WCBU Newscasts - 7:04am 7-7-2026

From the WCBU newsroom, I'm Rich Drager. Illinois is imposing tighter state regulations on artificial intelligence companies. The law Governor J.B. Pritzker has enacted will make AI companies disclose safety practices and report significant safety incidents to the public. Look, this is not about punishing businesses or stifling the potential of this technology. Quite the opposite. It's simply about addressing some of the dangers that AI can pose. The law is designed to safeguard the public against any AI system that might cause physical. or financial harm. Illinois has added a new state agency to oversee a variety of programs for infants, toddlers, and their families. Capital News, Illinois reports the Department of Early Childhood was established in 2024 and was given two years to hire staff and take over what had been three separate state departments. Secretary Teresa Ramos says there's a precedent for this. It's incredibly inciting because it's something that we haven't done before in Illinois. Other states have done it and we have been really intentional about connecting and learning from them. Ramos says the new department has a staff of about 500. The top Democrat in the Illinois House says a former lawmaker from the far southwest suburbs engaged in legislative misconduct. House Speaker Emmanuel Chris Welch called on former State Representative Harry Benton to resign after viewing a report by the General Assembly's ethics watchdog. Welch says that report substantiated, quote, outrageous, unethical, and unprofessional behavior by Benton. The Plainfield Democrats stepped down last Friday. The senior senator from Illinois says he does not share fears of some fellow Democrats that party fights between centrists and Democratic Socialists will hurt them in the November election. Dick Durbin spoke to reporters in central Illinois. I'm not looking for a ceasefire. I'm looking, really, I'm looking for an effort. to have a real primary. Dick Durbin says contesting differences is healthy. And I think that we can embrace the entire spectrum of political thinking in our party and still win the election. In contrast, Dick Durbin says President Trump tolerates no dissent by fellow Republicans. I'm Richard. Each story you hear on Planet Money starts with a question. What happens if we refund tariffs? Why are groceries so expensive? At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious because the forces shaping our world can be hard to seek. Follow NPR's Planet Money wherever you get your podcast and start seeing how the economy really works.