* ICYMI: Who’s in and who’s out at NITA as new transit force takes shape. Daily Herald…

- Four Northern Illinois Transit Authority directors are appointed but 16 more are yet to be chosen, as the fledgling agency overseeing Metra, Pace and the CTA takes shape.
- With two months remaining before appointing authorities must act, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will leaders already have each of their directors, while DuPage promises a decision in the near future.
- Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle haven’t named their NITA choices yet.

* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Cook County Record | New gun rules may be needed in IL after SCOTUS marijuana gun rights ruling: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled occasional and “habitual” marijuana use alone cannot be used by governments as a reason to deny people the right to own guns. And that ruling, which came over the objections of Democratic state attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, could mean legislative or regulatory changes may be needed in Illinois to bring the state’s controversial firearms ownership regulations into line with the high court’s interpretation. […] Among those were Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who helped author and signed onto a brief filed with the Supreme Court in December in support of denying marijuana users the right to own guns.

* Cook County Record | Public schools not required to bus private schooled kids, IL high court says: In the majority opinion, O’Brien said Section 29-4 doesn’t require school districts to alter their bus routes to accommodate private schooled students. Rather, it only requires schools to pick up and drop off students at the locations along their regular routes that are closest to the private schools and the students’ homes. O’Brien said the majority recognizes that this may result in students being dropped off far from their schools or potentially going nowhere near their schools.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WGN | Bears evaluate another site in Hammond as stadium search continues: The Chicago Bears are still weighing where to build the franchise’s future home, and another location in Northwest Indiana is now under consideration. Soil drilling equipment was recently spotted at a property in Hammond, just west of Interstate 90 and a short distance from the Wolf Lake site.

* NBC Chicago’s Paris Schutz…

Piecing these plans together - It appears the Bears are looking at some combination of Lost Marsh GC plus Wolf Lake terminals as a stadium + mega development site (neither site has enough buildable land on its own) - but there's an Interstate running between them … https://t.co/LCwcJrRHsy

— Paris Schutz (@paschutz) June 28, 2026

* Press release | AG Raoul issues statement on Supreme Court ruling regarding temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe is disturbing on several levels. As a Haitian-American, for me it is deeply personal and painful. The majority’s opinion concludes that the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is not subject to judicial review, even when it is alleged that the secretary did not follow the procedure mandated by the TPS statute. The statute explicitly requires the secretary to consult with federal agencies, including the State Department, prior to making a TPS determination. That is done to make certain the secretary is properly informed about the current conditions in the countries of origin of those with TPS status.”

* CBS Chicago | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs 3 bills to boost protection for LGBTQ+ Illinoisans: One of the bills Pritzker signed, HB4834, removes testosterone from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program — the electronic database that collects information about specific medications and treatments. The bill also prevents the addition of estrogen, mifepristone, and misoprostol — the latter two of which are used to end pregnancies early — to the monitoring program.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker zings Trump, critiques ‘complacent’ Democrats and calls for empathy in Texas convention speech: Pritzker has been polling between 1% and 7% in recent presidential polls, though he has insisted he’s focusing on his reelection bid. He is no stranger to big political speeches before state party Democrats and used the Texas platform to zing President Donald Trump and critique a “complacent” Democratic Party that he says needs a full review before the 2028 presidential campaign. And he spoke to spiritual Texans about the need for faith and action over pure optimism to address a broken American promise.

* WGLT | High schoolers could soon be able to swap 2 years of foreign language with technical education: The current law requires students to take at least two years of foreign language classes but that could change if the governor signs a bill that unanimously passed the state legislature. Career and Technical Education [CTE] are classes that prepare students for future careers like engineering, computer science or health care. Bloomington-Normal’s school superintendents are somewhat mixed on the bill, but said it’s more realistic for schools and students. District 87 Superintendent David Mouser said he supports teaching a foreign language in schools but there are not enough teachers to meet the current foreign language requirement.

* PJ Star | Pritzker touts new investments across Illinois as he seeks new term: As he makes a case for another term as governor, Pritzker cut a ribbon June 22 on a $250 million soybean processing and solar array plant in Gilman. That facility is set to be a 170,000-square-foot project that will create 40 new jobs and retain 200 existing positions. “Illinois is proudly the nation’s top soybean producer, and Icobrasa is powering the modern economy with those soybeans in the heart of our state,” Pritzker said. “This expansion marks the next chapter for Incobrasa, with a transformational investment that will create new jobs and scale up production capacity for biofuel, farm feed, and more — all while affirming Illinois’ role as an innovator in the agriculture industry.”

*** Data Center News ***

* Tribune | As state lawmakers stall on data center rules, Illinois cities and counties step in to fill the void: In Aurora, what began as a 180-day moratorium ended with city officials bringing the regulatory hammer down on data centers after many community members complained about excessive noise, utility bills and environmental concerns stemming from the city’s existing facilities. Nine months removed from the September moratorium, Aurora’s data centers are having to play by new rules. Restrictions on where facilities can be built and updates to zoning rules to give the city approval power over new developments. Strict noise emission, water efficiency and energy efficiency standards for new data centers. Mandatory annual reporting of energy use, water use, noise levels and the storage of biometric data for all data centers, including those already built.

