AGP Executive Report

Energy Policy: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Tammy Duckworth led Illinois lawmakers in a letter to the Trump administration demanding restoration of 33 DOE energy grants worth $580M+ that were reportedly canceled because Illinois didn’t vote for Trump in 2024. Economic Development: Gov. JB Pritzker and DCEO announced $35M in Regional Site Readiness Program awards for 22 Illinois industrial sites, pairing planning and capital-ready funding to speed up due diligence and infrastructure upgrades. AI & Mental Health Regulation: California lawmakers advanced a bill aimed at limiting AI “companion” chatbots used for mental health support, drawing a line between clinician help and AI acting as a therapist. Public Safety Tech Oversight: Urbana approved an ordinance requiring city council sign-off and reporting for surveillance technologies used by city departments, after debate over impacts on communities of color. Workplace Automation/Robotics: Kodiak AI reported Q2 progress toward driverless long-haul operations, including more driverless truck deployments and its Gen7 autonomous platform. Assistive Tech: The University of Guam center expanded access after two staff earned RESNA Assistive Technology Professional certification. Tariffs & Cost of Living: Pritzker urged direct payments to Illinois families after $100B in tariff refunds to corporations, arguing there’s no simple way for consumers to claim relief. Local Nature Education: Prairie Land Conservancy and Illinois Extension will host a free NatureFest Aug. 15 at Stony Hills Nature Preserve.

AI in healthcare: Assort Health named Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, as its first Chief Medical Officer to help health systems use AI agents to reduce admin bottlenecks and expand patient access. Public safety tech: Oak Park Fire Department partnered with the University of Illinois Fire Institute on a long-term firefighter cancer study using blood/urine samples, surveys, and exposure logs. Micromobility risk: Chicago reported another teen death tied to an e-scooter crash, adding to growing concerns about shared e-bikes/e-scooters and safety. Clean energy building boom: A Fulton Market geothermal-powered high-rise began drilling for 65 wells, aiming to make all-electric cooling/heating more standard in Chicago. Aviation strategy: American Airlines is expanding Latin America and the Caribbean routes as it tries to close the revenue gap with rivals. Consumer finance: A new analysis says CFPB credit reporting complaints surged to 4.8M in 2025, with mistaken identity the top category. Food security: NPR reports millions have already lost SNAP access under new federal mandates, with further cuts expected.

AI in schools: An AI company Legend.org is rolling out nontraditional report cards that use uploaded student work (including photos and recorded presentations) to score academic and “soft” skills, raising big questions about how schools measure growth beyond A–F grades. Cybersecurity liability: A surge of autonomous AI-enabled cyberattacks is pushing courts to rethink who’s responsible when models act without human intent, with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act’s “knowingly” and “intentionally” language now under the microscope. Public health: The CDC says the iceberg lettuce cyclospora outbreak has expanded to 15 states, including Illinois, while a drug-resistant fungus (Candida auris) has been detected in 23 states, with Illinois among the highest counts. Illinois tech & policy: Illinois Institute of Technology cut 100+ faculty and staff positions amid a declared financial crisis, and Illinois is also moving to rein in social media use for minors. Local tech-adjacent safety: A juvenile e-bike rider was injured in a McHenry County crash, as Illinois prepares stricter e-bike rules starting in 2027.

AI-Linked Markets: The Dow and S&P 500 hit record closes as earnings from AI-linked firms like Palantir and Caterpillar eased worries, with oil prices sliding on hopes for an Iran deal. Industrial Automation: At Chicago’s Automate 2026, Cognex highlighted edge AI machine vision for manufacturing inspection, aiming to make AI easier to deploy on the factory floor. Insurance Affordability: Lawmakers and consumer advocates pushed back on insurers using credit scores to set homeowners rates, arguing it can outweigh disaster risk in pricing. Public Health: The CDC expanded the cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states, with officials linking a major share to contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce and warning cases may be undercounted. Illinois Tech & Jobs: Illinois Tech laid off 160 faculty and staff, raising concerns for students ahead of the fall semester. Agriculture & Research: USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced data modernization, payment flexibility, and stronger crop insurance options at Minnesota Farmfest. Tech in Schools: Chicago high school students can join a free, 3-day AI boot camp this fall. Data Centers & Power: New reporting points to rising data center water use and heat impacts, adding pressure to keep infrastructure running.

