A man died in a drive-by shooting late Wednesday morning in Park Manor on the South Side, Chicago police said.
The 32-year-old was outside in the 7400 block of South King Drive when a gunman opened fire from a passing silver SUV, possibly a Dodge Journey, about 11:20 a.m., police said.
The man was hit multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.
No arrest was made.
The city’s 3rd police district — which covers Park Manor, Woodlawn and South Shore — has seen a 70% increase in shootings this year compared to the same period in 2020. Police have responded to 63 shootings this year through May 21, compared with 37 shootings in the same timeframe last year, according to police statistics.
MINNEAPOLIS — Tony La Russa called this “a big game for us.”
Lucas Giolito came up really big.
The White Sox All-Star and Opening Day right-hander, showing more of the fleeting form that earned him the title of staff “ace,” Giolito struck out a season high 11 over eight excellent innings of one-run ball, and the Sox held on to defeat the Twins 2-1 to take an important, eventful series against the defending AL Central champions.
Defeating the Twins (14-27) for the fifth time in six games, the first-place Sox (26-16) got a hustling RBI single with two outs in the fifth inning from Adam Eaton that scored Leury Garcia and an RBI single off the left field wall by Garcia in the sixth to erase a 1-0 Twins lead. Garcia’s single scored Jake Lamb, who had doubled leading off the inning against Twins starter Matt Shoemaker.
The Twins only run against Giolito (3-4, 4.35 ERA) came on Nelson Cruz’s home run in the third. After that, Giolito did not allow a hit, facing the minimum thanks to a double play after Jorge Polanco leading off the sixth. First baseman Andrew Vaughn dove to his right on that one, flipped to shortstop Tim Anderson while on his knees and went back to first to complete the DP.
Giolito walked three and allowed two hits. He was 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA over his previous five starts.
Closer Liam Hendriks, on the mound when the Twins walked off their 5-4 victory Tuesday night, got the final three outs. Hendriks struck out Polanco, got Cruz on a pop fly to short left and struck out Max Kepler to record his ninth save.
The Sox won the first game of the series 16-4, the last run coming on a home run by Yermin Mercedes against position player Willians Astudillo on a 3-0 count. Mercedes had been given a take sign but swung anyway, prompting La Russa to apologize to the Twins for breaking old-school sportsmanship protocol, a “we’re sorry” that wasn’t enough for Mercedes to get thrown at Tuesday.
The Sox are off Thursday before completing their road trip with three games in New York against the Yankees.
Chicago aldermen moved Wednesday to corral the “Wild West” of rogue tow truck drivers who rush to accident scenes, snare damaged vehicles and hold them hostage until rattled motorists pay exorbitant fees.
One month after putting on the brakes, the City Council’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection approved a revised ordinance that calls for the city to establish a first-ever license for tow truck operators, require a $250 license for every truck they use and license the locations where vehicles they tow are stored.
Last month, License Committee Chairman Emma Mitts (37th) demanded more time to consider AAA’s request for a waiver that could excuse the motor club from record-keeping requirements that would slow down AAA towing operations.
Ald. David Moore (17th) raised concerns about the impact on city contractors.
That prompted Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) to amend the ordinance he championed to satisfy their concerns.
“AAA didn’t want to be responsible for individual towing contractors. So, [I] struck that. If you’re a city vendor, you won’t have to pay the license. However, if you have other vehicles that are not working on the city contract, those vehicles would have to pay the license,” Villegas said.
“We had language regarding what would be prohibited for someone getting a license. We struck misdemeanor and just kept it at felony to keep it consistent with how [Business Affairs and Consumer Protection] licenses people in the booting industry.”
With those changes, the License Committee approved the ordinance tailor-made to prevent “rampant” abuses by “rogue” towing companies that “take advantage of rattled vehicle owners” by appearing unsolicited at accident scenes.
“We need this industry policed because it’s just been the Wild West for the past few decades. We’re the second-worst in the country as it relates to rogue towers. I’m trying to address this before we get to No. 1,” Villegas said.
“We have an industry here that … is filled with organized crime. They’re running around the city, speeding to crash sites, intimidating people in accidents. In some cases, even shooting at one another. There’s no accountability.”
