A gunman opened fire on July 4th Independence Day parade in Illinois' Chicago on Monday, killing at least six people and wounding at least 30 people.

6 killed after gunman opened fire on a July 4 Parade in Illinois

Decades ago, the united states imported four Asian species of fish to help control algae growth in lagoons and fish farms and now these foreign species have infested the Mississippi river.

Illinois finds a solution to its Copi fish infestation

New York has become the latest Democratic-run state to roll back its protective mask law, as health officials increasingly talk about America moving towards a phase where COVID-19 doesn't disrupt daily lives.

As the country gears up for key midterm elections later this year that could shape Joe Biden's second half of presidency, masks remain a hot political issue in the United States.

Democrats have led the enforcement of mask mandates, while Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida have gone as far as banning the mandatory wearing of face coverings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beyond-tragic-who-reports-130-million-cases-and-500000-deaths-linked-to-omicron-451604" hreflang="en">'Beyond tragic': WHO reports 130 million cases and 500,000 deaths linked to Omicron</a>

Citing a 96 per cent decline in the number of reported infections since early January, New York governor Kathy Hochul announced that she would not renew an indoor mask mandate for businesses when it expires on Thursday.

Rather, it will be up to each city and business to decide whether to require masks.&nbsp;Hochul however, added&nbsp;that face coverings in schools would remain compulsory until she reviews it next month.

Hochul said the state was "trending in a very, very good direction."

"That is why we are now approaching a new phase in this pandemic," she told reporters. Broadway said it would require masks inside all theatres until April 30.

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker said masks would no longer be required indoors in most public places by February 28; schools will, however, remain subject to the rule.

As Coronavirus infections fall in the US, several states announced plans Monday to lift mask requirements in indoor places and schools.

This easing of restrictions is also a response to an increasingly pandemic-weary public, occurring at a time when northern neighbour, Canada, is battling trucker-led protests against Covid rules, which have paralysed its capital, Ottawa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-fda-poised-to-tap-brakes-on-china-made-cancer-drugs-451741" hreflang="en">United States: FDA poised to tap brakes on China-made cancer drugs</a>

Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that vaccinated residents of California will no longer be required to wear masks indoors as of February 15. However, unvaccinated residents will be required to do so.

The mask requirement in Oregon will be lifted no later than March 31, and the mask requirement in Delaware will end on Friday, with mask usage in classrooms ending by March 31.

Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey led the rollbacks, announcing that children and staff would no longer need to wear masks in schools starting March 7.

Connecticut followed suit, with Ned Lamont saying that he was recommending that schools stop wearing masks after February 28.

In addition, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced Wednesday that his state's mask requirement for schools will end on February 28.

Watch |&nbsp;Canada truckers' protest against COVID mandates enters the second week

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/canada-truckers-protest-against-covid-mandates-enters-the-second-week-450819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

School boards still have the option of requiring masks if they so desire despite the lifting of the mandates.

With these changes, a shift is taking place towards learning to live with COVID-19 on an everyday basis.

CDC officials still mandate face masks at federal buildings, train stations, airports and airport terminals. However, its officials are upping their rhetoric about normalizing life.

"We're moving toward a time when Covid won't disrupt our daily lives. A time when Covid won't be a constant crisis, but rather will be something we can protect against and treat," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

New York has become the latest Democratic-run state to roll back its protective mask law, as health officials increasingly talk about America moving towards a phase where COVID-19 doesn't disrupt daily lives.

New York has become the latest Democratic-run state to roll back its protective mask law, as health officials increasingly talk about America moving towards a phase where COVID-19 doesn't disrupt daily lives. As the country gears up for key midterm elections later this year that could shape Joe Biden's second half of presidency, masks remain a hot political issue in the United States. Democrats have led the enforcement of mask mandates, while Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida have gone as far as banning the mandatory wearing of face coverings. Also read | 'Beyond tragic': WHO reports 130 million cases and 500,000 deaths linked to Omicron Citing a 96 per cent decline in the number of reported infections since early January, New York governor Kathy Hochul announced that she would not renew an indoor mask mandate for businesses when it expires on Thursday. Rather, it will be up to each city and business to decide whether to require masks. Hochul however, added that face coverings in schools would remain compulsory until she reviews it next month. Hochul said the state was "trending in a very, very good direction." "That is why we are now approaching a new phase in this pandemic," she told reporters. Broadway said it would require masks inside all theatres until April 30. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker said masks would no longer be required indoors in most public places by February 28; schools will, however, remain subject to the rule. As Coronavirus infections fall in the US, several states announced plans Monday to lift mask requirements in indoor places and schools. This easing of restrictions is also a response to an increasingly pandemic-weary public, occurring at a time when northern neighbour, Canada, is battling trucker-led protests against Covid rules, which have paralysed its capital, Ottawa. Also read | United States: FDA poised to tap brakes on China-made cancer drugs Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that vaccinated residents of California will no longer be required to wear masks indoors as of February 15. However, unvaccinated residents will be required to do so. The mask requirement in Oregon will be lifted no later than March 31, and the mask requirement in Delaware will end on Friday, with mask usage in classrooms ending by March 31. Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey led the rollbacks, announcing that children and staff would no longer need to wear masks in schools starting March 7. Connecticut followed suit, with Ned Lamont saying that he was recommending that schools stop wearing masks after February 28. In addition, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced Wednesday that his state's mask requirement for schools will end on February 28. Watch | Canada truckers' protest against COVID mandates enters the second week School boards still have the option of requiring masks if they so desire despite the lifting of the mandates. With these changes, a shift is taking place towards learning to live with COVID-19 on an everyday basis. CDC officials still mandate face masks at federal buildings, train stations, airports and airport terminals. However, its officials are upping their rhetoric about normalizing life. "We're moving toward a time when Covid won't disrupt our daily lives. A time when Covid won't be a constant crisis, but rather will be something we can protect against and treat," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

New York, Illinois latest to announce an end to mask mandates. These US states are also ending mask mandates

Multiple tornadoes have ripped across six of the US states in a Stormfront that killed dozens and tore apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home, derailed a train, and smashed an Amazon warehouse.

