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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Aug 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: PJM’s big new data center plan: Make the states figure it out. Canary Media…
- PJM forecasts that data centers and other “large loads” will add 30 gigawatts to 34 gigawatts of new demand by the early 2030s and as much as 70 GW by 2038. Building enough new energy resources to meet that demand would push enormous costs onto utility customers. - “We’ve been saying throughout this whole process that there is a role here for PJM, and there is a role here for the states,” Clara Summers, campaign manager for the Citizens Utility Board, an Illinois-based consumer-advocacy group, said during a July 30 webinar on the latest developments in PJM. But “no state that I know of yet is completely prepared.” * Related stories… * At 2:15 pm, Gov. JB Pritzker will participate in the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable Candidate Forum. Click here to watch. * Tribune | Pritzker signs bill that aims to protect 340B drug discount program: The new law prohibits drugmakers from restricting the number or types of pharmacies that hospitals and other providers can contract with to dispense medications to their patients through a federal program called the 340B Drug Pricing Program. It also bars drugmakers from placing certain other restrictions and requirements on providers and pharmacies participating in the program. * Crain’s | Pritzker presses Welch for quick action on sexual-harassment reforms: “It seems like other states have figured this out but not the House of Representatives in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said at an unrelated press conference today. “I know there’s been talk about a working group. I’ve seen working groups go on for a year and a half. There is no time here. There are already models for dealing with this in other states.” * Capitol News Illinois | School funding stretched thin as costs rise, corporate revenue source shrinks: Despite a $350 million increase in base funding for public schools this year, Illinois is falling further behind in its quest to bring all school districts up to adequate funding levels. That’s according to new data from the Illinois State Board of Education, which announced Friday the details of how it will distribute $9.3 billion in Evidence-Based Funding dollars for public schools. For the third consecutive year, the number of districts being funded at or above 90% of their “adequacy target” will fall while the overall “adequacy gap” — the amount of additional money it would take to bring all districts up to full adequacy — will increase. * WGLT | Amtrak reports banner year, though growth in Illinois is more mixed: Much of the growth in nationwide ridership happened on the northeast corridor where Amtrak is putting a new generation of Acela higher speed engines into service. Ridership on Illinois routes was not as robust — nearly 4.58 million people for FY 2025, according to an Amtrak fact sheet. That’s a significant increase from FY 2024 but still lags each of the five years before the pandemic. * Tribune | As Trump proposes deregulating Head Start, Illinois providers worry what the changes could mean for families: Head Start leaders in Illinois say it’s too soon to tell how the proposed rule will fully affect the low-income families in the state, but many say they are alarmed. Classes could have more students and fewer educators under the proposal, and programs would be required to be taught in English instead of supporting dual-language learners, as current rules require. They are changes that could hit some of Chicago’s most vulnerable families, according to Nadia Gronkowski, director of federal policy and advocacy at Start Early, an Illinois-based organization that advocates for Head Start accessibility. * WBEZ | Darren Bailey’s running mate maintains abortion is ’sin against God’: “Nobody wants to make Illinois a mecca for abortions from everyone around the country to come here and sin against God,” Del Mar said, drawing applause from the audience. But the Cook County GOP chairman said, in a July interview with WBEZ as part of a media tour promoting his slate’s economic policies, that abortion is not on their legislative agenda this time around. * WGN | Illinois House GOP Leader not swayed by Speaker Welch’s apology tour: On Wednesday, Welch told WGN-TV he was forming a new House Culture and Accountability working group that would begin meeting next week. It will be led by State Rep. Dagmara Avelar. No Republicans are members. “It’s just political posturing. We could right now, strengthen the the powers of the LIG. We could have independent investigations. And, certainly I don’t understand why we have to have a working group to do what’s right and what should have been done,” McCombie said. * CWB Chicago | Electronic monitoring system is ‘broken’ and needs legislative fix, State’s Attorney says: “The whole system right now is broken and it needs a legislative fix,” Burke said in a wide-ranging interview with Landon Campbell posted to YouTube on Sunday. “So, I’m going to be asking you and everybody you know and everybody who’s listening to this to please reach out to your legislators and tell them that you do not believe that violent criminals should be on electronic monitoring. They should not and we can work out an agreement with the legislators of okay, where do we draw the line?” * Shaw Local | Joliet GOP candidate for secretary of state hopes to capitalize