* ICYMI: Texas Democrats flee to Illinois to block Trump-backed GOP redistricting plan. Sun-Times…

- Forty Texas House Democrats fled to Illinois to block a GOP-led mid-decade redistricting plan that would add five Republican districts and bolster the party’s narrow U.S. House majority.
- At a Sunday night news conference in Carol Stream, Gov. JB Pritzker appeared with the Texas Democrats, denounced Donald Trump as a “cult leader” and “would-be dictator,” and defended Democrats exploring their own redistricting options.
- The rare mid-decade redistricting plan comes amid pressure from Trump to draw new maps to protect the GOP’s narrow 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Texas House Democrats flee to Chicago to deny GOP’s congressional redistricting effort
∙ Daily Herald: Texas Democrats flee to the suburbs to block Trump-backed redistricting
∙ The Guardian: Texas governor threatens Democrats who left state to prevent congressional map vote
∙ AP: Texas Democrats arrive in Illinois to block vote back home on redrawn House maps sought by Trump

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | ‘Dehumanizing’: Inside the Broadview ICE facility where immigrants sleep on cold concrete: The west suburban processing center is designed to hold people for no more than 12 hours before transferring them to a formal immigration detention facility. It has no beds, let alone any covers, Chavez said. They were not offered showers or hot food. No toothbrushes or feminine products. And certainly, Chavez recalled, those detained had no answers from immigration authorities about what would happen next. An investigation by the Chicago Tribune found that immigration detainees such as Chavez have been held for days at the processing center, a two-story building that is designed as a temporary way station until detainees can be transferred to jails out of state. For busier periods in June, data shows the typical detainee was held two or three days — far longer than the five or so hours typical in years past.

* Tribune | As political petition passing begins, Illinois Democrats have flood of candidates; Republicans have a trickle: On Sunday, Richard Porter, an attorney and former Republican national committeeman from Illinois, used social media to announce he would not seek the GOP nomination for Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat. “After close consultations with my family and friends, I have decided not to pursue this opportunity,” Porter wrote in a Facebook post. “I intend to stay involved in the effort to turn around Illinois.”

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Ryne Sandberg, Mickey Mantle baseball cards, gold Hermes bracelet offered up at state fair I-CASH auction Preview: Potential bidders are invited to attend the auction preview from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday August 5 at the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office in the Marine Bank Building, 1 East Old State Capitol Plaza, in Springfield. At the preview, attendees will get a sneak peek at items that will be auctioned live at 11 a.m. on Saturday August 16 at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Illinois co-leads states’ lawsuit against Trump transgender care crackdown: Raoul and the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York are co-leading the multistate lawsuit filed today, arguing the administration has overstepped its authority by using threats of criminal prosecution and federal investigations to pressure health care providers, Raoul’s office said in a press release. Those actions have already seen a number of Illinois health care providers, including at least four Chicago health systems, pull back on the care they offer to patients under the age of 18 or 19.

* WGLT | State Rep. Dennis Tipsword reverses reelection plan, will run for Woodford County sheriff: “While it’s been a high honor to serve the people in the 105th District in every way, my heart is in law enforcement,” said Tipsword. “With Sheriff Smith’s decision to not seek reelection, I’m compelled to step up and run for sheriff next year.” Tipsword is in his 31st year in law enforcement and 18th year in the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office. He’s been deputy sheriff for 11 years.

* Streetsblog Chicago | No harm in asking: Illinois Senate President Harmon answers questions about the likelihood of a summer vote on a transit funding bill: Last week, I interviewed HB 3438 sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam for an update on efforts to fill the budget gap. When I asked if the summer vote is definitely going to happen, he replied, “That’s above my pay grade. Obviously, that’s a decision by [Governor JB Pritzker] and the Senate President [Don Harmon] and the House Speaker [Emanuel “Chris” Welch].” Since then, I’ve been working on getting the answer from the horses’ mouths. Today I spoke with Oak Park-based Senate President Harmon, who shed some light on what’s going on

