* Politico…

NEW POLL: The Illinois Policy Institute is out with its Lincoln Poll results that show voters at this moment care most about high taxes, state governance, the economy and crime. That’s all predictable. What might surprise is a statistic about Gov. JB Pritzker’s favorability. The poll shows 47.2 view him favorably, and 50.2 percent rank him unfavorably — the first time the governor’s been underwater on that question in this poll, which is conducted quarterly. Details in the cross tabs.

M3 Strategies conducted the survey. The group leans right as does the Illinois Policy Institute. But the cross tabs show that of the 752 people polled, 54 percent were Democrats and 39 percent were Republicans. The poll was conducted July 15 through 18 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.57 percent. Respondents were “randomly selected from a pool of individuals who are likely to vote in the 2026 General election,” according to Illinois Policy. The polling memo has more.

* WTTW…

When Mayor Brandon Johnson scrapped the city’s controversial gunshot detection system, he defied critics who warned that without ShotSpotter, police officers would be unable to stop a wave of gun violence.

But nearly a year after officials turned off the microphones that sent an alert to police officers every time the system picked up suspected gunfire, a new analysis of Chicago crime data shows a steep drop in violent crime and homicides in the 12 South and West side neighborhoods that had ShotSpotter sensors until September 2024.

Police beats that had ShotSpotter sensors saw an approximately 17.8% decrease in violent crime and a 37.5% decrease in homicides during the first six months of 2025, as compared with the first six months of 2024, according to the analysis of Chicago crime data by Rob Vargas, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago who leads the UChicago Justice Project.

Citywide, incidents of violent crime dropped 17.7%, while the number of homicides dropped 30% during the same period, as compared with the same period in 2024, according to Chicago police data. The number of shootings was also down 30%, according to police data.

* Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman, is circulating petitions for a Republican bid for Illinois attorney general. Brenden Moore…

Also, former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti is circulating petitions to run for Illinois attorney general as a Republican. Fioretti has run unsuccessfully for Chicago mayor, Illinois Senate, Cook County state’s attorney and Cook County Board president in recent years. #twill https://t.co/U7zbvolQJ2 pic.twitter.com/fELJBsTISJ

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) August 7, 2025

[From Rich: Fioretti lost primaries or general elections in both parties in 2024, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2015. Zero surprise that he wants to run again this time.]

* Citizens Utility Board, Illinois PIRG and AARP Illinois…

Many Nicor Gas customers may not know that their utility is trying to hit them with the largest gas rate hike in Illinois history, but a state public forum Thursday night in Elgin is an opportunity to speak out against the company’s fifth rate-hike request in recent years.

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is holding a public forum–requested by AARP Illinois–on Nicor Gas’ request for an unprecedented $316.5 million rate increase – 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 (TONIGHT) at Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL 60120. Utility watchdogs have warned the proposal would raid consumers for at least double the amount Nicor can request within the boundaries of state law. […]

Those who can’t make the forum can join hundreds of people who have signed a CUB petition or filed a public comment with the ICC against Nicor’s rate-hike request.

Nicor embarked on its quest to obtain a record-high rate hike for an Illinois gas utility in January of this year, and the tally has only expanded since then, from about $309 million to $316.5 million (Docket No. 25-0055). Nicor customers have expressed frustration at the company’s serial rate hikes: This would be Nicor’s fifth since 2017. In that same time period—from 2017 to 2024—the utility has raised delivery rates by 114 percent, totaling $747 million, and its parent, Southern Co., has made $25.2 billion in profits. […]

The ICC will issue a final ruling on Nicor’s rate-hike request in November. If approved, Nicor’s rate hike would increase average gas bills by about 9 percent, or about $7.70 a month/more than $92 a year, and push the utility’s total increases to more than $1 billion in less than a decade.

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | Tom Hughes Appointed Board President of INCCRRA, Expanding Leadership at the Intersection of Public Health and Early Childhood: The Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) is proud to announce that Executive Director Tom Hughes has been appointed President of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), effective January 2026. INCCRRA is a statewide leader in expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care and supporting the early childhood workforce. This appointment reflects a growing recognition that the health and well-being of Illinois communities is deeply connected to the strength of early childhood systems. As both organizations prioritize equity, access, and family-centered support, Hughes’ leadership reinforces a shared commitment to innovation, quality, and collaboration across systems.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Texas senator says FBI will help find Democrats who fled the state; Pritzker calls it ‘grandstanding’: Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday said the FBI has agreed to help track dozens of Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois and New York as they try to stop Texas Republicans from enacting new congressional maps that would give the GOP five more seats. The request sets the stage for an escalation of a war between the Trump administration and Illinois Democrats, with Gov. JB Pritzker at the helm. But it’s unclear what role federal agents can play in the matter, and there were no reports of FBI activity in the area housing Texas Democrats as of Thursday morning. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.

