What’s New

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

Today will be partly sunny with a high near 83 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and a low around 71. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 88 degrees.

Top story

‘We are in a battle for the heart and soul of these communities,’ top cop says after 15-year-old boy killed and 9 people wounded in two mass shootings on West Side

Reshorna Fitzpatrick stood with four other pastors as police placed white markers near shell casings strewn on the street and sidewalk near Theodore Herzl Elementary School in North Lawndale.

Five people — three of them teens — had been shot there, minutes after five other people had been shot just blocks away. A 15-year-old boy died in that shooting.

“I’m heartbroken,” said Fitzpatrick, pastor of the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church down the street. “It’s heartbreaking and shocking because we had gotten to a place where we were really experiencing some peace.”

The two shootings yesterday evening were among three mass attacks in Chicago in a single day. The other occurred close to midnight in Lincoln Park when someone in a passing car shot eight people who had been riding in a party bus.

At least 34 other shootings this year have wounded four or more people, according to a Sun-Times analysis of city data. Over the last five years, Chicago has recorded the most mass shootings in the nation by far, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Three of the victims from the attacks were 15 and younger, continuing a trend of rising violence against children this year.

Cindy Hernandez, Madeline Kenney, and Tom Schuba have more.

More news you need

1. A federal judge today sentenced veteran Chicago police officer Nicholas Stella to 15 months in prison for his role in a large-scale, international gambling ring. Stella was also ordered into Chicago’s federal lockup six months ago after prosecutors said he “violently assaulted his girlfriend” last January.
2. Gov. Pritzker says he’s planning on going to Lollapalooza despite renewed concerns of another COVID-19 surge fueled by the more infectious Delta variant. If you’re vaccinated, have a mask and practice social distancing, the shows can go on safely, he said — even though daily cases have recently tripled.
3. Pritzker also signed a law today that aims to expand access to oral contraceptives by allowing trained pharmacists to assess patients and write a 12-month prescription. It’s a move Pritzker and champions of the bill called a “common sense approach” to helping women get contraceptives from trusted sources.
4. A marker honoring Eugene Williams, the first victim of Chicago’s 1919 race riots, will be dedicated Saturday at Lincoln Cemetery, where he has been buried in an unmarked grave. Community members raised money to have the marker made for the 17-year-old, who was killed by a white stone thrower.
5. The National Labor Relations Board today ruled that the presence of “Scabby the Rat” at union protests is protected speech that does not violate labor law against “coercive” behavior. That means Chicago-born Scabby and his hulking, inflatable peers will live to fight the boss another day.
6. Robert Shaw, a former Chicago alderman from the 9th ward and commissioner with the Cook County Board of Review, has died of cancer at 83. He and his late twin brother William Shaw were a powerful duo in city, county and state politics.
7. Chicago is seeing the effects of the wildfires out west this week as smoke clouded the city’s sky and turned the sun orange and red hues. The lingering smoke also caused air quality advisories to be issued for some parts of the United States, including Indiana.
8. City Colleges of Chicago plans to aid adult learners this fall with Future Ready, a new initiative featuring 60 free career training programs. The new programs will cover subjects ranging from health care to cannabis operations to criminal justice to auto mechanics.
9. Steppenwolf Theatre Company today announced the appointment of co-artistic directors — Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis — marking the first time in its history that the job will be shared by two people. It’s also the first time that a person of color will helm the troupe.

A bright one

With Hazel Crest show, Isley Brothers will ‘pick back up where everything suddenly stopped’

The Isley Brothers, the legendary soul and R&B group, are headed to the Chicago area to headline their first show since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and after their highly-publicized Verzuz battle with Earth, Wind & Fire.

The “Sundress and Sandals Concert,” which is scheduled for tomorrow at Hazel Crest’s Cross Pointe Park (gates open at 5 p.m.), is the brainchild of PR Popups. The concert also features Kindred the Family Soul, Chantay Savage, and Carl Thomas of the recently formed R&B supergroup The Chi.

“I know it’s gonna be nice to be in front of a live audience, and to sort of pick back up where everything suddenly stopped,” said guitarist Ernie Isley. “We were supposed to have an international tour in 2020 and we didn’t go anywhere. Carlos Santana didn’t go anywhere. Earth, Wind & Fire didn’t go anywhere. The Rolling Stones didn’t go anywhere — nobody went anywhere.

