The boy was identified as Adam Toledo by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police shot and killed a 13-year-old boy after what officials described as an “armed confrontation” in Little Village early Monday, although no video and few details have been released so far.

Adam Toledo, 13, who lived in the neighborhood, was shot in his chest and later died, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

In a statement, police said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 2:35 a.m. and saw two males standing in an alley in the Southwest Side neighborhood.

One person, who was allegedly armed, ran from the scene and was shot by a police officer during an “armed confrontation” in the 2300 block of South Spaulding Avenue, police said. Farragut Career Academy High School is located at the end of the block.

That person, later identified as Adam, died at the scene, police said. An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to his chest.

Police shared a photo of a gun allegedly recovered at the scene.

The other person who ran from police, 21-year-old Ruben Roman Jr. of Edgewater, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, police said. In 2019, Roman pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession stemming from an arrest in Evanston and was sentenced to probation, court records show.

‘Very disheartening’

On Thursday, on the residential block in front of the alley where the shooting took place earlier in the week, residents gathered for a yard sale and formed a line along 24th Street near Sawyer, where a local church was holding a food drive.

A surveillance video taken from a camera on United Methodist Church, which is at the corner of 24th and Sawyer, caught flashes of light from the shooting and additional police officers as they arrived on the scene. However, neither the officer who fired the shots nor Adam could be seen in the video.

The church pastor said his son heard the gunshots but they did not witness the incident.

Many at the food drive expressed shock to hear that the person gunned down by police behind their homes was a 13-year-old boy.

Nakia Smith, a mother of a 13-year-old boy herself, said she heard gunshots on early that morning, followed moments later by a swarm of blue lights.

“It’s very disheartening, especially with what happened a year ago, with the [Derek] Chauvin trial and everything,” Smith said, referring to the Minneapolis officer who is currently on trial in the murder of George Floyd. “And then Monday morning, come to find out it was a 13-year-old boy killed … it’s just quite a bit.”

She added: “I do understand that the police don’t always know what someone is going to do, but there has to be a better way.”

Meanwhile, Rafael Hurtado Jr., 30 — who lives a few houses down from where Adam lived about a mile and a half away — called the incident tragic and urged CPD to release any footage related to the shooting.

“It’s hard to take CPDs word for it” that he was armed, he said. “Especially with everything that’s been going on with the police shootings in other places.”

He said that “it’s tragic for everyone involved, for the family, for the kid because he was so young and for the officer who pulled the trigger.”

Chicago police

Officer on desk duty; no video released

The officer in Monday’s incident was placed on desk duty for 30 days while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the shooting, police said.

The shooting was captured by body-worn camera, but it wasn’t immediately clear if investigators would release it, COPA said in a statement Thursday.

COPA is required to release body camera video of police shootings within 60 days of the incident, but policy prohibits them from sharing video if the victim is under 18 years old. Absent a court order, the video would not be released, COPA said.

However, investigators will release other evidence including 911 calls, police reports and radio transmissions within 60 days, COPA said.

Two other people have been shot by Chicago police officers this week. Early Wednesday, an officer fatally shot an armed man in Portage Park after officers chased the man on foot. An officer fired shots after the man allegedly pulled out a gun in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street, police said.

Less than an hour later, an off-duty Chicago police officer shot someone breaking into their home in Albany Park on the Northwest Side. The officer shot the man in his face about 12:55 a.m. as the man broke into the officer’s home in the 3100 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, police said. The man was rushed in serious condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Contributing: Cindy Hernandez, Frank Main

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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“Both Floyd and I, our story, it’s a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids. We both suffered from chronic pain. Mine was in my neck and his was in his back,” 45-year-old Courteney Ross said on Day Four of former Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.

MINNEAPOLIS – George Floyd’s girlfriend tearfully told a jury Thursday the story of how they met — at a Salvation Army shelter where he was a security guard with “this great, deep Southern voice, raspy” — and how they both struggled mightily with an addiction to opioids.

