What’s New

Motive.

That’s what’s missing.

Why did two Black males clothed like Ninjas gun down a 70-year-old white woman in Hegewisch at 4:30 a.m. Monday?

What is that about?

It isn’t like Yvonne Ruzich stood a chance against two armed men.

According to what police told reporters, Ruzich was seated in her car speaking with someone in another car before reporting to work at Baltimore Food & Liquor Store in the 13300 block of South Baltimore Avenue when one of the shooters walked up to the driver’s side and fired.

Ruzich managed to drive off but hit a stop sign a short distance away. The shooters chased her in their car and shot at her multiple times, according to news reports.

Revenge? Money? An attempted carjacking? Hate?

Why would these men chase down a senior citizen and shoot her dead?

Because we don’t know the why, we are haunted by our own vulnerability.

There is fear and anger.

What kind of people would do such a thing to an older woman?

Have they no mothers or grandmothers? Do they really believe there will be no consequences on earth and in heaven for the evil they have done?

I get tired of people blaming poverty, lack of jobs, and community disinvestment for the “demonic acts” taking place all over our city.

It seems like killing has become some sick sport.

And while I understand why so many of you are tired of hearing about violence, ignoring the shootings won’t make them disappear.

We have to take our heads out of the sand and try to figure out why.

On the opposite side of town, the Northwest Side, an unidentified shooter or shooters killed 7-year-old Serenity Broughton and left her 6-year-old sister clinging to life when they fired at the car the girls were getting into.

According to reports, their mother was placing the girls in the back seat of a car when shots rang out.

What could be the motive for such a heinous act?

Retaliation or revenge seem far-fetched.

There must be something more going on than the often-cited block-to-block warfare between gang factions.

Serenity Broughton and Aubrey Broughton were wounded in a shooting Sunday in Belmont Central. Serenity later died.Provided by family

Why we are witnessing such wanton behavior, not only against police but also against ordinary citizens?

It is as if the people behind these violent acts are trying to outdo one another.

A 67-year-old special education teacher from Evergreen Park was shot and killed on the Dan Ryan Expressway on Tuesday.

Colleagues remember Denise Huguelet as a “pure, honest, fair, and kind” soul.

Again, you ask yourself why?

Why would anyone take a random life like that?

Denise Huguelet, a teacher in Evergreen Park, was fatally shot Tuesday on the South Side of Chicago.Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124/Facebook

Thankfully, Illinois State Police apprehended two people from a car seen speeding away from the scene and recovered a handgun.

But it will take several months, if not years, before these cases show up in court and we learn details of the crimes.

By then, whatever defense the lawyers put up will sound like excuses, and we will learn little about how these shooters became soulless.

But the people who have lived this life have the insights that might help us understand what is happening on these mean streets.

For instance, one of the best books on criminal gang behavior was written by a man who spent decades on death row before being put to death by lethal injection in 2005.

Stanley Tookie Williams was the co-founder of the notorious Crips street gang. His memoir, “Blue Rage, Black Redemption,” published in 2004, is prophetic. The book speaks directly to the situation many Black youth find themselves in today.

“Like countless other black gang members and criminals, we were unconscious accomplices in our own subjugation — our own worst foes,” he wrote.

In his time on the street, Williams could see that gang conflicts once settled with a fistfight were beginning to be handled by gunfire.

“Earning a reputation through fisticuffs was being replaced by gunslinging, by youths who lacked an ability to fight and needed an equalizer. It took nerve to fight with your hands,” Williams wrote.

It is OK to ask Why.

The only thing we know for sure is these shootings are the work of cowards — dangerous ones.

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It could have been worse.

Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt suffered a fractured right cheekbone when he was struck by White Sox outfielder Brian Goodwin’s line drive in Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, but there was a collective sigh of relief around baseball when he was released from Rush University Medical Center later that night.

Bassitt will require surgery but his vision is normal and a CT scan revealed no further injury. The blood that flowed after the 100-mph liner struck him near the eye, adding worry and tension to a scary scene with trainers and emergency medical personnel rushing to his aid at the pitcher’s mound resulted from two facial cuts for which Bassitt needed stitches.

“We are grateful to the White Sox, their medical staff and the doctors and nurses at Rush for their excellent care,” the A’s said in a statement.

Bassitt, an All-Star, Cy Young contender and the A’s ace, is 12-4 with a 3.22 ERA.

“That’s a tremendous relief,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It could be worse and you’re very thankful.”

Sox reliever Liam Hendriks, who played with Bassitt on the Athletics, said his wife Kristi was sitting with Bassitt’s wife Jess during the game and guided her through the ballpark so she could ride with her husband in the ambulance.

