* Here you go…

* Tribune | Illinois’ sweeping firearms ban certain to end up in court, and some experts doubt it will stand: While no lawsuit has yet been filed, experts on gun legislation and constitutional law said the new restrictions face a murky legal future, particularly in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision striking down New York state’s concealed carry law.

* Tucker Carlson | Rep. Blaine Wilhour on Gov. Pritzker’s gun ban: ‘We are in danger of losing our country if we don’t stand up’: Illinois State Rep. Blaine Wilhour lambasts Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker’s law banning ‘assault weapons’ and comments on the sheriffs who say they will not enforce the law on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight.’

* People | Late Ill. Senator’s Wife Discusses ‘Therapeutic’ Decision to Carry Out His Term in Office After Abrupt Death: Dr. Stacy Bennett — now former Illinois state Sen. Stacy Bennett — tells PEOPLE about stepping into her late husband’s Senate seat after he unexpectedly died of a brain tumor in December

* Chicago Tribune | As Illinois’ CROWN Act goes into effect, we catch up with Jett Hawkins, a boy who made legislative history with his hair: A call from Hawkins’ West Side private school, Providence St. Mel, would lead Nelson to remove the braids from Jett’s hair because his look was in violation of the hairstyle policy in the student handbook. Nelson advocated for her son’s freedom of expression, and state Sen. Mike Simmons, a North Side Democrat, sponsored Senate Bill 817, which was signed into law Aug. 13, 2021.

* The Daily Northwestern | Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) becomes Illinois House majority leader: Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) selected Gabel for the role. Gabel will replace state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) — who did not run for reelection last year — as the majority leader.

* WSIL | Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks at 2 MLK events in Southern Illinois: Stratton first joined the community at the SIU Student Center where she spoke at the MLK 41st Scholarship Breakfast sponsored by the Carbondale Branch NAACP. She then made her way to Pulaski, IL, where she then attended and spoke at a Martin Luther King Jr. event there as well.

* Tribune | Just let the Bears go? Chicago’s mayoral candidates on what they’d do to keep the team — and what happens to Soldier Field.: At a forum in December, three candidates — Paul Vallas, Ja’Mal Green and 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer — quipped that the city should just let its NFL team go. Green elaborated that the next mayor should focus on revitalizing Soldier Field by “maybe a couple of $100 million” so it can be leased for college sports or to another NFL team.

* Sun-Times | Illinois Gaming Board OKs gaming license for clout-heavy lawyer James J. Banks in an about-face: But the state agency won’t say what new evidence prompted it to approve James J. Banks — an Illinois Tollway board member under five governors — for video poker machines and other gambling devices.

* Capitol News Illinois | Report predicts billions in motor fuel tax revenue losses if state meets EV goals: Despite Illinois’ efforts to smoothly integrate electric vehicles into the state’s economy, a new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute is warning of a potential steep decline in transportation revenue as the process of electrification accelerates.

* Crain’s | Chuy Garcia unveils public safety plan in race for mayor: The anticipated plan sought to walk the difficult tightrope other campaigns have faced in advocating for both investing in the police department by “increasing staff levels and focusing” on patrol beats, while investing in violence prevention efforts. Garcia’s speech touting the plan heavily criticized Lightfoot for “broken promises” and backtracking on reform efforts, but his own plan mirrored Lightfoot’s approach in some aspects and was light on specifics when calling for new approaches.

* Sun-Times | Garcia tries to distance himself from indicted crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried: Under fire by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia said he has never met nor spoken to Bankman-Fried and has no idea why he spent $151,420 on direct mail pieces that introduced Garcia to voters of his newly remapped congressional district.

* Politico | US lawmakers in Davos tell Europeans: America’s not protectionist: As snow pounds the Swiss mountain town of Davos, American lawmakers are huddled in warm, quiet rooms trying to assuage European concerns that the United States hasn’t just turned into a protectionist power.

* Herald and Review | How Alexi Giannoulias hopes to shorten your wait at the DMV : “We are excited about bringing some of this new technology. We are looking at implementing our skip-line appointment program, which will reduce wait times,” Giannoulias told Lee Enterprises in an interview last week. “We’re going to launch an electronic car title system to streamline the car registration process.”

* Tribune | Migrants arriving in Chicago sleeping in bus shelters and police stations as community steps in to help: Pino Marcano and three other men he met on his journey north from Venezuela walked to a place where they heard from other asylum-seekers that they could find space. But they were turned away because there were no more beds, Pino Marcano said. That night the group slept under a bus shelter, but Pino Marcano found resolve.

* Crain’s | Orphe Divounguy: How Illinois could benefit from a Midwestern revival: Today’s affordability crunch in expensive coastal cities creates an opportunity for the Midwest. As people look for new ways to overcome the home affordability crisis, Midwestern markets—which tend to be relatively more affordable—are expected to fare better than other similarly sized metro areas amid the current nationwide housing cooldown.

* Crain’s | Ken Griffin sells Park Tower condo for $11.2 million: The 66th-floor condo at the Park Tower on Michigan Avenue sold Jan. 13. It’s the second completed deal in the sell-off of his downtown Chicago portfolio, which began in July when he put four units on the market with a combined asking price of $54.5 million.

* Tribune | Hotels are getting close to pre-pandemic business levels, and more convention travelers in 2023 could close the gap: More than 2.5 million people are expected to attend 2023 events at the convention complex, up from the nearly 1.5 million who showed up last year, according to Cynthia McCafferty, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the corporation that owns McCormick Place and Navy Pier.

* AP | Memorial for Lisa Marie Presley to be held at Graceland: A public memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley will be held next weekend at Graceland, the famed Memphis home of her father, Elvis Presley. The memorial for Lisa Marie Presley will be held on the front lawn of the mansion at 9 a.m. on Jan. 22, according to a representative of her daughter and actor Riley Keough.

* AP | On King’s holiday, daughter calls for bold action over words: The Rev. Bernice King, who leads The King Center in Atlanta, said leaders — especially politicians — too often cheapen her father’s legacy into a “comfortable and convenient King” offering easy platitudes. “We love to quote King in and around the holiday. … But then we refuse to live King 365 days of the year,” she declared at the commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her father once preached.