“Our story, it’s a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids. We both suffered from chronic pain. Mine was in my neck and his was in his back,” 45-year-old Courteney Ross said on Day Four of former Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.

She said they “tried really hard to break that addiction many times.”

Prosecutors put Ross on the stand as part of an effort to humanize Floyd in front of the jury and portray him as more than a crime statistic, and also explain his drug use.

The defense has argued that Chauvin did what he was trained to do and that Floyd’s death last May was caused by his illegal drug use, underlying health conditions and his natural adrenaline. An autopsy found fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system.

Ross’s testimony could help prosecutors blunt the argument that drugs killed Floyd. Medical experts have said that while the level of fentanyl in his system could be fatal to some, people who use the drug regularly can develop a tolerance to it.

Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter, accused of killing Floyd by kneeling on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as he lay face-down in handcuffs, accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a neighborhood market.

The case triggered scattered violence around the U.S. and widespread soul-searching over racism and police brutality. The most serious charge against the now-fired white officer carries up to 40 years in prison.

In her testimony, Ross described how both she and Floyd struggled with addiction to painkillers throughout their relationship. She said they both had prescriptions, and when those ran out, they took the prescriptions of others and also used illegal drugs.

”Addiction, in my opinion, is a lifelong struggle. … It’s not something that just kind of comes and goes. It’s something I’ll deal with forever,” she said.

In March 2020, Ross drove Floyd to the emergency room because he was in extreme stomach pain, and she learned he had overdosed. In the months that followed, Ross said, she and Floyd spent a lot of time together during the coronavirus quarantine, and Floyd was clean.

But she suspected he began using again about two weeks before his death because his behavior changed: She said there would be times when he would be up and bouncing around, and other times when he would be unintelligible.

Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson drove hard at Floyd’s drug use in cross-examining Ross, asking questions aimed at showing the jury that it was dangerous. He pointed out that she supposedly told the FBI that she believed Floyd had overdosed on heroin in March and that the couple used pills in May that made her feel as if she was going to die.

Under questioning from Nelson, Ross also disclosed that Floyd’s pet name for her in his phone was “Mama” — testimony that called into question the widely reported account that Floyd was crying out for his mother as he lay pinned to the pavement.

Also Thursday, a paramedic who arrived on the scene that day testified that the first call was a Code 2, for someone with a mouth injury, but it was upgraded a minute and a half later to Code 3 -– a life-threatening incident that led them to turn on the lights and siren.

Seth Bravinder said he saw no signs that Floyd was breathing or moving, and it appeared he was in cardiac arrest. A second paramedic, Derek Smith, testified that he checked for a pulse and couldn’t detect one: “In layman’s terms? I thought he was dead.”

Bravinder said they loaded Floyd into the ambulance so he could get care “in an optimum environment,” but also because bystanders “appeared very upset on the sidewalk,” and there was some yelling. “In my mind at least, we wanted to get away from that,” he said.

Smith likewise said there were “multiple people” with “multiple cellphones out,” and “it didn’t feel like a welcoming environment.”

Chauvin’s lawyer has argued that the police on the scene were distracted by what they perceived as a growing and increasingly hostile crowd. Video showed somewhere around 15 onlookers not far from where Floyd lay on the pavement.

Bravinder said after he drove the ambulance three blocks and jumped in back to help his partner, a monitor showed that Floyd had flatlined — his heart had stopped. He said they were never able to restore a pulse.

On cross-examination, Chauvin’s lawyer questioned why the ambulance did not go straight to the hospital, and he pressed Smith on Floyd’s condition as he lay on the pavement, in an apparent attempt to plant doubt as to whether Chauvin was directly responsible for his death. The paramedic expressed himself in blunt terms that Floyd was “dead” or “deceased.”

Ross began her testimony by telling how she and Floyd first met in 2017 at a shelter where Floyd was a security guard.

“May I tell the story?” she asked. “It’s one of my favorite stories to tell.”

