INDEPENDENCE DAY

Good afternoon, Chicago. Here's what is happening today.

The memorials have drawn sizable crowds and been praised as centers of comfort and unity, but they have also proven controversial.

"Viva México!" President Andrés Manuel López Obrador shouted repeatedly — calls that were loudly echoed by the massive crowd that packed Mexico City's Zócalo square.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has announced on the country’s Independence Day that he will seek re-election to a second five-year term

Videos shared on social media show concert attendees piled on top of one another after being trampled, as a large crowd rushed to exit the venue.

At least nine people have died and some 20 were injured in a stampede in Guatemala early Thursday as the country celebrated its independence.

Jimmy Kimmel tackled Donald Trump\'s Mar-a-Lago raid and evidence of flushing documents down the toilet in the return to his late night show.

Jacqueline von Edelberg, who moved to Highland Park a year ago, had done several public art projects highlighting the toll of gun violence before it struck her new hometown.

Some international legal scholars say Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian train station that killed more than 20 people this week is the latest in a series of strikes on the country’s railway system that may be war crimes.

POKROVSK, Ukraine — (AP) — The death toll from a Russian rocket attack as Ukraine observed its Independence Day has risen to 25, including an 11-year-old boy found under the rubble of a house and a 6-year-old killed in a car fire near a train station that took a hit, a Ukrainian official said Thursday. The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, provided the updated casualty figures from Wednesday's attack. The lethal strike on the train station took place in Chaplyne, a town of about 3,500 people in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. Zelenskyy had warned that “Russian provocations and brutal strikes are a possibility.”Before the train station attack, Russia insisted it was doing its best to spare civilians, even at a cost of slowing down its offensive in Ukraine. Elsewhere in Ukraine, three people were killed in the eastern region of Donetsk on Wednesday and one more was wounded, Gov.

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Independence Day commemorates Ukraine's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.

Independence Day commemorates Ukraine's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. And remember: We must all achieve victory together.”Last year, crowds turned out in Kyiv to watch a military parade marking 30 years of Ukrainian independence. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted civilian areas in cities, including hospitals and a Mariupol theater where hundreds of people were taking shelter. On the battlefield, Russian forces struck several towns and villages in Donetsk province in the east over 24 hours, killing one person, authorities said. ___Follow all of AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraineCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Residents of Kyiv woke up to air raid sirens as Ukraine observed its Independence Day on Wednesday, six months since the star t of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the public to be vigilant. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the death of Darya Dugina, a nationalist Russian TV commentator. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. ___Follow all of AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraineCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Ukraine’s president says Russian forces have launched a rocket attack on a train station in central Ukraine on the country’s Independence Day, killing 22 people.

Six months of war have solidified Ukraine’s sense of nationhood.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has decided to show Britain’s solidarity with Ukraine by saying it with flowers.

DDA Multnomah County grand jury has ordered Walmart to pay $4.4 million in damages to a man who sued the store saying he was racially profiled and harassed by a Walmart employee at a Portland, Ore., area store in 2020.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — The sense of dread deepened in Ukraine on Tuesday amid warnings that Russia may try to spoil the country's Independence Day holiday and mark the six-month point in the war by intensifying its attacks. Kyiv city authorities banned mass gatherings in the capital from Monday through Thursday for fear of missile attacks around Independence Day, which, like the six-month mark in the war, falls on Wednesday. Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia “may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel” this week. On Tuesday, however, Zelenskyy stressed defiance rather than worry when he raised the national flag at a memorial one day ahead of Independence Day. One particular source of foreboding is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in southeastern Ukraine, where shelling has raised fears of a catastrophe.

Ukrainian Independence Day and the six-month anniversary of Russia's invasion fall on the same day, drawing different displays across the country.

Ukraine's president warned Russia could do something "particularly cruel" as Ukraine prepares for Independence Day on Wednesday, six months since Moscow's invasion.

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - SATURDAY, 20 AUGUST 2022, 21:36 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine believes that Russia might attempt to carry out particularly violent attacks next week [Ukraine's Independence Day is on 24 August, which falls on next Wednesday - ed.

