* ICYMI: President Donald Trump’s administration announces immigration ‘blitz’ beginning in Chicago. Tribune…

- The announcement comes more than two weeks after the Republican president began to say he was planning to target Chicago over crime, causing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson to caution residents to prepare for potential immigration sweeps.
- There was no word on how long the ICE operation would last, and there was also no mention of whether Trump would deploy the National Guard to play a supporting role.
-Despite the “blitz” announcement, it remained unclear Monday how extensive the actions were in the early going. Local officials and immigrant activists cited only a handful of arrests.

* Related stories…

• Sun-Times: Who is Katie Abraham, the Illinois native at the center of the latest DHS deportation campaign?
• Reuters: Chicago protesters defiant in face of Trump’s deportation threats
• Fox Chicago: Illinois officials decry Trump post threatening Chicago with deportations: ‘Disgusting’

* Governor Pritzker will meet with ICIRR at 11:30 am in Brighton Park, then hold a 1:15 pm press availability outside the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGN | Illinois state prisons can’t compute recidivism rates: IDOC officials acknowledge they have not been able to calculate the recidivism rate since 2022 due to what they describe as a computer “programming issue.” In 2022, the last time the number was updated, IDOC reported just under 37-percent of inmates re-offended within three years of their release. […] Sheriff Hain partnered with State Rep. Matt Hanson (D-83rd district, Batavia) to pass a law they hoped would better prepare inmates for life beyond prison walls. The law passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously. It said, if the local sheriff was willing, state prisoners could be transferred back to county jail for the final few months of their sentence to receive localized and specialized re-entry services, everything from substance abuse to job training and housing help.“Not a single person has been able to take advantage of this law,” State Rep. Hanson said while acknowledging the text of his bill said IDOC “may” instead of “shall” do so. “They might be afraid the success that Kane County would have would illustrate they need to have a [better] re-entry program themselves.”

* Sun-Times | Justice Department’s civil rights boss takes on Illinois’ assault weapons ban: The Justice Department’s top official in charge of civil rights has joined the legal battle over Illinois’ controversial assault weapons ban, and is expected to personally argue against the law this month before the federal appeals court in Chicago. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed late last week to hear from Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights. A group challenging Illinois’ gun law agreed to cede five minutes of its time before the court to Dhillon, records show. It’s “extremely unusual” for the Justice Department “to treat Second Amendment rights as civil rights and advocate for them in such a direct and personal way at the appellate level,” Hannah Hill, vice president of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

* Stateline | Illinois among blue states to keep public health dollars while red states lose out: After the Trump administration slashed billions in state and local public health funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year, the eventual impact on states split sharply along political lines. Democratic-led states that sued to block the cuts — including Illinois — kept much of their funding, while Republican-led states lost the bulk of theirs, according to a new analysis from health research organization KFF. The uneven fallout underscores how politics continues shaping health care in the United States. The nearly 700 CDC grants were worth about $11 billion and had been allocated by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*** Statewide ***

* WSIU | Second Amendment Foundation Challenges Illinois Firearms Ban in Foster and Day Care Homes: The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a motion challenging Illinois rules that ban firearms in foster and day care homes. Current law prohibits licensed foster parents and day care providers from keeping functional firearms in their residences. SAF argues that being a caretaker should not mean giving up fundamental rights, and criticized the state for spending taxpayer dollars to defend what they believe is an indefensible law.

* WCBU | Chicago Republican enters congressional primary against Rep. LaHood, who he calls a ‘RINO’: MAGA candidate John Kitover is a former Internal Revenue Service employee who worked in project and facilities management. He previously served for four years in the Army National Guard. He resigned from his job in May to run full time in the district of central and northwestern Illinois. Garth Gullette of Chillilothe is also seeking the GOP nomination in the 2026 primary. Referring to himself as a “carpetbagger,” Kitover said the reason to leave his job after five years was to primary LaHood. While currently residing in the Chicago-area neighborhood of Jefferson Park, he is running in LaHood’s district to take him on directly.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Stateline | Wagers on touchdowns, strikeouts and even penalties: States eye limits on prop bets: Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to ban wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty. Similarly, the state in February banned prop bets on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league. Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said. “The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.

* Center Square | State rep says IL GOP will be outspent ‘20 to 1′ in 2026 elections: State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, told Lars Dalseide of the American Legislative Exchange Council that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on elections, allowing unions and other groups to spend down ballot. “So that’s one of the reasons why we’re having a real hard time trying to pick up some seats. I’m hoping that we don’t lose any this time around, but we’re going to be outspent 20 to one,” Cabello said.

* WAND | New Illinois law allows student teachers to be paid: While the law does not require payment for student teachers, it eliminates longstanding prohibitions that block school districts colleges, and nonprofit organizations from providing stipends or wages. “This is how we start solving the teacher shortage, not by asking people to do more with less, but by removing the structural obstacles that have stopped too many from getting started,” said Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Waukegan).

* WAND | New IL law will require insurance coverage for peripheral artery disease screening: Screening will be given to anyone above the age of 65 or people who have a history of smoking, lung disease and heart issues, among other health indicators. “My brother passed away from a similar disease,” said Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City). “He had his leg amputated and passed away. This bill seeks to identify and help at-risk individuals and allow them to have the blood pressure taken through their legs.”

*** Chicago ***

* ProPublica | Three Chicago Schools Get Expensive STEAM Makeovers. Can the Effort Reverse Declining Enrollment?: Students returning to Chalmers last month found an expansive new engineering space, computer lab and arts studio. The teachers who greeted them had received special training. A cache of new technology — 3D printers, computers and bee-shaped robots to teach students basic coding — offered fresh possibilities. The influx of dollars and attention has lifted hopes at Chalmers, with officials at Chicago Public Schools and City Hall testing the idea that investing in high-poverty schools can reverse enrollment losses. But it could take years and millions of dollars to see if it works.

* Tribune | Fight over Chicago ‘granny flat’ legalization to move forward with vote: A version sponsored by Ald. Bennett Lawson, backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, would make the additional units legal throughout the entire city, with per-block limits in single-family residential areas. A competing plan from Ald. Marty Quinn would give aldermen the ability to effectively block the added units from such areas, but allow them elsewhere. The political wrangling over the issue has stretched over a year, a headache for Johnson that outlasted his last Zoning Committee chair tasked with landing the change, former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. The ordinance appeared poised to pass in July until Quinn, 13th, and Ald. Greg Mitchell, 7th, used a parliamentary maneuver to delay a vote. “We’re gonna pass something in September, whether it’s his version, my version or a combination of the two,” Lawson, 44th, told the Tribune Monday.

* Sun-Times | What parents should know about sending kids to school as feds scale up immigration enforcement: The district is reminding parents that it already has policies in place for interacting with federal agents. CPS doesn’t share student records with U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement officials and doesn’t allow agents to enter school facilities without a criminal warrant signed by a judge. It also doesn’t ask a family’s immigration status. CPS has also created a guidance document on how families can stay safe in their communities. And the district has partnered with the city’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights to promote family preparedness workshops being held this month.

* Block Club | Inter-American Magnet Parents Push CPS To Remove Principal As School Faces Safety, Staffing Turmoil: A CPS investigation into Principal Juan Zayas’ leadership has already concluded, but the disciplinary review process is still pending. Parents say that while the district deliberates, Zayas has continued to make decisions that destabilize classrooms and drive families and teachers away. The climate at the Lakeview elementary school has deteriorated over the past year under Zayas’ leadership, parents and council members told Block Club. Zayas has ignored serious safety concerns and made unilateral budget decisions without transparency, they said.

* Crain’s | Chicago-connected quantum startup makes IPO plans: Infleqtion, a quantum-computing company with strong Chicago ties, plans to go public and raise more than a half-billion dollars. The company recently said it would build a quantum computer at the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park being developed on the former U.S. Steel South Works site in Chicago. The Boulder, Colo.-based startup is one of several companies that are trying to build a utility-scale quantum computer, one that’s large enough to be commercially useful.

