August 22, 2025/
WATCH: IL child welfare interns debate heats up; state financial audit released
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks live with state Rep. Jed Davis about his continued concerns about the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ use of interns. He says he’s seeking legislative solutions but worries the issue could get buried heading into an election year.
Bishop also shares reaction to the state of Illinois’ fiscal year 2023 audit being released more than two years after the fiscal year concluded. Comptroller Susana Mendoza says future audits will be released quicker. Truth in Accounting’s Sheila Weinberg reacts.
Watch the full program below. Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
Today Jun 18
79° 62°
Sunny
Latest News Stories
Lady Warriors celebrate 21-win season, honor top performers at banquet
Feature photo caption: The Lady Warriors were well-represented on the Little Illini All-Conference roster following their 21-win season. Pictured are (from left) Second Team selection Ava Goble, Honorable Mention Anna...
Varsity Warriors open season with road win over Effingham; JV falls short
Featured Photo Caption: Warrior Nolan Clement battles for position in the paint against Effingham. Clement pulled down five rebounds and dished out six assists in the season-opening win. —photo by...
New online portal to track universities’ foreign funding live in 2026
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Starting in January, American universities can more easily report foreign funding, according to the Department of Education. The federal government will launch a new foreign...
IL U.S. House candidate: drug screen expectant moms getting subsidies
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A doctor running for Congress in Illinois’ 5th Congressional District says the first step to improving the...
Illinois quick hits: Ameren requests rate hike; Pearl Harbor remembrance
By The Center SquareThe Center Square Ameren requests rate hike A year after receiving a $308.6 million electric rate hike, Ameren Illinois is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission for authority...
Sen. Mark Kelly says Trump and Hegseth can’t silence him
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, spent the weekend saying he will not be silenced by the Trump administration. During televised segments Sunday on CNN and...
Jeffries condemns GOP inaction on rising health care prices
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Republicans in Congress are running out of time to address the upcoming health insurance premium hikes for millions of Americans at the end of the...
U.S. reaches deal with U.K. on higher drug prices
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The United Kingdom will pay 25% more for new medications as part of a deal to avoid U.S. tariffs on Britain's drug exports to the...
Amid key holiday shopping season, some pick ‘pay later’ option
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Early projections suggest Americans will spend more than $1 trillion over the holiday season, a crucial time for businesses, but not everyone is paying right...
Plaintiffs welcome House committee request for Chicago Teachers Union audits
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – While a congressional committee awaits financial audits from the Chicago Teachers Union, the Liberty Justice Center is...
Economist says curbing SNAP fraud requires states to cover 100% of costs
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the Trump administration taking steps to curb food stamp fraud, some fiscal watchdogs argue that shifting the consequences of fraud from the federal government...
Mass shooting at Stockton results in four killed, 11 injured
By Dave MasonThe Center Square The search continued Monday for the suspect or suspects in a Northern California mass shooting that killed three children and one adult. Authorities said 11...
Bill on Pritzker’s desk enhances Illinois’ migrant sanctuary policies
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker can now enact a measure enhancing the state’s migrant sanctuary policies that Republicans warn...
