Scientists use atom probe tomography on Apollo 17 lunar samples, showing the moon is 4.46 billion years old, older by 40 million years.

At 17, Dorothy Tillman earned a Ph.D. from Arizona State University and founded the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute, focusing on mental health and holistic education.

State Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 11 others, requests the DEA to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III to promote public health and aid legitimate businesses.

Illinois is set to witness a rare event as two cicada broods, XIII and XIX, emerge simultaneously for the first time since 1803, creating a massive, noisy display. The phenomenon occurs once every 221 years and will feature billions of cicadas.

Widespread cellular service outages affecting AT&T and Cricket Wireless customers have been reported, with providers urging the use of Wi-Fi calling until issues are resolved.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker backs The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub in Chicago, aiming to boost the economy by $60 billion and create 30,000 jobs in the quantum technology sector.

Uber integrates traditional taxis into its app in Chicago, offering users the option to hail cabs alongside ride-sharing services, amidst mixed reactions from industry stakeholders.

A nurse at Westgate Elementary in Arlington Heights is suspended amid allegations of swapping students' meds, prompting a police and child services investigation. A child showed signs of drug exposure, leading a family to hire a law firm.

Two juveniles in Chicago are in custody for a series of robberies, including targeting a 62-year-old man. The incidents date to May 23, 2024, with the suspects aged 14 and 11.

Grubhub and Albertsons Companies have partnered to offer grocery delivery from about 1,800 Albertsons stores via Grubhub's platform and apps, aiming to provide convenience and various options to customers.

A widespread tech outage affected various services, including airlines and banking, with significant disruptions in Chicago and globally. Microsoft's issues with its 365 services were identified as the cause.

The Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology will showcase a STEAM-themed exhibit at the 2024 Illinois State Fair, integrating the state's film heritage and educational activities.

Kayla Austin created a device and app, "My Gun's Been Moved," plus a program "My Safety Circle" to address firearm safety and prevent accidental shootings.

Chicago police are investigating damage from apparent gunfire at Redzovic Jiu-Jitsu, a studio owned by Muslim personality Eddie Redzovic. CAIR urges treating it as a possible hate crime.

The Cook County GIS division released CookViewer 3.0, an app update enhancing the mobile experience with Spanish language support and new features like full PIN search and historical imagery.

Verizon customers experienced nationwide outages, with phones entering SOS mode, affecting calls and texts. The company acknowledged the issue and engineers are working on a fix.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago launched a database with diagnostic images to aid veterinary care and conservation of exotic species, following the loss of Nakili, an eastern black rhino.

The University of Chicago's South Side Science Festival offered hands-on experiences in STEM for children and families.

Verizon customers experienced another service disruption, this time impacting calls to landlines, resolved quickly with no cause provided, causing frustration after recent outages.

Two pioneers of artificial intelligence, John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their contributions to machine learning.

Chicago launched the Smart Streets Pilot program, using cameras to enforce parking laws and keep bus and bike lanes clear, beginning with a warning phase.

The IDNR in Illinois enforces rules against using drones, AI, and e-bikes while hunting to maintain ethical standards and legal compliance. Violators risk severe penalties, including equipment seizure.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes listing the monarch butterfly as threatened, responding to population declines caused by habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides. Public feedback is sought until March 12.

Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen reintroduced the QUIET Act to mandate that AI-generated voices disclose their nature during robocalls, with violators facing fines.

A 21-year-old man, Anthony Jones, faces multiple charges, including aggravated battery with a firearm, following the shooting of a 19-year-old woman in Chicago.

Researchers at Northwestern University found that brewing tea with certain tea bags can remove heavy metals like lead from water, with potential implications for water remediation.

Astronauts Wilmore, Williams, Hague, and Gorbunov returned to Earth after an extended 286-day stay on the ISS, due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner. They traveled back on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Cook County released a major update to its property info platform, CookViewer 3.1, featuring a new mapping engine, UI improvements, and enhanced accessibility, including Spanish language support.

Owners of Siri-enabled devices must file claims by July 2 in a class-action settlement against Apple, with potential payouts of up to $100 for multiple devices, depending on the number of claims.

Cook County ranks 8th in the Digital Counties Survey for its tech advancements in public services and cybersecurity.

Pure Lithium Corporation moves its operations from Boston to Chicago, investing $46 million and creating jobs in Illinois’ clean energy sector.

The National Academy for AI Instruction aims to integrate AI into education by training teachers, with a $23 million budget funded by major tech firms and the AFT's support.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announces a $7 million investment to support tech incubators, aiming to foster innovation and boost the state economy through the Tech Incubator Enhancement Grant Program.

