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Chicago Bulls: LaMarcus Aldrige rumor forecasted aggressive offseason by Anish Puligilla

It’s no secret that the Chicago Bulls front office has made it their mission to revitalize the team going into this upcoming season. Offseason acquisitions like Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan have not only energized the Bulls’ rabid fanbase but also sent a strong message to the rest of the Eastern Conference that Chicago is no longer interested in rebuilding.

The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks stand alone as the class of the eastern conference, but the remaining six seeds are up for grabs, and the Chicago Bulls’ recent moves have firmly placed them in the heart of this competition. The New York Knicks, also looking to keep pace with the rest of the conference, are now slated to sign Kemba Walker (once he clears waivers) to replace Elfrid Payton in their starting backcourt.

While a good signing, Kemba Walker does not drastically change the landscape of the eastern conference or impact the Chicago Bulls outlook in 2021.

Kemba, now 31, is similar to Derozan in that he is a 20-plus point per game scorer that is an instant boost to any offense he joins. However, unlike Derozan, he comes with a significant injury history that plagued him during his two-year stint in Boston and is also undersized for his position which makes him a defensive liability.

Should Kemba Walker be healthy all season, he definitely makes the Knicks a much better basketball team – one that could definitely help reignite the Knicks rivalry with the Chicago Bulls as both teams grapple for positioning within the middle of the eastern conference standings.

Furthermore, despite having defensive shortcomings (no pun intended), Tom Thibodeau’s defensive genius will be able to help the rest of the team overcompensate for Kemba and keep the defense playing at a high level.

However, this is where I still feel the Chicago Bulls have an edge over the Knicks despite them adding Kemba to a roster that was the fourth seed in the East last season. The Chicago Bulls added Lonzo Ball, a 6’6 guard who can match up well with every single guard in the conference. This will definitely be the case when the Bulls play the Knicks and Kemba Walker will have to contend with someone six inches taller shadowing him for the whole game. Not to mention, the Bulls also have Alex Caruso coming off the bench who has made his name for being a defensive menace.

All in all, NBA free agency thus far has shown that the teams in the eastern conference are no longer content perpetually rebuilding till a superteam falls in their lap. Teams like the Bulls and Knicks which have suffered in basketball purgatory for the better part of this decade are finally making moves to bring them back to consistent relevancy and the Knicks’ recent signing of Kemba Walker re-emphasizes this exact mission.

Related Story: Why the Bulls can win the division in 2021

Unfortunately for the Knicks, I don’t see the signing as significant enough to elevate them above their competition in the conference or even significantly alter the Chicago Bulls’ outlook this upcoming season.

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Sasha Daltonn (alternately spelled Dalton) is a Chicago-based singer, writer, and producer, and in 1985 she founded what is now known as the Chicago Gospel Music Festival. This summer, she’ll publish her latest book, Unplugged: The Untold Story of Chicago’s Gospel Music Festival–just in time for the city to honor her at the Chicago in Tune gospel showcase in Millennium Park on September 3.

I’m a product of Hyde Park. Hyde Park High School counts me as an alumni, but I actually graduated from Central YMCA because they didn’t have any gym classes and I was afraid to swim. My mother’s sister was a singer named Mary Brooks. She and her husband had an act in the early 50s, and I’d sometimes travel with them during summer vacation. They’d teach me a song or dance and make me part of their show. I always wanted to be in show business.

In 1979, the Bilandic administration introduced the Artists in Residence Program (AIR) to provide full-time employment for artists. I was hired as a singer, and I later developed several artistic programs. We performed and provided art programming for the schools, the Chicago Park District, seniors, and more. When I left, I started my own theater company called Chicago Enrichment Theater, which provided similar services.

I’ve always believed that education is possible through the arts, specifically theater, and my passion for sharing Black history led me to write Runnin’ With the Eight Ball, a show about three boys who are thinking about dropping out of school. Over a lively game of pool with Bronzeville seniors, they get a great lesson on the Black history of Chicago, from Jean Baptiste DuSable to Harold Washington. I included a flashback of the Club DeLisa, which had been at 55th and State. It’s always compared to New York’s Cotton Club, and well-known celebrity entertainers performed there.

I wrote the show to appeal to students, but adults started coming, and they loved the segment on the DeLisa. This led to my idea for a show about the club. I found the son of owner Mike DeLisa and asked for his permission. I began researching the club and the artists who performed there, including Dinah Washington–but I couldn’t find as much about her as the others. My interest in her story piqued, I started writing a show called Dinah and Her Music. She was from Chicago. I met her mother and sisters and interviewed everyone here who knew her. I was becoming obsessed.

