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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers were told this morning. Associated Press…
* WGLT | Planned Parenthood of Illinois appoints McLean County’s Carolyn Moon as new board chair: A McLean County-based new leader at Planned Parenthood of Illinois [PPI] is relentlessly focused on providing affordable care to anyone who needs it, all across Illinois. Carolyn Moon, who lives just outside Bloomington-Normal and took the board chair position this month, is the first person from outside the Chicago area to serve in the role. She said she brings a different perspective on rural healthcare. “I really am an advocate for access for everyone in the state, corner to corner, today, tomorrow, and for future generations,” Moon said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. * Capitol News Illinois | State Rep. Carol Ammons indicted for scheme to receive kickbacks, misusing campaign funds: State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, an 11-year veteran of the Illinois House, has been charged with orchestrating an alleged scheme to receive cash kickbacks from illegal payments from her own campaign account and from local nonprofits for which she helped secure state grant funding. The indictment, brought by a federal grand jury late Tuesday, outline an alleged conspiracy involving both Ammons’ husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, and her daughter, who last month was indicted on separate federal charges alleging she fraudulently collected expanded COVID-era unemployment benefits. * WCIA | Carol, Aaron Ammons indicted for wire fraud, obstruction of justice: The counts against Carol allege that she used donations and contributions to her political support committee, Friends of Carol Ammons, for personal use. They also allege Carol used state grants to fund organizations her daughter Titianna was involved in and to pay her a salary, which is an “impermissible conflict of interest” under Illinois law. […] “From at least on or about May 21, 2024, and continuing through at least June 15, 2025, [Carol and Aaron] knowingly conspired with each other and others, both known and unknown the grand jury, to engage in misleading conduct toward another person,” the indictment with the intent to hinder and prevent the communication to a federal law enforcement officer of information relating to the commission and possible commission of a federal offense, namely wire fraud,” the indictment says. * Press release | Illinois Surpasses 1,000 Certified Peer Professionals, Marking Major Milestone in Behavioral Health Workforce Growth: The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced today that Illinois has surpassed 1,000 certified peer professionals, with 1,010 individuals now credentialed as Certified Recovery Support Specialists (CRSS) and/or Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS). The milestone reflects the State’s continued investment in peer recovery support services and behavioral health workforce development and represents a 335% increase in the certified peer workforce since 2022. “Growing our behavioral health workforce has been one of the most impactful investments we’ve made in strengthening our system,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This milestone reflects real, statewide momentum—and we’re committed to continuing to grow this workforce so more Illinoisans can access the hope, support, and connection they need.” * WAND | Bill providing resources for youth repeat gun offenders awaits Pritzker’s signature: The plan could require probation agencies to conduct an assessment of the minor’s needs and identify restorative justice programs for high risk youth, cognitive behavioral therapy, family engagement and mentoring options. “Without this help and without the services that are provided through this legislation, the direction of their life is not going to be a positive one,” said Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights). “We believe that we can help some kids with this version.” * Press release | Governor Pritzker Announces Funding for NSF Quantum X-Labs Teams: In addition to the $3 million X-Labs Fast Fund, Chicago’s leading quantum innovation organizations have put together a package to attract teams applying to X-Labs. The Chicago Quantum Exchange, P33, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and mHUB will add $250,000 in funding, immediate access to elite lab space and advanced prototyping facilities, and access to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park’s (IQMP) technical infrastructure, including cryogenic, test and measurement equipment, and experimental research facilities. With access to Chicago’s state-of-the-art quantum campus and innovation ecosystem, facilities, assets and resources, X-Labs teams will be able to reduce infrastructure costs and maximize the impact of their NSF funding. * CBS Chicago | Black and gold bumblebee officially designated Illinois State Bee: Last year, students in Ms. Barbara Bell’s eighth-grade science class led the push for the state bee designation, after they completed a research project on bee species native to Illinois, according to the governor’s office. The students created presentations for distribution around Illinois, launched a statewide vote, and testified before lawmakers. Because of