* ICYMI: Gov. JB Pritzker signs first-in-nation Illinois law requiring third-party safety audits for AI giants. Tribune…

- The legislation that Pritzker signed will require large AI developers — those with more than $500 million in annual gross revenue — to publish explanations of how their products could pose a “catastrophic risk” and how those risks would be addressed. The requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
- Developers will be required to retain a third party each year to conduct an independent compliance audit; auditors would need to demonstrate technical expertise in the safety of so-called frontier AI models.
-Some AI companies embraced the legislation, which drew broad support from both sides of the aisle, during the spring legislative session. AI developer Anthropic, which created the Claude chatbot and supported the bill.

* Related stories…

• Bloomberg: Illinois Governor Signs Nation’s Strongest Frontier AI Model Law
• Sun-Times: Gov. JB Pritzker signs Illinois AI regulations into law, aiming to rein in ‘the tech bros’
• CNI: Pritzker signs landmark AI regulation bill that aims to mitigate risks

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Subscribers know more. ABC Chicago | South suburban Democrats move to replace former Rep. Harry Benton after undisclosed ethics findings: Democratic leaders in Will and Kendall counties will choose Benton’s replacement for the 97th House District, one of the state’s more politically competitive areas. The weighted vote gives Will County Democratic Party Chairman Billy Morgan the ability to make the selection on his own. “We need someone who will be pragmatic and effective in Springfield,” Morgan said. “They need to be somebody who understands how to get things done, and someone who’s a real fighter for the 97th district.”

* Tribune | What’s in the Illinois Tollway’s $26.5 billion construction program?: The 2026 “project list doesn’t have a great deal of ‘wow factor,’ but most items are critically needed,” DePaul University Professor and transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman said. “Anyone doubting that serious bottlenecks exist should hop on the tollway system during peak hours during summer.” Rate hikes averaging 45 cents a toll for I-Pass customers in passenger vehicles would help fund construction as well as inflation-based increases every other year starting in 2029, pending board approval. One blockbuster item on the roster is $3.1 billion for interchange improvements at I-88 and I-355.

* Sun-Times | Illinois prison healthcare still poor as state goes 1 year without long-term medical provider: Centurion Health, one of the nation’s largest correctional medicine companies, has been the medical provider for the Illinois Department of Corrections since last July. And a year into Centurion’s short tenure, people inside Illinois prisons say their medical needs are severely neglected. In nearly a dozen emails and letters like Natalie’s, incarcerated people and their loved ones shared with the Sun-Times and WBEZ’s Prisoncast! how their health has deteriorated as they wait for doctor’s appointments, testing and medications. The transition to Centurion has also complicated people’s health care and left at least one subcontractor for IDOC’s previous provider unpaid.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release | Illinois Housing Development Authority Announces Creation of 1,000 Units of Affordable Rental Housing: The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board approved awards totaling $37 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and an additional $39 million in federal and state subordinate resources that will finance the creation and preservation of 22 affordable housing developments in 15 counties throughout Illinois. The LIHTC awards are expected to generate an estimated $303 million in private capital to support the development of 969 affordable homes for low- to moderate-income families, seniors, and veterans. The 22 approved developments include 20 new construction projects and the rehabilitation of two existing developments. New construction developments will bring much-needed housing for seniors in Fox Lake, Rock Island, and Highland. Additional efforts include safe and stable housing for youths aging out of the foster care system in Urbana to a new development offering housing and supportive services for women experiencing chronic homelessness in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

* Michael Frerichs and Jeannie Tarkenton | Student loan changes at the federal level call for Illinois leadership: That is why we partnered through Illinois’ Student Empowerment Fund to launch the Illinois No-Cosigner Loan. The program was designed to help students who have exhausted grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and federal loans, but still face a final funding gap that threatens their ability to complete their degree. Borrowing should never be the first option. Students and families should first maximize grants, scholarships and federal aid. But when those resources fall short, too many capable students are shut out because traditional lending relies on family wealth, a co-signer or an established credit history rather than a student’s own record of achievement and future earning potential.

