Stories by Associated Press

President Talks Up ‘Bidenomics’ in Chicago Speech, Though New Poll Shows Just 34% Approve His Handling of the Economy

In a major economic speech in Chicago, President Joe Biden said his administration’s efforts were sparking recovery after Republican policies had crushed America’s middle class. But a poll said only one in three U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership.

Countdown to 250th Anniversary Begins in the US With Planners Hoping to Unify a Divided Country

The anniversary push will formally launch July 4 with an event during a Major League Baseball game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field in Milwaukee. 

More Than $200 Billion in COVID-19 Aid May Have Been Stolen, Federal Watchdog Says

The numbers issued Tuesday by the U.S. Small Business Administration inspector general are much greater than the office’s previous projections and underscore how vulnerable the Paycheck Protection and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs were to fraudsters.

FBI and Homeland Security Ignored ‘Massive Amount’ of Intelligence Before Jan. 6, Senate Report Says

The report details how the agencies failed to recognize and warn of the potential for violence as some of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters openly planned the siege in messages and forums online.

At Chicago Conference, Librarians Train to Defend Intellectual Freedom and Fight Book Bans

Book bans and how to fight them is a major focus of this year’s American Library Association conference. Librarians may attend sessions aimed at helping them confidently counter book challenges, fight legislative censorship and ensure the freedom to read.

Riccardo Muti Becomes Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director Emeritus for Life

Maestro Riccardo Muti, who turns 82 in July, is scheduled to conduct the CSO for six weeks in each of the next two seasons. His tenure began with the 2010-11 season.

Tony-Winning Lyricist Sheldon Harnick ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Creator, Dies at 99

Harnick was born and raised in Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the Northwestern University School of Music after serving in the army during World War II.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Accepted Alaska Resort Vacation From GOP Donors, ProPublica Reports

A ProPublica article states that in July 2008 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew to a remote corner of Alaska aboard the private plane of businessman and Republican donor, Paul Singer. A hedge fund founded by the billionaire has brought roughly a dozen cases before the court since then. Alito did not recuse himself from participating in any of those cases.

Who’s Running for President? See a Rundown of the 2024 Candidates

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have dominated the early Republican race as the other candidates look for an opening to take them on. President Joe Biden faces a couple of Democratic challengers but is expected to secure his party’s nomination.

A Year After Fall of Roe, 25 Million Women Live in States With Abortion Bans or Tighter Restrictions

One year ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness.

FTC Sues Amazon, Alleging It Enrolled Consumers Into Prime Without Consent

The agency accused Amazon of using deceptive designs, known as “dark patterns,” to deceive consumers into enrolling in Prime. The complaint said the option to purchase items on Amazon without subscribing to Prime was more difficult in many cases.

US Approves Chicken Made From Cultivated Cells, the Nation’s First ‘Lab-Grown’ Meat

The move launches a new era of meat production aimed at eliminating harm to animals and drastically reducing the environmental impacts of grazing, growing feed for animals and animal waste.

Americans Mark Juneteenth With Parties, Events and Quiet Reflection on the End of Slavery

Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.

Daniel Ellsberg, Who Leaked Pentagon Papers Exposing Vietnam War Secrets, Dies at 92

Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, has died.

In Rare 3-3 Decision, Iowa Supreme Court Declines to Reinstate Law Largely Banning Abortion

In a rare 3-3 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 2019 district court ruling that blocked the law. The latest ruling comes roughly a year after the same body — and the U.S. Supreme Court — determined that women do not have a fundamental constitutional right to abortion.

Heather Mack, Convicted in Bali of Killing Mom and Stuffing Body in Suitcase, Pleads Guilty in US

Mack, who lived with her mother in suburban Oak Park, served seven years of her 10-year Indonesian sentence. She was then deported in 2021 and U.S. agents arrested her immediately after she landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Suicides and Homicides Among Young Americans Jumped Early in the Pandemic, New Study Says

Experts cited several possible reasons for the increases, including higher rates of depression, limited availability of mental health services and the number of guns in U.S. homes.

Two-Time Oscar Winner, Former British Lawmaker Glenda Jackson Dies at 87

Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, has died at age 87.

For First Time in 15 Months, Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged but Signals 2 More Potential Hikes This Year

The Fed’s move to leave its benchmark rate at about 5.1%, its highest level in 16 years, suggests that it believes the much higher borrowing rates it’s engineered have made some progress in taming inflation. 

Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty to All 37 Federal Charges in Secret Documents Case

Donald Trump is expected to become Tuesday the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as the city of Miami prepared for possible protests by crowds that officials said could number in the tens of thousands.

Moms for Liberty Rises as Power Player in GOP Politics After Attacking Schools Over Gender, Race

Moms for Liberty didn’t exist during the last presidential campaign, but the Florida-based nonprofit that champions “parental rights” in education has rapidly become a major player for 2024, boosted in part by GOP operatives, politicians and donors.

The Story Behind Juneteenth and How It Became a Federal Holiday

For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.

Theodore ‘Ted’ Kaczynski, Chicago-Area Native Known as the ‘Unabomber,’ Has Died in Federal Prison

Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician who retreated to a dingy shack in the Montana wilderness and ran a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, died Saturday. He was 81.

Likely Headed to the Blackhawks, NHL Top Prospect 17-Year-Old Connor Bedard in the Spotlight During Pre-Draft Combine

The Chicago Blackhawks own the No. 1 pick, and are highly anticipated to use it on Bedard when the draft opens in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 28.

Donald Trump Described Pentagon Plan of Attack, Shared Classified Map, Indictment Says

The indictment accuses Trump of having improperly removed scores of boxes from the White House to take them to Mar-a-Lago, many of them containing classified information. The indictment carries unmistakably grave legal consequences, including the possibility of prison if Trump is convicted.

Trump Indicted in Classified Documents Case in a Historic First for a Former President

Donald Trump has been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, a remarkable development that makes him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.
 

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