Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks outside Simeon Career Academy in Chatham this morning. | Mark Capapas/Sun-Times

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 see scattered showers and thunderstorms with a high near 72 and a 50% chance of precipitation. Similar conditions are expected to continue tonight with a low around 63 and an 80% chance of rain. Showers and thunderstorms are also expected tomorrow with a high near 73 and a 50% chance of precipitation.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson meets with Simeon students still mourning shooting deaths of two classmates

Rev. Jesse Jackson today met with students at Simeon Career Academy in Chatham where students are still mourning the deaths of two classmates killed in separate shootings last month.

“Somebody in school knows the boys who killed the other two boys, they know them,” Jackson told reporters outside the school, noting that he urged students to speak up.

“They must tell somebody. For example, if they know there’s a gun in somebody’s car or locker, the gun’s not there to shoot rabbits,” he said.

Simeon freshman Kentrell McNeal, 15, was killed when he and a friend were ambushed in a McDonald’s parking lot in Hyde Park. The 14-year-old with him was seriously wounded. Hours earlier, another Simeon student, Jamari Williams, also 15, was shot and killed minutes after school let out. He loved playing football and, like Kentrell, had used sports as a refuge from the violence around him.

Jackson also said he’d like to meet with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to bring the two together after disagreements were aired publicly this week.

Mitch Dudek has more from Jackson’s remarks today here.

More news you need

President Joe Biden is visiting an Elk Grove Village data center under construction today to drum up support for his order to require larger companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines or weekly testing requirements for workers. Ahead of the visit, a White House official told the Sun-Times: “The President’s message will be clear: Vaccination requirements work.”

A Chicago Heights man admitted today that he threatened President Biden’s inauguration in expletive-filled voicemails left for members of Congress late in 2020. In one voicemail, Louis Capriotti could be heard saying, “We will surround the motherf—ing White House and we will kill any motherf—ing Democrat that steps on the motherf—ing lawn.”

Debra Shore, who has served as an elected commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District since 2006, will head the six-state Midwest headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago. Shore will lead EPA Region 5, one of the biggest offices for the country’s top environmental enforcer.

Pfizer today asked the U.S. government to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11, the Associated Press reports. If regulators agree, shots could begin within weeks.

An alligator gar caught in the DuPage River? Sun-Times outdoors columnists Dale Bowman got a tip that one was caught there, so he did some digging to learn more about this rare find.

A bright one

Michigan Avenue mural shows city’s ‘interconnectedness and beautiful grit’

The facade of 679 N. Michigan Ave. is no longer reminiscent of a vacant former Apple store that once occupied the building.

Now, much of it is covered in a three-story, 6,000-square-foot mural full of detailed flora and bright pops of color.

Titled “Rapt on The Mile,” the mural creates a three-dimensional garden to “share energy” with the city, said local artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust, who created the mural.

Mark Capapas/Sun-Times
The front of the new mural “Rapt on The Mile” on 679 N. Michigan Ave.

Cave and Faust said they want Chicagoans to recognize the “interconnectedness and beautiful grit” neighbors share in the city.

Posting the work on Michigan Avenue is one intended to uplift a job hub that has suffered from the pandemic and also from looting over the past year and a half.

The mural, installed by the marketing company Creative Graphics Management, will be on display through January.

Clare Proctor has more on the mural here.

From the press box

Tensions might flare up during the American League Division Series. And if they do? Managers Tony La Russa of the White Sox and Dusty Baker of the Astros will undoubtedly love it.

Sox left veteran left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel off the ALDS roster.

More fans will be able to watch Game 2 of the ALDS thanks to MLB Network.
Our experts make their predictions for Sunday’s Bears-Raiders game.
Mike Clark previews this week’s top high school football games.

The Chicago Sky beat the Connecticut Sun 79-69 last night. Now they’re headed for the WNBA finals, which start Oct. 10.

Your daily question ?

We want to know: Have you ever been scammed? Tell us what happened.

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 did you do during the more than five hours Facebook and its apps (Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.) were down on Monday? Here’s what some of you said…

“Caught up on my DVR shows and played Solitaire, since my cable and internet were working, even if Facebook was not. It was a little isolating and a little eye-opening. At first, I felt lost and disconnected.” — Christine Bock

“I turned on the radio and worked around the house. It’s awesome. I decided to do that on a regular basis from now on. rock ‘n’ roll beats Facebook hands down!” — Sandy Harms

“Complained and cursed, as I work in digital marketing and needed data to put together for a presentation.” — Kristine Hulce Romano

“Read the WaPo and CST, some fiction too, made lunch — a normal day!” — Carmie Daugird Callobre

“I was on Twitter laughing at tweets about Facebook being down.” — Sharon Bartley

“I composed a song.” — James Hawkins

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

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Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks outside Simeon Career Academy in Chatham Thursday morning. | Mark Capapas/Sun-Times

Jackson also offered to broker peace between Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “They’re talking past each other…let’s talk it out in private and not in public,,” Jackson said Thursday.