US: Tornadoes hit six state including Kentucky, Illinois

A storm hit Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Friday with nearly 100 workers trapped inside. Describing it as a "mass casualty incident," the Collinsville Emergency Management Agency worked through the early hours of Saturday to rescue employees at the facility.&nbsp;

At least 100 emergency vehicles were at the scene.&nbsp;

In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said "the safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now. We're assessing the situation and will share additional information when it's available."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources. 
 
Our <a href="https://twitter.com/ILStatePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ILStatePolice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ReadyIllinois?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ReadyIllinois</a> are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1469525380843384832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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According to the reports by AFP, the employees were on the night shift processing orders ahead before the Christmas holidays.&nbsp; 
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took to his official Twitter handle as he wrote, "My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources."

He further added that the Illinois State Police and Illinois Emergency Management Agency have been 'coordinating closely' with local officials.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🙏🙏RT <a href="https://twitter.com/PrestonTVNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrestonTVNews</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Multiple first responders and crews now on scene in Edwardsville, Illinois, where workers are trapped, some feared dead, after possible tornado hit an <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a> warehouse, leading to a partial roof collapse. <a href="https://t.co/rlwk5T2SFF">pic.twitter.com/rlwk5T2SFF</a>
— KAZ (@kimmiedq) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimmiedq/status/1469566778405699588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Various images and videos that have emerged on social media show the roof being torn off.&nbsp;

Not just Illinois, but several other US states were also affected by the storm. In Arkansas, one person was killed and 20 others were trapped after a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home. In Tennessee, at least two people were killed.

(With inputs from agencies)

A storm hit Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Friday with nearly 100 workers trapped inside. Describing it as a "mass casualty incident," the Collinsville Emergency Management Agency worked through the early hours of Saturday to rescue employees at the facility.

A storm hit Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Friday with nearly 100 workers trapped inside. Describing it as a "mass casualty incident," the Collinsville Emergency Management Agency worked through the early hours of Saturday to rescue employees at the facility. At least 100 emergency vehicles were at the scene. In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said "the safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now. We're assessing the situation and will share additional information when it's available." My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources. Our @ILStatePolice and @ReadyIllinois are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation. — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) December 11, 2021 × According to the reports by AFP, the employees were on the night shift processing orders ahead before the Christmas holidays. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took to his official Twitter handle as he wrote, "My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources." He further added that the Illinois State Police and Illinois Emergency Management Agency have been 'coordinating closely' with local officials. 🙏🙏RT @PrestonTVNews: #BREAKING: Multiple first responders and crews now on scene in Edwardsville, Illinois, where workers are trapped, some feared dead, after possible tornado hit an @amazon warehouse, leading to a partial roof collapse. pic.twitter.com/rlwk5T2SFF — KAZ (@kimmiedq) December 11, 2021 × Various images and videos that have emerged on social media show the roof being torn off. Not just Illinois, but several other US states were also affected by the storm. In Arkansas, one person was killed and 20 others were trapped after a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home. In Tennessee, at least two people were killed. (With inputs from agencies)

Tornado in US updates: Storm hits Amazon warehouse in US; Nearly 100 people trapped inside

Massive flames engulfed a chemical plant in northern Illinois on Monday prompting widespread evacuations from the region. Authorities have said that the fire is expected to continue burning for several days.

Massive fire at Illinois chemical plant could burn for days

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure.

To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max.

 
At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months.

King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed.

Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history.

Who were the Black Panthers?

The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance.

The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren.

Who was Fred Hampton?

The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities.

Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.”

Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group.

In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead.

 
Who was William O’Neal?

At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle.

In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States.

What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed?

Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded.

At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police.

Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal.

The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid.

Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat. Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max. At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months. King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed. Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history. Who were the Black Panthers? The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance. The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren. Who was Fred Hampton? The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party. In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities. Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.” Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group. In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead. Who was William O’Neal? At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle. In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed? Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded. At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police. Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal. The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid. Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

'Judas and the Black Messiah': What to know about this much-talked about film

Authorities have charged a 37-year-old active military member in connection with a deadly shooting at an Illinois bowling alley on Saturday night. 
 
Rockford Police Department Chief Dan O`Shea told a news conference on Sunday morning that a man identified as Duke Webb opened fire at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, Illinois, killing three people and injuring three more. 
 
Webb, a Florida resident and an active member of the U.S. military, faces three murder charges and three attempted murder charges, said Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley. 
 
Authorities declined to comment on a motive but O`Shea said he believed the incident was a "completely random act." 
 
