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Chicago Bears: This better not be the reason Andy Dalton is startingVincent Pariseon September 1, 2021 at 11:00 am

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Chicago Bears: This better not be the reason Andy Dalton is startingVincent Pariseon September 1, 2021 at 11:00 am Read More »

10 shot Tuesday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon September 1, 2021 at 9:51 am

Ten people were shot Tuesday in Chicago, including a 41-year-old man who was shot in North Park on the North Side.

About 11:35 p.m., he was driving in the 5800 block of North Spaulding Avenue, when he heard shots and felt a pain, Chicago police said. He was struck in the torso, and drove himself to Swedish Covenant Medical Center, where he is in fair condition.

A 4-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting in Englewood on the South Side. The girl was in front of a home about 4:30 p.m. in the 600 block of West 61st Street when she was shot in the arm, police said. She was taken to St. Bernard Hospital and later transferred to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

Minutes prior, two people were shot, one critically, in West Englewood on the South Side. The man and woman, both 20, were in a parked vehicle about 4 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Claremont Avenue when someone approached them and began shooting at their vehicle, police said. The man was struck in the back, leg and arm and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. The woman was shot in the arm and was taken to the same hospital, where she was stabilized.

A man was in critical condition after being shot in West Garfield Park. The 32-year-old was on the sidewalk about 7:30 a.m. in the 500 bl0ck of South Pulaski Road when someone approached and unleashed gunfire, police said. The man suffered two gunshot wounds to his back and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

A woman wounded in a shooting early Tuesday morning on Interstate 57. The female passenger, a 27-year-old from Markham, was shot by someone in another vehicle around 2:10 a.m. in the southbound lanes near 111th Street, according to Illinois State Police. The driver was uninjured. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Four others were wounded in shootings across Chicago.

Two people were killed, and ten others were wounded, in shootings Monday in Chicago.

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10 shot Tuesday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon September 1, 2021 at 9:51 am Read More »

‘The Gateway’: Two-fisted social worker takes on abusive husband in stylish B-movieRichard Roeperon September 1, 2021 at 10:30 am

Parker is a former prizefighter who drives an old but reliable car, drinks too much and broods too much and is constantly getting into dangerous scrapes — but underneath that gruff exterior is a guy who will knock you into tomorrow if you’re a threat to a woman or a child. At the end of the day you can count on Parker.

‘The Gateway’: 3 out of 4

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So, what do you figure Parker does for a living? Is he a private detective? A cop? An assassin? A former Special Forces operative who’s now living off the grid and uses his particular set of skills when the situation calls for it?

Nah. Parker is a social worker.

That’s a new one, but in the hands of director and co-writer Michele Civetta and thanks to a gritty and raw tough-guy performance by the invaluable Shea Whigham (“Boardwalk Empire,” “True Detective”) and a fantastic supporting cast, the noir crime thriller “The Gateway” is an entertaining B-movie with some quirky twists and turns, starting with the fact Parker’s day job is looking after single moms and impoverished families to make sure they’re doing OK and the kids are going to school and the adults are trying to find gainful employment.

Set in the rougher neighborhoods of St. Louis (but actually filmed in Norfolk, Virginia), “The Gateway” opens with Whigham’s Parker making his rounds for Social Services, and man it’s a tough gig. On one such visit, he finds a young mother dead of a drug overdose, and when he finally returns to his car after the paramedics have left, two punks have smashed his windows and stolen his stereo. Parker also spends a lot of time looking after a blackjack dealer named Dahlia (Olivia Munn), who is prone to all-night partying, which causes her daughter Ashley (Taegen Burns) to call Parker for a ride to school. Little wonder Parker spends his nights in a tavern run by his old pal (Mark Boone Junior), getting sloshed and waxing philosophical about life and getting even more sloshed before he finally stumbles his way home.

The life of mom and party girl Dahlia (Olivia Munn) takes a bad turn when her abusive husband gets out of prison.Lionsgate

Things go from messy to bloody when Dahlia’s husband Mike (Zach Avery) gets released from prison and immediately starts abusing Dahlia and getting mixed up in some violent and deadly activities involving a local crime boss played the ubiquitous Frank Grillo, massive amounts of drugs and some seriously dangerous cartel people. Mike threatens Parker and tells him to stay out of his family’s business, but Parker can’t help himself, he’s going to be there when Dahlia and Ashley need him. In the meantime, we have all manner of subplots, including Parker hooking up with a regular at the bar (Taryn Manning) and the introduction into the story of Parker’s estranged father (the great Bruce Dern), who was an abusive husband and parent but would like to make amends with his son in his waning years. Oh, and Parker gets fired from his job with Social Services after punching out a co-worker who quite frankly deserved to be punched out.

