Illinois quick hits: Bovino bounty trial to begin; Judge sentences Kentucky man to 15 years in drugs case; Pritzker criticizes Trump’s first year as Trump marks accomplishments

January 20, 2026/

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Bovino bounty trial to begin

Jury selection is complete for the trial of a man accused of putting a bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino. Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, was charged last fall with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Wednesday morning at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.

Judge sentences Kentucky man to 15 years in drugs case

A southern Illinois district judge has sentenced a Kentucky man to 15 years in federal prison for possessing more than 150 grams of meth and a firearm as a felon. James W. Towery, 45, of Salem, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute meth and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say law enforcement found a handgun along with the drugs during a traffic stop in Massac County on March 11, 2024.

Pritzker criticizes Trump’s first year as Trump marks accomplishments

Gov. J.B. Pritzker held a roundtable discussion in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss the impact of federal government actions on Illinoisans. Pritzker said manufacturers feel it when tariffs go up and farmers pay the price for trade wars. President Donald Trump held a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon and said Democrats created the affordability problem and his administration is solving it.

Latest News Stories

Artemis II heads to the moon with first crewed mission since 1972

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square America is going back to the moon, after Artemis II lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday evening, more than five decades after Americans last...

Pro-life org to Trump: Taxpayers should not be forced to fund killing of unborn children

By Tate MillerThe Center Square The Trump administration’s decision to send tax dollars to the abortion industry by continuing former President Joe Biden’s Title X grant awards to Planned Parenthood...

Birthright citizenship advocates confident in SCOTUS hearing

By Emily RodriguezThe Center Square Advocates cheered after the Supreme Court heard a case to determine the constitutional validity of President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. Dozens...

College funding bill draws dissent from big Illinois universities

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Lawmakers questioned Illinois university leaders about a contentious bill that adjusts how new money is allocated to...

Illinois quick hits: Chicago announces $300 million housing spend; Rockford men faces cocaine trafficking charges; State to honor troopers killed in the ling of duty

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Chicago announces $300 million housing spend Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Housing say they will invest more than...

Pentagon commits to tripling Patriot missile production at $4 million per

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Boeing is partnering with the Department of War to triple its production of seekers for Patriot missiles, according to a joint announcement Wednesday. The U.S....

Supreme Court appears skeptical of Trump’s birthright citizenship order

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday scrutinized President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, raising skeptical questions in a pivotal hearing. The justices heard...

Advocates urge stable tariff policy, protections against China

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Advocates sparred Wednesday over the Trump administration’s trade and national security policy, particularly with concerns over China. Advocates and experts gathered at the American Institute...

Illinois senators scrutinize diversity commission’s high salaries, poor performance

By Jared Strong | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) -- An Illinois state senator, responding to an investigation by The Center Square, suggested Wednesday that the state's...

Trump demands second ‘big beautiful bill’ on his desk by June 1

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Seven weeks into the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, President Donald Trump is working with Republican congressional leaders to craft a party-line budget reconciliation bill...

JJC Board Approves Fall 2026 Course Fees Amid Debate Over Student Costs

Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | March 11, 2026 Article Summary: The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees approved a series of course fee increases for the Fall 2026...

ALEC: State regulations drive up electricity prices

By Alton WallaceThe Center Square Electricity prices and other measures of consumer energy affordability are highest in states with the most extensive policy mandates, compliance requirements, and the most rigid...

Chicago mayor announces homelessness plan with unclear funding sources

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago officials unveiled a plan they say would effectively end homelessness in the city, even as questions...

Minnesota wins legal fight over tuition benefits for illegal immigrants

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square A federal judge has dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s policy of offering in-state tuition and certain scholarships to students in the...

Illini Final Four trip expected to benefit University of Illinois, state of Indiana

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A University of Illinois professor says the economic benefit of the school’s mens basketball team reaching the...

« Previous
1
…
66
67
68
69
70
…
186
Next »