(The Center Square) – A U.S. taxpayer advocate says tariffs are hitting manufacturers and producers, leading to higher costs for Illinois families.

According to estimates prepared by Trade Partnership Worldwide for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, executive tariffs have cost Illinois an estimated $17 billion since January 2025.

Bryan Riley, director of the National Taxpayers Union’s Free Trade Initiative, said tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump cost about $3,300 per household in Illinois, even though families may not be paying that much directly.

“In the state of Illinois, about three-fourths of the tariffs hit manufacturers and producers and make it harder for them to compete in the global economy,” Riley told The Center Square.

After Trump’s recent promise to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel on Jan. 1, Riley said businesses don’t know what to expect.

“How do you decide what to plant if you're a farmer? How do you decide when to source your products, your inputs if you're a manufacturer and which countries to bring them from?” Riley said.

Riley said most of Canada’s tariffs are in retaliation against U.S. tariffs.

According to NTUF estimates at tariffs.org, Illinois paid an extra $1.2 billion in tariffs for steel, aluminum and other metals, plus an extra $1.1 billion for tariffs on auto parts.

“If your auto insurance bill goes up this year, it might not have anything to do with your driving. It's because those car insurance companies pay for a lot of auto parts to repair those cars that have been in accidents,” Riley said.

Riley said health insurance is another example.

“If the cost of health care goes up because we've got tariffs on medical supplies, same thing. The cost gets hidden and buried in the costs, but it really affects a broad range of different items,” Riley said.

Illinois’ estimated $17 billion in tariff costs ranked fifth in the country and second only to Michigan in the Midwest.

No federal agency has published an estimate of what the tariffs cost the U.S. importers who pay them or the consumers who may bear higher prices.

Brett Rowland contributed to this story

Pritzker names new IDNR leader

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed Jim Montgomery to serve as the new director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, effective Monday, August 31 and pending Senate approval.

Montgomery previously worked as executive director of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. He was mayor of Taylorville from 1997-2005.

Man charged with murdering Chicago mail carrier

A Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the shooting death of U.S. Postal Service carrier Octavia Redmond on July 19, 2024. A joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Chicago Police Department led to the arrest of Lyndell Deyoung, 35, last Monday. Separately, in July 2026, a minor pleaded guilty to murder for his role in Redmond’s death.

Nicholas Bucciarelli, inspector in charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said Deyoung’s arrest is the culmination of cooperation among local and federal law enforcement partners.

“We hope this arrest brings some semblance of peace to the Redmond family following this horrific tragedy,” Bucciarelli said.

Lawrence County meth dealer sentenced

A federal judge has sentenced a Sumner, Illinois, man to 17.5 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine in Lawrence and Richland counties and unlawfully possessing firearms.

David Royse, 47, was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and serve 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment.

Prosecutors said Royse’s sentence would run concurrent with any prison term ordered in his pending state cases in Lawrence and Richland counties.

Four West Nile cases reported in Cook County

Two days after the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the first human case of West Nile virus in the state this year, four cases were reported in suburban Cook County.

The Cook County Department of Public Health said the risk of West Nile infection was high and encouraged residents to take precautions. IDPH reported West Nile involving a Piatt County resident on Wednesday.

Du Quoin State Fair offers racing events

Harness racing is scheduled on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Du Quoin State Fair, starting at 4 p.m. each day.

The ITPA Truck & Tractor Pulls are set for 6 p.m. Monday. The demolition derby is at 6 p.m. Saturday, September 5.

The Mile Track features USAC Silver Crown Series racing at 1 p.m. on Sept. 5 and ARCA Menard Series racing on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

The Du Quoin State Fair runs through Labor Day, Sept. 7.

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes by surface area, to Lake America.

With Canada as Illinois’ top international trade partner, the largely symbolic renaming is part of a wider economic story.

Trump explained his reasoning for the renaming Thursday.

“We're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America. We lose on average over the last 15 years $60 billion a year carrying Canada. So we just can't do it anymore,” Trump said.

According to the Canadian government, Illinois exports roughly $17.5 billion in goods to Canada annually, and another $4.2 billion in services, such as financial, business and travel.

The U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods last week after trade negotiations between the two countries broke down.

“We're going to be doing tariffs on their cars that are coming in at a substantial level because we want to make the cars here,” Trump said. “Likewise many other products. So the Lake change, Lake of America, was something I've been thinking about for a long time.”

On Tuesday, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Canada would match the U.S. duties "dollar for dollar, rate for rate," with counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on U.S. goods taking effect Sept. 8.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a conservative, threatened Monday to cut the province's electricity exports to the U.S.

As of 2025, the province primarily supplied electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

Both Minnesota and Michigan are primarily on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, power grid which also covers most of Illinois aside from Chicagoland and surrounding counties.

On a more lighthearted side of the renaming, politicians poked fun at the renaming of the Great Lake, which isn’t named for the Canadian province, rather the province is named after the lake.

LAKE WISCONSIN NEXT

(The Center Square) – Chicago plans to spend up to $500,000 on a new grant program for neighborhood markets, as the city’s mayor indicated a shift away from earlier plans for a city-owned grocery store.

