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A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday in Illinois' lawsuit against the Trump administration over $600 million in cuts to HIV prevention and other public health programs.

Why it matters: Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado and California say the administration's retaliatory funding cuts are politically motivated.

The complaint alleges Illinois will lose $100 million in funding, particularly for programs that serve people living with HIV, including interventions for high-risk populations, and the state's system that tracks the spread of HIV.

The $600 million in funding would affect other public health programs such as poison control, according to the lawsuit, and cut nearly 100 Illinois public health workers' jobs.

The latest: Judge Manish S. Shah ruled that the states "have shown that they would suffer irreparable harm from the agency action." The injunction is active for two weeks.

Zoom in: New HIV diagnoses are increasing in Chicago, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) president and CEO John Peller tells Axios, rising from 727 people in 2023 to 818 in 2024.

Peller called the cuts "a continuation of this administration's racist, homophobic and transphobic agenda," as new HIV cases have impacted Latino men who have sex with men, Black men who have sex with men, Black women and transgender women of color.

The other side: Axios reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House but didn't receive a response.

Context: This latest lawsuit is one of dozens Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and other states have brought against the Trump administration over cuts they say are driven by the states' opposition to the administration's policies on immigration enforcement, gender-affirming care and green energy.

The states have been successful in many of those complaints, with judges blocking the funding cuts.

Reality check: "In some ways damage will be done even if the funding is restored, as people will see headlines that HIV prevention is cut or HIV funding is eliminated, and it gives them a reason not to get tested," Peller tells Axios.

"It's already the case that stigma, lack of access to health care, medical mistrust, and other structural factors make getting testing and PrEP [a] challenge — and that's what these funds Trump is illegally withholding help us to address."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with news of a federal judge's temporary restraining order against the funding cuts.

Illinois, other states sue Trump administration over HIV cuts

Illinois and three other states sue Trump administration over CDC cuts.

Illustration of a red AIDS awareness ribbon shaped like a "no" sign 

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday in Illinois&#x27; lawsuit against the Trump administration over $600 million in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cuts to HIV prevention" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/26/gop-medicaid-cuts-hiv-aids-impact" data-vars-content-id="0638eba3-b0b7-4d96-9680-b0804f70d618" data-vars-headline="Illinois, other states sue Trump administration over HIV cuts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/26/gop-medicaid-cuts-hiv-aids-impact" target="_self">cuts to HIV prevention</a> and other public health programs.

Health

Politics

Clergy are expected to enter the Broadview immigration facility today for the first time in months after a federal judge ordered DHS to let them in.

Why it matters: Religious leaders have been on the front lines in Chicago, Minneapolis and other cities in demanding justice for immigrants during the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement.

Clergy have long had a place at facilities like Broadview to offer religious comfort to immigrants.

Driving the news: Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, considered one of the holiest times for Catholics and Christians.

Between the lines: While some have interpreted Trump's approach to immigration as in line with the Bible, leaders of many faiths, including Pope Leo XIV, have disagreed, advocating a more welcoming approach.

Catch up quick: Clergy, including the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last November for denying them access to Broadview.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Axios at that time that clergy were not allowed because Broadview was not technically a detention facility, where the practice is allowed.

Yes, but: The facility acted as a de facto detention facility during "Operation Midway Blitz."

The latest: A federal judge in Chicago issued a preliminary injunction last week, allowing CSPL and others to enter Broadview Wednesday to offer ashes and Communion.

State of play: About 3,000 people are expected to gather at 6pm Wednesday for a Mass and procession at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Melrose Park.

The Mass will be celebrated by Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich.

What's next: The judge has ordered CSPL and other plaintiffs to meet with DHS to determine how clergy will continue to provide support at Broadview moving forward.

Judge allows clergy into Chicago-area immigration facility on Ash Wednesday

A federal ruling will allow clergy back into the immigration facility on Ash Wednesday.

A diverse group of people outdoors holding a large white banner with orange flowers that reads, "GOD STANDS WITH THE OPPRESSED / DIOS ESTÁ CON LOS OPRIMIDOS," by The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership.

