What’s New

With training camp just a few weeks away, the NFL is swarming with irresistible plot lines.

The Packers’ fortunes will swing wildly on Aaron Rodgers’ decision about the upcoming season, Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs will hit the field driven by the sting of a Super Bowl loss and — how is this possible? — Tom Brady is eying his eighth Super Bowl ring.

Then there are the Bears, who promise they’ll be interesting. They swear. Just not this season. They’re hoping to tread water well enough with Andy Dalton to sneak into the playoffs and launch a new era with Justin Fields in 2022.

That’s still a while to wait. In the meantime, here’s how the NFL stacks up going into this season:

1. Chiefs
The Chiefs still have the most loaded roster in the NFL, led by the most overwhelming quarterback in Mahomes. They’re the best bet to be the first team to go 17-0 in a regular season.

2. Buccaneers
The Bucs are the first defending champ since the 1970s to bring back their entire starting lineup and, especially with the drama in Green Bay, are the supreme heavyweight in the NFC.

3. Rams
The Rams, who went 43-21 the last four seasons (fourth in the NFL), had an overwhelming defense in 2020: fewest points allowed, second-most sacks, third-fewest yards per carry allowed. And now they’ve upgraded at quarterback with Matthew Stafford.

4. Packers
No team’s future is as unpredictable as the Packers. The assumption is that they’ll work things out with Rodgers and remain a title contender. But if they don’t, they could plunge to the bottom of the league.

5. Bills
Josh Allen is the real deal at quarterback. Probably. Maybe. Mitch Trubisky (now his backup) had a season that made people believe, too, before falling flat. If Allen is solid, though, the Bills’ elite defense makes them one of the Chiefs’ top challengers.

6. Seahawks
The idea that the Seahawks were considering trading Russell Wilson after going 12-4 and being a Super Bowl threat was crazy. They’re fortunate coach Pete Carroll stepped in to squash a potential deal with the Bears.

7. Titans
It always seems like smoke and mirrors with the Titans and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but it seems to keep working. The addition of star wide receiver Julio Jones will help, too.

8. Ravens
The Ravens still have a peerless dual threat in quarterback Lamar Jackson and allowed the second-fewest points in the league last season. They score a lot and don’t give up much. Sounds fun.

9. Browns
Speaking of fun, the Browns might be the league’s best entertainment outside of the Chiefs. They were the only team in the NFL to post a winning record (11-5) and a negative scoring differential last season. Every game is an adventure.

10. Colts
The Colts were top-10 in scoring offense and defense last season as they went 11-5 and nearly won the AFC South. If quarterback Carson Wentz can be merely average, they’ll be viable again.

11. Dolphins
After a run of 23-25, the Dolphins did in 2018 what has been long overdue from the Bears: They rebuilt. With a stockpile of high draft picks, they jumped to 10-6 last season and added five of the top 81 picks this spring.

12. Steelers
As Bucs quarterback Tom Brady thrives into his mid-40s, it feels like Ben Roethlisberger is sputtering to the end at 39. Pittsburgh’s great defense can only cover for him for so long.

13. Cardinals
It was a brutal collapse last season when the Cardinals started 6-3 then finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs, but there’s still a lot of promise for quarterback Kyler Murray and an ascending defense.

14. Saints
As good as the Saints’ defense was last season, it’s difficult to imagine them holding their ground with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill at quarterback. They’ll be scrapping for a wild card.

15. Chargers
Quarterback Justin Herbert’s 98.3 passer rating was the sixth-highest by a rookie in this millennium. He could emerge as one of the biggest stars in the league this season.

16. Bears
With a declining-but-still-strong defense and a lackluster offense, the Bears are stuck in the middle — as usual. Finishing in this spot would put them in the mix for the seventh playoff seed.

17. Vikings
The Vikings don’t seem to realize that quarterback Kirk Cousins is mediocre. The rest of the league does, though.

18. 49ers
This is a tough team to figure out. It had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl at the end of the 2019 season, then crashed to 6-10 and a quarterback crisis.

19. Cowboys
It’s not as simple as just getting quarterback Dak Prescott back and being a playoff team. The Cowboys allowed almost 30 points per game last season. The upside: The NFC East is a disaster.

20. Patriots
The Patriots need to have gotten it right with first-round quarterback Mac Jones to turn things around, and even then it’ll take at least a year.

