(SPRINGFIELD) Gun rights advocates around the state are not surprised the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay on a district judge’s ruling that the Illinois gun ban was unconstitutional. After a Southern District of Illinois judge issued a permanent injunction on the ban last month, but put a 30-day hold on his order, it was late last week that the state successfully got the appeals court to issue another stay before the judge’s was lifted yesterday. With the injunction against the gun ban now on hold pending the outcome in the appeals court, it’s unclear when the issue will be resolved. The appeals court has yet to announce a briefing schedule. There are two other challenges to local gun bans in the Seventh Circuit. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court may consider taking a challenge to Maryland’s gun ban for their coming term, although no schedule has been released so far.
(CHICAGO) An operations manager at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly pocketing kickbacks from a company contracted to provide snow removal services. Prosecutors say the man schemed with an associate to approve inflated invoices for services not actually provided at the facility.
(SPRINGFIELD) Stellantis is recalling more than 300,000 Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks because a faulty part could cause certain braking and tracking systems to fail. The trucks in question are all model years 2017-2018. The automaker has been struggling with falling sales that have led to layoffs and ballooning inventory on dealer lots. There have been calls by lawmakers for Stellantis to reopen its Illinois in Belvidere, which the company has on hold.