I never knew how much I needed my middle fingeron June 17, 2021 at 12:00 am

Purple Reigns: How to Live a Full Life with Lupus

I never knew how much I needed my middle finger

I never knew how much I needed my middle fingeron June 17, 2021 at 12:00 am Read More »

Man charged with setting fire to Southwest Side Walgreens amid last year’s unreston June 16, 2021 at 11:04 pm

A federal grand jury has charged a man for his alleged role in the burning of a Southwest Side Walgreens amid the rioting and looting last spring.

Jose Valdovinos is charged in a one-page indictment with setting fire to the building in the 4000 block of West 59th Street on June 1, 2020. The bare-bones indictment contains no further detail.

However, a Walgreens spokeswoman told the Chicago Sun-Times last fall the store had been gutted by a suspected arson fire following a looting incident there. She said the store would have to be completely rebuilt.

The pharmacy chain said it planned to spend $35 million to reopen Chicago stores hit by looting and vandalism after 70 of its 118 city locations sustained damage amid last year’s unrest.

The ATF and Chicago police released video last year of men caught on video inside the 59th Street store, hoping members of the public would help track them down.

In the video, the men appear to enter through the back of the building. They then proceed to wander into the store and gather merchandise.

Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office, identified Valdovinos as the individual wearing a black hat backward in the video. That person can be seen pushing a hand truck within the store and moving behind the prescription counter with a white bag.

Screenshot of a video released last year by ATF and the Chicago Police Department of men inside the Walgreens store. The U.S. Attorney’s office identified this man as Jose Valdovinos.

Contributing: David Roeder

Man charged with setting fire to Southwest Side Walgreens amid last year’s unreston June 16, 2021 at 11:04 pm Read More »

Fully elected Chicago school board gets final thumbs up from Illinois House, heads to governor’s deskon June 16, 2021 at 11:24 pm

Chicago will soon have an elected school board thanks to a bill passed by members of the Illinois House Wednesday over objections from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

The House voted 70 to 41 to advance the bill, handing another loss to Lightfoot who has been vocal in her opposition to the prospect of an elected board. The bill now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has voiced support for an elected school board and is expected to sign the legislation.

The measure was just one piece of legislation state representatives debated and passed during their one-day special session Wednesday.

House Bill 2908 as amended would create a 21-seat board in January 2025, initially split between 11 mayoral appointees — including the board president — and 10 elected members.

Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said the bill isn’t perfect but “this is a down payment on democracy.

“This is a practical, common-sense bill,” Buckner said. “This is not revolution — this is reform.”

Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said the legislature may “refine” its approach to the elected school board to make sure it “works the way the children of Chicago need it to,” but “today is that long-awaited first step” in the elected school board debate.

But Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, said “this bill is not ready to go,” and pointed to the size of the board, which Lightfoot has said is unwieldy, and campaign financing issues for the board’s elections as issues that still need to be resolved.

The Senate voted to approve the measure earlier this month.

Once signed, the legislation mandates that the first elected members would run in the November 2024 general election for a four-year term. Though the mayor would continue picking the board president, the City Council would need to confirm that pick.

The mayor currently appoints a seven-member board, including the president, without an approval process.

After two years, the seats of the board president and the 10 appointees would become elected ones in January 2027 through a November 2026 election. Those members would also serve four-year terms.

The city would initially be divided into 10 districts for the 2024 school board elections, then expand to 20 districts for the 2026 ballot. That map would need to be drawn by February 2022.

All elected board members would run in a particular district other than the board president, who would run at large. The vice president would be a member elected by the rest of the board.

The bill also sets a moratorium on school closings, consolidations or phase-outs until the new board members take office in early 2025, and it would move appointment of the CPS inspector general from the mayor’s purview onto the elected board’s plate.

House OKs gov’s budget changes

The House also voted along party lines, 71 to 44 with one voting present, to accept Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s changes to the budget, Senate Bill 2800, after allowing some members to participate in Wednesday’s session remotely.