A shots fired call was placed to 911 shortly before 7 p.m. local time, the chief said, and officers were able to apprehend the suspect several minutes after they arrived at the location, without firing their weapons. 
&nbsp;

Authorities have charged a 37-year-old active military member in connection with a deadly shooting at an Illinois bowling alley on Saturday night. Rockford Police Department Chief Dan O`Shea told a news conference on Sunday morning that a man identified as Duke Webb opened fire at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, Illinois, killing three people and injuring three more.

Authorities have charged a 37-year-old active military member in connection with a deadly shooting at an Illinois bowling alley on Saturday night. Rockford Police Department Chief Dan O`Shea told a news conference on Sunday morning that a man identified as Duke Webb opened fire at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, Illinois, killing three people and injuring three more. Webb, a Florida resident and an active member of the U.S. military, faces three murder charges and three attempted murder charges, said Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley. Authorities declined to comment on a motive but O`Shea said he believed the incident was a "completely random act." A shots fired call was placed to 911 shortly before 7 p.m. local time, the chief said, and officers were able to apprehend the suspect several minutes after they arrived at the location, without firing their weapons.

Suspect charged in Illinois bowling alley shooting

Three people were killed and another three injured Saturday in the US state of Illinois when a shooter opened fire at a bowling alley

Rockford city police urged people on Twitter to stay away from the area near the Don Carter Lanes bowling alley, as it was an "active situation" and officers were clearing the site.

Police chief Dan O'Shea said in a press conference outside the building that&nbsp;three other people had been injured from the gunfire and were being treated at local hospitals.

A person of interest is reported to be in custody.

(This is a developing story)

Three people were killed and another three injured Saturday in the US state of Illinois when a shooter opened fire at a bowling alley Rockford city police urged people on Twitter to stay away from the area near the Don Carter Lanes bowling alley, as it was an "active situation" and officers were clearing the site.

Three people were killed and another three injured Saturday in the US state of Illinois when a shooter opened fire at a bowling alley Rockford city police urged people on Twitter to stay away from the area near the Don Carter Lanes bowling alley, as it was an "active situation" and officers were clearing the site. Police chief Dan O'Shea said in a press conference outside the building that three other people had been injured from the gunfire and were being treated at local hospitals. A person of interest is reported to be in custody. (This is a developing story)

Three killed, three injured in Illinois bowling alley shooting

A wearable device the size of a postage stamp is being tested by researchers at Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab as a way to monitor and catch early signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

Small wearable device monitors virus symptoms

Illinois started the new year on a high note Wednesday, becoming the latest US state to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/recreational-marijuana-becomes-legal-in-illinois-on-new-years-day-270024">legalise recreational marijuana</a> as the governor pardoned thousands for past low-level cannabis convictions.

The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act will allow residents 21 and older to legally purchase marijuana and will expunge thousands of individuals' criminal convictions throughout the state.

"We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core," Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said in a statement.

On Tuesday night, Pritzker granted 11,017 pardons for people with low-level cannabis convictions, the first round of a planned total of more than 700,000.

According to the statement, the new law will use 25 per cent of the state's cannabis revenue to help "the communities hit hardest" by the earlier crackdown on marijuana.

"Today we took another step toward justice, as we continue to address the failed war on drugs and the disproportionate impact it had on communities of colour," Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx said in the statement.

Illinois&nbsp;residents age 21 and older will now be allowed to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, five grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC -&nbsp;the main active ingredient of cannabis - contained in a cannabis-infused product.&nbsp;

Non-residents are allowed to carry 15 grams of cannabis under the bill, which will also create a licensed growing and dispensary system.

Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana, along with Washington, DC. Thirty-four states and the federal capital permit medical cannabis treatment.

But the US Drug Enforcement Administration still considers marijuana a dangerous substance alongside LSD and heroin.&nbsp;

A study by the federal Centers for Disease Control published in August found that states that legalize recreational marijuana see a reduction of at least 20 per cent in fatalities linked to opioid overdoses.

Marijuana legalization has also been shown to improve a state's economic activity, creating jobs and bringing in new tax revenue.

Illinois started the new year on a high note Wednesday, becoming the latest US state to legalise recreational marijuana as the governor pardoned thousands for past low-level cannabis convictions.

Illinois started the new year on a high note Wednesday, becoming the latest US state to legalise recreational marijuana as the governor pardoned thousands for past low-level cannabis convictions. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act will allow residents 21 and older to legally purchase marijuana and will expunge thousands of individuals' criminal convictions throughout the state. "We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core," Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. On Tuesday night, Pritzker granted 11,017 pardons for people with low-level cannabis convictions, the first round of a planned total of more than 700,000. According to the statement, the new law will use 25 per cent of the state's cannabis revenue to help "the communities hit hardest" by the earlier crackdown on marijuana. "Today we took another step toward justice, as we continue to address the failed war on drugs and the disproportionate impact it had on communities of colour," Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx said in the statement. Illinois residents age 21 and older will now be allowed to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, five grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC - the main active ingredient of cannabis - contained in a cannabis-infused product. Non-residents are allowed to carry 15 grams of cannabis under the bill, which will also create a licensed growing and dispensary system. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana, along with Washington, DC. Thirty-four states and the federal capital permit medical cannabis treatment. But the US Drug Enforcement Administration still considers marijuana a dangerous substance alongside LSD and heroin. A study by the federal Centers for Disease Control published in August found that states that legalize recreational marijuana see a reduction of at least 20 per cent in fatalities linked to opioid overdoses. Marijuana legalization has also been shown to improve a state's economic activity, creating jobs and bringing in new tax revenue.

