Illinois quick hits: Madigan disbarred; taxpayers subsidize medical debt relief

Illinois quick hits: Madigan disbarred; taxpayers subsidize medical debt relief

November 21, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Madigan disbarred

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is no longer licensed to practice law in the Land of Lincoln.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in favor of a motion to strike Madigan’s name from the state’s roll of licensed attorneys.

Last month, the longtime speaker and former Democratic Party of Illinois chairman began serving a 7.5 year prison term for public corruption.

Taxpayers subsidize medical debt relief

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program has erased nearly $430 million in medical debt during its first year.

The fiscal year 2026 state budget includes a $15 million reappropriation to acquire and forgive outstanding medical debt for those who qualify.

To be eligible, individuals must be Illinois residents with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, or their medical debt must equal 5% or more of their annual household income.

Texas man convicted for crypto scam

A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Houston, Texas man of orchestrating a cryptocurrency scheme that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of at least $14 million.

Robert Dunlap, 54, was convicted of two counts of mail fraud and faces a maximum of 40 years in federal prison.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 17, 2026.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

SCOTUS to consider second election law case

SCOTUS to consider second election law case

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that an Illinois congressman had the right to sue the state over ballot counting after Election Day. The...
Medical device manufacturer invests $110M to expand Nebraska plant, boost drug supply

Medical device manufacturer invests $110M to expand Nebraska plant, boost drug supply

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A major American medical device manufacturer is investing $110 million to expand production in Nebraska as part of an effort to restore pharmaceutical manufacturing and...
WATCH: U.S.ambassadors stress Greenland's importance

WATCH: U.S.ambassadors stress Greenland’s importance

By Dave MasonThe Center Square America is crucial to the defense of Greenland, which in turn is vital to protecting NATO, according to four U.S. ambassadors who expressed optimism about...
Chicago council considers 'not a tax' surcharge on hotels

Chicago council considers ‘not a tax’ surcharge on hotels

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago’s city council is considering a new assessment on hotel stays that supporters say would raise about...
Govt. funding process advances as three more bills to become law; six remain

Govt. funding process advances as three more bills to become law; six remain

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the U.S. Senate sending a roughly $180 billion funding package to the president’s desk Thursday, Congress has now knocked out half of the annual...
Bankers push back on Trump's plan to reduce swipe fees, cap interest rates

Bankers push back on Trump’s plan to reduce swipe fees, cap interest rates

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Banks are pushing back against renewed efforts to cap interest rates for consumers, after President Donald Trump endorsed the move as he seeks to show...
State lawmaker calls for hearings on banning Sharia law in Texas

State lawmaker calls for hearings on banning Sharia law in Texas

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A Texas lawmaker is calling for the state legislature to hold hearings on actions the legislature can take to ban Sharia law in the state....
U.S. to build nuclear reactor on Moon by 2030, cost unknown

U.S. to build nuclear reactor on Moon by 2030, cost unknown

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 to prepare for future missions to Mars. The National Aeronautics and Space...
WATCH: Gov. Polis calls out Republicans in State of the State

WATCH: Gov. Polis calls out Republicans in State of the State

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivered his last State of the State to a joint session of the Colorado General Assembly on Thursday. In his speech,...
Republican senators introduce bill to address childcare, immigration fraud

Republican senators introduce bill to address childcare, immigration fraud

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square U.S. senators, led by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced a bill to amend federal law to address federally funded childcare provider fraud. The...
More than $1 billion spent on noncitizen hospital costs in fiscal 2025

More than $1 billion spent on noncitizen hospital costs in fiscal 2025

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Taxpayer-funded medical costs for noncitizens at Texas hospitals totaled more than $1 billion last year, according to newly released state data. The data spans ten...

IL Senate GOP: Pritzker, not Trump, raised power bills

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Senate Republicans say Gov. J.B. Pritzker is wrong to blame President Donald Trump for high electric...
SC weighs whether Amazon must pay workers for mandatory COVID screenings

SC weighs whether Amazon must pay workers for mandatory COVID screenings

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether Amazon must compensate warehouse workers for time spent waiting...
Federal judge allows New York wind project to proceed

Federal judge allows New York wind project to proceed

By Chris WadeThe Center Square A federal judge has given a green light for construction to resume on New York's largest offshore wind project that was abruptly shut down by...
Goodlander faces federal probe over ‘illegal orders’ video

Goodlander faces federal probe over ‘illegal orders’ video

By Chris WadeThe Center Square Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander says she is being investigated by federal prosecutors for participating in a video message urging service members to refuse...