* ICYMI: Illinois Republicans rally around President Donald Trump, but internal infighting continues. Tribune…

- Illinois Republicans used their day at the State Fair on Thursday to pledge their allegiance to President Donald Trump and the Trump-backed plan to redistrict Texas’ congressional boundaries to gain GOP seats that led to that state’s House Democrats fleeing to Illinois to try to block it.
- With the circulation of candidacy petitions well underway, the party has yet to formally field a full slate of candidates against Democrats who hold all statewide offices.
- House Minority Leader Tony McCombie expressed confidence that by the time petitions are filed at the end of October for the state’s March 17 primary, “I know we’re going to have a full slate” of candidates for statewide office.

* Related stories…

∙ CNI: New Republican to run for Illinois governor as election season begins
∙ WGN: Illinois Republicans push Trump message at State Fair’s GOP Day
∙ Center Square: Illinois GOP State Fair rally takes aim at Pritzker, ‘woke agenda’
∙ Sun-Times: Illinois Republicans rally behind Texas GOP redistricting plan, celebrate Trump bump

* I didn’t think Coldplay was on the Grandstand lineup this year…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Pritzker signs union protection bills amid Trump war on federal unions: One measure requires that the Illinois Department of Labor replace any repealed federal occupational safety standard with a state standard to protect workers across the state. A second measure signed into law changes the Prevailing Wage Act and ensures that workers are paid the Illinois prevailing wage whenever it is higher than the federal rate when federal construction projects are administered by a state or local government.

* Tribune | Texas House Democrats planning their departure from Illinois and back to Austin: “Under the advice of legal counsel, Democrats must return to Texas to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle against a map that violates both the current Voting Rights Act and the Constitution,” a statement from the Texas House Democratic Caucus said. “Trump thought he could easily get his way in Texas with compliant Republicans, but Democrats fought back ferociously and took the fight to Trump across America. We will return to the House floor and to the courthouse with a clear message: The fight to protect voting rights has only begun,” the Texas Democrats said of the Trump-backed Texas remap effort.

*** Statewide ***

* WCIA | Illinois scientists reassess threatened species for first time in nearly 40 years: After collecting and analyzing the data, the team updated the S-ranks for each species. The team learned that the Laurentian fragile fern, the small whorled pogonia, and a plant known as goosefoot corn salad have been wiped out in Illinois. But, they also learned that 71 species are now less endangered than they were in 1987. Only three species are more endangered today, compared to 40 years ago.

* STL PR | Illinois and Missouri used to be covered in prairie. A new book traces its ‘ruin and redemption’: In a new book, “Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie,” environmental journalists Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty chronicle the history and future of this essential landscape. Hage and Marcotty were guests on St. Louis on the Air on Wednesday. “Many of us Midwesterners think, ‘Oh, it’s that flat, boring part before you get to the mountains,’” Hage said. “What we discovered working on the book, and what many scientists and ecologists have discovered in the last couple of decades, is that, in fact, the prairie is an incredibly rich ecosystem and an invaluable ecosystem in terms of the health of our planet.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol City Now | On Republican Day at the State Fair, Pritzker signs workers’ protection bills at Springfield union office: Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton — also one of several candidates running for U.S. Senate — didn’t mince words when also claiming Trump is trying to do harm to Illinois. “The President of the United States — a man notorious for abusing and manipulating workers — is actively using his office to attack the rights of all workers and labor unions,” said Stratton. “Whether he knows it or not, in doing so, he’s highlighting why Illinois’ work is so crucial.”

* WMBD | Illinois bill could help people with opioid addiction disorder: An Illinois bill could change harm reduction strategies across the state to help those addicted to opioids. The proposal would change homeless shelter rules. Any shelter that receives state funds would not be able to kick somebody out on the sole basis of a drug sobriety rule.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools deficit deadline: CPS started the summer with a $734 million deficit for the school year that begins Aug. 18. WBEZ and the Sun-Times are tracking how the Board of Education and CPS officials work to close the budget hole, this month and long-term.

* WBEZ | CPS board rebuffs budget plan from school district leaders: Eleven of 21 members sent a letter to interim CEO Macquline King saying these two items need to be in the budget for this school year. It comes a day after King’s staff presented its budget proposal and touted that it could close a $734 million budget deficit without a loan. The proposal included the municipal pension payment, but made it contingent on the state or the city sending the school district more than it is anticipating in the budget.

* Evanston Roundtable | CTA looks to better utilize vacant L station retail space: The topic came up on July 9, when the Chicago Transit Board, CTA’s governing body, discussed an ordinance to raise rates at parking lots owned by the agency. The discussion led to a conversation about redeveloping underutilized CTA-owned parking lots and garages, which dovetailed into a conversation about vacant retail spaces. […] During the July transit board meeting, CTA Chief Innovation Officer Molly Poppe said that, while the agency still sees many retail spaces as revenue generators, it’s also looking into offering some spaces for “community benefit.” Chief Financial Officer Tom McKone added that those uses may still generate revenue, since that kind of activation could bring in more potential riders to stations.

