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Kyle Rittenhouse, right, looks on as the jury is let out of the room during a break during his trail at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. | AP

“You lose the right to self-defense when you’re the one who brought the gun, when you are the one creating the danger, when you’re the one provoking other people,” Prosecutor Thomas Binger told the jury.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Rittenhouse provoked bloodshed on the streets of Kenosha by bringing a semi-automatic rifle to a protest and menacing others, and when the shooting stopped, he walked off like a “hero in a Western,” a prosecutor said in closing arguments Monday at Rittenhouse’s murder trial.

But Rittenhouse’s lawyer countered that the shooting started after the young man was ambushed by a “crazy person” that night and feared his gun was going to be wrested away and used to kill him. Defense attorney Mark Richards said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense.

Rittenhouse, then 17, shot two men to death and wounded a third during a tumultuous night of protests against racial injustice in the summer of 2020, a case that has stirred bitter debate in the U.S. over guns, vigilantism and law and order.

Rittenhouse said he went to Kenosha from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to protect property from rioters in the days after a Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by a white Kenosha police officer. Rittenhouse, a former police youth cadet, is white, as were those he shot.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Thomas Binger said Rittenhouse was a “wannabe soldier” and was “looking for trouble that night.” Binger repeatedly showed the jury drone video that he said depicted Rittenhouse pointing the AR-style weapon at demonstrators.

“This is the provocation. This is what starts this incident,” the prosecutor declared.

He told the jury: “You lose the right to self-defense when you’re the one who brought the gun, when you are the one creating the danger, when you’re the one provoking other people.”

Rittenhouse, now 18, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him, first-degree intentional homicide, which is Wisconsin’s top murder charge.

Binger zeroed in on the killing of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, who was the first man gunned down that night and whose shooting set in motion the ones that followed. The prosecutor repeatedly called it murder, saying it was unjustified.

The prosecutor reminded jurors that Rittenhouse testified he knew Rosenbaum was unarmed. Binger also said there is no video to support the defense claim that Rosenbaum threatened to kill Rittenhouse.

Binger disputed the contention that Rosenbaum was trying to grab Rittenhouse’s rifle. “Mr. Rosenbaum is not even within arm’s reach when the first shot occurs,” Binger said. He rejected the claim that Rittenhouse had no choice but to shoot, saying he could have run away.

And Binger argued that once Rosenbaum was wounded, he was not even capable of taking away the gun, which was strapped to Rittenhouse’s body, since he was falling to the ground with a fractured pelvis. Rittenhouse kept firing, delivering what the prosecutor called the “kill shot” to Rosenbaum’s back.

“I think we can also agree that we shouldn’t have 17-year-olds running around our streets with AR-15s, because this is exactly what happens,” Binger said.

In his own closing argument, Richards, the defense attorney, called Rosenbaum a “crazy person” who was “hell-bent on causing trouble that night” and went after Rittenhouse unprovoked.

“Mr. Rosenbaum was shot because he was chasing my client and going to kill him, take his gun and carry out the threats he made,” Richards said, adding that Rittenhouse never pointed his gun before being chased: “It didn’t happen.”

Richards said an enlarged image that prosecutors said shows Rittenhouse pointing his gun at protesters is “hocus pocus” that doesn’t prove anything.

After killing Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 28, while trying to make his way through the crowd. Rittenhouse testified that Huber hit him with a skateboard and that Grosskreutz came at him with a gun of his own — an account largely corroborated by video and Grosskreutz himself.

But the prosecutor said Rittenhouse provoked that bloodshed, too. He said Huber, Grosskreutz and others in the crowd were trying to stop what they believed was an active shooter.

When it was all over, Rittenhouse walked away like a “hero in a Western — without a care in the world for anything he’s just done,” Binger said.

The defense, though, said Rittenhouse was set upon by a “mob.” Richards accused prosecutors of using the term “active shooter” for Rittenhouse because of “the loaded connotations of that word.”

And in an apparent reference to the police shooting of a Black man that touched off the protests, Richards said: “Other people in this community have shot people seven times, and it’s been found to be OK.” ( No charges were brought against the white officer.)

When the prosecutor displayed a photo of Rosenbaum’s bloodied body on a gurney during his autopsy and another of his mangled hand, some jurors appeared to avert their eyes. Later, when Binger displayed a close-up of Grosskreutz’s bicep largely obliterated by a bullet, several jurors winced and turned away.

As he spoke, Binger walked up to the jury box and lifted Rittenhouse’s rifle as if he were firing, pointing the weapon at a wall.

Jurors appeared riveted when Richards, the defense attorney, began addressing them in his booming voice.