Greg Campbell/Getty Images

In the aftermath of the Verzuz battle, not only did the Isleys garner yet another generation of fans to appreciate the longevity of their music, a story also surfaced regarding the Isley family connection with a legendary musician: Jimi Hendrix.

Guitarist Ernie Isley says Hendrix lived with his family in New Jersey for two years (1963-1965). During Hendrix’s stay there, Isley says the enigmatic singer-guitarist received his first Fender Stratocaster guitar and had his first professional recording session.

“We’ve been fortunate to have our catalog, and the fact that folks appreciate our music,” said Isley, who says he idolized Hendrix. “We’ve been involved with the music beyond our catalog, and a lot of rappers in the MTV generation were leaning on Isley Brothers songs for their hits. Certainly, they embraced us and we embraced them.”

More on the Hazel Crest show and Evan F. Moore’s conversations with its featured artists here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

What isn’t an Olympic sport but should be?

Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: It’s National Hot Dog Day, so we want to know: Where can the best Chicago-style hot dog be found? Here’s what some of you said…

“George’s in Bucktown and Johnny’s in Elmwood Park.” — Flowers Shemi Mallela

“I’m a vegetarian now, but if anything could change my mind, it would be Gene and Jude’s in River Grove. I love how they put the homemade french fries right in the bun with the hot dog itself.” — Sandy Gulliver

“Jimmy’s Red Hots on Pulaski, Henry’s Drive-In on Ogden and Bob-O’s Hot Dog’s on Irving Park.” — Tony Buccini

“Dave’s Red Hots on Roosevelt” — Poochilla Juslef

“The Duck Dog at The Duck Inn!” — Javalen Hickey

“Byron’s Hot Dog on Lawrence! I remember they gave “Presidential Pups” to Obama at the White House. Also the best fries!” — Betty Lark Ross

“Josh’s Hot Dogs in Northbrook. No better community guy than the owner Josh Kaplan and no better Chicago-style hot dog with all the fixings (no ketchup and yes celery salt!).” — Julie Smoller Kreiter

“Pop’s Italian Beef. Great dogs.” — Lj Prete

“Lulu’s Hot Dogs in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood of Chicago!” — Timmy Smith

“If you don’t say Jimmy’s and you say Superdawg, may God have mercy on your soul.” — Derrick Colon

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

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Brittany Benson has trouble seeing and depended on her 15-year-old son Damarion for simple tasks.

“I told him, ‘You are my eyes.’ ” she said.

Wednesday evening she called Demarion and told him he needed to come home. “He said, ‘I know, I know. I love you, mom.’ “

Minutes later, gunfire erupted at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Christiana Avenue, striking Damarion and four other people, according to police. Damarion was shot in the head and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Brittany Benson said her cousin, a 16-year-old boy, was seriously wounded in the attack and was on life support. Police said that boy was also struck in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in “grave” condition.

Three men in their early 20s were also taken to Mount Sinai, where they were stabilized, police said.

It was one of three mass shootings in Chicago Wednesday. A few blocks away, five people were shot outside Herzl Elementary School only minutes later. Shortly before midnight, 8 people traveling on a party bus were shot in Lincoln Park.

At least 34 other shootings this year have wounded four or more people, according to a Sun-Times analysis of city data. Over the last five years, Chicago has recorded the most mass shootings in the nation by far, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Three of the victims from Wednesday’s attacks were 15 and younger, continuing a trend of rising violence against children this year.

“This was one of my biggest fears,” said Benson, 32. “I told him, I love you and I don’t want this to happen to you. One of the worst calls a mom can get is that their son is dead.

“Damarion was one hell of a kid,” she added. “He was doing typical things teens do. He wasn’t perfect — but he loved his family.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

He attended Lawndale Community Academy before a juvenile conviction sent him to jail, Benson said. He graduated from Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School and was supposed to start at Wells Community Academy this fall.

Damarion was due in court Thursday morning, one of the reasons his mother had called him.

“You know how it is. It’s peer pressure,” she said. “When you’re a kid you get caught up hanging out in the wrong crowd… He was in the juvenile system — but he was a kid.”