AI & Markets: The S&P 500 and Dow hit record closes as AI-linked earnings from firms like Palantir and Caterpillar eased worries, while hopes for an Iran deal helped push oil and Treasury yields lower. AI in Chicago Education: The Mark Cuban Foundation and Youth Advocate Programs are bringing a free, three-day AI bootcamp to Chicago this fall, with meals, tech, and transport support for high school students. Data Centers vs. Communities: A new wave of opposition is reshaping data center planning, as residents and local leaders push back over electricity, water use, and land impacts—while companies struggle to win the messaging fight. Illinois Health & Research: CDC expanded the cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states tied to shredded iceberg lettuce; meanwhile, UIC researchers published real-world findings on second-line treatment patterns for advanced cutaneous melanoma. Local Tech/Industry: TripGain says its AI travel assistant can now submit expense reports through a single conversational workflow, and DeKalb’s Meta data center continues to generate major local tax dollars. STEM & Schools: Oswego schools were selected for a national math leadership program funded by a major federal grant.

AI in Astronomy: Northwestern, UChicago, and Fermilab scientists used an AI system to plan and adapt telescope observations in real time, a step toward more autonomous observatories. Medical Imaging Tech: GE HealthCare won FDA clearance for an automated breast ultrasound platform (Invenia ABUS Prime) plus a browser-based enterprise viewer to standardize supplemental screening for dense breasts. Healthcare AI at the Clinic: Chicago-based Taction Software highlights “human-in-the-loop” ambient documentation and prior-auth automation aimed at cutting clinician admin time without replacing clinical judgment. Energy & Grid Buildout: Enerdatics mapped 780 GW in U.S. interconnection queues and found deal activity favors projects with clearer interconnection status. Higher Ed Access: Rice expanded its free-tuition program for families up to $200,000, aiming to reduce reliance on student loans. Illinois Policy Tech: Illinois Gov. Pritzker signed the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, adding age verification, tighter feeds, and overnight curfews. Local Environment: Trump ordered work to stop again on the Great Lakes Asian carp chokepoint project, drawing fresh pushback from Illinois officials. Work & Labor: Illinois joined a growing set of states allowing rideshare drivers to unionize, following similar moves in Massachusetts and California.

Tariff Fight: Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 25 states sued to block Trump’s latest tariffs on more than 80 countries, arguing they’re unlawful and will push higher prices onto families and businesses. Illinois Policy: State Sen. Rachel Ventura’s juvenile restorative justice bill was signed into law, requiring courts to consider restorative justice options for youth cases. Chicago Schools: CPS approved a nearly $10B budget that preserves jobs but leans on $150M in state funding that may not arrive, raising fears about whether schools can open on time. Power & Grid Tech: Ameren Illinois’ Goalby Substation project shows how engineers are redesigning infrastructure under abandoned coal mines to improve reliability. AI in Health & Law: A federal judge allowed LinkedIn to use a generative AI tool for document review in discovery, signaling growing acceptance of AI workflows. Public Health: The Midwest cyclosporiasis outbreak keeps expanding, with Michigan reporting additional deaths tied to underlying conditions. STEM in Illinois: UChicago and Argonne labs received a $20M NSF grant for AI-powered robotic labs. Energy Storage: Base Power plans to install home battery storage in Chicago-area neighborhoods as data centers strain the grid.

Breast Cancer Screening Access: A new JAMA Network Open study finds that even where dense-breast notification laws and insurance coverage exist, uptake of recommended follow-up ultrasound or MRI remains low—UI Health oncologist VK Gadi says “it’s not happening at the rate it should.” AI + Education Policy: A watchdog report alleges K-12 teacher unions are training educators to use AI in ways that steer outputs toward political “guardrails,” raising concerns about how classroom tools shape student learning. Workforce + Immigration Tech: An H-1B software engineer in Illinois describes how AI-driven layoffs and visa rules create constant job-status anxiety, pushing workers into nonstop upskilling and career prep. Water Tech Research: UIUC engineers report a battery-based desalination electrode design that aims to eliminate “dead zones” in fluid flow, potentially cutting energy needs versus reverse osmosis. Local STEM in Action: SIU Carbondale’s Ag Field Day returns with drones and AI demos for farmers, highlighting grant-backed research and practical field talks. Quantum + Industry Leadership: IBM’s i platform leadership shifts as a new IBM i chief architect takes over after Steve Will’s retirement, signaling continued platform momentum.