There hadn’t been a show on Dinah Washington, although she was the most-recorded Black female from 1943 until her death in 1963. I finally found a young lady I thought would be perfect to portray her. As I gave her all this information, she said, “All I want to know is how much you’re going to pay me.” I was so upset I snatched the script and said, “I’ll do it myself.” I changed the name of the show to Sasha Sings Dinah. I had no plans to sing. My one-woman show Madame Hortense had been nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Citation (for best actress), but I was never as passionate about singing as I was about developing shows and producing. Now I’ve opened my big mouth, and I’ve got to do this show.

My mother supported everything I did, but she wasn’t that interested in me being an entertainer. She thought I should complete college, get a job teaching school, and maybe do this on the side. But she came to opening night on June 8, 1980, and said, “Oh, honey, I can see that this is going to be great for you.” That night there was a fire in her home, and she was overcome by smoke. Those were the last words I ever heard her speak. She died that November from the effects of smoke inhalation–I’m only now able to talk about what happened.

The show was a big success. It ran for 18 months, and when it closed I was tired. I’d never properly mourned my mother’s death. A New York producer, Woodie King, introduced himself to me on closing night and said, “You need to be in New York.” I just wanted to go home and rest, but I could hear my mother’s voice in my head saying “this is going to be great for you,” so I agreed.

While King raised financing for the show, the Harold Washington mayoral campaign was gaining support. The groundswell for a Black mayor began with Jane Byrne’s broken promises to the Black community, who she had promised to support during her campaign. When Reverend Jesse Jackson mentioned this to her, she told him that she didn’t owe them anything. He reported this on the radio, and a caller suggested boycotting ChicagoFest, a 12-day music festival at Navy Pier that also raised money for the city. They booked all the top artists, including Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. When Reverend Jackson called for a boycott, Stevie Wonder was the first artist to join. A lot of artists boycotted that year. Some performed under protest. Some would say the boycott wasn’t a success, but it was; the city lost millions of dollars. It was one of the things that fuelled Washington’s journey to becoming mayor in 1983.

During the campaign, I volunteered with a group called Artists for Washington. After the election, I went to New York to do my show Dinah! Queen of the Blues, but I came back to Chicago to accompany my aunt at a fundraising event.

During that trip I attended a private party for Mayor Washington. I knew that in 1973, he’d introduced a bill in the state legislature to make Illinois the first state to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday as a provisional holiday. At this party, I said, “Next year Dr. King’s birthday will be a national holiday. Why don’t you get a jump on the nation again and do a big Dr. King event? You can have an all-day celebration and a meeting with the gangs under the banner of nonviolence and end with a concert.”

He said, “That’s a good idea. We can start with an interfaith breakfast. You’ve got to do this.” I said, “Oh no, I’m going back to New York next week.” But I stayed. The Dr. King celebration began with the first Dr. King Interfaith Breakfast, followed by an all-day event at Medinah Temple. We brought Chicago gang leaders and some of their troops together for a discussion on nonviolence with Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder, moderated by John Davis of CBS Channel 2. Stevie Wonder performed that evening in concert.

After the event, I was preparing the final report and about to return to New York when a gentleman from the Illinois Arts Council came to my office. He was trying to get the Governor’s Award for the Arts for Professor Thomas Dorsey, and the committee wanted more recommendations. I didn’t know that Professor Dorsey was still alive, but I said OK and I wrote two letters, one for me and one for the mayor, on his behalf.

After the governor approved the award in March 1985, I suggested that the mayor do something bigger. He asked, “What do you think?” I said, “Do a gospel festival and call it the Dorsey Gospel Festival.” He said, “That’s a brilliant idea, Sasha! When do you want to do it?” I said, “I don’t want to do it at all, but it should be done over Father’s Day weekend, since he’s the father of gospel music.” He said, “Can you do it that fast?” I said, “No, I’m going back to New York.” But he said it was my idea and I had to do it. I returned to the Special Events office, only to be informed that the city could only provide $5,000 and city services. The Dorsey festival would be part of the mayor’s new Neighborhood Festival Program, which replaced Jane Byrne’s ChicagoFest and supported neighborhoods in producing their own events. We decided to present it at the South Shore Country Club (now South Shore Cultural Center).

When I was the point person for the Dr. King breakfast, people from the religious community were upset because I wasn’t really connected to the religious community. I was known as a jazz singer, and now the city was doing a gospel festival and they put a jazz singer over it. Some demanded my removal, but the mayor said no.