Rev. Jesse Jackson on Thursday met with students at Simeon Career Academy in Chatham where students are still mourning the deaths of two classmates killed in separate shootings last month.

“Somebody in school knows the boys who killed the other two boys, they know them,” Jackson told reporters outside the school, noting that he urged students to speak up.

“They must tell somebody. For example, if they know there’s a gun in somebody’s car or locker, the gun’s not there to shoot rabbits,” he said.

Simeon freshman Kentrell McNeal, 15, was killed when he and a friend were ambushed in a McDonald’s parking lot in Hyde Park. The 14-year-old with him was seriously wounded. Hours earlier, another Simeon student, Jamari Williams, also 15, was shot and killed minutes after school let out. He loved playing football and, like Kentrell, had used sports as a refuge from the violence around him.

Jackson said Simeon students told him they were concerned about being targeted for sharing information with authorities.

“If they tell it, will they be protected? Should they tell it? These are real questions with them. What should they do?” Jackson said.

Jackson also said he’d like to meet with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to bring the two together after disagreements were aired publicly this week.

Lightfoot said the city could be “sent into chaos” if Foxx doesn’t hold shooters accountable, like the ones behind a recent deadly shooting in Austin that resulted in no charges.

Foxx then slammed Lightfoot for raising alarms about the case and said the mayor had her facts wrong.

“I’d like to meet with them so we can try to resolve the differences,” Jackson said. “They’re talking past each other. … Let’s talk it out in private and not in public, [where] it creates more division within the city.”

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Ardem Patapoutian, who was born in Beirut, is one of two American scientists who won the Nobel Prize in medicine this week. | AP Photos

There is always a tension in democracies between excellence and egalitarianism.

It’s Nobel Prize season. The just-announced 2021 winners in medicine/physiology are two Americans, Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, who’ve done groundbreaking research on the senses of touch, taste, heat and pain. Their joint discoveries may yield new, nonopioid treatments for pain and other breakthroughs.

Patapoutian had his cellphone switched off, and so he missed the call from Stockholm. The committee eventually reached his 94-year-old father on a landline, so Patapoutian learned that he hit the prestige jackpot from his dad.

Do you feel a flush of pride when Americans win Nobel Prizes? I do. It’s a sign that for all of our division, disarray and decay, we continue to achieve excellence. If you peruse the winners of Nobel Prizes by country since 1901, you find that a number of European countries are well-represented. France has earned 70, Germany 111, and Great Britain 135. Russia/Soviet Union claimed 31, and Belgium 11.

But towering over the list is the USA with 392.

This year’s winners in medicine are not atypical. One is native-born, and the other an immigrant. Patapoutian, who traces his ancestors to Armenia, was born in Beirut. He and his brother fled the civil war there when he was 18. While at UCLA, he fell in love with basic research.

Our universities are plagued by groupthink and wokeness. But those smothering fashions mostly skip the hard sciences, where a combination of investment in basic research, rigorous standards and a long tradition of academic freedom create the conditions for discoveries to bloom. By the way, China has earned eight Nobel Prizes.

Our openness to immigrants is part of the story, too. Since the prizes began at the start of the 20th century, immigrants have accounted for 37% of American winners in the hard sciences.

That talented people of all sorts (including those with little education) yearn to come here remains one of our greatest strengths. As Patapoutian reflected, “In Lebanon, I didn’t even know about scientists as a career.”

But there are movements in America now to limit or even eliminate programs for the gifted and talented. In New York, a task force appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio recommended abolishing all of the city’s gifted programs and selective high schools. Seattle’s system of testing children in early grades to identify “highly capable” learners has come under fire. And in northern Virginia, the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, or TJ, has changed its admission criteria to be more inclusive.

There is always a tension in democracies between excellence and egalitarianism. The gap between subgroups in school performance gives rise to calls to change standards so that the representation of each group in elite institutions can more accurately reflect the group’s percentage of the population.

TJ, a magnet school renowned for its superior math and science curriculum, is close to where my children grew up. They were eligible to apply but weren’t STEM-oriented, so they took a pass. But other families, especially immigrants from Asia, regarded admission to TJ as the holy grail — a public high school that could be a ticket to the best colleges — and their kids studied hard to secure one of those valuable slots.

