* ICYMI: States move to protect vaccines in the face of attempts to remove mandates. AP…

- Now that Florida is taking steps to be the first state to get rid of school vaccine mandates, some states are looking at following its lead while others are promising to protect vaccines for children and adults.
- The [Illinois] state health department said it plans to issue specific guidance by the end of September that will help health care providers and residents make informed decisions about vaccinations. The health director said the department will consult with medical experts.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said roughly 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide by childhood vaccinations.

* Related stories…

• Crain’s: Illinois ponders going it alone on vaccines as trust in CDC erodes
• Daily Herald: Will state intervene with COVID-19 vaccines? Five things to know about shots
• Mercury News: Bay Area sees COVID-19 wave and ‘tremendous confusion’ about vaccines

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Daily Herald | ‘A very large gap for us to fill’: Pantries struggle to meet surging demand amid federal cuts to food banks: As its member pantries face persistently high demand, the Northern Illinois Food Bank is raising funds through an emergency initiative to help offset federal cuts. The Geneva-based food bank has seen a 30% decrease in federal support — in the form of food and funding — translating to a $3 million to $4 million gap. In the fiscal year that ended in June, the food bank received 4.4 million meals through federal programs that have either been discontinued or cut by the USDA.

* Daily Herald | Antioch mayor mulling GOP run for governor: Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner announced Sunday he is considering running for Illinois governor as a Republican in 2026, adding that he expects a final decision by the end of the month. “If I can gather 10,000 signatures and raise $500,000 by then, I’m all in,” Gartner wrote in a Facebook post addressed “To my Antioch family.” “I’m not a millionaire or billionaire — but maybe that’s exactly what we need: someone who understands the struggles of everyday people and isn’t beholden to special interests,” he added.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Illinois will ban fraudulent restaurant reservations Jan. 1: The bipartisan plan will ban third-party reservation companies from listing, advertising, promoting, or selling reservations without written agreements with restaurants. Any person who violates the ban could face a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation. Customers will also have the ability to sue companies for listing fraudulent reservations online.

* Sun-Times | State Sen. Napoleon Harris reimburses his campaign fund more than $23k over questionable expenses: State Sen. Napoleon Harris recently cut his main campaign fund a check for $23,459.30, reimbursing the political account for what appeared to be a series of personal expenses that stretched, if not breached, the bounds of what’s allowable under election law. […] That total cited by Odelson in the email amounted to just over $20,000, and he declined to explain the difference between that amount and what ended up being reimbursed on or about Aug. 27.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new speed cameras see big early revenue as aldermen tout safety impact: Drivers ticketed for speeding there on June 1 — the first day the camera went online — have so far paid the city more than $60,000, in increments of $35 and $100. It’s a drop in the municipal bucket for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s citywide camera expansion meant to help him balance this year’s budget. But if early returns are any indication, speeding tickets from the new cameras are quickly hurtling toward the $11.4 million benchmark Johnson counted on for 2025. As the first batch of new cameras went live in June, the city issued more tickets than it has in any other month in nearly three years, a Tribune analysis showed.

* WBEZ | CPS says no to virtual learning as ICE immigration enforcement ramps up: “In-person instruction continues to provide the strongest foundation for learning,” school district officials said in a statement. However, they added that they are monitoring the situation and will reassess if necessary.

* Tribune | Chicago deploys salt trucks as safety precaution at protest and Taste of Chicago: President Donald Trump has signaled that he may authorize the use of military assets, specifically the National Guard, as part of a stepped-up operation by federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, anticipated to begin as soon as this weekend. But as of Sunday afternoon, there was no evidence of widespread ICE activity. The spokesperson said the trucks were present at an anti-Trump protest that drew thousands downtown and the three-day food festival in Grant Park.

* Sun-Times | No, Chicago salt trucks are not being used to interfere with ICE: The department “deployed salt trucks to support public safety efforts related to a planned protest and the Taste of Chicago. This is a routine practice,” a spokesperson said. Videos of the salt trucks lining Grant Park popped up on social media over the weekend. Several claimed that Mayor Brandon Johnson deployed the trucks to form a roadblock and interfere with ICE operations. The posts also erroneously say the trucks were slowly moving on I-294, I-94 and the Edens Expressway and occupying all lanes into the city.

* Hyper Allergic | A Chicago Artist-Run Gallery’s Last Hurrah Before Forced Closure: The property housed 30 apartments full of tenants, many on social security, plenty of whom had lived there for over a decade. Downstairs were three beloved, creative, intergenerational community spaces: Archie’s Café, Edge Art, and Roman Susan. A protest was held by residents, neighbors, supporters, and elected officials, including Illinois state senator Mike Simmons and 49th Ward alderwoman Maria Hadden. Roman Susan, with the longest lease, advocated for its neighbors to be able to stay at least until they themselves were forced to clear out. The university cannot even develop the site anytime soon, due to future renovations of the adjacent Red Line El station.

