Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

August 29, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Foreign national indicted for fraud

A foreign national has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago for allegedly defrauding numerous individuals out of at least $2.6 million and willfully evading income taxes.

Jawad Fakroune, 45, also known by “Angelino Escobar” and other names, is facing 15 federal counts of wire fraud and tax-related charges.

Chicago Public Schools budget approved

The Chicago Board of Education has adopted a $10.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

The board voted 12-7 to approve the spending plan, which did not include a high-interest loan favored by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union.

Former chancellor dies

Former University of Illinois Chancellor Michael Aiken has died at the age of 93.

Aiken served as the school’s sixth chancellor from 1993 to 2001. U of I officials said he died Monday in Cody, Wyoming.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

U.S. House contests to decide control of Congress in 2026

U.S. House contests to decide control of Congress in 2026

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The 2026 midterm elections promise to bring fierce competition as Democrats and Republicans battle for control of Congress. All 435 seats in the U.S. House...
'Locked and loaded':Trump warns Iran

‘Locked and loaded’:Trump warns Iran

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Following days of civil unrest in Iran, President Donald Trump issued a warning to the Iranian regime that the U.S. is prepared to take action...
First negotiated Medicare drug prices go into effect Jan. 1

First negotiated Medicare drug prices go into effect Jan. 1

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Negotiated lower Medicare costs for 10 popular prescription drugs went into effect Thursday. How much those savings will be passed on to Medicare Part D...
U.S. House vote on employee bargaining met with ‘political theater’ criticism

U.S. House vote on employee bargaining met with ‘political theater’ criticism

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square )The Center Square) – An Illinois congressman praised a vote to restore collective bargaining for over one million federal workers while critics say the U.S....
Eight killed in U.S. military counter-narcotics strikes

Eight killed in U.S. military counter-narcotics strikes

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square The U.S. military conducted five more strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean in the last days of 2025. This is according to the U.S....
Hog producer: 2025 was strong, but IL legislature needs to address estate tax

Hog producer: 2025 was strong, but IL legislature needs to address estate tax

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois hog producer says 2025 was a strong year, but state lawmakers need to address estate...
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City's mayor

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City’s mayor

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani took the reins of the nation’s most populous city in a midnight ceremony Thursday. Mamdani was sworn into office by New...
Study: Interest rises in AI tools in education

Study: Interest rises in AI tools in education

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Artificial intelligence tools for education continue to grow, according to a new study by One Click Human, a web-based platform designed to make AI-generated text...
Senators discuss what should be in Newsom's Capitol speech

Senators discuss what should be in Newsom’s Capitol speech

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square California Gov. Gavin Newsom will give his annual State of the State address on Jan. 8, one year after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles...
manhattan park district graphic.2

Round Barn Restoration Advances; New Parks Take Shape in Manhattan

Manhattan Park District Board Meeting | Nov. 2025 Article Summary: The Manhattan Park District is making significant progress on capital improvements, including the restoration of the historic Round Barn and...
Meeting Briefs

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Jackson Township Board for Nov. 12, 2025

Jackson Township Board Meeting | Nov. 12, 2025 The Jackson Township Board met on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at the Township Hall. Supervisor Matt Robbins called the meeting to order...

WATCH: TCS investigating potential child care center fraud in WA

By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square Daycare centers that receive hundreds of thousands in taxpayer subsidies did not appear to have any children when The Center Square visited the facilities this...
GOP fiscal hawks balk at $5.7B for refugees in 2026 HHS funding bill

GOP fiscal hawks balk at $5.7B for refugees in 2026 HHS funding bill

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square When Congress returns next week, lawmakers will have less than a month to pass the remaining nine appropriations bills funding federal agencies in fiscal year...
Trump to remove National Guard members from Chicago, LA, Portland

Trump to remove National Guard members from Chicago, LA, Portland

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square National Guard members deployed in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Ore., will head home after President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is removing them...
Fires, unrest, lawsuits, politics dominate Southwest in 2025

Fires, unrest, lawsuits, politics dominate Southwest in 2025

By Dave MasonThe Center Square 2025 started in California with devastating wildfires, continued with immigration raids and riots protesting them, and ended with congressional redistricting. It was a year of...