Midwest

Chicago mayor slammed after city approves resolution calling for cease-fire in Gaza as crime runs rampant

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

Chicago mayor slammed after city approves resolution calling for cease-fire in Gaza as crime runs rampant

The Chicago City Council approved a resolution calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza on Wednesday as crime runs rampant throughout the city, including a shooting that left a teenager dead near a high school earlier in the day.

The measure was passed by a 24-23 vote after Mayor Brandon Johnson broke the tie. Johnson received a lot of criticism on X, formerly Twitter, later in the night Wednesday after acknowledging the deadly shooting in a post that read:

“My heart bleeds with our city tonight after more unspeakable violence against our children today. No family deserves this pain.

“We must value human life in Chicago, and continue our work toward safety, toward respecting humanity, and toward healing the scars of our communities.”

CHICAGO CAR THEFTS SOAR TO RECORD HIGH IN 2023, BUT ARRESTS HIT RECORD LOW

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is catching criticism on X, formerly Twitter, after he helped approve a resolution calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza while crime runs rampant in the Windy City. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Many X users in the comments responded to Johnson’s post by asking him to focus on the crime within his city instead of “wasting time” on passing a “nonsensical ceasefire(sic) overseas.”

“Today shows how much you care. You and the council wasted time and funds on passing a nonsensical ceasefire overseas that will do nothing, while Chicagoans are dying in our streets,” user Johnny Major wrote. “Sleep well. I know I couldn’t if I were you or those part of the council wasting time.”

Another wrote, “you need to call for a ceasefire(sic) in your own city.”

Other commenters wanted to know what resolution the city council passed on Wednesday to combat violence in Chicago.

LIBERAL CHICAGO MAYOR CLAIMS REPARATIONS WILL REDUCE CRIME

Earlier in the day Wednesday, a shooting near a high school in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood left one teenager dead and two more wounded. The three victims were walking when a vehicle pulled up, someone got out and shot them all. Police believe the teenagers were targeted.

That shooting comes only five days after two teenage boys were shot and killed in broad daylight in the Loop.

Between Jan. 22 and Jan. 28, Chicago police responded to 37 shooting reports – two more than the 35 reported during the same time period last year – according to crime data released by the department. The same data shows there were also seven murders reported in the same 7-day period, which is slightly down compared to previous years.

Chicago police have responded to 25 murders so far in 2024 as of Jan. 28, according to data released by the department. (FOX 32 Chicago)

Though all categories show a drop in crime when compared to the same time period last year, nearly every category has increased year-to-date when compared to 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Overall crime complaints (which include murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated battery, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft) are 19% higher than 2022, 47% higher than 2021 and 32% higher than 2020. Shooting incidents are tracked in a separate category and have improved over the past four years despite the uptick last week.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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Detroit, MI

Blazers Fall to Detroit Pistons in Beautiful, Ugly Bout

Published

3 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Blazers Fall to Detroit Pistons in Beautiful, Ugly Bout

Despite a spirited 21-point comeback, the Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Detroit Pistons 102-110 on Monday night.

The first half was sloppy, to put it kindly. The Blazers, faced with a packed paint and limited outside shooting available, were effectively stonewalled. Moreover, despite a +19 advantage from the line, the Blazers were only able to capitalize on 67.4% of their free throws (which is marginally better than their average over the last three games of 66.3%).

The Pistons’ defensive activity and unrelenting physicality made the Blazers uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that they turned the ball over 19(!) times. The Pistons crowded the lane, demanding that the Blazers beat them from beyond the arc. The Blazers responded “no, we will not beat you from beyond the arc” and proceeded to shoot 7 of 32 from downtown.

The only thing that spared the Blazers from a devastating blowout was the Detroit Pistons’ similarly terrible shooting splits, as well as a large disparity in “got that dawg in him per 36,” courtesy of Sidy Cissoko.

