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Just before the Western Australian state election in March 2021, the then leader of the Liberal Party did an unusual thing. He conceded defeat but then asked voters to stop premier Mark McGowans Labor Party from achieving total control of the state.

The appeal failed spectacularly. McGowan won 53 of the 59 seats in the legislative assembly and a majority for the first time ever in WAs upper house, the legislative council.

The Liberals, shattered, were reduced to just two seats in the assembly. The Nationals, with a grand total of four seats, became the official opposition, and a Nationals MP, Mia Davies, was elected opposition leader. The question immediately arose: could parliament operate effectively in these extraordinary circumstances? Would sufficient democratic scrutiny be applied to the government?

Just over a year later, the federal election provided another crushing blow to the WA Liberals. The party lost not only four lower house seats and a senate seat to Labor, but also the seat of Curtin to independent Kate Chaney.

Read more: Swing when you're winning: how Labor won big in Western Australia

WA has 122 state and federal MPs. Currently, 89 of them almost three-quarters are Labor. Less than six years ago, the comparable figure was 41, or a third. By contrast, the Liberals have just 19 MPs or 16% of the total, compared to 64, or just over half, six years ago. Perhaps we need to take the fears of total control seriously?

Senator Linda Reynolds, the former Liberal defence minister, seems to think so. She recently argued that without substantial change, we risk condemning Western Australia to a one-party state and the WA Liberals to an electoral abyss.

Everyone would agree democracy works best when a strong opposition can keep the government accountable. So what is happening in WA? Is democracy in danger?

So far, the answer would appear to be no. Take parliament. Parties with a majority of MPs can, in principle, run roughshod over their opponents in parliament. In practice, most dont. While governments will occasionally force through legislation or resist pressure to reveal information, rules and conventions enable non-government parties to participate in debates and committees, and to scrutinise the executive about its actions and proposed legislation.

Governing parties know one day they will be in opposition, and parliament should at the very least let the opposition have its say, even if the government prevails.

Despite the vast disparity in numbers, this attitude seems to be holding up in WA. Question time is still operating, unchanged. The parliamentary schedule continues to allow non-government MPs to bring forward debates on matters of public importance, private members business and grievances.

Read more: Governments usually win a second term. But could the new Labor government be an exception?

Estimates hearings continue to be held, as are meetings of parliamentary committees. As in the past, the opposition chairs one committee in the assembly, two in the council, and the joint audit committee. The deputy Liberal leader chaired a prominent committee inquiry into sexual harassment in the resources sector.

Of course, with so few seats, the workload of non-government MPs is very large. The government has a majority on most committees but this was true in previous parliaments. One potential area of concern is that the standing committee on education and health the two areas of greatest expenditure has only Labor members.

Clearly, the government is not going to lose any votes on the floor of the house. Overall, though, the structures and operations of parliament look much the same as before.

But given the huge imbalance of resources and power within the political system, it is important other players keep the government under scrutiny. WA retains a full complement of independent integrity agencies ombudsman, auditor-general, information commissioner, corruption and crime commissioner.

The auditor-generals office has been particularly active. It recently produced a transparency report on the progress of major government projects, arguing the government could and should update parliament more regularly on whether these projects are on time and on budget and vowing to do this itself, if government refused.

Read more: Below the Line: Has Australia's political landscape changed forever? podcast

Another crucial player is the media. WAs press and broadcasting landscape is dominated by Seven West Media, which owns the states only daily newspaper and its most popular TV station. While Mark McGowan received generally positive coverage for his handling of the pandemic, his government has not escaped media criticism, on hospitals and health in particular. Other media outlets have also been active in scrutinising government.

With the federal election out of the way, what might we look forward to in WA politics? Three things are worth noting.

First, the WA Liberal Party holds its annual conference in July. This will be an important indicator of whether it has done the thinking it needs to turn its fortunes around.

