AGP Executive Report

Housing & Consumer Tech: Kelley Blue Book is expanding into real estate numbers with Kelley Blue Book Homes, a new appraisal-tech push aimed at rebuilding trust in home pricing for baby boomers and millennials. Energy & Grid: PJM’s reformed interconnection process is letting natural gas surge into the first study queue as data-center demand grows, reshaping what gets built. Illinois Insurance: Gov. Pritzker signed a law shifting more auto-rate review power to the Illinois Department of Insurance, with changes starting July 1, 2027. Solar Supply Chain: US Power is partnering factory-direct with Qcells to sell Tier-1 U.S.-assembled solar panels to California homeowners. Agriculture Trade: Pakistan is importing more than 1 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually, with officials citing expanding value-chain opportunities. Public Health: The cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to imported iceberg lettuce has spread to 15 states, including Illinois. Food Safety: A recall hits frozen breaded Swai products shipped to Illinois after USDA flagged export eligibility issues. Chicago Accountability: Chicago officials completed removal of remains from a South Deering funeral home as investigations continue. Local Industry Culture: A steam-powered saw mill demonstration drew crowds at Western Illinois Threshers, spotlighting hands-on heritage manufacturing.

Baby Formula Litigation: A federal judge in Chicago rejected Mead Johnson’s bid to end an upcoming Enfamil trial, keeping alive claims that the company’s formula design contributed to severe illness and deaths tied to necrotizing enterocolitis. Pensions & Leadership: Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Martin Noven as CEO of Iowa’s IPERS, with prior leadership that included running Illinois’ State Universities Retirement System. Transit Accessibility: Austin residents celebrated the reopened CTA Green Line station—now fully ADA accessible after a $25M upgrade. Mining Safety: Four southern Illinois mine managers were indicted over an Aug. 2021 underground fire, accused of concealing hazards and failing to evacuate miners. Tollway Costs: Drivers questioned Illinois Tollway plans for near-term toll hikes and future automatic increases every two years. Food Safety: Outbreak alerts expanded as salmonella linked to jalapeños and other recalls add to a growing wave of foodborne illness reports. Consumer Protection Policy: The FTC said it will stop enforcing disparate-impact claims, shifting focus to direct discrimination cases. State Fair Upgrades: Illinois State Fairgrounds continued major improvements, including demolition of a long-unused facility and added security screening steps.

Consumer Privacy & Pricing: Sen. Dick Durbin grilled witnesses on how AI surveillance can enable personalized pricing, tying it to tougher antitrust enforcement after Norway’s grocery price-fixing crackdown. Energy & Construction: A Chicago geothermal-powered high-rise is drilling for 65 wells to make an all-electric building a new development benchmark. Food Safety: The cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to lettuce expanded to 15 states, with Illinois among the affected. Manufacturing & Jobs: Illinois awarded $35M to ready 22 industrial sites, aiming to speed southern Illinois development. Industrial Safety: DOJ says southern Illinois mine managers bypassed emergency plans and tried to “fool” gas detectors after a 2021 fire. Agriculture: Iowa’s crop progress report points to improving fieldwork days and moisture conditions as August ramps up. Tech & Education: UIS is co-hosting an international AI video competition for high school students, with a free virtual symposium and cash prizes. Business Travel: American Airlines will shift some elite complimentary upgrades to premium economy on select routes, including Chicago to Hawaii and Maui. Public Health: A nationwide Medicare study links proximity to dry cleaners with higher Parkinson’s risk, raising environmental exposure questions.

Energy & Industry Funding: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Tammy Duckworth led Illinois lawmakers in a push to restore more than $580M in DOE energy grants that were reportedly canceled for political reasons, while Gov. JB Pritzker pressed Trump for direct tariff-refund relief to Illinois families after Supreme Court tariff rulings. Workforce & Food Security: Durbin also argued for a two-year delay to a SNAP cost-share requirement that could hit Illinois budgets by at least $600M a year, as farm and food groups warn of growing uncertainty. Economic Development: Pritzker and DCEO announced $35M in Regional Site Readiness Program awards for 22 industrial sites, aiming to speed up roads, utilities, and environmental due diligence. Rail Safety: The Illinois Commerce Commission approved nearly $1.6M for Ford County railroad crossing upgrades, including new warning devices and resurfacing. Manufacturing & Logistics: Toyota Material Handling North America opened a new forklift factory, signaling continued Illinois-area industrial investment momentum. Agriculture: Corn growers voiced concern as the farm bill stalls, adding to the pressure on Illinois producers.

Geothermal Development: A new 33-story, all-electric geothermal-powered apartment high-rise is taking shape in Chicago’s Fulton Market, with crews drilling the first of 65 wells to cut fossil-fuel reliance and lower long-term energy costs. Consumer Finance: A new analysis says CFPB credit-reporting complaints jumped from 2020 to 2025, with “mixed files” (someone else’s info) now the biggest category—nearly 1.92 million cases. Insurance & Dealmaking: Rolling Meadows-based Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is buying Canada’s Apollo Insurance Solutions, adding a digital tenant-insurance platform to its brokerage reach. Food Safety: Costco burritos sold in Illinois and other states were recalled after USDA found an undeclared egg allergen. Energy & Power Costs: A reader letter urges Illinois and other states to speed clean-energy permitting and transmission buildout to relieve electricity-rate pressure. Agriculture & Local Food: Illinois Extension’s Summer Twilight Series wraps Aug. 17 at Friendly Farms in Eddyville, spotlighting farm growth, marketing, and production challenges. Construction/Real Estate: Chicago’s Flatiron Building is nearing reopening after a long office-to-residential conversion, adding 38 luxury apartments.

Illinois Energy & Policy: Gov. JB Pritzker urged major oil CEOs to return Iran-war windfall profits, calling it profiteering and demanding price relief for Illinois consumers. Local Infrastructure: IDOT announced a full westbound I-64 closure in St. Clair County for bridge repairs Aug. 14–24, with detours in place. Food & Agriculture: Illinois distributed nearly $4M through the Local Food Infrastructure Program to boost storage, processing, packaging, and aggregation for local growers; meanwhile, the cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce continues to drive lettuce demand shifts toward farmers markets. USDA Data Modernization: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins launched listening sessions, including at the Illinois State Fair, to improve producer confidence and survey response rates. Manufacturing & Industry: CPC (PSG/Dover) rolled out Everis DC full-flow liquid-cooling connectors for AI data centers, targeting lower pressure drop and better energy efficiency. Business & Markets: Coeur Mining reported Q2 profit of $121.9M, though it missed Wall Street expectations.

Illinois Policy & Insurance: Gov. Pritzker signed new measures aimed at making home and auto insurance more affordable, including requirements that insurers justify rate increases. Food Safety & Agriculture: The FDA is investigating 10 active foodborne outbreaks, with Illinois among the hardest hit in the Candida auris spread and cyclospora-linked illnesses driving major leafy-greens concern. Industrial Automation: At Automate 2026 in Chicago, Cognex highlighted AI-powered machine vision for manufacturing inspection, pointing to faster, easier deployment on the factory floor. Markets & Manufacturing Demand: Stocks hit records as AI-linked earnings lifted the Dow and S&P 500; Caterpillar’s forecast boost tied to data-center buildout signals continued industrial demand. Local Industry & Infrastructure: Energy, Illinois saw a fatal house explosion; investigators are working with the state fire marshal to determine the cause. Ag Economy: USDA Secretary Rollins announced steps to modernize data, add payment flexibility, and strengthen crop insurance options for farmers. Logistics & Trade: CME reported record July trading volume, reflecting continued momentum across energy and agricultural futures.

Food Safety & Retail: Chipotle removed jalapeños from some locations after officials investigated a salmonella outbreak, replacing peppers from a common lot with product from different growers. Public Health: Illinois reported nearly 1,000 cyclosporiasis cases this year (995 confirmed/probable as of Tuesday), with 58 hospitalizations and no deaths reported. Food Manufacturing & Jobs: A new national look at U.S. food manufacturing finds 2025 employment hit a record 1.77 million workers, even as the sector’s share of the workforce has declined over decades. Ag Media: Illinois Farm Bureau communications veteran Rita Frazer was selected for the 2026 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Energy & Industry: A Reuters report tied record Dow and S&P 500 closes to AI-linked earnings, with Caterpillar’s forecast lift reflecting demand from AI data-center buildouts. Tech & Business Travel: TripGain rolled out an AI assistant that can book travel and submit expenses through one conversational workflow at Chicago’s Global Business Travel Association convention.