Those changes set effective dates for pieces of the budget — some dates of implementation were missing or incorrect in earlier versions of the bill.

Republicans urged a no vote on accepting the changes and fixing Democrats’ mistakes and knocked the majority party for the lack of transparency around the budget process at the end of session last month.

“This is what happens when you have an unaccountable majority power who doesn’t really care about the public, they just care about checking off the boxes,” Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said. “This is a budget that was passed after midnight because the majority party hoped the world wasn’t watching. … You screwed it up, you shouldn’t be doing it this way, you shouldn’t be cutting people out of the process.”

The budget now heads back to Pritzker for final approval ahead of the July 1 start to the state’s next fiscal year.

Firearm Owners ID card modernization passes

Lawmakers in the House also voted 75 to 40 on a bill Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, said would modernize the state’s Firearm Owners Identification card process. The bill, House Bill 562, doesn’t require fingerprinting for the gun license, but does create a path for the state to digitize the firearm ID system and sets up a process for state law enforcement agencies to take guns from those whose cards were revoked.

Fully elected Chicago school board gets final thumbs up from Illinois House, heads to governor’s deskon June 16, 2021 at 11:24 pm Read More »

How to better protect against environmental nightmares like the Rockton plant fireon June 16, 2021 at 11:11 pm

We don’t know yet what caused the horrifying fire that still is smoldering at a chemical plant north of Rockford, but we do know the risk of such events has grown since the state and federal government cut back on inspections and enforcement.

Both the state and the federal government need to get their environmental oversight back on track. Everyone’s health depends upon it.

Environmental regulations governing industrial sites currently are not strong enough, and they are not sufficiently enforced. If nothing else, the blaze at Chemtool in Winnebago County, which started Monday and was so large it could be seen from Kankakee, dramatically illustrated the enormous costs when something goes wrong, whatever the cause.

On Wednesday, health officials lifted mask recommendations for 3 miles around the Rockton plant after air-quality measurements remained stable, although the evacuation order for about 1,000 people within a 1 mile radius of the plant remained in effect. But we don’t know what the final environmental effects will be. Neighbors said they heard multiple explosions at the plant.

The total cost of health-damaging pollutants and particulates released into the air, toxins that might make their way into the groundwater or the nearby Rock River — although none had been found as of Wednesday — and financial losses to the company could be immense. The evacuation order also imposes a cost on residents who cannot return to their homes.

Moreover, first responders were put in harm’s way, and we don’t know whether they used fire-suppressing foam containing PFAS, a toxic substance that will be banned in Illinois if Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs a bill that was passed by the Legislature on May 27.

The industrial plant, which made industrial lubricants, grease products and other fluids, stored lead, antifreeze, nitrogen sulfuric acid and other chemicals on its site. Chemtool is a federally designated Tier II site, requiring that an annual report be produced about its hazardous materials. The report is used by both state and federal environmental authorities.

What happened at Chemtool might turn out to be something that could not have been prevented by inspections, but we long ago should have learned that cutting corners on environmental enforcement can cost exponentially more than the cost of “burdensome” regulations and oversight.

That, however, didn’t stop the Trump administration from cutting back on oversight. As Brett Chase reported in Wednesday’s Sun-Times, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump worked to undo safeguards, at the urging of the chemicals industry. When President Joe Biden took office, he signed an executive order to strengthen chemical plant oversight. Now, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan wants to hire 1,200 more inspectors.

The staffs at both the regional U.S. EPA office and the Illinois EPA have been hollowed out over the years, and for the most part inspections were not done during the pandemic. That puts everyone at risk.

Opinion This Week

A weekly overview of opinions, analysis and commentary on issues affecting Chicago, Illinois and our nation by outside contributors, Sun-Times readers and the CST Editorial Board.

