THE brainless idiot scumbags who did this must be caught as soon as and thrown in jail for a very long time (Popular West End restaurant trashed by vandals in overnight raid, Glasgow Times online).

INTERESTING to hear that the level of traffic is steadily increasing despite the restrictions.

IT’S a scandal! (South Side residents rage as dirty masks and gloves dumped in street, Glasgow Times online).

Magician and animal trainer Roy Horn, of the legendary Las Vegas duo Siegfied and Roy, died Friday from complications related to COVID-19. Horn tested positive last week. He was 75. "The world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend," Siegfried Fischbacher said of his partner in a statement. "Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy's life." Roy Horn was born in Germany in 1944. He and Siegfried began their act in Las Vegas in 1967. In 1989 they began a 14-year run at the Mirage Resort performing illusions with exotic animals, making tigers, lions, even elephants vanish and reappear. In October of 2003, Roy Horn was performing with a 400-pound white tiger named Mantecore when the great cat grabbed him by the throat before a stunned audience and dragged him

For the first time in its 231-year history, the Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments remotely by phone and made the audio available live. The new setup went off largely without difficulties, but produced some memorable moments, including one justice forgetting to unmute and an ill-timed bathroom break. Here are the top five can't-miss moments from this week's history-making oral arguments. A second week of arguments begin on Monday at 10 a.m. ET. Here's a rundown of the cases and how to listen. 1. Justice Clarence Thomas speaks ... a lot Supreme Court oral arguments are verbal jousting matches. The justices pepper the lawyers with questions, interrupting counsel repeatedly and sometimes even interrupting each other. Justice Clarence Thomas, who has sat on the bench for nearly 30 years, has made his dislike of the chaotic process well known, at one point not asking a question for a full decade. But with no line of sight, the telephone arguments have to be rigidly organized, and

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to pick up in Alaska, Dr. Anne Zink, the state's chief medical officer, faced a difficult choice. Should she continue in-person meetings and nightly briefings with Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy? Or should she opt for a more socially distant form of engagement? Zink chose the latter, saying she wanted to model the behavior that she has been appealing to residents to follow. She now appears at Dunleavy's briefings by video. And over the past two months, she has become a trusted voice as she urges Alaskans to follow the strict social distancing and other public health guidelines adopted by the state administration — which doctors groups have credited with keeping the state's COVID-19 numbers among the lowest in the country. Zink, who has a Facebook fan club and a #ThinkLikeZink hashtag , isn't the only public health official to acquire a cultlike following during the pandemic: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal infectious disease expert, has inspired a Saturday

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Monty and Rose met last year on a beach on the north side of Chicago. Their attraction was intense, immediate, and you might say, fruitful. Somewhere between the roll of lake waves and the shimmer of skyscrapers overlooking the beach, Monty and Rose fledged two chicks. They protected their offspring through formative times. But then, in fulfillment of nature's plan, they parted ways, and left the chicks to make their own ways in the world. Monty and Rose are piping plovers, an endangered species of bird of which there may only be 6,000 or 7,000 in the world, including Monty, Rose and their chicks. They were the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago in more than 60 years. After their chicks fledged, they drifted apart. Rose went off to Florida for the winter, and Monty made his way to the Texas coast. They'd always have the North Side, but were each on their own in a huge, fraught world. And then, just a few days ago, Monty and Rose were sighted again, on the same patch of sand on

Updated at 1:55 p.m. ET Little Richard, the self-described "king and queen" of rock and roll and an outsize influence on everyone from David Bowie to Prince, died Saturday. He was 87 years old. Wayne Chaney, his longtime bandleader and tour manager, tells NPR that Little Richard died at his brother's home in Tullahoma, Tenn., after a battle with cancer. Rolling Stone was the first to report on his death. With his ferocious piano playing, growling and gospel-strong vocals, pancake makeup and outlandish costumes, Little Richard tore down barriers starting in the 1950s. That is no small feat for any artist — let alone a black, openly gay man who grew up in the South. He was a force of nature who outlived many of the musicians he inspired, from Otis Redding to the late Prince and Michael Jackson. His peers James Brown and Otis Redding idolized him. Jimi Hendrix, who once played in Little Richard's band, said he wanted his guitar to sound like Richard's voice. The late David Bowie was 9