“Thoughts and prayers,” Hendriks said. “I was texting him this morning, just his normal personality, he was joking around. We’re just thankful there’s no lingering issues or anything like that going on.”

“From the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank the White Sox and Athletics staff, front offices and owners,” Bassitt said on Twitter Wednesday. “The support my family and I have received has been overwhelming.”

Bassitt also thanked Rush Hospital and its staff.

“God is good. Can’t wait to get back!” he Tweeted.

No tippin’ Hendriks

Hendriks said he was tipping pitches against the Yankees when he gave up three homers in two games Thursday and Sunday. He wasn’t when he struck out the side against the A’s Monday.

“[Sox coaches] realized I was signaling, tipping what pitch I was throwing and we made that adjustment last and the last outing there was good,” Hendriks said. “We rectified that for the most part. It’s still going to be a work in progress, but now it’s a matter of getting into that second nature habit of making sure I don’t do the same thing over and over again. Making sure everything looks exactly the same coming out of the hand.”

Hendriks said his wife told him after the Yankees game Sunday that he was tipping.

“Turns out she was right, which [ticks] me off to no end,” Hendriks said. “She’s always right.”

Burdi claimed by Orioles

Right-hander Zack Burdi, designated for assignment Monday to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Mike Wright, was claimed off waivers by the Orioles. A Downers Grove South graduate drafted out of Louisville by the Sox in the first round as a potential closer in 2016, Burdi was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Cactus League schedule

The 2022 Cactus League schedule opens Feb. 26 against the A’s and features two games against the Cubs, plus exhibitions against the Cubs at Sloan March 28 and 29. Opening Day is March 31 against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.

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NEW YORK — R&B star R. Kelly is a predator who lured girls, boys and young women with his fame and dominated them physically, sexually and psychologically, a prosecutor said Wednesday, while a defense lawyer warned jurors they’ll have to sift through lies from accusers with agendas to find the truth.

The differing perspectives came as the long-anticipated trial began unfolding in a Brooklyn courtroom where several accusers were scheduled to testify in the next month about the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling singer whose career has been derailed by charges that have left him jailed as he goes broke.

Jerhonda Pace, the first government witness, told jurors Wednesday that she was a 16-year-old virgin and a member of Kelly’s fan club when he invited her to his mansion in 2010. He immediately told her to take off her clothing, Pace said.

“He asked me to continue to tell everyone I was 19 and act like I was 21,” she said. Kelly responded “that’s good” when she revealed her virginity, said that he wanted to “train her” sexually and ordered her to call him “Daddy,” she said.

They continued to see each other for another six months, with Kelly growing more and more controlling and erupting in violence when she broke what she called “Rob’s rules.” One time he grew so angry, “He slapped me and choked me until I passed out,” she said with no hint of emotion.

Afterward, he spit in her face and forced her to have oral sex, she said. She kept a blue T-shirt from the episode that has provided DNA evidence of the misconduct, prosecutors said.

The Associated Press doesn’t name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent unless they have spoken publicly extensively. Pace has appeared in a documentary and participated in media interviews.

Prior to Pace’s testimony, lawyers gave jurors an outline of the trial in their opening statements.

“This case is not about a celebrity who likes to party a lot,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez told the jury as she explained the evidence to be revealed at his federal trial. “This case is about a predator.”

She said he distributed backstage passes to entice children and women to join him, sometimes at his home or studio, where he then “dominated and controlled them physically, sexually and psychologically.”

The prosecutor said Kelly would often record sex acts with minors as he controlled a racketeering enterprise of individuals who were loyal and devoted to him, eager to “fulfill each and everyone one of the defendant’s wishes and demands.”

“What his success and popularity brought him was access, access to girls, boys and young women,” she said.

But Kelly’s attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, portrayed her client as a victim of women, some of whom enjoyed the “notoriety of being able to tell their friends that they were with a superstar.”

“He didn’t recruit them. They were fans. They came to Mr. Kelly,” she said, urging jurors to closely scrutinize the testimony. “They knew exactly what they were getting into. It was no secret Mr. Kelly had multiple girlfriends. He was quite transparent.”

It would be a stretch to believe he orchestrated an elaborate criminal enterprise, like a mob boss, the lawyer said.

Becker warned jurors they’ll have to sort through “a mess of lies” from women with an agenda.

“Don’t assume everybody’s telling the truth,” she said.

