Jasmine Amy Rogers will star in “BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical” making its debut this fall in Chicago with hopes that it can charm itself to Broadway. It first plays Broadway In Chicago from Nov. 19-Dec. 24.
Stories by associated press
With Broadway Hopes, New Betty Boop Stage Musical Premiering in Chicago Announces Star
Sep 27, 2023 | Associated Press
A Canon Injury and the Strange Story Behind an 1858 Abraham Lincoln Photo Just Donated to His Springfield Museum
Sep 27, 2023 | Associated Press
The 1858 ambrotype was created during the future nation-saving Civil War president’s ascendancy, an image which the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has added to its collection.
President Joe Biden Makes Unprecedented Visit to Auto Workers Picket Line, Tells Union to ‘Stick With It’
Sep 26, 2023 | Associated Press
Experts in presidential and U.S. labor history say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Amazon Sued by FTC and 17 States Over Allegations It Inflates Online Prices and Overcharges Sellers
Sep 26, 2023 | Associated Press
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, is the result of a years-long investigation into Amazon’s businesses and one of the most significant legal challenges brought against the company in its nearly 30-year history.
Writers Guild and Hollywood Studios Reach Tentative Agreement to End Strike. No Deal Yet for Actors
Sep 25, 2023 | Associated Press
The Writers Guild of America announced the deal in a joint statement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations.
Historians Are Racing to Find Great Lakes Shipwrecks Before Invasive Quagga Mussels Destroy the Sites
Sep 25, 2023 | Associated Press
An invasive mussel is destroying shipwrecks deep in the depths of the Great Lakes, forcing archeologists and amateur historians into a race against time to find as many sites as they can before the region loses any physical trace of its centuries-long maritime history.
Flamingos in Wisconsin? Tropical Birds Visit Lake Michigan Beach in a First for the State
Sep 24, 2023 | Associated Press
The American flamingos spotted Friday in Port Washington, about 25 miles north of Milwaukee, marked the first sighting of the species in Wisconsin state history.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, Wife Indicted on Bribe Charges as Probe Finds $100,000 in Gold Bars, Prosecutors Say
Sep 22, 2023 | Associated Press
A search of the couple’s home turned up $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash, said prosecutors, who announced the charges against the 69-year-old Democrat nearly six years after an earlier criminal case against him ended with a deadlocked jury.
Strikes Against Automakers Spread to 38 Locations in 20 States, Stellantis and GM are Targeted
Sep 22, 2023 | Associated Press
The president of the United Auto Workers said Friday the union will expand its strike against major automakers by walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis plants in 20 states.
As Chicago and Other Cities Scramble to Care for More Migrants, Take a Look at What’s Behind the Numbers
Sep 21, 2023 | Associated Press
The various scenarios playing out across the country paint a picture of a strained immigration system making an impact far from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration late Wednesday announced measures intended to alleviate the problems.
Maywood Police Investigating If Missing Ex-NFL Player Sergio Brown Posted Videos About Mother’s Death
Sep 20, 2023 | Associated Press
Sergio Brown, 35, is still considered a missing person, Maywood police spokesperson Carmen Rivera said in an email Tuesday, acknowledging police were aware of the videos and were investigating.
Biden's Democratic Allies Intensify Pressure for Asylum-Seekers to Get Work Permits
Sep 20, 2023 | Associated Press
Increasingly impatient leaders of President Joe Biden’s party in other cities and states have hammered the same message over the last month, saying the administration must make it easier for migrants to get work authorization quickly, which would allow them to pay for food and housing.
Union Threatens to Expand Targeted Strike Against Big Three Automakers If There Is No Substantive Progress by Friday
Sep 19, 2023 | Associated Press
In a video statement late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said workers at more factories will join those who are now in the fifth day of a strike at three plants.
In Chicago Courtroom, ‘El Chapo’ Son Ovidio Guzmán López Pleads Not Guilty to US Drug and Money Laundering Charges
Sep 18, 2023 | Associated Press
Ovidio Guzmán López was extradited on Friday, five months after U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against him and his brothers, known collectively as the “Chapitos.”
Planned Parenthood Resumes Abortion Services in Wisconsin After More Than a Year
Sep 18, 2023 | Associated Press
Providers across the state stopped offering abortions following the June 2022 decision, fearing enforcement of an 1849 state law that appears to ban the procedure but had previously been nullified by the 1973 Roe ruling.
Centuries After Native American Remains Were Dug Up, a New Law Returns Them for Reburial in Illinois
Sep 18, 2023 | Associated Press
Key to the measure is first-time authority for tribes to rebury recovered remains in Illinois, which they much prefer to relocating them to states to which the U.S. government forced their relocation nearly two centuries ago.
Younger Voters Will Be Critical in 2024 Election. Joe Biden and Donald Trump Are Taking Different Paths to Reach Them
Sep 15, 2023 | Associated Press
Biden won 61% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 in 2020, making young voters a critical part of his coalition. However, his approval ratings within that age group now stand at 29% compared to 40% overall, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Tent Collapse in Bedford Park Injures at Least 26, Including 5 Seriously, Police Say
Sep 14, 2023 | Associated Press
A tent collapse in southwest suburban Chicago injured at least 26 people, police said. Five of those hurt had serious injuries, Bedford Park Police Chief Tom Hansen said.
Anthony Freud to Retire as Head of Lyric Opera of Chicago at End of 2023-24 Season
Sep 14, 2023 | Associated Press
Anthony Freud will retire as general director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the end of the season, ending a 13-year tenure.
Hunter Biden Indicted on Federal Gun Charges in Long-Running Probe After Plea Deal Failed
Sep 14, 2023 | Associated Press
Hunter Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Delaware by a special counsel overseeing the case.
Federal Judge Again Declares That DACA is Illegal With Issue Likely to Be Decided by Supreme Court
Sep 13, 2023 | Associated Press
A federal judge declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. He declined, however, to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients.
High Gas Prices Push Up Inflation, But Prices Overall Are Slowly Moving in the Right Direction
Sep 13, 2023 | Associated Press
In a set of conflicting data, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.7% in August from a year ago, up from a 3.2% annual pace in July. Yet excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 4.3%, a step back from 4.7% in July and the smallest increase in nearly two years.
Illinois Appeals Court Hears Arguments on Jussie Smollett Request to Toss Convictions
Sep 12, 2023 | Associated Press
If the appeal before the Chicago-based First District Appellate Court fails, Smollett will have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that his trial judge ordered during his 2022 sentencing.
Popular Nasal Decongestant Doesn’t Actually Relieve Congestion, FDA Advisers Say
Sep 12, 2023 | Associated Press
The leading decongestant used by millions of Americans is likely no better than a dummy pill, according to government experts who reviewed the latest research on the long-questioned drug ingredient.
Child Poverty in the US Jumped and Income Declined in 2022 as COVID-19 Pandemic Benefits Ended
Sep 12, 2023 | Associated Press
Child poverty in the U.S. more than doubled and median household income declined last year when coronavirus pandemic-era benefits expired and inflation kept rising, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Speaker McCarthy Directs a House Panel to Open an Impeachment Inquiry Into President Biden
Sep 12, 2023 | Associated Press
The announcement comes as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while he also is struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a federal government shutdown at the end of the month.