Now that I had to do this gospel festival, I was nervous. It would be impossible for anyone to produce a gospel festival without support from the religious community–let alone with only $5,000. I thought, “I need to form a committee, exactly like Washington’s campaign committee, to help build this festival.”

First, I went to Reverend Clay Evans, the most respected Black minister in the city and known as “Chicago’s pastor.” He agreed to support this effort. Then I went to Jim Fletcher, the president of Shore Bank, and he found us a sponsor. Then I went to Albertina Walker, the most prominent, most well-known gospel artist in the city, and I asked her to join my committee.

I went to other people who had been involved with the Washington campaign who were movers and shakers with a commitment to doing something right and understood the importance of the event. We weren’t only honoring Professor Dorsey–this was a major event introduced by the first Black mayor of the city, and it needed to be outstanding.

The first year we had 35,000 people at the South Shore Country Club. I had pulled off in two months what usually takes nine or ten months to a year. The second year there were so many people they couldn’t all get in. We couldn’t contain the crowds anymore. So the third year, 1987, we moved it to Grant Park and renamed it the Chicago Gospel Festival.

At that point we had to deliver an audience of at least 60,000 people a day to be considered successful, because now we were considered a major Chicago event and we’d be compared to the Blues and the Jazz Festivals. We had to expand our thinking to reach an audience of that size. We had two stages with 16 hours of programming, and we had to be all-inclusive. That year I brought in Clifton Davis, who starred on the TV show Amen, Billy Preston, who everybody–Black, white, Hispanic–knew and loved, and singer Linda Hopkins. I brought in white artists. Mayor Washington said he was mayor for all Chicago, so all Chicago communities and ethnic groups were represented. The fifth year, 1989, was my last year, and it was the biggest festival in the history of Chicago. We featured an excerpt of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated production The Gospel at Colonus, and our attendance was over 100,000 people.

Gospel music brings people together. I objected to the idea of combining the Gospel and Blues Festivals because they had different audiences. But blues people like gospel, jazz people like gospel, and gospel people like blues and jazz music. One reason I think we were successful is that we brought all kinds of people together under one umbrella. We never had a problem.

It became something revolutionary. We weren’t the only gospel event, but to my knowledge we were the only city that presented a gospel festival and had the attendance we had–and it was free.

I’m still involved with the gospel community today and attend the Apostolic Church of God. I’m on the board of directors of the Gospel According to Chicago (GMAC) and occasionally sing with the Dr. Lou Della Evans-Reid Gospel Choir. While I’m no longer affiliated with the Gospel Festival, commissioner Mark Kelly felt I should be honored as the festival’s founder. I’m very grateful for that, and I appreciate the city sincerely. Founding the Chicago Gospel Music Festival is a blessing and one of the highlights of my life. So is the Dr. King Interfaith Breakfast, which I produced for five years.

It’s been a spiritual journey for me. You never know where you’ll end up when you start down a path. I eventually went back to school to finish my degree, and I started working on a master’s in ministry. And I started my own company, Royal Productions; we’ve designed, produced, and booked major events, served as talent coordinators, and booked major talent.

The industry has changed so much, but I still say trust your gut. There’s nothing like a good idea. If you have an idea, explore it, give it all you have, and put people together who can help you. No man is an island. Surround yourself with like-minded people and keep the faith. Eventually your dream will be realized–dreams are the seedlings of reality. v

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As the Democrat-led investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol devolves even further into an exercise of political finger pointing, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of downstate Illinois has joined a chorus of Republicans trying to shift blame for security failures to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Davis — originally picked to serve on the House panel before House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled all five of his appointees in protest — appeared with a group of House Republicans at a news conference just hours before the July 27 hearings began.

Davis, a Taylorville Republican who has been named a potential contender for governor in Illinois, called out what he alleged were structural problems preventing Capitol police from making critical decisions during the crisis.

“The chief of police cannot make a final security decision without going to political appointees that make up the Capitol Police Board — his or her bosses,” Davis said. Specifically, he pointed to the fact that then-House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving requested Pelosi’s permission to seek support from the National Guard that afternoon:

“If Sergeant-at-Arms Irving felt he needed the speaker’s approval then, what were the instructions and conversations he had with the speaker’s office prior to Jan. 6?” Davis said.

“Former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund has testified that Irving was concerned as many have said about the ‘optics,’ and we know that the speaker’s office was calling the shots on all of their actions on Jan. 6.”

Alex Wong/Getty Images

PolitiFact and other fact checkers have debunked numerous claims contending Pelosi alone was responsible for Capitol security. Davis’ claim pointed to the speaker’s role in directing Capitol security leaders, rather than all of Capitol security. But it’s still highly misleading.

