Author: chicagoinquirer

by Krutika Patti and Adam Schreck NEW DELHI  — G20 leaders paid their respects at a memorial site dedicated to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi on Sunday, a day after the forum added a new member and managed to reach agreement on a range of issues but softened their language on Russia’s war in Ukraine. India, this year’s host of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations, ended the first day of the summit with what were seen as diplomatic wins despite pointed disagreements among powerful members, particularly over the war in Ukraine. As the weekend’s first session began,…

by Hank Kurtz Jr. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  — Virginia played its first home football game in 10 months on Saturday and went in hoping to create a high point in what remains a long, emotional journey that started in a horrific way. The day didn’t end the way they wanted; James Madison went ahead on a touchdown pass with 55 seconds left and Virginia couldn’t answer in a 36-35 heartbreaker. “Unfortunately, the game of football, you know, it’s not a game of deserve,” coach Tony Elliott said. “It’s about what you are and today, unfortunately, we didn’t make enough plays. We…

by Sam Metz and Msa’ab Elshamy MARRAKECH, Morocco  — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 2,000 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas. The magnitude 6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday. One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their…

by Andrew Seligman LAKE FOREST, Ill.  — Jordan Love gets his opportunity to show he’s ready to keep the procession of great Green Bay quarterbacks going. For Justin Fields, it’s time to start proving he can become the passer Chicago needs him to be. All eyes will be on the QBs when the Packers visit the Bears in a season-opening matchup between the NFL’s oldest rivals on Sunday. Love gets his chance to follow in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Brett Favre and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and help lead the Packers back toward the top of the NFC North. Green Bay…

by Sam Metz and Mosa’ab Eishamy MARRAKECH, Morocco  —A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the darkened streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 1,000 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote areas hit hardest. The magnitude-6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday. One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and…

by Agency reports ALGIERS, Algeria  — Follow live updates of a deadly, powerful earthquake that struck Morocco, killing more than 1,000 people and causing widespread damage in and around the city of Marrakesh. WHAT TO KNOW:  — Morocco shaken by 6.8-magnitude earthquake; more than 1,000 dead — Morocco’s African Cup qualifier postponed because of quake — A look at deadliest quakes in the last 25 years MOROCCO RECEIVES OFFERS OF HELP FOLLOWING RARE QUAKE  President Joe Biden was among world leaders expressing sadness at the devastation facing the North African kingdom of Morocco after a powerful earthquake shook Marrakesh and its environs and killed more than…

by Sam Kullab KYIV, Ukraine  — U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit Wednesday, hours after Russia launched its first missile attack in a week against the Ukrainian capital. Blinken’s trip aimed to assess Ukraine’s 3-month-old counteroffensive and signal continued U.S. support for Kyiv’s efforts to drive out the Kremlin’s forces after 19 months of waramid concerns among some Western allies over the pace of progress, according to U.S. officials. After arriving in Kyiv, Blinken laid a wreath at the Berkovetske cemetery to commemorate members of the Ukrainian armed forces who lost their lives…

by Chris Megerian JAKARTA, Indonesia  — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that those responsible for the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the ensuing violence at the U.S Capitol must be held accountable — even if that means Donald Trump. “Let the evidence, the facts, take it where it may,” Harris said in an interview with The Associated Press in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she was attending a regional summit. Federal prosecutors have indicted Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, for his efforts to cling to power in 2020, The former president also…

by Jake Bleiberg and Paul J. Weber AUSTIN, Texas  — The historic impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton began Tuesday with accusations of corruption that went unchecked for years and the Republican pleading not guilty as his party confronts whether to oust one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest defenders. But the day ended without Paxton around at all — he left and did not return after the state Senate overwhelming rejected his numerous attempts to dismiss the charges. His absence does not stop Texas’ first impeachment trial in nearly 50 years but demonstrates the potential twists ahead in the…

by Steve LeBlanc Former White House aide Gabe Amo could become the first person of color to represent Rhode Island in Congress after his win Tuesday in the crowded Democratic primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District special election sent him on to the general election in the heavily Democratic state. Amo, who grew up in Pawtucket the son of Ghanaian and Liberian immigrants, hopes to succeed former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, who stepped down earlier this summer to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. “This primary election shows that Rhode Islanders believe in a state where one…