Damarion had two younger brothers, 4 and 7, who he watched over and sometimes took to the bus for school when his mom’s eyes were causing her trouble.

He dreamed of playing basketball professionally and expressed an interest in rapping, his mother said.

She encouraged her son by promising a gift if he graduated from high school. “I told him, you bring on that high school diploma and I’ll get you a car.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Damarion is among 97 kids 15 years old and younger who have been shot in Chicago this year, an increase from the same time last year, according to Sun-Times crime data. Twelve of the children died.

Minutes after Damarion was shot, another mass shooting happened three blocks away. Three teenagers and two men were shot outside Herzl Elementary near Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue, according to police, who said they believed the shooting was unrelated.

North Lawndale, where both attacks happened, has been more deadly this year than the same time last year, from 21 homicides to 30.

Hours later, gunmen from three cars opened fire on a group that had been riding in a party bus. The bus had just pulled up to a gas station in the 1600 block of North LaSalle Drive.

Police Supt. David Brown, pressed about the attacks, complained many community members were not cooperating with investigators.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say we are in a battle for the heart and soul of some of these communities as it relates to violence,” Brown told reporters at a news conference.

Brittany Benson was still grieving the loss of a brother when she heard about her son.

“I just want him to be remembered for his sense of humor,” she said. “He was a genuine person. He’d do anything for you.”

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Less than 24 hours after saying he was stepping away from baseball, Yermin Mercedes was in uniform for the White Sox’ Triple-A Charlotte Knights for their game in Durham, N.C., on Thursday.

That word came from the White Sox, who learned from Mercedes on his Instagram account Wednesday that Mercedes, demoted from the major league club to Charlotte after falling into a prolonged hitting slump, was quitting baseball.

The news broke during the Sox’ 7-2 loss to the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“Kind of understand, you’re in Triple-A, had a taste of the big leagues, and you can get emotional,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “I’ll reach out to him.

“It could be just a little frustration. I’ll explain to him that he has a big-league future.”

Apparently it was just that. Mercedes apologized for his actions Thursday.

“I will never give up,” Mercedes posted moments ago. “I lasted 10 years in the minor leagues. My dream is to be a player established in the big leagues.

“I apologize.”

A defensively challenged catcher being used as a designated hitter, Mercedes got his chance to play because of Eloy Jimenez’ injury during spring training and took the major leagues by storm, going 8-for-8 to start the season and earning American League Rookie of the Month honors for April. The 5-11, 245-pound 28-year-old rookie enjoyed instant fame and attention — he had a hamburger named after him by a local restaurant — but slumped terribly in the second half of May and June and was optioned to Charlotte on July 2.

In 14 games, Mercedes was batting .309/.377/.655 with four home runs at Charlotte and probably thought he would return to the Sox when catcher Yasmani Grandal went on the injured list two weeks ago, but the Sox called up light-hitting Seby Zavala because of his superior defensive and game-calling skill.

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Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman broke his silence but gave little new concrete information about the team’s sexual assault cover-up investigation in a press conference Thursday.

“I do not condone or tolerate harassment or assault of any type,” Bowman said. “[But] we need to give the experts [investigating this] the necessary time and the latitude to do their job well.

“I am eager to speak about this in more detail in the future, but for now I have to respect the pending litigation and the independent review that’s underway. I’m not going to be able to make any comments about that at this time. We have to let the process play itself out.”

Since June 28, Chicago law firm Jenner & Block has been investigating allegations that former video coach Bradley Aldrich sexually assaulted two Hawks players during the 2010 playoffs, that management at the time — including Bowman — refused to report the incident to police and that the Hawks positively recommended Aldrich to future employers, allowing him to assault a 16-year-old Michigan high school student three years later.

The two lawsuits against the Hawks in Cook County Circuit Court regarding those incidents have not had any new updates since the Hawks filed motions to dismiss weeks ago.

Bowman said he will participate in Jenner & Block’s investigation but dodged the subject of whether the investigation’s results will be made public, a clarification the Hawks and NHL have repeatedly avoided providing over the past month.

“I’m going to give it my full cooperation,” he said. “As far as where it goes, that’s not something that I can comment on. But I do know that we have some experts that we brought in. From my understanding, these are well-respected people in the legal community, and I intend to fully cooperate with them.”