Tariff Fight in Court: Illinois is among 25 states suing the Trump administration over new “forced-labor” tariffs, arguing the move is a pretext to raise costs on families and businesses. Great Lakes Water Protection: Gov. JB Pritzker says the federal government has again ordered work to stop on the Brandon Road Asian carp project, a setback Illinois has led to protect the Great Lakes. Electricity Prices Under Pressure: A Reliable Grid Project webinar warns Illinois-area power bills may stay high through 2030 as data centers drive demand and grid upgrades lag. Illinois Layoff Filings: Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act reports include a Rockford school transportation contract loss (204 layoffs) and Eklind Tool’s Franklin Park plant closure (112 layoffs). Energy & Solar Pipeline Watch: Enerdatics reports 780 GW sits in US interconnection queues, but deal activity favors projects with clearer interconnection status. Rideshare Labor Shift: Illinois’ new law lets Uber and Lyft drivers unionize, joining similar moves in other states.

Tariff Fight: A coalition of 25 states, including Illinois, sued the Trump administration over a new round of sweeping tariffs, arguing they’re a “pretext” to replace duties the Supreme Court struck down. Back-to-School Relief: Gov. JB Pritzker says Illinois’ Aug. 7–16 sales tax holiday is back, cutting the state portion of tax on qualifying school items. Energy & Grid: Illinois’ Ameren Illinois substation work highlights how utilities are engineering around underground coal mine challenges, while EVgo and Brixmor are expanding fast charging with 500+ new stalls, including in Illinois. Logistics & Air Travel: FAA rules delay United’s Chicago–Marquette service until the departure cap lifts, and IDOT scheduled overnight ramp closures on I-64/IL-159 in St. Clair County. Ag & Food Safety: The Illinois Soybean Association re-elected Bryan Severs, and the cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce keeps widening, with Illinois added to the investigation. Industry Deals: InfraRed Capital Partners bought a majority stake in Rail Modal Group to grow intermodal logistics.

M&A in Illinois manufacturing: Atkore (Harvey) reported stronger Q3 results and said it has agreed to be acquired by Prysmian for $95/share in an all-cash deal valuing the company at about $3.8B, a ~30% premium to its July 31 close. Energy & grid pressure: A new PJM watchdog report says data centers have driven up U.S. grid power procurement costs by 60%+ and that PJM’s June 2028 reliability auction still fell short, raising the stakes for Illinois-area ratepayers. Climate litigation: A federal appeals panel kept Chicago’s climate lawsuit against major oil companies in state court, rejecting attempts to move it to federal court. Immigration enforcement policy: States are pushing laws to let residents sue individual federal officers over civil-rights violations tied to ICE; Illinois’ approach is already headed for court testing. Local workforce & education: SIU’s Ag Field Day returned after a hiatus, showcasing drone and AI-enabled ag research to farmers and partners. Tech labor pressure: An H-1B visa software engineer in Illinois says AI-fueled layoffs have created constant job-search fear under the visa timeline.

Construction Cash Crunch: A subcontractor for the Obama Presidential Center says it was hit with massive layoffs and canceled work after the project failed to pay $4 million owed, raising fresh questions about payment practices and project management tied to the center’s construction manager. Energy & Infrastructure: Tesla is moving ahead with a new 16-stall Supercharger in Chicago, with permits showing a $3.08M build right off I-90 near Garfield Boulevard. Corporate Deals: Italy’s Prysmian is reportedly in advanced talks to buy Illinois-based Atkore in an all-cash deal that could be announced soon. Workforce & Policy: Illinois Gov. Pritzker signed a broad slate of bills, including cash payment requirements and worker protections, while the state also launched a whistleblower complaint page for industry misconduct reports. Public Health & Food Safety: USDA issued a public health alert over frozen burritos sold at Costco in multiple states due to undeclared allergens. Sports Business: MLB’s deadline churn continues after major pitching trades, including Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers and Luis Castillo to the White Sox.

MLB Trade Deadline: The Detroit Tigers traded ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith, a move that reshapes the Dodgers’ already stacked rotation. Local Sports (Chicago): In the same deadline window, the Seattle Mariners sent veteran starter Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox for Seranthony Domínguez, Nolan Jones and Double-A catcher Boston Smith, giving Chicago a needed rotation boost. Food Safety: Federal health officials are tracking two separate outbreaks tied to recalled products: a Salmonella-linked egg recall affecting about 19 million eggs across multiple brands, and a Cyclospora outbreak tied to recalled iceberg lettuce. Consumer Protection: A class-action settlement tied to MLS real estate commissions is headed for approval in Northern Illinois, with more than $120 million set aside for eligible buyers. Illinois Policy/Industry: Illinois lawmakers and regulators continue moving on affordability and consumer protections, including new rules affecting scams and financial practices.

Illinois Agriculture & Food: Illinois Corn Growers Association leaders met with lawmakers in Washington to push farm economy, trade, farm bill priorities, renewable fuels, conservation, and lock-and-dam issues as commodity prices pressure growers. Energy & Infrastructure: Enbridge postponed the second phase of its Mainline crude pipeline expansion, citing lack of committed output increases, while focusing first on smaller Illinois-linked capacity projects. Manufacturing & Jobs: Caterpillar announced a $10M workforce commitment in Illinois, aiming to build manufacturing talent. Public Safety & Environment: Illinois AG Raoul secured a $185K penalty from a feed manufacturer over foul odors, and a consent decree was entered to resolve a lawsuit against Prestige Feed Products in Mount Prospect over odor and noise pollution. Healthcare & Cybersecurity: A new federal health privacy bill advanced in a Senate committee, but it still leaves key protections to future rulemaking; meanwhile, ransomware attacks on hospitals are linked to higher patient mortality, prompting a dedicated healthcare summit at Black Hat with HIMSS. Housing & Community: Illinois launched a program to provide food benefits to former SNAP recipients, and the state awarded $2M for an addiction recovery ranch program in Crete plus $385K for libraries and parks.

Trade Enforcement: U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 200 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches worth up to $28M at the Port of Louisville; a second seizure there netted 375 more with a potential $54M value, with shipments traced to routes tied to Hong Kong. Defense Manufacturing: Northrop Grumman (Rolling Meadows) won a $1.84B ceiling contract to sustain and upgrade the LITENING targeting pod through 2035, keeping production and upgrades on track for the Air Force. Energy & Grid Costs: Illinois data-center growth is colliding with rising power bills, triggering a backlash as regulators and watchdogs scrutinize utility grid planning and costs. Housing & Zoning: An Illinois judge barred a man from sleeping in his off-grid tiny homes in Springfield, spotlighting how local zoning rules can block alternative housing even with solar and filtration. Food Safety: USDA issued a public health alert for Costco-distributed Red’s All Natural Steak, Cilantro and Lime Burritos due to misbranding and an undeclared egg allergen. Local Economy: Rockford-area buyers are increasingly choosing lakefront homes near Candlewick Lake as inventory stays tight and prices climb.

Clean Energy Buildout: ComEd, Solar Landscape and Public Storage announced 60 new northern Illinois rooftop community solar sites (44 MW total), with 10 already online and more than 400 expected by year-end—aimed at easing the supply gap and cutting subscriber bills. Consumer & Health Policy Fight: Illinois AGs joined multi-state lawsuits to block federal moves that would weaken Affordable Care Act protections and expand catastrophic plans that can raise out-of-pocket costs. Environmental Enforcement: Illinois AG Kwame Raoul secured a consent decree requiring a now-closed Mount Prospect animal feed plant to pay $185K over excessive odor violations. Great Lakes Protection: Gov. JB Pritzker said the Trump administration halted work on the Brandon Road invasive carp project, calling it an attack on Great Lakes water. Agriculture Economics: A University of Illinois and Illinois Soybean Association analysis estimates an Illinois glyphosate ban could cost corn and soybean farmers up to $609M a year. Workforce & Education: Mathnasium reported 60+ franchise deals and 40 new centers in the first half of 2026, citing ongoing demand for supplemental math support. Local Business/Real Estate: Equity Residential and AvalonBay named their combined firm Vivmark Residential, targeting a major scale-up in apartment ownership.