Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and last night I heard the cicadas, aka the swan song of the summer. What gives? Didn’t the summer just start? We really need a customer service line for this reality. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. More abortion providers head to Illinois’ border

Planned Parenthood of Illinois and its counterpart in Wisconsin today announced a partnership that could be a model for proponents of reproductive rights in states where abortion is banned or heavily restricted.

The partnership is aimed at providing more services in Illinois as concerns grow that clinics will not be able to accommodate as many as 30,000 out-of-state patients each year.

Planned Parenthood providers from Wisconsin have begun working out of Waukegan, just south of the state line. And the organization says a majority of its team in Wisconsin are now traveling to Waukegan to work.

Illinois is surrounded by states where abortion is banned or severely restricted. Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said she anticipates more providers, especially in the Midwest, will reach out about similar partnerships. [WBEZ]

2. The feds sued the Chicago Cubs over alleged disability law violations at Wrigley Field

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago today accused the Chicago Cubs of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in renovations at Wrigley Field.

“The lawsuit alleges that, amid the renovation of the century-old ballpark, the Cubs failed to provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines compared to standing patrons, or incorporate wheelchair seating in new premium club and group seating areas,” reports my colleague Jon Seidel at the Chicago Sun-Times.

According to the lawsuit, the Cubs “removed the best wheelchair seating in the stadium” and “failed to incorporate wheelchair seating into new premium clubs and group seating areas.”

In response, the Cubs released a statement saying the team hopes the case “can be resolved amicably, but we will defend Wrigley Field and our position it meets accessibility requirements for fans.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Willie Wilson’s plan for curbing violent crime includes eliminating rules over police chases

Mayoral candidate Willie Wilson this week outlined his plan for addressing the city’s violence and vowed to “take the handcuffs” off Chicago police officers, reports veteran City Hall reporter Fran Spielman at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Among Wilson’s proposals was removing measures that determine when officers can and cannot chase suspects, either on foot or in vehicles.

“We’ve put too many restrictions on our police officers,” Wilson said. “And the people who commit these crimes got us all scared. We have to take some of these restrictions off.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

Wilson’s call to remove those measures comes just three weeks after the Chicago Police Department announced new foot chase rules, which were crafted in response to the fatal police shootings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez.

Those rules do not prevent an officer from chasing a suspect if “there is a valid need to detain the person” that “outweighs the threat to safety posed by pursuit.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. The many problems facing Chicago’s longest-serving alderman

Political observers are wondering if Ald. Edward Burke, who has represented parts of the Southwest Side since 1969, is approaching the end of the line.

In an interview published today in the Chicago Sun-Times, Burke’s brother urged him to retire instead of running in next year’s election.

“I hope he does what is best for them as a family: To take care of his health number one. To engage with his grandchildren,” said former state Rep. Dan Burke.

Once a major player in Chicago politics, Edward Burke’s influence plummeted after the feds accused him of abusing his office to enrich himself.

And should Burke decide to run for a record 15th term, he must do so in a newly redrawn ward that no longer includes a key neighborhood that supported him. That could open the door to a formidable challenger, like state Rep. Aaron Ortiz, a protégé of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Local astronomers will get to use the James Webb Space Telescope

How cool is this? Several astronomers with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago have scored coveted time with the James Webb Space Telescope.

“It’s just fantastic. It’s the moment of a lifetime, the moment of my professional career to use the telescope and analyze the data,” University of Chicago astronomy professor Jacob Bean tells the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bean is co-leading a team of about 150 scientists who are in the process of receiving data from the telescope that will shed light on exoplanets, or planets that orbit stars outside of Earth’s solar system. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Former President Donald Trump may announce a 2024 bid in the fall, right before the midterm elections, reports The Washington Post. [WaPo]
• Stocks slid today amid concerns that the Federal Reserve will take more aggressive steps to stamp out inflation. [AP]
• Animal rescue groups across the nation are banding together to help 4,000 beagles. [NPR]
• Chicago will be home to a new candy lab. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

In what sounds like the opening scene in an alien invasion movie, astronomers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have picked up radio signals from a galaxy billions of light-years from Earth.

Cue up the music.

As NPR reports: “Scientists have not been able to pinpoint the exact location of the radio waves yet, but suspect the source could be neutron stars, which are made from collapsed cores of giant stars.” [NPR]

Uh huh, neutron stars. Famous last words, folks. I’ll see y’all in the bunker with a can of beans. If only we had a superpowered telescope, perhaps one that gives us a deeper view of space and time, and aimed it in the direction of the radio signals.

Tell me something good …

What was an act of kindness that really lifted your spirits?

Ryan Dickerson writes:

“My partner and I went to see Rufus Wainwright perform Judy Garland songs to celebrate our 10-year anniversary at the Chicago City Winery last month.

“At the winery you always get seated at a table with total strangers, so I was curious who we would end up with. Luckily for us, our table mate was a nice woman who ended up getting ditched and going alone.

“We warmly invited her to have fun with us, and after the show she bought us a bottle of wine signed by Rufus! We were blown away by her kindness and glad we could make her show experience more fun. Shout out to Shayla! She was an excellent table mate/new show friend.”

Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.