Author: chicagoinquirer

by Tim Reynolds MIAMI  — Down nine early in the third quarter, down 3-0 in the series, the Boston Celtics knew their season was completely on the brink. Three minutes later, everything looked different. Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 17 points and the Celtics staved off elimination in the Eastern Conference finals by running away in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night. “We were just trying to save our season,” Tatum said. They most definitely found a way to do that. The two big differences:…

by Andrew Seligman LAKE FOREST, Ill.  — Justin Fields donned his cap and gown and walked in Ohio State’s graduation ceremony two weeks ago, another big moment for him in a stadium where he produced so many. The former Heisman Trophy finalist earned a degree in consumer and family financial services. “I think at the age of 11 or 12 I made a promise to my dad, we were in the car on the way to baseball practice, baseball game or something like that,” Fields said. “And he made me promise him that. It was a great moment for my…

by Kathleen Foody CHICAGO  — More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state’s attorney general found in an investigation released Tuesday,revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on. Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, though he acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense.” “It is my hope that this report will shine light…

by Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves and Zeke Miller WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, “it is highly likely” the…

by Greg Beach LOS ANGELES — Nikola Jokic is a player unlike almost anything the NBA has ever seen, and now he’s taking his Denver Nuggets somewhere they’ve never been. Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history Monday night, sweeping the Western Conference finals with a 113-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Jamal Murray scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets, who overcame LeBron James’ 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit with a tenacious finish in Game 4 to earn…

by Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves and Zeke Miller WASHINGTON  — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he had a productive debt ceiling discussion with President Joe Biden late Monday at the White House, but no agreement yet as Washington strains to strike a budget compromise and raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1 the U.S. could start running short of cash to cover its debts,…

by Meg Kinnard NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.  — As Sen. Tim Scott enters the 2024 GOP presidential field, he will be eager to introduce himself to voters who might not know much about him. Here is what you should know about the South Carolina Republican: FOREMOST: FAITH Raised by a single mother, Scott, 57, talks often of how Frances Scott worked long hours as a nurse’s assistant to provide for her two sons. It was a meager existence, the senator said, but it was centered around their strong Christian faith. At age 18, Scott became what he terms a “born-again believer.” His faith…

 by Joseph Omoremi CHICAGO, IL A combination of programs lined up to turn around the lives of recent Blacks in Chicago and across Illinois is imminent and an “Immigration Task Force” topped  the lists according to  Third Ward Alderman Pat Dowell. “We have a new immigration committee now and we are meeting on Monday, May 22, 2023 unlike the previous committee that never met,” she said and urged the African community to stand up for their rights and make them accountable. “It is important you engage us” she said while speaking at the seminar on “Reimagining Black Empowerment in Illinois” organized…

by Tim Reynolds MIAMI  — Erik Spoelstra had his team fully expecting that Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals would be extremely difficult, that the Miami Heat were going to have to take the best shot that a desperate bunch of Boston Celtics could muster. He was wrong. It was a Heat romp — and a team that had to pull off a frantic rally just to make the playoffs is now one win from the NBA Finals. Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 29 points, Duncan Robinson added 22 and the eighth-seeded Heat rolled past the Celtics 128-102 on…

by Agency reports They’re known as “family photos,” the images of world leaders posed in faux relaxation during global summits. And like portraits of a family that has isolated a dysfunctional member, recent “family photos” from the G7 and G8 — the world’s most industrialized nations — show how Russian President Vladimir Putin has been outcast. The Russian president has faced unprecedented international isolation since his nation invaded Ukraine in February 2022. An International Criminal Court arrest warrant hangs over his head and clouds his prospects of traveling to many destinations, including those viewed as Moscow’s allies. It was only…