Free Republic

Helmut Jahn, the famed German architect who designed the James R. Thompson Center and other iconic buildings, died Saturday afternoon when he was struck by two vehicles while riding his bicycle in suburban Campton Hills. Jahn, who lived in nearby St. Charles, was riding his bike north on Old Lafox Road near Burlington Road about 3:30 p.m. when he failed to brake at a stop sign, according to a news release from Campton Hills police. Two vehicles traveling in opposite directions on Burlington then struck the 81-year-old. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of one...

Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday left the hospital where he has been recovering from a broken leg after a bicycling accident, and said he expects to join the Iran nuclear talks for their “last slog” at the end of June. Kerry, who is 71, emerged from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston shortly before 5 p.m., walking gingerly on two crutches. He wore what appeared to be white running shoes instead of his normal wingtips, and he looked pale after spending almost two weeks in the hospital. But he seemed in good humor as he joked that he was...

It's too bad John Kerry broke his right leg instead of his left arm. Had he shown up in Geneva for the final round of talks on the Iranian nuclear pact with his left arm in a cast (yes, he's a lefty, naturally), he could have excused himself from signing the thing. The deadline for final terms is June 30. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Secretary of State Kerry's Iranian counterpart, would no doubt have suspected a conspiracy, but everything to the Iranians is a conspiracy. Iranian media said Kerry's bike crash was a cover-up for an assassination attempt.

Iranian media erupted on Wednesday with an unsubstantiated rumor that US Secretary of State John Kerry was not injured earlier this week in a simple fall from his bicycle in Switzerland, but rather he was the target of an assassination attempt while meeting with Islamic State terrorists. The Iranian media has been known to report "conspiracy theories" in the past, such as a September report that Israel was spearheading a dangerous global plot to spread the Krav Maga martial art worldwide and a December report that Israel was building settlements in Iraq. The latest Iranian report, first published by the...

Secretary of State John Kerry’s severe bicycle accident might have foreign policy implications. He recently broke his leg while cycling in Switzerland. When asked by reporters about the accident, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest admitted that nuclear talks with Iran would be affected by the accident, but reassured them that Kerry would still play a prominent role in the process. “The fact is, we do continue to believe that we have the time and resources necessary to pursue and hopefully complete the Iran negotiations,” he said. “And I’m confident that those negotiations will be affected by the secretary’s injury,...

WASHINGTON - The White House is confident it can still pursue Iran nuclear talks despite US Secretary of State John Kerry's injury over the weekend, a spokesman said on Monday. Kerry left Europe for the United States earlier on Monday after breaking his leg in a cycling accident on Sunday. "We do continue to believe that we have the time and resources necessary to pursue, and hopefully complete, the Iran negotiations," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing. He added that Kerry would continue to play a critical role in the talks, although it was unclear exactly...

A U.S. military aircraft from a base in Germany will transport Secretary of State John Kerry to Boston from Geneva for medical treatment for a broken leg, his spokesman said on Monday. "Secretary Kerry will be transported (from Geneva) to Boston aboard a U.S. military C-17 transport aircraft. The aircraft, based in Ramstein, Germany, will be staffed by additional military medical personnel in keeping with standard practice," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.

Secretary of State John Kerry suffered a broken leg in a bike accident in France early Sunday, and will return to the U.S. for treatment, the State Department said. The cycling accident occurred near Scionzier, France, about 25 miles from Geneva, where Kerry had been holding nuclear talks with Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif. Kerry was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Geneva in a stable condition, and is said to be in good spirits. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry had suffered a broken femur, but is expected to make a full recovery.

BREAKING NEWS – Secretary of State John Kerry was flown to a Swiss hospital Sunday following a bike crash outside Geneva, where he had been holding nuclear talks with Iran’s foreign minister. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry likely suffered a leg injury in the accident. Kerry was in stable condition. The accident occurred near Scionzier, France, outside the Swiss border. Paramedics and a physician were on the scene with his motorcade at the time. Kerry was transported to Geneva’s main hospital HUG, where he was being evaluated, Kirby said. A paramedic traveling with his motorcade immediately examined Kerry...

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The driver of a Ford Bronco that fatally struck a 12-year-old girl as she rode her bike home from her last day of school before summer vacation is in this country illegally, San Jose officials confirmed on Friday. Joe Castro, the man who has helped raised Breanna Slaughter-Eck, said he was very concerned about the revelation. "I'm worried that she just might flee now and walk away from all this," he told the San Jose Mercury News. However, San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis says that his department has alerted federal immigration authorities about the case....