The Friendly Confines took on a new meaning Friday when 172 new citizens of the United States were sworn in during a ceremony at Wrigley Field.

The ballpark, for about 30 minutes, was transformed into the nation’s largest federal courtroom to provide the proper setting for a special naturalization ceremony to welcome people from more than 40 countries.

The federal district court seal — an eagle holding a red, white and blue shield — was beamed onto the giant video screen in right field.

The word “Welcome” in dozens of languages was on the video screen in left field.

Under a cloudless sky, Judge John Lee presided over the ceremony from a podium atop the Cubs dugout.

“Wrigley Field seems like an environment that is sustained by the spirit of people who love it,” Franklyn Eke, who’s originally from Nigeria and became a citizen Friday, said of Wrigley. In other words, he said, “This venue is very cool.”

It was the first time such a ceremony, normally reserved for a 25th-floor courtroom in the Dirksen Federal Building downtown, has been held at a sports venue in Chicago.

“Wrigley Field is 107 years old and when you’re 107 years old, you don’t get too many firsts, but this is a first,” said Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, who also took a moment to sell his team to the country’s newest Americans. “It is an honor to host you on this special day and we all hope that you’ll be back here many, many, many, times.”

Chief Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, a Cubs fan, got the ball rolling on having a special naturalization ceremony at a Chicago sports arena after she took the reins at Chicago’s federal courthouse in 2019.

“Wrigley Field has a complicated history. It has been the setting for struggle, sacrifice, hardship, hard work and heartbreak,” she told the new citizens. “But it’s also a symbol of dedication, hard work, beating the odds and triumphant wins. It also humbly reminds all of us in the hopes that the next season is always going to be a brighter one.”

For Hector Perez, 38, citizenship means he’ll be able to visit relatives in Mexico for the first since his mother brought him to the United States 30 years ago. Concern over leaving the country and not being allowed to return has prevented such a trip.

“Today I’m very happy,” said Perez, of Downers Grove.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, one of several elected officials to attend the event, recalled how his great-grandfather Nicholas Pritzker arrived in the United States as a penniless immigrant escaping antisemitism in Europe and succeeded in building a life for himself and his family.

“It’s a beautiful thing to watch dreams come to life,” he said.

Before leaving, each new citizen — decked out in a Cubs hat provided by the ball club — was invited to take a picture in the Cubs on-deck circle next to an American flag.

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Chicago’s lakefront will be illuminated by fireworks for Independence Day weekend after all.

The show will kick off at 9:30 p.m. Saturday and should be visible from multiple locations along the lakefront, as the fireworks will be shot higher than usual, the mayor’s office announced Friday.

Residents should be able to view the display from Grand Avenue to the north to at least 55th Street to the south, the mayor’s office said. WBBM Newsradio 780 AM and 105.9 FM will provide a music simulcast to go along with the show.

“Putting on a grandiose fireworks display to celebrate both our city’s reopening and Independence Day is an excellent way to kick off the summer we’ve all been waiting for,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Thanks to the hard work of our residents, who followed public health guidelines and did their part to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, we are now able to bring back exciting summer traditions like these.”

The announcement comes after Navy Pier announced last month that its beloved Fourth of July fireworks shows were canceled for the second straight year.

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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 mostly sunny with a high near 75 degrees. Tonight’s low will be around 57 degrees. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 88.

Top story

‘Painful lesson’ on payment apps: It was a lot easier to be scammed than Chicago business owner realized

A week ago, Chicago business owner Brinda Gupta received a seemingly legitimate text message warning her Zelle account had been compromised.

That was followed up by a phone call appearing to be a Bank of America number that went to her voicemail. When she called back, she went through the automated menu, and soon received another call from a man identifying himself as a fraud officer from the bank.

Unknown to Gupta at the time, he was a scammer who had spoofed real Bank of America phone numbers in his text and calls to make it appear they were legitimate.

And while he was talking Gupta through steps that supposedly would protect her accounts online, he actually was gleaning information that allowed him to set up a parallel Zelle account — and transfer more than $6,000 from her account to his in two transactions that took a few minutes to complete.

With peer-to-peer digital payment apps increasingly popular — it’s estimated that four of five Americans use them as a way to quickly and easily pay a bill or transfer money to a friend — they’ve become a growing target for scammers.

The nonprofit U.S. PIRG Education Fund consumer watchdog organization says complaints about the apps have surged during the coronavirus pandemic.

