* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Pritzker reacts to Minnesota lawmakers shot, 1 killed: “A horrifying day”. CBS Chicago…

- Illinois Gov. Pritzker expressed sadness and horror after Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband were killed, and state Sen. John Hoffman, 60, and his wife were wounded in what is being called “politically motivated shootings” early Saturday morning.
- “Political violence is always unacceptable. This is a horrifying day for Minnesota, and a sad day for America. What has occurred is a direct attack on our American values and democracy,” Pritzker said in a statement.
- The gunman had a notebook listing about 70 possible targets, including some from nearby states, according to The New York Times. NBC News reported that some of those names were Illinois-based politicians.

* Related stories…

∙ Minnesota Star Tribune: Officials: Assassination suspect caught after ‘largest manhunt in state history’
∙ NBC: Suspect who terrorized Minnesota’s political leaders after deadly shooting found crawling in rural field

* At 11 am Governor Pritzker will sign Illinois’ $55.2 billion budget. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Following ICE subpoena, Chicago city clerk suspending online municipal ID program portal: Clerk Anna Valencia announced Friday that her office would take the CityKey online portal offline Friday night, a week after the Tribune reported that ICE subpoenaed her office for the personal information of applicants to the program that is often used by noncitizens. The clerk said that while CityKey’s in-person events — which do not leave behind a written trail that identifies applicants — will not be affected, her office decided to halt online applications after other elected officials and community groups expressed concern.

* Inside Climate | As Data Centers Proliferate Across Illinois, Communities Grapple with How to Supply the Necessary Water: Once they’re online, data centers require a lot of electricity, which is helping drive rates up around the country and grabbing headlines. What gets less attention is how much water they need, both to generate that electricity and dissipate the heat from the servers powering cloud computing, storage and artificial intelligence. A high-volume “hyperscale” data center uses the same amount of water in a year as 12,000 to 60,000 people, said Helena Volzer, a senior source water policy manager for the environmental nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Lack of middleman between Illinois farmers and consumers limits market for fruits and vegetables: But as climate change causes increasingly severe droughts and extreme heat in regions that have historically grown lots of fruits and vegetables such as the American Southwest, California and Central America, experts say it’s important that Illinois strengthen its food system. There may even come a time when others look to Illinois — which has a relatively mild climate and ample water supply — to grow what they no longer can. “Either we have to move water to where the agriculture is or move the agriculture to where the water is,” said Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist, engineer and director at the Arizona Water Innovation Institute. He attributes the water scarcity in the Southwest to climate change.

* Illinois Farmer Today | Amid trend toward consolidation, farmers find no ‘one size fits all’: Missouri has the second-most farms of any state, with 87,887 and 27.03 million total acres of farmland. Illinois has 71,123 farms spanning 26.29 million acres, and Iowa has 86,911 farms and 29.98 million acres of farmland. While the smallest acreages can pull the averages down, the numbers still provide a snapshot. Missouri’s average farming operation is 307.6 acres, Iowa’s average farm size is 345 acres, and Illinois’ average is 369.6 acres.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Ex-Speaker Madigan sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for bribery, corruption: The sentence, which also includes three years’ probation after his prison term and a $2.5 million fine, follows a jury’s split verdict in February. After a marathon two weeks of deliberation, jurors convicted him on 10 of 23 corruption charges, including bribery, but acquitted him on seven and deadlocked over another six.

* Herald & Review | Decatur racino developers plan to ‘work through the summer’ to win support for proposal: “We feel good about it,” Conor Lucas, the vice president of government affairs for Revolutionary Racing, told the Herald & Review. “I think our team has done an amazing job and I think the legislature too has done an amazing job of understanding the issue more than ever.”The proposed legislation would direct the Illinois Racing Board to award a horse racing license to a track in Macon County. This would clear the path for the company to develop a 200-acre parcel at the northwest corner of U.S. 36 and Wyckles Road into a one-mile harness race track that would include a casino with 900 gaming positions.

* Tribune | Measure before Gov. JB Pritzker would streamline firearms ID process for low-level gun offenders: The legislation applies to participants in diversion programs that serve as alternatives to prosecution. Cook County’s Democratic state’s attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke, pushed legislators to expand the programs to include a more streamlined opportunity for their participants to obtain a firearm owner’s identification, or FOID, card — the form required by the Illinois State Police for state residents to be allowed to legally own guns. The legislation would apply to people eligible for placement in the diversion programs and charged with gun crimes designated as Class 4 felonies, offenses that can carry one-to-three-year prison sentences but are the least severe level of felonies.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Two people detained on Father’s Day at Broadview immigration center: Manuel was detained with a woman, also from Colombia, according to an immigration attorney who was with them during their appointment. On Friday, dozens of families in immigration proceedings received a text message from the federal government instructing them to report on Sunday to the Broadview center for a check-in appointment. Most left their appointment wearing ankle monitors and were given instructions to report to an office downtown that houses the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, an alternative to detention through check-ins or other forms of supervision, such as ankle monitors.

* Tribune | ‘I am a product of this system’: Pedro Martinez reflects on his tenure as CPS chief: Martinez is leaving the district on Wednesday. In an interview with the Tribune on Thursday, he emotionally recounted his passion for Chicago Public Schools and for the city where he found a home as the child of Mexican immigrants. He urged the next leader of the district to practice empathy in order to set an example for the more than 320,000 kids they will oversee.

* Crain’s | LGBTQ+ clinic in South Shore plans Juneteenth opening: “This clinic is more than just a medical facility — it’s a sanctuary for healing, affirmation and empowerment,” Green said in the release. “We’re creating a space where every person, no matter their background or identity, can feel seen, supported and cared for.” Currently there is no LGBTQ-focused clinic in South Shore, an Onyx spokesperson said in a separate statement, despite disproportionate mental health, HIV and chronic illness rates in the neighborhood.

* Crain’s | The success of ‘The Bear,’ measured by the Chicago tour bus load: Chicago Food & City Tours launched “Yes Chef! Chicago: A Bear-Inspired Food Tour” after requests came flying in for a tour based on the hit TV show following its premiere in 2022. Now on its third year — and ahead of the much-anticipated fourth season, which releases on Hulu on June 25 — demand remains high, the operator says. “It’s become our buzziest and one of the most popular tours that we offer,” says Brian Tuttle, director of team development at the tour operator. “And with the new season approaching, everyone is excited and buses are filled.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WSJ | How Trump Blew Up Northwestern’s Business Model: Through the spring, Northwestern used university money to pay bills previously covered by NIH grants, spending tens of millions of dollars monthly to keep labs and trials running without a break. Researchers and administrators now worry this stopgap can’t last. “The university is totally keeping us on life support,” said Dr. Daniela Matei, a Northwestern oncologist. “The big question is for how long they can do this.” For decades, Northwestern celebrated—and relied on—its growing pot of government funding. Now it’s a liability.

* Sun-Times | ‘Kindness isn’t a weakness,’ Steve Carell tells Northwestern grads at commencement: Carell’s speech also blended fun with sincerity. He sent off the graduates with some advice on how to deal with their fears and anxieties as they leave college for the wider world. “Remember the little things, like being kind and that you’re not alone,” Carell said. “Take care of one another. Remember to laugh when you have the opportunity and to cry when necessary.”

* Daily Herald | St. Charles considers restrictions, tax on short-term rentals: Colby said the inventory of short-term rentals has more than tripled in the past five years, with at least 47 active listings in St. Charles, more than half of which are operated out of single-family homes. While the city has received few complaints about short-term rental units, the recommended measures would give the city power to enforce violations, which they currently cannot, he added.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville council to consider instituting 1% local grocery tax: A proposed 1% local grocery tax will be discussed by the Naperville City Council for the first time Tuesday as the January expiration date for the Illinois grocery tax inches closer. For more than a year, city staff have warned that Naperville stands to lose millions of dollars in annual revenue when the state tax sunsets, necessitating a replacement revenue stream to avoid slashing staff and making service reductions.

* Daily Southtown | Drinking water warning lifted in University Park, elsewhere, utility says after testing: Residents were warned last weekend the drinking water had been contaminated due to high nitrate levels and shouldn’t be consumed by infants under 6 months. Aqua Illinois said Friday, following consultation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Administration and additional testing, that nitrate levels had fallen below the warning level.

