Author: chicagoinquirer

by Joey Cappelletti LEESBURG, Va. — Gathered at a resort in suburban Virginia, House Democrats this week were acting like a party on the verge of reclaiming power as they drafted policy blueprints and spoke confidently about election victories in November. “We’re here at this issues conference to talk amongst each other and with outside stakeholders and experts about a bold, meaningful, transformational path forward,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. After a punishing 2024 cycle, many Democrats believe the high cost of living as well as voter frustration with President Donald Trump’s second term have put…

by Meg Kinnard WASHINGTON  — A crowd gathered at a commuter gate at Reagan National Airport on Friday as fog-laden Washington skies caused an hourlong ground stop that backed up passengers hoping to head out from American Airlines’ Terminal D. But soon the already densely packed area swelled even more, as word spread across nearby gates that, of the hundreds of air travelers coming and going, only one among them was accompanied by a U.S. Secret Service detail, along with uniformed local police officers: former President Joe Biden. Biden, who has rarely made public appearances since leaving office last year,…

by Stephen Groves WASHINGTON  — Former President Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse as he faced hours of grilling from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago. “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media. The closed-door deposition ended after more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers who said he answered every question posed to him. The…

by Sarah Raza Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges Friday against 30 more people who are accused of civil rights violations in a January protest inside a Minnesota churchwhere a pastor works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bondi said on social media that 25 people were in custody and more arrests would follow. The new indictment comes a month after independent journalists Don Lemonand Georgia Fort and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong were charged for their alleged roles in a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. Bondi accused the group of attacking a house of worship. “If…

by Jon Gambrell and Konstantin Toropin DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran’s capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city’s downtown. The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The United States is participating, though it was immediately clear the full extent of their involvement, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his offices at the time. He…

by Stephen Groves WASHINGTON  — Former President Bill Clinton is testifying Friday before members of Congress investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, answering for his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago. The closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York, will mark the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress. It comes a day after Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sat with lawmakers for her own deposition. Bill Clinton has also not been accused of any wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are grappling with what accountability in the United States looks…

by Stephen Sloan and Steve Peoples WASHINGTON  — President Donald Trump started in sales mode, using his State of the Union address to deliver an upbeat vision of the U.S. economy. But that portrayal collides with the sentiment of Americans who remain anxious about their finances and feel they haven’t benefited from Trump’s policies. He took the high road to honor the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team and a war hero before pivoting abruptly to a darker tone as he ridiculed Democrats. Here are takeaways from the speech. Trump’s ‘roaring’ economy is at odds with sour public sentiment…

by Matt Calson CHICAGO  — Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds for his NBA-leading 39th double-double and the New York Knicks outlasted the sliding Chicago Bulls 105-99 on Sunday night for their second straight victory. Towns scored six straight points — on a 3-pointer, a layup and free throw — after Chicago took a 95-94 lead with 3:52 left in regulation on Matas Buzelis’ 3. Mikal Bridges hit another 3-pointer with 27 seconds left, and Jalen Brunson iced it with two free throws. Brunson had 19 points and nine assists to help New York deal the Bulls a…

by Dyepkazah Shibayan ABUJA, Nigeria  — At least 33 people have been killed after Islamic militants launched simultaneous attacks on a district in northwest Nigeria, according to the police. The attack took place on Wednesday in the Biu community of Kebbi state, police spokesman Bashir Usman said in a statement late Thursday night. The assailants crossed from Sokoto state, parts of which are occupied by the Lakurawa insurgent group, Usman said. “Preliminary investigations confirm that armed Lakurawa militants entered the area to rustle cattle,” he said, adding that security personnel have been deployed to restore calm and maintain order. The…

by Joey Cappelletti and Steven Sloan WASHINGTON  — The National Governors Association is pulling out of an annual meeting at the White House after President Donald Trump declined to invite two Democratic governors, undercutting one of Washington’s few remaining bipartisan gatherings. Trump is still expected to meet with governors at the White House on Friday but the event will not be facilitated by an organization founded more than a century ago to help state leaders from both parties advocate for their interests in Washington. The Republican president had refused to include Democratic Govs. Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore…