A rendering of the casino complex planned for the South Loop development site called The 78. It features a 1,000-foot observation tower. | Provided

The five competing submissions promise complete entertainment destinations with revenue to bail out city pension funds.

City Hall on Friday lifted the veil on five competing proposals for the downtown casino that has eluded Chicago mayors for generations and established a rigid timetable to get the projected $200 million in annual revenue rolling in.

Broad outlines of the proposals to build a casino at McCormick Place Lakeside Center, the truck marshaling yards adjacent to McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as “The 78” and the Chicago Tribune’s Near North Side publishing plant have been known for weeks.

But Friday’s unveiling of the five summary proposals by Bally’s, Hard Rock, and casino magnate Neil Bluhm’s Rivers Casino put more meat on the bones. Bally’s and Rivers both hedged their bets with two proposals apiece.

Provided
A view of the Rivers Casino proposal to reuse Lakeside Center at McCormick Place.

The proposals differ in their locations, dollar commitments and in how quickly they could be up and running. Another major difference is the number of additional hotel rooms planned.

The Rivers Chicago McCormick, for example, highlights its plan to use the 2,900 existing Chicago hotel rooms close to the Lakeside Center and build 250 additional ones if necessary.

During a virtual briefing Friday, Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett and Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development, said they are confident that all five proposals will generate “in the ballpark” of $200 million annually,

Maximizing revenue is critical because the money is earmarked for police and fire pension funds on the brink of bankruptcy. So is minimizing the need for a city subsidy. Both mayoral aides stressed that the casino proposals are “self-contained” but did not rule out a tax increment financing subsidy.

The summary proposals:

Rivers Chicago McCormick: This proposed rebirth of the underutilized Lakeside Center could be the least expensive and the quickest to market in an estimated 12 months. The estimated cost for 2,600 gaming positions is $1.3 billion — $700 million less than the most expensive proposal. It calls for an updated Arie Crown Theater and would provide direct access to the existing, more modern and better-utilized McCormick Place convention halls. That is not necessarily a positive. Some in the convention business don’t want a casino so close to the existing complex for fear it would distract conventioneers off the exhibition floor.

Rivers touts its proposal as bankrolling “much-needed restoration and deferred maintenance” of Lakeside Center that McCormick Place officials would otherwise have difficulty funding. Developers further claim there is “ample parking” and that the 2,900 existing hotel rooms are already connected by a covered walkway.

Rivers 78: This proposal for the long-vacant, 62-acre South Loop site once owned by convicted political player Tony Rezko carries a $1.6 billion price tag. It also has a potential political problem. It could conflict with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to use part of the property for a University of Illinois tech research center.

“My understanding is that, if this is selected, the developers have a vision where these two would co-exist,” Mayekar said.

The South Loop development includes a 450,000-square-foot casino with 3,300 gaming positions, a “world-class sportsbook” and an entertainment complex that includes what the partners call a “reborn Mister Kelly’s nightclub.” It also has a design quirk that includes a “1,000-foot-tall Observation Tower, featuring breathtaking, purpose-built viewing and event space drawing inspiration from Chicago’s historic bridges.” The site is described as “shovel-ready” and the “most accessible” of the five sites, with the potential to draw 7 million annual visitors. But it could draw major opposition from South Loop residents, especially in neighboring Dearborn Park to the east.

The observation tower could also be a flashpoint because it would be almost as tall as 875 N. Michigan Ave., formerly known as the John Hancock Center.

Provided
A rendering of a Hard Rock casino on the One Central development site near Soldier Field.

Hard Rock: This $1.7 billion casino and entertainment complex would be located at the proposed One Central project that developer Bob Dunn wants on a platform over Metra tracks near Soldier Field. The problem is the One Central project relies on a $6.5 billion publicly subsidized transit center at its core. And both Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have been cool to that idea.

If they can be persuaded to come around, developers plan to build a new Hard Rock Hotel with up to 500 rooms. Playing to its strength, Hard Rock touts its “entertainment-focused strategy with nearly 35,000 live acts booked annually.” They call the development a “holistic, destination development to attract locals, the existing tourist base [including conventioneers] and induce new tourism.”

They even claim the site would generate an additional $70 million in gaming revenue for the city and $81 million more for the state “compared to any other location in Chicago.” Hard Rock developers also plan to put up a temporary casino — within six to nine months — at Lakeside Center and use existing parking at the convention complex. This plan also faces a potential buzz saw of opposition from South Loop residents. They have already mobilized in opposition to Dunn’s proposed wall of new high-rises to be built on the “transit tabletop.”

Provided
The Bally’s proposal for a casino at the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center printing site, 777 W. Chicago Ave.

Bally’s at the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center: This development would be on a site at 777 W. Chicago Ave. where the Tribune and Sun-Times are now printed. Developers propose using adjacent property north of Chicago Avenue as a temporary casino site. The permanent casino would include 2,700 slots and 95 table games. The price tag is $1 billion for Phase 1 with the potential for $600 million more in a “follow-up phase, subject to achieving a sustainable, 20% on initial investment.” The entertainment component would include a River West outpost for the legendary comedy club “Second City.” The Bally Sports Bar would feature “constant celebrity athlete events” and a “truly immersive sports experience” that includes a museum highlighting Chicago’s sports history. Bally’s primary selling point is a global brand that it claims will draw additional visitors to Chicago. Without mentioning Rivers and its existing Des Plaines casino, the company claims that it is “conflict-free” with no other interest in the Chicago market. “We don’t operate, own or partially own casino property located elsewhere within the Chicagoland market,” it said. Bally’s further claims that its proposal would “accelerate revenue” to the city through an “upfront incentive payment of $25 million” if it is awarded a gaming license.

