Author: chicagoinquirer

by Scott Held CHICAGO — Zach LaVine scored 17 points and DeMar DeRozan added 16 to help the Bulls end the regular season Sunday with a 103-81 win over the Detroit Pistons. Killian Hayes had 26 points and Jaden Ivey scored 16 for the Pistons, who finished an NBA-worst 17-65. Up 67-64 at the end of the third quarter, the Bulls put in their reserves. The bench crew, led by Carlik Jones’ 11 points, put the game away with an 11-2 run midway through the final period. Chicago had the 10th spot in Eastern Conference standings locked up, and travel…

by Jonathan Mattise NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two former Black Democratic lawmakers who were expelled by Republican colleagues in Tennessee say they want to be reappointed, then elected back to their seats, following their ouster for a protest on the House floor urging passage of gun-control measures in the wake of a deadly school shooting. Nashville’s metro council is likely to reappoint Justin Jones to the seat during a specially called Monday meeting. The Shelby County Commission plans to announce soon when it will meet to fill the vacancy left by Justin Pearson’s expulsion. Likewise, commissioners can reinstall Pearson, who is from Memphis. Both former lawmakers told NBC’s…

by John O’Connor SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  — Illinois’ new secretary of state and Democrats in the General Assembly are pushing back against a rise in challenges to books shelved in libraries. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who is also the state librarian, is spearheading legislation that would make state grants to libraries contingent on their establishing “a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books.” At stake is about $61 million annually to 1,600 public and school libraries. The legislation, HB2789, sponsored by Naperville Democratic Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, won House approval 69-39 last month and awaits action by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Illinois would be…

by Mogomotsi Magome JOHANNESBURG  — A South African convicted murderer who faked his death to escape from prison has been arrested in Tanzania following a two-week manhunt, police have announced. South African officials are going to Tanzania Sunday to begin to extradite Thabo Bester, 35, dubbed the “Facebook Rapist” as he used the social media platform to lure at least two women he was convicted of raping. He was also found guilty of killing one. Bester was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 and it was reported in May last year that he died in a fire in his prison…

by Frances D’Emilio VATICAN CITY  — In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a “climate of trust.” Francis, along with dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of faithful, celebrated Easter Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peter’s Square, affirming the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead days after his crucifixion. The 86-year-old pontiff topped the celebration with a traditional speech about troubled places in the…

by Dave Skretta AUGUSTA, Ga.  — Tiger Woods withdrew from the Mastersbefore the resumption of the third round because of an injury Sunday, ending his streak of completing all 72 holes of every tournament he has played at Augusta National as a professional. The tournament announced about 90 minutes before play began that Woods, who is still hobbled by the effects of the 2021 car accident that nearly cost him his right leg, had withdrawn. He’d limped through practice rounds early in the week and again during the first and second rounds, but the limp had become more pronounced as…

by Farnoush Amiri WASHINGTON  — President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize. “I want to thank you for being here,” Biden said, gesturing toward Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during his recent visit. “You never stop working to level the playing field for everybody.” For Omar, the quick flash of praise from Biden — who was neither her first nor second choice to be the party’s 2020 White House nominee — was more than just a courtesy shout-out during a…

by Mark Moschetti SEATTLE  — Jordan Eberle, Jared McCann and Daniel Sprong each had a goal and an assist and the Seattle Kraken beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory. The second-year Kraken, who clinched their first Stanley Cup playoff spot Thursday, also got goals from Eeli Tolvanen, Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson and Morgan Geekie. Jamie Oleksiak had three assists. Martin Jones made 15 saves two periods, then was replaced by Philipp Grubauer at the start of the third. Grubauer had 11 saves. Seth Jones scored twice for Chicago, which lost for the 10th…

by Tim Reynolds The NBA will get what it wanted — drama to end the regular season. All 30 teams will play their 82nd game of the season on Sunday, with four matchups — New Orleans at Minnesota, Utah at the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State at Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix — set to decide how the Western Conference playoff and play-in bracket will look. There are 16 possible seeding scenarios, based on the outcomes of those four games. And they’ll all be starting at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, with no games scheduled to play later, meaning…

CHICAGO  — Kei Kamara had a brace by halftime to spark the Chicago Fire to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota United on Saturday night. Kamara scored unassisted in the 24th minute to give Chicago (2-1-3) the lead. Kamara took a pass from Arnaud Souquet and scored again 12 minutes later to put the Fire up 2-0 at halftime. Kamara, who played for Minnesota United in 2020, has scored 74 of his 142 career goals against his former teams. Kervin Arriaga scored unassisted in the 57th minute for Minnesota United (3-1-2), which was trying to become the second team in league…