Illinois
Illinois, Chicago leaders react to death of Former President Jimmy Carter
ILLINOIS – Illinois and Chicago leaders are reacting to the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100 on Sunday.
The Carter Center confirmed his passing, saying he died peacefully at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by family.
Carter was the 39th President of the United States and the longest-lived president in U.S. history.
Shared below is reaction from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and others. More updates will be added as they become available.
Local reaction to Carter’s passing:
(From left) Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. (Getty Images )
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker:
- “President Jimmy Carter truly exemplified what it meant to live a life full of service. His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered. My deepest condolences to the Carter family and their loved ones. May his memory be a blessing.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson:
- “President Jimmy Carter lived the American dream in every way. His legacy of love and his service to God and country are admirable beyond measure. President Carter valiantly fought for human rights and peace across the world during his presidency and beyond,” said Johnson. “He continued to serve our country with honor after his presidency by dedicating his retirement to building affordable housing and empowering others to value service and care for our neighbors. President Carter was a personal inspiration to me as a man of deep faith in the political arena, and his values remain a north star guiding us all. We can all take comfort that he is with his beloved wife, Rosalynn, and in peace.”
Congressman Jesus “Chuy” García:
“Today we lost a giant of progressive politics—a farmer, veteran, teacher, and President who fought for a more humane and accountable government even when doing so was politically costly. Though President Carter faced significant challenges during his administration, he steadfastly pursued a bold agenda focused on social and human services for working families. His Administration crafted the first national energy policy, created the Department of Education, and bolstered the Social Security system. He also expanded the National Park Service, protecting 103 million acres of land in Alaska. In 1976, he created the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs to address issues of critical importance to the Latino community and held town halls across the nation to listen to the community’s concerns. His new Department of Education created a fund for programs to help non-English-speaking students become proficient.
“President Carter’s foreign policy legacy includes unprecedented movement toward peace in the Middle East and taking tangible actions—including the suspension of military aid—against countries that committed human rights abuses. He negotiated the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which provided for the return of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999.
“His post-presidency, however, was perhaps the most productive era of President Carter’s life. His efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to unwaveringly advance human rights and alleviate human suffering, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize decades after leaving the White House. His steadfast pursuit of truth and peace leaves a powerful legacy to uphold.
“My thoughts are with the Carter family, their friends, and with all those who worked with President Carter through the decades.”
Senator Tammy Duckworth:
- “From his humble beginnings as a peanut farmer to a Navy Veteran, then Governor, President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Carter lived a long life of service to our nation. A legacy we will never forget. May he rest in peace.”
Senator Dick Durbin:
- “Jimmy Carter proved that excellence in public service can extend beyond the White House. His life was an inspiration to those of us who aspire to lead a life of service. I offer my condolences to the entire Carter family, to his friends and former staff members, and to the untold millions of people throughout the world whose lives are better because Jimmy Carter lived.”
Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton:
- “Rest in Peace, Mr. President. Not just a dedicated public servant, but an amazing human being. Thank you for your service to our country and exemplifying what compassionate and selfless leadership looks like.”
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama:
- “For decades, you could walk into Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia on some Sunday mornings and see hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews. And standing in front of them, asking with a wink if there were any visitors that morning, would be President Jimmy Carter – preparing to teach Sunday school, just like he had done for most of his adult life. “Some who came to hear him speak were undoubtedly there because of what President Carter accomplished in his four years in the White House – the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East; the work he did to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench; the environmental reforms he put in place, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change. “Others were likely there because of what President Carter accomplished in the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history – monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity. “But I’m willing to bet that many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency. “Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image. “Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Carter said, “God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace.” He made that choice again and again over the course of his 100 years, and the world is better for it. “Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.”
Members of the Missouri and Illinois congressional delegations are split over President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
And some Democrats are criticizing Trump for launching the attack without conferring with Congress — and before lawmakers could vote on a war powers resolution that would have restricted the president from using force against Iran.
American and Israeli troops launched airstrikes around Iran on Saturday. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump cited Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs as rationale for the attack. The Republican chief executive added that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties that often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now.”
