January 29, 2026/
WATCH: Congressional seat at stake; Pritzker on Medicaid costs, school choice, ICE
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop continues to unpack data from this week’s release of U.S. Census estimates that shows the prospect of the state losing more seats in Congress.
Bishop also airs Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s response to questions about increased Medicaid costs for children without Social Security Numbers, ongoing immigration enforcement and whether the state is going to opt in to the national school choice scholarship tax credit program.
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.
Latest News Stories
Varsity Warriors open season with road win over Effingham; JV falls short
Featured Photo Caption: Warrior Nolan Clement battles for position in the paint against Effingham. Clement pulled down five rebounds and dished out six assists in the season-opening win. —photo by...
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...
Economist says curbing SNAP fraud requires states to cover 100% of costs
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the Trump administration taking steps to curb food stamp fraud, some fiscal watchdogs argue that shifting the consequences of fraud from the federal government...
Mass shooting at Stockton results in four killed, 11 injured
By Dave MasonThe Center Square The search continued Monday for the suspect or suspects in a Northern California mass shooting that killed three children and one adult. Authorities said 11...
Bill on Pritzker’s desk enhances Illinois’ migrant sanctuary policies
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker can now enact a measure enhancing the state’s migrant sanctuary policies that Republicans warn...
Warriors hold off host Pirates to reach title game
Feature photo caption: Leighton Jones attacks the lane against the Cumberland defense on Tuesday night. Jones finished with 10 points and four rebounds, and he sealed the win by scoring...