The payment apps — which include Zelle, Venmo, Square and others — can be more convenient than a credit card. But they don’t offer the same protections as credit cards, for instance, to go to the credit card company and dispute a fraudulent charge.

Stephanie Zimmermann has more on the scams and how you can protect yourself and your accounts.

More news you need

1. A 1-month-old girl and six other people were hit by gunfire in Englewood last night when three gunmen jumped from a Jeep and began firing up and down the street. The attack came just days after two mass shootings killed two women and injured 15 other people in the city.
2. In a rare move, the Illinois Prisoner Review board revoked the parole it gave to Ray Larsen, who killed a teen boy in 1972. The board voted in April to free Larsen, then he went on the lam twice.
3. Workers at the Chicago-based Portillo’s chain restaurant walked off the job this week, demanding safer working conditions and fair wages. Employees marked five days off the job today with a demonstration and press conference at Portillo’s flagship River North location.
4. Oak Brook teenager Jui Khankari received the highly acclaimed Diana Award last week for her nonprofit AInspire, which strives to diversify the field of artificial intelligence. AInspire services over 7,500 students in 58 countries with virtual workshops, videos and educational curriculum she created.
5. Researchers here and around the Midwest have developed an app to better understand the prevalence and danger of ticks — and offer advice for those hoping to avoid them. So far, the app has been downloaded by thousands of people who have logged their experiences with the tiny critters.
6. The owner of La Catedral in Little Village says business is finally good again after dropping off by 75% during the peak of the pandemic. Stefano Esposito caught up with Ambrocio Gonzalez about his restaurant’s recovery and what’s next for the beloved eatery.

A bright one

Rare meteorite offers insights into the birth of planet Earth

About the size and shape of a lopsided softball, the lump of rock was not much to look at.

It didn’t glitter or shimmer, like objects in the Field Museum’s nearby Hall of Gems, which perhaps explains why few visitors took a detour to see what all the fuss was about Wednesday.

You perhaps have to be a scientist to get really excited about this kind of thing — the way Maria Valdes is, spending months this year examining — inside and out — this tiny chunk of rock, which plummeted through Earth’s atmosphere and plopped down in Morocco.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times

“A meteorite is a window into — not only the history of the asteroid it came from but into our solar system as a whole,” said a giddy Valdes, a Field research scientist.

When the rock was donated to the Field last year, Valdes and other scientists at the museum knew it was a meteorite, in part, because it had a glassy black crust — a telltale sign that it had at one time entered the atmosphere.

But it was Valdes’ research that revealed it was especially rare space debris because it had come from Vesta, the second-largest asteroid in the solar system and often visible in the night sky. Of all meteorites found on Earth, only about 4% come from Vesta, Valdes said.

Stefano Esposito has more on the rare rock and Valdes’ research here.

From the press box

When two Blackhawks players were allegedly sexually abused by the team’s video coach in 2010, where were their teammates to speak up for them, columnist Rick Morrissey asks.

And after dealing with a series of injuries over the last few years, top White Sox prospect Jake Burger finally will get his shot in the big leagues.

Your daily question ?

What song sounds like summer to you? Tell us why. 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: With the Fourth of July weekend almost here, we want to know: What will you be cooking this holiday? Here’s some of what you said…

“Bratwurst and dijon red potato salad.” — Katy Stevens

“My son is making smash burgers with bacon and sauteed onions with roasted potatoes and rosemary, grilled corn on the cob, tomato, cucumber and onion salad with a vinaigrette.” — Victor Balata

“Puerto Rican Shish kabobs AKA Pinchos.” — Antonio Cruz

“Barbecued pork, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, taco salad, cookies and cake.” — Linda Gillock Tinkham

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SURFSIDE, Fla. — The number of people missing in the Florida condominium collapse fell substantially Friday, from 145 to 128, after duplicate names were eliminated and some residents reported missing turned up safe, officials said.

Authorities also announced the recovery of two more bodies, including the 7-year-old daughter of a Miami firefighter. That raised the confirmed death toll to 20 people.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the number of missing declined following an audit. In some cases, when detectives were able to contact people who had been reported as potentially missing, they found that not only were they safe, but other members of their families were safe, too. That pushed the list of people who have been accounted for up to 188 and reduced the number of missing, she said.

“So this is very, very good news,” she said, adding that the numbers are expected to keep changing because detectives are continually reviewing the list and verifying reports.

Detectives have worked around the clock to contact relatives and others. In some cases, English and Hebrew names have been offered for the same missing relative, officials have said.

The 7-year-old who perished in the collapse was “a member of our fire family,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said.

The discovery of the girl’s remains was especially hard on rescuers, Levine Cava said.

“It was truly different and more difficult for our first responders. These men and woman are paying an enormous human toll each and every day, and I ask that all of you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers,” she said at a news conference.

No one has been rescued since the first hours after the June 24 collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium.

During a meeting Friday with relatives of the missing, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said that only one voice has been heard during the entire search. A woman’s voice was detected until about 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. on the morning of the collapse, which happened around 1:30 a.m. Rescuers were unable to reach her, and he said no other voices or human sounds have been heard since.

Jadallah also prepared the families members for a possible suspension of the search if Hurricane Elsa — now in the eastern Caribbean — brings strong winds to South Florida that would make the work too dangerous.

Some rescue workers who are now staying in tents will be moved to cruise ships, which can stay safe during a tropical storm, Jadallah said.

About 600 first responders will stay on the Royal Caribbean ship Explorer of the Seas, the cruise line said. The ship, which can accommodate more than 3,000 passengers, began housing rescue teams Thursday and likely will continue for the next month.

Friday’s announcements came a day after officials said they were working on plans to tear down what’s left of the building after concerns about the structure’s instability prompted a 15-hour halt to the search for survivors. Crews noticed widening cracks and up to a foot of movement in a large column.

It will likely be weeks before the demolition is scheduled, officials said.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. A 2018 engineering report found that the building’s ground-floor pool deck was resting on a concrete slab that had “major structural damage” and needed extensive repairs. The report also found “abundant cracking” of concrete columns, beams and walls in the parking garage.

Just two months before the building came down, the president of its board wrote a letter to residents saying that structural problems identified in the 2018 inspection had “gotten significantly worse” and that major repairs would cost at least $15.5 million. With bids for the work still pending, the building suddenly collapsed last Thursday.

___

Associated Press Writer Bobby Caina Calvan contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Florida.

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A 16-year-old boy whose family was illegally evicted from its Marquette Park apartment gunned down his landlord’s nephew, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

Surveillance cameras recorded Deandre Rounds walking toward his family’s former apartment building Tuesday morning with a gun in his hand and parking an orange Nissan Murano nearby.

Rounds allegedly fired his weapon three times at a front window of the building where Brewer was standing inside, in the 6600 block of South Sacramento Avenue.

Brewer, 29, was struck in the forehead and died.

Brewer was the nephew of the building’s landlord, who had illegally evicted Rounds’ family because they were behind on rent and a neighbor had complained about them, Murphy said.

Instead of giving the family an eviction notice and filing the required paperwork with the county, Brewer’s uncle changed the locks and turned off power to the first-floor apartment, Murphy said.

Brewer had been sleeping in a basement apartment with his girlfriend when he woke up to the sounds of footsteps in the apartment above. Brewer talked to his uncle and went upstairs, where his girlfriend overhead part of a confrontation between Brewer and others, Murphy said.

When Brewer returned to the basement, he told his girlfriend Rounds and several others were upstairs, Murphy said. Shortly after, surveillance cameras recorded the Murano pulling up in an alley behind the building.

Just before he was shot, Brewer sent a text message to his uncle indicating that “someone was coming back,” Murphy said.

Three .40-caliber shell casings were found in the front yard of the building, which were later matched to the gun Rounds was seen hiding in bushes when he was chased by police and eventually arrested later that day, Murphy said.

Rounds was charged as an adult with first-degree murder.

Murphy asked Judge Arther Wesley Willis to order Rounds held without bail Friday, but the judge set the teen’s bail at $4 million instead.

Rounds recently started working at a Walmart in the southwest suburbs, his lawyer said.

Rounds is expected back in court Thursday.

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Workers at the Chicago-based Portillo’s chain restaurant have walked off this job this week in an effort to demand safer working conditions and fair wage.

After five days off the job, the employees on Friday held a press conference in front of Portillo’s flagship location in River North to call attention to their plight.

“All we want is to be treated decently, treated fairly and paid fairly,” 15-year employee Armando Huerta said at the conference. “Thanks to the company for the good years, but enough is enough.”