“We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,” Trump added.
Early reaction to Trump’s decision among Missouri and Illinois political figures broke down along party lines.
Jason Rosenbaum
/
St. Louis Public Radio.
Congresswoman Ann Wagner, R-Missouri, said in a statement that “for nearly fifty years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has proven itself to be utterly committed to violence, chaos, and instability.” Wagner, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, added that “the United States, along with the support from many of our allies around the world, will no longer allow this regime to wreak havoc at will.”
“As the President stated, Operation Epic Fury is a clear and necessary action to raze the Iranian ballistic missile industry to the ground, annihilate the Ayatollah’s navy, and ensure Iranian terrorism and nuclear threats can no longer destabilize the globe,” Wagner said. “The multiple statements of support from across the Western world illustrate the importance of this action.”
Wagner is alluding to how the leaders from a number of countries, including Canada, Australia and Ukraine, backed Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, said in a statement on X that he backed Trump’s “swift and bold action to finally hold the regime accountable.”
“The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, a destabilizing force across the region, and a threat to U.S. allies, interests, and bases in the Middle East,” Alford said. “Tehran is directly responsible for the deaths of countless Americans over the years.”
“As I’ve said for weeks, through either the easy way or the hard way, the Ayatollah needs to go,” Alford added.
Missouri Congressman Sam Graves said in a statement that Trump “took decisive action to protect our service members, our homeland, and our national security before that threat could grow.” And Congressman Mike Bost, R-Illinois, applauded President Trump acting decisively to protect America’s national security interests.
“God bless our military men and women in harm’s way; may the uncertain days ahead lead to a lasting peace for years to come,” Bost said.
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, said Trump has “taken decisive action to defend America’s interests and confront those who threaten our security.”
“As our elite Armed Forces carry out Operation Epic Fury in Iran, we lift up our brave service members and the allies standing beside them in prayer for their safety and success in the mission,” Miller said in a statement on X.
Eric Lee
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Durbin, Pritzker decry decision
Democrats representing Illinois and Missouri roundly condemned Trump’s decision to attack Iran, including Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.
Duckworth said in her statement that “too many Americans believed him when he promised that he would get our nation out of foreign wars and bring prices down for families.” The Democratic lawmaker added Americans “can clearly see with their own eyes that he was lying”
“Instead, Donald Trump chose to put American lives and national security at risk while threatening to draw us into yet another expensive, taxpayer-funded forever war without Constitutionally-required authorization, a defined end-state or a real plan to prevent the instability that could come next,” Duckworth said. “He is making that choice while his chaotic policies here at home continue driving costs for middle-class Americans to record highs.”
While noting “there is bipartisan support for stopping the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, there is no consensus for another interminable war in the Middle East.”
Durbin, who is not seeking reelection this year, pointed out he was one of 23 senators to vote against authorizing military force in Iraq in 2002. Trump attacked Iran without receiving any authorization from Congress — and before lawmakers could vote on a war powers resolution aimed at restricting military force without permission from the country’s legislative branch.
“A war in Iran with the goal of regime change could be another long-term military commitment with deadly consequences for thousands of American troops,” Durbin said. “The rash and unpredictable conduct of President Trump is a well-established worry in many ways but an impulsive commander in chief is a deadly combination.”
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Democratic Reps. Wesley Bell and Nikki Budzinski both released statements criticizing Trump’s decision to strike Iran. Budzinski, an Illinois Democrat, said “the Constitution is clear: only Congress has the power to send our nation to war.”
“This is a grave responsibility — one we take with the utmost seriousness. But the same cannot be said for President Trump,” said Budzinski, who added she would support a War Powers resolution. “Once again, he has disregarded the principle of coequal branches of government. And now, the consequences could be profound and dangerous.”
Bell said in his statement that “no one should mistake opposition to this war for sympathy toward that government.” But the Missouri Democrat added “launching a regime change campaign without a clear strategy, a defined end goal, or honest preparation for the costs is dangerous and shortsighted”.
