The IHSA’s announcement came in a letter issued to Republican lawmakers. It said that Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights had informed the agency that it was required to maintain a policy in lockstep with state law. It also clarified that its trans athletes policy only applied to the state series competition it sponsors, and that individual schools could determine whether transgender students participated during the regular season.

Lawmakers could pass a plan in the final weeks of session to protect the state’s power grid from surging energy demand from data centers. This legislation could force data centers to produce 100 percent of the power required for their technology.

“When 40 percent of small businesses in Illinois say they’re worried that tariffs will decrease their income, it’s really a major figure to listen to,” said researcher Chuck Casto. The industries with the highest percentages of concerned small business owners were: Retail (57 percent), Restaurants (54 percent), Travel (54 percent), Construction (53 percent) and Manufacturing (52 percent).

“This is a huge problem across the country, but it’s a real problem here in Illinois,” state Rep. Dan Ugaste said. “It’s my understanding that our 8th graders are doing a bit better. It speaks to the amount of damage that was done when the schools closed during the pandemic. That’s when these children would have first been in school and first learning how to read, write and do math.”

“We’re talking about a forced mandate that comes with no funding,” said state Rep. John Cabello. “Schools will have to pay out of pocket to repaint logos, rebrand team materials, and replace signage. That’s money that could be going to classrooms and teachers, not some woke rebranding project.”

In a letter to the university community, Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Barris and President Michael Schill said while Northwestern hasn’t yet received official notice that federal funding has been pulled but have received stop-work orders on about 100 federal grants for scientific research.

“They attacked me when I was down,” Trump said. “Now I’m doing great again and it’s my turn. I always said, the first time I got back on my feet, the Pritzkers would be the first people I’d go after.”

“The county leaders now say they will have to cut budgets or raise revenue in a different way. Board Chair Corinne Pierog mentioned they might look at other ways to raise money, which could include increasing the gasoline tax. But that misses the point of what voters are clearly saying: they want government to make do with what it already has. They aren’t interested in replacing Tax A with Tax B.”

More than 60,000 international students are enrolled at colleges across Illinois, according to the Association of International Educators

Davis said he is the primary promoter of Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs) a designation for about 75 schools including in Illinois, Chicago State University, Olive-Harvey College, Kennedy King College, Malcolm X College, South Suburban College, and Robert Morris University Illinois formerly Robert Morris College. The schools with the PBI designation must have a 40 percent Black enrollment with an equal percent low-income status.

One big campaign donor to Welch is the Sports Betting Alliance, which includes sports gambling operations such as FanDuel and DraftKings that are regulated by the state of Illinois. The trade group gave Welch’s main campaign fund $250,000 in October, records show. It’s also listed as a sponsor for Welch’s charity. Several labor unions have sponsored Black Excellence in Bleu, too, including Operating Engineers Local 150. Local 150 is led by Jim Sweeney, who also is on the board of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

“Any rule changes for the 2026 plan year, which will be filed for approval in late spring, create a high risk of destabilizing state health insurance markets, particularly as Congress contemplates the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits and cuts to Medicaid,” the letter reads.

“We are one broken part in our mixer away from unfulfilled orders,” said Khara Koffel, co-owner of Serious Lip Balm in Jacksonville. The chemical-free lip balm is shipped to boutiques and salons all over the world and is sold in NASA stores and the gift shop at the Space Needle in Seattle.