* Crain’s…

Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health providers are welcoming the end of a year-long cutoff of federal Medicaid funds, though they anticipate more fights over cash inflows are still to come. […]

Illinois kept state Medicaid dollars flowing with an additional $4 million last year, but defunding still had an impact as Planned Parenthood organizations from surrounding states did see losses, said [Parenthood of Illinois’ president and CEO Adrienne White-Faines].

“Many of our affiliates were thrown into crisis, so it impact us as others were not able to provide care,” she said. […]

Case in point, Indiana’s Planned Parenthood affiliate remains cut off from state Medicaid funding as that state’s officials try to get federal court approval to enforce a 2011 state law that prohibits any state funding to abortion-providing organizations.

*** Statewide ***

* CBS Chicago | Illinois health department reports “higher-than-average” number of cyclosporiasis cases: As of Tuesday morning, the IDPH reported 141 cases of cyclosporiasis, including 59 acquired domestically and 62 reported after travel outside the U.S. Twenty cases are pending investigation in Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | Long-term care residents now have expanded electronic monitoring options with new Illinois law: Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill that will expand authorized electronic monitoring of residents in assisted living and shared housing establishments. Beginning in 2016, nursing home residents have been allowed to install electronic monitoring devices in their room — at their own expense — as long as their roommate consents to having the device in the room. The newly signed House Bill 4517 extends this protection to residents of assisted living and shared housing communities.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new transit board picks include CTA board’s current chairman: The mayor’s nominees for the reconstituted CTA board include the board’s current chairman, Lester Barclay, an attorney who was originally appointed to the board by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. If approved by aldermen, Barclay would serve on both the CTA and NITA boards. Barclay has previously criticized aspects of the new transit legislation — namely the increased oversight authority it gives to NITA.

* WTTW | Chicago Police Department Overspent Its 2025 Budget by $162.5M: City Analysis: Nearly three-quarters of the overspending, or $120.3 million, was attributed to the department’s personnel budget, even though CPD has more than 1,000 vacant positions, records show. In all, CPD spent $285.8 million to pay officers to work extra hours in 2025, $185.8 million more than it had budgeted, according to a database maintained by the Office of the Inspector General. In addition, CPD overspent its budget to defend and resolve police misconduct lawsuits by $48.5 million, according to the city’s annual financial report. Even though the City Council set aside $82.5 million to defend and resolve lawsuits against the police department, CPD spent a total of $131 million, according to the report.

* Tribune | Chicago weighs ban on Kalshi and Polymarket bets for insider city staff: “The work that we do within City Hall and within all of our offices is innately sensitive and often confidential,” Knudsen said. “We just need to be sure that people aren’t using any of that information for profit or for playing games.” Aldermen advanced Knudsen’s measure in a unanimous voice vote Tuesday during a City Council Ethics Committee meeting. It will likely face a final vote next week.

* The Tribune’s Alice Yin…

Mayor Brandon Johnson announces 2026 budget is short more than $130M in revenue, attacks alders for passing alternate plan over his objections — singles out debt sale. “It’s unfortunate. This proposed revenue source has been determined to be unfeasible and unworkable.” pic.twitter.com/U2JidPpIAd

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) July 7, 2026

* ABC Chicago | Postal trucks parked illegally in Lincoln Park drawing renewed safety concerns, alderman says: Postal trucks were seen illegally parked in paid parking spaces, in front of fire hydrants, at bus stops and in other restricted areas. Ald. Timmy Knudsen said the renewed violations are disappointing after assurances from the Postal Service that the situation would be fixed. “The uptick is frustrating to us because we took USPS at their word that they’d be solving this process for good,” Knudsen said. “So every time we get a vehicle out there, you know, we call 911, we reach out to USPS, and we send our warning that, you know, you need to obey the rules of the road, you’re creating a safety hazard.”

* Block Club Chicago | Bud & Rita’s Opens Loop’s First Weed Shop As City Eases Restrictions For Downtown Dispensaries: Opening a dispensary in the Loop was more complicated than just finding an empty storefront. Under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city banned dispensaries in the Loop and much of River North in an effort from Lightfoot to keep the area “family friendly.” When the Downtown exclusionary zone was significantly reduced in 2021 to parts of Michigan Avenue and Grand Avenue near Navy Pier, dense high-rises, office buildings, schools and restricted zoning areas often overlapped, creating challenges.

* ABC Chicago | New stormwater storage tanks almost complete in effort to reduce West Side flooding: City officials said the project in the 5500-block of Le Moyne Street creates two auxiliary tanks that will increase stormwater storage by 1.7 million gallons. The projects are just part of what the city says will be a more than $500 million project to address flooding, while also upgrading the city’s aging sewer system.

* Block Club | Uptown Theatre Owner Says City Funding Needed For Renovations — But City Says He’s Asking For Too Much: There is some hope the Uptown will return to its former glory, though that depends on some $200 million in funding, said building owner Jerry Mickelson. Most of that money would need to come from the city, he said. […] The Department of Planning and Development said Mickelson’s latest bid for TIF assistance was not up to snuff. Mickelson’s October 2024 application for a community development grant featured a “significant funding gap” and “seeks a level of TIF assistance that substantially exceeds program guidance of approximately 30 percent of total project costs and what’s reasonably available within the Lawrence/Broadway TIF district,” Strazzabosco said in an email to Block Club.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Family sues state-licensed Rolling Meadows group home for wrongful death, alleging ‘fatal choking event’: Family members are also calling on the state to improve its supervision of community-integrated living arrangements, or CILAs, the small group homes in which many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities reside, according to a statement. Emily Kasanga, a resident of a Clearbrook group home in Rolling Meadows, died in April, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. […] Staff at her home knew or should have known she was at risk for choking and that she required 24-hour care and support, according to the lawsuit. On the day she died, the home failed to appropriately prepare and cut up her food or supervise her, the suit alleges.

