Midwest
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.
Read the full article from Here
The National Weather Service has teams of storm surveryors in the field April 18 investigating several reports of severe storms and tornado touch downs across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri.
According to the weather service’s website, windgusts of up to 60 to 70 mph along with teacup-sized hail and several tornadoes were reported April 17.
Many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in Lena, Illinois, where the most significant damage occurred, the site pointed out.
Very strong winds also were reported near Washington, Iowa, and Colmar, Illinois, where several outbuildings and grain bins were destroyed.
The weather service received reports of confirmed and possible tornadoes in the areas of Lena, Pecatonica, Shirland, Rockton, Roscoe and Capron.
The teams will be assessing damage this weekend into next week along with county emergency management teams to determine what types of storms occurred and their paths.
Dozens of power outages were reported, as well.
As of the afternoon of April 18, ComEd was reporting 85 active power outages across northern Illinois, down from 241 on April 17, and 6,751 customers affected, down from more than 18,000.
The bulk of those outages and the most customers impacted are concentrated in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties.
The start of training camp officially marks the beginning of the 2026 WNBA season. The Indiana Fever were fairly quiet during free agency after successfully retaining most of their top-tier talent such as Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Sophie Cunningham. Though they still managed to add a few solid pieces to further stack their depth.
Last season the Fever made an impressive postseason run despite facing multiple injuries, particularly in the backcourt. The front office clearly prioritized guard depth as a result, as well as looking to upgrade at the power forward position.
The Fever brass aimed to shore up any defensive deficiencies on the perimeter in the draft by adding guard Raven Johnson out of South Carolina, who brings a reputation as a defensive stopper. As for bolstering the frontcourt, to play alongside, and even provide some relief for Aliyah Boston, newly acquired 6-foot-4 Monique Billings and veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen fit the bill. Indiana also picked up another solid player in Tyasha Harris at the guard position to provide backcourt depth and relieve pressure on Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.
As for the starting lineup, here’s who the Indiana Fever are projected to run with:
Caitlin Clark, Guard
This comes as no surprise, but Clark will look to lead the way for the Fever in one of the two starting guard roles. Coming off of a season riddled with injuries, her return is highly anticipated. In true Clark fashion, she showed positive signs of production during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers where she led Team USA in assists and points.
Clark is expected to return to form in 2026. She provides speed in transition, is a deep threat from beyond the arc, and is elite at setting up her teammates. The only thing standing in the way of a productive season for Clark is remaining healthy for the duration of the season.
Kelsey Mitchell, Guard
Re-signing Kelsey Mitchell was yet again the main offseason priority for the Fever and they did just that. Coming off of a career year, Mitchell will be a key component in the Fever reaching a championship. She averaged 20.2 points per game last season and carried the team on her back during Clark’s absence.
As a premier scoring guard, she complements Clark’s game well and when the two are on the floor together, they’re easily the most explosive backcourt in the entire WNBA. Mitchell has exceptional speed and is a gifted isolation scorer. Her ability to quickly cut and drive to the rim makes her a nightmare for opposing teams to defend and contributed to her earning a 2025 All-WNBA First Team selection.
Mitchell is one of the most dangerous clutch situation players in the league making her a stellar weapon for the Fever.
Lexie Hull, Forward
Entering her fifth WNBA season, all with the Fever, no other player on the roster has grown as much as Lexie Hull. Her steady development has made her a key piece and earned her a starting role in the rotation as last season progressed. Listed as a guard, her defense and versatility has allowed her to frequently fill the role of small forward. She impacts the game on both ends of the floor and saw career highs in 2025 in points per game (7.2), rebounds per game (4.3), assists per game (1.8) and steals per game (1.2).
Her impactful instincts even contributed to her being near the top of the WNBA in offensive fouls drawn last season. With her high-percentage shooting from beyond the arc, solid perimeter defense, and elite hustle, Hull fills the wing role nicely for the Fever.
Monique Billings, Forward
Heading into the 2026 season, the Fever desperately needed to add talented size up front to complement Aliyah Boston’s skill set. With the departure of veteran Natasha Howard in free agency, the Fever acquired their likely next starting power forward in Monique Billings.
Billings is a strong finisher around the basket, has soft hands, runs the floor well, and is adept at screening for guards. She can also defend multiple positions and is a more than capable rebounder. Billings checks all of the boxes of a needed component for Indiana.
Aliyah Boston, Center
After making WNBA history with a record contract, Aliyah Boston looks to continue to elevate her game. Boston has quickly ascended as one of the league’s biggest threats in the middle of the floor. What makes this season even more promising for Boston is the dominant performances she put on display during Unrivaled.
She’s in peak physical shape, faster and has worked on her three-point shooting – an area she committed herself to improving on in the offseason. The three-time All-Star has already established herself as a force on the block due to her combination of size and footwork. Her step-through moves have increased her efficiency in scoring under the basket.
Boston seems poised to have the best season of her career in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
-
Idaho4 minutes ago‘Unrelenting’: Statehouse reporters recap 2026 legislative session in Idaho Falls – East Idaho News
-
Illinois10 minutes agoWeather service assessing damage across Iowa, Illinois and Missouri
-
Indiana16 minutes agoProjecting the Indiana Fever’s 2026 Starting Lineup
-
Iowa22 minutes ago5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students
-
Kansas28 minutes agoKansas Governor signs Caleb’s Law, targeting online sextortion of minors
-
Kentucky34 minutes agoMissing on this PF in the transfer portal could be a good thing for Kentucky
-
Louisiana40 minutes agoAt least 8 children killed in shooting in Louisiana, US
-
Maine46 minutes agoWet, cooler today; rain & snow impacts across Maine