WATCH: Illinois In Focus Daily | Monday Aug. 11th, 2025

August 11, 2025/

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews the latest comments in the ongoing debate around drawing new congressional maps with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the national stage while state Sen. Jil Tracy files a lawsuit in Illinois on behalf of the Texas House to honor Lone Star State warrants for absent Democrats hiding out in the Land of Lincoln.

Bishop also provides highlights from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to the Chicago suburbs to highlight their ongoing efforts to detain illegal aliens in a state that is not cooperating with federal officials.

Finally, Bishop shares comments from a small business owner experiencing a $1,000 increase in their monthly utility bill and members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus urging legislators to return to the state capitol to deal with increased energy prices.

Watch the full program below. 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.

Events

Latest News Stories

Kennedy visits Atlanta’s CDC

By Kim JarrettThe Center Square U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention days after a police officer died in...

DCFS denies claim that agency uses uncertified interns to investigate families

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A state lawmaker says he has documentation to show that the Illinois Department of Children and Family...

Trump declares ‘Liberation Day’ in D.C., calls in National Guard

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square “Liberation Day” arrived Monday in Washington, D.C., as declared by President Donald Trump. The president declared a crime emergency in the district and said the...

Illinois quick hits: State-based health insurance marketplace approved

By The Center SquareThe Center Square State-based health insurance marketplace approved Beginning Nov. 1, Get Covered Illinois will officially become Illinois’ health insurance marketplace. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and...

Judge denies Trump DOJ request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The Trump administration is facing another setback in attempting to curb backlash over its chameleonic handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, with another federal judge...

FAA partners with college to train next generation air traffic controllers

By Ashley Olds |The Center Square To expand specialized training under the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Monday that the...

Judge denies Madigan’s motion to remain free pending appeal

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – U.S. District Court Judge John Robert Blakey has denied former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s request to...

The U.S. Department of Education launches nationwide tour

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The Department of Education launched a national tour this month in its continuing efforts to dismantle the agency and revert power back to the states....

Trump takes aim at Chicago crime, no-cash bail while singling out Pritzker

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – President Donald Trump says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is incompetent, that he may send the national guard...

Burrows: Only thing standing in the way of disaster relief are missing Democrats

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square (The Center Square ) – Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gaveled in the Texas House on Monday, and again, no quorum was reached. Only...

Trump confirms Nvidia chip agreement

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Nvidia will pay the United States 15% of the money it makes from selling artificial intelligence chips to China, President Donald Trump said in a...

States challenge federal report promoting coal plants

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Michigan has joined a coalition of states challenging a Department of Energy report claiming the U.S. will face a significantly increased risk of power outages...

U.S. Supreme Court could rule on Texas lawsuits brought in Democratic-led state courts

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square If courts in Democratic-led states don’t honor a request by the Texas House of Representatives to domesticate civil warrants for the arrest of absconding Texas...