Sadly for law-abiding gun owners in Illinois, the U.S. Supreme Court will not be stepping in regarding a challenge to an insane new law that bans certain types of firearms in the state.
According to NBC News, last week, the high court declined to take up a case challenging the law, which came as a major disappointment given the conservative majority makeup of the current Supreme Court bench.
The high court's decision to not take up the challenge means that the law will remain in effect.
However, litigation concerning the law continues to play out in the lower courts and many court observers believe it will eventually wind its way back to the Supreme Court before it's all said and done.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissenting opinion on the high court's decision to not hear the case.
He wants more specifics on what types of firearms can be restricted by the state, saying an appeals court decision to uphold the Illinois ban "illustrates why this court must provide more guidance on which weapons the Second Amendment covers."
NBC News noted:
The announcement, coming soon after the court declined to hear a similar case from Maryland, suggests the court is not eager to weigh in on what has become a recurring issue: whether such bans violate the Second Amendment, which the court expanded in a 2022 gun rights ruling.
The Illinois weapons ban is a typical liberal, anti-gun "assault weapons ban." It bans popular sporting firearms like the AR-15. It also bans "large-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition for long guns or more than 15 rounds of ammunition for handguns."
It was noted that the law doesn't affect people who already owned such firearms and accessories before the law took effect, and it also doesn't ban handguns.
Justifiably, many gun and Second Amendment advocacy groups sued after the law went into effect, arguing that it's a clear violation of residents' Second Amendment rights.
The high court also declined to hear a high-profile, similar case out of Maryland that also bans "assault weapons."
NBC News noted:
In May of last year, the Supreme Court declined to block the new restrictions. It also declined to block similar restrictions enacted in New York, suggesting no great eagerness among the justices to jump in on the issue.
The law continues to be challenged in multiple lower courts in the state of Illinois and other states where similar laws were enacted.
Hopefully, they all end up back at the high court sooner than later, where the U.S. Constitution will prevail.
Vermont Democratic senator Peter Welch declined to endorse Joe Biden's fitness to serve during an awkward CNN interview.
During a segment of CNN News Central, Welch said Biden is "wrestling with" his future. Welch acknowledged he doesn't feel free to speak his mind out of "respect."
"He’s wrestling with that and he’s reading the polls and he had a terrible debate and the campaign has candidly acknowledged it," he said when asked about Biden's fitness.
Welch's wishy-washy response is the latest sign that Democrats are going wobbly on Biden following his debate debacle last week.
Many Democrats are fearful that Biden will hand the presidency to Donald Trump and hurt Democrats down ballot. While few Democrats have openly called on Biden to step aside, not many are giving him their unequivocal support.
Welch almost sounded as if he were trying to reassure himself as he said Biden would do "what's best for the country."
The senator suggested that might mean dropping out to stop Trump from winning the presidency.
"He knows that the existential challenge is keeping Donald Trump out of the presidency. So, I have confidence that he’s going to make a decision and make it on the basis of serving the country.”
Making matters more awkward, Welch basically admitted that he is withholding his candid opinion out of respect.
"So, my view is that I will let the President make his own decision, out of immense respect for everything he’s done for us, keeping Trump out of office and the extraordinary job he’s done.”
Biden has been stubborn about the whole situation, telling supporters in Wisconsin Friday that he won't be pushed aside.
“They’re trying to push me out of the race,” he said. "Well let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race.”
Meanwhile, pressure on Biden is continuing to mount. The Washington Post reported Friday that a powerful senator, Virginia's Mark Warner (D), is lobbying his Democratic colleagues to get Biden out.
When asked about it, Biden said of Warner, "he's the only one."
Biden has received more robust support from Democratic governors, some of whom met with Biden at the White House this week in a show of solidarity.
An appeals court has allowed Joe Biden's student loan plan to go ahead, handing him a small victory to tout on the campaign trail as Democrats question his political future.
The whiplash ruling came only days after two federal judges blocked aspects of Biden's plan, called SAVE. The income-based repayment plan lowers monthly payments for borrowers depending on income level, with the poorest paying as little as $0.
This is the second time Biden has tried to fulfill a 2020 campaign promise to forgive student loans. His first effort was blocked by the Supreme Court last summer.
The Biden administration has touted SAVE as the most affordable income-driven repayment plan ever.
The plan allows borrowers with loans smaller than $12,000 to have their loans forgiven after 10 years of payments, a faster timeline than the 20 to 25 years that income-based plans typically require. SAVE also reduces payments to 5% of discretionary income for the majority of borrowers.
Last week, a pair of federal judges in Missouri and Kansas blocked aspects of SAVE in response to Republican challenges.
As a result, a scheduled reduction in payments from 10% of discretionary income to 5% was blocked.
After last week's court rulings, the Biden administration oddly blamed Republicans even though both judges were Obama appointees.
The administration appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit reversed, allowing the payment reduction that was scheduled for July 1 to go ahead.
On the other hand, Biden still can't use SAVE to forgive loans. Still, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was eager to tout a victory.
“Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit sided with student loan borrowers across the country who stand to benefit from the SAVE Plan – the most affordable repayment plan in history,” Cardona said.
“Borrowers will hear directly from their loan servicers and the Department as we implement the new, lower monthly payments for borrowers enrolled in SAVE,” Cardona said.
Republicans have criticized Biden's student loan efforts as a cynical attempt to bribe voters and transfer wealth from non-college voters to degree holders who are more likely to support Democrats.
The latest development on student loans comes as Biden faces a full-blown political crisis, with Democrats questioning his future following his poor debate performance last week.