Provided
How a Bally’s casino might look if built at a truck marshaling yard near McCormick Place.

Bally’s McCormick Place: This version of the Bally’s casino would be at the truck marshaling yards for McCormick Place at 31st Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Local Ald. Sophia King (4th), chairman of the City’s Council’s Progressive Caucus, is adamantly opposed to this site because of its proximity to her development baby: the residential and medical research complex on the site of the Michael Reese Hospital, which the city bought for an Olympic Village that was never built. Neighbors have embraced the development but don’t want a casino anywhere near it. Neither does King. Mayekar and Bennett said a “partnership” with City Council members who must approve the final casino site is important. But they are not ruling out the marshaling yards. This Bally’s proposal promises a $50 million “upfront incentive payment” to the city, double its Freedom Center pledge. Like the other Bally’s proposal, Phase 1 promises a $1 billion investment with the potential for $600 million more. The plan includes 2,700 slot machines and 95 table games; a 100 all-suite luxury hotel; an outdoor music venue with 500 to 1,000 seats; and “green space for relaxation and recreation.” Phase 2 would add a 400-room hotel, “up to 4,000 total gaming positions” and a 3,000-seat “flexible indoor entertainment venue that can accommodate large performances, smaller meetings and private events.” Bally’s McCormick is unique in its proposal to use “a portion of the available 4,000 gaming positions allocated to the project” for O’Hare and Midway airports.

Lightfoot wants to make a final recommendation to the Illinois Gaming Board during the first quarter of next year.

Toward that end, City Hall is prepared to launch the public engagement process with a Dec. 16 public hearing where developers will make presentations and answer questions.

That will be followed in early 2022 by negotiations with a developer recommended by a city review committee and chosen by the mayor and approval by the City Council and the Chicago Plan Commission.

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Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said Friday there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has substantiated allegations against 13 adults at the Marine Leadership Academy for either committing or covering up sexual misconduct dating back more than two years, district officials revealed Friday.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a morning news conference at the district’s downtown headquarters that he only found out about the investigation late last month and insisted other central office officials did not previously know the widespread nature of the allegations.

That’s even as the former principal of the Logan Square school, Erin Galfer, was promoted to a district administrator position this June while the investigation was ongoing. She was one of the employees later found to have failed to report misconduct and has since been fired, Martinez said.

CPS’ Law Department and its Office of Student Protections and Title IX, however, are the ones that remove employees from their schools for misconduct allegations — the inspector general doesn’t have that power and can only recommend removal. District officials and attorneys removed several employees from Marine Leadership Academy between early 2019 and summer 2021.

“The district wasn’t made aware from the inspector general’s office until just recently on Oct. 20, the nature of all the allegations,” Title IX coordinator Camie Pratt said. “And so we weren’t aware until then, and that’s when we took action.”

It’s common practice for the inspector general’s office to inform district officials and the Law Department during an investigation of any new allegations or details that would warrant the removal of an employee. The inspector general took over all adult-on-student sexual misconduct investigations in 2019 after a Chicago Tribune series detailed the district’s widespread mishandling of cases.

CPS inspector general Will Fletcher didn’t immediately comment. His office’s findings are expected to be released later Friday.

Galfer’s attorney, Jonathan Karmel, said CPS “falsely stated that our client … failed to report the sexual misconduct” at Marine Leadership Academy.

“Notwithstanding Mr. Martinez’s attempt to create a false narrative, the tragic failure at Marine falls directly at the feet of CPS who long knew about the misconduct and did not take timely steps to protect the students,” Karmel said in a statement.

“Instead, Erin was wrongly terminated and looks forward to restoring her reputation and, more importantly, holding CPS responsible for its endemic failures to protect CPS students.”

Martinez told reporters there was a “culture of behavior and distrust that occurred at Marine Leadership Academy that is not tolerated by our district.”

Martinez and Pratt would not say the exact number of student victims, only that it was fewer than a dozen.

One allegation involved a teacher having a sexual relationship with a student who had turned 18 — conduct that led to that teacher’s removal but doesn’t constitute a crime under Illinois law because the student was over the age of consent, Martinez said. He said he would lobby Illinois lawmakers to make it illegal for school workers to have sex with students no matter their age.

Another case had to do with a teacher grooming a student then having sex after that student graduated. The district defines grooming as an adult breaking down a student’s inhibitions for the purpose of sex. In one of those two cases, the investigation uncovered texts from a teacher to a student saying, “I can’t wait until you turn 18,” Martinez said.

Both teachers were pulled from the school in 2019 when the inspector general began investigating.

Two other instances of misconduct involved grooming and sexual harassment of students by a staff member and a volunteer. The rest of the adults who have now been removed and either already fired or face firing were found to have failed to report misconduct.

“The behavior uncovered by this investigation represents a stunning betrayal of trust and colossal failure of judgement and character on the part of far too many individuals,” the schools chief said.

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Eric Clapton performs on stage during Music For The Marsden 2020 at The O2 Arena on March 3, 2020 in London. | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

In a protest song, Eric Clapton has equated taking a COVID-19 vaccine and participating in a lockdown with being a slave.