Last month, Sgt. Keith Blair of the Chicago Police Department’s Major Auto Theft Unit called towing abuses a “very serious problem” that has “overloaded” CPD and hampered its ability to investigate the number of vehicles towed illegally from crash scenes.
Many rogue tow-truck drivers monitor police and fire department radio frequencies, Blair said, often beating first responders to the scene.
“They’re using any method necessary to try and obtain control of an unsuspecting victim’s vehicle. Promising them free rental and [making] other promises that they never fulfill. And they end up holding these cars hostage,” Blair said on that day.
“They’re closely aligned in some areas with gangs. … Much like we see gang conflicts, we see gang conflicts among tow drivers as well.”
The ordinance also would prohibit certain acts, such as:
o Stopping “at or near” an accident scene or near a damaged or disabled vehicle to solicit the vehicle owner unless summoned to the scene by law enforcement, other city or state agencies or the vehicle owner or his or her representative.
o Making any false, misleading or threatening statements to the vehicle owner for the purpose of coercing the owner to engage the operator’s towing services, such as claiming to be affiliated with a government agency or insurance company that would cover the towing cost.
o Holding a towed vehicle against the owner’s will until the motorist agrees to pay a “ransom” fee amounting to thousands of dollars.
“Even if you wanted to pay to get your vehicle released, you can’t even pay with a credit card. You have to pay with cash,” Villegas said.
“Rental car companies have had vehicles stolen and held hostage by these rogue towers demanding thousands of dollars. Even if a rental car company wanted to pay for the ransom, they couldn’t pay with a check. They had to pay in cash. They had to hire a third party, since they don’t deal with cash. It’s the Wild West.”
Five years ago, the tilted playing field between towing companies that snatch cars off Chicago streets and parking lots and motorists who own those vehicles got a bit more level.
The City Council approved a “towing bill of rights” in response to an avalanche of complaints about Lincoln Towing, the company made famous in the Steve Goodman song, “Lincoln Park Pirates.”
Two nights ago, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Yermin Mercedes hit a home run off Willians Astudillo to cap off a 16-4 blowout over the Minnesota Twins, much to the chagrin of Tony La Russa, the Chicago White Sox manager.
La Russa said that a “take” sign was on. Not surprising, since the Chicago White Sox led by 11 at the time, there were two outs and no one on, and Astudillo is typically a catcher.
Mercedes missed the sign, swung away at a 47-mph pitch, and deposited it over the fence. Setting off a firestorm of debate about baseball’s unwritten rules.
Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has been critical of his own player while also defending the Twins.
Sox players and fans, along with many of the media pundits, have castigated La Russa for his old-school attitude.
Now, let’s be clear here. There are really two issues at hand. Issue one is regarding the signs and Mercedes either intentionally ignoring or inadvertently missing one. Issue two is whether it’s OK to swing at a 3-0 pitch tossed by a position player – or anyone, really – in the middle of a blowout.
I understand the argument for Mercedes needing to be aware of the signs and to follow them. It’s no big deal to miss one in a blowout in May, but a missed sign could cost the team a game in September or October – and this is a team with playoff aspirations.
That said, there’s also nothing wrong with swinging at a 3-0 pitch during a blowout. It’s not disrespectful. Don’t want to be taken deep? Pitch better. Or maybe use an actual bullpen pitcher.
Clearly, the Twins didn’t want to use a bullpen pitcher in a game that was all but over. So if you’re going to do that, you have to understand that a position player might allow a homer.
It’s also important to note that Mercedes, like any player, has an incentive to have the best stats he can over time. He’s not going to stop competing just because the guy on the mound throws slower than most beer-besotted fans would.
Not to mention that a swing might’ve actually been better for the Twins, at least if the ball hadn’t left the ballpark. A walk to Mercedes, even with the bases empty and two outs, means at least one more batter to face. A ball in play could’ve been an out. Too bad for Minnesota that instead of being an out, it went out of the park.
