AGP Executive Report

AI in Illinois Politics: Republican Darren Bailey’s governor campaign is leaning hard on AI-made images and videos to boost social media engagement, even as Gov. JB Pritzker’s team says it has a policy against AI in public-facing content. Cybersecurity: U.S. authorities charged a 19-year-old alleged Scattered Spider member after his arrest in Finland and extradition to the U.S., with claims tied to enterprise intrusions, social engineering, and extortion. Health & Research: A new study finds breast cancer incidence rising fast among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women, especially under 50 and with distant-stage and triple-negative tumors. Cancer Tech: Researchers report progress on mRNA T-cell cancer vaccines aimed at training a patient’s immune system, with early results in pancreatic cancer. Illinois Tech & Infrastructure: Wiferion unveiled a platform-based industrial charging system for mobile robotics, targeting easier global rollouts. Local STEM/Community: Illinois libraries and school districts in Central Illinois received state grants for collections, tech, literacy, and security upgrades. Policy Watch: DOJ concerns are growing after a memo raises questions about disability segregation under federal guidance.

Logistics Leadership: CMA CGM tapped former FedEx logistics executive Patrick Moebel to run Ceva Logistics as the shipping giant pushes deeper into end-to-end supply chains. Healthcare Supply Chain: UPS is pouring $48M into temperature-controlled cross-dock sites, including Chicago, to speed cold-chain moves for biologics and GLP-1s. AI Funding: Together AI raised $800M in a Series C at an $8.3B valuation, betting that demand for open-source AI cloud infrastructure keeps climbing. Enterprise AI in the Midwest: InstaBrain deployed StitchStudio’s agent-based producer appointment automation, cutting contracting coordination from weeks to hours. Energy & Industry: Walmart signed its first nuclear power deal in Illinois, buying about 176MW from Constellation’s Dresden plant starting in the late 2020s. Transit Governance: Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle outlined proposed CTA, Metra, and Pace board appointees under Illinois’ new transit reform structure. Privacy & Kids Online: The Electronic Frontier Foundation urged Gov. Pritzker to veto Illinois’ HB 5511, which would require identity verification at the operating-system level for app downloads. Public Health: A national analysis found nearly one-third of children get opioid prescriptions after surgery, with rates varying by procedure and hospital. STEM Expansion: Illinois State University is building a new science complex—STEM building, SLB annex, and a research greenhouse—to expand teaching and research capacity. Local Tech & Trade: Ruan launched customs brokerage across U.S.-Mexico lanes using digital single-window systems. Court Watch (Chicago): Zillow, MRED, and Compass face a preliminary injunction hearing in federal court over listing access as their broader antitrust fight heads toward trial.

Biotech Breakthrough: The FDA approved an allogeneic regulatory T-cell immunotherapy (Tregzi) with matched stem-cell transplant for adult hematologic malignancies, aiming to improve chronic graft-versus-host disease–free survival. Health & Research: A University of Chicago-led study reports a rare 300-million-year-old fossil fish with preserved neural tissue, offering new clues to brain evolution. AI in the Real World: A viral case of an AI humanoid robot panhandling raises questions about how quickly “robot services” can blur into public deception and copycat behavior. Illinois Tech & Industry: TriSeed, a Chicago-based software services firm, was accepted into Anthropic’s Claude Partner Network to deploy enterprise Claude across Asia-Pacific. Education Policy: Illinois schools are preparing for layoffs after federal grant cancellations narrowed in court, with new legal challenges continuing over education research funding. Climate & Agriculture: Northern Illinois heat warnings tie dangerous humidity to “corn sweat” and a Midwest heat dome, while tar spot detection coverage highlights how drones and AI are moving into crop monitoring. Local Tech/Infrastructure: OSF HealthCare standardized facilities operations with Pointcore to improve survey readiness and data-driven compliance.

Biotech Funding: Neurogene Inc. kicked off a proposed public offering to fund clinical development of NGN-401 and related pre-commercial work, with terms still subject to market conditions. Health Policy: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin visited a Bloomington dental clinic to highlight Illinois’ Medicaid dentist shortage and the knock-on effects of proposed Medicaid cuts. Manufacturing Tech: Mitsui Seiki USA will showcase its PJ 303X 5-axis ultra high-precision vertical machining center with automation at IMTS 2026 in Chicago. STEM for Kids: Arthur Public Library broke ground on the Curiosity Courtyard, a partnership with the Children’s Museum of Illinois to bring hands-on learning outdoors. Local Infrastructure Data: Quarterhill won a $2.5M IDOT contract to install and maintain continuous traffic data collection sites across northeastern Illinois. Agriculture Science: Illinois corn growers are being urged to scout for tar spot as disease pressure could rival past high years. Public Safety: IDOT and police launched the Fourth of July “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” push, stressing zero tolerance for impaired driving.