Airlines and airport operators in the United Kingdom are not waiting for the British government to publicly confirm their fears. Already, the groups representing major players in the U.K.'s air travel industry are pushing back on a proposal that would require travelers to quarantine after arriving from outside the country. A spokesperson for Airlines UK — a trade body with British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair as members — says the group understands from government officials that plans for a quarantine are in the works, but that details remain scarce at the moment. "We need to see the detail of what they are proposing. Public health must of course be the priority and we will continue to be guided by Sage advice," the group said in a statement emailed to NPR, noting that support measures will be necessary to ensure "that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted." "We will be asking for assurances that this decision has been led by the science and that

Guest host Amber Kleinman and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about the advent of winter weather and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this special Pledge Drive Edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau (RACVB) wants you to stay home and write songs. "Stay Home Songs" is a community song writing contest that is open to all ages and all types of musicians. There is no fee to enter and all genres of music are welcome. Musicians who live in Winnebago County and may enter one original song that is less than three minutes long. Nick Povalitis is the vice president of marketing and sports development for the RACVB. He believes this contest creates an engaging way for people to stay together during Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order. "We want to do our part to tell stories and connect people," Povalitis said. "Musicians are some of our best creators and there are a lot of talented musicians within Winnebago County and the Rockford region." This includes the contest judges. Jodi Beach, Vince Chiarelli, Duntai Mathews, Miles Nielsen, and Antonio Ramirez will select the winning songwriter. The winner will receive a $200 gift card to a

Art fairs are common around springtime but for a lot of vendors this year, it’s not business as usual. That’s due to COVID-19 and social distancing. Two Fox Valley Area artists found a way to help bring in revenue, despite what's going on. Kelsey Rankin is the founder of Hemp Club Jewelry . She worked with her friend Laura Lynne to create a Virtual Artisan Market. “We kind of handpicked our vendors that we wanted to participate. It was an invite only, artisan handmade is what we wanted to stick with,” she said. “Because there’s a ton of people that we know out there but we wanted to keep it small in manageable for this first one.” Rankin said she understands that people are hesitant about receiving packages in the mail. She refers to advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. “So just wash your hands. Make sure you are being careful with any foreign object coming into the house. And if you feel like you need to wipe it down, do so. Just follow the

Ean Miles Kessler is a Chicago playwright. He's originally from Hamden, Connecticut, but has also lived and worked in New York City and Miami. In 2018, he "made the leap" and moved to the Edgewater neighborhood in Chicago. "It's a great neighborhood in a great city," he said. Usually for State Of The Artist, I follow artists to the places that inspire them. I interview and photograph them in the locations that are meaningful to them. Because of the quarantine, instead of interviewing Ean in Edgewater or the theaters where he works in Chicago, I had to interview him over the phone. Not only that, in order to get the best possible audio, I had to ask him to sit for 40 minutes under a hot blanket to absorb echoes and other ambient room sounds on a day the temperatures soared into the 70s. Several minutes into the interview, Ean said, "Can I just hop out from under this blanket for a second?" He laughed and said, "Because I'm going to have a small heatstroke." It was such a funny moment,

COVID-19 has caused uncertainty in the lives of many. During hard times, in the past, people found relief by attending comedy shows. But what do you do when comedy clubs are closed and the comics are left to find humor for themselves? A few northern Illinois comedians share how they are making it through this pandemic. Rudy Ruiz is a comedian from Aurora. He said he misses the stage. “Now that we’re not allowed into comedy clubs or open mics or even writing groups, it’s like a withdrawal,” he said. He said making people laugh is like a superpower and the pandemic is the enemy. “It’s like kryptonite right now. It’s like we can’t do anything and a lot of us are going crazy,” Ruiz explained. He said he knows some comics have tried to do virtual comedy shows but he doesn’t understand that concept. “We need the audience. You know we have that immediate response like, 'This joke did well,'” he said. He said he can’t capture key things like that without the live interaction. He also said