* WPSD | Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship to hold ‘Let’s Talk Data Centers’ May 18: Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship will hold a free community discussion called “Let’s Talk Data Centers: Our Water, Our Power, Our Communities” at 7 p.m. on May 18. According to organizers, the Grand Tower power plant site — located in Jackson County — is experiencing data center interest.

* The Telegraph | AI boom risks global financial crash, warn central bankers: The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said on Sunday that “excessive” spending on new AI data centres and opaque transactions risked a financial meltdown similar to the global credit crunch nearly two decades ago. The BIS, known as the bank for central banks, said there was growing “peril” in financial markets from the complex web of financial ties between AI giants, shadow banks and data centre builders unravelling “Financial stability could … be at risk in the event of an AI bust,” the BIS said. “Should hyperscalers slow or halt the aggressive pace of capex deployment, many borrowers across the supply chain could struggle to replace lost revenue and service their debt.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Despite Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign promise, 911 mental health response team flounders: But since he took office and started phasing cops out of the city’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program, those teams of mental health workers have struggled to respond to 911 calls. CARE’s dispatch volume plummeted almost 70% during his second year, according to data obtained via a public records request, and plunged again last year after the Chicago Police Department took back its devices that provide real-time updates on radio and dispatch communications.

* Block Club | Damen Silos Owner Built Unauthorized Parking Lot, Violating City Code, City Says: On Friday, a city spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Block Club that the inspection confirmed the site was paved and is operating as an unauthorized parking lot, in violation of the city’s municipal code. “Records confirm that ownership did not submit a stormwater management plan, and that zoning, landscape, stormwater, and other relevant municipal code reviews were not conducted prior to construction, as required under the Chicago Stormwater Ordinance,” the email reads.

* Tribune | US Rep. Mike Quigley announces campaign for Chicago mayor: Quigley, an avid hockey fan, opened his kickoff event by playing an ad with him chasing a puck around the ice rink and saying to the camera, “Because that’s what it takes to get (expletive) done.” In his campaign video and speech, he promised to tackle pensions, centralize the city’s procurement process and reform zoning regulations — including the “original sin of redlining” — and throwing cold water on more taxes.

* Block Club | Pride Parade Sees LGBTQ+ Community Celebrate Unity Despite Attacks: ‘They Can’t Take Our Joy’: Grand marshals included journalist and LGBTQ+ historian Tracy Baim, a longtime civil rights leader Mona Noriega, philanthropy leader Evette Cardona and the Alliance of Illinois Judges, which works to advance the independence of the judiciary and promote respect and unbiased treatment of LGBTQ+ people within the legal system. Its president, Judge Jill Rose Quinn, is Illinois’ first openly transgender judge and elected official.

* Block Club | Is Chicago Now Part Of Tornado Alley?: “I’m worried Tornado Alley is shifting from more rural areas into more populated areas, and not all of them have the storm structures in place to be fully ready for big storms,” he said. So is Chicago part of the shifting Tornado Alley? Not necessarily, Snyder said. “I would consider parts of Interstate 80 and Central Illinois part of ‘tornado alley,” he said. “We can certainly get tornadoes in Chicago, and have had many recently and over the years. But there is some influence from Lake Michigan. The cool winds that come off the lake are a stabilizing mechanism that tends to hold stationary fronts a bit further south of the city.”

* Sun-Times | The White Sox’ Sam Antonacci has drawn rave reviews everywhere he has been: ‘‘I’m talking about talent but also mentally. He’s two steps ahead of a lot of players. He thinks fast. He anticipates very well. He does things that I saw only players like [Derek] Jeter and [Omar] Vizquel do. In attitude and awareness, he reminds me of Vizquel. I think he learned how to play baseball a different way.’’

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Bidder for Hawthorne Race Course expected to end horse racing unless another buyer steps in: Hawthorne Race Course has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the track for $90 million to a company that’s expected to close down the racetrack unless another bidder comes to the rescue in bankruptcy court. The west suburban track submitted a “stalking horse” proposal Thursday in bankruptcy court to sell its real estate assets only to ALLIMAC 2023 LLC, a Delaware-based shell company that may be representing an unknown corporate buyer.

* Tribune | North suburban teacher suspended amid federal child pornography charge: The Niles Township High School District 219 website lists an educator named Thomas Neal as a Spanish teacher at Niles North High School in Skokie. A law enforcement source confirmed the Niles North teacher is the same Neal who has been charged. District 219, in a statement to the Tribune, said it was made aware of the criminal complaint on Thursday and confirmed that the employee under investigation has been placed on suspension. The district stated that it was “cooperating fully with authorities during this active investigation.”

