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BNSF trains face delays after vehicle crashes into bridge in Little Village 4:06 AM (7 minutes ago)

CHICAGO — An early-morning crash delayed some BNSF trains on Wednesday.

According to Metra, several BNSF trains were halted on Wednesday morning after a vehicle struck a bridge.

The crash appears to have unfolded along an overpass near the intersection of South Kedzie Avenue and West 21st Street, in Little Village.

While it is currently unclear what exactly led to the crash, officials from Metra said it has led to multiple schedule changes and cancellations.

Currently, BNSF inbound and outbound trains are on the move but operating at restricted speeds because of the crash. Additionally, extensive delays are expected.

It is unclear how long the delays are expected to last.

Visit the Metra website for the latest service updates.

Could a 300-foot-tall Giga Coaster be coming to Six Flags Great America? 3:57 AM (16 minutes ago)

A new survey sent to some Six Flags Great America passholders has roller coaster enthusiasts buzzing.

The parent company of the Gurnee, Illinois amusement park sent out online surveys to frequent visitors at multiple parks, asking their opinions on different types of attractions under consideration for development. According to screenshots of the survey posted to Reddit, Six Flags Great America's email featured three different attractions under consideration. We reached out to Great America and the park confirmed the authenticity of the survey.

The three attraction concepts in the Great America survey include a family launch roller coaster, a flying theater attraction, and the one every entusiast seems to be salivating over - a Giga Coaster. I break them all down in this video:

What is a Giga Coaster?

A Giga Coaster is a roller coaster with a height of 300-399 feet. Currently, Great America's tallest roller coaster is the 202-foot tall Raging Bull, so a Giga Coaster would stand a whopping 100 feet taller than that. Here's what the park's survey has to say about this possible attraction:

"Prepare for the ultimate thrill experience with the all-new Giga Coaster, a towering masterpiece designed for adrenaline seekers and coaster enthusiasts alike. Soaring over 300 feet in height and reaching jaw-dropping speeds, this record-breaking coaster delivers massive drops, high-speed twists, and exhilarating airtime from start to finish.

With state-of-the-art engineering, immersive theming, and panoramic park views, riders will feel the rush of flight and the thrill of extreme speeds like never before. It's the perfect combination of intense thrills, cutting-edge technology, and unforgettable excitement, making this Giga Coaster the must-ride attraction!"

Giga Coasters Over The Years

Can Great America build a ride that tall?

There has been a lot of dicussion over the years about how high Great America can go when it comes to new projects, due to the park's location less than 10 miles from the Waukegan National Airport. Currently, Great America's tallest attraction is the SkyTrek Tower observation ride. That stands 330 feet in the air near the entrance of the park.

I reached out to Great America and the park confirmed that they cannot build anything higher than SkyTrek Tower due to the nearby airport. That would mean a potential Giga Coaster would have to be less than 330 feet tall.

Does this mean a Giga Coaster is coming to Great America?

The short answer to this question is - maybe? Based on history with these surveys, the company generally only sends them out if they are actually considering these attractions. That means a Giga Coaster is a possibility. However, I could also see them adding either of the other two attractions. Great America could use another family roller coaster that packs a thrill, something along the lines of Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood. A Flying Theater attraction would add a great option for guests on hot or rainy weather days. And a Giga Coaster would likely be the most expensive of all three of these options, another thing for the company to consider.

Where would Great America put a Giga Coaster?

Great America has gotten creative fitting new roller coasters into the park without removing major attractions. That might have to change with a roller coaster of this magnitude. Far more creative people than me have hypothesized where something like this could go - could it somehow run around the front entrance of the park, like the Giga Coaster Fury 325 at Carowinds? You can see my ride on that coaster here to see what that looks like:

There is also the possibility that Great America could remove an attraction and put a Giga Coaster in its place. Fury 325 features 6,600 feet of track. For comparison, Raging Bull is 5,057 feet long - a Giga could potentially be 1,000 feet longer! That's quite a bit of real estate. Removing something significant could open up more space for a ride of this size.

But again, the team at Great America has found creative ways to add large attractions without subtracting other large attractions. Perhaps this could happen with a Giga Coaster, as well.

When could this possibly happen?

Seeing that Great America just opened a major new roller coaster this season with Wrath of Rakshasa, it seems likely that another major addition would be a few years away. There are other factors at play, including the search for a new CEO of Six Flags. Will new leadership be interested in adding large additions to parks across the country? We will have to wait and see.

Do you want to see a Giga Coaster at Great America?

So what do you think? If you could pick between these three attraction types, what would you choose? I'd love to hear your thoughts. You can send me a message on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube!

We'll keep you posted on any information that comes in the months and years ahead!

See more of my Coastin' the Country theme park and travel reports here.

Woman missing for nearly a week last seen in East Garfield Park 3:24 AM (48 minutes ago)

CHICAGO — Authorities say a search is underway this week for a woman who has been missing for several days.

According to Chicago police, 36-year-old Lisa Shah has been missing since Friday, October 17.

Officers say Shah was last seen near the intersection of West Madison Street and South Kedzie Avenue, in East Garfield Park.

Shah, who stands 5-foot-4 and weighs around 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes.

Police say Shah was last spotted wearing a white t-shirt and shorts.

Officers provided details on the missing woman's disappearance in a news release shared on Tuesday afternoon.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 36-year-old Lisa Shah is asked to contact the CPD Area Four SVU at 312-747-8255 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

Judge expected to sign off on 30-day extension banning deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois 3:17 AM (55 minutes ago)

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge in Chicago is expected to sign off Wednesday on a 30-day extension banning the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois.

The expected extension comes two weeks after the judge partially granted a temporary restraining order against National Guard deployment in Illinois, which was set to expire Thursday, and just under a week after a federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request to lift the order.

But anything the judge decides Wednesday could be moot if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the meantime.

Attorneys representing the Trump administration said in court filings Tuesday that they would agree to possibly extend the block on the deployment of troops for 30 days. However, they're also continuing to ask the Supreme Court to intervene, pressing for an emergency order that would allow National Guard troops to be deployed.

“Every day this improper TRO remains in effect imposes grievous and irreparable harm on the Executive,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the Supreme Court filing Tuesday.

Lawyers representing Chicago and Illinois have asked that the Supreme Court continue to block the deployment to the Chicago area, calling it a “dramatic step.”

President Donald Trump’s attempts to deploy the military in Chicago and other Democratic-led cities — over the objections of mayors and governors — has brought a head-spinning array of court challenges and overlapping rulings.

As the Supreme Court ponders whether to clear the way for the National Guard in Chicago, a federal appeals court is hearing arguments in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s challenge to the deployment of troops in Los Angeles. National Guard troops could also soon be on the ground in Portland, Oregon, pending legal developments there.

Here are some things to know about legal efforts to block, or deploy, National Guard troops in various other cities.

Deployment in Portland also in limbo

An appeals court said Monday that Trump could take command of 200 Oregon National Guard troops, but for now a separate court order blocks him from actually deploying them.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued two temporary restraining orders early this month. One prohibited Trump from calling up the Oregon troops so he could send them to Portland. The other prohibited him from sending any National Guard members to Oregon at all, after he tried to evade the first order by deploying California troops instead.

The Justice Department appealed the first order, and in a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the administration.

However, Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops may immediately be deployed.

The case is still before the courts.

Battle in California goes before appellate panel

A panel of judges with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena is set to hear arguments Wednesday related to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

A district court found the Trump administration violated federal law when he sent the troops to Los Angeles in early June after protests to his immigration crackdown.

Judge Charles Breyer handed Newsom an early victory in the case on June 13 when he ordered control of National Guard troops back to California. But in an emergency ruling, an appeals court panel sided with the Trump administration, allowing the troops to remain in federal hands as the lawsuit unfolds.

The appeals court will weigh whether to vacate Breyer’s June order.

The same three-judge panel is also handling the Trump administration’s appeal to a Sept. 2 ruling by Breyer, who found the president violated the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws.

Groups aim to stop deployment in D.C.

In Charleston, West Virginia, a state court hearing is set for Friday in a lawsuit filed by two groups who want to block the deployment of the state's National Guard to Washington, D.C.

More than 300 Guard members have been in the nation’s capital supporting Trump’s initiative since late August.

Democrats sue to stop deployment in Memphis

In Tennessee, Democratic elected officials sued last Friday to try to stop the ongoing National Guard deployment in Memphis. They said Republican Gov. Bill Lee, acting on a request from Trump, violated the state constitution, which says the National Guard can be called up during “rebellion or invasion,” but only with the blessing of state lawmakers.

Since their arrival on Oct. 10, troops have been patrolling areas of downtown Memphis, including near the iconic Pyramid, wearing fatigues and protective vests that say “military police,” with guns in holsters. Officials have said Guard members have no arrest power.

Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle, Mark Sherman in Washington, D.C., Olga R. Rodríguez in San Francisco, Adrian Sainz in Memphis, and John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia contributed to this report.

Woman shot during argument on West Side overnight 3:01 AM (last hour)

CHICAGO — A woman is recovering in the hospital on Wednesday morning after she was shot in the face during an argument on the city's West Side overnight.

Chicago police say the incident unfolded just after 8:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of North Harding Avenue in Humboldt Park.

According to police, officers were first notified about the incident after the victim, a 20-year-old woman, arrived at a West Side hospital with a gunshot wound to her face.

Further investigation indicated that the woman got into an argument in the 1300 block of North Harding Avenue with an unknown female. Amid the argument, officers said the offender pulled out a gun and shot the victim before fleeing the scene.

The woman sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of the face and took herself to the hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.

Currently, it is unclear what led to the argument, and officers said no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CPD Area One detectives at 312-747-8380 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

What happened to focusing on 'the worst of the worst?' 21 Oct 5:56 PM (10 hours ago)

President Donald Trump and his team have vowed to focus on people they label "the worst of the worst" in their immigration enforcement efforts. They have flooded social media with mugshots and imagery of people who they say are killers, rapists, and sexual predators. However, the administration has been unwilling to release data showing what percentage of immigration arrests involve people who have been convicted of crimes.

"ICE is prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats, and the data proves it," Border czar Tom Homan told a NewsNation town hall on October 15. He directed viewers to ICE's enforcement website; but it hasn't been updated since December, when Joe Biden was president.   

Pressed to provide the data, Homan made another claim: "Nearly 70-percent of everybody ICE arrests are either public safety threats or national security threats."

However, 71-percent of people currently in ICE detention have no criminal convictions, according to data obtained by tracreports.org, which gathers and tracks government immigration data. 

When confronted with stats showing the vast majority of people in ICE custody aren't convicted criminals, Homan provided an ominous explanation: "Most national security threats don't have criminal histories.  They're lying low to do the dirty deed."

As WGN Investigates has previously documented: Homeland Security has repeatedly published false, misleading or unproven claims on social media. Earlier this month, they posted a picture of a man who they said was free despite a sex assault.

Last week: DHS trumpeted the arrest of a suburban police officer for overstaying his visa by a decade. The agency tweeted: "Governor Pritzker doesn’t just allow illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities, he allows them to work as sworn police officers."

Only later did an official acknowledge a different division of Homeland Security gave the officer a permit to work in the U.S.

Homeland Security did not respond to repeated and detailed requests for comment about why its officials have not set the record straight when they've provided misleading information or why they don't publish arrest data.

DHS officials are also fond of labeling everyone they arrest as "criminal illegal aliens" when the reality is more nuanced. Many of the people now being arrested and deported were here under asylum claims and had been provided temporary protected status under previous presidential administrations. Trump stripped that status, instantly removing protections for people who were following a legal process toward residency.

The government's "shock and awe" style of street arrests seems to be part of the plan. 

"That turn and burn mentality,  we are going to turn and burn and we're going to go throughout Chicago with reckless abandon professionally, legally, ethically and morally and arrest all illegal alien gang members that we can get our hands on," Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino told NewsNation in a separate interview.

Border czar Tom Homan summed it up this way: "That's the message we send: 'enter the country illegally, don't commit a crime but don't worry about it unless you commit another crime no one is looking for you?  We're never going to fix this problem."

Police officer fatally struck after stopping at crash scene in San Diego 21 Oct 5:26 PM (10 hours ago)

SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) — A police officer and another motorist are dead after they were struck by a vehicle following a multi-car crash on a San Diego highway late Monday night.

Authorities said the first crash happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. when a vehicle hit another one and overturned in the eastbound lanes of I-8. A third vehicle then struck the overturned vehicle.

La Mesa police said Officer Lauren Craven was driving back from the San Diego Central Jail when she saw the crash and stopped to help. Craven eventually exited her vehicle.

California Highway Patrol Captain Reggie Williams said that a fourth vehicle then struck Craven and the driver of the overturned vehicle, killing both.

According to authorities, the driver of the car that had overturned was identified as a 19-year-old man. His name has not yet been released.

“This is a very tragic situation and it’s very difficult for all involved,” Williams said. "My heartfelt condolences are with the La Mesa Police Department, our fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement, as well as with the family and loved ones of the other individual who tragically lost their life in this incident."

La Mesa police said Craven, 25, had joined the La Mesa Police Department in February 2024.

Meanwhile, four other victims involved in the crash have received medical treatment, and three have been released. One remained in the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities are investigating whether drugs and/or alcohol were factors in the crash.

Wednesday may be chilliest day in six months  21 Oct 4:55 PM (11 hours ago)

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy, windy and chilly with showers likely, mainly this evening.  Winds: West 15-25 mph gusting to 40 mph. Low: 41.

Stubborn cloud cover is expected to hang on much of the day on Wednesday, with a slight chance of seeing a few peeks of sun later in day across the far south/southwest suburbs, but that's hardly a sure thing. 

