Author: chicagoinquirer

by Terry Spencer and Anthony Izaguirre FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated Monday the state’s rejection of a proposed nationwide advanced African American studies course, saying it pushes a political agenda — something three authors cited in the state’s criticism accused him of doing in return. DeSantis said his administration rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies course because “we want education, not indoctrination.” It was revealed last week that the Florida Department of Education recently told the College Board it would bar the course unless changes are made. The state then issued a chart…

by Mathew Perrone WASHINGTON  — U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus. This means Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or how many months it’s been since their last booster. The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell. While more than 80% of the U.S. population has had at least one vaccine…

by Fatima Hussein GOREE ISLAND, Senegal — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen paid a solemn visit Saturday to the salmon-colored house on an island off Senegal that is one of the most recognized symbols of the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade that trapped tens of millions of Africans in bondage for generations. Yellen, in Senegal as part of a 10-day trip aimed at rebuilding economic relationships between the U.S. and Africa, stood in the Gorée Island building known as the House of Slaves and peered out of the “Door of No Return,” from which enslaved people were shipped across…

by Jessica Greeks and Mark Sherman WASHINGTON  — Eight months, 126 formal interviews and a 23-page report later, the Supreme Court said it has failed to discover who leaked a draft of the court’s opinion overturning abortion rights. The report released by the court Thursday is the apparent culmination of an investigation ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts a day after the May leak of the draft to Politico. Notably the report did not indicate whether the justices themselves had been questioned. On Friday, seemingly in response to widespread questions from the media and legal community, the head of the…

CHICAGO — Lori Lightfoot made history as the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as Chicago mayor, sailing to victory four years ago as an outsider who vowed to rid City Hall of corruption and deliver a safer, more equitable city. But her bid for a second term is very much in question amid concerns about continuing high crime in the nation’s third-largest city and accusations that she is overly hostile and sometimes flat-out mean — criticism she has dismissed as sexist and racist smears against a tough leader who is passionate about Chicago. Ahead of a crowded…

by Jessica Greeks and Mark Sherman WASHINGTON  — Eight months, 126 formal interviews and a 23-page report later, the Supreme Court said it has failed to discover who leaked a draft of the court’s opinion overturning abortion rights. The report released by the court Thursday is the apparent culmination of an investigation ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts a day after the May leak of the draft to Politico. At the time, Roberts called the leak an “egregious breach of trust.” The leak touched off protests at justices’ homes and raised concerns about their security. And it came more than…

by Fatima Hussein ZURICH  — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met Wednesday with her Chinese counterpart and pledged an effort to manage differences and “prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict” as the two nations try to thaw relations. Yellen’s first face-to-face meeting with Vice Premier Liu He was the highest-ranking contact between the two countries since their presidents agreed last November to look for areas of potential cooperation. Liu, for his part, said he was ready to work together to seek common ground between China and the U.S. “No matter how circumstances change, we should always maintain dialogue…

by Howard Fendrich MELBOURNE, Australia  — Rafael Nadal bowed his head during changeovers and rested his elbows on his knees, the very picture of resignation. What already was a poor start to 2023, following a year marred by all manner of health issues, reached a low point at the Australian Open on Wednesday. The defending champion and No. 1 seed at Melbourne Park, Nadal injured his left hip and lost to Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round, abruptly ending his bid for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam trophy. “It’s a tough moment. It’s a tough day,” said…

NEW YORK — Madonna will “Take a Bow” with a new tour through North America and Europe starting this summer that will be a “Celebration” of the pop icon’s hits, which include 38 songs in the Billboard Hot 100. The 35-city Live Nation-backed “Madonna: The Celebration Tour” will kick off July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, with stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta and Boston, among others. That leg ends on Oct. 7 in Las Vegas. Then the Material Girl hits Europe, where she has 11 dates throughout the fall, including London,…

by Wanjohi Kabukuru MOMBASA, Kenya  — Climate activists in Africa are expressing anger toward the United Nations climate agency, accusing it of allowing corporations and individuals with dubious climate credentials to greenwash their polluting activities by participating in its annual climate conference. The criticism follows Thursday’s announcement that oil executive Sultan al-Jaber will lead the next round of U.N. climate talks, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates beginning in late November. The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance termed the move as the “lowest moment” for the U.N. agency. The U.N.’s climate body hasn’t commented on the appointment.…