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.
Events
Latest News Stories
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Casey City Council for Dec. 3, 2025
Casey City Council Meeting | Dec. 3, 2025 Overall Meeting SummaryThe Casey City Council met on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, to handle a variety of end-of-year business, headlined by the...
Council Moves to Increase Utility Reconnect Fees to Curb Non-Payment
Casey City Council Meeting | Dec. 3, 2025 Article Summary: To discourage habitual non-payment of utility bills, the Casey City Council directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance that would...
Adoption of 2025 Comprehensive Plan Sets Future Course for City of Casey
Casey City Council Meeting | Dec. 3, 2025 Article Summary: The Casey City Council formally adopted a new Comprehensive Plan, a long-range document designed to guide the city’s growth, economic development,...
Candy Canes on Main Marks 10th Anniversary with New Ice Rink and Expanded Festivities
CASEY, Ill. — The 10th annual Candy Canes on Main festival returns to downtown Casey this weekend, celebrating a decade of holiday tradition with the debut of an ice skating...
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...
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...