The need for more aggressive inspections and greater transparency was illustrated in Illinois in the last decade by dangerous chemical releases at Sterigenics in Willowbrook and Medline Industries in Lake County. Both plants failed to notify the EPA of emissions of toxic ethylene oxide. Sterigenics’ Willowbrook facility now is closed, but the emissions were allowed for years without nearby residents being told.

The Illinois EPA has asked Attorney General Kwame Raoul to “pursue legal action and require Chemtool to immediately stop the release [of pollutants].” But an after-the-fact investigation is only part of what should be done. Stronger environmental oversight is needed to prevent future ecological calamities.

Send letters to [email protected].

How to better protect against environmental nightmares like the Rockton plant fireon June 16, 2021 at 11:11 pm Read More »

Final suspect charged in Aurora carjacking, shooting that left woman paralyzedon June 16, 2021 at 11:47 pm

The final suspect wanted in connection with a January carjacking that left a woman paralyzed in Aurora was arrested Tuesday in suburban Lansing.

Officers arrested 18-year-old Darrell Frazier, of Lansing, and charged him with one felony count each of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed violence and two felony counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, Aurora police said.

Kimberly Weibring, 46, was eating in her car in the Wendy’s parking lot in the 1200 block of North Orchard Road in Aurora about 4 p.m. on Jan. 16 when at least four people pulled up in a Ford Escape, police said.

She was pulled out of her red 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe and shot in the back before the suspects drove off in her car, police said.

Weibring is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the attack, officials have said.

Aurora police and the FBI located the car on Jan. 20 in south suburban Harvey and found bullet holes in and outside the car, according to police.

A 16-year-old boy and Edward James McGee, 26, of Harvey, were arrested April 29 in connection with the shooting, police said. Both were charged with felony aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed violence and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle.

The boy was also charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, officials said.

Officers followed up with a fourth suspect and found that they were shot and killed during an aggravated vehicular hijacking in Lansing, according to police.

Final suspect charged in Aurora carjacking, shooting that left woman paralyzedon June 16, 2021 at 11:47 pm Read More »

White Sox top Rays 8-7 in 10, claim best record in big leagues at 43-25on June 16, 2021 at 11:47 pm

Of course the White Sox have the best record in baseball.

What else would anyone expect of a lineup featuring an outfield of Andrew Vaughn, Brian Goodwin and Jake Lamb? Or an infield with Leury Garcia at third base and Danny Mendick at second? Not to mention Zack Collins behind the dish.

Talk about a murderers’ row, people.

And add to all those guys reliever Ryan Burr, to whom Sox manager Tony La Russa turned in the 10th inning Wednesday against the American League champion Rays?

Man, all these wins practically take care of themselves.

But seriously, how have the Sox gotten to 43-25? By winning all kinds of ways. Certainly when they have more talent, and sometimes — as in an 8-7 walk-off series clincher at Guaranteed Rate Field — when they just plain don’t.

“It’s not a 25-, 26-man roster,” said Yasmani Grandal, whose blast off the right-field wall with one out in the 10th scored Vaughn from third, made a loser of reliever Pete Fairbanks and dropped the Rays to a second-best 43-26. “It’s a 40-man roster that takes all of us to be able to make it where we want to go and reach our goals.”

It’s one thing to be without Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert and now Nick Madrigal for giant stretches. It’s anothing thing to keep going without Yoan Moncada (sinus infection), Adam Eaton (leg soreness), Adam Engel (hamstring) and Billy Hamilton (oblique), too. Moncada should be back in the lineup Thursday in Houston. Engel is on an every-other-day schedule. Still, this team keeps plugging so many holes and keeps plugging along.

The Sox are 18 games over .500 for the first time since they were 84-66 in September of 2008.

“I’m just happy with where this team is at,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said after his 100th career appearance, 94 of them with the Sox. “We’re feeding off each other.”

Manager Tony La Russa loved the vibe he detected from his players after he posted a spring training-like lineup in the clubhouse.

“The buzz in the locker room was, ‘Good. Hey, look who’s playing. Let’s go get it,’ ” La Russa said.

