Author: chicagoinquirer

by David Lawder RIO DE JANEIRO – The U.S. has pledged $667 million to the latest funding round for a global fund aimed at preventing pandemics and preparing countries to deal with them, making up one-third of a $2 billion direct funding goal, the U.S. Treasury said on Wednesday. The move, which requires approval from Congress, is aimed at encouraging other donors to double their initial pledges to the Pandemic Fund, set up in September 2022 to fill gaps in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacity in low- and middle-income countries. A U.S. Treasury official said the Biden-Harris administration would…

by Felix Onuah ABUJA – Nigeria’s government on Wednesday pleaded for more time and patience to end economic hardships as citizens mobilise for demonstrations, a day after the country’s police chief warned against protests. Nigeria is grappling with 34.2% inflation, the highest in nearly three decades amid a cost of living crisis after President Bola Tinubu last year cut a popular petrol subsidy and sharply devalued the naira. Frustrated citizens have taken to social media to mobilise protests from August 1 against bad governance and economic hardship. Authorities fear the protests will turn violent. After a meeting between cabinet ministers…

by David Morgan and Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON – FBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional panel on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Wednesday that his agency will leave “no stone unturned” to discover how officials failed to stop the shooting. Wray appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the shooting and the FBI’s investigation of suspected shooter, 20-year-old nursing home aide Thomas Crooks, who got close enough to a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to wound the Republican presidential candidate. “I have been saying for some time now that we are living…

by James Oliphant and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON – Donald Trump has so far watched from the sidelines as Vice President Kamala Harris galvanized and re-energized Democrats by stepping in as their likely presidential nominee. On Wednesday, Trump gets back in the game. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, will hold his first campaign rally since Harris emerged as his near-certain Democratic foe in the 2024 election. The former president will appear at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina, a state that will be an important battleground in the Nov. 5 election. The Trump campaign has insisted that it is prepared for…

The Philadelphia 76ers now have their Big Three, introducing forward Paul George on Tuesday as the star joins forces with guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid. The Sixers reeled in George with a four-year, $212 million max contract earlier this month. They were able to do so because Maxey waited his turn for an extension of his own, giving Philadelphia’s front office the ability to maneuver within the salary cap. Maxey, winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, has since inked a five-year, $204 million max extension, forming a core trio that should give 76ers fans hope to…

The WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix drew a record number of viewers on Saturday, crushing the old mark set 21 years ago. In all, 3.44 million people watched the game on ABC, topping the previous record of 1.44 million viewers in 2003. That game featured an array of current and future Hall of Fame members, including Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Sue Bird. Last year’s game, also played in primetime and televised by ABC, drew an audience of 850,000. Interest in the WNBA and attendance at games have exploded this year, with the addition of a…

by Jose Torres and Lizbeth Diaz HUEHUETAN, Mexico – About 3,000 people carrying bags, water and small children trod through intense heat along a highway in southern Mexico on Tuesday, traveling in two groups aiming to reach the U.S. border. Over the past week migrants have launched two caravans – large groups of people walking together – bound for the United States. In the past such caravans have stirred intense debate in the United States, where immigration is likely to be a key topic ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election. “Whoever is (in charge of the U.S. government), we…

– Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, arguing that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris could not legally take over funds raised by President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat who was in a tight race with Republican challenger Donald Trump, endorsed Harris when he ended his reelection bid on Sunday. Harris quickly took control of Biden’s campaign accounts and on Monday night wrapped up the nomination by winning pledges from a majority of the delegates who at next month’s party convention will determine the nominee, according to her…

by Jarrett Renshaw and Jason Lange MILWAUKEE – Vice President Kamala Harris assailed Donald Trump on Tuesday at her first campaign rally since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate, while a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed her taking a marginal lead over her Republican rival. In a 17-minute speech, Harris aggressively went after Trump’s vulnerabilities, comparing her background as a former prosecutor to his record as a convicted felon. Harris ticked through a list of liberal priorities, saying that if elected she would act to expand abortion access, make it easier for workers to join unions and address…

by Moira Warburton, Makini Brice and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Bob Menendez submitted his resignation on Tuesday in the aftermath of his conviction on corruption charges including bribery and acting as an agent for Egypt’s government, bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats to give up the job. “I will be resigning from my office as the United States Senator from New Jersey, effective on the close of business on Aug. 20, 2024,” Menendez’s letter, which was seen by Reuters, said. “While I fully intend to appeal the jury’s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I…