WATCH: IL child welfare interns debate heats up; state financial audit released
August 22, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks live with state Rep. Jed Davis about his continued concerns about the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ use of interns. He says he’s seeking legislative solutions but worries the issue could get buried heading into an election year.
Bishop also shares reaction to the state of Illinois’ fiscal year 2023 audit being released more than two years after the fiscal year concluded. Comptroller Susana Mendoza says future audits will be released quicker. Truth in Accounting’s Sheila Weinberg reacts.
Watch the full program below. 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
Lawmakers call for changes to cashless bail as Illinois faces federal funding loss
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Statehouse Republicans are calling for reform of the Pretrial Fairness Act as Illinois faces the potential loss...
WATCH: House committee debates D.C. crime after Trump emergency order
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square For the first time since President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., district leaders squared off with congressional lawmakers regarding the government’s...
Illinois quick hits: Unemployment down; Rivian supplier gets tax incentives
By The Center SquareThe Center Square Unemployment down The unemployment rate in Illinois has dropped to its lowest point since July 2023. The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced the...
Pritzker’s office ‘extremely troubled’ by photo with suspect ‘peacekeeper’
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Officials from the governor’s office say they were “extremely troubled” to learn that a man that Gov....
Democrats’ CR could cost up to $1.4 trillion, add millions to Obamacare plans
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Democrats’ plan to prevent a government shutdown could cost the federal government up to $1.4 trillion and subsidize millions of new Obamacare recipients over the...
Treasury goes after fentanyl-producing Sinaloa Cartel faction
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Sinaloa Cartel faction Los Mayos, along with the leader of the faction's armed wing on Thursday. The...
Pritzker touts quantum future, state senator urges caution for taxpayers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker is touting Illinois as a destination for quantum computing companies, but a state senator...
Supreme Court sets oral arguments in tariff case
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Supreme Court said Thursday it will hear arguments Nov. 5. in a case critical to a wide swath of President Donald Trump's economic agenda....
WATCH: Pritzker on Kimmel suspension; SNAP error rate alarms; hemp regulations loom
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 Illinois Gov....
Temporary Rockford Courthouse fence sparks debate over security and costs
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A temporary fence surrounding the federal courthouse in downtown Rockford, Illinois is drawing sharp criticism and...
Illinois quick hits: Report: Suspect pictured with Pritzker; more immigration arrests
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Report: Suspect pictured with Pritzker Less than a week before a smash-and-grab burglary led to a fatal wreck on Chicago’s Magnificent...
Illinois quick hits: Suspect in custody after state senator’s home struck with gunfire
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Suspect in custody after state senator's home struck with gunfire A suspect is in custody after two homes were damaged by...
WATCH: Governor candidate: Low-cost districts shine while most IL schools spend, fail
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – According to a Republican candidate for Illinois governor, schools in the state can succeed without spending big....