Author: chicagoinquirer

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…

by Stephanie Liechtenstein VIENNA — Iran has slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, according to a report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog seen by The Associated Press on Monday. That could be a sign Tehran is trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the U.S. The confidential report comes as Iran and the United States are negotiating a prisoner swap and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea. However, international inspectors also noted new challenges in trying to monitor Iran’s program. In…

by Emeka Obasi LAGOS, NIGERIA – When Enyimba lifted their first continental trophy, it happened thousands of kilometres away from Aba. As defending champions, the Elephants retained the cup in Nigeria but outside their traditional Enyimba International Stadium home ground. There is an unsolved mystery about losing crucial games in Aba. In 2003, CAF Champions League victory was achieved in Ismailia, Egypt. Enyimba won again in 2004, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja where a year earlier, Cameroon defeated Nigeria to snatch All Africa Games soccer gold. It may be easy to argue that Enyimba won the African Super Cup…

by Howard Fendrich NEW YORK — The second set was slipping away from Coco Gauff in the U.S. Open’s fourth round on Sunday, so maybe she was frustrated by that… or the stumble that left her doing the splits while getting broken… or the pair of double-faults that helped Caroline Wozniacki take that game. Or perhaps it was simply that the last thing she wanted to hear at that moment was the near-constant chatter coming from Brad Gilbert, one of her two coaches sitting in the front row at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Either way, Gauff turned toward Gilbert and said, “Please stop.” Then, during the next game,…

by Cara Anna NAIROBI, Kenya  — Much of the world takes daily weather forecasts for granted. But most of Africa’s 1.3 billion people live with little advance knowledge of what’s to come. That can be both deadly and expensive, with damage running in the billions of dollars. The first Africa Climate Summit opens Monday in Kenya to highlight the continent that will suffer the most from climate change while contributing to it the least. Significant investment in Africa’s adaptation to climate change, including better forecasting, will be an urgent goal. At the heart of every issue on the agenda, from energy…

by Lindsey Bahr The third installment in the Denzel Washington-led “Equalizer” franchise topped the domestic box office this weekend with $34.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. By the end of the Monday holiday, Sony expects that total will rise to $42 million. Labor Day signals the end of Hollywood’s summer movie season, which will surpass $4 billion in ticket sales for the first time since the pandemic thanks in no small part to “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which are still netting records even after seven weeks in theaters. This weekend, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” officially became the biggest movie of 2023…

by Thomas Beaumont OSKALOOSA, Iowa  — Tim Scott seldom specifically brings up race in Iowa. Nor does the Republican presidential candidatehave to. He is often the only Black person at his campaign events in the state. The South Carolina senator introduces himself as the product of early-life mentors who taught him not to be bitter. When race comes up, he often says the United States is not fundamentally racist. “We don’t have Black poverty or white poverty. We have poverty,” he told an all-white audience Thursday in Oskaloosa after being asked about race. He earlier had spoken about his poor Southern upbringing and…

by Ralph D. Russo Believe the hype. Deion Sanders’ debut as Colorado coach was billed as a big deal, but there was plenty of skepticism about just how good the Buffaloes could be after an unprecedented roster makeover in Boulder. “We told you we were coming. You thought we were joking. We keep receipts,” Sanders said after Colorado upset No. 17 TCU 45-42 on Saturday in a performance that exceeded even the most lofty expectations. The team with nearly 90 new players beat the team that played for the national championship last season. Where to begin? Sanders’ son, Shedeur, set…

by Mike Schneider A Florida redistricting plan pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis violates the state constitution and is prohibited from being used for any future U.S. congressional elections since it diminishes the ability of Black voters in north Florida to pick a representative of their choice, a state judge ruled Saturday. Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh sent the plan back to the Florida Legislature with instructions that lawmakers should draw a new congressional map that complies with the Florida Constitution. The voting rights groups that challenged the plan in court “have shown that the enacted plan results in the diminishment of…