The Neighborhood Market Grant Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act and the nonprofit Allies for Community Business, with one-time grants of $10,000 offered to support small food business owners and farmers market operators.

Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Ivan Capifali said not every neighborhood has the same access to fresh food.

“This program is designed to help address the inequity by directing resources toward businesses and markets,” Capifali said during an announcement in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Friday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said the goal is to attract small, local retailers as well as larger chains.

“This is just the approach that I believe is so critical in this moment, that businesses recognize that my administration is committed to not just incentivizing fresh grocery to participate in our economy, but to put some skin in the game,” the mayor said.

Earlier in the week, Johnson said the city might use its remaining ARPA funds to close its budget deficit for the current fiscal year.

In September 2023, Johnson announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project, with the intention of opening a city-owned grocery store.

A reporter asked the mayor about those plans on Friday.

“The brick and mortar standup was one, yes, that we did contemplate, but after further review and spending time in the community, there are a number of people who are already doing this work,” Johnson said.

The mayor said the grant program offers a broader approach.

“It reaches more people when we can invest in the entrepreneur spirit,” Johnson said.

The grants will be provided to “small retail food businesses operating a physical storefront in priority geographies.”

The deadline to apply for the grants is Sept. 25, 2027.

(The Center Square) – The second Illinois State Fair kicks off Friday in Du Quoin, running through labor day.

While the downstate fair doesn’t receive as much taxpayer funding as its Springfield counterpart, one state representative said it's an economic benefit to the area.

The 2027 fiscal year budget allocated less than $7 million for the year’s operations of the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, including the 11-day fair for Southern Illinois.

By contrast, the Springfield fairgrounds had more than double allocated, $15.5 million.

State Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, told The Center Square he’d have to compare this year to previous years data on state spend for the fair, but noted the state has been improving the downstate fairgrounds lately.

“The fairgrounds went through a period of time where they were not maintained well, but as of late, they really have started to rehab some of the buildings, the grounds so they have really, I think, made some big improvements to the fairgrounds,” Friess said.

Jerry Costello, director of the Department of Agriculture, said earlier this month that the state had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on renovating and maintaining just the Springfield fairgrounds under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration.

“That's about $190 million coming off of the heels of an administration that went over 2 years without a budget,” Costello said, in reference to the state’s budget gridlock under former Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The state allocated $1.64 million between the current and previous year’s state budgets for repairs, maintenance and improvement projects solely at the Du Quoin fairgrounds, and additional funds went to the Department of Agriculture for the same at both fairgrounds locations.

Friess said based on previous years, the fair has been beneficial economically in his district.

“It is a huge shot in the arm economically for the immediate area. It just brings in people from all over all, over southern Illinois, to it,” Friess said. “I go down there every year. It's a nice fair.”

Last year, the fair drew in about 282,000 attendees, which Costello noted meant the state broke 1 million between both fairs.

“He told me when I took this position six and half years ago, we have to beat Iowa. And at that point in time, they were at a million attendees. They're at like 1.2 million. Exactly to his point, we broke a million last year and we're going to get them,” Costello said before the Springfield fair this month.

The Du Quoin State Fair runs through Labor Day, with six grandstand performances, a governor’s day Saturday and a Republican day Tuesday.

(The Center Square) – New research analysis has Illinois ranked eleventh nationally in federal tax burden per filer, with a 5-year average of $23,315 between fiscal years 2021 and 2025.

According to J David Tax Law’s analysis of IRS statistics, the state's net federal burden per filer increased +64.1% over the five-year period, below the national average rise of +79.8%.

Missouri ranked 13th with an average net burden of $21,306. Indiana ranked 30th at $16,047, Kentucky 31st at $15,776, Wisconsin 32nd at $15,377, and Iowa 38th at $13,785.

Delaware had the highest federal tax burden per filer at $33,353.

ISP ENFORCEMENT DETAIL CONDUCTED IN PEORIA AREA

Illinois State Police have announced the results of a joint law enforcement detail with federal and local agencies in the Peoria area.

Officers arrested 16 people on Wednesday for alleged offenses, including probation violations, possession of a controlled substance, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and driving with a suspended license.

ISP said a total of 19 people were brought into compliance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act or the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offenders Against Youth Act.

STATE PARK TO MARK 100 YEARS

Giant City State Park will celebrate its 100th anniversary as a state park in 2027, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is inviting the public to share their favorite memories of the Jackson County park for a yearlong visitor center display.

Stories and photographs will be accepted through Nov. 30. Submissions may be emailed to DNR.GiantCity100@illinois.gov or delivered in person to the park’s visitor center between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.

(The Center Square) – The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law wants the U.S. government to investigate whether Northwestern University’s relationship with Qatar is violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Brandeis Center general counsel Evan Slavitt wrote that the Qatari government-controlled Qatar Foundation paid Northwestern $737 million in connection with its satellite campus in the Qatari capital, Doha, including annual operating support ranging from $25 million to $35 million, annual management fees which are used in part to support the university’s communications and journalism schools in Evanston, and a $15 million capital investment.

Slavitt told The Center Square that Northwestern agreed to abide by Qatari law at its campuses in both Qatar and Evanston.