Surface map  

Low pressure over the Great Lakes will continue to funnel in cool air and a brisk west to northwest wind.    

Wednesday day planner

A chilly late October day is on tap with temperatures holding in the 40s for most of the day.  The last time a daytime high was 50 degrees or colder was back on April 10^th when the high peaked at a chilly 43 degrees.   

Wednesday peak wind gusts  

Winds will remain elevated throughout the day adding to the early season chill. 

Wednesday wind chills 

Early morning wind chills are likely to dip into the middle 30s for much of the area. Bundle up as you head to work or school.  Even by mid-afternoon, blustery winds will make it "feel" like the low 40s for many locations except for the far southwest suburbs where a few peeks of sun are most likely to occur.  

Current Upper Northwest Steering winds responsible for the chilly temperatures retreats northeast into Canada allowing milder air to return to the Chicagoland area over the coming weekend. 

Chicago forecast high temperatures and departure From normal 

Early Autumn chill slowly breaks down giving way to milder, more seasonable air this weekend and into next week. 

6-10 day temperature outlook: October 27 through 31

Milder than normal overall temperatures predicted for the final days of October across the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. 

Tropical Storm Melissa forms in the Caribbean

Tropical Storm Melissa is a slow-moving storm with heavy rains expected to overspread Hispaniola during the next couple of days. 

Goes-19 satellite/radar depiction of the storm:  

Potential track of Melissa based off the ECMWF Model 

Central pressure reaches 992 mb which would be enough for at least a  Category 1 hurricane.

Melissa official National Hurricane Center track 

Very slow moving system which is likely to produce torrential rain. Melissa will bring heavy rainfall to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with totals of 5 to 10 inches expected through Friday.

Melissa tropical storm force winds

Tropical Storm force winds may reach parts of Jamaica by Thursday.    

Tropical Storm Melissa rainfall projections 

Heaviest totals predicted to fall over portions of the Dominican Republic   

Key Tropical Storm Melissa Messages from the National Hurricane Center:

1. Melissa is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of
   significant flash flooding and the danger of landslides to portions
   of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend.
2. Hurricane conditions are possible in the southwestern peninsula
   of Haiti where a Hurricane Watch is in effect.  A Tropical Storm
   Watch is in effect for Jamaica.  Preparations to protect life and
   property should be completed by Thursday.
3. There is significant uncertainty in the track and intensity
   forecast of Melissa.  Interests elsewhere in Hispaniola and Cuba
   should continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

---

Carpentersville restricts ICE activity, joining growing list of jurisdictions 21 Oct 4:24 PM (11 hours ago)

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. (WGN) - The Village of Carpentersville has become the latest jurisdiction to limit immigration agents in its area.

The Carpentersville ordinance goes one step further than ordinances in some other jurisdictions in that it not only bans ICE agents from staging on village property, but operating altogether without a signed warrant.

A trustee who presented the ordinance said he did so after seeing heightened ICE activity in Carpentersville last week, including agents parked at Village Hall.

"I got a call from a school board member. They were concerned ICE was outside Village Hall. I wanted to see for myself," Village of Carpentersville trustee Jim Malone said. "Sure enough, they were here. I noticed it was chaotic, unsafe. I think it made our village unsafe."

Residents packed Village Hall on Tuesday evening for public comment and shared stories of fear.

"Here in Carpentersville, they took 12 community members in front of your building. I have witnessed ICE take two landscapers just because they were doing their job a block away from Park View Elementary School," one resident said during public comment.

"My students are afraid to go outside and play. I take attendance every day hoping they are all there, counting them over and over," Golfview Elementary School teacher Edith Alvarado added.

Other jurisdictions have passed similar ordinances in recent days.

Chicago, North Chicago, Evanston, Broadview, along with Cook and Will counties have banned the use of government property as ICE bases of operations, staging areas or processing locations.

Chicago was first to take action on Oct. 6, creating "ICE Free Zones" as part of the Protecting Chicago Initiative. This came after city officials said Chicago Public Schools parking lots and a city-owned lot at Harrison and Kedzie were used as staging sites for ICE.

Legal experts said there are limitations.

"If ICE were conducting a civil immigration raid, and part of that forced them to chase after someone that ended up on county or municipal property, they would not have to stop," former prosecutor Joe Roddy said.

The Carpentersville ordinance passed unanimously and goes into effect immediately.

It's similar to Will County's ordinance which also requires federal agents to show a badge and warrant before conducting immigration enforcement on county property and removing face masks.

Hebron man seriously injured in crash involving farm equipment in McHenry County 21 Oct 4:02 PM (12 hours ago)

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) — A 36-year-old Hebron man was seriously injured Monday night after his vehicle collided with a piece of farm equipment in McHenry County.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened just before 8 p.m. on Thayer Road, west of Illinois Route 47.

According to a preliminary investigation, a 2009 Honda Odyssey was traveling westbound when it struck the Ecolo-Tiger 875 disk ripper attachment of an eastbound Case 620 tractor.

The impact of the collision caused major damage to the Honda, trapping the male driver inside, authorities said.

Emergency crews extricated the man and transported him to Northwestern Medicine Hospital McHenry, where he remains in serious condition.

The tractor’s driver, identified as a 78-year-old man from Hebron, was not injured.

Authorities said the airbags were deployed in the Honda, but the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in this incident.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Investigation Unit is still investigating.

Country Club Hills Fire Department faces staffing shortages and burnout 21 Oct 3:36 PM (12 hours ago)

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. (WGN) — The Country Club Hills Fire Department says stalled contract negotiations with the city are putting both firefighters and residents in danger.

Tuesday night, WGN-TV heard from members of the Country Club Hills Firefighters Union, who say the department is understaffed, underpaid and burning out.

Union attorney Jerry Marzullo, who also works as a firefighter in Berwyn, said the department is operating with dangerously low staffing levels.

“The National Fire Protection Association says four to a rig is minimum staffing. There are times where there are one or two in Country Club Hills,” he said. “They’re down around seven or eight guys. I think they’re right around 18 guys total. The problem is they’re having such a hard time keeping people.”

He spoke about a recent incident that highlights the growing risk.

 “About a month ago, there was one guy in a car responding to a fire and he had to wait for an engine of three other guys to show up,” Marzullo said. “It just takes more time to respond with less people. It’s happening especially on EMS calls. It’s really rough.”

In addition to staffing shortages, union members say wages in Country Club Hills are thousands of dollars lower than in similar-sized cities, leading firefighters to leave for better-paying jobs elsewhere.

“They are leaving to go to other departments,” Marzullo said. “They’re exhausted. The guys are tired."

Some newer hires reportedly lack full paramedic qualifications, and a recent change in healthcare providers could cost first responders an additional $5,000.

“When you’re thousands of dollars behind, everyone wants to work elsewhere. Then they jack up your insurance, it compounds the problem,” Marzullo said.

Union members say they’re hopeful a deal can be reached soon, with the help of a third-party.

WGN-TV reached out to the mayor and other city officials for comment but did not receive a response.

Some union members plan to address city leaders at Monday’s council meeting, urging action on their delayed contract.

Video shows Border Patrol detaining landscaper in Evanston, sparking outrage 21 Oct 3:33 PM (12 hours ago)

EVANSTON, Ill. (WGN) — Immigration raids throughout Chicago's North Side and north suburbs have left many locals in shock following news of detainments in the area.

Activity along Monroe Street took neighbors by surprise, as the quiet residential neighborhood near Sherman Avenue was suddenly disrupted on Tuesday by the scene of detainments by Border Patrol agents.

"It was a simple landscaping employee pinned down to the ground," said resident Michael McGinn. "To see something like this happening is terrifying."

McGinn described the moment as chaotic and emotional, as neighbors and Rapid Response Team members rushed in to do everything they could to support the detained landscaper.

"People who are trying to get by making minimum wage doing jobs nobody else wants to do are getting hauled off like this," McGinn said.

Neighbors say the detainment, caught on video, occurred just before noon. A similar incident occurred later in the afternoon down the block, where another person was detained near Custer Avenue and Monroe Street. 

The unexpected encounters have left neighbors shocked and deeply concerned. 

"I'm disappointed and I'm sad it has to be this bad," said one local woman.

"I don't feel there's justice here at all," added another. "There's no kindness, there's no warrant, no due process, there is take and kidnap and throw in unmarked vehicles by masked people who aren't identifying themselves."

WGN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for additional information, but has not yet received a response as of this publication.

Near the Evanston-Chicago border, Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward) posted video to social media, confirming the heavy presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Rogers Park, Edgewater, West Ridge, and Lincoln Square.

Driver killed in multi-vehicle crash on I-80 eastbound in Lake County, Indiana 21 Oct 2:49 PM (13 hours ago)

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WGN) - One person died in a crash involving multiple vehicles Tuesday morning in Lake County, Indiana.

The Indiana State Police said at around 10:45 a.m., troopers were sent to a multi-vehicle crash on I-80 eastbound near the 6.4 mile-marker, located about one and a half miles east of Cline Avenue in Gary, Indiana.

The investigation revealed a white sedan was changing lanes in front of a semi tractor trailer while driving eastbound on I-80 when the rear left side of the white sedan hit the front right side of the semi truck. The impact cause the white sedan to spin all the way around before it crashed into the concrete media barrier, according to investigators.

After hitting the barrier, ISP said the sedan bounced back into the lanes of travel and crashed into another sedan and a separate semi truck, which t-boned the sedan and came to a stop in the lanes of travel.

Police said the driver of the sedan was found unresponsive after the crash. One of the other drivers involved in the crash began performing CPR on the driver before ISP troopers arrived and took over.

An ambulance later arrived and took the unresponsive driver to Northlake Hospital in Gary where she was pronounced dead.

No other information was released.

Chicago mayor proposes groundbreaking tax on social media companies 21 Oct 2:40 PM (13 hours ago)

CHICAGO (WGN) — To help close Chicago’s nearly $1.2 billion budget shortfall, Mayor Brandon Johnson is proposing a new tax targeting social media companies. It’s a move no other U.S. city has tried.

“Just like we tax other addictive vices that are bad for our health like nicotine and tobacco, it is far past time to tax social media companies the same way,” Johnson said.

Under the proposal, social media platforms would pay 50 cents for every active user per month. The first 100,000 users would be exempt. City officials estimate the tax would generate $31 million annually to fund expanded crisis response and city-run mental health clinics.

The plan, however, is already facing skepticism, both from City Council and legal experts.

“You’ve admitted that we would be the first in the nation to do this. How confident are we of the city’s legal standing to levy that tax?” Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) asked the city’s budget director during a council hearing Tuesday.

“In our discussions with the Department of Law, they feel we have a strong case that through the amusement tax, this is a tax we can levy on social media companies,” budget director Annette Guzman said.

But legal experts say the tax would not hold up in court.

“On its face, frankly it’s unconstitutional,” said Amy Bos, Vice President of Government Affairs at the trade association NetChoice, whose members include Meta and Snapchat.

Bos pointed to a 1983 Supreme Court ruling that she says supports that view.

“The court ruled you cannot single out media for special tax treatment, and that’s what Chicago is doing here,” Bos said. “The city can tax businesses broadly, but the moment they pick out specific media companies, it becomes constitutionally suspect. They’re going to have to find this money from somewhere else because it simply won’t survive the inevitable legal challenge.”

But Johnson defended his proposal, saying this is just modernizing the amusement tax.

"The amusement tax already exists, and so I would not put something forward if I didn’t think we had the ability to stand the test of any challenge,” he said.

If approved as part of the mayor’s budget, the social media tax would take effect Jan. 1.

“This shows that Chicago, as always, is a leader,” Guzman said.

Pritzker criticizes Johnson's proposed employee tax 21 Oct 2:26 PM (13 hours ago)

CHICAGO (WGN) - On Tuesday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker threw cold water on Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget plans.

At the Economic Club of Chicago, Pritzker addressed a group of Chicago elites for a conversation about immigration and economic growth.

The governor came out against Johnson's proposal to charge large businesses a fee per employee.

To fund public safety initiatives, the mayor's budget calls for a $21-per-employee monthly tax on companies with more than 100 Chicago employees.

"I am absolutely four-square opposed to a head tax for the city of Chicago. It penalizes the very thing that we want, which is we want more employment in the city of Chicago," Pritzker said.

Instead of the corporate tax, the governor told the Economic Club of Chicago city leaders should focus on efficiencies.

Meanwhile, speculation that Pritzker will seek the Democratic nomination for president keeps growing. The governor, however, dodged a question about whether he'll run for president, but did say he's pitched bringing the Democratic National Convention back to Chicago in 2028.

"I was very proud of what we did last year. I have turned around and talked to the Democratic National Convention just to say we don't know if everybody is on board yet, but I wanted to make sure that we had our hat in the ring," Pritzker said.

Later, the governor put on his political pundit hat and shared thoughts about why his party lost the White House last year. 

"I became a Democrat because I think we ought to be fighting for people’s individual rights which I think we ought to be fighting for people’s individual’s freedom. I think we ought to be fighting for the middle class and the working class and the most vulnerable," Pritzker said. "Republicans – smart politics, I guess by Donald Trump, set a bunch of traps that some Democrats walked right into. I think we’ve got to stop doing that. I think we’ve got to focus on what really matters."

With President Trump routinely calling out Chicago's violence and the Trump administration carrying out sweeping immigration enforcement, the governor tried to paint a picture of a city that's thriving.

"This man has some weird idea in his head about the city of Chicago. This is truly one of the great cities and I think he just can’t get it out of his head that there's something going on, that it’s all on fire," Pritzker said. "The city’s not on fire. Indeed things are better than they were five, seven years ago."

