardize needed educational programs.”

* The 74th House District is currently held by Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon). Shaw Local…

Nolan Kemp of Dixon has declared he intends to run for Illinois state representative in the 74th District.

“As someone born and raised in Dixon, I know the values and struggles of our community,” Kemp, a Democrat, said in a news release. “Illinois families are being crushed by reckless fiscal policy, broken human services systems, and government overreach. I’m running to be a voice for taxpayers, protect personal freedoms, and ensure Springfield finally puts people before politics.” […]

Kemp outlined the four key priorities of his campaign:

- Fiscal Responsibility: Opposing unsustainable taxation and supporting legislative reforms aimed at strengthening the working class.
- Human Services Reform: Advocating for bipartisan changes to human services programs to ensure they effectively serve all residents.
- Protecting Civil Liberties: Commitment to defending individual freedoms and limiting government overreach.
- Second Amendment Rights: Supporting the rights of law-abiding gun owners and opposing restrictive gun control measures.

[Note from Rich: This district leans Republican. No word on whether the HDems will step in, but they have many other closer contests next year.]

…Adding… Tribune…

As tensions rise between Illinois politicians and President Donald Trump over his plans to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, the latter contrasted Democratic governors’ resistance to their desire for federal assistance on an issue that has plagued the Great Lakes for decades: invasive carp.

“There’s a way of getting rid of those, very expensive,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday, “and I didn’t get a request from the governor of Illinois, (which) is affected maybe more than anybody else, right? And I think until I get that request from that guy, I’m not going to do anything about it.”

The president was likely referring to a $1.15 billion infrastructure project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, to build the last, multipronged line of defense against silver and bighead carp moving upstream. […]

The federal government will cover 90% of the project’s construction costs, with $274 million funding the first phase, which started in May, and $765 million going toward the next two phases. The latest estimates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Rock Island District — the project’s main federal sponsor — set the price tag for the next two phases at $646 million. Michigan and Illinois are contributing $64 million and $50 million, respectively, toward the project total. In May 2024, Illinois and Michigan members of Congress secured an increase in the federal cost share for operations and maintenance after construction to 90%.

*** Statewide ***

* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association | New Report Underscores Importance of International Trade to Manufacturers in Illinois and Across Midwest: In Illinois, Canada is the largest source of imports, with nearly $64 billion annually, followed by China at $42 billion with Mexico coming in third with $19 billion. Top imported products to Illinois include oil and gas, communications equipment, pharmaceuticals and medicines, computer equipment, and beverages.

* WICS | Illinois tourism booms with record visitor spending in 2024: Illinois experienced a tourism surge in 2024, welcoming 113 million domestic and international visitors who spent a record $48.5 billion, according to data from Tourism Economics. This marked an increase of 500,000 visitors and $1.3 billion in spending compared to 2023.

* Bloomberg Law | M.A.C. Cosmetics Violates Illinois Biometric Law, Class Alleges: M.A.C. Cosmetics’ virtual try-on feature, with which customers can virtually apply makeup via video live-stream, violate Illinois biometric privacy laws, according to a class complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court. Plaintiff Fiza Javid went to a M.A.C. store at a mall in the Chicago suburbs and was offered the option to virtually try on lipstick and lipliner, after which a salesperson scanned her face, according to the complaint.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Days before budget vote, CPS tells school board it can borrow in the future in a ‘true emergency’: In a memo obtained by Chalkbeat, Chief Financial Officer Miroslava Mejia Krug said the district’s legal counsel advised that the school board can authorize emergency borrowing after the budget is passed through a simple majority vote, even though budget amendments typically require a two-thirds vote. “This would ensure that any additional borrowing would be used to prevent cuts to schools and core district operations — in line with the request from many board members regarding a contingency plan in the case of a revenue shortfall,” Krug wrote in the memo sent Tuesday to board members.

* Block Club | Some Call It The ‘Death Hospital’: Inside The Northwest Side Medical Center Plagued By Problems: Then there is the facility itself, which is in disrepair. The hospital’s garage deteriorated so much that the city shut it down last summer, and it didn’t reopen for more than a year. In January, a water pipe burst, flooding portions of the emergency room’s ambulance bay. Despite these problems, since 2020, the hospital has spent more than $140,000 donating to state political committees, including campaign funds for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, records show.

