A teenage boy was rushed to an area hospital after someone shot him in the head Saturday evening in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, police said.
The shooting was reported at around 5:50 p.m. in the 4900 block of West Madison. According to law enforcement, a 16-year-old boy was near the sidewalk when he was struck to the head by gunfire.
He was taken to an area hospital and said to be in critical condition.
No one was in custody as of Saturday night.
With the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot on the line Saturday night, millions of Americans have bought what they hope will be the winning ticket.
The jackpot stands at a whopping $960 million, with a $441.4 million cash option.
Jackpot winners have the option of either taking the full jackpot in 30 payments over 29 years or a lump-sum cash option. Most people choose the cash option.
The drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET Saturday. Make sure to check back here for the winning numbers.
The largest jackpot in American history was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize won by a player in California in November 2022. The Powerball in July of this year also awarded a $1 billion jackpot to one lucky player in Los Angeles, California.
Jackpots grow every time a winner is not picked in a drawing, based on the number of tickets bought. With no winner in Powerball’s last drawing on Wednesday, there has not been a winner in 30 consecutive drawings.
In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.
Powerball winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states tax lottery prizes as well.
In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2. Typically, $1 of the Powerball ticket cost goes to the player pool, and the other half goes to pay administrative fees, retailer costs and state services such as education.
In California alone, the lottery raised more than $2 billion for the state's public school system in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, according to the California Lottery website.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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President Joe Biden has directed flags across the country to be flown at half-staff in honor of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died Friday at 90 years old.
Biden, who served alongside Feinstein in the Senate for years, issued a proclamation ordering that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff “at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions” until sunset on the day of Feinstein’s internment. ‘
A centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992 in the “Year of the Woman,” Feinstein was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state, but also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.
Biden, writing in his proclamation, called Feinstein a “pioneering American and a true trailblazer.”
“…Senator Feinstein was a role model for so many Americans and she had an immense impact on younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors,” he added. “She was a historic figure, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations.”
Chicago police were investigating after gunfire was exchanged during a robbery at a gas station in the city’s River North neighborhood, according to authorities.
The incident was reported at around 10:14 a.m. Saturday at BP, 750 N. Wells St. According to police, a 48-year-old man was at the gas station when a gray-colored vehicle with multiple people pulled up next to him, and someone exited.
That individual entered his vehicle and stole property, at which point the victim confronted them and an exchange of gunfire occurred, according to police. Video captured by an NBC 5 photographer at the scene showed a black SUV surrounded by crime scene tape, as well as multiple bullet casings scattered nearby.
No was injured when shots were fired, police said.
The incident remains under investigation by Area Three detectives.
It’s been more than two weeks since 32-year-old Abnerd Joseph was shot and killed in the hallway of his condo complex in downtown Chicago.
Police took a 45-year-old man, who was also a resident, into custody for the shooting, but later released him without any charges. A police report revealed that the man is a concealed carry license holder.
Joseph was an assistant principal at Intrinsic High School downtown, and had previously worked in the Atlanta Public School District.
Two of his siblings held a news conference with Rev. Jesse Jackson at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition on Saturday to demand answers.
“The police found Abnerd Joseph unresponsive, crouched down, face down in the hallway where he was wearing only a robe, boxers and socks,” his brother Jay Charles said. “My brother was shot multiple times.”
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide, stating he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police said they were called to the condo complex for a disturbance and argument involving Joseph on the 48th floor. Family says he and the shooter lived on the 29th floor, and are unsure why he was on the 48th floor.
“That’s out of my brother’s character, he had no issues with mental health or mental illness,” Charles said.
Since the shooting, the family has not received any additional information from police about what led up to the shooting, or why the shooter was released without charges.
“I never would have imagined my brother would become a hashtag,” his sister Jeanna Joseph said. “These issues of violence and equality and systemic problems that contribute to such tragedy should foster genuine conversations into meaningful change.”
The family is demanding CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx do a thorough review and investigation into the shooting.
CPD said they cannot provide any additional details as the investigation is ongoing.
“The family is seeking objective answers. What does the autopsy say? What does the toxicology say? What do the cameras at the building show us?” Civil Rights Attorney Andrew Stroth asked.
Stroth does not represent the family, but spoke about the questions they all want answered. “We don’t know other than the narrative given by police.”
Toxicology reports are pending. NBC Chicago filed formal requests for body camera video, surveillance and 911 calls.
On the brink of a federal government shutdown, the House on Saturday swiftly approved 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open as Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage to send the package to the Senate.
The new approach would leave behind aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but the plan would increase federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting President Joe Biden’s full request. The House vote was 335-91.
With hours to go for the midnight deadline to fund the government, the Senate was also in for a rare weekend session and prepared to act next.
“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said ahead of voting. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”
With no deal in place by midnight Saturday, federal workers will face furloughs, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will begin to face shutdown disruptions.
The Senate will be in for a rare Saturday session to advance its own bipartisan package that is supported by Democrats and Republicans and would fund the government for the short-term, through Nov. 17.