* Daily Herald | Bartlett Library board censures trustee after ‘unforgivable act of aggression’ at meeting: Witnesses at the May 28 board meeting described Olsen getting up and rushing angrily toward Library Director Karolyn Wessel and Assistant Director Mallory Knapp while disputing the accuracy of monthly fund transfer information, making others concerned for the women’s safety. His actions led trustees to immediately adjourn the meeting after just 13 minutes. Police were called, and Olsen was cited for disorderly conduct. He faces an adjudication hearing on July 15.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville eyes battery storage system to lower energy costs, carbon emissions: Additionally, Naperville is considering acquiring a separate battery storage system of up to 10 megawatts, which would represent about 3% of the city’s total electricity usage. That project could be included in the 2027 budget, which council is expected to begin discussing in the fall. “It is not huge, but it certainly is meaningful, and it will be useful to us down the road independent of which path we choose,” City Manager Doug Krieger said in a phone interview Wednesday.

* Daily Southtown | Planned addiction recovery horse ranch in Crete receives $2 million from state: Sen. Joyce, a Democrat from Essex, said O’Connor “got in front of me many times,” and spoke openly about his own alcohol abuse recovery, taking part in a work-based program that inspired him to buy property on the corner of East Bemes Road and South Klemme Road to found Second Story Ranch. “I said, get in front of my colleagues,” Joyce recalled telling O’Connor. “Cause once they meet you — I mean, the state should be helping with programs like this.”

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | State Farm slows changes for agent contracts: State Farm has slowed implementation of some controversial contract changes for its network of agents but retained its elimination of insurance benefits. Agents reacted strongly and negatively last month when the Bloomington-based company told them it would end payments under a deferred compensation program called Annual Investment Payment Program, or AIPP. The company has now told them it will add back several years of AIPP payments.

* Muddy River News | Former Pikeland staff member facing disturbing allegations, parent says he was forced to go public: The post is lengthy and detailed. The parent wrote that his only reason for coming forward was to create awareness and demand transparency. “I respectfully ask why this situation has not been treated with urgency,” he wrote. “Children who find the courage to speak up deserve to know that their concerns are being taken seriously and acted upon promptly.” The post also recounted that the child encountered the individual at a local restaurant and became visibly upset. The child’s parents believe there is sufficient information to warrant criminal charges.

* 25News Now | Farmers Market highlights Illinois-grown goods, energizes Downtown Bloomington: “It’s either fruits or vegetables that you harvest while they are just seedlings, and the big appeal is that they are really nutrient dense, so the small sprout lings have everything that the mature plant will have,” Morris said. “It’s all really packed in, really dense and still has a lot of the antioxidants.” When the outdoor season ends, the market continues with indoor events held once a month.

* STLPR | St. Clair County Transit opens $6M bike trail extension towards MidAmerica Airport: A $6 million, 4.5-mile extension of St. Clair County’s MetroBikeLink Trail spanning the existing bike path at Shiloh-Scott Transit Center to near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is officially open. “The Saint Clair County Transit District is excited to celebrate the official opening of the MetroBikeLink extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. The new 4.4-mile paved bike and pedestrian pathway is a part of the ever-evolving MetroLink bike system,” said Ken Sharkey, managing director of the St. Clair County Transit District.

* WHBF | iHeartRadio layoffs cause QCA radio legends to be dropped off air: iHeartRadio let go of many radio personalities throughout the country including Pat Leuck, Dani Lynn Howe, Manuel and a slew of sports talk show hosts in Des Moines. “The day before we were let go, there was a memo from the company,” said Howe. “If you could read between the lines, you knew there were going to be some cuts coming; you could just tell by the wording.”

*** National ***

* Financial Times | Utility boss warns US faces blackouts due to power supply shortfall: Calvin Butler, chief executive of Exelon, the largest US utility by customer count, told the FT that Americans could “absolutely” lose power next year, due to a shortage of power plants in the north-east and Midwest. “We came very close, this past winter, to having to curtail power for about 400,000 customers on some of the coldest days of the year,” he said. “And it’s only getting worse.”

* Reason | Texas Man Gets 30 Years in Prison for Transporting ‘Anti-Government’ Pamphlets: After Rueda’s call, officers observed Sanchez-Estrada load and move a box from his home to another residence, containing “numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents,” according to his indictment. But despite these materials falling squarely under the protection of the First Amendment, Sanchez-Estrada was arrested, charged, and convicted of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents. He has since filed a motion to overturn his conviction.

* The 19th | She miscarried weeks after Roe fell. A delay in care changed her life: Missouri’s law prohibited nearly all abortions, but it allowed abortion providers who were charged or sued under the law to escape punishment by arguing that they acted in a “medical emergency” to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to avert “a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” […] After three days of bleeding and aching, McNeill finally received treatment at a hospital in Illinois. When she had a subsequent tubal ligation to prevent future pregnancies, McNeill said medical staff told her she had scar tissue resulting from an infection she developed after her water broke.