The Center Square Daily | 4.23.26 | Illinois 'Megaprojects' Bill Not Enough to Keep the Bears

The Center Square Daily | Thursday April 23rd, 2026 Greg Bishop hosts The Center Square Daily, a review of some of the top headlines concerning taxpayers across the country. On today’s show, federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, while questions are being raised about the alleged misuse of donor funds and what the case could mean for nonprofit oversight and taxpayer-funded law enforcement partnerships. We also cover scrutiny facing Michigan gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson over her past role on the SPLC board during part of the time period referenced in the indictment. We also examine debate in California over legislation that would require anti-hate speech training for public officials, where supporters say the measure addresses discrimination concerns while critics question how broadly the standards could be applied to public discourse. Plus, a U.S. Department of Education proposal aimed at holding low-performing college programs accountable as student loan debt nears $1.7 trillion. And Illinois lawmakers advance tax incentives for the Chicago Bears and other megaprojects, raising broader questions about subsidies, economic development and taxpayer exposure. Quick Hits: Plus, America's Talking with quick hits from around the country: Virginia - Judge blocks referendum certification; appeal coming https://www.thecentersquare.com/virginia/article_6c2571c1-e16b-41d8-8bcd-824fd4514b6f.html Florida - DeSantis slams diversity ideology, calls out discrimination of white males https://www.thecentersquare.com/florida/article_06506061-29bc-426e-9016-90e40ac70f50.html Wisconsin - Wisconsin candidates slam Rodriguez’ secret budget proposal https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_d8e24479-9a9a-4427-bc72-2154f8edefe0.html Pennsylvania - FIFA fans can ride SEPTA for free after World Cup matches in Philly https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_2a6af699-244c-43b9-ac8a-d9ff487dbfc4.html Subscribe for more coverage on government accountability, education, tax and public policy stories. #TaxpayerNews #GovernmentAccountability #IllinoisPolitics #HigherEducation #PublicPolicy 👉 Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com 📩 Sign up for the newsletter for daily updates 00:00 Intro 00:41 SPLC indicted 05:05 Mandated hate-speech training 16:40 America's Talking 20:26 Illinois passes ‘megaprojects’