The sound of a small group of protesters chanting outside the building could be heard at one point during the defense closing, but it wasn’t clear from inside the courtroom what they were saying or whether the jury heard them.

Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, listened intently in the courtroom.

Supporters have hailed Rittenhouse as a hero who took a stand against lawlessness; foes have branded him a vigilante.

Binger began his closing arguments by questioning whether Rittenhouse was genuinely trying to help.

The prosecutor noted that Rittenhouse had ammunition capable of traveling the length of five football fields and passing through cars, and asked the jury: “Why do you need 30 rounds of full metal jacket (ammo) to protect a building?”

But Richards said Rittenhouse, who worked as a lifeguard in Kenosha and helped clean up graffiti before the shootings, “feels for this community” and “came down here trying to help, to see the damage.”

The defense attorney branded the trial a “political case” brought by prosecutors who he said need someone to blame for the violence.

Earlier Monday, Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that had appeared to be among the likeliest of the charges to net a conviction. It carries by up to nine months in jail.

The defense argued that Wisconsin law has an exception related to the length of a weapon’s barrel. After prosecutors conceded Rittenhouse’s rifle was not short-barreled, the judge threw out the charge.

Perhaps in recognition of weaknesses in their case, prosecutors asked the judge to let the jury consider several lesser charges if they acquit him on the original counts. Schroeder agreed to do so as he delivered some 36 pages of legal instructions to the jury.

In his instructions, the judge said that to accept Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense, the jury must find that he believed there was an unlawful threat to him and that the amount of force he used was reasonable and necessary.

After closing arguments, names were to be drawn to determine which 12 of the 18 jurors who heard testimony would deliberate, with the rest dismissed as alternates.

With a verdict near, Gov. Tony Evers said that 500 National Guard members would be prepared for duty in Kenosha if local law enforcement requested them.

___

Bauer reported from Madison and Forliti reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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We’ve just talked about the best places to order pizza in Lincoln Park, and Voila! The beloved neighborhood now welcomes a new pizzeria this week. With a unique atmosphere and authentic menu offerings as well as being the Northside’s only minority-owned pizzeria, Ayo Pizza Café & Shop sets itself apart from the rest.

A Melting Pot of Italian-American Cultures and Dishes

Ayo Pizza Café & Shop (Ayo) a local pizzeria, café and specialty bodega nestled in the heart of Lincoln Park officially opens on Wednesday, November 17, catering to neighborhood businesses, residents, and visitors to the North Avenue and Clybourn shopping district. Founded by hospitality veterans Eldridge Williams, Chris (Cap) Scardina, and Chef-partner Christian Sia, Ayo is one of the few minority-owned pizzerias in Chicago, and (based on their research) the only minority-owned pizzeria on Chicago’s Northside.

Similar to other concepts the trio operates, manages, and have in the pipeline – Ayo represents a melting pot of rich Italian-American cultures, which are reflected in the pizzeria and café’s dishes – from classic Italian staples like caciocavallo (cheese), to Southern (sweet potato) twists on tiramisu – Ayo Pizza Café & Shop offers unique, but familiar flavors and ingredients to suit every taste. The location, however, is special to ownership, as co-founder Chris Scardina – an Italian African American – grew up in the neighborhood and frequented the previous pizzeria (Amato’s) for nearly 20 years.

“I have a lot of fond memories of the neighborhood and grabbing slices of pizza at Amato’s, as I grew up around the corner and played pick-up basketball on the courts nearby” says Chris (Cap) Scardina, co-founder and operating partner of Ayo Pizza Café & Shop. “Ayo is a special project I’ve been building with my partners for a long time, and we look forward to breathing fresh life into the space for those in the neighborhood to frequent and enjoy for years to come.

A Unique Neighborhood Spot To Hang Out

Ayo is a neighborhood pizzeria and café focused on take-out and delivery service for those looking for grab-and-go coffee, pastries, pizza and snacks, morning, noon and night. However, Ayo does provide limited indoor seating (up to 20 guests) – two-tops and single, counter-style seating along the windows – and seasonal patio seating (12-15 guests) for those looking to dine onsite. Filled with bright red and yellow décor and furniture, which is complimented with rich wood and pizza “art” on the walls, Ayo’s space is comfortable and familiar to the neighborhood, but also sets itself apart with a unique ‘vibe,’ and authentic menu offerings. The Ayo team describes the pizza café and shop as a “Dope pizzeria, café and bodega that’s warm and inviting, but lively – the ideal place to bring a date, or your mom.”