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | To plug $1B gap, Team Johnson totes up a list of politically risky tax moves: The 26 tax ideas under review — sourced from aldermen and civic groups — come with revenue estimates but long odds: Many have been rejected by Johnson, lack Council support, or require state approval. In virtual briefings today, members of Johnson’s finance team sought to distance themselves from some of the proposals, according to aldermen on the calls, but nonetheless went over a list that reads like a menu of difficult decisions fraught with political peril if ordered. While many of the proposals are unlikely to move forward, Johnson and the City Council have so far relied on tweaking existing taxes and fees — avoiding deeper reforms amid broad resistance to raising property taxes, which remain the city’s most reliable source of long-term revenue.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson, facing a yawning budget deficit, could be in for a fight with corporate tax proposals: Facing a more than $1 billion deficit and having disavowed a property tax hike, Johnson last week said he would consider the return of a per-employee “head tax” on businesses or a much bolder payroll expense tax. Either would be a major shot across the bow of the city’s corporate class. He told reporters Tuesday his administration would take a serious look at how “individuals with means, particularly our billionaires and the ultra-rich who have benefited from a growing economy, can put more skin in the game” by contributing to the city’s violence reduction and affordable housing efforts. Johnson and his allies described both business taxes as just two of the numerous options the mayor is considering that might eventually be included in his budget proposal this fall.

* Tribune | Growing calls of ‘no confidence’ in CPD commander tied to wrongful murder conviction: And now at least two CPD district councils plan to hold symbolic no-confidence votes in John Foster, commander of Area 5 detectives, who oversees the investigations into the most serious crimes across the Northwest Side. The confrontation unfolded Monday evening during a public meeting at Kosciuszko Park, attended by Foster and other Police Department officials. During the public comment portion of the meeting, more than a half dozen people invoked Foster’s ties to the prosecution of Kevin Jackson, a man wrongfully convicted in a 2001 murder in West Englewood.

* WBEZ | CPS must present a plan to close its deficit within 9 days: What are the options?: After hearing ideas and proposed solutions from nearly 700 parents, teachers and community members at meetings in July, King warned: “There are no easy answers here, and it’s clear that there are difficult decisions that will need to be made.” The deficit is the result of several factors: the end of federal pandemic relief money after CPS used it for a hiring spree over several years, rising transportation and building maintenance costs, and expensive annual debt and pension payments that are the legacy of state underfunding.

* Tribune | Black Panther Party’s Illinois history recognized with heritage trail: The trail will serve as an educational tool, Wills wrote in a pamphlet, showing the breadth of the inaugural 13 Chicago sites where the black and gold markers will be placed. While the trail continues to be built, the inaugural expanse of markers placed into sidewalks or affixed to buildings runs from Peoria through Chicago to Rockford. The designated locales are where Illinois party members helped their communities back in the day — from the Spurgeon “Jake” Winters Free People’s Medical Care Center at 3850 W. 16th St. to structures where refuge and meetings were conducted, such as the Church of the Holy Covenant at 925 W. Diversey Parkway.

* ABC Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson, CPS, CTU to announce expansion of sustainable community school program: The additional 16 sustainable community schools will be in the Austin, Belmont Cragin and Englewood communities. According to CPS and CTU, Sustainable Community Schools integrate the needs of the school, students, and the community. They are meant to expand services beyond academic needs. That includes, extending the time a school building is open, offering families GED and ESL courses, health and wellness programming and connecting the school with community resources.

* Tribune | Last chance to apply for $250 million Bally’s Chicago IPO ends Monday: Bally’s Chicago will close its online portal Monday at noon, ending the opportunity for potential investors to indicate interest in the offering and perhaps own a piece of the city’s first casino. All investment accounts must be funded before Tuesday at 4 p.m., with Bally’s Chicago allocating shares in the IPO by Thursday, according to an email sent to potential investors.

