* ICYMI: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with Illinois lawmakers Thursday. Sun-Times…

- On the same day Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey claimed they had had “minimal” conversations recently with Illinois lawmakers about a stadium funding plan, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly met with state officials Thursday.
- Goodell met with a ‘‘few select Illinois lawmakers’’ Thursday. The commissioner’s office declined to comment about the report.
- On Thursday, McCaskey made it sound as though the NFL’s stadium committee, of which he’s a member, might need some convincing to allow the move across state lines. ‘‘We think that, ultimately, they will become comfortable,’’ he said.

* Related stories…

• Fox Chicago: Roger Goodell reportedly remains involved in Chicago Bears stadium discussions as talks continue
• CBS Chicago: Gov. JB Pritzker believes Chicago Bears want to stay in Illinois, but haven’t offered a bill to address stadium needs

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* At 1:30 pm Gov. JB Pritzker will join the Illinois Education Association for a “special announcement.” Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Missed opportunities, incomplete investigations preceded discovery of 56 bodies at funeral home: At several key moments, the Tribune review found, government and law enforcement failed to stop them from operating in the industry — despite discoveries along the way of an altered state credential, and allegations in a barrage of lawsuits. State licensing regulators visited South Chicago Chapel funeral home at least twice in the wake of problems at its owners’ crematory business. But there is no indication in state paperwork that the problems found at Heights Crematory or other red flags triggered aggressive regular inspections of the Morgans’ businesses, or their ongoing operating practices. Because that’s not how the system is set up: Illinois investigations of funeral homes typically come only after complaints are made, according to state guidance.

* Daily Herald | Transit diversions? No hearings? Tri-State hate? Tollway answers questions as rate hike looms: Illinois tollway directors could vote as soon as Wednesday on whether to raise rates by nearly 60% in 2027 and impose inflation-related hikes every two years beginning in 2029. The proposed increase is part of the tollway’s 15-year, $26.5 billion Driving Connections capital program, which officials say will reduce congestion, improve mobility and create jobs.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | As study shows pesticides drifting onto Illinois schools and parks, residents push for better tracking: For two years, legislators and advocacy groups have proposed amending the Illinois Pesticide Act to require advance notification before spraying near schools and parks. “This (Morton case) is literally the point of the bill,” said state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, a Democrat from Grayslake and the measure’s chief sponsor. “To make sure school leaders are informed of when pesticide spraying happens so they can be empowered to make decisions for their school.”

* Axios | Darren Bailey pledges free Illinois tollways: Bailey put forth a four-point plan that would roll back Pritzker-era toll hikes, replace Illinois Tollway leadership, stop new borrowing and pay down more than $7 billion in existing debt. “The money the state is spending on Mass Transit in Chicagoland could be used to maintain existing toll roads,” A Bailey campaign spokesperson tells Axios.

* WAND | IL launches 24/7 hotline to fast-track requests for therapy dogs: According to the state, therapy dog teams through the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Crisis Response Therapy Canine Certification Program can be requested for many different situations, including community healing events, public safety outreach, wellness events and school support.

* Politico | The Massive Moviemaking Exodus from Hollywood: “We’re coming after you, Colleen!” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker jokingly teased Colleen Bell, the executive director of the California Film Commission, when the two recently encountered each other, as she recalls it. “We’re coming after you!” […] California lawmakers are now racing not only to ready a fix for Newsom’s tax credits restriction before the end of the legislative session later this month, but also to create two new standalone production incentives: one for commercials and another for post-production work. They are explicitly selling the proposals, which are forecast to result in modest annual reductions in state general fund revenue, as necessary for California to keep up with other jurisdictions now competing with one another as much as with Hollywood. Some locales have moved beyond straightforward tax credits to introduce creative policies like Illinois’ green incentive, which companies behind the $1.6 million Walgreens commercial had identified as a reason to shoot in Illinois.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago police traffic stops plunge, again, but Black and Latino drivers still get pulled over far more: The Chicago Police Department reported 224,851 traffic stops in 2025, about 23.3% fewer than in 2024 and 58.0% less than in 2023. […] By one measure, Black drivers were 3.6 times more likely than white drivers and Latino drivers were 2.85 times more likely than white drivers to be stopped by the Chicago police last year. By another measure, Black drivers were 5.6 times more likely and Latino drivers 6.9 times more likely to get stopped.

* Block Club | Mayor Johnson Rallies Housing Organizers As City Council Vote On His Tenants’ Rights Bill Looms: The rally was held ahead of expected committee votes on Johnson’s renters’ rights legislation — as well as a competing, alderperson-led renters’ ordinance — by the City Council this fall. Some members of the City Council, who previously organized and passed their own budget in opposition to the mayor’s financial proposal, have authored their own renters’ rights legislation that significantly differs from Johnson’s.