Co-founder and operating partner, Eldridge Williams, who is a hospitality veteran in Chicago and has worked at and co-founded some of Chicago’s most beloved restaurants, including Wicker Park’s, The Delta, says, “Every aspect of Ayo, from the atmosphere to the food and music, reflects each team member’s heritage and unique style. We’re not trying to be anything we’re not; and are positioning Ayo to be a fun subculture of Lincoln park – a neighborhood spot to hang out, be social and enjoy good food.” 

Pizza, Pastries, and More on the Menu

Led by the talents of Chef Christian Sia, Ayo serves two types of pizza: traditional Sicilian, by the slice, and classic Chicago tavern-style pizza – 14-inch whole pies. The food menu is led with quality, fresh (and when possible, locally sourced) ingredients, as well as imported meats and cheeses for their signature pizzas and pastries. Ayo’s Sicilian pies pay homage to everyone’s favorite Nonna (Italian Grandmother), through simple, traditional ingredients, and include classic flavors such as: (prices reflect per slice)

Cheese – with red sauce, mozzarella, and oregano ($3.00)
Sicilian “Pepperoni” – with salami picante, mozzarella, and red sauce ($3.25)
Sausage – with fennel sausage, mozzarella, and red sauce ($3.25)
Verdure (vegetarian) – marinated vegetables, sweet ricotta, and Calabrian chile ($3.25)

Ayo’s signature tavern-style pizzas are sold as whole pieces (14”) and include traditional Italian American ingredients, like: (prices reflect whole pizzas)

The Basics – tomato sauce, mozzarella, fior di latte ($22)
Protein Style – calabrian salumi, nduja, tomato sauce, fior di latte ($26)
The Chicago Style – featuring fennel, cherry pepper relish, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella ($24)
Not A Marg – flor di latte, sweet ricotta, basil redux, semi dried tomatoes, heirloom cherry tomatoes ($23)
Nonna Cappellano Tomato Pie (vegan) – eggplant caponata, garlic breadcrumbs, basil redux, tomato sauce, calabrian chili & ricotta ($21)
Photo Credit: Evan Packer

And while pizza is the start of Ayo’s menu, the café also serves select pastries led by Chef Heather Summers and overseen by Chef Sia. Ayo sweet treats and breakfast items include the following, with more options being added in the coming weeks:

Sweet Potato Tiramisu – with sweet potatoes, lady fingers, mascarpone, coffee, cocoa ($6)
Hazelnut Torta Tenerina – hazelnut praline, gooey chocolate brownie, hazelnut whipped ganache, tempered chocolate ($5)
Panettone Muffin (vegan) – with rum-soaked dried fruit, pistachios, orange ($4)
Collard Green & Goat Cheese Danish [vegetarian] – roasted heirloom cherry tomato, collard greens, goat cheese, balsamic ($5)
Bombolone (Bomboloni) – seasonal jam, powdered sugar ($3)

Ayo will also feature a full-service coffee bar, featuring coffee partner, Dark Matter Coffee, with a variety of classic coffee and specialty coffee / espresso drinks, as well as breakfast pastries. Additionally, Ayo offers guests the option to purchase Pepsi products and water with their pizzas, snacks, and sweet treats. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase (for offsite consumption), soon. The pizzeria and café will also offer seasonal pizzas and pastries. Guests interested in seasonal and catering offerings, can visit Ayo’s website or social pages to browse the café’s most updated menus and specials.

Looking ahead, Ayo plans to add additional options, including vegan pizzas to the menu, as well as appetizers and salads, including Suppli.

Hours and Location

Ayo is located at 953 W. Willow Street and is currently open five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, with hours set to expand in the coming months. Hours of operations are Wednesday – Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Pizza and coffee service available open to close. Saturday – Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Pizza and coffee service available open to close. Ayo’s pastries are available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis (once they run out, they’re out for the day).

Featured Image Credit: Ayo Pizza

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot will not have to testify as a character witness at the Adam Hollingsworth’s upcoming animal cruelty trial, a judge ruled Monday. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot will not have to testify as a character witness at the Dread Head Cowboy’s upcoming animal cruelty trial, a judge ruled Monday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot will not have to testify as a character witness for Adam Hollingsworth, better known as the Dread Head Cowboy, during his upcoming animal cruelty trial, a Cook County judge ruled Monday.

Judge Michael McHale granted the city’s corporation counsel’s motion to quash Hollingsworth’s subpoena for Lightfoot, according to court records.

McHale on Monday also denied 34-year-old Hollingsworth’s motion for a new judge, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said.

