* ICYMI: More than 900 people now say they were abused at Illinois youth prisons. Sun-Times…

- A new batch of complaints filed Tuesday include 107 new cases of alleged sexual abuse at Illinois Youth Centers and the Cook County juvenile jail.
- Attorney Jerome Block said his clients deserve compensation, though there is “no amount of money that can fully make these survivors whole.”
- In a statement, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice said it is aware of the recently filed lawsuits and cannot comment on active litigation.

* Related stories…

∙ Shaw Local: Survivors’ lawyers say Illinois has one of nation’s worst records on sex abuse in juvenile detention
∙ Fox Chicago: Nearly 1,000 lawsuits allege sexual abuse at Illinois, Cook County juvenile detention centers
∙ Tribune: Another 107 former detainees allege sexual abuse in Illinois and Cook County youth detention centers
∙ NBC Chicago: Former juvenile inmates claiming sexual abuse by staff in Illinois grows to more than 900

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* LSR | BetMGM, Hard Rock Bet Set IL Sports Betting Minimums: Starting Wednesday, BetMGM requires all Illinois sports betting customers to stake at least $2.50 on all wager types, including straight bets, parlays, Same Game Parlays, round robins, and bonus bets. BetMGM notified customers of the change earlier this week. Hard Rock Bet implemented a similar policy, requiring a $2 bet minimum that similarly applies to all bet types.

* Sun-Times | Governor JB Pritzker pens letter urging President Trump’s education secretary to unfreeze $6.8B in grants: Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday joined 13 Democratic governors in demanding that Education Secretary Linda McMahon release $6.8 billion in education grants that are being withheld by the Trump administration. The letter to McMahon comes just days after 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the funding freeze in education grants for K-12 schools and adult education. States were notified that the grants were being withheld on June 30 — and more than 100 House Democrats also wrote a letter to McMahon last week, pressing for her to “follow the law” and release the funds ahead of the new school year.

* Press Release | AG Raoul sues Trump Administration for unlawfully ending disaster mitigation program: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 20 states, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its attempt to illegally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, designed to protect communities from natural disasters before they strike. For the past 30 years, the BRIC program has provided communities across the nation with resources to fortify their infrastructure against natural disasters. By focusing on preparation, the program has protected property, saved money that would have otherwise been spent on post-disaster costs, reduced injuries and saved lives.

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | IDFPR launches 24 additional license types to new licensing system: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has announced that 24 additional professions can now obtain licensure through the Department’s newly launched online licensing system, known as CORE (Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment).
This announcement signifies the successful conclusion of Phase 2.3 of CORE, with the final segment of Phase 2 expected to wrap up this summer.

* Press Release | Democratic County Chairs’ announce Party Builder honorees: Today, the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) announced the remaining members of the Class of 2025 Party Builder Award honorees to be honored at the 2025 Annual County Chairs’ Brunch on Wednesday, August 13th at the BOS Center in Springfield. The Party Builder Award was established eight years ago to thank those who have shown exceptional dedication to strengthening the Democratic Party. The newest Party Builder Award honorees are Terry Redman, Chair of the DeWitt County Democratic Party, the Vice President of the IDCCA, and the State Central Committeeman for the 15th Congressional District, and the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership (IWIL) Training Academy, an organization that prepares and trains Democratic, pro-choice women to run for elected office, seek public appointments, and govern at all levels in Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Illinois leaders blast State Farm as it hikes home insurance rates: The Illinois Department of Insurance has the power to sue insurance companies over rate hikes once they’re in effect. But state Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park, said that process could take a couple of years. He introduced a bill this year that would require insurance companies to get prior approval from the state insurance department for any rate increases of 5% or more, with a 30-day public comment period following a proposed rate increase of more than 10%. Hastings’ bill would have also capped rate hikes at 15% per year, unless the insurer could provide evidence of increased claims due to natural disasters. The proposal went nowhere.