“Military force is the most serious power our country can exercise,” Bell said. “It requires clarity of purpose, clearly defined objectives, and a credible plan for what comes next. War is not something you enter lightly, and it is not something you get to redo if it goes wrong. The American people and their Representatives deserve to know that every diplomatic option was fully exhausted before we put our troops in harm’s way.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential presidential candidate in 2028, also blasted Trump’s decision for having “no justification, no authorization from Congress, and no clear objective.”
“But none of that matters to Donald Trump — and apparently neither do the safety and lives of American service members,” Pritzker said in a statement on BlueSky. “Donald Trump is once again sidestepping the Constitution and once again failing to explain why he’s taking us into another war. Americans asked for affordable housing and health care, not another potentially endless conflict. God protect our troops.”
Schmitt and Hawley mum for now
As of Saturday morning, Missouri Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley had not released statements about Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
Both Missouri Republican senators were critical of Democratic President Joe Biden’s push to provide Ukraine with weapons to repel Russia’s invasion.
But they’ve been largely supportive of Trump’s foreign policy moves, even as some elements of the president’s political coalition have been fiercely critical of his interventionist decisions in Venezuela and Iran.
When asked about potential military action last week in Springfield, Hawley called Iran “a huge threat to the region, to our ally Israel — but also to our interests.”
“Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and needs to be put in their box and kept in their box,” Hawley said. “And we need our allies in the region, particularly Israel, to be strong, to keep them deterred, and contained long term.”
This story has been updated with additional comment.
Michigan basketball entered Friday having lost nine straight games to Illinois. With the sole regular-season matchup coming in Champaign against the KenPom No. 4 Illini, it was going to be a tall task for the Wolverines to end that streak.
The game matched up the nation’s No. 2 defense against the No. 1 offense, and in front of a raucous Orange Krush, the maize and blue took a little while to get into an offensive rhythm. Because the No. 5 offense is no slouch, especially against the No. 31 defense. What’s more, Morez Johnson Jr. returned to Champaign after spending his first year with Illinois.
However, the Illini certainly showed how much Michigan appears to be their rival, and really played a physical brand of basketball. After Illinois got a five-point lead, the Wolverines bounced back and got a six-point lead. Illinois had a slight advantage in the first half on the boards, but the Wolverines had a field goal advantage. Both teams were relatively even on turnovers.
Ultimately, Michigan ended up taking a seven-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but backup point guard LJ Cason appeared to have hurt his knee on the final score of the half.
The second half started with a Michigan layup and an Illinois 3. The next round of scoring went exactly the same way. But then Yaxel Lendeborg hit a 3 to stop the asymmetry. They traded baskets, but then after a few Illinois turnovers, the Wolverines pushed the lead to 10.
Cason returned to the game after the under-16 media timeout, providing (temporary) good news for the maize and blue (he would leave the game again shortly). But the Wolverines missed a few shots, and Illinois took advantage, getting a shot from the field by Mirkovic before Wagler hit a 3 to cut the lead to five, prompting a Michigan timeout with 13:09 remaining.
Illinois cut Michigan’s lead back down to six, but Yaxel Lendeborg stretched it back to nine with a layup-and-one. Then Aday Mara started taking over.
Mara was unguardable, scoring floaters, dunks, and putbacks. His quick 7 points put the Wolverines up to a game-high of 14 with 9:13 remaining. The Illini answered to end the nearly three-minute field goal drought, ending Michigan’s 7-0 scoring run. But the Wolverine defense held, and Trey McKenney finally hit his first (of three) 3-point attempts to push the lead to 15, and he hit again on the next trip, pushing the lead to 18 with 7:34 left in the game. It was a 13-2 scoring run for the maize and blue.
After an Illinois timeout, they missed again, and Will Tschetter got in on the contagious, 3-pointer action, pushing the lead to 21. Cadeau finally broke the makes from deep, and Wagler hit to cut the lead back to 18 with 5:41 remaining.
Illinois couldn’t mount a comeback, and Michigan won, 84-70. Here are our five takeaways.
Homecoming for Morez Johnson Jr.
An Illinois native who spent his first year with the Illini, the Orange Krush did as much as it could to make it uncomfortable for the outgoing transfer. However, it wasn’t the case, as Johnson was often the best player on the floor.