* Sun-Times | Local priest accused of child sex abuse more than 40 years ago, archdiocese says: The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka, who has served in parishes and as a hospital chaplain throughout the Chicago area for decades, allegedly abused a child more than 40 years ago while working at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church. The now closed church once stood at Marquette Road and Racine Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood. Cardinal Blase Cupich alerted the parishes and health care centers where Kondziolka worked in a letter Saturday. The letter offers no details on the allegations or an exact time frame for when the alleged abuse happened. Cupich said Kondziolka “strenuously” denies the allegations.

* Chicago Mag | Housing’s Split Personality: It’s been a tale of two housing markets in the Chicago area of late. “Under $1 million, especially for first-time buyers, the market has been on fire. More than likely, you’re going to have to pay over asking,” says Eugene Fu, an agent with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate. But at the upper end, $2 million and above, purchasers are finding more leverage: “That market is softer. Those buyers generally have more choices and room to negotiate.” The biggest driver of this dichotomy? Millennials looking for starter homes. “In any of the neighborhoods that cater to them, we expect really intense competition for a property,” says Fu. “But homes around Michigan Avenue that are historically targeted toward empty nesters — those people aren’t buying in Chicago right now. They’re going straight to Florida or Arizona.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago hosts wheelchair world series featuring players who will ‘make a mark on this world’: As the Chicago Junior Wheelchair Cubs came up short in their quest to win their league world series, coach Dan Ferreira had a question for his team, which include players who have overcome a wide range of physical disabilities. “Is this as good as you’re ever going to be?” Ferreira asked the team members, some of whom were born with conditions like Osteogenesis imperfecta and others, including now 11-year-old Highland Park parade shooting victim Cooper Roberts, who were thrust into adaptive sports in the last few years. “Define what excellence means for yourself in this life,” the coach continued. “You’re gonna be grown one day, and you’re gonna make a mark on this world.”

* Sun-Times | Piping plover Ferris killed by hawk; Bean and El spotted alive, volunteer group says: Ferris, one of three Great Lakes Piping Plover chicks that Chicagoans helped name in July, was attacked by a Red-tailed Hawk on Saturday, volunteer group Chicago Piping Plovers said. Siblings El and Bean were spotted Sunday at 63rd Street Beach.

* Block Club Chicago | Chicago Performer’s Terrible Portraits Have Become A Hit: ‘I Have No Plan To Get Better’: “I was at a house party in college and a friend saw some pen and paper and suggested drawing each other,” Reno said. “We put five minutes on the clock and she turned hers around and it was pretty good. I turned mine around and she was visibly upset. So I thought, ‘Well, I’m a terrible artist. And I have no intention to get better.’” The joke turned into a weekly occurrence for Reno when he quit his nine-to-five job that he said didn’t align with his values. A week later, he stumbled upon photos from the party and decided to try out drawing as a performance art.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Lurie Children’s Hospital outpatient center adding to suburban ‘medtail’ redevelopment trend: The first phase of the Lurie Children’s Hospital outpatient center in Schaumburg is reaching completion with the expected opening of its Ambulatory Infusion Center on Aug. 18. Other services are expected to go live in early October, making the new 75,000-square-foot facility at 1895 Arbor Glen Blvd., near the northwest corner of Roselle Road and Hillcrest Boulevard, fully operational, company officials said. It will be the second major addition to the health care landscape in Schaumburg within the month, following the first phase of services at Duly Health and Care’s new 100,000-square-foot medical facility opening Monday at 1325 N. Meacham Road.

* Daily Southtown | Predominately Black Matteson names first African American police, fire chiefs: ikal Elamin, previously police chief in Chicago Heights, was sworn in as police chief last month and Derek Bryant, who had been fire chief in suburban Broadview, was sworn in as fire chief. Nearly 80% of Matteson’s population is African American, and Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin said their appointments reflect Matteson’s “continued commitment to excellence in public safety.” The chiefs were sworn in at the Village Board’s July 21 meeting.