Cook County completed a solar panel installation at Markham Courthouse, advancing its sustainability goals and the Clean Energy Plan, with expected energy cost savings and environmental benefits.

Mount Vernon launches the industry's first solar-powered PVC compounding plant by Manner Polymers, expected to create 60 jobs and further Illinois' clean energy leadership.

Google has denied rumors of a general security alert for Gmail users, stating their security systems block over 99.9% of phishing and malware attempts.

Cook County is celebrating Digital Inclusion Week with over 100 events, including the Access Amplified symposium, to promote digital equity and access to technology.

The Illinois DoIT won the 2025 Government Experience Project Award for integrating real-time emergency road alerts into the Waze app, enhancing safety and collaboration with state police.

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for research on peripheral immune tolerance, impacting treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer.

We tried to check our own website this morning and got an error message, joining millions of users locked out when the company protecting a fifth of the internet went dark. Whether you can read this right now depends on where you're sitting—a fitting introduction to the fragile infrastructure holding the digital world together.

IonQ and the University of Chicago will build a campus quantum center and bring a production‑grade quantum computer and entanglement network to Hyde Park. The partnership aims to accelerate research-to-product work across the region.

Cloudflare experienced an internal service disruption affecting various websites and services, including ChatGPT and NJ Transit, with the company working on restoring service amid ongoing financial consequences.

Northwestern Medicine will open the Dauten Behavioral Health Institute in Chicago after a $25 million gift from Kent and Liz Dauten to expand bipolar care and research. The center will fund a registry, an innovation fund and new clinical programs.

Abbott is reportedly closing in on Exact Sciences, the maker of Cologuard, in a multibillion‑dollar deal that would boost its cancer‑diagnostics footprint. Talks are ongoing and could produce a formal announcement soon.

The FDA approved AbbVie and Genmab’s Epkinly with rituximab and lenalidomide after a Phase 3 trial showed large, durable responses in relapsed follicular lymphoma. The label includes boxed warnings for CRS and ICANS.

GE HealthCare will buy Montreal-based Intelerad for $2.3 billion in cash to expand cloud and AI imaging tools. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

Illinois state agencies warn residents of increased cyber scams during the holidays and provide tips for safe online shopping, emphasizing the importance of verifying links, reading reviews, using credit cards, and monitoring financial activities.

The Harold B. Smith Foundation has made the largest gift ever to Rush MD Anderson, establishing a new research center to expand early‑stage cancer trials in Chicago.

Syntax Bio's Science Advances paper introduces 'Cellgorithm', a CRISPR-based method that the company says can shrink stem-cell differentiation from months to days. The approach could speed regenerative therapies if it scales.

NMSU and Northwestern astronomers reprocessed archived telescope data to directly image HD 143811 AB b — a roughly five‑Jupiter‑mass planet orbiting twin stars. The find gives a rare window into planet formation around binaries.

Chicago Christian students finished first and second at the South Suburban robotics meet and were tapped to represent Illinois at the United States Governor's Cup in D.C.

Northwestern researchers report NU‑9 lowered a newly discovered toxic amyloid‑beta oligomer and blunted early brain inflammation in mice, pointing to a possible pre‑symptomatic intervention.

An international 4D Nucleome team produced single‑cell 3D genome maps, cataloging 140,000+ chromatin loops and offering new ways to link non‑coding variants to disease.

A computational mismatch helped researchers identify residual water blocking COF capture sites — making pores hydrophobic during synthesis restores CO2 uptake.

A new ranking puts Chicago at No. 9 for startups — strong survival rates, but the city lags in new business formation.

A man was injured in a stabbing during an altercation on Chicago's CTA Blue Line. The victim was taken to the hospital and is in good condition. No arrests have been made, and police are investigating.

The Chicago Tribune joined other newsrooms in asking a Manhattan judge to sanction OpenAI, alleging the company deleted and substituted millions of ChatGPT logs.

AbbVie paid $650M up front to license RemeGen's RC148 outside China; the deal and a Tempe plant purchase underscore a fresh push into oncology and U.S. manufacturing.

Chicago startups raised about $2.6 billion in 2025 as national VC totals surged on AI megadeals, leaving local backers worried that the Midwest is being bypassed.

Northwestern and Lurie Children’s unveiled a hair‑thin probe that measures fetal heart rate, oxygen and temperature during in‑utero surgery.

Rush University is testing Apple Vision Pro headsets paired with AI during colonoscopies in a usability trial that could inform an FDA submission and wider hospital use.

