Author: chicagoinquirer

by Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Steven Groves WASHINGTON  — The threat of a federal government shutdown suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal. The package drops aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17. After chaotic days of turmoil in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly abandoned demands for steep spending…

by Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Steven Groves WASHINGTON  — The threat of a federal government shutdown was suddenly easing Saturday after the House quickly approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open, once Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage. The rushed package would leave behind aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increase federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting President Joe Biden’s full request. The bill would fund government until Nov. 17. It goes next to the Senate,…

by Juan A. Lozano HOUSTON  — The family of a Black high school student in Texas on Saturday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the state’s governor and attorney general over his ongoing suspension by his school district for his hairstyle. Darryl George, 17, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, has been serving an in-school suspension since Aug. 31 at the Houston-area school. School officials say his dreadlocks fall below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violate the district’s dress code. George’s mother, Darresha George, and the family’s attorney deny the teenager’s hairstyle violates the dress…

Share by Jon Gambrell, Lujan Jo and Mathew Lee DOHA, Qatar  — Five Americans detained for years in Iran walked off a plane and into freedom Monday, most arm-in-arm, as part of a politically risky deal that saw President Joe Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets owed by a third country, South Korea. The successful negotiations for the Americans’ freedom brought Biden profuse thanks from their families but heat from Republican presidential rivals and other opponents for the monetary arrangement with one of America’s top adversaries. “Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned…

by Joseph Omoremi CHICAGO, IL – Organic and processed Uganda products may soon become a regular stable in the United States as 19 Ugandan exporters have been trained in targeted sectors and 17-distribution centers identified across the United States by the African Global Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) in a concerted efforts to raise the quality and quantity of African products entering the U.S. market. “America is built on private enterprise. If we can connect the two continents together to build a strong private sector in Africa and create job opportunities and healthy foods here, AGCC would have accomplished some of his…

  by Jennifer Peltz NEW YORK  — Americans are looking back on the horror and legacy of 9/11, gathering Monday at memorials, firehouses, city halls and elsewhere to observe the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Commemorations stretch from the attack sites — at New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — to Alaska and beyond. President Joe Biden is due at a ceremony on a military base in Anchorage. His visit, en route to Washington, D.C., from a trip to India and Vietnam, is a reminder that the impact of 9/11 was felt in every…

by Emeka Obasi LAGOS, NIGERIA -Sports minister John Owan Enoh must believe in the ashes of his forebears. Let me make it clear to him that this job will mark a new beginning. You cannot come from Cross River State and relegate yourself to the background. Calabar is the cradle of Sports. Enoh is the first Cross Riverian to be appointed Sports minister since independence in 1960. And we had about 35 before him. Soccer was introduced in Nigeria by James Luke, Principal of Hope Waddell Institution, Calabar in 1902. The first International Sports event in Nigeria was held in…

by Jay Cohen CHICAGO  — A big season for Justin Fields got off to a rough start Sunday. At least he had plenty of company. Fields lost a fumble and threw an interception as the Chicago Bears fell apart in the second half of an ugly 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The dynamic quarterback was sacked four times and noticeably outplayed by Jordan Love, who was making his second career start for Green Bay. “I think the moral of the story is that we shot ourselves in the foot too many times,” Fields said. Looking for more growth…

by Sam Metz and Mosa’ab Elshamy AMIZMIZ, Morocco  — An aftershock rattled Moroccans on Sunday as they mourned victims of the nation’s strongest earthquake in more than a century and sought to rescue survivors while soldiers and aid workers raced to reach ruined mountain villages. The disaster killed more than 2,100 people — a number that is expected to rise. The United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake and some Moroccans complained on social networks that the government wasn’t allowing more outside help. International aid crews were poised to deploy, but some grew…

MADRID  — Suspended Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales has resigned from his post after a kiss scandal which tarnished Spain’s victory at the Women’s World Cup. Rubiales announced his resignation Sunday in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “After my swift suspension by FIFA, and the rest of the cases building against me, it is clear that I cannot return to the post,” Rubiales said in his statement. Rubiales kissed star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in…