* ICYMI: Illinois State Board of Education issues AI guidance, written with help from AI. Capitol News Illinois…

- The Illinois State Board of Education released new guidelines recently on how schools should and should not use artificial intelligence in K-12 education.
- The 409-page document was developed with input from a blue-ribbon panel of experts in education, technology and public policy. But it also includes a note saying, “Initial drafts for this guidance used AI (ChatGPT primarily but, to a lesser extent, Claude and Gemini).”
- The guidance itself, however, emphasizes that teaching and learning are shaped by human relationships and experiences, and that artificial intelligence is only a tool to inform teaching and learning, not a substitute for human interaction.

* Related stories…

• Chalkbeat: Anthropic unveils Claude for Teachers, joining OpenAI and Google in race to dominate classroom AI
• NPR: The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says
• Fortune: ‘Students can’t reason’: Teachers warn AI is fueling a crisis in kids’ ability to think

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Subscribers know more. Patch | Burr Ridge Mayor Wins Battle In Defamation Case Against Political Consultant: On Monday, though, the 3rd District Appellate Court ruled a genuine issue remains for a jury to determine whether Corbett defamed Grasso. According to the ruling, Mottl received bad poll results leading up to the 2019 election, so he was advised to undertake a negative campaign against Grasso. In a deposition, Corbett, now an independent candidate for governor, acknowledged relying on a research firm’s report on Grasso. The report asserted Grasso may have fraudulently benefited from property tax exemptions over two years, to the tune of $12,000. But Mottl’s campaign flyers said the mayor benefited by “more than $36,000.”

* Sun-Times | With mayoral race looming, Mayor Johnson falls further behind Giannoulias in fundraising: Johnson already faced a huge fundraising disadvantage, having closed the first quarter of 2026 with $813,125 in campaign cash on hand — compared to $18.3 million for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias, a prolific fundraiser, has continued to widen that gap. In the three-month period ending June 30, he took in about $3.65 million and spent about $106,000, leaving him with about $21.85 million in cash on hand, according to the quarterly fundraising report filed Wednesday. That gives him a roughly $21 million lead over Johnson.

* Capitol City Now | Executive Director of Springfield’s ALPLM to step down: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) will be looking for a new executive director. Current Executive Director Christina Shutt announced Wednesday she’ll be stepping down at the end of her current 5 year term. She’ll stay in the role until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. Shutt has served at the helm of the ALPLM since June 2021, making her the longest-serving director in the ALPLM’s history.

*** Data Center News ***

* Illinois Times | Residents sue Sangamon County, CyrusOne: Several Waverly residents who live approximately a mile or less from the site recently approved for the CyrusOne data center filed a lawsuit against Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Board July 6 seeking to overturn the county’s approval of the project. Chloe Russell, a Plainfield lawyer, filed the case that claims the county’s approved resolution from April 7 is misdated as March 23, the prior month’s meeting, when the proposal was actually tabled after hours of public comment. It also claims allowing a data center on agricultural land without knowing all the impacts could be detrimental to nearby farms, residences and a nearly 20-year-old dog kennel business. The filing also cites an Illinois local zoning law that says any county board decision related to zoning is subject to fresh judicial review “as a legislative decision,” so long as any action taken to seek judicial review begins no later than 90 days after the decision – meaning July 6 was the last day petitioners could cite that law based on the April 7 action.

* WGLT | Bloomington mayor checks in with peers on data centers: The city recently announced its planning commission will meet publicly at 5 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. There will be a panel of experts and others who have experience with data centers. Exactly who will be on the panel has not yet been announced. Brady would like to invite members of a former statewide data center task force that includes mayors of municipalities that have moved forward with building those projects.

* Reuters | Americans are angry about data centers. Politicians are feeling the pressure: In this deeply polarized country, opposition to data centers is among the few issues that unite voters across ideological lines. Just a third of Americans approve of the pace of data-center construction, according to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll. Only 14% of respondents would support a data center being built in their community. That tension is increasingly pronounced in Michigan, where at least 13 data centers are in various stages of planning — and communities in Saline and beyond are fighting back.

* Columbus Dispatch | Amazon, Meta avoid millions in property taxes for Ohio data centers: Amazon Web Services avoided $5.4 million in property taxes for two Hilliard data centers in tax year 2024, the most recent figures available, according to the Franklin County auditor’s office. Neighboring Licking County reported $1.8 million in forgone taxes from Meta’s Prometheus campus last year. A Google data center in Lancaster cost $1.3 million The statehouse bureau sought to examine local tax agreements for data centers amid mounting opposition to these projects. That information is located in a patchwork of records across dozens of governments, making it difficult to understand the full picture.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Center Square | Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation: Former state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, who resigned from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives at the start of this month following investigations into alleged misconduct while he was in office, has followed through on his promise to withdraw his name from November ballots. The Will and Kendall County Democrats shared an open call for residents of the 97th district to apply to replace Benton, both for the remainder of his term and separately on the Democrat line of the ballot. The application closed Monday, but a candidate could be appointed by the chairs anytime before August 21, the day ballots are finalized.

