WATCH: Reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination pour in; Freedom Caucus discusses 2026
September 11, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares some of the reaction from political leaders to the assassination of Turning Points USA founder Charlie Kirk, an Illinois native, and the accusations of which side of the political spectrum is ratcheting up their political rhetoric.
Bishop also shares some of the thoughts about the 2026 elections from the Illinois Freedom Caucus, and reviews some of the campaign finance reports from the state’s Democrats, Republicans and candidates from both political parties for Illinois governor.
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.
Tue Jul 21
72° 54°
Mostly Sunny
Latest News Stories
Food-borne illness cases spike as Michigan declares outbreak
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Cases of cyclosporiasis, a food-borne illness, are skyrocketing in Michigan as the state declares it an outbreak. In a typical year, Michigan only identifies around...
Op-Ed: Women deserve protection from the harm of mail-order abortion pills
By David Bereit | Life Leadership ConferenceThe Center Square The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally begun reviewing the data on the abortion pill mifepristone’s harms to women....
Minnesota woman pleads guilty to threatening state House speaker
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square A Minnesota woman has pleaded guilty to threatening Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth after leaving a series of violent voicemails earlier this year. Rachel Marie...
Illinois lawmaker, husband indicted over alleged kickback scheme
By Sean ReedThe Center Square An Illinois state representative faces multiple counts of wire fraud and providing a false statement, according to a federal indictment released Tuesday night. State Rep....
Border Patrol warns of rideshare human smuggling risks in El Paso
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square U.S. Border Patrol in far west Texas is warning rideshare drivers about human smugglers using rideshare apps to organize illegal smuggling activity. In the U.S....
Illinois Quick Hits: Gas prices show slight uptick as US military action resumes
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinoisans will be watching gas prices after the United States launched new military strikes against Iran on...
Maine Democrats lining up to replace Platner in Senate race
By Chris WadeThe Center Square Top Maine Democrats are being groomed as replacements for disgraced U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, who has yet to abandon his floundering candidacy amid damaging...
Trump: U.S. to ‘probably’ strike Iran tonight; oil prices rise
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square President Donald Trump said the United States will "probably" strike Iran again on Wednesday night, after casting doubt on the ceasefire between the two countries....
Class action vs Apple over Face ID scans seeks to unlock big payout
By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Apple has been hit with another class action lawsuit under Illinois' stringent biometrics privacy law, this time accusing the tech giant of...
Another fatal ICE shooting, this time in Houston
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Another fatal immigration enforcement shooting has occurred, this time in Houston. The victim was a Mexican national in the country illegally, U.S. Immigration and Customs...
Census shows Illinois under-20 population declining faster than national average
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed Illinois has seen outsized shifts in its population...
U.S. launches ‘powerful strikes’ against Iran, halts oil sales
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The United States on Tuesday launched a "series of powerful strikes" against Iran in response to attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz....
Trump praises Erdoğan, pressures Europe on NATO and defense
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square President Donald Trump remained icy toward key European leaders at the NATO Summit Tuesday, though he had nothing but good things to say about Turkish...
