⚖️ It's Monday. On this day in 2010, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted of lying to the FBI, the sole guilty verdict in his first corruption trial. He was retried and convicted on 17 more counts the following year.

Today's weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 74.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Alexis Finnander, Michael Krass and Kristian Desch!

Today's newsletter is 1,098 words — a 4-minute read.

Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey wants to make the state’s toll roads free, reviving a decades-old promise that’s much easier said than financed.

Why it matters: Eliminating tolls would upend a transportation funding system lawmakers just expanded.

Zoom in: Bailey put forth a four-point plan that would roll back Pritzker-era toll hikes, replace Illinois Tollway leadership, stop new borrowing and pay down more than $7 billion in existing debt.

What they're saying: "The money the state is spending on Mass Transit in Chicagoland could be used to maintain existing toll roads," A Bailey campaign spokesperson tells Axios.

Driving the news: Bailey's campaign promise comes less than a year after lawmakers approved a sweeping transportation package that called for raising passenger tolls by 45 cents and commercial tolls by 30% beginning in 2027.

• The toll increases would be the biggest in Illinois history.

Reality check: The Illinois Tollway is currently designed to pay for itself. Eliminating tolls would therefore shift the cost of the multibillion-dollar transportation system from tollway users to taxpayers or another revenue source.

Flashback: Bailey does have history on his side. When Illinois created the State Toll Highway Commission in 1953, the basic financing concept was to borrow money through revenue bonds to build the system and use tolls to pay it back. Once the bonds were paid off, the roads were supposed to become free — hence the slogan “Free by ’73.”

• Lawmakers reorganized the commission into the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in 1968 and abandoned the expectation that the roads would eventually become free.

The bottom line: Bailey says Illinois can afford free toll roads by spending less on Chicago-area mass transit. Whether that math adds up is another question.

Go deeper

This month's Axios Chicago tournament is about the best-looking houses of worship in the Chicago area.

Between the lines: We're not talking faith. We're talking architecture.

Why it matters: Chicago’s neighborhoods are dotted with spectacular churches, synagogues, temples and other houses of worship — giving us plenty of architectural gems to choose from.

How it works: We’ve narrowed the field to 16 standouts. Each day, you'll vote on head-to-head matchups, and we'll crown a winner Friday!

Note: We're focusing on exteriors, not interiors.

Vote here! We'll keep the first round polls open until about 4pm.

🏛️ Mayor Brandon Johnson walked off the stage and left amid shouting at a Saturday event protesting the $9 billion Quantum Shore development on the Southeast Side. (CBS)

💰 South suburban leaders are pressing for federal storm aid after Trump approved emergency assistance for neighboring Indiana. (ABC 7)

🗳️ The Chicago School Board voted to put a millionaire's tax referendum on the November ballot. (Block Club)

🌳 Residents are pushing for better tracking after pesticides were found to have drifted into local schools and parks. (Tribune)

⚾️ Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson will head to the injured list with an oblique injury as the Cubs host the White Sox for three games at Wrigley Field starting tonight. (ESPN)

Despite our national reputation for deep dish, we all know square-cut, thin-crust pizza reigns supreme at bowling parties, union meetings and easy dinners.

• But where do you find the best? We're fighting about it this week.

🦊 Monica's pick: I recently had a fantastic tavern pie at Zarella's Pizzeria & Taverna in River North, but Caleb Williams has already called dibs, and I don't wanna look like a copycat.

• Instead, I got foxy with a pie from the 62-year-old South Side institution Fox's Beverly Pizza Pub, where the cooks bake the sheet-rolled dough on coarse cornmeal and top it with tangy sauce, gooey cheese and juicy, fennelly sausage. 😘 I got a large for $25.59.

🤤 Justin's Pick: Anyone who knows me knows I can't take my mind off Pizz'amici in West Town. But I've written extensively about them, so instead I'll go with my family favorite: D'Agostino's.

• It reminds me of all the pizzas of my youth, and they've fed me well for many months of my (relatively) young life.
• Cheese. Sausage. Repeat. 16-inch, $21.95.
• I go to the location in West Town now, but the granddaddy is on Southport by Wrigley.

🍻 Carrie's Pick: It's difficult for me to rank any pizza above my childhood fav — Capri in Rockford. Dip it in their signature olive dressing. You know what? I'm already on I-90.

• Keeping it closer to home, I'm going with a 14-inch veggie from Michael's in Buena Park, with mushrooms, hot giardiniera and green peppers. ($22.30)
• It's cracker-style, topped with a slightly sweet, fennel-forward sauce.
• I have fond memories of eating Michael's with friends, usually alongside cheap pitchers of beer. These days, I'm more of a one-beer gal, but the pizza still hits just right.

📫 What's your favorite thin-crust? Reply to this email and we'll compile the list for a future newsletter.

Share our picks

Axios Social Club is our new way to bring the Axios community offline — over good food, good conversation and a night out with people you might never have met otherwise.

How it works: Take a quick personality quiz, and we'll match you with five compatible locals and a table at one of our favorite local restaurants.

The fun part: You won't find out your restaurant or dinner crew until the day of the event.

• After dinner, everyone gets the location of a surprise afterparty.

If you go: Our first dinner is Aug. 25 at 6:30pm in Logan Square.

• Tickets are $15.99 per person.
• Food and drinks are purchased separately.

Pull up a chair.

Edited by Larry Graham.

🤠 Carrie is wondering if she should buy tickets to line dance this Wednesday. Looks fun, right?

🏈 Justin knows it was just a preseason game, but it was still nice to see the Bears win big Saturday. He's a little concerned about Xavier Woods' injury, especially since Woods was brought in after Coby Bryant went down.

🏥 Monica is so grateful for the swarm of mosquito bite remedies from readers. She's trying some out and reporting back on Wednesday.

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