Illinois is once again moving forward with a planned barrier designed to keep invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, having secured funding guarantees from the federal government.

Increasing energy prices are causing alarm among some consumer advocates and state policymakers, who worry that the long-term problems underlying the rising costs could lead to even higher prices or rolling blackouts.

The General Assembly has through May 31 to pass a budget with a simple majority vote before the threshold increases to a three-fifths vote on June 1.

The bill would also allow a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of any Illinois driver to submit medical information about the driver to the secretary of state if they think the person’s medical condition interferes with their driving abilities.

CTA, Metra and Pace are facing a $770 million hole in their budget next year and are urging the Illinois General Assembly to pass a public transportation funding and reform bill to avoid service cuts and major layoffs at each agency.

Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, “Free, free Palestine” after he was arrested, police said.

House committees labored for months on the bill, which underwent late changes to win over holdouts in the Republican conference. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a nod to Trump himself.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to dismantle the department.

If signed into law, the bill would mandate providers receive one hour of training prior to renewing a state license, starting in July 2026. It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law.

Before the vote, Mayor Brandon Johnson repeatedly questioned whether the measure is constitutional and frequently said that he does not believe that expanding the city’s curfew would stop teen “trends” or “takeovers.”

Just five months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $144.5 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding its budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by more than 76%, city records show.

Turnout gear, also known as bunker gear, is the specialized protective clothing worn by firefighters to protect them when they respond to fires or other hazardous situations.

Amid rising costs and threats to federal housing grants, Chicago is facing a shortfall of nearly 120,000 affordable housing units. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new Green Social Housing initiative aims to address that shortage by creating a city-owned nonprofit housing developer.

A final vote by the full City Council is set for Wednesday. If the measure takes effect, it would reshape Chicago’s curfew law and could set a template for other cities struggling with public safety challenges.

“We’re not going to be intimidated by the tyranny that’s coming from the federal government,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “The diversity of our city is our strength.”

It’s crunch time in Springfield, with the deadline to pass the state budget for next fiscal year less than two weeks away. Lawmakers are working to hammer out a balanced spending plan amid federal funding uncertainties and mounting pressure from agencies asking for more money.