* Politico: HAPPENING TODAY: Gov. JB Pritzker is set to sign a pair of bills aimed at helping law enforcement agencies fill vacancies and stiffening consequences for some of the most serious violations of Illinois’ Move Over Law. One measure, sponsored by state Sen. Bill Cunningham and state Rep. Mary Gill, loosens age restrictions for certain sheriff’s department hires in an effort to address staffing shortages. Beginning in 2027, individuals as young as 20 will be able to serve as county police officers if they have completed two years of approved law enforcement studies. The age at which correctional officers and full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers can be appointed would be lowered from 21 to 18 under the measure.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Chicago Public Schools plans to lay off 760 teachers as officials look to close massive deficit: If more money doesn’t materialize from the city or the state, CPS will convert five paid professional development days into furlough days next winter. All are non-attendance days, which means they won’t affect students’ instructional time.

* Tribune | Cook County will ‘explore’ making Chicago Public Schools eligible for late property tax loan: Cook County is considering whether to extend a financial lifeline to Chicago Public Schools by including the district in an interest-free loan program so the cash-strapped school system can avoid some costs because of late-landing property tax money. But the $300 million pot of loan funding Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced last month is not even enough to cover a month of payroll, CPS said in a statement Tuesday. The district estimates county Treasurer Maria Pappas also still owes it $250 million from the last round of late property tax bills. Pappas’ office estimates that figure is closer to $70 million or $80 million.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools releases $9.88 billion 2026-27 budget amid deepening financial strain: District leaders said hundreds of staff layoffs, a push for more revenue, and other cost-saving measures took a $450 million bite out of the $732.5 million deficit the district faced this summer. To help close the remaining gap, CPS is bumping up the amount it expects the city would contribute in special tax dollars for development, known as TIF, from $100 million to $200 million. Last year, CPS received more than $500 million in TIF dollars, a record amount, but district officials said they wanted to be more conservative in projecting this year’s influx.

* Capitol News Illinois | Peoples Gas cuts $58 million from rate request: The adjustment, reflecting lower than expected costs for recent infrastructure investments as well as the deferral of other construction to later years, brings the revised request to $144 million. If approved by regulators this December, the amended request would add around $7-8 to monthly bills for typical residential customers, down from the $10-11 sought in the original request. It would take effect at the end of 2026 or start of 2027, depending on the timing of the decision.

* Crain’s | ShotSpotter, festival venue advance for Chicago ballot as other questions stall: Chicagoans will be asked in November if they want the city to bring back gunshot detection technology and build a permanent outdoor festival space, but it’s unclear if questions about city finances and federal immigration enforcement will be on the ballot as the City Council took turns blocking non-binding ballot referendum questions today. The uncertainty came after aldermen took turns blocking votes on each factions non-binding referendum proposals, but another City Council meeting on July 24 was scheduled by opponents of Mayor Brandon Johnson, potentially settling the dispute next week.

* Block Club | Chicago’s Air Quality Could Worsen As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Spreads Across The Midwest: The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared an Air Pollution Action Day for Tuesday and Wednesday due to high levels of ozone. The agencies have advised sensitive Chicagoans — including anyone with lung disease like asthma, as well as children, teens and older adults — to limit their time outdoors. And another issue could soon arise: The Illinois EPA predicts that wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Ontario will reach Chicago early Thursday, leading to unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups Thursday and Friday.

* ABC Chicago | 3 elevated CTA Loop stations to temporarily close for the next 2 weekends: During the weekends of July 18-20 and July 25-27, Washington/Wabash, Adams/Wabash, Clark/Lake (elevated portion), will be closed. The construction will begin Saturday at about 2 a.m. and regular operations should resume by 5 a.m. Monday, the CTA said. Only the Green, Brown and Orange Line trains will operate via the Wells and Van Buren side branches of the Loop Elevated.

* WTTW | Horner Park Is Saving Its Ash Trees One Beer at a Time Thanks to Annual BrewFest: Horner Park’s eighth annual BrewFest, set for Friday night at the North Side park, features tastings from dozens of local craft brewers, with proceeds from ticket sales supporting the park advisory council’s efforts to maintain a healthy grove of ash trees. Even as the ash borer has felled hundreds of thousands of ash across Chicago, BrewFest has raised enough money for the council to continue treating the park’s ash trees with a life-saving injection.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Judge gives ex-Summit police chief three years in bribery plot: ‘You sounded like a gangster’: When a federal judge sentenced former Summit police chief John Kosmowski on Wednesday to three years in prison for bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice, he quoted the former top suburban cop’s recorded words right back at him. A secret government cooperator caught Kosmowski in 2022 insisting “there is no truth,” and “it’s gonna be their version against ours. It always is.” […]“How on Earth has the message not gotten out in the Chicagoland area, to public officials, that they cannot take bribes?” Seeger said. “I don’t understand why public corruption has so deeply infested the body politic in this town. I don’t get it.”