* Ghana Web | From Slavery to Reunion: DNA reconnects Illinois lawmaker with family in Ghana: Her journey was made possible through modern DNA genealogy under, the African Kinship Reunion (TAKiR) Project, a collaborative initiative involving the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Ghanaian partners, including the University of Cape Coast, which traced her ancestry directly to the Nania community in Paga. […] The moment also marked a symbolic honour. Representative Ammons was enskinned as the Peace and Development Queen Mother of the area, a gesture signifying her formal integration into the community and her commitment to supporting development initiatives.

* Tribune | Illinois bill awaiting Pritzker OK would add oversight on private equity firms buying disability group homes: The bill, which passed the General Assembly this spring with broad bipartisan support, requires facilities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to report to the state when they are purchased by an asset management company — such as a private equity fund, hedge fund or venture capital firm. After a community integrated living arrangement — commonly known as a group home or CILA — or other licensed facility for people with disabilities is purchased by such a firm, it would have to regularly report financial activity, including assets, liabilities and staffing levels, to the state Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

* Tribune | Law adds big cats, bears and primates to Illinois ban on traveling animal acts: On June 26, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the expansion of the state’s Traveling Animals Act into law. The act already banned elephants in traveling shows and circuses — now the ban applies to big cats, bears and primates as well. “In signing this bill, Governor Pritzker advanced the dignified and compassionate care of our wild animals,” said a spokesperson for the governor’s office. The law took effect Wednesday.

* Capitol News Illinois | ‘Underdog’ Tracy says he’s ‘answering a call of duty’ by running for Durbin’s seat: “I believe Illinois is a center-right state, and that the right Republican can win again statewide, and I do believe I’m the right Republican,” Tracy told me. “A two-party state is a healthier state, and by winning this seat, then I think we can bring a little more bipartisanship to Illinois. I also think that that will give us a strong senatorial voice in Washington, regardless of who’s in charge.”

*** Data Center News ***

* Tribune | Data center developer reverses course in Hoffman Estates, days before vote on controversial plan: Residents packed a Hoffman Estates village planning meeting in early June, giving hours of testimony against the project. They protested, filed public records requests and signed petitions to deny the rezoning. A new data center campus at the 186-acre Plum Farms, they feared, would use too much power and water, cause noise pollution and possibly raise utility costs. When Karis Critical, the data center developer leading the project, withdrew its petition for rezoning on Wednesday, five days before a Village Board vote that was set to take place tonight, some in the community breathed a sigh of relief.

* WICS | New grassroots coalition says data center fight isn’t over: Illinois Open Field Coalition Forward is a grassroots organization formed by Tara Bergschneider. Bergschneider said counties all across our area are faced with questions and concerns as the rise of data center proposals continues. “We want to inform people how they can be a part of the effort in stopping this. I have a presentation that I’ll go through that’ll just give a very high level overview of what’s going on across the counties, specifically Sangamon and Christian and Logan,” Bergschneider said.

* Brownfield Ag | Report highlights rural worries over data center development: Mark White, clinical associate professor in the department of ag and consumer economics, says electricity costs were the leading concern among survey respondents. He tells Brownfield many rural residents were also worried about farmland being used for data centers. “The challenge with some of the data centers is that when you build them, they are not things that can easily be removed,” he said. “You can’t just easily return the land to agricultural land when they have maybe outlived their lifespan.” The researchers said the survey was conducted online in February and reached approximately 1,000 U.S. adults who were representative of the country by region, income, age and gender.