But even if the Senate can rush to wrap up its work this weekend to pass the bill, which also includes money for Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster assistance, it won’t prevent an almost certain shutdown amid the chaos in the House. On Friday, a massive hard-right revolt left Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s latest plan to collapse.
“Congress has only one option to avoid a shutdown — bipartisanship,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky echoed the sentiment, warning his own hard-right colleagues there is nothing to gain by shutting down the federal government.
“It heaps unnecessary hardships on the American people, as well as the brave men and women who keep us safe,” McConnell said.
The federal government is heading straight into a shutdown that poses grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.
Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small are confronting potential interruptions or outright closures. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.
Congress has been unable to fund the federal agencies or pass a temporary bill in time to keep offices open for the start of the new budget year Sunday in large part because McCarthy, R-Calif., has faced unsurmountable resistance from right-flank Republicans who are refusing to run government as usual.
McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed in dramatic fashion Friday as a robust faction of 21 hard-right holdouts opposed the package, despite steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient.
The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme. The Democrats voted against it.
The House bill’s failure a day before Saturday’s deadline to fund the government leaves few options to prevent a shutdown.
“It’s not the end yet; I’ve got other ideas,” McCarthy told reporters.
Later Friday, after a heated closed-door meeting of House Republicans that pushed into the evening, McCarthy said he was considering options — among them, a two-week stopgap funding measure similar to the effort from hard-right senators that would be certain to exclude any help for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Even though the House bill already cut routine Ukraine aid, an intensifying Republican resistance to the war effort means the Senate’s plan to attach $6 billion that Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is seeking from the U.S. may have bipartisan support from Democrats but not from most of McCarthy’s Republicans.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is working to stop that aid in the Senate package.
The White House has brushed aside McCarthy’s overtures to meet with President Joe Biden after the speaker walked away from the debt deal they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.
Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had returned to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him become the House speaker.
The House package would not have cut the Defense, Veterans or Homeland Security departments but would have slashed almost all other agencies by up to 30% — steep hits to a vast array of programs, services and departments Americans routinely depend on.
It also added strict new border security provisions that would kickstart building the wall at the southern border with Mexico, among other measures. Additionally, the package would have set up a bipartisan debt commission to address the nation’s mounting debt load.
As soon as the floor debate began, McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, announced he would vote against the package, urging his colleagues to “not surrender.”
Gaetz said afterward that the speaker’s bill “went down in flames as I’ve told you all week it would.”
He and others rejecting the temporary measure want the House to keep pushing through the 12 individual spending bills needed to fund the government, typically a weeks-long process, as they pursue their conservative priorities.
Republicans leaders announced later Friday that the House would stay in session next week, rather than return home, to keep working on some of the 12 spending bills.
Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”
The hard right, led by Gaetz, has been threatening McCarthy’s ouster, with a looming vote to try to remove him from the speaker’s office unless he meets the conservative demands. Still, it’s unclear if any other Republican would have support from the House majority to lead the party.
Late Friday, Trump turned his ire to McConnell on social media, complaining the Republican leader and other GOP senators are “weak and ineffective” and making compromises with Democrats. He urged them, “Don’t do it!”
A bail bondsman charged alongside former President Donald Trump and 17 others in the Georgia election interference case pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Friday, becoming the first defendant to accept a plea deal with prosecutors.
As part of the deal, Scott Graham Hall will receive five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings.
Hall, 59, pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, all misdemeanors. Prosecutors had accused him of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County and initially charged him with racketeering and six conspiracy charges.
He is one of the lower-level players in the indictment filed last month alleging a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory and keep the Republican Trump in power. But the plea deal nonetheless is a major development in the case and marks a win for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as she pursues a historic racketeering case against a former president.
Trump attorney Steve Sadow referred a request for comment on Hall’s plea deal to Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who did not immediately respond.
Hall was described in the 98-page indictment as an associate of longtime Trump adviser David Bossie.
The security breach in the county about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta is among the first known attempts by Trump allies to access voting systems as they sought evidence to back up their unsubstantiated claims that such equipment had been used to manipulate the presidential vote. It was followed a short time later by breaches in three Michigan counties involving some of the same people and again in a western Colorado county that Trump won handily.
Authorities allege the breach began on Jan. 7, 2021, a day after the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, and continued over the span of a few weeks.
Authorities say Hall and co-defendants conspired to allow others to “unlawfully access secure voting equipment and voter data.” This included ballot images, voting equipment software and personal vote information that was later made available to people in other states, according to the indictment.
Earlier Friday, a judge rejected a request by former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark to move the Georgia election subversion charges against him from state court to federal court.
U.S. District Judge Steve Jones said he was making no ruling on the merits of the charges against Clark, but he concluded that the federal court has no jurisdiction over the case. He said “the outcome of the case will be for a Fulton County judge and trier of fact to ultimately decide.”
Jones had earlier rejected a similar request from Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. He is weighing the same question from three Georgia Republicans who falsely certified that Trump won in 2020.