Second, a state by-election is due soon after a Nationals MP, Vince Catania, resigned his marginal seat of North-West Central. If Labor were to win, the number of non-government MPs would fall from six to five a much bigger deal than Labor increasing its representation from 53 to 54.

Intriguingly, if the Liberal Party managed to win North-West Central (which is not completely out of the question, as they have held the seat in the past), then they and the Nationals would each have three MPs and would need to work out who would be the official opposition.

Third, no election is due in WA, state or federal, for almost three years. (The state poll is in March 2025, followed by a likely federal poll two months later.) Can Liberal and National MPs maintain their diligence in parliament? Can their parties form a viable alternative government? And can Labor avoid the malaise that commonly strikes second-term governments in WA, where no party has won a third term since 1989?

It seems inconceivable that Mark McGowan and Labor could lose office in 2025. But can he govern well in the meantime? And can the non-government parties, the integrity watchdogs and the media keep him and his government on their toes? For democracys sake, lets hope so.

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Does Labor have total control in Western Australia? - The Conversation

In their first-ever competition,UTWind a team of undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Torontos Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has taken the top prize in an international challenge to design and build a small-scale wind turbine.

While we always strived to be a competitive team from the beginning and knew that we had a strong design, we definitely didnt expect to win first place, saysDavid Petriw, a third-year materials science and engineering student who isa member of UTWind.

The morale of the team is at an all-time high, and we are going to celebrate this win in a big way.

TheInternational Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC)is hosted annually by Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, Netherlands. To clinch first place, UTWind edged out teams from Denmark, Germany, Poland and Egypt.

The goal of ISWTC is to build and demonstrate a wind turbine designed for rural regions in Sub-Saharan Africa, saysAndrew Ilersich, aPhD candidate at the U of T Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) andaerodynamics lead for UTWind.

Every aspect of our design had to be tailored to, or at least compatible with, the region it would be sold and operated in. We also had to show that our design was sustainable, being made from recyclable, low-cost, and locally available materials.

Unlike the large turbines used in commercial wind farms, which can rise to over 100 metres and generate megawatts of power each, small wind turbines (SWTs) are designed for generation on scales from a few hundred watts to a few kilowatts.

To win the contest, teams must demonstrate top-of-class performance across a number of criteria, including power generation, cut-in speed, estimated annual energy production and coefficient of power, which is a measure of the turbines efficiency.

Performance was measured at the Open Jet Facility wind tunnel at Delft University of Technology. After that, the teams headed to theScience of Making Torque Conferencein Delft, to present their business case.

The process of creating the prototype took more than a year from start to finish.

We began the design phase in the beginning of 2021 and the whole assembly was built in winter semester 2022, saysAshley Best, a third-year student in materials science and engineering who ismedia team lead for UTWind.

Our turbine is made from wood and 3D-printed plastics. A few parts were outsourced to our sponsoring machine shop, Protocase, but the majority of the fabrication was done in house by our team 3D printing, laser cutting, drill pressing, lathing, milling and assembly.

One of the things that set our team apart was our high coefficient of power, even when operating at very low wind speeds, says Suraj Bansal,UTWind co-president and technical adviser and a PhD candidate at UTIAS.

In addition, we had a very modular, low-cost and sustainable construction, as well as a self-starting wind-turbine design thanks to our active pitch control system. We are currently creating a mobile app to control and monitor the wind turbine performance right from our mobile devices.

UTWind is one of U of T Engineerings newest design teams, co-founded in January 2021 by Bansal and UTIAS alumnusBen Gibson.

I was a member of a similar wind turbine design team at the University of Manitoba, while Suraj had prior experience from his masters research work in the U.S. to design extreme-scale wind turbines, Gibson says.

We wanted to pass as much of that knowledge on as we could, while both having fun and pushing ourselves to the maximum. And so far, it has worked out great.

