An Illinois woman is charged with hate crimes after, authorities alleged, she attacked a man for wearing a Palestine hoodie at a suburban Chicago Panera Bread over the weekend. Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, of Darien, Illinois, is charged with two felony counts of a hate crime and misdemeanor disorderly conduct,DuPage County State s Attorney Robert Berlin and Downers Grove PoliceChiefMichael DeVriessaid in a statement Monday. In court Monday, a judge granted prosecutors' requests that Szustakiewicz have no contact with the victims and that she must stay away from the Panera Bread in Downers Grove where the incident occurred at about noon Saturday, the statement said. Szustakiewicz was at the Panera Bread when she confronted and yelled expletives at a man regarding a sweatshirt he was wearin...

A former roommate of the mancharged with murder in the death of Laken Rileythe Georgia nursing student whose killing set off a political firestorm over immigration testified Monday that he is the man seen in a video throwing away a jacket that prosecutors say had Riley s blood on it. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is accused of killing Riley, 22, on the morning of Feb. 22 while she was out for a jog near the University of Georgia campus in Athens. He is charged with three counts of felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape and peeping Tom. Ibarra, whose trial began Friday, has waived his right to a jury trial, meaning a judge will determine his fate. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted. Riley s...

In the 2024 presidential election, Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris persuaded ardent supporters and regular voters to support them. Their issue: They were defeated by almost everyone else. Seventy-six percent of registered voters said they keep a close eye on politics and public affairs, according to the final NBC News survey of the 2024 election. According to the poll, Harris was 5 points ahead of Donald Trump in the category (52%–47%). But among the remaining quarter of voters who said they don t follow politics closely, Trump was ahead by a much greater margin 14 points, 54%-40%. According to the NBC News Exit Poll, Democrats struggled in the election results earlier this month, particularly when compared to previous presidential contests. These less engaged voters were disp...

Welcome to the online version ofFrom the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today s edition, national political reporter Ben Kamisar examines how House Republicans are growing increasingly aligned with Donald Trump. Plus, Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker looks back at how Trump s Cabinet announcements from right yers ago compare to now. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Democrats won 'highly engaged' voters and struggled with everyone else in 2024 By Mark Murray Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats convinced frequent voters and highly engaged voters to stick with them in the 2024 presidential elect...

A New York judge on Monday delayed the start of the criminal trial ofSteve Bannon, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump and his former White House adviser. Bannon faces numerous charges from the Manhattan district attorney's office, whichallegeshedefraudeddonorswho believed they were giving money to build a wall at the southern U.S. border. He pleaded not guilty. Bannon's trial had been scheduled for Dec. 9. At a hearing Monday, Judge April Newbauer pushed the date back to Feb. 25 after she granted prosecutors' motion to allow additional financial evidence that they say goes to Bannon's motive. "We re not changing it again," Newbauer told both sides, including Bannon, who attended virtually. Bannon was indictedin September 2022 on charges including money laundering, scheming to def...

If you celebrate Hanukkah, which starts on Dec. 25 this year, you may be looking forgiftsto give loved ones after eating latkes, lighting the menorah and playing spin the dreidel. On the other hand, if you plan on hosting or attending a gathering, you re likely shopping for themed decor and other supplies to entertain a crowd. To help guide your search this season, I rounded up a handful of Hanukkah-inspired gifts for everyone on your list, as well as Judaica to display at home. GO Ahead and SkipBest Hanukkah gifts for adults|Best Hanukkah gifts for kids and teens|Best Hanukkah food and beverage gifts|Best Judaica Selected. Our top picks Best for adults I Could Nosh by Jake Cohen $18.33 $35.00 Amazon ...

WASHINGTON Congress facesa Dec. 20 deadline to fund the government and avert a shutdown, and Speaker Mike Johnson says House Republicans will probably push the fight into early 2025 rather than reach a full-year funding deal this year. We re running out of clock. Dec. 20 is the deadline. We re still hopeful that we might be able to get that done, but if not, we ll have a temporary measure, I think, that would go into the first part of next year and allow us the necessary time to get this done, Johnson, R-La., said on Fox News Sunday. That would extend the deadline into early in President-elect Donald Trump s second term. By then, Republicans will have taken control of the Senate from Democrats while maintaining a narrow House majority, giving them more power over federal funding for th...

An elevated risk for the spread of wildfires continues Monday as swaths of the Northeast grapple with blazes, winds and dry conditions but respite may come later this week with some much-needed rain. Parts of upstate New York, and the Big Apple, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are at an increased risk of wildfire spread Monday due to northwest winds, minimum relative humidity and dry conditions. Voluntary evacuations over the weekend of the town of Warwick, and Wah Ta Wah Park in Greenwood Lake, New York, helped firefighters tackle the Jennings Creek wildfire and helped protect at least165 homes. Those evacuations remain in place and the state of emergency for Orange County has been extended. People who evacuated were encouraged to shelter at Greenwood Lake Middle School, whic...

WhileBlack Fridayis still a couple weeks aways, many retailers, includingHome Depot, are already discounting tons of bestselling products from major brands, giving you early access to its holiday deals. From now through until Dec. 4, you can shop Home Depot s Black Friday sale, which is offering up to 50% off select home appliances,vacuums, power tools,smart home devices, furniture andholiday decor. I regularly cover deals at popular home and kitchen retailers so I know what brands are actually worth investing in and what makes a good sale. Below, I rounded up the best early Black Friday deals at Home Depot and will continue to update this list through the entirety of the sale. GO Ahead and SkipThe best early Black Friday sales at Home Depot|Why trust NBC Select? Selected. Our top pi...