Hollingsworth is representing himself in his animal cruelty case stemming from the horseback ride he took on the Dan Ryan Expressway last summer to raise awareness of violence against youth. Before the horseman trotted onto the expressway, he had previously brought his horse to multiple civil rights protests in 2020.

Jury selection for the case is scheduled to start Nov. 29.

Hollingsworth has struggled to navigate the court system since he publicly fired his pro-bono defense attorney last October after a hearing at a Far South Side courthouse.

Last month, he said he was prepared to go trial even though he had yet to serve subpoenas to several witnesses he planned to have testify on his behalf, including Lightfoot.

“I would like to subpoena Lori Lightfoot as a character witness. Lori is someone that I worked for with my horse as a Census Chicago Cowboy prior to this case,” Hollingsworth wrote in the filing.

McHale has rejected several of Hollingsworth’s motions for not filing them correctly. The judge also accused Hollingsworth of making misrepresentations in court and harangued him for his lack of knowledge of how the law is practiced.

Contributing: Matthew Hendrickson

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An Atlantic City, New Jersey casino-goer. Illinois should maximize the benefits of regulated online gaming, an industry executive writes. | Wayne Parry/AP Photos

Much like the proven success of legal sports betting, legal I-Gaming will attract customers to a better, safer experience that can be regulated and taxed by the state.

September was a historic month for sports betting, as New Jersey became the first state to handle a billion dollars of sports bets in a single month. The public’s appetite for legal sports betting all over the country has been strong, but the growth of this phenomenon in New Jersey has been particularly impressive. This year alone, New Jersey has seen sports betting revenue increase 150%, and the state already has taken in a massive $65 million in tax revenue year to date.

This trend shows that the legalization of sports betting is drawing this once-clandestine activity into the light, as customers increasingly choose to place their bets with trusted, regulated companies instead of offshore websites or local bookies. The result is a win-win — customers get peace of mind and states cash in with tax revenue that is already exceeding most experts’ rosiest projections.

Illinois has certainly done well with regulated sports betting, as evidenced by the $400 million in bets placed in the month of August. But it’s worth taking a look at why New Jersey still is blowing the Land of Lincoln out of the water, and what Illinois can do to maximize the benefits of regulated online gaming.

To start, Illinois must allow these mobile sports betting platforms to offer additional games, including traditional casino games. I-Gaming, as it is popularly known, is the digital alternative to taking a trip to a land-based casino. Much like streaming has become the alternative for Americans who don’t always want the movie theater experience, I-Gaming allows people to enjoy casino games from the comfort and convenience of their home. New Jersey has had I-Gaming since 2013 and it’s been a tremendous success, generating additional revenue for the state without diminishing revenue from brick-and-mortar casinos.

This September, New Jersey generated $18.5 million in tax revenue from I-Gaming alone, bringing the total to nearly $150 million year-to-date. It is also the perfect complement to sports betting, as the two working products combine to offer a seamless entertainment experience. People in Illinois today can log in to an offshore website or app and play blackjack with a dealer (or bot) in Costa Rica, so why not here? Much like the proven success of legal sports betting, legal I-Gaming will attract customers to a better, safer experience that can be regulated and taxed by the state.

Track betting activity to prevent gambling problems

Of course, the first question most people have is whether regulated I-Gaming is safe. The answer is unequivocally yes. But the same cannot be said of the dozens of offshore casinos that are eager for your credit card number. They offer very little assurance of getting paid back if you win, or that your personal information won’t be sold on to others. Providing a legal, safe, and regulated alternative to a risky, but widespread, activity is just good policy.

Additionally, I-Gaming allows casinos to track a person’s betting activity and uses state-of-the-art technology to assess risk and offer interventions aimed at reducing problem gambling issues.

Compared to the anonymity of playing table games or slot machines at brick-and-mortar casinos or pumping quarters into one of the states’ 40,000-plus video gaming terminals, I-Gaming offers the state next-generation player protection that comes with advanced tracking and data science to intervene early to reduce gambling-related harm.

Illinois already has seen the benefits of online sports betting, but now it’s time for the state to take the next step and modernize the digital casino experience. If implemented correctly, I-Gaming has the potential to add safely and effectively upwards of $200 million to the states’ bottom line. For that reason, I urge Illinois lawmakers to make I-Gaming legislation a priority in the 2022 session.

Charles Gillespie is Chief Executive of Gambling.com Group (Nasdaq: GAMB) and a global leader in the online gaming industry.

Send letters to [email protected]

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Kyle Rittenhouse, right, looks on as the jury is let out of the room during a break during his trail at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. | AP

“You lose the right to self-defense when you’re the one who brought the gun, when you are the one creating the danger, when you’re the one provoking other people,” Prosecutor Thomas Binger told the jury.