Illinois becomes latest US state to legalise recreational pot

Many pot-smoking adults in Illinois will ring in the new year on a high note when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/jay-z-goes-into-the-marijuana-business-234650">recreational marijuana</a> use becomes legal in the state on January&nbsp;1.

Starting New Years Day, people 21 and older will be able to legally buy up to 30 grams of marijuana flower, 5 grams of marijuana concentrate, or 500 grams of THC-infused products such as edibles at licensed commercial dealers throughout the state.

Cannabis consumers are expected to flock to the handful of licensed shops across Chicago on New Years Day. On the city's North Side, a dealer sold $250 tickets to clients who wanted to be at the front of the line when the store opens early in the morning next Wednesday.

Another shop, Dispensary 33, in the city's Uptown neighbourhood, will use a paging system to usher in customers who are waiting at a bar next door.

"The whole neighbourhood is joining on the party... it'll be a whole new world in Chicago on January&nbsp;1," manager Abigail Watkins said, noting that many businesses in the neighbourhood are offering specials and deals to celebrate the day.

Illinois joins 10 other states and the District of Columbia where small amounts of the drug for adult use is legal. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-teen-arrested-in-russia-over-medical-marijuana-247629">Medical marijuana</a> in Illinois has been legal since 2014.

In June, Illinois Governor JB&nbsp;Pritzker, a Democrat, signed into law marijuana legislation that also allows for some 700,000 marijuana-related records and convictions to be erased.

Not everyone approves of the legislation.

"The message that... these foolish politicians are sending to our communities and especially to our young kids is that it's no big deal," said Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith, who opposes the measure.

"We know that it's a big deal from all of the studies that have been done about the high-potency marijuana that is today's product... we are seeing a spike in marijuana illnesses and addictions," he said.

Private pot sales, driving while high and consuming marijuana in public will remain prohibited in state.

The law is projected to generate more than $57 million in new tax and fee revenue for Illinois in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1 for the financially troubled state, according to Illinois’ revenue department.

Many pot-smoking adults in Illinois will ring in the new year on a high note when recreational marijuana use becomes legal in the state on January 1. Starting New Years Day, people 21 and older will be able to legally buy up to 30 grams of marijuana flower, 5 grams of marijuana concentrate, or 500 grams of THC-infused products such as edibles at licensed commercial dealers throughout the state.

Many pot-smoking adults in Illinois will ring in the new year on a high note when recreational marijuana use becomes legal in the state on January 1. Starting New Years Day, people 21 and older will be able to legally buy up to 30 grams of marijuana flower, 5 grams of marijuana concentrate, or 500 grams of THC-infused products such as edibles at licensed commercial dealers throughout the state. Cannabis consumers are expected to flock to the handful of licensed shops across Chicago on New Years Day. On the city's North Side, a dealer sold $250 tickets to clients who wanted to be at the front of the line when the store opens early in the morning next Wednesday. Another shop, Dispensary 33, in the city's Uptown neighbourhood, will use a paging system to usher in customers who are waiting at a bar next door. "The whole neighbourhood is joining on the party... it'll be a whole new world in Chicago on January 1," manager Abigail Watkins said, noting that many businesses in the neighbourhood are offering specials and deals to celebrate the day. Illinois joins 10 other states and the District of Columbia where small amounts of the drug for adult use is legal. Medical marijuana in Illinois has been legal since 2014. In June, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, signed into law marijuana legislation that also allows for some 700,000 marijuana-related records and convictions to be erased. Not everyone approves of the legislation. "The message that... these foolish politicians are sending to our communities and especially to our young kids is that it's no big deal," said Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith, who opposes the measure. "We know that it's a big deal from all of the studies that have been done about the high-potency marijuana that is today's product... we are seeing a spike in marijuana illnesses and addictions," he said. Private pot sales, driving while high and consuming marijuana in public will remain prohibited in state. The law is projected to generate more than $57 million in new tax and fee revenue for Illinois in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1 for the financially troubled state, according to Illinois’ revenue department.

Recreational marijuana to become legal in Illinois on New Years Day

More than 32,500 teachers and other staff walked off the job Thursday in Chicago, cancelling classes for 300,000 students in nation's third-largest school district.

At the heart of the dispute is class sizes and resources rather than pay, with teachers saying they want more social workers, nurses and librarians for their students.

And they want a three-year contract instead of being locked into the current offer of a five-year deal.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was disappointed the Chicago Teachers Union walked out despite the city's offer of what she called a "historic package."

The union had already spent a month negotiating with the mayor's team without an agreement, leading to the first teachers strike in the city since 2012.

One teacher on the South Side said having a nurse at school only one day a week was dangerous.

"Every school should have a nurse five days a week," said the teacher who asked to remain anonymous.

"Not having a nurse is dangerous for kids with asthma and other conditions."

Kathe Myers, who has been teaching in the third-largest US city for 24 years, said teachers did not have the expertise to take on more than one role.

"Our kids are traumatised. It's no secret that this is a violent city. So they bring all of that to school with them and we try to deal with that, but we aren't the experts in those fields," she added.

"Trying to do that and teach a full class is almost impossible."

Lightfoot has acknowledged schools need support staff, but the union wants to get an agreement in writing.

Teachers also say they are concerned about the lack of preparation time they get for writing lesson plans, grading assignments and administrative work.