The remarks fit a theme set by the defense in court papers prior to the trial describing Kelly’s alleged victims as groupies who turned up at his shows and made it known they “were dying to be with him.” The women only started accusing him of abuse years later when public sentiment shifted against him, they said.

Kelly, 54, is perhaps best known for his smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that became an inspirational anthem played at school graduations, weddings, advertisements and elsewhere.

The openings and testimony came more than a decade after Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case in Chicago. It was a reprieve that allowed his music career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to come forward.

The women’s stories got wide exposure with the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series explored how an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, foreshadowing the federal racketeering conspiracy case that landed Kelly in jail in 2019.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn have lined up multiple female accusers — mostly referred to in court as “Jane Does” — and cooperating former associates who have never spoken publicly before about their experiences with Kelly.

They’re expected to offer testimony about how Kelly’s managers, bodyguards and other employees helped him recruit women and girls — and sometimes boys — for sexual exploitation. They say the group selected victims at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly in the New York City area and elsewhere, in violation of the Mann Act, the 1910 law that made it illegal to “transport any woman or girl” across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

An anonymous jury made up of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear the case. The trial, coming after several delays due mostly to the pandemic, unfolds under coronavirus precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.

The New York case is only part of the legal peril facing the singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly. He also has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

___

AP writer Larry Neumeister contributed to this report.

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SPRINGFIELD — Democrats touted their leadership and unity Wednesday in their return to the state’s capitol city for Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair.

But the absence of the state’s top executive from a brunch pep rally cast doubt on that solidarity even as the head of the Democratic organization hosting the event tried to downplay any suggestion of discord within the party’s ranks.

“Whatever you may read in the press, Democrats in Illinois are united,” said Kristina Zahorik, the president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association. “There’s too much at stake to be divided.”

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, stumped for the entire Democratic ticket — including herself, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other elected Democrats — during the brunch.

Kelly, who beat out Pritzker’s chosen candidate to take the state party reins, downplayed the governor’s absence, even though the Chicago Democrat hosted his own event later in the day.

“That’s Pritzker’s choice,” the south suburban congresswoman said. “Everybody makes their own decisions on what they want to do.”

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, speaks at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association’s brunch on Wednesday.Blue Room Stream

Democrats did all seem to agree that there was a lot on the line in next year’s midterm elections, which often see the party of the president lose in contests across the country.

Baking in the heat, politicos and their supporters fanned themselves with paper fans that bore the words “I’m a fan of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association” at the brunch.

The county chairs’ Wednesday brunch is designed to kick off Governor’s Day events at the fair, even though it was held under a tent outside a hotel off the fairgrounds this year in deference to Pritzker’s safety concerns — only for him to opt to send a video rather than attend in person.

Forging ahead anyway, Democrats billed themselves as the only party with the vision to move the state — and the country — forward ahead of next year’s midterm election.

“Who better to build back this country than Democrats?” Zahorik asked. “We believe in the promise of America, and in good government, we use facts and science to dictate our policy … we Democrats welcome the chance to build a more perfect union and we Democrats have the vision to do just that.”

The Democrats are the party who “fought” former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and former President Donald Trump and won, Zahorik said. But to keep passing legislation such as the infrastructure package that passed the Senate recently and see funds continue to trickle to families thanks to the child tax credit, Democrats must hold onto Congress and other offices, Zahorik and others said.

Pritzker chose to skip the morning’s events in favor of family plans in Chicago, but made it back to Springfield to throw his own rally on the Director’s Lawn on the fairgrounds Wednesday afternoon. His event featured the state’s constitutional officers and was largely a reprisal of the morning’s events — but with Pritzker in attendance.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets a “Pritzer Rocks” sign from Peter Janko, Democratic state central committeeman for 14th Congressional District of Illinois, during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

At the afternoon event, a band played funk and soul music before Pritzker pitched Democrats and their policies saying “over and over, it’s Democrats who deliver for the people of Illinois.”

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Secretary of State Jesse White all spoke at Pritzker’s event, focusing their time at the mic on urging the election of more Democrats.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White gets a standing ovation after delivering his remarks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on the Director’s Lawn in Springfield on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Kelly attended Pritzker’s event, but did not speak or sit on the stage with the statewide elected officials who did address the crowd.

Surrounded by reporters afterward on the lawn, Pritzker brushed off questions about not attending the morning’s event.

“Lots of people had lots of things to do,” Pritzker said. “I’m excited about the fact that we had so many Democrats here, and the people who could make it did — I’m excited about that.

“There’s some people who try to write that people are boycotting or not going to something because they don’t want to — they don’t want to be there. The truth is that we’re all very busy. … I try to get to everything that I can, and I support every Democrat that was at the IDCCA event this morning.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on the Director’s Lawn on Wednesday. Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

The governor committed to supporting his own campaign fund, Blue Wave Illinois, to help support down-ballot candidates and political organizations, but didn’t give a clear answer about whether or not he’ll contribute to the Democratic Party of Illinois’s coffers now that its party structure has been clarified.

As a federal officeholder, Kelly — who beat Pritzker’s pick, Ald. Michelle Harris, to lead the state party in March — is prohibited from raising “soft money,” which goes toward state elections.

The governor tried to portray the party as unified behind a common goal.

“As you know we’re all working together to make sure we elect Democrats up and down the ticket,” Pritzker said. “I did that in 2018, continued to support Democrats everywhere in our state and I’m going to do that in 2021.”

Last year’s cancellation of the Illinois State Fair — and Democrat Day and Republican Day events — was the first since 1945, when World War II pushed the festivities into a hiatus.

The fair is famous for its corndogs and lemon shake-ups, but Pritzker offered his own shake up last week when he said he would not attend the county chairs’ brunch due to COVID concerns.

The association moved their event outside shortly after Pritzker expressed those concerns, but the governor had already made plans in Chicago and said he’d still miss the event.

That didn’t deter the politicking Wednesday.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul points to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as he speaks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Declaring his expected candidacy for reelection at the brunch, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul reprised a campaign slogan from four years ago, calling his work in the office “the work of my life — and I’m just getting started.”

Candidates vying to succeed Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White gave brief speeches at the morning’s brunch. Later Wednesday, White said he expects to make a decision on who to support in the race sometime in January.

“It’s too early right now,” White said. “I have a sneaking suspicion there will be a few more people getting into that race.”

Illinois Republicans will host their own festivities Thursday on the Director’s Lawn.

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The traditional workweek that drew 600,000 employees to Chicago’s commercial office buildings Monday through Friday before the pandemic will be replaced by a “three-and-two hybrid” with two days of remote work, a top mayoral aide predicted Wednesday.

Michael Fassnacht, newly-appointed CEO of the public-private job growth agency known as World Business Chicago, said the stay-at-home shutdown that forced employees to work from home — if they could — has created an appetite for remote work that will survive COVID-19 and all its variants.

“Long term, I believe the majority of workers will be back. But clearly, it’s a much more hybrid world. I expect that most companies will go to a three-and-two [schedule]. So you’d be required to be three days working in the office and two days working either from home or traveling,” Fassnacht said.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Sun-Times, Fassnacht said there are “three key sources of traffic” to the downtown core: the everyday workforce, which will “change long-term, but not to the extent a lot of people are predicting”; conventioneers; and tourists, both those driving from surrounding suburbs as well as others traveling from the East and West coasts.

“We have to have a much bigger share of leisure tourists than in the past,” he said.

Fassnacht noted 18 months into the pandemic, 30% to 40% of the downtown workforce has returned to the Central Business District at least three days-a-week.

“That’s not just a Chicago challenge. Every single city is facing this. … We cannot just go back to the pre-pandemic times. … We have to adapt. If there are fewer people longer-term coming to work, how can we keep the city attractive? How can we make sure that people come on the weekends, during the week to Chicago — not just for work?” he said.

A quiet downtown Chicago in March 2020, during the second week of a stay-home order near the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

How Chicago answers that question will go a long way toward determining whether the city’s downtown core can survive a permanent change in commuting patterns.

Fassnacht believes the answer lies in “re-inventing attractions” and filling empty commercial space along Michigan Avenue and State Street with “experiential retail.”

“Look at Starbuck’s Reserve. The Starbuck’s Reserve store on the Mag Mile is not just a coffee shop. That is experiential retail. You have people driving an hour to visit and spend money. The store is doing extremely well. You need other places like that where people say, ‘This is a destination I want to experience,'” Fassnacht told the Sun-Times.

Target took a close look at the giant hole at Water Tower Place created by Macy’s exodus, only to take a pass — to the relief of County Treasurer Maria Pappas, a Mag Mile resident who considered the discount retailer not nearly highbrow enough for Chicago’s marquee shopping district.

Fassnacht refused to discuss current negotiations with Brookfield Properties, owners of Water Tower Place. He would only say that Macy’s replacement must be a “destination for people living close by, people living in the suburbs and people coming from London.”

“We have to re-frame these spaces. It’s always like, `What’s the next Macy’s moving in?’ That’s the wrong framing. The framing has to be, what is the development attracting destinations for all of us and for people who come for conventions who will go there?”