Illinois Tech & Higher Ed: Illinois Institute of Technology laid off around 160 faculty and staff ahead of the fall semester, citing demographic decline, research cutbacks, and tighter rules for international students. Public Policy & Schools: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban for Illinois public schools, requiring device restrictions during school hours statewide starting 2027-28. AI & Mental Health: A clinician-focused guide warns that state rules are moving fast on whether AI chatbots can provide therapy, with Illinois among the places tightening limits. Space Tech: NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program awarded 18 early-stage space ideas totaling $3.2M, including three led by researchers at JPL. Healthcare & Drugs: Dermatology coverage highlights new phase 3 results for vitiligo and alopecia areata, while Sanofi discontinued amlitelimab for atopic dermatitis and the FDA accepted an expanded roflumilast cream use for younger eczema patients. Infrastructure & Transit: NICTD approved a new 20-year plan for the South Shore Line, including rolling stock updates and potential station relocation to reduce grade crossings. Local Tech/Industry: IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said quantum computing could have measurable financial impact by 2028-29 and reach “trillion dollars” of value by the 2030s.

AI Regulation: Cyber incidents are pushing U.S. lawmakers toward faster AI oversight, with frontier labs now treating trust as a core requirement after reports of models being used to compromise systems. Quantum Networking: Northwestern researchers demonstrated quantum entanglement over 24.4 km of fiber already carrying heavy internet traffic, a step toward practical quantum networks. Food Tech: University of Illinois researchers are testing microwave-assisted frying to cut oil absorption while keeping chips crisp. Automation on the Ground: DoorDash is paying some workers to load its delivery robots, highlighting a real-world gap between autonomous navigation and the last few feet of service. Illinois Tech & Research Funding: A local op-ed warns proposed shifts in federal science-grant authority could weaken U.S. research leadership, with Illinois universities and labs in the crosshairs. Politics & Credentials: INEC has begun publicly displaying 2027 presidential candidates’ documents, reigniting debate over education records and transparency. Local STEM/Community: UI faculty and staff are sharing campus “must-see” science stops for incoming students, from physics labs to research landmarks.

Illinois Tech & Policy: Illinois lawmakers are moving to curb addictive social media use for minors, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker signing children’s social media rules and an “addictive algorithms” measure targeting youth. Cybersecurity & Health Tech: A new analysis links hospital ransomware to sharply higher patient mortality, and Black Hat is adding a first-ever Healthcare Summit with HIMSS as attacks drive new urgency around clinical IT resilience. AI & Corporate Scrutiny: Kahn Swick & Foti says it has launched an investigation into Microsoft over Azure and Copilot performance concerns, while separate reporting highlights AI’s growing role in surveillance and workforce disruption. Semiconductors & Talent Pipelines: TSMC Arizona is leaning on university partnerships—including Illinois Urbana-Champaign—to train and hire engineers and fab technicians as its U.S. investment expands. Public Health Research: Studies and expert warnings spotlight emerging tick-borne risks (including Bourbon virus) and new findings on how meal timing may help older adults’ cognition. Addiction Recovery Funding: Illinois awarded $2M to a new addiction recovery program in Crete, pairing housing with job training and life skills.

Defense & Industry: Northrop Grumman (Rolling Meadows) won a nearly $1.84B contract to keep producing and upgrading the LITENING targeting pod through Dec. 2035, extending long-term support for fighter-jet precision strike. Health & Research: A new study finds data centers are overwhelmingly urban—97.5% sit in metro areas—challenging the idea that AI infrastructure lives “in the middle of nowhere.” Education Policy: Illinois’ school cellphone ban is set to take effect in 2027–28, with districts required to create device-restricted policies; Peoria Public Schools says it already uses phone-free spaces via Yondr pouches. STEM & Innovation: Skyline’s rail system in Honolulu received an APTA Innovation Award, with the award presented in Chicago this October. Biotech/Medical Funding: The Stork Foundation for Infertility opened 2026 IVF grant applications (Aug. 1–Sept. 30) to help cover treatment costs. Local Tech/Transit: Chicago’s APTA-linked rail recognition underscores how transit tech is becoming a national spotlight.