* CBS Chicago | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker defends signing bill upping pension payouts for Chicago police, firefighters: Supporters said House Bill 3657 was needed to bring first responders in line with their colleagues in other departments around Illinois, Capitol News Illinois reported.

* Illinois Times | Governor signs health laws: Late last year, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield – a separate company from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois that does not offer insurance plans in Illinois – had planned to start setting time limits for anesthesia coverage before announcing a reversal around the time UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered. One month later, practicing anesthesiologist and state Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, introduced House Bill 1141 to require health insurance companies to cover anesthesia services without time limits. The bill saw unanimous support across both chambers and will be required as part of all future contracts the Department of Healthcare and Family Services negotiates with insurers.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Three Homeless Encampments, Three Different City Responses: But some alderpeople and neighbors still find the city’s strategy unclear and inconsistent. Tents sometimes create safety and sanitation hazards, but the city lacks enough units to house everyone in need, and in multiple instances over the last year, officials didn’t act until alderpeople repeatedly complained or violence broke out around the encampments. To understand how city officials address homeless encampments, Block Club analyzed the response to sites in three different wards, using emails obtained through public records requests as well as interviews with alderpeople and city officials.

* Sun-Times | U.S. Rep. Ramirez’s comments on her Guatemalan heritage draws backlash from conservatives, White House: But Ramirez, who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security, said she was simply sharing pride in her multi-cultural, multiracial heritage. In a statement, she said the criticism she was receiving wasn’t about national identity, but instead an attempt to silence her political views against “the nativist, white supremacist, authoritarians in government.”

* Crain’s | Goldman Sachs beefing up Chicago office as competition picks up: The firm has about 800 people in its Chicago office, roughly 85% of them working in asset and wealth management, and is aiming to grow its local headcount by 7% to 10% annually, according to Christopher Keogh, global co-head of the institutional client business within Goldman’s asset and wealth management division.

* Block Club | 22 Things To Do In Chicago This Weekend: Windy City Comedy Fest, Bud Billiken Parade And More: The Bud Billiken Parade, Hey Benji Kids Festival and 2000s Night at the Zoo are all on deck, as well as Trash People’s pop-up for teachers in need of school supplies. You can also reserve a time with your group for a museum-wide escape room at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry or catch a free concert in Hyde Park’s Harper Court.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Underwood: ICE ‘completely unresponsive’ after enforcement in Joliet: By July 20, Underwood expected a “comprehensive briefing” from Lyons about the incident that was described as “very aggressive” and “dangerous” by Marcos Ceniceros, executive director of Warehouse Workers for Justice. “ICE has been completely unresponsive to our inquiries, and that is unacceptable,” Underwood said at the town hall. She said there was “considerable property damage” done in the course of that “enforcement action.” She said that is not the “kind of law enforcement that we expect in our community.”

* Shaw Local | Financial uncertainty looms over McHenry County as it plans how much to tax and spend: As the McHenry County Board starts to look at how much the county will tax and spend next year, the potential for additional federal cuts could shape what that looks like and is among the factors adding uncertainty to the process.

* Shaw Local | Joliet makes another parking deal with developer John Bays: Bays will have exclusive use of the Riverwall parking lot, which is rundown and seldom used. The parking lot along the Des Plaines River is located across Joliet Street from Bays Tower, making it an attractive asset for Bays.

* Tribune | Long after the fuss over Pope Leo XIV, the village of Dolton will still be here: Dolton, whether or not you ever think about it again, is full of kindness and hope. But interesting. It’s a pocket-sized village (4.6 square miles, with a population that peaked at around 26,000 in 1970 and has drifted off ever since). It’s on the banks of muddy Little Calumet River and modest Lake Cottage Grove, though it feels far from anything damp. The town water tower always seems like it could use a fresh coat of paint. Railroad tracks shoot here and there, all over the place. It’s been working class since European settlers (Germans, Dutch) arrived in the 1800s. But after industry faded away generations ago, the future never trended brighter. Dolton kept hoping. Its new wish for a burst of pope-related tourism resonates with another moment in its history 130-odd years ago, when Dolton so hotly anticipated a boom of new residents and tourists to emerge from the success out of Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, Dolton civic leaders decided to get incorporated.