India Independence Day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, greets artists performing at the 17th-century Mughal-era Red Fort on Independence Day in New Delhi, India, Monday, Aug.15, 2022. The country is marking the 75th anniversary of its independence from British rule. (AP Photo/Pankaj Nangia) (Pankaj Nangia)NEW DELHI — (AP) — The prime minister on Monday pledged to work with vigor to turn poverty-ridden India into a developed country in the next 25 years. He said the world's view of India was changing and it was looking toward the country to help resolve global issues. “There were special functions in Parliament’s historic Central Hall to mark the 25th, 50th and 60th anniversary of India’s independence,” said Jairam Ramesh, an India National Congress party spokesperson.

Julio Alvarado-Dubon and Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas have not been specifically charged with planning a mass shooting.

Highland Park parade shooting: What you need to know Robert Crimo III has confessed to firing on the parade to investigators. >> Read more trending newsEarlier, authorities said they had filed seven murder charges against Robert E. Crimo III, 21, in connection to the mass shooting during the parade in Highland Park. On Wednesday, the Lake County State’s attorney’s Office presented evidence to a grand jury to indict Crimo on 117 counts, officials said. The charges account for “each victim who was struck by a bullet, bullet fragment, or shrapnel,” prosecutors said. Previously, prosecutors said that Crimo carried out a “pre-meditated and calculated attack” as revelers gathered for Fourth of July festivities in Highland Park.

Prosecutors have said Crimo, 21, admitted to the shooting when police arrested him following an hours long search on July 4.

CHICAGO — (AP) — The man accused of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago has been indicted by a grand jury on 21 first-degree murder counts, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated batteryProsecutors previously filed seven murder charges against Robert E. Crimo III. Prosecutors have said Crimo, 21, admitted to the shooting when police arrested him following an hourslong search on July 4. Under Illinois law, prosecutors can ask a grand jury to determine whether there is probable cause to proceed to trial. Grand jury proceedings aren’t open to the public and defense attorneys cannot cross-examine witnesses. During a court hearing presenting the murder charges, Lake County prosecutors said police found more than 80 spent shell casings on the rooftop of a building along the parade route and the semi-automatic rifle used in the attack on the ground nearby.

A grand jury has indicted the man accused of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, on 117 felony counts.

Police say a Tinley Park woman sent threatening texts about attacking July 4 fireworks celebrations there and in Orland Park, Lockport and Joliet.

Cooper Roberts, the 8-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down after being wounded at the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, has improved following a recent, urgent surgery.

A funeral service for 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Skokie, Illinois.

McCarthy’s funeral service is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Skokie, Illinois. In an obituary, he is described as a father, husband, brother, uncle and son who “brought the fun to every situation.”The 37-year-old father and his wife, Irina, were both killed in the attack on the Highland Park parade. They left behind a 2-year-old son, Aiden, whose story prompted thousands of people to donate money for the orphaned boy. “Kevin’s irrepressible zest for life and his family and friends will remain with us always,” his family wrote in the obituary. They have been identified as: 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim, 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza and 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo.

McCarthy’s funeral service is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Skokie, Illinois. In an obituary, he is described as a father, husband, brother, uncle and son who “brought the fun to every situation.”The 37-year-old father and his wife, Irina, were both killed in the attack on the Highland Park parade. They left behind a 2-year-old son, Aiden, whose story prompted thousands of people to donate money for the orphaned boy. “Kevin’s irrepressible zest for life and his family and friends will remain with us always,” his family wrote in the obituary. They have been identified as: 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim, 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza and 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo.

A funeral service was held Monday afternoon for the last of seven people killed by a gunman at an Independence Day parade, as family and friends gathered in suburban Chicago to remember Kevin McCarthy.

A Filipino restaurant in Houston, Texas, held its second annual lumpia eating contest during the Independence Day celebrations on July 4. The restaurant Be More Pacific: Filipino Kitchen & Bar hosted the competition with the aim of helping local small businesses recover from the economic impact of the pandemic, reported Click2Houston.  In the now-popular contest, seven participants representing different restaurants in Houston competed by consuming as many fried lumpia rolls as they could in under 10 minutes.