Director Civetta comes from the world of music videos and high-end commercials, and “The Gateway” has a slick, stylish look. The screenplay is dense with crackling dialogue, and the performances are uniformly excellent, with Shea Whigham leading the way in a badass anti-hero performance.

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‘The Gateway’: Two-fisted social worker takes on abusive husband in stylish B-movieRichard Roeperon September 1, 2021 at 10:30 am Read More »

Horoscope for Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2021Georgia Nicolson September 1, 2021 at 5:01 am

Moon Alert

After 12:30 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Cancer.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

It will please you to cocoon at home if you can. You want to relax among familiar surroundings. Or perhaps, you want to ponder the past or have meaningful discussions with family members. A conversation with a female relative could be significant.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

In discussion with others, you want to make a point of connecting with them in a real, genuine way. You want to feel that there is something meaningful going back and forth between the two of you. This is why you don’t want to waste time on superficial chitchat.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You might have some money-making ideas, especially pertaining to a family business. However, in financial matters including shopping, be aware that you are more likely to make choices based on your emotions rather than logic or reasoning.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Today the moon is in your sign, which will definitely make you more emotional than usual. You will notice that your feelings are heightened, even reactionary. But the good news is that your luck will be slightly better than all the other 11 signs. Bonus!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Today the moon is “hiding” in your chart, which means that you too, might want to hide or withdraw from the busyness of the world around you. You will welcome some time to cogitate, meditate and do some serious navel gazing — preferably with some fun finger food.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Conversation with a female acquaintance could be important to you today. In fact, the exchange might be important for both of you. In particular, this is a good day to share your hopes and dreams for the future with someone and then discuss which goals are doable.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

People notice you more than usual today. In fact, some will be discussing personal details about your private life. (It’s just what’s happening.) Be aware of this in case you have to do some damage control. Hey, you’re a great schmoozer with wonderful diplomatic skills.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Today your sense of adventure is triggered, which is why you will love a chance to travel or do something different. You need a change of scenery. You also want the stimulation of learning something new and unusual. What can you do to satisfy this urge? Do something different.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You certainly look great in the eyes of others at this time. With this knowledge, be aware that today is a good day to tie up loose details about inheritances, shared property, taxes, debt and insurance issues. If necessary, doors will open for you!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Today the moon is in the sign that is directly opposite from your sign, which means that you have to go more than halfway to accommodate others. This simply requires patience and cooperation. But if you do this, you will come out ahead of the game. It’s a win-win.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Accept the fact that you might have to perform a service for someone today or work on their behalf. Very likely, you will get a sense of gratification from doing a good job and helping someone. You might also be focused on a health issue.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

This is a lovely, playful day! Take a long lunch, or, better yet, play hooky! Look for opportunities to express your creative talents. Enjoy participating in or watching sports events as well as playful activities with kids. Romance will blossom!

If Your Birthday Is Today

Singer, actress performer Zendaya (1996) shares your birthday. You are refined and graceful; and yet, you are also courageous, bold and forthright. You speak your mind, especially because you are intelligent and interested in many things. You are often self-employed. Take care of yourself this year because you will need to be a resource for others and help them in some way. You might give yourself a makeover this year.

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Horoscope for Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2021Georgia Nicolson September 1, 2021 at 5:01 am Read More »

Activists call for police accountability outside COPA headquartersMohammad Samraon September 1, 2021 at 3:40 am

Community leaders and supporters at a rally outside the Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Tuesday called for justice for a woman seen in a viral video apparently being grabbed and restrained by a Chicago police officer at North Avenue Beach last weekend.

In the video, a Black woman, Nikkita Brown, is seen with her dog as an officer appears to try and force her to leave the area.

Brown’s attorney released a statement Sunday calling the incident “an obvious case of racial profiling.”

Tuesday’s rally co-organizer Troy Gaston, 39, claims he received footage of the incident and released it to a local TV news station.

“I believe that this rally…wakes up our communities to be involved in the movement wrapped around Black liberation,” Gaston said.

About 30 demonstrators at the rally listened as community activists spoke about the importance of police accountability. The officer seen in the video has been placed on paid desk duty while COPA, the agency charged with looking into police misconduct, does its investigation.

Lamar Whitfield, a co-host and speaker at the rally, said he wanted to support Brown but also wanted to respect her wishes to avoid the spotlight she’s been in since the video went viral.

“It brings attention that you don’t want sometimes,” Whitfield, 45, said, “I rarely even wanted to say her name…I don’t like to keep saying her name and bring that sort of attention to her, that could be negative.”