I’ve always thought of Eric Clapton as the Frank Sinatra of my generation: a consummate musical artist who’s also kind of a jerk. Being a fan of Clapton has always involved making allowances for his personal history of impulsiveness and poor judgment: He’s a one-time alcoholic and heroin addict whose signature song is a plea for the love of his close friend’s wife. (The friend being former Beatle George Harrison, of course.)

Even so, I have often found my own wife in tears listening to the paralyzingly beautiful extended piano and guitar coda at the end. We’ve listened to “Layla” many, many times and traveled to hear him play it live. Clapton’s genius lies not only in his sheer virtuosity, but in his ability to wring crystalline emotion out of an electric guitar.

These Englishmen — Clapton, the Rolling Stones, the Who and others — took an under appreciated African American art form, the blues, ran it through their own sensibilities and returned it to us highly amplified and charged with grandeur. Pete Townshend has talked about his sudden realization that five blokes with electrified instruments could make as much noise as a symphony orchestra and his thinking, “Why not?”

And yet (and here comes the sad part) Clapton once took the stage in Birmingham, England, in 1976 — stinking drunk, he has said in many subsequent apologies — and went on an extended rant about the importance of keeping England white. Channeling one Enoch Powell, basically the fascist-leaning George Wallace of Great Britain, he told his audience that Black folks “don’t belong here.”

In a 2017 interview, Clapton told Rolling Stone, “It’s incomprehensible to me, in a way, that I got so far out.” He has elsewhere described himself as doing “really offensive things … I was a nasty person” and “full-tilt” racist.

His many Black friends and musical collaborators over the years have by and large forgiven Clapton — if, indeed, they were ever aware of the incident. It was 45 years ago, after all, and never repeated.

They describe acts of great personal warmth and generosity on his part. Since getting sober, Clapton has raised and donated an estimated $20 million in the past decade alone to the Crossroads Centre, the drug and alcohol rehab facility he built in Antigua in 1998. His efforts have helped thousands get clean.

Clapton’s friend and longtime bassist Nathan East, a Black man raised in San Diego, put it this way in an interview with The Washington Post: “In the Olympics, they throw out the best score and the worst score,” he said. “You get the measure of a person not on the day they did the very, very best thing they did and not the day they did the very worst thing they did.” For him, “the beauty of music is that it really transcends language, color and politics.”

The occasion of that interview, however, was what many fans of Clapton regard as his latest incomprehensible and perhaps unforgivable folly: becoming a hardcore anti-vaxxer and recording an extremely silly protest song with Northern Irish singer Van Morrison:

Do you wanna be a free man

Or do you wanna be a slave?

Do you wanna wear these chains

Until you’re lying in the grave?

That’s right, blues fans, Eric Clapton has equated taking a COVID-19 vaccine and participating in a (Tory-mandated) lockdown with being a slave. For him, true freedom consists of running around mask less and unvaccinated in the middle of a worldwide disease epidemic.

He has since vowed not to play at any venue where the audience is required to be vaccinated. At a concert in Austin, he posed for photos with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, whose efforts to render Texans defenseless against COVID have few parallels.

Granted, Clapton himself had a bad experience with the AstraZeneca vaccine, probably not the best choice for somebody like him (he is affected by peripheral neuropathy — nerve damage in the hands and feet). The artist says he lost the use of his hands for three weeks, which for a 76-year-old musician, already fearful of losing his ability to play, must have been frightening.

His great friend Robert Cray, the eminent blues guitarist, has taken offense. A blues purist and multiple Grammy Award-winner, Cray tried to impress upon Clapton how grotesque he found comparisons between vaccines and slavery. He got nowhere.

Then came the Greg Abbott business, and, just like that, a 35-year friendship was over. Cray canceled an agreement to open for Clapton on a 2022 tour. “I’ve told myself, I don’t need to have a conversation,” Cray told the Post. “I’d just rather not associate with somebody who’s on the extreme and being so selfish.”

I do think “selfish” is exactly right. “Childish” would be apt, too. The intense monomania necessary to Clapton’s artistry can’t abide the same frustration we’ve all had to deal with during the pandemic.

Too bad. He was one of the greats.

Send letters to [email protected].

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The Illini will be without their coach at Iowa. | Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The picks are in for Illinois-Iowa, Purdue-Northwestern, Michigan State-Ohio State, Arkansas-Alabama, Oregon-Utah and more.

Bret Bielema can’t go home again. Not this time. A breakthrough case of COVID-19 will keep him in isolation — vaxxed, boostered and not feeling poorly aside from having to miss Illinois (+12 1/2 ) at No. 17 Iowa (1 p.m., FS1).

How hard is it to be unable to coach the Illini against his alma mater?

“I’m sure this is going to be one of those out-of-body experiences that maybe parents have already lived many times in their lives,” he told reporters via Zoom this week. “I’ve just got to watch them.”

Assistant head coach George McDonald, who played wideout and returned kicks at Illinois, will steer the ship as the Illini — who were 100% vaccinated heading into the season — try to end a seven-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes and spark a fun week of bowl talk. Beating Iowa and then Northwestern would lock the Illini into a bowl at 6-6. Even if they finish 5-7, though, they might get an invite because of a shortage of bowl-eligible teams around the country to fill a typically absurd number of bowl slots.