See the rest here:
U of T student team takes first place at International Small Wind Turbine Contest - University of Toronto

If norms exist in the Chinese Communist Party, perhaps Xi Jinping, the general secretary and de facto president of the Peoples Republic of China, has established one by attending the inauguration of incoming chief executives. He last came to Hong Kong five years ago when Carrie Lam took up the post.

But his visit, whose length did not match the three days of 2017, perhaps from a fear of Covid-19 or a need to concentrate on mitigating its economic and social consequences on the mainland, has deeper significance.

For Xi himself, it is an opportunity to bang the nationalist and patriotic drums in this important year when he intends to continue for a third term in the trinity of top party, army and state posts. This reminder to the Chinese people that the CCP ended the century of foreign humiliation, which began with the ceding of Hong Kong to Britain, portrays Xi as the embodiment of the CCPs success.

For others, the 25th anniversary is significant as a halfway milestone to 2047. Before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, Deng Xiaoping, then paramount leader of the PRC, had promised 50 years no change () as reassurance that his policy of one country, two systems would allow Hong Kongs freedoms to continue and remain different from those on the mainland.

So, where does Hong Kong stand 25 years after the handover?

The answer is not where the people of Hong Kong and the British government hoped back in 1997. At best Hong Kong experiences one country, one and a half systems. 50 years no change was always a way of papering over unresolved differences or worries. The hope was that, by 2047, the PRC would have changed, and thus the gap with the Hong Kong system would have narrowed. Indeed the CCP has changedfor the worseand the gap between past rhetoric and present reality has widened.

Every five years or so since 1997 the clash between Hong Kongs and Beijings interpretation of one country, two systems boiled over into protest. The issues were unsurprising: national security legislation (2003); national education (2012); electoral system (2014); and extradition arrangements, which then led to wider unrest (2019).

The wide scale demonstrations and street violence of 2019 convinced the CCP that its three red linesno harm to national security, no challenge to the central governments authority and the basic law, and no using Hong Kong as a base to undermine the PRChad been crossed. In essence, they embodied the fear that Hong Kongs protests and values might spill over into neighbouring Guangdong province and provoke unrest. The spear point of the CCPs response was the national security law, or NSL, which came into force on 1 July 2020. The NSL centred on four crimes: secession from the PRC, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Their definitions are elasticintentionallyand their enforcement ubiquitous. Currently, around 150 people are awaiting trial.

While maintaining the slogan of one country, two systems, the CCP has reached into its traditional playbook for ensuring control. No self-respecting and aspiring totalitarian regime can afford to ignore:

Among other signs of reduced differences between Hong Kong and the mainland, there have been increasing interference and self-censorship in the arts and culture, an expansion of technological surveillance, and a greater presence and powers to operate for mainland security forces.

Hong Kongs value to the PRC has been steadily diminishing. Its gross domestic product, once equivalent to over 18% of that of the mainland, is now under 3%. Its port and airport, while formidable, are matched by recently built facilities elsewhere in the south of the PRC. Shanghai, Shenzhen and other cities are increasingly important in meeting the PRCs financial needs.

Yet Hong Kong retains value for Beijing. While the CCP might be happy to see Shanghai and Shenzhen take over the ex-colonys financial role, there are impediments while the Chinese yuan, unlike the Hong Kong dollar, remains a non-convertible currency (and will for many years). Hong Kong has been a good place for Chinese companies to raise money. And it has proved useful for powerful CCP members as a safer place for their families and capital.

But Dengs phrase of 50 years without change still haunts. It implies change after 2047. The CCP has set itself the second centennial goal of becoming a strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious and modern socialist country by 2049, the centenary of its founding of the PRC. Translated from party-speak, this means that the PRC is to become the worlds primary superpower in an international order transformed to its advantage and values. It is surely inconceivable that a CCP so committed to a narrative of nationalism and superiority would be happy for Hong Kong to retain much more than the merest vestiges of one country, two systems. For the CCP, Hong Kong must become no different from any other mainland city, including a move away from the common law system to legal consistency with the mainland.

This absorbing of Hong Kong into the mainland is partly what lies behind Xis emphasis on the greater bay area plan, an intention to mould the 10 major cities of Guangdong province into an unrivalled economic and technological powerhouse. Hong Kongs identity, population and culture would be subsumed and diluted into insignificance within the 126 million people of the neighbouring province. It is no coincidence that in the 28 June Peoples Dailyarticleannouncing Xis visit, a large portion centres on Hong Kongs future in the greater bay area. As 2047 looms, the CCP may be indifferent to whether foreign companies stay in Hong Kong or move north: if they wish to do business in the PRC, they will need a presence in Hong Kong or the mainland.

Sometimes it is the smallest details which reveal the state of things. The mainland press has assured the world that the Hong Kong police detachment of honour will no longer march in its traditional British fashion but with a mainland goose step. Political slogans, never a feature in Hong Kong, have been floating on boats through Victoria Harbour. Outside the Hong Kong police headquarters two banners spread different messages. In Chinese, there is the disconcerting message about a threat as yet unseen in Hong Kong, Remember to report terrorists. The next victim could be you and in English, United we stand. One country, two audiences.

Continue reading here:
Xi's anniversary visit marks near-total CCP control of Hong Kong | The Strategist - The Strategist

No war and They are lying to you were not messages Russian viewers expected to see during a news bulletin on state-run television.

But that was exactly what happened when producer Marina Ovsyannikova stormed a live broadcast waving an anti-war poster shortly after Russias attack on Ukraine.

The atmosphere was terrible at Channel One at the beginning [of the war], said Ovsyannikova, who escaped criminal prosecution and later left Russia. We realized we were doing something wrong, that we had crossed a line.

Since the start of Russias invasion at the end of February, state-run television channels the main news source for roughly two-thirds of Russians have gone into overdrive to ensure that the Kremlins messaging reaches all across the country.

Former and current state journalists who spoke to The Moscow Times described more news shifts, longer hours and tightened restrictions in the four months since the war began.

Ovsyannikova was one of dozens of staff at state television channels who quit in the first weeks of the war, but this wave of resignations has since ground to a halt as channels offered better pay packages and imposed stricter broadcasting controls.

Since her public protest, Ovsyannikova has been attacked by journalists and public figures for both her previous work within the Kremlins propaganda machine and her pro-Kyiv comments, which some consider insincere.

For those still working in Russian state television, her case is far from inspiring.

When journalists are urged to quit [state-run media] and go to protests [I ask] okay, but whats next? Who will pay our loans and mortgages if we proudly leave our job? Moreover, I can honestly say that people look at Marina Ovsyannikovas case and how she is being endlessly criticized by everyone after quitting and they dont want to resign, said a Channel One employee who asked to remain unidentified for fear of losing her job.

Ovsyannikova herself believes many more state television employees would have quit if her protest and subsequent statements had enjoyed a more positive reception.

I think that 90% of state media employees dont support whats going on in Ukraine, Ovsyannikova told The Moscow Times. If there was an alternative, everyone would leave.

One reason to stay, however, was likely to have been pay increases introduced at several major television channels in the wake of the invasion.

Salaries for news journalists at state-run Channel One were raised 20% in June to help retain staff, the Channel One employee told The Moscow Times. Employees at state-run Rossiya 1 also got a pay raise, according to a Rossiya 1 journalist who spoke to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity.

Channel One and Rossiya 1 are the countrys two biggest television channels and have a combined audience of tens of millions.

I was thinking about quitting, but money was important. I hoped peace talks [between Russia and Ukraine] would achieve some results. Plus, our management talked to us, calmed us down, and said we should think about ourselves, the Rossiya 1 journalist said.

Since the start of the invasion, Russian state media has been faithfully relaying the Kremlin narrative that the war is meant to liberate Ukrainians from Nazis that it falsely claims are running the government in Kyiv.

