Author: chicagoinquirer

by Cliff Brunt OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points in three quarters, and the Oklahoma City Thunder set league and team records in a 149-106 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night that tied the Western Conference semifinal series at one game apiece. Oklahoma City set an NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87, surpassing the 86 scored by the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017. Chet Holmgren, who missed two critical free throws late in Game 1, made a pair with one…

by Kyler Hightower BOSTON (AP) — For the second straight game, the New York Knicks found themselves in a hole the Boston Celtics have rarely let teams out of this season. The Knicks again found a way — almost the same way, in fact — to pull off the improbable. And now they are two wins away from knocking the defending champions out of the playoffs. Mikal Bridges sealed another 20-point comeback with his second straight game-ending steal and the Knicks stunned the Celtics again Wednesday night, winning 91-90 for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “Just finding…

by Steve Peoples NEW YORK — As President Donald Trump pushes the historical boundaries of executive power, some of the Democratic Party’s core political institutions are preparing for the possibility that the federal government may soon launch criminal investigations against them. The Democrats’ dominant national fundraising platform, ActBlue, and the party’s largest protest group, Indivisible, are working with their attorneys for just such a scenario, according to officials within both organizations. Trump’s top political allies have suggested both groups should face prosecution. Other Democratic allies are planning for Trump-backed legal crackdowns as well. Wary of antagonizing the president, most prefer…

by Marc Levy HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion where he set a fire that left significant damage and forced Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate the building, authorities said Sunday. The man, captured later in the day, will face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, authorities said. Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence on…

Bill Barrow ATLANTA — Trump administration officials were out in force across the television networks Sunday defending President Donald Trump’s economic policies after another week of reeling markets that saw the Republican administration reverse course on some of its steepest tariffs. Trump, meanwhile, said on his social media platform that there ultimately will be no exemptions for his sweeping tariff agenda, disputing characterizations that he has granted tariff exceptions for certain electronics, including smart phones, whose production is concentrated in China. Rather, Trump said, “those products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to…

by Josh Boak WASHINGTON — Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%. It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the U.S. and most of the world to a showdown between the U.S. and China. The S&P 500 stock index jumped more than 7% after the announcement, but the drama over Trump’s tariffs will now be prolonged as the administration engages in negotiations that could cause uncertainties to…

by Moses Oludele Idowu “It is not titles that honour men but men that honour titles.” – Niccolo Machiavelli Sometimes in the 1980’s or 1990’s a troubling fact came to light from a retired army officer based on statistics to the effect that Nigeria has the highest number of retired generals in the world. Much more than Israel, Soviet Union, United States etc., and other nations involved in heavy military combat. I think it was the late Joe Garba who said it but can’t remember precisely now. That was about 30 years ago. With the gale of retirements every time…

by Ita Goldenberg TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington this week for a hastily organized White House visit bringing a long list of concerns: Iran’s nuclear program. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The surging influence of rival Turkey in Syria. And the 18-month war in Gaza. Netanyahu appeared to leave Monday’s meeting largely empty-handed — a stark contrast with his triumphant visit two months ago. During an hourlong Oval Office appearance, Trump appeared to slap down, contradict or complicate each of Netanyahu’s policy prerogatives. On Tuesday, Netanyahu declared the meeting a success, calling it a…

by Colleen Slevin DENVER — A man accused of torturing people suspected in a planned coup against Gambia’s longtime leader was a low-ranking private in the West African country’s military who risked torture and death himself if he disobeyed superiors, a lawyer for the defendant told jurors Tuesday in opening statements at his trial. After moving to Denver, Michael Sang Correa was indicted in 2020 under a rarely used law that allows people to be tried in the U.S. judicial system for torture allegedly committed abroad. He is charged with both torturing five people suspected of involvement in the failed…

by Chinedu Asalu and Hannah Schoenbaum LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The three Americans convicted of participating in a botched coup attempt in Congo last year have been repatriated to the United States, days after their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, Congo’s presidency said Tuesday. The three will serve out their life sentences in the U.S. following the repatriation done in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said. The presidency said the Americans left Tuesday morning. International law experts say it’s unlikely the U.S. will shorten their sentences. The State Department said it was aware…