Author: chicagoinquirer

by Carla K. Johnson Most teenagers don’t use drugs. There’s data to show that because of a 50-year-old government survey that may now be in jeopardy. The entire 17-member U.S. government team responsible for the National Survey on Drug Use and Health received layoff notices Tuesday, as part of the overhaul of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s not clear whether there is an alternative plan to analyze the data, which local and state governments use to develop prevention measures and treatment services. The federal government distributes grant money to fight the opioid addiction crisis based on…

by Devna Bose A federal judge will temporarily block President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting billions in federal dollars that support COVID-19 initiatives and public health projects throughout the country. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, appointed by Trump in 2019 but first nominated by former President Barack Obama, in Rhode Island said Thursday that she plans to grant the court order sought by 23 states and the District of Columbia. “They make a case, a strong case, for the fact that they will succeed on the merits, so I’m going to grant the temporary restraining order,” said McElroy, who plans…

by Isabella O’Malley Weather forecasters sometimes warn of storms that unleash rains so unusual they are described as 100-year or even 500-year floods. Here’s what to know about how scientists determine how extreme a flood is and how common these extreme events are becoming. What does a 100-year flood mean? Scientists use math to help people understand how unusual a severe flood is and how to compare the intensity of one flood to another. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, one statistic scientists use is the percentage chance that a flood of a specific magnitude will happen. A 500-year flood…

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Chicago Bears seemed to shift at least some of their attention for a new stadium back to the suburbs, with president Kevin Warren saying Wednesday the team’s focus is split between a tract of land it owns in Arlington Heights and the Chicago lakefront. “The focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights,” Warren said at the NFL meetings. “These are not linear processes or projects. They take time. They take a lot of energy and effort. I am very, very pleased with where we are.” Warren’s comments marked a shift for the organization.…

by Tiffany Stanley WASHINGTON (AP) — There is so much history between the walls of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, which has hosted funerals for Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass and opened its pews to American presidents and civil rights icons. It made history again this year: Thanks to a lawsuit, Metropolitan AME now controls the trademark to the Proud Boys, the far-right group that once vandalized the church’s property in Washington. After a pro-Donald Trump rally in December 2020, Proud Boys destroyed Black Lives Matter signs at two historically Black churches during a violent night in the city. “The…

by Jenniffer Peltz and Michael R. Sisak NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge dismissed New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ corruption case on Wednesday, agreeing it was the only practical outcome while blasting the Justice Department’s “troubling” rationale for wanting the charges thrown out — namely so the Democrat could help President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The judge, though, denied prosecutors the option to refile the charges after the mayoral election. Judge Dale E. Ho’s order to dismiss the case “with prejudice” spares Adams from having to govern in a way that pleases Trump or potentially risk having the…

by Bridget Brown and Bernard Mcghee President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners — a 34% tax on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others — that threaten to dismantle much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars. Trump, in a Rose Garden announcement, said he was placing elevated tariff rates on dozens of nations that run meaningful trade surpluses with the United States while imposing a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries in response to what he called an economic…

by Mead Gruver and Thomas Peipert AURORA, Colo. (AP) — With members of a trailblazing Black Air Force unit passing away at advanced ages, efforts to remain true to their memory carry on despite sometimes confusing orders from President Donald Trump as he purges federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Col. James H. Harvey III, 101, is among the last few airmen and support crew who proved that a Black unit — the 332nd Fighter Group of the Tuskegee Airmen — could fight as well as any other in World War II and the years after. He went on to…

by Paul Wiseman WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added solid 151,000 jobs last month, but the outlook is cloudy as President Donald threatens a trade war, purges the federal workforce and promises to deport millions of immigrants. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring was up from a revised 125,000 in January. Economists had expected 160,000 new jobs last month. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1% as the number jobless Americans rose by 203,000. Employment rose in healthcare, finance and transportation and warehousing. The federal government shed 10,000 jobs, the most since June 2022, though economists don’t expect Trump’s federal…

by Dick Scanlon ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Coby White scored a career-high 44 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 125-123 on Thursday night. White was 7 of 15 from 3-point range. He scored Chicago’s last nine points on two layups, a dunk and a 3-pointer. Josh Giddy added 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and and Tre Jones had 20 points. Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony scored 20 points each for Orlando. The Magic have lost five straight. Takeaways Bulls: The injury-depleted Bulls came back from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit, raising their road record to…