AGP Executive Report

AI in the classroom (UChicago): The University of Chicago’s social sciences division says core courses should stay analog—no devices in class, and no AI for coursework or grading—aiming to reduce distraction and keep discussion human. Public safety tech scrutiny (Joliet): Joliet Police put two employees on paid leave after alleged misuse of Flock Safety license-plate cameras, with the matter referred to the city inspector general and Illinois State Police. Health impacts of heat waves: A new study links severe heat to about 1 in 10 emergency visits across 19 states, with psychiatric and kidney-related cases hit hardest. Invasive carp project pause lifted: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s call to President Trump helped restart the Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet after a stop-work order. Workplace rights (Illinois AG Raoul): Raoul highlighted Labor Day efforts by his Workplace Rights Bureau, citing 115+ investigations and $30M+ recovered for Illinois workers. Weather record (Illinois hail): NOAA certified a 6.6-inch hailstone near Kankakee as Illinois’s new state record. Retail AI expansion (Effie.ai): Chicago-based agentic retail execution firm added strategy leadership to push AI agents into real store workflows.

AI & Public Trust: UC Berkeley obituaries and a mayoral homeless-encampment video script were flagged by AI detector Pangram, reigniting debate over how to judge AI-written text when false positives are possible. Civic Tech in Chicago: Chicago Public Media plans to launch chicago.com, a nonprofit digital platform for neighborhood info, community conversations, and civic resources—aimed at filling a local information gap. Surveillance Cameras Politics: “Flock cameras” are becoming a campaign flashpoint, with candidates pushing limits, warrants, or bans amid broader backlash against data-heavy tech. Public Safety & Health: A new report finds Legionella in 17% of water samples from NYC outbreak-area buildings, with low chlorine residuals pointing to prevention gaps. Illinois Education Staffing: Illinois State Board of Education awards Teacher Vacancy Grants to districts facing the most unfilled positions, including local rural districts. Research & Materials: Roman concrete is reported to self-heal over centuries via calcite crystal growth, offering clues for durability that could reshape materials science. Energy & Costs: U.S. diesel hits a record $5.85 a gallon, raising freight and delivery costs nationwide.

PFAS Cleanup Funding: Marinette County is set to receive nearly $10M for PFAS remediation after a state finance committee vote tied to a settlement, with DNR sessions determining how the money will be used. Teacher Shortages: Illinois State Board of Education grants totaling $15M for fiscal 2027 will target districts with the most unfilled positions, including Lawrenceville Unit 20, Red Hill Unit 10, and Oblong Unit 4. AI in Schools Debate: As New York City moves to restrict student-facing generative AI through 8th grade, Illinois-area teachers weigh in on what should be taught, when, and why. Renewable Chemistry Research: UIUC researchers report a sound-wave method that uses energized water droplets to turn Kraft lignin into potentially higher-value renewable chemicals. Great Lakes Invasive Carp: A stop-work order on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet was lifted after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called President Trump, underscoring the political and environmental urgency. Data Centers & Power Politics: A new look at state legislation shows a surge of data center bills, driven by electricity costs and environmental concerns. Illinois Tech & Industry: Digital Realty is paying $81.5M for a Rolling Meadows office campus, signaling continued suburban Chicago data-center momentum.

AI in Schools: Chicago school board candidates are signing a pledge calling for a three-year generative AI moratorium, limits on screen time, a ban on collecting biometric data, and a chief privacy officer—while CPS says a Gemini rollout plan was “aspirational” and paused for readiness and training. Public Safety Tech: Illinois-area suburbs are suspending Flock cameras and reviewing policies after alleged misuse, as investigations expand into how the systems are being used. Workforce & Learning: A new push argues students still don’t know enough about work-based learning options, urging schools and policymakers to treat apprenticeships and training as real pathways to good jobs. Health Policy: Rheumatology groups warn proposed Medicaid “community engagement” exemption standards could wrongly restrict care for people with fluctuating autoimmune conditions. Energy & Industry: Aligned Climate Capital reached an initial close on a $500M distributed solar and storage fund, betting on demand from data centers and electrification. Space Education: Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana is closing after nearly 30 years due to funding shortfalls. Local Tech/Business: ImpactFactory.ai released Version 1.3, aiming to let small businesses build and optimize websites through AI conversations.