The 17 employees — who all work at Portillo’s Food Services in Addison, which prepares food for 47 Portillo’s locations throughout the Chicago area — said they skipped work after seeing a large increase in their hours with no overtime pay during the pandemic. Employee Paty Cordova said Portillo’s has refused to bring in new employees to take the shifts of sick workers, resulting in each worker doing the work of two or three people.

Usually, Cordova works four days a week, but she was forced to work six during the pandemic, she said.

The workers, who are all Hispanic, requested to meet with management as a group but were refused the opportunity at every level, Cordova said. The workers are not unionized. Since they began the walkout, the company has sent letters to the workers and threatened to fire them if they did not return, the group said.

In a statement, Portillo’s management did not address the specific charges leveled by the workers.

“We are disappointed that a small group of our team members have chosen to participate in a rally instead of coming in for their scheduled shifts,” the statement said. “The Portillo’s leadership team is committed to hearing from each of our team members individually and will continue to do so.”

The request to meet one-on-one with workers is an intimidation tactic, Cordova said at the rally.

The event, which was organized with the help of Arise Chicago, a faith-based nonprofit that fights for workers’ rights, ended with remarks from Rev. Robert Jones and two other reverends leading a prayer circle for the group.

“I stand today with all of these wonderful human beings as a faith leader to say that it is just plain wrong to treat human beings like they are machines,” said Jones, of Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side. “We call on ownership to do the right thing and take care of your employees. Enough is enough.”

The workers said they will continue their walkout for as long as it takes management to agree to meet with them collectively.

“We don’t care anymore about the consequences. We are in this fight together and will keep fighting until the end,” Cordova said.

Sam Heller/ Sun-Times

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God help the poor slob who happens to step on the large Blackhawks insignia planted in the middle of the locker room at the United Center. It’s holy ground, and Hawks players will scream bloody murder if a reporter’s foot should accidentally go astray.

Protecting that image is seen as a noble pursuit. But who was protecting two players who allegedly were sexually abused by the team’s video coach in 2010? And where were the voices raised in anger then?

This is what happens when guarding an institution becomes paramount.

Silence.

If all the sexual-abuse scandals in various sectors of society have taught us anything, it’s that those in power can’t be trusted.

But those players who reportedly were abused — where were their Hawks teammates to speak up for them?

We hear so much about the importance of leadership in sports. Where was it inside the Blackhawks’ locker room?

At least three former players from the 2010 Stanley Cup team have said recently that Bradley Aldrich’s alleged assaults were no secret to the team at the time. That’s the definition of “too late.”

I want to be clear here: It was up to the people high in the Hawks’ power structure to act responsibly, to protect the vulnerable, to show courage. To call the police. If what the lawsuit says is true, they failed to do so. A former Hawks skills coach requested in a 2010 meeting with then-president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, executive Al MacIsaac and skills coach James Gary that they go to the police with the allegations. He said the group denied his request.

Three years later, Aldrich allegedly molested a 16-year-old boy in Michigan, served prison time for it and is now on the state’s list of registered sex offenders. The alleged victim in that case has filed a lawsuit against the Hawks, saying the team gave Aldrich positive references despite knowing his history of sexual assault.

It’s all terrible, and there’s more than enough terrible to go around.

Hawks players, especially the older ones, failed. They weren’t high school or college kids who lacked the maturity to speak up. They were adults, some in their mid-to-late 20s, some in their 30s. No doubt there is pressure to conform in professional sports, to do what’s best for the group. Players might have feared they’d lose their jobs or get shipped to another team if they spoke up. Or perhaps they were counting on management to do the right thing.

All those things might have been true, but 11 years later, they look very weak in light of the allegations and the painful fallout. If Hawks players truly thought management would take care of the problem, wouldn’t they have wondered why there was no subsequent news story about police charging the team’s video coach with sexual assault? Couldn’t players have continued to pursue justice for the alleged victims?

I happened to be reading “Bear Town” when details of the Hawks’ scandal began emerging. It’s a novel about a junior hockey team and the hold it has on a small community in Sweden. That hold becomes an angry fist when the star player is accused of rape and the immediate reaction from the team and many in the town is to protect the organization.

It’s what the lawsuit, in so many words, accuses the Hawks of doing. It will be interesting to hear what the two alleged victims say team management told them to do. If the history of these scandals is any guide, staying quiet was strongly suggested. You know, for the good of the team, which was a month away from winning the Stanley Cup. A broom appeared, a rug was lifted and some ugly details found a home with no lights.

