WATCH: $10M campaign finance fine dropped; Digital ID unveiled, Chicagoans speak up
November 19, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews actions taken by the Illinois State Board of Elections in regards to a nearly $10 million fine for campaign finance violations with Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign committee.
Bishop also shares recent public comments from residents of the city of Chicago about the city’s finances and immigration policies ahead of a new budget year with the prospect of a slew of tax increases to pay for a more than billion dollar budget deficit.
Finally, Bishop shares an announcement from the Illinois Secretary of State about the launch of digital ID for Apple devices.
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 9
88° 69°
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Beecher School District Facilities Committee for December 2025
Beecher School District Facilities Committee Meeting | December 2025 The Facilities Committee of the Beecher Board of Education met on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, to review capital projects and maintenance...
WATCH: Trump touts ‘Golden Age’ for farmers as he announces federal aid
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – President Donald Trump has announced $11 billion in federal public aid for farmers. The president made the...
Police union questions timing of D.C. police chief resignation
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square The Washington, D.C. Police Union is questioning the timing of Washington Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith’s resignation amid allegations of manipulated crime statistics. Smith...
Report: Declining enrollment converts schools to apartments
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Amid a steady decline in K-12 enrollment, nearly 2,000 apartments were created from former school buildings across the U.S. in 2024, according to a new...
Retired chief: Illinois’ SAFE-T Act ’emboldens’ anti-police attackers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A retired police chief says Illinois’ SAFE-T Act has emboldened individuals who could attack law enforcement officers....
Worker files charges against union alleging unfair practices
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square An employee is accusing union officials of illegally declaring a Michigan manufacturing plant a “closed shop” and compelling dues deductions. Kristen Dickinson, an employee of...
Op-Ed: Stacked costs are crushing Illinois manufacturers
By Mike FlynnThe Center Square Operating a manufacturing business in Illinois has been an exercise in perseverance and is growing worse. I manage DuPage Precision Products in Aurora, where we...
Chicago minority, low-income students struggling to make testing grade
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford said it’s not hard to comprehend why Chicago Public Schools...
Powerful Japan earthquake triggers tsunami warning
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square A magnitude 7.6 earthquake centered in the Pacific Ocean some 45 miles west of Misawa, Japan, shook the northern region of the archipelago around 11:26...
Illinois in Focus: SCOTUS to release order list; U.S. Steel returns; Candidate quests for answers
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 reaction from...
More human smugglers arrested coming through Canada, this time from India
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square International human smuggling schemes at the U.S.-Canada border continue with the latest indictment of an upstate New York woman accused of facilitating Indian nationals being...
EXCLUSIVE: Texas Operation Lone Star 2.0: pursuing domestic terrorist threats
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The border crisis is far from over despite the Trump administration implementing policies to reduce illegal border crossings to historic lows. The hardest part has...
Illinois quick hits: Police shooting suspect in custody; retired judge brought back
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Police shooting suspect in custody Illinois State Police say a man is in custody after he allegedly shot and wounded a...
Peotone License Plate Camera Renewal Sparks Privacy Debate in Public Works Committee
Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | December 2, 2025 Article Summary: A renewal of an agreement allowing license plate reading (LPR) cameras in Peotone passed the Public Works Committee,...
After Kirk assasination, students less comfortable with ‘controversial’ events on campus
By Tate MillerThe Center Square Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, half of the nation’s college students report feeling less comfortable attending controversial public events on campus and nearly half...