📜 Inside Illinois’ latest laws

Miss These New Illinois Laws?

Gov. JB Pritzker quietly signed tons of bills into law this week: throwing lifelines to transit agencies, allowing DACA recipients to be hired as police officers, and outlawing using Zoom while driving. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Imagining Citywide Participatory Budgeting

Chicago brought the process to the U.S. in 2009, where alders invite constituents to help allocate discretionary funds on ward-level projects. But some advocates are frustrated that participatory budgeting hasn’t expanded — like to the city’s $16 billion budget. [WBEZ]

• Which wards do participatory budgeting? [Hey Chicago 💻]

Lollapalooza Survival Guide

Wondering which headliners to see and what you're allowed to bring into the downtown fest? Bookmark this guide. [Tribune 🔒]

• Not going this year? Don’t worry, the Grant Park fest will be back for many years thanks to a contract extension negotiated in secret. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

This Week’s Must-Listen

Anyone else’s heart melted when they heard how a new Southwest Side dog park is already bringing neighbors together? The power of puppies 😭 [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

🔺 = Sid’s picks

🔺 Humboldt Park, Pilsen Back-to-School Parties 🎒 Friday | Varies

Union League Boys & Girls Clubs will give out school supplies and celebrate summer with food and games at the Barreto Club and Club One. [Free]

North Park Japanese Picnic 🧺 Saturday | 11 a.m.

The city’s Japanese community and friends are invited to LaBagh Woods for roast pig, hamburgers, karaoke, tug-of-war, and more. BYOB! [Free]

🔺 Marquette Park Taste🍴 Saturday | Noon to 8 p.m.

Head to the last Taste of Chicago pop-up for Senegalese food, tacos, custard, and more. Don’t miss live music or dance lessons. [Free entry]

🔺 Bronzeville Jazz 🎺 Saturday | Noon to 8:30 p.m.

Celebrate the neighborhood’s history of jazz and blues with a lineup curated by music producer Frank Goss III. [Free]

Soldier Field Bears Fest 🏈 Sunday | 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Catch the team’s first practice in the city at the annual family fest. [$13+]

South Burbs Mountain Bike 🚵 Sunday | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Watch mountain bikers of all ages and abilities race in the Palos Meltdown. [Free for spectators]

West Town Dance in the Streets 💃 All Weekend | Varies

Listen to multiple sets while sipping on a beer in the Chicago Brewing District. Grab bites from nearby restaurants and food trucks. [Suggested donation]

Thirsty Ears Fest in Ravenswood 🎵 All Weekend | Varies

Listen to classical music like Beethoven and Reich at this street fest. [Suggested donation]

🔺 Cat Video Fest in Lakeview 🐱 All Weekend | Varies

Check out a compilation of popular cat videos at the Music Box Theatre. [$12; 10% of proceeds go to Red Door Animal Shelter]

After hearing co-workers in other cities talk about whether they were part of the Midwest, Hey Chicago readers came out to give us all a passionate geography lesson.

Are Denver and Pittsburgh Part of the Midwest?

Annie A.: “Denver is more West Coast with weed and mountain culture. Pittsburgh is New England: It's north of the Carolinas and one of the original 13 colonies. Come and fight me.”

Logan S.: “If you can see mountains, you’re not in the Midwest. Pittsburgh is maybe Midwestern because they don’t have an East Coast attitude and are an industrial city like Chicago and St. Louis.”

Paola I.: “Chicago and Pittsburgh are Great Lakes cities.”

Sarah H.: “I consider Denver a hybrid of the West and Midwest.”

David P.: “Pittsburgh is definitely Midwestern. It is a city of neighborhoods, and has the same vibe as Chicago and Cleveland to me.”

Megan H.: “Pittsburgh is solidly in Appalachia, even if they don't want to be.”

Elizabeth W.: “The Midwest has corn fields, farmers, dairy, four seasons, flat land, some wholesomeness, and a Midwestern twang. Pittsburgh is East Coast. Denver is ‘out west’ if it doesn't want to be West Coast.“

Yasha H.: “We have a region called the Mountain West, and being situated where it is, Denver is indisputably part of that.”

Nathalie R.: “Having lived in both places in addition to Chicago, Denver is not Midwestern but Pittsburgh arguably is! The whole Rust Belt feels more culturally Upper Midwestern than anything else.”

PSA

Lynn S.: Continue International Friendship Day celebrations, and join Girl Gone International, a community connecting women who live and travel abroad or return home. Help them hit 1K members!

Northwestern Lawsuits Cont.

Crain’s Leigh Giangreco and Illinois Answers Project’s Alex Nitkin discuss how Northwestern University has struggled to manage the fallout from the hazing scandal rocking its athletic department, a virus affecting Chicago’s bunnies, and nearby camping getaways.