Giolito left after the sixth inning with a 7-3 lead, but the Rays scored two in the seventh on a two-run homer by Mike Zunino off Codi Heuer and two more — both unearned — in the eighth after Mendick started the inning by booting a routine ground ball for an error. Those runs went on Aaron Bummer’s tab, and Giolito was robbed of his sixth victory.

“[Mendick] apologized for the error,” La Russa said. “I said, ‘Don’t you ever apologize unless you don’t try enough.’ This club has really got their act together, and it’s special.”

Burr, a 27-year-old who had Tommy John surgery in 2019, spent 2020 at the Sox’ alternate site in Schaumburg, was called up a few weeks ago from Triple-A Charlotte and made only his fourth appearance of the season. He inherited a runner on second to start the 10th but got three huge outs, surviving a fly ball off the bat of Taylor Walls that landed in Vaughn’s glove a couple of feet in front of the fence in left.

“It’s indescribable, to be honest,” Burr said.

It’s two out of three in the Sox’ first series in 15 years in which the teams ranked 1-2 in the big leagues based on record. It’s six wins for the Sox in their last seven games. It’s keeping the pedal to the metal no matter who’s in and who’s out, who’s healthy and who’s not.

“The best team in baseball is the one that stands alone at the end of the season,” Grandal said. “It’s still a long season. We’ve just got to keep on playing.”

Why not? It has worked wonderfully so far.

White Sox top Rays 8-7 in 10, claim best record in big leagues at 43-25on June 16, 2021 at 11:47 pm Read More »

Will the White Sox, with baseball’s best record, get aggressive before the trade deadline?on June 16, 2021 at 10:03 pm

The White Sox have the best record in baseball at 43-25 after taking two out of three against the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field, but are they strong enough to stand pat with the July 30 trade deadline looming?

Should they go for the jugular instead regardless?

“I think it’s the expectation,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “You want to maximize your chances to win. … Chances to win are sacred, and we’re going to treat this one accordingly.”

But the Sox — aiming for multiple World Series shots in this championship window — will be careful not to give away the farm. Also, it would help to have a more complete picture of what they have to work with.

They know second baseman Nick Madrigal is out for the rest of the season. They know Eloy Jimenez, who tore a pectoral muscle in left field in spring training, has resumed baseball activities at the team’s complex in Arizona but won’t be ready to rejoin the Sox’ lineup until at least August. They know less than that about center fielder Luis Robert and the strained hip flexor that has kept him under wraps since early May 2.

“Over the course of this summer, for the next several weeks, we’re going to find out a lot more about what our own internal options are capable of doing,” Hahn said.

Hahn is “very optimistic” that both Jimenez and Robert will play again this season. For Jimenez, the biggest hurdle likely will be discomfort in the extension of his swing. For Robert, — who roams far, wide and ever so fast in the outfield — it’s about getting back up to full, unfettered running speed.

Whatever the Sox do, there’s going to be a great deal at stake.

“We’ve talked about it all along: making sure the juice is worth the squeeze,” Hahn said. “The juice this year may be a team that’s capable of winning it all, so that’s pretty big juice. Is the squeeze going to be worth it to increase those chances?”

Still a bit hamstrung

Reliever Michael Kopech threw a bullpen session Tuesday that had “a lot of positives to it,” according to manager Tony La Russa, but it’s still too soon to mark a return on the calendar. Kopech hasn’t pitched in a game since straining his left hamstring against the Cardinals on May 26.

“There’s just one little spot in his delivery where he feels it a little bit, and we’re not going to mess around,” Hahn said. “Until he feels 100% in his delivery, we’re just going to continue to treat and progress until we get there. But he’s in a good spot. There’s not long-term concern here.”

Rimshot, please

Overheard, Part 1: a fun, smart-alecky exchange between closer Liam Hendriks and Hahn as the latter prepared to give an on-camera interview with MLB Network near the Sox dugout.

“Don’t mess it up, Rick,” said Hendriks as he walked past.

“If I do, you can come in for the save, Liam,” Hahn replied.

Cheap-shot seats

Overheard, Part 2: a fan, seated in the 300 level just below the press box, giving himself the business after failing to catch a foul ball.

“I feel like a Cubs fan!” he shouted, drawing laughter from his neighbors.

ON DECK: SOX AT ASTROS

Thursday: Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. Jose Urquidy (4-3, 3.77), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM.

Friday: Carlos Rodon (6-2, 1.89) vs. Luis Garcia (5-4, 2.98), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM.

Saturday: Lance Lynn (7-2, 1.51) vs. Framber Valdez (3-0, 1.42), 7:10 p.m., Fox-32, 1000-AM.

Sunday: Dallas Keuchel (6-1, 3.78) vs. Lance McCullers Jr. (3-1, 2.89), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM.

Will the White Sox, with baseball’s best record, get aggressive before the trade deadline?on June 16, 2021 at 10:03 pm Read More »

Soldier Field will be at full capacity for Bears gameson June 16, 2021 at 8:55 pm

Soldier Field will be at full capacity this season — and vaccinated fans won’t have to wear masks. Fans who are not vaccinated will be “encouraged” to wear masks.

The Bears made both expected developments official in a letter to season ticket-holders on Wednesday. In the letter, president/CEO Ted Phillips said Soldier Field will have hand sanitizer available and conduct deep cleaning and disinfecting of often-touched areas. Tailgating will return to parking lots.

The Bears also said that they’ll allow a very limited number of fans at training camp, which starts July 27 at Halas Hall. The Bears will give further information about how to get free tickets later this month.

The Bears will also hold their “Family Fest” practice on Aug. 3 at Soldier Field, as they did in the years before the pandemic.

A full Soldier Field was expected after Major League Baseball teams in Chicago did the same.

Soldier Field will be at full capacity for Bears gameson June 16, 2021 at 8:55 pm Read More »

Tailgating is back: Bears to welcome fans at full capacity Soldier Field this fallon June 16, 2021 at 9:20 pm

Get ready to pack the coolers, load up the grills and brush on the face paint.

Tailgating is set to make a return to Soldier Field parking lots this fall.

The Bears on Wednesday announced its plans to welcome back fans to Soldier Field at full capacity for the 2021 season as well as the return of other pregame festivities, including tailgating.

That means 61,500 fans will have an opportunity to pile into Soldier Field to watch Matt Nagy & Co. this season.

“Your patience and loyalty over the past 15 months is appreciated,” team president and CEO Ted Phillips said in an email to season-ticket holders. “We are thankful and humbled by the unwavering passion you have shared with us. Once again, it’s time to enjoy Bears football in-person!”

The Bears will continue the health and safety guidelines that were put in place last year amid the pandemic, according to the email. That includes deep cleanings of the stadium and constant sanitizing high-touchpoint areas, like railings and elevator buttons.

Fans will not be required to don masks, though unvaccinated people are encouraged to wear face coverings, which is in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“The health and safety of our fans will remain our number one priority,” Phillips said.

Additional details and updates to guidelines will be made available closer to the season.

Fans have an opportunity to get a first look at the Bears this summer when training camp opens at Halas Hall in late July. It’ll be the first time fans will be at a Bears’ training camp in Lake Forest since 1983.

Information regarding a “very limited” number of free training camp tickets will be shared later this month, the team said. The Bears will also soon release information about a fan fest at Soldier Field scheduled for Aug. 3.

The news comes just two days after the Fire said Soldier Field would be open to full capacity, starting with their match against Atlanta United FC July 3. They joined the Cubs, White Sox and Sky, who’ve already lifted their capacity restrictions.

Bears fans responded enthusiastically to the news on social media.

The only thing that would make the news better (at least for some fans)? If the Bears would name first-round pick Justin Fields the team’s starting quarterback.