The Chicago Public Schools district, which had been dealing with a budget crisis, was recently buoyed by significant new state funding of $1.9 billion.

The union says the cash has resolved the district's structural deficit, but the district says it is still carrying $8.4 billion in long-term debt and is forced to borrow to meet day-to-day obligations.

Lightfoot told a news conference she hoped for a short strike but had to keep the city's taxpayers in mind.

"We don't have unlimited resources," she said, and called the city's offer a "fair and generous compensation package." &nbsp;

The union said negotiations continued Thursday as members demonstrated outside schools and downtown.

Lightfoot said that while there would be no lessons, schools would be open during the action and staffed by non-union personnel.

More than 32,500 teachers and other staff walked off the job Thursday in Chicago, cancelling classes for 300,000 students in nation's third-largest school district.

More than 32,500 teachers and other staff walked off the job Thursday in Chicago, cancelling classes for 300,000 students in nation's third-largest school district. At the heart of the dispute is class sizes and resources rather than pay, with teachers saying they want more social workers, nurses and librarians for their students. And they want a three-year contract instead of being locked into the current offer of a five-year deal. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was disappointed the Chicago Teachers Union walked out despite the city's offer of what she called a "historic package." The union had already spent a month negotiating with the mayor's team without an agreement, leading to the first teachers strike in the city since 2012. One teacher on the South Side said having a nurse at school only one day a week was dangerous. "Every school should have a nurse five days a week," said the teacher who asked to remain anonymous. "Not having a nurse is dangerous for kids with asthma and other conditions." Kathe Myers, who has been teaching in the third-largest US city for 24 years, said teachers did not have the expertise to take on more than one role. "Our kids are traumatised. It's no secret that this is a violent city. So they bring all of that to school with them and we try to deal with that, but we aren't the experts in those fields," she added. "Trying to do that and teach a full class is almost impossible." Lightfoot has acknowledged schools need support staff, but the union wants to get an agreement in writing. Teachers also say they are concerned about the lack of preparation time they get for writing lesson plans, grading assignments and administrative work. The Chicago Public Schools district, which had been dealing with a budget crisis, was recently buoyed by significant new state funding of $1.9 billion. The union says the cash has resolved the district's structural deficit, but the district says it is still carrying $8.4 billion in long-term debt and is forced to borrow to meet day-to-day obligations. Lightfoot told a news conference she hoped for a short strike but had to keep the city's taxpayers in mind. "We don't have unlimited resources," she said, and called the city's offer a "fair and generous compensation package." The union said negotiations continued Thursday as members demonstrated outside schools and downtown. Lightfoot said that while there would be no lessons, schools would be open during the action and staffed by non-union personnel.

School out for 300,000 Chicago students as teachers strike

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the evening from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - September 12th, 2019

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - September 11th, 2019

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/extradition-bill-is-dead-no-plans-to-restart-legislation-hong-kong-chief-executive-carrie-lam-234142">Extradition bill is dead, no plans to restart legislation: Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam</a>

Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland "is dead" -- but she again stopped short of protester demands to immediately withdraw the bill.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-approves-possible-22-billion-arms-sale-to-taiwan-amid-tension-with-china-234130">US approves possible $2.2 billion arms sale to Taiwan amid tension with China</a>

The US State Department has approved the possible sale to Taiwan of M1A2T Abrams tanks, Stinger missiles and related equipment at an estimated value of $2.2 billion, the Pentagon said on Monday, despite Chinese criticism of the deal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kevin-spacey-sexual-assault-case-may-get-dropped-accuser-could-be-forced-to-testify-about-missing-phone-234144">Kevin Spacey sexual assault case may get dropped, accuser could be forced to testify about missing phone</a>

There's been an unexpected twist to Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case. The man who accused the American actor of groping him at a bar in 2016 may now be forced to testify about his allegedly missing cell phone and the assault case against Spacey might just get dismissed due to the missing phone.&nbsp; 
The former `House of Cards` star`s defense attorneys claimed that they require the phone in order to recover text messages that they allege the accuser deleted that would bolster Spacey`s case.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-offers-full-support-to-us-ambassador-trump-lashes-out-at-theresa-may-after-leak-of-damning-cables-234128">UK offers 'full support' to US ambassador, Trump lashes out at Theresa May after leak of damning cables</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government on Monday reiterated its "full support" for its ambassador to Washington after US President Donald Trump said he would no longer deal with him.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-for-man-involved-in-calculated-murder-of-chinese-student-234135">US prosecutors seek death penalty for man involved in 'calculated' murder of Chinese student</a>

US prosecutors argued on Monday that an Illinois man who raped and murdered a Chinese graduate student two years ago should be executed, and called on her heartbroken fiance and friends to tell the jury about the victim's kind, optimistic nature.

Extradition bill is dead, no plans to restart legislation: Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland "is dead" -- but she again stopped short of protester demands to immediately withdraw the bill.

