What’s New

Javy Baez (thumb) not in the starting lineup against the MetsRussell Dorseyon June 14, 2021 at 11:37 pm

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

It’s the second straight game Baez hasn’t started while nursing a thumb injury he sustained on Saturday.

NEW YORK – Shortstop Javy Baez was out of the lineup on Monday against the Mets with a sore right thumb. It was the second straight game Baez has been out of the lineup after he was a late scratch before Sunday’s win against the Cardinals.

Baez injured the thumb attempting to dive into the stands for a popup in foul territory on Saturday. The Cubs’ shortstop did infield drills before the game and hit in the cage after receiving treatment with the team’s training staff.

It’s the second thumb injury in consecutive weeks for Baez, who dealt with soreness in the lower part of the thumb during the Cubs’ West Coast trip. This time around, he feels the discomfort closer to the knuckle.

“It doesn’t feel that bad,” Baez said before the game. “I just don’t like to be out with small things like this.”

The Cubs continue to try to tread water despite several players dealing with various injuries, but they’re starting to get some players back and have a few more on the way.

Manager David Ross said on Monday that infielders David Bote (dislocated left shoulder) and Nico Hoerner (left hamstring strain) have both started to swing the bat. Infielder Matt Duffy (lower back strain), who has ramped up his baseball activities in recent weeks, will likely begin a rehab assignment soon as long as things continue to trend in the right direction.

Right-hander Trevor Williams (appendicitis) has continued to throw and will see the doctor for a second follow-up to get the green light to return.

No breaks for the Cubs in the Big Apple

The Cubs have been able to perform on what was going to be a challenging month of June and as they try to have that success continue against the Mets they’ll have to go through some of New York’s best.

The Cubs missed both Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman during their first clash in Chicago, but will see both on the back side of their four-game set against the Mets.

“I think you assess daily whoever’s on the other side pitching when you’re facing some of the best,” Ross said. “Obviously, Jacob deGrom is one of the best in this game. That’s a nice test for us. Marcus Stroman is having a great season. We just faced another really good one in San Diego in Yu Darvish, who’s really good.

“I think we’re tested nightly. You can never let your guard down. You have to bring it every single day. [The Mets] are a good team in first place in their division, so I think every test on every game in this series will be big and we just try to keep that momentum going and play the good baseball we’ve been playing.”

Read More

Javy Baez (thumb) not in the starting lineup against the MetsRussell Dorseyon June 14, 2021 at 11:37 pm Read More »

White Sox’ Eloy Jimenez cleared to return to baseball activitieson June 14, 2021 at 9:14 pm

White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez has been medically cleared to resume baseball activities, the team said Monday, an encouraging development for their Silver Slugger Award winner who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in spring training.

The phase of this rehabilitation process is estimated to take a minimum of four weeks, after which Jimenez could be cleared for a rehabilitation assignment with a Sox affiliate, the team said.

The timetable for Jimenez’ return to the Sox has not been set.

“Great news, great news,” manager Tony La Russa said. “The guys have been in contact with him. I had a message from him today so I called him back and talked to him. He was letting us know he’s excited about getting back to baseball activities and ‘see you soon.’ “

La Russa said he cautioned Jimenez about wanting to rush back too soon.

“I said, ‘whoops, soon, no no. Patience, patience, patience,’ ” La Russa said. “We have a lot of season left. But it’s great news.”

Jimenez had surgery to repair the ruptured tendon before Opening Day and while the Sox said the expected time for him to be out would be five to six months, they left the door open for an earlier return.

Read More

White Sox’ Eloy Jimenez cleared to return to baseball activitieson June 14, 2021 at 9:14 pm Read More »

Massive fire at Illinois chemical plant is expected to burn for several dayson June 14, 2021 at 9:07 pm

A massive chemical plant fire that sent black plumes of smoke into the air near the Illinois-Wisconsin border is expected to continue burning for several days as firefighters retreat and residents were ordered to evacuate.

Fire broke out around 7 a.m. at the Chemtool Inc. plant, which makes oil-based lubricants, at 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton, about 10 miles north or Rockford, Rockton Fire Protection District Chief Kirk Wilson said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and no significant injuries were reported.

