Author: chicagoinquirer

by Howard Fendrich LANDOVER, Md.  — For all the big plays D’Andre Swift contributed Monday night for the Chicago Bears, he knew it wouldn’t have resulted in a victory without one big kick by the newest guy on the team, Jake Moody. So Swift made sure to head on over to Moody and get to know him after a 38-yard field goal as time expired lifted Chicago past the Washington Commanders 25-24 on a rainy night. “I introduced myself to him on the sideline,” Swift said with a big smile after accounting for 175 yards from scrimmage and a 55-yard…

by Steve Megargee MILWAUKEE — Ending their recent run of playoff frustration earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager. Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names. But after the Brewers beat the rival Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their NL Division Series on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade. “You can call them the average Joes,” Murphy said, “but I say they’re the above-average Joes.” The Brewers relied on contributions from just about all…

by Jon Gamnrell CAIRO  — As the Middle East broadly welcomes a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran finds itself at one of its weakest moments since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tehran has operated its self-described “Axis of Resistance” over several decades, supporting militant groups and nations allied with it against Israel and the United States. But as Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, it also turned its crosshairs toward top leaders abroad in militant groups like Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and even the top echelon within Iran’s military and nuclear program — killing many and disrupting their ability to…

by Matt Brown WASHINGTON  — The coalition of New York NAACP chapters had just begun its annual state convention when Letitia James, a longtime member and the state’s attorney general, canceled her appearance. James had just been indicted by the Justice Department for alleged mortgage fraud, a charge which she called “baseless” and “a grave violation of our constitutional order.” For the New York convention’s organizers, the moment was alarming and underscored the gathering’s importance, which featured multiple sessions on building political power at the state level in response to what NAACP leaders called federal attacks on social welfare, civil…

CHICAGO  — National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump can stay in the state and under federal control, but can’t be deployed to protect federal property or go on patrol for now, an appeals court ruled Saturday. The decision comes after federal Judge April Perry on Thursday ruled to temporarily block the National Guard deployment for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump’s immigration crackdown. The appeals court on Saturday granted a pause in the case until it can hear further arguments. The on-again, off-again…

by Darlene Supervile WASHINGTON  — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops are paidWednesday despite the government shutdown. Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” The Republican president’s action removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress into action, likely ensuring that the shutdown — now in its 11th day and counting — extends into a third week and possibly beyond. But no similar…

by Abdel Kareem Hana, Sam Metz, Sarah El Deep and Sam Mednick GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  — The Gaza ceasefire held in its second day as tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their neighborhoods Saturday and Israelis cheered Monday’s expected release of remaining hostages. “Gaza is completely destroyed. I have no idea where we should live or where to go,” said Mahmoud al-Shandoghli in Gaza City as bulldozers clawed through the wreckage of two years of war. A boy climbed a shattered building to raise the Palestinian flag. Israelis applauded U.S. President Donald Trump, and some booed Prime…

by Christine Fernando and Sudhim Thanawala A judge on Thursday blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks, finding no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump’s immigration crackdown. It’s a victory for Democratic officials who lead the state and city and have traded insults with President Donald Trump about his drive to put troops on the ground in major urban areas. “The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for…

by Christine Fernando CHICAGO — Illinois leaders went to court Monday to stop President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops to Chicago, escalating a clash between Democratic-led states and the Republican administration during an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the nation’s third-largest city. The legal challenge came hours after a judge blocked the Guard’s deployment in Portland, Oregon. The lawsuit in Chicago also raised the stakes after a violent weekend: Authorities said a woman was shot by a federal agent when Border Patrol vehicles were boxed in and struck by other vehicles. The city’s police superintendent rejected suggestions that…

by Gregory Gondwe BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Peter Mutharika was sworn in as Malawi’s presidentSaturday after a political comeback at the age of 85 to win last month’s election. Thousands gathered at Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial capital, Blantyre, for Mutharika’s inauguration. He previously served as president of the southern African nation from 2014 to 2020. He lost office in 2020, after a 2019 election he won was nullified by a court because of widespread irregularities and ordered to be rerun the following year. He won a Sept. 16 election with 56% of the vote compared with 33% for incumbent…