* Sun-Times | Cutting parking requirements for homes built near transit aims to help fix housing crisis: Passed by the Chicago City Council on July 16, the ordinance gives developers the option to reduce — what was historically required — off-street parking in new or rehabbed housing projects. Depending on its proximity to a CTA or Metra stop, off-street parking can be reduced by up to 50%, or even eliminated. Off-street parking typically takes the form of surface parking lots or parking garages.

* Sun-Times | Past his term’s midpoint, Mayor Johnson’s job approval rating stands at 26%, survey shows: Well past midterm and a year before his reelection campaign begins in earnest, Mayor Brandon Johnson has a 26% approval rating with a majority of Chicagoans unhappy with his job performance — no matter where they live, what race they are and how much money they earn. The good news for the first-term mayor is that he had nowhere to go but up since polling earlier this year showed him languishing in single digits.

* Tribune | Streeterville residents back Northwestern’s hospital construction plan, but worry about loss of green space: After listening to Northwestern Memorial Hospital officials outline a proposal to build a 1.2 million-square-foot tower on a vacant lot in Streeterville, residents at a Wednesday night community meeting were mostly supportive of the project. Many also mourned the impending loss of one of the neighborhood’s few green spaces. “It was so nice of the hospital to plant wildflowers there that we can enjoy,” said Deborah Gershbein, president of Streeterville Organization of Active Residents, which co-hosted the community meeting with Ald. Brian Hopkins, (2nd). “But we will all need health care, and we’re so fortunate that the heart of this community has such a wonderful hospital, and (with these plans) it will get better.”

* Tribune | Lawyer for CHA who used ChatGPT to cite fake court case sanctioned in separate case for improper AI use: A lawyer hired by the Chicago Housing Authority recently revealed that her citation of a fictitious court case when defending the agency in a case involving the alleged poisoning of two children by lead paint was a result of using ChatGPT and failing to check her work. Turns out, it was not her first time improperly using artificial intelligence, court records show. A motion to dismiss and a reply in support of the motion to dismiss were filed in February and April, respectively, in the chancery case Calderon v. Dynamic Manufacturing, Inc. In the case, a woman alleges she was subject to a hostile work environment by her employer, violating her rights under the Illinois Human Rights Act, court records show. Combined, the two court filings contained 12 hallucinated case citations by attorney Danielle Malaty.

* Block Club | Lakeview’s Kelly Park Still Hasn’t Seen Upgrades 6 Years After They Were Promised: Neighbors spent years raising money and pushing for upgrades at Kelly Park, but the project keeps getting delayed despite more than $1 million in funding. Park district officials say work will start this fall, but neighbors aren’t so sure.

* WTTW | Chicago Program Put 30,000 Young People to Work This Summer: Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’s been working to expand the program and increase youth hiring in the city, surpassing a goal to provide funding for 1,000 more positions. Last summer, Johnson expanded the program with an additional 2,400 positions. He has said that investing more in services like summer jobs programs can help reduce crime by providing productive activities for young people.

* Block Club | Cubs To Host First-Ever Oktoberfest In Wrigleyville This Fall: The festival will take place Sept. 19-21 in the Toyota Camry Lot at 1126 W. Grace St. It will be open to all ages and will feature traditional Oktoberfest staples like a ceremonial keg tap, beer tents, carnival rides, live music and themed competitions. The food lineup will include Oktoberfest staples like bratwurst with sauerkraut, giant pretzels with mustard or beer cheese, schnitzel, potato salad and sweet treats like apple strudel. And also plenty of beer.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ‘I’ve got questions’: Town hall to address proposed closure of Elk Grove hospital’s maternity ward: Since the July 1 announcement, Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said he’s had many conversations with Ascension Illinois CEO Polly Davenport, who plans to attend the town hall meeting with other top hospital officials. “They are going to have an opportunity to explain to this community what is happening at Alexian Brothers today and what the future of Alexian Brothers is going to look like,” Johnson said. “This is an important issue for this community. Elk Grove has partnered with Alexian Brothers for 60 years. … Obviously we’ve got some concerns. This is a chance for all of our residents to ask the questions.”

* Shaw Local | Joliet City Council could vote on adopting local grocery tax next week: The Joliet City Council is expected to vote next week on a local 1% grocery tax. The tax would replace the 1% state grocery tax that is ending Jan. 1. The state law eliminating the tax gives municipalities the option of replacing it with a local tax to maintain revenues that otherwise would go away.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council approves renewing ShotSpotter service for next three years: On Tuesday, the Aurora City Council gave final approval for the city to renew its contract with ShotSpotter, a service that detects gunfire within a certain area, for three years. The city has used the service by SoundThinking, Inc., since it was first approved by the City Council in 2022, according to past reporting. Roughly two square miles of Aurora is covered by ShotSpotter, according to past reporting. The coverage areas include certain neighborhoods or other areas that historically have had more gunfire, while leaving out the areas that have not.