KENOSHA, Wis. — Kyle Rittenhouse provoked bloodshed on the streets of Kenosha by bringing a semi-automatic rifle to a protest and menacing others, and when the shooting stopped, he walked off like a “hero in a Western,” a prosecutor said in closing arguments Monday at Rittenhouse’s murder trial.

But Rittenhouse’s lawyer countered that the shooting started after the young man was ambushed by a “crazy person” that night and feared his gun was going to be wrested away and used to kill him. Defense attorney Mark Richards said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense.

Rittenhouse, then 17, shot two men to death and wounded a third during a tumultuous night of protests against racial injustice in the summer of 2020, a case that has stirred bitter debate in the U.S. over guns, vigilantism and law and order.

Rittenhouse said he went to Kenosha from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to protect property from rioters in the days after a Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot by a white Kenosha police officer. Rittenhouse, a former police youth cadet, is white, as were those he shot.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Thomas Binger said Rittenhouse was a “wannabe soldier” and was “looking for trouble that night.” Binger repeatedly showed the jury drone video that he said depicted Rittenhouse pointing the AR-style weapon at demonstrators.

“This is the provocation. This is what starts this incident,” the prosecutor declared.

He told the jury: “You lose the right to self-defense when you’re the one who brought the gun, when you are the one creating the danger, when you’re the one provoking other people.”

Rittenhouse, now 18, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him, first-degree intentional homicide, which is Wisconsin’s top murder charge.

Binger zeroed in on the killing of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, who was the first man gunned down that night and whose shooting set in motion the ones that followed. The prosecutor repeatedly called it murder, saying it was unjustified.

The prosecutor reminded jurors that Rittenhouse testified he knew Rosenbaum was unarmed. Binger also said there is no video to support the defense claim that Rosenbaum threatened to kill Rittenhouse.

Binger disputed the contention that Rosenbaum was trying to grab Rittenhouse’s rifle. “Mr. Rosenbaum is not even within arm’s reach when the first shot occurs,” Binger said. He rejected the claim that Rittenhouse had no choice but to shoot, saying he could have run away.

And Binger argued that once Rosenbaum was wounded, he was not even capable of taking away the gun, which was strapped to Rittenhouse’s body, since he was falling to the ground with a fractured pelvis. Rittenhouse kept firing, delivering what the prosecutor called the “kill shot” to Rosenbaum’s back.

“I think we can also agree that we shouldn’t have 17-year-olds running around our streets with AR-15s, because this is exactly what happens,” Binger said.

In his own closing argument, Richards, the defense attorney, called Rosenbaum a “crazy person” who was “hell-bent on causing trouble that night” and went after Rittenhouse unprovoked.

“Mr. Rosenbaum was shot because he was chasing my client and going to kill him, take his gun and carry out the threats he made,” Richards said, adding that Rittenhouse never pointed his gun before being chased: “It didn’t happen.”

After killing Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 28, while trying to make his way through the crowd. Rittenhouse testified that Huber hit him with a skateboard and that Grosskreutz came at him with a gun of his own — an account largely corroborated by video and Grosskreutz himself.

But the prosecutor said Rittenhouse provoked that bloodshed, too. He said Huber, Grosskreutz and others in the crowd were trying to stop what they believed was an active shooter.

When it was all over, Rittenhouse walked away like a “hero in a Western — without a care in the world for anything he’s just done,” Binger said.

The defense, though said Rittenhouse was set upon by a “mob.” Richards accused prosecutors of using the term “active shooter” for Rittenhouse because of “the loaded connotations of that word.”

And in an apparent reference to the police shooting of a Black man that touched off the protests, Richards said: “Other people in this community have shot people seven times, and it’s been found to be OK.” ( No charges were brought against the white officer.)

When the prosecutor displayed a photo of Rosenbaum’s bloodied body on a gurney during his autopsy and another of his mangled hand, some jurors appeared to avert their eyes. Later, when Binger displayed a close-up of Grosskreutz’s bicep largely obliterated by a bullet, several jurors winced and turned away.

As he spoke, Binger walked up to the jury box and lifted Rittenhouse’s rifle as if he were firing, pointing the weapon at a wall.

Jurors appeared riveted when Richards, the defense attorney, began addressing them in his booming voice.

The sound of a small group of protesters chanting outside the building could be heard at one point during the defense closing, but it wasn’t clear from inside the courtroom what they were saying.

Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, listened intently in the courtroom.