* Tribune | Obama center construction tab reaches $615M as opening nears: The cost to build former President Barack Obama’s namesake center campus rose to $615 million through the end of 2024, according to the latest reports from the Obama Foundation, quickly nearing the total construction budget as fundraising efforts continue to bring massive amounts of money into the foundation’s coffers. That cost is more than double the earliest $300 million estimate from when the center was first contemplated. Foundation officials revised the estimate up to $500 million when the design was unveiled in 2017, then again in 2021 to $700 million for construction costs alone.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Republican candidate clarifies comment about immigrants’ rights: A Republican congressional candidate who in social media posts Sunday said immigrants in the U.S. illegally “do not have constitutional rights” has clarified the remark. Glen Ellyn’s Niki Conforti on Monday said she made the statement in the context of voting rights, which was the focus of her posts on X — the platform formerly called Twitter — and Facebook. […] When asked via email to explain her stance, Conforti — the lone GOP hopeful for the 6th District seat now held by Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten — acknowledged the Constitution affords anyone in the U.S. some rights. “But they are to a much lesser degree than those granted to U.S. citizens and are mostly in regard to due process,” Conforti said. Those rights “certainly do not include voting in elections,” she added.

* Daily Herald | Advantage Metra: Feds give agency track rights in Union Pacific dispute: Metra and Union Pacific may be embroiled in a power struggle, but a significant federal ruling in the commuter railroad’s favor ensures riders won’t experience any drama, officials said Monday. The U.S Surface Transportation Board agreed last week to award Metra rights over the tracks used by the UP North, Northwest and West lines in the Chicago region. Union Pacific decided in 2019 it wanted to focus on freight and shift passenger operations to Metra. But the two are millions of dollars apart on the cost of using UP’s tracks, according to legal documents.

* Tribune | Case referrals to Cook County restorative justice courts lag amid policy debate: Making good on a campaign promise, State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has stopped approving gun possession cases for participation in the court, instead sending other types of offenses, such as retail theft, burglary and criminal damage to property. Burke’s office says the move is in line with her oft-stated concerns: “For us, it’s guns, guns, guns. Every single day,” said Yvette Loizon, chief of policy at the state’s attorney’s office. And in response to Tribune questions about the shift, Loizon pointed out that the office has sought to address cases like Robinson’s when Burke lobbied for a state law that makes it easier, in certain cases, for people who have been arrested for carrying guns illegally to obtain a firearm permit.

* Shaw Local | Data center construction could be more expensive in Yorkville with increased building fees: The new fees would increase the permit application fee per building from $750 + $0.20 per square foot to the higher $1,000 + $1.00 per square foot. They would also increase plan review fees per building from $650 + $6.50 per 10,000 cubic feet over 200,000 feet to the higher $950 + $9.50 per 10,000 cubic feet over 200,000 cubic feet. The new rates would only apply to data center buildings. Data center campuses often have more than a dozen buildings at full build-out.

* Shaw Local | Will County Democrats host forum for U.S. Senate candidates: The Illinois Democratic Women of Will County (IDWOW) will host a forum for Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate and Illinois comptroller on Sunday, Sept. 14, in Joliet. The forum, which is open to the public, is 1 to 3 p.m. at the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 176 Hall, 1100 NE Frontage Road, Joliet.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | U.S. Steel will move processing from metro east to Indiana and Pennsylvania: “This commercial decision allows U.S. Steel to maintain future flexibility, while maximizing our domestic production footprint,” the company said in a statement. “This option avoids challenging product mixes at each facility, impact on customer orders, and extensive cost inefficiencies.” The newly acquired company’s acknowledgement on Monday confirms a union memo sent to local steelworkers late last week, which outlined there will be no layoffs at the Metro East steel mill. Instead, the roughly 900 remaining employees will “maintain the facility in case the situation changes and run ancillary facilities,” according to the company.

