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

Farmers call for fertilizer price transparency, domestic growth

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Farmers and advocates on Tuesday called on Congress to implement transparency reporting requirements in fertilizer pricing. The U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held...

Major nationwide Tren de Aragua crackdown, more than 80 firearms seized

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Trump administration continues to crack down on violent Tren de Aragua Venezuelan prison gang members after they flooded the country during the Biden administration....

Illinois Quick Hits: State taxpayers to cover student loan debt for civil engineers

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that the state will pay $15,000 of eligible student loan...

WATCH: Ex-rep sues Pritzker, Illinois over race-based congressional map

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois’ congressional district map is being challenged over what some argue are unconstitutional racial requirements for districts....

Lawmakers tussle over impacts of ‘equitable’ school funding in Illinois

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The evidence-based funding formula for public schools in Illinois, signed into law in 2017, was under the...

Illinois Quick Hits: $42.6M UIS student library on schedule

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Capital Development Board says a $42.6 million state taxpayer-funded library project is on schedule at...

State Legislative Update: Housing Mandates, Mega Projects, and Data Centers Prompt Local Control Concerns

Will County Board Legislative Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryState lobbyists from Mac Strategies briefed the Will County Board Legislative Committee on the final push of the spring...

Data center regs proposed as $20 billion, 795-acre Joliet project advances

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Opponents of a planned $20 billion data center project in Joliet say big tech money arrived before...

Labor stats offer mixed bag for Illinois

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Trump administration says the United States saw smashing job growth in April, but Illinois’ story is...

Lawsuit: IL state VRA unconstitutionally lets Dems divide voters by race

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Days after the U.S. Supreme Court declared states cannot use race to decide how to draw legislative districts, a new lawsuit is...

Illinois Quick Hits: State grants offered to tackle ‘challenging’ properties

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Housing Development Authority is accepting grant funding applications from local governments to address abandoned and...

Officers mourn fallen Chicago cop as policy debate grows

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the country gathered in Chicago to honor a fallen...

Trump accuses Schumer of election ‘interference’ with New York task force

By Chris WadeThe Center Square President Donald Trump is ripping Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for hiring former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder to help oversee New York's congressional redistricting...

Poll site gun ban proposal draws pushback

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – State lawmakers want to ban Illinoisans from carrying a gun while at the polls, citing a rise...

Trump confirms gas tax suspension push as prices hit $4.52

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he wants to temporarily suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax, with Republican lawmakers in both chambers announcing plans to...

« Previous
1
…
31
32
33
34
35
…
198
Next »