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14-count indictment against two former Cook County assistant state's attorneys unsealed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

COOK COUNTY, Ill. — Two former Cook County prosecutors face a combined 14-count indictment following a year-and-a-half investigation by a special prosecutor.Lawrence Oliver II was appointed to the position in July 2021 after a county prosecutor admitted to having a relationship with a key witness in a case. That now former assistant state's attorney faces charges including perjury, obstruction of justice, violations of the local records act, and official misconduct, while another former assistant state's attorney faces charges of official misconduct.The judge who ordered the special prosecutor originally said in 2021 there’s sufficient evidence that attorney committed perjury and others in the state’s attorney’s office may have covered for him. Read more on what led to the special prosecutor appointment This was the second special prosecutor appointed to investigate Kim Foxx’s office in about two years. The last one found abuses of discretion in the Jussie Smollett case.This ...

2023 International Women of Courage award ceremony at the White House

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

WASHINGTON D.C. — First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the 17th annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award Ceremony. The ceremony took place at the White House for the first time in the award's history. Girl Scout cookie shortage sparks resale market The following is an excerpt from the U.S. Department of State's website:Now in its 17th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.In a typical year, the IWOC awardees are invited to Washington D.C. to receive their awards from the Secretary of State and the First Lady in a ceremony held on or in proximity to International Women’s Day (March 8th). The recipients then travel across the United St...

2023 Big Ten Tournament: What to look for this week in Chicago

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

CHICAGO - It's been four years since the conference has held its popular men's basketball championship tourney in their home city, but the wait is over.Chicago is once again the host for the Big Ten Tournament as the United Center will play host to the conference's 14 teams for five days of basketball to determine their official representative for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Here are a few things to know about this year's edition of the tournament. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Welcome BackAs mentioned before, this is the tournament's first time back in Chicago since 2019 and will mark the 11th time it has been staged at the United Center.It served as the host for the first four years of the tournament from 1998 through 2001 and has since hosted in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2019, and this year.Michigan State has won the most Big Ten Tournaments in Chicago, capturing the title in 1999, 2000, and 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Five Days of ActionFor the third time as a host, the Big Te...

Republicans threaten to block Biden's budget proposal with Medicare on the line

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – On Tuesday, President Joe Biden unveiled a preview of his budget proposal, which includes his plan to keep Medicare funded by raising taxes on Americans with high earnings.Biden unveiled a preliminary budget at the State of the Union address, at which Democrats and Republicans cheered for the idea of not cutting Social Security or Medicare.“The president's budget will address what Americans care most about, extending Medicare solvency by 25 years,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.The White House says the plan will also lower some costs for older Americans who receive Medicare.To pay for it all, President Biden proposes raising Medicare taxes on Americans who earn more than $400,000 a year from 3.8% to 5%.The plan would also close loopholes to ensure capital gains and other income is subject to the Medicare tax.However, Republicans on Capitol Hill are not happy with the president's budget proposal and say they plan to block it.“The president's budget is replete ...

Former prisoners rally against solitary confinement at Texas Capitol

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Women from across Texas will meet with state representatives in a "Justice-impacted women and girls rally" on the South Steps of the Texas Capitol Wednesday to protest incarceration conditions on International Women's Day.Lioness, an organization for formerly-incarcerated women, and the Statewide Leadership Council are hosting the rally. Organizers say state representatives Senfronia Thompson, Alma Allen, Josey Garcia, and Toni Rose will be speaking.Among the speakers will be Marci Marie Simmons, who spent ten years in prison including in solitary confinement and now serves as the community outreach coordinator for Lioness. She is expected to call for changes to the state's solitary confinement policies.Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)...

