WATCH: Pritzker says Trump’s first year a failure; Raoul discusses prosecuting fraud
January 21, 2026/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop discusses some of the highlights President Donald Trump provided from his first year in office of his second non-consecutive term. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump’s first year has been a “failure,” while Republicans in Illinois say Pritzker’s policy are not making the state safe or affordable.
Bishop also delves into the start of an investigation into overpayments in the state’s child care funding operations, with reaction from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul saying fraud should be prosecuted.
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 Jun 9
91° 72°
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Latest News Stories
Fitzpatrick says pro-union bill dealing with contracts will pass U.S. House
By John ColeThe Center Square During a speech to the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters Convention in Hershey last week, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, guaranteed its members that a...
Feds investigate LA schools for sexual misconduct allegations
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Education has opened a Title IX investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District over sexual misconduct allegations. The department contends...
Advocates criticize bipartisan housing bill
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Advocates warned the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act could create affordability concerns, and reduce competition in the marketplace. In March, the U.S. Senate...
Johnson, municipal leaders statewide clash with Pritzker over local funding cuts
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Mayors and municipalities across Illinois have called on Gov. JB Pritzker to reverse course on local government...
WATCH: Report: Washington high schools rank near bottom in personal finance literacy
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square A new report finds Washington state ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to financial literacy education for high school students. WalletHub...
Citizen Voting Amendment may avoid partisan SAVE Act pitfalls
By Chris Dickerson | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Despite public support and majorities in both houses, Republicans have been unable to pass the SAVE Act because of Democratic objections in...
Democrats ‘Red to Blue’ targets 18 seats in 12 states in November
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is targeting multiple seats in Congress to take back the Democratic majority in November. Its “2026 Red to Blue”...
Illinois bill would force employers to pay employees regular wages for jury duty
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Senate is considering legislation that would force employers to pay employees regular wages while they...
VA suicide screening doubles after watchdog found mass failures
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has improved suicide risk screening and follow-up care among veterans in its system after a December 2024 federal watchdog...
Trump says Iran agrees to no nuclear weapon, claims deal is close
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square A breakthrough deal may be on the horizon between the U.S. and Iran, according to President Donald Trump. During a Wednesday afternoon news conference in...
Late-Inning Surge and Dominant Relief Lift Beecher Past Bloom 12-5
The Beecher varsity baseball team secured a 12-5 non-conference road victory over Bloom on Tuesday afternoon, using a combination of late-inning offensive fireworks and a lights-out relief performance by Chasten...
Democrats call on Lutnick to resign over Epstein ties
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Democrats in Congress on Wednesday renewed calls for U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to resign after testifying about his ties to convicted sex offender...
Norkus Strikes Out 16 in One-Hit Masterpiece as Beecher Downs Donovan 10-1
The Beecher varsity softball team rode a dominant pitching performance by senior Taylor Norkus to a commanding 10-1 home conference victory over Donovan on Tuesday. Norkus was nearly untouchable in...
