Illinois quick hits: Poll finds mixed reviews for Trump; posthumous medal for Kirk; transit fare increase proposed

October 14, 2025/

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Poll finds mixed reviews for Trump

President Donald Trump’s economic policies are getting mixed reviews from voters.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters from Oct. 2-6.

The poll found that 51% of voters disapproved or strongly disapproved of Trump’s handling of the U.S. economy.

About 47% of voters approved or strongly approved and about 3% said they were not sure.

Posthumous medal for Illinois-native Kirk

President Donald Trump is scheduled to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the late Charlie Kirk at a White House ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

The Turning Point USA founder and Illinois native was fatally shot Sept. 10 in Utah.

The award comes on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday.

Transit fare increase proposed

The Chicago Transit Authority has joined Metra and Pace in proposing higher fares in next year’s operating budget.

The CTA released three different budget scenarios to plan for what transit action, if any, the Illinois General Assembly might take during fall veto session.

All three plans include a 25-cent increase for bus and rail fares along with price hikes for one-day and multi-day passes.

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