The practical effects of moving to federal court would have been a jury pool that includes a broader area and is potentially more conservative than Fulton County alone and a trial that would not be photographed or televised, as cameras are not allowed inside federal courtrooms. But it would not have opened the door for Trump, if he’s reelected in 2024, or another president to issue pardons because any conviction would still happen under state law.
The indictment says Clark wrote a letter after the election that said the Justice Department had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia” and asked top department officials to sign it and send it to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and state legislative leaders. Clark knew at the time that that statement was false, the indictment alleges.
Clark’s attorneys had argued that the actions described in the indictment related directly to his work as a federal official at the Justice Department. Clark at the time was the assistant attorney general overseeing the environment and natural resources division and was the acting assistant attorney general over the civil division.
But the judge said Clark provided no evidence to show that he was acting within the scope of his role in the Justice Department when he wrote a letter in December 2020 claiming the DOJ was investigating voter irregularities. “To the contrary, the evidence before the Court indicates the opposite: Clark’s role in the Civil Division did not include any role in the investigation or oversight of State elections,” Jones wrote.
Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed to this report.
It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears have gotten off to a brutal start to their 2023 season, following a deflating Week 1 loss to the rival Green Bay Packers with defeats to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Now the Bears head back home for a game against the also-winless Denver Broncos, and one Chicago bar is confident that the Bears’ franchise-record losing streak is coming to an end this weekend.
Claddagh Ring Pub, an Irish-American sports bar located in Chicago’s Lincoln Square community area, is offering a free tab to patrons if the Bears fall to 0-4 with a loss against the Broncos.
Doors for the bar open at 11 a.m., an hour before the game’s scheduled start time. In order to be eligible for a free tab, customers must be inside before the noon kickoff.
Promo tabs will close at the conclusion of the third quarter.
In addition to a possible free tab in the event of a Bears loss, Claddagh will also be giving out free pizza to customers at halftime.
While the 2023 season is already looking bleak for Bears fans, Claddagh is making sure customers win in at least one way on Sunday.
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A teenager who killed four fellow students at Michigan’s Oxford High School is eligible for life in prison with no chance for parole, a judge ruled Friday, finding only a “slim” chance for rehabilitation after the 2021 attack.
Judge Kwamé Rowe announced the decision over video conference, weeks after hearing from experts who clashed over Ethan Crumbley’s mental health and witnesses who described the terror of the day in sharp detail.
He will be sentenced in Oakland County court on Dec. 8, a day when survivors and families can tell the judge about how the shooting affected their lives.
First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence for adults in Michigan. But the shooter was 15 at the time, which now gives the judge options: life in prison or a shorter term — somewhere from 25 years to 40 years at a minimum — and an eventual opportunity for freedom.
At Friday’s hearing, the burden was on prosecutors to show that a life sentence would not be an unfair punishment for a minor. Rowe said they had cleared that hurdle.
“This crime is not the result of impetuosity or recklessness,” Rowe said. “Nor does the crime reflect the hallmarks of youth. Defendant carefully and meticulously planned and carried out the shooting.”
The judge said the teen had downloaded a school map, figured out the likely police response time to a shooting and also researched where Michigan teens are placed in prison.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who is seeking a life sentence, said she hopes the judge’s ruling brings “some comfort” to the Oxford community ahead of the final hearing in December.
Crumbley, now 17, and his defense team listened to the decision while in the county jail. The lawyers declined to comment as they walked out.
“The judge still has the option of a term of years,” said Detroit-area defense lawyer Margaret Raben, who is not involved in the case. “Is it a foregone conclusion that he’ll get life without parole? No.”
The shooter pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism and other crimes. The teen and his parents met with school staff on the day of the shooting after a teacher noticed violent drawings. But no one checked his backpack for a gun and he was allowed to stay.
The shooter’s lawyers had argued that he was in a devastating spiral by fall 2021 after being deeply neglected by his parents, who bought a gun and took him to a shooting range to try it. A psychologist, Colin King, described him as a “feral child,” though the judge disagreed.
Defense attorney Paulette Michel Loftin said Crumbley deserves an opportunity for parole some day after his “sick brain” is fixed through counseling and rehabilitation.
Rowe, however, is not convinced so far, saying the possibility for rehabilitation “is slim.”
The shooter “continues to be obsessed with violence and could not stop his obsession even while incarcerated at the jail,” the judge said, noting he accessed violent content on an electronic device even while in custody, violating jail rules.
“As defendant’s own expert stated, the defendant has to be the one who wants to change if he is to be rehabilitated,” Rowe said. “Evidence does not demonstrate to the court that he wants to change.”
There is no dispute that the shooter kept a journal and wrote about his desire to watch students suffer and the likelihood that he would spend his life in prison. He made a video with his phone on the eve of shooting, declaring what he would do the next day.
“I’m sorry the families have to go through this,” he said.
He killed Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling at Oxford High, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Detroit. Six students and a teacher were also wounded.
In the adult wing of the jail, segregated from their son, James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with involuntary manslaughter. They are accused of making a gun accessible at home and ignoring their son’s mental health.
Denver Johnson and Jason Paholik Jr. were best friends who were more like brothers, according to family.
On May 27, while at a bonfire in Crown Point, Denver jokingly pointed a gun at 16-year-old Jason and shot him in the chest. Jason later died from his injuries.
The incident was captured on home video that both teens’ mothers said they have seen.
According to court documents, Denver, 18, called the shooting an accident, saying he believed the firearm wasn’t loaded.
At first, he faced a reckless homicide charge. But the mothers said days later, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office upgraded the charges to murder.
“Everything states it was an accident,” said Denver’s mom Amanda Eby. “There was no anger. They had not been arguing.”
“I was shocked – I called the detective right away – I don’t understand,” said Jason’s mom, Jennifer Paholic.
Jennifer said what happened that day was irresponsible, but it was not murder.
“Denver deserves to serve time, just not what they are asking for,” she said. “He needs help emotionally. Otherwise they are going to create a monster, and my son would never want to see that happen.”
When NBC Chicago asked Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter’s office about why the charges were upgraded, the office replied in a statement, saying it cannot comment on this case – or any other ongoing case.
Johnson’s trial is expected to get underway on Nov. 13.
A Cook County courtroom packed with Chicago police officers and their families erupted in cheers Thursday afternoon after a judge found fellow cops Ruben Reynoso and Christopher Liakopoulos not guilty in connection with an on-duty shooting in July 2022 that left an unarmed man wounded.
Attorney Tim Grace said his client, officer Liakopoulas was “ecstatic” when judge Lawrence Flood announced his verdict. “These guys have been through 13 months of absolute agony, charged with serious crimes,” Grace said.
Flood said he found the prosecution’s star witness, Miguel Medina, who was wounded during the encounter, not to be credible because he had been on a two-day alcohol and cannabis binge at the time.
The judge found that the officers, who could have faced up to 30 years in prison, acted in self-defense. Flood said the officers had reason to be suspicious of the five men they saw on the street, especially after Medina and a juvenile who was walking with him approached their car.
“This was never a case,” said John Catanzara, the President of Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police. “It should never have been brought forth,” he said.
While she admitted to being disappointed by the verdict, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said it was the job of her office to bring cases like this one. “We charged this case because we believe we have to hold those accountable who go against the law…even police officers,” she said.
Initially, Liakopoulos and Reynoso claimed on incident report forms that they were fired on first, a claim that was not supported by video evidence.
Foxx said that explains why a 16-year-old, who did later fire upon the officers, was never charged. “Because they chose not to tell the truth, and would then be the same witnesses in the trial against the juvenile, we could not charge that case,” Foxx said.
The police union said cases like this one underscore the difficult and stressful situations officers face every day. “Better they get shot than we get shot,” Cantanzara said. “I have been to enough police funerals…how about you?”
Their attorneys say both Liakopoulos and Reynoso will apply to have their police powers restored.
A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday, vowing he will not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running despite House Republicans’ struggle to unite around an alternative.
Congress is at an impasse just days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for many of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees, as well as 2 million active-duty military troops and reservists, furlough many of those workers and curtail government services.
But the House and Senate are pursuing different paths to avert those consequences even though time is running out before government funding expires after midnight on Saturday.
The Senate is working toward passage of a bipartisan measure that would fund the government until Nov. 17 as longer-term negotiations continue, while also providing $6 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief.
The House, meanwhile, has teed up votes on four of the dozen annual spending bills that fund various agencies in hopes that would cajole enough Republicans to support a House-crafted continuing resolution that temporarily funds the government and boosts security at the U.S. border with Mexico. It’s a longshot, but McCarthy predicted a deal.
“Put your money on me; we’re going to get this done,” he said in a CNBC interview. “I think we can work through the weekend. I think we can figure this out.”
Lawmakers were already weary from days of late-night negotiating. The strain was evident at McCarthy’s closed-door meeting with Republicans Thursday morning, which was marked by a tense exchange between the speaker and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., according to those in the room.
Gaetz, who has taunted McCarthy for weeks with threats to oust him from his post, confronted the speaker about conservative online influencers being paid to post negative things about him. McCarthy shot back that he wouldn’t waste his time on something like that, Gaetz told reporters as he exited the meeting.
McCarthy’s allies left the meeting fuming about Gaetz’s tactics.
With his majority splintering, McCarthy is scrambling to come up with a plan for preventing a shutdown and win Republican support. The speaker told Republicans he would reveal a Republican stopgap plan, known as a continuing resolution or CR, on Friday, according to those in the room, while also trying to force Senate Democrats into giving some concessions.
But with time running out, many GOP lawmakers were either withholding support for a temporary measure until they had a chance to see it. Others are considering joining Democrats, without McCarthy’s support, to bring forward a bill that would prevent a shutdown.
With his ability to align his conference in doubt, McCarthy has little standing to negotiate with Senate Democrats. He has also attempted to draw President Joe Biden into negotiations, but
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Congress and the White House had already worked out top-line spending levels for next year with an agreement this summer that allowed the government to continue borrowing to pay its bills. But McCarthy was deviating from that deal and courting a shutdown by catering to Republicans who say it didn’t do enough to cut spending, he said.