La Russa made it all worse with his public comments. Instead of calling Mercedes – who’s been a great story for the Sox thus far – “clueless“, La Russa would’ve been better off simply saying they’d talk about following the signs and moving on. He also should’ve defended the team against the Twins’ retaliation.
If the only problem was that Mercedes missed a sign, that’s easily taken care of via an internal conversation. Instead, La Russa doubled down on old-school baseball convention that is being rapidly left in the dust as a younger generation of players and fans embraces fun while also showing how dumb most of these unwritten rules are. He did so at the risk of alienating his own players – all of whom play for a team that advertises via the hashtag “change the game.”
I doubt this incident will sink a Sox team that appears ready to rule the AL Central even with two of its best players out for a good chunk of the year with injuries. But compared with actual on-field decisions La Russa has made this season that have arguably cost the team games, it’s one more arrow in the quiver of his critics.
I’m not yet ready to fire the manager. But he needs to come to grips with the fact that the game really has changed in the decade he was away from the dugout. His old-school attitude may or may not cost the Sox in the standings, but it does bring unnecessary drama.
As part of a joint announcement Wednesday, Lyric Opera of Chicago revealed plans for a seven-production season beginning Sept 17; Joffrey Ballet will present a four-program season beginning Oct. 13.
Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Joffrey Ballet will take turns performing on the Lyric Opera House stage for the first time in 2021-22, as the two major companies return to live, in-person productions after a more than 1½-year hiatus.
As part of a joint announcement Wednesday, Lyric Opera of Chicago revealed plans for a seven-production season (one in an alternative venue) that includes its first mainstage opera sung in Spanish – Daniel Catán’s “Florencia en el Amazonas (Florencia in the Amazon)” (1996). Among other highlights are Verdi’s “Macbeth,” led by new music director Enrique Mazzola, and the Chicago premiere of “Proving Up,” a 2018 chamber opera by Missy Mazzoli, composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesGreg Cameron, Joffrey Ballet’s president and CEO, speaks during a press conference Wednesday at the Lyric Opera House about the return of live performances as many COVID-19 restrictions are lifted by the city.
Joffrey Ballet will present a four-program season highlighted by the April 27-May 8, 2022, world premiere of choreographer Cathy Marston’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” It will be paired with the company’s debut of “Serenade,” a 1934 classic by legendary 20th-century choreographer, George Balanchine.
“We are confident that the really exciting season that we’ve planned will be a magnet that will draw people back into the Opera House with great enthusiasm and in very large numbers,” said Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, president and CEO.
Lyric Opera’s season is arranged in a such way that it leaves the Opera House stage open for the Joffrey Ballet’s annual monthlong presentation of “The Nutcracker.” Returning Dec. 4-26 will be Christopher Wheeldon’s five-year-old take on the Tchaikovsky classic set during preparations for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
The plan for the Joffrey Ballet to shift its performances from the Auditorium Theatre, where it had appeared since 1998, to the Lyric Opera House was announced in 2017. The move was supposed to have happened in 2020-21 but had to be postponed because of the coronavirus shutdown.
Audiences attending the Lyric Opera and Joffrey performances will experience an opera house with slightly larger new seats throughout and a staggered configuration and widened aisles on the main floor. The changes, which were carried out in 2020, reduce the theater’s overall capacity from 3,563 to 3,276.
Lyric Opera’s line-up features one less production than what had been announced for the cancelled 2020-21 season, because the company has omitted the presentation of a classic musical as it has done in recent seasons.
“We have not yet announced one for this upcoming season just because of current safety and budget restraints, but there may be a chance that we announce a musical later this year once we have a better idea of how the season is going,” said Lyric Opera spokeswoman Marianna Moroz.
Here are the two companies’ line-ups:
Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Macbeth,” Verdi, Sept. 17, 23 and 30, Oct. 3, 6 and 9
“The Elixir of Love,” Donizetti, Sept. 26 and 29 and Oct. 2, 5 and 8
“The Magic Flute,” Mozart, Nov. 3, 7, 11, 14, 17, 19 and 27
“Florencia in the Amazon,” Catán, Nov. 13, 18, 21, 26 and 28.