* WTTW | Chicago Paid $100K to 14-Year-Old Boy Pinned to Park Ridge Sidewalk by Off-Duty CPD Sergeant: Records: Chicago Police Sgt. Michael Vitellaro was acquitted by a Cook County judge on felony charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct in connection with the incident that began when his son told him on July 1, 2022, that his bicycle had been stolen from outside the Park Ridge Public Library. Vitellaro, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, located the bicycle outside a coffee shop, and forced the teen he saw with the bicycle down to the pavement and pinned him there. The teen testified during Vitellaro’s trial that he thought he was going to die.

* Sun-Times | Black Chicago cop sues city, claims he was called N-word by fellow officers: Officer Anthony Banks claims the racist onslaught came after he responded to a heated exchange involving another officer and a pregnant woman on March 17. Banks eventually stepped in and tried to deescalate when the other officer bumped into the woman, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court against the city and a group of cops. Back at the district station later that day, the other officer pressed Banks about his conduct, the lawsuit says. Other officers then surrounded Banks and allegedly made a series of racially charged remarks, calling him the N-word and telling him to return to his old post in the Grand Crossing District, which the suit says “is known for having predominantly African-American officers.” “Go back to where you came from,” one officer allegedly said.

* ABC Chicago | City unveils free Narcan Newsstands program ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day: City officials will launch the program during the Harm Reduction Fair on Wednesday at the Department of Family & Support Services at 845 W. Wilson Avenue. The public can get free naloxone at Nourishing Hope on Sheridan, Cornerstone Community Shelter on Clinton, ICA Building on Sheridan, and the Department of Family and Supportive Services on Wilson.

* WGN | ‘It was a rush’: Fisherman’s epic catch on Chicago River goes viral: The 47-year-old Vivar has caught big carp over the years. But without a scale on Saturday night, the 235-pound, 6-foot-tall master fisherman could only offer a guess. Vivar estimates the catch to be close to 35-40 pounds. At the end of Saturday’s epic struggle, Vivar did what he always does: he released his catch back into the river.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Evanston RoundTable | Evanston shuts down license plate cameras, terminates contract with Flock Safety: A city news release issued Tuesday evening says that all 19 cameras operated by the city are “deactivated,” and that the city issued a notice to terminate its contract effective Sept. 26. The decision is attributed to the findings of a system audit ordered by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, which were announced Monday afternoon. “The findings of the Illinois Secretary of State’s audit,” the city’s statement reads, “combined with Flock’s admission that it failed to establish distinct permissions and protocols to ensure local compliance while running a pilot program with federal users, are deeply troubling.”

* Daily Herald | DuPage County clerk a no-show for budget presentation: The DuPage County Clerk’s Office was a no-show for a scheduled budget presentation at the county board’s finance committee meeting Tuesday — one day after a judge ruled the clerk must follow the county’s accounting procedures. Neither DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek nor a representative from her office were on hand to review their proposed budget. “That makes her the only elected official who has refused to come before the board to present,” said Paula Deacon Garcia, who heads the county board’s finance committee.

* Crain’s | A mystery semiconductor investment lands in Aurora: The investment in Aurora is part of a broader $700 million domestic R&D investment announced earlier by the company. “A portion of this investment will be used to develop its Aurora, Illinois, location into a state-of-the-art U.S. Technology Center,” Entegris said in a written statement. The company offered few details on the project, such as how much will be invested, how many jobs it will create or a specific timetable. Economic-development officials don’t have much to add, either, and the city of Aurora didn’t respond to a request for comment.

* Evanston RoundTable | With deadline looming, council sets Sept. 8 discussion on grocery tax: Council members voted 5-3 to postpone further discussion until their Sept. 8 meeting on implementing a local grocery tax to replace the state tax, which expires Jan. 1. The tax generates roughly $2.5 million annually for the city and is one of its major revenue sources. After the vote, Mayor Daniel Biss informed members that the item will require six votes — the number needed to override a mayoral veto — if the council were to move ahead Sept. 8 on passing a grocery tax. Biss made it clear during discussions he supported a property tax hike as less regressive.

* Shaw Local | DeKalb city budget deficit coming, city warns amid pension reform plea: DeKalb city staff acknowledged during a recent special joint meeting of the City Council and Finance Advisory Commission that they expect to run into budget shortfalls by 2034 due to pension obligations. For years, city leaders have been grappling with potential shortfalls between property taxes and what the city owes, officials said. Mayor Cohen Barnes said the city has a growing problem. “We have a shortfall between … all the property taxes that the city of DeKalb receives, all that economic development on the south side goes directly toward the police and fire crisis, and it’s not enough,” Barnes said.