“That means no criticism of the emir, which is the government of Qatar. And so the result is that they've not only taken a bunch of money, but they’ve signed agreements to take certain positions or not take certain positions,” Slavitt told The Center Square.

Slavitt’s letter said colleges and universities are not exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act when they act as public relations agents for foreign entities.

“For example, right after October 7th, there were discussions with the Qatar Foundation, an instrumentality of the government, about what the messaging would be, and they put forward webinars that put forward the Qatari message,” Slavitt said.

Slavitt’s letter noted that the Northwestern Women’s Center publicly distributed the “All Out For Palestine” digital Toolkit just weeks after Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October 2023.

The following spring, pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampments at Northwestern as they did at DePaul, the University of Illinois, Illinois State, the University of Chicago and other schools around the country.

In May 2024, then-NU President Michael Schill testified before the U.S. House’s Committee on Education and Workforce.

"Northwestern University, like many universities, has an antisemitism problem," Schill said, according to a statement released by the committee.

Slavitt said the American public should be informed that Northwestern is not a neutral presenter of information purporting to provide independent scholarship, but an advocate of the Qatari government.

“When a foreign government funnels hundreds of millions of dollars into one of America's most prestigious universities that then seeks to shape the school's actions and messaging, the public has a right to know the full extent of that relationship,” Slavitt said.

Northwestern’s media relations department did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

According to the Brandeis Center, Qatar is the leading foreign funder of U.S. higher education and has provided $9 billion to American universities.

In May, the Brandeis Center urged the DOJ to investigate Georgetown University’s FARA compliance following the revelation of a contract between Georgetown's Bridge Initiative and the Qatari government.

Tom Gantert contributed to this story

(The Center Square) – According to a new website that breaks down tariff costs by state, executive tariffs have cost Illinois an estimated $17 billion since January 2025, the fifth-highest total in the country.

On Wednesday, National Taxpayers Union Foundation announced the launch of Tariffs.org.

Each state page on the new site features a graph with the total cost of tariffs imposed by executive order, as well as tariffs imposed by statute.

IL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TICKS DOWN

According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the unemployment rate decreased in 11 of the state’s metro areas and increased in one for the year ending July 2026.

The statewide unemployment rate for July 2026 was 4.6%, down from 4.7% in July 2025.

SPEAKER APPOINTS BRIEL TO VETERANS ADVISORY COUNCIL

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, has appointed state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, to the Illinois Veterans Advisory Council.

Welch made the appointment on Tuesday, just days after Briel’s former chief of staff went public with allegations that Briel acted inappropriately in office.

Sean Reed contributed to this story

HARRIS LEADS, PRITZKER 8TH IN POLL FOR 2028

Early polling for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary indicates that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is far behind the 2024 nominee, former Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, Harris topped the field with 28% of registered Democrat and left-leaning independent respondents choosing the former VP from a list of eight prominent Democratic politicians.

The second choice was “not sure” at 15%. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear were tied for 8th place at 3%.

(The Center Square) – According to a new report from the University of Illinois Chicago, tax increment financing has led to significantly higher property taxes in the city.

Juan D. González, report author and senior fellow at UIC’s Great Cities Institute, said TIFs began as a well-intentioned and innovative method to revitalize neighborhoods and finance public infrastructure.

González said Chicago uses TIFs more than any other major city in the U.S.

“So it soon morphed into a tool that drove up taxes significantly for all property owners across the city, while it simultaneously diverted an extraordinary share of the property tax revenue away from the schools and other public services, González said.

According to the report titled ‘Chicago’s Runaway Development Tool: Who Paid and Who Gained from 40+ Years of Tax Increment Financing,’ TIF increased property tax rates citywide by an estimated average of 13.7 percent between 2014 and 2023.

UIC Great Cities Institute Associate Director of Workforce and Economic Development Matthew Wilson said the property tax base is frozen at its starting level when a TIF district is created. As property values rise, tax revenue generated by the additional value gets diverted to the TIF fund.

Wilson said Chicago’s TIF captures about $55 of property value for every dollar it creates.

“We found only about 1.8% of the growth that TIF captures can be actually attributed to the TIF investment. The other 98.2% would have happened anyway,” Wilson said.

Wilson said TIF is diverting the taxes generated by the increased property values away from schools and parks.

“So what happens is that the tax base is smaller, everyone’s tax rates have to go up. Everyone has to pay more in taxes to counteract the fact that money is being put into the TIFS,” Wilson said.

The report found that about 51% of tracked TIF project spending since 1986 went to downtown or nearby neighborhoods.

González called for greater accountability and transparency.

“The city’s record keeping is atrocious,” González said.

González said Illinois’ TIF law should be amended to reduce the size of TIF diversions.

“One way to do this would be to inflation adjust the TIF money that school districts take,” González said.

The report also recommended phasing out downtown TIF districts that achieved their original goals and directing more resources to small businesses and historically underserved neighborhoods.

(The Center Square) – A new law creating registration, licensure, insurance and age requirements to use some e-bikes, scooters, and other motor-driven personal vehicles was signed into law this week, as the number of deaths and serious injuries involving the vehicles have climbed across the state.

State Sen. Darby Hills, R-Lake Zurich, who co-sponsored the bipartisan legislation, explained why she brought the law forward on The States by The Center Square.