People inspect the rubble of destroyed the Abu Hussein building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike early morning, in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. | AP
Benjamin Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift with the United States since the fighting began last week and could complicate international efforts to reach a cease-fire.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday to press ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, pushing back against calls from the United States to wind down the operation that has left hundreds dead.
Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift between the two close allies since the fighting began last week and could complicate international efforts to reach a cease-fire.
Israel continued to pound targets in Gaza with airstrikes, while Palestinian militants bombarded Israel with rocket fire throughout the day. In another sign of potential escalation, militants in Lebanon fired a rocket barrage into northern Israel.
After a visit to military headquarters, Netanyahu said he appreciated “the support of the American president,” but he said Israel would push ahead to return “calm and security” to Israeli citizens.
He said he was “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met.”
He spoke shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that he expected “a significant de-escalation today on the path to a cease-fire,” the White House said.
Biden had previously avoided pressing Israel more directly and publicly for a cease-fire with Gaza’s Hamas militant rulers. But pressure has been building for Biden to intervene more forcefully as other diplomatic efforts gather strength.
Egyptian negotiators have also been working to halt the fighting, and an Egyptian diplomat said top officials were waiting for Israel’s response to a cease-fire offer. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he would fly to the region Thursday for talks with Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the foreign ministers of Slovakia and the Czech Republic would also arrive in Israel Thursday, and that the diplomats were invited by Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi “to express their solidarity and support” for Israel.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it was widening its strikes on militant targets in southern Gaza to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas. At least nine people were killed Wednesday in the Gaza Strip.
The current round of fighting between Israel and Hamas began May 10, when the militant group fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims. Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.
Since then, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says have targeted Hamas’ infrastructure, and Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired more than 3,700 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted or landing in open areas.
At least 227 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, with 1,620 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130. Some 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.
Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.
The rockets fired by militants in Lebanon into northern Israel threatened to open up a new front in the fighting. The rocket attack, which drew Israeli artillery fire in response but did not cause any injuries, raised the possibility of dragging Israel into renewed conflict with the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to its north.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Hezbollah, which fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006, has stayed out of the fighting for now. The rockets were widely believed to be fired by Palestinian factions based in south Lebanon.
But they cannot operate without Hezbollah’s tacit consent, and the barrage appears to be carefully calibrated to send a political message that the group, which has tens of thousands of missiles, could join the battle at any time. Israel considers Hezbollah to be its most formidable threat and has threatened widespread destruction in Lebanon if war were to erupt.
In Gaza, one of the Israeli airstrikes destroyed the home of an extended family.
Residents surveyed the piles of bricks, concrete and other debris that had once been the home of 40 members of al-Astal family in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. They said a warning missile struck the building five minutes before the airstrike, allowing everyone to escape.
Ahmed al-Astal, a university professor, described a scene of panic, with men, women and children racing out of the building.
“We had just gotten down to the street, breathless, when the devastating bombardment came,” he said. “They left nothing but destruction, the children’s cries filling the street. … This is happening, and there is no one to help us.”
Another strike in nearby Deir al-Balah killed a man, his wife and their 2-year-old daughter, witnesses said. Iyad Salha, a brother of the man who was killed, said the family had just sat down for lunch when the missile hit.
Among those killed Wednesday were a reporter for Hamas-run Al-Aqsa radio and two people who died when warning missiles crashed into their apartment.
The Israeli military said it was striking a militant tunnel network in southern Gaza, with 52 aircraft hitting 40 underground targets.
Military officials, meanwhile, said a mysterious explosion that killed eight members of a Palestinian family on the first day of the fighting was caused by a misfired rocket from Gaza. “This wasn’t an Israeli attack,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman.
Since the fighting began, Gaza’s infrastructure, already weakened by a 14-year blockade, has rapidly deteriorated. Medical supplies, water and fuel for electricity are running low in the territory, on which Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized power in 2007.
Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs have run out.
Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press’ Gaza office and those of other media outlets.
Netanyahu has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing, without elaborating.
The AP has called for an independent investigation. The news organization’s president, Gary Pruitt, has said the AP had no indication Hamas was present in the building.
The fighting, the worst since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, has ignited protests around the world and inspired Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories to call a general strike Tuesday. It was a rare collective action that spanned boundaries central to decades of failed peace efforts. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state.
