Author: chicagoinquirer

by Michael R. Sisal and Jennifer PeltShare NEW YORK — A gut punch for most defendants, Donald Trump turned his criminal conviction into a rallying cry. His supporters put “I’m Voting for the Felon” on T-shirts, hats and lawn signs. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” Trump proclaimed after his conviction in New York last spring on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Now, just a week after Trump’s resounding election victory, a Manhattan judge is poised to decide whether to uphold the hush money verdict or dismiss it because of a U.S. Supreme…

by Andrew Selma CHICAGO — The New England Patriots had Caleb Williams on the run and his receivers locked down right from the start. Drake Maye enjoyed watching his defense shut down the Chicago Bears and their prized quarterback. And he’ll take the win that came with it. Maye got the better of Williams in a matchup between top rookie quarterbacks and New England beat struggling Chicago 19-3 on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT Maye led five scoring drives and the Patriots sacked Williams a season-high nine times, helping New England (3-7) come away with the win after losing seven of eight. “It’s…

by Alanna Durbin Richer Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. WASHINGTON (AP) — The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case canceled any remaining court deadlines Friday while prosecutors assess the “the appropriate course going forward” in light of the Republican’s presidential victory. Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. But Smith’s team has been evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases before the president-elect takes office because of longstanding Justice Department…

by Larry Neumeister NEW YORK — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs filed a new request for bail on Friday, saying changed circumstances, along with new evidence, mean the hip-hop mogul should be allowed to prepare for a May trial from outside jail. Lawyers for Combs filed the request in Manhattan federal court, where his previous requests for bail have been rejected by two judges since his September arrest on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees, while silencing victims…

by Maria Sherman NEW YORK — Welcome toBeyoncé country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, “Cowboy Carter” rules the nation. She leads the nods with 11, bringing her career total to 99 nominations. That makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history. “Cowboy Carter” is up for album and country album of the year, and “Texas Hold ’Em” is nominated for record, song and country song of the year. She also received nominations in a wide swath of genres, including pop, country, Americana and melodic rap performance categories. This is her first time receiving nominations in…

by bLinley Sanders WASHINGTON — Big shifts within small groups and small shifts within big groups helped propel Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The Republican candidate won by holding onto his traditional coalition — white voters, voters without a college degree and older voters — while making crucial gains among younger voters and Black and Hispanic men, according to AP VoteCast, a far-reaching survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. His Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, made small gains — most significantly with white men with a college degree living in urban areas — but it was…

by Michael Knzelman WASHINGTON (AP) — As it became clear Donald Trump was returning to the White House, the Florida man who posed for photos with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Capitol riot popped a bottle of Trump-branded sparkling wine. “Y’all are in trouble,” he said after taking a sip in a video shared on social media. Rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are celebrating Trump’s victory and hoping he makes good on his campaign trail promise to pardon them. Trump didn’t mention the Jan. 6 defendants, whom he has called “hostages” and “patriots,” during…

WASHINGTON — Republican leaders projected confidence Thursday that they will keep control of the U.S. House as more races were decided in their favor, while Democrats insisted they still see a path toward the majority and sought assurances every vote will be counted. The GOP picked up two more hard-fought seats in Pennsylvania, which became a stark battlefield of Democratic losses up and down the ticket. Democrats notched another win in New York, defeating a third Republican incumbent in that state. Both parties in the House huddled privately on conference calls to assess the political landscape as Congress prepared to…

by Zeke Miller,Michelle L. Price and Jill Colvin WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the defacto manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff, the first woman to hold the influential role. Wiles is widely credited within and outside Trump’s inner circle for running what was, by far, his most disciplined and well-executed campaign, and was seen as the leading contender for the position. She largely avoided the spotlight, even refusing to take the mic to speak as Trump celebrated his victory early Wednesday morning. She resisted the formal title of campaign manager,…

by Chinedu Asadu ABUJA, Nigeria— Nigeria’s army chief who led soldiers through a critical period in the fight against Islamic extremists in the West African nation’s hard-hit northeast has died, President Bola Tinubu said Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who served as army chief since June 2023, died Tuesday night in Nigeria’s economic hub of Lagos after a “period of illness,” Tinubu said in a statement issued by his office without elaborating further. Lagbaja was 56. The late army chief had not been seen in public in nearly two months, fueling rumors that he had died, which the Nigerian…