TJ’s admission test led to student enrollments that were not reflective of the ethnic groupings in the region. Fairfax County’s overall student body is 38% white, 27% Hispanic, 20% Asian and 10% Black. In the 2019-2020 school year, enrollment at TJ was 71.5% Asian, 19.48% non-Hispanic white, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.72% Black and 4.7% other.

The new admission criteria adopted for the 2021-2022 school year eliminated the standardized test, raised the required grade-point average, and allocated slots in the freshman class for the top 1.5% of students from each middle school. It also eliminated the $100 application fee.

So far, the new system seems to disadvantage Asian students. Their share of the class dropped to 54.36%. The number of Black students increased to 7.09%. Hispanics were boosted to 11.27%, and whites increased their representation to 22.36%.

Is that just?

Teasing apart why some ethnic groups perform better in school than others is extremely difficult. Culture, family structure, historical discrimination and luck all play roles. But there are two ways to attempt to make society more egalitarian. One is to drag down the top, and the other is to raise up the bottom.

Fairfax County’s decision to eliminate the $100 application fee seems to be an excellent way to remove a barrier for poorer families. Lowering standards at TJ, on the other hand, elevates diversity at the expense of excellence.

The STEM-centric education at TJ isn’t for every student, but it does serve society at large. The kind of students who are capable of advanced math and science work go on to make discoveries that help the rest of us live better lives. It should be there for the future Dr. Patapoutians.

Mona Charen is policy editor of The Bulwark and host of the “Beg to Differ” podcast.

Send letters to [email protected].

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Illinois has a lot more to offer other than Chicago! Less than an hour’s drive northwest of Chicago or a quick ride on the Metra, you’ll find Elgin, “The City in the Suburbs.” As the sixth-largest city in Illinois, Elgin is a little escape from the hustle and bustle of Chicago without neglecting your taste buds. Here are eight of the best restaurants to try the next time you visit Elgin.

2502 Randall Rd. Elgin, IL 60123

Gabutto Burger is known for their burgers with Japanese twists. There’s a sandwich for everyone from beef, chicken, and pork to seafood and veggie. These aren’t your typical sandwiches either. Their special patties, sauces, and flavors and even rice buns make your trip to Gabutto Burger a truly unique experience. If you’re really hungry, channel your InnerWorkings competitive eater and try the Samurai Burger Challenge. You have only 30 minutes to eat this behemoth of a burger, packed with a smorgasbord of patties, sauces, meats, and everything in between. You get a samurai sword and the meal free if you’re victorious!

751 N State St. Elgin, IL 60123

When in doubt, pizza’s always a great choice. ZZA Factory prides itself in quality ingredients, from mozzarella from Wisconsin to the best meats from Chicago. A lot of ZZA’s ingredients are made fresh daily, like homemade pizza dough or fresh cut fries. The menu is vast and if you’re craving more than just pizza, ZZA also offers wings, sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, and more.

219 E Chicago St. Elgin, IL 60120

Burgers and beer are always a great combination and Elgin Public House delivers. With a large selection of specialty burgers and plenty of ingredients to BYO, like duck bacon, you may have a hard time choosing what’s for lunch. The pub also has salads, sandwiches, entrees, and a signature mac and cheese. The drink menu is as diverse as the food menu with a rotating list of craft drafts and limited-time bottles and cans, an assortment of wines, and delicious signature cocktails. Having a late lunch? Indulge in happy hour specials Sunday through Thursday, 2-5 p.m.

1827 N La Fox St. South Elgin, IL 60177

Get your fix of Mexican street tacos fresh off this food truck. This quick and easy stop makes lunch a breeze. Fresh al pastor tacos, elotes, and horchata? Sign us up! Inches Tacos also offers burritos, tamales, torta, nachos, quesadillas, and more.

2175 Point Blvd. Elgin, IL 60123

Enjoy a contemporary dining experience at Cafe Roma from Le Cordon Bleu-trained Chef/Owner Frank Redisi. For lunch, dig into Italian classics like pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. If their homemade pasta sauces leave you wanting more, you can buy jars of their Vodka and Pomodoro sauces for your own culinary adventure.

155 S Randall Rd. Elgin, IL 60123

Classic American fare like burgers, cheese curds, chicken sandwiches, and more pair well with Old Republic’s bar selection. Indulge in daily specials like half-price burgers on Mondays or half-price pizzas on Thursdays with beverage purchases. Old Republic’s menu features specialties from California, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, New England, Memphis, New Orleans, and Chicago.