80-year-old becomes oldest woman to hike Appalachian Trail 21 Oct 1:50 PM (14 hours ago)

CARSON CITY, Mich. (WOOD) — A journey of a thousand miles begins with just a step. Sure. But what about 2,200 miles across 14 states, climbing and descending the equivalent of 16 Mount Everests?

Sound daunting? Not for Betty Kellenberger. At 80 years old, she recently became the oldest woman to ever hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Now, she is recovering from and reflecting on her latest adventure.

“You see incredible parts of our country, things that you wouldn't see otherwise,” said Kellenberger as she relaxed in her living room, sitting in a chair positioned over a large rug displaying a map of her hike. “So much wildlife. It’s just gorgeous.”

Kellenberger grew up on a farm in Howell, Michigan. She says she was always fascinated by the idea of the footpath that ran continuously more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine. It was always a dream, but she says there was never an opportunity to commit to the nearly six-month timeline.

“I always thought, ‘Oh, it would be so cool to hike on the Appalachian Trail.’ Of course, I thought I'd meet Daniel Boone, but it was just always there in the back of my mind,” she chuckled.

No stranger to endurance, Kellenberger put together an extensive teaching career spanning more than four decades. She taught mainly English and social studies to seventh graders, as well as night classes for adults.

Throughout her life, Kellenberger took on cross-country bicycling trips and extended hiking trips in the Canadian Rockies and Peru. Never married, with no kids, she said no one was stopping her from taking on a hike through more than a dozen states.

“As a consequence, I don't have people hovering, saying, 'We don't think you should do this,'” said Kellenberger. “Makes it, for me, a whole lot easier.”

One thing making it tougher: recovering from a knee replacement surgery. Her doctor urged her to start simple.

“So I went to Harpers Ferry, aimed at the Shenandoahs — which is a fairly easy part of the trail — and started hiking,” explained Kellenberger. “And I could do it, with knee replacement, everything. So I just kept going.”

Kellenberger says she didn’t stress too much over the planning, gear preparation or logistics. Without the ability to train for climbing mountains in Michigan, she accepted the challenge of hiking her way into shape over the course of months on trail.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates between 3,000 and 4,000 attempt to hike the entire trail each year. Fewer than 25% make it the distance. 

For Kellenberger, her first steps on the trail began in 2024 — a trek that she describes as far from easy.

“You dream during the day,” she described with a smile. “You dream of food and you dream of what can I get out of this pack? What can make it lighter? Because it's got to go up every mountain and it's got to come down every mountain.”

Kellenberger battled dehydration, a concussion from a nasty fall and Lyme disease, ultimately making it to the southern Virginia border before Mother Nature halted progress altogether, ravaging the eastern United States with Hurricane Helene.

“Helene just devastated that area of the South,” she recalled.

Kellenberger managed to change her route northbound until the cold weather delayed her hike until the spring of 2025. As she worked through New England during the 2025 hiking season, Kellenberger said she began to hear rumblings that she was set to become the oldest woman to complete the trail.

The women’s age record previously belonged to Linda Vanderloop, who finished the trail in 2024 at age 74. Kellenberger says she didn’t set out on the Appalachian Trail with the goal of becoming the oldest woman thru-hiker.

“You have to plant your feet, look at the view and then move forward every step,” she explained. “You have to be focused.”

More than 2,000 miles of walking offered her a chance to focus inward. 

“You hike alone, and so you have your thoughts and you have time, and you have, you know, the presence of God and all that magnificent scenery, but it's the people you meet. It's the shuttlers. It's the folks that were hiking with you.”

The experience culminated in an emotional finish. 

“So you're a basket case. You have so many emotions because you're excited about finishing," she recalled. "I was really looking forward to saying, 'I am done.' But you also know you're going to miss this big-time. You're not going to have what you have out on that trail. That peace, the serenity.”

Kellenberger highlighted Maine and New Hampshire as the toughest, but most beautiful stretches of the trail. One of her favorite memories from the trail includes seeing a full-grown adult moose in the backcountry of Maine’s wilderness.

Now, having completed one tough challenge, her next hurdle is adjusting back into society. 

“This life is a journey. And it may be a series of little journeys. Or maybe just the whole life is a journey," she said. "And the bigger your efforts, the greater the reward.”

Kellenberger now holds the title of the oldest woman to complete the entire trail. She says the hike has her in the best shape of her life, even after the knee replacement and all the bumps and bruises along the way. Up next for her: hiking in Iceland and perhaps taking on the North Country Trail.

Get a free reusable holiday cup on Starbucks’ Red Cup Day 21 Oct 1:47 PM (14 hours ago)

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Starbucks is giving away free reusable holiday cups on Nov. 13

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: seasonal coffee drink time. And you know that means Starbucks’ holiday cup time has almost arrived. The Starbucks holiday menu starts rolling out on Nov. 6, so if you’re a fan of peppermint, chestnut praline, sugarplum and other delicious holiday treats, Starbucks has the sweet, sweet deliciousness you crave. And if you visit a participating location on Nov. 13, you can get a free reusable holiday cup with your holiday drink order — while supplies last, which means you might want to get up early to place your favorite order.

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Starbucks is bringing back its beloved Red Cup Day and giving away reusable red cups with any size handcrafted holiday beverage — hot, iced or blended — all day on Nov. 13 while supplies last. The cups will be available at participating Starbucks locations in the U.S. when you order in-store, at the drive-through, on the Starbucks app or through Starbucks Delivery.

Qualifying beverages this year will include Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Latte and Iced Gingerbread Chai.

Shop this article: Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Maker by De’Longhi, Ninja Pod & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker, Keurig K-Express Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker

If you can’t wait for Red Cup Day, make your favorite beverages at home by picking up a new coffee maker on sale. Check out deals below.

There are some huge deals on coffee makers right now

Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Maker by De’Longhi 35% OFF

The Vertuo Next uses centrifusion technology to spin capsules for rich crema on coffee and espresso drinks. The included Aeroccino milk frother creates hot or cold frothed milk for lattes, cappuccinos and iced drinks.

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This versatile brewer handles both K-Cup pods and ground coffee, with a built-in milk frother for making specialty drinks. The 56-ounce reservoir holds enough water for multiple cups before refilling, and brew sizes range from 6 ounces to 24 ounces.

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Keurig K-Express Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker 27% OFF

The K-Express brews three cup sizes with a Strong button for bolder coffee. The 42-ounce removable reservoir reduces trips to refill it, and the space-saving design measures just 6.5 inches wide for small kitchens, dorm rooms and other compact spaces.

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This espresso machine delivers 20 bars of pressure for proper espresso extraction with rich crema. The steam wand froths milk for cappuccinos and lattes at home, with a compact footprint that doesn’t eat up all your counter space.

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The K-Mini measures less than five inches wide, making it perfect for dorm rooms, offices and small kitchens. It brews 6- and 12-ounce cups without a reservoir — just add water, choose your settings and go.

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The K-Elite offers strength control for customizing the intensity of your cup, and temperature control for hot or iced drinks. It also offers five brew sizes from four to 12 ounces, programmable auto-on and a 75-ounce water reservoir.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Amazon's $2.5 billion settlement over Prime subscriptions: When will payments be sent out? 21 Oct 1:42 PM (14 hours ago)

(NEXSTAR) — It's been more than a month since Amazon reached a $2.5 billion settlement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused the online retailer of using "deceptive methods" to register millions of customers for paid Prime subscriptions.

So, when will you receive your part of the settlement?

Ultimately, that depends on whether you qualify. The federal agency has, however, indicated when payments may be dispersed.

Here's what to know.

What is the $2.5 billion settlement about?

The accusation by the FTC is two-fold: first, Amazon signed up "millions of consumers" for Prime subscriptions without their permission, then "knowingly made it difficult for consumers to cancel."

Per the FTC's September announcement, Amazon will not only have to fork over $2.5 billion (more on that in a moment), the company must "cease unlawful enrollment and cancellation practices for Prime."

That includes making "a clear and conspicuous button for customers to decline Prime" and doing away with the button, "No, I don’t want Free Shipping." Amazon also needs to outline the cost of Prime during the subscription process, as well as the date and frequency of when the customer will be charged, whether it will auto-renew, and how to cancel.

Several Amazon executives were also charged with knowingly misleading the impacted customers and violating the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA).

In a statement released last month, the company said, "Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers. We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world. We will continue to do so, and look forward to what we’ll deliver for Prime members in the coming years."

How much of the $2.5 billion settlement will I get?

This depends on if you qualify, but first, it's worth noting that not all $2.5 billion of the settlement is going back to impacted customers.

The FTC says $1 billion will go toward a civil penalty, leaving $1.5 billion for refunding consumers. There are three requirements you have to meet to qualify for any chunk of that money.

First, of course, you must be a Prime member in the U.S. Second, you need to have either signed up for Prime with Amazon's "challenged enrollment flow" (including signing up through the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow) or tried but failed to cancel your subscription — either needs to have happened between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025. And finally, you had to have used less than three Prime Benefits — like Prime Music or Prime Video — during any one-year period after becoming a Prime member.

If you meet all three criteria, you may receive a refund of your subscription fees, though the FTC says this will be capped at $51.

Do I need to apply to get my refund?

For now, no.

According to the FTC, refunds will be automatically sent out by Amazon no later than Christmas Day this year.

Next year, a claims process will be started for eligible Prime customers, the FTC says. Additional details about this process have not yet been released.

Ultimately, if you believe you qualify, you'll have to wait until Dec. 25 to see if you receive a payment or receive notification from Amazon about the refund. Otherwise, you'll likely have to wait for that claims process to open.

Amazon, meanwhile, is already facing another lawsuit. Last week, two people sued the retailer for advertising "fake sales" and misleading customers during its Prime Day events.

A spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit when contacted by Nexstar.

Nexstar's Jeremy Tanner contributed to this report.

Obesity related cancers on the rise 21 Oct 1:28 PM (14 hours ago)

Medical Watch Digest for Oct 21

Obesity and cancer link

Obesity related cancers are on the rise.

The American College of Physicians warns of the growing number of leukemia, thyroid, breast, kidney, and endometrial cancers on the rise for both younger and older adults related to weight.

In older adults colon cancer rates also rose.

The danger is not just in the U.S., a study from more than 42 countries from 2003 to 2017 showed a global concern of cancer linked to excess weight.

Study: Long term benefits linked to earlier hormone treatment

When it comes to menopause, the timing of therapy makes a difference. 

A new large scale analysis shows the long term benefits of beginning hormone treatment before the onset of menopause in the perimenopause state.

Perimenopause, the transition time before the final menstrual period can last for years.

The menopause society released the study information from 120 million patients which reveals estrogen therapy in perimenopause better lowers the risk for breast cancer and heart attack compared to those taking hormones beginning after the onset of menopause.

Study: Religious childhood leads to healthy adult life

Introducing religion early in life, helps adults feel better as they age.

Those with a religious upbringing have better physical health in old age according to a university of Helsinki study of more than 10 people ages 50 and older from 28 countries.

Religious influences from childhood lead to better physical health with fewer difficulties.

Study authors say investing in a child's wellbeing may include adding faith for a healthier future.

Chicago food pantries see surge in needs as government shutdown cuts benefits 21 Oct 1:15 PM (14 hours ago)

CHICAGO — People who rely on food assistance, and pantries that provide meals to those less fortunate, are dealing with the negative affects of the government shutdown.

Food pantries like Care for Real in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood are seeing major increases over the last several weeks. Many of those have never used a pantry before. Some of them are recently laid off. Others have used federally funded benefits to shop at a store.

Those benefits are now being cut because of the shutdown. 

Care for Real’s Executive Director Gregory Gross says they’ve seen a 400 percent increase in clients over the last several years and double digit increases in just the past few weeks, since the most recent government shut down began. 

“It’s our neighbors, it’s not always folks you might expect,” he said. “These are folks who have had government jobs and not getting a paycheck right now and so they’re needing to come to the food pantry for the first time.”

Adding to the numbers, he says, are those on SNAP benefits. Nearly 42 million Americans are part of the supplemental nutrition assistance program, funded entirely by the federal government.

Find your local foodbank at https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

Sandra Hanan is one of the nearly two million in Illinois who’ve been told to expect the money she uses on food at the store to go away on November 1, if the shutdown continues.

“The SNAP benefits, they make my life so much easier,” she said. “SNAP covers my food for the month. My other money can go further for bills, rent, for medication things like that. … I feel like myself and a large group of people are being attacked here and we haven’t done anything to anybody. … It’s wrong.”

Dion Dawson’s organization Dion’s Chicago Dream knows the need for food is up in Chicago.

“This news does not come lightly. It’s making a heavy time heavier,” she said. “We’ve seen it in our numbers. We’ve seen our weekly organic enrollment triple over the last two years. Imagine what that’s going to do now. Imagine if those two million people have even less access.”

Chicago-based Feeding America says for every one meal provided by a pantry, SNAP benefits provide nine times that. It’s a gap pantries say they’re not equipped to fill alone.

“We need all of our leaders on one accord and find a way to get this done for the people who matter most,” Dawson said.

“It’s scary to think about not having enough food because as human beings, we need food to survive. And it also makes me angry because it’s happening and its shouldn’t be happening,” Hanan said.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

Has the Bears' run game made a breakthrough? 21 Oct 1:02 PM (15 hours ago)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — The Chicago Bears are starting to trend in the right direction. On offense, Chicago's big, meaty men in the middle have created more running lanes for D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai over the last two weeks, leading to more (rightfully deserved) positive attention.

The Bears sit at 4-2. Their two most recent victories—a 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and an electric, last-minute 25-24 dub against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football—both happened in large part due to the revitalization of the Chicago's run game.