___
Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam in Beirut, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The Visit South Bend Mishawaka Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) starts at 9:01 a.m. CT on May 19, 2021, and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on May 26, 2021 (“Sweepstakes Period”). This Sweepstakes will be subject to these Official Rules, and by … Read moreRead More
White Sox manager Tony La Russa, left, said he has not sensed any pushback from players over his handling of Yermin Mercedes. “I’d be willing to bet there isn’t anybody in that clubhouse that’s upset that I mentioned that’s not the way we compete.” | Aaron Doster/AP
“I’m really surprised that I’m getting so many questions on this,” La Russa said.
MINNEAPOLIS — Tony La Russa kept the conversation going about Yermin Mercedes swinging on a 3-0 count and launching a 429-foot homer against a position player in a blowout game two days ago, saying Wednesday he was surprised there’s so much talk about it and expressing no concern that calling out the rookie sensation is an issue in his clubhouse.
“I’d be willing to bet there isn’t anybody in that clubhouse that’s upset that I mentioned that’s not the way we compete,” La Russa said before the Sox played the host Twins Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series. “I walked around the clubhouse last night, and nobody was giving me the Heisman.”
Sox players have supported Mercedes through social media platforms, including Tim Anderson tweeting “The game wasn’t over! Keep doing you, big daddy” to an NBC SportsChicago tweet.
One player declined to discuss La Russa’s comments but said, “I will say this: We all have each other’s backs. Everyone who wears our jersey is family.”
The Sox blew a 4-0 lead Tuesday night and lost 5-4. Twins righty Tyler Duffey threw behind Mercedes and was ejected along with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who apparently took issue — as La Russa did with his own player — for swinging on 3 and 0.
Pitcher Lance Lynn backed Mercedes saying unwritten rules are off when a position player is pitching.
“The more I play this game, the more those rules have gone away and I understand it,” Lynn said Tuesday. “The way I see it is for position players on the mound, there are no rules. Let’s get the damn game over with. And if you have a problem with whatever happens, then put a pitcher out there. That’s the way I see it. Can’t get mad when there’s a position player on the field and a guy takes a swing.”
La Russa did not agree Wednesday.
“Lance has a locker. I have an office,” La Russa said. “I don’t agree.”
It’s a sportsmanship issue for La Russa, who was trending on Twitter Wednesday but said he wasn’t aware of the widespread reaction — most of it objecting to La Russa’s take — is getting. La Russa apologized to the Twins, called out Mercedes publicly for missing a sign and stood by his belief that teams should call off the dogs when leading big late in games.
It’s an old school take that is hotly debated in a newer age of baseball.
“I’m really surprised that I’m getting so many questions on this,” La Russa said. ”Evidently there is some chatter about it. I’m not going to say it’s much ado about nothing, it’s much ado about a little bit. He [Mercedes] missed a sign.”
Mercedes, batting fourth in La Russa’s lineup again with Jose Abreu out, didn’t apologize Tuesday, saying he would continue to “be Yermin.” La Russa had no issue with that.
“If you ask him right now, he’s not going to tell you if the coach gives the take sign he’s going to decide to hit on his own,” La Russa said. “What he said was he has a flair when he plays.”
Chicago police officers block Michigan Avenue at 36th Street while protesters march toward CPD headquarters last June during a march to demand justice for George Floyd, who had been killed by a Minneapolis police officer. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he has no doubt Lightfoot will want to retain power to set the CPD budget and hire and fire the police superintendent, COPA chief and Police Board president. And she should, he added.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will deliver her own plan for civilian police oversight on Thursday, almost certainly stripped of policymaking, budgeting and hiring and firing powers coveted by police reform advocates.
After months of broken promises, Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th), chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety, said “the mayor’s team” has told him “I should have something in hand on Thursday.”
Taliaferro said he hasn’t seen or been briefed on the mayor’s version and has no idea how it will read.
But, he has no doubt Lightfoot is determined to retain the final say on disputes over police policy along with the power to determine the Chicago Police Department’s budget and hire and fire the police superintendent, COPA chief and Police Board president.
