WATCH: IL child welfare interns debate heats up; state financial audit released
August 22, 2025/
(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.
Today Jun 3
86° 64°
Mostly Sunny
Latest News Stories
Minnesota prosecutor charges second ICE agent wake of Operation Metro Surge
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square A Minnesota prosecutor announced Monday criminal charges against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in connection with the non-fatal January shooting of a Minneapolis man....
Pritzker: Trump war to blame for high gas prices
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says everyone is paying more for gas because of President Donald Trump’s military action...
Proposed law would require women’s restroom on construction sites
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Construction companies across Illinois may be required by law to provide female employees with separate bathroom facilities...
Republicans scramble to preserve White House ballroom security funding
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Congressional Republicans are scrambling to rewrite portions of their $72 billion budget reconciliation bill after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that a Trump administration wish list...
CBP seizes more than 100 million lethal doses of fentanyl at SW border in six months
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A record more than 100 million lethal doses of fentanyl have been seized at the southwest border in the past six months. The seizures were...
Lawsuit: Amazon prefers Trump favoritism to customer refunds
By John O’Brien | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Amazon refused to pursue refunds after charging customers extra during President Donald Trump’s later-invalidated tariff policy, a new lawsuit alleges. Hagens Berman,...
Illinois Quick Hits: Independent candidate filing period opens
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Today is the first day of the filing period for independents and new party candidates seeking state...
Report: Cautionary advice to governments granting overzealous tax breaks
By David BeasleyThe Center Square Data centers can produce "tremendous dividends” for both the national economy and local communities, a taxpayer’s group concludes in two new studies. The centers have...
‘Exploited tax dollars’: Trial law firms donate almost exclusively to Democrats
By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square Two new reports from consumer advocacy group Alliance for Consumers show that what the group calls the “Shady Eight" trial law firms have donated almost...
Supreme Court takes up Georgia Title IX case
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case regarding alleged sex discrimination in Georgia public schools, the high court announced Monday. The...
Beecher 200U Plans Multi-Building Summer Projects, Approves $14,276 Junior High Floor Restoration
Beecher Community Unit School District 200-U Meeting | May 13, 2026 Article Summary: Beecher Community Unit School District 200-U board members on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, approved a $14,276 floor...
Will County Executive Committee Splits on Whether to Ask Voters About Single-Member Districts
Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | May 14, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Board Executive Committee on Thursday, May 14, 2026, took the temperature of members on a...
Will County Departments to Stop Accepting Pennies, Rounding Down Cash Transactions
Will County Board Finance Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryIn preparation for the U.S. Mint ceasing production of the penny in November 2025, the Will County Finance Committee...