She said she had gone to the shelter because her sons’ father was staying there. But she got upset that day because the father was not coming to the lobby to discuss their son’s birthday. Floyd came over to check on her.

“Floyd has this great, deep Southern voice, raspy,” Ross recalled. “And he’s like, ‘Sis, you OK, sis?’ And I wasn’t OK. I was like, ‘No, I’m just waiting for my sons’ father.’ He said, ‘Can I pray with you?’”

“We’ve been through so much, my sons and I,” she continued, “and this kind person, just to come up to me and say, ‘Can I pray with you?’ when I felt alone in this lobby, it was so sweet. At the time, I had lost a lot of faith in God.”

Minnesota is a rarity in explicitly permitting such “spark of life” testimony about a crime victim ahead of a verdict. Defense attorneys often complain that such testimony allows prosecutors to play on jurors’ emotions.

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Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan.

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Here’s Wednesday’s news on how COVID-19 is impacting Chicago and Illinois.

Latest

Coronavirus spike all the more reason to skip Easter celebrations, Chicago’s top doc says

In-person Easter celebrations should be put on hold as coronavirus infection rates hop back up to troubling levels, the city’s top doctor warned Thursday.

Unless family members are fully vaccinated — meaning two weeks removed from their final dose — it’s best to keep gatherings virtual with COVID-19 still looming, according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

That’s even more important this weekend because the virus is already spreading across the city and state at the quickest rate seen in almost two months, Arwady said during an online Q&A.

“You don’t want your Easter celebration to turn into a contact tracing event. You really don’t,” she said. “Each day as more people get vaccinated, these things are becoming safer, but with the amount of people fully vaccinated — unless you’ve got a fully vaccinated group gathering, there still is a fair bit of risk.

“It’s a time when a lot of people traditionally get together, but the virus does not know that it’s Easter. It does not know that it is Passover,” Arwady said. “The things that we’ve been doing to protect each other and protect those we care about — especially now with vaccine in the mix — become even more important.”

Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here.

News

3:12 p.m. Chicago sees ‘quantum leap’ in COVID-19 cases — widening Lightfoot-Pritzker split over vaccine plans

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Illinois’ COVID-19 uptick took another jump Wednesday as Chicago’s “quantum leap” in cases raised more concerns of a potential third surge of the virus, officials said.

Another 2,592 residents across the state were diagnosed with the virus among 77,727 tests, which lowered Illinois’ average positivity rate to 3.3%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

But that key metric has shot up 57% overall in under three weeks, while COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 24% over the same time frame. More than 1,400 beds were occupied by coronavirus patients Tuesday night, the most the state’s hospitals have treated since Feb. 24.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot agree the uptick has halted any talk of further reopening — but they’re still far apart on when all adults should be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The governor voiced concern Wednesday over the city’s timetable for that move, saying “I think that they will want to do that sooner than they are currently planning to.”

Read the full story from Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout here.

12:39 p.m. Company producing J&J vaccine had history of violations

The company at the center of quality problems that led Johnson & Johnson to discard 15 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine has a string of citations from U.S. health officials for quality control problems.

Emergent BioSolutions, a little-known company vital to the vaccine supply chain, was a key to Johnson & Johnson’s plan to deliver 100 million doses of its vaccine to the United States by the end of May. But the Food and Drug Administration repeatedly has cited Emergent for problems such as poorly trained employees, cracked vials and problems managing mold and other contamination around one of its facilities, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act. The records cover inspections at Emergent facilities since 2017.

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that a batch of vaccine made by Emergent at its Baltimore factory, known as Bayview, cannot be used because it did not meet quality standards. It was unclear how many doses were involved or how the problem would affect future deliveries of J&J’s vaccine. The company said in a statement it was still planning to deliver 100 million doses by the end of June and was “aiming to deliver those doses by the end of May.”

“Human errors do happen,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Thursday in an interview on CBS’ “This Morning.” “You have checks and balances. … That’s the reason why the good news is that it did get picked up. As I mentioned, that’s the reason nothing from that plant has gone into anyone that we’ve administered to.”

