In a remarkable display of community spirit, Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago undertook the monumental task of repairing and modifying over 60 homes in just one day. This initiative, which unfolded across Cook County, was part of the broader effort known as National Rebuilding Day.

The organization, in collaboration with a dedicated team of volunteers and skilled trade unions, aimed to provide life-changing and free home repairs to those in need. The focus of these efforts was to ensure that homes were warm, safe, and dry, particularly for elderly seniors who wish to age in place comfortably.

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“We are working on a total of 61 homes between Chicago and Maywood,” remarked Wanda Ramirez, CEO of Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago. She emphasized that the repairs prioritized essential living conditions, catering especially to the vulnerable elderly population.

Among those benefiting from this initiative was Angenette Smith, a long-time resident of the Austin neighborhood, who has called her house home since 1985. Her residence was in dire need of attention, and the efforts of the volunteers promised to make a significant difference in her living conditions.

ABC7 took the opportunity to speak with several homeowners who were receiving this much-needed assistance on Saturday, capturing the profound impact of this collective endeavor on the local community.

“Electrical, plumbing, flooring, ceiling, painting , the handicap stuff that I need for the bathroom,” Smith said.

Smith says the free home improvements will make her life a little easier, and save her money on costly repairs.

“One ceiling fan is just 400 dollars to replace,” Smith said. “Considering the price of the ceiling fan, there is so much money that I am saving.”

Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago says they are accepting applications on a rolling basis for homeowners in need of repairs.

“There is such a big need especially here in Chicago and Cook County,” Ramirez said. “Their families have grown up here. Their grandchildren are here. You know maintaining the stability of the neighborhood, of the community, of their housing stock so that they can own it and have it available for their next generations to come. That’s what it’s all about.”

In the midst of heated discussions between President Trump and Iran’s divided leadership over the country’s nuclear ambitions, prominent experts on Iran’s nuclear weapons program are backing the president’s firm objective to dismantle it.

A central issue in the fraught negotiations between Tehran and Washington is Iran’s assertion of its right to enrich and hold weapons-grade uranium, the critical component necessary for constructing a nuclear weapon.

The dispute over enriched uranium could prove to be a pivotal obstacle if forthcoming negotiations aimed at achieving a nuclear deal proceed in Pakistan.

Last week, Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, firmly dismissed Trump’s demands during a broadcast on state-run television.

“Under no circumstances will Iran’s enriched uranium be relocated,” Baqaei stated unequivocally.

President Donald Trump signs a proclamation to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington on May 8, 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Trump claimed Iran had agreed to “give us back the nuclear dust that’s way underground.” The President terms Iran’s 440 kilograms of enriched uranium as “nuclear dust” after sustained U.S. military strikes on Iranian sites that store the country’s stockpile of uranium.

“The United States should insist on a permanent ban of Iranian enrichment and its full dismantlement in negotiations. Iran retaining any enrichment infrastructure in anticipation of the end of a moratorium would allow it to cheat as soon as Trump leaves office and resume its path to nuclear weapons,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

Jonathan Ruhe, fellow for American strategy at JINSA, echoed Stricker on the importance of abolishing the Iranian enrichment program. He told Fox News Digital, “An acceptable deal would have to embody many of Trump’s stated redlines from his first administration, and from the run-up to last summer’s 12-Day War. 

“This means permanent bans on enrichment, reprocessing and weaponization capability and, equally importantly, full verification of Iran’s compliance with these strictures.”

Heavy weapons, including ballistic missiles, air defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, are displayed during the 44th anniversary of the eight-year war with Iraq, known as Holy Defense Week, at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25, 2024. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

President Trump withdrew from President Obama’s widely criticized nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018. 

“In theory, the so-called ‘Iran deal’ was supposed to protect the United States and our allies from the lunacy of an Iranian nuclear bomb, a weapon that will only endanger the survival of the Iranian regime,” Trump said at the time. “In fact, the deal allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and, over time, reach the brink of a nuclear breakout.”