Medical Breakthrough: Actinium-225 rosopatamab tetraxetan (CONV01-α) showed encouraging antitumor activity in phase 2 CONVERGE-01 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after Lu-177-PSMA therapy, with manageable safety and low renal toxicity. Health Tech & Care Access: Covista and Advocate Health announced a nursing pipeline via Chamberlain University, pairing scholarships, clinical placements, and loan repayment to expand practice-ready nurses. AI for Science: ESA researchers used an AI tool (AnomalyMatch) to mine decades of Hubble data and find hundreds of new astronomical objects, boosting what scientists can extract from archives. Consumer Research Tech: Compusense and InsightsNow launched BehaviorLens to capture fast “System 1” reactions, adding new implicit and emotion-based methods for packaging and product testing. Illinois Energy Policy: An Illinois plug-in solar bill stalled in the Senate over safety concerns, but supporters say it’s likely to return in the fall to expand access for renters and people without roof access. Public Health & Climate: District energy advocates warned extreme heat is a growing public health emergency, pointing to district cooling as a practical mitigation tool.

Deepfakes & Courts: A new wave of concern is hitting the legal system as deepfake video gets harder to spot, raising questions about how judges and juries should treat machine-made testimony. Surveillance Backlash: Flock Safety’s fast-growing license-plate reader network is facing mounting scrutiny after reports of unauthorized access and data-sharing concerns, with more cities canceling contracts. AI in Health & MedTech: AbbVie posted positive Phase 3 topline results for epcoritamab plus lenalidomide in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, while GE HealthCare announced upgrade pathways for its Allia image-guided solutions. Illinois Policy & Tech: Gov. JB Pritzker signed major rental-fee transparency and “Blue Envelope” autism communication measures, and Illinois also expanded paid apprenticeship pathways in barbering and cosmetology. Public Health & Research: A UIC-led study links cardiovascular risk factors to visual impairment in Hispanic/Latino adults, and Chicago is bracing for extreme heat’s health impacts. Power Grid Planning: MISO and OMS say the region expects record-level grid additions, including fast-tracked interconnection requests. Space/Tech Business: A report warns the SpaceX IPO may repeat past patterns that leave average buyers underwater.

Nuclear Power Deal: Walmart signed its first nuclear power purchase agreement, pulling about 176 MW from Constellation’s Dresden plant in Illinois via 15-year contracts starting in 2029–2030, aimed at powering a planned Belvidere distribution center. Public Safety Tech Scrutiny: A Detroit debate over ShotSpotter’s gunfire detection continues, with critics pointing to low confirmation rates and weak links from alerts to actual gun crimes—an issue that matters for Illinois cities watching similar systems. Medical Imaging Innovation: 4DMedical won Australian regulatory approval for CT:VQ™, a non-contrast CT-based ventilation-perfusion lung imaging tool that could expand access without dedicated nuclear medicine infrastructure. Health & Risk: A JAMA Psychiatry study found many binge-eating and atypical anorexia patients reported using GLP-1 receptor agonists, raising calls for better screening when patients seek these drugs. Paleontology Breakthrough: A rediscovered megalodon vertebra analysis confirms the giant shark reached up to about 80 feet. Workforce/AV Training: AVIXA Foundation named 2026 Brad Sousa Impact Fund recipients, including The Loop Lab, backing community AV training pathways. Education Policy: The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up higher-ed investigations and pressure tactics, including admissions and diversity-related concerns. AI Debate: A new piece revisits whether AI systems could be conscious, arguing the question is still open.