Six games down, the Bears rank second in the NFL in rushing first-down percentage (40.52%), and are also second in the NFL in rush yards per game (145.3) and rushing first-down percentage (44.83%) over their last three games.

Swift, Ben Johnson's lead back, had his two best performances of the season in the past two weeks.

He notched 14 attempts for 108 yards rushing to go with two catches, 65 yards receiving and a touchdown in Week 6. Then Swift added another 19 attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown run with one catch for 14 yards in Week 7. He's the first Bears' running back to have 100-plus scrimmage yards and a touchdown in back-to-back games since Khalil Herbert in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2023 season.

Rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai joined in on the act in Week 7, too. The Rutgers alum had 13 attempts for 81 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown late in the second quarter of Sunday's victory.

But those performances don't come to fruition without the offensive line starting to gel, especially when it comes to Chicago's zone run scheme, predominantly out of 10 personnel.

The New Orleans Tape

According to Next Gen Stats, when rushing to the weak side of the formation, the Bears' offense had created the 2nd-most yards before contact per carry (2.5) and had the 4th-highest success rate (51.7%) in the NFL heading into Week 7.

Alternatively, the Saints defense had forfeited only 0.7 yards before contact per carry (4th-fewest) and allowed a success rate of 38.6% (5th-lowest) against weak-side rushes heading into Week 7.

Despite New Orleans' proficiency against weak side runs on defense, Chicago was still able to find success on those plays. What makes their success interesting, specifically on inside zone runs, is how they diversified their ground attack to keep the Saints' defense off-balance.

On their second drive after the Spencer Rattler fumble recovery, the Bears had second-and-12 from the New Orleans 26-yard line near the 12-minute mark.

Chicago came out in 10 personnel with Caleb Williams under center and Monangai in the backfield. Williams sent Luther Burden III in motion from right-to-left before the snap, to "create eye candy" for New Orleans' linebacking corps, as Johnson would put it.

After the snap, the Bears' offensive line slanted toward the strong side of the line on an inside zone run for Monangai.

Drew Dalman reached right on a double team with Jonah Jackson on Bryan Bresee (no. 90). Jackson took over the block for Dalman, who elevated to the second level and accounted for the linebacker, Demario Davis (no. 56). As this was happening, Joe Thuney walled off the nose tackle, Davon Godchaux (no. 92), to preserve a lane for Monangai to run through, who shot through the gap before it collapsed. He wasn't brought down until he was inside the 15-yard line for a 14-yard gain.

The results on that first quarter zone run were so nice, Chicago said, 'Why don't we run it twice?'

Fast forward to the fourth quarter, and the Bears had first-and-10 from their own 34-yard line with 10:40 remaining in the ballgame.

Chicago came out in the same 10 personnel package as they did in the first quarter, but this time it was Swift lined up as the single back instead of Monangai.

And just like earlier, Burden was sent in motion across the formation ahead of the snap, while the Bears' offensive line slanted right during the play. Dalman came off a double team, just like he did with Jackson earlier in the game, and elevated to block the linebacker again at the second level.

The only difference this time around was that Swift cut it back left before shooting straight up the middle for 23 yards.

Why did the same run play work so well twice in one game? In between the two, Johnson employed other run concepts on offense that also found success.

The Bears ran power out of 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TE, 1 WR) with a tight end lined up at full back on Swift's 11-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. They also got a 15-yard gain from Swift on a counter trap variant in the third quarter, where pre-snap motion set up Kmet to function as the second pulling blocker inside for Swift.

"I think we're picking up steam. But, there's a still a long way to go," Monangai said. "We're making progress in the right direction and the last game was a testament to that. The game before that kind of got it going, too. We have aspirations to be even better than where we are, in terms of the run game. I know we're going to do that.

"We just have to keep building, week by week."

The Washington Tape

Bears found success on outside and wide zone run concepts when facing stacked fronts against Washington (Stacked fronts, as in each gap is filled or accounted for by the Commanders).

A simple, clear-cut example of the Bears winning on weak-side outside zone runs happened on their first offensive drive of the game against Washington.

Chicago had second-and-6 on their second play from scrimmage at the Commanders' 40-yard line.

The Bears came out with a singleback formation in 10 personnel. After Caleb Williams motioned Kmet from the strong side to the weak side of the offensive line pre-snap, he handed the ball off to Swift, who followed his blockers for a 7-yard gain.

On the play, it's Dalman's objective to slide left and reach the 2i defensive tackle so that Thuney can create leverage and elevate to the second level to engage the weak-side linebacker, Frankie Luvu. Dalman and Thuney both accomplish their objectives, on top of Kmet and Theo Benedet executing great blocks of their own to help spring the positive play.

"I equate [our run blocking] to better fundamentals up front. I thought our guys did a great job with their combinations. I thought they had two really strong interior players and we were looking to get double teams on those guys as much as we could," Johnson said after the Washington game.

"Whether it was our gap scheme or our zone schemes. I felt like those double teams were really good. I felt like we were able to displace them and create some cavities that way."

Later near the end of the first quarter, the Bears got even better results on a similar outside zone run to the weak side that was also on a similar down and distance.

Chicago was again in 10 personnel out of the shotgun, with Kmet motioning from weak side to strong side ahead of the snap on second-and-5 from inside the Commanders' red zone.

"We had some of the motions and shifts [that] I do think helped soften, that linebacking crew in particular, up a little bit because that was a hard-nosed, downhill unit that we were looking every which way we could to try to give them a little eye candy and slow them down," Johnson said. "So, I think less of it one high, two high, I think more of it as really good execution upfront."

After the snap, the Bears line slanted right, with Dalman having the same objective as before—reach left to intercept the defensive lineman—but this time its a defensive end in the 4i technique.

He accomplished that and formed a double team, which allowed Thuney to get to the second level and block the linebacker, Bobby Wagner. Dalman and Thuney, alongside Benedet—who neutralized Washington's other defensive end, Preston Smith—executed their blocks so well that it didn't matter Kmet was late getting across the formation to pick off Luvu.

What made this play even better the second time was that the Bears' wide receivers got in on the act. Olamide Zaccheaus and Rome Odunze did a great job walling off defenders to extend the hole and give Swift a one-on-one matchup between him and the end zone. Quan Martin ended up making the tackle, but it was an all-around great play from a run-blocking execution standpoint.

“We are clicking up front, and the receivers are doing a great job on the perimeter. Hats off to them, the guys up front and the receivers, I can’t say that enough," Swift said. "If they do their jobs up front and we get a little space as the backs, everybody in our room, we’re going to make something happen after that.

"I feel like we’ve been doing a better job this week and the past week of clicking on all cylinders and doing our jobs."

Report: Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin sued over alleged foam pit injuries 21 Oct 12:46 PM (15 hours ago)

Video: Shocking news about kids' activity that has some doctors worried

ALGONQUIN, Ill. (WGN) — Two people have filed separate lawsuits against a northwest suburban indoor amusement park over claims of undisclosed depth and a lack of blocks in the foam pit, which allegedly caused severe injuries.

The Daily Herald reports that Fun City Adventure Park and its property manager, River Pointe of Algonquin LLC, face civil lawsuits filed in McHenry County after an adult male and a child allegedly suffered injuries while in the foam pit.

A man jumping into the foam pit with his toddler claims to have suffered a fractured leg, and another adult male claims his child suffered head, neck, and back injuries in the same manner.

The newspaper said both suits seek damages exceeding $50,000.

One suit blames the business for not disclosing the depth of the foam pit, which attorneys say was "very shallow," and for failing to mention any restrictions to prevent users from striking the bottom of the pit and becoming injured.

The other lawsuit claims a child jumped into the park's foam pit and suffered injuries because of a lack of foam blocks in the foam pit. Both incidents occurred this year.

Located at 215 S. Randall Road, Fun City Adventure Park opened in 2024 and requires participants to sign a waiver.

The Illinois Department of Labor has previously cited the indoor amusement park for multiple violations of the village code, according to the Daily Herald.

Vance urges 'patience' while visiting Israel, says ceasefire going 'better than I expected' 21 Oct 12:34 PM (15 hours ago)

KIRYAT GAT, Israel (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance and other envoys projected optimism Tuesday about Gaza's fragile ceasefire agreement, calling progress better than anticipated as they visited a new center in Israel for civilian and military cooperation.

Vance noted flareups of violence in recent days but said the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10 is going “better than I expected” after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. The Trump administration's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, added that “we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time.”

They are in Israel as questions remain over the long-term plan for peace, including whether Hamas will disarm, when and how an international security force will deploy to Gaza and who will govern the territory after the war.

Vance tried to downplay any idea that his visit — his first as vice president — was urgently arranged to keep the ceasefire in place. He said he feels “confident that we’re going to be in a place where this peace lasts,” but warned that if Hamas doesn’t cooperate, it will be “obliterated.”

Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and one of the architects of the ceasefire agreement, noted its complexity: “Both sides are transitioning from two years of very intense warfare to now a peacetime posture."

Vance is expected to stay in the region until Thursday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu fired his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, but gave no reason for the decision. Israeli media said Hanegbi had opposed the renewal of Israel’s Gaza offensive in March, and Israel’s failed attempt to assassinate Hamas’ leadership in an airstrike in Qatar in September. In a statement, Hanegbi noted “times of disagreement” with Netanyahu.

Hamas says remains of 2 more hostages recovered

Hamas said it had recovered the remains of two more hostages and planned to hand them over Tuesday evening.

Vance urged a “little bit of patience” amid Israeli frustration with Hamas’ pace of the returns.

“Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are,” Vance said.

As he faced journalists' questions over the ceasefire's next steps, he said “a lot of this work is very hard" and urged flexibility.

“Once we’ve got to a point where both the Gazans and our Israeli friends can have some measure of security, then we’ll worry about what the long-term governance of Gaza is," he said. "Let’s focus on security, rebuilding, giving people some food and medicine.”

Although some 200 U.S. troops were recently sent to Israel, Vance emphasized that they would not be on the ground in Gaza. But he said officials are beginning to "conceptualize what that international security force would look like" for the territory.

He mentioned Turkey and Indonesia as countries expected to participate. The flags of Jordan, Germany, Britain and Denmark were on the stage where he spoke.

While the ceasefire has been tested by fighting and mutual accusations of violations, both Israel and Hamas have said they are committed to the deal.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is waiting for Hamas to turn over the bodies of 15 remaining hostages. Thirteen others have been turned over.

Israel is releasing 15 Palestinian bodies for the remains of each dead hostage, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. It said Tuesday that Israel had so far transferred 165 bodies since earlier this month.

Aid into Gaza increases, while prices rise

International organizations said they were scaling up humanitarian aid entering Gaza, while Hamas-led security forces launched a crackdown against what it called price gouging by private merchants.

The World Food Program said it had sent more than 530 trucks into Gaza in the past 10 days, enough to feed nearly half a million people for two weeks. That's well under the 500 to 600 that entered daily before the war.

The WFP also said it had reinstated 26 distribution points and hopes to scale up to its previous 145 points across Gaza as soon as possible.

Residents said prices for essential goods soared on Sunday after militants killed two Israeli soldiers and Israel responded with strikes that killed dozens of Palestinians. Israel also threatened to halt humanitarian aid.

At a market in the central city of Deir al-Balah, a 25-kilogram (55-pound) package of flour was selling for more than $70 on Sunday, up from about $12 shortly after the ceasefire. By Tuesday, the price was around $30.

Mohamed al-Faqawi, a Khan Younis resident, accused merchants of taking advantage of the perilous security situation. “They are exploiting us,” he said.

On Monday, Hamas said its security forces raided shops across Gaza, closing some and forcing merchants to lower prices. Hamas also has allowed aid trucks to move safely and halted looting of deliveries.

Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza’s private truckers’ union, said there was no stealing aid since the ceasefire started.

But other significant challenges remain as Gaza's financial system is in tatters. With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people pay exorbitant commissions to a network of cash brokers to get money for daily expenses.

On Tuesday, dozens of people in Deir al-Balah spent hours in line at the Bank of Palestine hoping to access their money but were turned away.

“Without having the bank open and without money, it does not matter that the prices (in the market) have dropped,” said Kamilia Al-Ajez.

Gaza doctors say bodies returned with signs of torture

A senior health official in Gaza said some bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel bore “evidence of torture” and called for a United Nations-launched investigation.

Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, the ministry's general director, said in on social media late Monday that some had evidence of being bound with ropes and metal shackles, blindfolds, deep wounds, abrasions, burns and crushed limbs.

It was not immediately clear if any of the bodies had been prisoners; they are returned without identifications or details on how they died. The bodies could include Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken out of Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.

The Israel Prisons Service denied that prisoners had been mistreated, saying it had followed legal procedures and provided medical care and “adequate living conditions.”

Israeli hostages released from Gaza have also reported metal shackles and harsh conditions, including frequent beatings and starvation.

In the initial 2023 attack on Israel, Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people as hostages.

The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

OpenAI launches web browser ChatGPT Atlas: How to start using it 21 Oct 12:32 PM (15 hours ago)

Related video above: Trump hosts tech CEOs amid calls for AI regulation

(NEXSTAR) – OpenAI announced Tuesday it is launching a ChatGPT-powered web browser called Atlas that will compete directly with widely-used Google Chrome.

The news appeared to ripple into the stock market, as the share price of Google's parent company, Alphabet, sank on the announcement.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called it a “rare, once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about and how to use one.”

ChatGPT itself has surpassed 800 million users, according to OpenAI, but the tool is free. If OpenAI's browser sees the same mass adoption, the world's most valuable startup could start generating revenue from digital advertising.

