Le Journal

Amanda Montgomery and her husband started AM and PM Hemp Farm in downstate Kirkland in 2020. After her husband passed unexpectedly last year, the farm, which produces and sells a range of hemp-derived goods, has been her "sole livelihood," Montgomery said.But the farm could go up in smoke due to the Republican-led spending deal to reopen the federal government that passed Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump late Wednesday."This bill would pretty much destroy my entire farm operation," Montgomery said hours before the the bill with hemp restrictions became law, calling the move “unnecessary and cruel.”A last-minute provision in the shutdown-ending legislation narrows the definition of hemp from the 2018 Farm Bill, now closing the loophole that allowed for an array of intoxicating cannabinoids that lawmakers in Illinois and beyond failed to regulate.Hemp farmers and business owners in Illinois — who have long called for regulations on their billion-dollar industry — told the Sun-Times the federal ban will devastate their businesses. Jeremy Dedic, a co-owner at Cubbington’s Cabinet in North Center, said the new rule could close his store and the businesses he sources products from, since it would practically make it impossible to produce safe consumable products, including those that include non-intoxicating cannabinoids. Numerous hemp-derived products sit on the shelves of Cubbington’s Cabinet located at 2015 W. Roscoe St. in the North Center neighborhood, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times “It would essentially decimate the entire industry, aside from the high-intoxication THC products that you have in your state-licensed dispensaries,” Dedic said. The cannabis industry has long argued that its hemp competitors should be held to the same lengthy, expensive licensing standards that weed dispensaries face.At the Logan Square craft brewery Hopewell, the Choom line of THC-infused beverages, which the company began selling last year, now accounts for about 30% of its sales, said co-founder Samantha Lee.The federal ban, without much political debate or opportunities for businesses to chime in, threatens to take that all away, during an already challenging time for craft beverage makers like hers, Lee said.“We would like to keep morale up, but it will mean that we will need to let people go... and reduce our business in some fashion that will be painful,” she said.Failed efforts at Illinois regulationsThe ban, which surfaced over the weekend, renders moot the hemp regulation debate that has sown division among state lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker. And it spells trouble for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal.Illinois lawmakers had made repeated attempts to regulate hemp-derived THC products at the state level, but with zero success at reining in products that can affect people like marijuana does, and have sometimes been marketed to kids.Pritzker backed a bill limiting sales of most hemp-derived products to cannabis dispensaries. The measure passed the state Senate but died in the House earlier this year amid intense hemp industry opposition.The Democratic governor, a fierce Trump opponent, has blasted the broader Republican federal spending bill, but he welcomed federal guidelines to clear up the legal gray area around hemp products.”In the absence of action in Springfield, Governor Pritzker supports policies to protect people, including children, from being misinformed or harmed by these products,” a spokesperson said.West Side state Rep. La Shawn Ford — who has pushed for less stringent regulations including age limits, testing standards and packaging requirements for hemp products — said the ban starts “a whole new war on drugs.”“You can’t ban it. It’s still here. It’s just being driven underground,” he said.Ford suggested that even with federal limitations, state lawmakers could legalize hemp-derived THC products just like they did recreational cannabis in 2020 — little solace to hemp…

DETROIT — Calling this game against the Pistons embarrassing would be an understatement.How about humiliating, shameful, mortifying? Getting warmer.“The way we lost just can’t happen,” Bulls guard Kevin Huerter said.No, it can’t, but it did.The Pistons were without starters Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Cade Cunningham — who just so happened to be coming off a triple-double in which he scored 46 points on 45 shots, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 11 assists — and still beat the Bulls 124-113.The JV didn’t just beat the varsity; they humbled it Wednesday.“We talked about [facing an undermanned opponent] before the game,” Huerter said. “This happens all the time in the NBA. Guys are out, teams relax, their guys that don’t get consistent minutes are chomping at the bit to get in. They came out at the jump, kicked us in the teeth, and we didn’t really respond until the fourth. Lackadaisical all night.”And really for the first time this season. TURN US UP RONALD‼️ pic.twitter.com/D36t81iFgn— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 13, 2025 The Bulls (6-5) have lost four in a row, but the games against the Bucks, Cavaliers and Spurs — their last three opponents — were tough battles against teams with an elite player. This was something different.“It was certainly talked about,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We just dropped three games in a row. It’s not like we’ve run off seven or eight in a row and maybe we were a little full of ourselves. We just dropped three in a row, and you should be coming out more desperate than that in my opinion.”Detroit’s B-team sure did.Hot outside shooting by the Pistons (10-2) turned an apparent easy night into a nightmare for the Bulls, who already were down 21-9 in the first quarter.Surely, it couldn’t last through the entire first half. But it did, and that was the frustrating part for Donovan. His team got outscored 35-23 in the first quarter, and their response was to get outscored 33-29 in the second for a 68-52 halftime deficit.It looked like some sanity would return to the Little Caesars Arena in the third quarter as the Bulls cut the deficit to single digits on several occasions. Isaac Okoro’s layup with 5:45 left in the third cut the deficit to nine, sending out “here come the Bulls” vibes. False alarm. Within three minutes, Detroit’s lead was back up to 23.There was a big push in the fourth quarter. The Bulls got the deficit down to four twice in the last seven minutes. Both times they were held off from getting closer.Pistons big man Paul Reed, who was averaging four points in November, dominated with 28 points and 13 rebounds.Meanwhile, the Bulls were led by Matas Buzelis, who had 21 points, and Huerter chipped in 20.“This is a highly competitive league, and I don’t think anyone is good enough just to show up and think they can step between the lines,” Donovan said. “You have to have incredible focus and be locked in to what’s going on. You have to be really, really desperate.“We’re not more gifted than teams where we can just say, ‘OK, we’re just going to show up.’ ’’ Latest on the Bulls Bulls Bulls rookie Noa Essengue dealing with growing pains of being a project Essengue finished with an impressive 28 points for the Windy City Bulls on Tuesday, but that hasn’t changed the plans the big-team Bulls have for the 12th overall pick. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Joe Cowley read NBA Micheal Ray Richardson, NBA All-Star guard banned for violating league's drug policy, dies at 70 Richardson was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference player at Montana before being selected No. 4 in the 1978 NBA Draft, two slots ahead of Larry Bird. He was a four-time All-Star who led the league in steals three times. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By AP read Bulls Help Wanted: Bulls need a crunch-time closer who can counter opposing All-Stars The Bulls’ major issue during their three-game losing streak can’t be ignored. They are the have-nots in…

A man is facing murder charges in connection with the death of a 2-month-old boy in Roseland earlier this year, according to Chicago police.Anthony Evans, 23, faces a count of First-degree murder, police said. He was arrested Monday.The 2-month-old boy was found unresponsive and later died April 28, police said. The boy's death, which was ruled a homicide, was caused by child abuse and stemmed from "multiple injuries," according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Evans is due in court Thursday, police said.

A man has died after being shot last month in North Lawndale.Andre Hudson, 61, died Saturday and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.Chicago police have said Hudson and another man were outside a corner store around 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4 in the 3400 block of West Ogden Avenue when shots were fired from a sedan in the street.Video from a nearby camera showed a dark colored sedan slow down in front of the store, a rear door opens and someone inside begins shooting; rifle casings were found at the scene, according to a police report obtained by the Sun-Times.Hudson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition after being shot three times, police said. The other man, 21, was shot in the left shoulder and taken to the same hospital where he was listed in good condition, police said.No has been arrested in connection with the shooting, police said.