Author: Michael Tarm
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Chicago sues over sanctuary city threat; Sessions fires back
CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel has taken his fight against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies to court, with Chicago becoming one of the first cities Monday to sue over what many U.S. cities argue are illegal bids to withhold public safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities. Hours later, Attorney General Jeff Sessions hit back at…
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Chinese scholar believed dead; man charged with kidnapping
A central Illinois man was charged Friday with kidnapping in the disappearance of a visiting Chinese scholar who authorities believe to be dead after last being seen three weeks ago, and a federal criminal complaint alleges the suspect’s phone was used to visit an online forum in April called “Abduction 101.” Yingying Zhang, the daughter…
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Physician who was dragged off flight settles with United
CHICAGO — A Kentucky doctor who was dragged off a United flight after he refused to give up his seat to employees of a partner airline has reached a settlement with United for an undisclosed amount, his lawyers announced Thursday. David Dao’s legal team said in a brief statement that the agreement includes a provision…
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Court: Civil Rights law prohibits discrimination of LGBT
CHICAGO — A federal appeals court ruled for the first time Tuesday that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBT employees from workplace discrimination, setting up a likely battle before the Supreme Court as gay rights advocates push to broaden the scope of the 53-year-old law. The 8-to-3 decision by the full 7th U.S. Circuit…
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Counterfeit pain pills likely came to Prince illegally
MINNEAPOLIS — The disclosure that some pills found at Prince’s Paisley Park home and studio were counterfeit and contained the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl strongly suggests the pills came to the superstar musician illegally. But exactly how Prince obtained the drugs is still unknown, four months after he collapsed in an elevator on April 21…
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Investigators look at overdose in Prince death
MINNEAPOLIS — Investigators are looking into whether Prince died from a drug overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks before he was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official said that among the things investigators are looking…
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Relatives of 2 killed by Chicago police demand changes
CHICAGO — Grieving relatives and friends of two people shot and killed by Chicago police said Sunday that the city’s law enforcement officers had failed its residents. Quintonio LeGrier, 19, was killed early Saturday by police responding to a domestic disturbance, along with downstairs neighbor Bettie Jones, 55, police said. Jones was hit accidentally by…
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Robber who was homesick for prison to be sentenced
CHICAGO — Walter Unbehaun has spent nearly all of his adult life behind bars, so it’s not surprising that he faces sentencing Thursday for yet another crime, a bank robbery last year. His reason for robbing the bank is surprising, though: He was homesick for prison. The 74-year-old high-school dropout and part-time bathtub repairman probably…
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College athletes can unionize, federal agency says
CHICAGO — In a stunning ruling that could revolutionize a college sports industry worth billions of dollars and have dramatic repercussion at schools coast to coast, a federal agency said Wednesday that football players at Northwestern University can create the nation’s first union of college athletes. The decision by a regional director of the National…
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Former Illinois governor headed to Colorado prison
CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich embraced the public spotlight one last time Wednesday, claiming on the day before he reports to prison that he always believed what he did was legal and expressing faith that an appeal of his corruption convictions will succeed. The famously talkative Blagojevich seemed to relish the attention as…