Supporters have hailed Rittenhouse as a hero who took a stand against lawlessness; foes have branded him a vigilante.

Binger began his closing arguments by questioning whether Rittenhouse was genuinely trying to help.

The prosecutor noted that Rittenhouse had ammunition capable of traveling the length of five football fields and passing through cars, and asked the jury: “Why do you need 30 rounds of full metal jacket (ammo) to protect a building?”

But Richards said Rittenhouse, who worked as a lifeguard in Kenosha and helped clean up graffiti before the shootings, “feels for this community” and “came down here trying to help, to see the damage.”

The defense attorney branded the trial a “political case” brought by prosecutors who he said need someone to blame for the violence. “Kyle Rittenhouse is not that individual,” Richards told the jury.

Earlier Monday, Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that had appeared to be among the likeliest of the charges to net a conviction. It carries by up to nine months in jail.

The defense argued that Wisconsin law has an exception related to the length of a weapon’s barrel. After prosecutors conceded Rittenhouse’s rifle was not short-barreled, the judge threw out the charge.

Perhaps in recognition of weaknesses in their case, prosecutors asked the judge to let the jury consider several lesser charges if they acquit him on the original counts. Schroeder agreed to do so as he delivered some 36 pages of legal instructions to the jury.

In his instructions, the judge said that to accept Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense, the jury must find that he believed there was an unlawful threat to him and that the amount of force he used was reasonable and necessary.

After closing arguments, names were to be drawn to determine which 12 of the 18 jurors who heard testimony would deliberate, with the rest dismissed as alternates.

With a verdict near, Gov. Tony Evers said that 500 National Guard members would be prepared for duty in Kenosha if local law enforcement requested them.

___

Bauer reported from Madison and Forliti reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed from Fenton, Michigan.

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Ernie welcomes new muppet Ji-Young to “Sesame Street.” | Noreen Nasir/AP

The newcomer, named Ji-Young, will be introduced in a special on Thanksgiving Day.

What’s in a name? Well, for Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of “Sesame Street,” her name is a sign she was meant to live there.

“So, in Korean traditionally the two syllables they each mean something different and Ji means, like, smart or wise. And Young means, like, brave or courageous and strong,” Ji-Young explained during a recent interview. “But we were looking it up and guess what? Ji also means sesame.”

At only 7 years old, Ji-Young is making history as the first Asian American muppet in the “Sesame Street” canon. She is Korean American and has two passions: rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding.

Ji-Young will formally be introduced in “See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.” Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi and Naomi Osaka are among the celebrities appearing in the special, which will drop Thanksgiving Day on HBO Max, “Sesame Street” social media platforms and on local PBS stations.

Some of Ji-Young’s personality comes from her puppeteer. Kathleen Kim, 41 and Korean American, got into puppetry in her 30s. In 2014, she was accepted into a “Sesame Street” workshop. That evolved into a mentorship and becoming part of the team the following year. Being a puppeteer on a show Kim watched growing up was a dream come true. But helping shape an original muppet is a whole other feat.

“I feel like I have a lot of weight that maybe I’m putting on myself to teach these lessons and to be this representative that I did not have as a kid,” Kim said. But fellow puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph — who performs Abby Cadabby — reminded her, “It’s not about us … It’s about this message.”

Ji-Young’s existence is the culmination of a lot of discussions after the events of 2020 — George Floyd’s death and anti-Asian hate incidents. Like a lot of companies, “Sesame Street” reflected on how it could “meet the moment,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice-president of Creative and Production for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind “Sesame Street.”

Sesame Workshop established two task forces — one to look at its content and another to look at its own diversity. What developed was Coming Together, a multi-year initiative addressing how to talk to children about race, ethnicity and culture.

One result was 8-year-old Tamir. While not the show’s first Black muppet, he was one of the first used to talk about subjects like racism.

“When we knew we were going to be doing this work that was going to focus on the Asian and Pacific Islanders experience, we of course knew we needed to create an Asian muppet as well,” Stallings said.

These newer muppets — their personalities and their looks — were remarkably constructed in a matter of a months. The process normally takes at least a couple of years. There are outside experts and a cross-section of employees known as the “culture trust” who weigh in on every aspect of a new muppet, Stallings said.

For Kim, it was crucial that Ji-Young not be “generically pan-Asian.”

“Because that’s something that all Asian Americans have experienced. They kind of want to lump us into this monolithic ‘Asian,’ ” Kim said. “So it was very important that she was specifically Korean American, not just like, generically Korean, but she was born here.”