The departure of Macy’s from Water Tower Place has left a big retail hole, but also created a chance to “re-frame” that retail space, said Michael Fassnacht of World Business Chicago.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

A few years ago, downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) blocked Dave & Buster’s from moving into Water Tower Place at the behest of local residents who feared violent groups of young people would be drawn to the gaming arcade during warm weather months.

Fassnacht was asked whether he now was thinking of a similar retailer, or an entertainment venue that includes live music.

“All of the above. We have to look at everything. Ultimately, the owners of these stores will make these decisions. But, we have to be creative. We have to be innovative. My key filter is, it has to be attractive and relevant. That’s what we are looking for,” he said.

“There’s a lot of interest….I will not publicly say what will happen,” he added. “I’m optimistic that the Mag Mile will be different. But it will still be a special place for people to go.”

Fassnacht called Friday’s return of Chicago’s mask mandate, triggered by a surge in cases tied to the Delta variant, a “temporary setback” that may cost Chicago’s rebounding convention and tourism industry “six-to-eight weeks.”

Even so, he has not altered the prediction he made to Chicago aldermen last month: that strong bookings at McCormick Place and Navy Pier mean both venues “should be back to pre-COVID numbers by the end of the year.”

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SPRINGFIELD — Democrats touted their leadership and unity Wednesday in their return to the state’s capitol city for Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair.

But the absence of the state’s top executive from a brunch pep rally cast doubt on that solidarity even as the head of the Democratic organization hosting the event tried to downplay any suggestion of discord within the party’s ranks.

“Whatever you may read in the press, Democrats in Illinois are united,” said Kristina Zahorik, the president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association. “There’s too much at stake to be divided.”

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, stumped for the entire Democratic ticket — including herself, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other elected Democrats — during the brunch.

Kelly, who beat out Pritzker’s chosen candidate to take the state party reins, downplayed the governor’s absence, even though the Chicago Democrat hosted his own event later in the day.

“That’s Pritzker’s choice,” the south suburban congresswoman said. “Everybody makes their own decisions on what they want to do.”

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, speaks at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association’s brunch on Wednesday.Blue Room Stream

Democrats did all seem to agree that there was a lot on the line in next year’s midterm elections, which often see the party of the president lose in contests across the country.

Baking in the heat, politicos and their supporters fanned themselves with paper fans that bore the words “I’m a fan of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association” at the brunch.

The county chairs’ Wednesday brunch is designed to kick off Governor’s Day events at the fair, even though it was held under a tent outside a hotel off the fairgrounds this year in deference to Pritzker’s safety concerns — only for him to opt to send a video rather than attend in person.

Forging ahead anyway, Democrats billed themselves as the only party with the vision to move the state — and the country — forward ahead of next year’s midterm election.

“Who better to build back this country than Democrats?” Zahorik asked. “We believe in the promise of America, and in good government, we use facts and science to dictate our policy … we Democrats welcome the chance to build a more perfect union and we Democrats have the vision to do just that.”

The Democrats are the party who “fought” former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and former President Donald Trump and won, Zahorik said. But to keep passing legislation such as the infrastructure package that passed the Senate recently and see funds continue to trickle to families thanks to the child tax credit, Democrats must hold onto Congress and other offices, Zahorik and others said.

Pritzker chose to skip the morning’s events in favor of family plans in Chicago, but made it back to Springfield to throw his own rally on the Director’s Lawn on the fairgrounds Wednesday afternoon. His event featured the state’s constitutional officers and was largely a reprisal of the morning’s events — but with Pritzker in attendance.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets a “Pritzer Rocks” sign from Peter Janko, Democratic state central committeeman for 14th Congressional District of Illinois, during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

At that event, a band played funk and soul music before Pritzker pitched Democrats and their policies saying “over and over, it’s Democrats who deliver for the people of Illinois.”

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Secretary of State Jesse White all spoke at Pritzker’s event, focusing their time at the mic on urging the election of more Democrats.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White gets a standing ovation after delivering his remarks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on the Director’s Lawn in Springfield on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Kelly attended Pritzker’s event, but did not speak or sit on the stage with the statewide elected officials who did address the crowd.

Surrounded by reporters after the party on the lawn, Pritzker brushed off questions about not attending the morning’s event.

“Lots of people had lots of things to do,” Pritzker said. “I’m excited about the fact that we had so many Democrats here, and the people who could make it did — I’m excited about that.

