Illinois Utility Oversight: Peoples Gas cut its proposed Illinois rate hike by 30% (about $58M) to target $7–$8 more per month for households, but watchdogs say it still hides executive bonuses, inflated profits, and waste tied to the pipe-retirement plan. Public Health: Illinois reported 216 cyclosporiasis cases, with 18 hospitalized; officials say many infections followed travel and point to produce as a likely driver while investigators still haven’t pinned down a single source. AI in Schools: The Illinois State Board of Education released a 409-page AI guidance for K-12, including a disclosure that some content was drafted with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Biometric Tech & Rights: A legal analysis warns that AI smart glasses collecting face and voice identifiers could trigger Illinois biometric-law duties around disclosure and consent, with penalties for noncompliance. Nuclear Tech: INL, UIUC, and Purdue demonstrated remote, real-time autonomous control of Purdue’s research reactor using a digital control loop and reinforcement learning, with safety systems staying in charge. Privacy in Policing: LAPD is renegotiating its Flock Safety automatic license plate reader partnership after privacy and civil-liberties concerns. Energy & Research Infrastructure: DOE extended its contract to keep UChicago Argonne managing Argonne National Laboratory. Climate/Health Risk: Canadian wildfire smoke and extreme heat are driving air-quality alerts across the Midwest and Northeast, with Chicago-area conditions worsening.