Firefighters stopped spraying the fire with water to reduce the risk of runoff and contamination of waterways.

“We don’t want an environmental nightmare to occur,” Wilson said in a news conference Monday. “At this time, it’s in our best interest to let this product burn off… We’re thinking this will be a several-day event [until] this product is burned off.”

As a precaution, residents were evacuated within a mile of the plant, he said. So far, air quality tests show the air is OK at ground level, Wilson said.

An employee of the plant told a reporter with WTVO that he was at work for less than an hour when someone yelled “fire” and fire alarms went off. The employee said the fire was possibly caused by the failure of a pipe that moved hot grease within the plant, WTVO reported.

The employee also told WTVO that staff have been evacuated in the past for small emergencies, but nothing on this scale. “This is the worst it’s ever, ever been,” he told the station.

Firefighters from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin battle an industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. on June 14, 2021 in Rockton, Illinois.
Firefighters from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin battle an industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. on June 14, 2021 in Rockton, Illinois.
Getty

Gov. J.B. Pritzker deployed the Illinois National Guard and activated the state’s emergency center to the fire.

“I am monitoring this situation closely and will make all resources available to the surrounding communities as we work to keep people safe,” Pritzker said in a statement.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it responded to the site to conduct air monitoring and sampling.

Smoke from the fire drifted south and southeast past Rockford, which warned residents to stay indoors, close windows and turn off air conditioners. South of Rockford, the Ogle County sheriff’s office said smoke covered a third of the county.

The fire was fast-moving, partially aided by strong wind, and was shooting through the plant’s roof by the time firefighters arrived, Wilson said.

Firefighters from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin battle an industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. on June 14, 2021 in Rockton, Illinois.
Firefighters from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin battle an industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. on June 14, 2021 in Rockton, Illinois.
Getty

About 70 employees evacuated the plant by themselves and were unharmed, he said. One firefighter suffered a minor, unspecified injury. About 175 personnel from over 40 local fire agencies were called to assist, he said.

The fire department also has reconnaissance crews roaming the town looking for fires caused by falling burning debris, Wilson said. Any debris falling from the sky was thought to be non-toxic, he said.

In all, about 150 homes were evacuated in Rockton. The Salvation Army said it was aiding in the response.

Chemtool Inc., based in Rockton, is the largest manufacturer of grease in the United States. It has a plant in Crystal Lake in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Contributing: Brett Chase

Read More

Massive fire at Illinois chemical plant is expected to burn for several dayson June 14, 2021 at 9:07 pm Read More »

WNBA All-Star Game returns to Las Vegason June 14, 2021 at 9:46 pm

The WNBA All-Star Game will return to Las Vegas July 14 at Michelob Ultra Arena and will feature All-Stars voted-in from the USA Basketball Women’s National Team competing against the remaining WNBA All-Stars voted-in as part of a combination of fan, player, media, and coach voting.

Earlier this month WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke about the importance of having the 17th annual All-Star Game this year despite the Olympic break.

The WNBA typically does not host an All-Star Game during an Olympic year. After the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Engelbert said skipping the event two years in a row wasn’t an option.

“It’s important to our players,” Engelbert said. “It’s another opportunity for them to show their skill set, especially with a lot of momentum coming into the Olympic break this year.”

Voting for WNBA All-Star 2021 opens Tuesday at 1 p.m. and will close June 27 at 10:59 p.m. All current WNBA players will be eligible and selections will be made through a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current WNBA players (25%) and a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters (25%).

Fans will be able to vote for up to 10 players, four backcourt and six frontcourt, and will only be able to vote once a day with the exception of two “2-for-1 Days” that will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Sunday June 20 and Sunday June 27.

Names of the top 36 players with the most votes who are not members of the USA Women’s Basketball 5×5 roster will be provided to all 12 head coaches in the league. The coaches will determine from that list which 12 players will represent Team WNBA All-Stars versus the national team.

Coaches will not be able to vote for their own players.

The national team’s final 5×5 roster has not been released yet but Diamond DeShields, Kahleah Copper and Stefanie Dolson were all part of Dawn Staley’s training camp roster in March.

The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game, which was also held in Las Vegas, featured three Sky players: Diamond DeShields, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley.

Lexie Brown adds to backcourt depth

The Sky announced the re-signing of Lexie Brown Monday afternoon to a rest of season contract.

Brown has played multiple stints with the Sky this season, including being signed to the team the morning of June 1 and playing 20 minutes for the team against the Phoenix Mercury that night.

Brown should strengthen the Sky’s backcourt depth.

Read More

WNBA All-Star Game returns to Las Vegason June 14, 2021 at 9:46 pm Read More »

This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighteron June 14, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Getting More From Les

This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighter

Read More

This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighteron June 14, 2021 at 6:50 pm Read More »

Farewell to unsung house-music architect Rodney BakerrJacob Arnoldon June 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm


Rodney Bakerr led early Wax Trax! group Strange Circuits, ran underground label Rockin’ House, and wrote ubiquitous house-music rhythm patterns for Roland.

As an artist, teacher, and musician, Rodney James Baker shaped countless lives, but he did it under the radar: throughout his career he remained fiercely independent, pursuing an idiosyncratic aesthetic that ensured he’d never reach a position of mainstream influence.…Read More

Farewell to unsung house-music architect Rodney BakerrJacob Arnoldon June 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm Read More »

Summer 2021: Which Chicago festivals, events have returned, been rescheduled?John Silveron June 14, 2021 at 7:31 pm

Festivals are beginning to announce their future plans for 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Improving coronavirus numbers have made more summer events possible. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.

With coronavirus case numbers and positivity rates on the decline, the summer festival season in Chicago is in much better shape than last year.

The city has given the green light for festivals and “general admission outdoor spectator events” to welcome 15 people for every 1,000 square feet.

The city has debated various ways bolster vaccination rates among young people most likely to attend outdoor music events like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a proposal to create a coronavirus vaccine passport for Chicago events is “very much a work in progress” but that preferred seating at those events could be one way to urge vaccination.

Some festivals have already announced their return and concerts are starting to be rescheduled.

We’re tracking the status of the city’s festival and major events throughout the area as new cancellations and postponements are announced. Check back for more updates.

May

JUNE

In this Feb. 12, 2018, file photo, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stand on stage together as their official portraits are unveiled at a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington. The portraits will begin a five-city national tour in Chicago on June 18, 2021.
AP
In this Feb. 12, 2018, file photo, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stand on stage together as their official portraits are unveiled at a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington. The portraits will begin a five-city national tour in Chicago on June 18, 2021.
  • “Rocking in the Park,” Rosemont: 20 weekly concerts that start May 30.
  • “Tuesdays on the Terrace,” Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. through Aug. 31.
  • Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown, 24 artworks in a public art installation along Halsted Street from Madison St. to Van Buren. Beginning June 5.

JULY

  • The Ravinia Festival announced it will reopen in July 1 for 64 concerts through Sept. 26 with a slate of outdoor concerts including a six-week residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also slated to appear are: Cynthia Erivo, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, Ides of March, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.
  • Ribfest: Naperville/Romeoville, July 1-4.
  • Grant Park Music Festival, Millennium Park. All concerts are free with reserved seats for all concertgoers and will take place Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. Run time will be 90 minutes, without intermission. July 2-Aug. 21.
  • African/Caribbean International Festival Of Life: Washington Park, July 2-4.
  • Long Play Music Fest: Rockford: Festival includes Cheap Trick, Jeff Tweedy, and Gin Blossoms. July 3-4.
Darius Rucker (shown in performance at the The 54th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Music City Center on in 2020) will headline the 2021 Windy City Smoekout in Chicago.
Getty Images for CMA
Darius Rucker (shown in performance at the The 54th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Music City Center on in 2020) will headline the 2021 Windy City Smoekout in Chicago.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Read More

Summer 2021: Which Chicago festivals, events have returned, been rescheduled?John Silveron June 14, 2021 at 7:31 pm Read More »

‘Freedom Day’ for England pushed back 4 weeks to July 19Associated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:44 pm

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks to 9 Downing Street ahead of his press conference where he announced the delay of the planned relaxation of lockdown measures, in London, Monday, June 14, 2021.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks to 9 Downing Street ahead of his press conference where he announced the delay of the planned relaxation of lockdown measures, in London, Monday, June 14, 2021. | AP

In a press briefing, Boris Johnson voiced his confidence that he won’t need to delay the plan to lift restrictions on social contact further, as millions more people get fully vaccinated against the virus.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday that the next planned relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in England will be delayed by four weeks, until July 19, a decision he said will save thousands of lives as the government speeds up its vaccination drive.

