The Supreme Court refuses to block an Illinois law banning some high-power semiautomatic weapons
The Supreme Court has declined to put on hold a new Illinois law that would ban high-power semiautomatic weapons like the one used in the mass killing of seven people at a 2022 parade in a Chicago suburb.
Prep star Cooper Flagg says his focus is on Maine shooting victims and basketball decision can wait
Cooper Flagg, the consensus top player in the 2024 recruiting class, says his focus is on the tragedy of a mass shooting in his home state of Maine, an indication that an announcement on where he will play college basketball could be delayed.
ACT test scores for US students drop to new 30-year low
High school studentsโ scores on the ACT college admissions test have dropped to their lowest in more than three decades, showing a lack of student preparedness for college-level coursework, according to the nonprofit organization that administers the test.
Illinois governor signs ban on firearms advertising allegedly marketed to kids and militants
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.
Media outlets recall country's unity after Sept. 11 attacks
Media outlets that often spend hours each day exploring the country's differences paused to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by recalling almost wistfully the sense of common purpose that united Americans in the aftermath.
As New York salutes health workers, Missouri fights a surge
New York has thrown a ticker-tape parade for the health care workers and others who helped the city pull through the darkest days of COVID-19, while authorities in Missouri are struggling to beat back a surge blamed on the fast-spreading delta variant and deep resistance to getting vaccinated.
Man arrested after allegedly pulling down his mask at grocery store to kiss baby he didnโt know on lips
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. โ A man was arrested on Thursday after police say he pulled down his mask inside an Oregon grocery store to kiss a baby girl he didnโt know while her mother was looking away, according to Fox 9. Police say the man fled the scene after kissing the child on the lips. The mother and father alerted the storeโs staff and began searching for the suspect, but he left the scene. During the investigation, the officer learned that while inside the store, the mother had her 1-year-old daughter in her shopping cart. According to police, the grocery storeโs staff were helpful in alerting officers to the event and providing video footage to help identify the suspect.
AT&T spinning off DirecTV after losing millions of customers
AT&T is spinning off its DirecTV into a new company at a fraction of the $48.5 billion it paid in 2015. The satellite TV service has lost millions of customers on AT&T's watch. (AP Photo/File)AT&T is spinning off its DirecTV into a new company for a fraction of the $48.5 billion it paid for the satellite TV service in 2015. DirecTV has lost millions of customers on AT&Tโs watch, and is valued in the deal at just $16.25 billion, including debt. The new DirecTV company will include AT&T TV, a streaming version of cable TV, and U-verse, AT&T's older cable service.
VIRUS TODAY: In COVID-19 era, Americans choose dying at home
For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Hereโs whatโs happening Sunday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:โ More Americans are making the decision to have their terminally ill loved ones die at home rather than in nursing home and hospice settings. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gavin Newsom is facing a potential recall election, in part stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. โSo I really do think that we need to watch this and be careful.โ___Find APโs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
In pandemic, more people choose to die at home
Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)MISSION, Kan. โ Mortuary owner Brian Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. People were suddenly working from home and had more time, and they were more comfortable with home hospice knowing the alternative with lack of visitation at nursing homes. Caring for the needs of a critically ill relative can mean sleepless nights and added stress as the pandemic rages.
'So frustrating': Doctors and nurses battle virus skeptics
She says it's dealing with patients and relatives who don't believe the virus is real. It's unclear how Trumpโs bout with the virus will affect the situation, but some doctors aren't optimistic. After a few days of treatment at a military hospital, the president tweeted Monday, โDonโt be afraid of Covid. That has been frustrating for all of us,โ Montgomery said in an interview, adding: โIt wears.โCombating virus skeptics is a battle across the country. Dr. Jay W. Lee, a family physician in Orange County, California, recalled a patient who demanded the โlargest hydroxychloroquine prescription you can give me."
Nets hire Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash as coach
FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2018, file photo, Steve Nash speaks during induction ceremonies at the Basketball Hall of Fame, in Springfield, Mass. The Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash as their coach Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, putting the Hall of Fame point guard in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)The Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash as their coach Thursday, putting the Hall of Fame point guard in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season. The Nets finished the season under Jacque Vaughn, who they said would remain on staff as Nash's lead assistant. In Steve we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will garner the respect of our players," Marks said.
