October 1, 2025/

Illinois quick hits: Durbin declines award; nearly $1B in sports betting revenue

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Durbin declines award

Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has decided not to receive an award from the Archdiocese of Chicago for his contributions in the areas of immigration, care of the poor and world peace.

Diocese of Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki and others criticized the planned award, noting that Durbin has a long record of supporting legal abortion.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said he was saddened by the news but respected Durbin’s decision.

Nearly $1B in sports betting revenue

An investment guidance organization has found that Illinois is second only to New York in collecting taxes on sports betting.

A study by The Motley Fool revealed that Illinois has taken in $958,470,529 since sports wagers were legalized in 2018.

Overall, states have collected $9.3 billion in taxes on sports betting.

Kennedy Expressway lanes reopening

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that a major construction project which started in 2023 is nearing completion on Chicago’s Kennedy Expressway.

IDOT said the entire outbound stretch will be reopened by 4:00 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4. The rehab work lengthened travel times and caused massive congestion on the city’s North Side.

The project used $169 million in state taxpayer funds.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois slaps limits on non-lawyer investor power in law firms

Illinois slaps limits on non-lawyer investor power in law firms

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Illinois has become the latest state to restrict the involvement of private equity and other non-lawyer interests in owning or running law...
Law firm: California's gender policies violate Constitution

Law firm: California’s gender policies violate Constitution

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square A law firm is putting California Attorney General Rob Bonta on notice about keeping parents in the dark about their children's gender transitions. Liberty Justice...
Group challenges gender policies in New Mexico schools

Group challenges gender policies in New Mexico schools

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square As New Mexico students continue to rank among the lowest in the nation in academic proficiency, some parents are questioning why gender ideology has become...
Supreme Court rules for Texas in Rio Grande River lawsuit

Supreme Court rules for Texas in Rio Grande River lawsuit

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court has handed Texas a win in a lawsuit first brought by Gov. Greg Abbott when he was attorney general. Abbott was...
Trump appoints housing regulator as acting spy chief

Trump appoints housing regulator as acting spy chief

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump on Tuesday named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, placing a housing-finance regulator with no...
Mullin defends $118B Homeland Security budget request

Mullin defends $118B Homeland Security budget request

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Markwayne Mullin, secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, defended the agency’s $118.3 billion budget request Tuesday. Mullin, a former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma,...
Bill loosens in-state tuition requirements

Bill loosens in-state tuition requirements

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Some students from outside the Land of Lincoln may soon pay in-state tuition at Illinois public universities...
Illinois Quick Hits: Nine arrested during Naperville teen gathering

Illinois Quick Hits: Nine arrested during Naperville teen gathering

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Naperville Police say they arrested nine people and issued almost three dozen citations after large groups of...
Rubio provides few answers to Congress on Iran conflict timeline

Rubio provides few answers to Congress on Iran conflict timeline

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the U.S.-Iran conflict approaching the 100-day mark, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s military strategy before a committee of U.S. lawmakers...
Pritzker housing proposal partly stalls amid overreach concerns from localities

Pritzker housing proposal partly stalls amid overreach concerns from localities

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Though the entire affordable housing initiative from Gov. J.B. Pritzker didn’t make it through the General Assembly...
HUD shifts $4B homelessness program from 'Housing First' to treatment

HUD shifts $4B homelessness program from ‘Housing First’ to treatment

By Tim ClouserThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $4 billion funding opportunity for homelessness services on Monday, shifting away from the Housing First...
Poll: Democrats hold slight edge over Rogers in Michigan U.S. Senate race

Poll: Democrats hold slight edge over Rogers in Michigan U.S. Senate race

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square New polling in Michigan's open U.S. Senate race shows each of the leading Democrat candidates narrowly ahead of Republican Mike Rogers in potential general election...
Swipe fee battle continues after delay, court ruling

Swipe fee battle continues after delay, court ruling

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois is still waiting to benefit from a law promised to generate hundreds of millions of dollars...
Walz appoints members to Operation Metro Surge 'Truth Council'

Walz appoints members to Operation Metro Surge ‘Truth Council’

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has appointed members to a new council tasked with documenting the impacts of Operation Metro Surge and Operation PARRIS, two federal...
$45M included in budget for previously unfunded property tax relief

$45M included in budget for previously unfunded property tax relief

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Included in the recently passed state budget, the Illinois State Board of Education will get money for...