In a press briefing, Johnson voiced his confidence that the new date for the lifting of restrictions on social contact will be the final one as the vaccination drive is accelerated to counter the delta variant that scientists reckon is between 40% and 80% more transmissible than the previous dominant strain in the U.K.

“I think it is sensible to wait just a little longer,” he said. “Now is the time to ease off the accelerator, because by being cautious now we have the chance in the next four weeks to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people.”

He said that by July 19, two-thirds of the adult population will have been double-vaccinated, including everyone over the age of 50, and that everyone over the age of 18 will have been offered a jab, earlier than the previous target of the month’s end. The gap between the two doses for over 40s is also being reduced to eight weeks from 12 to provide the maximum protection against the variant sooner.

New analysis Monday from Public Health England showed that two doses of the main vaccines in the U.K.’s rollout are highly effective against hospitalization from the delta variant, which was first identified in India. It said the Pfizer vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalization after 2 doses while the AstraZeneca jab is 92% effective.

“It’s unmistakably clear the vaccines are working and the sheer scale of the vaccine rollout has made our position incomparably better than in previous waves,” Johnson said.

Under the government’s plan for coming out of lockdown, all restrictions on social contact were set to be lifted next Monday. Many businesses, particularly those in hospitality and entertainment, voiced their disappointment about the delay to what had been dubbed by the British media as “Freedom Day.” Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been particularly upset at the prospect of a delay and has said he will reopen his theaters regardless, a move that would risk him being arrested.

A delay is particularly bitter pill for nightclubs, as they have not been allowed to reopen since March 2020.

It will also likely impact how many fans are allowed into the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the European Championship soccer matches at Wembley Stadium, which will host the tournament’s semi-finals and final. However, actual numbers may be higher at certain events as Johnson said the government will carry on with its test program to allow more fans into stadiums.

The Confederation of British Industry said the delay is “regrettable” but “understandable” and urged the government to provide more support to those businesses affected.

“But we must acknowledge the pain felt by businesses in hospitality, leisure and live events,” said the CBI’s director-general Tony Danker. “At best they’re operating with reduced capacity hitting revenues, and at worst, some aren’t open at all.”

When Johnson first outlined the government’s four-stage plan for lifting the lockdown in England in February, he set June 21 as the earliest date by which restrictions on people gathering would be lifted. However, he stressed at the time that the timetable was not carved in stone and that all the steps would be driven by “data not dates” and would seek to be “irreversible.”

Though daily infections have increased threefold over the past few weeks they are still way down from the nearly 70,000 daily cases recorded in January. On Monday, the British government reported 7,742 new confirmed cases, one of the highest daily numbers since the end of February. The delta variant accounts for around 90% of all new infections. The number of peopled being hospitalized with the virus has edged up over recent days.

Many blame the Conservative government for the spike, saying it acted too slowly to impose the strictest quarantine requirements on everyone arriving from India, which has endured a catastrophic resurgence of the virus.

Despite the government having faced criticism for that decision, it has won plaudits for the speedy and coherent rollout of vaccines. As of Monday, around 62% of the British population had received one shot, while about 45% had got two jabs.

The rapid rollout of vaccines and a strict months-long lockdown helped drive down the number of virus-related deaths in the U.K. in recent months. Despite that, the country has recorded nearly 128,000 virus-related deaths, more than any other nation in Europe.

But infections are now going the wrong way, upending the government’s plans as well as those of many businesses.

“The reality is we have marched the troops up the hill,” said Howard Panter, joint CEO and creative director at theater operator Trafalgar Entertainment.

Read More

‘Freedom Day’ for England pushed back 4 weeks to July 19Associated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:44 pm Read More »