* The Senate has passed legislation to regulate AI companies…

The Illinois Senate votes 52-5 to approve a framework for regulating large artificial intelligence companies. It largely aligns with state-level frontier AI guardrails approved in California and New York. Goes to the House. https://t.co/eDlUvWC8gN

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) May 21, 2026

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* The Atlantic…

In early april, shortly after Markwayne Mullin took over the Department of Homeland Security, he floated an idea on Fox News that wasn’t taken seriously; it sounded, in fact, like a proposal from someone very new on the job: Mullin threatened to cut federal screening of international passengers and cargo at airports in cities with “sanctuary” policies, which limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Such a move would trigger flight cancellations to airports in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major cities and force airlines to reroute to other destinations. Mullin’s proposal seemed more like a wild swing than a real plan.

The new secretary is pushing forward anyway. Last Wednesday, Mullin convened a small group of airline and travel-industry executives at DHS headquarters in Washington and told them he may reduce Customs and Border Protection staffing at major airports that serve sanctuary jurisdictions. Mullin told the executives the locations could include Portland International Airport, in Oregon; New York City–area airports such as John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport; and Washington Dulles International Airport, according to two people with knowledge of the discussion who were not authorized to speak publicly. Mullin did not indicate when DHS would begin the pullback, but it would likely occur sometime after the United States finishes hosting the World Cup in July, the two people told me. […]

DHS declined to respond to questions about Mullin’s meeting with the travel executives, instead pointing me to his interview with Fox News six weeks ago. One senior administration official told me no decision on the airport plan has been made, but DHS is looking at several ways to gain more leverage over sanctuary cities. Those options could include curbing federal benefits programs for legal immigrants through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, such as green-card processing or citizenship naturalizations. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the internal discussions, said those options remain preliminary.

*** Statewide ***

* IDES | Payroll Jobs Up, Unemployment Rate Stable in April: Total nonfarm payrolls increased over-the-month in April, up +11,400 (+0.2%) to 6,158,800. The March monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +8,400 to +10,300. The April payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs increases included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+4,600), Leisure and Hospitality (+3,300), and Private Education and Health Services (+3,100). The sectors with over-the-month jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-2,400), Financial Activities (-1,400), and Government (-200).

* WSIL | Construction pauses on Illinois roads for holiday weekend: The Illinois Department of Transportation announced lanes closed for construction will reopen where possible for the Memorial Day weekend to minimize travel disruption. Non-emergency closures will be suspended from 3 p.m. Friday, May 22, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 25. Some lane closures will remain in place during the holiday weekend. Drivers can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through these areas.

* Injustice Watch | DHS placed a comedian on law enforcement’s radar. Illinois spread the word: The subject of the alert, known as a BOLO, was Ben Palmer, a Nashville-based stand-up comedian and prankster who created a parody anti-immigration tip website. His revealing videos of calls with members of the public who thought they were reporting immigrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have garnered millions of views on TikTok and YouTube. […] The BOLO, obtained by Injustice Watch through a public records request, was then shared by the Illinois State Police to a distribution list of state and local law enforcement agencies. It was not immediately clear how many other law enforcement departments around the US may also have shared the federal alert.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Mendoza wants lawmakers to restrict use of TIF funds: House Bill 4712 would prohibit distributing more than 5% of surplus funds from a TIF district to the local governments that levy property taxes in that area. The surplus funds would only be allowed to be distributed once every 10 years, rather than each year as current law allows. If a TIF district is extended beyond its 23-year expiration date, no surplus funds would be allowed to be distributed until it expires.

* Press release | Guzmán pushes to disconnect adult education from federal rules: State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill to disconnect Illinois adult education funding from federal rules passed the Senate Thursday. “Adult education programs need to be seen as necessary, not optional,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Education institutions continue to be pressured by the Trump administration and Illinois needs to stand up for its adult learners.” The measure comes as the Trump administration continues to threaten education funding and demand an unprecedented role in university admission, curriculum and operations. Without action from the state, federal threats to education programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act could limit Illinois residents’ access to higher education and key adult education programs.