Clergy  and others last year at a People's Mass. Photo: Courtesy of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

Clergy are expected to enter the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Broadview immigration facility" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/44180286.56/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2NoaWNhZ28vMjAyNS8xMS8wNC9qdWRnZS1pY2UtZmFjaWxpdHktYnJvYWR2aWV3LXJlZm9ybXM_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/647f5d356ef6125956d9ec60B91a58c06" data-vars-content-id="1a9f32df-0d0b-41b0-bf5a-d423ee3dba6a" data-vars-headline="Judge allows clergy into Chicago-area immigration facility on Ash Wednesday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/44180286.56/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2xvY2FsL2NoaWNhZ28vMjAyNS8xMS8wNC9qdWRnZS1pY2UtZmFjaWxpdHktYnJvYWR2aWV3LXJlZm9ybXM_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXNlbmR0b19sb2NhbG5ld3NsZXR0ZXJ0ZXN0JnN0cmVhbT10b3A/647f5d356ef6125956d9ec60B91a58c06" target="_self">Broadview immigration facility</a> today for the first time in months after a federal judge ordered DHS to let them in.Why it matters: Religious leaders have <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="been on the front lines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/trump-immigration-faith-leaders-resist" data-vars-content-id="1a9f32df-0d0b-41b0-bf5a-d423ee3dba6a" data-vars-headline="Judge allows clergy into Chicago-area immigration facility on Ash Wednesday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/trump-immigration-faith-leaders-resist" target="_self">been on the front lines</a> in Chicago, Minneapolis and other cities in demanding justice for immigrants during the Trump administration&#x27;s aggressive enforcement.<ul><li>Clergy have long had a place at facilities like Broadview to offer religious comfort to immigrants.</li></ul>

Religion

Immigration

Researchers have found that LLMs, like ChatGPT, are just as biased as the rest of the world.

Why it matters: Last year, over 50% of adults in the U.S. reported using LLMs, and as more people rely on the information these platforms deliver, geographic, racial and economic stereotypes are perpetuated further.

Driving the news: Internet scholars at University of Oxford and University of Kentucky recently compared 91 U.S. cities with populations over 250,000 across a range of categories, including social and physical attributes, food quality, governance, politics and business climate.

Map of the US with states colored blue for smarter, light blue for medium, and red for less smart according to ChatGPT, with a star marking Massachusetts.

Zoom in: The authors define the "silicon gaze" as "shaped by the positionalities and power asymmetries of its training data, designers, and platform owners," so for AI models, those sources tend to be predominantly male, white and Western.

The other side: "ChatGPT is designed to be objective by default and to avoid endorsing stereotypes," a ChatGPT spokesperson tells Axios in a statement. 

"Research based on forced-choice prompts and older models doesn't reflect how ChatGPT is typically used or how current models behave today. We continue to improve how ChatGPT handles subjective or non-representative comparisons, guided by real-world usage, ongoing evaluations, and user feedback."

How we did: Chicago ranked in the top 10 for U.S. cities considered more fashionable and smarter than all but 14 other cities. Chicago also ranked high for "nurturing creative minds."

On a less positive note, ChatGPT thinks we're "smellier" than a lot of cities. In fact, only 12 cities are smellier (sorry, New Orleans, but you stink, apparently!)

Our food scene still reigns supreme, coming in No. 5 for overall food quality.

Whoa … whoa… whoa: Apparently, we're not friendly, falling in the bottom 10. Who the heck you calling not friendly?!

Try it out: You can spend hours digging into dozens of qualities ChatGPT attributes to Chicago, comparing it to other cities in those same areas.

Yes, but: Like most of the internet, LLMs train on what's already on the internet so benign stereotypes like "southern hospitality" to more damaging ones like "southerners are lazier and less intelligent" will prevail. In the case of Chicago, harsh winters will push us down when searching for quality of life. Let's be honest, "polar vortex" is just not inviting.

Questions and comparisons based on very subjective criteria such as likability, attractiveness, or intelligence favored higher-income areas.

The bottom line: The bias from LLMs can extend into policies and decision-making if not viewed with a critical and nuanced lens. In other words, do your research and don't limit your sources.

Study finds ChatGPT reflects stereotypes of U.S. cities and countries

Researchers found AI tools echo online stereotypes, from food praise to "not friendly" cities.

Illustration of a person at a laptop with a shadow of a person's head against a purple background.

Researchers have found that LLMs, like <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ChatGPT" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/09/chatgpt-ads-testing-go-free" data-vars-content-id="594e16e1-3b9c-4bfe-a5f8-47052141fe69" data-vars-headline="Study finds ChatGPT reflects stereotypes of U.S. cities and countries" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/09/chatgpt-ads-testing-go-free" target="_self">ChatGPT</a>, are just as biased as the rest of the world.Why it matters: Last year, over 50% of adults in the U.S. reported using LLMs, and as more people rely on the information these platforms deliver, geographic, racial and economic stereotypes are perpetuated further.

