* ICYMI: Pritzker: Taxpayers shouldn’t be ‘propping up’ Bears stadium plan. Daily Herald…

- On Friday, Bears President Kevin Warren said the franchise won’t be able to move forward unless state lawmakers approve a long-term property tax break on the former Arlington Park racetrack property.
- The Bears are a privately owned business, Gov. Pritzker said, and if its owners want to move the team to its 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, he’ll support it.
- Regardless of where the team winds up, Pritzker said Illinois taxpayers shouldn’t be “propping up” a business worth more than $8 billion with public funding for a new stadium, a stance he’s long held.

* Related stories…

∙ Crain’s: Pritzker ’still considering’ bill that could advance Bears’ Arlington Heights plan
∙ Rep. Kam Buckner: Springfield should think twice before giving the Bears a property tax break
∙ CBS Chicago: Pritzker unenthused about tax relief bill for Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois

* At 3 pm, Governor Pritzker will sign Sonya Massey’s bill, which requires more thorough background checks in police hiring. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* The Southern | Joe Cervantez launches bid for Illinois Attorney General: In an exclusive interview with The Southern Illinoisan, former Jackson County State’s Attorney Joe Cervantez is making his first statewide run, announcing his candidacy for Illinois Attorney General as a Republican. […] So far, incumbent Democrat Kwame Raoul has filed for reelection, and former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti is circulating petitions to appear on the March primary ballot, according to a report in Capitol News Illinois.

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker again makes Nazi comparisons after President Trump threatens DC-like takeover in Chicago: “You’ve seen that he doesn’t follow the law,” Pritzker said. “I have talked about the fact that the Nazis in Germany in the ’30s tore down a constitutional republic in just 53 days. It does not take much, frankly, and we have a president who seems hell-bent on doing just that.” Pritzker previously made a comparison between Trump’s second term and the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. During his State of the State speech earlier this year, the governor, who is Jewish, likened the actions of Trump and his administration to the quick rise of Nazism in Germany, adding that he was “watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. … The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here.”

*** Statewide ***

* WTVO | Illinois plans to swap federal healthcare marketplace for state-funded option: Starting November 1st, all Illinois resident who were enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid through Healthcare.gov will be transitioned to Get Covered Illinois for their 2026 coverage. Last year, Get Covered Illinois launched a $6.5 million grant to create a statewide navigator program to assist residents in enrolling in healthcare coverage.

* Inside Climate News | As Climate Change Makes Hail More Destructive, Illinois Residents Pay the Price: The big rate increase continues a statewide trend. Illinois homeowners’ rates have gone up 50 percent over the last three years, more on average than in any other state but Utah, from roughly $2,000 to roughly $3,000, said Abe Scarr, state director for Illinois PIRG, a public-interest advocacy group.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WTTW | Illinois Lawmakers on How to Fix Chicago Public Schools’ Budget Challenges:“Of course the state will have a very critical role in providing funding not just for Chicago Public Schools but for districts throughout the state,” said state Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago). “Exactly how that happens really depends on what we see on Wednesday when CPS does release its budget.”

* After nearly 20 years with the company, Donovan Pepper is leaving his role as the Senior Director of Government Relations and Civic Engagement for Walgreens…

As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end”…thus my almost 20-year run at the corner of “happy & healthy” has come to a close. I have truly enjoyed my time with this great company and have enjoyed being a part of so many initiatives, memorable moments and experiences.

As part of Walgreens’ original state government relations team overseeing lobbying and advocacy work in various state capitols, and later directing and leading Walgreens’ priorities in local municipalities, cities and counties across the U.S., I am so thankful for all of the elected and public officials, business leaders and individuals that I have had the privilege to meet and work with over the last two decades.

* Daily Herald | Wheaton city councilwoman running for state House seat: Current Wheaton City Council member Erica Bray-Parker, a Democrat, has launched a campaign to succeed retiring Republican Amy Grant in an Illinois House seat. Bray-Parker, a teacher at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, has been on the Wheaton council since 2019. She holds one of the two council at-large positions, which represent all of Wheaton. Bray-Parker has now emerged as a candidate for the 47th state House district seat.

* Tribune | State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit joins growing Democratic field running for Illinois comptroller: Kifowit joins a field that includes House colleague, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Champaign County Auditor George Danos. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago is also expected to enter the contest. Croke narrowly won the endorsement of Cook County Democratic slatemakers last month. Kifowit called herself “one of the few fiscal experts in the General Assembly” and said she has been “the voice of fiscal responsibility since that day I got there.”

