Consumer Protection: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued Arlington Heights-based ABC Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, alleging deceptive practices that targeted seniors—using unlicensed technicians, inflated prices, and contracts customers couldn’t properly review. Public Works & Infrastructure: The Illinois State Capitol north wing renovation is “slightly behind” but still set to wrap “sometime this winter,” with the Senate chamber and a new underground parking garage already opened after delays. Water & Environment: A Trump administration hold on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project to stop invasive carp near Joliet was lifted after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called President Trump, underscoring urgency as carp are found close to Lake Michigan. Workforce Development: Future Workforce Alliance became the first local workforce board in the U.S. to invest in the Skills for America model, shifting from training-first to employer-demand-first hiring pathways. Food Safety: The FDA expanded a frozen berry recall, adding Walmart’s Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend in 16 states including Illinois, due to potential E. coli contamination. Local Industry & Housing: Next Generation Construction broke ground on Legacy at Prairie Corners, an 84-unit apartment complex in Beloit, the first such build in the town since 2012. Energy & Materials: Illinois researchers at UIUC developed a sound-wave method to turn Kraft lignin from paper-making into potentially more valuable renewable chemicals.