“By focusing on the views of the radical few instead of the many, Speaker McCarthy has made a shutdown far more likely,” Schumer said.
McCarthy reiterated to CNBC that the House will have its say. “Will I accept and surrender to what the Senate decides? The answer is no, we’re our own body.”
He acknowledged divisions within his own conference, saying members have made it difficult to pass appropriations bills. But he added that he still is working with the Republicans who won’t support short-term funding legislation.
“Well, if you won’t do any of that, it’s hard to govern,” McCarthy said, before adding, “I don’t give up on any single one of them, and I try to find a place that we can bring it all together.”
President Joe Biden also sought to apply more pressure on McCarthy, urging him to compromise with Democrats even though that could threaten his job.
“I think that the speaker is making a choice between his speakership and American interests,” Biden said.
The White House, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, notified staff on Thursday to prepare for a shutdown, according to emails obtained by The Associated Press. Employees who are furloughed would have four hours on Monday to prepare their offices for the shutdown.
The White House plans to keep on all commissioned officers. That includes chief of staff Jeff Zients, press secretary Karine Jean Pierre, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior-level personnel, by declaring them “excepted” during a shutdown, according to the White House email.
Military troops and federal workers, including law enforcement officers, air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers, will also report to work because they are essential to protecting life and property. They would miss paychecks if the shutdown lasts beyond Oct. 13, the next scheduled payday, though they are slated to receive backpay once any shutdown ends.
Many Republicans have voiced fears they would be blamed for a shutdown — including in the Senate, where many GOP members are aligned with Democrats on a temporary bill.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he agrees with many of the goals of the House Republicans, but warned a shutdown will not achieve any of them.
“Instead of producing any meaningful policy outcomes, it would actually take the important progress being made on a number of key issues and drag it backward,” McConnell said.
But McCarthy’s House allies were hoping the threat of a shutdown could help conservatives with their push to limit federal spending and combat illegal immigration at the U.S-Mexico border.
“Anytime you have a stopgap situation like this, you have an opportunity to leverage,” said Rep. Garret Graves, R-La. “This is another opportunity. America does not want an open Southern border. The polls are crystal clear. It’s having a profound impact on us.”
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Fatima Hussein contributed reporting.
Police are investigating reports of a break-in early Thursday morning at the Gage Park field house, where hundreds of migrants have been housed since early July.
A 37-year-old woman told Chicago police she saw a male enter the facility, at 2411 W. 55th St., about 2:20 a.m., according to Chicago police.
The woman “saw the possible outline of a firearm” on the man and said he was pointing his finger at individuals inside, police said. He then left on foot.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) said the male entered the women’s dormitory but did not make direct contact with any of the residents.
Since the incident, Lopez said he has been in communication with the mayor’s office and officers from the Chicago Lawn police district to determine how the breach happened and to ensure it does not happen again. He said he planned to visit the field house later Thursday.
“I have conveyed to Mayor Brandon Johnson that the safety of the migrant asylum-seekers and the surrounding community must be our utmost priority,” Lopez said in a statement. “I have asked our partners to hold shelter management and private security agencies to drill this philosophy deep into their daily mission. A breach of this caliber could have ended in a much worse scenario. Thankfully, that is not the case today.”
The Gage Park field house has served as a migrant respite center since July.
In June, Lopez said he volunteered at the local field house after he was assured security and health needs would be met by the city.
The site was initially set up to house about 300 single men, but about a month ago expanded to include women.
There are almost 400 people housed at the facility, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
There are currently 20 shelters throughout the city, housing nearly 9,000 people. More than 2,000 people are waiting at police stations and airports for space in city shelters to open up.
The city has received over 15,000 people since the bussing began in August 2022, and the pace of arrivals is accelerating. This past weekend, 12 buses arrived, the most in any two-day period — until Tuesday and Wednesday, when 14 did.
An El Niño winter is looking almost certain, but what will that mean for the Chicago area and winter weather?
Already predictions have been made on what to expect, with a projections ranging from above-average precipitation, including snowstorms, to drier and warmer conditions.
While an El Niño winter will likely mean shifts in the forecast for the Chicago area, forecasters caution that “no two El Niños are alike.”
“A strong El Niño does not necessarily equate to strong impacts locally, with the odds of related climate anomalies often lower than the chances of El Niño itself,” the NWS reports.
Here’s a look at what to expect:
According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, there is a “greater than 95% chance” that an El Niño continues through the Northern Hemisphere winter. The chance of a “strong” El Niño also climbed from 66% last month to 71% this month.
According to the climate center’s ENSO blog, there is a 30% chance the event could be on par with “some of the strongest El Niños since 1950.”
El Niño refers to a time in which sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, particularly near the equator, are unusually warm, according to Dr. Jim Angel, a state climatologist in Illinois. It is the opposite of a La Niña.
“These (increased water temperatures) change the weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, which in turn changes the weather patterns for much of the rest of the world,” Angel said.