“There’s some people who try to write that people are boycotting or not going to something because they don’t want to — they don’t want to be there. The truth is that we’re all very busy … I try to get to everything that I can and I support every Democrat that was at the IDCCA event this morning.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on the Director’s Lawn on Wednesday. Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

The governor committed to supporting his own campaign fund, Blue Wave Illinois, to help support down-ballot candidates and political organizations, but didn’t give a clear answer about whether or not he’ll contribute to the Democratic Party of Illinois’s coffers now that its party structure has been clarified.

As a federal officeholder, Kelly — who beat Pritzker’s pick, Ald. Michelle Harris, to lead the state party in March — is prohibited from raising “soft money,” which goes toward state elections.

The governor tried to portray the party as unified behind a common goal.

“As you know we’re all working together to make sure we elect Democrats up and down the ticket,” Pritzker said. “I did that in 2018, continued to support Democrats everywhere in our state and I’m going to do that in 2021.”

Last year’s cancellation of the Illinois State Fair — and Democrat Day and Republican Day events — was the first since 1945, when World War II pushed the festivities into a hiatus.

The fair is famous for its corndogs and lemon shake-ups, but Pritzker offered his own shake up last week when he said he would not attend the county chairs’ brunch due to COVID concerns.

The association moved their event outside shortly after Pritzker expressed those concerns, but the governor had already made plans in Chicago and said he’d still miss the event.

That didn’t deter the politicking Wednesday.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul points to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as he speaks during Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Declaring his expected candidacy for reelection at the brunch, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul reprised a campaign slogan from four years ago, calling his work in the office “the work of my life — and I’m just getting started.”

Candidates vying to succeed Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White gave brief speeches at the morning’s brunch. Later Wednesday, White said he expects to make a decision on who to support in the race in January.

Illinois Republicans will host their own festivities Thursday on the Director’s Lawn.

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Teven Jenkins is having back surgery. Justin Fields has a groin injury. And, oh yeah, Akiem Hicks is back after a mysterious absence. Jason LIeser, Patrick Finley and Mark Potash break down a bizarre day at Halas Hall.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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NEW YORK — R&B star R. Kelly is a predator who lured girls, boys and young women with his fame and dominated them physically, sexually and psychologically, a prosecutor said Wednesday, while a defense lawyer warned jurors they’ll have to sift through lies from accusers with agendas to find the truth.

The differing perspectives came as the long-anticipated trial began unfolding in a Brooklyn courtroom where several accusers were scheduled to testify in the next month about the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling singer whose career has been derailed by charges that have left him jailed as he goes broke.

Jerhonda Pace, the first accuser to testify, told jurors Wednesday that she was a 16-year-old virgin and a member of Kelly’s fan club when he invited her to his mansion, where he ordered her to take off her clothing.

“He asked me to continue to tell everyone I was 19 and act like I was 21,” she said. Pace said Kelly said “that’s good” when she revealed her virginity and she recalled that he said he wanted to “train her” sexually.

The Associated Press doesn’t name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent unless they have spoken publicly extensively. Pace has appeared in a documentary and participated in media interviews.

Prior to Pace’s testimony, lawyers gave jurors an outline of the trial in their opening statements.

“This case is not about a celebrity who likes to party a lot,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez told the jury as she explained the evidence to be revealed at his federal trial. “This case is about a predator.”

She said he distributed backstage passes to entice children and women to join him, sometimes at his home or studio, where he then “dominated and controlled them physically, sexually and psychologically.”

The prosecutor said Kelly would often record sex acts with minors as he controlled a racketeering enterprise of individuals who were loyal and devoted to him, eager to “fulfill each and everyone one of the defendant’s wishes and demands.”

“What his success and popularity brought him was access, access to girls, boys and young women,” she said.

But Kelly’s attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, portrayed her client as a victim of women, some of whom enjoyed the “notoriety of being able to tell their friends that they were with a superstar.”

“He didn’t recruit them. They were fans. They came to Mr. Kelly,” she said, urging jurors to closely scrutinize the testimony. “They knew exactly what they were getting into. It was no secret Mr. Kelly had multiple girlfriends. He was quite transparent.”

It would be a stretch to believe he orchestrated an elaborate criminal enterprise, like a mob boss, the lawyer said.

Becker warned jurors they’ll have to sort through “a mess of lies” from women with an agenda.

“Don’t assume everybody’s telling the truth,” she said.

Defense lawyers have maintained in court papers prior to the trial that Kelly’s alleged victims were groupies who turned up at his shows and made it known they “were dying to be with him.” The women only started accusing him of abuse years later when public sentiment shifted against him, they said.

Kelly, 54, is perhaps best known for his smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that became an inspirational anthem played at school graduations, weddings, advertisements and elsewhere.