on Giannoulias’ run for Chicago mayor: “Is this what the voters are voting him in on – to be secretary of state for three months? Harris asked. ”He cannot commit to the four-year term as secretary of state if he is running for mayor.” Whether voters pay much notice, however, is another issue. Harris’ campaign did not get a big boost in the days following Giannoulias’ announcement that he would run for mayor. She has not seen an upsurge in campaign contributions. “I have gotten some more moral support,” Harris said, noting there are people who think as she does regarding Giannoulias’ campaign in two races. * NPR Illinois | Illinois Environmental Council gives over half of Illinois legislators a perfect score on environmentally conscious votes this year: The 2026 Environmental Scorecard gave 100% scores to 95 state legislators, all of whom are incumbent Democrats. This included 58% of state representatives and 46% of state senators. The IEC’s Chief Communications Officer Tucker Barry says that while Democrats were the only ones to receive perfect scores, some Republicans still had scores in the high 80s. * Tribune | Chicago health department leaves millions of federal COVID dollars on the table: Throughout last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to protect Chicago’s public health dollars from President Donald Trump. But behind the scenes, his health commissioner voluntarily returned tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 grants to the federal government months before expiration — funds that could have gone to disease surveillance to help prepare for an outbreak or racial equity programming to improve health outcomes across the city. Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige also terminated over two dozen Chicago Department of Public Health employees last fall despite Johnson emphatically drawing a line against layoffs and his Law Department successfully fending off threats from the White House to slash Chicago’s federal funding thus far. Her actions unfolded alongside investigations of a hostile work environment and significant turnover among her employees. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson names Chicago Health commissioner: Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige is the managing director at the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation based in New Jersey. She succeeds Dr. Allison Arwady, who Johnson let go in August, fulfilling a campaign promise despite Arwady’s efforts to keep the job. Ige has spent much of her career in the East Coast, where she served as assistant commissioner for New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene until early this year. She will officially succeed Arwady as CDPH commissioner on Dec. 4, according to Johnson’s office. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top aide intervenes in city dispute with antiviolence group: Acclivus executives spent months staunchly protesting the audit’s findings with officials at the health department, which manages the city’s antiviolence grants. The conflict played out under the watchful eye of Johnson’s senior adviser, Jason Lee — an unusual involvement for a high-ranking mayoral staffer, given that the $8 million grant is administered by a separate department. * Crain’s | Once stars of Chicago tech, Outcome Health founders lose appeal of fraud convictions: Outcome Health created a network of television screens in doctors’ offices and sold advertising to companies such as AbbVie. It became one of Chicago’s most high-profile startups in 2017 when it raised nearly $500 million from investors that included Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Goldman Sachs and Pritzker Group Venture Capital, a firm co-founded by Gov. JB Pritzker. The deal paid $225 million to Shah and Agarwal. The company soon went into a tailspin when The Wall Street Journal reported that it had been selling advertising inventory on screens it didn’t have without informing customers. * Tribune | Bally’s Chicago pauses construction on hotel, other amenities over video gambling dispute with city: The reset notice, issued Saturday to the Chicago Community Builders Collective, a general contracting partnership overseeing the project, essentially puts everything from a towering hotel and events center to a number of planned restaurants on hold. The decision also puts 1,500 union workers on hiatus, as much of the construction grounds to a halt, Bally’s said. The casino itself remains on target for an early 2027 opening, but the larger entertainment complex is in temporary limbo, pending resolution of the VGT dispute. * Sun-Times | Chicago parents expect to outspend U.S. average on back-to-school supplies, survey shows: Chicago K-12 parents, surveyed by Deloitte, expect to spend a whopping $794 per child on back-to-school items this year, up 7% year over year. It’s also 35% higher than the national average spend $557 per child. The survey reported children’s preferences influenced their parents to spend more and splurge on items. But Matt Adams, principal at Deloitte, said 39% were “hyper-value seekers,” meaning they’ll save by shopping strategically, like buying in bulk or choosing private labels. * Tribune | Lawsuit filed against planned Grayslake data center: ‘We have a really strong case’: It’s not the only lawsuit in the region against data center developments: Chloe Russell, the attorney representing the Lake County residents, previously said she’s been working with similar groups in Joliet and Yorkville. Last month, a