* Sun-Times | As Sundays on State returns, businesses say street festivals are a welcome boost: “The goals of Sundays on State is to accelerate the Loop economy, but also unite the community and provide opportunities to businesses that may not typically have this chance,” Gibson said. More than 90% of street activations will be operated by underrepresented businesses, including 74% women-owned ventures, 31% minority-owned companies and 11% that are LGBTQ+-owned.

* WBEZ | Yoko Ono, Theaster Gates, Bob Faust and more dominate Chicago’s busy must-see art calendar for fall: Myriad facets of this cultural dynamo will be open for exploration in “Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind,” a touring exhibition on view Oct. 18–Feb. 22, 2026, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave. The MCA is the show’s only U.S. venue. This large-scale retrospective — organized by the Tate Modern in London, where it drew record crowds — features more than 200 objects, including a cross-section of Ono’s installations and physical artworks. And while “Music of the Mind” is sure to dominate the Chicago art world’s attention this fall, there are plenty of other notable exhibitions worth visiting. Here are 10 others.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | As other NFL teams build new stadiums, the Bears will soon release plans for a new dome in Arlington Heights: Bears President Kevin Warren and other officials are meeting regularly to refine their plan with Arlington Heights village officials. Sometime in September, October or November, the team will make a public presentation and answer questions about the 326-acre site, according to Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia. Then the village planning, design and housing commissions will review the proposal before it goes to a Village Board vote. The whole process could take a few months.

* Tribune | Records show the VA failed to treat a Plainfield father’s common infection. Now he’s paying the price.: And now they’re left to wonder: How could something like this have happened? How could personnel they trusted at the VA miss something so obvious? The weeks that changed everything are detailed in their lawsuit, and supported by medical records and documentation they shared with the Tribune. It all began on July 21, 2023, when Walker was admitted to Hines after suffering from fatigue, a cough and a swollen leg. Records show a blood test detected the presence of Streptococcus mutans, a common bacterial infection, and the next day the lab reported the discovery to Walker’s doctor. The diagnosis, though, never made it to Walker or his wife.

* Tribune | Study finds Kaegi has improved fairness in Cook County property assessments: Berry, director of the U. of C.’s Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, acknowledged taxpayers might be skeptical of the findings. “How can Kaegi be making assessments more fair, when my tax bill is going up?” Berry said in an interview with the Tribune. Homeowners were unlikely to feel the difference because property tax levies set by local governments each year have continued to rise, he noted. The city of Chicago’s levy has gone up by 19% since 2018. The Chicago Public Schools levy has gone up by 24%. Even so, “the important thing is the assessments don’t determine whether tax bills are going up or down on average, just how it’s spread amongst properties,” Berry said.

* Daily Herald | Geneva group’s plan to host Jan. 6 organizer draws pickets, protests: The conservative Three Headed Eagle Alliance’s Sept. 23 gathering at Eagle Brook Country Club was scheduled to feature Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and sentenced to 18 years in prison, as its guest speaker. However, the Three Headed Eagle’s website now states the venue for Rhodes’ appearance has been changed and will be announced closer to the date. Rhodes was released from prison in January after President Donald Trump commuted his sentence, amid a flurry of pardons and clemencies granted to those convicted in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora looks to recreate downtown organization: The former organization, known as Aurora Downtown, used to manage funds generated by a special tax applied to property within the downtown area, or more specifically within Special Service Area Number One. Using those funds, the organization worked to support property owners and businesses, plus develop new businesses, within downtown through things like marketing, improvements, events and more. Last year, that organization’s board voted to combine with three others — the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, Invest Aurora and the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce — to become the Aurora Regional Economic Alliance. The idea was to bring these separate economic organizations under one umbrella to combine their efforts and cut out repeat functions.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville to extend food and textile recycling programs following success: “These programs are really a response to what our residents are asking for,” said Ben Mjolsness, Naperville’s sustainability manager. “We’ve heard, ‘What can I do with clothing? What can I do with sheets? What can I do with towels? I don’t want to throw them away and have them be buried forever.’” With the textile program, residents stay in their vehicle while staff unload items, per the city’s website. Since launching in late spring, it’s seen an average of 12 to 15 cars a day drop off unwanted items, “resulting in more than 26,800 pounds of material diverted from landfills,” according to the memo submitted to the city manager’s office.

* Daily Herald | Billions for a Route 120 bypass in Lake County? Some residents warn it’s a pricey ‘pie in the sky’: “It’s over $2 billion and no one is going to finance it,” said Bill Morris, a former Grayslake mayor and state senator, who warns the “pie in the sky” bypass could take years to build. The Illinois Department of Transportation Route 120 Planning and Environmental Linkages study extends from Almond Road near Grayslake to Route 60 in Volo. That stretch of 120 includes busy rail crossings that tie up traffic and configurations that shift between two and four lanes, causing bottlenecks.