Tailgating is back: Bears to welcome fans at full capacity Soldier Field this fallon June 16, 2021 at 9:20 pm Read More »

Vaccine effort turns into slog as infectious variant spreadson June 16, 2021 at 9:01 pm

As cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.

“The last half, the last mile, the last quarter-mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

While two of the states slammed hardest by the disaster, California and New York, celebrated their reopenings this week with fireworks and a multimillion-dollar drawing, hospitalizations in parts of Missouri are surging and cases are rising sharply in Texas, illustrating the challenges the country faces this summer.

One major concern is the highly contagious and potentially more severe delta variant of the coronavirus that originated in India. While health officials say the vaccines are effective against it, the fear is that it will lead to outbreaks in states with lower vaccination rates.

The delta variant has increased from 2.7% of all cases in May to 9.7% this month, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a call for governors on Monday, according to details provided by the Washington governor’s office.

At the same time, states are convening focus groups to better understand who is declining to get vaccinated, why, and how to convince them that getting the shot is the right thing to do.

“It’s a race between the vaccines going into people and the current or future variants,” said Kansas Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.

Average deaths and cases per day have plummeted 90% or more across the U.S. since the winter. But the picture is uneven.

In Texas, the rolling average of newly confirmed infections has climbed from about 1,000 per day on May 31 to nearly 2,000 this week.

A swath of Missouri is seeing a big rise in cases and hospitalizations as tourists eager to get out after being cooped up for a year make their way to popular destinations like Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Health officials said more than 200 people were hospitalized with the virus in southwestern Missouri, nearly double the number at the start of May. The number of patients in intensive care units in the region has tripled.

Health experts cite two factors driving the surge there: the faster-spreading delta variant and a reluctance among residents to get vaccinated.

The U.S. is expected to fall short of President Joe Biden’s goal of dispensing at least one dose to 70% of American adults by July 4. The figure stands at about 65%.

Among the states that don’t expect to hit the goal are Kansas and Idaho. In Idaho, some counties have adult vaccination rates under 30%, said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the state Department of Health and Welfare.

To increase vaccinations, several states are working to break up large shipments of vaccine into smaller lots, which can then be distributed to doctors’ offices. Health officials see primary care physicians as key to easing people’s concerns.

“People want to hear it from their doctor, their medical providers, people that they know and trust,” Norman said.

Big, splashy giveaways such as lotteries have gotten a lot of headlines and dispensed millions of dollars. In Maine, home of the outdoor wear company L.L. Bean, Bean gift cards were a big hit. But elsewhere, there has been skepticism about such programs.

Shaw-Tulloch said some businesses in Idaho had offered financial incentives for employees to get vaccinated but didn’t get many takers. Instead, she said, the key is making it easy to get a vaccine by turning it into part of a person’s “daily flow.”

Some people’s attitude is that “if a vaccine were to fall out of the sky and hit me in the arm, I’ll get it. But I’m not going to interrupt my busy daily life to make that effort and go in and get a vaccination,” she said.

She added: “That’s why we’re really focusing on walk-in clinics, pop-up clinics where, wherever they turn, there’s a place that’s easily available for getting the vaccine.”

Elsewhere around the world, there have been glimmers of hope, as India reopened the Taj Mahal amid a decline in new infections. In France, where virus cases are below 4,000 per day — down from 35,000 in the spring — authorities eased the requirements on wearing masks outdoors and said the nightly curfew will end this weekend.

“We have not known such a low level of virus spreading since last August,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.

Meanwhile, South Africa imposed tighter restrictions on public gatherings and liquor sales as hospital admissions due to COVID-19 increased by 59% over the past two weeks, authorities said. New cases there have nearly doubled.

The recorded U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 600,000 on Tuesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, it stands at 3.8 million, though both numbers are thought to be a significant undercount.

___

Associated Press writer Rachel La Corte contributed to this report.

Vaccine effort turns into slog as infectious variant spreadson June 16, 2021 at 9:01 pm Read More »

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