* Daily Herald | 100-degree heat returns to northern Illinois starting Friday: Heat and humidity remain on the rise across northern Illinois, and triple-digit heat levels are expected back by Friday. The high temperatures will last through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Peak heat indices will reach 95-100 degrees on Friday and Saturday, and 90-95 degrees on Sunday.

* Evanston Now | Sticky, hot … but less smoke: The National Weather Service says we can expect heat index temperatures of nearly 100 degrees Friday and Saturday in Evanston. But air quality issues caused by Canadian wildfire have diminished — and while an Air Pollution Action Day was declared for Thursday, the latest readings indicating a “moderate” level of particulates and a “good” reading for ozone.

*** Downstate ***

* Fox 2 Now | 2 dead after helicopter crashes into Mississippi River barge north of St. Louis: According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a Hughes 369D helicopter struck transmission lines over the river and crashed into the barge at 11:05 a.m. The barge then caught fire.

* WAND | BGCCIL announces school year club sites despite funding challenges: “Our ability to maintain services at these five donor-supported sites is a direct result of the community’s belief in our mission,” said BGCCIL Chief Executive Officer Tiffany Mathis Posey. “We remain dedicated to expanding these services further, should funding and partnership opportunities arise.”

* WCIA | Rebuilding nearly complete at Arcola grain elevator: Construction is nearly done at an Arcola grain elevator, where a bin collapsed in February 2024 and damaged two smaller surrounding silos. The cause is still unknown. […] Total Grain Marketing — which owns the elevator — said 570,000 bushels of corn and a large amount of steel were in the bin when it collapsed. TGM knocked down five more older structures to make way for newer and sturdier bins.

* Dispatch-Argus | River Bend Food Bank retiring Backpack Program, turns to school pantries to boost access: River Bend Food Bank will phase out its Backpack Program and instead utilize food pantries, a move expected to provide fie times more meals to school kids and their families. Phase one will include more than 20 schools transitioning this month, the food bank said in a Thursday news release. These schools will discontinue offering pre-packaged bags of food to individual students and instead students and their families will have access to school pantries already located at participating school sites.

*** National ***

* Columbus Dispatch | Tesla but no Rivian? EV maker sues Ohio BMV over prohibition on direct car sales: A California-based electric vehicle maker is suing the state’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles, saying Ohio law prevents it from selling cars in the state while letting Tesla do precisely that. Rivian, a manufacturer of electric vehicles, filed the lawsuit on Aug. 4 in U.S. District Court in Columbus, asking the court to determine that the provision of Ohio’s law violates the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection rights of Ohio consumers. According to the lawsuit, a 2014 Ohio law allows the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to deny a license for a motor vehicle dealer to “a manufacturer, or a parent company, subsidiary or affiliated entity of a manufacturer.”

* AP | New study sheds light on ChatGPT’s alarming interactions with teens: ChatGPT will tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, instruct them on how to conceal eating disorders and even compose a heartbreaking suicide letter to their parents if asked, according to new research from a watchdog group. The Associated Press reviewed more than three hours of interactions between ChatGPT and researchers posing as vulnerable teens. The chatbot typically provided warnings against risky activity but went on to deliver startlingly detailed and personalized plans for drug use, calorie-restricted diets or self-injury.

* AP | Trump seeks to change how census collects data and wants to exclude immigrants in US illegally: Experts said it was unclear what exactly Trump was calling for, whether it was changes to the 2030 census or a mid-decade census, and, if so, whether it would be used for a mid-decade apportionment, which is the process of divvying up congressional seats among the states based on the population count.

* NBC | New research reveals clues about memory from the brains of ‘SuperAgers’: Yackley, a longtime Chicagoan who hails from Turkey, acknowledges that genetic factors may be contributing to her youthful cognition. Her mother and father lived to be 86 and 88, respectively. On the other hand, Yackley feels her joie de vivre helps keep her mind sharp. “I think it’s partly your determination to live a long life and your activities that enable you to do so,” she said, encouraging older adults to pursue “things that make you proud.”

* Informa | Bluesky Reaches 38M Users, Though Post Volume Is Declining: As confirmed by Bluesky chief Jay Graber, Bluesky is now up to 38 million monthly active users, rising from 30 million which it reached back in March. Which is a positive, for sure, adding 8 million more users is a good sign for its evolution, and its enduring popularity in the broader social media space.