A vehicle produced in Belvidere has topped a new list of cars with the most American content. Fiat Chrysler ’s Jeep Cherokee came in at number one on the list created by Cars.com . The website looked at which cars were manufactured in America, had the most American parts, and support the most American factory jobs. Four of the top ten cars on the list are made by foreign-based companies. But Cars.com’s executive director, Joe Wiesenfelder, said, these days, all manufacturers are global. “And even what you consider an American brand might import vehicles from across the border," he said. "Whereas what might at one time been considered an import brand is building the cars here in the U.S.” Wiesenfelder sees the list as a service for someone who’s looking at what car to buy. “If they’re interested in contributing to the U.S. economy," he said, "they might see that it’s on the American-Made Index and say, ‘well, that’s one more count in its favor.’” Two other cars produced in Illinois made

When you think of passenger air travel in northern Illinois, O'Hare often comes to mind. But Rockford's facility, officially known as Chicago Rockford International Airport, is making a greater name for itself, particularly in the realm of cargo. In 1994, officials with United Parcel Service, better known as UPS, made a deal with airport authorities to set up a sorting hub. Since then, it's become the company's second largest air operation in the world. Earlier this month, airport officials presented the president of UPS Airlines with the Rockford Award. It recognizes businesses that contributed to economic development in the area. UPS Rockford Transportation Director Mike Nepaul says the company made several expansions over the years--which increased the number of packages it can sort. "We're putting a new small sort mezzanine in right now, so that will expand our flow-per hour within the building from 89,000 per hour to over 120,000 an hour," he said. "So that's a big expansion for

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Thursday eight new events they call "Big Wins" for the region. Andrea Cook is the associate director of marketing and communication. She said, "'Big Wins' bring big business to the region in a short amount of time." She credited one bowling open and two bowling tournaments for bringing in the most money. "Out of the more than $12.5 million that will come from the eight events, over $10 million of that comes from the three different bowling events we are hosting in 2020 and 2021," said Cook. Other events include The Rock River Tattoo Art Expo , the North American Fastpitch Association, the Illinois Council of Convention & Visitors Bureaus Spring Conference, the Illinois Association Chamber of Commerce Executives Fall Conference, and the Basset Hound Club of America Nationals. Pamela Crawford was there with her husband David Crawford and their two basset hounds, Apple and Ivy. She said, "We are here to promote basset hounds

People are doing what they can to stay healthy, but what about their pets? Dr. Phyllis Sill is a veterinarian at Roscoe Veterinary Clinic. She says if you want to keep your dogs safe, there are certain things you shouldn't do: " Don’t let your dog suddenly go on a long run or a long walk if it hasn’t been conditioned to do so," she said. "They are probably going to end up with lameness issues or injuries." She continued, "Don’t get a group of dogs together, they might fight." Sill said it is important to think about things your dog can eat or swallow, like chocolate or the sugar substitute xylitol. "Try to keep them up and away," she warned, "because if dogs get into sugar-free gum, it can kill them." The Roscoe Veterinary Clinic is considered an essential business; therefore it remains open amid Governor J.B. Pritzker's "stay-at-home" order. But, Sill said, even though they are open, they are only admitting patients with serious conditions. "We are looking at patients who have growths

