Author: chicagoinquirer

by Jay Cohen CHICAGO  — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will not return to the team next year, ending a wildly successful run that included three Stanley Cup championships in 15 seasons. General manager Kyle Davidson said Thursday that the team will not re-sign its longtime center, who turns 35 on April 29. He is eligible for free agency after agreeing to an $84 million, eight-year contract extension in July 2014. “I think words fail to adequately summarize everything that Jonathan’s done for the organization, the amazing memories that he provided,” Davidson said. “He’ll be a Blackhawk forever.” Chicago hosts…

by Tim Reynolds MIAMI  — It was October 19, the night the season started for most NBA teams. Chicago went to Miami, Oklahoma City went to Minnesota. Nearly six months later, here they are again: Chicago at Miami, Oklahoma City at Minnesota. This time, the season is about to end for two teams. The NBA’s play-in tournament wraps up Friday night with a pair of elimination games — the Bulls at the Heat for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, followed by the Thunder at the Timberwolves for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The winners…

by Joseph Omoremi CHICAGO, IL – It is pay back time for erstwhile Presi- dent of Hope Club of Chicago Olukoga Olutayo who is seek- ing thousands of dollars from Cook County for pain and suf- fering and medical expenses he incurred after he was bru- tally attacked during his short incarceration at County jail on 2600 South California Av- enue. Olutayo suffered broken hips and bruised back on October 26, 2013 when co-inmate Joshua Lacy covered his face with bed sheet and punched him ceaselessly before he al- legedly dragged him to the Day room where he stomped on…

by Tyler Ayodeji CHICAGO-Retired Chicago Police Office Kolawole Amoje is a household name in the African community. Outgoing, easy to talk to, cool, calm and collected. It is not uncommon to see him of- fering advice to seekers, shar- ing his experience in the force with others and encouraging the younger Africans to join the police force. Amuje warn outlook should however not be mistaken for weakness. He was a hard core police officer until he retired last year. Even out of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), he has not relented. In- stead, he would have loved to return to…

by Joseph Omoremi CHICAGO, IL – Personal in- jury attorney Olarewaju Olakunle Temitayo Amu re- cently returned to Nigeria, his place of birth, after exploring all options without success to upturn his law license suspen- sion. “I arrived Abuja 11.30pm Fri- day 6.19.15. I will keep you posted. My regards,” Amu said in a text message to the Chicago Inquirer stressing “I will call or write soon.” Amu’s law license was sus- pended in August 6, 2013 for three years after the Illinois Supreme Court heeded the recommendation of the Arbi- tration Registration and Disci- plinary Commission (ARDC). Amu mounted…

by Paul J. Weber and Jessica Gresko AUSTIN, Texas  — The Justice Department said Thursday that it will again go to the Supreme Court over abortion after a lower court ruling allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to remain available in the U.S. but reimposed past restrictions on getting and using the drug. At stake in the accelerating court battle that began in Texas is widespread access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year after the reversal of Roe v. Wadeprompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright. In a ruling late Wednesday, the…

by May Clare Jalonick WASHINGTON  — Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s monthslong absence from the Senate to recover in California from shingleshas become a vexing problem for Democrats who want to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees to the federal courts. Now there is some pressure from within her party, and her state, to resign. With frustration mounting among Democrats, Feinstein on Wednesday asked to be temporarily replaced on the Senate Judiciary Committee while she recuperates. The statement came shortly after a member of California’s House delegation, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, called on her to step down, saying it is “unacceptable” for her…

by Jonathan Mattis and Kimberlee Kruesi NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The second of two Black Democrats who were kicked out of the Republican-led Tennessee House followed his colleague back to work at the Capitol on Thursday, a week after their expulsion for participating in a gun control protest propelled them into the national spotlight. State Rep. Justin Pearson, of Memphis, was sworn in Thursday outside the Statehouse. The day before, Shelby County commissioners unanimously voted to reinstate him. “Yes indeed, happy resurrection day,” Pearson said as he signed paperwork for his return. “There will be a new building of this building,…

by Eric Tucker, Tara Copp and Michael Balsamo WASHINGTON  — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, a breach that has raised questions about America’s ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets. The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged at his Massachusetts home. He is to be charged under the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to remove or transmit classified national defense information,…

by Ellen Knickmeyer and Hanna Archirova WASHINGTON  — Ukraine’s leaders say they don’t see a major U.S. intelligence leak as gravely damaging future offensives. A key reason: They have long held back on sharing their most sensitive operational information, doubting Washington’s ability to keep their secrets safe. Ukrainian and U.S. officials said this week that only Ukrainians know some battle plans and other operational information, not the Americans, their most important ally. That means the leak of secret military documents, including some assessing Ukraine’s battlefield strengths and weaknesses against Russia, may not have been enough — so far — to…