The Illinois Department of Corrections has begun scanning prisoners’ mail to safeguard against drugs and other contraband. Beth Hundsdorfer reports. loom.ly/5STblpY

Illinois is facing a surge of lawsuits over its outdated tax sale laws. Advocates warn that homeowners are losing properties while lawmakers stall on reform. Will 2026 bring long-overdue change? Illinois Answers Project reports. loom.ly/tC84NxQ

The head of a conservative research publication announced Friday he will run for governor. Ben Szalinski reports on Ted Dabrowski’s message entering the race. loom.ly/8Qth_oE

One of the top Democrats in the Illinois Senate announced his plans to retire, just as negotiations over an energy reform package he is shepherding heat up. Andrew Adams has more. loom.ly/7hrOc6E

Conservative researcher Ted Dabrowski announces he is entering the Illinois Republican primary for governor. Get the full story: loom.ly/8Qth_oE

“Everything’s stacked against” farmers transitioning to rice crops, said Jonathan Coppess, a former USDA official and current farm policy expert at the University of Illinois. “Nobody says no, but the system doesn’t know how to say yes.” loom.ly/nh1eDug

The list of potential Republican candidates for governor grew this week and the Illinois Supreme Court announced Justice P. Scott Neville will become the next chief justice in October. The CNI news team talks about these developments and more. loom.ly/kGt9C-U

Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar, who served two terms in the 1990s, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer. He was 79. Hannah Meisel and @nowickipress report. loom.ly/_KDmmoI

President Donald Trump is failing to calm the country’s nerves over political violence, Pritzker says, prompting backlash. Ben Szalinski reports. loom.ly/kXSvgqM

Governor JB Pritzker says leaders, especially President Donald Trump, need to do more to call for peace as political violence has grown in recent years. Get the full story at capitolnewsillinois.com

A legislative panel formally objected to emergency rules that allow the Illinois Department of Corrections to withhold mail from incarcerated people. @peterqhancock reports. loom.ly/l8XZJxM

Immigration enforcement is ramping up in the Chicago area. @benszalinski runs down the latest federal action and how Illinois officials are responding. loom.ly/HNOaP3w

Funding for EV charging stations is coming to Illinois after initially being blocked by the Trump administration. Ben Szalinski reports. loom.ly/syw0xZ8

Turmoil at CDC prompts Illinois, other states, to issue their own vaccine guidance. Story by @peterqhancock. loom.ly/UoHCEHE

An Illinois newspaper company has sold to a Kentucky publisher, apparently without providing groups with 120 days’ notice as required by a new state law. Ben Szalinski reports. loom.ly/33VXdC8

Political scientist and Univ. of Chicago Professor Susan C. Stokes joins Peter Hancock to discuss her new book which examines the erosion of democratic institutions. Take a sneak peek before the full #CapitolCast episode drops Friday.

Electricity prices spiked this summer. Lawmakers in Springfield are reigniting debate over a bill meant to lower them. Andrew Adams has been following along for months. Here’s the latest. loom.ly/MxrCfmg

Former Gov. Jim Edgar lies in state in the Illinois Capitol rotunda on Sept. 19, 2025. Edgar’s memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at Central Baptist Church in Springfield. loom.ly/Iso1_NM

Political Scientist and University of Chicago Professor Susan C. Stokes joins Peter Hancock to discuss her new book, The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies, on this week’s Capitol Cast. loom.ly/zQKwOIQ

Some GOP-led states are taking the same approach as Illinois in denying the DOJ’s request for sensitive voter data. Stateline || bsky @stateline.org reports. loom.ly/0sE_Kio