JOHN O’CONNOR

AP Political Writer
Sontae Massey, right, cousin of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman shot in her home last summer by former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson, speaks to reporters at the Sangamon County Courthouse , Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Springfield, Ill., following a hearing in which a judge ordered Grayson's first-degree murder trial be moved to Peoria, Ill. because of intense publicity. Joining Massey is Springfield-area activist Teresa Haley. (AP Photo/John O'Connor)
The trial of an ex-deputy who shot an unarmed Black woman in her home is moved to another city
The murder trial of a former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey, an unarmed black woman, in her Springfield home last summer will be moved out of the capital city. Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin granted the defense request Tuesday.
 
Gina Gillmore-Wolter, president of the New Salem Lincoln League, explains that the drive shaft, just over her right shoulder, has fallen out of the floor of the gristmill, part of the reconstructed village of New Salem where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837, March 10, 2025, in Petersburg, Ill. (AP Photo/John O'Connor)
After years of neglect, an Illinois village with ties to Abraham Lincoln is getting a refresh
The village where Abraham Lincoln came of age is deteriorating. Lincoln lived in New Salem, Illinois, as a young man from 1831 to 1837. The federal government reconstructed the village in the 1930s.
 
This undated image provided by Wisconsin Historical Society shows Chief Shab-eh-nay. (Wisconsin Historical Society via AP)
Illinois returns stolen land to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
The Prairie Land Potawatomi Nation has reclaimed land in Illinois that was promised to the tribe’s leader 175 years ago but stolen by the federal government 20 years later. A law signed by Gov.
 
This photo provided by the Jackson County (Ill.) Historical Society shows the Logan School in Murphysboro, Ill., after a tornado tore through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri in March 1925. (Jackson County (Ill.) Historical Society via AP)
Nearly 700 people were killed 100 years ago this week in the deadliest US tornado
The deadliest tornado in recorded U.S. history occurred 100 years ago. The Tri-State Tornado touched down in southeastern Missouri on March 18, 1925.
 
This image provided by the Illinois Secretary of State's Office in March 2025 shows the top voted state flag design, the current flag. (Illinois Secretary of State's Office via AP)
Illinois votes on a new state flag design — and chooses the current one
The Illinois state flag is sometimes derided as an “SOB” — a state “Seal on a Bedsheet.” The white banner emblazoned with the state’s eagle-themed emblem was adopted in 1915, so forward-looking lawmakers adopted a law creating a contest for a new one.
 
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Illinois governor to back ‘screen-free schools’ and join national trend to ban cellphones in class
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is planning to endorse a statewide ban on cellular devices in public schools. Martin Torres is the Democrat’s deputy governor for education.
 
FILE - Stateville Correctional Center, a historic but dilapidated prison set to close and a replacement built, can be seen, Sept. 16, 2024, in Crest Hill, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Illinois data shows inmates with violent records from shuttered prison sent to medium-security sites
When the Illinois Department of Corrections shut down the century-old Stateville Correctional Center in September, officials transferred 278 inmates convicted of murder and dozens more serving time for violent crimes to other lockups across the state.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police on July 22, 2024, former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP, File)
Lawyers for Sonya Massey’s family say $10M settlement ‘first step;' await trial, legislative changes
Attorneys for the family of Sonya Massey say a $10 million settlement from county officials in Illinois is the “first step in getting full justice” for the Black woman fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. Footage released Monday, July 22, by a prosecutor reveals a chaotic scene in which Massey, who called 911 for help, is shot in the face in her home by Grayson. (Illinois State Police via AP, File)
US Justice Department, Illinois sheriff agree to policing upgrades after Sonya Massey shooting death
The U.S. Justice Department has reached an agreement with a central Illinois sheriff’s office that resolves an inquiry into last summer’s shooting death of Sonya Massey.
 
John Deere equipment is on display at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
FTC sues Deere & Co. for monopolizing farm-equipment repair market
The Federal Trade Commission is accusing Deere & Co. of unfairly monopolizing the farm-equipment repair market. The attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota joined the FTC in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Illinois.
 
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul pauses during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Grubhub to pay $25M in deceptive practices settlement with Illinois attorney general and the FTC
Grubhub Inc. will pay $25 million to settle a dispute over alleged deceptive business practices with the Illinois attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission.
 
FILE - In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP, File)
Illinois court orders pretrial release for deputy charged in Sonya Massey’s killing
An Illinois appellate court has ruled that a former deputy sheriff charged with murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey should be released from jail pending trial.
 
FILE - Jussie Smollett arrives at the BET Awards, June 26, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned
The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lied to Chicago police.
 
Illinois state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, center, and state Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson, co-chairs of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force, speak Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Springfield, Ill., about the final report of the task force, recommending a full-time commission develop a program around the secret program to help slaves in the 19th century escape the South before the Civil War. (AP Photo/John O'Connor)
Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South
A task force of lawmakers and historians is recommending that Illinois create a full-time commission to commemorate the Underground Railroad in the state.
 
FILE - Assault style weapons and hand guns are displayed for sale at Capitol City Arms Supply on Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
US judge tosses Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, governor pledges swift appeal
A federal judge has overturned Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, leaning on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strictly interpret the Second Amendment right to keep and bear firearms. U.S. District Judge Stephen P.
 
FILE - U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., talks to supporters during an election night party, Nov. 8, 2022, in Merrillville, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan foils GOP hopes of an upset in Indiana, wins 3rd term in Congress
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan won a third term in Congress on Tuesday, foiling Republican hopes of flipping a district Democrats have controlled for nearly a century.
 
FILE - Stateville Correctional Center, a historic but dilapidated prison set to close and a replacement built, can be seen, Sept. 16, 2024, in Crest Hill, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Illinois officials take first step toward construction of 2 new prisons
Illinois officials on Friday announced their impending search for a firm to manage the planning and construction of two prisons with a combined budget of $900 million.
 
FILE - A painting of President Abraham Lincoln is seen behind President Donald Trump as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Altogether fitting and proper? Trump repeatedly compares himself to Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, is not on the ballot this fall. But Donald Trump, the 45th president who’s running to be the 47th, keeps mentioning his name. Trump has routinely put himself on par with Lincoln.
 
FILE - Emergency responders set up a staging area near Teutopolis High School, Sept. 30, 2023, in Teutopolis, Ill. (Jeff Long/Effingham Daily News via AP, File)
Ohio girl concedes cutting off tanker that spilled chemical last year in Illinois, killing 5
“Oh, (expletive). Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow. Holy (expletive),” the girl said while watching the video from the ill-fated truck during an Oct. 4, 2023, Illinois State Police interview.
 
A leaking roof is seen at the Stateville Correctional Center, June 22, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune via AP)
A historic but dilapidated Illinois prison will close while replacement is built, despite objections
The Illinois Department of Corrections has spent September moving hundreds of inmates from Stateville Correctional Center in suburban Chicago in preparation for replacing the century-old lockup.
 
FILE - The front entrance of Stateville Correctional Center is seen, Sept. 2, 2009, in Crest Hill, Ill. (John Patsch/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)
Protections sought for prison workers in closing of aging Illinois prison
The union representing state prison workers is seeking a federal court order that the Illinois Department of Corrections ensure the rights and safety of employees as it closes an aging maximum-security prison near Chicago. U.S.
 
FILE - Public school buses are parked in Springfield, Ill., on Jan. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
‘Hitting kids should never be allowed’: Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools
Illinois will soon become just the fifth state in the nation to prohibit corporal punishment in all schools. Legislation that Gov.
 
FILE - Sculptures representing charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings make up the Centennial memorial of the 1908 Race Riot entitled, "Acts of Intolerance" by Preston Jackson, on Wednesday March 22, 2023, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/John O'Connor, File)
Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument
President Joe Biden is expected to sign a proclamation designating a national monument in Springfield, Illinois, at the site of a 1908 race riot that later fueled the formation of the NAACP.
 
This image taken from an Associated Press video shows Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell speaking during an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Springfield, Ill.. Campbell said he was horrified by the body camera video that showed former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shooting Sonya Massey in her in Springfield, Ill., home. (AP Photo/Melissa Winder)
Illinois sheriff retiring after deputy he hired was charged with murder for shooting Sonya Massey
An Illinois sheriff who hired the deputy charged in the death of Sonya Massey has announced that he will retire, five weeks after the 36-year-old Black woman was fatally shot in her home.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22, 2024, former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP)
Illinois governor says sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home should resign
The Illinois governor is calling for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally wounded a Black woman after she called 911 for help last month. Democratic Gov. J.B.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. Footage released Monday, July 22, by a prosecutor reveals a chaotic scene in which Massey, who called 911 for help, is shot in the face in her home by Grayson. (Illinois State Police via AP)
Deputy who shot Sonya Massey thought her rebuke ‘in the name of Jesus’ indicated intent to kill him
The deputy sheriff who fatally shot Sonya Massey in her Illinois home last month says he thought that when she unexpectedly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she intended to kill him.
 
This image taken from an Associated Press video shows Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell speaking during an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Springfield, Ill.. Campbell said he was horrified by the body camera video that showed former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shooting Sonya Massey in her in Springfield, Ill., home. (AP Photo/Melissa Winder)
Illinois sheriff whose deputy shot Sonya Massey says it will take rest of his career to regain trust
The Illinois sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911 for help says it will take the rest of his professional life to rebuild trust in his agency.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. Footage released Monday, July 22, by a prosecutor reveals a chaotic scene in which Massey, who called 911 for help, is shot in the face in her home by Grayson. (Illinois State Police via AP)
911 calls before Sonya Massey’s shooting include 1 from her mother asking officers not to ‘hurt her’
Records released by Illinois authorities show that two emergency response calls were made from the home of Sonya Massey in the days leading up to her death.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. Footage released Monday, July 22, by a prosecutor reveals a chaotic scene in which Massey, who called 911 for help, is shot in the face in her home by Grayson. (Illinois State Police via AP)
Illinois sheriff, whose deputy killed Sonya Massey apologizes: ‘I offer up no excuses’
The Illinois sheriff whose deputy shot Sonya Massey, the unarmed Black woman who called 911 for help in her Springfield home, apologized Monday night during a community meeting.
 
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. Footage released Monday, July 22, by a prosecutor reveals a chaotic scene in which Massey, who called 911 for help, is shot in the face in her home by Grayson. (Illinois State Police via AP)
With DUI-related ejection from Army, deputy who killed Massey should have raised flags, experts say
Authorities say the Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged in the shooting death of Sonya Massey was kicked out of the Army for the first of two drunken driving convictions in which he had a weapon in his car.
 
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