“Mayors and law enforcement were coming to me from all over the district asking for help with this,” Hills said. “I've had numerous deaths in my district with respect to these high-powered vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters. And it's very very scary. Many accidents and we needed to address this immediately.”

Vehicles that fall under the purview of the new law include high speed e-bikes, e-scooters, and any other motor-powered devices primarily used for transportation and that move faster than 28 mph.

Riders will be allowed to operate the new class of higher speed micro-mobility devices on paths, in bike lanes, in bike lanes on roads with speed limits above 35 mph and directly on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph.

“Those are the e-bikes, e-scooters that will need to have a license, they will have to have a registration, they will have to have insurance, and they will be able to be regulated under the Illinois Vehicle Code,” Hills said. “So, law enforcement will be able to make sure that they're safe on the roads.”

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a proponent of the law while it was before the General Assembly, said there’s been a rapid expansion of use of the devices, bringing accessibility to transportation, but there’s also been downsides.

“That growth has also brought serious safety challenges, including a dramatic rise in injuries and deaths involving both riders and pedestrians. So, beginning January 1st, Illinois will finally have one clear statewide framework replacing the chaos of a patchwork of rules,” Giannoulias said.

Giannoulias previously told The Center Square DMV fees for the vehicles would be the same cost as motorcycles and similar vehicles. The cost of a new title and registration for a motorcycle is currently $206, with an annual registration renewal fee of $41.

Existing regulations for low-powered motorized vehicles will not be changed, such as pedal-assisted bikes, like Chicago’s Divvy bikes, as well as non-pedal-assist that travel 20 mph or less.

The law excludes toy vehicles and mobility assistance devices.

The law was the final measure awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature after being passed by the General Assembly this spring.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, with all newly purchased vehicles then or after required to register and obtain a title. For any currently owned or purchased before Jan. 1, titles and registration won’t be required unless the owner seeks to operate it on a public highway.

(The Center Square) – Chicago officials have cut the ribbon on a $34.9 million development to provide 50 “affordable supportive” homes in the Englewood neighborhood.

The retrofit project of the former Charles Warrington Earle School was supported by $4.2 million in Tax Increment Financing assistance and $540,000 in Chicago Recovery Plan Permanent Supportive Housing funding.

Additional financing was provided through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program, ComEd energy incentives, private financing, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, and federal and state Historic Tax Credit equity.

The Phoenix Foundation will provide residents in the all-electric development with access to on-site services for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The development includes a community room, computer lab, exercise room, playground, community garden, green space and on-site property management.

6 YEARS FOR FELON WITH FIREARMS ON CHICAGO EXPRESSWAY

A Chicago felon has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing five loaded handguns during a high-speed chase on the city’s Kennedy Expressway.

Prosecutors said Timothy McDowell, 36, was a passenger in a stolen car on July 30, 2024, when the car increased its speed to more than 100 miles per hour before exiting the highway and speeding through residential streets and eventually parking in a garage.

Police said McDowell was carrying the weapons in a backpack at the time of his arrest. McDowell had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

IMA, IERG ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association has announced a new partnership with the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group.

A joint statement from the organizations said the partnership will provide manufacturers with the information and resources necessary to understand and comply with evolving environmental requirements while advocating for a regulatory climate that allows companies to invest and create jobs in Illinois.

DU QUOIN STATE FAIR ANNOUNCES THEME DAYS

The 2026 Du Quoin State Fair is set to open on Friday with Family Night. The fair ribbon cutting is scheduled to take place at 5:30 p.m. followed by the twilight parade at 6 p.m. Governor’s Day is Saturday, followed by Veterans Day at the fair on Sunday.

Republican Day is Tuesday, Senior Day is Wednesday and First Responders Day is Sept. 6. The fair concludes Sept. 7.

(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a lawsuit Wednesday to block a new federal rule governing mail-in ballots. But a former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer who's now working at a think tank says the suit is unnecessary.

Prompted by President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14399, the U.S. Postal Service rule requires states to enroll eligible mail-in voters onto USPS-managed lists and conform to new postal envelope design standards. The USPS stated it would refuse to deliver ballots for voters not on these lists or ballots sent in non-compliant envelopes.

The lawsuit by Democratic attorneys general was filed Wednesday morning in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.

But the litigation wasn't needed, said Hans von Spakovsky of Advancing American Freedom, a Washington, D.C., conservative advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican.

The claims made in Wednesday's lawsuit area are as "defective" as those made in the states' previous lawsuit against the Trump administration over mail-in ballots, according to Spakovsky.

"All the state has to do is provide a list to the Postal Service of all of the registered voters that are qualified and approved by the state to receive a mail-in ballot," Spakovsky told The Center Square Wednesday.

"The procedure set up in the rule will in no way prevent any eligible, registered voter from being able to cast a ballot," said Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom.

Spakovsky noted the U.S. Postal Service's tracking system will give states an ability they haven't had to track mail-in ballots to ensure they're not delivered to the wrong address or stuck in a USPS distribution center. He added that the USPS rule applies to federal agencies and does not "unconstitutionally infringe on the states' administration of election."

