November 21, 2025/

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

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

Poll: Trump demonstrates stronger cognitive, communication skills compared to Biden

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square A majority of American voters say President Donald Trump has demonstrated better cognitive and physical skills during his second term compared to former President Joe...

Illinois Quick Hits: Red Line funds ordered to be unfrozen

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is hailing a federal judge’s ruling that directs the Trump administration to unfreeze...

EXCLUSIVE: 5 years in, Operation Lone Star seizes 870 million lethal doses of fentanyl

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Five years into Texas’ border security mission, Operation Lone Star officers have seized a record amount of illicit drugs. Gov. Greg Abbott first launched OLS...

Proposal to decrease reliance on paper documents passes House

By Alan WootenThe Center Square Safety is compromised, and costs are increased by outdated rules, U.S. Rep. Brad Knott tells The Center Square. His proposal with Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.,...

Late Sixth-Inning Surge Lifts Casey-Westfield Baseball Past Altamont 4-1

For five innings on Tuesday afternoon, the Casey-Westfield varsity baseball team was completely stymied at the plate. But when the opportunity finally presented itself in the bottom of the sixth,...

Monroe Elementary Reading Initiatives Raise $13,000 as Students Log Nearly 91,000 Minutes

Casey-Westfield School Board Meeting | March 16, 2026 Article Summary: Monroe Elementary students shattered reading goals during two concurrent literacy programs, raising substantial funds for the school library and reading...

Gilbert Drives in Five as Casey-Westfield Outslugs Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 11-7

The Casey-Westfield varsity softball team unleashed a 17-hit offensive barrage on Tuesday afternoon, securing an 11-7 road victory over non-conference opponent Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg. Sophomore G. Gilbert was the primary run producer...

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education for March 12, 2026

Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education Meeting | March 12, 2026 The Marshall C.U.S.D. C-2 Board of Education met in regular session on Thursday, March 12, 2026, advancing a busy...

Chicago can’t ditch airlines’ suit vs ‘disruptive’ paid sick leave rules

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Saying it appears likely the city's sick leave ordinance would disrupt airlines' ability to function, a federal judge has rejected Chicago City...

FEMA says funding debate didn’t affect response to Hawaii

By Liam HibbertThe Center Square The partial federal government shutdown did not impact the Federal Emergency Management Agency's immediate response to the severe flooding in Hawaii, a FEMA spokesperson told...

Maryland Supreme Court tosses Blue cities’ climate lawsuits against energy companies

By Dan McCalebThe Center Square The Maryland Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed three lawsuits filed by Democrat-run jurisdictions claiming oil and gas companies concealed information about their products’ contributions to...

Arizona Senate majority leader blasts Phoenix resolution limiting ICE operations

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Arizona Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh is criticizing the city of Phoenix for its resolution restricting federal immigration enforcement. Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, told The Center...

$4.4B budget request for new Illinois early childhood agency draws scrutiny

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An agency focused on early childhood education created by state lawmakers in 2024 has made its first...

Lawmaker, officer warns Elgin officer firing could chill free speech

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois lawmaker and law enforcement officer is sharply criticizing the city of Elgin’s decision to...

Airline nixes perk for flying lawmakers as DHS shutdown continues

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square As a partial government shutdown continues, one major airline has suspended services for flying lawmakers as travel chaos builds at U.S. airports. The ongoing partial...

« Previous
1
…
52
53
54
55
56
…
208
Next »