According to the NWS, “during normal conditions in the Pacific ocean, trade winds blow west along the equator, taking warm water from South America towards Asia.” Thanks to a process called “upwelling,” however, cold water rises from the bottom of the ocean to replace the warm water. But an El Niño causes the trade winds to weaken and the warm water is then pushed back east.
Typically, an El Niño year can mean parts of the northern U.S. and Canada are drier and warmer than usual, but the Gulf Coast and Southeast can see wetter-than-normal conditions, along with an increased risk of flooding.
Last winter provided a surprising amount of rain and warmer-than-normal temperatures in the Chicago area and the latest forecast could mean a repeat.
Typically for Illinois, an El Niño event’s impact varies depending on its size, intensity, and duration, Angel said.
“As a result, the impacts can vary from one event to the next. In addition, there may be other factors that influence Illinois weather during these events,” Angel said.
In general, some of the impacts could include:
Forecasts for the coming winter in the Chicago area are suggesting that residents could experience warmer-than-normal temperatures, with below-normal precipitation.
During meteorological winter, which takes place between Dec. 1, 2023 and Feb. 29, 2024, the CPC says its projections are “leaning above” in terms of average temperatures in the Chicago area and the entire upper Midwest.
Those same projections are “leaning below” for precipitation level during that time.
Those projections currently hold into March as well, according to NWS officials.
Such a development would be in line with how El Niño events typically unfold. During those instances, Illinois and the Chicago area typically see warmer temperatures and below-normal precipitation, especially in the fall and winter months, according to researchers at the University of Illinois.
Get your daily dose of caffeine for free this as retailers across the Chicago area celebrate National Coffee Day with a number of freebies and deals.
Plenty of coffee shops around Chicago are offering extended discounts and membership deals in honor of the holiday.
Here are some places to score a cup of energy near you:
Starbucks
Select Starbucks stores will offer free coffee tastings led by expert baristas in celebration of National Coffee Day. Some tastings will be led by a Starbucks certified Coffee Master, an employee with expert coffee knowledge and training from Starbucks Coffee Academy. Customers can inquire with their local store for more details.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery, located at 646 N. Michigan Ave., will also spotlight a curated Chicago microblend only available at the roastery. The microblend is created by expert coffee developers and curated to reflect the essence of Chicago, the company said.
Customers can also celebrate the first Starbucks Global Coffee week, which started on Monday and will end on Oct. 1, International Coffee Day.
Peet’s Coffee and Tea
Peet’s is introducing a “Peet’s Disloyalty” program only available on Sept. 29. Customers must create a Peetnik Rewards account and then upload a screenshot from another coffee shop’s loyalty app between now and Thursday. Doing so will reward the user with one free single-serve beverage coupon in any size excluding bottled beverages.
Duck Donuts
Customers are eligible to receive a free medium hot coffee or cold brew with any purchase. Those ordering online can use the code “COFFEEDAY23” to redeem the offer.
Potbelly
From Friday to Sunday, Potbelly will offer double points for Perks members with any purchase that includes a Cold Brew Shake. Members must order through the Potbelly.com website, the app or by scanning the app at the store to take advantage of the offer.
Paris Baguette
Bakery and café Paris Baguette will offer one free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase to rewards members from Friday to Sunday.
Fairgrounds Craft and Coffee Tea
Customers can enjoy half off all coffees all day come Sept. 29. Those planning to purchase coffee online can use the code “COFFEE LOVER” to access the deal.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Rewards members can get a complimentary medium hot or iced coffee with purchase on the day.
Krispy Kreme
The doughnut chain is offering a free medium hot or iced coffee this Friday, no purchase required.
Circle K
Through the Circle K app, customers can get one free cup of coffee in any size from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee
The iconic donut and coffee brand will offer two deals for National Coffee Day at its 16 locations throughout the city. On Sept. 29, any guest will be able to receive a free 16 oz. hot or iced coffee with any purchase in-store. For those not in Chicago, Stan’s is offering 50% off all first-month coffee subscription orders with the code DrinkMoreCoffee, available on Sept. 29 only.
Big Shoulders Coffee
On Sept. 29, Big Shoulders is offering 15% off core coffees on their website and $2 drip coffees in cafes.
Shortly a decade after first being detected in the United States, the invasive spotted lanternfly has now been detected and identified in Illinois for the first time.
While the bug doesn’t pose any health threat to humans or animals, the spotted lanternfly is known to feed on several tree species and grapes, presenting a concern to local ecosystems.
According to officials, the state’s agriculture department was alerted to the potential presence of the nuisance pest on Sept. 16, and coordinated a site visit near the sighting two days later.
Following the collection of specimens at the site, results that were returned Tuesday confirmed the presence of the spotted lanternfly.
The spotted lanternfly is native to eastern Asia and was first found in the U.S. in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014.
Since then, presence of the species has continued to spread throughout the eastern and southeastern U.S., more recently making its way into the Midwest as well.
Identifications of the spotted lanternfly have been recorded in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio in recent years.