But Bonta and his fellow Democratic attorney generals say states, not the federal government, should set rules for elections.

This is California’s 86th lawsuit against Trump in 83 weeks.

The litigation follows a Monday decision by the U.S. Supreme Court granting an emergency stay requested by the Trump administration. The Supreme Court ruled that the states' earlier challenge to the executive order was filed too early but noted attorneys general could challenge the U.S. Postal Service rule implementing Trump's order.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday in a virtual press conference, Bonta said Trump “does not have the authority” here.

"Neither Congress nor the Constitution give the Postal Service the power to regulate elections or refuse to deliver lawful mail-in ballots,” said Bonta, a Democrat running for reelection on Nov. 3 against Republican attorney Michael Gates.

Trump issued the executive order in March, stating that this is about enhancing federal election integrity, preventing noncitizens from voting, and establishing new standards and procedures for mail-in and absentee ballots.

Twenty-three other Democratic attorneys general are involved in the lawsuit, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who's also a Democrat.

"President Trump doesn't get to rewrite our voting system on a whim,” said Bonta. “And the United States Postal Service cannot sidestep the laws that govern the Postal Service just to carry out the president's agenda."

After the Supreme Court decision in favor of Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded by saying that the Golden State would be filing a new lawsuit. Newsom also pushed for state legislation that will establish new felonies and misdemeanors for seizing election materials or interfering with mail-in ballot delivery.

The White House dismissed the Democratic governor's comments.

“The Supreme Court ruling was a major win for the security of American elections,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Center Square Tuesday in an email. “Radical Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders.”

Bis added that the Trump administration will “continue to lawfully enact the agenda President Trump was elected on – which includes the safety and security of our elections.”

When asked Wednesday for comment, Bonta told The Center Square that “the president and the United States Postal Service are violating the Constitution” of the United States.

“We have a U.S. Constitution that is stronger than any president or any federal department, including the U.S. Postal Service, and they're blatantly, brazenly breaking the law, and they are interfering with our elections,” said Bonta. “They have no right to do it. So whatever their spin, their script, their disinformation, the people of this country deserve better than a president who continues to break the law and tries to interfere with our elections.”

Bonta added that Newsom was “absolutely right” when he said California was going to sue.

“Today, we are suing, and we feel very confident in our case,” said Bonta.

The Center Square reached out to Bonta's office in hope of getting answers about whether regulations could prevent potential fraud with mail-in ballots and ensure noncitizens aren't voting in state and federal elections. The Center Square also contacted the office to ask if the new U.S. Postal Service rule could inadvertently keep ballots out of the hands of registered voters. The Center Square did not hear back by publication time.

Besides Bonta in California, the Democratic attorneys general filing the suit are from Nevada, Washington state, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, is also among the plaintiffs.

(The Center Square) – Two Illinois legislators are asking federal and state authorities to investigate a Metro East hospital over the potential misuse of taxpayer funds.

State Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, and state Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, wrote letters to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, asking them to look into Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City.

Elik told The Center Square that the hospital asked employees in early August to delay cashing their paychecks.

“I'm an accountant. I know that that is a serious red flag if a business or organization is not going to be able to potentially pay their employees when they are due,” Elik said.

The letter from Elik and Harriss said Gateway received millions of dollars from Illinois taxpayers but now owes the state more than $40 million in unpaid taxes, penalties and payments.

The letter said the hospital also reportedly owes more than $2.6 million in property taxes and hundreds of thousands of dollars for water service and energy costs.

Harriss said there are questions about where the state money has gone, and she and Elik would like answers for people who are concerned about their jobs and and access to health care.

“We know that this hospital, we would like to see it stay open. We know that it serves a valuable purpose in the community, not only as an employer, but as a health care provider,” Harriss told The Center Square on Wednesday.

Elik and Harriss said in their letter that sworn statements from former hospital executives alleged that millions of dollars were funneled from Gateway to purchase hospitals in California, but Gateway’s parent company, American Healthcare Systems, disputed the allegations.

Elik said state payments to help the Gateway’s financial situation should have been used at the hospital it was loaned for.

“I don't think it's out of bounds for us to ask those questions, where did the money go?” Elik said.

When asked what she hoped the letters to Blanche and Raoul would accomplish, Elik said she would like to know about the hospital’s plan to get back on solid footing.

“That’s fair for us to expect them to be transparent, for them to be accountable for the state taxpayer dollars that they're using, and to be transparent and accountable to their employees and staff,” Elik said.

Gateway Regional Medical Center did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Corrections says it expects to save about $35.9 million in capital costs, $6.5 million in annual operating expenses and millions of additional savings in deferred maintenance projects by phasing out two work camps and two impact program facilities.

IDOC said the closure of Clayton Work Camp will impact 27 people in custody and 41 staff members, who will be reassigned to Western Illinois Correctional Center at a later date.

Dixon Springs and DuQuoin Impact Programs and Greene County Work Camp were temporarily closed in March 2023. IDOC said the closure of the non-operational programs and camps would not result in any layoffs.

MOODY’S UPGRADES ILLINOIS’ CREDIT RATING

Moody's Ratings has upgraded the issuer rating for the state of Illinois from A2 to A1.

