January 20, 2026/
WATCH: GOP governor candidates forum highlights; Pritzker talks taxes increase, Bears
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop provides highlights from Monday evening’s Illinois State Rifle Association Republican gubernatorial candidates forum at GAT Guns in East Dundee. The entire forum can be viewed here.
Bishop also airs some of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s news conference after signing the Clean Slate Act into law where the governor talked about criminal justice reform, taxing millionaires and the ongoing question of where the Chicago Bears will land a new stadium deal.
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 13
75° 54°
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
DOJ: More than 475k children trafficked to US under Biden, 300k unaccounted for
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche dropped a bombshell of data on Thursday describing Trump administration efforts to find hundreds of thousands of missing unaccompanied...
East-Mediterranean ‘commerce-over-conflict’ energy partnership launches in Houston
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A new U.S.-Eastern Mediterranean energy “3+1 partnership” has launched among the U.S., Greece, Cyprus and Israel to establish energy security, peace and stability in the...
Feds suspend funding to Los Angeles homelessness agency
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square A federal agency suspended taxpayer funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority on Thursday, effective immediately. A letter was sent to the city of...
Gov. Josh Shapiro talks tariffs and Canadian sovereignty in trip to Ontario
By John ColeThe Center Square Gov. Josh Shapiro met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto on Wednesday to sign an agreement aimed at strengthening the economic relationship between the...
Cook County offers loans after latest tax bill delays
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The latest delay in property tax billing by Cook County is expected to cost local governments. Cook...
Trump taps Jay Clayton as new DNI, too late to salvage FISA vote
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square In a move meant to pacify congressional Democrats and unstick Republican policy priorities, President Donald Trump has named U.S. attorney Jay Clayton as the next...
Rollins defends tax policies, calls for domestic fertilizer
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Brooke Rollins, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on Thursday defended tax policies to support farmers and called for more domestic manufacturing of fertilizer...
POLL: Voter inflation concern hits record high as prices keep climbing
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Voter concern about inflation and prices has surged to its highest level since The Center Square began tracking the issue. According to The Center Square...
Illinois Quick Hits: Storms cause damage, closures
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Severe storms on Wednesday caused damage in many areas around Illinois, including the state fairgrounds in Springfield....
Oil prices continue steady decline after Trump declares Project Freedom a success
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The price of Brent crude oil continued a steady decline Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump announced that a secret U.S. military mission has...
Washington high court: State will strip gun rights after two DUIs
By Andrew PaxtonThe Center Square The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that individuals convicted of two driving under the influence offenses within seven years will be stripped of their...
Extension of pension buyout program to drop $144B liability
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation extending a program that allows retiring state employees to be paid...
Man pleads guilty in killings of Minnesota House speaker, husband
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to killing Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Vance Boelter appeared in federal court Thursday...
