WATCH: DCFS updates missing children numbers; Budget cuts EO transparency criticized
November 17, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the latest numbers on youth in care missing provided by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and gets reaction from Statehouse candidate Bailey Templeton, who is also seeking more transparency on the management of the child welfare agency.
Bishop also shares recent criticism from Illinois House Republicans to what they say is the lack of transparency around Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent executive order calling for state agencies to find efficiencies in their annual spending plan.
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 5
86° 65°
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Latest News Stories
CBO says tariffs could raise $4 trillion over next decade, raise prices
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Congressional Budget Office's estimated that President Donald Trump's tariffs could bring in $4 trillion over the next decade, but will raise consumer prices and...
IL Treasurer to work with lawmakers after Pritzker’s veto of nonprofit bill
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is promising to discuss next steps with lawmakers after Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed...
Democratic AGs decry ‘political retaliation’ against James
By Chris WadeThe Center Square A group of Democratic attorneys general has circled the wagons around New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of waging...
Trump says he plans to rename Department of Defense
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said Monday that next week the U.S. Department of Defense could once again return to an earlier name: War Department, a moniker...
WATCH: Trump moves to end cashless bail in D.C., nationwide
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Two weeks after declaring “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C., to combat crime, President Donald Trump signed executive orders to end cashless bail in the nation’s...
Five incidents of swatting college campuses drawing concern
By Alan WootenThe Center Square Four times since Thursday major college campuses along the Atlantic Seaboard have been brought to a halt. Four times, they’ve all been a hoax, or...
WATCH: Chicago reacts to Trump’s public safety push; AI in schools; rural health care
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 delves into the...
Will County Board Approves New Fee Schedule for Recorder of Deeds
Article Summary: The Will County Board has approved a revised fee schedule for the Recorder of Deeds office, which will take effect on October 1, 2025. The changes, based on...
Illinois expands campus abortion access, shields doctors from legal risk
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed new laws expanding abortion access on public college campuses while vowing to...
Illinois quick hits: Human trafficking enforcement; health care fraud division announced
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Human trafficking enforcement Illinois State Police arrested five individuals during a human trafficking demand suppression operation in the Forsyth area of...
Nonprofit files complaints against Trump attorneys but almost no public discipline
By Arthur KaneThe Center Square Two nonprofits run by an attorney with long-time Democratic connections have been filing ethics complaints against lawyers who represented Trump officials or issues, seeking to...
Jackson Township to Hear Proposal for Manure-to-Gas Energy Facility
Article Summary: A proposal for an anaerobic digester facility that would convert hog manure into natural gas was brought to the attention of the Jackson Township Board. The project manager...
Everyday Economics: Softer tape, PCE in focus, and the Fed’s next move
By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square This summer, economic signals leaned softer. Hiring looks frozen, retail sales volumes are flat to slightly negative, and existing-home sales are essentially unchanged from a...