AI in Schools: Los Angeles Unified is weighing whether to ban AI in classrooms, while New York City Public Schools is moving the other direction for younger grades—banning AI-powered learning tools for elementary and middle school students, limiting device use, and restricting “companion chatbots.” Gene Therapy Push: uniQure filed a Biologics License Application with the FDA for accelerated approval of its Huntington disease gene therapy, ifezuntirgene inilparvovec (AMT-130), and also submitted to the UK regulator. Health Tech in Illinois: Horizon Health in central and southern Illinois is rolling out Fujifilm’s ELUXEO EP-8000 endoscopic imaging system, aiming for clearer detection during upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. Mobility Tech: Waymo expanded fully autonomous robotaxi service to Denver, San Diego, and Tampa as it scales to 14 cities. Cybersecurity for Water: The White House launched Project Watershed 250 to help small water utilities defend against cyberattacks. Illinois Weather Record: Northern Illinois University scientists helped confirm a new Illinois hailstone record: a 6.6-inch stone from March in Kankakee. Local Tech & Policy: Chicago-area school leaders and lawmakers continue debating AI rules, while Illinois cities face scrutiny over surveillance camera use.

AI & Hiring Rules: A new look at how AI is used in hiring—from resume screening to video interview scoring—also covers where it fails and what regulators now require, as applicants increasingly use AI too. Privacy & Surveillance: Chicago-area suburbs and police departments are reviewing or suspending Flock license-plate camera use after alleged misuse, adding to a broader debate over automated surveillance. Cybersecurity: Wolf Haldenstein says it’s investigating claims tied to a Berkeley Research Group data breach from March 2025, warning of possible exposure of sensitive personal and financial data. Energy Reliability: ComEd customers are paying billions to keep power on during storms, but outages still hit millions—raising questions about whether grid upgrades and rate hikes will be enough. Weather Extremes: A 6.6-inch hailstone from March storms in Kankakee broke Illinois’ record, underscoring a year of intense severe weather. Public Health & Mindfulness: A review finds mindfulness and positive-psychology programs may improve heart-health markers like blood pressure within weeks. Higher Ed AI Policy: UChicago is rolling out an AI-restricted approach in core social science courses, aiming to restore reading and writing without AI assistance. STEM & Research: Rose-Hulman highlights summer student research, including fish-inspired robotics for ocean exploration and monitoring. Agriculture Tech: U of I Extension’s Pumpkin Field Day in Belleville spotlights commercial pumpkin trials and grower-focused research.

AI for Physics Research: University of Alabama physicists say an AI tool for Large Hadron Collider data could cut analysis from years to days or weeks, aiming to speed up established workflows rather than let AI “solve” independently. Illinois Health Care: Prime Healthcare plans to suspend obstetrics services at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet (plus two other Illinois hospitals) starting Oct. 1, citing sharply lower inpatient OB demand and redirecting patients to other facilities. Higher Ed & Tech Policy: A Chinese government-linked scholarship program is reported to be operating at 83 U.S. colleges to “influence” students, raising national security and oversight concerns. AI Governance: A new push argues AI governance is following privacy compliance patterns, urging companies to map data use, explain processing, and build opt-out controls before regulators or lawsuits arrive. Local Tech & Infrastructure: Joplin’s airport board proposes shifting Chicago O’Hare flights to Houston due to O’Hare construction and FAA flight reductions. Education Funding: Sen. Dick Durbin delivered an earmark for Illinois Wesleyan University’s nursing and health sciences innovation program, including updated simulation labs and “smart classrooms.”

Drug Pricing & Illinois Manufacturing: CSL says it’s signed onto the Trump administration’s “most-favoured-nation” drug pricing framework for Medicaid, while also landing an onshoring deal tied to its $1.5B Kankakee expansion to boost plasma-therapy production. Higher Ed Policy: New DHS rules tighten F-1 and J-1 student stays to four years, with a shorter 30-day window to change status, starting Sept. 15. Public Health & Newborn Safety: Reuters reports a sharp rise in refusals of the vitamin K shot for newborns, raising bleeding risks and pointing to growing mistrust. Micromobility Safety in Illinois: Pritzker’s e-bike and scooter law sets new age and speed rules effective Jan. 1. Energy Infrastructure Fight: Wisconsin residents oppose a proposed second 765-kilovolt line in the Driftless region, arguing it threatens sensitive land and may serve data centers. AI in Education: The University of Chicago rolls out an “analog” approach in social science courses, limiting AI help for reading, writing, and grading. Cancer Drug Resistance Research: BLR Bio touts a YAP translocation–modulating peptide aimed at overcoming resistance and improving responses to therapies.

