Illinois Tollway: The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is proposing its first toll hike since 2012, with passenger tolls averaging about 45 cents more and commercial tolls up about 30% starting Jan. 1, 2027, citing road widening, bridge repair, and new technology. EV Readiness: ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus honored nine northern Illinois communities graduating from the 2026 EV Readiness Program, aimed at cutting local barriers to charging and improving permitting and first-responder readiness. Manufacturing Automation: THRYVE Automation unveiled its unified brand at Automate 2026 in Chicago, combining Jewett Automation, FTS, and S&J Precision to offer end-to-end automation for labor, productivity, quality, and AI-infrastructure pressures. Robotics Growth: A new IFR snapshot shows U.S. industrial robot installations up 11% in 2025 to 38,000, with food driving a 30% jump in adoption. Food Industry Innovation: Orchard Insights launched a productized “in the wild” behavioral testing suite (Seed, Shape, Activate) for consumer message and product validation. Food Ingredients at IFT First: Prosur will highlight natural, clear-label ingredient solutions tied to the MAHA reformulation push at IFT First in Chicago. Local Business/Industry: Illinois-based DNA’s Made in Elgin plans a downtown shop opening in July. Construction/Infrastructure: Weekly construction updates and Illinois’ ongoing roadwork continue to shape local schedules and logistics.