November 4, 2025/
WATCH: GOP U.S. Sen. candidate Tracy on shutdown, tariffs; state expands sanctuary
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks live with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy about the government shutdown, politics over immigration, the use of tariffs and more.
Bishop also reviews floor debate over a bill to expand the state’s migrant sanctuary policies on the Illinois House floor as the clock struck midnight into Halloween. Democrats say the measure reigns in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans worry it opens state and local police and various institutions up to civil lawsuits.
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
Illinois quick hits: Report: Suspect pictured with Pritzker; more immigration arrests
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Report: Suspect pictured with Pritzker Less than a week before a smash-and-grab burglary led to a fatal wreck on Chicago’s Magnificent...
Casey Pursues $250,000 Grant for Sidewalks, Adopts New Pedestrian Plan
Article Summary: The Casey City Council advanced its efforts to improve student safety by approving a grant application for the Illinois Safe Routes to School program, which could provide up...
Norma Ann (Moore) Shoot, 86
Norma Ann (Moore) Shoot, 86, of Casey, Illinois, passed away on September 12, 2025, at 2:45 p.m. in her home. Born on October 2, 1938, in Kansas, Illinois, Norma was...
Routh prosecutors expected to rest case Thursday
By Alan WootenThe Center Square Whether Ryan Routh will testify in his defense remained a mystery as Wednesday’s fifth day of testimony closed and federal prosecutors drew closer to resting...
WATCH: Trump designates Antifa a ‘major terrorist organization’
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square President Donald Trump is designating Antifa a “major terrorist organization,” he announced in a social media post Wednesday evening. The Center Square asked the president...
ABC pauses Kimmel over comments on Charlie Kirk assassination
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square ABC is dropping late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made about the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar Media Group Inc. said Wednesday that,...
Advocates debate free speech, executive power over student deportations
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Trump administration’s use of expanded executive power to engage in deportation operations has drawn a mix of praise and criticism from legal experts. The...
Survey: Teachers not optimistic about the future of education
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Over 60% of teachers surveyed in the U.S. believe issues within education have gotten worse over the past two years, according to the Connecticut Education...
Congressman calls Patel a ‘breath of fresh air’ for the FBI
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square While Democrats contend that FBI Director Kash Patel is running the agency as a political “vengeance campaign" for the president, Patel defends his reforms and...
Arizona Senate leader seeks to rename highway after Kirk
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square An Arizona state legislator wants to honor Charlie Kirk. Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, has announced his intentions to introduce a bill during the next...
Southern California events canceled because of ICE
By Dave MasonThe Center Square Riverside County is the latest Southern California area to see Mexican cultural events canceled because of concerns over possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids....
House committee to investigate nexus between CCP, ‘civil unrest’
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square As the country continues to be gripped by political division, a House committee is investigating possible Chinese ties to “civil unrest.” An investigation being conducted...
Report: Congress authorized $15 trillion in ’emergency’ deficit spending since 1991
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Over the past 35 years, Congress has used emergency funding rules to bypass budget controls and spend a cumulative $15 trillion, a new analysis reveals....
