Rachel Schachter, associate professor of education psychology at UIC, discusses the factors contributing to declining literacy rates and how her research team plans to study differences across school communities. https://ow.ly/N4k350Z4kGA

Eve Rips of UIC Law shines a light on the consequences of school discipline, along with two policy recommendations in the latest episode of Illinois Policy Unpacked. youtu.be/8Sd7Bwi1g-E?... Read the full report here: bit.ly/4u9KgfT

The Illinois State Senate has declared July 22, 2026 as Governor Jim Edgar Day in the State of Illinois in recognition of former Governor Jim Edgar's life, his legacy, and his extraordinary career in public service. https://ow.ly/2LTS50YXIji

Illinois' Flash Index of Economic Growth slipped to 101.0 in April 2026 from 101.2 in March (102.4 a year ago). Growth continues, but Illinois unemployment has diverged, rising to 5.1% while the U.S. rate holds at 4.3%. https://ow.ly/6BAu50YTgX5

On this episode of the Future Tech & Policy Podcast, the panel examines an AI-related court case, the rise and fall of OpenAI’s Sora app, and what evolving tech—from legal practice to right-to-repair—means for professionals. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzut...

@uofilsystem.bsky.social President Tim Killeen presented Dick Durbin with the 2026 Paul H. Douglas Award yesterday in Washington, D.C. Durbin is recognized for bipartisan leadership on immigration, criminal justice, health care, and infrastructure.

I got my start in politics interning for Senator Douglas—he inspired generations of public servants, including myself, to serve with honesty and integrity. I am honored to receive the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government presented by @illinoisigpa.bsky.social

On episode 8 of the Future Tech & Policy Podcast, the panel dives into rumored “lock-and-key” AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI, the accidental Claude Code leak, and proposed Illinois AI legislation on safety, disclosure, and liability protections. https://ow.ly/z5wz50YONcr

IGPA's latest Policy Spotlight, led by David Merriman of UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, highlights growing Illinois state expenditures. State employee healthcare costs represented the biggest line item increase at 20.6 percent. https://ow.ly/755R50YNZIe

The University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen will present U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin with the 2026 Douglas Award on April 29 at a Capitol Hill ceremony in Washington, D.C. Honorees exemplify ethics and fair play in public service. https://ow.ly/RBul50YNtCT…ment-on-april-29

Last week, the U of I System sent a delegation to Washington, D.C. to meet with our federal legislators and advocate for our education, research, health, and economic development missions. 🏛️ We're grateful for their time, attention, and continued support of the system's initiatives.

IGPA affiliate Jason Mazzone recently weighed in on Supreme Court birthright citizenship arguments. Read the full news analysis here ➡️ https://ow.ly/YosS50YFVuX

Deadline approaching: IGPA has opened its annual call for research proposals. This year we are introducing $15,000 small grants. Apply by April 24th to be considered ➡️ https://ow.ly/ZvHP50Y9xLb

The Illinois Flash Index for March 2026 declined for the third straight month, falling to 101.2 from its 101.3 level in February. The Illinois economy is still growing at a moderate rate in line with national economic predictions of slow growth in 2026. https://ow.ly/LxFu50YC3iL

UIC College of Education professor Jeremy Riel is developing SkillTree, an AI-enabled platform that helps teachers provide timely, skills-based feedback to students— while keeping educators in control of all instructional decisions. https://ow.ly/r5m450YyWvQ

FTP Podcast (episode 7) AI Agents and Crustacean-Themed Apps, Geo Data for AI Training, & End-to-End Encryption https://ow.ly/FcfB50YzYzb Co-hosts are Jeremy Riel, Gagandeep Singh, and Zach McDowell.

A new report highlights variation in worker protections across Illinois, recommending stronger policies on minimum wage, scheduling, paid leave and gig work. https://ow.ly/vIIj50YyUwI

IGPA Affiliate Sheldon Jacobson joined @cnbc.com to break down how TSA funding gridlock is straining airports and workers, making the case for privatized security operations. https://ow.ly/Ukah50YyUg6

IGPA's Data Hub just expanded with the Illinois Policy Agendas Project, led by EJ Fagan of UIC — a database categorizing Illinois government outputs into 20 policy areas and 220 subtopics. Explore it alongside Fiscal Futures and more: emails.uofi.uillinois.edu/newsletter/4...

Do advanced AI systems handle high-stakes tasks in computing? IGPA scholars in Science and Technology WG published a preprint on AI's economic risks in computing careers. ow.ly/p5Tp50Ypmzq

The Illinois Flash Index for February 2026 continued its modest downward trend, falling to 101.3 from its 101.5 level in January. This is the lowest level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery in Spring 2020. ow.ly/6SAf50YoQ9C

Apply for the Charles P. Wolff Internship at the Institute of Government & Public Affairs emails.uofi.uillinois.edu/newsletter/2...

In our latest report, Suyang Yu, assistant professor at the School of Public Management and Policy, UIS, recommends investments in leadership training, and emergency operations updates are key to improved disaster response. ow.ly/j70o50Ymzuu

Applications are now open for the Partnerships for Evidence-based Public Policy (PEPP) fellowship program for the 2026–27 academic year. Learn more about the PEPP fellowship and application requirements—the application portal is now open! ow.ly/4rf850Ye1LY

IGPA proudly adds the AI Policy Atlas Project, led by Jeremy Riel, a non-partisan tool tracking state AI legislation. Explore it and upcoming projects: ow.ly/5kOz50YcwkV

In our latest report, Craig De Voto, Research Assistant Professor in the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago, examines the future Illinois schools could face as federal COVID-19 funding sunsets. igpa.uillinois.edu/reports/poli...

