Author: chicagoinquirer

As the war in Ukraine marks 200 days, the country has reclaimed broad swaths of the south and east in a long-anticipated counteroffensive that has dealt a heavy blow to Russia. The counterattack began in the final days of August and at first focused on the southern region of Kherson, which was swept by Russian forces in the opening days of the invasion. But just as Moscow redirected attention and troops there, Ukraine launched another, highly effective offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv. Facing the prospect of a large group of its forces becoming surrounded, Moscow ordered a troop…

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans remembered 9/11 on Sunday with tear-choked tributes and pleas to “never forget,” 21 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Nikita Shah headed to the ceremony at ground in a T-shirt that bore the de facto epigraph of the annual commemoration — “never forget” — and the name of her slain father, Jayesh Shah. The family moved to Houston afterward but has often returned to New York for the anniversary of the attack that killed him and nearly 3,000 other people. “For us, it was being around people who kind of experienced the…

by Cara Anna, Danica Cotto and Rodney Muhumuza NAIROBI, Kenya  — Upon taking the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II inherited millions of subjects around the world, many of them unwilling. Today, in the British Empire’s former colonies, her death brings complicated feelings, including anger. Beyond official condolences praising the queen’s longevity and service, there is some bitterness about the past in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Talk has turned to the legacies of colonialism, from slavery to corporal punishment in African schools to looted artifacts held in British institutions. For many, the queen came to represent all of…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  — A Black pastor who was arrested by white police officers while watering the flowers of a neighbor who was out of town filed a federal lawsuit alleging the ordeal violated his constitutional rights and caused lingering problems including emotional distress and anxiety. Michael Jennings filed the lawsuit Friday night against three officers and the central Alabama town of Childersburg requesting a jury trial and seeking an unspecified amount of money. Jennings’ lawyers held a news conference outside the Birmingham federal courthouse on Saturday to discuss the lawsuit, and the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, and…

CHICAGO  — The Connecticut Sun made no secret about wanting revenge against Chicago in the teams’ WNBA Playoff semifinal series, especially after the Sky sent them packing from the semifinals in 2021 while on the way to the title. “We come up here every year and Chicago kicks our (butt),” Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said of the Sky, who swept all four regular-season meetings. Connecticut got the revenge it sought as Jonquel Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds and the Sun overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, beating the Sky 72-63 Thursday night in the decisive fifth…

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears say they will need taxpayer assistance if they are going to construct an enclosed suburban stadium that could host Super Bowls, Final Fours and College Football Playoff games and anchor a surrounding entertainment and residential complex. Chairman George McCaskey said the team would not seek public funding to build the stadium itself if the Bears complete the purchase of a 326-acre site in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and decide to move from Soldier Field. But they would need help to complete the rest of a multibillion-dollar project. The Bears envision restaurants, retail, office…

by Darlene Superville  WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of official portraits with a modern vibe: him standing expressionless against a white background and her seated on a sofa in the Red Room wearing a formal light blue dress. “Barack and Michelle, welcome home,” President Joe Biden said before he invited the Obamas to the stage to unveil the portraits. Some in the audience gasped, others applauded. “It’s great to be back,” Obama said when it was his turn to speak. He praised Biden — his…

by Andrew Seligman CHICAGO  — The Chicago Bears plan to build an enclosed suburban stadium that could host Super Bowls, College Football Playoff games and Final Fours. The Bears released conceptual illustrations Tuesday of the proposed stadium and entertainment complex that would be built on the site of a former horse racing track in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The Bears said the project could include restaurants, office space, a hotel, fitness center, new parks and open areas as well as “other improvements for the community to enjoy.” “We envision a multi-purpose entertainment district anchored by a new, best-in-class enclosed stadium, providing…

by Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless LONDON (AP) — Liz Truss became U.K. prime minister on Tuesday and immediately confronted the enormous task ahead of her amid increasing pressure to curb soaring prices, ease labor unrest and fix a health care system burdened by long waiting lists and staff shortages. At the top of her in-box is the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which threatens to push energy bills to unaffordable levels, shuttering businesses and leaving the nation’s poorest people shivering in icy homes this winter. Truss, who refused to spell out her energy strategy during the…

LONDON — Liz Truss has been elected as the Conservative Party’s new leader, the party announced Monday, and she will take office Tuesday as Britain’s new prime minister to steer the country through an acute cost-of-living crisis. The 47-year-old Truss, who is currently foreign secretary, beat former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak after a leadership contest in which only about 170,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party were allowed to vote. Truss received 81,326 votes, compared with Sunak’s 60,399. She faces immediate pressure to deliver on her promises to tackle the cost-of-living crisis walloping the U.K. and an economy heading into…