Pelosi no more responsible for Capitol security decisions than McConnell

The House and Senate sergeants-at-arms, who are nominated by each chamber’s leader and elected by chamber members, serve as the Capitol’s chief law enforcement officers for their respective chambers. Each makes decisions for the Capitol Police Board, which oversees the Capitol’s police force in concert with several House and Senate committees, including one on which Davis sits.

The House sergeant-at-arms reports to the House speaker just as the Senate sergeant-at-arms reports to the Senate majority leader, but there is no indication Pelosi controls day-to-day security operations. So we reached out to Davis’ office to ask what he was talking about.

Citing a Feb. 1 letter from Sund to Pelosi, Davis spokesman Aaron DeGroot responded in an email that the former police chief “alone could not request National Guard support because he ‘had no authority to do so without an Emergency Declaration by the Capitol Police Board.’ Requesting National Guard support is a major security decision, and it’s one that even the Speaker’s office admits they were involved in.”

That description is accurate. According to a bipartisan Senate report on the Jan. 6 attack, the Capitol police chief “has no unilateral authority to request assistance from the National Guard” and “must submit a request for assistance to the Capitol Police Board for approval.” Likewise, as DeGroot noted, Pelosi’s office has said Irving did request the speaker’s permission to call on the National Guard.

However, those facts do not prove Pelosi made all the calls on how Sund, Irving, and the other members of the Capitol Police Board responded to the crisis — most notably because then-Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger, who reported to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at the time, also played an active role.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As Sund noted in his letter to Pelosi, the police chief “notified the two Sergeant at Arms” around 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 that he “urgently needed support.” Despite confusion over the statutory process for requesting National Guard assistance, both Irving and Stenger eventually approved Sund’s request to call for backup at 2:10 p.m., according to the Senate report.

Prior to that approval being granted, the New York Times reported, aides to both congressional leaders “were perplexed to learn that the two sergeants-at-arms had not yet approved the request for troops, according to spokesmen for Mr. McConnell and Ms. Pelosi.”

Associated Press

“The speaker expects security professionals to make security decisions and to be informed of those decisions,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told the Times.

Our ruling

Davis said “we know that the speaker’s office was calling the shots on all of” the actions taken by the officials in charge of Capitol security on Jan. 6.

As evidence, his office highlighted the fact that then-House Sergeant-at-Arms Irving requested approval from Pelosi before greenlighting the Capitol police chief’s request to call in the National Guard.

But Davis and his spokesman ignored a critical detail: the decision to approve that request and call for backup was not Irving’s call alone. It was made in conjunction with the Senate sergeant-at-arms, who reports to the Senate majority leader. At the time, that was McConnell.

We rate Davis’ claim Mostly False.

MOSTLY FALSE – The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.

Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check.

The Better Government Association runs PolitiFact Illinois, the local arm of the nationally renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking enterprise that rates the truthfulness of statements made by governmental leaders and politicians. BGA’s fact-checking service has teamed up weekly with the Sun-Times, in print and online. You can find all of the PolitiFact Illinois stories we’ve reported together here.

Sources

House Republican press conference, C-SPAN, July 27, 2021

“No, Capitol security is not only Pelosi’s responsibility, but she bears some,” PolitiFact, Feb. 25, 2021

“Posts falsely cite Pelosi as responsible for security during Capitol insurrection,” The Associated Press, Jan. 20, 2021

“Fact checking Rep. Jordan’s claim that Speaker Pelosi was responsible for US Capitol security on January 6,” CNN, July 21, 2021

“Fact check: Nancy Pelosi wasn’t ‘in charge’ of Capitol Police on Jan. 6,” USA Today, July 27, 2021

Capitol Police Board overview, United States Capitol Police, accessed Aug. 4, 2021

Capitol Police oversight, United States Capitol Police, accessed Aug. 4, 2021

About page, Committee on House Administration, accessed Aug. 4, 2021

Letter from Sund to Congressional leaders, Feb. 1, 2021

Email: Aaron DeGroot, Davis spokesperson, July 28, 2021

“Examining the U.S. Capitol Attack: A Review of the Security, Planning, and Response Failures on January 6,” U.S. Senate committees

“The Lost Hours: How Confusion and Inaction at the Capitol Delayed a Troop Deployment,” New York Times, Feb. 21, 2021

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Chicago Bulls Rumors: A ridiculous 6-team trade being discussed by Ryan Heckman

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that LaMarcus Aldridge may be considering a return to the NBA following medical clearances despite retiring earlier this season due to health concerns. Prior to his retirement, the Chicago Bulls were rumored to be potential suitors for LaMarcus this offseason (per K.C. Johnson).