“She had concern about not being able to weigh in on policymaking when it comes down to policies that affect police officers. The other ordinances essentially took her out of the process. And any mayor would be somewhat cautious of not being able to hire or fire a superintendent, chief administration [of COPA] and Police Board members. Our mayor is apprehensive about that as well,” Taliaferro said.
“The mayor will have to wear the hat, no matter who appoints. As the chief executive of the city, any mayor would have to wear the hat of what goes wrong and what goes right with our police department. So, it would be this mayor’s contention — and mine as well — they should be involved in the process.”
Sun-Times fileAld. Chris Taliaferro believes the mayor should retain more power over the Chicago Police department than a proposed civilian oversight plan would provide. The mayor is expected to unveil her own plan on Thursday.
A former Chicago police officer, Taliaferro emphatically denied the mayor’s version would be tantamount to “gutting” the powers of a civilian oversight panel. To the contrary. He portrayed it as preserving the separation of powers.
“We cannot converge all the powers of city government on one authority. Because then, the fight or the comments down the road will be, `Why does this organization have so much power? Why isn’t this power dispersed? Where are the checks-and-balances?’ Taliaferro said.
“If you convey the power to hire, the power to fire, the power to create budget, the power to do everything in one organization, where are the checks-and-balances?”
Earlier this week, the City Council’s Black Caucus joined the Hispanic and Progressive Caucuses in endorsing a civilian police oversight plan summarily rejected by Lightfoot.
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), chairman of the Black Caucus, said then that aldermen were tired of waiting for Lightfoot to honor a campaign promise to deliver civilian police oversight — with the power to hire and fire the police superintendent and be the final arbiter in policy disputes — within her first 100 days in office.
“We definitely need some level of civilian oversight and accountability in the police department in addition to what we have today. This is what our residents have asked for. …This is an ordinance that delivers that,” Ervin told the Sun-Times.
“If the mayor sees something different, she’s obligated to put something on the table. To date, nothing has been put on the table. … We, as a City Council, have been waiting on that for a number of months. She definitely has an opportunity to put something on the table to have a conversation. But you can’t negotiate against yourself.”
The compromise endorsed by three major caucuses would ask Chicago voters in the 2022 primary to approve a binding referendum empowering a civilian police oversight commission to hire and fire the police superintendent, negotiate police contracts and set CPD’s budget.
Lightfoot would lose the power to hire and fire the police superintendent. Her Law Department and hand-picked negotiators would lose the power to negotiate police contracts.
And Lightfoot and aldermen would lose their power to establish the CPD budget. That power would be held by an 11-member civilian oversight commission — nine elected, two appointed by the mayor.
Even if voters reject the binding referendum, the 11-member commission would have final say in disputes over police policy unless two-thirds of the Council decides otherwise. The commission also would be empowered to take a vote of no-confidence in the superintendent and hire and fire the chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
The support of that compromise from three major caucuses could set the stage for Lightfoot’s first City Council defeat.
But, Taliaferro said: “If the mayor proposes an ordinance, it certainly would put everything else up in the air. Remember, most of our caucuses do not vote in bloc whenever a vote is taken. Even though the caucus may support it, you may not have the individual vote of every single member.”
People inspect the rubble of destroyed the Abu Hussein building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike early morning, in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. | AP
Benjamin Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift with the United States since the fighting began last week and could complicate international efforts to reach a cease-fire.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, pushing back Wednesday against calls from the United States to wind down the operation that has left hundreds dead.
Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift between the two close allies since the fighting began last week and could complicate international efforts to reach a cease-fire.
Israel continued to pound targets in Gaza with airstrikes Wednesday, while Palestinian militants bombarded Israel with rocket fire throughout the day. In another sign of potential escalation, militants in Lebanon fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel.
After a visit to military headquarters, Netanyahu said he “greatly appreciates the support of the American president,” but said Israel will push ahead “to return the calm and security to you, citizens of Israel.”
He said he is “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met.”
He spoke shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden told Netanyahu “that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,” the White House said.