Episode four of the Future Tech and Policy podcast covers CES’s “Worst In Show,” federal AI regulation moves, OpenAI’s new risk officer, and Disney bringing its characters to ChatGPT and Sora. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvmF...

Paula Worthington, an IGPA affiliate and co-author of the latest Policy Spotlight, outlines how a loss in provider taxes could drain of $1.5B of Medicaid revenue. ow.ly/u34850XU0EJ

Elizabeth Powers joined the @ilpublicmedia.bsky.social 21st Show to discuss Illinois' grocery tax official expiration at the start of this year. However, many Illinoisans are still paying that tax. ow.ly/hJfy50XTcc1

The Illinois Economic Flash Index for December ended the year at 101.7, the same reading as November. For the year, the index was down from a 102.4 reading in December 2024. This indicates a slowing but still expanding Illinois economy. ow.ly/6iAU50XS26b

Illinois' Rakesh Kumar warns U.S. chip export bans won’t stop China’s AI progress. China can adapt via software, open-source models, and cost advantages, while restrictions risk harming U.S. firms and fueling China’s chip ecosystem. ow.ly/t4j950XRW9a

Trump’s first year back brought economic turbulence and big education shifts. IGPA’s Craig De Voto warns that dismantling the Dept. of Ed would push responsibilities to states and put underserved students at risk. ow.ly/EGMR50XGZyl

On the inaugural Future Tech & Policy Podcast, panelists Jeremy Riel and Ken Suh break down recent AI news. The pair discuss Sora’s new Android video app, a court order for OpenAI chat logs, and more. ow.ly/Gl2U50XAVXT

The Edgar Fellows nonprofit board has appointed former U.S. Congressman and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood as Distinguished Director of Edgar Fellows®. Full press release ➡️ ow.ly/2beU50XBpes

The Illinois Flash Economic Index for November rose slightly to 101.7 from its 101.6 level in October. The economy remains in a stable, low-growth mode, continuing the path it has followed for the last several months. igpa.uillinois.edu/flash-index/...

Community leaders and advocates, including Tracy Dace, an IGPA affiliate, will gather tomorrow in Champaign for the “Reimagining Public Safety” town hall to discuss innovative solutions to gun violence and accountability in the firearm industry. ow.ly/cxe150XtB9Q

Molly Lamb, executive director of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS, outlines how proposed Illinois legislation can help protect public officials. ow.ly/1gNL50Xt5T3

Elizabeth Powers, assistant director of IGPA and associate professor of economics at Illinois, estimates Champaign County alone could lose about $3 million per month in SNAP spending, hurting grocery stores and local businesses. ow.ly/qpN050XqFsw

Matthew Tarduno, assistant professor of economics at UIC, explains the potential impact of the recently passed, sweeping Illinois energy reform package. ow.ly/knkU50XqAgL

Congratulation to science and technology working group co-lead Jeremy Riel on receiving the 2025 IEEE Mac Van Valkenburg Early Career Teaching Award. The IEEE award honors early-career educators for innovative, engaging computing instruction.

James Swartz, PhD, professor at UIC's Jane Addams College of Social Work, explains why hemp regulation is vital for Illinois in our latest Q&A. igpa.uillinois.edu/in-the-news/...

The Illinois Flash Economic Index in October fell to 101.6 from its 101.8 level in September. This indicates a gradual slowing of the Illinois economy over the last several months, but not a major decline. ow.ly/ClP850Xm23h

Jonathan Coppess cautions that ad hoc farm payments, if drawn from USDA programs meant for standard support, may distort input and commodity price signals, hinder market corrections, and expose soybean markets to geopolitical risk, complicating planning. www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/farm-po...

🎙️ Check out our latest episode of the Illinois Policy Unpacked podcast, covering the Illinois' transit budget crisis with Paula Worthington and Richard Funderburg. igpa.uillinois.edu/in-the-news/...

In our latest report, Richard Funderburg, professor at UIS, and Paula Worthington, senior lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, discuss Illinois’ transit budget crisis. go.uillinois.edu/Transit-Fund...

Amy Leman, assistant professor of agriculture leadership at Illinois, explains the potential impacts of House Bill 4895. igpa.uillinois.edu/in-the-news/...

Brian Gaines, Honorable W. Russell Arrington Professor in State Politics at Illinois, talked about the federal shutdown and how it will affect central Illinois on @wcia3news.bsky.social. www.wcia.com/illinois-cap...

How has the Make America Healthy Again campaign shaped public views on food and farm policy? New results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey reveal little change in support across commodities despite major shifts in food policy debates. farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2025/09/trac...

In her latest policy analysis, Mina Raj, assistant professor at @ahsillinois.bsky.social explores the impact of the CARE Act and how it improves outcomes for patients, strengthens health systems, and benefits states. Read the full analysis here: ow.ly/Lfx250X0htC

Sara Gerke, an associate professor at @law.illinois.edu, explains the ethical complications of using AI for mental health treatment and how fractured federal policy can complicate compliance. igpa.uillinois.edu/in-the-news/...