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Movie Review: Who let the beasts out? New ‘Transformers’ tries but fails to energize the saga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

With the “Transformers” franchise clearly at a crossroads, its latest protectors have turned to their deep bench of characters. But just adding more robots won’t transform this tired series.“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” returns the franchise to its galaxy-wide self-importance after taking a nice detour with 2018’s smaller “Bumblebee.” We have a new cast of animal robots and a very evil enemy in the planet-eating Unicron, but they’re not used right and the movie limps from fight to fight.The key to the film is actually a key, some sort of ancient glowing shaft that will open a portal in space and time. Everyone wants it — to go home, to kill planets or to save planets. The audience may also want to use it to beam into a more interesting movie.Directed by Steven Caple Jr. — using a screenplay by Darnell Metayer, Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber and Josh Peters based on a story by Joby Harold — “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is a big swing that seems to portend a mul...

Supreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Within hours of a U.S. Supreme Court decision dismantling a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, Texas lawmakers announced plans to implement a strict voter ID law that had been blocked by a federal court. Lawmakers in Alabama said they would press forward with a similar law that had been on hold.The ruling continues to reverberate across the country a decade later, as Republican-led states pass voting restrictions that, in several cases, would have been subject to federal review had the conservative-leaning court left the provision intact. At the same time, the justices have continued to take other cases challenging elements of the landmark 1965 law that was born from the sometimes violent struggle for the right of Black Americans to cast ballots.The justices are expected to rule in the coming weeks in a new case out of Alabama that could make it much more difficult for minority groups to sue over gerrymandered political maps that dilute their representation.“At t...

Lawyer: Health of Gadhafi’s son, detained in Lebanon, deteriorating 3 days into hunger strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — The health of a son of Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi was deteriorating three days into a hunger strike to protest his detention in Lebanon without trial, his lawyer said Tuesday. Hannibal Gadhafi was suffering from headaches, muscle pain and difficulties moving around, his lawyer Paul Romanos said. He started his hunger strike Saturday.He has been detained in Lebanon since 2015 after he was briefly kidnapped from neighboring Syria, where he had been living as a political refugee. He was abducted by Lebanese militants demanding information on the whereabouts of prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr who went missing in Libya 45 years ago.Lebanese police later announced it had collected Hannibal from the northeastern city of Baalbek where he was being held. He has been detained in a Beirut jail without trial since then.Romanos said Gadhafi was also suffering from back pain due to being held in a small room where he cannot move freely or exercise.“He ...

LGBTQ+ ‘State of emergency’ declared, ‘Americans Fight Back’ guidebook released

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. on Tuesday and a released a guidebook summarizing what it calls discriminatory laws in each state, along with “know your rights” information and health and safety resources.Sounding the alarm about the current political environment, the nation’s largest organization devoted to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans said advisories warning against travel to dangerous places aren’t enough to help people already living in so-called hostile states. The campaign said it’s taking action in response to unprecedented and dangerous spike in discriminatory legislation sweeping state houses this year, with more than 70 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law so far in 2023 — more than double last year’s number. In a report called “LGBTQ+ Americans Under Attack,” it says the new laws are a result of coordinated Republican efforts, supported by “well-...

Woman found dead in Logan Square apartment, just a block from where missing woman lives

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was found dead inside an apartment on the city's Northwest Side, just a block away from where a woman who went missing last Friday lives.Police were seen going in and out of an apartment on the 2000 block of North Kimball in Logan Square Monday night, collecting evidence after the body was discovered.Officials have not announced the identity of the person, but did declare her death a homicide.Just after 10 p.m. Monday, the brother of 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia, who has been missing since last Friday, posted to social media that police said the woman who was found in the apartment was his sister. ‘It’s really odd’: Family pleads for information about missing Logan Square woman (Family photo: 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia)Brittany Battaglia resides in the 1900 block of N Kimball Avenue, just a block from where the deceased woman was discovered.Brittany's roommate alerted her brother that she hadn't come back to their apartment after going to her boyfriend's ho...

WGN Morning News' Robin Baumgarten is married; officially Mrs. X!

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — Well, it's official. WGN Morning News' Robin Baumgarten is now "Mrs. X!"Robin announced during Tuesday's Courtesy Desk segment that she and Mr. X were married in Las Vegas at the Little White Wedding Chapel. She said they then celebrated with a dinner accompanied by close friends and family.The love birds then honeymooned in Hawaii.Robin said that she will still refer to him because he enjoying his anonymity.The two got engaged in June of last year after dating a couple of years.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Bicyclist struck in Logan Square; critical condition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — A bicyclist was struck late Monday night in Logan Square.Just after 11:30 p.m., officers responded to the 2600 block of North Pulaski on the report of a man struck.A 43-year-old man on a bicyclist rode through a red light and was struck in the intersection, police said.He sustained blunt force trauma to the head and body. The bicyclist was transported to Illinois Masonic in critical condition. 59-year-old woman dies after Bensenville crash The driver of the vehicle was not cited.

Man fatally shot during exchange of gunfire with person inside vehicle on South Side: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — A 32-year-old man was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with a person inside a vehicle on the city's South Side.The shooting happened around 11:45 p.m. Monday in the 5100 block of South Dorchester. Police said the man was walking when an unknown vehicle approached and someone inside fired shots at the man. Woman found dead in Logan Square apartment, just a block from where missing woman lives According to police, the man returned fire and was shot in the stomach. He was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died.No one is in custody. Area One detectives are investigating.

Missing elderly man last seen in Uptown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — A 88-year-old man has been reported missing on the North Side.Jerry Ye resides in the 5200 block of West Carmen. He was last seen in Uptown last Thursday.Ye can walk but has a wheelchair with him, police said.He previously resided in San Francisco and recently returned to Chicago.No further information was provided.Anyone with information can call police at 312-746-6554.

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in high 70s with mostly cloudy and hazy conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:51 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy Tuesday with hazy conditions, 30 percent chance of showers. Winds: NNE 5-10 G15. High: 77/70. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy tonight with slight rain chance. Winds: NNE 5-10 G15. Low: 59.Wednesday Forecast: Morning clouds and 20% chance of showers, mostly sunny afternoon. Winds: ENE 5-15 G20. High: 75/68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog