The Spin newsletter
Illinois lawmakers have mixed results in efforts to rein in AI • Elon Musk says he’s formed a new political party. It’s not clear if he actually has.
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Spin

Monday, July 7, 2025

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon appeals potential $9.8 million fine for improperly accepting campaign cash

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign says state election authorities reached an “absurd” conclusion in issuing nearly $10 million in penalties.

Read more →

Illinois lawmakers have mixed results in efforts to rein in AI

Illinois legislators have so far achieved mixed results in efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, a task that butts up against moves by the Trump administration to eliminate restrictions on AI.

Read more →

Elon Musk says he’s formed a new political party. It’s not clear if he actually has.

Elon Musk says he has formed a new political party called the America Party. But it remains unclear what formal steps, if any, he has taken to establish it.

Read more →

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may take a victory lap on Iran, but the war in Gaza looms over their meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump might look to take a victory lap on Monday after their recent joint strikes on Iran, hailed by both as an unmitigated success.

Read more →

Israel and Hamas are inching toward a new ceasefire deal for Gaza. This is how it might look.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington Monday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a ceasefire that might lead to an end to the 21-month war in Gaza.

Read more →

President Trump puts 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, plus new import taxes on five other nations

President Donald Trump on Monday placed a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos and Myanmar.

Read more →

NYC Mayor Adams says Andrew Cuomo is pushing him to drop out of race to maximize chances against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo is privately urging him to drop out of November’s mayoral election, as moderates scramble to find a way to beat Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

Read more →

More than $1 million spent in Orland Park, Tinley Park mayoral campaigns

Orland Park mayoral candidates Keith Pekau and James Dodge and Tinley Park’s Michael Glotz and Michael Maloney poured over $1 million into the election, according to state campaign finance reports.

Read more →

Waukegan chief of staff brings federal experience to City Hall; ‘I was kind of like the Swiss army knife’

Joshua May said he wanted to go somewhere and do something where he could use the experience he gained in the White House to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

Read more →

What to know about a potential deal to keep TikTok running in US