The ratings service also upgraded the state's general obligation bonds and Build Illinois sales tax bonds to A1.

Moody’s cited a stronger governance framework and an established track record of conservative fiscal management for the upgrade.

A statement from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said Illinois has received 11 upgrades across the three major credit rating agencies since June 2021.

MICROMOBILITY DEVICE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation that establishes regulatory requirements for e-bikes, gas-powered bikes and other micromobility devices.

Senate Bill 3484 requires riders of e-bikes and e-motos capable of traveling over 28 mph to have a driver’s license, title, registration and insurance. The bill also establishes minimum age requirements for e-bikes.

The new law takes effect Jan. 1.

HUMAN CASE OF WEST NILE DETECTED IN PIATT COUNTY

The Illinois Department of Public Health says the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Illinois this year involves a resident of Piatt County.

IDPH has also identified three probable human cases of West Nile in northern Illinois.

So far in 2026, WNV has been observed in 50 Illinois counties with either a mosquito pool, horse and/or human testing positive for the virus. The full list of counties where WNV has been detected in mosquito batches can be found online.

Illinois confirmed a total of 150 human WNV cases in 2025, with ten deaths linked to the virus.

IDPH supports mosquito control efforts throughout the state by providing $2.8 million in funding to Illinois’ 97 local health departments for vector surveillance and control activities.

(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his administration wants to know if city contractors reflect the diversity of the people whose tax dollars pay for their work.

Johnson signed an executive order Wednesday to establish new procurement standards for companies that do business with Chicago.

The order requires current contractors and subcontractors to disclose whether they have received more than $500,000 through contracts with government entities or law enforcement agencies and whether they have faced certain civil or administrative proceedings that alleged excessive force, unlawful detention, unconstitutional policing or other violations of federal or state civil rights laws.

Johnson said his administration cannot control decisions made in Washington, but it can control what it does with the people’s money in Chicago.

“We are using the enormous purchasing power of the city of Chicago to put our values into practice, strengthening protections against corruption, workplace discrimination and wage theft, demanding greater transparency from the corporations that receive our tax dollars,” the mayor said before signing the order at Arise Chicago on the city’s West Side.

The order allows the mayor to create a task force with up to 12 members who can propose additional procurement standards.

Johnson said companies are walking away from diversity commitments while the Trump administration wants to stop collecting information about who gets opportunities and who is left behind.

“Well, not in Chicago. If you want to do business with this city, we want to know whether the people leading your company reflect the diversity of the communities whose tax dollars are paying your contracts,” Johnson said.

Dorian Warren, co-president of Community Change Action and spokesperson for Not With Our Money, said companies that commit a public integrity violation could be disqualified from city contracts.

“And the biggest contractors will have to tell the public who else is paying them, including law enforcement agencies, and answer for their record on civil rights,” Warren said.

When asked if his order might prevent any current vendors from doing business with the city, Johnson said companies will have to revisit their practices if they wish to carry on.

Chicago Flips Red founder Zoe Leigh said none of the mayor’s executive orders override federal law or the authority of the federal government.

“What concerns me is that Chicagoans are dealing with the consequences of years of reckless spending, including COVID-era spending, migrant spending and (community violence intervention) spending, while working and middle-class residents are struggling,” Leigh told The Center Square.

Leigh said the executive order she would like to see is a forensic audit of city spending.

“You can’t demand ‘integrity’ from businesses while refusing to give taxpayers the same level of transparency and accountability regarding the city’s own spending,” Leigh said.

(Legal Newsline) — A state appeals panel has agreed with a Cook County judge who slapped the brakes on the CTA’s efforts to stop landowners from renting their parking spaces under and around Wrigleyville L tracks.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Donnelly issued a temporary restraining order on July 28, pausing a dispute that started in June when the Chicago Transit Authority sent letters to 16 property owners telling them they’re barred from parking vehicles or storing anything under Red Line tracks between Addison and Grace streets without permission, giving them until July 1 to remove anything and inviting them to contact the agency to learn about paying a monthly fee for parking privileges.

When the landowners’ attorney inquired about the situation, the CTA sent another letter asserting it owned the land in question; stated adverse possession or other means of establishing a property interest wasn’t available because of the CTA’s public use; and moved the deadline for property removal to Aug. 1.

The landowners filed a three-count complaint July 21. They asserted they “have used continuously, adversely, actually, openly and notoriously, asserted exclusive possession of the (land) under claim of title inconsistent with the ownership of the CTA for more than 20 years;” said a recently-introduced city ordinance would, if passed, enshrine their right to obtain parking permits for the disputed ground; and asked the court to endorse their rights and privileges.

In asking Judge Donnelly to dismiss the plaintiffs’ requests, the CTA said they didn’t specifically claim when each named person acquired their property, who owned which structures the CTA wants to remove or when they all began what they claimed was their adverse possession.

In his July 28 ruling, Donnelly struck the landowners’ amended complaint and offered four days to replead, but did agree to the 10-day restraining order inhibiting towing or structure demolition while also ordering the plaintiffs to keep in escrow any revenue collected while the order was in place.

The CTA challenged the ruling before the Illinois First District Appellate Court. Justice Cynthia Cobbs wrote the panel’s decision; Justices James Fitzgerald Smith and Nathaniel Howse concurred. The order was issued under Supreme Court Rule 23, which restricts its use as precedent.

