January 12, 2026/

Illinois quick hits: Child care funding unfrozen

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Child care funding unfozen

Federal child care and welfare dollars for Illinois and four other states are unfrozen after a U.S. District Court judge in New York issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration’s move to freeze $10 billion in funding.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacted on social media by saying what he called President Donald Trump’s “abuse of power” would not stand. The funding freeze by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services came after alleged fraud involving federal funds for child care providers in Minnesota.

Two officer-involved shootings over weekend

Illinois State Police are investigating two officer-involved shootings that happened over the weekend.

ISP says Springfield police attempted to conduct a traffic stop Saturday on Neil Road when four people with firearms exited the vehicle, shots were fired and one person suffered serious injuries.

St. Clair County deputies responded to a report of a domestic incident in Swansea Sunday morning when a subject displayed a firearm, one deputy discharged his weapon and the subject was injured. No officers were injured in either incident.

Illinois near bottom for best places to retire

A new list ranking the best and worst places to retire in 2026 has Illinois ranked ninth from the bottom.

CareScout compared nine data points across three categories: affordability, quality of life, and health care. Wyoming topped the list, followed by New Hampshire and Vermont. New Jersey ranked last, due to high costs of living and personal income tax burdens.

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