The Chicago Bulls’ rumored interest in LaMarcus Aldridge once again proves how aggressive management was planning to be this offseason.

People may be surprised why the Chicago Bulls came out this offseason guns blazing. It has been a long time since this team has operated as a top-three largest market, but that old narrative has been turned on its head within the first 48 hours of free agency.

The reason for it is simple: Prove to Zach LaVine that the organization will support his efforts to win a championship so that he does not request a trade this upcoming season. The Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan signings all demonstrated the organization’s goal to win immediately. Now, LaMarcus Aldridge is the latest example of the Chicago Bulls going out to acquire as much talent as quickly as possible.

With Lauri Markannen surely on his way out of Chicago, the Bulls do have a pressing need in the frontcourt where their lack of depth is concerning. Alongside Vucevic, the Bulls only have the newly signed Tony Bradley and Marko Simonovic – two unproven players that while talented, cannot be the team’s only two depth options in the frontcourt going into the season.

This is where the pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge would be very beneficial for the Bulls should he clear all the medical protocols necessary to make him feel comfortable enough to come out of retirement. Aldridge would surely provide stability to the second unit and would make the Chicago Bulls’ second unit one of the most formidable in the entire NBA.

It’s clear that the Chicago Bulls’ management is thrusting open their championship window. Anyone who watches their games know that Zach LaVine is a talent they cannot afford to lose. The Bulls are lucky enough that the Jimmy Butler trade can’t be referred to as a huge fleece due to how Zach has developed. However, now Chicago needs to do what it can to keep Zach LaVine happy.

Related Story: Bulls new starting lineup reminiscent of South Beach

New management recognized this as their team’s number one priority and planned an aggressive offseason to ensure their superstar would be kept satisfied going into a contract year. The LaMarcus Aldridge rumors that apparently dated back to midseason forecasted this plan all along and luckily for the Chicago Bulls, the front office was able to execute their plan which could potentially be topped off with the acquisition of former all-star LaMarcus Aldridge to anchor the second unit.

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Whether it’s “Hamilton” or “In the Heights” or even the “I Do Not Like This Man” number from “Fatwa! The Musical” in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” there is something instantly catchy and memorable and unique about the musical stylings of the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda. Five seconds into anything featuring the music and/or voice of Miranda, and we know that’s him and we love it and we’re immediately tapping our toes and nodding our heads in time with the tune.

Even when Miranda is a computer-animated kinkajou, he’s an infectiously catchy computer-animated kinkajou, as evidenced in the Sony Pictures Animation musical “Vivo,” released by a little streaming company you might have heard of, goes by the name of Netflix. Miranda contributed 11 original songs and is the voice of the title character, an energetic and sweet if sometimes bumbling little rainforest creature who is out of his element in more ways than one throughout this journey, but always perseveres, thanks to his strong spirit and warm heart.

Directed by Kirk DeMicco with beautiful cinematography from Yong Duk Jhun (and a visual consulting credit to the legendary Roger Deakins), “Vivo” is a gorgeous, candy-colored visual feast that begins in Havana, where the elderly and beloved town square singer Andres (Juan de Marcos Gonzalez) performs every day with his faithful kinkajou partner Vivo. When Andres receives a letter from his long-ago musical collaborator Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), who has become a superstar and is about to perform a farewell concert in Miami, he decides he must go to her and tell her he’s been in love with her all this time. This will be Andres’ last chance to share the song he wrote for Marta so many years ago.

Sony Pictures Animation

Alas, and spoiler alert, Andres dies on the eve of his journey. (Cue a memorial service that will have you tearing up unless you’re dead.) A heartbroken Vivo makes it his mission to somehow find a way to Miami and deliver that song to Marta, and he hitches a ride with Andres’ niece Rosa (Zoe Saldana) and Rosa’s tweenage daughter Gabi (Ynairaly Simon), and because this is one of those animated movies where we can hear the animals talking but the humans IN the movie can’t, Vivo is facing quite the uphill challenge. Also, Rosa and Gabi live in Key West (which comes to fantastic animated life) and the concert is some 3¹/₂ hours away in Miami, so there’s that.

