WATCH: Pritzker’s office ‘troubled’ by ‘peacekeeper’ photo; 2 years of cashless bail
September 19, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the reaction from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to the reports the governor took a picture with a “peacekeeper” who later was accused in a deadly smash-and-grab burglary. State Rep. La Shawn Ford reacts to the effectiveness of violence interruption grants.
Bishop also shares comments from both sides about the two year anniversary of the state ending cash bail and the prospects of federal tax dollars being withheld from Illinois for having ended money bond.
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
Flooding, weather events impact farmers, taxpayers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Federal and state government agencies have announced assistance plans for farmers impacted by severe weather and flooding,...
John Deere agrees to 10-year right-to-repair settlement
By Jon Styf | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Deere and Co. agreed to provide farmers and independent repair shops access to the same equipment repair...
Trump: Ceasefire with Iran over as talks continue
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square The ceasefire with Iran is over as talks with the Islamic Republic continue, President Donald Trump said Friday. Trump's post on social media follows a...
Public pushback to Flock cameras spark variety of government responses
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Across the country, opposition to license plate cameras created by Flock Safety is mounting. Major cities and...
Illinois Quick Hits: ICE asks Pritzker not to release accused kidnapper
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer asking Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other Illinois officials...
8 indicted in planned attack on White House UFC event
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Eight men have now been indicted by a federal grand jury for charges related to an alleged plot targeting the UFC cage-fighting event at the...
Fifth Circuit upholds Texas instate tuition ban for illegal foreign national students
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Nearly one year after a lower court ruled that Texas universities providing in-state tuition to illegal foreign nationals was illegal, the Fifth Circuit Court of...
30 state financial officers urge an EO to return $39B in savings bonds to rightful owners
By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square Thirty state financial officers sent a letter Thursday to President Donald Trump asking him to sign an Executive Order directing the Treasury to return $39...
VA hits multiple milestones in claims, care delivery and administration
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has reached several operational milestones this year, from opening new clinics and reducing the benefits claims backlog to...
U.S. Supreme Court to hear Colorado-Nebraska water dispute
By Liam HibbertThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on the latest water squabble in the West, where Nebraska has accused Colorado of violating a...
Taxpayers bear burden for federal student loans
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square An almost $1.8 trillion student loan portfolio continues to keep taxpayers on the hook. That's the picture as the federal government scales back broad student...
Talarico raises more money than Paxton in Senate race
By Robert MattesonThe Center Square Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the state's U.S. Senate race, has raised more money for his campaign than his Republican opponent...
Illinois’ gun ban upheld after appeals court reverses district judge’s ruling
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois’ gun ban is upheld after a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals...