Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved
August 29, 2025/
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.
Today Jun 4
79° 69°
Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Bonta’s anti-Exxon emails may have run afoul of CA corruption law: Claim
By Michael Carroll | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A Texas federal judge’s decision to allow ExxonMobil’s defamation lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta to move forward could ensnare Bonta...
Expulsion votes for two members of Congress could happen next week, Luna says
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Two more members of Congress may be forced to resign next week or face votes for their expulsion, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, says....
NAACP sues xAI over air pollution near Memphis data center
By Alton WallaceThe Center Square The NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against Elon Musk’s xAI, saying the company is illegally operating 27 methane gas turbines in Mississippi...
Trump says he’s ready to nominate up to three Supreme Court justices
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is "prepared" to nominate another Supreme Court justice to the bench, should a vacancy arise. No justice has publicly...
Military hostilities in Iran continue after Senate tanks War Powers Resolution
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square For the second time in the U.S. Senate, Republicans tanked a War Powers Resolution that would have halted the ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran....
WATCH: Detransitioner battles to revive landmark malpractice and fraud lawsuit
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square A woman at the center of the detransition movement is waiting to find out if a North Carolina appeals court will let her case proceed...
Iran economic fallout is temporary, Hassett says
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The economic fallout of the U.S. conflict in Iran will be temporary, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Wednesday. Hassett touted the Trump...
Illinois Quick Hits: NFIB says biz deduction will bring jobs, benefit to Illinois
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The National Federation of Independent Business says Illinois is projected to gain 48,000 new jobs each year...
Soaring costs and short supply shut millennials out of housing market
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Baby Boomers continue to dominate the U.S. housing market, buying and selling more homes last year than any other generation, while homeownership remains out of...
Vought testifies before lawmakers on Trump’s $2.1T budget request
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought met with U.S. lawmakers Wednesday to discuss the president’s $2.1 trillion budget proposal for the next fiscal...
SNAP eligibility changes spark debate on gap for impacted recipients
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A coalition of non-profits and community organizations across the state are warning that more than 200,000 Illinoisans...
Trump puts spotlight on China, Iran’s top oil consumer
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square With the blockade of Iranian ports moving toward its third day, China, Iran’s largest importer of oil, is vowing not to send weapons to the...
Lawmakers, auditors offer fraud prevention solutions
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Lawmakers and auditors called on the federal government to implement legislation preventing fraud in programs run by the state. The U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on...