Like rally speaker Mark Clements, many participants have had their own experiences with police violence.

“All of these rallies serve as a message to the city of Chicago, who for years has been getting away with systemic beatings, lynchings and murders in Black and Brown communities,” Clements said.

Clements was physically tortured at age 16 by police into confessing to a fire that killed four in 1981. His conviction was overturned in 2009.

“I spent 28 years of my life in a prison … I’m out here to hold these police officers accountable for basically engaging into criminal conduct and basically having that conduct covered up,” Clements said.

Clements, who works with the Chicago Torture Justice Center, helps people who have been traumatized in confrontations with police.

“Our job is to provide psychological support to individuals like Ms. Brown,” Clements said, “We provided services to victims of those who have been mistreated as a result of Chicago police.”

Brown or her mother were not seen at the rally.

Contributing: Madeline Kenney, David Struett and Fran Spielman

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Activists call for police accountability outside COPA headquartersMohammad Samraon September 1, 2021 at 3:40 am Read More »

Man charged with shooting toward officers near Chicago police headquartersSun-Times Wireon September 1, 2021 at 2:58 am

A 50-year-old man faces multiple felony charges after shooting towards officers Monday morning about a block away from Chicago police headquarters on the South Side.

Officers responded to a call of a person with a gun in the 3600 block of South Indiana Avenue and approached Darryl Daine, who matched the description, Chicago police said.

Daine ran away and then allegedly turned around and fired one shot at the officers, police said in a statement.

No one was injured in the incident, police said.

Daine was charged with one felony count each of aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault of a peace officer.

He is scheduled to appear in bond court Wednesday.

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Man charged with shooting toward officers near Chicago police headquartersSun-Times Wireon September 1, 2021 at 2:58 am Read More »

Growth is key for Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson over Cubs’ final month of the seasonRussell Dorseyon September 1, 2021 at 2:21 am

MINNEAPOLIS – There’s a lot of learning happening for the Cubs as the season begins to wind down and the final four weeks of the season are no exception. The development of young starters Adbert Alzolay, Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson has been closely watched as the team tries to decide what roles each will play in the future.

While Alzolay has been sidelined for the past few weeks with a mild left hamstring strain, Steele and Thompson have been getting their first taste of pitching in the rotation.

So far, the results have left a lot to be desired.

It’s early and the fate of Thompson and Steele won’t be determined solely off their four starts in September. But as the team enters the final month of the season before heading into the offseason, having a good idea of what the two starters can do as they build the 2022 roster will be valuable.

“There’s probably a lot of factors that are going into this kind of bump in the road,” manager David Ross said. “But they’re learning a lot of hard lessons at times. They understand when you don’t have your best stuff, how important location is and mixing your pitches up and trying to continue to compete when you don’t have your best stuff.”

Steele and Thompson have each scuffled in their first handful of starts with the Cubs. Steele had a 6.39 over his three starts in August, while Thompson had a 9.00 over his first two. Both pitchers have deep repertoires with a mix of breaking balls and offspeed pitches. But even with two five-pitch mixes, it’s been the fastball that has eluded them.

They combined to walk 10 batters over 18 2/3 innings last month.

“I wish my fastball command would have been a little bit better,” Steele said after his last outing. “I made some mistakes over the plate. Just wasn’t commanding it to both sides of the plate. That’s something I need to work on moving forward.”

Both of the Cubs’ 26-year-old arms were successful starters in the minors and they can get major-league hitters out while contributing to the bullpen’s early-season success. Now pitching every five days in the big leagues and seeing a lineup multiple times in a game over several innings, they’re both learning how to take that next step.

“I think I’m getting a little quick to the plate and kind of pulling off and my arm’s dragging behind a little bit,” Thompson said Friday. “So the balls are getting yanked [off the plate] or they’re in the middle of the plate just hanging there to get hit.”

“[They’re learning] how hard it is to be consistent at this level,” Ross said. “You get to take the bump right off the bat and you’re trying to go for five, six or seven innings and being able to navigate that and putting in a lot of work.”

The Cubs are going to give Steele and Thompson every opportunity to work through their problems and some growing pains were to be expected for two pitchers starting in the big leagues for the first time.

However, wanting to see some growth in the final month of the season isn’t unreasonable. Continuing to show flashes of what they can do will help them toward reaching that potential.

“I think that’s another sign of some of the starters that are able to stay around for a long time,” Ross said. “I’ve been around guys that when you have your best stuff, you’re able to compete by locating and changing eye levels and changing speeds and stuff like that.