AP Graphics
Biden had previously avoided pressing Israel more directly and publicly for a cease-fire with Gaza’s Hamas militant rulers. But pressure has been ramping up on Biden to intervene more forcefully as other diplomatic efforts also gather strength.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to press ahead with the operation, and his latest response to Biden signaled he had no intentions of stopping.
Egyptian negotiators have also been working to halt the fighting, and an Egyptian diplomat said top officials were waiting for Israel’s response to a cease-fire offer. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he would fly to the region Thursday for talks with Israelis and Palestinians.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it was widening its strikes on militant targets in southern Gaza to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas. At least nine people were killed in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The current round of fighting between Israel and Hamas began May 10 when the militant group fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims. Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.
Since then, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes against what it says are targeting Hamas’ militant infrastructure, and Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas have fired more than 3,700 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted or landing in open areas.
At least 227 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, with 1,620 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130. Some 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.
Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier, have been killed.
On Wednesday, militants in Lebanon fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel, threatening to open up a new front in fighting.
The rocket attack, which drew Israeli artillery fire in response but did not cause any injuries, raised the possibility of dragging Israel into renewed conflict with the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to its north.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Hezbollah, which fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006, has stayed out of the fighting for now. The rockets are widely believed to be fired by Palestinian factions based in south Lebanon.
But they cannot operate without Hezbollah’s tacit consent, and the barrage appears to be carefully calibrated to send a political message that the group, which has tens of thousands of missiles, could join the battle at any time. Israel considers Hezbollah to be its most formidable threat, and has threatened widespread destruction in Lebanon if war were to erupt.
In Gaza, one of the Israeli airstrikes destroyed the home of an extended family.
Residents surveyed the piles of bricks, concrete and other debris that had once been the home of 40 members of al-Astal family in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. They said a warning missile struck the building five minutes before the airstrike, allowing everyone to escape.
Ahmed al-Astal, a university professor, described a scene of panic, with men, women and children racing out of the building. Some of the women didn’t even have time to cover their hair with Muslim headscarves, he said.
“We had just gotten down to the street, breathless, when the devastating bombardment came,” he said. “They left nothing but destruction, the children’s cries filling the street. … This is happening, and there is no one to help us.”
Another strike in nearby Deir al-Balah killed a man, his wife and their 2-year-old daughter, witnesses said. Iyad Salha, a brother of the man who was killed, said the family had just sat down for lunch when the missile hit.
Among those killed Wednesday were a reporter for Hamas-run Al-Aqsa radio and two people who died when warning missiles crashed into their apartment.
The Israeli military said it was striking a militant tunnel network in southern Gaza, with 52 aircraft hitting 40 underground targets.
Military officials, meanwhile, said a mysterious explosion that killed eight members of a Palestinian family on the first day of the fighting was caused by a misfired rocket from Gaza. “This wasn’t an Israeli attack,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman.
Since the fighting began, Gaza’s infrastructure, already weakened by a 14-year blockade, has rapidly deteriorated. Medical supplies, water and fuel for electricity are running low in the territory, on which Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized power in 2007.
Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed one health facility, the World Health Organization said. Nearly half of all essential drugs have run out.
The Gaza Health Ministry said it had salvaged coronavirus vaccines after shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike damaged the territory’s only testing facility, which also administered hundreds of vaccines. The operations were relocated to another clinic.
Dr. Majdi Dhair, head of preventive medicine at the ministry, said the territory was already struggling to recover from a coronavirus wave that hit in February, with more than 4,200 active cases. At least 986 people have died from COVID-19 in Gaza, which only has enough supplies to vaccinate some 55,000 people out of a population of 2 million.
Among the buildings leveled by Israeli airstrikes was one housing The Associated Press’ Gaza office and those of other media outlets.
Netanyahu has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating in the building. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Israel had given the U.S. information about the bombing, without elaborating.
The AP has called for an independent investigation. The news organization’s president, Gary Pruitt, has said the AP had no indication Hamas was present in the building.
The fighting, the worst since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, has ignited protests around the world and inspired Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories to call a general strike Tuesday. It was a rare collective action that spanned boundaries central to decades of failed peace efforts. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state.
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Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam in Beirut, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
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