* Daily Herald | White Sox legend to host celebration of life for school security guard who died protecting students : The program will be emceed by ESPN’s David Kaplan and Chicago White Sox legend Ron Kittle, who share a personal connection with the Rivas family. Orlando’s father, Roy Rivas, served as a chef for the Chicago White Sox for 40 years, and Orlando also worked for the organization. The evening will include opening remarks from Kaplan and Kittle, community reflections honoring Rivas’ life and legacy, a raffle featuring White Sox memorabilia, game tickets and other donated prizes. Also, live music by Replay and a buffet.

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights could close downtown street for ice skating rink this winter: The 40-by-80-foot mechanically-chilled rink is being eyed for Eastman Street between Arlington Heights Road and Evergreen Avenue — just south of North School Park, site of the annual tree lighting and holiday decorations. “We thought that it had tremendous synergy with the tree-lighting ceremony,” said Village Manager Randy Recklaus. “That event already looks like a Norman Rockwell painting, and it could look even more like that.” It’s the same block where the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre staged performances within a 40-by-90-foot tent in 2021 during the pandemic. The village extended electricity from the nearby parking garage to the street level at that time, so that could be done again to power the chiller that creates the ice surface, officials said.

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | Creating a recovery movement: Wooden It Be Lovely buys building to expand its mission of helping women re-enter society: Farley has been working for several weeks at Wooden It Be Lovely, a nonprofit in Springfield that gives women in transition from poverty and/or in recovery jobs of refurbishing donated wood furniture, sewing products and making candles to market. Farley plans to remain with the nonprofit as it moves its headquarters from Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church, 501 S. Douglas Ave., across a parking lot to the building formerly known as Temple Israel at 1140 W. Governor St. in Springfield.

* WCIA | Urbana City Council may need to fill third vacancy after alderwoman announces departure: For the third time this year, the Urbana City Council may be searching to fill another vacancy. Grace Wilkin, the Ward 6 Council Member, announced that her time on the council will come to an end near the end of July. Wilkin did not share an exact reason for her departure Monday night, but she did say more updates will be shared at a later time.

* WJBD | Marion County Sheriff wants to ban Kratom and 7-OH: Cripps will work with the State’s Attorney to put together a resolution to be brought back to the next law enforcement committee meeting in August. […] Salem has already approved a ban on the sales and Kinmundy will take up the issue at its next meeting.

* WSIL | Touch of Nature plans for a new lake as Little Grassy stays drained: Touch of Nature in Jackson County is planning to build its own small lake after losing access to one of its most used resources. The outdoor education center is moving forward with the project while Little Grassy Lake remains drained for repairs. Brian Croft with Touch of Nature said the new lake will offer a variety of water activities for campers and visitors. “We’re gonna be able to put water slides and rope swings and all kinds of stuff. Like think of a swimming hole like that you would think of in Southern Illinois. And that’s kind of what we want to make here,” Croft said.

*** National ***

* Northwest Indiana Times | Northwest Indiana unions vow to oppose politicians who don’t back Bears stadium food tax: Randy Palmateer, who serves as business manager and executive director of the Northwest Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, said the 31 different trade unions that he represents and their thousands of members will not back any elected officials who do not back the food and beverage tax that would cost an extra $1 on a $100 restaurant tab — or any other aspects of the Bears stadium financing plan.

* 404 Media | Hack Reveals Suno AI Music Generator Scraped YouTube, Deezer, and Genius: The hacked data is a rare look at exactly how AI models and tools are built. Suno is one of the largest AI music generation tools on the internet, and has been the subject of several major lawsuits from the record industry, which accused the company of training on millions of copyrighted songs. As part of these legal proceedings, Suno previously admitted that it was trained on “essentially all music files of reasonable quality that are accessible on the open internet,” which included a total of “tens of millions of recordings.” Suno has been making the argument that it is allowed to train on copyrighted works as fair use in those cases, one of which has been settled.

* NYT | Diesel Hits $5 a Gallon Again, Up 33% Since the Start of Iran War: The average national price on Thursday was $5.01, according to the AAA motor club, up 7 cents from the day before. Soaring prices of diesel can reverberate across the rest of the economy because of its many uses, including industrial machinery, commercial transport and electricity generation. U.S. diesel prices first surpassed $5 a gallon in March, the highest level since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The prices retreated below $5 in June after Iran and the United States announced they had signed a memorandum of understanding that was meant to quell the fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical thoroughfare for the world’s oil.