Cobbs said the legal question at this phase is only whether Donnelly’s decision to grant the order involved abuse of judicial discretion, not the merits of the underlying litigation, which will be Donnelly’s purview when considering a preliminary injunction. She further explained the CTA failed to convince the panel of its position regarding the landowners’ claims.

“Although plaintiffs’ filings do not list, for example, exactly which plaintiffs have erected fences or parking structures on their respective pieces of the disputed land, this shortcoming does not affect the CTA or a court’s ability to understand the rights claimed by plaintiffs or the scope of any injunctive relief,” Cobbs wrote. “We also reject the CTA’s assertion that the TRO is ‘overbroad’ because it enjoins the CTA from towing ‘any cars’ or destroying ‘all’ fences, parking tents or other structures on the disputed land.”

The panel rejected concerns about which structures and vehicles are protected and said Donnelly’s order “described the scope of relief with reasonable particularly under the circumstances and adequately maintained the status quo. Thus, we find no abuse of discretion in the breadth of the TRO.”

Regarding the plaintiff’s likelihood of eventual success on their claims of using the land for an extended period without CTA consent or pushback, Cobbs acknowledged “the 20-year period does not begin to run against publicly-owned land that is continuously used for a public purpose.” However, she added, “the fact that the disputed land is publicly owned does not automatically defeat a claim of adverse possession or prescriptive easement. Instead, the doctrine is only a defense where the disputed land is used for a ‘public use,’ which courts have explained means it was used for the general benefit of the public.”

The panel said train tracks “are very likely used for a public purpose” but said the plaintiffs made a good point “there is at least a fair question whether the land under the tracks, which is more specifically at issue here, is for a public use. The record suggests that the CTA has not used the land beneath the tracks at all during the past 20 years. Indeed, plaintiffs explicitly allege that they or their predecessors in interest have borne the burden of cleaning up any debris that has fallen from the tracks as a consequence of normal train operation or track maintenance above. Moreover, plaintiffs have also alleged that their possession satisfied the elements of adverse possession and prescriptive easement listed above, in many cases going so far as to erect fences and parking structures on the disputed land.”

Finally, the panel said the CTA failed to show the temporary restraining order was unnecessary, as Cobbs noted concerns about “potentially unwarranted and extensive intrusion onto the property next to (plaintiffs’) private residences,” as well as the interruption of the business of selling parking spaces during Wrigley Field baseball games and other events, which Donnelly balanced by ordering any funds earned into escrow.

(The Center Square) – Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday, Illinois elected officials are urging residents to send any mail-in ballots to be cast in the midterms ahead of election day.

The highest court temporarily allowed the Trump administration to maintain an executive order placing restrictions on mail-in voting across the country, requiring the U.S. Postal Service to cross reference Homeland Security lists of legal citizen eligible voters.

Ed Yohnka, spokesman for Illinois ACLU, said the ruling was disappointing but would allow the group's case to be ruled on to potentially block the executive order’s rule based on its merits.

“I would point out that and another ACLU case, in which the League of Women Voters is our plaintiff, there is another case pending challenging that rule,” Yohnka said Tuesday.

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, alongside Yohnka, other voting rights advocates and local and state elected officials at a Tuesday news conference, urged voters to be aware and have a plan to vote.

“If you want to return your mail ballot through the postal service, please do it early. Do not wait until election day or the final few days before. And if you want to remove that uncertainty altogether, use one of our secure ballot drop-boxes,” Gordon said.

State Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, said she agreed with the clerk’s advice, and said election-securing efforts have been made at the state level.

“I want every voter to know in the state of Illinois we're doing everything possible to protect your vote,” Murphy said.

State lawmakers won’t return to work in Springfield until two weeks after the election.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., reacted to the court’s decision Tuesday at the Cook County elections office.

“A federal district court has already found that Congress did not give the USPS authority to decide which voters receive mail and ballots. State and local officials administer our elections. The postal service delivers the mail,” Krishnamoorthi said.

While a district court did make that finding, the case was brought before the Supreme Court after, which is why the order is being temporarily allowed.

Concern has also been raised in recent months over the potential deployment of immigration officials at or near polling locations in November, particularly in places with populations of noncitizens.

Gordon said she doesn’t have any information on if there are plans to deploy to her jurisdiction, but she wants to prepare for if they do.

“We have no specific information that federal immigration authorities plan to appear at Cook County polling places.,” Gordon said. “Our office will be working with the Cook County Sheriff's office, local law enforcement and other partners to make sure polling places remain safe and secure.”

The congressman said in his capacity as a U.S. lawmaker, he is seeking to get more information about potential federal observers of the election.

“I'm also demanding answers today from the Justice Department over reports that the administration could deploy as many as 1,000 election monitors across the country,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Krishnamoorthi said he’s concerned election monitors will be used to intimidate voters.

Further rulings and decisions on federal involvement in the November elections are expected before election day on Nov. 3.

(The Center Square) - Democratic attorneys general from California, 22 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Postal Service over its rule on mail-in ballots.

