Illinois Policy & Ethics: A federal indictment of state Rep. Carol Ammons spotlights weak Illinois conflict-of-interest rules, with prosecutors alleging grant money was steered to nonprofits tied to her daughter. Gambling Treatment: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill recognizing gambling disorder as an addiction, opening the door to state behavioral health programs for compulsive gamblers. Workforce & Training: The Illinois Automobile Dealers Association teamed with ASE Connects to expand access to automotive technician training pipelines for Illinois dealerships. Energy & Grid: ComEd customers can now get a “giant backyard battery” option aimed at cutting bills and helping ride out outages. Healthcare & Tech: Decatur Memorial Hospital is expanding lung care with advanced robotic biopsy technology. Ag & Climate: A new report warns El Niño could slash U.S. rice production, with Illinois climate experts pointing to high temperatures as a key risk. Industry Tech: IBM and the University of Chicago demonstrated quantum advantage using error correction to encode 70 logical qubits. Logistics: The U.S. freight dataset update tracks port congestion, rail and trucking activity, and diesel prices nationwide. Business & Real Estate: Historic Chicago’s Medinah Temple is preparing for another reinvention after Bally’s moves into its permanent facility.