settlement was reached in the Yorkville lawsuit. Grayslake Mayor Elizabeth Davies said Friday the village had not been served with the lawsuit. * Daily Herald | Riding into the new school year: Suburban students to face new e-bike regulations: In light of recent deaths and injuries involving kids on e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motos, public safety advocates are seeing the return to school this month as a chance to educate students about these vehicles and the rules governing them. Hoffman Estates Police Chief Kasia Cawley cited a troubling lack of awareness of those rules when the department hosted a National Night Out event last week. Many children were riding vehicles they’re not allowed to use at a police-sponsored event, she said. * Sun-Times | Can would-be buyer afford to take over more Chicago-area hospitals?: These records raise questions about how Insight Health Systems can afford to reopen and operate two more hospitals — West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park and Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown. The owner of both facilities suddenly closed West Suburban in March and Weiss in August 2025, forcing patients to travel farther for care to hospitals already stretched thin. Insight, West Suburban and Weiss are all safety-net hospitals, which are often the fabric of low-income and immigrant communities. They typically don’t make much money and struggle to make ends meet. * Daily Herald | Attorney recalls ‘proudest moments’ representing Arlington Heights for nearly half century: The village of Arlington Heights has been in existence as a municipality for nearly 140 years, and for more than a third of that time, Ernest R. Blomquist III has been the village prosecutor. Blomquist, an icon in the Northwest suburban legal community, recently was feted for his legal acumen, work to keep Arlington Heights safe, and mentorship to young lawyers and community members over 48 years representing the village on cases ranging from DUIs to homicides. * Shaw Local | Joliet to toss 375 costumes, props and more from Bicentennial Park theater: The city is getting rid of 375 costumes, props and other theater items deemed too damaged to be used anymore at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park & Theatre. But there is plenty more of the same available for productions and events, said Ann Sylvester, director of cultural affairs and special events for Joliet. * 25News Now | Pekin Police ask city to waive competitive bidding for license plate reading cameras: On Monday night’s agenda, the council is being asked to forgo competitive bidding and renew the city’s annual contract with Flock for 54 cameras. The cost is $173,900, funded by a multi-year State of Illinois grant to prevent carjackings and vehicle thefts. * BND | 35 new principals, superintendents joining St. Clair County schools this year: Schools across St. Clair County have new leaders for the 2026-27 school year. The Belleville News-Democrat sent questionnaires to all new superintendents, principals, assistant principals and associate principals at public and private schools. We asked about their previous experience, their concerns and hopes for the coming year and how to contact them. As of Friday evening, we heard back from 35 new administrators. Some have been at the same school for years, while others are new to the area. * WAND | Arcola celebrates America’s 250th at inaugural Ben Franklin Fest: “We’ve got a lot of running jokes; there’s a lot of whimsy here in Arcola. And some say that maybe Ben Franklin helped to name the town; some say that maybe he lifted some tariffs and that’s what brought broomcorn in,” said Green Mill Village Marketing and Development Cassie Yoder. * WaPo | Who’s winning in California v. Trump lawsuits so far?: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) told reporters Tuesday that courts have blocked Trump officials’ actions — at least temporarily — in 83 percent of his office’s cases against the administration (excluding cases in which judges have yet to act). Many cases are still working their way through the courts, making the final outcomes uncertain. * Education Week | Some Schools Stop Free Meals for All as SNAP Enrollment Falls: More than 49,000 public schools participated in the CEP in the 2024-25 school year—roughly half of all public schools—providing free meals to more than 25 million students, according to a recent report by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. That report estimates that a family with two children in public school that loses access to free school meals would spend about $1,890 more per year on school meals. […] “We’re going to see these impacts of these SNAP cuts for the next few years to come, as school districts have to go to recertify for CEP and relook at their numbers, and as more children drop off SNAP rosters,” Hysom said. “Schools’ ability to continue offering free school meals through community eligibility is going to decrease.” * ABC | Taylor Farms pulls jalapeño products sold at grocery stores: It’s the latest recall as part of the salmonella outbreak that has made 345 people sick in 27 states. Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week. The USDA said this weekend grocery stores are also removing meat products that include jalapeños. The list of 20 recalled foods provided to ABC News includes dips, salsas and guacamole sold at grocery stores like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Kroger.
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