Illinois in Focus

Voter confidence has been shaken with voting machines malfunctioning in several Illinois jurisdictions. In McLean County, 34 ballots were placed in what the County Clerk Kathy Michael called “an emergency bin,” which is located underneath the voting machine used to tabulate ballots. At the Eastland Mall, an early voting location, the machine “glitched” for 30 minutes. Affected voter Wayne Henrichs...

Greg Bishop talks with Jim Talamonti about this past week's testimony in the case charging former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain with corruption. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

Greg Bishop reviews recent comments from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacting to political rhetoric from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information ab...

Greg Bishop shares a conversation with New Illinois Chairman G.H. Merrit about ballot questions on several county ballots across Illinois and the path she sees of making "New Illinois" a new state out of Illinois that excludes Cook County and Chicago. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simpleca...

Greg Bishop reviews comments from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker following former President Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally and calls for mass deportation of violent non-citizen migrants. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the recently released audio at the center of the corruption trial against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...

Wiretapped conversations have taken center stage at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. Prosecutors played a series of recordings during testimony from FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald Thursday afternoon. McDonald said he had been working on the Madigan investigation since 2014. He also said that the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays...

Greg Bishop talks with The Center Square reporter Jim Talamonti about his coverage of the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...

Greg Bishop reviews the statement from the Illinois State Rifle Association reacting to a shooting incident involving former Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger at a Democratic Missouri U.S. senate candidate's event where a fired bullet sent shrapnel, injuring a local reporter. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?s...

Witness testimony has resumed in the bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. Former State Rep. Scott Drury, D-Highwood, returned to the stand for additional cross-examination Wednesday morning after beginning his testimony on Tuesday. Drury and Madigan defense attorney Todd Pugh had several combative exchanges over a variety...

Prosecutors and defense attorneys selected a jury along with six alternates on Monday before breaking for lunch, making way for opening arguments to begin this afternoon in the high-profile corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan appeared in court Monday with his legal team. He also had some supporters in the gallery. His daughter, former Illinois Attorney Genera...

A ruling on whether Illinois’ gun and magazine ban is unconstitutional is expected to come sometime after Monday. Illinois banned the sale and possession of more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities during lame duck session of the Illinois General Assembly in January 2023. Federal lawsuits were then filed against the law. Southern District of Illinois federal Judg...

Greg Bishop talks with The Center Square's Jim Talamonti about the jury for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's corruption trial and the expectation for opening statements Monday afternoon. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for in...

Gun stores across Illinois are preparing for the possible outcome of a federal court striking down the state’s gun and magazine ban. Sometime after Oct. 20, Southern District of Illinois federal Judge Stephen McGlynn could rule on the consolidated case challenging the ban. Some expect he will issue a permanent injunction. This could be his second strike against the law. On preliminary grounds last...

Greg Bishop shares conversations he had with Nicole from GAT Guns in East Dundee about being prepared for another possible injunction against Illinois' gun ban. ‪@WashingtonGunLaw‬ host William Kirk shares some of his thoughts on the importance of representation and the trajectory of the gun ban case. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c...

Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Illinois State Rifle Association's Ed Sullivan about proposed legislation from gun control groups to enhance safe storage of firearms and lost and stolen reporting requirements. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A newly released database of gender transition procedures on children reveals at least 418 patients in Illinois received such treatment since 2019. Billing to insurance companies totaled at least $644,000. The Stop The Harm Database from the national group Do No Harm analyzed billing codes from insurance companies in regards to gender transition and youth. Nationwide, they found nearly 14,000 mino...

Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn continues to push for voters to approve a non-binding question on the Nov. 5 ballot to bring about a “millionaire surcharge.” Illinoisans pay the second highest property taxes in the United States, according to multiple nationwide surveys. The total amount paid annually by Illinois property tax payers is $23.2 billion, according to Quinn. With early voting ongoing, o...

Greg Bishop talks with The Center Square reporter Jim Talamonti about the first week of coverage of the corruption trial against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...

Greg Bishop reviews the latest update from Wednesday's court session in the corruption trial against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan where prosecutors and defense questioned potential jurors. Jury selection continues Thursday. Former Gov. Pat Quinn shared some of his thoughts on the ordeal. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-9...

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning in the bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Potential jurors reported to court Tuesday morning and filled out questionnaires. United States of America v. Madigan et al is being held at the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago. Attorneys appeared in Courtroom 1203 on Tuesday af...

Tuesday is Day One of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's and co-defendant Michael McClain’s trial on racketeering and bribery charges. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch announced a federal jury’s indictment of Madigan on March 2, 2022. “The indictment accuses Madigan of leading, for nearly a decade, a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madig...

Several groups have filed legal challenges against an Illinois law regarding interchange fees. The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act doesn’t ban or restrict credit card swipe fees, but it limits banks from charging interchange fees on tax and tip revenues. The law, which was backed by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, was the first such statute in the country. Banking trade groups argued in...

A judge on Wednesday denied former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's motion to dismiss some of the charges he faces before trial next week. Judge John Robert Blakey also denied a motion from Madigan's co-defendant in the case, Michael McClain, for a separate trial. McClain, a former state lawmaker, lobbyist and longtime Madigan ally, had asked for his own trial without Madigan because Madig...

Greg Bishop reviews the history of charges against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan who faces trail in Chicago starting next week. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo...