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A helicopter drops flame retardant on a brush fire burning in Rancho Palos Verdes, California August 27, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

An industry's "decades-long deception"

The fire retardant industry engaged in a decades-long deception about its products, which are often filled with cancerous materials, the Chicago Tribune reports.   Read more at Counterparties  

Pictures

The moon passes between the sun and the earth behind a windmill near Albuquerque, New Mexico May 20, 2012. The sun and moon aligned over the earth in a rare astronomical event - an annular eclipse that dimmed the skies over parts of Asia and North America, briefly turning the sun into a blazing ring of fire. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY)

Reuters Photojournalism

Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography.  See more | Photo caption 

The Town Hall building on Sant' Agostino near Ferrara is seen damaged after an earthquake May 20, 2012. A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday morning, causing at least three deaths and collapsing rural factories and ancient bell towers in towns. REUTERS/Giorgio Benvenuti

Quake in Italy

A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy.  Slideshow 

A police officer swings a baton at protesters during an anti-NATO protest march in Chicago May 20, 2012. Baton-swinging police officers clashed with anti-war protesters at the start of the NATO summit on Sunday, beating some and dragging others away. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Anti-NATO clashes

Police officers and protesters clash outside the NATO summit in Chicago.  Slideshow 

Illinois Governor Quinn may sign death penalty ban

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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gestures at a news conference introducing the 2010 Ford Taurus at the Ford assembly plant in Chicago, Illinois August 4, 2009. REUTERS/Frank Polich

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gestures at a news conference introducing the 2010 Ford Taurus at the Ford assembly plant in Chicago, Illinois August 4, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Frank Polich

CHICAGO | Wed Mar 9, 2011 10:19am EST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Governor Pat Quinn will hold a noon press conference on Wednesday, amid speculation that he will sign a law banning the death penalty in Illinois.

The Illinois legislature passed a ban on the death penalty in early January, and Quinn, a Democrat, has been hearing arguments from both sides of the issues to make a decision on whether to sign the bill.

Illinois has not executed anyone for more than a decade after former Republican Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in January 2000 following a series of revelations that people had been sent to Death Row who were later found to be innocent.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul, the measure's sponsor, said too many mistakes had been made in Illinois.

Grant Klinzman, a spokesman for Quinn, said Quinn will be announcing his decision on the death penalty at the press conference but would not comment further.

Illinois would be the first state since 2009 to ban the death penalty.

(Writing by Mary Wisniewski, Editing by Greg McCune)
U.S.
Politics
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Comments (1)
actnow wrote:
Pat Quinn has already sentenced the Illinois economy to death with a 67% tax increases on workers and 48% tax increases on businesses (passed during a lame duck session). Despite this, Illinois still has a $7 billion deficit per year. Mr. Quinn proposes to keep borrowing money to finance this portion of the deficit rather than make any cuts to the generous defined pension and health care benefits of state employees. Look into the crystal ball and you will see the future of the U.S. as a whole. We will wake up in the near future to hear that our federal taxes have gone through the roof because our government refused to do their jobs. Mr. Quinn’s motto should be “death to the tax payer and businesses”.

Mar 09, 2011 11:04am EST  --  Report as abuse
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