He was the only Michigan basketball player in double digits at halftime, with 13 points, five rebounds, and a steal, and he was something of an energizer bunny out on the floor for the Wolverines. There were no qualms for Johnson returning to his old stomping ground, as he played one of his best games in a maize and blue uniform.
Johnson was quiet in the second half, but the damage was done, and it makes his former teammate’s pregame comments more prescient:
What could have been.
Johnson finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points and netting 11 rebounds.
Michigan’s offense outplays Illinois’ offense
As noted, the Illini entered the game with the No. 1 overall offense, while the Wolverines were No. 5. Yet, when the rubber hit the road, it was the maize and blue who had the superior offensive attack, managing to shoot 52.5% overall and 60% in the second half. Illinois managed 41.3% and 43.3% respectively.
The Michigan defense forced Illinois to go through a series of uncomfortable stretches in the second half, with multiple three-minute droughts from the floor. And Illinois, which is accustomed to getting to the foul line, couldn’t seem to draw many fouls until relatively late in the game. Even when the Illini forced three Wolverine turnovers late, they couldn’t seem to take advantage.
Ultimately, Michigan was dominant on both ends of the floor.
Bench, fastbreak, and points in the paint
The Wolverines dominated all three categories, finishing the game with 20 bench points, 10 fastbreak points, and 42 points in the paint. We already discussed Johnson and his homecoming, but we cannot leave out Aday Mara, who was just such a mismatch for Michigan vs. the Illini. As noted, Mara really flexed late in the game, taking it over. He was the catalyst for most of these stats.
Meanwhile, Illinois only had 7 bench points, 1 fastbreak point, and was just behind Michigan with 32 points in the paint.
The streak was emphatically broken
As we said in the open, the Illini had beaten the Wolverines nine straight times. Even the Fab Five couldn’t beat Illinois in Champaign, as the maize and blue have historically struggled at State Farm Arena. Though it took some time for the Wolverines to flex, flex they did, and this was as emphatic of a win as Michigan had all season.
The final score may have been just a 14-point gulf, but honestly, the game wasn’t really that close (and it hadn’t been for most of the final 10 minutes). This was a huge win for the Wolverines, one that’s been years in the making. If not decades.
With the win over Illinois, Michigan has won the outright Big Ten regular-season title.
No. 1 overall seed back in the realm of possibility
It may come down to the Big Ten Tournament now that Michigan has lost the head-to-head with Duke. And the Blue Devils’ 54-point win over Notre Dame pushed them into the No. 1 NET ranking, stealing it away from the maize and blue. But with a win over the No. 4 NET-ranked Illini, the Wolverines have the second-best win in college basketball (behind Duke, of course). They also have wins over No. 5 Gonzaga, No. 7 Purdue, No. 11 MSU, No. 12 Nebraska, and will face No. 26 Iowa on the road next week.
There’s a strong case for the maize and blue to have the No. 1 overall seed given the levels of domination over most all of the aforementioned teams.
WADSWORTH, Ill. (WLS) — Two people who were killed in a head-on crash involving a semi in the north suburbs on Thursday morning have been identified, officials said on Friday.
The Lake County sheriff’s deputies and the Newport Township Fire Protection District responded to the Route 173 crash, which happened west of North Kilbourne Road in Wadsworth, around 7:50 a.m.
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Witnesses told investigators that the driver of a 2009 Acura sedan, which was traveling eastbound, appeared to be having difficulty staying in his lane and drifted into the path of a Freightliner semi-truck, which was heading westbound.
The two vehicles then collided head-on, officials said. A third vehicle was also hit.
Chopper 7 was over the scene at 9 a.m., capturing the damage.
The sedan’s driver, a man, and a passenger, a woman, were pronounced dead on the scene.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified them as 51-year-old Kelly Wooten and 45-year-old Jacklyn Bradley of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Preliminary autopsy results indicate that both Wooten and Bradley died from blunt-force injuries.
The driver of the third vehicle, a 54-year-old Salem, Wisconsin woman, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash shut down Route 173 between Kilbourne Road and U.S. 41 in both directions.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team is investigating.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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