Nuclear Licensing Watch: The U.S. NRC has begun formal review of NANO Nuclear’s KRONOS MMR™ modular microreactor permit for deployment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, moving the project closer to construction and future licensing. Climate & Agriculture Data: Precision Conservation Management’s 11-year Illinois dataset suggests farmers can boost profit by using less nitrogen—high returns often come from fields applying under 200 pounds per acre, not the highest-yield plots. Public Safety Tech: UIC issued a campus alert after a suspected propane leak/hazmat incident near West Taylor Street, involving labs tied to mechanical and industrial engineering. School Bus Enforcement: Illinois lawmakers advanced a bill to raise fines for drivers who ignore extended school bus stop arms to a uniform $300 first offense and $1,000 for repeat violations. Health Breakthrough: A pancreatic cancer drug, daraxonrasib, is showing major survival gains in trial results presented in Chicago, targeting KRAS-mutant tumors. AI Energy Debate: Experts warn AI and data centers are driving higher energy and water use, challenging decarbonization goals.

AI & Data Centers: Microsoft says its Fairwater, Wisconsin campus is now fully operational, linking hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs into a single AI supercomputer-style cluster—raising the big question of who pays for the power. Legal AI: Perplexity launched Computer for Counsel, a legal-focused agent that routes work across AI models but forces clickable links to the underlying law and filings to reduce citation risk. Public Health Research: A study with UIUC finds “herbal cigarettes” may be as harmful as tobacco, challenging the idea that tobacco-free smoking is safer. Illinois Tech & Safety: UIC asked students to briefly avoid part of campus after a hazardous material incident involving a suspected propane leak; officials say operations resumed with no injuries. Weather & Climate: Illinois reported a record tornado count early in the year, while a heat dome threatens multi-day extreme heat across much of the East. Policy & Infrastructure: A judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding transportation funds over immigration enforcement conditions. STEM in the Midwest: A new “Sue: the T. rex Experience” exhibit brings an immersive, science-education take on the famed Field Museum fossil.

Obama Presidential Center: The nearly $850M Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s South Side opens to the public on Juneteenth, with a sneak-peek tour highlighting its museum tower, library, and campus spaces designed to blend political history with community reflection. Consumer Tech & Finance: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package aimed at consumer protection, including a junk-fee ban and tighter oversight of Buy-Now-Pay-Later lenders, pushing clearer pricing and fewer surprise costs. Health Policy: A new report finds maternal mental health bills surged in 2025, with Illinois passing a law that bars prior authorization for maternal mental health and substance-use treatment during pregnancy and postpartum. Wearable AI in Medicine: A University of Chicago wearable AI patch is reported to detect life-threatening heart rhythms with 99.6% accuracy, pointing to faster, more accessible monitoring. Local Science/Outreach: A traveling “Sue the T. rex Experience” is returning to Idaho with interactive, multimedia features—while Chicago’s Field Museum keeps the real fossil on permanent display. Sports Tech Culture: Chicago’s White Sox demolished the Royals 22-1, setting multiple season highs in runs and homers.

Sports Tech & Performance: The Chicago White Sox put up a historic 22-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals, highlighted by Chase Meidroth’s 4-hit game and a 10-run third inning powered by Tristan Peters’ grand slam. Sports Tech & Data: In Milwaukee, Jacob Misiorowski’s 105.5 mph pitch tied for the third-fastest since tracking began in 2008, underscoring how modern measurement is shaping pitching talk and training. Prediction Markets in the Spotlight: Kalshi secured FIFA World Cup branding exposure via an ADI Predictstreet deal, expanding sports visibility even as it keeps its non-official FIFA status. Health Tech & Behavior: New research on brain wave patterns links different spatial wave shapes to how people encode and retrieve memories, adding nuance to how “normal” brain activity supports cognition. AI, Health, and Anxiety: A report on smartwatch health alerts and symptom searching highlights how wearable data can worsen health anxiety for some users. Illinois Environment & Energy: Chicago’s GreenLatinos-backed effort is bringing nature-based upgrades to a local school, using solar and geothermal alongside rain gardens and outdoor classrooms. Illinois Policy Watch: Illinois’ new laws taking effect July 1 include changes tied to AI bullying and “cocktails-to-go,” signaling more tech-adjacent governance.

AI policy in Illinois: Massachusetts lawmakers advanced strict transparency rules for “frontier AI” labs, and Anthropic quickly endorsed the plan—Illinois already has similar bills in motion. Illinois law changes July 1: A new set of state rules kicks in, including making “cocktails-to-go” permanent and expanding how schools handle unauthorized AI images as cyberbullying. Grid tech in Metro East: Ameren Illinois is testing LineVue, a device that scans power-line steel cores to flag internal wear and defects earlier than visual checks. Data centers, Illinois angle: Power Systems International (PSI) is buying Beloit’s MTL Manufacturing, positioning the Illinois-linked alternative-fuel power supplier for hyperscale data center demand. Health tech in Chicago: A longevity clinic is promoting advanced heart screening beyond standard cholesterol tests, highlighting Lp(a), ApoB, and coronary calcium scoring. STEM education access: Illinois may let students swap foreign-language requirements for career and technical education options. Weather risk: Illinois recorded a record tornado count early in 2026, while federal disaster aid remains harder to secure.

