Author: chicagoinquirer

by Sam Mednick NIAMEY, Niger  — Insurgents killed 17 soldiers and wounded nearly 24 in the first major attack in half a year against the army in Niger, where Western powers fear a coup by the elite presidential guard last month is weakening a rare ally against jihadi violence in West Africa’s Sahel region. Niger was one of the last democratic countries in the region south of the Sahara and France and the U.S. have about 2,500 military personnel there who were training Niger’s forces. France also conducted joint operations with its former colony, but since the coup Paris and Washington have…

by Kate Brumback ATLANTA  — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendants is a former president of the United States running to reclaim his old office. The sprawling racketeering indictment returned this week by a grand jury in Atlanta presents a wide range of challenges. A big one is political: Finding jurors who don’t have unshakeable opinions about Donald Trump and others in his orbit. Beyond that, with so many defendants, prosecutors and defense lawyers will labor to keep the names and conflicting stories straight for…

by Sam Mednick NIAMEY, Niger  — Nigeriens are preparing for a possible invasion by countries in the region, three weeks after mutinous soldiers ousted the nation’s democratically elected president. Residents in the capital, Niamey, are calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of a growing threat by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which says it will use military force if the junta doesn’t reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS has activated a “standby force” to restore order in Niger after the junta ignored a deadline to release and reinstate Bazoum. The initiative, spearhead by a…

by John Pye SYDNEY  — England moved on to its first Women’s World Cup championship game with a 3-1 victory over co-host Australia on Wednesday, ending the Matildas captivating run through the tournament. Australia superstar Sam Kerr started her first match of the tournament and scored for the Matildas but it wasn’t enough to hold off European champion England. Ella Toone scored in the 36th minute to put England up 1-0 and the Lionesses dominated possession in the first half. Kerr’s equalizer in the 63rd gave the 75,000-plus crowd some hope, but Lauren Hemp scored to to restore England’s lead…

CHICAGO  — Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts is leading a group that has agreed to purchase the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chicago Red Stars. Ricketts said Tuesday in a statement she is “honored” to lead a group comprised mostly of female Chicago business leaders purchasing the team. The deal is pending approval of the NWSL Board of Governors. “Building a championship culture begins with treating our players with the respect they deserve as women and athletes,” Ricketts said. “We look forward to completing this transaction so that we can begin this new chapter for the team and the fans.” Ricketts…

by Nicholas Richard and Meg Kinnard The fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump may be the most sweeping yet. The sprawling, 98-page case unveiled late Monday night opens up fresh legal ground and exposes more than a dozen of Trump’s allies to new jeopardy. But it also raises familiar legal issues of whether the First Amendment allows a politician to try to overturn an election. Already, Trump and his supporters are alleging the indictment is the product of a politicized, corrupt process to hobble him as he competes for the GOP nomination to face President Joe Biden next year. Here are…

by Ilan Ben Zion TEL MEGIDDO, Israel  — An ancient Christian mosaic bearing an early reference to Jesus as God is at the center of a controversy that has riled archaeologists: Should the centuries-old decorated floor, which is near what’s believed to be the site of the prophesied Armageddon, be uprooted and loaned to a U.S. museum that has been criticized for past acquisition practices? Israeli officials are considering just that. The proposed loan to the Museum of the Bible in Washington also underscores the deepening ties between Israel and evangelical Christians in the U.S, whom Israel has come to…

by Stephen Groves and Lisa Washington  — Congressional leaders are pitching a stopgap government funding package to avoid a federal shutdown after next month, acknowledging the House and Senate are nowhere near agreement on spending levels to keep federal operations running. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy raised the idea of a months-long funding package, known as a continuing resolution, to House Republicans on a members-only call Monday evening, according to those familiar with the private session and granted anonymity to discuss it. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the two leaders had spoken about such a temporary measure. It would extend federal funding operations into…

With two bidders revealed in a matter of days and more in the wings, United States Steel Corp. — a symbol of American industrialization that for more than a century helped build everything from the United Nations building in New York City to the New Orleans Superdome — appears be on the cusp of being absorbed. Here’s what’s happened so far, and how the acquisition of U.S. Steel could reshape steelmaking globally. BIDDING WAR  After rejecting a $7.3 billion buyout proposal from rival Cleveland-Cliffs on Sunday, U.S. Steel said it was considering its next move. On Monday, industrial conglomerate Esmark offered $7.8 billionfor…

by Nicholas Richard and Meg Kinnard The fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump may be the most sweeping yet. The sprawling, 98-page case unveiled late Monday night opens up fresh legal ground and exposes more than a dozen of Trump’s allies to new jeopardy. But it also raises familiar legal issues of whether the First Amendment allows a politician to try to overturn an election. Already, Trump and his supporters are alleging the indictment is the product of a politicized, corrupt process to hobble him as he competes for the GOP nomination to face President Joe Biden next year. Here are…