Author: chicagoinquirer

by Bernard Condon, Jim Mustian and Adrian Sainz MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Beyond the beating, kicking, cursing and pepper spraying, the video of Tyre Nichols’ deadly arrest at the hands of young Memphis police officers is just as notable for what’s missing — any experienced supervisors showing up to stop them. That points to a dangerous confluence of trends that Memphis’ police chief acknowledged have dogged the department as the city became one of the nation’s murder hotspots: a chronic shortage of officers, especially supervisors, increasing numbers of police quitting and a struggle to bring in qualified recruits. Former Memphis police…

by Andrew Seligman CHICAGO  — Nikola Vucevic could be playing for another team by the end of the week. The same goes for Andre Drummond as the NBA’s trade deadline approaches. Despite big questions about their futures, the big men delivered in a big way for the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Vucevic had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Drummond set season highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Chicago handed San Antonio its ninth straight loss, beating the Spurs 128-104. “I never take this game lightly,” Drummond said. “I appreciate every moment that I am on that floor.…

by Tim Reynolds Courtside seats 166 and 167 at the arena where the Los Angeles Lakers play their home games are pretty much as good as it gets. The people occupying those chairs when LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record will have an up-close view, with their feet on the very hardwood where the history-making shot happens. History, in this case, comes with a cost. On Monday, those seats for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder could have been had for $75,000 — each. Total price for the two seats with Ticketmaster fees: $181,500. And there’s no…

Download AssetsCopy StoryMore OptionsClose by Lisa Mascaro WASHINGTON  — When lawmakers gather for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, the Republican side of the aisle will look slightly different than it did a few years ago. Rather than row after row of white men in suits, the House Republican majority increasingly has added Black, Latino and female elected officials to their ranks, an effort toward bolstering GOP diversity that’s helping to make the new Congress the most racially and ethnically diverse ever. It’s a slow yet unsteady progress toward creating a Congress more reflective of America. But it…

by Josh Boak and Hannah Fingerhut WASHINGTON  — A majority of Democrats now think one term is plenty for President Joe Biden, despite his insistence that he plans to seek reelection in 2024. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that shows just 37% of Democrats say they want him to seek a second term, down from 52% in the weeks before last year’s midterm elections. While Biden has trumpeted his legislative victories and ability to govern, the poll suggests relatively few U.S. adults give him high marks on either. Follow-up interviews…

by Jonathan Landrum LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé stands alone on her Grammythrone: With her fourth win Sunday night, she has become the most decorated artist in the show’s history surpassing the 26-year-old record once held by the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti. “I’m trying not to be too emotional,” the superstar said as her husband Jay-Z stood and applauded her. The singer thanked her late uncle, her parents, Jay-Z and her children for supporting her. “I’m just trying to receive this night. I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God.” Beyoncé has now collected 32 awards after…

by Tim Reynolds Kyrie Irving is getting his wish. He’s getting traded. And Luka Doncic is getting another All-Star to help him in Dallas. The Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agreed Sunday on a blockbuster trade: Irving — the super-talented and often-enigmatic eight-time All-Star point guard — heads to Dallas in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and a package of draft picks, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized. The Athletic and ESPN first reported the trade agreement. It will…

by Claire Savage and Michael Tarm CHICAGO  — A Chicago prosecutor said Monday that she’s dropping sex-abuse charges against singer R. Kelly following federal convictions in two courts that should guarantee the disgraced R&B star will be locked up for decades. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced the decision a day ahead of a hearing related to state charges accusing him of sexually abusing four people, three of whom were minors. She said she would ask a judge to dismiss the indictments Tuesday. Foxx, who in 2019 had pleaded with women and girls to come forward so she could…

KYIV, Ukraine  — Ukraine’s defense minister expressed confidence Sunday that Western allies would agree to the country’s latest weapons request — warplanes to fight off Russian forces that invaded nearly a year ago. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told a news conference in Kyiv that Ukraine has already received everything from its “wish list to Santa,” except planes. “There will be planes, too,” Reznikov predicted. “The question is just what kind exactly…. Consider that this mission is already completed.” So far, Ukraine has won support from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets. But several Western…

by Nichole Winfield ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE  — Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches. The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country’s peace process forward. They were asked about Francis’ recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were…