Barbara Flynn Currie, the South Side Democrat who became the Illinois House’s first woman majority leader, died April 16 at 85 after a 40‑year legislative career. Her work on education and criminal‑justice reform left a lasting imprint on Springfield.

The Illinois House voted 82–27 to pass HB5511, a Pritzker-backed bill to limit algorithmic feeds for minors and set default privacy protections; the measure now moves to the Senate.

Federal authorities moved onto Fronton Island in the Rio Grande near Roma, escalating a long-running state‑federal fight. The action follows an Air Force NDA expansion and earlier Texas fortification.

A SmartAsset study ranks Edinburg, Georgetown, Conroe and Grand Prairie among the U.S. leaders in property‑tax burden. New state exemptions help, but local burdens remain uneven.

Beijing lodged a formal protest after a Japanese destroyer sailed the Taiwan Strait, calling the passage a "deliberate provocation."

FDLE closed its probe into about $86K in payroll payments to a Pembroke Park commissioner; the mayor called the decision unsatisfying and the town faces renewed scrutiny.

An OIG audit says Chicago’s finance department can’t account for at least $8.1 billion in unpaid fines, fees and utility bills.

The White House’s FY2027 request would trim about $354M from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, cutting several fusion and basic‑science lines while raising some defense programs. Local projects and contractors could feel the impact.

A D.C. appeals panel blocked moves that would send 18 transgender women to men’s federal prisons and sent the cases back for individualized safety reviews. The remand asks the trial court to examine each prisoner’s medical and safety record before any transfer.

A new Illinois bill would require at least one‑year expulsions for students who sexually assault peers, citing local lawsuits and survivor testimony. Advocates want supports paired with any mandate.

A Republican lawmaker says a woman may accuse Sen. Ruben Gallego of sexual misconduct; Gallego's office calls the reports conspiracy theories.

Denton ISD says it will finish FY 2025–26 with a roughly $22M surplus after Prop A and state funding changes. Trustees are weighing staff raises and budget amendments.

The Tennessee House passed HB2408 to cap automated calls and require reporting, but experts warn scammers may adapt with AI and spoofing rather than disappear.