“Great story, great concept from the outside world,” Bielema said of the bowl business. “But this week’s game is about this week’s game.”

OK, then. It’s about the Hawkeyes winning each of the last seven head-to-head games by at least nine points, the low point for the Illini coming when they were obliterated by 63 in 2018. And it’s about Bielema, 51, a long-ago Iowa walk-on who developed into a team captain and, to this day, sports — have you heard? — a Hawkeye tattoo on his left leg.

“I’ve never met a successful man who wasn’t proud of where he came from,” he said.

The tattoo includes the words “believe” and “achieve.” The Illini put those words into action when they won at Penn State. Not so much when they came home and lost to Rutgers. They aren’t the easiest team to figure out.

But the Hawkeyes are kind of strange, too. Even at 8-2, they have the worst offense in the Big Ten. Take away their 19 interceptions on defense — which leads the country — and there’s nothing else they do at a you-can’t-beat-us level.

Two words for Illini quarterback Brandon Peters: Be careful. What, you were expecting “believe and achieve”? Hawkeyes, 17-12.

OTHER WEEK 12 PICKS

Purdue (-11) at Northwestern (11 a.m., BTN, 720-AM): Hey, look, a football game at Wrigley Field. The explosive Boilermakers want to get into the Wildcats’ bullpen as early as possible and keep the pressure on. And how long before NU manager Pat Fitzgerald turns to secret weapon Frank Schwindel? Boilers pull away and cover.

No. 7 Michigan State (+19) at No. 4 Ohio State (11 a.m., Ch. 7): The question isn’t if the Buckeyes will have another big day on offense. Of course they will. But what reason is there to believe they’ll keep the Spartans from going up and down the field? Payton Thorne, Kenneth Walker III, Jayden Reed — these guys are no slouches. Buckeyes, 45-31.

No. 10 Wake Forest (+4 1/2 ) at Clemson (11 a.m., ESPN): Wake Forest winning in Death Valley is essentially the same thing as Rutgers winning at Ohio State, Vanderbilt winning at Georgia, the Bears winning in Green Bay — you get the picture. It can’t happen or else the universe surely will collapse back in on itself, making it awfully difficult for us to fry turkeys in our driveways on Thursday. Tigers by seven.

Georgia Tech (+17 1/2 ) at No. 8 Notre Dame (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5): The Irish still have vulnerable teams ahead of them in the playoff rankings. There’s no excuse not to make this one look good. Brain Kelly’s defense picks up where it left off against Virginia — 34-13.

No. 21 Arkansas (-20 1/2 ) at No. 2 Alabama (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2): Counting backward starting with last season, the scores in this series were 52-3, 48-7, 65-31, 41-9 … please, stop me when you’re bored. Tide by enough.

SMU (+11) at No. 5 Cincinnati (2:30 p.m., ESPN): It’s not Cincy that has the best offense in the American. It’s not Cincy that has — and this is impressive — attempted the most passes in the league while also allowing the fewest sacks. The Mustangs are 8-2 and have zero pressure on their shoulders. Bearcats, barely.

No. 3 Oregon (+3) at No. 23 Utah (6:30 p.m., Ch. 7): The Utes are on an eye-opening tear in the run game and win their pass rush. Roasted duck, anyone? Pac-12 playoff hopes are dashed again.

My favorite favorite: No. 15 Wisconsin (-9) vs. Nebraska (2:30 p.m., Ch. 7): Fun fact: One of these schools is 6-0 against the other since they started playing for the Freedom Trophy in 2014. Make it 7-0 as the Badgers cover for the fifth straight week.

My favorite underdog: Missouri (+9) vs. Florida (3 p.m., SEC): Going back to last season, the Gators have lost eight of their last 10 games against Power Five opponents. Neither of those lonely “Ws” happened on the road. Upset.

Last week: 6-4-1 straight-up, 4-6-1 vs. the spread.

Season to date: 68-35-1 straight-up, 56-46-2 vs. the spread.

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Kyle Rittenhouse is comfort by his lawyer as he was acquitted of all charges at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation. | AP

The anonymous jury, whose racial makeup was not disclosed by the court but appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.

Rittenhouse, 18, began to choke up, fell forward toward the defense table and then hugged one of his attorneys as he heard a court clerk recite “not guilty” five times. A sheriff’s deputy immediately whisked him out a back door.

“He wants to get on with his life,” defense attorney Mark Richards said. “He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this ever happened. But as he said when he testified, he did not start this.”

The verdict in the politically combustible case was met with anger and disappointment from those who saw Rittenhouse as a vigilante and a wannabe cop, and relief and vindication from those who regarded him as a patriot who wanted to stop lawlessness and exercised his Second Amendment right to carry a gun and to defend himself.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime civil rights leader, the verdict throws into doubt the safety of people who protest in support of Black Americans.

“It seems to me that it’s open season on human rights demonstrators,” he said.

Rittenhouse was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering for killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle in the summer of 2020 during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.

The former police youth cadet said he went to Kenosha to protect property from rioters. He is white, as were those he shot.

The anonymous jury, whose racial makeup was not disclosed by the court but appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

President Joe Biden called for calm, saying that while the outcome of the case “will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.”

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder. Two other charges each carried over 60 years behind bars.

AP
From left, Kariann Swart, Joseph Rosembaum’s fiancee, Susan Hughe, Anthony Huber’s great aunt, and Hannah Gittings, Anthony Huber’s girlfriend, listen as Kyle Rittenhouse is found not guilt on all counts at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation.

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said his office respects the jury’s decision, and he asked the public to “accept the verdicts peacefully and not resort to violence.”

Ahead of the verdict, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced last week that 500 National Guard members stood ready in case of trouble after the verdict.

As he dismissed the jurors who sat in judgment in the politically combustible case, Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder assured them the court would take “every measure” to keep them safe.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, denounced the outcome. He, like many civil rights activists, saw a racial double standard at work in the case.

“Over the last few weeks, many dreaded the outcome we just witnessed,” Barnes said. “The presumption of innocence until proven guilty is what we should expect from our judicial system, but that standard is not always applied equally. We have seen so many black and brown youth killed, only to be put on trial posthumously, while the innocence of Kyle Rittenhouse was virtually demanded by the judge.”

Political figures on the right, meanwhile, welcomed the verdict and condemned the case brought against Rittenhouse.

“All of us who knew what actually happened in Kenosha last year assumed this would be the verdict,” tweeted Republican former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. “Thankfully, the jury thought the same.”

The case was part of an extraordinary confluence of trials that reflected the deep divide over race in the United States: In Georgia, three white men are on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, while in Virginia, a trial is underway in a lawsuit over the deadly white-supremacist rally held in Charlottesville in 2017.

The bloodshed in Kenosha took place during a summer of sometimes-violent protests set off across the U.S. by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other cases involving the police use of force against Black people.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he went to Kenosha from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, after businesses were ransacked and burned in the nights that followed Blake’s shooting. Rittenhouse carried a weapon authorities said was illegally purchased for the underage young man, joining other armed civilians on the streets.

Bystander and drone video captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed: Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then shot to death protester Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded demonstrator Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.

Then-President Donald Trump said it appeared Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked.” Supporters donated more than $2 million toward his legal defense.

At trial, prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by pointing his rifle at demonstrators.

But Rittenhouse testified: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”

Breaking into sobs at one point, he told the jury he opened fire after Rosenbaum chased him and made a grab for his gun. He said he was afraid his rifle was going to be wrested away and used to kill him.

Huber was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz was shot after pointing a gun of his own at Rittenhouse.

After the verdict, Huber’s parents, Karen Bloom and John Huber, said the outcome “sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.”

Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, seated near her son on a courtroom bench, gasped in delight, cried and hugged others around her.

Richards, the defense attorney, said Rittenhouse wants to be a nurse and is in counseling for post traumatic stress disorder and will probably move away because “it’s too dangerous” for him to continue to live in the area.

Video and testimony from some of the prosecution’s own witnesses seemed to buttress Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense.

Witnesses described Rosenbaum as “hyperaggressive” and said that he dared others to shoot him and threatened to kill Rittenhouse earlier that night. A videographer testified Rosenbaum lunged for the rifle just before he was shot, and a pathologist said his injuries appeared to indicate his hand was over the barrel.

Also, Rosenbaum’s fiancee disclosed that he was on medication for bipolar disorder and depression. Rittenhouse’s lawyers branded Rosenbaum a “crazy person.”

Some civil rights activists saw glaring disparities in the way the white gunman was treated.

On the night of the shootings, law enforcement officers saw Rittenhouse and other armed people on the streets despite a curfew and gave them bottles of water, with one officer heard saying over a loudspeaker, “We appreciate you guys.”

Later, amid the tumult, Rittenhouse managed to get past a police line with his weapon slung over his shoulder and was not arrested that night. He turned himself in the next day.

Rittenhouse had also been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that carries nine months behind bars and appeared likely to lead to a conviction.

But the judge threw out that charge before jury deliberations after the defense argued that the Wisconsin law did not apply to the long-barreled rifle used by Rittenhouse.

___

Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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A supporter of Kyle Rittenhouse reacts as a not guilty verdict is read in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse today in Kenosha, Wis. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be partly sunny with a high near 40. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 33. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 48, and Sunday will be partly sunny with a high near 49.

Top story

Split Kenosha crowd cheers, jeers Rittenhouse not guilty verdict

A profanity-laced shouting match erupted outside the Kenosha County Courthouse moments before the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict was read.

Then “God Bless America” blared on a loudspeaker after the 18-year-old Antioch man was acquitted of all charges.

“I flew here from California. … I wasn’t going to let the Rittenhouse family be here and not feel supported. This is a just trial,” said Brandon Lesco. His sign read: “Free Kyle. The USA is still worth defending.”

The smallish crowd outside the courthouse was gathered into three clusters.

Justin Blake, an uncle of Jacob Blake, whose shooting by a white police officer touched off protests in August 2020, was disgusted by the verdict. He said the trial’s outcome was “even worse” than prosecutors not charging the officer.

“It shows this city doesn’t welcome African Americans or minorities,” Justin Blake said.

Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of all charges today after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.

He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a tumultuous night of protests over police violence against Black people in the summer of 2020. The former police youth cadet is white, as were those he shot.

The jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder.

Clare Spaulding has more on the scene outside the Kenosha County Courthouse here.

More news you need

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has substantiated allegations against 13 adults at the Marine Leadership Academy for either committing or covering up sexual misconduct dating back more than two years, district officials revealed today. The allegations include instances of school staff members grooming and sexually harassing students.

