CNN US

A US Senate candidate in Louisiana released a campaign ad Tuesday in which he smokes marijuana in an attempt to spark what he calls "a new conversation" around the drug.

About 10 days before taking four hostages at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in north Texas, Malik Faisal Akram had a heated exchange with officials at the Islamic Center of Irving and was eventually escorted from the property, according to the organization's chief legal counsel.

Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, the video game studio behind blockbuster hits like "Warcraft," "Overwatch" and "Call of Duty," in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion. Microsoft says that the move will make the company the third-largest gaming company by revenue, after Tencent and Sony.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker's voice quavered Monday night as he described his emotions since he and three others escaped a hostage situation at his synagogue Saturday.

Kohl's can't catch a break from Wall Street.