Extradition bill is dead, no plans to restart legislation: Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland "is dead" -- but she again stopped short of protester demands to immediately withdraw the bill. US approves possible $2.2 billion arms sale to Taiwan amid tension with China The US State Department has approved the possible sale to Taiwan of M1A2T Abrams tanks, Stinger missiles and related equipment at an estimated value of $2.2 billion, the Pentagon said on Monday, despite Chinese criticism of the deal. Kevin Spacey sexual assault case may get dropped, accuser could be forced to testify about missing phone There's been an unexpected twist to Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case. The man who accused the American actor of groping him at a bar in 2016 may now be forced to testify about his allegedly missing cell phone and the assault case against Spacey might just get dismissed due to the missing phone. The former `House of Cards` star`s defense attorneys claimed that they require the phone in order to recover text messages that they allege the accuser deleted that would bolster Spacey`s case. UK offers 'full support' to US ambassador, Trump lashes out at Theresa May after leak of damning cables British Prime Minister Theresa May's government on Monday reiterated its "full support" for its ambassador to Washington after US President Donald Trump said he would no longer deal with him. US prosecutors seek death penalty for man involved in 'calculated' murder of Chinese student US prosecutors argued on Monday that an Illinois man who raped and murdered a Chinese graduate student two years ago should be executed, and called on her heartbroken fiance and friends to tell the jury about the victim's kind, optimistic nature.

News brief: Big stories of the day

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty.

A US District Court jury in Peoria deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Brendt Christensen, 29, of all charges in the disappearance and death of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Zhang was reported missing on June 9, 2017, two months after coming from southeastern China to study photosynthesis and crop production at the university. Her remains have never been found, but prosecutors said her DNA was matched to the blood later found in three spots inside Christensen's bedroom.

The case has been closely watched by Chinese media, Chinese government officials and Chinese students studying in the United States. Relatives publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump for additional resources to help find Zhang two months after she vanished.

Federal prosecutors trying Christensen under US kidnapping laws have said they planned to seek the death penalty if he was found guilty.

Investigators were led to Christensen through surveillance video footage captured in Urbana, 130 miles (210 km) south of Chicago, showing Zhang getting into a black car that later was traced to the defendant.

Prosecutors said Christensen took Zhang to his apartment, where she fought for her life as he bludgeoned her with a baseball bat, raped her and stabbed her in the neck before cutting off her head.

Details of the crime, including the decapitation, were revealed by Christensen himself in conversations with his then-girlfriend secretly recorded for FBI agents investigating the case before his arrest, according to trial testimony.

Father's statement of thanks

Defence lawyers conceded during the trial that their client had killed Zhang, though they disputed particulars in prosecutors' account of events.

During closing arguments on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Eugene Miller told jurors that Christensen had spent up to six months planning the murder and had chosen Zhang because she was small of stature and appeared an easy target.

"He raped her, he murdered her, and then spent the next three weeks trying to cover up the crime," Miller said.

In their own summation on Monday, Christensen's lawyers suggested they hoped to persuade the jury to spare his life during the penalty phase of the trial, which was set to begin July 8.

"This is not the ultimate decision. You have to realize there's more," attorney Elisabeth Pollock told jurors.

Christensen, a onetime master's student at the university, sat expressionless in court as he was pronounced guilty on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, as well as two counts of lying to federal investigators, capping an eight-day trial.

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors characterized Christensen as having a fascination with serial killers, including Ted Bundy, who murdered dozens of women during the 1970s.

The victim's father, Ronggao Zhang, read a statement outside the courthouse on Monday on behalf of the family thanking the jury for "this step towards justice."

"We have missed Yingying tremendously in the past two years," he said. "As of today, we still could not imagine how we could live the rest of our lives without her."

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty.

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty. A US District Court jury in Peoria deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Brendt Christensen, 29, of all charges in the disappearance and death of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Zhang was reported missing on June 9, 2017, two months after coming from southeastern China to study photosynthesis and crop production at the university. Her remains have never been found, but prosecutors said her DNA was matched to the blood later found in three spots inside Christensen's bedroom. The case has been closely watched by Chinese media, Chinese government officials and Chinese students studying in the United States. Relatives publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump for additional resources to help find Zhang two months after she vanished. Federal prosecutors trying Christensen under US kidnapping laws have said they planned to seek the death penalty if he was found guilty. Investigators were led to Christensen through surveillance video footage captured in Urbana, 130 miles (210 km) south of Chicago, showing Zhang getting into a black car that later was traced to the defendant. Prosecutors said Christensen took Zhang to his apartment, where she fought for her life as he bludgeoned her with a baseball bat, raped her and stabbed her in the neck before cutting off her head. Details of the crime, including the decapitation, were revealed by Christensen himself in conversations with his then-girlfriend secretly recorded for FBI agents investigating the case before his arrest, according to trial testimony. Father's statement of thanks Defence lawyers conceded during the trial that their client had killed Zhang, though they disputed particulars in prosecutors' account of events. During closing arguments on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Eugene Miller told jurors that Christensen had spent up to six months planning the murder and had chosen Zhang because she was small of stature and appeared an easy target. "He raped her, he murdered her, and then spent the next three weeks trying to cover up the crime," Miller said. In their own summation on Monday, Christensen's lawyers suggested they hoped to persuade the jury to spare his life during the penalty phase of the trial, which was set to begin July 8. "This is not the ultimate decision. You have to realize there's more," attorney Elisabeth Pollock told jurors. Christensen, a onetime master's student at the university, sat expressionless in court as he was pronounced guilty on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, as well as two counts of lying to federal investigators, capping an eight-day trial. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors characterized Christensen as having a fascination with serial killers, including Ted Bundy, who murdered dozens of women during the 1970s. The victim's father, Ronggao Zhang, read a statement outside the courthouse on Monday on behalf of the family thanking the jury for "this step towards justice." "We have missed Yingying tremendously in the past two years," he said. "As of today, we still could not imagine how we could live the rest of our lives without her."