* Civic leaders | Gov. JB Pritzker should veto bitter pension sweetener for Chicago: But now, the bill on its way to Pritzker’s desk would undo much of that work, making the city less affordable, putting its credit rating at risk and shifting the cost to future generations. Illinois politicians have been doing this to the city for decades, and we are hopeful that our governor will end this fiscally irresponsible practice. At a minimum, we should have an honest assessment of the short- and long-term costs and consequences.

* CNI | Comptroller Mendoza won’t run for reelection, opening up statewide office: While she didn’t commit to a run, she said she is “leaving the door open.” Several U.S. House seats are up for grabs, along with Illinois’ first open U.S. Senate seat since 2010. But when asked whether she was interested in a position in Congress, Mendoza laughed. “No thank you,” she quickly said Thursday, before moving on to questions about a potential mayoral bid.

* Others eyeing Mendoza’s seat are Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Rep. Margaret Croke…

Sen. Karina Villa is reportedly also considering a comptroller bid pic.twitter.com/SKdX18itF7

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) July 17, 2025

…Adding… Sen. Karina Villa is on tomorrow’s Cook County Democratic Party slating schedule for Comptroller.

* Yesterday, Mendoza left the door open to a Chicago mayoral bid…

.@susanamendoza10 has been a leader and friend of mine for decades. I applauded her service to our city and our state. https://t.co/GEHy07roPs

— Ald. Raymond Lopez (@RaymondALopez) July 16, 2025

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | City Council adjourns for summer recess after approving ethics reform, but without authorizing ‘granny flats’: The City Council adjourned for the summer Wednesday after approving another round of ethics reforms and $35.2 million more in police abuse settlements, but punting on the thorny issue of whether to authorize “granny flats” citywide. Before heading off for the annual August recess, alderpersons also gave a royal send-off to retiring Zoning Committee Chair Walter Burnett (27th). If there was a vote for Mr. Congeniality, Burnett would win it hands-down. He is, by far, the Council’s most popular member.

* Crain’s | As Burnett exits City Council, Johnson’s in a bind to find a new Zoning chair: Johnson turned to Burnett last summer only after the post had been vacant for 10 months following Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, stepping down after apologizing for briefly physically blocking a colleague from entering the City Council chamber during a heated meeting. The normally routine elevation of a mayoral ally to a leadership position vexed the mayor’s office as it couldn’t round up the votes for the mayor’s desired pick, despite Johnson personally making calls on behalf of combative progressive ally, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th.

* Tribune | ComEd’s $10M relief fund running out after 60,000 customers apply in first week: “Based on the high demand seen, we anticipate the fund will soon close, and ComEd will make an announcement once funds are fully exhausted,” ComEd spokesperson Lauren Huffman said Wednesday. Exelon, the utility’s Chicago-based parent company, is donating the relief money for the fund, which is being administered through Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago and The Salvation Army. The application process began July 7 and the agencies are sorting through thousands of customer requests seeking a share of the $10 million, Huffman said.

* WBEZ | Mom sues CPS over alleged ‘extreme acts’ of racist bullying and sexual misconduct against daughter: The lawsuit is seeking monetary damages of at least $50,000 for the young girl, who expressed suicidal thoughts in the wake of the bullying. Sher’Ron Hinton, the girl’s mother, and her attorneys say they also want CPS to agree to systemic reforms, including the creation of an office to address bullying. A CPS spokesperson said officials do not comment on pending litigation, but noted that the district “is committed to the safety and well-being of our students.”

* Crain’s | Frederick Ford, who broke barriers as Union League Club’s first Black president, dies at 98: The beloved accountant was a pioneer among minority communities as the first Black member and first Black president of the prestigious Union League Club of Chicago, and a champion of its admittance of women. Originally from Missouri, Ford climbed up the ranks as an accountant in Chicago to become executive vice president and chief financial officer at Draper & Kramer, a real estate development and financial services firm, breaking the industry’s color barriers years before the civil rights movement took hold.

* Block Club | Artis Restaurant And Lounge Closes For Good After River North Mass Shooting: Owners Brandi Artis and Brittany Artis announced the closure Tuesday afternoon in a social media post. Their decision follows Ald. Brendan Reilly’s (42nd) call for the restaurant to be permanently shut down in the wake of the shooting. “Our curated space of love and acceptance was threatened by a senseless act of hate … We will continue to grow through the pain and find ways to heal, together,” the owners wrote in their statement.

