WATCH: HHS tells Pritzker ‘show receipts’ on welfare spending; Energy bill to be signed
January 8, 2026/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares conversations about fighting welfare fraud with Truth In Accounting founder and CEO Sheila Weinberg and HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and how Illinois could be impacted and how the state can rectify a funding freeze.
Bishop also revisits debate over energy legislation Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign Thursday in Joliet. Supporters of Senate Bill 25 say it will help keep down rates with a continued focus on renewable energy. Opponents say they’ve heard that before with previous energy policies Illinois approved that they say has only led to higher utility rates.
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 13
71° 51°
Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
Latest News Stories
Illinoisans may soon need registration, title, license to use e-bikes, scooters
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinoisans may soon be required to register their e-bikes, motorized scooters and other various modes of transport...
Pritzker’s commission report pushes for local investigations of federal ‘brutality’
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Illinois Accountability Commission has released its report on alleged abuses by federal immigration law...
Illinois mulls change allowing pension investment in anti-Israel companies
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Multiple speakers shared personal stories Thursday from the conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinians in an effort...
Gun rights advocate questions Illinois ballistic imaging plan
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A newly introduced measure in the Illinois General Assembly aimed at expanding ballistic imaging technology is...
Lockport Edges Lincoln-Way Central in Conference Battle
The Lincoln-Way Central varsity softball team dropped a hard-fought conference game on Wednesday, falling 7-4 to host Lockport. The Knights’ offense put together a respectable performance, tallying six hits and...
Beasley Allen booted from looming talc trial in Chicago
By John O’Brien | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Judges in Miami and Chicago have revoked permission that allowed the firm Beasley Allen to pursue talc lawsuits because it collaborated with...
Unearned Runs Sink Lincoln-Way Central in 2-0 Pitchers’ Duel Against Marist
The Lincoln-Way Central varsity baseball team suffered a tough-luck 2-0 road loss to Marist on Wednesday afternoon, falling victim to late-game defensive miscues in what was otherwise a masterful pitchers’...
Illinois Quick Hits: Gas prices rise again
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – AAA says the average price for regular unleaded gasoline in Illinois has jumped 14 cents in one...
Board Establishes New Regulations and Fees for Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
Will County Board Meeting | April 16, 2026 Article Summary: In response to the state's Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act, the Will County Board passed Ordinance 26-134 to manage the...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: New Lenox Fire Protection District for March 16, 2026
New Lenox Fire Protection District Meeting | March 16, 2026 The New Lenox Fire Protection District Board of Trustees managed a concise agenda during its regular meeting on Monday, March...
Illinois pauses redistricting effort after Supreme Court ruling
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois has paused a legislative redistricting effort after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, but Gov....
Silver Cross Hospital Details Massive Emergency Room Process Overhaul Amid Surging Demand and State Behavioral Health Shortages
New Lenox Village Board of Trustees Meeting | April 27, 2026 Article Summary:Silver Cross Hospital executives presented the New Lenox Village Board with an in-depth operational update, detailing how sweeping...
U.S. gas prices at 4-year high as oil exports hit new record
By Alton Wallace | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – United States gasoline prices pushed higher for the sixth consecutive day Wednesday, reaching $4.23 a gallon, as...