But ugly details never go away. Just because a player who wants to stay in the good graces of an NHL team is willing to go along with a shameful corporate strategy doesn’t mean he’s the same person more than a decade later. Hence a lawsuit and an organization that looks horrible right now.

Hawks captain Jonathan Toews disagrees with the notion that the sexual-assault allegations were common knowledge in 2010, telling The Athletic that he didn’t begin to hear whispers about them until the next season.

But who knew what when doesn’t matter. Speaking up matters. So where were the teammates? Where were their voices?

According to the player’s suit, Aldrich ”sent . . . inappropriate text messages,” ”turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of [John Doe] . . . without his consent” and ”threatened to injure [Doe] . . . physically, financially and emotionally if [Doe] . . . did not engage in sexual activity.”

Coaches and general managers stress the positive effects of a good team culture. They want everybody on the same page. They want players to sacrifice individual glory for the good of the team. They don’t want trouble, but if there is trouble, they want it kept “in-house.” Protect the brand, at all costs.

This is how scandals happen, in all walks of life. In this instance, if the details in the lawsuit are fact, it made lots of people who should have known better clam up.

Shame on all of them.

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Where Are We Going So Fast?

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Happy Dependence Day!

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By James Warda,
today at 1:46 pm

Me: “Happy Dependence Day!”

You: “Wait, what? I thought it was ‘Independence’?”

Me: “Well, yes, when you’re talking about the holiday commemorating the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, it is. But, what I’m talking about here is our dependence on each other. After all, humans are social creatures. We need each other, no matter how much some of us may act like we don’t. We crave connection and belonging. A hand on the shoulder, an understanding look in the eye. Compassion for our pain. Courage for our fear. Hope for our despair. Joy for our sorrow. Kindness to ease the sting of life’s too-often jabs. And that’s true both in the real and virtual worlds. We’re all dependent on the ‘kindness of strangers and friends alike’ to help us get to where we want to go and become who we want to be. So, again, I say ‘Happy Dependence Day!’”

You: “Cool! Will there be fireworks?”

Me: “Well, unfortunately, my Dependence Day budget is limited. How do you feel about sparklers?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Contact me at [email protected] and learn more at jameswarda.com.

Comments Note: All comments are reviewed. Any that are considered to be a personal attack or hate speech will be removed. In my blog, I always try to be respectful. I expect the same from my readers, both in responses to me, and about or to each other. And, again, thank you for reading.

@2001-2021, James R. Warda. All rights reserved.

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James Warda, author of “Where Are We Going So Fast?”, is a keynote speaker who focuses on connecting to each other, and ourselves, through our moments. His background also includes being a writer and speaker for Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, and a columnist for the “Chicago Tribune” and Pioneer Press.

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• Dem change of plans: VP Harris departs first, then Biden.

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The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

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Dem change of plans: VP Harris departs first, then Biden.

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By Dennis Byrne,
today at 1:47 pm

The conventional wisdom among us right-wing conspiracy nuts is that President Joe Biden, whose flub-a-dub weaknesses are on full display, would serve a year (if he can make it) and then be removed* so Vice President Kamala Harris can take over.

No longer. Biden is starting to look competent compared to Harris. King-making Democrats are beginning to seriously worry what a Harris administration would look like. And whether she be defeated in 2024 asBiden’s successor.

Her record has been one failure after another: Her assignments to head up the administration’s immigration, voter protection, space exploration and broadband internet. Her PR disasters, like her laughable “visit to the border.”

The latest folly as reported by Politico is the “hostile environment” she’s created in her office:

While much of the ire is aimed at Harris’ chief of staff [Tina Flournoy], two administration officials said the VP herself also bears responsibility for the way her office is run. “It all starts at the top,” said one of the administration officials, who like others requested anonymity to be able to speak candidly about a sensitive matter. [Emphasis added.]

“People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment,” said another person with direct knowledge of how Harris’ office is run. “It’s not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s—.”

The long knives are out. I’ve been on the journalism business long enough to know that “leaks” don’t just happen. Leaks have a purpose. To me, this onslaught came from the White House. The reporter was at least open and honest enough to quote “administration officials.” A “person with direct knowledge of how Harris’ office is run,” also is a red flag. If those anonymous sources were from inside Harris’ office, the reporter would somehow have found a way to say so, to give the report even more credibility.