An Illinois church is appealing a decision that upholds Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order for religious gatherings. Pastor Stephen Cassell with the Beloved Church of Lena sought a temporary restraining order so it could hold in-person services. Over the weekend, a judge ruled the governor’s order is constitutional in order to prevent mass infections and death. Senior Counsel Peter Breen is with the Thomas More Society, which is representing the church. He said the current limit on attendees in the coronavirus executive order violates religious freedom. “There’s no other essential business or operation in the state that has to follow a 10-person hard cap," he said. "We want to have that reversed so that Pastor Steve and the Beloved Church are able to have their services unmolested by local law enforcement or state law enforcement.” Breen said he also has qualms about the governor's recent comments. “Governor Pritzker in his most recent press conferences is saying that people

Coronavirus has highlighted the digital divide among low-income as well as rural students. Schools that don’t send students home with laptops rushed them equipment so they could do their homework online. School administrators say some parents claim to have internet access, but it may only be through a phone plan. Districts have distributed hot spots for families without a plan or where service is undependable. Particularly in rural communities like Montmorency, reliable internet connectivity is a major hurdle. Montmorency is a K-8 district in Whiteside County with around 230 students. Alex Moore is the superintendent. “On a good day, I get four megabytes per second download speed, so I knew that was going to be an issue. About half of our families probably have decent internet,” said Moore. Even that “good day” download speed doesn’t meet the FCC’s minimum recommendation for e-learning. For many younger students, remote learning has to be pencil and paper. Schools like Somonauk set up

Coronavirus testing will continue at a drive-thru testing site in Rockford this morning, after the state health department and the Governor’s office intervened in a problem with receiving test results. Winnebago County Board chairman Frank Haney asked for help from the state, saying 2,100 tests taken at the site at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford were “missing.” Haney said test results were not available after nearly two weeks when they should have taken only a few days. He announced Wednesday evening that testing would be suspended at that site. However, the state determined the tests were never missing, but the laboratory the state had contracted with to process the samples used a paper system to report results, significantly delaying them. The site will now be served by a different lab, which can report results to the county electronically. The Illinois Department of Public Health told the Winnebago County Health Department late Wednesday it developed a

All Illinoisans are required to wear a mask when they are doing things like grocery shopping, using public transportation or any other activity where they can’t maintain a distance of six feet. This order went into effect May 1. But what about other things like walking or running outside? The Illinois Department of Public Health’s guidelines suggest that masks are not needed when you are doing things like mowing your lawn or even running and walking in your neighborhood. Sandra Martell is the public health administrator for Winnebago County . She said that although a mask isn’t required, people should be prepared. “I think it always becomes important for people to always be intentional about it. To have one with them if they need to wear one,” she said. “They see someone approaching them to be able to put that on or if they are going to pass someone, to make sure that they can put one on as well.” She said there is a theoretical risk that extends past a direct encounter. Martell said a

The Illinois State Police on Friday made an announcement about the May 6 arrest in Iowa of Clark Terry Baldwin. He was wanted for the 1991 Tennessee murders of Pamela McCall and her unborn son, and the murders of two unidentified women discovered separately in Wyoming in 1992. In the ISP announcement, titled "Illinois State Police Announce An Update to the Tammy Zywicki Case," the ISP indicated that "at this time, Baldwin does not appear to have been involved with the murder of Tammy Zywicki." Zywicki, a 21-year-old college student, was abducted and killed by an unknown assailant after experiencing car trouble on I-80 near LaSalle, IL in August 1992. Reports at the time that she had been picked up by a trucker led nowhere. Baldwin was a long-haul trucker and suspected serial killer operating during the same time frame. He fit the profile of Zywicki's murderer and it was reported that authorities were investigating whether he might be involved. The ISP said it was continuing to

Families across Illinois have had to adapt to e-learning due to the stay-at-home order. But with the school year winding down, they’ll soon have to adapt to another new normal -- the lack of summer activities. A Rockford organization has made the decision to postpone its summer camp programs until 2021. The Rockford Area Arts Council has summer art programs for children of all ages. There’s ArtsPlace, ArtsPlace II and RAAC camp. Mary McNamara Bernsten is the executive director. She said although the programs are postponed, families will still have options. “We are now working collaboratively with New Genres Art Space and the United Way of Rock River Valley to provide Art Space instruction, mentorship and skill-building while practicing safe social distancing,” she said. She said children in the programs will also wear personal protective equipment, or PPE. McNamara Bernsten said New Genres Art Space uses cutting edge technology which allows them to work with two groups of six children

