Midwest
Gun rights groups ask Supreme Court to strike down Illinois 'assault weapons' ban
FIRST ON FOX — A gun rights group representing over 2 million members and activists has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether Illinois’ strict rifle ban is constitutional.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) and its sister organization, the Gun Owners Foundation, on Monday filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court in their challenge to the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA). The groups, representing Illinois gun owners, argue the law imposes an unconstitutional, sweeping ban on hundreds of commonly owned and lawfully used rifles and ammunition magazines.
“GOA has been at the forefront of this challenge since before the bans even took effect, and while our goal was never to have to end up before the Supreme Court, we were fully prepared to do so,” said Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America.
“We urge the Justices to hear the pleas of millions of Americans in Illinois and several other states nationwide who cannot purchase many of the commonly owned semiautomatic firearms available today because of the unconstitutional laws passed by anti-gun politicians,” Pratt said.
ILLINOIS GUN GROUPS REPORT CONFUSION, ‘CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE’ AFTER DEADLINE PASSES TO REGISTER ‘ASSAULT’ WEAPONS
Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker signed sweeping legislation into law in 2023 implementing a ban on hundreds of makes and models of rifles and ammunition magazines. (John Nacion/WireImage)
The strict gun control law, signed by Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year, carries penalties for anyone who, “Carries or possesses… Manufactures, sells, delivers, imports, or purchases any assault weapon or .50 caliber rifle.”
Those who legally possess a banned weapon under the law must register it with the Illinois State Police.
The law also includes statutory penalties for anyone who “sells, manufactures, delivers, imports, possesses, or purchases any assault weapon attachment or .50 caliber cartridge.”
Any kit or tools that are used to increase the fire rate of a semiautomatic weapon are also banned, and the legislation includes a limit for purchases of certain magazines.
ILLINOIS ENACTS 320 NEW STATE LAWS, INCLUDING BAN ON SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND INDOOR VAPING
The Illinois legislature passed the Protect Illinois Communities Act in 2023 in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. (Chicago Tribune/Getty Images)
A federal judge in the Southern District of Illinois had initially ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding PICA did not respect the Second Amendment rights of Illinois residents. District Judge Stephen Patrick McGlynn, a Trump appointee, blocked the state from enforcing the “assault weapons” ban, finding it not only restricted the right to self-defense, but in some cases, “completely obliterated that right by criminalizing the purchase and the sale of more than 190 ‘arms.’”
But the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned McGlynn’s ruling on May 5, 2023, and permitted the law to take effect on Jan. 10, 2024.
Law-abiding gun owners faced a Jan. 1 deadline to register their so-called assault weapons with the state police. However, Illinois Second Amendment groups reported mass confusion from gun owners and large rates of noncompliance.
ILLINOIS ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN BACK IN EFFECT AS COURTS PLAY PING PONG WITH GUN CONTROL
Semiautomatic guns are displayed for sale at Capitol City Arms Supply, Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Illinois. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
Of the over 2.4 million Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cardholders, there have only been 112,350 disclosures filed as of Dec. 31, 2023, according to state police data. Another 29,357 disclosures were in the process of being completed as of Jan. 6.
Gun rights activists previously told Fox News Digital that apparent high rates of noncompliance came from a mix of ignorance of what the law requires and civil disobedience.
Now, they hope the Supreme Court will weigh in on their side.
“JB Pritzker and his colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly openly defied the Supreme Court and the Constitution when they passed their ‘emergency’ bill to ban so-called ‘assault weapons,’” said Sam Paredes, a board member of the Gun Owners Foundation.
“We are optimistic the justices will choose to hear the case and make clear once and for all that ‘assault weapons’ bans on tens of millions of commonly owned rifles are wholly out of line with the Second Amendment.”
Fox News Digital’s Houston Keene contributed to this report.
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Midwest
Kristi Noem tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that he can’t ‘change the facts’ about Minnesota ICE shooting
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem clashed with CNN anchor Jake Tapper over her comments shortly after a deadly shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minnesota.
Speaking to the press after a Minneapolis ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, Noem said in a news conference that Good was partaking in “domestic terrorism” and was attempting to “weaponize her vehicle” to attack ICE officers.
Tapper asked Noem about her statements, which he noted were made before an investigation was launched into the incident.
“Well, everything that I‘ve said has been proven to be factual and the truth,” Noem said. “This administration wants to operate in transparency. I have the responsibility as the secretary of Homeland Security to know this information as soon as possible. I had just been in Minneapolis the day before, had already had conversations with officers on the ground and supervisors, and knew the facts and decided that the department and the people of this country deserve to know the truth about the situation of what had unfolded in Minneapolis.”
KRISTI NOEM FIRES BACK AT DEMS AMID IMPEACHMENT THREAT OVER FATAL MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING
Federal law enforcement is investigating a fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“With all due respect, Secretary, the first thing you said was, ‘what happened was our ICE officers were out in an enforcement action. They got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis. They were attempting to push out their vehicle and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle,’” Tapper said, summarizing her remarks. “That‘s not what happened. We all saw what happened.”
“It absolutely is what happened,” Noem said.
She continued arguing that evidence showed Good had been attempting to block the road and impede federal law enforcement investigations before finally using her car to attack ICE agents.