* AP | Puppies rescued from flood-stricken Texas arrive at Chicago shelter: Nine puppies from parts of Texas submerged by catastrophic flooding that killed at least 132 people arrived Wednesday at the no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago, joining dozens of puppies that had already arrived. The critters landed by plane at Waukesha Airport in Wisconsin then made a three-hour journey by van to Chicago.

* WGN | Ryne Sandberg shares health update amid cancer battle: Beloved Chicago Cub and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg took to social media Wednesday to share an update on his health. Sandberg, 65, announced in December his prostate cancer has relapsed and spread. He shared the following update with fans on Instagram Wednesday.

* Tribune | Chicago Sky players voice solidarity as WNBA and union brace for a potential work stoppage in November: “There’s so much at stake right now,” Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere said. “We need to put pressure on the league. If that means sitting out, we’re ready for it. It’s empowering in the way that we have a voice to make a change in our league.” The current CBA is set to expire Oct. 31. If the league and players don’t reach an agreement by then, a work stoppage could begin.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Naperville may increase local sales tax to offset grocery tax repeal: Naperville officials are leaning toward a home rule sales tax increase to help offset the loss of revenue from the elimination of a statewide grocery sales tax. City council members on Tuesday voted 5-4 on a first reading of an ordinance for a 0.25% increase to the home rule sales tax with a two-year sunset clause. A final vote on the matter is expected in August.

* Shaw Local | Woodstock sales tax hike wins City Council approval: After a public hearing on the tax increase – which is allowed without voter approval because of the city’s home-rule status – the Woodstock City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the additional sales tax, as well as an upcoming bond sale to pay for part of the $9.3 million renovation. The change will bring the total sales tax rate that shoppers in Woodstock will pay to 8.5% when the increase in the local tax goes into effect Jan. 1.

* Shaw Local | Will County agrees to $85,000 settlement in lawsuit claiming violation of sanctuary laws: Will County reached an $85,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit claiming that county law enforcement violated sanctuary laws with the detention of an immigrant who was the key witness of a reckless homicide. The 2023 lawsuit filed by Norberto Salvador Navarro was dismissed in March in response to the settlement.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park hits snag in replacing lead water lines; homeowners say no: Officials are trying to find a work-around that doesn’t involve going to court to force the homeowners to go along. For now it isn’t a big deal. Although the village has to report its progress in eliminating the lines, it could face fines come 2027 if it doesn’t reach the goal, according to Public Works Director Joel Van Essen. Trustees recently discussed options, including trying to convince the four recalcitrant property owners to share in the cost of replacing the lines. The village said it is expecting the per-home cost to replace the lines at $10,000 to $15,000, but is saying the total cost could be as much as $80,000 for the four homes.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council to consider reorganization of various city divisions: Laesch told The Beacon-News in an interview earlier this month that the changes were made based on “common sense,” efficiency of operations and his own priorities as mayor. In Aurora City Council committee meetings, he has said the changes were made after talking with city staff. Likely the largest of the proposed changes is that the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs will no longer exist. The three divisions previously under that department will be spread out across the city: equity and engagement will each be made into their own sub-department under the control of the Mayor’s Office, while special events will be taken over by the communications department.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘Lack of trust’; Mattoon community powering through second ‘do not drink’ order: Community members said while they know the city is working to combat this issue, they could also work on communication. Genna McCaslin said she and others who live slightly outside the city have gotten some emergency alerts to their phones, but not consistently.

* WCIA | Dozens still living in condemned apartment complex in Champaign: The 29 buildings at the Champaign Park apartments were all condemned in June, after years of neglect from an out-of-town landlord. “We think there’s 100 people here,” Danielle Chynoweth, supervisor of Cunningham Township, said. “Just standing here I’ve seen over a dozen people in the few minutes I’ve stood here.”

