Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

August 29, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Foreign national indicted for fraud

A foreign national has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago for allegedly defrauding numerous individuals out of at least $2.6 million and willfully evading income taxes.

Jawad Fakroune, 45, also known by “Angelino Escobar” and other names, is facing 15 federal counts of wire fraud and tax-related charges.

Chicago Public Schools budget approved

The Chicago Board of Education has adopted a $10.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026.

The board voted 12-7 to approve the spending plan, which did not include a high-interest loan favored by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union.

Former chancellor dies

Former University of Illinois Chancellor Michael Aiken has died at the age of 93.

Aiken served as the school’s sixth chancellor from 1993 to 2001. U of I officials said he died Monday in Cody, Wyoming.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Answers wanted to 'pathetic' state procurement issues

Answers wanted to ‘pathetic’ state procurement issues

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Lawmakers say Illinois-based businesses are getting work in other states but struggling to get business in their...
Report paints dismal picture of California's jobs market

Report paints dismal picture of California’s jobs market

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square New research shows California is the Not-So-Golden State when it comes to jobs. Pacific Research Institute, a Pasadena-based, nonpartisan free market think tank, went as...
Report: U.S. added $1.2 trillion to national debt in six months

Report: U.S. added $1.2 trillion to national debt in six months

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The U.S. government added $1.2 trillion to the national debt over the past six months, borrowing $163 billion during March alone, the Congressional Budget Office...
Illinois House pushes through bill restricting ICE detention centers in state

Illinois House pushes through bill restricting ICE detention centers in state

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – After heavy debate and Republican opposition, the Illinois House passed a bill that would all but ban...
Cheaper gas could take time amid tentative ceasefire

Cheaper gas could take time amid tentative ceasefire

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Americans hoping for cheaper gasoline after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire will need to be patient, as oil prices and other economic factors continue to work against...
Trump says military remains in place as talks with Iran set to begin

Trump says military remains in place as talks with Iran set to begin

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square President Donald Trump says that increased military assets in the Middle East will remain in place and ready as the U.S. and Iran embark on...
Illinois Quick Hits: Ex-nonprofit exec sentenced for state, federal grant fraud

Illinois Quick Hits: Ex-nonprofit exec sentenced for state, federal grant fraud

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A former Chicago-area nonprofit executive has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for misappropriating nearly...
r66-centennial-logo

Will County Prepares for Route 66 Centennial with $3.4 Million in Grant Projects

Will County Board Meeting | March 19, 2026 Article Summary: Will County is gearing up to be a central hub for the 100th anniversary of Route 66, backed by $3.4...
Lawmaker calls for department reform supporting Illinois families with disabled children

Lawmaker calls for department reform supporting Illinois families with disabled children

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A Republican state representative in Illinois is continuing his push for simpler and less burdensome paths to...
Lawyers’ ‘misleading statements’ hang cloud over college finaid class action

Lawyers’ ‘misleading statements’ hang cloud over college finaid class action

By Scott Holland | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A federal judge won’t stop a class action alleging some of the country’s top higher education institutions colluded when awarding financial aid...
Ceasefire impact holds across markets despite varying reports on the Strait of Hormuz

Ceasefire impact holds across markets despite varying reports on the Strait of Hormuz

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Stock markets soared and oil prices plummeted after the start of a two-week ceasefire with Iran, despite conflicting reports regarding the Strait of Hormuz. After...
SEC chairman returns ''first principles' to public markets, supports Texas exchange

SEC chairman returns ”first principles’ to public markets, supports Texas exchange

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square At a Texas Stock Exchange roundtable in Miami, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins outlined his plan to return “first principles” to public markets....
Complaint filed against AMA Foundation for racially discriminatory scholarships

Complaint filed against AMA Foundation for racially discriminatory scholarships

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Medical group Do No Harm filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against the American Medical Association Foundation, questioning whether the organization should...
Democrats vow to hold Bondi in contempt for refusing Epstein deposition

Democrats vow to hold Bondi in contempt for refusing Epstein deposition

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee for her scheduled deposition April 14, an announcement that garnered a...
Commonwealth LNG signs supply deals with five major buyers

Commonwealth LNG signs supply deals with five major buyers

By Alton WallaceThe Center Square The owners of the proposed Commonwealth LNG export facility in Louisiana announced supply deals with five major buyers as the company crossed a key threshold...