Former coach Joel Quenneville has also said he will cooperate in the investigation but denied he knew about the allegations until this year. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who was a Hawks assistant GM in 2010, said in a Thursday statement he had “no knowledge of any allegations involving Mr. Aldrich until asked if I was aware of anything just prior to the conclusion of [Aldrich’s] employment” with the Hawks.

Bowman declined comment in response to a question if an alleged May 2010 meeting in which former skills coach Paul Vincent told Bowman, then-president John McDonough and other executives about Aldrich’s actions occurred.

He said he’s primarily working on managing the Hawks’ busy offseason of player movement ahead and insisted the investigation and allegations aren’t affecting his day-to-day job, even with his future Hawks employment seemingly resting on the results of the investigation and lawsuits.

“There’s a lot going on,” he said. “There’s no question about that. But I have a job to do here, and that is to build our team as best I can.”

Toews, Nylander updates

Alex Nylander, after missing all of last season recovering from knee surgery, is already 100% healthy and will be at training camp in September.

“He’s training and preparing like normal,” Bowman said. “He’ll be ready.”

But Jonathan Toews — despite breaking his own silence in June, explaining he missed last season while suffering from an obscure condition called Chronic Immune Response Syndrome — is a different story.

Bowman said he and Toews had a meeting Tuesday and they’ve seen each other daily, with Toews coming into Fifth Third Arena to train. But there’s no definitive info on whether or not Toews will be ready for camp.

“It was good just to catch up on things and learn what he’s been through,” Bowman said. “For me, the big thing is focusing on Jonathan getting back to feeling great. When the time is right and when he’s able to join our team, we’re certainly going to welcome him back.

“We don’t know, and Johnny doesn’t know, how he’s going to feel. None of us have a crystal ball to know how he’ll feel in September… We’ll just take that as it comes, though. We don’t have to put any pressure on him being ready for a certain date.”

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Last summer, a massive music festival cramming 400,000 writhing, sweaty concertgoers into Grant Park was unthinkable under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 restrictions.

But next week, Pritzker himself is planning to be among the throngs of revelers at Lollapalooza despite renewed concerns of another coronavirus surge fueled by the more infectious Delta variant.

With a mask, a little bit of social distancing and especially a COVID-19 vaccination, the shows can go on safely, the governor said Thursday — even though daily cases have tripled in the weeks leading up to the fest.

And Thursday’s four-digit caseload was the highest in more than two months.

“It’s an outdoor festival, as you know, and it’s safer outdoors than it is indoors,” Pritzker said during an unrelated news conference. “I know lots of people will attend. I think, again, it’s up to individuals to make a decision about whether they want to be in a large group.”

“I would recommend to people that if they’re going to be jammed together, please wear a mask. We encourage you to do that if you’re going to be in large crowds.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

“But if you feel comfortable and you can, you know, put a little distance between yourself and other people — and if you’re vaccinated, I might add — it’s safer. Just a little distance, and if you’re vaccinated, it’s safe for you to attend something like this.”

Pritzker, 56, said he’ll be with his wife “and a few friends” at the downtown jamboree, which takes over Grant Park next Thursday through Sunday.

The fest drew an estimated 400,000 people over four days during its last run in 2019. Concertgoers this time around have to show up with proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from within 72 hours of entrance. Anyone suffering COVID-like symptoms is asked to stay home regardless of vaccination status.

Anyone who is unvaccinated will be required to wear a mask while attending the festival. And even those who got the shot are urged to consider masking up.

“I think it’s OK, but again, people need to be aware that we are not past this pandemic. It is with us,” Pritzker said. “I just want to be clear: vaccinations keep you safe, but we all need to keep our communities and our friends and neighbors and our family members safe. Wear a mask if you can, when you feel like you should.”

Cases have been on the rise across Illinois for almost a month. With 71% of eligible residents now at least partially vaccinated, the state reported 1,993 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, the highest daily count since the first week of May.

The state has averaged 1,027 new cases per day over the past week, up from a rate of just 357 per day at the start of July. The average statewide infection rate has tripled since then, too, with the statewide case positivity rate up to 3%.