* Telegraph | SRO crowd complains about water at Bethalto Village Board meeting: Many brought bottles of brown water taken from their taps, while others brought articles of clothing damaged or ruined by the water. Others brought photographs and told stories about their added expenses for bottled water or filters, concerns about potential effects of drinking the discolored water or other health issues. While some talked about moving out of the village, others demanded that they be reimbursed for extra expenses, and suggested the village provide bottled water for them to drink.

* WTVO | Belvidere votes against 1% grocery tax. How much could you save?: The Belvidere City Council unanimously voted to drop the 1% grocery tax in 2026. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law eliminating the grocery tax in Illinois, leaving it up to local municipalities to choose to continue it after January 1st, 2026. “The city of Belvidere is going to do just fine without it,” said Mayor Clint Morris. “And, you know, I think it’s the right thing to do.”

* WAND | Lucky Horseshoes, Springfield Park District still at odds over stadium dispute: The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes and the Springfield Park District continue to battle over what to do with Robin Roberts Stadium, the home of the ‘Shoes. The stadium is controlled by the Park District, but the team wants it to be transferred to a non-profit organization called “Friends of Robin Roberts Stadium,” which is controlled by the team, citing a lack of upgrades and repairs.

* WTVO | Oregon school district releases strict discipline guidelines for cellphone ban policy: The Oregon School District announced this week that it would be partnering with the company Yondr for lockable pouches for students to stow their cellphones during classes. “Beginning August 13th, we will launch the Yondr Phone-Free Schools Program – a proven, bell-to-bell approach that supports student focus, well-being, and connection by removing mobile phone distractions during the school day,” Principal Jen Speakes said in a letter to parents.

* WQAD | Carl Sandburg College building new agriculture incubator thanks to $1.8M grant: The State of Illinois has awarded $7 million to four colleges around the state to enhance tech incubator programs. Locally, Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg received $1.8 million in funding and will use the money to renovate a new agriculture incubator for students. The Sandburg Annex building, located in downtown Galesburg, was once used to host Sandberg’s dental hygiene program. In the next year, the space will be a beacon of mentoring and business development for anyone interested in agriculture.

* WTVO | Rockford gets a pro soccer franchise in MLIS: A couple local men want to take soccer in Rockford to another level, the professional level. Starting this coming winter, Rockford will have a men’s pro team in Major League Indoor Soccer. Fernando Rodriguez, a life-long Rockford resident and Raul Sanchez, a native of Cuba who played soccer for East High School have been a part of the Rockford soccer scene for many years as players, instructors and running youth teams. Recently, they were awarded an expansion franchise in Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS). It’s called the Rockford Thunder.

*** National ***

* AP | Senate passes $9 billion in spending cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid requested by Trump: The legislation, which now moves to the House, would have a tiny impact on the nation’s rising debt but could have major ramifications for the targeted spending, from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to U.S. food aid programs abroad. It also could complicate efforts to pass additional spending bills this year, as Democrats and even some Republicans have argued they are ceding congressional spending powers to Trump with little idea of how the White House Office of Management and Budget would apply the cuts.

* BBC | The atomic bomb marker inside your body: One of the earliest uses of the bomb spike was to assist crime investigators seeking to identify the age of unidentified human remains. Forensic scientists have found that they can measure bomb carbon-14 in teeth, bones, hair or even the lens of the eye to help them estimate how old a person was, or when they died, according to Eden Centaine Johnstone-Belford of Monash University and Soren Blau of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Australia. In a 2019 review, Centaine Johnstone-Belford and Blau cite multiple examples where the bomb spike has informed police enquiries. For example, in 2010 investigators used it to confirm a body found in a northern Italian lake had been dumped there by the killer the previous year.

* The Atlantic | The States Are Going Full RFK Jr.: Though RFK Jr. has the power to enact monumental change, much of MAHA’s actual successes at reforming the American diet haven’t come from Washington. While states pass law after law cracking down on food, Kennedy’s own biggest action to date has been relatively modest: a campaign pressuring food companies to voluntarily remove synthetic food dyes from their products. The states are out-MAHAing the MAHA king, much to his pleasure.