21. Raiders
The Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season and still have question marks on offense. They also have one of the 10 most difficult schedules.

22. Washington
Washington made the playoffs by default at 7-9 last season and scored the eighth-fewest points in the league.

23. Eagles

It won’t be hard for the Eagles to top their 4-11-1 record from last season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts should get better, and Philly has the weakest schedule in the league.

24. Giants
Giving up the opportunity to draft Fields was highly questionable. Third-year quarterback Daniel Jones has 35 touchdown passes, 22 interceptions and an 84.1 passer rating.

25. Broncos
It’s hard to pinpoint something that’s going right in Denver. Their defense crumbled last season and they’ve been bottom-10 in offense five times in a row.

26. Bengals
They aren’t good, but the Bengals are headed the right way. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow looked very good in 10 starts before a season-ending knee injury.

27. Falcons
Quarterback Matt Ryan is still good enough to keep the Falcons from being a total pushover, but they’re headed toward their fourth straight losing season.

28. Panthers
A team that went 17-31 the last three seasons is now betting on a quarterback the Jets bailed on, Sam Darnold. Good luck.

29. Jaguars
A better coach (Urban Meyer) and quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) will get the Jaguars a couple of wins.

30. Jets
The Jets had a league-worst minus-214 point differential last season, which is the equivalent of being outscored by nearly two touchdowns per game. It’s going to be a while before they’re relevant.

31. Lions
This looks like a team taking a step backward, which is scary considering it won a total of 14 games over the last three seasons.

32. Texans
Calling this team a dumpster fire doesn’t go far enough. A series of terrible decisions on and off the field sunk the Texans to the point where they’re the biggest mess in the league.

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Though many of Chicago’s favorite street and music festivals are primed to return to the city this summer, not all of them will look the same. Perhaps no more evident of that is the reimagined Taste of Chicago festival that began this week in a pop-up or to-go type rendition of the most iconic food festival in the world.

Each day we’ll deliver the events around-the-city schedule so you know what you need to do in order to experience this new-look version of the Taste of Chicago! Day one was a massive success by all accounts! To take advantage of Saturday’s festivities, check out the round up below.

Saturday, July 10

• 10am–2pm, Pop-Up Taste: a “Taste of the West Side” at food business incubator The Hatchery (135 N. Kedzie Ave.) — presented with the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market and offering live entertainment, cooking demos and innovative local food businesses and entrepreneurs.

10:30am: “I Am Community” art installation

• 10am–4pm, Pop-Up Taste: Eli’s Cheesecake and Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs — Taste of Chicago’s tastiest team and long-time Taste of Chicago “booth neighbors” — have once again partnered to create a one-day food and music event at Eli’s Cheesecake Company (6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr. at the intersection of Forest Preserve / Montrose / Normandy). Eli’s Cheesecake will be offering its Taste favorites, like Eli’s Cheesecake Dippers and Turtle Cheesecake. Robinson’s Barbecue Truck will be cooking up its famous boneless rib sandwich, rib tips and more.

Don’t miss the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences mobile farm stand with Chicago-grown produce, honey and crafts. A portion of the event proceeds will be donated to the Chicago High School for Agriculture High School Scholarship Fund.

• 1–8pm, Pop-Up Taste: Join us in the West Englewood community (6300 S. Wood St.) to purchase delicious food from local eateries and relax in a dining tent while enjoying a stellar line-up of local DJs, musicians and dancers — plus kids activities.

Taste of Chicago To-Go food vendors and food trucks

Chicago’s Doghouse Exquisite 501 The Flavored Jamaican Healthy Substance Ms. Tittles Cupcakes

Razpachos Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs Tatas Tacos Whadda Jerk

1–7:45pm: Beer garden

Live performances by local musicians — celebrating the 2021 Year of Chicago Music hosted by DJ Mike P with special guest DJ Jamal Smallz

AYA ITO Bianca Shaw Chanelle Tru Freddie J. McGee

The Future Kingz Latin Street Music & Dancing Matt B. Mercedes Inez

Kids activities: 17’ Wacky Dual Lane Slide, Pop-A-Shot Baskets, Ring Toss, Social Photo Booth, Tic-Tac Toe, Giant Connect Four and Giant JENGA.

For more information on the Taste of Chicago, visit the city’s website at chicago.gov. For more information on the entirety of Chicago’s festival schedule this month, check out our round up of both festivals and concerts going on throughout the city this month.

If you missed it, here’s what went on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday of this week at the Taste of Chicago.

Featured Image Credit: Goose Island Taproom on Facebook

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Moon Alert

Caution! Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Cancer into Leo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Do be aware of the restrictions of the moon alert because depending on your time zone, it is operative for most of this day! Very poor time to shop for anything other than food.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

During the moon alert make sure you don’t agree to anything important when talking to siblings, relatives and neighbors. Likewise, don’t volunteer for anything. However, this window of time will encourage creative ideas. Write them down.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Be very careful, because the moon alert is taking place in your Money House. Therefore, do not spend money on anything other than gas and food during the moon alert. Furthermore, make no financial decisions during that time either.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Your ruler is the moon and today it is in your sign. However, for most of this day, there is a moon alert. This can be a very creative, fun-loving time for you; however, it’s poor for practical decisions. And it’s particularly poor for shopping for anything other than food and gas.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Your imagination might be in overdrive, which is why you will be lost in thoughts of fantasy and daydreams. You might not feel like working, but you will feel like socializing. This influence will be strongest during the moon alert today.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

This is great day to schmooze with others — friends and members of groups. However, don’t volunteer for anything or agree to anything important, and don’t make promises or commitments during the moon alert. Nevertheless, it’s a creative day for exchanging ideas!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You are high visibility today, which means people notice you more than usual. In fact, some people might be discussing personal details about your private life. During the moon alert today, don’t volunteer for anything or agree to anything important. Restrict spending to food and gas.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

This is a wonderful day to let your imagination roam and think about possible adventures for the future. Travel plans will definitely appeal along with hopeful plans for future studies. Nevertheless, during the moon alert commit to nothing. Restrict spending to food and gas.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Do be careful today because the moon is in one of your Money Houses; meanwhile, most of this day is a moon alert. Avoid financial decisions during this window of time. (Especially avoid important decisions about inheritances and shared property or how to divide or share something.)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

A conversation with a partner or close friend will be frank and candid today because people are willing to let their hair down and tell it like it is. This applies to you, as well. Nevertheless, during the moon alert today, agree to nothing important.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Your efficiency at work will suffer today because during the moon alert, which is in effect for most of this day, things are inclined to be fuzzy. However, during that window of time, you will enjoy socializing with others and building on each other’s creative ideas.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

This is a fabulous, creative, fun-loving day for you! Enjoy schmoozing with others. Enjoy parties, social outings, long lunches, playful activities with kids and sports events. However, restrict your spending to food and gas during the moon alert. Today you are thinking outside of the box!

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (1977) shares your birthday. You are a fast learner. You are quick-witted, entertaining and enthusiastic about life. You are observant and have a sharp mind, which gives you people smarts. You are also strong-willed and self-disciplined. This year, you’re working hard to build something important to you. This could be an actual physical structure or an inner structure in your world.

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He was on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 600 block of West 80th Street when someone approached him and opened fire, police said.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Jul 9, 2021, 8:08pm CDT

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A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Friday in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

They were inside of a residence about 5:20 p.m. in the 11800 block of South State Street when someone opened fire, striking them both, Chicago police said.

One man, 47, was shot in the head, buttocks and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

The other man, 34, was struck in the hand and shoulder, police said. He was in critical condition at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

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“Make sure you can read the label!”

@olia_chicago leans up against a brick wall in the garden behind the exhibition. @olia_chicago fiddles around with a scarlet tote bag until its baby pink lettering is legible: “Frida Kahlo.” @olia_chicago runs her fingers through her long hair and summons a face of pure ecstasy. @olia_chicago’s white pants are crisp and clean; @olia_chicago’s gold jewelry gleams. Click. Another pose. Click. One more. Click. @olia_chicago is satisfied. @olia_chicago leaves the garden with her red bag.

Sitting outside the Cleve Carney Art Museum’s “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” press preview, my infant chugging a bottle of formula and dripping all over my exhausted leggings, I mumbled judgmentally about the whole production. It’s a deeply millennial dilemma: I want to be great at social media; I’m hu-miliated whenever I see the sausage being made. I’m the kid on the old man’s lawn. I’m also the old man.

This paradox follows me to any gallery opening. Like @olia_chicago, I also post pictures to the ‘gram like it’s my diary. Of course I’d planned to post photos from the “Timeless” show–especially if my husband snagged a good one of me describing the work to the baby. If I look like the kind of mother who brings their child to press openings, then I am the kind of mother who brings their child to press openings.