Bull Draw Fire flares up in warmer, drier weather; smoke expected Engage Energy Conference brings together stakeholders in energy industry Transition from older, outdated energy sources to new ones a hot topic Governor Hickenlooper forms Federal PAC, signals possible Presidential run

U.S. Forest Service plans to implement shuttle, fees at Hanging Lake Bull Draw Fire closure lifted, fire now 95 percent contained BLM, advocates battle over management of wild horse herds in West

ONE of the first things you notice about the Jacobs brothers is that they finish each other’s sentences.

THE irony that the recent weather would have been ideal for the start of the domestic cricket season is not lost on Kyle Coetzer.

GUS MACKAY was full of good intentions when he agreed to become Cricket Scotland’s new chief executive last October.

On today's show, we have the latest updates from Governor Asa Hutchinson's daily coronavirus response briefing. Plus, we hear from local law enforcement officers about the changes they've had to make in their daily operations and why that has resulted in fewer bookings at county jails. And, we speak with Eddie Schmeckenbecher, who stands by the governor's side every day during his COVID-19 briefings, about what it's been like to be Arkansas's American Sign Language translator during the pandemic.

Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis haven’t stopped Hurlford United from doing what they almost always do at this time of year… ready themselves to take part in a Macron Scottish Junior Cup quarter-final tie

Beith defensive mainstay Ryan Docherty has called today’s Macron Scottish Junior Cup clash against Kello Rovers “a great opportunity” as he and his team-mates prepare to go toe-to-toe with the rank outsiders for a place in this season’s semi-finals.

There was a peaceful anti-war protest in DeKalb on Thursday evening. The event was part of a nationwide effort led by MoveOn.org. It gave people the opportunity to gather at 5:00 p.m. in their cities and say, "No War With Iran." DeKalb's protest took place at Peace Corner, just off Lincoln Highway and 1st Street. More than 50 people gathered to express their concern. Dani Brzozowski is running for Congress in Illinois' 16th District. She said, "I think President Trump and people like Representative Kinzinger thought they'd be able to take military action in Iran without fear of any consequence from the American public." She gestured to the cars driving by and the dozens of people around her and said, "That's not the case, right? People did not just sort of turn a blind eye to this." Matthew Fazekas said, "I'm 23. We went to war with Iraq when I was six years old. I think it's time for this kind of thing to stop." He continued, "We live in a very unpredictable time. Another war is just

Women's March Rockford held a sign making party at Womanspace on Saturday. It gave people the opportunity to create signs not just for themselves, but for anyone who shows up to the assembly empty-handed. Mary McNamara Bernsten is an event organizer for the march. She was cutting cardboard with a utility knife so she and others could paint and transform the rectangles into protest sign art. She said last year they had several signs ready to go. "When people got to the march, you could kind of see them looking around and thinking, 'I wish I had something to hold.'" McNamara Bernsten continued, "If you've never done it before, it's not as easy as you think it is to go out and express yourself." She said people responded favorably to the pre-made signs. "A lot of people were happy. They were, 'Oh great! Give me a sign!' They picked one that they related to personally and took off with it." Though there will be a supply of extra signs handy, marchers are encouraged to create their own