The openings and testimony came more than a decade after Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case in Chicago. It was a reprieve that allowed his music career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to come forward.

The women’s stories got wide exposure with the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series explored how an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, foreshadowing the federal racketeering conspiracy case that landed Kelly in jail in 2019.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn have lined up multiple female accusers — mostly referred to in court as “Jane Does” — and cooperating former associates who have never spoken publicly before about their experiences with Kelly.

They’re expected to offer testimony about how Kelly’s managers, bodyguards and other employees helped him recruit women and girls — and sometimes boys — for sexual exploitation. They say the group selected victims at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly in the New York City area and elsewhere, in violation of the Mann Act, the 1910 law that made it illegal to “transport any woman or girl” across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

When the women and girls arrived at their lodgings, a member of Kelly’s entourage would set down rules about not speaking to each other, how they should dress and how they needed permission from Kelly before eating or going to the bathroom, prosecutors say. Also, they allegedly were required to call him “Daddy.”

An anonymous jury made up of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear the case. The trial, coming after several delays due mostly to the pandemic, unfolds under coronavirus precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.

The New York case is only part of the legal peril facing the singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly. He also has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

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HOUSTON — An attorney for 22 women who have filed lawsuits accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment said Wednesday that he and some of his clients have spoken to the FBI about the case.

Tony Buzbee told The Associated Press that the FBI “reached out to me, and I responded.” The FBI’s involvement was first reported Tuesday by League of Justice, a website that reports on sports and the law.

The revelation by Buzbee of the FBI’s involvement prompted Watson’s lead attorney to hold a news conference on Wednesday to say that the FBI had spoken with the quarterback earlier this year about allegations of extortion by one of his accusers.

In their lawsuits, the 22 women accuse Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will during massage appointments.

Watson and his lawyers have denied the accusations. His lawyers have said “some sexual activity” happened during some of the appointments but that he never coerced anyone.

Houston police are investigating some of the accusations, but no charges have been filed. The NFL has launched its own probe.

At a news conference Wednesday, Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lead attorney, said FBI agents approached him in April over allegations that one of the women who has sued Watson tried to extort $30,000 from him. Hardin said agents interviewed Watson. The woman alleges Watson forced her to perform oral sex.

In an email, Christina Garza, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Houston office, said she could neither confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.

Hardin said grand jury subpoenas have been sent out in the investigation by local authorities, but he does not know details about them.

“When (prosecutors’) investigation is over, their findings will be presented to a grand jury. We will be given opportunity to appear … to tell our side and we will be given an even handed hearing,” Hardin said.

Hardin said he welcomed the FBI’s role in the case. But he also criticized Buzbee for revealing the agency’s involvement, saying FBI investigations are usually kept confidential.

Buzbee “knows those lawsuits have no future in the long run,” Hardin said. “What he wants is to be out there and promote himself and the lawsuits and try to get Deshaun to settle them and pay them money so he can ride into the sunset.”

Buzbee denied he is seeking publicity or money and accused Hardin of trying to change the narrative and of “trying to defend the indefensible.”

At his news conference, Hardin read what he said were text messages to Watson from the woman he is accusing of extortion. In them, she does not mention an alleged attack on Dec. 28, 2020, during a massage session, Hardin said.

According to Hardin, the woman said in one text, “Hey Deshaun just wanted to say thank you for trusting me with your massage today. I’ll be here til Jan. 3 if you’d like to get another one.”

Hardin said that in another text, the woman wrote, “I just want to say I apologize for my actions. That was not me. And if I could take back that moment I would. I really devalued my integrity and professionalism.”

Buzbee accused Hardin of attacking the women who have sued Watson.

“Deshaun Watson has a problem and his lawyer is not focused on that,” Buzbee said. “He’s focused on trying to attack me or my clients and I’m tired of it.”

Watson’s lawyers have sought to balance their defense of the NFL star while simultaneously condemning sexual violence against women.

But Watson’s attorneys have called the lawsuits against him a “money grab” and fired back that all 22 women who have filed suit are lying, a strategy some experts and advocates say relies on long-used tropes designed to minimize such accusations. Buzbee has said some of his clients have faced criticism and even death threats.

Buzbee said he had no plans to settle the lawsuits.

“We’re going to have a trial. I’m pretty sure that (Hardin) against me, I’m feeling quite confident,” he said.

