217 Today: Illinois assault weapons ban faces legal challenges

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for much of east central Illinois on Tuesday but canceled it by Wednesday afternoon. 
  • Thirty-two-year-old Tyler Wayne Massengill of Chillicothe faces a federal arson charge in connection with the firebombing of the Peoria Planned Parenthood clinic earlier this month.
  • The Illinois Department of Human Services announced SNAP will return to pre-pandemic levels beginning March 1, impacting more than two million people statewide.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about the legal issues surrounding Illinois’ new assault weapons ban. 

217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Luis Velazquez, Tim Shelley, Camryn Cutinello and The 21st Show.

Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.