Illinois Education & Workforce: RootEd is bringing career advisors to rural western Illinois high schools, easing the load on overcapacity counselors and helping first-gen students map college and agriculture pathways. AI & Public Services: Orland Park launched “Humphrey,” an AI chatbot in 70+ languages to answer residents’ questions and track service requests. Tech, Industry & Manufacturing: Mitsubishi Electric is highlighting connected manufacturing and educational solutions at IMTS 2026 in Chicago, while Robertshaw named Dibyava Ghosh CEO to push growth in thermal and flow-control tech. Health & Research: UChicago researchers reported a pan-tumor spatial transcriptomics framework that groups tumor microenvironments and links immune organization to response to checkpoint immunotherapy. Business & Policy: The FTC and 22 states sued Amazon over alleged “hidden surcharges” in ad pricing; California lawmakers are also debating a ban on surveillance pricing. Higher Ed Cost Pressures: Eastern Illinois University is running a second round of a voluntary separation incentive program to close a $4.8M deficit. Illinois Tech Journal note: For more Illinois science and technology coverage, keep an eye on IMTS 2026 and local AI-in-government rollouts.

Public Safety Tech: Orland Park launched an AI chatbot, “Humphrey,” to answer residents’ questions about permits, meetings, and services in 70+ languages—an early test of how local governments can use automation without adding staff. Surveillance Push: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered agencies to expand “flock-style” facial recognition camera networks for real-time matches against watch lists, reigniting privacy and accuracy concerns. Energy Security: A new U.S. order targets foreign-supplied equipment that could be used to sabotage the bulk-power grid, with China highlighted as a major supply-chain risk. Healthcare Innovation: UIUC researchers described a home-style cancer/pathogen diagnostic device (“VPodDuoss”) that reads multiple biomarkers, aiming to make frequent testing more practical. Cancer Research: A multicenter PRECISE-BCG study evaluates whether a specific SNP kit can predict response to intravesical BCG in highest-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Illinois Science & Culture: The Tully Monster was reaffirmed as Illinois’ state fossil on Aug. 31, 1989, after decades of classification mystery.

AI in Education: An MIT committee report says AI can credibly complete almost any undergraduate assignment, and it’s already reshaping campus behavior—less office-hours attendance and fewer study groups—prompting schools to tighten supervision. Biomedical Breakthroughs: A new study links NPTN gene variants to autism and intellectual disability via disrupted calcium handling in neurons, while other work highlights sex-specific angiogenesis challenges around OCT4 and calls for better standardized endpoints before findings can guide clinical care. Cancer Research: A BEGONIA trial reports deep, durable responses from combining trastuzumab deruxtecan with durvalumab in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, and separate research maps how pancreatic tumors switch between molecular states driven by transcription factors and drug dependencies. Tech & Health Imaging: AI-powered eye scans can reflect heart and brain health signals, and a new method maps RNA isoforms across primate brain cells using spatial transcriptomics. Illinois/Chicago Tech & Policy: Chicago’s mayor orders contractors to disclose certain law-enforcement ties and leadership diversity data for city deals, using procurement power to push accountability. Space Science: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman telescope launches to study one billion galaxies.

Quantum Imaging in Chicago: UIC physicist Dirk Morr’s quantum imaging strategy using superconductors as “tiny projectors” has new experimental support, backing a theory he proposed two decades ago. Cancer Biology: Researchers report GNG10 as a driver of colorectal cancer growth via a non-canonical Wnt route (RHOA–JNK–NFATc1), while another study flags a TCF4 splicing variant tied to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome from an early pregnancy ultrasound clue. Health & Safety: A nationwide study maps when clozapine most often triggers neutropenia, and a meta-analysis finds hepatitis A vaccines prevent about 96% of infections pre-exposure and 97% post-exposure. Illinois Tech & Policy: Chicago election officials say they’re ready for legal curveballs around mail voting, with “contingency plans” for potential changes ahead of Election Day. Space & Space Science: A new explainer estimates how many cosmic particles—especially neutrinos—pass through your body every second. Public Health Systems: Commentary on Ebola in the DRC argues the key shortfall is community trust, not just logistics.