Project Connect funding challenged by Texas lawmakers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two new pieces of legislation filed in the Texas legislature Tuesday challenge funding for Project Connect, a mass transit program in the works in Austin approved by voters in November 2020.A group of Texas lawmakers jointly filed House Bill 3899 Tuesday, dubbed the "No Blank Checks Act." The legislation aims "to ensure local government corporations in Texas follow the same rules as cities and counties when issuing debt backed by property taxes," per a release. PROJECT CONNECT NEWS: ‘Generational decisions’ face Project Connect scope change, federal expert says In a statement, Rep. Ellen Troxclair cited Project Connect's heightened costs as motivation behind the bill filing. Under the proposed legislation, voters would have to approve the issuance of bonds, with the ballot language including "the total principal amount of the bonds to be authorized."Troxclair is one of five representatives to co-author the bill in the Texas House, while State Sen. Paul Bettencourt ...

Is Bijan Robinson a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? ESPN's Todd McShay thinks so

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — NFL executives knew former Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson was one of the most talented prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft, and after seeing him perform at the NFL Combine on March 6, they seem to love him even more.Robinson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, the sixth-fastest among running backs at the combine, and along with other measurables, he was rated as the combine's best prospect at his position. Texas RB Bijan Robinson runs the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at NFL Combine It wasn't like he burst onto the scene with his performance — he has been on NFL radars for a couple of years now — but he certainly helped himself by performing all the drills and tests. Before the combine, ESPN's Todd McShay had Robinson as the No. 22 pick in his first mock draft of the first round. After seeing Robinson at the combine and speaking with NFL personnel employees, McShay thinks the Philadelphia Eagles could pick him at No. 10 overall."I know, I know. It's ...

John Shipley: Geopolitics put Wild in difficult spot on Pride Night

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

Pride Night is important, and the Minnesota Wild planned and executed a good one for Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center. It’s unfortunate that it was, in a very visible way, hijacked by intolerance — perhaps from several thousand miles away.Lord knows the U.S. has its own problems with prejudice, and that the LBGTQ+ community here has miles to go before it can sleep soundly at night, but it doesn’t appear the Wild’s decision to not wear specially made Pride Night jerseys during warmups Tuesday was locally grown.And while ultimately an unfortunate capitulation to bigotry, it was understandable.Roughly three months ago, on Dec. 5, 2002, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a law that makes it illegal there to promote same-sex relationships or the idea that non-binary orientations are “normal.” Since then, not a single Russian NHL player has worn a Pride Night jersey.You may know of a local Russian athlete playing for the Wild who, in fact, wore a Pride Night jersey last season.Tue...

In downtown St. Paul, student exhibit showcases 65 works by young artists

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

In an untitled pencil drawing, a high school student depicts a young man sporting an afro hairdo, mustache and glasses offering skeptical side-eye to action unfolding just beyond the edges of the canvas. In the mixed-medium “Plastic for Dinner,” actual trash spills from the plated belly of a painted fish, an environmental indictment of our polluted oceans, as crafted by an eighth-grader.And in “Death of a Rat-chelor,” a decaying rat sporting a bloodied wound and top hat lays sprawled next to a spilled coffee cup against an otherwise serene backdrop of grass, red carnations, plant leaves and a coffee table that, perhaps ominously, sports a second place setting.There’s enough to unpack in the three-dimensional art piece to warrant some meditation on the unexpected whimsy of life and death — not a small undertaking for a high school senior.The juried art show that opened Wednesday at Creators Space, within the Creators Cup coffeehouse on downtown St....

Peter Gabriel and the Hold Steady are coming to town. The question is where will they play?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:29:50 GMT

Peter Gabriel and the Hold Steady have both said they’ve got shows coming up in town. The question is what venues will host them.Tuesday, Gabriel announced the first dozen North American stops for his upcoming tour, set to kick off Sept. 8 in Quebec. The news item on his website reads “fans should also stay tuned for future tour date announcements” in another dozen cities, including St. Paul. Given that Live Nation is the promoter and the announced shows are in arenas, it appears he’ll play Xcel Energy Center. He’s headlining United Center in Chicago on Sept. 30, so the St. Paul show is likely to take place at some point close to that date.Back in January, the Hold Steady revealed they were celebrating their 20th anniversary with a new album, “The Price of Progress,” due out March 31 and a tour that began Jan. 28 in Brooklyn. The band’s website lists a number of cities as “save the date,” including Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 2.Theoretically, that could mea...