* Lake County News-Sun | Thousands attend ‘No Kings’ events in Lake County: Holding a sign that read, “fought for freedom not for a throne” was U.S. Army veteran John McCullough of Grayslake who said he spent six years in the military, including tours of duty during the first Gulf War and on the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea. “I watched a dictator from a distance,” McCullough said at a rally in Gurnee, referring to the ruler of North Korea. “We don’t need a king whose father paid for him to be a draft dodger. That’s not what my brothers and sisters bled and died for.”

* Sun-Times | Dads of newborns in need find support from each other in Northwestern University program: Garfield started the NICU Dads’ Group six years ago. Those who join often downplay their experiences and feelings. He and Boyd say the support group helps them process what they are going through. It’s important, they say, to offer this support because the training that doctors receive and the entire prenatal process centers around mother and baby and that, when there is a problem at birth, the attention understandably focuses on the mother and child but often no one is really there for the non-birthing parent.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Scam alert of people posing as Macon Co. Sheriff’s Office members: Along with the Central Illinois Regional Dispatch Center, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office has recently received numerous calls of individuals identifying themselves as members of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, specifically as Lt. Belcher. These scammers are checking the Macon County Circuit Clerk’s website and identifying real people who have had actual warrants issued for their arrests concerning missed court dates. They are then calling the victims by impersonating the sheriff’s office phone number, so that it seems it’s the real office calling them.

* WCIA | Not sure if it’s really the police? Urbana PD shares what to look for:: “While there is no known threat in Urbana, we believe it’s important to know how to identify a legitimate Urbana Police officer,” the Urbana Police Department wrote in a post on Facebook. The police department said their officers wear official uniforms with Urbana patches and badges. The officials shirts will also include a visible name tag. Even in the rain, officers will be clearly marked, the police department said. All vehicles are also clearly marked, or can be verified through the dispatch center. Look for Urbana decals, and check out the license plate if you are unsure.

* WICS | Fire engulfs horse barn at Illinois State Fairgrounds, no injuries reported: Fire crews responded to a structure fire at the Illinois State Fairgrounds around 6 p.m. on Sunday. According to the fire chief, Horse Barn 39 caught fire, prompting a swift evacuation of the horses housed inside by workers before the arrival of emergency responders. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy smoke and flames engulfing the barn. Fortunately, no injuries to animals or people have been reported.

* SJ-R’s Steven Spearie was on the scene…

On scene at a barn fire on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. I was told there was an explosion at barn 39, which was fully engulfed. I’ve also been told that all of the horses were led out. #SJRBreaking pic.twitter.com/EkVFlSJ8bo

— Steven Spearie (@StevenSpearie) June 16, 2025

*** National ***

* NYT | Big Cheers for No. 14, Pope Leo, at the Ballpark: “We want to celebrate that he’s not only from America, but he’s from Chicago, and he’s from the South Side,” said Rose Carlson, 42, as she filed into the ballpark with her husband, Eric. The couple saw Leo’s election as a good omen for their team, noting that he was photographed days earlier sporting the team’s black-and-white cap with his white papal cassock. With his election, “the White Sox went worldwide,” Ms. Carlson said. “Now they’re higher than the Cubs.” They were both wearing Sox jerseys with “LEO 14” on the back.

* The Atlantic | The Rolling Stones play zydeco: Chenier was born in 1925 in Opelousas, Louisiana, the son of a sharecropper and accordion player named Joseph Chenier, who taught his son the basics of the instrument. Clifton’s older brother, Cleveland, played the washboard and later the rubboard. Clifton had commissioned an early prototype of the rubboard in the 1940s from a metalworker in Port Arthur, Texas, where he illustrated his vision by drawing the design in the dirt, creating one of a handful of instruments native to the United States and forever changing the percussive sound of Creole music.

* The Atlantic | The Most Extreme Voice on RFK Jr.’s New Vaccine Committee: Robert Malone has a history of arguing against the data. He has called for an end to the use of mRNA vaccines for COVID despite the well-established fact that they reduce mortality and severe illness. He has promoted discredited COVID treatments such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, dismissing studies that show they are ineffective against the coronavirus. Recently, he called reports about two girls in West Texas dying from the measles “misinformation,” even though the doctors who treated the girls were unequivocal in their conclusion.