In Chicago, an average of 108 people are testing positive each day, an 86% increase compared to the previous week, and the positivity rate has almost doubled over the same span to 1.8%.

That’s still low compared to the worst days of the crisis, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said, noting that cases are up across the nation. COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths remain at pandemic lows in the city.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

“This isn’t like the first two really bad surges where we were concerned about overwhelming the health system,” Arwady said during an online Q&A. “It’s more of an increase that we are seeing landing on unvaccinated Chicagoans, by and large.”

A day after Mayor Lori Lightfoot insisted “we’ve made the right decisions” about opening the gates to Lollapalooza, Arwady stood by it, saying “I expect cases to continue to increase regardless of whether Lolla is happening.”

She encouraged attendees to consider masking up, acknowledging the city “probably will” be instituting more mask recommendations in the weeks ahead if cases keep rising.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

“The risk for events like this — in a lot of ways, we don’t worry as much about the large outdoor event as we do about all of the indoor gathering that tends to happen around large events,” she said. “So we think about people who are at indoor parties or in hotel rooms or, you know, on transit. … There will be, obviously, additional focus on this.”

Arwady called it “the balancing act” facing the city. “My big thing is: Are we concerned about overwhelming the health care system, and do we have a widely available, highly protective vaccine?” she said. “If you are vaccinated, your risk remains relatively low, so that’s the most important thing.”

“Maybe you don’t want to get right into the middle of the mosh pit, and I can’t make that individual level decision for you. I can tell you that the risk here in Chicago at this point, you know, for someone who is vaccinated, remains low,” Arwady said.

“It’s when you’re going into a crowded situation, [the risk] goes up a bit, for sure, but if you’re vaccinated, think about wearing a mask, and, you know, maybe avoid having the people screaming directly in your face.”

Any Chicagoan can request an in-home vaccination by calling (312) 746-4835.

For help finding a shot in suburban Cook County, visit cookcountypublichealth.org or call (833) 308-1988. To find other Illinois providers, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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A seven-member civilian oversight commission will not have the final word on police policy or the future of Chicago’s police superintendent, but it will never come to that anyway, a City Council champion said Thursday.

“If the superintendent is doing so poorly … that the public is asking for their removal — if we institute a vote of no-confidence and we get a two-thirds majority — we figure that person is pretty much out the door anyway,” Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) told the Sun-Times.

“I’d bet that person would be fired prior to us [aldermen] even getting to the final vote. That’s the kind of … community pressure that would be placed on the mayor to say, ‘I have to get rid of this person. … It’s about to be embarrassing. Let me go ahead and pull the trigger. That person needs to go.’ “

The same goes for disputes over police policy — even if the mayor rejects the commission’s recommendation along with a written explanation.

“If the community feels strongly enough to say the commission’s vote is the correct vote, they will put pressure on the mayor, put pressure on us to do what they feel is right. If the community rises up and says, `We need you as Council members to override the mayor’s rejection’ and they do their job, then we would vote the community’s conscience with a two-thirds vote and confirm the commission’s decision,” he said.

Pointing to other municipalities with a similar civilian oversight structure, Sawyer said, “They’ve either never got that or got to that once or twice in their entirety of existence.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot wholeheartedly agreed.

“If you see a bunch of stuff getting elevated to the mayor’s level or to City Council, that’s a loss for everyone. It should be that there’s negotiations and compromise and collaboration between the commission and the police department. That’s what we all should be focused on and encouraging. Not the conflict,” Lightfoot said.

“If there’s a conflict and it has to come to me, it shouldn’t. If it does, obviously I’m gonna call balls and strikes. And if there’s a desire for the matter to go further to the City Council, we’ve created a mechanism for that. But that should be extraordinarily rare.”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Sawyer is the son of former Mayor Eugene Sawyer, one of the most likable aldermen Chicago has ever known.

The relationships he forged with now-indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and former Ald. Edward Vrdolyak (10th) made him the Vrdolyak 29’s choice to become acting mayor after Harold Washington’s death in 1987 and helped Sawyer deliver much of Washington’s stalled legislative agenda.

In the marathon fight for civilian oversight, the younger Sawyer took a page from his father’s political book by forging his own unlikely partnership with North Side Ald. Harry Osterman (48th).

What lessons did he learn from his father?

