* Click here for a FY26 budget breakdown from the governor’s office.

* WCIA…

The death toll of the car crash at a Chatham after-school program is up to five following the passing of an eight-year-old boy on Monday.

Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced in a news release that Bradley Lund of Springfield passed away after sustaining blunt force injuries in the crash at the YNOT Outdoors program on April 28. Lund had been admitted as a patient at HSHS St. John’s Hospital following the crash, and he was still receiving treatment there when he died at 5:52 a.m. on Monday. […]

The Illinois State Police concluded its investigation into the crash last week and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office began a review to decide on whether charges are warranted against the driver who crashed into YNOT Outdoors’ building.

Bradley is the son of former legislative staffer and current IFT employee Cynthia Riseman Lund.  You can donate by clicking here and make a note that your donation is for Bradley Lund.

* Sen. Sue Rezin…

A newly announced 20-year power purchase agreement between Meta and Constellation for energy from the Clinton Clean Energy Center is drawing praise from State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris), who says the deal highlights why Illinois must lift its remaining ban on building new, large-scale nuclear reactors.

“This long-term agreement between Constellation and Meta is proof of what we’ve been saying all along. There is a strong and growing demand for reliable, carbon-free nuclear energy in Illinois,” said Senator Rezin “These types of market-based partnerships can help support existing facilities and even fund next-generation reactors, but we can’t fully meet that demand or prepare for the future while Illinois still clings to a decades-old ban on new nuclear construction.”

The agreement secures the continued operation and expansion of the Clinton nuclear plant beyond 2027, when state subsidies under the Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) program are set to expire. Meta’s investment ensures the plant remains online for another 20 years, preserving more than 1,000 high-paying jobs and supporting local tax revenues, while adding capacity through a planned 30-megawatt uprate.

Senator Rezin, a longtime advocate for nuclear energy, led the successful bipartisan effort in 2023 to lift Illinois’ ban on small modular reactors (SMRs). She is now pushing to lift the state’s broader moratorium on new large-scale nuclear construction, which has been in place since 1987. […]

The Clinton–Meta agreement also includes a provision for exploring the development of an advanced nuclear reactor or SMR at the Clinton site, made possible by the policies championed by Senator Rezin. Still, she says Illinois must pass legislation to fully end the nuclear moratorium and help secure future nuclear projects within the state.

*** Statewide ***

* WIFR | Suspension lifted on the sale of poultry at Illinois flea markets, auctions: The Illinois Department of Agriculture lifts the temporary suspension on the exhibition or sale of poultry at swap meets, flea markets and auctions. The suspension was issued in February because of the threat of H5N1 avian flu, and was lifted June 2. Avian flu can infect poultry and wild birds, and the strains of the virus are extremely infectious and can spread quickly from flock to flock. The flu is often fatal to chickens.

*** Statehouse News ***

…Adding… The Tribune’s Jason Meisner…

NEW: In seeking a stiff prison term for ex-Speaker Michael Madigan, the feds revealed some backroom political intrigue not presented at trial:
Efforts to scuttle an executive order by Gov. Rauner that threatened profits at Madigan’s law firm https://t.co/zIspRiIwYA w/@RayLong

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) June 3, 2025

Click here to read the full court filing.

* Capitol News Illinois | Bill to repeal licensure requirements for hair braiders stalls in the House. Here’s why.: The bill needed one final vote of concurrence on proposed amendments to pass after it had unanimous support in the House and the Senate. House bill sponsor Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said he decided not to bring it to a vote after meeting with members of the Illinois Association of Hair Braiders. “The bill was actually held to get it right,” Ford said. “They’re organizing, and we’re going to listen.”

* Sun-Times | 5 things Illinois lawmakers did and didn’t get done in spring session: The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program was among the casualties of a tough budget year amid uncertainty in federal funding under President Donald Trump. The state expects to save more than $330 million by cutting health coverage for 33,000 people in Illinois without legal status, including 22,000 in Cook County. Progressives opposed to the cuts still voted for the budget. A similar program for those over 65 was preserved at $110 million.

* Higher Ed Drive | Illinois lawmakers pass bill to establish direct admissions program: Each public university participating in the program will set GPA standards for first-time and transfer students by March 1 annually. The state will then inform students about which colleges will automatically accept them based on that criteria beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.

* Capitol News Illinois | Mascot ban stalls as Native-backed land conservation bill advances: House Bill 1237’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Western Springs, said after the bill missed a deadline earlier this session, she was still gathering a consensus from other legislators. But she said many of the concerns she heard about the measure stemmed from the costs associated with schools changing mascots. “We will continue conversations about it and see what we can do with helping them pass it,” Glowiak Hilton said when the bill missed its mid-May deadline.

* Daily Herald | GOP state lawmaker considering congressional run: Perennial Republican congressional candidate James Marter of Oswego may soon have competition for his party’s nomination in Illinois’ 14th District. State Rep. Jed Davis of Newark has filed a statement of candidacy for the congressional seat, which has been held by Democrat Lauren Underwood of Naperville since 2019. It identifies his campaign committee as Jed for Freedom DC.