* Reuters | Big Tech data centers are driving up power bills at America’s Rust Belt factories: The 141-year-old brick manufacturer, whose products can be found in iconic buildings including the Texas Alamo and Notre Dame ​University, is seeing power bills rise mainly from a monthly capacity charge, which recently jumped from $1,600 a month to $12,000. […] Such fees have soared in the 13-state region covered ​by grid operator PJM Interconnection due to stagnant supply and demand from data centers, where one server warehouse can use as much electricity as a mid-sized town.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | The port strike, the longshoremen and the mayor: Two unions are fighting over who should represent the dozens of stevedores who work for QSL America, a private company that operates at the publicly owned port. For more than a year, some QSL workers have been on strike with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. But others are still at work, laboring under a new collective bargaining agreement with another labor organization, the International Longshoremen’s Association. QSL agreed to recognize the ILA as the dockworkers’ union representative last year, after the Operating Engineers’ strike began, setting off a battle between the labor groups that is under review by federal regulators at the National Labor Relations Board.

* Tribune | Cardiologist and whistleblower Dr. Lisa Nee to run for Chicago mayor: “I think they want a city where you don’t need connections to get very basic things done, and I think they want a leader that’s honest,” she told the Tribune. “I’m inside the community, I’m just outside the political machine.” The 59-year-old said she is focused on Chicago’s fiscal health, everyday affordability and safety. But she shared few details on the policy plans she would turn to on day one in office to tackle the city’s challenges. Instead, she argued her background — including no experience in the political arena — means she isn’t bogged down by the thorny loyalties that prevent veteran politicians from making hard decisions.

* Sun-Times | Deep Tunnel has never reached its limit. After weekend’s heavy rains, it’s almost full: For the first time in history, Deep Tunnel, Chicago’s massive system of underground tunnels and reservoirs designed to hold flood water, is almost completely full after a weekend of heavy rain. Built over more than a half-century, Deep Tunnel sends floodwaters from Chicago and nearby suburbs through more than 100 miles of tunnels into three reservoirs located just outside of the city. It was designed to help protect area rivers as well as Lake Michigan.

* Block Club | Chicago National Archives Closure Will Be Loss For Historians, Researchers, Even Deep-Sea Divers: The National Archives and Records Administration plans to close its Chicago facility, a sprawling building on the Southwest Side that houses transcripts from the Trial of the Chicago 7, maritime records for the Great Lakes region and documents on tribal nations. In a June 23 email to staff, the agency — which functions as the nation’s record keeper — informed its employees that “over the next few years” it would close the National Archives at Chicago, 7358 S. Pulaski Road, and its San Francisco/San Bruno facility, as well as move all temporary records from the Seattle Records Center. Many of the records in Chicago have not been digitized and are only available in person.

* Tribune | Emmett Till would’ve been 85 this year. A Bronzeville exhibit reflects on his legacy: Raymond Thomas, creative director of The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, curated the exhibit “From Memory to Movement: Emmett at 85” at Bronzeville’s Blanc Gallery, bringing together 11 Black Chicago-based contemporary artists to produce works that speak to the humanity of Emmett Till and the social construct of the times we’re living in. “It was like putting a band together… thinking how artists’ work talks to each other, and how my work aligns with theirs to have this jam session,” Thomas, a multidisciplinary artist, said. “We all have a connection to this legacy… everyone took their own personal journeys to find where they wanted to be with it.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | Attorneys drop out of West Suburban hospital legal fight citing ‘fundamental disagreements’: But on Monday, according to court records, attorneys representing Resilience Healthcare asked to withdraw from the case, writing, “Circumstances have developed that have created fundamental disagreements between undersigned counsel and the Client regarding the representation and the Client’s objectives in this matter.” […] Attorneys for both sides have been meeting behind closed doors weekly with Judge Stanton to negotiate a settlement which could include the hospital reopening under new ownership.

* Evanston Roundtable | Business attorney and political newcomer starts mayoral campaign committee: Jade Carpenter registered a candidate committee for Evanston mayor with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Wednesday, July 1, allowing her to begin raising and spending money on a campaign. She is the second person to publicly indicate her bid to succeed incumbent Mayor Daniel Biss, who is resigning Oct. 18 to focus on his congressional campaign and will be replaced through a special election in early 2027.