“Vivo” strays this way and that, and younger viewers might get restless in the middle sections where Gabi and Vivo must cross the Everglades and they have to deal with a trio of Gabi’s peers who are out to get her but eventually become her friends, not to mention a monstrous python voiced by Michael Rooker and a couple of daffy spoonbills played by Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer. But through it all, the Latino-influenced ballads, dance numbers and hip-hop numbers infuse the story with great life, and how can anybody possibly resist Lin-Manuel Miranda as a kinkajou with a tiny hat?

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Seventeen people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago, including a man who was shot to death inside a West Pullman home on the Far South Side.

The man, 34, was inside a home about 4 p.m. when two gunmen entered and opened fire in the first block of East 118th Place, Chicago police said. He was struck in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Maurice Morris by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In non-fatal shootings, two men were shot in Gresham on the South Side. About 11:30 p.m., they were standing on the street in the 8100 block of South Elizabeth Street, when someone inside a passing black sedan fired shots at them, police said. A 19-year-old man was struck in the left leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. A 46-year-old man was struck in the right arm and taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Minutes prior, two men were shot in South Chicago on the South Side. About 11:05 p.m., they were in the 8800 block of South Burley Avenue, when someone fired shots at them, police said. A 38-year-old man was struck in the buttocks and a 42-year-old man was struck in the left arm. The 38-year-old was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, while the older man was taken to Trinity Hospital in good condition.

A 29-year-old man was shot during and attempted robbery Wednesday in Lawndale on the West Side. About 10:40 p.m., he was in the 3000 block of West Flournoy Avenue, when he was shot in the back by three males who were attempting to rob him, police said. He was rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

Two males — including a 13-year-old boy — were shot in East Garfield Park on the West Side. The two were sitting in the rear of a vehicle around 7 p.m. in the first block of North Hamlin Avenue when someone opened fire, police said. The 19-year-old victim was shot in his left land. The 13-year-old was shot in his neck. Both were dropped off by a friend at Rush University Medical Center, where the 19-year-old’s condition was stabilized. The 13-year-old was transferred to Stroger Hospital and is listed in critical condition.

About thirty minutes prior, a woman was shot in South Shore on the Far South Side. The woman, 42, was in an apartment when she was shot in the chest just before 6:35 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Constance Avenue, police said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.

A man was wounded while riding in a vehicle in West Town on the Near West Side. The passenger, 28, was riding in a vehicle just before 6 p.m. northbound in the 300 block of North Loomis Street, when someone opened fire, police said. The man was shot multiple times in his left leg and groin. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and is listed in critical condition.

Eight others were wounded in shootings citywide.

Two people were killed, and eleven others were wounded, in shootings Tuesday in Chicago.

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SAITAMA, Japan — Kevin Durant and the Americans still have their grip on gold and it’s going to take more than a few bad minutes for anyone to take it away from them.

They were awful early, then awesome afterward against Australia.

Durant scored 23 points, Devin Booker had 20 and the U.S. blew past and eventually blew away the Aussies 97-78 on Thursday in the Olympic men’s basketball semifinals after falling into a 15-point hole.

With their gold-medal streak looking in jeopardy midway through the second quarter, the Americans overwhelmed the Australians with a 48-14 stretch that gave them a 74-55 lead after three periods.

The U.S. missed its first 10 3-point attempts and didn’t hit one until late in the second quarter, then it felt as if the Americans hardly missed again, with Booker making three 3-pointers.

Jrue Holiday had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the U.S., which will play European champion Slovenia or France for a fourth straight gold medal Saturday. The French beat the Americans 83-76 in their Olympic opener.

That was part of a 2-3 start to the summer for the U.S., which included a loss to the Australians in an exhibition game in Las Vegas.

The Americans don’t look like that team anymore.

They look like the best team in the world, like those that used to win gold with ease.

Patty Mills scored 15 points for Australia, which still needs a win for its first Olympic basketball medal.

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Welcome to our roundup of movie screenings and events in Chicago. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on shows and activities.

International Queer Film Festival

Ariztical Entertainment

When: July 18-Aug. 14

Where: Online

What: Featured are 29 films from eight countries streaming online in four separate programs. The diverse selection explores the range of queer life topics ranging from comedy to drama to science fiction and Zoom dating. Three programs of short films each run for a week with the festival’s final week devoted to “Boy Meets Boy,” a new feature by German filmmaker Daniel Sanchez Lopez about two men who develop a deep connection over one long night in Berlin. Tickets: $12 per program.

More information: pridearts.org

‘Movies in the Parks’

When: To Sept. 14

Where: In parks throughout Chicago

What: The Chicago Park District’s series returns with films ranging from Hollywood classics to retro childhood favorites and family-friendly offerings from recent years. Admission is free.