Read the full story here.

11:58 a.m. Positive COVID-19 test forces postponement of Mets-Nationals season opener

WASHINGTON — The Opening Day baseball game between the Nationals and Mets was postponed hours before it was scheduled to begin Thursday night because of coronavirus concerns after one of Washington’s players tested positive for COVID-19.

The Nationals issued a statement saying “ongoing contract tracing involving members of the Nationals organization” was the reason for scrapping the game at their stadium.

The contest was not immediately rescheduled, even though Friday already had been set up as an off day that could accommodate a game pushed back from Thursday if there were a rainout, for example.

The Nationals said in a statement the game “will not be made up on Friday.”

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday that one of his team’s players had tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, before the team left spring training camp.

Rizzo said four other players and one staff member were following quarantine protocols after contract tracing determined they were in close contact with the person who tested positive.

Rizzo did not identify any of those involved.

“We’re still in the process of finding out exactly what their status is,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “They’re certainly out for tomorrow’s game.”

Read the full story here.

9:24 a.m. James Taylor kicking off rescheduled 2021 tour at the United Center

Live music may be returning to the United Center this summer.

James Taylor on Wednesday announced his postponed world tour with special guest Jackson Browne will kick off at the Chicago venue on July 29.

Tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored for the trek that wraps up Nov. 1 in San Diego. (The tour was originally slated for a stop June 9 the United Center; refunds are available at point of purchase for those unable to make the new date.)

Taylor postponed the tour last April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down all live music/theater venues across the country. Browne contracted coronavirus last March, revealing at the time he suffered only minor symptoms and recuperated while quarantining at home.

“(Jackson and I/James and I) want to thank all those who have graciously held onto their tickets; we appreciate your continued patience as we navigate these unchartered waters. We didn’t want to have to cancel this tour that we’ve been waiting so long to perform together, so we’ve been working to get these dates rescheduled to a time period when the U.S. is reopened and safe to gather for a concert,” the two legendary singer-songwriters said in a joint statement.”

Read the full story from Miriam Di Nunzio here.

New Cases & Vaccination Numbers

• Another 2,592 residents across the state were diagnosed with the virus among 77,727 tests.
• Nearly 500 Chicagoans are testing positive every day, an average figure that has jumped 37% over the past week.
• Illinois is vaccinating more people than ever as the state’s rolling average is up to a new high of 109,538 shots doled out per day.
• On Tuesday, 137,445 shots went into arms, the state’s third-highest daily total yet.

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All attendees, including the president, donned masks. And the afternoon meeting did not include the over-the-top tributes to the chief executive that came to define Cabinet meetings held by President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden used his first Cabinet meeting to promote his new infrastructure plan, but the gathering had a very different look and tone from those held by his predecessor.

To begin with, the full Cabinet met Thursday in the spacious East Room, rather than the comparatively cramped West Wing room that bears its name, to allow for social distancing. All attendees, including the president, donned masks. And the afternoon meeting did not include the over-the-top tributes to the chief executive that came to define Cabinet meetings held by President Donald Trump.

The timing of the first meeting was deliberate: a week after the full Cabinet was confirmed and a day after Biden released his infrastructure plan, which will likely dominate Washington through the summer and shape next year’s midterm elections.

The White House allowed press to witness just the opening three minutes of the meeting, where the president tapped five Cabinet secretaries “to take special responsibility to explain the plan to the American public.” He directed Transportation’s Pete Buttigieg, Energy’s Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development’s Marcia Fudge, Labor’s Marty Walsh and Commerce’s Gina Raimondo to be visible to Americans and lead outreach on Capitol Hill.

Biden also directed the entire Cabinet to examine their agency spending to ensure it follows his “Buy American” commitment.

With the sales blitz for the infrastructure plan just beginning, the focus of the meeting will be on how the package can help across government, as well on continuing to emphasize the benefits of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Biden signed into law this month, said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.