* Evanston Round Table | ‘It’s just been a disaster’: Parents of Special Olympics athletes angry, heartbroken at city’s treatment of Woodson: Woodson, the program coordinator responsible for Evanston’s Special Olympics teams and accessible recreation was dismissed for an “inability to improve his performance” in administrative duties, according to personnel files released by the city. His removal was cemented on Tuesday when he submitted a notice of retirement to the city. But his dismissal has resulted in sobbing kids. Scores of angry, disappointed and mistrustful parents. Canceled athletic events. Protests at public events. In the minds of the parents who spoke to the RoundTable, the city pressured their coach, friend and mentor to end his relationship with the city’s Special Recreation program where he worked for 35 years. Since then, anxiety overwhelms athletes and parents.

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg’s Septemberfest grounds adapting to village hall construction: And even though construction of a new building has started, the space available for the fest is only a little less than when the previous village hall had been standing there for 52 years. The most significant loss of space is between the construction site and the pond to the north, where many artists and crafters used to set up. As a result, Summit Drive will be closed from Schaumburg Road for a stretch southward to accommodate these vendors in the street.

* Shaw Local | New Hollywood Casino Joliet opens with fanfare, seen as regional destination: The new Hollywood Casino Joliet opened Monday with fanfare that included a traditional Chinese lion dance and an announcement that the casino has become an official sponsor of the Chicago Bears. Executives also honored their Joliet roots, recognizing seven employees who have been with the casino since a group of local investors opened it in 1992.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM News | Local grocery tax will continue in Savoy when Illinois phases out statewide collection: “This is not a new tax, but rather a longstanding revenue source for the village of Savoy and for every community in Illinois that’s been in place for decades,” said Village Administrator Andy Quarnstrom during an August 6 board meeting. The tax represents one cent for every dollar spent on food products at a grocery store. It will not apply to other items available at a grocery store such as home goods, alcohol, soft drinks and candy. The current statewide grocery tax accounts for $350,000 to $450,000 in revenue for Savoy, according to village documents.

* WGLT | McLean County Board fills vacancy in District 3, approves more wind turbines: County Administrator Cassy Taylor said the special use application will add 35 wind turbines to a field with 58 turbines already in operation. Since federal tax cuts outlined in President Trump’s tax and spending bill, some renewable energy developers have had to rethink their projects currently in the pipeline. Board chair Elizabeth Johnston said she is not personally aware of any move by developers to speed up construction. “These were projects that were already in the wings, even before the election last year and before some of the changes coming out of [Washington,] D.C. this year,” Johnston said. “I’m not feeling the urgency, I haven’t seen necessarily the urgency in the county, in the zoning board of appeals meeting.”

* WJBD | Salem teen wins big at State Fair: Kaolin Lewis earlier won reserve overall for the Simmental breed and was grand champion in the Land of Lincoln Simmental competition. Lewis also showed a Charolais Heifer that was also a grand champion. Lewis is in her fifth year showing at the state fair and is a seven-year member of the Marion County Pioneers 4-H club.

*** National ***

* NYT | SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.: The rocket maker’s finances have long been secret because the company is privately held. But the documents reviewed by The Times show that SpaceX can seize on a legal tax benefit that allows it to use the more than $5 billion in losses it racked up by late 2021 to offset paying future taxable income. President Trump made a change in 2017, during his first term, that eliminated the tax benefit’s expiration date for all companies. For SpaceX, that means that nearly $3 billion of its losses can be indefinitely applied against future taxable income.

* NYT | Draft of White House Report Suggests Kennedy Won’t Push Strict Pesticide Regulations: A highly anticipated White House report on the health of American children would stop short of proposing direct restrictions on ultraprocessed foods and pesticides that the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has called major threats, according to a draft of the document that was reviewed by The New York Times.

* WaPo | Landmark plastic talks collapse with the U.S. opposing key production limits: After spurning other global environmental efforts, the United States showed up in force in Switzerland for landmark plastic treaty talks — seeking a deal, the Trump administration said, but opposing the production limits that many other nations saw as the main solution.

* WaPo | Electricity prices are surging, opening up a new line of attacks against Republicans: They are crafting an argument that not only have prices not come down but the sweeping tax and spending law Trump signed into law in July will make energy costs worse. That legislation, among other things, rolled back clean energy tax credits that were expanded in the Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022, which could make solar and wind energy projects less financially feasible. It also reoriented government spending toward fossil fuels. Following the passage of that bill, Trump signed an executive order compelling his administration to “crack down on remaining loopholes allowing access to renewable energy tax breaks,” our colleague Jake Spring reported.