* ICYMI: Power grid serving northern Illinois faces breakup risk as feds weigh fate. Bloomberg…

- The White House has grown increasingly concerned that PJM Interconnection LLC, which serves 67 million people from Virginia to Illinois, can’t ensure adequate electricity supplies at reasonable prices amid the boom in demand from new data centers.
- Last week, a PJM auction failed to secure enough future supply commitments to guarantee reliable electric service in the coming years — the third such failure in a row.
- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a one-day conference to consider the best path forward. Senior White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all options should be on the table, including breaking up PJM, letting some states withdraw from it, or restructuring the organization and its governance.

* At 9 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will sign a law to designate Emmett Till Day in Illinois. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* CBS Chicago | Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission to decide whether to release probe of former Rep. Harry Benton: The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission on Thursday will decide whether to release a report that led to the resignation of state Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) over reported allegations of sexual harassment. It would be the first time authorities reveal details of the allegations that led to legislative leaders stripping Benton of his committee assignments and calling on him to step down.

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker urges Illinois House Speaker Welch to be transparent on Harry Benton harassment allegations: The governor declined to say whether he still supported Welch as House speaker in light of a Tribune investigation that raised questions about how the Hillside Democrat’s office handled the 2023 allegations by a young female staffer. Those claims surfaced after at least one other person came forward this year with more recent harassment allegations against Benton, a Democrat from Plainfield, sparking discipline from Welch and an investigation by the legislative inspector general.

* Shaw Local | Write off hospital bills? Lawmakers are working on it: Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, told a midday assembly Wednesday in La Salle that she has sponsored legislation that would let taxpayers deduct their health expenses as a way of recovering some of the costs of health care. “Many people are opting not to even carry insurance because the cost is so high,” Rezin said. Rezin’s counterpart was successful in pushing through legislation (effective Jan. 1, 2027) that prevents hospitals and subsidiaries from placing liens on the primary residences of patients who cannot pay their medical bills.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Gateway Journalism Review | AP’s Springfield closure reflects national decline in statehouse journalism: AP changed their news strategy throughout the years from generalizing their focus as the demand for statehouse reporting has decreased. According to a YEAR report by the Pew Research Center, the number of full-time statehouse reporters has decreased by 34% in the United States. They also found that “despite the decline, newspapers continue to employ more full-time statehouse reporters than any other kind of news organization.”

* Crain’s | Pritzker praises Trump’s quantum funding while blasting research cuts: Gov. JB Pritzker riffed on the importance — and limits — of federal funding in the broader economy during an on-stage conversation yesterday at the Global Quantum Forum in Chicago. More than $150 million in federal funding was announced during the forum events this week that will benefit the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park being built on the Far South Side, one of Pritzker’s key economic-development efforts during his two terms as governor.

* Obituary | Thomas Michael Patrick Nolan: As president of Thomas M. Nolan and Associates and later The Nolan Group, Tom became a preeminent specialist in government relations for over 40 years, specializing in human services and health care. His work significantly improved the lives of untold thousands of needy Illinois residents. He was remarkably erudite, an expert in government and political machinations and a consummate storyteller. His charm and personality put smiles on all who encountered him. He fought a courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis for the last 13 years and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Referendum battle highlights tension between Mayor Johnson, City Council: The same bloc of conservative Democrats that rejected Johnson’s corporate head tax in favor of an alternative budget rammed through their own carefully crafted ballot questions. But not before a contentious back-and-forth between the warring factions that saw the mayor appear to lose his cool. It happened during debate about a February ballot question that seeks to ask Chicago voters whether the City Council should have its own legal counsel.

* CBS Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson touts improved economy, drop in crime in Chicago, but won’t say whether he’s running again: However, the mayor still declined to say whether he plans to run for another term next year. Mayor Johnson said this comes after more people visited Chicago last year than any other time in the city’s history, with 57 million in all. He also noted that hotel occupancy has hit 89%, “so essentially, our rooms are essentially filled.”

* Crain’s | Aldermen move to force Johnson’s hand on $130M pension payment: The group of aldermen that approved the 2026 budget over Johnson’s objection introduced an ordinance today requiring the second half of a $260 million advance pension payment to be made by Oct. 31. “It is imperative that we as City Council hold the administration’s feet to the fire in terms of making the full advance pension payment,” said Ald. Bill Conway, 34th.

* Sun-Times | The Art Institute of Chicago faces backlash amid decision to outsource custodial staff: The cultural institution announced it will no longer employ 23 custodial workers on June 29, according to the union, Art Institute of Chicago Workers United. The employees’ last day is Aug. 14, but a museum spokesperson said they will have the opportunity to re-apply for their positions with the new company, GDI Integrated Facility Services, based in Canada.