“I think they’re learning a lot of those valuable lessons and how to handle those moments of adversity on the fly and learn some tough lessons, but good lessons.”

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Growth is key for Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson over Cubs’ final month of the seasonRussell Dorseyon September 1, 2021 at 2:21 am Read More »

White Sox’ Carlos Rodon aims to go for broke — and then not go anywhereSteve Greenbergon September 1, 2021 at 1:18 am

Soxtober? We’ll get there soon enough.

First comes Soxtember — OK, so it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it — a last-regular-season-lap sprint during which the White Sox will try to build momentum heading into the playoffs and avoid looking like posers in the company of more serious World Series contenders.

And posers was what they were Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field before an August-ending game against the Pirates. It was, after all, team-picture day.

September starts Wednesday with lefty Carlos Rodon on the mound.

“Let’s get hot,” he said. “Let’s come out here looking to win every game.”

Rodon has a plan for how he wants to treat each of his remaining starts.

“Like it’s the last one of my career,” he said.

It could be his last handful in a Sox uniform. Rodon will be a free agent — again — at season’s end.

His Sox career began with a rapid ascent; he was in the big leagues less than a year after being drafted No. 3 overall in 2014. It would mark a sad, sudden descent if the playoffs went poorly and the team elected not to reinvest in a pitcher who has been through so much and come through in 2021 with the best season of his career.

“I look back on all of it and all the time I’ve spent here, and it would be hard to leave the Chicago White Sox,” he said.

Say cheese, fellas.Steve Greenberg | Chicago Sun-Times

At only 28, Rodon could be attractive to a lot of teams. The Sox might be one of them. But they’ve had front-row seats not only to his breakout 2015 and his lights-out 2021, but also to the full season’s worth of starts he missed due to injury in 2017 and 2018 — and that was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for 15 months.

Rodon finally got back on the mound for four appearances last season and came out of the bullpen amid the strangeness of a series-ending loss to the A’s in the playoffs. At that time, there was no way to envision his no-hitter in his second start of 2021 or the All-Star selection that followed. Rodon is 10-5 with a 2.43 ERA in 114 2/3 innings.

“Polar opposites,” he called the two campaigns.

Still, September is prove-it time for Rodon, who hasn’t gone more than five innings in a game since July 18 in his first start of the second half. That was a seven-inning, zero-run, 10-strikeout, zero-walk masterpiece. Since then, shoulder fatigue led to a stretch of 19 days in between starts.

Rodon — who was on a pitch count and threw only 67 of them in his last start on Aug. 26 — has a lot to lose. But injury concerns and thoughts of free agency aren’t where his head is at.

“The guys that have been great in this game, they have a certain mindset,” he said. “They’re fearless competitors.”

From here on out, he’s going to give that his best shot.

JUST SAYIN’

Speaking of that team photo, guess who was the last Sox player to make it onto the infield so everyone could say cheese?

“We’re still waiting for one more,” a lone voice yelled. “We’re waiting for [Craig] Kimbrel.”

Truer words …

Hendricks and Contreras are kind of all that’s left at Wrigley.Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

o Did you hear Maroon 5 played Monday at Wrigley Field?

Not to be confused with the Cubs’ Marooned 2: Willson Contreras and Kyle Hendricks.

o A couple of pre-Saturday Big Ten football winners for you, free of charge:

Ohio State 30, Minnesota 24 on Thursday in Minneapolis. Buckeyes shouldn’t be two-touchdown favorites in their first game post-Justin Fields.

Northwestern 16, Michigan State 14 on Friday in Evanston. Do the Wildcats have a quarterback or don’t they?

o Condolences to the family of Jim Cotter, a longtime beat writer covering University of Illinois sports who died suddenly and unexpectedly Monday at 55.

Cotter, who went by @illiniguy1063 on Twitter, was in the press box for Saturday’s Illini football win against Nebraska. A day later, he covered a youth football game — his third game of the weekend — in nearby St. Joseph, where he lived, and ended what would be his final tweet with, “I love football!”

Illini basketball coach Brad Underwood tweeted that Cotter was “a great reporter and an even better person. All who knew him were better for it.” Veteran writers shared about his passion for local and youth sports, and newer ones about his welcoming nature. Cotter is survived by his wife and three children.

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White Sox’ Carlos Rodon aims to go for broke — and then not go anywhereSteve Greenbergon September 1, 2021 at 1:18 am Read More »

Nico Hoerner (oblique) not ready for rehab assignmentRussell Dorseyon September 1, 2021 at 12:24 am

The Cubs had hoped to see the versatile Nico Hoerner at several spots during the second half, unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.