* Pioneer Press | The $25,000 question: Who can afford to be a suburban mayor in Evanston or elsewhere?: Voters may be surprised to learn that in Evanston, the position to oversee a $400 million-plus municipal government and a city of about 76,000 people comes with an annual salary of a little over $25,000. That salary falls well below what would be considered a livable income in Evanston, where median rent for all property types (apartments, condos, houses) exceeds $2,000 a month, according to recent housing projections.

* Toni Preckwinkle | Cook County sticks with road map to reduce gun violence as federal funds dry up: The influx of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act allowed us to invest in communities at historic levels. Across the state, county and city, more than $350 million was directed toward community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts, including $110 million from Cook County alone. These funds supported youth development programs, outreach workers and survivor services. […] As the American Rescue Plan Act resources phase out, we face a critical question: whether we will sustain what is working. At Cook County, the answer is yes. We continue to invest $30 million annually for CVI and services for survivors of gun violence, even as federal support for these efforts has declined.

* Daily Herald | Lurie seeks state’s OK to build children’s hospital in Downers Grove: The hospital filed a request for a certificate of need with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board on June 6. The hospital will have to prove the project is needed and financially and economically feasible. Oct. 16 is the deadline for submitting written comments about the proposal. The HFSRB is scheduled to consider the application on Nov. 5.

* Daily Herald | Despite stadium uncertainty, Bears get OK to keep billboard in Arlington Heights: The digital sign atop a 95-foot pole was installed at the former horse racing venue in 2017 by then-owner Churchill Downs Inc., which sought an additional revenue source amid a precipitous decline in wagering. The approval came with the caveat that the sign come down were the racetrack to cease operations. But board members have granted multiple yearly extensions since the Bears took ownership and knocked down the old grandstand in 2023, and during the NFL club’s ensuing on-again, off-again interest in redeveloping the prime Northwest suburban real estate.

* Lake County News-Sun | D112 approves contract with Quest food vendor despite protest: ‘The committee made an informed decision’: This year, OrganicLife again submitted a protest to disqualify Quest, but was seemingly unsuccessful. In this year’s protest, it argued Quest should have been disqualified on several grounds, alleging it had sent a letter to the district’s evaluation committee past the deadline, accusing the district of altering evaluation scores to put Quest ahead, and alleging issues with Quest’s references.

* Tribune | Will County Board of Review members serve 2 to 3 years beyond set terms: The longest serving board member, Susan McMillin, has served since 2009. Her term ended June 1, 2024. The terms for Ann Crickman, who been on the board since 2022, and Sue Smith, first appointed in 2019, ended June 1, 2023, according to Michael Theodore, director of communications for the Will County executive’s office. […] All three Board of Review members will be considered for reappointment during the a Will County Executive Committee meeting on July 9, Theodore said. The appointments were scheduled to come to a vote June 11, but were removed from the agenda at the last minute, without any reason given, he said. Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, creates the meeting agendas, and said he pulled the appointments after an “outside individual” voiced concerns about one of the members.

* Daily Southtown | Cannabis tax funds to enhance security measures at Will County schools: More than 30 Will County schools will receive funds to enhance security thanks to $129,777 in grants awarded by the county from the state’s cannabis sales tax revenue. The security improvements will take place in 18 Will County school districts, including Beecher School District 200U, Frankfort School District 157-C, Lockport School District 91, Manhattan School District 114, New Lenox School District 122 and Summit Hill School District 161.

* Pioneer Press | Woman in six-month coma following Jan. 5 encounter with Evanston police has died, family says: According to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed June 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Williams’ mother Jacqueline Hoffman, Williams’ family alleges Evanston police used “excessive force” while attempting to restrain her and failed to intervene when Williams demonstrated signs of trouble breathing. […] She remained in a coma until the time of her death, her family said.

*** Downstate ***

* NPR Illinois | Massey Commission members launch new effort to advance goals: “Rather than allowing organizations and institutions to continue working in isolation, MCAN seeks to eliminate the silos that have too often prevented lasting systemic change. The organization will convene all accountable parties, educate the public, advocate for policy change, organize communities, pursue funding opportunities, and monitor progress toward implementation, bringing residents, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community partners together to turn recommendations into measurable results.”

* Illinois Times | Former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson seeks medical release: Sean Grayson, 32, filed for release under the Joe Coleman Act last month. Under the act, a person in custody who is terminally ill or is medically incapacitated could be considered eligible. Medically incapacitated is defined as having a medical condition that prevents them from completing daily living activity behind bars without assistance and will likely not improve in the future. Doctors diagnosed Grayson with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, his attorney Mark Wykoff told the judge at his sentencing in January but added that the cancer had progressed to Stage 4 and spread to his liver and lungs.

* NPR Illinois | Springfield expansion of EV charging stations nears completion: pringfield’s City Water, Light and Power said 40 charge ports have been added at nine locations near shopping, tourism and business districts. The project was made possible through a $629,000 Illinois Community Charging Program Grant awarded to CWLP. The program supports the installation of Level 2 charging stations across Springfield.

* WCIA | Fisher unearths time capsule, seeking public’s help finding owners of heirlooms: The village took to social media Monday morning, hoping someone knew the owner of a Paxton High School class of 1963 ring. The village treasurer said through the power of social media, and the help of the Paxton historical society, they found the owners’ children and the ring is in the mail headed to them right now.

* WGLT | Video: How Bloomington-Normal’s first drone show took flight: Viewers watched 300 LED-lit drones perform a series of complex, preprogrammed movements during the 15-minute show. The drones created animations geared toward the Fourth of July (like an American flag and a Declaration of Independence scroll), while also showing off logos for event sponsors and partners like State Farm, OSF HealthCare, City of Bloomington, and more. “It’s kind of like marching band in the sky, so each drone knows their dot and their placement as to where they need to go. Our pilot just makes sure each drone knows where they’re going and makes sure everything runs smoothly. They’re pre-programmed,” said Amanda Violassi from Firefly Drone Shows, a Michigan company hired to run the show.

*** National ***

* AP | Obamacare rolls shrank dramatically in many states over the past year, new federal data shows: The data, posted in late June by the Trump administration and first reported on by The Associated Press, reveals how changes in each state’s insured population led to around 2.6 million fewer Americans having Obamacare plans in February compared with the same time last year. It captures not only how many people signed up for or were automatically reenrolled in plans in 2026, but how many paid their first monthly premiums to keep coverage, according to Cynthia Cox, a vice president and director of the ACA program at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF, who reviewed the dataset. She said it accounts for people who were retroactively removed from coverage after a nonpayment grace period ended.

* WaPo | Conservatives seek blue-state bans on trans athletes in wake of Supreme Court win’: The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states may ban trans athletes from girls and women’s teams, affirming policies in 27 states. But it said nothing about the Democratic states that allow transgender students to compete. Now the Trump administration and conservative advocacy groups are pressing forward in pursuit of a coast-to-coast ban as the fight shifts to another set of court cases. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which won Tuesday’s case, is backing three pending cases, while three cases filed by the Justice Department are also making their way through lower courts.

* Public Notice | How Kalshi infects the news: Some of CNBC’s reporting about Kalshi includes the disclosure, “CNBC and Kalshi have a commercial relationship that includes customer acquisition and a minority investment.” This means CNBC is paid every time it can convert a viewer to a Kalshi user. As an investor, the network also benefits if Kalshi’s overall valuation increases. CNBC is also paid directly by Kalshi for using its data, according to The Wrap. In at least 22 cases, however, CNBC has written about Kalshi and not disclosed its financial conflict. […] On air, where CNBC promotes Kalshi nearly every day, disclosure is also spotty.

* Bloomberg | Rivian offers 75 million shares to meet U.S. energy loan terms: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is leading the share sale, according to a filing Monday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. At the closing price of $20.14 per share, the offering would raise about $1.5 billion. Rivian intends to use the proceeds for purposes including making contributions under the amended loan agreement with the Department of Energy, the filing shows. The vehicle maker has a $4.5 billion loan after renegotiating with the Department, and expects to start drawing from it in early 2027.