Dinosaur

Ahead of Saturday's Sept. 5 season-opening football matchup between the University of New Hampshire and Syracuse University, local officials have made a lighthearted interstate bet. Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig, an alumnus of both schools, pledged a jug of New Hampshire maple syrup should the Wildcats lose. Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens, also an SU alumna, countered with a taste of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, the city's well-known barbecue restaurant, if the Orange fall short.

Both officials framed the wager as a fun way to showcase civic pride ahead of kickoff, set for noon Saturday. Owens said she's looking forward to a competitive game and, ideally, some maple syrup afterward, while Selig noted his Durham loyalties will back UNH for the day despite his ties to both universities.

While the game itself carries no direct prediction market stakes, such civic wagers often accompany college football matchups and highlight local enthusiasm surrounding the sport as the season begins.

Illinois Democrats gathered at the state fair in Springfield for their annual Democrats' Day, with Gov. JB Pritzker, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren delivering anti-Trump speeches while downplaying ideological rifts roiling the national party. Warren praised Senate candidate Juliana Stratton for standing up to AIPAC and corporate PACs, touching on divisions over Israel-Gaza policy and campaign finance that have proven more combustible elsewhere. But the celebratory tone was clouded by House Speaker Chris Welch's handling of a sexual harassment scandal involving former Rep. Harry Benton, and the recent indictment of Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband on fraud charges. Welch skipped the main event; three House Democrats have refused to join his working group on the harassment issue, calling its formation flawed.

A day later, Republicans held their own fairground rally, with Gov. candidate Darren Bailey and running mate Aaron Del Mar attacking Pritzker over cost of living, public safety and schools while avoiding mention of Trump. Senate candidate Don Tracy branded Stratton and Democratic Socialist allies as extreme, and House GOP leader Tony McCombie renewed criticism of Welch. Separately, the DNC narrowed its 2028 convention host shortlist to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, excluding Chicago, which hosted in 2024 and remains in contention for 2032. Pritzker's campaign also launched a TV ad branding Bailey as extreme ahead of November.