AI Policy Clash: Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Valve’s Steam AI disclosure label is “irresponsible,” arguing it stigmatizes developers and hurts smaller studios trying to use legitimate AI tools. Public Health & Safety: Illinois recorded 169 tornadoes in 2026, with experts warning the spike is likely an anomaly rather than a new normal; state climatologist Trent Ford links the surge to better detection and changing conditions. Healthcare Privacy: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Illinois’ Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, shielding abortion-related medical records from out-of-state sharing starting July 1, 2027. Tech in Practice: The IRS reminded tax professionals that AI can assist with work, but it doesn’t replace professional judgment under Circular 230. STEM & Community: Warsaw Public Library launched “Plant a Seed, Read” summer programming with hands-on science activities for kids. Infrastructure & Cooling: A report on Nvidia’s “near-zero water” AI data center design notes the claim may only apply inside the facility’s cooling loop, not the broader water footprint.

STEM & Research: Scientists tracked influenza across dozens of generations and found defective viral genomes can shape infection outcomes, including a mutation that interferes with the virus’s own success. AI & Robotics: Robust.AI picked Aptiv’s PULSE perception tech for its Gen 3 Carter mobile robot, aiming for safer, more reliable sensing in messy warehouse conditions. Health Tech: Cosmos Health advanced its hydrogel weight-management platform with a new international patent push across the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada. Energy & Grid: ICF warns the U.S. power grid’s real bottleneck is delivering electricity to fast-growing load centers like data centers, not just generating more. Public Tech & Safety: Elgin will keep its outdoor emergency siren system unchanged, despite resident confusion during storms. Illinois Policy & Funding: Illinois libraries and school libraries received millions in state grants for books, technology, literacy and security upgrades. Local Tech/Industry: Illinois Valley Community College expanded EV training and upgraded labs with new electric vehicles, electrical trainer systems and added robotics learning stations. Community & Culture: The Music Box Theatre in Chicago will debut a third screen this weekend, supported partly by a city grant.

AI in healthcare education: UIC medical student Georgie Nahass says most future doctors get little AI training despite heavy real-world use, pushing schools to teach clinical AI basics. Cancer screening breakthrough: The FDA is reviewing GRAIL’s Galleri blood test that could screen for signals from up to 50 cancers in one vial, with potential Medicare coverage discussed as soon as 2028. Biotech deal in Chicago: AbbVie will acquire Apogee Therapeutics for $10.9B, aiming to bolster its immunology pipeline with zumilokibart. Manufacturing talent spotlight: IACMI named inaugural Rising Star Award winners, including Illinois honoree Daniel Stewart (Finkl Steel). Illinois data-center pushback: Carbondale approved a one-year moratorium on new data center developments while it drafts new zoning rules. Public health watch: Lyme disease risk is expanding into Illinois and nearby states as tick-bite visits rise, raising the stakes for local diagnosis and awareness. Tech policy and trust: A separate report argues AI governance should clarify shared responsibility so businesses can’t dodge accountability.

Quantum & AI Research: Illinois’ $500M quantum campus in Chicago is part of a wider push as “AI scientists” expand across disciplines, raising big questions about how research agendas may get reshaped by autonomous agents. EV & Charging Infrastructure: Hybrid sales are gaining momentum as gas stays pricey, while EV charging networks keep scaling—NIO says its 9,000th power station is now live, with hundreds of millions of charging and swapping services delivered. Robotics in Manufacturing: Faraday Future used Automate Chicago to unveil its FF EAI wheel-arm robot series and industrial ecosystem strategy, signaling more AI-driven automation on the factory floor. Healthcare Tech & Trials: Northwestern Medicine is testing mesh-free hernia repair options, and ASCO coverage highlights new prostate cancer trial results using lutetium added to standard therapy. Illinois Policy & Markets: Kalshi sued Illinois officials over prediction-market restrictions tied to a new state licensing requirement. Local Tech & Infrastructure: Urbana voted down landmark status for the former Urbana Civic Center, even as reuse plans like a transit terminal remain in play.