A North Shore mother fed up with gun violence after the mass shooting in Highland Park is turning her anger into action, organizing a march in Washington, D.C., to ban assault-style weapons.

Highland Park police reports paint a picture of the sometimes tumultuous home where Robert “Bobby” Crimo III grew up before he allegedly gunned down dozens of people enjoying a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago.

A "hero citizen" overheard a conversation indicating there was an attack being planned on an Independence Day celebration in Richmond.

Gov. Gavin Newsom attacked Florida Republicans in an ad that aired on Fox News in the state. The Democrat and current head of California's government...

Police in Richmond, Va., said a tip from a “hero citizen” helped prevent two illegal immigrants from carrying out a planned shooting at a Fourth of July celebration.

The suspected gunman fired 70 rounds at the Illinois community paradegoers, an experience that Alexander Sandoval said was "terrorizing."

Gas prices in Florida fall for third straight week (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — A dime — that’s how much AAA said gas prices fell in Florida over the past week. PREVIOUS: Here’s how much Florida gas prices have fallen in the past 2 weeksTen cents might not seem like much — but it starts adding up quickly when it’s time to fill up your gas tank. AAA Florida gas prices Florida gas prices as of July 6, 2022 (AAA)In the last three weeks, AAA reported a 35-cent decline in the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida. “Gas prices are being dragged lower by falling crude oil prices, which suffered steep losses Tuesday, on worries of a global economic slowdown,” AAA’s Mark Jenkins said. “If these futures price drops hold, drivers could see Florida gas prices drift back below $4.10 per gallon.”To see how much gas costs in your neighborhood, click here.

A tour of Cannabist's East Orlando location

Lake County State Attorney Eric Rinehart announced seven counts of first-degree murder against the suspect in the Fourth of July parade shooting.

Highland Park residents gather to grieve after Independence Day shooting.

Authorities charged Robert E. Crimo III with seven counts of first-degree murder Tuesday but said there was no definitive motive for the rampage.

The Toledos will repatriate their family patriarch, killed in the Highland Park shooting, so that he can rest in peace in his beloved Morelos, Mexico.

The violence has focused attention on Highland Park's 2013 ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. Illinois officials have long contended that legal and illegal weapons are easily purchased in surrounding states, hampering local laws' effectiveness. For Gordon and other activists in Highland Park, Monday's violent attack was a push to continue working toward national restrictions on such weapons and ammo. Highland Park’s local and federal elected officials back gun restrictions, showing it by their presence at anti-gun violence rallies and their votes. “This is a gun issue.”The Buffalo and Uvalde killings did prompt Congress to pass the most sweeping gun violence bill in a decade.

Orlando Commissioners Regina Hill and Patty Sheehan applauded the quick response of law enforcement as no serious injuries were reported from the resulting mass exodus of people.

Shooting July Fourth-Parade Members of the FBI's Evidence Response Team Unit investigate in downtown Highland Park, Ill., the day after a deadly mass shooting on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Police say the gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun. (Ashlee Rezin /Chicago Sun-Times via AP) (Ashlee Rezin)One person who died in the Independence Day parade shooting in suburban Chicago was an active member of a local Jewish congregation, who once taught preschool and coordinated bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. Another was a beloved grandfather and father of eight who went to the parade for a “fun family day,” as his granddaughter put it. Portraits of the dead began to emerge Tuesday as investigators continued to search for evidence in the shooting that killed at least seven and wounded 30 in Highland Park, an affluent suburb on Chicago's north shore.

A gunman attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun that killed at least six people.

ROME — (AP) — Pope Francis called Tuesday for a rejection of violence and respect for life as he mourned the dead from the “senseless shooting” during an Independence Day parade in Chicago. A shooter firing from a rooftop in Chicago’s Highland Park neighborhood sprayed the parade crowd with bullets, killing six people and injuring 30. Police detained a suspect but have not cited a motive. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Pope Francis has called for a rejection of violence and respect for life as he lamented the “senseless shooting” during an Independence Day parade in Chicago

Choose your plan ArrowRight The Dow Jones Industrial tumbled more than 500 points or 1.7 percent in morning trading. The S&P 500 index fell by 70 points or 1.8 percent at the start of the session, while the tech heavy-Nasdaq lost 190 points or 1.7 percent. More than $8 trillion has been wiped out of the stock market this year. AdvertisementOne of the key economic signals market observers will be watching this week will be the performance of corporate earnings. The most recent hike, which was announced last month, came in at three-quarters of a percentage point, the Fed’s largest since 1994.