346 S Randall Rd. South Elgin, IL 60177

Get a little taste of Hawaii in Elgin with a delicious bowl of poké. Essentially sushi in a bowl, poké is a staple in Hawaiian cuisine. Choose from signature bowls or BYO with a wide selection of toppings, ingredients, and sauces. Poke Bros prides itself in fresh and authentic ingredients and has locations spanning the Midwest and East Coast. 

720 N Mclean Blvd. South Elgin, IL 60177

If you’re itching for something sweet, look no further than Sweet Berry Cafe for classic brunch favorites, like crepes, pancakes, french toast, and waffles. Try their seasonal pumpkin pancakes for those #fallvibes. More of the savory type? Opt for a benny or omelet instead or chow down on a sandwich or wrap!

Featured Image Credit: Old Republic [Kitchen + Bar]

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It’s never too early to begin planning for Halloween! Whether you’re looking for all-age fun involving cookies and pumpkins, or adult Halloween parties in Chicago with real screams and thrills, we’ve got you covered with this extensive list of Halloween happenings now through the end of the month.

Image Credit; Beatrix

272 Oakbrook Ctr., Oak Brook, IL

WHEN: Thursday, October 28: 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM
WHAT: Celebrate Halloween with the Halloween Cookie Decorating Event at Beatrix in Oakbrook Center on Thursday, October 28! Led by Chef Partner Yasmin Gutierrez, guests will decorate Halloween-themed sugar cookies with festive frosting, candy, sprinkles and more while learning decorating tips and enjoying sips from Beatrix. The Kids Session is from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM and is $24.95, plus tax (gratuity not included), and the Adults Session is from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM and is $39.95 per person, plus tax (gratuity not included).
CONTACT: 630-491-1415 | Reserve your spot at the Kids Halloween Cookie Decorating Event at Beatrix | Reserve your spot at the Adults Halloween Cookie Decorating Event at Beatrix

Image Credit: Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

2024 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL

WHEN: Trick or Treating: Saturday, October 30 – Sunday, October 31; Free Dessert Tapa: Sunday, October 31: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
WHAT: Throughout Halloween weekend, stop by the Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! take-out window on Saturday, October 30 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM and Sunday, October 31 from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM for free trick-or-treating. Don’t forget something savory for the adults! On Sunday, October 31, wear your costume to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! and your table will get your choice of one free dessert tapa to share. This spooky deal is valid for dine-in customers only. One dessert per table.
CONTACT: 773-935-5000 | Make a reservation at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! | Order carryout and delivery from Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

Image Credit: Joe’s Live

5441 Park Place, Rosemont, IL

WHEN: Saturday, October 30: Doors at 8:00 PM and music at 9:30 PM
WHAT: Don’t miss the Halloween Party with Sixteen Candles at Joe’s Live on Saturday, October 30. Doors open at 8:00 PM and music starts at 9:30 PM. General admission tickets are $10 (plus taxes and fees). This is a 21+ show.
CONTACT: 847- 261-0392 | Buy tickets for the Halloween Party at Joe’s Live

110 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654

The fear for darkness is in our nature. But it’s also in our nature to scare ourselves during the Halloween season while simultaneously indulging in emotional support cocktails. The haunted dining in the dark experience at Hubbard Inn will take you through on a trip through the deranged history of its ghostly venue, while pampering you with a gourmet 3-course meal.

Get your tickets here.

820 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

WHEN: Oct. 29 & 30, 8PM – 12AM

How many Japanese horror stories you’ve heard are related to train and subway stations? And what’s a better city for a subway-based horror night than Chicago when we have the famous L trains? Momotaro will transport you to the world of the spine-chilling Japanese kaitan world of Izakaya Station, all the while pampering you with delicious food.

Get your tickets here.

441 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL

WHEN: Sunday, October 31: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
WHAT: Rock your costume at Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba! on Sunday, October 31, and you’ll get your choice of one free dessert tapa. This spooky deal is valid for dine-in customers only.
CONTACT: 312-985-6909 | Make a reservation at Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba!

260 Oakbrook Ctr., Oak Brook, IL

WHEN: Sunday, October 31: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
WHAT: Make your way to Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook for a fun-filled Halloweekend Costume Party. Dress up and indulge in French favorites like Onion Soup Au Gratin or Baked Goat Cheese. Brunch will also be available. Guests in costume will be able to enter into a special holiday raffle for a chance to win one of three Lettuce Entertain You gift cards: a third place $50 gift card, a second place $100 gift card, and a grand prize $200 gift card.
CONTACT: 630-472-1900 | Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi – Oak Brook  

108 N State St suite 420, Chicago, IL 60602

Have you ever bouldered in Halloween costumes? We haven’t! This year, the newly expanded First Ascent is redefining Halloween costume parties with their climb in costume challenge. Stay tuned to their social media and website announcements as more details plus additional Halloween activities are revealed!