Pundits and presenters on state television channels often use genocidal rhetoric, or mock evidence that Russian soldiers have carried out looting, and engaged in the rape and execution of Ukrainian civilians.

We are at war with Satanists, said one guest on a popular talk show earlier this month

The volume of such material and the corresponding amount of work expected from staff has increased since the start of the invasion when channels ramped up news coverage. Before the war, Channel One had a news bulletin every three hours they are now hourly.

Extra news coverage has also been required to fill airtime left after entertainment shows including Channel Ones popular talk show Vecherny Urgant (Evening Urgant) and dating program Davai Pozhenimsya (Let's Get Married) were suspended in February.

The number of news shifts and people who work [in the newsroom] has increased. Journalists are often asked to work extra shifts, said the Channel One employee.

The state TV journalists who spoke to The Moscow Times said they had been ordered to cite only official Russian sources and that the war in Ukraine must only be referenced on air using the Kremlins preferred term of a special military operation.

We cannot use Ukrainian sources, even official ones, said the Rossiya 1 journalist. The channel has a big meeting once a week and a daily morning meeting. Every day our management tells us how to cover certain events, or which stories we wont cover at all. Some instructions are also given during the day,

Natalia Peshkova quit her job as a documentary journalist at Channel One a month after the invasion in protest at the war and became a freelancer.

Many see it as a job that has to be done, she told The Moscow Times of the atmosphere in state media newsrooms. You cannot change anything or you dont have enough courage and motivation, so you adjust to the situation.

She recounted an incident after the start of the war when managers rejected a documentary film about Ukrainian history that her department had made. The bosses called them and yelled, accusing them of pacifism as if pacifism is a bad thing, she said.

Another wartime change at state-owned TV channels has been a tightening of control. In particular, programs are no longer broadcast live a measure to ensure that on-air protests, like that carried out by Ovsyannikova, cannot be repeated.

Channel One is currently using a broadcasting delay of up to 60 seconds, according to the journalist who works at the channel.

The Rossiya 1 journalist said that only employees who pass security checks are given access to live broadcasts and social media accounts another likely result of attempts to avoid a repeat of an Ovsyannikova-style protest.

The changes at state-owned television channels come as Russia has introduced new laws effectively criminalizing objective reporting, resulting in hundreds of independent journalists fleeing the country and the shuttering of major independent outlets.

At least 3,000 websites and independent media have been blocked or censored since the start of the fighting, according to online freedom organization Roskomsvoboda. Russia's ranking on the World Press Freedom Index fell last month to 155th out of 180 countries.

Many of the journalists working at state-owned TV channels are well aware of their role in broadcasting deliberate falsehoods and distorted narratives.

We understand what kind of picture we show and how it is made up, what subtext it has. Of course [state television] channels are deceiving people, said the Rossiya 1 journalist.

Ovsyannikova was despondent about the prospects for other staff at state media quitting because of the stigma now attached to working at such organizations.

For people who support [President Vladimir] Putin, they will always be traitors. For others, they will be former propagandists, she said.

See the original post here:
Pay Raises, More News and Tighter Control: Staff at Russian State TV Work Overtime Amid Ukraine War - The Moscow Times

Happy Monday, Illinois. The world has turned upside down since we connected Friday. Here are 18 ways America has been changed by the Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.

Illinois gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey delivers remarks after receiving an endorsement from Donald Trump during a Save America Rally at the Adams County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 25, 2022 in Mendon, Ill. | Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Watch for conservative Republican Darren Bailey to make a play to take over the Illinois GOP after tomorrows primary. Playbook hears that move could come as soon as Wednesday right after Baileys expected victory in the six-man race for the party's nod for governor.

Thomas DeVore, whos running for attorney general alongside Bailey, echoed the idea. "Whether or not Darren and I win the general election, if we can at least get control within our own party, I think long term we have an opportunity to be successful, DeVore told The New York Times.

