Author: chicagoinquirer

by Terry Spencer A $30-million legal battle between Tiger Woods and his ex-girlfriend has escalated, with Erica Herman accusing the golf superstar of beginning their sexual relationship when she was his employee and threatening to fire her if she didn’t sign a nondisclosure agreement she now wants voided. Herman, in court documents filed late Friday, also accused Woods of having his lawyer break up with her at an airport in October after falsely telling her they were going on a weekend trip. The lawyer then evicted her from Woods’ $54 million mansion north of Palm Beach. The documents were filed…

by Lisa Mascaro WASHINGTON — The White House and Congress could strike a deal to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for budget cuts. Or they could agree to a stopgap measure to keep paying the nation’s bills while negotiations continue. They also could let the negotiations unravel, sending the economy into chaos. As President Joe Biden meets Tuesday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders for the first time over the debt ceiling crisis, the options for easing out of the standoff are many. But the political incentive for compromise is harder to come by. There’s no…

CHICAGO — The struggling Chicago Fire fired coach Ezra Hendrickson and replaced him with Frank Klopas for the remainder of the season. The team also fired assistant coach Junior González on Monday. The Fire (2-3-5) are 14th of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference with 11 points. Only the New York Red Bulls (nine points, 1-4-6) trail Chicago, and New York parted with coach Gerhard Struber on Monday in what the team said was a mutual agreement. Hendrickson led Chicago to a 12-18-14 mark over two seasons. He spent 13 years coaching at the domestic and international levels before the…

by Seung Min Kim WASHINGTON  — Joe Biden served in the Senate for 270 years. He used to be three years older than his sister Valerie, but now has 20 years on her. And the fourth U.S. president — whom Biden affectionally calls “Jimmy” Madison — is a good friend. All kidding aside, the 80-year-old Biden will tell you, he is at the end of his career, not the beginning. He’s been doing this for a long time. And he’s gotten a “hell of a lot of wisdom” over those years, making him deserving of a second term. As Biden,…

PHILADELPHIA – After James Harden had the two worst consecutive shooting games of his entire career in Games 2 and 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics, coach Doc Rivers decided to remind his star guard of who he is heading into Game 4. “I sent him a gospel song,” Rivers later said with a laugh. “The title of it is, ‘You Know My Name?’ PHILADELPHIA — After James Harden had the two worst consecutive shooting games of his entire career in Games 2 and 3 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Eastern Conference semifinal series…

by Emeka Obasi You are just through with secondary education, getting ready to hit home for some deserved rest you are accosted by officials of one of the top clubs in Africa who drive you straight to camp and in the next couple of days, you make your international debut. That was what happened to Emmanuel Merenini in 1976. An accomplished star and member of the dreaded Holy Ghost College, Owerri squad, he was given a a first team role by the Enugu Rangers technical crew in the quarter finals of African Clubs Championships ( now known as CAF Champions…

by Dan Gelston PHILADELPHIA — James Harden sank the overtime 3-pointer that sent the 76ers to a playoff victory and instantly waved over John Hao, a paralyzed Michigan State shooting survivor who developed a long-distance FaceTime bond with Philadelphia’s star guard. Harden had just scored 42 points, removed his sneakers, signed them and handed them to his new friend. “He brought me good vibes, good energy,” Harden said. Hao was all smiles as he looked on from the court, a needed respite from looming rehabilitation for the international student from China who attended Game 4 as Harden’s guest. Before the…

by Brian Kelley and Sylvia Hui LONDON  — A day after a gilded coronation ceremonywatched by millions, King Charles III and Queen Camilla let others take the center stage Sunday as they took in a star-studded concert featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and others at Windsor Castle. The newly-crowned monarch and his wife appeared to enjoy the show as Richie performed “All Night Long,” at one point getting up on their feet and swaying along to the music. Other members of the royal family, including 8-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince George, 9, waved Union flags along with a crowd of…

by Mohamed Wagdy and Kareem Chehayeb CAIRO  — The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister to Sunday’s gathering. Thirteen out of the league’s 22 member states sent their foreign ministers to the meeting in Cairo. The decision represented a victory for Damascus, albeit a largely symbolic one. Given that Western sanctions against Assad’s government remain in place,…

by Ayanna Alexander COLUMBIA, S.C.  — LaJoia Broughton, a 41-year-old small-business owner, considers herself a fan of President Joe Biden. He’s provided opportunities for Black-owned business while bringing integrity to the White House, she said. Her decision for 2024 is not in doubt. “Biden has proven himself in the last few years, and I’ll be voting for him in the next election,” said Broughton, who owns a lobbying and public affairs firm in Columbia, South Carolina’s capital city. Destiny Humphreys is less enthusiastic. The 22-year-old senior at South Carolina State University, the state’s only public historically Black college or university,…