Mayor Brandon Johnson personally intervened on behalf of protest groups over stages, sound system for Union Park rally, organizer says – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo News

Pressed on whom specifically the mayor called, Abudayyeh said it was Frank Chapman, of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression. “The mayor has said from the very beginning that he supports the protest movement,” Abudayyeh said. “The protest movement is what brought him to City Hall. … He said, ‘I understand that struggle. Because I am part of a national liberation struggle as well.’”

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State appeals court tosses proposal for new transmission line in central Illinois – Capitol News IL

The Grain Belt Express, or GBX, is meant to carry renewable electricity generated by wind farms. “Ultimately, there was not substantial evidence put forth to support the Commission’s finding that GBX is capable of financing the project,” Justice James Moore wrote. “The evidence put forward demonstrated that GBX lacked the funding at the time of the hearing, had no customers, contracts, government or bank commitments.”

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Ahead of DNC, Black advocacy group hammers Gov. JB Pritzker for turning ‘his back’ on Black students – FOX News

“Rather than helping Black students, Pritzker has turned his back on them by systematically underfunding their schools, denying them the high-quality public education that every child is entitled to,” said Darius Jones, of the National Black Empowerment Action Fund. “This puts multiple generations of Black children who deserve a fair shot at a severe disadvantage as they are ignored by a governor who clearly has other priorities. That’s just wrong.”

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Legislator shares concerns about Logan inmate transfers ahead of closure recommendation – Center Square

Recently, a federal judge ordered that all Stateville inmates must be moved to other prisons by Sept. 30. Lawmakers called that “convenient,” considering the decision aligns with Gov. JB Pritzker’s plans to close Stateville and Logan County Correctional and then build two new facilities in the Crest Hill area for an estimated taxpayer cost of $900 million.

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Days before DNC, legal groups fire off letter to mayor, top cop raising alarms about possible police abuse – Chicago Sun-Times

The letter, signed by 65 organizations, decried what it described as “intimidating comments” Police Supt. Larry Snelling made, highlighting his assertions that peaceful protesters aren’t always afforded First Amendment rights and that demonstrations in the summer of 2020 broadly amounted to “rioting.” They also expressed concerns about CPD’s new mass arrest policy, noting that provisions surrounding use of force reporting “may further allow officers to commit violent acts with impunity.”

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