Big money floods Illinois campaigns – Chicago Tribune

Good morning, Chicago.

At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the importance of money in national politics was clear, from the appeals made at fancy fundraisers to the unrelenting streams of video ads and text messages.

But in Illinois, big money is inundating politics at a pace that virtually puts government offices in the Land of Lincoln up for sale.

Few states invite politicians to raise and spend so aggressively as Illinois, where large infusions of cash led by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and his billionaire Republican enemies are enabled by loose rules and feeble enforcement standards that tempt politicians to push the limits of campaign finance boundaries.

As part of the ongoing series “Culture of Corruption,” which explores how Illinois’ voracious politics, structural flaws and tepid oversight set the state apart, the lack of meaningful campaign finance reform has repeatedly been identified as a key factor.

Read the latest of the series from the Tribune’s Ray Long and Rick Pearson.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition

Peacekeepers endure a deadly summer as they work to make neighborhoods safer

This summer, five men working as peacekeepers have been shot in Little Village and North Lawndale, likely in connection with the latest spasm of conflict between street gangs that have feuded in the West Side area for decades, outreach workers said. Three have died. All worked with New Life Centers, the Little Village-based nonprofit that administers social services and community assistance to people around the West Side.

The recent deaths have rattled the community, the organization and the people they work with, said Matt DeMateo, the CEO of New Life Centers. “Those who have died are our neighbors, our family. We are hurting,” he said.

Father, son both suffering from incurable lung disease as their former employer faces dozens of OSHA citations

For almost 24 years, Antonio Campos dedicated his life to cutting stone at Florenza Marble & Granite Co., a small countertop manufacturer on the city’s West Side. It was a job that gave him enough money to provide for his family in Mexico and care for his relatives in Chicago. Seven years ago, he recruited his son, José Gómez, to work alongside him.

Sitting on a brown couch at his daughter’s home in the Pilsen neighborhood, connected to an oxygen tank, Campos stared at a black marble table he once helped make at the company. Campos, 58, is awaiting a lung transplant. His 32-year-old son has already received one.

A week after labor board says some third-party delivery drivers are Amazon employees, Teamsters say more drivers in Skokie are organizing

More Amazon delivery drivers in Skokie are organizing with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union said this week, in the wake of a labor board determination in California that the union said “sets the stage” for organizing of delivery drivers nationwide.

Northerly Island’s potential as an urban oasis goes unrealized as grand plans come and go

It wasn’t long ago, however, that the city toyed with improvements to the island. The most recent proposal was created under then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2022. It would have increased accessibility and transformed the island into a climate education hub.

The Johnson administration is not pursuing any of those recommendations, according to a city spokesperson.

So, is this it for Northerly Island?

Broken record: Chicago White Sox suffer 107th defeat this season, the most in franchise history, in Sunday’s 2-0 loss

Garrett Crochet struck out the first seven hitters Sunday, tying a franchise and American League record for the most consecutive strikeouts to begin a game.

But even that couldn’t prevent the Sox from setting the franchise record for losses in a season.

The Sox lost their 107th game of the year, falling 2-0 to the Mets in front of 16,887 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Angel Reese becomes WNBA’s single-season rebounding leader in Chicago Sky’s 79-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx

Angel Reese became the WNBA’s single-season rebounding leader with eight games left on Sunday in the Chicago Sky’s 79-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, who got 22 points from Courtney Williams.

Reese finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds for her 24th double-double, a league rookie record. She has 418 rebounds for an average of 13.1 per game, with her total surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ record of 404 in 2018. The 6-foot-3 Reese also broke the record for offensive rebounds with 165, passing Yolanda Griffiths (162 in 2001).

A century ago, Soldier Field was born as a lakefront stadium, bolstering Chicago’s image as a world-class city

The birth of Chicago’s lakefront stadium was marked by a nasty squabble over its name. During construction it was prosaically dubbed the “Grant Park Stadium.” The problem arose when it was decided that it ought to commemorate the GIs who served in World War I.

Biblioracle: 4 Chicago books on working for Labor Day, from Upton Sinclair to Studs Terkel

Chicago is intimately tied to the history of the labor movement and Labor Day. We also have some Chicago-related books that continue to be relevant as we think about both the past and the future of work.

You use Spotify to listen to music. Here’s how money from ads and subscription fees flows to artists.

Spotify is the largest platform of all — making up roughly 31% of the total market share — with a reported 626 million users and 246 million subscribers in over 180 markets.

In July, Spotify increased its monthly subscription cost. So, how does money from advertisers and subscription fees move from Spotify to artists’ wallets, anyway?

Top 10 dance for fall 2024: U.S. premieres at Joffrey and the Harris, plus Hubbard Street does Fosse

Resilience and tenacity are themes coursing through this year’s fall dance calendar. After making her mark as a dancer in River North Dance Chicago, Stephanie Martinez caught a second wind creating dances for ballet companies all over the country. When the work dried up in 2020, she contracted out-of-work dancers to perform in an Avondale parking lot. It was brilliant.