* WAND | ‘Whose side are you on?’: Rideshare drivers rally for change at IL State Capitol: Drivers called for the passage of the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Relations Act. The law would allow Uber and Lyft drivers to form a union and bargain with app-based companies for things like pay, insurance, paid leave and safety mandates. […] “Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of workers, or are you on the side of big tech and big corporations who are making millions of dollars off of those workers?” said Illinois Drivers Alliance Leader Genie Kastrup.

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois lawmakers considering ban on guns like Glocks: The House Gun Violence Prevention Committee voted 9-5 along party lines on Wednesday to pass House Bill 4471, which seeks to ban the sale of any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar in Illinois. Supporters say that design can be altered to install an already illegal switch, ultimately turning the pistol into a machine gun. John Weber, the Illinois director of the National Rifle Association, said banning that design would ban Glocks from being sold in Illinois. But like the state’s ban on assault weapons, it would not apply to people who currently own that type of gun.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Amid power struggle with Brandon Johnson, CHA’s Matthew Brewer weighs running for mayor: Matthew Brewer, the Chicago Housing Authority’s operating chair who is embroiled in a power struggle with Mayor Brandon Johnson, is seriously considering entering the race for mayor. Three prominent business leaders who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Brewer has been meeting with influential members of Chicago’s business community for weeks in an attempt to sell himself as a difference-maker with a compelling personal story. That includes one-on-one meetings and appearances before the board of “One Future Illinois.”

* Crain’s | Controversial Fulton Market high-rise project delayed after park plan hits snag: But sources close to the matter said the proposal was held in committee because Domus has not completed its purchase of a nearby parcel at 1240 W. Carroll Ave. for a park — a transaction its attorney told the committee had already occurred. The promise of privately funded, publicly accessible green space on that site is a key reason new 27th Ward Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett threw his support behind Domus’ project, which would break from the zoning rules that have governed Fulton Market development over the past decade.

* Crain’s | Chicago quantum players share in $2B federal outlay: Two companies that plan to build quantum computers at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park will receive $100 million each from the federal government. PsiQuantum, the anchor tenant of the research park being built on the former U.S. Steel South Works foundry along Lake Michigan, will receive funding to help build out several key technologies needed for its quantum computers, including higher-performance optical switches, high-temperature single-photon detectors and advanced-packaging approaches.

* Block Club | Rogers Park Affordable Apartments, West Ridge Dispensary Approved By City Council: The City Council on Wednesday paved the way for a new affordable apartment complex in Rogers Park and a dispensary in West Ridge. The projects were approved during the council’s Wednesday meeting after getting greenlit earlier this month by the city’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards.

* Block Club | Good News For Gardeners: Native Plants On Parkways Can Grow To 36 Inches Under New City Rule: The City Council approved a rule change Wednesday that allows gardeners to grow native plants that are up to 36 inches tall on parkways. Previously, such plants could only be up to 10 inches high or gardeners risked being fined. The ordinance was introduced by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who said he noticed that a change was needed while participating in the Sheffield Neighborhood Association’s annual garden walk.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ‘I’ve been effectively silenced’: Two Batavia school board members abruptly resign: Raising concerns of being silenced and a lack of transparency, two Batavia Unit District 101 board members have abruptly resigned. Board members Danielle Sligar and Katy Swiecicki argued that district leaders have been unresponsive to parent and student concerns and have stifled their own attempts at facilitating meaningful change. Sligar and Swiecicki announced their resignations during Tuesday’s board meeting.

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board votes 12-8 to approve sprawling Pride of the Prairie solar farm: Will County Board members closed the book Thursday on months of debate and approved Earthrise Energy’s plans for a 6,100-acre solar farm that will stretch across 45 miles in Green Garden, Wilton and Manhattan townships. The 12-8 vote approving the massive solar farm was split largely along party lines, with board member Mark Revis being the only Republican to vote for the project. Republican board member Raquel Mitchell was absent and board member David Oxley, also a Republican, excused himself from the vote, citing a conflict of interest.

* Daily Herald | Drinks to go? Arlington Heights could allow patrons to sip and stroll this summer: Village officials could launch a pilot program in the coming months for a so-called “social district,” which would allow people to consume alcoholic beverages from participating and licensed establishments within the boundaries of the Arlington Alfresco outdoor dining zone. That would allow them to stroll up and down Vail Avenue and Campbell Street with a cocktail — so long as they don’t leave the designated Alfresco area with a roadie in hand.