MAGA moment: DeVore is referring to his and Bailey's conservative brand of politics that's upending the establishment GOPs efforts to take back the governors mansion.

ICYMI:Bailey was endorsed by President Donald Trump on Saturday during a Save America rally in Mendon.

Trumps stamp: Darren is a fearless supporter of the Second Amendment and a tireless champion of religious liberty, Trump said. He will crack down on the violent crime that is devouring our Democrat-run cities and restore the state of Illinois to greatness. Darren has my complete and total endorsement.

Spotted at the rally: Peggy Hubbard, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate. If she wins the GOP primary, shed be among more than 100 candidates across the country who embrace the false claim that Trump won the 2020 election, reports WBEZs Dave McKinney.

PRESIDENTIAL PLUG: Joe Biden endorsed veteran Rep. Danny Davis, whos facing Justice-Democrats-backed Kina Collins in the IL-06 primary.

In a statement yesterday, Biden called Davis "an effective leader and lawmaker deeply rooted in his community. He serves with passion and integrity."

A person familiar with Davis campaign says polling is on Davis side, but a boost from Biden cant hurt.

Sun-Times Lynn Sweet calls it: a proxy fight over the future of the Democratic party and the forces backing Collins wanting to pull it further left in part by defeating incumbent Democrats.

An important factor: Polls may show Davis in a comfortable spot for tomorrows primary, but with voter turnout expected to be low, no ones taking any chances.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, and her wife, Amy Eshleman, take part in the Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago on Sunday, June 26, 2022. | AP Photo/Jon Durr

DEMS WEEKEND NEWS: Democrats marched in the Pride Parade to show support for LGBTQ rights and to call attention to equality in wake of last weeks Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

We are on the agenda and on the menu for the right wing, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told reporters before the parade, warning that the SCOTUS ruling endangers LGBTQ rights. We have to be ready. Lightfoot marched with her wife, Amy Eshleman.

Pride Parades return amid worry and anger over Supreme Court decision on abortion, by Sun-Times Kaitlin Washburn

Illinois activists and legal scholars say abortion decision endangers LGBT rights and contraception, by Tribunes John Keilman and Madeline Buckley

SPOTTED AT THE PARADE: Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and Gov. JB Pritzker and first lady of Illinois MK Pritzker, who was wearing a dress designed by a friend and detailed with her husband's signature campaign sign. Pic!

Rep. Mary Miller, who joined former President Donald Trump at his rally in central Illinois on Saturday, June 25, 2022, took heat later for comments she made on stage. | Screen grab

FREUDIAN FLUB: Rep. Mary Miller drew backlash on social media and criticism from opponent Rep. Rodney Davis for a Freudian faux pas at a Saturdays central Illinois rally with former President Donald Trump.

White Heat: Miller called the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade a victory for white life. It appeared she stumbled over her words. (Instead of saying victory for life, she said victory for whitelife.)

None of it would have caused such a stir if it weren't for Miller citing Adolf Hitler in a January 2021 speech about the political indoctrination of children.

But Miller is in a bitter primary: Davis pounced, saying its part of a disturbing pattern of behavior she's displayed since coming to Congress. This is why she uses the Biden basement strategy and refuses to answer questions or hold public events.

Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Id like to hear from you: [emailprotected]

No official public events.

No official public events.

No official public events.

MAGA voters send a $50M GOP plan off the rails in Illinois: The primary race alone has drawn $100 million in TV advertising. Mr. Pritzker has spent more money on TV ads than anyone else running for any office in the country this year. Mr. Irvin ranks second, according to AdImpact, a media tracking firm, reports The New York Times Reid J. Epstein.