One thing Ji-Young will help teach children is how to be a good “upstander.” “Sesame Street” first used the term on its “The Power of We” TV special last year, which featured Tamir.

“Being an upstander means you point out things that are wrong or something that someone does or says that is based on their negative attitude towards the person because of the color of their skin or the language they speak or where they’re from,” Stallings said. “We want our audience to understand they can be upstanders.”

In “See Us Coming Together,” Sesame Street is preparing for Neighbor Day where everyone shares food, music or dance from their culture. Ji-Young becomes upset after a kid, off screen, tells her “to go back home,” an insult commonly flung at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. But she feels empowered after Sesame Street’s other Asian American residents, guest stars and friends like Elmo assure her that she belongs as much as anyone else.

The fact that Ji-Young was created to counter anti-Asian sentiment makes her more special to Kim in some ways.

“I remember the Atlanta shootings and how terrifying that was for me,” Kim said. “My one hope, obviously, is to actually help teach what racism is, help teach kids to be able to recognize it and then speak out against it. But then my other hope for Ji-Young is that she just normalizes seeing different kinds of looking kids on TV.”

Vanessa Leung, co-executive director of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, is excited about Ji-Young. The organization was not involved in Ji-Young’s creation but previously consulted on anti-racism content for Sesame Workshop. It matters when Asian American families, especially with many of them being immigrant families, can see themselves reflected in an institution like “Sesame Street,” Leung said.

“It sparks curiosity and early understanding of the diversity of our community, the beauty in the diversity of our community,” Leung said.

Ji-Young will be heavily present throughout the show’s 53rd season next year, Stallings reassured. She also won’t just be utilized for content related to racial justice. She will pop up in various digital programs, live-action and animated.

As the new kid on the street, Ji-Young is looking forward to showing her friends and neighbors aspects of Korean culture such as the food. She loves cooking dishes like tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes) with her halmoni (grandmother). And she already has one “Sesame Street” friend who wants a sample.

“I would love to try it,” said Ernie, who joined Ji-Young’s interview. “You know, I’ve tried bulgogi. I really like bulgogi. I’m gonna guess that maybe old buddy Bert has not tried Korean food.”

Having already made several famous friends on “Sesame Street,” is there anyone Ji-Young still really wants to meet?

“The Linda Lindas because they’re so cool,” Ji-Young said, referring to the teenage punk rock band. “And they rock out and they’re cool girls and most of them are Asian. They’re my heroes. If we can get the Linda Lindas on ‘Sesame Street,’ I would show them around.”

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Coleman Hawkins looks like the next Illini player to watch. | Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

You can expect to see a post like this each week until the cows come home or somebody’s up on a ladder cutting down a net.

The first regular-season AP Top 25 basketball poll came out Monday, kind of a big deal to those of us who know better than to keep the college game on the pay-no-mind list until March. Why does anybody do that, anyway? Too many cases of NBA load management to monitor? Too many fantasy football moves to make? Too many episodes of “The Bachelor” and “Love Island” to pretend not to be watching?

But now I’ve wandered off into tortured reverie again.

Look, folks: The poll is out. That’s what I’m trying to tell you here. And, this season, I’m an AP Top 25 voter, which means you can expect to see a post like this each week until the cows come home or somebody’s up on a ladder cutting down a net — whichever comes first. That’s not counting the inevitable time or two I’ll forget to vote because I’m (what’s that word again?) an idiot. I’m not the sort who makes it through an entire season unblemished.

Get ready for a couple of fat paragraphs.

AP Top 25

1. Gonzaga, 2. UCLA, 3. Kansas, 4. Michigan, 5. Villanova, 6. Purdue, 7. Duke, 8. Texas, 9. Baylor, 10. Illinois, 11. Memphis, 12. Oregon, 13. Kentucky, 14. Alabama, 15. Houston, 16. Arkansas, 17. Tennessee, 18. North Carolina, 19. Ohio State, 20. Maryland, 21. Auburn, 22. St. Bonaventure, 23. Connecticut, 24. Florida, 25. USC.

(Click here to see the poll in more complete list form.)

My ballot

1. Gonzaga, 2. Kansas, 3. UCLA, 4. Villanova, 5. Michigan, 6. Duke, 7. Purdue, 8. Illinois, 9. Memphis, 10. Houston, 11. Alabama, 12. Oregon, 13. Kentucky, 14. Baylor, 15. Connecticut, 16. Virginia Tech, 17. St. Bonaventure, 18. Arkansas, 19. Maryland, 20. Tennessee, 21. Ohio State, 22. Auburn, 23. USC, 24. North Carolina, 25. Texas.