OpenAI’s browser is coming out just a few months after one of its executives testified that the company would be interested in buying Google’s industry-leading Chrome browser if a federal judge had required it to be sold to prevent the abuses that resulted in Google’s ubiquitous search engine being declared an illegal monopoly.

But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta last month issued a decision that rejected the Chrome sale sought by the U.S. Justice Department in the monopoly case, partly because he believed advances in the AI industry already are reshaping the competitive landscape.

How to start using Atlas

OpenAI made ChatGPT Atlas available worldwide on macOS Tuesday, and versions for Windows iOS and Android are coming soon, according to the company's announcement.

Mac users can download Atlas and drag it into the Applications folder.

To launch the browser, open Atlas and sign in with one's ChatGPT account information. Users will then see prompts asking if they would like to import data from other browsers, allow keychain access, enable "browser memories," or make Atlas the default browser.

Enabling browser memories lets ChatGPT recall pages that a user has visited before and use that context to personalize future searches, or quickly pull up something you saw before.

What makes Atlas new?

"Tabs were great, but we haven't seen a lot of browser innovation since then," Altman said.

Altman said he hopes Atlas fundamentally shifts how people interact with the web, and sees future internet use relying on a combination of chat experience and web browser, similar to how people currently use the url bar and search box.

One of the main new features is agent mode, which is currently only available in preview for Plus, Pro and Business users. The tool is "better at researching and analyzing, automating tasks and planning events or booking appointments while you browse," according to OpenAI.

In one example during the introduction video, the team prompted ChatGPT to list the amounts of different ingredients needed to make a recipe for eight people. With agent mode enabled, Atlas went ahead and filled an Instacart order from Safeway, the grocery store it chose based on browser history.

While product lead Pranav Vishnu mentioned multiple times during the example that the agent could be turned off at any moment, he added that Atlas users will have potentially crucial, new considerations to make.

"Despite all of the power and awesome capabilities you get with sharing your browser with ChatGPT, that also imposes an entirely new set of risks," Pranav said.

He assured livestream viewers that agent only operates on tabs and can't execute code on one's computer or access other files. Upon opening a new tab, users will have to decide whether or not they want ChatGPT agent to be logged in or out.

Similarly to other browsers, an incognito tab can be opened to search for something without involving agent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

These workers won't get paid Friday if the government shutdown continues 21 Oct 12:29 PM (15 hours ago)

(NEXSTAR) — While some employees paid biweekly are in line to receive their second of three paychecks this month on Friday, many federal employees won't see a check at all as the government shutdown drags on.

As of Tuesday, the government shutdown has entered its 21st day, the second such shutdown to last three weeks. Should the shutdown continue into November, it could approach — and even surpass — the longest on record.

Without a deal, many of the 2.4 million-strong federal workforce remain without pay. They last received paychecks on Oct. 10, but that only covered a pay period through Sept. 30, leaving them without four days of pay, essentially.

As The Hill reported earlier this month, workers who received partial paychecks were air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees critical for keeping the nation’s airports running.

Some federal workers who would otherwise not be paid during a shutdown have received some reprieve, too.

That includes U.S. Coast Guard service members, who are being paid with funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, The Hill previously reported. These service members, along with the rest of the military, were paid last Wednesday. For the latter group of service members, paychecks were disbursed using "approximately $8 billion of unobligated research testing and evaluation funds (RDTE) from the prior fiscal year," a Defense Department official told The Hill.

A second payment to servicemembers, should the shutdown continue, seems unlikely, the Associated Press reported last week.

Funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill will also be used to pay "more than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers" under the Department of Homeland Security, a spokesperson confirmed to Nexstar. That includes officers with Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service Special Agents, and air marshals with the TSA.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said these "super checks" — covering "the 4 days lost, their overtime, and their next pay period" — would be dispersed by Wednesday.

FBI Director Kash Patel said last week that FBI special agents would also still be paid, though he did not say where funds would be coming from.

Other workers — like those air traffic controllers and TSA agents who received partial paychecks — continue to work without pay. Some of those employees have instead opted not to work, prompting staffing shortages at U.S. airports, including in some of the nation's biggest cities.

Thousands more federal employees have been laid off or furloughed since the shutdown began, the latter including more than three-quarters of the staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the U.S.'s nuclear stockpile.

The government tab for paying furloughed workers while they are at home comes to roughly $400 million a day, according to a CBO estimate provided at the request of Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

Traditionally, those who go unpaid during shutdowns receive back pay once the stalemate ends. President Trump has, however, threatened to do away with that guaranteed back pay, despite a law passed during his first term stipulating that federal workers must be paid after a shutdown.

The administration is also trying to fire thousands of federal workers in agencies that don't align with its priorities. Republican leaders in Congress have said that's part of the fallout from a shutdown. Past presidents, however, did not use shutdowns to engage in mass firings.

The Senate, which was unable to pass the House-passed continuing resolution on Monday, is scheduled to vote on the stopgap funding bill Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Texas couple accused of moving, leaving child behind 21 Oct 12:23 PM (15 hours ago)

Copperas Cove, Texas (KWKT) - A 12-year-old Texas boy came home from school to find it empty and his family gone, according to police.

Copperas Cove police said it appeared that his mother and her boyfriend had moved out during the day while he was in school, and when he came home, the apartment was completely bare.

Police were called to an address in Copperas Cove on Friday and talked with the boy, who had gone to a neighbor's home. The boy told officers that his mother, identified as Erica Renee Sanders, and her boyfriend, later identified as Keven Dwayne Adams, had said they would be moving at some point.

According to an arrest affidavit, the neighbor told officers the couple had a history of kicking the boy out.

Officers managed to contact the couple by phone and were told the boy's uncle was supposed to pick him up. When the uncle was contacted, according to the affidavit, he said he knew nothing about having to take the boy.

Police said when they interviewed Adams, he "complained at length" about the 12-year-old.

The affidavit stated that when child protective services contacted the couple, they refused to provide an address where they were staying.

It was 5 1/2 hours from the time the boy returned to find his home empty to the time when he, the couple and the police finally connected, according to the affidavit.

Copperas Cove police records indicated that Adams and Sanders were both arrested on charges of abandoning or endangering a child without intent to return.

Large tree falls, blocks road in Glen Ellyn 21 Oct 10:58 AM (17 hours ago)

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — A large tree fell Tuesday afternoon in Glen Ellyn and blocked a road.

It happened on Riford Road between St. Charles Road and Elms Street.

All traffic is blocked and Glen Ellyn police are asking residents to take an alternative route.

It's been a windy day in the Chicago area.

Crews are responding as of Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

City of Harvey furloughs 69 employees due to 'severe financial emergency' 21 Oct 10:28 AM (17 hours ago)

HARVEY, Ill. — Dozens of city employees in Harvey will be temporarily laid off due to a "severe financial emergency."

Twelve departments are affected, including police and fire. Sixty-nine employees will be furloughed, while 98 essential personnel will continue core city operations.

According to Mayor Christopher Clark, he is not sure when those employees will go back to work.

"We don’t have a specific timeline, we're doing everything we possibly can. The same way we did in 2019. We're doing everything we possibly can to bring our family members back to work. However, we need help from the federal, state and county government. We need brighter minds to come in and help us figure this out," Mayor Clark said

Right now, 24 employees from the police department and 20 workers from the fire department will be furloughed.

City officials say the financial crisis stems from years of chronic mismanagement, corruption and neglect from past administrators who failed to pay require pension obligations, misuse of funds, and lawsuits.

Also, it’s being said the state comptroller is seizing city funds.

Mayor Clark says that money is intended for road repairs and infrastructure improvements. He claims he's attempted to talk to the Office of the State Comptroller — but claims a conversation has been off the table.

The temporary furloughs are part of an emergency plan to preserve core functions while the city continues to advocate for House Bill 4024.

It would provide $30 million in state relief to help Harvey meet its financial obligations and restore full operations.

On Oct. 16, an ordinance was passed requesting a certification from the Department of Revenue to classify Harvey as a distressed city.

According to Mayor Clark, when he inherited the role as mayor, the city had $164 million in debt. Now, it's down to about $140 million.

"$164 million in debt, which is what we inherited from the previous administration, is a massive amount to say we're going to overcome in such a short period of time. People should probably keep in mind that in 2018 when half the police and fire were layed off, this administration worked to bring those officers back. So we are going to do the same thing here, but it takes a little time and we need a little patience to do that," Mayor Clark said.

City officials say they’ve already stabilized finances. They've ended long-running litigation over bond defaults, securing a better debt schedule and attracting new economic investment projects.

WGN News spoke with Harvey's 4th Ward alderman, Tracey Key, who says he blames the issues on current leadership.

WGN News was told Fire Station No. 2 in Harvey will be temporarily closed.

Earlier Tuesday morning, a press conference was held in South Holland. A few community organizations gathered together, urging Mayor Clark to step down.

WGN News asked Mayor Clark for a response during an interview. He said he's been receiving more support than pushback.

Where to get your free flu shot in Chicago 21 Oct 9:44 AM (18 hours ago)

Flu season is underway and the time to protect yourself against the virus is now.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) urges everyone age 6 months and older to get vaccinated.

Here’s a guide to help you find free flu shots across the Chicago area. It is always recommended to call ahead to confirm availability, times, and eligibility.

Chicago locations

The Chicago Department of Public Health is hosting a series of vaccination clinics over the next several months for residents to receive updated flu, as well as COVID-19, vaccines.

All Chicago residents are eligible to receive Flu, MMR, and Mpox vaccines at CDPH Immunization Clinics.

CDPH Clinic Locations and Hours

Location: Greater Lawn West 55th Street Health Hub, 4150 West 55th Street

Hours: Monday–Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Uptown West Wilson Avenue Health Hub, 845 West Wilson Avenue, 2nd level 

Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m to 4 p.m.

Location: Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub, 1713 South Ashland Avenue

Hours: Thursday & Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Roseland East 115th Street Health Hub, 200 East 115th Street, 2nd fl.

Hours: Thursday & Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is highly encouraged. To register for an appointment, go to: GetVaxChi.

For more information, go to: www.chicago.gov

City Colleges of Chicago Locations and Hours

• Kennedy-King College, 6301 S Halsted St, Saturday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Arturo Velasquez Institute, 2800 S Western Ave., Saturday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Wilbur Wright College, 4300 N Narragansett Ave, Saturday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S Pulaski Rd, Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Truman College, 1145 W Wilson Ave, Saturday, November 16, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Olive-Harvey College, 10001 S Woodlawn Ave, Saturday, November 16, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Malcolm X College, 1900 W Van Buren St, Saturday, November 23, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Cook County Locations and Hours

The walk-in clinics, held in partnership with Cook County Health and CountyCare, will be open on select Saturdays from Oct. 18 through March 28, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The five clinics are:

North suburbs

Location: Arlington Heights Health Center, 3250 North Arlington Heights Road Suite 300

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic dates: Oct. 25, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 28

West suburbs

Location: North Riverside Health Center. 1800 South Harlem Ave. Suite A

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic dates: Nov. 1, Dec. 20, Feb. 7, March 21

South suburbs

Location: Blue Island Health Center, 12757 South Western Ave.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic dates: Nov. 15, Jan. 3, Feb. 21

---

Location: Cottage Grove Health Center, 1645 South Cottage Grove Ave.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic Dates: Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 14

---

Location: Robbins Health Center, 13450 South Kedzie Ave

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic dates: Oct. 18, Dec. 6, Jan. 17, March 7

Anyone who needs more information can email healthycook@cookcountyhhs.org. A full list of clinic locations and the dates they will be open is below.

Local pharmacies

The flu, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine, are widely available at commercial pharmacies. According to the CDPH, people with private health insurance or Medicaid or Medicare coverage are encouraged to visit a pharmacy or doctor's office to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Visit www.vaccines.gov or www.vacunas.gov to find a vaccine provider near you, but check to see if your health plan requires you to visit an in-network provider.

Florida AG issues subpoena to Roblox for child protection policies 21 Oct 8:36 AM (19 hours ago)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida's attorney general issued a subpoena to the popular online gaming platform Roblox on Monday, demanding information about how the platform sets age-verification requirements, moderates chat rooms, and markets itself to children.

The subpoena also requires Roblox to hand over documents relating to its collection and processing of children's data.

Attorney General James Uthmeier's office said that numerous reports have been filed regarding children being exposed to graphic or harmful material on the gaming platform due to predatory adults having the ability to message minors on the app freely.

A Roblox spokesperson denied the claims in a statement shared with Nexstar. "Attorney General Uthmeir’s claims about Roblox are false, and the suggestion that illicit image sharing is happening on Roblox demonstrates a lack of understanding of our platform’s functionality. In fact, we prohibit the sharing of images and videos in chat, use filters designed to block the exchange of personal information, and our trained teams and automated tools continuously monitor communications to detect and remove harmful content."

The company is also working to add "age estimation" for users on its chat features, the spokesperson said.

In 2024, Roblox boasted more than 85 million daily active users, with an estimated 40% being under the age of 13. The system features millions of games and interactive environments with content developed both by the platform and by users.

Parents around the country have also filed at least eight lawsuits against the popular world-building and gaming app, alleging the platform makes it too easy for predators to contact, groom and even abduct children.

One such lawsuit came after a 10-year-old in California was found hours from home in May with a 27-year-old man she met on Roblox. The man was charged with kidnapping and child sex-related crimes.

Another lawsuit calls Roblox a “digital hunting ground” for child abusers. This case centers around a 13-year-old Iowa girl, who was allegedly kidnapped from her grandmother’s house and sexually abused. The suspect, a 37-year-old, had claimed to be a teenager when speaking with the victim on Roblox, according to the victim’s family.