STEM Funding & Education: Dr. Kerry Evans opened applications for a new national scholarship for undergraduate science students, aiming to back future STEM researchers. Public Health & Medicine: A trial questions a common anesthesia practice—pushing inspired oxygen before extubation—after it was linked to higher postoperative atelectasis in children; separate work ties DNA methylation and protocadherin gene silencing to meningioma progression. Illinois Tech & Policy: Illinois lawmakers advanced new rules for e-bikes/scooters, while Cook County nurses urged a pension fund to divest from Palantir. Climate & Safety: The National Weather Service in Central Illinois held an open house to build public trust in severe-weather alerts. Environment & Materials: Researchers reported a method to extract soil nanoplastics while preserving particle integrity, and another study found air pollution can slow marathon runners. AI & Detection: A review highlights faster, AI-assisted optical methods for detecting bacterial pathogens in food and clinics. Energy Tech: Richardson Electronics projected fiscal 2027 growth tied to semiconductor demand and battery storage.

Fed Watch / Markets: Nasdaq-linked futures edged down as investors cooled after an AI-led tech rally while they awaited Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole remarks, with rate-hike odds still in focus. Space Science: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch, promising a much wider, faster infrared survey to probe dark matter/dark energy and hunt exoplanets—plus fresh attention on Roman’s Chicago roots and “Mother of Hubble” legacy. Illinois Tech & Research: SIU Carbondale researchers used genetically programmed yeasts to turn plastic and agricultural waste into protein-rich 3D-printed cookies for space-food concepts. Nanotech & AI for Materials: Studies highlight deep-learning design for nanoscale polariton routing in twisted van der Waals layers and AI-guided particle picking in cryo-electron tomography. Health Tech: A trial suggests remote ischemic conditioning—using a simple cuff to briefly restrict blood flow—may improve brain blood-flow regulation after ischemic stroke. Policy / Data Platforms: Meta agreed to pay $18B and change Facebook/Instagram features for minors after US state claims about addictive design and children’s data. Global Industry Pitch: India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged global investors in Chicago to “manufacture in India for the world,” including AI and tech centers.

Heat & Health: A new study links Chicago-area extreme heat to dozens of diagnoses, from rashes and kidney failure to mental health crises and injuries, using ER and urgent care visits from 2011–2023. Quantum & Big Science: Coverage highlights quantum progress moving from lab demos toward more reliable, scalable systems, including a recent IBM–UChicago logical-qubit computation using 70 logical qubits. Ag Tech for Illinois: UI-led Data-Intensive Farm Management helps farmers get personalized field guidance at scale, aiming to reduce the risk of trial-and-error plots. Water Safety: Grand Ridge found elevated lead in some drinking-water samples, with guidance on flushing, using cold water, and testing. Space Watch: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch Aug. 30, promising wide-angle infrared views to study dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets. Policy & Tech Infrastructure: A new push to manage data center growth faces community opposition and hard limits on power and water, with moratoriums spreading. Local Education Support: Chicago Public Schools updated its policy so students experiencing homelessness can enroll the same day and access support spaces.

Space Science: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch Aug. 30, promising wide-angle, infrared views to probe dark energy, dark matter, and how common planets are across the Milky Way. Biotech & Medicine: Moderna and Merck’s mRNA cancer vaccine hit a major late-stage milestone in melanoma, a rare win after more than a century of failed therapeutic vaccine efforts. Illinois Tech & Research: Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers report yeast engineered to turn plastic and farm waste into protein-rich, potentially edible products—aimed at both food needs and future off-world missions. Public Safety Tech: A USA TODAY investigation says dozens of police and sheriff’s employees in multiple states faced arrests or discipline after improper use of Flock license plate readers, raising questions about oversight. Climate & Health: A new look at extreme heat and schools warns very hot days can harm kids’ learning and cognition, pushing districts to plan for heat like they do for storms. Higher Ed Policy: Despite headlines, most colleges remain test-optional or test-free for upcoming admissions, with only a small share requiring scores. Illinois Local Impact: Northern Illinois communities are debating data centers’ noise, water, and tax effects on school funding as projects expand.