*** Chicago ***

* The Chicago 312 | Nick Uniejewski Is Running a State Senate Campaign Like It’s a Dinner Party—and It’s Working.: Nick Uniejewski never planned to run for office. But after hosting over 100 community “salons”—kitchen table-style conversations on housing, transit, and the future of Illinois politics—he realized something that might sound obvious, but isn’t: if we want a government that feels different, we need different people in office. “Every fight for the next four years is going to happen at the state and local level,” Uniejewski told me over the phone, on the way to his next community event. “And my senator just wasn’t there.”

* Crain’s | Chicago-based Realtors group braces for 25% decline in membership: The Chicago-based National Association of Realtors is projecting a membership decline totaling 25% in the wake of recent shakeups both in the way home sales are done and in its reputation, the group’s CEO said at an industry meeting this week. Nykia Wright, the NAR’s CEO, said at the group’s annual legislative meetings Sunday in Washington, D.C., that membership is expected to drop to 1.2 million in 2026, down from the group’s peak at slightly over 1.6 million in October 2022, during the COVID-era housing boom.

* Block Club | Transitional Housing Program Opens In Wicker Park To Help Unhoused Chicagoans: Renaissance Social Services opened its Triage Bridge Housing Program in April at 1659 W. Division St., and the organization held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday. The group is using the building to provide 30 single-occupancy rooms for people who for the most part have already matched with long-term housing options but need a place to live as they finalize move-in details.

* Crain’s | Michigan law firm expands to Chicago with deal for intellectual property firm: The deal for Irwin IP LLP closed on May 1 and allows Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Miller Johnson to grow its IP litigation practice through Irwin IP’s client base, which spans startups and Fortune 500 companies. As well, Miller Johnson executives view the deal as a way to fill what they describe as an underserved market in Michigan for experienced intellectual property counsel. “We have a great match culturally and a great match in how we practice law, and with our personalities,” said David Buday, managing member at Miller Johnson. “I think that’s why this all came together.”

* WBEZ | What’s That Building? FarmZero: The farm-fresh smell of growing vegetables hits your nose moments after you get off the elevator on the 18th floor at 30 N. LaSalle St. Taking an elevator to get to a farm may seem far-fetched, but if Russ Steinberg’s business grows as much as he hopes, it could become commonplace in the Loop — and in other big cities’ downtown cores. Steinberg’s startup has been growing food on the 18th floor of this mid-70s office building since last July. It’s a small operation at 1,000 square feet, sort of a baby step into indoor farming, but it’s about to get much bigger.

* Sun-Times | A neglected Altgeld Gardens building, designed by 1933 World’s Fair architect, is slated for rebirth: The nonprofit By the Hand Club for Kids has signed an agreement to buy the privately owned former Altgeld Gardens Commercial Center — residents call it the Up Top building — at 13100 S. Ellis Ave. for $450,000, according to Andraya Yousfi, the group’s chief of partnerships and development. Helping make the acquisition easier: The Chicago Housing Authority on May 27 agreed to sell 1.24 acres of CHA land surrounding the building — mostly a parking lot that landlocks the structure — to the club for $27,600.

* Block Club | Chicago Is Sinking: Land Under Our Feet Is Retreating More Than Most Cities: Chicago is the fifth-fastest-sinking major city in the United States, according to a new study. While the city is only sinking by a few millimeters every year, experts say the shift could damage buildings and other infrastructure.

* Sun-Times | Experts looking into cause of death of 4 peregrine falcons that lived on UIC campus building: The chicks, nesting at the University of Illinois Chicago campus, died May 28. The university has hosted peregrines for more than 25 years, providing a sanctuary for the once-endangered species. Ornithologists at the Field Museum are looking into the cause of death.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Attorney general says no violations in upheaval at Cook County hospitals non-profit: A state probe into a potential conflict of interest and spending issues at the nonprofit supporting Cook County’s hospital system has closed after no violations were found, though internal strife that launched that investigation has led to roughly half the board’s members leaving over the past year. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office said in a statement it told the Cook County Health Foundation in September it “would not be seeking further information” into allegations of “serious governance issues,” including a potential conflict of interest violation. That effectively closed the book on its investigation.

* Daily Herald | ‘Queer people are not a danger’: Elgin’s third Pride Parade to celebrate community Saturday: The third annual family-friendly parade has about 60 entrants registered and will step off at 11 a.m. downtown, starting and ending near Festival Park as it goes north on Riverside Drive and returns south on Grove Avenue. A free festival will immediately follow the parade in Festival Park, featuring local vendors offering merchandise and services, LGBTQ+ musicians and performance artists and about 15 food trucks offering various cuisines and nonalcoholic beverages.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton OKs budget for just ended fiscal year; expects budget for this year by end of July: The Dolton Village Board approved a budget Monday, although it’s for the fiscal year that just ended, and trustees are working on a new spending plan for the budget year that began May 1. “This is a catch-up budget as we go into the next year,” Mayor Jason House said. He said officials have begun preparations for the fiscal 2026 budget, which will outline spending through the end of April 2026. House said that a public hearing will be scheduled and the board would have a new budget in place by the end of July. The village needed to adopt a budget as it works to get back in the good graces of the state comptroller’s office.

* Tribune | Northbrook man charged with pointing gun at village employee in solar panel dispute, police say: A Northbrook man was charged with felony aggravated assault against a municipal employee after he pointed a handgun at a village of Northbrook code enforcement official, police say, in a dispute over a permit to install solar panels. Police later obtained a search warrant and discovered a stockpile of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in the resident’s home. […] According to the arrest report, Kurzynowski installed solar panels on a pole barn in his backyard. An individual not named in the police report called the village April 25 to complain about the structure and solar panels. The village requires residents who wish to install solar panels on their property to apply to the village with detailed installation plans and two rounds of inspections.

* Daily Southtown Construction continues on Oak Lawn High School’s $40 million fieldhouse: Construction began March 24 on the fieldhouse, that will centralize athletic activities on the south side of the campus. Workers are laying down the structure’s foundation in the former parking lot in front of the the school’s performing arts center, with school community members directed to park on the north side of the school where a lot was recently completed. Oak Lawn District 299 Superintendent Shahe Bagdasarian said those passing by the high school on busy 95th Street should see walls up by end of June.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Normal council OKs road projects; music festival complaints amplified: The work is expected to begin this month and be completed of Oct. 15. The bid was awarded over Rowe Construction, the company that was awarded the MFT street resurfacing contract in 2024, and which is currently working on a project at Landmark Drive and College Avenue. Rowe’s bid also was found to be acceptable, but was higher by about $50,000. Council member Karyn Smith noted a $463,000 per lane mile cost is a lower amount than in previous years.

* WCIA | ‘It’s a good slap in the face’: Employees in Hoopeston on strike: Workers in Hoopeston want their voices to be heard. On Monday, dozens of employees could be seen outside Teasdale Latin Foods holding up strike signs. Nearly 30 employees on the production side of Teasdale Latin Foods, a canning company, are upset with their contracts. Workers said they’ve been preparing to go on strike for almost a month and they’ll continue to wait it out until things get resolved.

* BND | City of Belleville’s director of economic development resigns: Cliff Cross, 52, is moving to take a similar job in a small city in central Georgia. He described it as a good opportunity that will put him in a stronger position for retirement. “I became a director when I was very young,” Cross said Monday. “I’ve been in that role for almost 25 years. At some point, I’ve got to start thinking about myself and my family and slow down a bit, too.”

* PJ Star | Washington changes decades-old rule to hire experienced new police chief: Stevens will be paid $140,000 yearly for his work taking over for former chief Mike McCoy, who retired May 5, and could receive pay raises based on performance. Stevens, who had a new nameplate with his title during the meeting, has a 25-year history in the Washington Police Department and served as acting chief multiple times. Stevens’ appointment came after the council amended a 34-year-old ordinance from 1991 that required police chiefs to reside within the city. The council voted 7-1 to approve the change, which now allows candidates for chief who have served the city for at least 15 years to live up to 25 miles outside city limits.

* WMBD | Peoria’s Michelle Taylor focuses on trauma-sensitive learning: Michelle Taylor is the Vice President of Education at the Children’s Home Association of Illinois (CHAIL) in Peoria. She oversees Kiefer School and the Academy for Autism. For two decades, she’s remained committed and dedicated to students and staff helping them to thrive in the face of adversity. “Kids have a future that is worth fighting for,” said Taylor. “I think the impact that we have is seen when kids begin to thrive after they’ve been here with us but the impact is something that will last for decades.”

* Smile Politely | Red beans, guitar strings, and the gospel according to Buddy Guy: I talked to Buddy Guy ahead of his upcoming June 24th show at Champaign’s Virginia Theatre. Yes, the Buddy Guy. I’m still pinching myself. He answered the phone with the weathered cadence of someone who’s outlasted nearly everyone who taught him how to bend a note until it bled. We talked about red beans and rice, Muddy Waters, and a shared love of Chicago — his adopted city, where the spirit of the Blues still lingers in the air outside Buddy Guy’s Legends on Wabash Avenue. On certain nights, you can still find him there, not headlining but sitting in, guitar in hand, making room for someone younger who knows just enough to listen.

*** National ***

* Business Today | ‘700 Indian engineers posed as AI’: The London startup that took Microsoft for a ride: The company marketed its platform as being driven by an AI assistant named “Natasha,” which could supposedly assemble software applications like Lego bricks. But recent reports and commentary have revealed that behind the scenes, customer requests were manually fulfilled by developers, not machines. Commenting on the unraveling, Ebern Finance founder Bernhard Engelbrecht described it in a widely circulated post on X: “Customer requests were sent to the Indian office, where 700 Indians wrote code instead of AI,” adding that the end products were often buggy, dysfunctional, and difficult to maintain. “Everything was like real artificial intelligence — except that none of it was.”

* NYT | From No Hope to a Potential Cure for a Deadly Blood Cancer: Multiple myeloma is considered incurable, but a third of patients in a Johnson & Johnson clinical trial have lived without detectable cancer for years after facing certain death.