TOM EMMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTION THAT MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL
Tapper continued to question Noem’s use of the term “domestic terrorist” and how Noem could be certain of her assertions.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has accused the shooting victim of taking part in “domestic terrorism.” (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)
“And the question is, I don‘t doubt…my position is I wasn‘t there,” Tapper said. “I didn‘t see it. Some people say that it clearly showed that she was trying to hit him and did. Some people say no, she was clearly trying to move her car and flee and get away. I don‘t know. What I‘m saying is, how do you know? How can you assert for a fact within hours before any investigation this is what happened?”
“The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized, and it attacked the law enforcement officer. He defended himself, and he defended those individuals around him. That is the definition. When there is something that is weaponized to use against the public and law enforcement, that is an act of domestic terrorism happened in our shores. It happened here in our country. You don‘t get to change the facts just because you don‘t like them,” Noem said, adding that an investigation is ongoing for potential motivation.
VANCE CALLS CNN, OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS ‘ABSOLUTE DISGRACE’ OVER WHAT THEY LEFT OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING
Noem later accused Tapper of pushing an “untruthful” depiction of the event, leading Tapper to repeatedly push back against her during the interview.
“We’ve all seen the video. I don‘t need to relitigate it. We‘ve all seen the video. She is blocking the street. They approach her,” Tapper said.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the actions of the ICE officer during the shooting while appearing on CNN. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
“You haven‘t seen the video of the entire morning in the previous encounters with this individual,” Noem said.
“We have aired it. Yes, we have. On Thursday, we were airing and noting the fact that she was there for several minutes, for minutes and minutes and minutes. She was protesting without question,” Tapper responded.
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“At those previous locations that morning, that, absolutely, that these vehicles had been previously down the block on video that you haven‘t seen. There’s more information,” Noem said.
Noem announced earlier on Sunday that the federal government is sending hundreds of additional federal officers to Minnesota in response to the shooting.
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Detroit, MI
Detroit man arrested following manhunt for double murder in Tennessee
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – A 28-year-old man from Detroit has been arrested for the murder of two people in Tennessee.
Troy Hutchinson and Rodrell Jeter were shot and killed Nov. 16, 2025, outside Nashville, Tennessee. A third man was hospitalized with critical injuries.
Police believe four men were traveling from Detroit to Atlanta in a Ford Bronco when the fourth man opened fire on the victims before leaving in the vehicle. The Bronco was found abandoned in Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati in Ohio.
Jeter and the man who was hospitalized were both from Detroit, while Hutchinson is from Atlanta.
A motive for the shooting remains unknown.
In late November, police identified the suspect as Dashonn Moten. He was indicted on 17 counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two counts of felony murder.
After nearly two months, Moten was arrested Friday, Jan. 10, in Sterling Heights and is awaiting extradition to Tennessee for his arraignment.
If convicted, Moten faces possible execution.
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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County gets $25M federal grant for 67 road safety projects
See the aftermath of high-speed reckless driving in Milwaukee
Journalist James Causey and his wife narrowly escaped a high-speed chase and accident when an SUV ran past them and through an intersection, colliding with a Mercedes.
Milwaukee County will receive nearly $25 million in federal funding for 67 traffic safety projects along 10 of the county’s most hazardous roadways, according to a Jan. 12 announcement from County Executive David Crowley’s office.
That funding will support upgrades for pedestrian infrastructure, intersections and high-speed corridors in Milwaukee, West Allis, Glendale, Brown Deer, Shorewood and on multiple county highways.
Collectively, these projects could reduce fatal and serious injury crashes in hazardous areas by 26%–50% and save an estimated $1.2 billion in car crash costs over 20 years, according to the announcement.
Preliminary designs are anticipated to begin in 2027, with all projects completed by 2031.
The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant, which the county’s Department of Transportation applied for in 2025 as part of its Complete Communities Transportation Planning Project, an initiative to increase safety and reduce reckless driving across its roadways.
Already, the county has analyzed crash data, identified 25 “Corridors of Concern,” and reviewed potential project opportunities.
Milwaukee County’s award amounts to the third-largest grant in the federal program’s 2025 funding cycle. It will be managed by the county and distributed to the five municipal recipients.
The municipalities will lead the projects and provide a 20% local match to support costs.
More details about the projects’ locations will be posted on the transportation department’s website, according to the announcement.
The 65 infrastructure projects and two studies enabled by the grant aim to improve safety along 10 hazardous roadways the county has identified.
Pedestrian infrastructure upgrades will include high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded pedestrian walk signals, restricting right-turn-on-red options, and sidewalk network expansion.
Intersection upgrades will include traffic signal upgrades, better visibility for pedestrians, bump-outs, and select geometric realignments. High-speed corridor upgrades will entail traffic calming improvements that help drivers stay in their lanes.
One of the projects will also seek to reduce reckless driving on the 16th Street viaduct, the 27th Street viaduct and the 35th Street viaduct.
The grant will also fund a safety analysis study on West Lincoln Avenue between South 124th Street and South 52nd Street, which will issue recommendations for future projects. The grant will also fund a county Department of Transportation report assessing the county’s progress toward the Vision Zero goal.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
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