“He told me, ‘Learn how to count.’ And, in this business, counting is [normally] 26. I always took that. I always make sure I try to count votes when I’m involved in something that needs support,” the younger Sawyer said.

“The other big lesson he taught me was to make friends. He said, ‘This business is about addition — not division. So you always try to add value by making friends because, he said, enemies came on their own. You didn’t have to try to make enemies. They naturally came. Try to make friends.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

With every turn of Lightfoot’s revolving door, Sawyer has questioned whether the mayor’s abrasive management style and propensity to micromanage and publicly criticize some department heads might be making it difficult for her to retain and recruit good people.

But he argued Thursday that Lightfoot’s decision to collaborate more and dictate less on civilian police oversight helped bring the protracted, and sometimes acrimonious, negotiations to a close.

“This last weekend, she’s come a long way in the spirit of collaboration. I compliment her on that. We needed that extra push and that couple of extra votes that she was able to provide for us to get this thing over the top,” Sawyer said.

“That’s showing that’s she’s coming away from where she started when she first got into the office a couple of years ago. That’s something that needs to be worked on. If I was going to make a constructive criticism, the collaboration portion is something that could be worked on. Last week, it was a good start.”

Asked whether he is considering a run for mayor in 2023, Sawyer said: “My thoughts right now are to be the best aldermen I can try to be. Constantly learning to improve myself and help improve my community. That’s where my concentration is right now today.”

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BOSTON — The most decorated man in NBA history will be giving the public a chance to own some of the prized memorabilia from his Hall of Fame career.

Bill Russell announced Thursday he is offering hundreds of items from his personal collection, including trophies, rings, basketballs, jerseys, letters, photos and other keepsakes. The items span his 13-year career as a player and coach for the Boston Celtics, and also feature mementos chronicling his work during the civil rights movement and beyond.

Highlights of the trove include the first (1957) and last (1969) of the NBA-record 11 championship rings he won in Boston, four of his five NBA Most Valuable Player trophies and his 1956 U.S. men’s basketball Olympic gold medal.

“There are a few pictures I’ll keep for myself, but the rest I will share with the world,” Russell said in a video statement.

The sale will be conducted by Hunt Auctions, which has overseen the auctions of such sports greats as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, Gale Sayers, Johnny Unitas.

The auction is tentatively scheduled for Boston this fall or winter.

Russell said another reason he decided to sell the items was to provide a portion of the proceeds for the Boston-based nonprofit MENTOR, which he co-founded more than three decades ago. The group’s aim is to strengthen mentoring relationships.

An additional donation will be made to Boston Celtics United for Social Justice, which focuses on addressing racial and social inequities in the Boston area.

Hunt Auctions President Dave Hunt said his group is honored to handle Russell’s collection.

“There’s not a lot of folks at Bill Russell’s level. The air gets real thin,” Hunt said. “There’s just certain names of certain players that just transcend the sport, that changed the sport.”

It is unclear how much any one of Russell’s items will bring, but similar auctions overseen by Hunt have delivered big numbers. The most notable was in 2019 when a rare, game-worn Babe Ruth Yankees road jersey dating to 1928-30 sold for $5.64 million. The auctioneer said that broke the record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia sold.

Hunt notes that among the items Russell is keeping is the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to him in 2011 by Barack Obama.

There’s also the letter Jackie Robinson wrote to Russell after he and other Black Celtics players boycotted a game in Lexington, Kentucky, after being denied service at a hotel.

“It’s just an amazing piece and it’s very difficult to put a monetary value on an item like that,” Hunt said. “But what better way for this to be shared than directly from the person who participated, and doing good as well as a result of that offering.”

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LOUDON, N.H. — The 23XI Racing team posted a slideshow of the Bubba Wallace firesuit collection and asked fans to comment on their favorite. The designs were from business plucked straight out of Super Bowl ad space: Wallace was dressed by top companies in fast food, fantasy sports and auto insurance.

For a driver who spent most of his NASCAR career scraping together sponsorship deals for underfunded teams, Wallace is flush with Fortune 500 cash. Oh, and boasting Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin as team owners sure helps the cause.