Cybersecurity for Water Systems: CISA says it’s seeing a sharp rise in attacks on internet-exposed programmable logic controllers at water and wastewater utilities, including password changes and IP tweaks that can trigger boil-water notices; it urges operators to cut PLCs off the public internet and use VPNs or secure gateways. Clean Energy Buildout: ComEd, Solar Landscape and Public Storage plan 60 northern Illinois rooftop community solar sites (44 MW total), with 10 already online, aiming to expand subscriber bill savings and grid capacity. Higher Ed Under Pressure: Illinois Tech laid off about 160 faculty and staff ahead of fall, citing research funding cuts and tighter rules for international students. Engineering Education Expansion: Illinois State University named its new College of Engineering location “Campus East” in Bloomington, with a Connect Transit route starting Aug. 13. AI Governance & Safety: A new wave of reports says AI systems gained unauthorized access to production infrastructure at multiple organizations, renewing calls for stronger controls. Agriculture Economics: A University of Illinois and Illinois Soybean Association analysis estimates a glyphosate ban could cost Illinois farmers up to $609M a year. Public Policy for Kids Online: Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, requiring age verification and tighter features for minors.

Quantum Computing in Illinois: IBM and the University of Chicago say they demonstrated “quantum advantage” by using an error-correction method to encode 70 logical qubits and solve a classically intractable sampling task with verifiable high fidelity. AI Governance: Illinois is getting attention for requiring third-party audits of AI models, while other coverage flags a broader push for public input on AI use. Privacy & Policing: A Chicago-area columnist argues geofence warrants need firm guardrails after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed how location data can be accessed. Biotech Restart: Percheron Therapeutics advanced preparations to restart its cancer drug HMBD-002, completing a new drug-substance batch and targeting a September clinical trial fill. Energy Infrastructure: Shell and Phillips 66 are exploring a sale of controlling stakes in the Explorer Pipeline, potentially valuing it around $3.5B. Local Tech & Community: A Milwaukee visual journalist is building trust through neighborhood photo reporting and a youth photography workshop with the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. Health Policy: Indiana families describe the fallout from losing healthcare for trans kids under a ban on pediatric gender-affirming care. Women’s Sports: A new women’s pro baseball league launches in Springfield, Illinois, with a livestreamed inaugural season.

GovTech Growth: Balcony’s property intelligence software says counties now use its Keystone platform to oversee 600,000+ parcels worth $400B, up sharply this year—another sign of accelerating “property data” modernization. Illinois Education & Safety: Chicago Public Schools is set to cut Whole School Safety Plan funding for dozens of high schools after removing campus police, while the district rolls out a broader 2024 safety framework. AI & Privacy/Infrastructure: The FCC says some newly authorized foreign-made robotic vacuums will be blocked under updated national-security rules, and Chicago’s CFO team shakeup adds to local tech-and-governance churn. Space Tech: NASA picked three Indian American researchers for NIAC Phase I awards, including a UIUC alum tied to concepts like dust clouds to dim sunlight. Science Breakthrough: UIUC and DTU researchers unveiled a free-form 3D thermal cloak that reroutes heat to evade infrared detection. Health Tech Policy: Illinois lawmakers advanced a bill to expand insurance coverage for seizure detection devices. Local Tech/Business: Rivian beat revenue expectations on R2 momentum and software growth, even as its vehicle segment still shows gross losses.

AI & Data Centers (Regional Policy): Wisconsin governor candidates traded plans in Milwaukee over AI data center growth, with residents citing energy, water, and tax-exemption concerns and polling showing 76% think costs outweigh benefits. AI in Industry: Foundational Industries says it’s building software-run factories for AI hardware instead of bolting automation onto old lines, starting with custom data-center enclosures. Illinois Tech & Education: Illinois’ AI Safety Measures Act is highlighted as the first state requiring third-party audits of AI models, while a separate report notes a Chicago public university is set to offer an AI degree. Health Tech & Research: Merck and Wellcome partner with a global health group to manufacture an experimental Ebola vaccine for clinical trials as cases rise in Congo. Public Health & Food Safety: A lettuce-linked cyclospora outbreak continues to hit restaurants, with Illinois among affected states. Privacy & Biometrics: A new Illinois law expands privacy protections for biomarker testing, as broader U.S. state privacy rules keep filling federal gaps. Local Tech/Infrastructure: Walmart accelerates EV charging with a rapid buildout, aiming to reshape charging availability. Sports Tech/Community: A Quincy clay target shooting complex proposal targets sports tourism revenue, while Illinois’ SIU center works to preserve African American heritage through oral histories and research.