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.
⚠️ Flood Watch issued June 20 at 1:45AM CDT until June 22 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL
Today Jun 19
81° 63°
Mostly Sunny
Latest News Stories
Casey Township Library Board Approves Staff Raises and Year-End Bonuses
Casey Township Library Board Meeting | Dec. 18, 2025 Article Summary: The Casey Township Library Board voted to approve hourly wage increases and year-end bonuses for five staff members during...
Illinois Quick Hits: GOP gubernatorial forum set for Monday
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – All four Republican gubernatorial candidates are scheduled to participate in a forum in East Dundee on Monday....
GOP senators introduce bill to increase penalties for assaulting ICE officers
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Republican U.S. senators, led by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced the ICE Protection Act to increase penalties for those who assault and injure...
Oz: Your zip code will no longer determine your life expectancy
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square President Donald Trump and senior health administration officials touted the $50 billion set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill for rural health care during...
Experts dispute Arizona governor’s claims about state-funded school choice program
By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Arizona education experts are pushing back on claims Gov. Katie Hobbs made about the Empowerment Scholarship Account program during her State of the State this...
DOJ claims ‘substantial progress’ made on Epstein files, but no new releases
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Four weeks after the congressionally-mandated release deadline, the Department of Justice says it is making “substantial progress” in its review of the millions of remaining...
Trump eyes tariffs to pressure Greenland
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said Friday that he could use tariffs in his bid to annex Greenland, an Arctic island with critical mineral reserves, proximity to...
Group wants records on Minnesota child care assistance program
By Hayley FelandThe Center Square A Washington, D.C.–based oversight organization has formally asked the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families to provide internal records that relate to the state’s...
WATCH: Ives investigates tax dollars for NGOs; Republicans say Pritzker raising energy prices
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square's Greg Bishop talks live with Jeanne...
ICE hiring ban bill reignites SAFE-T Act fight at Illinois Capitol
By Catrina Baker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A newly introduced bill that would bar former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from working in...
Illinois Quick Hits: OIG recommends firing 5 employees
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Office of Inspector General says its work in the fourth quarter of 2025 led to...
Firms team up with states to scrutinize health care spending
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square A number of companies have responded to state financial officers’ December letter urging them to audit their health care spending. In line with multiple initiatives...
St. Paul students marked absent after protests against ICE
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Hundreds of students from high schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, walked out of class this week to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
