Author: chicagoinquirer

by Jonathan Landrum Jr D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video, has died. He was 51. The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died Tuesday after a long bout with cancer, his family said in a statement. It called him “a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for us in this life,” adding that they are “eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.” In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop…

by Mark Sherman WASHINGTON  — A Republican attack on a core provision of the Voting Rights Actthat is designed to protect racial minorities comes to the Supreme Court this week, more than a decade after the justices knocked out another pillar of the 60-year-old law. In arguments Wednesday, lawyers for Louisiana and the Trump administration will try to persuade the justices to wipe away the state’s second majority Black congressional district and make it much harder, if not impossible, to take account of race in redistricting. “Race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution,” Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill wrote…

by Howard Fendrich LANDOVER, Md.  — For all the big plays D’Andre Swift contributed Monday night for the Chicago Bears, he knew it wouldn’t have resulted in a victory without one big kick by the newest guy on the team, Jake Moody. So Swift made sure to head on over to Moody and get to know him after a 38-yard field goal as time expired lifted Chicago past the Washington Commanders 25-24 on a rainy night. “I introduced myself to him on the sideline,” Swift said with a big smile after accounting for 175 yards from scrimmage and a 55-yard…

by Steve Megargee MILWAUKEE — Ending their recent run of playoff frustration earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager. Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names. But after the Brewers beat the rival Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their NL Division Series on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade. “You can call them the average Joes,” Murphy said, “but I say they’re the above-average Joes.” The Brewers relied on contributions from just about all…

by Jon Gamnrell CAIRO  — As the Middle East broadly welcomes a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran finds itself at one of its weakest moments since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tehran has operated its self-described “Axis of Resistance” over several decades, supporting militant groups and nations allied with it against Israel and the United States. But as Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, it also turned its crosshairs toward top leaders abroad in militant groups like Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and even the top echelon within Iran’s military and nuclear program — killing many and disrupting their ability to…

by Matt Brown WASHINGTON  — The coalition of New York NAACP chapters had just begun its annual state convention when Letitia James, a longtime member and the state’s attorney general, canceled her appearance. James had just been indicted by the Justice Department for alleged mortgage fraud, a charge which she called “baseless” and “a grave violation of our constitutional order.” For the New York convention’s organizers, the moment was alarming and underscored the gathering’s importance, which featured multiple sessions on building political power at the state level in response to what NAACP leaders called federal attacks on social welfare, civil…

CHICAGO  — National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump can stay in the state and under federal control, but can’t be deployed to protect federal property or go on patrol for now, an appeals court ruled Saturday. The decision comes after federal Judge April Perry on Thursday ruled to temporarily block the National Guard deployment for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump’s immigration crackdown. The appeals court on Saturday granted a pause in the case until it can hear further arguments. The on-again, off-again…

by Darlene Supervile WASHINGTON  — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops are paidWednesday despite the government shutdown. Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” The Republican president’s action removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress into action, likely ensuring that the shutdown — now in its 11th day and counting — extends into a third week and possibly beyond. But no similar…

by Abdel Kareem Hana, Sam Metz, Sarah El Deep and Sam Mednick GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  — The Gaza ceasefire held in its second day as tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their neighborhoods Saturday and Israelis cheered Monday’s expected release of remaining hostages. “Gaza is completely destroyed. I have no idea where we should live or where to go,” said Mahmoud al-Shandoghli in Gaza City as bulldozers clawed through the wreckage of two years of war. A boy climbed a shattered building to raise the Palestinian flag. Israelis applauded U.S. President Donald Trump, and some booed Prime…

by Christine Fernando and Sudhim Thanawala A judge on Thursday blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump’s immigration crackdown. It’s a victory for Democratic officials who lead the state and city and have traded insults with President Donald Trump about his drive to put troops on the ground in major urban areas. “The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for…