A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contract and it refused; The Verge, October 11, 2026

 TERRENCE O'BRIEN , The Verge; A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contract and it refused

"In April of 2025, Elgin Community College had six Flock safety cameras installed to “enhance the safety and security of students.” But by September of that year, the school’s administration grew concerned that Flock was sharing data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were not properly secured, and that both law enforcement and the company’s employees were abusing access to the data.

So in October of 2025, Elgin Community College requested Flock to remove its cameras. According to Elgin’s President Peggy Heinrich, Flock rejected the request, saying it had not violated its contract. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, school officials reached out again in December, offered to pay for the remaining five months of the contract, and still requested that the cameras be removed. They were met with silence."

Building intellectual property awareness across disciplines at Illinois State University; Illinois State University News, May 11, 2026

 Sara Prieto , Illinois State University News; Building intellectual property awareness across disciplines at Illinois State University

[Kip Currier: It's impressive to see how diverse fields at Illinois State University -- Family and Consumer Sciences, Information Technology, Management, etc. -- are imbuing students with practical knowledge about creating, protecting, and using IP.]

"Understanding how to protect original work is becoming an essential part of the student experience. At Illinois State University, a second faculty cohort expanded the integration of intellectual property (IP) into course work during the 2025-26 academic year...

Across disciplines, students learned to treat their work as something that can be developed, protected, and applied beyond the classroom. The program positions intellectual property as a practical skill, especially as tools like AI make it easier to create and share content while raising new questions about ownership."

OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters; Wired, April 9, 2026

 MAXWELL ZEFF , Wired; OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters

The ChatGPT-maker testified in favor of an Illinois bill that would limit when AI labs can be held liable—even in cases where their products cause “critical harm.”

"OPENAI IS THROWING its support behind an Illinois state bill that would shield AI labs from liability in cases where AI models are used to cause serious societal harms, such as death or serious injury of 100 or more people or at least $1 billion in property damage."

OpenAI sued for practicing law without a license; ABA Journal, March 6, 2026

 AMANDA ROBERT , ABA Journal; OpenAI sued for practicing law without a license

"OpenAI has been accused of practicing law without a license in a lawsuit brought by Nippon Life Insurance Co. of America. 

According to the insurer’s complaint, which was filed on Wednesday in the Northern District of Illinois, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT pushed a woman seeking disability benefits to breach a settlement agreement and file dozens of motions that “serve no legitimate legal or procedural purpose.”"

Trump Administration to Cut $600 Million in Health Funding From Four States; The New York Times, February 9, 2026

 Apoorva Mandavilli , The New York Times; Trump Administration to Cut $600 Million in Health Funding From Four States

The states, all led by Democrats, used the grants to support a wide variety of functions, including H.I.V. prevention and surveillance.

"The Trump administration plans to rescind $600 million in public health funds from four states led by Democrats because it finds the grants “inconsistent with agency priorities,” according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The programs slated to be cut are in California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. They include grants to state and local public health departments as well as to some nongovernmental organizations. A list of the cuts was shared with relevant congressional committees on Monday.

The funds are administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They include grants given to states for a variety of purposes, including hiring staffs, modernizing data systems and managing disease outbreaks. Some programs are aimed at the needs of specific communities.

Some of the cuts will be finalized this week and others over the coming weeks, totaling roughly $600 million. The figure was first reported by The New York Post."

Public libraries in Illinois now required to store anti-opioid overdose medications after a series of near-deaths; The Independent, December 28, 2025

 Isabel Keane, The Independent; Public libraries in Illinois now required to store anti-opioid overdose medications after a series of near-deaths

"A new state law will require all public libraries in Illinois to stock medications that can reverse opioid overdoses after at least one library in the state reported multiple overdoses each year.

The new law, which goes into effect January 1, will require all public libraries in the state to stock opioid overdose reversal drugs and allow trained staff to administer them in the event of a suspected overdose, the Illinois Department of Public Health said earlier this month."

New law requires public libraries across Illinois to carry opioid OD reversal medication; The Chicago Tribune, December 28, 2025

Lisa Schenker, The Chicago Tribune; New law requires public libraries across Illinois to carry opioid OD reversal medication

Illinois libraries required to carry Narcan next year; Fox2Now, December 9, 2025

 Caroline Pettey, Alex Barton, Fox2Now; Illinois libraries required to carry Narcan next year

"Starting on the first day of 2026, public libraries across Illinois will be required to keep opioid overdose-reversal medications, such as naloxone (Narcan) on site and have trained staff ready to administer them.

A new standing order signed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) director seeks to fight back against opioid overdose deaths by making sure that libraries, often considered a safe space for the community, is prepared to respond in that kind of emergency. 

Libraries will be able to obtain naloxone or nalmefene without a prescription and train staff to use it. Under the Illinois Good Samaritan Act, library personnel who administer naloxone in good faith are protected from liability.

The law will require at least one trained person on duty at all times."