* Tribune | Plainfield landlord convicted of killing 6-year-old Palestinian American boy dies in custody, sheriff says: The Plainfield man convicted of killing a Palestinian American boy in an October 2023 hate crime has died in state prison just weeks after his sentencing, the Will County sheriff’s office said Saturday. Joseph Czuba, 73, died Thursday while in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, said Kevin Hedemark, sheriff’s office spokesperson. Hedemark said he couldn’t confirm Czuba’s cause of death. An IDOC spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

* Daily Herald | Kane County Auditor Penny Wegman announces bid for treasurer: Wegman, a Democrat, was elected to her second term as auditor last year. She will seek her party’s nomination in the March 17 primary election. If she wins the primary, she will appear on the Nov. 5, 2026, general election ballot. In a news release, Wegman pledged “to bring her proven record of fiscal responsibility, transparency and innovation to the treasurer’s office.”

* Tribune | Illinois Gaming Board revokes license of Cicero video gambling operator, alleging mob ties: The board revoked the license of Firebird Enterprise Inc., owned by Jeffrey Bertucci, which operates the restaurant at 5647 W. Ogden Ave. The video gambling machines were disabled Friday, a day after the ruling, a board spokesperson said. The board rejected the finding of Administrative Law Judge Michael Coveny, who recommended that Bertucci should be allowed to continue operating, despite admitting in court to prior illegal gambling. Bertucci has never been convicted of a state gambling charge, but in 2000, he was arrested on a charge of illegally operating a coin-operated amusement device, the board stated in its ruling.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Construction begins on first residential lots at controversial Crown development in Sugar Grove: The project faced public opposition, however, both before and after the village gave it the green light. In April, a non-binding referendum question was passed by voters asking the village to reverse its decision on the project. In the same election, former village president Jennifer Konen and an incumbent village trustee — both of whom voted in favor of the Crown project — were voted out. Still underway is a lawsuit against Sugar Grove by Kaneland School District 302, which is challenging the tax increment financing district planned for the development project.

*** Downstate ***

* E&E News | Carbon storage site that leaked set to restart injections: For more than 10 months, the carbon dioxide injection well at Archer-Daniels-Midland’s storage site in Illinois has gone unused after testing showed evidence of a potential fluid leak. That pause, however, could be nearing its end. The agribusiness company — which typically sends 2,000 metric tons of CO2 underground per day at the site in Decatur, Illinois — anticipates resuming injection later this summer.

* WCIA | Springfield attorney fined for using AI, citing ‘nonexistent’ cases: A Springfield attorney is being fined and could face additional penalties after admitting to using artificial intelligence in briefs where he cited eight “nonexistent” cases — a situation that may be the first of its kind in the Illinois Appellate Court. […] An opinion filed on July 21, 2025 by Carla Bender in the Fourth District Appellate Court states that following an in-depth review of the briefs, the court recognized that Panichi cited eight “apparently nonexistent” cases in the respondent’s opening and reply briefs. In one instance, he provided a direct quote from one of these cases.

* WCIA | Lake Mattoon in the clear; swimming, boating allowed at ‘own risk’: A popular summer spot in Coles County was closed for almost three weeks because of a toxic algae bloom. Now, it’s back open and community members took the chance to go boating, fishing and even wakeboarding. On Sunday, boats were coming and going all afternoon on Lake Mattoon. It’s a spot that means so much to so many, and now that the lake is open again, a sense of normalcy has returned.

* WGLT | Appeals court sends ISU scuffle over union membership back to labor board: In January, the IELRB issued a ruling that five “food court/snack bar supervisors” should be added to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31 [AFSCME] bargaining unit. The university appealed, saying under the law “supervisors” are not supposed to be eligible. The case hinges on what supervision means. Relevant questions include how much authority these particular “managers on duty” have over other workers, how much time in a workday supervisory activity happens, and whether the preponderance of the job includes supervision or is much like the duties of other workers making sandwiches, and stocking shelves and coolers. Another question is whether there’s a difference under the law between supervising student workers and supervising snack bar attendants.