Spencer Campbell, plant program coordinator with the Morton Arboretum, said the spotted lanternfly has gained enough prevalence in some northeastern states to impact local agricultural communities.
"If they do become larger, what can happen is they're aggregators, they congregate together and when they all get together, they eat a lot. And when you eat a lot, unfortunately, you defecate a lot too. So that honeydew is what we call it, that honeydew can leave a lasting impact if you're walking trails, if you're trying to enjoy a picnic that can live. Limit your ability to recreate," Campbell told NBC Chicago.
The spotted lanternfly feeds on a wide variety of plants, with a particular affinity for the invasive tree of heaven, maple trees and grapes. Officials say these plants should be monitored for any spotted lanternfly activity.
The fly is known to move easily on wood surfaces and vehicles, making the pest very difficult to contain.
Anyone who believes they may have seen a spotted lanternfly is asked to take pictures and contact lanternfly@illinois.edu to report the sighting.
Campbell added that after reporting the sighting to agriculture officials, those that come into contact with the spotted lanternfly should kill it.
"Stamp it is what we're going with right now. We're still locating the languages, but forcefully step and squash it," Campbell said.
Agriculture officials offer the following advice to help contain the spread of the spotted lanternfly in the U.S.:
As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.
The Republican speaker laid out his strategy Wednesday behind closed doors, urging his unruly Republican majority to work together. He set up a test vote Friday, one day before Saturday’s shutdown deadline, on a far-right bill. It would slash federal spending by 8% from many agencies and toughen border security but has been rejected by President Joe Biden, Democrats and his own right-flank Republicans.
“I want to solve the problem,” McCarthy told reporters afterward at the Capitol.
But pressed on how he would pass a partisan Republican spending plan that even his own right flank doesn’t want, McCarthy had few answers. He rejected outright the Senate’s bipartisan bill, which would fund the government to Nov. 17, adding $6 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief while talks continue. Instead, he insisted, as he often does, that he would never quit trying.
Congress is at a crossroads days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for millions of federal workers and the military, close down many federal offices, and leave Americans who rely on the government in ways large and small in the lurch.
As the Senate pushes ahead in bipartisan fashion, McCarthy is demanding that Biden meet to discuss border security measures. But the beleaguered speaker has little leverage left with the White House without the power of his House majority behind him and after he walked away from the debt deal he and Biden reached earlier this year that is now law.
On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber warning of the right-wing extremes that “seem to exult in shutting down government.”
Schumer said: “A reckless shutdown will serve no purpose.”
The Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was in rare agreement with the Democratic leader, urging his House colleagues to consider the Senate’s stopgap approach that keeps funding at current levels, along with bolstered money for Ukraine and U.S. disaster relief, and move off the shutdown strategy.
“We can take the standard approach and fund the government for six weeks at the current rate of operations or we can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy,” McConnell said.
McConnell said he, too, would like to do something about the “Democrats’ reckless spending” and boost border security. But “these important discussions cannot progress” if the functions of government “end up being taken hostage.”
With the Senate expected to spend the rest of this week working to pass its bill over the objections of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and others on the right flank who want to halt aid to Ukraine and push for steeper spending cuts, all action in Congress is crushing toward a last minute deadline.
The federal government would begin to shut down if funding is not secured by Sunday, Oct. 1, which is the start of the new fiscal year.
While the White House has said it’s up to McCarthy and the House Republicans to “fix” the problem they have created, Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 election, Donald Trump, is urging the right flank to fight for steep spending cuts. If Republicans don’t get what they want, Trump the former president says, they should “shut it down.”
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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
Less than a month after the “Skip the Line” program for Illinois DMVs launched, some residents are complaining over difficulties with the system to schedule appointments, with some saying they were redirected to locations hundreds of miles away.
The program removed walk-in accommodations for most services performed at DMVs in densely-populated areas across the state, requiring appointments to complete most tasks at a number of locations.
With more than 150,000 appointments booked in a three-week span, Illinois officials revealed this week that they are expanding the program at select Secretary of State’s Office locations. That includes the opening of two “senior only” centers in the Chicago metro area, which won’t require appointments for those 65 and older, and increasing appointments at several facilities.
Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, has allowed walk-in services since the program was implemented.
Finally, call center features will be available for residents age 70 and older who need a road exam. Those residents can call (800) 252-8980.
Still, for some, scheduling an appointment has proved challenging.
Even NBC Chicago reporter Mary Ann Ahern attempted to schedule an appointment Tuesday, but found she would need to wait two weeks at three different facilities in the area.
“We’re trying to accommodate as many people as possible,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias told NBC Chicago. “That’s why we opened up these walk-in facilities. That’s why we’ve added a phone number to those who don’t want to go online. So we’re trying to make this as easy as possible.”
Giannoulias also offered some advice to people looking for appointments: check again.
“We’ve seen evidence of people going on the next day and finding one day-of, day before, the day they wanted,” he said.
That was a strategic move by the office, to avoid all appointments being claimed months in advance.
“We’re trying to release appointments daily, different times. And again, our goal is to accommodate people,” he said.