US jury convicts man of Chinese graduate student's kidnap-murder

Illinois would become the 11th US state to legalise the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure in a 66-47 vote, following Senate approval on Wednesday. The bill will head to Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker who supports the measure, which could eventually generate as much as $500 million in new annual revenue for the financially troubled state.

Illinois would be the second state to legalise small amounts of marijuana for adult use solely through the legislative process, following Vermont, which did so in 2018. Since 2012, voters in nine states and Washington, D.C. approved legalisation measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.&nbsp;

"It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs," said Democratic State Representative Kelly Cassidy, the bill`s House sponsor, adding that the measure, which would take effect Jan. 1, would set the "gold standard" for a regulated market.

Opponents raised health, safety and financial concerns over legalising marijuana.

"My goodness, there sure seems to be a lot of red flags on this issue," said Republican State Representative Mark Batinick.

The legislation would raise about $57 million in new revenue in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1, and as much as $500 million annually when fully implemented, according to its sponsors.

The bill earmarks some of the proceeds after administrative and other expenses for drug prevention, public safety and programs in disadvantaged communities, while 35% would flow into Illinois` general fund and 10% would be used to pay overdue bills incurred by the state.

Pritzker included new revenue from legalised marijuana in his nearly $39 billion proposed fiscal 2020 budget.

In addition to Vermont, states that have legalised recreational marijuana are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Michigan.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes, which Illinois authorized starting in 2014, is legal in 23 states.

Illinois would become the 11th US state to legalise the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday.

Illinois would become the 11th US state to legalise the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure in a 66-47 vote, following Senate approval on Wednesday. The bill will head to Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker who supports the measure, which could eventually generate as much as $500 million in new annual revenue for the financially troubled state. Illinois would be the second state to legalise small amounts of marijuana for adult use solely through the legislative process, following Vermont, which did so in 2018. Since 2012, voters in nine states and Washington, D.C. approved legalisation measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. "It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs," said Democratic State Representative Kelly Cassidy, the bill`s House sponsor, adding that the measure, which would take effect Jan. 1, would set the "gold standard" for a regulated market. Opponents raised health, safety and financial concerns over legalising marijuana. "My goodness, there sure seems to be a lot of red flags on this issue," said Republican State Representative Mark Batinick. The legislation would raise about $57 million in new revenue in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1, and as much as $500 million annually when fully implemented, according to its sponsors. The bill earmarks some of the proceeds after administrative and other expenses for drug prevention, public safety and programs in disadvantaged communities, while 35% would flow into Illinois` general fund and 10% would be used to pay overdue bills incurred by the state. Pritzker included new revenue from legalised marijuana in his nearly $39 billion proposed fiscal 2020 budget. In addition to Vermont, states that have legalised recreational marijuana are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Michigan. The use of marijuana for medical purposes, which Illinois authorized starting in 2014, is legal in 23 states.

Illinois bill to legalise recreational marijuana wins legislative approval

US midterm polls: Georgia, Illinois, Alabama, Indiana, Texas extend polling hours

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America&#39;s biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. 
 
On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. 
 
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. 
 
In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump&#39;s comment were divisive and unproductive. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don&#39;t nip it in the bud,&quot; Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. 
 
&quot;If common sense doesn&#39;t step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames,&quot; he said, speaking of Trump. 
 
Rehab said there was fear in Chicago&#39;s Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. 
 
In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. 
 
&quot;There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,&quot; James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. 
 
Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making &quot;clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background.&quot; 
 
Bennett chimed in: &quot;I would encourage people to watch Chicago&#39;s example.&quot; 
 
Sending a message 
 
Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other,&quot; said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. 
 
&quot;Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning,&quot; Johnson told AFP. 
 
On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was &quot;not the worst thing to do.&quot; 
 
&quot;I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We&#39;re not using common sense,&quot; Trump said. 
 
African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person&#39;s race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. 
 
&quot;He questions Muslims&#39; assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values,&quot; Rehab said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

'There is never a time to divide Americans and that is especially true at a time of deep national pain,' they said

The leaders of Muslim and gay rights groups in Chicago, one of America's biggest cities, on Monday joined forces to slam Donald Trump in the wake of the Orlando massacre, saying now was not a time for divisions. On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in the shooting at a gay nightclub in the central Florida city. The shooter Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim American of Afghan descent, was killed in a shootout with police. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has since renewed calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and controversially suggested on Sunday that profiling of Muslims was not off the table. In Chicago, which has both a large Muslim population and a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, leaders said Trump's comment were divisive and unproductive. "We're scared, because it starts rhetorically, and then more people accept it if you don't nip it in the bud," Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told AFP. "If common sense doesn't step in right now, people are capable of mass hysteria, and he is fanning those flames," he said, speaking of Trump. Rehab said there was fear in Chicago's Muslim community, one of the largest in the United States, that they could potentially become targets of hate crimes. In the past week, there have been two threats emailed and phoned into area mosques, he said. "There is never a time to divide Americans, and of course that is especially true at a time of deep national pain," James Bennett of Lambda Legal, an LGBT group, told a press conference. Rehab told reporters that his group and Lambda Legal planned to meet every two weeks with the goal of making "clear statements on a mutual agenda of equal civil rights of all people regardless of their background." Bennett chimed in: "I would encourage people to watch Chicago's example." Sending a message Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 Muslims and 370,000 LGBT people, most of them located in the greater Chicago area, which has a population of about 5.2 million people. "We're trying to send a message that this is not the time to try to pit communities against each other," said Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. "Any public official or media personality who says such things that would not only suggest divides, but suggest putting in place actual divides, is deeply concerning," Johnson told AFP. On Sunday, Trump said profiling of Muslims, and racial profiling more generally, was "not the worst thing to do." "I hate the concept of profiling. But we have to use common sense. We're not using common sense," Trump said. African-Americans, Latinos, Muslims and other minorities in the United States have complained bitterly for decades about the practice in which police use a person's race, religion, national origin or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting them of committing a crime. "He questions Muslims' assimilation into America. I question his assimilation into our American values," Rehab said. (AFP)

In Chicago, Muslim and gay rights leaders take on Trump

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday&#39;s final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. 
 
Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. 
 
The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. 
 
&quot;We played well but Chile are a very strong side,&quot; Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. 
 
&quot;We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don&#39;t work out like you want.&quot; 
 
The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year&#39;s final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. 
 
The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. 
 
Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. 
 
Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. 
 
With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. 
 
Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. 
 
Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. 
 
However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. 
 
Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. 
 
Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. 
 
The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. 
 
Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. 
 
(Reuters)

Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. "We played well but Chile are a very strong side," Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. "We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don't work out like you want." The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year's final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. (Reuters)

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina

An Illinois man accused of breaking into the Apple iCloud and Gmail accounts of celebrities to obtain their private photos and videos has agreed to plead guilty to a felony computer hacking charge, prosecutors said on Friday. 
 
Edward Majerczyk, 28, facing up to five years in prison, is the second man charged in a federal investigation into the leaks of nude photos of several Hollywood actresses, including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, in September 2014. 
 
According to a plea agreement signed by Majerczyk, he illegally accessed Apple iCloud&nbsp;and Google Gmail&nbsp;accounts belonging to more than 300 people, using an email &quot;phishing&quot; ploy to obtain their user names and passwords. 
 
Through this scheme, Majerczyk was able to access full iCloud backups belonging to numerous victims, including at least 30 celebrities, many of whom reside in the Los Angeles area, the plea agreement stated. 
 
&quot;Many of these backups contained sensitive and private photographs and videos,&quot; it said. 
 
Under his deal with federal prosecutors, Majerczyk, a Chicago resident, will formally plead guilty in US District Court in Illinois to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, according to the US Attorney&#39;s Office in Los Angeles. 
 
A 36-year-old Pennsylvania man, Ryan Collins, pleaded guilty in March to the same offence in a case stemming from the same investigation. 
 
Like Collins, federal authorities said they had found no evidence linking Majerczyk to actual public circulation of any of the photos to which he gained access. 
 
While no victims were named in court documents, the investigation began after Lawrence and other celebrities, including actresses Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union and model Kate Upton, complained in interviews about having their private photos end up publicly disseminated online. 
 
It was not the first time celebrity nude photos obtained through computer intrusions led to a criminal prosecution. 
 
A Florida man was sentenced in 2012 to 10 years in prison for hacking into email accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera to leak private information and explicit photos. Pop star Taylor Swift said her Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked in January 2015. 
 
More recently, a Bahamian man in New York pleaded guilty in May to charges of hacking into celebrities&#39; email accounts to steal unreleased movies and television scripts. 
 
And a Filipino man was charged last month in New Jersey with running a scheme to hack into the bank and credit card accounts of celebrities. 
 
(Reuters)

Federal authorities say they have no evidence that Majerczyk circulated any of the pictures he acquired illegally

An Illinois man accused of breaking into the Apple iCloud and Gmail accounts of celebrities to obtain their private photos and videos has agreed to plead guilty to a felony computer hacking charge, prosecutors said on Friday. Edward Majerczyk, 28, facing up to five years in prison, is the second man charged in a federal investigation into the leaks of nude photos of several Hollywood actresses, including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, in September 2014. According to a plea agreement signed by Majerczyk, he illegally accessed Apple iCloud and Google Gmail accounts belonging to more than 300 people, using an email "phishing" ploy to obtain their user names and passwords. Through this scheme, Majerczyk was able to access full iCloud backups belonging to numerous victims, including at least 30 celebrities, many of whom reside in the Los Angeles area, the plea agreement stated. "Many of these backups contained sensitive and private photographs and videos," it said. Under his deal with federal prosecutors, Majerczyk, a Chicago resident, will formally plead guilty in US District Court in Illinois to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, according to the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. A 36-year-old Pennsylvania man, Ryan Collins, pleaded guilty in March to the same offence in a case stemming from the same investigation. Like Collins, federal authorities said they had found no evidence linking Majerczyk to actual public circulation of any of the photos to which he gained access. While no victims were named in court documents, the investigation began after Lawrence and other celebrities, including actresses Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union and model Kate Upton, complained in interviews about having their private photos end up publicly disseminated online. It was not the first time celebrity nude photos obtained through computer intrusions led to a criminal prosecution. A Florida man was sentenced in 2012 to 10 years in prison for hacking into email accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera to leak private information and explicit photos. Pop star Taylor Swift said her Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked in January 2015. More recently, a Bahamian man in New York pleaded guilty in May to charges of hacking into celebrities' email accounts to steal unreleased movies and television scripts. And a Filipino man was charged last month in New Jersey with running a scheme to hack into the bank and credit card accounts of celebrities. (Reuters)

Illinois man agrees to plead guilty in celebrity hacking case

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