(Click here and then on “all voters” to see each voter’s individual ballot.)

Five things

o Unlike most of my fellow voters, I dropped Texas wayyy down on my ballot because its first half at Gonzaga — admittedly, a ridiculously tough place to play — was a pathetic effort. You and your cousin Earl could take turns defending Drew Timme in the post and fare as well as the Longhorns’ bigs did. Put it this way: If it were football, Texas would’ve lost to Kansas. Oh, wait.

o Villanova and Kentucky also have early losses. Jay Wright’s Wildcats played a great game at UCLA but lost in overtime. John Calipari’s Wildcats played not-so-great in a loss to Duke, but it was a fairly promising showing. These teams don’t deserve to be punished like Texas (or like North Carolina for barely surviving against Brown).

o I dig Virginia Tech. Second place in the ACC could happen for this team.

o Illinois, up from 11th in the preseason poll, showed a heck of a lot playing shorthanded for a couple of games. The Illini are going to defend like madmen no matter who’s out there, a great sign.

o Nobody is going to call the Pac-12 the best league, but both Oregon and USC are potential climbers. USC might be the biggest climber of all before it’s done. If UCLA lives up to its billing, look out.

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Caleb Jones could make his Blackhawks regular-season debut soon. | AP Photos

Jones will likely debut during the Hawks’ road trip. He, Wyatt Kalynuk, Brandon Hagel, Tyler Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle are all currently working their way back from injuries.

Caleb Jones felt some pain as he battled in the corner during a practice drill on Oct. 5, deep into an impressive training camp for the new Blackhawks defenseman.

At the time, it seemed like a minor issue, if anything. But that proved not to be the case.

“I thought I just jammed my wrist, so I finished practice, went home [and] was icing it,” Jones said Monday. “The next day, I came in and showed the trainers what was going on. They tried to tape it, and they said if my tendon had stayed in place, I’d be OK. But it kept side-sliding out.”

Jones, 24, was eventually ruled out for four-to-six weeks. And although he started skating again weeks ago, resumed practicing with the team a few days ago and said Monday his wrist feels better, he’ll end up missing longer than that.

He’ll participate in pregame warmups Wednesday against the Kraken, interim coach Derek King said, in order to “get him back [in] a how-do-you-get-dressed-before-a-game kind of routine.” But Saturday against the Oilers, his team for his first three NHL seasons, seems like the most likely date for his Hawks regular-season debut.

“I’m not going to lie, it’d be nice to play in Edmonton,” Jones said, laughing. “It’d be a fun one. It’d especially be weird for my first game as a Blackhawk to be back there.”

Jones’ imminent return is the latest development in what feels like a never-ending injury shuffle for the Hawks.

Among the forwards, on top of MacKenzie Entwistle missing another three-to-five weeks, Tyler Johnson — who hasn’t played since Oct. 29 due to COVID-19 and a neck injury — is receiving reevaluation and is iffy to travel westward Tuesday with the Hawks. Brandon Hagel — six days into an estimated two-week absence with a shoulder injury — will travel after practicing Tuesday, but with no contact yet.

And among the defensemen, both Jones and Wyatt Kalynuk have seemed close for a while, yet neither have officially returned. Kalynuk is currently getting up to speed in the AHL, where has two points in two games so far.

Their frustratingly drawn-out rehab periods have forced the Hawks to play Erik Gustafsson — despite being signed solely as an injury stop-gap and despite his continually poor defensive play — in 14 straight games.

Jones, once ready, should provide a major upgrade over Gustafsson. He’s equally capable of providing an offensive spark from the blue line, but far more reliable defensively. During his roughly 46 minutes of even-strength ice time in the preseason, the Hawks led their opponents 20-18 in scoring chances and 4-2 in goals.

And Jones also seems quite motivated to prove, after such a long delay, he can still be a long-term piece for the Hawks. He’d clearly impressed ex-coach Jeremy Colliton before the coaching change; now he wants, and needs, to do the same under King.

“This was a big year for me to come in and show I could be a really good NHL player,” Jones said. “In Edmonton, I had good spurts, but I never consistently was able to keep doing it.

“It was a tough blow for sure to hear [I’d miss this time], especially on a weird play in practice. But I kept my head on straight and kept working hard. And I know I’ll get another chance.”

Note: Hawks alumni Marian Hossa and Doug Wilson were officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, a year after they were chosen as parts of the 2020 class. Patrick Kane, reflecting recently on Hossa’s prolific 2009-to-2017 Chicago tenure, called him “amazing for this franchise” and said it wasn’t a coincidence “that when he retired…our team started to go down.”

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