The suit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday to allow, for now, President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots. The order required the Postal Service to prohibit the mailing of ballots to voters not included on a new Postal Service list of eligible voters.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Nevada, Washington state and Massachusetts. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. It says the matter of whether someone may vote is a question of state law. In addition to challenging the Postal Service rule implementing Trump's executive order, the states are filing a motion for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block the rule from taking effect during litigation.

“Let’s be clear: The U.S. Constitution gives states the power to regulate elections - not the President and not USPS,” Bonta said in a statement.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Trump administration's emergency request to stay an injunction related to the executive order. Justices said the states' challenge to the executive order was filed too early, but added that states could challenge the U.S. Postal Service rule implementing Trump's order. Democratic attorneys general responded with their new lawsuit Wednesday.

"Donald Trump does not run elections. States do. And his latest attack on democracy is proof of how weak he has become,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement Wednesday morning. “California will continue to lead the way in defending democracy — using every tool at our disposal and every minute in our day. This perilous moment in history demands no less from us.”

But the Trump administration called the Supreme Court ruling in the president’s favor a victory for election security.

“The Supreme Court ruling was a major win for the security of American elections,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Center Square Tuesday in an email. ”Radical Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders.”

Wednesday's lawsuit was filed by the Democratic attorneys general of California, Nevada, Washington, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, is also a plaintiff.

(The Center Square) – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced on Tuesday that it has approved its final Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program proposal, including $1.04 billion for Illinois.

According to a statement from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office, the funding will connect about 350,000 residents through homes, businesses and community institutions across Illinois by 2031. Since 2019, Pritzker’s administration has invested $420 million in taxpayer funds for broadband access.

COUNCIL COALITION: JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO EXECUTE BUDGET

A group of Chicago City Council members say Mayor Brandon Johnson has failed to execute the budget as required by law and continued to slow-walk structural revenues and efficiencies designed to reduce the deficit.

The Budget Accountability Coalition’s statement followed Johnson’s announcement on Tuesday that his administration would refinance bonds to help close the budget shortfall.

The mayor blamed the deficit on what he called the “corporate caucus” that refused to go along with his plan to impose a $33 per-worker monthly tax on businesses with more than 500 employees.

EX-CARBONDALE TEACHER AIDE DETAINED ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION CHARGES

A former Carbondale Community High School teacher aide has been charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Austin L. Knoob, 32, of Carbondale is accused of communicating with a minor victim to request and receive child sexual abuse material in August 2025 and April 2026.

Knoob is also accused of uploading and sending child sexual abuse material involving the minor victim to online groups. Knoob was ordered to be detained pending trial by a federal magistrate judge.

(The Center Square) – A Lake County parent advocacy leader is raising concerns about Glenbrook North High School’s “Contemporary Social Themes” course, questioning whether students are being taught to critically examine controversial issues or encouraged toward a particular worldview.

“My first reaction was, you know, to look at what age of students we're talking about,” said Marsha McClary, chair of Moms for Liberty Lake County. “It's a more mature student, hopefully.”

Awake Illinois recently highlighted the school’s 2026-27 course, which focuses on “social engagement and ethical reasoning.” The curriculum examines how gender, class, sexual orientation and race shape how people experience and understand the world.

Students also explore “unexamined assumptions, prejudices, and invisible systems,” consider their “universe of obligation” and discuss ways to initiate change when societal assumptions and biases result in injustice.

The course includes An Enemy of the People and the Thinker’s Guide to Ethical Reasoning, with students also completing projects connected to the school’s “Gallery of Conscience.”

Glenbrook North High School administrators did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

McClary said she is particularly concerned about students publicly expressing opinions on divisive issues.

“My concern is as a minor taking this class … it's a time when you're exploring these super divisive topics and that content may live with you for the rest of your life,” she said.

She said parents should know whether their children’s work could be displayed at school or posted online.

“If you make a mistake and you put it out there, it could be risky for you as the student,” McClary said.

McClary also questioned whether teachers can objectively present controversial subjects such as gender, race and identity.

“If it's going in the direction where … the exploration isn't accurate or it's super divisive or politically charged, I don't like that in the school environment,” she said.

She also questioned how students would be graded on assignments involving political or social issues.

“Can the teacher be completely objective and look at it as an English assignment that is research-based completely?” McClary asked.

McClary said grading should focus on research quality and presentation rather than whether a student reaches a particular conclusion.

“I just don't think it belongs at the high school level,” she said of the course’s subject matter and reading.

She also objected to sexual orientation being included among the course topics.

“If they're going to be discussing sexual orientations in this class, that is completely inappropriate,” McClary said. “That doesn't belong in the school environment at all.”

McClary said the issue is also about taxpayer funding.

“It does bother me, especially as a parent but also as a taxpayer,” she said. “These people, the community is paying for these classes.”

Ultimately, McClary said Glenbrook parents should understand exactly what students will be asked to discuss and produce.

“Anything you say or write down or post somewhere on this can stay with you for the rest of your life,” she said.

The course syllabus describes the class as an exploration of contemporary social issues and ethical reasoning. Whether it promotes a particular worldview or encourages balanced debate depends on how the curriculum is implemented in the classroom.

McClary said the course deserves greater scrutiny from parents.