More information: For a complete list of films and parks, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/movies.

Garden Movies

Music Box Theatre

When: All summer long

Where: 3733 N. Southport

What: The Music Box Theatre is screening films in its expanded courtyard under the stars. Tickets: $9.

More information: musicboxtheatre.com

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Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

Laurie Berkner

When: 11 a.m. Aug. 7

Where: Ravinia, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park

What: A pioneer in offering music geared to children and families, the singer will showcase an array of tunes that encourage everyone to get up and dance, including favorites such as “Waiting for the Elevator,” “We Are the Dinosaurs,” “Pig on Her Head” and “Superhero.” At Ravinia, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park. Tickets: $10, $20.

More information: ravinia.org

Chicago World’s Fair of Money

Lyle Engleson/Ira and Larry Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

When: Aug. 10-14

Where: Donald A. Stephens Convention Center, Hall A, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont

What: Early American coins and historic money from around the world are the highlight of the Chicago World’s Fair of Money. Sponsored by the American Numismatic Association, the show features hundreds of dealers specializing in rare coins, paper money and gold and silver. Plus there are educational programs, family activities and free evaluations of old money. Admission: $10, $25 for a three-day pass, ages 12 and under free and free admission for all Aug. 14.

More information: worldsfairofmoney.com

Neighborhood festivals

Northalsted Business Alliance

Celebrating all colors of the rainbow, Halsted Street Market Days offers music on six stages featuring DJs, live music and drag performers plus vendors selling arts, crafts and food. From Aug. 6-8, on Halsted from Belmont to Addison. Admission: $15. Visit northhalsted.com. … The music and craft beer festival Dancing in the Streets returns Aug. 6-8 with local bands, food trucks and more. On Hubbard from Paulina to Wood. Admission: $10. Visit westtownchamber.org. … The Printer’s Row Art Fest features art at all price points from a variety of artists. From Aug. 7-8, on Dearborn from Polk to Harrison. Admission is free. Visit amdurproductions.com. … Taste of Andersonville returns from 5-8 p.m. Aug. 11 from Edgewater to Carmen on Clark Street, where attendees can sample dinner, drink and dessert options. Tickets: $30-$65. For a list of participating restaurants, visit andersonville.org.

Chicago Fireboat Tours

Courtesy Chicago Fireboat Tours

When: Ongoing

Where: DuSable Harbors, 111 N. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Built in 1936, the Fred A. Busse was the largest, diesel-powered fireboat in the world at the time and served the Chicago Fire Department from 1937-1981. The current owners renovated the retired fireboat, which is now in its second season cruising Chicago waterways. Tickets: $35-$40, $19.50 ages 4-12.

More information: fireboattours.com

Merit School of Music

Courtesy of Merit School of Music

When: To Aug. 28

Where: Various locations

What: In July and August, the music school hosts a family-friendly series of interactive pop-up events throughout Chicago neighborhoods from Pilsen to Lincoln Park. “Pop-ups in the Parks” offers free instrument tunings, demos and performances by students and faculty, “Music at the Markets” features performances and giveaways at outdoor markets and “Musical Storytimes” is filled with stories and activities.

More information: meritmusic.org

Adler Planetarium

Adler Planetarium

When: Ongoing

Where: 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The planetarium has partially reopened with a selection of its award-winning sky shows. On weekends in July and August two shows will play twice daily: “Imagine the Moon” (10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m.) and “Skywatch Live” (11:30 am., 1:15 p.m.). The full museum won’t reopen until March 2022. Tickets: $15.

More information: adlerplanetarium.org

Tempel Lipizzans’ stallions

Courtesy Tempel Lipizzans

When: Ongoing

Where: Tempel Farms, 17000 Wadsworth, Old Mill Creek.

What: The stallions return for a new season of equestrian dressage along with interactive, educational events. Performances feature synchronized movements set to classical music that show off the strength, beauty and intelligence of the Lipizzan horse. Following each event, there are self-guided tours through the stables to meet and pet the equine stars and ask questions of riders and trainers about how the Lipizzans are raised, trained and taught to “dance.” Tickets: $35, $25 for ages 4-14.

More information: tempelfarms.com

‘Par Excellence Redux’

When: “The Front 9” (to Sept. 16) and “The Back Nine” (Oct. 13-Jan. 2)

Where: Tee off at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill, Elmhurst

What: A fun new exhibit features a fully playable 18-hole mini-golf course created by more than 20 artists, designers and architects from Chicago and beyond. The family-friendly course pays homage to the School of the Art Institute’s wildly popular 1988 exhibition “Par Excellence.” Course themes range from social justice to the occult and include a fortune-telling hole that has the power to dramatically change scores as well as a hole that challenges players with an optical illusion. Admission is $5-$10 (online timed reservations); children 4 and under free.