their efforts, HB 4438 was approved to designate the state bee. * Press release | Former Gov. Quinn & Rep. LaShawn Ford to Introduce & File an Ordinance Calling for a Citywide “Millionaire Tax” Voter Referendum: This Thursday, July 9, at 11:30AM inside the City Clerk’s Office on the first floor of City Hall, former Governor and Chicago resident Pat Quinn will join with Rep. LaShawn Ford to introduce and file an ordinance calling for a citywide referendum this November 3 urging passage of the Illinois Millionaire Amendment for Property Tax Relief and Education. The Referendum asks voters: “Shall Illinois adopt the Millionaire Amendment for Property Tax Relief and Education which would enact a 3% income tax surcharge only on millionaires and use 50% of this new revenue to provide property tax relief for residential and commercial tax payers and 50% to improve state funding for public education?” *Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago cut funding for assistant principals in small schools. Most chose to keep them anyway: More than 130 small schools were poised to lose funding for their assistant principals next school year. Most, including McCutcheon, used discretionary dollars to keep them or convinced CPS to make an exception, leaving about 40 campuses without that position, Chalkbeat has learned. The move comes as district officials are trying to close a $732.5 million deficit to balance a more than $10 billion budget. * WBEZ | Mayor Brandon Johnson taps new public health commissioner: “I’ve spent my career committed to centering a public health approach that addresses the social and economic conditions that shape people’s health and wellbeing,” Walker said in a statement Wednesday announcing his appointment. “As someone who grew up in Chicago, it’s an honor to serve as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health and support the Mayor’s vision for a healthier Chicago.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Walker, but City Council members must approve his new role. He would replace Dr. Olusimbo Ige, who resigned in May after about two and half years on the job. * Tribune | Chicago Public Library Foundation gets a new president and CEO: The foundation’s board of directors has appointed Eva Giglio as its new president and CEO. Joining the organization Aug. 12, Giglio will leave the executive director role at the CME Group Foundation to take up a mantle left behind after former leader Brenda Langstraat Bui died in February. Giglio said she knew Langstraat Bui and that stepping into the position she held for more than seven years is a bittersweet moment. * WGN | O’Hare taxi times soar to highest in nation. Here’s why: “I think the worst ones are when I’m coming back from Minneapolis and the flight is 40 minutes and the taxi time is longer than the actual flight was, which happens!” said frequent flyer Pan Fanshaw. A WGN Investigates analysis of FAA data found the amount of time it’s taking planes to move around the airfield is higher than at any other airport in the nation. Back in 2018, the average time from gate to runway was 22-and-a-half minutes. This year, it’s climbed to more than 28 minutes. Taxi times after landing have also increased, from 13.6 minutes to now, more than 18 minutes on average. * Daily Southtown | Tinley Park storm clean up: ‘Please be patient’: Tinley Park public works employees are still working to clean up damage from the weekend’s heavy storms, Public Works Director John Urbanski told the Village Board Tuesday night. “We had over 200 emails Monday morning that we were welcomed with, and approximately 150 voicemails,” Urbanski said. “I’ve got all of my staff all hands on deck trying to go through and chip up and bring all of the brush away from the parkways, but I just ask everybody that’s waiting to just please be patient.” * Daily Herald | Future of Trickster Cultural Center uncertain as Schaumburg ponders village history museum: Schaumburg officials are sticking with plans to study the feasibility of a local history museum that could displace a Native American cultural center at a village-owned building it’s leased for more than two decades. Officials from the Trickster Cultural Center said they haven’t identified any options for relocation because the village hasn’t provided a time frame or determined if they’ll even have to leave. “We asked if there was a building they could offer Trickster and they said no,” said Gina Roxas, Trickster’s executive director. “We love Schaumburg. This is where our roots are.” * The Daily Egyptian | ‘No one’s selling anyone’s water’: Fear, speculation follow southern Illinois water district consolidation proposal: * Press release | IDNR and City of Springfield announce plans for new downtown park and outdoor venue space: Conceptual designs for the park include landscaping featuring all native Illinois plants. The focal point is a natural limestone amphitheater with seating for 1,500 to 1,800 people, enabling it to continue hosting the popular Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series. Additional features include open lawn seating, shaded gathering areas, ADA accessible walking paths and a natural play space for children. The park layout will be aligned with the Governor’s Mansion to enhance the visual connection between the adjacent blocks and will incorporate design elements inspired by the