WATCH: Gun ban cases and the Supreme Court; English and CDLs; Don Tracy eyes Senate

November 21, 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 discusses the status of various challenges to gun bans from Illinois, including a challenge to Cook County’s ban being sent to a U.S. Supreme Court conference for Dec. 5. The Barnett case, where a district judge ruled against the law on the merits after developing a substantial record from a four day bench trial, remains in the appeals court after a hearing nearly two months ago.

Bishop also talks live with Illinois state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, about legislation he’s filed to do away with Illinois policy that grants standard drivers licenses to noncitizens. Niemerg also reacts to numbers provided to The Center Square from Illinois State Police showing the numbers of English Language Proficiency exam failures for Commercial Drivers License holders.

Finally, Bishop shares a conversation with one of the Republican candidates running for the open U.S. Senate seat. Don Tracy shares his thoughts about the crowded primary field, his opposition to Democrat political philosophies and the impact of the recent federal government shutdown.

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

‘Good Food For All’ Initiative Proposes Local Agricultural Asset Mapping for Will County

Will County Board Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting | January 7, 2026 Article Summary: Bob Heuer of HNA Networks presented a "Good Food For All" initiative to the Public...

Public Works Committee Advances $3.2 Million Engineering Contract for Mills Road Reconstruction

Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Article Summary: The committee forwarded a resolution to award a $3.2 million contract to HDR Engineering, Inc. for...

Board Members Debate “Commitment to Truth” in Media Resolution

Will County Board Legislative Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Article Summary: A proposal to demand the reinstatement of the "Fairness Doctrine" for news media sparked a philosophical debate on...

Executive Committee: Speaker VanDuyne and Member Butler Clash Over Removal of Committee Chair

Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | January 8, 2026 Article Summary: A heated exchange erupted during the January 8 Executive Committee meeting when Member Daniel Butler challenged Speaker Joe...

Finance Committee: County Appropriates Fees from $25 Million Wilmington Warehouse Project

Will County Board Finance Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Article Summary: The Finance Committee approved the appropriation of an administrative fee tied to a major industrial renovation in Wilmington....

Everyday Economics: A stalled labor market and why the next data points matter

By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square Last week’s jobs report wasn’t a “good” report, but it wasn’t a collapse either. Payrolls are still growing modestly, and the unemployment rate hasn’t spiked....

Assaults against ICE up 1300%, vehicular attacks up 3200%, death threats up 8000%

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Assaults against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up 1,300%, vehicular attacks are up 3,200% and death threats are up 8,000%, the Department of...

Bipartisan bill to cap annual deficits at 3% could curb debt growth

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan proposal to cap annual deficits at 3% of GDP, but this resolution would still permit spending beyond annual revenue. House Resolution...

One year in, a ‘ho-hum’ jobs report

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square December’s jobs data changed little from November, rounding out an underwhelming year for the U.S. labor market. Initial estimates put job gains at 50,000, though...

Five battleground governor’s races for 2026

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Voters from 36 states across the country will return to the polls to elect their next governors in 2026. Several governors races are expected to...

Chicago Flips Red calls for audit after public schools report

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A grassroots Chicago group is calling for a forensic audit of the city’s entire public school system...

Capital Imp Committee: Begins Drafting Policy to Regulate Artificial Intelligence in County Government

Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Article Summary:The Will County Board Capital Improvements and IT Committee began formulating a comprehensive policy regarding the use of Artificial...

Public Health Committee Chair Demands Animal Control Agreements for Crete, Monee

Will County Board Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting | January 7, 2026 Article Summary: During the January 7, 2026, Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, Chair Daniel Butler demanded...

Public Works Committee Considers Taking Over Kankakee County Line Road to Expedite Bridge Repairs

Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Division of Transportation (WCDOT) is exploring a jurisdictional transfer of a section of...

Trump signs order protecting Venezuelan oil revenue from legal claims

By Dan McCalebThe Center Square President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to protect revenue from all sales of Venezuelan oil held in U.S. Treasury accounts from seizure...

« Previous
1
…
77
78
79
80
81
…
166
Next »