* TSPR | New Illinois law to protect rural auctioneers: State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, introduced Senate Bill 2351. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and will require a licensed auctioneer to be involved in any online auctions, estate sales, and estate services in Illinois. “Illinois must guarantee that all auction services are carried out by credible, licensed auction professionals. This law will protect our local auctioneers and give bidders peace of mind when they make their transactions,” Halpin said in a release.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | City Gives 27th Ward Aldermanic Hopefuls Just A Week To Apply For Ald. Walter Burnett’s Job: The requirements are starkly different than the ones the city listed when former Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa’s 35th Ward seat vacated earlier this year, when candidates were required to have “at least five years of experience working in government or public service.” Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said the requirements are different because each selection committee creates their own requirements for applicants. Mayors have historically had wide discretion in appointing replacements to vacant City Council seats, often selecting candidates recommended by the departing alderperson — frequently a close aide or political ally, Simpson said.

* Sun-Times | Trump’s warning on replicating a DC police takeover in Chicago an empty and illegal threat: local officials: Johnson said Trump’s repeated attempts to portray Chicago as a cesspool of violent crime run contrary to the 30% drop in homicides and nearly 40% reduction in shootings over the last year. In an interview with ABC-7, Johnson said a federal takeover of law enforcement in Chicago would “destabilize our city” and be unpopular to boot. “No one in the city of Chicago — residents that I’ve spoken to, the people of this city — no one has ever asked for the National Guard to come to Chicago,” the mayor said.

* WTTW | At Least 47% of Jobs Charged With Implementing Court-Ordered Police Reforms Are Empty, Another 226 Are Unaccounted For: Records: Of 439 positions in the Chicago Police Department charged with implementing the court order known as the consent decree, 207 positions, or 47%, were empty seven months into 2025, according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WTTW News. CPD officials and representatives of Mayor Brandon Johnson failed to account for another 226 positions that city officials told the federal judge responsible for overseeing the reform effort would be charged with implementing the consent decree designed to reform CPD, which has faced decades of scandals, misconduct and brutality.

* Crain’s | Northwestern, UChicago named in price inflation conspiracy lawsuit: A lawsuit seeking class-action certification, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, takes aim at the early decision practice — where students apply early to a college and commit to attending in order to increase their admissions chances — which plaintiffs allege is a violation of antitrust law. […] The complaint argues that students, once selected in the early decision process, are prevented from receiving competitive offers from peer institutions and are subject to changes in tuition prices and financial aid package changes without recourse.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago to install 50 flood sensors providing real-time alerts of flash flooding: Many of the flood sensors will be in the Chatham neighborhood, where CBS News Chicago has covered flooding issues for years. “This sonar sensor here? That’s how we track how far away the water is,” Hyfi chief executive officer Brandon Wong said. […] “This device measures the flooding on the ground and then through Verizon’s connectivity, it links up with all the other 50 sensors to help inform where to send of an alert in a given part of a neighborhood,” Wong said.

* Sun-Times | Canal that famously reversed the Chicago River deserves a better name, group says: The canal that made it all happen has since been known as the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. It’s an unglamorous name. But maybe not for long. Organizations, including Friends of the Chicago River and Friends of the Forest Preserves, are pushing to change the name of the canal to something more inspired. The current name, supporters of the change say, is too focused on the canal’s past.

* Sun-Times | Right-hander Drew Thorpe joins White Sox as he continues recovery from Tommy John surgery: “A lot better than last year, just vibe-wise,” Thorpe said of being around the 2025 Sox. “Everything seems like it’s meshing well. We’re playing a lot better than last year, and I think we’re still very young, so a lot of progress to be made, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Oak Park ends contract with license plate reader camera company: “At a time when the federal government is making overreaching attacks on norms, institutions, civil rights and due process and the rule of law, Oak Park should not be spending taxpayer funds on a technology that can easily be abused to advance a universal system of authoritarian style surveillance and control,” said John Slocum, the executive director of Refugee Council USA, in a public comment before the vote. Voting to terminate the Flock contract were village Trustees Jenna Leving Jacobson, Chibuike Enyia, Brian Straw, Derek Eder and a reluctant Village President Vicki Scaman. Village Board members Jim Taglia and Corey Wesley voted against terminating the contract with Flock. Instead Taglia and Wesley supported a motion to turn off the cameras for 90 days to give the village more time to study the issue. That motion was defeated by a vote of 4 to 3 as Scaman joined Taglia and Wesley in supporting the motion.

* Daily Herald | Pace paratransit rideshare program is victim of its own success: As regards paratransit funding, the Chicago-based Taxi Access Program (TAP) was created over 20 years ago. It lets certified ADA/paratransit passengers pay the first $2 of any trip. Pace covers the remainder up to $30, with riders paying costs exceeding $30, plus tips and surcharges. In 2024, Pace introduced a similar service, the Rideshare Access Program, for city and suburban paratransit riders using Uber and UZURV. Those combined have resulted in a projected 2.2 million more rides and an estimated $53 million shortfall in 2025, planners said.

* Daily Herald | One year later, Mount Prospect says new fourth fire station working according to plan: The $1.75 million station at 1415 E. Algonquin Road addressed a long-standing imbalance in coverage. Prior to Station 11’s opening, more than 50% of calls originated south of the tracks, forcing the engine at Station 13 to cross from the north side more than 1,300 times annually. “We now have two fire suppression vehicles south of the tracks, where well over 50% of our calls had always originated,” Dolan said.

* Daily Southtown | Blackface performers at Oak Forest charity picnic draw backlash, distancing efforts: Video posted on social media show at least two performers wearing what appears to be black or very dark-colored makeup or stage paint, one of them dressed as a nun. […] The Archdiocese of Chicago also, after the event, issued a statement saying the picnic was “not sponsored, co-hosted, or affiliated with any parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago.”

* Daily Southtown | Orland Square Starbucks workers join union; cite pay and working conditions: Nick Brown, a shift supervisor of five years in Orland Park, agrees and said shifts can be inconsistent. “We deserve consistent schedules, a living wage and a louder voice at work,” said Brown. “I hope that by unionizing we can model for other stores in our community.” Workers at two Chicago Starbucks became the first unionized Starbucks workers in the city in 2022, and similar efforts have increased since.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois scrambling to save after-school programs:
District 117 allowed the organization to have two additional sites, but it will cost parents $60 per week. Posey said this does not reflect the desires of the organization.
“While it is not ideal for us to have to move to a fee-based model, it was either that or not have but two programs in the Jacksonville area,” Posey said.

* WCIA | Neoga School District provides update on tornado repairs entering 2025-26 school year: The elementary school is ready to welcome students back, as priority repairs have been completed. Remaining repairs such as the exterior walls, roof membrane, metal work and the front entrance will not be complete until the late fall, but officials said they will have minimal impact on the learning environment. […] Junior and senior high school students, however, will continue to see the accommodations that were implemented last year. Renovations continue at their facility and officials said interior demolition and repairs continue and are expected to take 12-24 months.

* WCIA | Illinois State Fairgoers jump into action, rescue 3-year-old from Sky Glide: Townsley said she immediately began yelling for the operators to stop the ride. After about a minute, Hailey said the Sky Glide paused, and she held on to her son. A crowd formed, and a group of people eventually lifted a woman in the air, who grabbed onto Townsley’s son and lowered him to the ground. She estimated that she held onto him as he dangled over the edge for about five to six minutes.

* WGLT | Ford County Chronicle among 40 newsrooms getting new tax credit to curb Illinois news deserts: With co-publisher Andrew Rosten as the Chronicle’s two reporters, they’ll receive $30,000 in tax credits for the next five years. Brumleve said that’s lot of money for a small operation like the Ford County Chronicle — about 10% of their annual budget. But the overall impact is bigger than that. “If it wasn’t for this tax credit our paper would be closed,” said Brumleve.

* WICS | Megan Moroney sets new attendance record at Illinois State Fair: Megan Moroney made history Sunday night at the Illinois State Fair, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 15,532 fans. The audience sang along to her hits, including “Am I Okay?,” “Tennessee Orange,” and her latest single, “6 Months Later.” Moroney’s performance surpassed the previous attendance record of 15,427 set by Lil Wayne last year. Before that, Jason Aldean held the record with 15,329 attendees in 2011, followed by Florida Georgia Line in 2014 with 15,204 tickets sold. Reba McEntire drew 14,823 fans in 2019, and Hootie and the Blowfish rounded out the top five with 13,956 tickets sold in 1995.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump nominates Bureau of Labor Statistics critic to replace fired agency head: [E.J. Antoni] has a PhD in economics from Northern Illinois University and contributed to Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation policy blueprint that laid out many of the strategies that the Trump administration has followed since taking office. He is a fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, a conservative economic group helmed in part by informal Trump adviser Stephen Moore.

* Study Finds | How Profit-Driven AI Jesus Chatbots Prey On Prayer-Driven Christians: A new study by Anné H. Verhoef, a professor of philosophy at North-West University in South Africa, examines this growing trend, warning that these chatbots pose a new kind of challenge: they don’t just imitate humans made “in God’s image” — they claim to be God. Verhoef analyzed five popular “AI Jesus” platforms: AI Jesus, Virtual Jesus, Jesus AI, Text with Jesus, and Ask Jesus. He found none were created or endorsed by any church. Instead, they are run by for-profit companies with names like SupremeChaos, AllStars Productions LLC, and Catloaf Software.

* NPR | Lawyers, judges see a chilling effect from immigrants’ arrests at criminal courthouses: As the Trump administration seeks to scale up deportations, ICE agents have been increasingly seen at immigration courts and criminal courthouses. Defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges say they’re seeing a chilling effect on criminal proceedings, not only on the defendants but on witnesses and victims.