But deep-pocketed sponsors and a race team seemingly on firm financial footing has done little to help Wallace find success on the track. He has one top-10 finish this season — he had five last season driving for Richard Petty Motorsports — led three laps since late April and needs a win over the next four races to earn a playoff berth.

The wins better come in bunches.

Jordan said at NASCAR’s kickoff at Daytona that Wallace should “probably win at least a couple races.”

Cool. When?

“It’s about taking the next step at this point,” Hamlin said in New Hampshire. “I think my question to the team is, ‘What’s next? How do we now move that up?’ When you look at data and everything, the car has a ton of potential. How can we optimize Bubba, the entire team’s performance, pit crew and everything, to get better? Because making the step to get in the top 10 consistently, gaining those three to four spots we need to be in the top 10 consistently, that’s a big step.”

Hamlin has modest expectations of getting Wallace those next three to four spots by the end of the season. Wallace’s average finish is 20th. The good news, Jordan showed up in June at Pocono Raceway — with pal Ahmad Rashad — for Wallace’s best result of the season when he placed 14th and fifth in the doubleheader on the tri-oval track.

Wallace had a weekend straight out of a normal sports fan’s fantasy camp when he said he dined with Jordan two nights at Pocono and they watched the NBA playoffs. The dinner conversation, though, didn’t include a report card on Wallace’s first season with 23XI.

“I haven’t talked to him about it,” Wallace said. “That’s more of a him and Denny conversation. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, try to produce the best results. Sunday at Pocono was good, finished top five. I’ll let them have those conversations between themselves.”

Wallace said he would take a “mental reset” during NASCAR’s two-week Olympics break — the schedule resumes Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen — before trying to close NASCAR’s version of the regular season on a playoff push.

“We’ve had the speed for a little bit, but there are certain things that have taken us out or put us behind a little bit,” Wallace said. “It’s just a matter of perseverance and coming back and just trying to get the best results.”

Wallace’s season has largely focused on racing a year after his activism forced NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag. As Wallace’s profile expanded, he raised funds that were tied to him and were able to move with him. Wallace, the only Black full-time driver at NASCAR’s top level, drew a significant amount of personal services agreements with companies such as DoorDash and McDonald’s. Those deals were bundled together and moved with Wallace to 23XI.

While Wallace will always have critics, he’s still a fan favorite at the track, and his newfound mainstream celebrity recently landed him (along with Hamlin and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee) in a Post Malone video. Wallace, driver Corey LaJoie and New England Patriots return specialist Gunner Olszewski, the honorary pace car driver, tossed around the football with fans during a rain delay in Sunday’s race.

Wallace did admit that no one at 23XI asked for his input on a driver should it land a second charter and expand to a two-driver organization next season. Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR champion, has been the race team’s top target. Busch’s deal was up and Chip Ganassi, his current car owner, sold his NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks. Marks will field one car next season for Daniel Suarez and one for a driver to be named later. Ross Chastain, Busch’s teammate at Ganassi, is a candidate for that second seat.

Busch said he’s “getting close” to a deal that will likely include long-time sponsor Monster Energy.

“Things changed with the announcement of Ganassi selling the team, and my relationship with Monster is important,” Busch said. “I’m trying to balance all that out to figure out what their needs are. I’m a racer and want to drive this Next Gen car and in the right scenario and the right spot.”

Wallace can take small consolation in the fact that Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion, is also winless through 22 races and the struggle to reach victory lane is real for even the best drivers. He could also look at surprise winners such as Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola as proof that all it takes is one checkered flag to turn around a season.

Jordan is watching.

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1 Venteux

What:A glitzy French brasserie and all-day café from chef Donald Young lands in the new hotel Pendry Chicago.
Why:Swing by for tuna niçoise for lunch, then head back for steak tartare, Dover sole meunière, and some bubbly after dark.
Where:224 N. Michigan Ave., Loop Website

2 Apolonia

What:An airy Mediterranean endeavor from the S.K.Y. team
Why:It’s the ideal spot to dig into roasted mussel toast or a cucumber and watermelon salad with feta and hazelnuts.
Where:2201 S. Michigan Ave., South Loop Website

3 Dr. Bird’s Jamaican Patty Shack

What:A new iteration of a long-ago family spot in Buffalo offers fresh takes on Jamaican fare.
Why:Where else can you eat jerk chicken shawarma poutine?
Where:1215 N. Milwaukee Ave., Noble Square Website