New Hampshire 16-year-old swims across English Channel
In this photo provided by Darcie DeBlois-Rivard, long distance swimmer Vera Rivard, 16, of Springfield, N.H., below, swims the English Channel between Dover, England and Calais, France, as a channel ferry sails by, above, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. The swim took her more than 14 hours, and she is the second American to cross the channel this year. (Photo Darcie DeBlois-Rivard via AP)WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, N.H. A 16-year-old from New Hampshire successfully swam across the English Channel, completing a 33-mile (53-kilometer) swim by reaching a sandy beach in France after darkness fell. "As she leaves the beach in England for her English Channel attempt, I will be the proudest parent ever! After that, she booked a slot to swim the English Channel and has been training ever since in both the United States and Ireland, she said.
ComEd to pay $200M over bribery, Illinois speaker implicated
(Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP, Pool, File)CHICAGO Electric utility ComEd has agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a long-running bribery scheme that implicates Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, federal prosecutors announced Friday. A deferred prosecution agreement for ComEd filed in federal court states that Public Official A is the Illinois House Speaker, but Madigan the the longest-serving state House speaker in modern American history is not mentioned by name. The U.S. Attorney's office scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference to announce developments in a public corruption investigation." The U.S. Attorneys Office said it filed a one-count criminal information on Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging ComEd with bribery. A deferred prosecution agreement that's subject to approval by the U.S. District Court requires ComEd to pay a $200 million fine.
Coroner: 3rd Illinois warehouse shooting victim identified
(Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP)SPRINGFIELD, Ill. The third person who died after being shot at a warehouse in central Illinois has been identified. Marsha Strumpher, 54, of Springfield, died at a hospital Saturday from multiple gunshot wounds, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register. The victims who died Friday are Christopher Aumiller, 25, and Bill Gibbons, 61, both of Springfield, Allmon said. Their autopsies conducted Saturday concluded both died of multiple gunshot wounds. There will be a memorial vigil for the victims at Centennial Park in Springfield at Tuesday evening.
Coroner: 3rd Illinois shooting victim dies, 2 identified
Police believe Michael L. Collins opened fire on three of his coworkers Friday, killing two at the Bunn-O-Matic facility in Springfield, Illinois, shortly after 11 a.m. The victims who died Friday are Christopher Aumiller, 25, and Bill Gibbons, 61, both of Springfield, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. Their autopsies conducted Saturday morning concluded both died of multiple gunshot wounds, Allmon told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register. The third victim is a 54-year-old woman, who died Saturday just after 4:30 p.m. at HSHS St. Johns Hospital. Collins and his coworkers had all arrived for work at about 7 a.m. Friday in the welding area of the facility, Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow said.
2 dead, 1 hurt in Illinois warehouse shooting; suspect dead
He said the bodies of two employees of Bunn-O-Matic were found by police officers searching the building. He said a female employee was found injured in the parking lot and was rushed to an area hospital. Winslow identified the gunman as 48-year-old Michael L. Collins of Springfield. Police say Collins knew the people he shot. Winslow could not say for sure if Collins took his own life.
Missouri Great Clips sites close after virus-related threats
Greene County, which includes Springfield, has had 128 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths during the pandemic, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department. Mayor Quinton Lucas announced updated guidelines that relax rules for businesses, the Kansas City Star reported. Lucas said during a news conference that his order means any Kansas City business can reopen unless barred by state guidelines. Also in Kansas City, about 30 protesters outside the Jackson County Courthouse staged a die-in to raise concerns about evictions during the pandemic. Tenants urged Presiding Circuit Court Judge David Byrn to extend protections to renters, the Kansas City Star reported.
Man armed in Missouri Walmart claims 'experiment'
Dmitriy N. Andreychenko was seen walking through a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri, armed. (CNN) - Dmitriy Andreychenko walked into a Walmart in Missouri equipped with body armor, a handgun and a rifle less than a week after a gunman killed 22 people in a Walmart in Texas. "I wanted to know if that Walmart honored the 2nd amendment," he told Springfield police, according to a probable cause statement. He told his sister it was "a social experiment on how his 2nd amendment right would be respected in a public area," according to the document. The consequences he faces are not a reflection of how Missouri -- an open carry state -- respects the 2nd Amendment, prosecuting attorney Dan Patterson said in a statement.
How Businesses Are Protecting Their Staffers in the Event of an Active Shooter
He claims he had no intention of shooting up the store, but charges are pending against him. And in Orange County, California, a man went on a stabbing spree, killing four. "Within about a second, a second and a half, everyone in the building knows where the shooter is," Christian Connors, CEO of Shooter Detection Systems, told Inside Edition. The Wall Street Journal also reports that employers are stepping up security and active shooter trainings so that staffers know what to do in the event of an emergency. "It's important to have a plan no matter where you are at work, at home, Times Square, church," Strang told Inside Edition.