The second half saw Sidy Cissoko and Shaedon Sharpe lead a fourth-quarter charge, spawning a 24-point run. With eight minutes left in the game, Cissoko successfully baited Cade Cunningham into fouling out. At this point, the momentum had shifted towards the Blazers entirely. Continual downhill pressure and stalwart defense had the Moda Center believing in the improbable. It was a potentially-perfect ending to a night meant to honor the Blazer greats of the 1999-2000 roster.

Unfortunately, free throws, poor shooting and a little good-ol’-fashioned ref’ ball prevented the Blazers from securing their fourth win in a row. That said, the Blazers once again showed fight. They dragged the top seed in the Eastern Conference down into the mud and walloped them, but – again – weren’t able to clean things up during crunch time.

Shaedon Sharpe…? Shaedon Sharpe put in a polarizing performance. On one hand, Sharpe dropped 25 points and a career high five steals on 51.2% shooting. Yay! On the other hand, he had eight turnovers and shot 1 of 6 from three=point land. Boo! That said, Sharpe felt like the Blazers’ steadiest shot creator tonight, and, given his recent shooting splits, his poor performance from beyond the arc looks like an aberration.

Liability Throws. Until the Blazers shoot over 70% from the free throw line in a game, we cannot refer to them as “free.” Their lack of ability to convert free throws in the clutch was the nail in the coffin for the Blazers. For the game, Portland shot 67% from the line. A few nights ago, poor free throw shooting was the catalyst for an almost-super-embarrassing Sacramento Kings comeback. We all know what the Schonz would say.

Downhill Deni. The Blazers were able to hang in this contest through relentless downhill pressure. Oftentimes, this pressure was met with all five members of the Detroit Pistons sitting in the paint. Other times, though, it resulted in free throws or open looks from three. Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, the Blazers propensity to miss those very kinds of shots meant that they trailed for the vast majority of the game. There is still the possibility that, as players return from injury, they will improve in those departments.

Point Guards, We Miss You. The Blazers have officially claimed the title of “Most Turnovers Per Game” in the NBA. It does not come with a trophy. It does, however, demand the return of any one of the Blazers’ injured point guards. The Blazers’ lack of reliable ball handlers has placed undue strain on both Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. The offensive burden shouldered by both players is unsustainable, made evident by a gradual increase in the Blazers’ turnovers per game.

Scoot Henderson’s hamstring; Jrue Holiday’s calf; Blake Wesley’s fifth metatarsal—If any of you are listening: please, figure it out.

Never Say Die! Moral victories generally start to feel a little less satisfying when they’re the majority of your victories. That said, the Blazers walked away with another moral victory tonight. Despite horrendous shooting, ball security, and rebounding, the Blazers went toe-to-toe with the top team in the Eastern Conference. Shaedon Sharpe, Sidy Cissoko and Donovan Clingan put in spirited, entertaining performances to ignite a scintillating 21-point comeback. In the end, the Blazers faltered, but fans can still walk away without hanging their heads.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee neighbors finally see massive leaf pile cleanup after months

Published

57 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee neighbors finally see massive leaf pile cleanup after months

MILWAUKEE — Christine LaMarre is finally getting used to a view she hasn’t seen clearly in months.

“I haven’t seen my street for forever… for months,” LaMarre said.

Outside her home on North 89th Street in the Cooper Park neighborhood sat a 150-foot-long leaf pile — frozen under snow and stretching down much of her block.

TMJ4

The massive pile posed safety concerns for elderly neighbors and made it tough for fire trucks and other vehicles to navigate what had essentially become a one-way street.

“It needed to be cleared for them… and my neighbors wanted it cleared also, because it was in front of three, four houses and they couldn’t get into park or anything,” LaMarre said.

TMJ4 first spoke to Christine last week after a viewer had reached out, sharing their frustration about the lack of cleanup. By Monday, Milwaukee Department of Public Works crews were out clearing that pile and others in the neighborhood.

Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/it-looks-terrible-milwaukee-residents-frustrated-as-massive-leaf-piles-block-streets-for-over-a-month

Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/milwaukee-residents-frustrated-as-leaf-piles-remain-buried-under-snow-dpw-has-plan-to-address-the-leaves

It was a welcome sight for Andy Butula, who also lives on 89th Street.