* Daily Southtown | Lemont competitive cheerleaders continue winning streak with world championship: Lemont High School has won a state-best eight first-place trophies in Illinois High School Association competition and brought home a state-record 16 top-3 trophies in all. Starting with the 2018 season, Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont won seven Illinois Elementary School Association state titles. Now add to that treasure trove of awards. Some of the athletes from those schools have participated for the USA Cheer National Youth All Girls Team and Youth Coed teams in the International Cheer Union’s World Championships in recent years. And they joined forces with athletes from all over the country to win at least one gold medal a year since 2019.

* Daily Herald | Carvana expanding activity, jobs at ADESA wholesale auto auction site in Hoffman Estates: The company is already hiring for skilled, entry-level jobs that include comprehensive benefits and require no college degree. “Bringing IRC capabilities to ADESA Chicago strengthens the speed and efficiency of our national network while deepening our presence in the Midwest,” Brian Boyd, Carvana’s senior vice president of inventory said in a statement. “We’re proud to continue growing our local team while improving selection and delivery times for Chicago retail customers and expanding the capabilities we offer our wholesale partners across the region.”

*** Downstate ***

* KFVS | Community discusses potential data center coming to Grand Tower power plant site: We spoke with organizer Scott Allen, who shared why this discussion is so critical. “I wanna make sure that people understand that a lot of this is speculative at this point,” Allen said. “And there are things that we can do at the local level and at the state level to at least ensure that we get guardrails to make sure that all of us as utility consumers or community members are protected.”

* NPR Illinois | UIS adds four electric vehicle charging ports in partnership with City Water, Light and Power: UIS’ first charging stations are in Lot I North near The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) with four reserved parking spots. Each has a 240-volt Level 2 charger that delivers 25–35 miles of range per hour. Charging costs will be set by CWLP. “This partnership reflects UIS’ commitment to providing sustainable options that support our students, employees and visitors,” said UIS Chancellor Janet L. Gooch. “By working with CWLP and the City of Springfield, we are making it easier for our community to access cleaner transportation technology.”

* IPM News | Contentious housing project in Urbana divides city council members, residents: City staff said the development’s proximity to the creek would present architectural challenges, but it could also support an expansion of a pedestrian pathway along the waterway. “This site is uniquely positioned to provide a catalyst for Boneyard Creek activation in downtown Urbana,” said Urbana Principal Planner Evan Alvarez. Residents filled the city council chambers as they came out to voice support or opposition to the project. Officials voted 3-to-2 for the proposal, with Mayor DeShawn Williams casting a tie-breaking vote for the plan to move forward.

* WSIL | Zeigler firefighters find ‘pharaoh on fire’ while responding to illegal burn: The fire department was able to make light of the situation. They reminded residents that ancient Egyptian royalty cannot be burned in the city of Zeigler, backyard pyramids must meet city code and mummies are considered “extra dry, combustible materials.” Firefighters said “no citizens, camels or treasure chambers were harmed.”

*** National ***

* NYT | Trump Administration Live Updates: Senate Republicans Balk at Trump’s Unusual $1.8 Billion Fund: Senate Republicans abruptly abandoned plans to take up a filibuster-proof bill on Thursday to fund President Trump’s immigration crackdown, a stunning turn demonstrating that members of his own party were not willing to risk politically toxic votes to advance the president’s personal agenda. Though senators had widely been expected to bring their legislation to the floor before a weeklong recess, as Mr. Trump had demanded, G.O.P. leaders were unable to overcome deep concerns within their own ranks around the president’s plan to use a federal fund to pay people who claim to have been politically persecuted.

* AP | Trump calls off plan to sign artificial intelligence order due to concern it could hurt the industry: President Donald Trump called off plans to sign a new executive order on artificial intelligence hours before an expected White House ceremony Thursday because he said he was worried the measure could dull America’s edge on AI technology. Trump said he was postponing the Oval Office event with tech industry executives because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text. “We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters.