Illinois Economic Index Edges Up

(JNS) The muffins, croissants, sandwiches and coffee served at the busy, bright Tel Aviv cafe lined with patrons sipping drinks while working on their laptops gives the feeling of any other trendy city eatery. Still, Café Otef is anything but. Named for the region next to the border with the Gaza Strip and run by residents of Re’im—one of the hard-hit Israeli communities during the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct.

Prosecutors will not be seeking the death penalty against a mother, son and caregiver accused of deliberately torturing a 7-year-old boy by starving him until he died weighing just 7 pounds last Christmas. Michelle Doe, 37, her son Tyreck Irvin, 21, and registered nurse Cassandre Lassegue, 33, are each charged with first degree murder in the death of Deonte Atwell, who was Doe’s son and Irvin’s brother.

By DAVID KLEPPER and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY WASHINGTON (AP) — Hacking a local election system in the United States wouldn’t be easy, and secretly altering votes on a scale massive enough to change the outcome of the presidential race would be impossible, election officials have said, thanks to decentralized systems, paper records for nearly all ballots, exhaustive reviews, legal due process and decades of work by American election officials, volunteers and citizens. But foreign actors and domestic extremist groups looking to meddle in next week’s election can target a much weaker link: voters’ perceptions and emotions.

By TARA COPP, MATTHEW LEE and EDITH M. LEDERER WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States expects some 8,000 North Korean troops that are now on Ukraine’s border to be sent into combat in the coming days, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. “We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” Blinken said at a news conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts. He said Russia has been training North Korean soldiers in artillery, drones and “basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in front line operations.” THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.

By DAN MERICA WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Donald Trump has Kid Rock, Waka Flocka Flame and Hulk Hogan. As the 2024 campaign whirls into its final week, Democrats are noticeably leaning on their star power advantage, calling on a diverse range of celebrities to endorse Harris, invigorate audiences and, they hope, spur people to the ballot box. Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage and used it to close out presidential campaigns when attention and energy are critical.

(JNS) In a first, civilian security units throughout the 30-plus communities in Samaria will soon be equipped with brand-new designated-marksman rifles (DMRs), the Samaria Regional Council said. The Gilboa DMR rifles, which have an effective range of more than 700 meters (765 yards), were purchased by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan with the help of donors from around the world. “We are doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible for any scenario, and we thank our friends worldwide, who are mobilizing and helping Samaria during this difficult and tense period,” said Dagan. “This tremendous support allows us to be strong and confident, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Israel Defense Forces and the defense establishment, in order to guarantee our security,” he said. According to the Samaria Regional Council, the new rifles are considered the best in the Jewish state and “change the equation in the face of threats of harm to the lives of the communities’ residents.” Since the Hamas-led Oct.