Northwestern announced nearly $25M from trustee Kimberly Querrey to launch the Simpson Querrey Brain Health Institute, aiming to measure and prevent cognitive decline.

Adtalem — the largest U.S. health-care educator — announced a corporate rebrand to Covista and a new push into research, training and philanthropy to help ease staffing shortages.

ActiveCampaign bought Feedback Intelligence to speed improvements to its Active Intelligence AI. Founder Chinar Movsisyan will join the Chicago firm's product team.

Researchers found airline and hotel loyalty accounts being traded on dark‑web forums, sometimes for pennies. Experts urge unique passwords, MFA and close account checks.

A Cook County judge certified a BIPA class against Apple over Siri voiceprints, potentially including millions of Illinois users and raising high-dollar privacy questions.

Neil Bluhm has pledged $50 million to Northwestern Medicine to expand cardiac research, recruit doctors and boost inpatient capacity as the system plans a new Streeterville tower.

Amazon will launch Prime Air drones from Markham and Matteson to deliver small orders within an eight‑mile radius. Community demos and a March 2 meeting are planned.

Chicago’s Letter AI landed a $40M Series B led by Battery Ventures and launched Letter Compass to bring AI coaching into live deals. The company says it will triple hiring this year.

Chicago‑based Xeris sued two ANDA filers to block generic Recorlev, citing four Orange Book patents that extend into 2040 and orphan exclusivity into 2028.

PowerSchool and Chicago Public Schools proposed a $17.25M settlement over Naviance claims and new privacy rules for millions of current and former students.

Perplexity asked a federal judge to narrow parts of suits by The New York Times and Chicago Tribune while leaving core copyright allegations intact.

AbbVie's ABBV‑295 produced nearly 10% weight loss in a 76‑person Phase 1 readout, with mostly mild side effects; full data are pending conference presentation.

Illinois institutions took in $1.26B in NIH awards in 2025 — down 12.4% as grant counts fell and the agency shifted priorities. That pullback is squeezing Chicago's research hubs.

Fifth Star Funds aims to back six Chicago tech startups this year, pairing a $450K friends‑and‑family goal with a LongJump partnership and a recent foundation grant.

Rosalind Franklin University's Helix 51 incubator is set to nearly double, adding wet‑lab space and room for more startups in North Chicago. County leaders say the buildout will deepen a growing bioscience corridor.

Endeavor Health is advancing a roughly $29M modernization at Edward Hospital to add operating rooms and a 10‑bed ICU, aiming to ease pressure on cardiac care. State filings and local reporting detail the scope and funding.

A Northwestern study finds brain immune cells’ use of fructose helps glioblastoma grow in mice, highlighting the transporter GLUT5 as a possible drug target. The findings are preclinical.

A Northwestern analysis tied premature menopause to roughly a 40% higher lifetime coronary heart disease risk. Doctors say menopause age should be part of routine risk screening.

Goldman Sachs is investing $42.5M in Chicago‑based GeoWealth to extend its Series C and deepen a product partnership aimed at RIAs.

Chicago-based Relativity filed confidentially for an IPO; Bloomberg told the Chicago Business Journal the offering could raise about $750M and value the company near $4B. The company says it has supported legal teams for about 25 years.

UIC medical students celebrated Match Day on Friday even as state data and policymakers warn Illinois will need thousands more doctors. New licensing rules aim to help, but training capacity and retention remain constraints.

GE HealthCare has closed its $2.3B purchase of Intelerad, adding cloud PACS and AI orchestration to its imaging lineup and expanding into outpatient networks. The deal boosts GE’s recurring‑revenue strategy.

Chicago‑based nonprofit Current won an NSF commitment worth up to $45 million over three years to scale Great Lakes water‑tech pilots, startups and workforce programs.

Northwestern precision fMRI shows imagination taps higher-level association systems — default and language networks — rather than only replaying sensory cortex.

AbbVie said it will take a $744M pre‑tax charge for acquired IPR&D and milestone costs, trimming its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $13.96–$14.16. The hit reflects deal‑driven pipeline spending even as the company presses local investments.

A Northwestern study finds chlorhexidine residues persist in MICU rooms and may select for tolerant bacteria, with sink drains and airborne dust flagged as hotspots.

A thaw in the IPO market has Chicago founders and bankers rethinking long‑delayed exits and liquidity plans for employees and investors. Local deal activity could follow.

Lake Forest-based Assertio agreed to be bought for $18 a share (~$125.1M) and sold seven branded drugs to Cosette for $35M.

Joe and Rika Mansueto pledged $50 million to UChicago to launch a challenge recruiting 20 AI‑focused scholars across disciplines.