* Daily Herald | After ‘big misunderstanding,’ Mueller returning to Glenbard District 87 school board: Mueller recently took a job as a routing coordinator for busing provider Safeway, the district’s regular and special education transportation contractor, Glenbard Superintendent Jessica Santee said last month. […] But “on the mistaken assumption that this created an unlawful conflict of interest,” Safeway advised Mueller that she had to either resign from her job or resign from the board, Santee said.

* Daily Herald | ‘It just doesn’t seem very Barrington’: Commission opposes gated community at former PepsiCo site: “It just doesn’t seem very Barrington,” Plan Commission Chairperson Anna Bush said. “It just doesn’t seem community focused.” Commissioner David Holtermann added: “I think gated community promotes things we don’t like. It promotes a sense of division. It reduces social cohesion.”

* Daily Herald | A seasoned conductor agreed to conduct the Wheaton Municipal Band when he turned 100. He just kept his word: [Arnald Gabriel] turned 100 years old in May, but because he now struggles to walk, he couldn’t fly to Illinois. Moss found another way for Gabriel to keep his word. Moss sent a film crew to record Gabriel conducting two songs in his Alexandria, Virginia, condominium, last month. During the concert a week later, his wrinkled face, creased with experience, appeared on an auditorium screen, as CBS News first reported.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Vermilion Co. union hosts meeting listing grievances against Viscofa: Union representatives say it started three years ago. Then, in the spring of last year, they say food casing manufacturer Viscofan tried to get rid of the union. The effort failed after employees voted to keep it, but workers at the factory say it didn’t end there. “They just want you to come in, do this job. If you don’t like it, that’s too bad,” said former employee Tim Miller. “You can leave. You know, we’ll get rid of you.”

* WCIA | Meta, Constellation celebrate new partnership in Clinton: Executives and employees from both companies gathered at Clinton’s nuclear plant recognized the 20-year partnership. The plant’s current agreement with the State of Illinois expires in 2027. “Meta of course, is consuming electricity in other places on the United States electric grid and it’s important to them they can match up their usage with clean energy,” Constellation Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Kathleen Barrón said.

*** National ***

* ProPublica | How DOGE Left Mohammad Halimi’s Life in Tatters: It was early morning on April 1 when Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar, got a panicked message from his son. Halimi’s name had just appeared in a viral post on X, shared by none other than the site’s owner and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. […] The work he was pursuing with USIP had nothing to do with supporting the Taliban. It was the opposite. ProPublica has obtained records making clear that Musk and his team at the newly formed DOGE should have known this too. Halimi’s work at USIP was spelled out in precise detail in the agency’s records, down to the tasks he performed on specific days. His role at the institute was far from top secret, but it had been treated as highly sensitive and confidential. Among other tasks, it involved a program gathering information on the ground about living conditions for Afghan women, who are largely barred from education past primary school or from having a role in public life.

* WIRED | The Magic Phrase Behind Donald Trump’s Power Grab: Nestled in the order was a phrase that’s become increasingly familiar to me over the past seven months as I’ve read piles of boring documents issuing from the administration, trying to figure out what it’s doing. “Discretionary awards must, where applicable,” it read, “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities.” This phrase, and variants, come up a lot. It has popped up everywhere from the White House’s description of the Office of Presidential Scheduling (it works to “create an agenda that strategically advances the President’s priorities,” apparently) to a website where the Coast Guard explains that its secretary is assigned to “fully align the Service to execute the President’s priorities.”

* AP | ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will likely be empty within days, top Florida official says: top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and the federal government fight a judge’s order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by late October. That’s according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press. In a message sent to a South Florida rabbi on Aug. 22 related to providing chaplaincy services at the facility, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said “we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.” The rabbi’s executive assistant who sent the original email to Guthrie confirmed its veracity to the AP.

* AP | FDA approves updated Pfizer COVID shots but limits access for some kids and adults: Pfizer said in a release its vaccine is now approved for all seniors to protect against the virus this fall. But the Food and Drug Administration narrowed its use for younger adults and children to those with at least one high-risk health condition, such as asthma or obesity. That presents new barriers to access for millions of Americans who’d have to prove their risk — and millions more who may want to get vaccinated and suddenly no longer qualify.

* WaPo | National Guard troops deployed in D.C. add sanitation, landscaping duties: Typically, custodial work like this falls to the National Park Service, which was already facing staffing shortfalls when the Trump administration this spring directed additional cuts as it gutted the federal workforce. The service used to have 200 people assigned to maintain thousands of acres of trees and gardens in D.C., and now there are 20, a Park Service official told The Post.