Similar suits have been filed by families in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Texas and Washington, one law firm representing the families said.

In many of the pending criminal cases and lawsuits, the alleged predators pretended to be minors themselves.

Former President Biden rings the bell after radiation treatment 21 Oct 8:01 AM (20 hours ago)

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (WJW) – Former President Joe Biden marked a significant milestone in his battle with prostate cancer.

On Monday, Biden completed a round of radiation therapy and had a moment many work toward during cancer treatment.

“Rung the bell!” Ashley Biden captioned a video she posted of her father.

“Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!" she wrote.

Biden, who turns 83 next month, revealed in May that he was diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.

The Hill reported that a spokesperson said at the time that the disease was “characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone” and appeared “hormone-sensitive,” allowing for management.

In one photo, Ashley Biden wrote, "Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment. Grateful."

While this round of radiation therapy has concluded, Biden's treatment plan is ongoing, and further medical steps may be necessary in the coming months.

After his spring diagnosis, Biden expressed gratitude on social media for the support he received after his announcement, The Hill reported. 

“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden wrote on X.

Treasury clamps down on sharing images of White House demolition 21 Oct 7:58 AM (20 hours ago)

(The Hill) - The Treasury Department told employees not to share images of the White House demolition, as construction for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom kicked off in the East Wing on Monday.

Treasury employees have a front-seat view to the construction, since the department’s headquarters are located by the East Wing. As images of the facade’s dismantling went viral Monday night, the Treasury Department warned its staff of “security” issues related to sharing the photos.

“Carelessly shared photographs of the White House complex during this process could potentially reveal sensitive items, including security features or confidential structural details,” a Treasury spokesperson told The Hill in an email.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have urged our employees to avoid sharing these images,” the spokesperson added.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the Treasury Department sent out an email to its employees Monday evening urging restraint before disseminating photos of the construction.

“As construction proceeds on the White House grounds, employees should refrain from taking and sharing photographs of the grounds, to include the East Wing, without prior approval from the Office of Public Affairs,” the email read, according to the Journal.

Demolition crews started the process of tearing down part of the East Wing on Monday to begin construction on the planned ballroom. 

“It just started today, so that’s good luck,” the president said during an event in the East Room hosting two national champion college baseball teams.

Trump noted there will be a knockout panel behind where he delivered the remarks in the East Room that will go into the new ballroom.

“I don’t think it will be topped,” he said, referring to the project. 

The ballroom’s construction is slated to cost $200 million, which Trump has said would be shouldered, at least in part, by donors, or “patriots,” as he has referred to them.

The White House has said the event space would be 90,000 square feet and constructed next to where the East Wing is located. It historically served as a space for first ladies and members of their staff. The administration’s goal is to complete the ballroom before Trump’s second term wraps in 2029.

Mega Millions jackpot hits $650M: How to play after game overhaul 21 Oct 7:56 AM (20 hours ago)

(NEXSTAR) — Without a winner on Friday, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown enough to join the ranks of the largest grand prizes ever in the game's history.

The jackpot has been building since June, when a ticket sold in Virginia won a $348 million prize. It marked the first true jackpot to be won after Mega Millions was overhauled earlier this year.

That means the current jackpot, estimated at $650 million with a cash value of $304.1 million as of Tuesday morning, is on track to be the largest-ever won since that April overhaul. With its growth after Friday's drawing, the pot has surpassed a $648 million prize split by tickets sold in California and Georgia in 2013 to become the 10th largest in Mega Millions history.

1. $1.602 billion: Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
2. $1.537 billion: Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
3. $1.348 billion: Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
4. $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022; Illinois
5. $1.269 billion: Dec. 27, 2024; California
6. $1.128 billion: March 26, 2024; New Jersey
7. $1.050 billion: Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
8. $810 million: Sept. 10, 2024; Texas
9. $656 million: Mar. 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland
10. Est. $650 million: Current

Should the jackpot grow by more than $6 million — which could happen even before Tuesday's drawing — it could unseat a $656 million prize split by three tickets in 2012 and become the ninth-largest on record. (If you're really curious, the jackpot ranks as the 20th largest across Powerball and Mega Millions.)

While your odds of winning the jackpot remain slim, the aforementioned changes to the game have improved your chances slightly. If you're ready to put those odds to the test, here's what to know about the updated version of Mega Millions.

Game overhaul changed how you play Mega Millions

Roughly a year ago, Mega Millions officials indicated changes were afoot for the nationally played lottery game. Those changes were unveiled earlier this year and enacted in April.

There are now fewer Mega Ball numbers — 24 instead of 25 — to select from, which improves your odds of winning any Mega Millions payout from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23. Officials have also removed the Megaplier (and the Just the Jackpot option available in some states) and replaced it with a built-in random multiplier.

If you win any non-jackpot prize, it is automatically multiplied by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x, depending on the built-in multiplier. That, in turn, increased the non-jackpot prize payout range to $10 to $10 million, up from $2 to $1 million. (The base prize is technically $5, but the built-in multiplier will at least double that.)

You can see the new prizes below compared to the current payouts:

The increased payouts are partially thanks to the rise in the cost of playing Mega Millions. A line of Mega Millions numbers will now set you back $5.

After the current jackpot is eventually won, the grand prize will reset to $50 million, a large increase over the previous starting point of $20 million.

Just like your odds of winning any payout have increased, so have your odds of winning the jackpot. Instead of having a roughly 1 in 302.58 million chance of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot, your odds are now about 1 in 290.47 million.

All in all, the changes were intended to improve odds, make the jackpot grow faster, and promote larger prizes, officials said.

As of early October, marking six months since the updates, officials said non-jackpot prizes have totaled $344.4 million for Mega Millions players. Players who had matched only the Mega Ball — which earns you the lowest possible payout of $10 — won $134 million over the same time frame.

"That’s nearly twice the $78.3 million total that would have been awarded across ALL eight non-jackpot prize tiers in the old game matrix, from the $1 million level on down," officials said in a press release.

If you're ready to try your luck at the jackpot, or any other Mega Millions payout, the next drawing is set for 10 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $5 each and are sold in 45 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan, along with the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

John Mulaney announces 2 ways to get free tickets to his Wrigley Field show; presale starts Tuesday 21 Oct 7:41 AM (20 hours ago)

CHICAGO — Chicago's Very Own John Mulaney joined WGN Morning News Tuesday to talk about bringing his "Mister Whatever Tour" to Wrigley Field next summer.

The Chicago-native will be the first comedian to headline the Friendly Confines when he takes the stage on July 11, 2026.

During his interview with WGN Morning News, Mulaney announced two promotions on how to get free tickets to his show!

1.) If you can prove you conceived a baby after his Wrigley Field show announcement on Sept. 23, you and your baby can get free admission! Proof of conception required. Email your evidence to: wrigleymulaneybaby@gmail.com.

2.) If you can prove that your teen used to smoke a lot of cigarettes but has now quit, you can also get free admission to the show! You'll need to provide proof that they smoked a lot. Email your evidence to: mykidquitsmoking@gmail.com 

Presale tickets to the show Mulaney's show go on sale Tuesday at noon on his website, www.johnmulaney.com/.

If you did not sign up for the presale, general ticket sales begin Friday.

For more information, go to: www.johnmulaney.com/

13-year-old boy struck, killed by semi in Will County 21 Oct 7:39 AM (20 hours ago)

WILL COUNTY, Ill. — A 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by a semi-truck Monday night in the Village of Manhattan.

At around 5:35 p.m., authorities responded to the area of State and East North on the report of an accident involving a bicyclist and a semi-truck.

Officers at the scene found a 13-year-old boy unresponsive underneath the semi-truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"We kindly ask for everyone’s thoughts, compassion and prayers during these extremely difficult times. Especially for the children and the entire Manhattan community," the Manhattan Police Department wrote on social media.

Illinois State Police is investigating.

Mega Millions jackpot hits $650M: How to play after game overhaul 21 Oct 7:38 AM (20 hours ago)

(NEXSTAR) — Without a winner on Friday, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown enough to join the ranks of the largest grand prizes ever in the game's history.

The jackpot has been building since June, when a ticket sold in Virginia won a $348 million prize. It marked the first true jackpot to be won after Mega Millions was overhauled earlier this year.

That means the current jackpot, estimated at $650 million with a cash value of $304.1 million as of Tuesday morning, is on track to be the largest-ever won since that April overhaul. With its growth after Friday's drawing, the pot has surpassed a $648 million prize split by tickets sold in California and Georgia in 2013 to become the 10th largest in Mega Millions history.

1. $1.602 billion: Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
2. $1.537 billion: Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
3. $1.348 billion: Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
4. $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022; Illinois
5. $1.269 billion: Dec. 27, 2024; California
6. $1.128 billion: March 26, 2024; New Jersey
7. $1.050 billion: Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
8. $810 million: Sept. 10, 2024; Texas
9. $656 million: Mar. 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland
10. Est. $650 million: Current

Should the jackpot grow by more than $6 million — which could happen even before Tuesday's drawing — it could unseat a $656 million prize split by three tickets in 2012 and become the ninth-largest on record. (If you're really curious, the jackpot ranks as the 20th largest across Powerball and Mega Millions.)

While your odds of winning the jackpot remain slim, the aforementioned changes to the game have improved your chances slightly. If you're ready to put those odds to the test, here's what to know about the updated version of Mega Millions.

Game overhaul changed how you play Mega Millions

Roughly a year ago, Mega Millions officials indicated changes were afoot for the nationally played lottery game. Those changes were unveiled earlier this year and enacted in April.

There are now fewer Mega Ball numbers — 24 instead of 25 — to select from, which improves your odds of winning any Mega Millions payout from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23. Officials have also removed the Megaplier (and the Just the Jackpot option available in some states) and replaced it with a built-in random multiplier.

If you win any non-jackpot prize, it is automatically multiplied by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x, depending on the built-in multiplier. That, in turn, increased the non-jackpot prize payout range to $10 to $10 million, up from $2 to $1 million. (The base prize is technically $5, but the built-in multiplier will at least double that.)

You can see the new prizes below compared to the current payouts:

The increased payouts are partially thanks to the rise in the cost of playing Mega Millions. A line of Mega Millions numbers will now set you back $5.

After the current jackpot is eventually won, the grand prize will reset to $50 million, a large increase over the previous starting point of $20 million.

Just like your odds of winning any payout have increased, so have your odds of winning the jackpot. Instead of having a roughly 1 in 302.58 million chance of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot, your odds are now about 1 in 290.47 million.

All in all, the changes were intended to improve odds, make the jackpot grow faster, and promote larger prizes, officials said.

As of early October, marking six months since the updates, officials said non-jackpot prizes have totaled $344.4 million for Mega Millions players. Players who had matched only the Mega Ball — which earns you the lowest possible payout of $10 — won $134 million over the same time frame.

"That’s nearly twice the $78.3 million total that would have been awarded across ALL eight non-jackpot prize tiers in the old game matrix, from the $1 million level on down," officials said in a press release.

If you're ready to try your luck at the jackpot, or any other Mega Millions payout, the next drawing is set for 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Tickets are $5 each and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Calumet City man arrested and charged with murder of 40-year-old woman early Saturday morning in Fuller Park, police say 21 Oct 7:19 AM (20 hours ago)

CHICAGO — A Calumet City man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 40-year-woman, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as Odeal G. Curley, while she was getting off a private bus early Saturday morning in Fuller Park on the city's South Side.

Chicago police announced Tuesday that Demar King, 35, has been charged with three felony counts, including one of first-degree murder, along with four misdemeanors and various traffic citations.

According to police, King was identified as the offender in the fatal shooting, and several hours later police located him driving in traffic. Police say King attempted to flee, but with the assistance of Illinois State Police, officers apprehended King around 3 p.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of South Union Avenue, on the Lower West Side.

King was subsequently charged and was due for an initial court hearing Tuesday.

Police say the fatal shooting happened around 12:40 a.m. Saturday in the 5400 block of South Shields Avenue. A 40-year-old woman, later identified as Curley, was getting off a private bus when a suspect pulled out a gun from within the bus and fired shots at her, hitting her in the right thigh, according to investigators.

Police said paramedics with the Chicago Fire Department treated Curley at the scene before taking her to University of Chicago Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Molson Coors to eliminate 9% of its workforce in the Americas amid slowing sales 21 Oct 6:42 AM (21 hours ago)

DENVER (KDVR) — Drink giant Molson Coors Beverage Company announced Monday that it was restructuring and eliminating about 400 of its salaried positions as part of the process.

Those positions equate to about 9% of the company's salaried Americas business workforce, the company said.

In an announcement Monday, the company, which has major brewery operations in Golden, Colorado, said the corporate restructuring plan was intended to create a "leaner, more agile Americas organization while advancing its ability to reinvest in the business and position the company for further growth."

Molson Coors will eliminate those salaried positions across its Americas business unit by the end of December 2025. The positions include hundreds that Molson Coors said had been open from role prioritization efforts earlier this year, as well as individuals who will receive voluntary severance due to the restructuring.

“We’ve made progress on our transformation journey, but given the environment, we must transform even faster. To win with our customers and consumers and return to growth, we must move with urgency and make bolder decisions,” said President and CEO Rahul Goyal in the company's Monday announcement. “We are moving quickly and intentionally on a long-term, achievable strategy that continues our journey to become a total beverage company and that we believe puts us on the path to sustainable growth. We look forward to sharing more detail on this strategy in the coming months.”

Molson Coors said that with the restructuring, it is aiming to focus on both its beer portfolio and its expansion into categories such as premium mixers, non-alcoholic beverages and energy drinks.

Additionally, Coors said it anticipates incurring between $35 million and $50 million in expenses amid the restructuring, "substantially all of which" are related to cash severance payments and post-employment benefits.