Cabinet meetings in the modern era are less about setting administration policy than ensuring that all the government agencies are on the same page, say former officials. The sessions also are an opportunity for the president to make his priorities and values clear. Policy debates are generally reserved for smaller, subject-specific gatherings of Cabinet officials and senior advisers, such as the National Security Council and the Domestic Policy Council.

“As the federal government has become increasingly complex over the years, the role of the Cabinet has evolved as well,” said Chris Lu, President Barack Obama’s first-term Cabinet secretary. “In addition to serious policy discussions, Cabinet meetings are an opportunity for the president to lay out broad directions for how his team should operate.”

“The meetings can help align priorities, build morale, and allow Cabinet members to develop relationships with colleagues who they don’t normally see,” Lu said.

All 16 permanent members of the Cabinet — the vice president and heads of the executive departments, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin — are attending in person. So were other Cabinet-ranked officials, including White House chief of staff Ron Klain and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

Shalanda Young, acting budget head, was participating because Neera Tanden, Biden’s first choice for that job, withdrew her nomination amid Senate opposition. Biden is also awaiting the confirmation of Eric Lander to be the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a post that the president has elevated to Cabinet rank.

In all, 25 people were attending, the White House said. In normal times, scheduling an in-person Cabinet meeting would require weeks, if not months, of planning to block off time in the travel schedules of the various principals. But most have remained in Washington due to the pandemic.

Trump’s Cabinet meetings became known for their high level of presidential adoration, with “Dear Leader”-esque praise coming from attendees. His first full Cabinet meeting, held in June 2017, began with Vice President Mike Pence declaring that it was “the greatest privilege of my life to serve as the vice president to the president who is keeping his word to the American people.”

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The administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign features television and social media ads, but it also relies on a community corps of public health, athletic, faith and other groups to spread the word about the safety and efficacy of the three approved vaccines.

WASHINGTON — Seeking to overcome vaccine hesitancy, the Biden administration on Thursday stepped up its outreach efforts to skeptical Americans, launching a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots in hard-hit communities.

The administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign features television and social media ads, but it also relies on a community corps of public health, athletic, faith and other groups to spread the word about the safety and efficacy of the three approved vaccines. The campaign comes amid worries that reluctance to get vaccinated will delay the nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic — and is kicking off as the U.S. is anticipating a boost in vaccine supply that will make all adult Americans eligible for vaccines by the beginning of May.

President Joe Biden encouraged more than 1,000 faith leaders on Thursday to continue their efforts to promote vaccinations in their communities. “They’re going to listen to your words more than they are to me as president of the United States,” Biden said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday to kick off the effort. The Department of Health and Human Services was also encouraging other groups, as well as everyday Americans, to join the effort.

“You are the people that folks on the ground know and rely on and have a history with,” Harris said. “And when people are then making the decision to get vaccinated, they’re going to look to you.”

A White House official said Harris plans to take on a larger role in promoting the uptake of vaccines, in addition to her efforts selling the president’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and working to address the root causes of migration driving an increase in unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. along the southern border.

The focus on trusted validators stems from both internal and public surveys showing those skeptical of the vaccines are most likely to be swayed by local, community and medical encouragement to get vaccinated, rather than messages from politicians.

Courtney Rowe, the White House’s COVID-19 director of strategic communications and engagement, briefed governors on the new initiative Tuesday, telling them that people “want to hear from those they know and trust.” She added that the initiative would be “empowering the leaders people want to hear from.”

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted late last month finds that three-quarters of American adults now say they have or will get a vaccine, compared with 13% who say they probably will not, while 12% say they definitely will not. The share saying they probably or definitely will not has ticked down since January, when a combined 32% said that.

The coalition includes health groups like the American Medical Association and the National Council of Urban Indian Health, sports leagues like the NFL, NASCAR and MLB, rural groups, unions and Latino, Black, Asian American Pacific Islander and Native American organizations, as well as coalitions of faith, business and veterans leaders.

