CHICAGO — In a stunningly fast decision, a federal appeals court in Chicago reinstated Wisconsin's voter photo identification law Friday — just hours after three Republican-appointed judges heard arguments on reactivating the hotly debated law in time for the November election.

In a brief order, a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said, “The State of Wisconsin may, if it wishes ... enforce the photo ID requirement in this November's elections.”

Wisconsin officials wasted no time in saying they would do just that.

“We are taking every step to fully implement the voter photo ID law for the November general election,” said Kevin Kennedy, the state's top election official. “We are now focused on communicating with local election officials and voters, and will have more information about the details next week.”

Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, heralded the court's decision as a victory for his state.

PHOENIX — In a ruling that calls into question Arizona's gay marriage ban, a judge handed a victory Friday to a gay man who lost his spouse to cancer last month and was denied death benefits because the state prohibits same-sex unions.U.S. District Judge John Sedwick allowed Fred McQuire to be listed on his spouse's death certificate, marking another development in the national debate over gay marriage as state and federal judges across the country have struck down bans in more than a dozen states at a rapid rate since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year.Friday's decision only applied to McQuire, but the judge signaled that Arizona's gay marriage ban may not hold up after he hears a broader challenge to the constitutionality of the law.“The court has not yet decided whether there is a conflict between Arizona law and the Constitution, but the court has decided that it is probable that there is such a conflict that Arizona will be required to permit same-sex marriages,” said Sedwick, who was nominated to the federal bench in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State University should disavow the investigative report of the school's celebrated marching band that led to the firing of its director for failing to stop a “sexualized culture” and immediately reinstate him, according to report by a group of band alumni released Friday.The report also calls for an independent investigation of the university's handling of Jonathan Waters' July 24 firing and a university apology to band members and alumni.The 103-page report also recommends the university put the marching band, currently a part of the School of Music, under independent oversight.

LIMA, Ohio — Criminal and internal investigations are underway to determine how a convicted killer of three Ohio high school students managed to escape from prison, along with two other inmates, state correction officials say.Outside experts also will review procedures of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and recommend possible improvements, the agency said.Authorities say the three inmates, including school shooter T.J. Lane, escaped from prison in Lima in northwestern Ohio on Thursday night by scaling a fence, which immediately sounded an alarm.All three were back in custody by Friday morning, and officials said they were transferred to a high-security prison in Youngstown on the other side of the state.