January 21, 2026/
WATCH: Pritzker says Trump’s first year a failure; Raoul discusses prosecuting fraud
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop discusses some of the highlights President Donald Trump provided from his first year in office of his second non-consecutive term. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump’s first year has been a “failure,” while Republicans in Illinois say Pritzker’s policy are not making the state safe or affordable.
Bishop also delves into the start of an investigation into overpayments in the state’s child care funding operations, with reaction from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul saying fraud should be prosecuted.
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.
Thu Jun 18
79° 62°
Sunny
Latest News Stories
WATCH: Hegseth: U.S., Israel will soon have ‘complete control’ over Iran’s airspace
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square American and Israeli forces have begun taking control of Iranian airspace, and in a few days, it will be uncontested airspace, Secretary of War Pete...
Do No Harm claims racial discrimination in civil rights complaints against 2 health groups
By Tate MillerThe Center Square Do No Harm filed two individual civil rights complaints against healthcare organization Kaiser Permanente and health center CommUnityCare for offering what it describes as racially...
Clark County Bans Kratom Sales in Unincorporated Areas
Clark County Board Meeting | Jan. 16, 2026 Article Summary: The Clark County Board voted unanimously to prohibit the sale, possession, and delivery of Kratom and 7-Hydroxymitragynine products within the...
Senate Judiciary confronts rise in child trafficking and sextortion
By Emily RodriguezThe Center Square The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday heard from witnesses about the growing number of instances of child sex trafficking and exploitation. Some senators say there...
WATCH: Gov. Ferguson signaling income tax bill may be dead for session
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square Nine days remain in the 2026 legislative session in Olympia, and the proposed income tax has yet to reach the House floor and reports circulating...
Lawmakers consider SNAP, other amendments to 2026 farm bill
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Lawmakers on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee debated dozens of amendments to the long-overdue 2026 farm bill during the Tuesday night markup. The Farm, Food,...
Los Angeles school board borrows $250M for settlements
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square The Los Angeles Unified School District recently borrowed $250 million to settle claims of sexual abuse. That's in addition to the $500 million that the...
WATCH/EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: California Voter ID measure gets over 1 million signatures
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square An initiative imposing new voter identification requirements in California is one step closer to getting on the ballot. Roughly 1.35 million signatures were collected during...
As fighting intensifies overseas, Republicans push harder to get DHS funded
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square As fighting continues overseas, Republicans have ramped up calls to Democrats to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which not only regulates immigration...
Reported debt deal, credit downgrades may add to Chicago budget woes
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago taxpayers may face higher costs if the city follows through with a reported bond deal. The...
State financial officers protect, recover $28B in tax dollars in 2025
By Tate MillerThe Center Square Conservative state treasurers, auditors and comptrollers protected and recovered $28 billion in taxpayer dollars from “waste, fraud, and abuse” in 2025, according to a report...
Iran war, Saudi outage to boost U.S. propane, butane exports
By Alton WallaceThe Center Square Chaos in global energy markets following the launch of Operation Epic Fury is expected to drive record demand for U.S. exports of propane and butane,...
Pritzker announces $2B in medical debt erased, half in Cook County
By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker met with Cook County health officials Tuesday to announce a $1.8 billion...
