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Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a record $307.8 million in missing money to more than 567,000 residents, businesses and organizations through the I-CASH program during Fiscal Year 2026. “Our changes to I-CASH allowed us to return more money to more people,” Frerichs said. “We are proud to set records, but we’re even more proud of helping folks. Reuniting people with money that rightfully belongs to them is even more important as inflation and decisions made by the Trump administration squeeze the average person and make food and gas harder to afford.”

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) today announced the award recipients of the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program, distributing nearly $4 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to support the continued expansion of Illinois’ local food system.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Heidi E. Mueller, legislators, DCFS staff, caregivers and students gathered to celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients at the department’s annual scholarship luncheon at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare in Rosemont. This year, 317 current or former youth in care received scholarships provided by the Illinois DCFS Scholarship Program, including up to five consecutive years of tuition and mandatory fee waivers valid at Illinois public universities, community colleges and vocational schools. The program also provides student recipients with financial assistance for books and school supplies, a monthly grant payment to supplement other expenses and an Illinois Medicaid card.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent in June, unchanged from May, and up +0.8 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised May unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. Total nonfarm payrolls saw a fourth consecutive over-the-month increase in June, up +1,500 (0.0%) to 6,164,400. The May monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +6,000 to +4,100. The June payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

The Chicago region is currently under an Air Pollution Action Day alert for ground-level ozone. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are reminding all Illinois residents to take into consideration each day’s daily air quality index to protect their health. This is especially pertinent at a time when North America is seeing increased wildfire intensity and frequency, and the smoke from these fires travel across the continent impacting more than the region of origin.