More information: elmhurstartmuseum.org

Chicago Children’s Museum

Where: Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand

When: Ongoing

What: Fun and learning are on the agenda at the popular family gathering spot, offering a wide variety of exhibits aimed at improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. Babies and toddlers can enjoy “Treehouse Trails” and “Kids Town” while “Tinker Lab” and “Dinosaur Expedition” will enthrall older children. Admission: $19.

More information: chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

‘Becoming Jane’

Hugo van Lawick/National Geographic

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a recreation of her field research tent, a hologram-like projection of Goodall who shares her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. Admission: $18-$32

More information: fieldmuseum.org

‘Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown’

Courtesy Greektown Chicago

When: Through spring 2022

Where: Halsted from Monroe to Van Buren

What: Welcome summer with a new outdoor exhibit celebrating the start of summer with 24 artworks inspired by the sun and related mythologies from Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures.

More information: greektownchicago.org

Kayak for Conservation

Shedd Aquarium

When: Ongoing

Where: Kayak Chicago: 1220 W LeMoyne,

What: Get close to nature via the Shedd Aquarium’s popular Kayak for Conservation program, which features a variety of socially distant kayaking experiences on the Chicago River. Participants learn about the river’s environmental history and discover wildlife living in its ecosystem. Sessions are open to all levels of kayakers (including newbies) and are led by Shedd’s wildlife conservation experts. The cost is pay-what-you-can ranging from $20-$100 per participant, with a recommended $40, the base cost of the program.

More information: sheddaquarium.org/kayak

‘Take Flight’

Museum of Science and Industry

When: Permanent

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.

More information: msichicago.org

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Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Cancer.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Today is the perfect day to cocoon at home or relax with family members. A discussion with a female family member might be significant for both of you. However, you might want to “hide” in comfortable, familiar surroundings. Your choice.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

In discussion with others today, you want a genuine connection with whomever you are talking to. This means you will be disappointed if the conversation remains at a superficial, chitchat level. You want a real exchange. Something meaningful.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Financial matters are on your mind, which is why this could be a tricky day if you are shopping. You might make purchases based on emotional decisions rather than practical decisions. The best way to protect yourself is to save your receipts — and the box.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Today the moon is still in your sign, which makes you more emotional than usual. However, it also increases your good luck just a tiny bit. (And as we all know, every little bit helps!) Therefore, ask the universe for a favor today. See what happens?

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

With the sun and Mercury in your sign now, you are powerful and busy relating to others. However, today you have a chance to seek some solitude and escape from the busyness around you, if you choose to do so. Welcome any opportunity to take time to replenish and restore yourself — even briefly.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

This is a good day to have a heart-to-heart talk with someone, perhaps a female acquaintance. It might benefit you to share your hopes and dreams for the future with this person, because, quite possibly, their feedback will help you. Who knows? Try it.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Once again, today the moon is sitting at the very top of your chart, which seems to put you in the public eye. In other words, at some point, people will notice you more than usual and they will be talking about you. (You might need to do some damage control.)

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Because you feel a bit restless today and eager for adventure, give yourself a chance to explore something new. Do something different! Go someplace you have never been before. Obviously, travel will appeal. But you will also be interested to learn new things and meet unusual people.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Although you have a desire to travel and “get away from all this,” today you cannot ignore certain details regarding shared property, taxes, debt, insurance matters or something to do with inheritances. Whatever calls to you — address it and get some of this done.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Because the moon is in the sign that is 180 degrees opposite from your sign, this means the best way for you to handle this is to be ready to go more than halfway when dealing with others. In other words, you have to cooperate and be supportive. No biggie.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Very possibly, you will have to perform a service for someone else or help them in some way. You might also be more involved than usual with a pet. At work, you might find that a coworker wants to confide in you or that they need your help.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

You’re in a playful frame of mind today, which is why you will enjoy fun activities with children, the arts or any kind of mental, intellectual games. You will also be attracted to sports events and the entertainment world. “Bring it on!”

If Your Birthday Is Today

Director, writer, actor James Gunn (1966) shares your birthday. You are a natural leader and excellent at managing and directing others. Ever adventurous, you are self-assured and diplomatic, which is why others listen to you. You have humanitarian values at heart. In a nine-year cycle, this is your ninth year, which means it is a time of endings and letting go of what is no longer really relevant in your life.

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