* Tribune reporter Olivia Olander…

and @ChrisWelch_JD said he’s “feeling pretty good”

neither provided an update in response to a bears/megaprojects q

— Olivia Olander (@oliviaolanderr) May 30, 2026

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | 4 Areas in Illinois Designated Critical Habitat for Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, Feds Announce: The 1.57 million acres of critical habitat designated by USFWS cover portions of 33 counties in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The bee’s strongholds include the greater metro areas of Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Milwaukee. […] In total, USFWS created 14 “units” of critical habitat for the rusty patched, four of which are in northern Illinois, totaling nearly 280,000 acres.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Bailey wants Illinois to keep the Bears — but not this way: While Bailey criticized the current proposal, he stopped short of offering his own blueprint for keeping the Bears in Illinois if he were sitting in the Governor’s Mansion now. He did not say how the state should compete with Indiana’s $1 billion incentive package or who should bear the cost. “Darren Bailey pushed to kick Chicago out of Illinois. Do you really think he cares if the Bears stay or go?” Pritzker campaign spokesman Alex Gough said.

* CBS Chicago | Illinois set to become second state to require employers to provide NICU leave: Effective Monday, Illinois parents who work for employers with 16 or more employees now have a legal right to take unpaid time off to be with their child; up to 10 or 20 days, depending on the size of their employer. For employees who are already eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, it can be taken after that leave is exhausted. “The NICU is the best-kept secret that no one wants to know anything about until they have to live that. And, so, to be a part of a state that is looking at ways to better support our families that are going through those traumatic moments is really exciting,” said Melissa Gustafson, clinical director of the NICU at Central DuPage Hospital.

* The Southern | Illinois Judicial Branch shares new mental health resources: The desk card is designed for all court personnel while the bench card is designed specifically for judges. The desk card focuses on observing behavioral changes, using person-first language and navigating resources such as Court Disability Coordinators, while the bench card outlines de-escalation techniques and legal frameworks for court-ordered temporary detention and examination when a person is in immediate crisis.

*** Chicago ***

* WGN | Lincoln Park school’s potential expansion faces opposition from residents: According to Cheetany, the alderman for the area, Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward), has exaggerated the community interest in allowing the development. Knudsen’s office denied that claim and told WGN-TV “our office led an extensive community-driven review process, going above and beyond the requirements and expectations for Ward offices in zoning decisions.”

* ESPN | White Sox slugger Murakami out 4-6 weeks with hamstring strain: Murakami grabbed the back of his right thigh after beating a throw to first when he hit into a fielder’s choice in the third inning on Friday. Luisangel Acuna came in to pinch run for him. Murakami said through an interpreter on Saturday the injury still hurt. He said he first felt it about halfway to first base on Friday following his second at-bat.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Naperville Sun | After 46 arrests in two years, no gun-related incidents at Naperville Topgolf for 6 months: Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow could not pinpoint a specific reason for the sudden end to the gun-related incidents, but speculated a number of factors may have contributed, including a combination of active police patrols, security enhancements by Topgolf and media attention. “We’re very proactive up there,” Krakow said. “And hopefully the message got out that we’re going to be over there and enforcing the laws and holding people accountable for bringing illegal weapons to that parking lot.”

* CBS Chicago | 3 tollway workers hit, 1 fatally, on I-294 in Des Plaines: Illinois State police said the three tollway maintenance workers were repairing potholes in the southbound lanes near milepost 41.5 when a vehicle hit them. Police said the three workers were taken to local hospitals. One of the workers later died. […] “The Illinois Tollway Board and all Tollway staff are devastated by the loss of one of our Illinois Tollway roadway maintenance workers,” officials said in a written statement,” Tollway officials said in a written statement. “Roadway workers, police officers and everyday motorists are too often hurt, injured or worse because drivers are not following the Move Over Law. The Tollway reminds everyone to slow down and change lanes safely when approaching any vehicle with flashing lights on the road.”

* Daily Herald | Ex-Glendale Heights president pleads guilty to forgery: Former Glendale Heights President Chodri Khokhar pleaded guilty Friday to committing perjury when he sought reelection in 2024. Khokhar agreed to a sentence of two years of second-chance probation. If he complies with the terms of his sentence, the charge will be dismissed. He will have to perform 30 hours of community service work, and undergo any counseling the probation department deems necessary.

* Daily Herald | Forest preserve commissioners to consider impact of new runway on Waukegan Savanna: Whether the project would have a “de minimis” impact on district land is on the forest board’s planning committee agenda for 8:30 a.m. at the district office, 1899 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville. However, all committees representing the entirety of the forest board are meeting jointly at that time so anyone can ask questions or comment on the topic.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | People told to ‘leave the area’ after hazardous material released from U of I bio chem lab: The building houses the administrative offices of the Department of Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering, research laboratory spaces, faculty offices, and equipment and resources for chemical research, including the EPR Laboratory, Machine Shop, NMR Laboratory, Cell Media Facility, and the Storeroom. It was constructed between 1948 and 1951. An Illini-Alert was sent out by the university warning people of hazardous material being released from the lab.

* WCIA | New behavioral health urgent care center opens in Champaign: The urgent care center can triage up to six people at a time and provide crisis stabilization for another six. “The people we would imagine coming into this space are people who are maybe struggling with suicidality, they may have lost their medication, or they need to get reupped on their medication for mental health issues,” said Liz Miner-McIntyre, the crisis services director.

*** National ***

* NYT | A person holds the hand of a young child as they walk toward a set of glass doors.: The changes range from structural shifts in the immigration system to small-scale, regulatory tweaks taking away jobs or services from just a few thousand people like Ms. Molina. In her case, the administration no longer considered T.P.S. a form of “authorized residency,” said Justin Long, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, meaning Ms. Molina could not be “given official government credentials and granted unescorted access to secure airport areas.”

* WTHR | You pay sales tax. Some Indiana data centers didn’t: But 13 Investigates found Hoosiers are only now getting a clearer look at the other side of those deals: more than $655 million in reported state sales and use tax exemptions for data centers. […] The more than $655 million figure covers state sales and use tax exemptions reported by data centers. It does not include local property tax abatements or all outstanding 2025 reports. IEDC told 13News some 2025 reports from data centers are still outstanding, meaning the total could grow.