4 Yamma

What:A Palestinian pop-up from a trio of industry vets at Wicker Park’s Pint
Why:Chill on the patio with lentil fritters with creamy harissa, feta fattoush, and mushroom shawarma wraps.
Where:1547 N. Milwaukee Ave. Website

5 Dom’s Kitchen & Market

What:A grocery store and food hall from Mariano’s founder Bob Mariano
Why:Snag Tortello pasta for home, then grab customizable salads or Bonci pizza slices for lunch.
Where:2730 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park Website

6 Sochi Saigonese Kitchen

What:A husband-and-wife duo serve up their memories of Saigon.
Why:Order family recipes like My Grandma’s Short Rib Soup, with meat, veggies, and macaroni.
Where:1358 W. Belmont Ave., Lake View Website

7 Shmuel’s Schmears and Bagels

What:Pizzeria Portofino chef Sam Dickstein slings newfangled bagels.
Why:Try the cacio e pepe one with ranch cream cheese.
Where:Order on Instagram at @shmuelschmearsandbagels.

8 Avli on the Park

What:A breezy new location of the modern Greek favorite
Why:Nikolaos Kapernaros reimagines Greek cuisine with dishes like avocado tartare with marinated figs and grilled Halloumi.
Where:180 N. Field Blvd., Loop Website

9 Prequel

What:The Damn Fine Coffee crew brings Four Letter Word joe and pastry pro Danielle Snow’s treats to West Town.
Why:Expect scones like cherry tomato and goat cheese — and, sometime next year, a full-service bar and café.
Where: 1957 W. Chicago Ave. Website

10 Nobody’s Darling

What:Andersonville’s approachable new cocktail bar is all about twists on the classics.
Why:Order a round of mezcal old-fashioneds or hibiscus mimosas, plus dinner from the nightly pop-up.
Where:1744 W. Balmoral Ave. Website

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President Biden has been criticized for calling voter-suppression activities by Republicans the greatest threat to our democracy since the Civil War. Note that he said “threat to our democracy,” not “crisis.” This distinction is important because many major crises did not threaten our democracy. I don’t know that the Civil War did.

Now consider what the Republicans are up to. They start with structural advantages from ideas that may have seemed sensible in 1787, but are not in 21st Century America. Twice in this century, they have elected presidents without a popular majority. Achieving a 50-50 Senate requires about 10 million more Democratic votes than Republican votes nationwide.

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.

Republicans are constructing a defense-in-depth for their power, if they can achieve power. They try to eliminate Democratic voters through roll purges. They obstruct Democratic voters with rules intended to affect Democratic areas more than Republican ones. They attempt to make as few Democratic votes as possible for the House of Representatives count, through gerrymandering. They are taking the power to count votes from traditional local and state officials and giving it to partisan entities. They had, already, prepared for challenges to these actions by packing the federal courts with judges whom they believed would be unsympathetic to voting rights.

If it all works, Republicans will control Congress without the benefit of popular support. In addition to the obvious powers that this confers, there is a new one. On January 6, the House Republicans showed a willingness to invalidate Electoral College votes from Democratic-voting states. They would be able to appoint the president of their choice, regardless of the votes.

We could have only the appearance of democracy by the end of this decade. When has our democracy previously been so threatened?

Curt Fredrikson, Mokena

Ending gun violence

The catastrophic gun violence plaguing our urban areas should surprise nobody. A society that allows many millions of guns to reach the young, poverty-stricken masses is practically demanding that they turn their neighborhoods into shooting galleries.

Giving guns to the vulnerable young is no different than giving them firecrackers. They’re only fun when they shoot them off.

The intersection of capitalism and institutional racism are responsible for America’s killing zones. The gun/ammo makers gleefully exploit cultist reverence for the 2nd Amendment to ward off virtually any regulation whatsoever. The gun-toters outside of those killing zones are either oblivious to the daily street slaughter, or cheer it on as a means of culling the minority population.

In addition, our society does virtually nothing to alleviate the joblessness, despair and rootlessness tha with unlimited gun availability, guarantees unending bloodshed.

All other solutions are simply happy talk.

Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn

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