Illinois
Illinois governor signs ban on firearms advertising allegedly marketed to kids and militants
CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a law banning firearms advertising that officials determine produces a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally — opening the door for lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or distributors.
Pritzker on Saturday signed the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, making Illinois the eighth state to approve legislation that rolls back legal protections for firearms manufacturers or distributors. The legislation comes after the deadliest six months of mass killings recorded in the United States since at least 2006 — all but one of which involved guns.
Pritzker signed the bill alongside lawmakers and gun control advocates at Gun Sense University, an annual training conference of more than 2,000 Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers and survivors, hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety.
“We hold opioid manufacturers accountable. Vaping companies accountable. Predatory lenders accountable. Gun manufacturers shouldn’t get to hide from the law — and now, they won’t be able to,” Pritzker said in a statement.
The law took effect immediately.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a key backer of the law, said “by signing this legislation, Gov. Pritzker has taken an important step to protect consumers and increase public safety.”
Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, the bill’s House sponsor, said any companies participating in “depicting guns as tools for carnage” will face serious penalties.
Opening the door to such court challenges is part of ongoing efforts by Democratic lawmakers in Illinois and elsewhere to eliminate gun violence, made more complicated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s expansion of gun rights a year ago. Pritzker also signed a ban on semi-automatic weapons this year, a law that gun-rights advocates continue to challenge in federal court.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Illinois
Teen who cut off tanker on Illinois highway resulting in crash, chemical spill: ‘My bad’
A new report reveals a teen driver’s response to viewing dashcam footage of a September 2023 crash that resulted in a chemical spill and five fatalities.
The incident occurred on Highway 40 near Teutopolis, a village in Effingham County, Illinois, according to a summary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The driver of a Toyota minivan passed a tanker truck while both were traveling west on the highway.
“The passing maneuver was being conducted in a no passing zone and in the presence of oncoming traffic,” the summary states. The tanker truck “moved to the right to allow the Toyota minivan to complete its passing maneuver.”
The moment was captured on dashcam footage included in the investigation. According to the report, it resulted in the tanker truck − which contained an estimated 7,600 gallons of anhydrous ammonia −ultimately striking a utility trailer parked on private property. The chemical was released into the area.
Per the NTSB, five people succumbed to chemical exposure, including three people at a nearby home and two other drivers. In addition, eight people were also hospitalized, and four others had “minor exposure injuries.” Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemical is utilized as a fertilizer in agriculture, manufacturing, and refrigeration. Exposure can be deadly.
Accidents: Girl, 2, drowns during field trip to West Virginia resort: Reports
Teen driver responds to dashcam video during interview with authorities
Illinois State Police troopers interviewed the 17-year-old minivan motorist in October 2023. During the probe, they showed the teen the dashcam video.
“Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow,” the teen stated to police. “Holy (expletive).”
When asked to watch the footage again, the teen refused, adding: “I’ve honestly in the past had times when I just don’t use good judgment in judging like distances and whether I have enough time for something. So it doesn’t shock me, but obviously like the consequences of this like are no joke.”One of the troopers asked if the teen knew about the incident.
“Of course not. I told you that like three times. I had no idea. I thought — generally you would think, right, if you’re going along a road you would know if a truck flips behind you. There was nothing like audible,” the teen responded.
In the interview, the teen, an Ohio resident, explained that she was in the car with her mother and her brother, visiting her mother’s boyfriend in Illinois. The minor’s identity was not revealed in the documents.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
Illinois
Walgreens security guard shoots shoplifter in Calumet City, Illinois
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Illinois
Volleyball: Northwestern falls to in-state rival Illinois in four sets
After a first-set victory, Northwestern was overpowered by in-state rival Illinois Sunday.
The Wildcats (3-9, 1-3 Big Ten), who haven’t defeated the Fighting Illini (9-5, 1-3 Big Ten) in Champaign since 2008, fell in four sets.
Despite the loss, junior outside hitter Buse Hazan led the team with 11 kills, while junior middle blocker Kennedy Hill tallied 10, hitting .643. Graduate student setter Alexa Rousseau recorded 23 assists but hit an uncharacteristically low .091. On the defensive side, graduate student middle blocker Sophia Summers achieved a career-high nine blocks.
The first set started a back-and-forth affair, with the ’Cats and Illini offenses on the attack. NU’s blocking game was led by Summers, who stopped four Illinois attacks before either team reached 10 points. The teams traded points for the bulk of the first frame, with Hill helping the ’Cats pull ahead by collecting four kills. Hazan’s five kills and two more Summers blocks sealed the first-set victory for NU 25-22.
Errors plagued the ’Cats in the second set, as they handed the Fighting Illini an early lead on three missed serves. Illinois’ Averie Hernandez, a 2024 transfer from NU, tallied four of her 11 kills, cushioning her new team’s lead. A 4-0 run for the Fighting Illini was squashed by a kill from Summers, but the ’Cats opponent soon prevailed, 25-19.
Illinois remained in control in the third set, pulling ahead 3-2 and holding onto the lead. NU subbed in junior outside hitter Kathryn Randorf, who made her return after three matches sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Randorf tallied two kills and a block in set three, supplemented by Hazan, but the Fighting Illini’s offense stayed hot. After out-hitting the ’Cats .500 to .088, Illinois took the third set 25-18.
The fourth set started off strong for NU, with a 4-0 run. Illinois fought back, capitalizing on errors by the ’Cats and taking the lead. Hazan recorded only one kill throughout the set while tallying six hitting errors. NU attempted a comeback on errors from the Fighting Illini, but it wasn’t enough. Illinois took the set 25-19 and the game 3-1.
The ’Cats will be back in action against Ohio State on Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
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