1962 N. Halsted St., Chicago IL

WHEN: Friday October 29 – Sunday October 31
WHAT: Join Quality Crab & Oyster Bah Halloween Weekend for Brews & Boos! Enjoy all draft beers for $5, plus tax (gratuity not included). Pair your brew with an order of Fish & Chips, Oysters on the Half Shell, or King Crab Legs. For the kiddos, we will have an overflowing pot of Halloween Candy for all trick or treaters dressed up in costume.
CONTACT: 773-248-3000 | Make a reservation at Quality Crab & Oyster Bah

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Theodore Thomas, seen here in 1898, the most famous American conductor of the 19th century, wasn’t about to let a detail like Chicago burning to the ground cancel his most lucrative concert of the season. | Alfred Cox photo/Rosenthal Archives of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association

Future CSO founder Theodore Thomas arrived here in time to witness the Great Chicago Fire.

Here’s a joke that Chicago residents told immediately after the Great Fire:

Question: Why is Theodore Thomas different than Nero? Answer: Because one fiddled away while Rome burned, and the the other roamed away while his fiddles burned.

Not a thigh-slapper, to be sure. And for the joke to make any sense today, you need to know that Thomas was a famous orchestra conductor. When Thomas played a program of Johann Strauss in New York, critics said he wielded the baton better than the composer himself.

Tickets going on sale for his October 1871 Chicago performance created a furor. The Tribune predicted the concert would be “one of the most notable events in the history of music in Chicago.”

It wasn’t. The performance was set for Crosby’s Opera House on Oct. 9, 1871 — 150 years ago Saturday. By curtain time Crosby’s, and much of the city around it, would be ash and ruin.

The date of the Great Chicago Fire is remembered as Oct. 8, 1871 because that’s when it began, about 9:30 p.m. in the barn behind Mrs. O’Leary’s home on the near southwest side. But by midnight it was no historic fire; just another blaze on par with a big fire the day before.

The next day — Monday, Oct. 9 — was when it earned the word “great,” leaping across the river, twice, first ravaging downtown, then jumping to the North Side.

J. Paul Getty Museum
Clark Street, looking north from Harrison Street, after the fire.

How a story comes out depends upon where you begin it. In my tale of the fire coming in a special section in this Sunday’s Sun-Times, I start the story in July of 1871, for reasons that will be plain if you read it. The Sun-Times is running its package of stories two days after the anniversary, perhaps to create a sense of anticipation. The Tribune has been pelting its readers with fire stories for the past six weeks, so by the actual anniversary, I imagine they’ll want to run shrieking from any mention of the fire. While you guys have something to savor.

Thomas isn’t in Sunday’s story, since his connection to the fire is so fleeting. Though it is a marvelous moment.

Imagine the scene. The train carrying Thomas and his orchestra pulls into the 22nd Street station. The most lucrative performance of their tour, set for tonight. Thomas is informed the train cannot proceed because the city is burning down.

What would you do? I guarantee it is not what Theodore Thomas did.

“He ordered his musicians to pick up their instruments and personal baggage and follow him the rest of the way on foot,” according to Eugene H. Cropsey, in his history of the of the Crosby Opera House.

You don’t reach the pinnacle of 19th century American classical music by being a creampuff. The orchestra marches into the fiery chaos.

“They found themselves in the midst of the most dire confusion,” Crospey writes. “The street was choked with furniture and other household and personal belongings. Some people were running through the crowd crying and cursing, others sat trembling on their trunks and bundles, hollow-eyed and in despair.”

Someone assured Thomas the opera house was rubble and there were no hotels available. They returned to their train and fled to Joliet.

Afterward, Chicagoans who had excitedly bought tickets tried to get their money back. To me, this is one of those piquant details that compress time, connecting us who are alive today with those of 150 years ago in a bond of sympathy and understanding. The opera house was ash and Thomas gone. He insisted, via letter, that he had returned the ticket money to the organizers, so it wasn’t his problem anymore. Still, holders of Chicago tickets tried to use them at Thomas performances in other cities, and were refused.

I don’t want to leave you with a bad impression of Thomas. He made it up to us.

By the late 1880s, he was tiring of touring the country. “I would go to hell if they gave me a permanent orchestra” he complained, and Chicago businessman C. Norman Fay said that could be arranged. Thomas founded the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1891 and after his death in 1905 the CSO was renamed the Theodore Thomas Orchestra for eight years. Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven each have their names carved once on the facade of Orchestra Hall. Theodore Thomas’s name is carved there twice.

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