“It’ll be nice to be able to park in front of my house and just go in,” Butula said.

The city says a snowstorm in late November slowed leaf collection — and that both operations use the same crews and equipment. That’s why some piles sat for weeks, even months.

“It just seemed like it would have been easier if it would have been taken care of right away before the snow came,” Butula said.

The leaf pile on N 89th St. — The leaf pile on N 89th Street as crews began clearing it out.

Crews weren’t able to get to every leaf pile in Cooper Park and around the city on Monday. They plan to clean up remaining piles and are getting help from Mother Nature as warmer conditions are expected to carry on the rest of this week.

Related Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/milwaukee-neighbors-frustrated-as-uncollected-leaves-create-hazardous-conditions-after-storm

As crews take advantage of the warmer weather, some neighbors on Milwaukee’s west side are thankful to have things back to normal before the holidays.

“I’m very pleased… mostly for my neighbors, because it was a front of their homes, but it was bothering all of us,” LaMarre said.

The city says about 90% of city-created piles have been cleared. Next, they’ll focus on large resident-created piles.

DPW crews out clearing leaf piles in the Cooper Park neighborhood.

According to a spokesperson with Milwaukee DPW, the deadline for residents to rake leaves to the curb was Sunday, November 30. After that date, crews begin collecting leaves citywide, a process that typically takes two to three weeks. This year, however, a significant early winter snowstorm on November 29 interrupted operations. As a result, crews expect to continue collecting larger leaf piles into the new year. Smaller piles will be addressed in the spring.

“We are thankful to residents for being patient with us as we navigating snow operations and leaf collection at the same time as both operations use same staff and equipment. We are currently lucky to have better weather conditions that our staff is taking advantage of for leaf collection,” the spokesperson said.

Approximately 90% of city-created piles have been collected. Once that work is completed, crews will shift their focus to large resident-created piles. Some of those resident piles have already been collected as part of the city-pile cleanup process.

Residents may report large leaf piles by submitting a request at milwaukee.gov/Click4Action, through the MKE Mobile app, or by calling 414-286-CITY (2489).

This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Minneapolis, MN

Jury finds man guilty of murder in Minneapolis homeless encampment shooting

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Jury finds man guilty of murder in Minneapolis homeless encampment shooting

A jury found a man guilty in the murders of three people at a Minneapolis homeless encampment, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Earl Bennett was found guilty on three counts of second-degree intentional murder for the Oct. 27, 2024, shooting at a small encampment next to railroad tracks near Snelling Avenue and East 44th Street.

The victims were identified as 38-year-old Christopher Martell Washington of Fridley, 32-year-old Louis Mitchell Lemons Jr. of Brooklyn Center, and 35-year-old Samantha Jo Moss of St. Louis Park.

Charges say investigators obtained surveillance video from the area that allegedly captured the suspect, later identified as Bennett, arriving on an electric bike and entering a tent at the encampment. About 15 minutes later, video captured the sound of several gunshots before Bennett exited the tent and left on his bike.

The manager of a sober house in south Minneapolis, where Bennett is accused of severely injuring another man, identified Bennett as the suspect in the surveillance video from the encampment shooting.

Later that same night, officers in St. Paul responded to a shots fired call near Snelling and Charles avenues. Upon arrival, they found a man, later identified as Bennett, with a gun.

As officers approached, Bennett pointed the gun to his head, police said. Officers began talking with him, trying to get him to surrender, but he then started walking south down Snelling. Once he reached the Snelling and University area, he began walking around in the intersection, according to police.

Police said officers fired “less lethal” rounds at Bennett to try and get him to surrender, but he still would not.

Bennett then pointed his gun at police, according to the department and witnesses, and that’s when officers shot him.

The four officers who shot Bennett were all cleared of criminal charges, with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office concluding the use of deadly force was legally justified under state law.

Bennett also faces charges of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to the armed encounter with officers in Ramsey County.

In Hennepin County, Bennett was also convicted of illegally possessing a firearm.

Bennett’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text “HelpLine” to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.

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