Cold temperatures didn't stop a diverse crowd of marchers at Women's March Rockford. More than 200 gathered to express themselves, support each other, and peacefully march. Jennifer Stark held a sign that said "Voting Is My Super Power." She said, "I want to represent and remind everybody that if we don't like where the world is today, we can vote. We can make a difference." Men showed up, too, including Barry Champion. He said, "I'm here to support everyone's right to equality." He continued, "I have been to probably all the women's marches since they started, as well as other women's rights marches." Gerri Hood was there with her grandchildren, London and Paris. She said, "I'm here to make sure that everybody is accounted for, and to teach my granddaughters that we can help people." Hood, whose degree is in human services, said that the march is personal for her. "I've fallen through so many cracks myself. It's very important that we get more attention focused on women's rights. It's

Listen, believe, provide. That's the mission of Rockford's Family Peace Center. It will provide safety and services for survivors of violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder or dependent abuse, and human trafficking. Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara announced that "Phase 1" of the center will open in the next six months. It will be located on North Main Street, across from the Coronado Theater. He said, "We are terribly excited to create a safe space that survivors can get all the services they need -- and not just the services they need, but the hope they need -- that tomorrow's going to be a better day for them and their family." Judy Moe serves on a committee that represents a variety of religious organizations who work together to help survivors. She said they have been meeting for several months so they can warmly welcome and help any person who enters the door. "We are going to work with people when they come in and do it in a way that is non-threatening." She continued, "We will

There are many opinions on how to broadcast a presidential impeachment trial. To be sure, the stakes are high when the highest office in the land is given this level of scrutiny. How should it sound on your radio? There are often factors that are out of our control. For example, sometimes the coverage is scheduled with a start time of 11:00 a.m. Sometimes, it’s been noon. Sometimes, the proceedings are scheduled for the weekend. They can last a few hours or go deep into the night. That means your favorite program may be preempted during times we’re in “special coverage.” Faced with these moving parts, the WNIJ news team is committed to the public service of carrying balanced coverage. That means perspectives from both sides of the aisle and the White House are given airtime. We also believe in addition to live testimony, daily analysis is a vital component of understanding the day’s proceedings. That’s why we'll continue to carry live testimony as it begins each day, and conclude live

President Trump is delivering the 2020 State of the Union address, which comes under the shadow of his impeachment trial. Watch his remarks live and follow a live annotation of his remarks, including fact checks and analysis from NPR reporters. Loading...

Illinois elected officials have strong feelings about former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's early release from prison. He served eight years of his 14 year sentence because President Donald Trump commuted his sentence earlier this week. Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara doesn't agree with the president's move. "I really think it was a horrible decision and sends a really bad signal, not just to politicians, but to all citizens across the state." McNamara elaborated. "Look back at what he did. He literally tried to do one of the worst things you can do in politics, which is to enrich himself while selling a public seat." Rockford's Democratic mayor said Blagojevich bypassed the trust of the citizens. McNamara emphasized that this is not a partisan issue. "Republican, Democrat, Green Party, Independent -- what he did is despicable and I think he should serve his full sentence." John Beck identifies as a moderate Republican and is the alderman for Rockford's 12th ward. He said the

Governor J.B. Pritzker was in Rockford on Friday with Mayor Tom McNamara, State Sen. Steve Stadelman, and State Rep. Maurice West. The Democrats came together to celebrate the progress of the $45 billion capital plan known as Rebuild Illinois. Money from the plan is being used to improve statewide infrastructure like roads, bridges, education and broadband internet services. The governor also said that part of the money will go toward a much anticipated train project. "We're dedicating $275 million to establish passenger rail service between Rockford and Chicago." The governor was quick to credit State Sen. Stadelman with getting this project pushed forward. He said, "Senator Stadelman made this a priority. He mentioned it over and over and over again, and told me that the people of Rockford wanted it. And we're bringing it to you, Senator!" The senator, in turn, expressed appreciation for the governor. "He's no stranger to Rockford and I can't even count the number of times he's been

When Celtic arrived home after their defeat by Feyenoord on May 6, 1970, everyone at Parkhead was understandably deflated, while the fans were in mourning for the lost chance of glory.

Comic Relief and Children In Need are teaming up for the first time ever to hold a special fundraising night on BBC One.