In other CPS news, the Illinois Occupational Health and Safety Administration is asking district officials to show they’ve cleaned up Eberhart Elementary School. Eberhart was left so dirty by custodial contractors that the school’s own staff picked up mops and brooms to do the work themselves.

At least one person was taken into custody this afternoon after Chicago police responded to fighting at Clemente High School in Ukrainian Village. David Struett has more here.

City Hall today lifted the veil on five competing proposals for the downtown casino — with each pitch promising complete entertainment destinations with revenue to bail out city pension funds. The proposals differ in their locations, dollar commitments, timelines and the number of additional hotel rooms planned.

Navigating the labyrinthian Chicago Pedway will soon be a bit easier. The city announced yesterday that it’s upgrading the signs in its system of underground tunnels people can use to get around downtown, especially during bad weather.

It was 57 years ago this weekend when B.B. King recorded one of blues music’s seminal records in Bronzeville — “Live at the Regal.” A new book on the guitar great recalls the set that thrilled the crowd and disappointed the band — you can read an excerpt here.

A bright one

Englewood school looks to bring Black-centered stories that ‘need to be known’ into the classroom

Kinadee Jordan is an effervescent, confident 13-year-old. When asked what’s the secret sauce of the Montessori School of Englewood, she quips, “Me!”

With 420 students, the charter school at 6936 S. Hermitage Ave. is almost entirely free to its predominantly Black population. Kinadee has been at the school since first grade. Now in eighth grade, she loves to sing and read.

Kinadee’s reading has helped her empathize with others on a deeper level, but one thing has always bothered her.

“I know there are Black authors in the world,” she said. “I want books on my culture.”

Kinadee’s words were heard by the school’s executive director, Rita Nolan, and board member Quilen Blackwell, who also offers at-risk youth jobs in his flower shop, Southside Blooms at 6250 S. Morgan St.

Together, they came up with Books and Blooms, an initiative to raise $10,000 so the school can purchase books featuring Black and Brown main characters.

Cheyanne M. Daniels/Sun-Times
Students at the Montessori School of Englewood show off the books they picked out to read in the library Thursday morning.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that we have the resources to be able to make sure from our kindergarten on up that … books with the African American child in the center, not just the periphery,” are in each classroom, said Nolan.

That can’t be done, she added, when most donated books are Eurocentric.

“One of the challenges that we have is when people donate books, they give us their scraps, and that’s a big thing that we want to try to change,” explained Blackwell. “We want the school and students to have more agency over the kind of books that they want.”

Southside Blooms will donate 20% of revenue from purchases at southsideblooms.com using the code “BOOKS” to the school.

The books will also be bought from minority-owned bookstores, Nolan added.

Cheyanne M. Daniels has more on the initiative here.

From the press box

Bulls star Zach LaVine sat down with our Joe Cowley for a one-on-one interview in which the two discussed Cowley’s past skepticism that the high-scoring guard is worth a max contract. It’s a pretty good sales pitch, Cowley writes.
The Bears won’t have Khalil Mack for the rest of the year as the pass rusher is set to undergo season-ending foot surgery next week. Nagy said Mack’s injury became increasingly painful and could have potentially caused more damage if he had kept playing.
With injuries piling up on defense, the Bears have added veteran Bruce Irvin to their practice squad.
Justin Fields’ interception rate is among the highest in the NFL this season, but the Bears can live with his mistakes if he’s creating big plays, Jason Lieser writes.
The latest Bears-Ravens injury report spells bad news for Akiem Hicks and Allen Robinson.

Your daily question ?

How would you describe winter in Chicago to someone who’s never experienced it before?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What’s the most underrated neighborhood in Chicago?

Here’s what some of you said…

“Little Village. Known for the crime, but that makes others ignore the culture of the people there, the amazing food, various storefronts and traditions. Especially long-time Spanish book store LIBRERIA GIRON, around for more than 50 years and still standing — keeping the traditions of the Hispanic community. There’s so much to Little Village that people don’t know about.” — Elizabeth Walker

“Ravenswood. It is its own little world. Close to everything. Multicultural. Fun festivals and great parks. Library, movie theatre and Old Town School of Music. Lots of independently owned business and very clean and quiet.” — Lynn M. House

“Bronzeville because it is a center for African-American life and culture in Chicago.” — Shannon L Campbell

“Rogers Park! It’s melting pot diversity, hardworking blue-collar people, family involvement, a plethora of different languages and food from all around the world. Its proximity to Lake Michigan, the redline, purple and yellow that will take you to Evanston or Skokie in the blank of an eye. Crown the melting pot capital of Chicago already.” — Haynk Jean-Baptiste

“Portage Park. No need to ever go deep in the city nor far west to the suburbs. It’s just perfectly placed in the middle of the northwest side of Chicago. Lovely neighborhood, friendly neighborhood and great small businesses. Awesome nightlife and it’s great during the day for families if they want to do activities. I’m proud to be born and raised in this part of the city.” — Loli Mauriz

“Garfield Ridge. Blue-collar people who keep up their homes very well. Close to Midway and we have Weber’s Bakery, one of Chicago’s best.” — Mike Walsh

“Westside in between Laramie and Austin — in the Austin area. We have one of the most beautiful parks, named La Follette Park — Stephanie Howard

“Humboldt Park — Puerto Rican restaurants, architecture, massive park, lagoons, swan boat rides, inland Beach, live salsa music, food trucks, gardens, easy to ride a bike and overall vibe.” — O.J. Wojahowski

“It’s Englewood actually. Too often the good in the community is overshadowed by crime, however, Englewood is filled with talented and skilled individuals. The people there are driven and resilient. Some of the best talent in Chicago derived from or currently reside in Englewood.” — Andrea NaTay

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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A supporter of Kyle Rittenhouse reacts as a not guilty verdict is read in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse on Friday. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images

“God Bless America” blared on a loudspeaker after Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges.

KENOSHA — A profanity-laced shouting match erupted outside the Kenosha County Courthouse moments before the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict was read.

Then “God Bless America” blared on a loudspeaker after the 18-year-old Antioch man was acquitted of all charges.

“I flew here from California. … I wasn’t going to let the Rittenhouse family be here and not feel supported. This is a just trial,” said Brandon Lesco. His sign read: “Free Kyle. The USA is still worth defending.”

The smallish crowd outside the courthouse was gathered into three clusters.

More than an hour after the verdict was delivered, a woman appeared to suffer a seizure on the courthouse steps. Law enforcement officers surrounded the woman. An officer shoved a Black man as a crowd formed around the woman.

Justin Blake, an uncle of Jacob Blake, whose shooting by a white police officer touched off protests in August 2020, was disgusted by the verdict. He said the trial’s outcome was “even worse” than prosecutors not charging the officer.

“It shows this city doesn’t welcome African Americans or minorities,” Justin Blake said.

Scott Olson/Getty Images
Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, speaks to the media outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse after learning that Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges.

Johnathon McClellan, president of the Minnesota Justice Coalition, stood on the courthouse steps hours after the jury reached a verdict. McClellan called on the federal government to intervene and for the Wisconsin attorney general to re-charge Rittenhouse with illegal possession of a firearm.

Several cars drove by the courthouse honking their horns or cheering out the window. One pickup truck blared “Celebration.”

Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.

He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a tumultuous night of protests over police violence against Black people in the summer of 2020. The former police youth cadet is white, as were those he shot.

The jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder.

As the verdict drew near, Gov. Tony Evers pleaded for calm and said 500 National Guard members would be ready for duty in Kenosha if needed.

Paul Sancya/AP
Sarah Hughes, right, a great aunt of Anthony Huber and his girlfriend Hannah Gittings, left, leave the Kenosha County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 in Kenosha, Wis.

Scott Graser Sr., of Omaha, was pleased with the verdict. “Had he been found guilty of lesser charges, I wold still say justice had been served.”

Matthew McGinnis, who lives west of Kenosha, said, “I think the verdict sends the message that we have the right to protect ourselves.”

Dave Graham, who has been outside the courthouse all week with a sign reading “Unity Not Fracture,” was “shocked” by the verdict.

“If I was a criminal … I’d want that prosecution in my case,” Graham said. He called the prosecution the “worst example of [wasted] tax dollars.”

Nathan Howard/Getty
Dave Graham rests in front of the county courthouse while waiting for a verdict on the fourth day of jury deliberations in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Kyle Rittenhouse is comfort by his lawyer as he was acquitted of all charges at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation. | AP

The anonymous jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

KENOSHA, Wis. –Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.

Rittenhouse, 18, began to choke up, fell forward toward the defense table and then hugged one of his attorneys as he heard a court clerk recite “not guilty” five times. His mother, seated nearby on a courtroom bench, gasped in delight, cried and hugged others around her.

A sheriff’s deputy immediately whisked him out a back door.

“He wants to get on with his life,” defense attorney Mark Richards said. “He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this ever happened. But as he said when he testified, he did not start this.”

He said Rittenhouse, who wants to be a nurse, is in counseling for post traumatic stress disorder and will probably move away because “it’s too dangerous” for him to continue to live in the area.

Rittenhouse was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering for killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle in the summer of 2020 during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.

Rittenhouse, a former police youth cadet, said he went to Kenosha to protect property from rioters. He is white, as were those he shot.

The anonymous jury, whose racial makeup was not disclosed by the court but appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder. Two other charges each carried over 60 years behind bars.

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said his office respects the jury’s decision, and he asked the public to “accept the verdicts peacefully and not resort to violence.”

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who announced last week that 500 National Guard members stood ready in case of trouble after the verdict, likewise pleaded for calm.

As he dismissed the jurors who sat in judgment in the politically combustible case, Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder assured them the court would take “every measure” to keep them safe.

The shootings exposed a deep divide in the U.S., with some Americans condemning Rittenhouse as a vigilante, while others on the right hailed him as a hero who exercised his Second Amendment gun rights and tried to put a stop to lawlessness. The reaction to the verdict reflected the same divide.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, denounced the outcome. He, like many civil rights activists, saw a racial double standard at work in the case.

“Over the last few weeks, many dreaded the outcome we just witnessed,” Barnes said. “The presumption of innocence until proven guilty is what we should expect from our judicial system, but that standard is not always applied equally. We have seen so many black and brown youth killed, only to be put on trial posthumously, while the innocence of Kyle Rittenhouse was virtually demanded by the judge.”

AP
From left, Kariann Swart, Joseph Rosembaum’s fiancee, Susan Hughe, Anthony Huber’s great aunt, and Hannah Gittings, Anthony Huber’s girlfriend, listen as Kyle Rittenhouse is found not guilt on all counts at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation.