* BND | O’Fallon may get relief from 1% grocery tax. But when?: The city will continue collecting a 1% grocery tax, but city officials will be required to revisit whether the tax is necessary by April 30, 2028. Citing his belief that the city’s revenue will continue to grow—with large developments expected in the next few years—Alderman Todd Roach proposed a “sunset” provision to the tax. The amendment, requiring a council vote on the tax’s future, passed in an 11-3 decision.

* WAND | New DPS policies target students and visitors smelling of marijuana, other ‘distracting’ odors: Ahead of the new school year, Decatur Public Schools updated its district policies to emphasize banning marijuana and other “offensive” odors in its facilities. A DPS flyer said that students who come to school smelling like marijuana or other “distracting” odors will be instructed to call home for a change of clothes, or be picked up to change.

* WSIL | John A. Logan College to break ground for new CTE center in Carterville: Funded partially by a $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the $14.1 million project promises to significantly impact southern Illinois’ workforce. The new center will offer a modern welding lab and classroom while upgrading the Automotive, Auto Body, and HVAC programs with state-of-the-art tools. Dr. Kirk Overstreet, President of John A. Logan College, expressed excitement about the facility’s potential. “This facility will completely transform and modernize our Career and Technical teaching and training abilities,” Overstreet said. “It will bring state-of-the-art tools and training opportunities, providing a well-trained and well-educated community and fostering new economic growth for our industry partners in southern Illinois.”

* WSIL | Sesser receives $588K for community watermain upgrade: The grant comes from the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), which aids infrastructure projects to build safer communities across the Delta region. The DRA collaborated with the Office of the Governor of Illinois and local development districts to secure this funding. “We extend our sincere gratitude to DRA Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, our congressional delegation, the Greater Egypt Planning Commission, Brown and Roberts Engineering, City Staff, and our Governor’s DRA Representative Brandi Bradley for their dedication and support,” said Mayor Ashmore in an online post.

* WGLT | Connect Transit hopes to expand its rural on-demand service to neighboring counties: It’s been a month since Connect Transit launched its new rural on-demand service called Connect Go in McLean County. It replaces the service formerly run by Show Bus, only the new service no longer runs regular routes. Connect Transit Managing Director David Braun said the first week saw about 20 riders, and after a few glitches with its software and radio communications the service grew to about 40 riders by the third week. He expects that number to grow further over time as reliability improves.

*** National ***

* KFF Health News | Deep Staff Cuts at a Little-Known Federal Agency Pose Trouble for Droves of Local Health Programs: A little-known federal agency that sends more than $12 billion annually to support community health centers, addiction treatment services, and workforce initiatives for America’s neediest people has been hobbled by the Trump administration’s staffing purges. The cuts are “just a little astonishing,” said Carole Johnson, who previously led the Health Resources and Services Administration. She left the agency in January with the administration change and has described the sweeping staff cuts as a “big threat” to the agency’s ability to distribute billions of dollars in grants to hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and other organizations nationwide.

* NPR | Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it’s shutting down: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the conduit for federal funds to NPR and PBS, announced on Friday that it is beginning to wind down its operations given President Trump has signed a law clawing back $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting through fiscal year 2027. The announcement follows a largely party-line vote last month that approved the cuts to public broadcasting as part of a $9 billion rescissions package requested by the White House that also included cuts to foreign aid. While public media officials had held a glimmer of hope that lawmakers would restore some of the money for the following budget year, the Senate Appropriations Committee declined to do that on Thursday.

* NYT | What’s It Like to Deal With Brutal U.S. Tariffs? Ask Malaysia: Officials in Malaysia, who had been trying to work out a trade deal, had said they were ready to work with the Trump administration to stop companies from passing off Chinese-made goods as their own. But they learned on Friday they would be hit with a base tariff of 19 percent. An additional 40 percent would be added for any goods deemed to have originated in China. Those are set to take effect this week. The country finds itself caught squarely between the United States and China.