News

Education

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Pastor Stephen Thurston and the Rev. Janette Wilson's work with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday at age 84, started early.

The big picture: Thurston grew up playing at the Jackson house, and his grandfather was close with Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr. The King children used to stay at Thurston's grandparents' house when King was in Chicago.

As a teenager, Wilson participated in Operation Breadbasket and marched on picket lines. She returned after law school to provide legal aid at Rainbow PUSH.

Jackson tapped Thurston as national youth director at Rainbow PUSH around 2005.

Black and white cutouts of Jesse Jackson, Jr, Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy in suits and sweaters displayed indoors between American and Pan-African flags, with cotton stalks and informational plaques below.

Photos of Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis before King was assassinated. The display is at Rainbow PUSH's Chicago headquarters. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

Flashback: Jackson's teaching methods were trial by fire, Wilson and Thurston told Axios last month.

"It's 'Follow me.' It's 'Watch me.' He would take me on the road with him," Thurston recalled. "If you want to know him, you must travel with him," Wilson added.

Jackson would instruct his staff to buy all the national newspapers and magazines as well as the local papers for the cities they were visiting because he felt it was important to really understand and assess the needs of the community when they visited.

The intrigue: Despite daily conversations with global and national leaders, Wilson said, Jackson was effective because he was driven by helping those most in need. Wilson recalled a trip to Mississippi in the '80s when they met a woman living in squalor, surrounded by cockroaches and drinking brown water.

Jackson got her out of there, Wilson said. "He said, 'Behavior is shaped by the conditions, not by the people's attitudes so much. It's about what they are forced to live in and we must fight against that.'"

What's next: Thurston joked last month that Jackson was still running the show at Rainbow PUSH, reading all the newspapers and telling leaders how to lead.

"We also recognize that [Jackson] was one leader, one charismatic voice, and God did something special with him, and I don't know if God has done something special like that again," Thurston told Axios.

Chicago pastors reflect on life lessons from Rev. Jesse Jackson

Jackson's protégés recall picket lines, Mississippi trips and Jackson's focus on the poorest communities.

Two people stand beside a large poster titled "The Civil Rights Movement" with words like "Respect," "Dignity," "Freedom," and "Equality." The poster lists many civil rights leaders.

The Rev. Janette Wilson and Pastor Stephen J. Thurston. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios

Pastor Stephen Thurston and the Rev. Janette Wilson&#x27;s work with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="died Tuesday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/jesse-jackson-dies-civil-rights-leader" data-vars-content-id="c48ab2f8-e439-4aa2-817b-eb63ff834e29" data-vars-headline="Chicago pastors reflect on life lessons from Rev. Jesse Jackson" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/jesse-jackson-dies-civil-rights-leader" target="_self">died Tuesday</a> at age 84, started early.The big picture: Thurston grew up playing at the Jackson house, and his grandfather was close with Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr. The King children used to stay at Thurston&#x27;s grandparents&#x27; house when King was in Chicago.

History

While the Bears negotiate (again) for a new stadium site, we think it's time to get your voice involved.

State of play: We have a few questions for what we are calling the "ultimate, hands down, definitive Bears stadium Axios Chicago poll," otherwise known as the UHDFBSACP.

Axios Chicago poll: Should the Bears leave Illinois?

Take our ultimate poll about the continuing stadium saga in Illinois

Animated illustration of a checkmark rotating to reveal a question mark.

Photo of a stadium with a city skyline in the background. 

While the Bears negotiate (again) for a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new stadium site" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/02/19/indiana-illinois-chicago-bears-stadium-deal" data-vars-content-id="fef5ff15-c812-4d0a-b7a0-e4dd4b38e3cb" data-vars-headline="Axios Chicago poll: Should the Bears leave Illinois?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/02/19/indiana-illinois-chicago-bears-stadium-deal" target="_self">new stadium site</a>, we think it&#x27;s time to get your voice involved.State of play: We have a few questions for what we are calling the &quot;ultimate, hands down, definitive Bears stadium Axios Chicago poll,&quot; otherwise known as the UHDFBSACP.

Carrie Shepherd

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Judge allows clergy into Chicago-area immigration facility on Ash Wednesday