*** Downstate ***

* News-Gazette | New Champaign County Board District 10 rep resigns over residency error: Democrat Jason Votava, who filled the spot vacated by Chris Stohr, said he was preparing materials for the November 2026 ballot when he “discovered a slight difference in the maps” and realized that he actually lives in District 9. “I want the people of District 10 to have the representation they deserve, and my only recourse was to resign,” he told The News-Gazette. “I am currently collecting signatures to represent District 9 and hope to return to the board next year.”

* WGLT | Police departments in McLean County say camera data not shared with immigration officers: Officer Brad Park with the Normal Police Department said the department does not share its data with any agency outside of Illinois. “We only share that information with agencies that are approved by the chief, and currently we are only sharing those with about 39 approved agencies within the state of Illinois,” he said, adding Normal police regularly audit officers’ use of the cameras to ensure the images are only being used in criminal investigations

* WCIA | Urbana Business: Mayor talks weekend ‘Philo Road Ahead’ event, potential plans for former ‘Dart’ factory: After several businesses have closed their doors along Urbana’s Philo Road, Mayor DeShawn Williams is taking the next steps to turn the southeast side of the city around. He believes one step to fixing the problem and moving things forward starts this Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Sunnycrest parking lot. The city is hosting ‘Philo Road Ahead‘ from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. as a way to bring the community together and ‘reimagine’ what this part of Urbana could look like.

* WIFR | DeKalb Co. deputy circuit clerk accused of theft of government funds, fraud: In the spring of 2021, investigators say Walker got two PPP loans totaling $41,250, claiming she was the sole owner of a remodeling company. A police report filed in court claims Walker filed false tax returns in order to get the loans. Detectives report that during an interview, Walker admitted the home remodeling company did not exist.

* WGEM | Number of school resource officers in Adams County continues to grow: In the last two years, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office has added three School Resource Offices (SRO). Before, they had only one. Adams County Sheriff Anthony Grootens said every school district in Adams County has an SRO, but they don’t plan on stopping there. Eventually, he said he wants to hire an SRO for each school. Until then, he said the number they have has already made it easier for them to keep schools and students safe.

* Press Release | Sen. Tracy to bring Mobile DMV service to Carrollton: tate Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) has partnered with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to host a Mobile DMV event in Carrollton. “Making government services more accessible is a priority of mine, and I’m proud to help bring the Secretary of State’s office directly to Carrollton,” said Senator Tracy in a press release. “Events like this save people time and travel while ensuring they can take care of important needs right here at home.”

*** National ***

* WaPo | Military-related work absences at a 19-year high amid deployments: Between January and August, workers reported 90,000 instances of people missing at least a week of work because of military deployments, jury duty or other civil service, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is more than double the number of similar absences in the same eight-month period last year, and the highest level since 2006, when President George W. Bush deployed the National Guard to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Southwest U.S. border in large numbers.

* CNN | A property tax revolt is spreading — with help from key conservatives: For decades, property taxes have underwritten the basic functions of local government — schools, parks, roads, police and fire departments, trash collection. But as home values have surged, tax bills have ballooned in tandem, fueling what David Schleicher, a Yale professor of local government, described as a “property tax revolt” shaking cities and states alike. “This is a really big trend that is below the radar because it doesn’t involve President Trump,” Schleicher said. “But it doesn’t need fireworks to announce itself. It’s already changing our relationship with government and how schools work and property markets.”

* The Atlantic | Just How Bad Would an AI Bubble Be?: The dot-com crash was bad, but it did not trigger a crisis. An AI-bubble crash could be different. AI-related investments have already surpassed the level that telecom hit at the peak of the dot-com boom as a share of the economy. In the first half of this year, business spending on AI added more to GDP growth than all consumer spending combined. Many experts believe that a major reason the U.S. economy has been able to weather tariffs and mass deportations without a recession is because all of this AI spending is acting, in the words of one economist, as a “massive private sector stimulus program.” An AI crash could lead broadly to less spending, fewer jobs, and slower growth, potentially dragging the economy into a recession. The economist Noah Smith argues that it could even lead to a financial crisis if the unregulated “private credit” loans funding much of the industry’s expansion all go bust at once.

* Bloomberg | S&P Warns of Reinsurer Protections as Catastrophe Risks Escalate: As natural catastrophes become more frequent and destructive, a key backstop intended to help cover losses has gotten harder to access. The reinsurance industry, which exists to help primary insurers cope with losses when disaster hits, has taken significant steps to shield itself against the financial fallout of storms, floods and other severe weather events, according to S&P Global Ratings.

* SCOTUS Blog | Group of small businesses calls on Supreme Court to decide tariffs case : A group of small businesses challenging the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in a series of executive orders urged the Supreme Court to provide a definitive ruling on the legality of those tariffs. In a five-page brief filed on Friday afternoon, the challengers encouraged the justices to act quickly, telling them that the tariffs are “inflicting profound harms on” their companies, which are “suffering severe economic hardships as a result of the price increases and supply chain interruptions caused by the tariffs.” “[T]hese impacts,” the challengers stressed, “are ‘not survivable.’”