Ruhe said, “The JCPOA failed to ensure IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspectors could monitor, and account for, the entirety of Iran’s program and its compliance with the deal. This problem has worsened significantly in the decade since, as Iran systematically stonewalled inspectors.

“Iran’s negotiators always drag out talks and avoid giving clear answers. They still think time is on their side, with their blockade hurting the global economy and their missile arsenals being dug out and prepared for renewed conflict. Trump should insist on a definitive response from Tehran and be ready for renewed operations.

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a demonstration marking Jerusalem Day in Tehran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“As a cautionary tale: The Obama team first entered nuclear talks with stringent redlines, but then they let Iran call their bluffs, ignore their deadlines and wear down their demands until we ended up with the JCPOA,” Ruhe said.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that obligates it not to enrich uranium for military purposes. However, U.S. and European intelligence reports have documented Iran’s illicit proliferation activities.

Ruhe said, “This regime cynically wants it both ways: They insist the NPT gives the ‘right’ to peaceful enrichment, yet they flout the treaty’s safeguards. By claiming this ‘right,’ they try to make certain core issues non-negotiable. By this logic, they should get to retain enrichment capacity. So, the questions then become how much and what the U.S. has to give in return for this supposed sacrifice by Iran.

“As the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s name indicates, it’s an agreement to prevent proliferation, not to promote nuclear development.”

Stricker said Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, recently said, “It’s fiction that the NPT specifically mentions ‘enrichment’ in its peaceful uses clause. Moreover, the prevailing legal demand from the U.N. Security Council is that Iran stop enriching and come back into compliance with its nonproliferation obligations. 

For nearly 25 years, the IAEA has been unable to conclude that all of Iran’s nuclear material and activities are devoted to peaceful uses.”

She added that “Iran’s enrichment program began through illicit procurements and covert facilities, under a nuclear weapons program that planned to use enriched uranium as fuel. Iran was clearly stockpiling material for an apparent nuclear weapons breakout.”

DC Police chief confirms shooter had multiple guns and knives

MINNEAPOLIS — In a dazzling display of talent, Ayo Dosunmu dropped a career-high 43 points, stepping up significantly after injuries sidelined both Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. His stellar performance marked the highest-scoring playoff effort by a bench player in five decades, propelling the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 112-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

This triumph handed the Timberwolves a commanding 3-1 series lead. The game concluded with drama as Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Minnesota’s Julius Randle were ejected following a heated exchange. The tension arose when Jaden McDaniels made an inconsequential layup with just 2.1 seconds remaining, prompting Jokic to confront McDaniels near the Timberwolves’ bench.

Before the ejections stole the spotlight, Dosunmu’s performance was the talk of the night. His 43 points off the bench were the most since Fred Brown tallied 45 for Seattle in a playoff game against Phoenix on April 15, 1976.

With this victory, the Timberwolves have now won three consecutive games and stand poised to clinch the series in Game 5, set to take place in Denver on Monday.

Dosunmu’s sharp shooting was on full display as he hit 13 of 17 shots, including a flawless 5 for 5 from three-point range, and successfully converted all 12 of his free throws. His outstanding contribution surpassed expectations since being traded from Chicago in February.

Naz Reid had 17 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota, while Randle added 15 points and nine boards.

Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points. Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Nuggets, who were just 6 for 27 (22%) from beyond the arc.

The Nuggets led by seven in the third quarter before the Timberwolves used their defense to get back into the game. Bones Hyland and Dosunmu scored breakaway layups on consecutive possessions after Minnesota forced the Nuggets to turn it over near halfcourt.

Randle added a steal and fast-break dunk to put the Wolves up by four after three quarters.

Dosunmu had another steal and layup as part of a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter that gave Minnesota a 95-82 lead.

The basket that pushed the lead into double digits was a 3-pointer by 38-year-old Mike Conley, who played 20 minutes while filling in for DiVincenzo and Edwards.