“These are never easy decisions, and I am grateful to those who will be departing for their many contributions and to those who will continue to guide us on our journey toward growth,” Rahul added in the announcement.

On Oct. 1, the company held its second-quarter earnings call with investors. A presentation for the meeting showed that its Americas brand volume was down by 4% and net sales dropped by 2.6%. The company also shared its 2025 full-year outlook, which showed that the company anticipates seeing a 3%-4% decline in net sales revenue growth.

The company did not say what positions were being eliminated under the restructuring, or where the positions are located, beyond the Americas.

Molson Coors employs over 16,000 people across its global company and says on its website that the Golden Brewery employs just under 850 employees.

Pilots mistakenly thought someone was trying to breach cockpit during American Airlines flight 21 Oct 6:31 AM (21 hours ago)

(The Hill) -- A Los Angeles-bound flight made an emergency landing on Monday after its pilots mistakenly thought someone was trying to breach the cockpit when its flight attendants banged on the locked door because the plane’s communication system went down.

SkyWest flight 6569 returned to Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, at approximately 7:45 p.m. local time, “after declaring an emergency when the pilot could not contact the cabin crew,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.

The American Airlines flight, operated by SkyWest, traveled less than 40 miles before returning to the Omaha airport.

“After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the inter-phone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door,” the FAA said in its statement.

SkyWest did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

The captain apologized to the passengers after landing.

"We weren't sure if something was going on with the airplane, so that's why we're coming back here," the captain said. "It's going to be a little bit. We have to figure out what's going on."

Video footage of the flight shows police officers boarding the plane after the emergency landing, as police vehicles approached on the tarmac.

Dean's A-List Interview: Jeremy Allen White on what is was like playing 'the Boss' in 'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere' 21 Oct 5:31 AM (22 hours ago)

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards sits down with Jeremy Allen White, the star of the new biographical musical drama film, "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere."

American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky dies at 29 21 Oct 5:20 AM (22 hours ago)

Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport, died Monday. He was 29.

The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and worked as a coach, announced his death on social media, calling him “a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community.”

“Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day,” his family said in a statement shared by the center.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

Naroditsky became a grandmaster, the highest title in chess aside from World Chess Champion, at the age of 18.

Years earlier, the California-born player won the Under 12 world championship and spent his teenage years writing chess strategy books as he climbed the world rankings.

He was consistently ranked in the top 200 worldwide for traditional chess and also excelled at a fast-paced style called blitz chess, maintaining a top 25 ranking throughout his adult career. Most recently Naroditsky, known to many as Danya, won the U.S. National Blitz Championship in August.

Fellow grandmasters credited Naroditsky with introducing the sport to a wider audience by livestreaming many of his matches and sharing live commentary on others. Thousands of people regularly tuned in on YouTube and the interactive streaming platform Twitch to watch Naroditsky play.

“He loved streaming, and he loved trying to be educational. The chess world is very grateful," Hikaru Nakamura, an American grandmaster, said on a livestream Monday.

In a final video posted to his YouTube channel on Friday titled “You Thought I Was Gone!?” Naroditsky tells viewers he's “back, better than ever” after taking a creative break from streaming. He talks viewers through his moves as he plays live chess matches on the computer from a cozy home studio.

Other elite chess players from around the globe took to social media to express their shock and sadness.

Dutch chess grandmaster Benjamin Bok reflected on his lifelong friendship with Naroditsky, who he said he's known since the Under 12 world championship that Naroditsky won in 2007.

“I still can’t believe it and don’t want to believe it," Bok said on X. "It was always a privilege to play, train, and commentate with Danya, but above all, to call him my friend.”

Naroditsky was the son of Jewish immigrants to the U.S. from Ukraine and Azerbaijan. He was born and raised in San Mateo County, California, and was described by his parents as a very serious kid with an impressive attention span and memory. He went on to study history at Stanford University, earning a bachelor's degree in 2019 after taking a year off to play in chess tournaments.

After college, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he coached the area's top junior chess players.

Mother McAuley High School student reported missing 21 Oct 5:11 AM (23 hours ago)

CHICAGO — A Mother McAuley High School student is missing and was last seen on Friday.

Estefania Herrera, 18, was last seen wearing a black and white checkered fleece top and blue jeans.

Police did not say a block where she is missing from, but Herrera was carrying a red backpack and a blue backpack.

She's a Mother McAuley student, which is located in the 3700 block of West 99th Street, and they issued the following statement.

"The Mother McAuley community is praying for the safe return of senior Estefania Herrera. We ask the extended community to join us in keeping Estefania and her family in their thoughts and prayers. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department’s Area One Special Victims Unit at 312-747-8380 as we are working in close contact with authorities."

She is 5'4", 200 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information can call police at 312-747-8380.

Flight delays, cancellations increase shutdown pressure on lawmakers 21 Oct 5:07 AM (23 hours ago)

(The Hill) - Alarm bells are going off for lawmakers after some of the nation's busiest airports experienced scores of delays over the weekend due to air traffic control staffing shortages as the government shutdown prepares to enter its fourth week.

Air-traffic controllers are among the federal workers deemed essential, forcing them to continue on the job while not receiving paychecks.

Lawmakers are closely watching the weekend’s woes and increasing possibility of “sick-outs” by controllers, well-aware that travel delays could be the issue that forces them to the negotiating table.

“It most certainly will not get better with age,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “The longer the shutdown goes on, the more people are going to be frustrated and we’ve got people that are going without paychecks — they most certainly aren’t going to get happier.” 

“You’re going to find more of them trying to find a way to express their frustration even though that they know that there are real implications to calling in sick and slowing things down,” Rounds said. “And I get it.” 

Unlike other parts of the federal workforce, air traffic controllers could have a say in ending the three-week long shutdown — but at a major cost. Travel delays are among the shutdown effects felt most directly by average Americans, and the absence of fewer than a dozen controllers helped force the government to reopen in 2019 as it prompted a ground stoppage of flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York. 

“Air traffic controllers had a pretty powerful punch,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said of those actions. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that there were “increased staffing shortages across the system” the day prior, which caused delays at airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark, N.J. 

According to FlightAware, there were 19,000 flights that were delayed between Saturday and Monday, with Sunday marking the high mark at nearly 8,000 delays. There were also 1,600 flight cancellations during that span. 

Southwest Airlines saw more than 30 percent of its flights delayed on Sunday and Monday, with American Airlines seeing a similar figure on Sunday as well. 

Overall, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are working without pay this month.

“It’s certainly something I’m concerned about,” said Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who represents Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), which has its own issues this year without factoring in the shutdown. “We already have low staffing, so this is something I’ve been worried about writ large. We see how devastating those disruptions can be on a number of fronts which is why I’m frustrated.” 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged on Monday morning that more of these issues could be coming down the tracks. 

"I hope we don't see more disruptions. But as this gets closer to payday, I think you could see more of that through the airspace," Duffy told Fox News. 

This is not the first sign of trouble since the start of the shutdown. More than 23,000 delays were reported between Oct. 6 and 10, many of which also stemmed from air traffic controller tumult.

At the time, Duffy noted that 53 percent of delays were due to staffing issues, compared with five percent normally. 

Durbin told reporters on Monday that he inquired with TSA workers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) while traveling back to Washington about issues in recent days. He said they reported a “slowdown” on Sunday, but that the airport was back to “full tilt” on Monday.   

Those were not the only issues the airport experienced in recent days. A pair of United Airlines planes clipped wings at O’Hare on Friday while one of them was taxiing to a gate to deplane. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is expected to hold a vote this week on a bill to pay “excepted” employees — those who are deemed essential during the shutdown. That also includes 1.3 million members of the military. 

Thune told reporters that the vote will happen either Wednesday or Thursday. 

Federal workers are also set to miss their first full paycheck on Friday, having received a partial one earlier in the month. 

While lawmakers remain worried about a continued spate of delays and cancellations, there is something worse that they are praying can be avoided amid potential “sick-outs.” 

“If there were — heaven forbid — some accident that might be associated with this problem, there’d be hell to pay,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told The Hill. “That’s for sure.”

Government shutdown imperils dozens of Head Start preschool programs 21 Oct 5:03 AM (23 hours ago)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Head Start programs that serve tens of thousands of the nation's neediest preschoolers are facing a cutoff of federal funding at the end of the month because of the government shutdown, leaving many scrambling to figure out how to keep their doors open.

The early education initiative is funded almost entirely by the federal government, making it particularly vulnerable to funding disruptions. The programs — which are run by schools, local governments and nonprofits — receive new grants annually and are not allowed to carry over unspent money.

With new grants on hold, a half dozen Head Start programs already missed federal disbursements they were expecting on Oct. 1 and are staying open with fast-dwindling reserves or help from local governments. Another 134 programs will not receive federal money that is due Nov. 1 if the government does not reopen, according to the National Head Start Association. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

In Tallahassee, Florida, a Head Start program run by Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc. has been running on “fumes” since it stopped receiving federal money at the start of the month, interim CEO Nina Singleton Self said. It is drawing down reserves, getting an advance on a city grant and taking out a line of credit, but those funds will run dry this week.

To stay open beyond that, Self is asking how many staff members would work without pay. She’s also steeling them for financial uncertainty, advising them on how to take loans out from their retirement accounts or apply to programs that would help them pay utility bills. She’s asked other nonprofits and philanthropies for help, too.

“We’re reaching out for everything that we can,” Self said.

Preschool centers count the days they could stay open

Another organization in north Florida that operates eight rural Head Start centers for 365 kids was cut off Oct. 1 and has enough funding to keep its doors open until the end of November.

After that, "I don’t really know what to tell you,” said Michele Ward, executive director of Suwanee Valley Community Coordinated Child Care.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas warned Head Start centers that serve 2,300 children will have to shutter if the federal government remains closed.

“Closing early childhood care for thousands of Kansas City children and families will have devastating effects on thousands of Kansas City families, workplaces and, most importantly, kids,” said Lucas, a Democrat.

Rekah Strong, who leads a Vancouver, Washington-based organization that operates Head Start centers, said some likely will have to shut down around Nov. 1, when the organization would normally receive its federal grant. She doesn't see other funding options.

Closing a center even briefly has ripple effects, Head Start leaders warn. The early education program provides two meals a day to students, along with medical screenings and dental care. Many of the children who attend Head Start have parents working in hourly jobs who risk losing work if they do not have child care.

"Every day this shutdown continues, programs are forced to make impossible choices just to keep their doors open. Children cannot wait,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

Low-income families that rely on Head Start are facing the prospect of losing other assistance as well. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC, nearly ran out of money because of the shutdown before President Donald Trump's administration provided $300 million to keep it running temporarily. The Republican president's big tax breaks and spending cuts law also imposes cuts on Medicaid and food stamps.

Head Start faces a string of challenges

Launched six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, Head Start has a history of bipartisan support but has faced calls this year for its funding to be cut back.

A budget document showed the White House weighed shutting down Head Start altogether, a prospect that led to an outcry from both sides of the aisle before Trump's administration backed away from the proposal. Project 2025, a detailed set of policy recommendations authored by the conservative Heritage Foundation, recommended eliminating Head Start.

In January, Head Start operators struggled to access their federal money because of problems with the government’s online portal. Some had to shut down temporarily.

The shutdown began when Congress failed to pass a bill to fund the government. In a standoff with the Trump administration, Democrats are insisting on the extension of tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and the restoration of cuts made to Medicaid. Without the tax credits, more than 20 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans would see their health care costs rise. Republicans say they won’t discuss the health care subsidies, or any other policy, until the government reopens.

Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington Head Start Association, said he is eager for Congress to end the shutdown. But he said he also knows that many Head Start families and staff members rely on Medicaid and on the Affordable Care Act plans.

“I’m glad that the Democrats are fighting to restore health care access,” Ryan said. “I’m also really cognizant of the ramifications of the government shutdown."

Walmart's 'Thanksgiving Meal Basket' will feed 10 people for under $40, company claims 21 Oct 4:33 AM (23 hours ago)

(NEXSTAR) – Walmart on Tuesday made its 2025 “Thanksgiving Meal Basket” available for purchase, and at a price the retailer claims to be its lowest since beginning the promotion in 2022.

The basket contains over 20 items (some canned, some pre-made, some fresh) including a turkey, potatoes, stuffing mix, fried onions, pie crusts, and boxed macaroni and cheese, among other ingredients. The bundle is intended to feed 10 people at a price of under $4 per person, according to Walmart.

The deal is available both in-store and online. Online shoppers can purchase the entire meal as a “one-click basket,” Walmart said.

“We know every dollar and minute counts — which is why we are offering a low priced one-click Thanksgiving Meal Basket featuring iconic brands like Butterball and Stove Top alongside trusted Walmart private-brand items,” John Furner, the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said in a statement included with Walmart’s announcement.

Walmart’s previous Thanksgiving meal bundle, offered ahead of Thanksgiving 2024, was advertised as costing less than $7 per person. Last year’s promotion also repeatedly mentioned “inflation” as a driving factor for Walmart’s offer, though no such mention was made in the press release issued for this year’s deal.

“We want every family to be able to share a meal and celebrate without compromising on quality, quantity or tradition,” Furner said.

Walmart’s announcement also comes days after Aldi touted its own prices on ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal, similarly suggesting that shoppers could provide a holiday spread for $4 per person.

Americans, meanwhile, are still concerned over prices at their local supermarkets, among other sectors. High prices for groceries, housing and health care persist as a fear for many households, while rising electricity bills and the cost of gas at the pump are also sources of anxiety, according to a survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 

Government data released in August showed that inflation did indeed rise that month, affecting the price of gas, groceries and airfare.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dems demand Trump pull watchdog office nominee after reported 'racist' texts 21 Oct 4:10 AM (yesterday, 4:10 am)

(The Hill) — Democrats in Congress called on President Trump to withdraw his nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) after a new report exposed text messages in which the nominee purportedly denounced the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and admitted to having a “Nazi streak in me from time to time.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.) — the top Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, respectively — wrote a letter to the president on Monday urging him to dismiss Paul Ingrassia from federal service and to withdraw his nomination.

Ingrassia’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

The pair of high-ranking Democrats pointed to the “racist messages” reported by Politico on Monday, which included allegations about past ties between Ingrassia, a former podcast host, and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. They also pointed to past reporting indicating Ingrassia was the subject of a sexual harassment investigation at the Department of Homeland Security, where he serves as the White House liaison. The woman who filed the initial sexual harassment complaint later withdrew it, Politico reported.

“Mr. Ingrassia’s misconduct renders his continued employment as a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dangerous for women, and his proposed promotion to serve as Special Counsel demeans the office and is insulting to the American people,” Thompson and Garcia wrote in the letter, addressed to the president.

The Democrats noted several examples of text messages exposed in the Politico report that they described as problematic.

“I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it,” Ingrassia allegedly wrote in one message. In another, he allegedly wrote, “Never trust a chinaman or Indian.”

“We need competent white men in positions of leadership … The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal … We need to reject that part of our heritage,” Ingrassia wrote in a series of messages, according to Politico.

“Ultimately, Mr. Ingrassia is biased and incapable of fairly and even-handedly enforcing the law,” the Democrats wrote in the letter.

In a separate statement, Thompson added: “It’s shameful that someone under investigation for harassment — and now exposed for sending racist messages — would be rewarded with a promotion. President Trump must immediately withdraw his nomination and remove him from government service.”

Edward Andrew Paltzik, Ingrassia’s attorney, did not confirm the authenticity of the message but still suggested they were made lightheartedly.

“Even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters 'Nazis.' In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi,” Paltzik told Politico, in a statement confirmed to The Hill.

“In this age of AI, authentication of allegedly leaked messages, which could be outright falsehoods, doctored, or manipulated, or lacking critical context, is extremely difficult,” he added.

In the letter to Trump, the Democrats also focused heavily on the alleged sexual harassment incident, which they noted was investigated by the DHS Inspector General and White House Office of Presidential Personnel and resulted in the temporary revocation of Ingrassia’s badge and access to DHS headquarters.

Ingrassia’s nomination “demonstrates the Trump administration’s contempt for the safety of women in the workplace and is a slap in the face to every American who values justice and integrity in the federal merit system,” the Democrats wrote.

Paltzik denied the sexual harassment allegations completely, writing, “Mr. Ingrassia has never harassed any coworkers — female or otherwise, sexually or otherwise — in connection with any employment."

Thompson and Garcia called Ingrassia “wholly unfit to lead” OSC, which handles sensitive matters, including federal whistleblower complaints and discrimination claims.

They noted that Ingrassia, at 30, “only recently graduated law school has less legal experience than many of the people who apply for entry-level positions at the organization he is nominated to lead.”

“To begin rebuilding the integrity of DHS and OSC, Mr. Ingrassia must be dismissed from federal service and his nomination to serve as Special Counsel must be withdrawn immediately,” the Democrats wrote. “Mr. Ingrassia’s employment and nomination are affronts to women, people of color, and the American public. We look forward to the prompt withdrawal of this unqualified and dangerous nominee.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

In July, Ingrassia was slated for a confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, but his name was quietly removed from the agenda. At the time, the White House said it was not withdrawing his nomination.

“Paul Ingrassia is still the nominee and is currently serving in his role as White House Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. He will spend the next month speaking with Senators and we expect him to be swiftly confirmed. The President has full confidence in him and his ability to lead the Office of Special Counsel,” an administration official told The Hill then.

Man faces felony charges for armed robbery and burglary in Oak Lawn 20 Oct 5:55 PM (yesterday, 5:55 pm)

OAK LAWN, Ill. (WGN) — A Worth man faces multiple felony charges concerning a burglary attempt and armed robbery of Oak Lawn residents.

Officers responded to the 10900 block of Keating around 4:30 p.m. Sunday following a report that a man had attempted to break into an area condo by window. The man ran away when the victim saw him, according to police.

While officers investigated, a second condo owner tinformed police that he had been robbed at gunpoint moments earlier by a masked man. The offender entered the victim’s condo, forced him into a bathroom and attempted to flee with stolen items in the victim’s car, according to police.

Following a brief pursuit on foot, officers took a man, later identified as Demarkcus Ross, into custody.

Officers located Ross with jewelry and other items stolen from condo, along with the victim's car keys, police said. Ross also confessed to the crimes, according to police.

Ross, whose last known address was in Worth, faces felony charges of hiome invasion with a firearm, kidnapping while armed with a firearm, and armed ronnery.

Residents clash with Broadview officials over ICE protest restrictions during board meeting 20 Oct 5:45 PM (yesterday, 5:45 pm)

BROADVIEW, Ill. (WGN) — A Village of Broadview board meeting on Monday night ended abruptly after repeated interruptions during Mayor Katrina Thompson’s remarks.

More than a dozen residents took turns at the microphone, voicing frustration over what they described as restrictions on protests near the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center.

Earlier this month, the village limited demonstrations to a designated area between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Several speakers at the meeting said the new rules, along with increased enforcement around the ICE facility, infringe on their First Amendment rights.

When it was Mayor Thompson’s turn to address the packed village chambers, audience members continued to shout over her.

“The goal is to close the ICE facility in Broadview. Closed, not relocated but closed,” Thompson said before being interrupted again.

As the outbursts continued, Thompson issued several warnings before adjourning the meeting. Broadview police then escorted attendees out of the chambers and the building.

WGN-TV has requested a separate interview with the mayor following the meeting’s abrupt end but has not yet received a response.

Town hall educates Chicagoans on their rights during ICE encounters 20 Oct 3:57 PM (yesterday, 3:57 pm)

CHICAGO (WGN) — Over 200 people attended a town hall at Lake View High School on Monday aimed at educating people about their rights if they encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The event was organized by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), who spoke on a panel alongside Aldermen Bennett Lawson and Matt Martin, representatives from the ACLU and the Resurrection Project.

Quigley says increased immigration enforcement in Chicago has led to the separation of families in his district, which includes parts of the North Side.

“Everyone in the United States who’s here has due process rights. Depending on your circumstances, they’re a little bit different, but you certainly have a right to counsel. You have a right to respond to them, so that’s what this training is about tonight,” Quigley said.

Quigley says when he planned the Know Your Rights event, he never thought it would hit so close to home. Over the weekend, the father of a 16-year-old student was arrested by ICE.

The family says Ruben Torres was picking up roofing materials at a Home Depot in Niles when ICE agents approached him. 

"They called me and I got scared. I went inside the car and locked the doors. They forced the door open and one of them pulled a gun and put it on my head," the man's wife, Sandibell Hidalgo said.

The couple's daughter, Ofelia Torres, has been battling cancer and receiving treatment at Lurie Children's Hospital. She says this was the last thing she expected during her first time home in weeks.

"The whole reason I was allowed to go home is because like, you've been in the hospital for a month, your social life has been very limited," Torres said. "Just to have them strip my dad away is horrible."

The family says Torres needs the support of both of her parents while she undergoes chemotherapy. They hope by sharing their story, they can bring awareness to the impact of families being separated.

Quigley emphasized that knowing your rights can help families prepare documents, seek legal counsel and develop plans that may prevent family separation.

The town hall was livestreamed on YouTube for those seeking the information.

Judge orders deposition from Border Patrol chief, other top officials, about use of force in recent Chicago area operations 19 Oct 3:01 PM (2 days ago)

CHICAGO (WGN) — A federal judge has ordered three top leaders of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, including Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, to answer questions under oath as the court examines whether federal agents violated the judge's temporary restraining order during recent operations in the Chicago area.

The ruling came down in a hearing Monday at the Dirksen Federal Building during which two lower-level federal officials had a hard time answering questions on the stand amid claims that protesters are being wrongfully targeted during Operation Midway Blitz.

At one point during Monday's hearing, there even appeared to be some confusion over who was running the operation.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis is now calling on three top leaders of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to sit for a deposition: Bovino, former interim ICE Chicago Field Office Director Russell Hott and CBP Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Daniel Parra.

It's not clear when they could take the stand to testify.

However, Ellis said the questions in those depositions will not be about the Trump administration's policies or goals of Operation Midway Blitz. Rather, they'll be limited to what's happening on the ground in Chicago and whether people exercising their rights to protest or express their views are being specifically targeted, and whether use of force is appropriate.

"I don't think it matters what the administration's objective is," Ellis said. "This lawsuit is about how our ICE and CBP officers are enforcing the laws. It is not all relevant whether the administration is seeking to enforce the immigration laws in Chicago versus Austin, Texas."

The judge also ordered the government to preserve all video evidence of federal agents deploying tear gas or other chemical agents.

Monday's testimony

For several hours Monday, Kyle Harvick, a Customs and Border Patrol Incident Commander who's been with the agency for 25 years, and Shawn Byers, ICE Deputy Director, took questions from Ellis about use of force, body-worn cameras and whether an order requiring visible identification by agents and officers was being followed.

Ellis last week ordered Hott to appear in court Monday to explain the actions of immigration enforcement agents, particularly to tell her why she was still seeing tear gas deployed on protesters and reading reports of no advance warnings given after she had issued an order against such methods.

The judge said she was "profoundly concerned" officers are not following her order.

But Hott abruptly left his post in Chicago to return to his previous role on the East Coast, and it was unclear until early Monday morning which federal official or officials would be in court.

In a statement to WGN, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said:

“Russell Hott is the permanent Field Office Director for the Washington, D.C., area of responsibility, not Chicago. He served in Chicago as interim FOD, and this is a planned return to his permanent office in D.C.”

According to the statement, Samuel Olson, normally stationed at the ICE field office in Minnesota, will now serve as interim leader in Chicago. But he did not appear in court Monday, either.

Court documents show the Department of Justice instead offered to make Harvick and Byers available to Ellis. The documents also state that DHS believes CBP is primarily involved in the incidents at issue, not ICE.

But after the lower-level officials sent to testify Monday answered “I don’t know” and “I haven’t read the reports” several times, and were even confused about who's running the operation, Ellis appeared unsatisfied.

Clash on Southeast Side

The action from the courts was prompted by recent clashes between protesters and federal agents, which have become increasingly common in Chicagoland.

Harvick's testimony Monday centered largely on last week's clash on Chicago's Southeast Side and whether agents were justified in deploying tear gas. That came after Ellis issued a temporary restraining order banning federal agents from using tear gas on protesters and journalists who pose no threat.

The judge expressed concerns about possible violations of her order during the incident on the Southeast Side.

Agents used a PIT maneuver to stop a vehicle in a residential neighborhood and arrested two people in the SUV, who they say are undocumented Venezuelans and allegedly rammed the agents’ vehicle first. The stop sparked a tense standoff.

WGN-TV cameras captured what appears to be an egg thrown at agents, who responded by deploying tear gas into the crowd. A DHS official claimed protesters were throwing rocks.

In response, Ellis modified her temporary restraining order, requiring all agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz to wear body cameras and ensure they are turned on. A Justice Department lawyer, however, said not all agents are equipped with body cameras.

In court Monday, Ellis asked Harvick how CBP agents' responsibilities compare with ICE agents' responsibilities.

"We were tasked by the Secretary (DHS Secretary Kristi Noem) to come to this area to see if there’s any illegal immigration happening, persons here illegally, and conduct enforcement under Title 8," Harvick replied.

Ellis also asked if her temporary restraining order governing conduct toward peaceful protesters and its subsequent modifications, including the requirement to wear body cameras, have been communicated to CBP officers.

"Yes, ma'am," Harvick replied. "For Operation Midway Blitz, we are assigning every Border Patrol agent a body-worn camera. ... Every agent now has a body-worn camera."

Harvick said CBP has 201 officers and command staff operating in the Chicago area right now, with a peak of 232 officers a week or two ago.

Ellis also inquired about the use of tear gas in Albany Park on Oct. 12. Harvick said it was an enforcement action after witnesses joined arms.

"The situation gets more and more dangerous the longer we are there," he said. "That’s a safety concern, not just for my agents, but also for the detainee and public."

According to Harvick, in that incident a dispersal order was given before tear gas was deployed.

"Whose decision is it to use non-lethal force?" Ellis asked.

"It can be any agent … based on objective reasonableness coming from the totality of the circumstances," Harvick responded.

Ellis then turned to the incident last week on the Southeast Side that led to a standoff with the community.

Harvick said he didn't review body-cam footage or reports about the incident and only spoke to a supervisor who had arrived at the scene toward the end of the incident.

"Some of those individuals started throwing objects," Harvick said. "I heard eggs, bricks and metal objects, and an officer was struck in the head by an egg. The longer you’re on the scene, the more people come."

Broadview clashes

Byers' testimony Monday largely focused on violent clashes outside the ICE processing facility in west suburban Broadview.

Ellis asked Byers about rubber bullets and tear gas being used against a pastor, protesters and members of the press. Byers testified that he was told warnings were given, but he also admitted he didn’t read the reports.

Byers also said there’s no specific policy on how ICE treats members of the press and said that if they stay in designated areas, there should be no issue.

When it comes to clergy and religious leaders, however, Byers testified that they’re treated like normal protesters and said if they don’t follow orders, they’re placing themselves at risk.

Both officials testified Monday that no federal agents have been disciplined for inappropriate or excessive force stemming from incidents in the area.