* CBS Chicago | South Side residents protest new development at former South Works steel site: The CEO of the development has described the project as a research and development campus and not a data center. Johnson told the crowd he’s gotten some assurances from the developer. “I did receive a letter from the developers of the campus saying they will not proceed with a data center on this particular campus. If they were to do that, they would be strictly bound by to the executive order that I put forth to provide stronger regulations,” he said.

* WTTW | What Does Sustainable Data Center Development Look Like? Chicago Working Group Makes Recommendations: “When we develop our recommendations, we really want to be thoughtful about our local context,” said Jared Patton, a project manager at the city’s Department of Environment who worked on the report. “We don’t want to copy and paste what’s worked in other areas, … we want to think really carefully about our own local context,” Patton said.

* Tribune | Bally’s issues going concern warning over liquidity issues following construction slowdown at Chicago casino: Days after pausing construction on nearly all non-gaming amenities at its $1.7 billion casino complex going up in River West, Bally’s Corporation issued a going concern warning related to liquidity issues. The warning, part of Bally’s second quarter earnings filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, states that the Rhode Island-based company is pursuing “a number of financing alternatives intended to enhance its liquidity” by early next year to stay in compliance with lenders for its revolving credit facility.

* Crain’s | Federal rail funding clears path for Justin Ishbia’s big South Loop plans: Amtrak’s Midwest modernization overhaul received nearly $700 million in federal funding today that will help relocate the passenger rail giant’s maintenance facility to Bridgeport, clearing the way for Chicago White Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia’s plan for a mixed-use project along the Chicago River. The funding is key to opening up a massive tract of land near where Ishbia plans to combine Amtrak’s 47-acre rail yard at 14th Street with a 20-acre BNSF Railway-owned yard for a megadevelopment, initially anchored by a medical campus, that could eventually add a new White Sox stadium.

* Bloomberg | Trump administration targets UChicago, Lurie in gender care billing probe: The Trump administration is seeking federal investigations into pediatric gender-affirming care at more than 200 hospitals and clinics, including Lurie Children’s Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center. […] Treatments used for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria are often used to treat other conditions such as certain endocrine disorders or precocious puberty. The administration said it’s looking at whether providers used billing codes for these conditions to mask billing for treatment of pediatric gender dysphoria.

* NBC Chicago | Tommy John, former White Sox pitcher whose surgery changed baseball, dies at 83: While John’s career statistics were remarkable enough, with 288 wins and a 3.34 ERA in parts of 26 seasons, it was his famed elbow reconstruction surgery in 1974 that forever cemented his name in the minds of baseball fans. Dodgers team physician Dr. Frank Jobe performed a ligament replacement surgery on John’s pitching elbow, and he became the first MLB player to ever recover from and pitch after the procedure.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* NBC Chicago | Suburban police chief to retire after ICE agent allowed into offices: “When the July 30th incident occurred, all of the members of the Forest Park Police Department were out on an emergency call,” he said. “The only two that were at Forest Park Village Hall were the chief and the deputy chief. They made the decision to admit an ICE agent onto their offices.” The mayor said the police chief has notified the village he will be retiring “soon.”

* Cook County Record | Vantage Chemicals settles 400+ more Lake County EtO lawsuits: A chemical company with a manufacturing plant in north suburban Gurnee has agreed to pay to settle hundreds more lawsuits claiming emissions from its manufacturing process caused people living nearby in Lake County to develop cancer. On Aug. 4, attorneys representing hundreds of plaintiffs asked a Cook County Circuit Court judge to sign off on the settlement involving more than 400 lawsuits against Vantage Specialty Chemicals Inc […] All of the lawsuits sought to make the company pay for its alleged release of ethylene oxide (EtO) gas into the air over decades of operations in Lake County.

* Daily Herald | Neighbors oppose data center plan for WGN site, but Elk Grove mayor says truck depot would be worse: That included this past week’s public session, where, for nearly an hour and a half, the mayor and trustees engaged in sometimes testy exchanges with residents who came to the public comment podium. Johnson said he rejected Nexstar’s original proposal for a truck depot four years ago, but convinced company brass that a data center was a good alternative. He argued it would have a “minimal” impact on the adjacent neighborhood — especially with assurances the developer would install a screen wall and berm, and erect buildings 200 feet from the nearest backyard.

* Daily Southtown | Judge refuses to dismiss call by Kee business owners for special prosecutor: Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak postponed a hearing on the request in light of a Wednesday ruling from Judge Jennifer Lynch. Lynch ruled that Keranen and Regnier were entitled to potential damages from the U.S. Secret Service and the Will County state’s attorney’s office after their seized investment assets were sold. Attorney Frank Andreano argued Lynch’s ruling demonstrated the state’s attorney’s office had a conflict of interest when it came to prosecuting the remaining criminal charges against Regnier and Keranen. The two were found not guilty of fraud charges in November.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Indian Prairie District 204 to add security positions at all its high schools: As a way to maintain safety and security procedures, Indian Prairie School District 204 is adding new positions at its high schools geared toward providing building coverage and supervision after school is dismissed for the day. The district’s school board approved a measure last week that would add one additional security position at each district high school — to the tune of about $150,000 to $200,000 annually.

