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Facebook Tweet Email Link President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are each the type of foe the other loves to hate. On one level, their escalating showdown over the president’s threat to send the National Guard onto the streets of Chicago is a convenient political feud. Trump thrives when he has an enemy to target. His political appeal is based on the premise that he is stronger than anyone who tries to challenge or restrain him. Pritzker is a potential Democratic presidential hopeful. His party is pining for someone to show defiance to Trump. And since one of…

Facebook Tweet Email Link AP  —  Southwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making. The new rule goes into effect January 27, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can either pay for an extra seat in advance with the option of getting that money back later, or they can request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the carrier’s new policy, a refund is still possible but no longer…

Facebook Tweet Email Link President Donald Trump is willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he told his South Korean counterpart during a meeting on Monday where they discussed peace in the Korean Peninsula and Pyongyang’s nuclear weapon capabilities. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who was elected in June, asked Trump to help establish peace between the two Koreas during his visit to the White House – claiming the situation had been more stable during Trump’s first term in office. “I think you are the first president to have so much interest in the world’s peace…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Iran faces a renewal of UN-mandated sanctions within weeks unless it returns to negotiations on the future of its nuclear program and allows international inspections of its facilities. The process for restoring sanctions that were lifted a decade ago under a landmark nuclear deal could begin at the end of the month if a meeting on Tuesday between Iran and three European nations fails to make progress. France, Germany and the United Kingdom have told the United Nations they will move to reimpose sanctions through what’s known as the ‘snapback’ mechanism if Iran continues to violate…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Italy has long valued some of life’s more refined pleasures – food, art, fashion, all set against the country’s crumbling architecture. Now, that cultural smorgasbord includes a new and perhaps surprising offering: tennis. Surprising, at least, for those only just noticing the recent glut of tennis talent to emerge from the southern European nation. In the men’s game, Italy has nine players ranked inside the top 100 and five in the top 50, including the all-conquering Jannik Sinner – a four-time grand slam champion and the world No. 1 since June last year. Given the country’s…

Israelis are today staging a nationwide day of protest, burning tires and blocking highways as they call for a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would return the hostages. The so-called “day of struggle” comes as the Israeli government prepares to take over Gaza City, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevaricates over the latest ceasefire proposal, which Hamas has accepted. If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know. • “Day of struggle:” Protesters in Israel are blocking the main highway in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a negotiated…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Well, that’s one way to silence a heckler. Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in the top of the ninth to cap off Sunday’s 8-2 win against the San Diego Padres, but it wasn’t the home run off Yuki Matsui that had everyone talking; it’s what Ohtani did after rounding the bases. Before joining his teammates in celebration, the 31-year-old took a detour to the Padres fan sitting directly next to the visitor dugout. The fan’s voice could be heard on field mics throughout the broadcast reminding the three-time MVP of…

Facebook Tweet Email Link President Donald Trump is hoping to replicate his law enforcement efforts in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, in cities across the country, with the administration making moves to once again use the US military for its anti-crime agenda. Trump is afforded certain presidential powers that he could use to deploy the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies in US cities to crack down on crime — though such a move would be unprecedented and, some experts and local leaders argue, illegal. He’s already facing a legal challenge in California following the June deployment of the…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Jabal al-Baba, West Bank  —  Atop a Palestinian village overlooking Jerusalem, Atallah Mazara’a ruminates about his long-held dream. His Bedouin village of Jabal al-Baba sits near the geographical center of the occupied West Bank, balanced between the north and south of what a future Palestinian state would be made up of. But with each passing day, that dream seems to fade into the horizon, farther than ever before. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week announced the final approval of thousands of new housing units to expand Israel’s Ma’ale Adumim settlement, that would effectively cut…

Facebook Tweet Email Link He’s only played one match at this year’s US Open, but Carlos Alcaraz has already created a buzz. The Spanish second seed arrived on court for his first-round match against American Reilly Opelka sporting a new – and pretty severe – haircut. Clearly, the freshly-shorn Alcaraz hadn’t been drawing any Samson-like strength from his hair because he overcame Opelka in straight sets – 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 – to reach the second round. “I felt like my hair was really long already, and before the tournament, I just really wanted to get a haircut,” he told reporters.…