Still, Giannoulias said “nothing will ever be without its kinks” and adjustments will continue to be made.
The U.S. has secured the release of a U.S. soldier who sprinted across a heavily fortified border into North Korea more than two months ago, the White House announced Wednesday. U.S. ally Sweden and rival China helped with the transfer.
Left unanswered were questions of why Pyongyang — which has tense relations with Washington over the North’s nuclear program, support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and other issues—had agreed to turn him over and why the soldier had fled in the first place.
North Korea had abruptly announced earlier Wednesday that it would expel Pvt. Travis King — though some had expected the North to drag out his detention in hopes of squeezing concessions from Washington at a time of high tensions between the two countries.
“U.S. officials have secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. “We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s wellbeing.”
Officials said they did not know exactly why North Korea decided to expel King, but suspected Pyongyang determined that as a low-ranking serviceman he had no real value in terms of either leverage or information. One official, who was not authorized to comment and requested anonymity, said the North Koreans may have decided that King, 23, was more trouble to keep than to simply release him.
Swedish officials took King to the Chinese border, where he was met by the U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, the Swedish ambassador to China, and at least one U.S. Defense Department official. Biden administration officials insisted they provided no concessions to North Korea to secure the soldier’s release.
“We thank the government of Sweden for its diplomatic role serving as the protecting power for the United States in the DPRK and the government of the People’s Republic of China for its assistance in facilitating the transit of Private King,” Sullivan added.
King was being flown to a U.S. military base in South Korea before being returned to the U.S.
His expulsion almost certainly does not end his troubles or ensure the sort of celebratory homecoming that has accompanied the releases of other detained Americans.
And there remain unanswered questions about the episode, including why King went to North Korea in the first place. His fate in the U.S. remains uncertain, having been declared AWOL by the government. That can mean punishment by time in military jail, forfeiture of pay or a dishonorable discharge.
In the near term, officials said that their focus would be on helping King reintegrate into U.S. society upon his return, including helping him address mental and emotional concerns, according to a senior Biden administration officials who briefed reporters on the transfer.
The soldier was in “good spirits and good health” upon his release, according to one senior administration official. He was to be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, and was expected to arrive overnight, officials said.
King, who had served in South Korea, ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of a border village on July 18, becoming the first American confirmed to be detained in the North in nearly five years.
At the time he crossed the border, King was supposed to be heading to Fort Bliss, Texas, following his release from prison in South Korea on an assault conviction.
Sweden was the chief interlocutor with North Korea on the transfer, while China helped facilitate his transfer, administration officials said.
Biden administration officials expressed gratitude for China’s assistance with the transfer but underscored that Beijing did not play a mediating role in securing King’s release. The U.S. first learned through Swedish officials earlier this month that North Korea was looking to expel King. That information accelerated the effort to release King with Sweden acting on the United States’ behalf in its talks with the North, an official said.
On Wednesday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that authorities had finished their questioning of King. It said that he confessed to illegally entering the North because he harbored “ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” within the U.S. Army and was “disillusioned about the unequal U.S. society.”
It had attributed similar comments to King before, and verifying their authenticity is impossible. Some previous foreign detainees have said after their releases that declarations of guilt while in North Korean custody were made under coercion.
The White House did not address the North Korean state media reports that King fled because of his dismay about racial discrimination and inequality in the military and U.S. society. One senior administration official said that King was “very happy” to be on his way back to the United States.
In an interview last month with The Associated Press, King’s mother, Claudine Gates, said her son had reason to want to come home. She thanked the U.S. government on Wednesday for securing her son’s release.
“Ms. Gates will be forever grateful to the United States Army and all its interagency partners for a job well done,” Jonathan Franks, spokesperson for Gates, said in a statement. “For the foreseeable future, the family asks for privacy and Ms. Gates does not intend to give any interviews.”
King, who is from Wisconsin, was among about 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggression from North Korea. U.S. officials had expressed concern about King’s well-being, citing the North’s harsh treatment of some American detainees in the past.
Both Koreas ban anyone from crossing their heavily fortified shared border without special permissions. The Americans who crossed into North Korea in the past include soldiers, missionaries, human rights advocates or those simply curious about one of the world’s most cloistered societies.
North Korea’s decision to release King after 71 days appears relatively quick by the country’s standards, especially considering the tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over the North’s growing nuclear weapons and missile program and the United States’ expanding military exercises with South Korea. Some had speculated that North Korea might treat King as a propaganda asset or bargaining chip.
The U.S. has also publicly accused North Korea of providing munitions to Russia for its war with Ukraine and says that Moscow is pushing Pyongyang to provide even more military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for talks in Russia’s Far East earlier this month.
Biden administration officials on Wednesday downplayed any idea that the release could augur a broader shift by Kim, but reiterated that the U.S. remains ready to engage the North with diplomatic talks.
Captive Americans have been flown to China previously. In other cases, an envoy has been sent to retrieve them.
That happened in 2017 when North Korea deported Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was in a coma at the time of his release and later died.
