A federal judge has overturned Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, leaning on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strictly interpret the Second Amendment right to keep and bear firearms.

Many small Alabama cities have been beset by the same polarizing debate that thrust Springfield, Ohio, into the spotlight after former president Donald Trump promoted debunked misinformation about Haitian migrants.

The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community has invoked a private-citizen right to file charges against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance.

Virtually everyone calls the U.S. immigration system broken.

Journalists at a news site that covers issues facing the Haitian community in the United States say they've been harassed and intimidated with racist messages for covering the false story about immigrants eating the pets of people in Springfield, Ohio.

A small Ohio city has been inundated with hoax bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs.

Ohio state police will help protect schools in a city that has endured dozens of violent threats in the wake of a national political furor over Haitian migrants.

For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance isn't backing away from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians living in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets.

Donald Trump and his running mate continue to disparage Haitian migrants in an Ohio community, further fueling false claims the Republicans have promoted even as the city has seen bomb threats and school evacuations and local officials called for a cooling of the anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The father of an Ohio boy killed last year when a Haitian immigrant driver hit a school bus is imploring Donald Trump and others to stop invoking his son's name in the debate about immigration.

Many cities have been reshaped by immigrants in the last few years without attracting much notice.

Former President Donald Trump has amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are abducting and eating pets.

President Joe Biden has signed a proclamation to establish a national monument to commemorate the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Ill.

President Joe Biden is expected to sign a proclamation designating a national monument in Springfield, Illinois, at the site of a 1908 race riot that later fueled the formation of the NAACP.

An owner of a now defunct trucking company has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a deadly crash in New Hampshire that killed seven motorcyclists.

What stands out during a cicada invasion is the sound.

Illinois Democrats have changed the way candidates for the General Assembly get on the ballot.

Caitlin Clark will have the start of her WNBA career to show the U.S. women’s basketball selection committee whether she deserves a spot on the Paris Olympic roster.

Federal investigators say the driver of a Ford electric SUV involved in a February fatal crash in Texas was using the company’s partially automated driving system before the wreck.

Walmart plans to build or convert more than 150 U.S. stores in the next five years, while continuing to remodel existing stores.

Illinois will usher in 320 new laws on New Year’s Day.

Pillsbury Mills was a groundbreaking, history-making flour mill in central Illinois for most of the 20th century.

College athletes who have transferred multiple times but were denied the chance to compete can now play through the remainder of the academic year.

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.

Cooper Flagg, the nation’s consensus top player in the 2024 recruiting class, announced Monday that he will play his college basketball at Duke.

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.

High school students’ 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.

Oregon has taken an unprecedented step in offering psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, to the public.

Police bodycam video from Springfield, Missouri, has filmed an unusual foot pursuit, as two officers tried to catch an escaped lemur.

This happened in March and is part of a series where we are looking back at viral videos.

Bronny James went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California last month because of a congenital heart defect.

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.

The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the state’s ban on the sale or possession of the type of semiautomatic weapons used in hundreds of mass killings nationally.

Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produce a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally.

Bronny James, the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest but is in stable condition.

Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail as a condition of pretrial release from jail on Tuesday.

Smoky haze, hot weather and powerful storms brought dangerous and uncomfortable conditions to parts of the U.S. heading into a long July Fourth weekend that typically draws Americans to outdoor gatherings.

Leona Maguire birdied the final hole for her eighth straight round in the 60s and took a one-shot lead over fast-closing Jenny Shin heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

Leona Maguire of Ireland birdied four of her final six holes for a 3-under 68 and a one-shot lead over three players Friday at the halfway point of the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa made a two-putt birdie on the final hole in fading daylight for a 5-under 66 and the first-round lead Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

Ford is recalling more than 310,000 trucks in the U.S. because the driver’s front air bag may not inflate in a crash.

Police in Colorado say a driver, who was pulled over for speeding, tried to switch places with his dog to avoid arrest.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling certain 2004 to 2006 Ranger vehicles because replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.

Ford Motor Co. made $1.76 billion last quarter, swinging into the black from a $3.1 billion net loss for the same period a year ago.

A California man who made violent anti-LGBTQ-related threats against dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster over its updated gender definitions has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Federal investigators say a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Alabama earlier this month lacked required alignment control couplers and a company inspection didn't identify their absence.

Ford is recalling more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in two actions to fix leaky brake hoses and windshield wiper arms that can break.

Walt Disney Co. has removed from its streaming service in Hong Kong an episode from its cartoon series The Simpsons that includes a reference to “forced labor camps” in China.

A new federal lawsuit contends that Illinois’ two-week-old ban on semiautomatic weapons outlaws “ubiquitous” firearms in “radical” defiance of the Constitution’s Second Amendment.

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new Illinois law banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Attorneys say the family of an Illinois man whose death prompted murder charges against two paramedics who strapped him facedown on a stretcher has filed a lawsuit against them and their employer.

A college basketball player who lost nearly all of his left arm in a childhood accident has scored his first points for Northwestern State.

Charles Barkley will not be leaving TNT or the “Inside the NBA” crew for the foreseeable future.

FedEx is shuttering storefronts and corporate offices while putting off new hires in a belt-tightening drive brought on by drop-off in its global package delivery business.

A Florida missing child alert was issued Wednesday for a 15-year-old girl out of Springfield, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Walmart says it has signed a deal with Paramount Global to offer the entertainment company’s streaming service as a perk to subscribers of the retailer's shipping subscription service.

Law enforcement groups are searching for a missing 7-year-old girl from Springfield, Massachusetts, and they think she could be in Florida.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. because they can roll away unexpectedly while shifted into park.

Broward County is well underway with restoring this old landmark — at 644 S. Andrews Ave., situated just south of a Publix supermarket — to its former splendor in the city’s downtown.

Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its venerable dictionary.

Lawyers say once powerful former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and a man who accused him of child sexual abuse have reached a tentative out-of-court settlement over Hastert’s refusal to pay $1.8 million in exchange for his silence.

A new study finds pension systems for state government workers are in their best shape since the Great Recession.

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.

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.

Authorities say a man sought in the killings of his father and two other people in a small Oregon city forced a woman to drive him more than 2,000 miles in her car to Wisconsin, where he turned himself in.

Police in Florida's Panhandle say a woman killed her young daughter before fatally shooting herself.

USA Basketball has announced that Grant Hill will be the replacement for Jerry Colangelo as its men’s national team managing director following the Tokyo Olympics.

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&T’s 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.

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)Here’s what’s happening Sunday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:— 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. “So I really do think that we need to watch this and be careful.”___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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. – 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.

Treating the sick and dying isn't even the toughest part for Montgomery as the coronavirus surges in her corner of red America. It’s unclear how Trump’s 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, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. That has been frustrating for all of us,” Montgomery said in an interview, adding: “It wears.”Combating 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 “largest hydroxychloroquine prescription you can give me."

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.

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.

(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.

(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.

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.

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.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Universal Orlando is offering exclusive packages to Florida residents during the summer months. One of the offers is for Florida residents to save $10 on any annual pass. Universal Orlando is also offering a package called the Exclusive Florida Resident Universal Partner Hotel Getaway. Universal Orlando opens two new attractions in the coming months. To learn more about all of Universal Orlando's ticket options and vacation packages, visit Universal Orlando's website.