Dont call it a primary party: Pritzkers campaign is kicking off the general election with a party tomorrow night at the Marriott Marquis on the South Side. The states constitutional officers and Sen. Tammy Duckworth will take the stage

BY THE NUMBERS: Former Gov. and businessman Bruce Rauner has donated $200,000 to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to campaign reports filed Friday and analyzed by Florida Playbook's Gary Fineout. Rauner relocated to Florida after he lost his reelection campaign in 2018. His total level of support for DeSantis this cycle is $650,000.

State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz took heat over the weekend for posting a controversial image criticizing the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. The sketch portrayed the image of a pope pointing a pistol at Lady Liberty. The Chicago GOP was outraged and called for Feigenholtz to resign.

The posting of this disgusting cartoon has finally, but now openly exposed the deep contempt held by Senator Feigenholtz and her liberal woke colleagues toward not only the Catholic Church, but towards Christian religion in general, Chicago GOP Chairman Steve Boulton said in a statement.

In a statement to Playbook, Feigenholz said, Friday was an incredibly traumatic day not just for me but for women around the country in the aftermath of the SCOTUS decision to overturn a woman's right to choose. I posted an image that spoke to the moment and then later learned it offended people of faith. I immediately removed the post as I meant no ill will toward anyone who found it offensive, and am sorry. I have and will continue reaching out to friends and community members with the hope of healing.

Kellyanne Conway was in the hot seat during a Q&A with David Axelrod last week at an event at the University Club of Chicago. Conway acknowledged that Joe Biden was president but still questioned how fair the election was conducted in Pennsylvania. There was a tense back and forth before Axelrod moved on. Conway was in town promoting her book, Heres the Deal.

Speaking of Kellyanne: POLITICO's Joanna Weiss talked to psychoanalyst Jeanne Safer about Conways tumultuous marriage.

Jim Ryan and the death of the Illinois Republican moderate, by Derrick Blakley for Center for Illinois Politics

Pritzker calls special legislative session on reproductive rights as Roe decision reverberates through Illinois politics: One proposal under consideration would expand the ranks of medical professionals who are allowed to perform abortions in Illinois, by Tribunes Dan Petrella and Rick Pearson

What were hearing: Lawmakers could be called back in July.

Illinois-based Ulta pledges to help workers travel for abortions, by Crains Katherine Davis

From police raids to reproductive justice, abortion history in Illinois is long and bumpy, by WBEZs Natalie Moore

Mendoza, state leaders gathered in Cairo for updates on the Alexander-Cairo port project, by KFVS Colin Baillie

GREAT LAKES WATCH: Gov. JB Pritzker was awarded the changemaker award by the Council of the Great Lakes Region on Sunday. The organization is in town for a few days for the Great Lakes Economic Forum. Pritzker was introduced by former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman and Vicki Heyman, who are active in the organization. After Heymans introduction, Pritzker joked, I always wanted to be an ambassador. You get to keep the title for the rest of your life and they call you your excellency. Ive tried to get people to call me excellent for my whole life, he told the crowd, which laughed at the line. Though the bigger laugh came after Pritzker said, Just so you know, the weather is like this all year round.

Ballys hoping to file Chicago casino application with state this month; odds may be against June 2023 opening: Getting the permanent casino open by the first quarter of 2026 could be challenging as well, with ongoing opposition from neighbors and new questions about Tribune Publishings plans for its printing operations, by Tribunes Robert Channick.

World Business Chicago touts Illinois' abortion-rights bona fides to corporations, by Crains Trina Mannino

Chicago Park District vows to open some pools July 5 but wont say how many, by Sun-Times Fran Spielman.

Gig workers who rely on cars make changes as gas prices stay high: One strategy is staying in the Loop during peak hours to draw better tips, by Sun-Times Elvia Malagn

Citys speed cameras yield more tickets and controversy but drivers arent slowing down: A WBEZ analysis of Chicagos speed ticket data shows little safety benefit, even as the city rakes in more cash, by Michael Gerstein, Matt Kiefer and Charmaine Runes.

