November 18, 2025/
WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares comments from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson after a city council committee rejected a slew of proposed tax increases he says are needed to prevent layoffs in city government. Johnson vowed to veto a budget with a property tax increase, but dodged whether he’d veto a budget that didn’t include a head tax on employers.
Bishop also discusses the current status of regulations on the hemp industry after the federal government approved regulating intoxicating hemp products. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s looking to work with the industry on how Illinois can further regulate the industry.
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
Pentagon to build new task force to counter drone threats
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Pentagon is creating a new task force to counter drone threats and keep U.S. airspace safe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of...
Bakery and confectionery a big hit in Casey
Pictured are (from left): sisters Carlene Richardson and Natasha Hickox were special guests of Rotarian Chris Snedeker at the Aug. 26 meeting of Casey Rotary. The...
‘Horrendous’ religious freedom violation leads to payout by Chicago Public Schools
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A court-approved settlement of over $2.6 million is being paid to 207 former Chicago Public School students...
Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than seven months after leaving office, President Donald Trump is revoking the taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection detail of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Former...
Du Quoin State Fair gets $50M as senator defends two state fairs in Illinois
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds have received over $50 million in upgrades, part of Gov. J.B....
WATCH: Pritzker alleges Trump election interference; tells disgruntled residents to move
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares where there...
Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Foreign national indicted for fraud A foreign national has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago for allegedly defrauding numerous...
CA Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to stop redistricting
By Dave MasonThe Center Square The California Supreme Court rejected an emergency Republican petition to take congressional redistricting off the Nov. 4 ballot. "The petition for writ of mandate and...
Lawsuit links CA teen’s suicide to artificial intelligence
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The parents of a California teenager who committed suicide sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT taught him how to harm himself, according to a lawsuit the...
HHS, Department of Education announce nutrition reforms
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with the U.S. Department of Education, announced this week an initiative urging medical education organizations to...
White House appoints interim CDC director; standoff continues with former director
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The White House has appointed Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill as interim director for the Centers for Disease Control and...
WATCH: Pritzker claims Trump plans election interference with troop deployment
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says President Donald Trump only wants troops on the ground to interfere in...
Plaintiffs take Cook County gun ban challenge to SCOTUS
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Plaintiffs challenging Cook County’s ban on semi-automatic firearms are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take the...
