Stories by Associated Press
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, Who Ended Death Penalty and Was Imprisoned for Corruption, Dies at 91
| Associated Press
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison yet heralded by some for clearing the state’s death row, has died. He was 91.
Plainfield Landlord Sentenced to 53 Years in Prison for Hate-Crime Attack on Palestinian-American Boy, Mother
| Associated Press
A jury convicted 73-year-old Joseph Czuba in February of murder and hate crime charges in the fatal stabbing of Wadee Alfayoumi, who was Palestinian American, and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. The family had been renting rooms in Czuba’s home in Plainfield.
PBS Chief Says Donald Trump’s Executive Order Directing Federal Funding Cuts to PBS and NPR Is Unlawful
| Associated Press
Public Broadcasting Service CEO Paula Kerger said the Republican president’s order “threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years.”
Driver Who Killed 4 People After Smashing Through After-School Camp Near Springfield May Have Had Health Emergency
| Associated Press
The driver of a car that barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp in central Illinois, killing three children and a teenager, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may have had a medical emergency, police said Thursday.
Donald Trump Taps National Security Adviser Mike Waltz for UN Envoy in Major National Security Team Switch-Up
| Associated Press
The president said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve simultaneously as acting national security adviser while maintaining his position at the State Department.
Kamala Harris Accuses Donald Trump of ‘Wholesale Abandonment’ of American Ideals in Most Extensive Post-Election Speech
| Associated Press
In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January following her defeat to Trump, Harris said Wednesday she’s inspired by Americans fighting Trump’s agenda despite threats to their freedom or livelihood.
Man Who Fell Over a Railing at PNC Park During Cubs Game in Critical Condition. Police Say It Was an Accident
| Associated Press
A man who fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park during Wednesday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs remained in critical condition on Thursday morning.
Your Guide to Summer 2025 Movies: Here’s What’s Coming to Theaters and Headed to Streaming From May to August
| Associated Press
Ethan Hunt’s last mission? A new Superman? Happy Gilmore as a dad? Three genre-spanning Pedro Pascal movies, including a romance, a superhero movie and an A24 Ari Aster thriller? Hollywood is pulling out the stops this summer movie season.
U.S. Economy Shrinks 0.3% in First Quarter as Donald Trump Trade Wars Disrupt Businesses
| Associated Press
The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business.
A Palestinian Student at Columbia Who Led Protests Is Released After His Arrest at Citizenship Interview
| Associated Press
A judge on Wednesday released a Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested by immigration officials during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship.
Driver Likely Did Not Target After-School Camp in Crash That Killed 3 Kids, 1 Teen in Downstate Illinois: Police
| Associated Press
The car left a road, crossed a field and smashed into the side of the building in the small city of Chatham on Monday afternoon, Illinois State Police said in a statement. It traveled through the building, striking numerous people before exiting the other side.
Donald Trump to Offer Automakers Some Relief on His 25% Tariffs, After Worries They Could Hurt US Factories
| Associated Press
Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make U.S. production less competitive worldwide.
Conclave to Elect the New Pope to Start May 7 as Cardinals From Across the Globe Get to Know One Another
| Associated Press
The cardinals set the date after arriving for the first day of informal meetings following Pope Francis’ funeral Saturday. In a chaotic scene, journalists shouted questions about the mood inside and whether there was unity.
ICE is Reversing Termination of Legal Status for International Students Around US, Lawyers Say
| Associated Press
The federal government is reversing the termination of legal status for international students around the U.S. after many filed court challenges against the Trump administration crackdown, government lawyers said Friday.
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Arrested by FBI, Accused of Helping a Man Evade Immigration Agents
| Associated Press
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan, who he said “intentionally misdirected” federal agents away from a man they were trying to take into custody at her courthouse.
Judges Blocks Trump Effort to Cut Funding to Public Schools Over Diversity Programs
| Associated Press
The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, which accused the Republican administration of giving “unconstitutionally vague” guidance and violating teachers’ First Amendment rights.
Chicago Bears Great Steve McMichael Dies at 67 After Battle With ALS
| Associated Press
Whether he was terrorizing opponents or discussing the Bears on sports talk radio, the man known as “Ming The Merciless” and “Mongo” after the character in “Blazing Saddles” who knocked out a horse remained a prominent presence in Chicago long after his playing days ended.
IRS Turmoil: Leadership Churn, Worker Exodus and Threats to Groups’ Tax-Exempt Status Roil Agency
| Associated Press
The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It’s preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on which nonprofits should lose their tax-exempt status.
84% of the World’s Coral Reefs Hit by Worst Bleaching Event on Record: ‘Changing the Face of our Planet’
| Associated Press
The bleaching event has been so severe that NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program has had to add levels to its bleaching alert scale to account for the growing risk of coral death.
Black Churches Back Embattled Smithsonian African American History Museum After Trump’s Order
| Associated Press
In a March 27 executive order, President Donald Trump alleged that Smithsonian exhibits had disparaged the nation’s history via a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” A group of pastors is pushing back.
Top ‘60 Minutes’ Producer Quits, Says He Can No Longer Make Independent Decisions
| Associated Press
The top producer at “60 Minutes” said Tuesday that he is quitting the show, saying that it has become clear that he would no longer be able to run it as he has in the past.
As Controversies Pile Up, Donald Trump’s Allies Turn to the Infighting That Plagued First Term
| Associated Press
The latest turmoil threatens to engulf the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out top advisers and faces fresh controversy over sharing sensitive information about airstrikes in Yemen outside of classified channels.
70% of Remaining 200K Jewish Holocaust Survivors Will Be Gone in the Next 10 Years, a Report Shows
| Associated Press
Eighty years after the Holocaust, more than 200,000 Jewish survivors are still alive but 70% of them will be gone within the next 10 years — meaning time is running out to hear the voices of the last generation who suffered through one of the worst atrocities in history.
Pope Francis’ Funeral Will Be Held Saturday, With Public Viewing Starting Wednesday
| Associated Press
Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff.
Harvard Sues Trump Administration to Stop the Freeze of More Than $2 Billion in Grants
| Associated Press
Harvard University announced Monday that it has filed suit to halt a federal freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus activism on campus.
FTC Sues Uber, Alleging It Signed Up Uber One Subscribers Without Their Permission
| Associated Press
The FTC said Uber also made it extremely difficult for subscribers to cancel Uber One. The agency said Uber requires customers to take at least 12 different actions on at least seven screens to cancel the service.
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