Former President Barack Obama visited the site of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Friday. His visit coincides with the one-year anniversary of the centers groundbreaking. President Obama toured the site with two key construction vendors working on the project, Junisa Brima from Turner Construction and Ron Lewis from Ujamaa Construction, both of whom work with Lakeside Alliance, the overall construction company for the Center, the foundation said in a statement.

Topless sunbathing at Evanston beaches? Prohibition of public nudity ordinance in city could be changing, by Pioneer Press Alex Hulvalchick

Lombard couple featured in new Food Network series 'Me or the Menu, by Daily Heralds Scott Morgan

Former Dixmoor police commander convicted in assault on grandmother, by Tribunes Megan Crepeau

Federal judge throws out lawsuit alleging required signage on Illinois gas tax freeze violates free speech, by Tribunes Jeremy Gorner

Fox News' Gianno Caldwells younger brother killed in Chicago shooting, via Fox 32

Democrats are looking for a weed deal: As this Congress enters its final months, lawmakers warm to the idea of cannabis banking plus, by POLITICOs Natalie Fertig.

We asked which candidates have knocked at your door: Capitol Edge Consultings Kristin Rubbelke: Both Sharon Chung and Karla Bailey Smith (Democrats running in the 91st House District primary). Thats pretty good for Bloomington. Timothy Thomas Jr.: I was a freshman on campus at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1980 when Congressman Tim Johnson knocked on my dorm room door in the run-up of the November general election. He actually came into my room and we chatted for about 10 minutes. Although he was a Republican and I was not going to change my voting address from Chicago, I always followed his career and was saddened by his passing last month.... Nancy Shepherdson: Nabeela Syed, running for District 51 state rep in the Northwest suburbs.

Whats your Election Day tradition? Email [emailprotected]

The Supreme Court has chipped away at the Voting Rights Act for 9 years. This case could be the next blow, by POLITICOs Zach Montellaro

Trump fatigue sets in: Some donors are getting sick of the sh--show, by POLITICOs Meridith McGraw and Matt Dixon

The dog that caught the car: Republicans brace for the impact of reversing Roe, by POLITICOs David Siders

In states that allow abortion for rape and incest, finding a doctor may prove impossible, by POLITICOs Megan Messerly

Samuel Alito, Andrew Jackson, slavery and states rights, by Heather Cox Richardson

Kristopher J. Anderson, external affairs VP for the Chicago Association of Realtors, and Ebony N. Scott, executive director of the Spark nonprofit, married Friday in a small ceremony with family and friends at Gibsons Steakhouse. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough officiated. The afterparty was at Vu Rooftop. Among the guests: Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Ald. Jason Ervin, state Rep. Marcus Evans and Deloittes Mary Miro. Pix!

Wayne Whalen, wide-ranging lawyer and political adviser, dies at 82: He had his hand in the election of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, the writing of the Illinois Constitution and numerous other matters, by Crains Steven R. Strahler.

Michael Stephen Kanne, a 7th Circuit Court judge, died earlier this month. His funeral is this week.

FRIDAYs ANSWER: Congrats to Rey Nonato for correctly answering that traveling salesman Aaron Montgomery Ward started the world's first mail-order business in 1872. Montgomery Wards warehouse was located at Chicago Avenue and the north branch of the Chicago River now condos and commercial and headquarters of Groupon.

TODAYs QUESTION: Who was the first Asian American elected alderman in Chicago? Email [emailprotected]

State Rep. David Welter, former state senator and Kenya U.S. Ambassador Kyle McCarter, The Inland Real Estate Groups senior VP Dan Wagner, tech investor and political donor Howard Tulman, former Illinois Supreme Court candidate Daniel Epstein, Accountable Tech co-founder Jesse Lehrich, PR pro Karrie Leung, PR pro Melissa Skoog, marketing pro Sarah Habansky, and Cor Strategies marketing guru Bill Pohlman.

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