Harris will be the perfect scapegoat if her former colleagues in the Senate deep six any of Biden’s grandiose plans.

So, here’s the deal, as revealed by my increasingly confused and suspicious brain: The damaging leaks will continue and grow. Her credibility will become so tarnished and laughable that she’ll be even more ineffective than she is now. Harris is “persuaded” to resign.

Who does Biden appoint to replace her? (Or, more likely, who will Biden be told to appoint?) No idea. Maybe Susan Rice or any number of behind-the-scenes Biden manipulators.

Now, the stage is set for Biden’s departure. Stepping into the White House is someone competent, energetic and possessing the “gravitas” (when is the last time you heard that word?) to be president. A sure winner if the egocentric Donald Trump decides to run again.

I know, it’s crazy. Unheard of. But wasn’t American’s being confined to their homes and children kicked out of the classrooms for a year also unheard of?

*Either by a vote of the cabinet, as provided by the Constitution, or an appeal to whatever good sense he has left. “Hey, Mr. President, you’ve reached your life-long goal of being president. You’ve done a great job, but even folks in your own party (like Nixon’s advisors) now are saying it’s time for you to move on. You’ll be cherished as a former president, a respected sage. We know that you love America so much that you’ll do what’s right.” Bingo.

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    jnorto

    2 hours, 7 minutes ago

    In reply to Dennis Byrne:

    Yes, Pew Research reported in May that a majority of conservative Republicans believe that to be “truly American” one must…
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    Aquinas wired

    2 hours, 12 minutes ago

    I suppose, Dennis, you’ll just have to live with the decision of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Media.
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    Aquinas wired

    2 hours, 18 minutes ago

    Again you cite a right-leaning source. Keep your shirt on, Dennis. It’s only one university study. I think you’re making…
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    Aquinas wired

    2 hours, 25 minutes ago

    In reply to Richard Davis:

    Name calling is not an argument, wasted or not.
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    Dennis Byrne

    3 hours, 45 minutes ago

    In reply to jnorto:

    “Most Republicans….”? Is there a poll?
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden praised sports’ ability to heal and bring a nation together in a time of crisis as he hosted the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Friday.

The Dodgers, who captured the title by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays last October, were the first team to be honored at the White House since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first since Biden took office.

“I think what we discovered is that we need sports more than we ever realized,” said Biden, who praised baseball an important totem of normalcy in “one of the most challenging years” in the nation’s history.

The president saluted the Dodgers as “a lot more than a baseball club, they are a pillar of American culture.” He also praised the team for using its stadium as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.

The ceremony marked the latest step in the White House’s efforts to return to large in-person events as it seeks to highlight the nation’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 50 members of the team attended the East Room event as well as a number of political heavyweights with California ties, including Vice President Kamala Harris, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Biden kept the mood light, teasing that he didn’t want to dwell on the fact that Harris roots for the Dodgers’ ancient rival, the San Francisco Giants. He also told stories about his own exploits in a congressional baseball game, saying he hit a ball off the wall that thrilled his sons more than any of his political accomplishments.

Clayton Kershaw, the team’s future Hall of Fame pitcher, presented Biden with what has become the standard gift: a jersey emblazoned on the back with the president’s name and number. Biden, the 46th commander in chief, joked that he was demonstrating that he was “a man of courage” by holding the jersey up because he risked incurring the wrath of First Lady Jill Biden, a rabid Philadelphia Phillies fan.

The jubilant championship ceremony bore few of the political overtones that became a hallmark of teams’ visits during the presidency of Donald Trump. Some title teams, like the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia Eagles, skipped being honored at the White House. Others, like the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox, only sent limited delegations, with many players opting to stay home.

Pitcher Trevor Bauer, who has a protection order against him for allegedly assaulting a woman during what he says was consensual sex, did not attend the event. He has denied the allegations.

The Dodgers, who are in town for a four-game series with the Washington Nationals, said only members of the 2020 World Series team would attend, and Bauer didn’t sign with the team until this year.

Mookie Betts, the star outfielder for the 2018 champion Red Sox, did not make that team’s trip to the White House. But Betts, now on the Dodgers, did attend Friday.

Trump also became known for serving fast food to the teams that did visit to executive mansion; details on any meals consumed by the Dodgers at the White House were not immediately released.

The 2020 title was the Dodgers’ seventh World Series championship and they are among the favorites again this year, prompting Biden to joke that he may see them again.

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