Watson’s future with the Texans remains unclear. Watson reported to the Texans training camp last month to avoid being fined. Watson signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Texans in 2020 and led the NFL in yards passing last season. But before the lawsuits were filed, he had asked to be traded.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot laid the groundwork for the West Englewood traffic stop that resulted in the fatal shooting of Officer Ella French and left her partner fighting for his life with a string of reforms and policy changes that tied the hands of Chicago police officers, the wounded officer’s father told the Sun-Times.

Carlos Yanez Sr. said he twice told the mayor’s staff his son was “not a fan of Lori Lightfoot, to put it mildly” and the family did not want her on the floor of the University of Chicago Medical Center where Yanez Jr. was being treated the night of the shooting.

But Lightfoot still made an appearance and got a tongue-lashing in return.

“I said that the actions by her administration and her rhetoric of saying how police need to be reconditioned or retrained or whatever was causing them to be in danger. That it was not allowing the officers to take the instinctive action necessary to protect themselves,” Yanez Sr. said.

“All the officers are told now that, if you draw your weapon and it’s not a situation that warrants it, unless you have guaranteed proof, there’ll be consequences. They didn’t do that when I was on the job. They let us be the police. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t draw my weapon, have it behind my leg or behind my thigh . . . It’s not about race. It’s about survival of the officer. But they don’t have that now. They don’t have that confidence that someone’s gonna back them up.”

Carlos Yanez Jr. (left) with his parents at his swearing-in ceremony on Navy Pier. Photo courtesy of Carlos Yanez Sr.

The mayor’s office declined to respond to Yanez Sr.’s remarks.

Prosecutors have said French and Carlos Yanez Jr. both had their weapons holstered when Emonte Morgan allegedly opened fire at close range. She died of a single gunshot wound to the head and will be buried Thursday.

Yanez Jr., 39, was struck in the brain, eye and shoulder. The Chicago Sun-Times is identifying him with the consent of the officer and his father.

Yanez Sr. said his son had little choice but to keep his weapon holstered, calling it one of many policy changes emboldening criminals and rendering police sitting ducks.

“When they show up, the bad guys are ready for them. They know they can’t draw their weapons. They know they can’t be chased. You can’t put hands on them without getting sued. Everybody’s got a camera and they’re always challenging them, provoking them. It’s a no-win situation for them,” he said.

“She’s tied the hands of the police. She wants ’em to police with one hand behind their back, and you can’t fight evil crime, brute force, with one hand tied behind their backs.”

Yanez Sr. accused the mayor of “using the race card or the violent police card just to get votes and play both sides of the fence.”

“She shows up to say remorse for the police officer shot. But what have you done to promote police in the eyes of the public and say, ‘We need our police’? [Instead, she says], ‘We’ve got to stop this police violence.’ It’s not police violence. It’s one officer that committed a crime . . . Even doctors make mistakes and they’re sued. But they’re not all washed with the same brush that they’re all bad. You don’t teach the children to fear the police like they do now . . . She’s creating an environment where people are starting to question if the police are good or not,” he said.

“It’s not pro-police or pro-people. It’s about pro-right and wrong, good and evil. But she demonstrates by her actions that she doesn’t really have any consideration for the safety of the officers. They’re expendable. They’re replaceable. Hire new ones. Train ’em differently. But they’re gonna get killed. You can’t change survival tactics that are in place for years to protect the officers as well as the citizens to pacify some voters. It’s not gonna work.”

Yanez Sr. demanded that Lightfoot stop telling Supt. David Brown and his top brass how to run the Chicago Police Department and “let the police be the police.”

“Mayor Lightfoot, you’re not a police officer. … The law enforcement you did was prosecution. It’s a totally different arena. We catch the lions and the evil monsters for you in a cage. Then you prosecute them,” he said.

“Let the people hunting down evil and catching the monsters — let them do it the way they have to do it to catch ’em, not the way you feel is politically correct.”

Yanez Sr. said he told the mayor to her face that if she doesn’t change course, it will be worse than just the public snub of officers turning their backs to her at the hospital.

“That’s just a physical protest . . . But God forbid their mindset changes and they stop being the police. They stop rushing to help people. Stop overextending above and beyond to be there when they’re called. They’ll just eventually say, ‘I’m gonna go to work, punch in and not risk my life because I’ll get fired,” he said.

“Someone calls for help, I’ll take it easy. Drive, but make sure I don’t offend anybody by running a red light with the blue lights on or go too fast. God forbid I get in an accident rushing to help somebody and get sued, put in jail or fired. . . . Society has to make a decision. Are they gonna let these [bad] guys run rampant and only get bigger and bolder until they’re at their doorstep in the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lake View, the South Side — everywhere? They’re gonna go everywhere because there’s no credible threat to them.”

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