Before looking ahead to next year and America’s 247th birthday in 2023, here are some photos of fireworks displays in New York City, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Los Angeles on Monday night.

Highland Park parade shooting: What you need to know A person of interest sought in connection with the mass shooting was taken into custody. (NCD)HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — The gunman who opened fire at a Fourth of July parade Monday morning in a Chicago suburb legally obtained the weapon used in the shooting, the city’s mayor said. >> Read more trending news“I don’t know where the gun came from, but I do know that it was legally obtained,” Nancy Rotering, the mayor of Highland Park, Illinois, said in an interview with the “Today” show Tuesday morning. >> Watch the clip here“My greater focus this morning, as the sun is rising, is how my community is feeling.”Mayor Nancy Rotering shares the overnight developments on the Highland Park shooting. How did somebody become this angry, this hateful to then take it out on innocent people who literally were just having a family day out?’”Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 26 Fourth of July parade shooting A woman wipes tears after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill., a Chicago suburb, Monday, July 4, 2022.

At least 12 people were injured in a stampede at Lake Eola as Fourth of July parkgoers ran from what they thought was a shooting.

The war in Ukraine and its impact on energy supplies are casting a shadow over the global economic outlook at a time when central banks are raising interest rates to slow inflation. It said the revised forecast is mostly due to expectations of slower economic growth rather than buyers switching from gas to coal, oil or renewable energy. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3% to 6,629.30 after the central bank lifted its benchmark interest rate for a third time in three straight months, changing the cash rate to 1.35% from 0.85%. Global investors have been worried about surging inflation and the possibility that higher interest rates could bring on a recession in some economies. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude picked up 55 cents to $108.98 a barrel.

VIDEO: Thousands of travelers pack Orlando International Airport on the 4th of July Whether they were strolling, rolling, or walking in, travelers flooded Orlando International Airport this Independence Day. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — Whether they were strolling, rolling, or walking in, travelers flooded Orlando International Airport this Independence Day. READ: Fourth of July shooting: 6 killed, more than two dozen hurt at Illinois paradeOrlando International Airport officials say the busiest days of this holiday travel period are already behind them. It’s a busy #4thofJuly travel period! READ: Hundreds march across downtown Orlando for abortion rightsAccording to airport officials, they’re expecting to see more than 1.5 million passengers over the course of the entire holiday travel period, which continues through Wednesday.

Dozens of people showed up Monday to help honor a World War II veteran celebrating his 103rd birthday in Ormond Beach.

It’s a well known custom to launch fireworks in celebration of the Fourth of July, but what gives those fireworks that spectacular, colorful hue?

Pro-choice supporters started off Independence Day at the Orange County Courthouse holding up signs and chanting "my body, my choice."

You may have noticed after seeing fireworks displays late in the evening (or setting off your own) that the smoke just seems to sit there long after the show’s over.

The short answer is chemistry.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is jamming U.S. airports with the biggest crowds since the pandemic began in 2020.

Huge crowds are expected to fill Volusia County beaches for the Fourth of July and beach safety is adding extra staff to make sure everyone stays safe this holiday weekend.

It’s about as much of a Fourth of July forecast as you can get in Central Florida. Highs Saturday top out in the low 90s with a mix of sun and clouds.

With the Fourth of July holiday weekend coming up, travel experts are predicting a massive increase in the number of travelers.

The city of Eustis announced its Independence Day Hometown Celebration for Friday, July 1 in Ferran Park.

SeaWorld is giving military veterans, as well as their families and friends, the opportunity to visit some of its parks for free starting this weekend.

The fireworks are still a few days away, but travel for the July Fourth weekend is off to a booming start.

