WATCH: Illinois In Focus Daily | Friday Aug. 8th, 2025

August 8, 2025/

Spread the love

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 covers the latest in the fight over redistricting with an Illinois state senator joining Texas House Republicans to have warrants from the Lone Star State to be recognized in Illinois and Gov. J.B. Pritzker responding to the FBI getting involved.

Bishop also shares the latest polling data from Illinois Policy that shows Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker underwater in favorability for the first time as he heads into a bid for a third term as governor. Republican state Rep. Chris Miller says Pritzker is vulnerable.

Finally, Bishop shares some highlights from the ribbon cutting for the 2025 Illinois State Fair, which features $140 million in upgrades and taxpayer investments for the fairgrounds.

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.

Latest News Stories

Mokena Park District Increases Spending Authority to Align with New State Law

Mokena Community Park District Meeting | September 23, 2025 Article Summary: The Mokena Community Park District Board of Commissioners has updated its purchasing policy, increasing the executive director's authority to...

Mokena Police Department Welcomes First K-9 Officer, Kong

Village of Mokena Board of Trustees Meeting | October 13, 2025 Article Summary: The Mokena Police Department officially welcomed its first-ever police canine, Kong, during a swearing-in ceremony at the...

Mokena Approves ‘Emerald Social’ Restaurant and Outdoor Entertainment Venue

Village of Mokena Board of Trustees Meeting | October 13, 2025 Article Summary: The Mokena Village Board has granted final approval for Emerald Social, a new restaurant and family-friendly outdoor...

Lawmakers introduce bills to slash their own pay during government shutdowns

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the ongoing government shutdown dragging on for a record-breaking period of time, U.S. lawmakers are introducing bills to make shutdowns as painful for Congress...

94% of sanctioned scholars suffered from free speech attacks

By Tate MillerThe Center Square A Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression survey shows that 94% of sanctioned university scholars have experienced a negative impact following the attacks on their...

Illinois soybean farmers face uncertainty amid MAHA push against seed oils

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square Illinois soybean farmers face a potential market shakeup if public sentiment, and eventually policy, turns against seed oils, experts warn. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now...

Family-based visa quotas cause system backlogs

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square One of the most prevalent ways for immigrants to gain legal status in the United States is through family-based visas. However, backlogs in the system...

Crete Township ‘Tiny Home’ Owner Appeals Permit Denial

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | October 21, 2025 Article Summary: A Crete Township property owner has appealed to the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission after being...

Association says housing aid to continue through December

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square Federally-funded housing assistance will continue to be paid through December, a national housing association director told The Center Square Friday afternoon. Previously, those who rent...

WATCH: Father of Housing First points to success; We Heart Seattle highlights failures

By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square On an overcast mid-October day, just inside the Third Avenue offices of We Heart Seattle, Executive Director Andrea Suarez and two of her staff members...

Death threats against ICE officers up by 8,000%, DHS says

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up by 8,000% compared to the same timeframe last year, the Department of Homeland Security...

Colorado sues over Space Command HQ moving to Alabama

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado has sued the Trump administration over its decision to move the U.S. Space Command Headquarters out of the state. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser...

Illinois quick hits: Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he looks forward to signing public transit...

IL Senate approves Department of Corrections director despite fierce opposition

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Despite a myriad of ongoing issues at the Illinois Department of Corrections, state senators approved the nomination...

Report: PJM power grid electrification faces bumpy transition

By Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The nation’s power grid is entering a new era of soaring demand – the full extent...

MOKENA LOCAL