Severe Weather & Power Restoration: Storms tore through central Illinois, with tornado reports near Charleston and widespread outages leaving more than 35,000 customers without power; local officials reported downed trees, damaged buildings, and crews working through outages and safety hazards. Cybersecurity in Education: Evanston Township High School is still dealing with fallout from a ransomware attack, with experts pointing to how AI is making cyberattacks more convincing and defenses harder for schools and other institutions. Sports Business & Local Economy: The Chicago Bears moved stadium momentum forward by voting to advance a northwest Indiana project in Hammond, a development that could reshape regional development plans and Illinois-area political negotiations. Energy Policy: The Trump administration agreed to buy back Invenergy’s offshore wind leases for four projects, totaling $765 million, redirecting funds toward faster-to-build fossil and geothermal ventures. Illinois Crypto Tax Backlash: Industry groups and crypto leaders are reacting to Illinois’ new tax on digital asset transactions, calling it among the most punitive in the U.S. Tech & Automation: Regal Rexnord is highlighting robotics and factory automation motion solutions at Automate 2026 in Chicago, underscoring continued investment in connected manufacturing.