DAYTONA Soccer Fest is coming to Daytona International Speedway for Independence Day weekend.

No fireworks, no alcohol, no pets: Volusia County refreshed all potential Independence Day beachgoers of what rules they’re expected to follow on the seashore.

For those who want to celebrate this holiday in Central Florida, here is a county-by-county list that details where to watch firework displays.

The skies over a scattering of Western U.S. cities will stay dark for the third consecutive Fourth of July as some big fireworks displays are canceled again, this time for pandemic-related supply chain or staffing problems, or fire concerns amid dry weather.

Florida gas prices continue to drop ahead of Fourth of July weekend, which is expected to see a record number of drivers hitting the road.

Before it's Independence Day, find out how much your really know about the Fourth of July holiday.

A record number of Floridians are expected to hit the road for Fourth of July travel, despite high gas prices, according to AAA.

Israeli officials say at least three people have been killed in a Palestinian stabbing attack near Tel Aviv.

Sri Lanka has celebrated its Independence Day with an appeal by the president to the country’s expatriates to send money home as it struggles with the worst economic crisis in decades mainly due to depleted foreign reserves.

Here's a look at some important holidays and celebrations in Hispanic cultures.

Mexico has so many criminals to deal with that critics are openly wondering why the government has sought to lock up 31 academics, professors and researchers in the country's top maximum security prison.

The big highlight of Mexico's Independence Day has been the visit by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Indonesia’s president has pledged to improve COVID-19 testing and treatment in a speech marking the country’s independence.

July 5th is the busiest day for beach cleanups on the coast of Central Florida, with firework debris and trash left behind by those celebrating Independence Day the night before.

Live music, free watermelon, and apple pies made this Monday like no other for Independence Day.

The White House party for the July Fourth holiday has the hallmarks of both happiness and commiseration.

After a year lost to the coronavirus, New York City’s most well-known Fourth of July traditions were back.

Happy (early/late) Fourth of July, depending on when you’re reading this.

Happy Independence Day! Arguably the best day for fireworks is here.

Happy birthday, America. It was 245 years ago this Sunday that the United States declared its independence. Since then, it has been a hot run.

Holiday travel is rebounding from its COVID-19 pandemic slump and this Fourth of July, many of those travelers will be flocking to Orlando.

A look back at historical weather moments on Independence Day.

With Independence Day on the horizon, there will be plenty of celebrations and fireworks. While it might be a party for you, it’s not so much for your pets.

We set our calendars around national holidays — from December 25 for Christmas to July 4 for Independence Day, and, starting this year, June 19 for Juneteenth.

Firework celebrations are back this year for July 4th celebrations.

The City of Clermont announced its Fourth of July event is returning after it was canceled last year due to COVID-19 pandemic.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has sued the U.S. Department of Interior in an effort to see fireworks shot over Mount Rushmore on Independence Day.

Military helicopters fly over Acropolis Hill during a military parade in Athens, Thursday, March 25, 2021. Greece celebrates the bicentenary of the start of the country's war of independence against the Ottoman Empire. Unable to watch the parade in person, many Athenians came out onto balconies in the center of the city to watch the flyby, snapping pictures with cameras and mobile phones. AdThis crucial blow enabled the Greeks to fight on and eventually gain independence in 1830. “Two centuries ago, a handful of determined fighters within and outside Greece, raised the banner of independence.

ORLANDO, Fla. – All 50 states now have until May 1 to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Publix already accepting vaccine appointments for people 60 and olderWhen Publix opened its portal on Friday for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, more Florida residents were eligible. The vaccines will be available from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday:Colonial High School on Oleander Drive in OrlandoEast River High School on East River Falcons Way in OrlandoFreedom High School on W. Taft-Vineland Road in OrlandoOak Ridge High School in OrlandoOcoee High School on Ocoee Crown Point Parkway in OcoeeEmployees must bring their OCPS ID and state ID. [READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: One year since pandemic declaration, Florida reports 96 deaths, 5,065 new cases]Find the state-run COVID-19 dashboard below:Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on March 12. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 5,144 new cases on Friday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,967,865 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020.