* CBS Chicago | Robbins, Illinois, mayor suffers graze wound inside restaurant; security shoots, kills gunman, officials say: Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant was inside the restaurant picking up a food order at the time, but was not the intended target, the spokesperson said. The mayor was grazed by a bullet while seeking safety with others in the restaurant, the village said. He was treated at a local hospital and released.

* Daily Herald | Why hundreds of communities are scrambling to find road salt: CMS bundles those requests together and puts the contract out to bid. Salt vendors then bid to supply the salt, and municipalities buy at the winning bid price under that joint contract. But that process has proven slippery for more than 250 communities that received no bids for the 2026-27 season, leaving them to choose whether to stay with the state and wait for emergency bids or find alternative sources. In a recent letter to the communities, CMS didn’t make any promises about a last-minute rescue and warned prices might be higher if there is an emergency allocation.

*** Downstate ***

* The Daily Egyptian | Carbondale City Council passes ban on public camping, considers free parking downtown: The Carbondale City Council on Tuesday banned camping and sleeping on public property within city limits following months of debate among residents and elected officials about homeless encampments and how the city handles them. In a nearly four-hour meeting, councilmembers Brian Stanfield, Adam Loos and Dawn Roberts, alongside Mayor Carolin Harvey, voted in favor of the ordinance, which had been revised following its original introduction in March.

* WCBU | Update to Peoria’s nuisance enforcement remains under consideration: But a proposal championed by city council member Denise Jackson that would require around the clock staffing at large apartment complexes failed to advance. “Councilwoman Jackson and I share a common goal in this enterprise, which is dealing with folks who co-opt rental properties and particularly congregate rental properties for criminal purposes,” city attorney Patrick Hayes said Tuesday during the Peoria City Council meeting.

* WGLT | Heartland Community College looks to save money by offering eligible employees voluntary separation program: The program would allow eligible employees to voluntarily leave employment in exchange for a one-time incentive benefit. The program is designed to help Heartland achieve cost savings. “Right now, we are projecting a cost savings of approximately $1.5 million or more per year once the plan has been fully implemented,” said Noah Lamb, Heartland’s vice president for finance and administration.

* Illinois Times | Event commemorates anniversary of 1908 Springfield Race Riot: “Oftentimes we think about lynching, racial terror lynchings, as an act unto one person, but these were acts of terrorism,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. […] Under the same tent stood a table with a pot of dirt collected from the site where William Donegan was lynched and a glass jar for attendees to fill with soil. The elderly Black resident was beaten, his throat slashed and hung from a tree. He was taken to the hospital and later died, according to a statement from the ALPLM. Shutt said the gathering of the soil helps tell the full story of Springfield’s past.

* Tribune | Illinois State Fair’s 2026 Butter Cow honors Route 66’s 100th anniversary: The fair opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 23 with food and drinks, booths and tents, carnival rides, livestock showings and live music. Among the musical acts scheduled to perform are Lainey Wilson on Saturday, 38 Special on Monday, Wiz Khalifa on Wednesday and The Chicks on Aug. 22. Politics will also play a role at the fair. Next week will feature the two annual political days for elected officials around the state, including Governor’s Day, which is the day for Pritzker and other Democrats, and Republican Day.

*** National ***

* NBC | Attorney General Todd Blanche says the DOJ may take states’ voter roll fight to Supreme Court: Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday there’s a “possibility” that the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to intervene in dozens of cases where judges have ruled against the federal government’s efforts to gain broad access to state voter rolls ahead of November’s midterm elections. “Absolutely, it’s a possibility,” Blanche told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” when asked whether he’d appeal the 22 cases the Justice Department has lost so far to the Supreme Court.

* WIRED | Election Officials Are Preparing for Prediction Markets to Sow Chaos in the Midterms: Prediction markets “fed a lot of the volatility in the aftermath of the June election,” says Dean Logan, county clerk for Los Angeles County, the country’s most populous election jurisdiction, during a webinar organized by the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions. “I won’t go into great detail about how that resulted in threats or aggressiveness from observers or people who had a stake in the outcome of the election, but it is something that we definitely saw, and we saw it at a level that we haven’t seen in prior elections.” […] “Prediction markets are a form of speculation, but they are increasingly being presented, and in some cases interpreted, as indicators of likely election outcomes,” Logan tells WIRED. “The challenge is that many people don’t distinguish between a market reflecting the views of participants and the official election process.”

* WIRED | A California Program Is Bringing Down the Cost of Heat Pumps by Buying Bulk: Just 54 percent of homes in the state have central air-conditioning, but rising temperatures are making cooling a must-have. Sudhakar saw the hot weather as an opportunity to sign up multiple households to a heat pump “group-buy” scheme, offering them a chance to purchase technology that provides carbon-free heating and cooling at a discount. After advertising the venture online, he was flooded with queries.