<h3>Good morning, Chicago. ✶</h3><p>🔎 <b>Below</b>: When Emanuel "Chris" Welch became&nbsp;Illinois House Speaker, a women's group and a fellow state representative called for an investigation into domestic violence and sexual harassment accusations against him. Five years later, one person says, "I don't think it was ever spoken of again."</p><p>🗞️ <b>Plus</b>: A new state law hides hospital finances, a century-old movie theater prepares to reopen and more news you need to know.</p><p>📝&nbsp;<b>Keeping score</b>:&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-j/" target="_blank" >The Cubs beat the Cardinals</a>, 10-2;&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-t/" target="_blank" >the White Sox fell to the Yankees</a>, 3-2.</p><p>📧 <b>Subscribe</b>: <a class="Link" href="https://newsletter-hub.suntimes.com/" target="_blank" ><i>Get our morning newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.</i></a></p><p>⏱️:&nbsp;<i>An 8-minute read</i></p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S WEATHER ☀️</h4><h4></h4><p>Sunny with a high near 81.</p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎</h4><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-4f0000" name="image-4f0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/24eae5e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bca903f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82a96fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="Illinois House Speaker Emanuel &quot;Chris&quot; Welch, a Hillside Democrat, shown in 2021 shortly after he was elevated to the powerful post." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82a96fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/394afbf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82a96fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4960x2784+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2F16%2Fe91084e74bc09920f9142d624867%2Fasianhistory-071021-06.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h3><a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-h/" target="_blank" >As Welch navigates new crisis, old scandal remains unresolved</a></h3><p></p><h5>Reporting by <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-k/" target="_blank" >Robert Herguth</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-u/" target="_blank" >Mitchell Armentrout</a></h5><p><b>Previous claims</b>:&nbsp;When Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch was first elected to the powerful legislative position in 2021, the National Organization for Women's Chicago chapter raised concerns over accusations that he had engaged in domestic violence and sexual harassment years earlier, saying the accusations were serious enough to warrant an investigation.</p><p><b>Unresolved crisis</b>: Five years later, as new questions emerge about whether Welch slow-walked sexual harassment accusations against now-former&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wudhdlk-l-o/" target="_blank" >state Rep.