* Northwestern Local News initiative | The Daily Herald Deal: Second, Tribune already printed and delivered the Daily Herald, and the newspaper’s publication and delivery contracts with Tribune would expire in four years. Paddock expressed concern that in a potential re-negotiation, the company would have less leverage than the current agreement that came following Paddock’s sale of its printing plant in northwest suburban Schaumburg to the Tribune. That could lead to skyrocketing printing and delivery costs or even an inability to print and deliver the paper.

* Pioneer Press | In Northbrook, people with disabilities get affordable housing option as Poupard Place opens: Poupard Place, located at 1593 Shermer Road, was developed by the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, a not-for-profit affordable housing developer based in Skokie, through a partnership with the Village of Northbrook. The building serves individuals living with a disability or who have at least one person in their household living with a disability, and earn up to 60% of the Area Median Income. […] Koenig said demand has been high for the 48-unit building, with the organization receiving 600 applications for a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments.

* Naperville Sun | Heavy holiday rain floods Naperville Riverwalk, shuts down river use: As a result of the storms, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced on social media Sunday that the East and West branches of the DuPage River were closed indefinitely to boaters because of swift currents, floating debris, submerged structures and high-water levels. The conditions pose a threat to boaters navigating the waters and emergency responders who may need to perform a rescue, the agency said.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | Y Block in Springfield could be given to the state: An ordinance authorizing the city of Springfield to donate the Y Block to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is on first reading July 7. The ordinance would be up for discussion at the July 14 committee of the whole meeting when alderpersons would assign it to the debate or consent agenda for a final vote before the full city council July 21. […] “I am working through that process,” Mayor Misty Buscher told The State Journal-Register in a May 18 interview. “Unfortunately, it was a mess left for me (when I became mayor in 2023). I didn’t create that mess. I’m just trying to fix it.” The state’s FY25 budget included $4 million to design and construct a park on the 2.25-acre site.

* 25News Now | Pekin’s Powerton Generating Station now set to retire a year later than planned: In an agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the NRG Powerton Generating Station will remain open until December 31, 2029. Regional grid operator PJM had requested Midwest Generation’s cooperation to help the Powerton station remain in operation beyond what was the previous U.S. EPA’s Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) compliance shutdown date at the end of 2028. Midwest Generation is the electricity generation company in Illinois that partners with NRG, which owns and operate the plant at Powerton.

* WGLT | Normal Town Council approves construction projects, strategic plan: Also Monday, the council approved the 2026 strategic plan with the highest-priority goals focusing on economic issues, public safety, modernizing infrastructure and creating transparency. The strategic plan helps guide staff on priorities and initiatives in day-to-day operations and long-term considerations. It concerns plans from 2026-2029, building off the 2023 version of the strategic plan.

* WCIA | Urbana getting state tax credit toward creating affordable housing: The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA) announced on Tuesday the approval of $37 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). They also approved an additional $39 million in federal and state subordinate resources to go toward the development projects. […] The 22 approved developments include 20 new projects and the rehabilitation of two existing developments. The project approved in Urbana is the Dr. Grant G. Henry Village, which officials said will include safe and stable housing for youths aging out of the foster care system.

* WGLT | Bloomington woman pleads guilty to trying to vote twice in 2024 election: In a hearing before Judge William Yoder, Sud admitted to knowingly trying to vote at a Bloomington polling place after having submitted a mail-in ballot in Wisconsin, where she has another residence. The Bloomington Election Commission flagged the second ballot with the state’s attorney’s office, whose investigation led to Sud’s arrest in September 2025. In pleading guilty to the Class A misdemeanor of attempting to vote twice, Sud agreed to serve 24 months probation and pay a $500 fine, plus additional court fees. In exchange, the court dismissed three felony charges alleged in the same incident.

* STLPR | Collinsville has half the money needed to renovate water plant for ‘forever chemicals’: The City of Collinsville has accounted for roughly $5.7 million of the $11.5 million needed to renovate its water treatment facility after tests last summer confirmed the tap water contained so-called forever chemicals. Testing found PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, at levels higher than the federal Environmental Protection Agency allows. These chemicals take a long time to deteriorate, and some can cause health problems when people are repeatedly exposed.

*** National ***

* Futurism | Meta’s AI Data Center Caught Infecting Town Water Supply With Deadly Bacteria: That decision came after one bad actor, the Meta-affiliated data center company Goat Systems LLC, flooded local waste water pipes with fill-and-flush swill containing a rare and deadly bacterium known as Cupriavidus gilardii. Per Cowboy State, Goat Systems was found to be in “significant noncompliance” with Cheyenne’s industrial waste regulations after a months-long investigation traced the bacteria to Meta’s discharge. […] “This isn’t something we normally test for,” Frank Strong, Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities engineering and water resource division manager told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle of the investigation. Strong noted that the bacterium was first spotted during routine testing for fecal contamination, adding that it’s a bizarre pathogen to find in any wastewater, even that coming from a data center.

* NYT | Trump Administration Guts Efforts to Prevent Gun Violence, Suppressing Reports: The Trump administration has gutted federal gun violence prevention efforts since returning to office, slashing funding for programs and research and even suppressing taxpayer-funded reports aimed at reducing gun injuries and deaths. The cutbacks, which span agencies throughout the federal government, represent a shift in philosophy about how to address gun violence, away from a public-health-oriented approach focused on prevention, to a law-and-order approach focused on beefing up police departments and seizing illegal weapons while also systematically rolling back firearms regulations. The move away from prevention and regulation aimed at saving lives is playing out in other areas of public health too, including illegal drugs and smoking.