* BND | Former East St. Louis library director pleads guilty to wire fraud, embezzlement: The former director of the East St. Louis Public Library pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of wire fraud related to the misuse of library funds. Kenyada Harris entered her plea in the U.S. District Court of Southern Illinois before Judge Staci Yandle admitting to five counts of wire fraud and embezzlement. Harris agreed to the charges as part of a plea agreement, acknowledging she used library funds for personal purchases and cash advances.

* Muddy River News | Couple spends wedding anniversary at Quincy City Council meeting to make the case for Hope House: This is another attempt by Hope House to operate in Quincy. Back in July, the council rejected its request for a Special Use Permit at 2122 Jefferson Street for pregnant mothers at risk of homelessness. Hope House Board President Todd Hastings says that was probably because the area was zoned for residential only. He told Muddy River News the Center Avenue location is an area where there’s a combination of residential and industrial, with a group home not too far away. So, he’s more optimistic. He says he appreciates the concerns some neighbors might feel.

* WCBU | State Police release video of Peoria officers shooting man with wooden bat: Illinois State Police have released body camera footage of Peoria officers shooting and killing a man who swung a wooden bat at the officers and tried to run away. In the video of the Aug. 5 incident in the East Bluff neighborhood, 41-year-old Brandon Lewis of Peoria is seen swinging the bat. He hits one of the officers. One officer responded by firing a taser. Another officer — the one hit by the bat — shot Lewis as he tried to flee. […] The incident started when police told Lewis they planned to detain him for public urination on the sidewalk. An officer ordered him several times to stand up as he sat while holding the bat. As the officer slowly took three steps toward Lewis, he stood up and swung the bat at them.

* WAND | IL livestock apprenticeship lets students go hog wild with debt-free tuition, certificates: The Illinois Pork Producers Association announced in a Sept. 8 press release that a new livestock apprenticeship program will be available at five Illinois community colleges. Participating colleges include Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, Kaskaskia College in Centralia, John Wood Community College in Quincy and Illinois Central College in East Peoria.

* Herald Whig | Bicentennial finale celebrates “the agricultural roots of Adams County”: Barb and Brent Speckhart stood in the Heritage Farms Pavilion, studying a wall filled with history and honoring farm families across Adams County. “You see familiar names, neighbor names. It’s pretty awesome,” she said.

* WCIA | Chatham Police Dept. wins statewide award in traffic safety challenge: The CPD was recognized by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police with an award for the Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge, which recognized law enforcement for their efforts in traffic safety. The challenge promotes improving community safety related to traffic and encourages law enforcement to adopt a comprehensive strategy to enhance safety through various initiatives, policies, education and enforcement. The winning agencies were recognized during the Midwest Police and Security Expo in Tinley Park. The CPD received the award for municipal agencies with 11-25 sworn officers.

*** National ***

* The Guardian | US union membership declining in ‘right-to-work’ states, report reveals: The report on the state of unions by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found significant discrepancies between the 26 states in the US with “right to work” laws compared with the 24 states and Washington DC that protect collective bargaining rights. The right-to-work states, concentrated in the south and central US, have a union density of 5.1%, compared with 14.2% for states with collective bargaining rights, concentrated on the coasts and in the north.

* NYT | Trump Administration Quietly Seeks to Build National Voter Roll: The Justice Department is compiling the largest set of national voter roll data it has ever collected, buttressing an effort by President Trump and his supporters to try to prove long-running, unsubstantiated claims that droves of undocumented immigrants have voted illegally, according to people familiar with the matter. The effort to essentially establish a national voting database, involving more than 30 states, has elicited serious concerns among voting rights experts because it is led by allies of the president, who as recently as this January refused to acknowledge Joseph R. Biden Jr. fairly won the 2020 election. It has also raised worries that those same officials could use the data to revive lies of a stolen election, or try to discredit future election results.