#ArtMom #NewMom #ChicagoMom

It’s a heady vision.

Professionally, however, I’m fucking sick of stupid people with their stupid phones standing in front of the stupid paintings. Most artwork isn’t meant to be viewed through a screen, and your friends aren’t actually interested in looking at your iPhone pictures of Manet the next time you go out for drinks. Just look at the work in real time. Please.

I imagine these contradictions, fueled by self-loathing, are understood by many of my peers.

This fussy tension between visual art and social media is even more present at “blockbuster” shows, where tickets are sold in advance and a whole roster of complementary events flank the work. “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” is no exception. Marketed as an immersive and “comprehensive presentation of the life and works of the artist,” 26 original pieces line the gallery while its website features a whole section of “Frida Events,” including “Frida Fridays” in downtown Wheaton (at one point, there was a Frida Margarita Crawl; it’s thankfully been taken off the website). The show becomes a party. Parties are, of course, for posting.

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Bombast like this certainly isn’t exclusive to “Timeless,” but it does smell a little bit like frozen food with a famous chef’s face on it. In spite of the tote bags and mugs featuring her likeness and name, Frida Kahlo was a raging communist, addict, and sexual enigma. She spent most of her life in chronic pain and often painted from the center of her frazzled nervous system.

While these qualities are briefly mentioned in the two-room exhibit’s curatorial notes, the whole thing reads too tidy to be genuine. This woman was a mess, and that’s what made her glorious; the field-trip energy of “Timeless” softens those edges for a wide audience.

I can’t fully blame the Cleve Carney for this dynamic. It’s no surprise that museums, galleries, and curators have to consider social media in their gallery layouts and selections. One quick Google for “museums social media” unearths a list of strategies from tech outlets and art publications alike. One arterial thread that ties these articles together: it’s critical for creative institutions to befriend in-fluencers (i.e. @olia_chicago). With hundreds of thousands of followers and the ability to filter their experiences just so, influencers lend an aspirational quality to the show that reaches treasured, younger audiences. It’s a symbiotic relationship all about perceived images.

This concept lends itself to my personal experiences with the show. One facet of “Timeless” that feels especially complicated to me is the family programming. As my husband, baby, and I haphazardly walked through the show, each of us bewildered to be around so many people, we couldn’t go more than five feet without a well-meaning docent telling us about the Kahlo Kids’ Corner in the back. While @olia_chicago was immediately perceived as an #ArtLover, the museum perceived me as a mother desperate for coloring books and a changing station. “You can set the baby down and he can play with some crayons,” one docent enthusiastically offered. Reader, my son is five months old. Crayons are a mystery and probably food.

It’s fair to assume that someone holding a baby might want to go look at programming developed for children. I get it. And, on one hand, I am grateful to see that kiddos are welcomed at this exhibition and that they are provided with thoughtful, whimsical material. It’s certainly a rare undertaking, and if Rocco were more than advanced meatloaf right now, I’m sure he’d get a rush. I posted about it in the Rogers Park Baby Wranglers group.

Being immediately steered away from the galleries and back to the Kahlo Kids’ Corner made me cry most of the way home. This was my first show postpregnancy and post-vaccination, and I’d so looked forward to being in my art-journalist zone. And, as a new mom, I’m trying my damnedest to resist the forces that make women and queer parents in-humanely compartmentalize their roles. My kid comes to see the art with me; we might take pictures along the way.

As I process the show now, at a distance and with a cooler head, I wonder what Kahlo herself would make of it. Perhaps I’m pro-jecting too much, but I imagine she wouldn’t love the docent who welcomed me into the main gallery like a carnival barker, saying, “Here are the 26 genuine, real-life Frida Kahlos.” I don’t think she would embrace her vast fame and influencer following–she probably wouldn’t even have a Facebook. And, like any person with a heart, she’d despise Twitter.

However, I also think it’s fair to say she is a posthumous and accidental influencer. At this point, the public, her “followers,” feels ownership over her identity, and she possesses no control over how that audience uses her image. Her artwork, robust in color and moodiness, has to compete with non-museum “experiential museums” like WNDR over in the West Loop. Disabled and hooked on painkillers, she’s somehow a plush doll and a coffee mug and a perfect backdrop to @olia_chicago’s #WeekendAdventure.

I, for one, hope she’s online somewhere out in the ether, trolling us mercilessly. v

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Several children were hurt after the van they were riding in crashed Friday evening in Englewood on the South Side.

The crash happened in the 7200 block of South Wentworth Avenue, according to Chicago fire officials.

Seven children were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, officials said.

Officials said the van was not equipped with children’s car seats.

Chicago police didn’t immediately release details on the crash.

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A man was killed in a shooting Friday in Roseland on the South Side.

He was on the sidewalk about 6:20 p.m. in the 11000 block of South Vernon Avenue when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside unleashed gunfire, Chicago police said.

The 39-year-old was struck in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

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James “Jim” Rudisill did two stints in the Army that included two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and then became an FBI counter-terrorism agent, helping build cases against white supremacists and ISIS supporters.

Now, he has won a court fight regarding veterans’ benefits that could result in improved government-paid benefits for many of the nation’s longest-serving veterans who want to further their education.

His lawyers estimate that 1.7 million veterans potentially could benefit as a result of the court victory the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit handed him on Thursday.

Rudisill, who lives near Richmond, Virginia, had sued the government, arguing that the federal Department of Veterans Affairs shortchanged him on the tuition benefits provided under two versions of the GI Bill.

On Thursday, by a 2-1 vote, a panel of federal appeals judges agreed that he was.

“He’s very excited and just kind of thrilled,” his attorney Tim McHugh said Friday. “Obviously excited for himself but even more so for everyone else.”

Provided

Rudisill’s experiences in combat and later in seeing fellow vets turn to drugs or lose hope for the future led him to want to become an Army chaplain so he could counsel service members coping with stress and depression.

He planned to use his GI Bill benefits to attend graduate divinity school at Yale University.

But after he got accepted into the prestigious program, the federal government told him in 2015 it was calculating the amount of educational benefits he was entitled to get in a way the courts later ruled cheated him out of 12 months of schooling.

Like many older veterans, Rudisill had earned benefits under two versions of the well-known GI Bill: the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Montgomery GI Bill provides up to 36 months of stipends toward college tuition for qualifying service members who pay $1,200 into the system.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill also provides 36 months of more generous benefits covering tuition, housing and books. The benefits are given automatically to those who qualify.

Veterans who qualify can tap tuition benefits under both laws.

But the VA said that because Rudisill already used part of his Montgomery benefits before switching to the more generous Post-9/11 benefits, he was entitled only to tuition for the number of months left under his Montgomery GI Bill benefits.

That amounted to only 10 more months of schooling — not the 22 months he was counting on. Without that, he couldn’t afford to go to Yale.

Rudisill sued the Department of Veterans Affairs, arguing it wasn’t fair to limit him to 36 months of schooling, rather than the 48 months he said he had earned.

Julia Rendleman / Sun-Times

The just-announced appeals court ruling affirmed an earlier decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in favor of Rudisill.

“It’s an across-the-board win from our perspective,” says McHugh, who with attorney David J. DePippo has represented Rudisill pro bono in challenging the VA’s decision. “We encourage the VA to broadly and promptly implement this.”

A VA spokesman declined to comment in detail but, in an email, wrote: “VA is assessing this decision at this time. We are committed to providing veterans the benefits they have earned and deserve.”

Following the appellate ruling could mean the VA would have to pay benefits collectively worth potentially billions of dollars to long-serving veterans toward college or graduate school.

Rudisill’s two periods of military service included many harrowing moments. As a platoon leader in Afghanistan, he turned back a Taliban assault and directed medical evacuations under fire, saving other soldiers’ lives.

He achieved the rank of captain and received honors including the Bronze Star.

He told the Sun-Times last year that leading soldiers in combat “really makes one appreciate how delicate life is, how precious it is.”

The case has been watched by veterans and educational organizations around the country. The nonprofit organizations National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success filed briefs in support of Rudisill.

As the case dragged on, time ran out for Rudisill to realize his dream of returning to the Army as a chaplain. The age cutoff to do so is 38, and he’s now in his 40s, having been engaged in the court fight for over five years.

But, though he’s still working full-time for the FBI, he has been pursuing a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin and plans to minister to first-responders and other vets.

READ THE NOV. 29, 2020, SUN-TIMES STORY

READ THE COURT RULING

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