* The Chicago Tribune…

Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President/CEO Kevin Warren reiterated Thursday during a news conference at Halas Hall that the team remains focused on building a stadium over state lines in Hammond. Those efforts have zeroed in on two sites: the Lost Marsh Golf Course and the Wolf Lake Terminals.

Warren said due diligence has been completed on the Lost Marsh location and that it is viable for construction, while the process is ongoing at nearby Wolf Lake. A merger of the two sites also is possible, Warren said. […]

Both Warren and McCaskey used the word “minimal” to describe ongoing communications with Illinois lawmakers this summer. […]

But in the 2½ months since adjournment, the governor said the team still has “not presented a bill” to help the Bears build a stadium in Arlington Heights or elsewhere in Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release Giannoulias Joins SEIU to Mark Historic Expansion of Workers’ Rights for Rideshare Drivers: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias today joined SEIU leaders and rideshare drivers to celebrate House Bill 5090 becoming law. This landmark legislation gives more than 100,000 rideshare drivers across Illinois the right to organize and collectively bargain for better pay, stronger protections and a voice in company decisions that affect their livelihoods. Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 5090, the Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, into law on August 7. The law creates a statewide framework that allows rideshare drivers to form or join a driver organization, select a representative and bargain collectively with transportation network companies.

* LGBTQ Nation | MAGA candidate spoke at Christian conference alongside child rapist & hate pastors: Bailey also spoke at the conference alongside Richard Jones, a registered child sex offender who was charged with two counts of sexual assault against 15-year-old male victims in 1990 and 1997, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In 1997, a court sentenced him to be imprisoned for six years over the charge.

* WCIA | GOP candidate for Illinois Governor hosts meet and greet in Champaign: “The goal and the hope is to energize people that, you know, my voice isn’t the only voice resounding this message of, get out and vote, and let’s change and fire JB Pritzker. That everyone steps out of here tonight, energized, feeling… okay there is hope that yes, we can win,” Bailey said. […] Bailey also discussed his apprehension to Flock cameras in the state, while also acknowledging the role they play in assisting police.

*** Chicago ***

* WGN’s Tahman Bradley…

NEW: Sources: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s REELECTION CAMPAIGN meetings are underway with the team set to hire Jessica Angus of SEIU Healthcare. Jessica is described as a giant of the labor movement and a close ally/long-time friend of the mayor. This comes amid SEIU and CTU feud.

— Tahman Bradley (@tahmanbradley) August 13, 2026

* Board Rule | The Rundown on the Vote for a New Chief Lobbyist: When the board turned to the vote on the chief of IGA, it became clear the proposed appointee was Iris Millán, the associate vice chancellor of government affairs and civic engagement for City Colleges of Chicago. […] Board Member Carlos Rivas (3b) noted that Millán had been interviewed back in February. He expressed frustration that the board had waited “a whole legislative session” before bringing a candidate to a vote. “I was really hopeful to be able to have this person hit the ground running, because they have a monumental task of finding in Springfield $150 million that the majority of this board believes is coming,” he said.

* NBC Chicago | Bears’ owner asked about possible name change if Indiana stadium is built: Bears Chairman George McCaskey was asked that very question on Thursday, and he was extremely matter of fact on the issue. “No, we will be the Chicago Bears, whether we’re in Arlington or whether we’re in Hammond,” McCaskey said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* The North Shore Record | Skokie 911 dispatchers can now route some mental health calls to 988 crisis line: When residents call 911, Skokie dispatchers “will continue to assess each call carefully” and send police, fire or emergency services personnel to any call “involving an immediate threat to life or safety, such as a weapon, crime, or serious medical emergency,” a village webpage states. But local dispatchers may now transfer calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a separate agency that will coordinate with Trilogy, a Chicago-based nonprofit that can send a mobile crisis response team consisting of a behavioral health clinician and peer specialist into the field.

* Daily Herald | DuPage County Board rejects proposal for referendum on eliminating elected coroner position: The county board’s six Republicans were the only ones who supported a plan to put the question on the November ballot. Eleven Democratic members voted against it. The vote came after Republicans roundly criticized how Democrat Judith Lukas, who was elected in 2024, is running the coroner’s office. Board members critical of Lukas pointed to remarks she made during a July committee meeting. At that meeting, Lukas defended a request for an additional employee by saying the coroner’s office was not thorough enough in its investigations.

* Daily Herald | Who’s on first at Metra? Directors coming and going as transit reforms gel: Multiple Metra directors signed off at their final board meeting Wednesday as turnover related to transit reform legislation starts materializing. Six newcomers will sit on the 11-person board in September. Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig joined Metra in 2014 as the agency regrouped after a patronage scandal and front-office turnover. “The last 12 years have been unbelievable, and I’m proud of having served,” the outgoing director said.

* Tribune | Contractor who paid bribes to McCook mayor sentenced to 5 years of probation: A former suburban contractor was sentenced to five years of probation Thursday for paying bribes and acting as bagman for corrupt McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski in exchange for lucrative contracts with the village. In sparing Simo “Sam” Krneta from prison, U.S. District Judge April Perry noted he’d turned his life around in the seven years since the case first started, and that serious health issues would make it difficult for the Bureau of Prisons to manage his care.

*** Downstate ***

* WTTW | Dozens of Incarcerated Men at Lawrence Prison Begin Hunger Strike Over Restrictive Housing Conditions: Per IDOC’s internal policy, a minimum of 10 hours of recreation should be provided per week, inclusive of no fewer than one hour of exercise outside of a cell five days per week. The Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for comment on the strike or conditions at the prison. Schult said that Lawrence only has one mental health professional for the restrictive housing unit. On average, about 85 men are in the restrictive housing unit on disciplinary tickets, according to the department’s end-of-month count.

* WAND | Urbana mayor touts city-wide progress during State of the City address: According to the City of Urbana, property crime dropped 28%, while violent crime fell 8% through July 29. The city will also put money into prevention, including a new community engagement and violence prevention office. “Through coordinated investigations and strategic enforcement, officers recovered 90 firearms connected to 63 incidents between May 2025 and July 2026. Behind every number is a decision to prevent harm and protect our neighbors,” Williams said.

* WAND | New facility offers hope as Champaign Co. faces 8-year skilled nursing bed shortage: The crisis began after the closure of one of the county’s main nursing homes, leaving the county with an estimated deficit of about 300 beds. “Champaign County closed its nursing facility and sold it to a private individual who then closed the entire facility along with two other facilities, leaving us with the biggest deficit by a long shot in the state of Illinois,” said Laurie Reynolds of Advocates for Aging Care.

* BND | After E. coli found, metro-east water providers cited for low disinfectant: Eight of the chlorine deficient samples came from Illinois American’s water and one came from the city’s water, according to Gardner. She said the Illinois EPA collected a total of 19 water samples from homes served by Illinois American and two water samples from homes served by the city. The water from one home served by Illinois American also tested positive for total coliforms, a group of bacteria common in the environment, according to residents’ lawyers. Regulators say they are generally not harmful, but their presence signals a potential problem with equipment or treatment systems.

* River Bender | Local Artist to Debut Miles Davis Tribute Sculpture Made Out of 1,000 Trumpets: He is currently seeking trumpet donations. He has about 65 trumpets that have been donated to him so far, and he is grateful for those donations. It’s important to Snider to collect trumpets from people instead of buying his own. He wants to build a sense of community through the sculpture. […] “Over the years as it accumulates trumpets, people will be able to witness it grow as it gets bigger,” he added.