WATCH: GOP U.S. Sen. candidate Tracy on shutdown, tariffs; state expands sanctuary
November 4, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks live with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy about the government shutdown, politics over immigration, the use of tariffs and more.
Bishop also reviews floor debate over a bill to expand the state’s migrant sanctuary policies on the Illinois House floor as the clock struck midnight into Halloween. Democrats say the measure reigns in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans worry it opens state and local police and various institutions up to civil lawsuits.
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 12
87° 61°
Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Trump addresses nation on Iran strikes; signals conflict nearing end
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Just over a month after Operation Epic Fury began, President Donald Trump Wednesday proclaimed U.S. strikes on Iran are nearing completion, while telling allies to...
IL biometrics privacy reforms apply to past cases, too: Appeals court
By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Pending class action lawsuits under Illinois' stringent biometrics privacy law may have become significantly less lucrative, after a federal appeals court declared...
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...
