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° 70°
Mostly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Latest News Stories
Bill to expel students over sexual assault progresses in Springfield
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A measure that would place new rules on Illinois schools requiring a full-year expulsion of a student...
Tingley’s Perfect Day at the Plate Powers Lincoln-Way Central Past Andrew 4-3
Powered by a flawless offensive performance from senior Luke Tingley and a lights-out relief appearance by senior D. Lovingfoss, the Lincoln-Way Central varsity baseball team secured a hard-fought 4-3 road...
Viral goose egg case fuels debate over abortion
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A viral incident involving a suburban Chicago woman accused of taking protected goose eggs is drawing...
Another U.S.-Canada border bust: Gun smuggling operation
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A gun smuggling operation run by Canadian, Pakistani and Jordanian citizens has been thwarted at the U.S.-Canada border, authorities said. While illegal border crosser crime...
More than 200 children rescued, 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square More than 200 children were rescued and more than 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month in the latest Department of Justice targeted enforcement...
Trump budget targets ‘valley of death’ with new military contractor accountability model
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Trump administration's $1.5 trillion military budget request would rewrite how the Pentagon buys weapons – forcing contractors to fund their own factory expansions and...
Nonprofit flies troops home for milestones they can’t afford to miss
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square For junior enlisted military members earning about $30,000 a year, the cost of a round-trip ticket home can be the difference between witnessing a family...
Report: 2025 third most violent year on record for American Jews
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Last year was the third most violent year on record for American Jews, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Although antisemitic incidents...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for April 15, 2026
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | April 15, 2026 The Joliet Junior College (JJC) Board of Trustees held a strictly ceremonial meeting on Wednesday evening after failing to...
International human smuggling ring exploiting Canadian visa system thwarted by US
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Another international human smuggling ring exploiting lax Canadian border security and visa processes has been thwarted by U.S. officials. Mexican smuggling at the U.S.-Canada border...
Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit
By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square The nation’s largest pro-life organization filed an amicus brief Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court asserting the impossibility of ensuring informed consent without an in-person...
Illinois Quick Hits: Swipe fee case returned to district court
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has returned a case involving an Illinois law banning electronic...
Trump announces three-day ceasefire, prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than four years into the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire between the two countries. The ceasefire...