AbbVie filed suit in D.C. asking judges to narrow who qualifies for 340B discounts, challenging HRSA guidance and raising stakes for hospitals.

Synchrotron scans show Pohlsepia mazonensis, long billed as the world’s oldest octopus, is actually a nautiloid — reshaping cephalopod history.

A Northwestern‑developed drug, elraglusib, doubled one‑year survival in a randomized phase 2 trial for metastatic pancreatic cancer, researchers report. The result sets up a planned phase 3.

The Cancer Center at Illinois earned a rare National Cancer Institute designation in April 2026, joining a small group of lab-focused centers. The status could unlock federal infrastructure support and translational partnerships for Illinois.

U of I and IBM renewed the Discovery Accelerator Institute to expand AI, quantum and supercomputing research across Illinois with new projects and student externships.

Veil Global sued Norton Rose Fulbright in Cook County, alleging the firm failed to pay a USPTO fee and cost the company licensing value; it seeks at least $100 million.

Interim REMAIN‑1 results suggest a one‑time endoscopic "gut reset" can help maintain weight after stopping GLP‑1 drugs. Topline pivotal data are expected in Q4 2026.

UChicago professors propose scaling a hands‑on "Tools of Thought" apprenticeship that pairs City Colleges students with Chicago firms to teach the nonroutine skills AI can’t replace.

Rush performed the first U.S. thumb joint replacement using the TOUCH CMC 1 prosthesis, a ball‑and‑socket implant designed to restore pinch and speed recovery. The device is beginning to roll out to other U.S. centers.

Richard and Gayle Landuyt pledged more than $20 million to rename the University of Illinois entrepreneurship hub and build a Chicago presence to speed startups. The gift will fund leadership, prizes and programming across campus and downtown.

A Lancet‑published consensus has renamed PCOS to PMOS to emphasize hormonal and metabolic causes. Patient groups are split as the three‑year roll‑out begins.

A Northwestern study shows montelukast reprograms tumor-supporting immune cells and restores checkpoint-inhibitor response in lab models.

A South Side woman underwent a rare quadruple-organ transplant at UChicago Medicine, receiving both lungs, a kidney and a liver from a single donor in a marathon operation.

VectorBuilder plans a $50M, 35,000‑sq‑ft R&D lab on Chicago’s South Side, targeting a 2027 opening and expanding the city’s CDMO capacity.

Chicago's Architect is pushing exchange‑traded futures on GPU and DRAM prices, setting up competition with CME and ICE. The move could make compute costs a tradable asset.

Chicago’s Tempus won FDA clearance to run its xT CDx test without matched normal samples, a label expansion the company says will broaden use and affect reimbursement.

FDA found Bacillus cereus and other quality lapses at Medline's Waukegan drug plant; the agency ordered independent risk assessments and remediation timelines.

Chicago buyout firm Thoma Bravo agreed to take Limerick‑based Kneat private in an all‑cash deal valuing the life‑sciences validation software maker at about C$650M.

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in suburban Chicago has begun enrolling veterans in a supervised psilocybin-assisted therapy trial for treatment‑resistant PTSD.

A Northwestern professor and four other diabetes researchers were escorted from the ADA Scientific Sessions in New Orleans after distributing reprints of a Diabetes Care editorial critical of proposed NIH policy changes.

Teva completed its purchase of Chicago‑based Emalex, paying $700M up front and positioning ecopipam—an effective Phase 3 Tourette candidate—for an NDA in the second half of 2026.

Chicago cybersecurity experts warn that AI chats and third‑party apps can expose private conversations. Here’s what happened and what to stop sharing now.

A Chicago team built a linked‑exoskeleton rehab that lets therapists guide stroke survivors' movements in real time. Early tests showed gains in walking metrics and strong patient engagement.

AbbVie is reportedly buying Apogee Therapeutics for about $11 billion, adding a late‑stage eczema drug and deepening its immunology pipeline in North Chicago.

Thousands of Xfinity customers reported service interruptions Monday; outage trackers logged a sharp spike while engineers worked to restore service.

Automate 2026 turns McCormick Place into a robot showcase, with a NVIDIA-sponsored Humanoid Pavilion and hundreds of live demos from major automation vendors. The four-day event highlights how AI is changing industrial robotics.

Northwestern's Project DRIVE provided software Apple used to let Vision Pro wearers steer powered wheelchairs with their eyes. The feature rolls out initially with limited drive‑system support.

Rush CEO Omar Lateef will step down to pursue a national health equity agenda, Crain's reports. His departure leaves a key leadership moment for the Chicago system.