residence’s historic oval lawn. Interpretive signage will share the history of the park site, including information about the former YWCA building. Plans also call for a dedicated “Community Row” space for vendor tents, mobile restrooms and a food truck plaza along the closed Jackson Street area to support concerts and other events. * IPM Newsroom | New Champaign Unit 4 superintendent brings back some former cabinet members into other leadership roles: Ward and most members of the previous superintendent’s cabinet have all retired or been demoted, with the option to return to teaching. The new superintendent, Geovanny Ponce, appointed three from that group into leadership roles this week. Ward will become interim principal of Central High School. “I have a dream that every student will have a path and a plan,” she said. “And I know that Dr. Ponce and the team here has that same dream.” * WCIA | Decatur City Council approves memorandum with sanitary district to cut down pollutants in waterways: City Council member David Horn said the Sanitation District of Decatur is the largest single point source of phosphorus into waterways in the state. Now, he said the city will be working with the district to get that number down from 20 milligrams per liter flowing into streams and rivers like the Sangamon.“The I-EPA is requiring that by 2029, the sanitary District of Decatur reduced that to 1 mg per liter. This is a big victory from an environmental perspective,” Horn said. * Harvest Public Media | Trump reduced tariffs on farm machinery. But prices could still increase.: Tariffs on equipment made from steel, aluminum and copper decreased from 25 percent to 15 percent on June 8 after President Trump signed a proclamation. Yet, experts say the decrease isn’t enough to relieve manufacturers or farmers in a struggling market. “We appreciate the [a]dministration’s move to lower tariffs on agricultural equipment, but the real-world savings are limited,” said Richard Gupton, the senior vice president of public policy and council for the Agricultural Retailers Association.
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Welch removes Ammons from committees, caucus pending federal case (Updated)
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background is here if you need it. House Speaker Chris Welch…
…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker’s office…
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It’s the management
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * WBEZ…
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Jesse’s still got it
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Jesse White Tumblers auditioned for ‘America’s Got Talent’…
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Governor Pritzker, Fight For Us.
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Working families face rising costs and medical debt, while hospital systems continue to profit by exploiting the 340B program - making billions, while patients are paying the price. Leaders in Kentucky, Virginia and California recognize that a program meant to help vulnerable patients shouldn’t become a profit stream for billion-dollar hospital systems and their business partners. Governor JB Pritzker has the opportunity to lead the way. Illinois deserves better — veto 340B Profit-Grab (HB 2371).
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Feds indict Rep. Ammons (Updated)
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) was indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud, false statement and obstruction charges. From the indictment…
* The indictment also cites text messages prosecutors allege referred to cash kickbacks…
* After eight wire fraud counts, the indictment alleges Rep. Ammons made a false statement to the FBI…
…Adding… House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Attorneys general, state officials sue over 2nd federal attempt to cut permanent housing funds. Sun-Times…
- Raoul and the coalition of state legal officials said the move, which they argue oversteps the Trump administration’s power and violates federal law, will once again risk housing for tens of thousands of people. In Illinois alone, $60 million in funding would be lost, according to the suit. - Similar arguments made by Raoul and others have led to federal court decisions reinstating $2 billion in federal disaster relief funding, $2 billion for transportation and millions in public health research money. * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Subscribers know more. Politico | When should an ethics report be public?: Questions are mounting about whether the ethics report that led former state Rep. Harry Benton to resign should be made public. […] About the report: The Legislative Inspector General has 30 days to submit its report to the Legislative Ethics Commission, which then has another 60 days to consider its findings and respond. The commission also has the authority to make available a public summary of the findings. It is required to make the findings public if it results in a suspension or termination, according to a person familiar with the state statute, who was granted anonymity due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly. * Capitol News Illinois | Utility watchdog warns of rising water rates as regulators consider requests: Customers across Illinois could be facing higher water and sewage bills as the state’s largest private water utilities seek rate increases and permission to merge. Illinois American Water, the state’s largest private water utility, is seeking a $142 million rate increase, which would raise typical water costs for its 357,000 residential customers by around $14 per month. Typical wastewater customers would see an additional increase of around $28 per month. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson says aldermen’s provisions in budget $130 million short: “I want to say this clearly: There were other options,” Johnson said. “We did not need to cede to big money interests and fall back on the tired practice of balancing budgets on the backs of working people.” What’s less clear is how his administration will seek to fill that hole as the clock ticks toward the 2027 budget cycle — and an election that will see the mayor’s office and all 50 aldermanic seats on the ballot. The freshman mayor said he’s “working hard to avoid layoffs and cutting services” but made clear he will use his bully pulpit to blame aldermen should it come to that. * Block Club | Council-Backed Budget Could Lead To $130 Million Shortfall This Year, Mayor Says: Johnson, however, has remained a frequent critic of the budget that got passed. On Tuesday, his administration released a mid-year budget report with preliminary revenue numbers and forecasts showing that some of the alternative budget revenue ideas weren’t panning out — which could lead to an at least $130 million budget hole this year. In particular, the mayor said his team has attempted to find a buyer for the city’s vehicular debt, but “to date, no buyer has been identified,” making a sale impossible. Alderpeople had estimated a debt sale could bring in about $90 million for the city coffers. * Ald. Scott Waguespack | 29 Council members sought to get Chicago to live within its means: Yet when Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled his fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, many members of the City Council were confronted with a troubling reality: They were being asked to approve a nearly $18 billion spending plan without significant efficiencies, without involvement in its development and without answers to basic fiscal questions. At the same time, Mayor Johnson pushed policies like the head tax on businesses to penalize employers for putting people to work and placing Chicago closer toward the end of a financial cliff. This approach lacked transparency while ignoring altogether the concept of trying to live within our means. * Sun-Times | One of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s most ardent City Council adversaries won’t seek reelection in 2027: Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), who learned the game of Chicago politics at the feet of now-convicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), is calling it a career after 15 years in the City Council. Quinn, 51, told the Sun-Times that he has decided not to seek reelection in 2027. After 4,100 conversations in the last four years alone in the living rooms and at the front doors of his Southwest Side constituents, Quinn said he “left it all on the field” and no longer has the energy required to “manage from the front lines.” He said he cannot risk giving the demanding job less than it demands. * Sun-Times | Chicago Public Media launching community website — chicago.com — in the fall: The site will include Chicago-area information, civic and cultural resources, community-sourced knowledge and opportunities for audience participation, the nonprofit said Wednesday. It will also curate headlines from the Sun-Times, WBEZ and other news sources. For independent journalism to “truly service the public … we should have digital infrastructure that is also steered by public media companies,” Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell said. The news industry “has ceded a lot of distribution to places like Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, and I think that has done a disservice to centering civic discourse in a healthy way.” * Tribune | After putting the street race on hold, could NASCAR end up in Chicago and Joliet next summer?: While nothing is set, NASCAR is not only hoping to bring back the Chicago Street Race after a one-year hiatus, but perhaps add the long-dormant southwest suburban track to its regular schedule as well. “It could be both,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s chief operating officer and great-grandson of the family-owned racing organization’s founder. “It’s a market that’s strong enough that absolutely we could have two events there in the future.” * Tribune | Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami begins his injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte: Munetaka Murakami estimated he was at the 99% point of his recovery. “The last road is to play in the minors,” the Chicago White Sox first baseman said through an interpreter on Sunday evening in Cleveland. “That one percent at being at the minors and then being back on the (major-league) field.” That final hurdle got underway Tuesday when Murakami began a minor-league injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. * Daily Southtown | Dolton passes ordinance allowing payment of $33.5 million judgment over 10 years: “We’re still in negotiations and discussing that, but it looks like we’re going to come up with a positive plan so the taxpayers won’t be burdened,” village attorney Michael McGrath said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. Dolton and the families of John Kyles and Duane Dunlap agreed in court June 10 the village would pay the judgment and accruing interest in installments over 10 years, with the payments secured through a bond. The village is only allowed to pay the judgment over time by adopting an ordinance, which passed Monday, stating that “unreasonable hardship will result” unless the judgment is paid in installments, according to state law. * Daily Herald | State agency wants more information on how DuPage County Board approved raises: DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek filed a request for review of the board’s April 28 vote setting salaries for officials taking office after the November election. In a June 26 letter to the public access counselor, Kaczmarek raised questions about the legality of the vote, arguing the board did not provide enough notice to the public of the pending vote. She also argued the board violated the state’s Open Meetings Act when it approved a change, proposed on the board floor, that increased the originally suggested salary for the county board chairman from $154,390 in the upcoming fiscal year to $185,000. Under the amended salary, the chair’s pay will top $198,000 in the 2030 fiscal year. * Daily Southtown | ‘The stench is putrid’: Nearly full Thornton reservoir brings sewage stink, increased flood risk: As of 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, the water level had receded slightly from that high to 93% capacity, or 7.3 billion gallons, according to the district’s website. The highest the reservoir has ever been before was in 2019, when it hit 54.5% capacity. […] “It smells,” said Thornton Village Clerk Nikki Kitakis. “It’s pretty horrific.” Odors from the reservoir have been a long-standing issue for residents of Thornton, though Kitakis said the issue is particularly severe with the reservoir so full. * WCIA | Decatur Council votes for city to cover full cost of leaking lead service line replacements: At Monday’s meeting, the Decatur City Council voted to up its reimbursement program from 50% to 100% for businesses and homes trying to get rid of drinking water supply pipes at risk of lead contamination. More specifically, for residential and commercial properties with possible lead contamination. […] Back on Jan. 17, 2023, city council approved a policy to provide a 50% cost share to replace privately owned water services. However, the city was recently informed that the Illinois EPA received additional funding from the U.S. EPA for lead service removal. * WGLT | Bloomington Police say drones are an eye in the sky, not a surveillance state: Police Chief Jamal Simington compared the use of drones to other advances in technology that police use: DNA, fingerprinting, and radar guns for monitoring speed. “History tells us community members have struggled with advancements in law enforcement for many many years. This is nothing new,” Simington said. Sgt. Jared Bierbaum is the drone coordinator for Bloomington Police Department. He told the small audience of a few community members at a public forum Tuesday night that not every drone they see in the sky is from the department, but he can understand the unsettling feeling of seeing a drone hovering over one’s property. * BND | Belleville repeals ban on ‘tiny homes’ approved under former administration: Belleville City Council has repealed a ban on new homes smaller than 1,000 square feet that was passed two years ago. At the time, zoning staff under former mayor Patty Gregory were trying to guard against construction of “tiny homes,” arguing they could reduce property values in some neighborhoods. But the ban unnecessarily regulated development and created problems for people trying to get loans or insurance when buying, selling, modifying or rebuilding existing small homes, according to officials. * AP | Obamacare premiums surged this year. A new analysis shows it’s likely to happen again in 2027: Across the 77 insurers in the ACA program that have submitted rate filings that are publicly available, the median proposed premium increase for 2027 is 14%, according to Wednesday’s analysis from the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The insurers cited mounting healthcare costs, federal regulatory changes and the recent expiration of pandemic-era enhanced subsidies as the biggest factors driving premiums higher. * WIRED | Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out: The new model, called Muse Image, rolled out with deep integrations woven into the Instagram app. As part of this update, public Instagram profiles are now automatically opted into being fodder for generative AI remixes. All someone has to do is tag your account’s profile in a prompt—if it’s public—and they can use Meta AI to generate an image using your likeness.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Every now and then you have to remember that, no matter what challenges you may face, life is most definitely grand… Sun came out the other day This is an Illinois open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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