* Sun-Times | Drew Thorpe hopes to rejoin White Sox for playoff push after long road back to mound: The right-hander threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his biggest step yet back to the Sox since being sidelined since July 31, 2024, with a slew of elbow issues, Tommy John surgery and an appendectomy to boot. “It has been what feels like forever,” Thorpe said. “It was good to touch the mound again in somewhat of a game.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Patch | Darien To Use Phone Location Data To Identify Speeding Problems: Darien officials agreed Tuesday to spend about $25,000 for a year’s subscription to a program that they said would track where speeding problems occur. But a resident advocating for privacy rights argued against such a program, calling it an “AI-driven surveillance mechanism.” Recently, the city has been using Florida-based Urban SDK’s system on a trial basis in a small area of town. […] City Administrator Bryon Vana added that Urban SDK already has the data, regardless of any agreement Darien enters.

* Pioneer Press | Oak Park officials move toward restricting police stops for minor equipment infractions: fficials in Oak Park are eying a policy that would restrict police traffic stops related to vehicle equipment violations and other non-safety related reasons such as broken tail lights, missing or expired registrations, and license plate tags that are not completely visible. The Oak Park Village Board on July 21 directed staff members to work with the village’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission and Pivot Consulting Group to draft a policy within 60 days that would limit what it called pretext traffic stops, which often are used by officers as an way to investigate for more serious crimes.

* Daily Herald | Kitchen closed: Arlington Heights changing longstanding requirement for liquor service: In a town that’s long required food to be served alongside drinks at local establishments, Arlington Heights is changing municipal code to allow liquor license holders to end food service at 8 p.m. nightly. Mayor Jim Tinaglia, who also serves as the local liquor commissioner, said most downtown restaurants already flout the rules, which require kitchens to be staffed and remain open until 11 p.m., after which a limited late-night menu must be available until closing.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora-area residents voice their opinions on proposed tollway rate hikes: Over 100 people, including area residents, labor union members and politicians, packed into the Prisco Community Center in Aurora Wednesday to discuss the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority’s first proposed passenger toll hike since 2012. Some area residents, who said they take the tollway to work, medical care and other locations, worried they would not be able to afford increased tolls while other costs such as gas continue to rise.

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | “Justice was denied”: The unusual criminal case of Earl Moore’s death continues to impact the community: Through her sobs, the mother of Earl Moore Jr. told a Sangamon County judge how the death of her 35-year-old son at the hands of two ambulance company workers in 2022 has affected their immediate and extended family. “The ripple effect of this loss will be reflected for generations,” Rose Washington told Circuit Court Judge Robin Schmidt at the June 23 sentencing hearing for Springfield resident and former emergency medical technician Peter Cadigan, 53. “No matter what sentence is imposed today, he is still dead. … He deserved dignity. He deserved humanity.” The sentence Schmidt handed down at the end of the hearing – two years’ probation and no prison time, one of the lightest sentences Cadigan could have received after his guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter – angered and disgusted a family that feels like it’s in a “horror movie,” according to community activist Teresa Haley.

* WGLT | One Bloomington yard sign speaks on the other side of resident data center debate: Lee figured the sign could at least prove to anyone passing by it that the vocal opposition to data centers is not necessarily unanimous. He also hoped speaking up about the sign could lay off some of the heat of the debate and clear up online rumors. “Everyone’s assuming that the mayor or big data are paying me directly, which would be great. I’d love a little help with the mortgage, but no,” he said.

* WGLT | Donors gave Illinois State University a record $52 million last budget year: ISU’s endowment fund topped $270 million last fiscal year, an increase of roughly $75 million since FY 2021. The current endowment size was above the median of $254 million for 657 higher ed institutions that reported results in the annual National Association of College and University Business Officers [NACUBO] Common Fund study of endowments.

* WCIA | Four new EV chargers open in Casey, more coming to Central IL: Officials from the Illinois Department of Transportation joined local leaders and industry partners in unveiling the chargers at the Mach 1 gas station at Illinois Route 49 and Interstate 70. They are the first chargers in the state to be built through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program.

*** National ***

* Worse On Purpose | Your Cookware Got Worse On Purpose: Once you understand the brand licensing structure, you see it everywhere, and the pattern is always the same: one company owns the name, a different company makes the product, and the factory that earned the name is liquidated. Chicago Cutlery began as a knife shop in Chicago and later made its knives in Wauconda, Illinois. Centre Lane owns the name today, and every knife under it is made in China. Sabatier, the storied French knife name, was never one company to begin with, and today more than 30 unrelated firms have rights to it. The Sabatier on American shelves is rented by Lifetime Brands and made in China. Revere Ware rode along in the same Corning spinoff as Pyrex, lost its Illinois plant in 1999, and was discontinued so quietly that the enthusiasts who sell replacement parts had to break the news.

* NYT | Three airports plan to ditch TSA amid push for private security: In the wake of recent government shutdowns, which left TSA agents unpaid for months and led to long lines, airport officials in Tampa and Des Moines said they hoped using the program would reduce the risk of disruptions while allowing airports to access new screening checkpoint technology that they say would otherwise take years to obtain through the traditional federal process.