Hoerner has been on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain since July 29 and after feeling tension in the oblique, the team put his rehab assignment on pause.

The Cubs’ infielder traveled with the team to Minneapolis and continued to add baseball activity before Tuesday’s game as he attempts to get his rehab back on track. Hoerner is slashing .313/.388/.388 with 10 doubles, 14 RBI and 15 walks in 39 games this season.

Ross hoped Hoerner would be able to get out on a rehab assignment again a few weeks after his setback in Iowa, but it doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon.

“More baseball activity today,” Ross said. “I don’t think he’s hit today. I need to confirm that, but I hope that he’s getting closer. I’m hoping yesterday’s off day went a long way in helping him recover. He’s moving around, itching to get back, but it’s just not responding the way he wants yet.”

Time is starting to run out for Hoerner and the Cubs and with four weeks remaining before the end of the season, Hoerner’s oblique is going to have to improve sooner rather than later if he expects to return before the end of the year.

Contreras begins rehab assignment

While Hoerner is still a little farther from making a return to the Cubs lineup anytime soon, catcher Willson Contreras’ return appears to be around the corner. Contreras started his rehab assignment on Tuesday at Triple-A Iowa.

Contreras has been on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain Aug. 14 and is slashing .226/.333/.417 with 17 homers and 40 RBIs.

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Nico Hoerner (oblique) not ready for rehab assignmentRussell Dorseyon September 1, 2021 at 12:24 am Read More »

Little Village’s 26th Street arch could become Chicago’s next landmarkCST Editorial Boardon September 1, 2021 at 12:18 am

Mexican American communities have been part of Chicago’s fabric since the late 19th century, yet despite those long roots — and the group’s significant population here — there are almost no landmarked structures reflecting that history.

But the Commission on Chicago Landmarks might take a step toward fixing that omission.

The panel is set to vote Thursday on whether to grant preliminary landmark status to the Little Village arch, the stucco and terra cotta Spanish Revival span that has welcomed visitors to 26th Street for more than 30 years.

“Though many of the buildings on West 26th Street were built prior to the community becoming Mexican, the community has added and preserved its own significant layer of culture to West 26th Street through language, food, religion, family structure, murals, music and dance,” a city report on the structure states.

We applaud the city for seeking landmark status for the Little Village arch and encourage the commission to give it the nod.

‘Welcome to Little Village’

Built in 1990, and bearing the message BIENVENIDOS A LITTLE VILLAGE, the arch spans 26th Street between Troy Street and Albany Avenue, heralding the successful strip of predominantly Latino businesses that runs west of the structure for 2 miles.

The arch also sets the stage for other community gateway structures that have come along since, such as the steel Paseo Boricua flags built over Division Street in Humboldt Park in 1995, and the Rainbow Pylons and Legacy Walk placed along North Halsted in Lake View in 1998.

What is now Little Village had been a neighborhood mainly composed of Eastern European immigrants. Mexican Americans started moving into the neighborhood beginning in the 1940s, continuing into the 1960s and ultimately becoming the majority of the residential population — and business owners.

The idea for the arched gateway on 26th Street came from the area’s then-alderman, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, now a U.S. congressman, who in 1987 envisioned a monument honoring the Mexican American presence in Chicago.

Chicago architect Adrian Lozano designed the arch, giving it the look of gateways built at religious sites, walled towns and haciendas in Mexico, according to the city’s designation report.

Born in Mexico, Lozano also designed the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., and Benito Juarez Community Academy, 2150 S. Laflin St. He died in 2004.

A bronze clock given by Mexico’s then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari was added to the arch in 1991 after Salinas visited the neighborhood.

“As president of Mexico, it’s very emotional for me to be here with you in Little Village, in the barrio with the Mexican people surrounded by Mexican flags and proud, honest hard-working people,” he said at the time.

The right thing

A yes vote by the landmarks commission would give the arch preliminary landmark status. City staffers then would complete the additional research needed before the panel recommends to the City Council that the landmark status be made permanent.

The move could rightfully bring a designation to a Latino neighborhood, which has few city landmarks and none that honors Hispanic history, architects or design.

For instance, according to a city map, the South Lawndale neighborhood — Little Village’s official community area name — has just one officially designated landmark, the Shedd Park Fieldhouse, 3669 W. 23rd St.

Honoring and protecting the Little Village arch would be a good move by the commission and the city. It would widen the cultural spectrum of landmarks in Chicago.

Send letters to [email protected].

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Little Village’s 26th Street arch could become Chicago’s next landmarkCST Editorial Boardon September 1, 2021 at 12:18 am Read More »