Political figures on the right, meanwhile, welcomed the verdict and condemned the case brought against Rittenhouse.

“All of us who knew what actually happened in Kenosha last year assumed this would be the verdict,” tweeted Republican former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. “Thankfully, the jury thought the same.”

The case was part of an extraordinary confluence of trials that reflected the deep divide over race in the United States: In Georgia, three white men are on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, while in Virginia, a trial is underway in a lawsuit over the deadly white-supremacist rally held in Charlottesville in 2017.

The bloodshed in Kenosha took place during a summer of sometimes-violent protests set off across the U.S. by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other cases involving the police use of force against Black people.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he went to Kenosha from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, after businesses were ransacked and burned in the nights that followed Blake’s shooting. Rittenhouse carried a weapon authorities said was illegally purchased for the underage young man, joining other armed civilians on the streets.

Bystander and drone video captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed: Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then shot to death protester Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded demonstrator Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.

Then-President Donald Trump said it appeared Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked.” Supporters donated more than $2 million toward his legal defense.

At trial, prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by pointing his rifle at demonstrators.

But Rittenhouse testified: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”

Breaking into sobs at one point, he told the jury he opened fire after Rosenbaum chased him and made a grab for his gun. He said he was afraid his rifle was going to be wrested away and used to kill him.

Huber was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz was shot after pointing a gun of his own at Rittenhouse.

After the verdict, Huber’s parents, Karen Bloom and John Huber, said the outcome “sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.”

Video and testimony from some of the prosecution’s own witnesses seemed to buttress Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense.

Witnesses described Rosenbaum as “hyperaggressive” and said that he dared others to shoot him and threatened to kill Rittenhouse earlier that night. A videographer testified Rosenbaum lunged for the rifle just before he was shot, and a pathologist said his injuries appeared to indicate his hand was over the barrel.

Also, Rosenbaum’s fiancee disclosed that he was on medication for bipolar disorder and depression. Rittenhouse’s lawyers branded Rosenbaum a “crazy person.”

Some civil rights activists saw a racial double standard in the way the white gunman was treated.

On the night of the shootings, law enforcement officers saw Rittenhouse and other armed people on the streets despite a curfew and gave them bottles of water, with one officer heard saying over a loudspeaker, “We appreciate you guys.”

Later, amid the tumult, Rittenhouse managed to get past a police line with his weapon slung over his shoulder and was not arrested that night. He turned himself in the next day.

Rittenhouse had also been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that carries nine months behind bars and appeared likely to lead to a conviction.

But the judge threw out that charge before jury deliberations after the defense argued that the Wisconsin law did not apply to the long-barreled rifle used by Rittenhouse.

___

Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said Friday there was a “culture of behavior” at Marine Leadership Academy that is “not tolerated by our district.”

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has substantiated allegations against 13 adults at the Marine Leadership Academy for either committing or covering up sexual misconduct dating back more than two years, district officials revealed Friday.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a morning news conference at the district’s downtown headquarters that he only found out about the investigation late last month and insisted other central office officials did not previously know the widespread nature of the allegations.

That’s even as the former principal of the school, Erin Galfer, was promoted to a district administrator position this June while the investigation was ongoing. She was one of the employees later found to have failed to report misconduct and has since been fired, Martinez said.

CPS’ Law Department and its Office of Student Protections and Title IX, however, are the ones that remove employees from their schools for misconduct allegations — the inspector general doesn’t have that power and can only recommend removal. District officials and attorneys removed several employees from Marine Leadership Academy between early 2019 and summer 2021.

“The district wasn’t made aware from the inspector general’s office until just recently on Oct. 20, the nature of all the allegations,” Title IX coordinator Camie Pratt said. “And so we weren’t aware until then, and that’s when we took action.”

It’s common practice for the inspector general’s office to inform district officials and the Law Department during an investigation of any new allegations or details that would warrant the removal of an employee. The inspector general took over all adult-on-student sexual misconduct investigations in 2019 after a Chicago Tribune series detailed the district’s widespread mishandling of cases.

CPS inspector general Will Fletcher didn’t immediately comment. His office’s findings are expected to be released later Friday.

Martinez told reporters there was a “culture of behavior and distrust that occurred at Marine Leadership Academy that is not tolerated by our district.”

Martinez and Pratt would not say the exact number of student victims, only that it was fewer than a dozen.

One allegation involved a teacher having a sexual relationship with a student who had turned 18 — conduct that led to that teacher’s removal but doesn’t constitute a crime under Illinois law because the student was over the age of consent, Martinez said. He said he would lobby Illinois lawmakers to make it illegal for school workers to have sex with students no matter their age.

Another case had to do with a teacher grooming a student then having sex after that student graduated. The district defines grooming as an adult breaking down a student’s inhibitions for the purpose of sex. In one of those two cases, the investigation uncovered texts from a teacher to a student saying, “I can’t wait until you turn 18,” Martinez said.

Both teachers were pulled from the school in 2019 when the inspector general began investigating.

Two other instances of misconduct involved grooming and sexual harassment of students by a staff member and a volunteer. The rest of the adults who have now been removed and either already fired or face firing were found to have failed to report misconduct.

“The behavior uncovered by this investigation represents a stunning betrayal of trust and colossal failure of judgement and character on the part of far too many individuals,” the schools chief said.

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