The community corps will receive fact sheets and social media messages to share with members of their communities, as well as regular updates from the Biden administration with the latest vaccine confidence resources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that it will devote $3 billion to support outreach by community leaders and groups to boost vaccine confidence.

HHS was also launching its first national ad campaign promoting vaccinations, aimed at senior, Latino and Black Americans, with the roughly $250 million initial ad campaign. And in partnership with Facebook, it was deploying social media profile frames so that ordinary Americans could share their intent to get vaccinations and their experience with the shots to their peers.

The White House is also deploying Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who chairs Biden’s COVID-19 equity task force, to speak directly to the public about the benefits of the vaccines. On Wednesday, the pair conducted an interview with rapper and actor LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

By the end of May, the U.S. will have enough supply of COVID-19 vaccine to cover all adults in the country. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has estimated that 70% to 85% of the population needs to be immune to the virus to reach herd immunity.

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Associated Press writer Emily Swanson contributed to this report from Washington.

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While Easter Sunday is generally known for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, two legendary Funk and R&B bands aim to leave yet another impression on generations of their fans.

A Verzuz battle between Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers is slated for 7 p.m. Easter Sunday on Instagram and the Triller app.

The news bringing the groups together was announced in the aftermath of the last Verzuz battle between Wu-Tang Clan members Ghostface and Raekwon.

Earlier this week, the music curation website created by producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, tabbed comedian and perennial presenter Steve Harvey to host the show, while DJ D-Nice will provide the music.

Earth, Wind & Fire, a group with Chicago ties, is known for hit records “September,” “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove” and “Boogie Wonderland,” among many others, along with winning multiple awards, and enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Isley Brothers’ hit music spans several decades including “Twist & Shout,” “It’s Your Thing,” “Between the Sheets,” “That Lady” and “For the Love of You.” Lead singer Ronald Isley later rebranded himself as “Mr. Biggs,” exposing his music to newer audiences via standout tracks such as “Contagious.”

Due to the groups’ extensive catalogs, the Easter Sunday show shapes up to be one of Verzuz’s most anticipated battles to date.

Both groups have loyal — and fierce — followings as country singer Taylor Swift discovered in 2018 when she released a cover of “September,” one of EW&F’s most well-known songs.

Alan Lloyd, the CEO of Maddsoul, who was the head of Global Touring Operations for Beyonce and Jay-Z’s “On The Run II Tour,” says his prediction of a winner won’t be judged in absolutes.

“When asked who’s going to win, it’s Black people,” Lloyd says. “I think it’s a ‘winner’ that we are re-educating ourselves as to what good music really is. … White people go support the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones for as long until all of them die, right? Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers are our versions of that.

“Earth, Wind & Fire — just in a name — is telling you about yourself and the elements, right? All of that has a message for our people, right from the artwork, to the songs — there was always a message for the people.”

Upcoming Verzuz battles will include a “4/20” event featuring Method Man and Redman, and in May, R&B groups SWV and Xscape will face off in a special Mother’s Day edition.

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A 12-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation and two pets were saved after a fire broke out Thursday in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Fifteen other people escaped unharmed from the burning apartment building at 1455 E. 69th Street, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Firefighters received a call at 11:25 a.m. that the building was burning. The fire started in one unit and was contained there, Langford said.

The 12-year-old boy was taken to Jackson Park Hospital for smoke inhalation and his condition is listed as good, Langford said.

There were also two dogs in the unit when the fire broke out, Langford said. The dogs also made it out safely and were taken to a fire station where firefighters gave them a bath to remove soot, Langford said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Langford said it appeared to be accidental.

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NEW YORK — Hulu will produce a documentary series based on ” The 1619 Project,” stories in The New York Times that examined the legacy of slavery in America dating from the arrival of the first slave ship from Africa.

Roger Ross Williams, an Academy Award-winning director for his film “Music by Prudence,” will oversee and produce the series, it was announced Thursday.

The announcement was an outgrowth of a deal announced last summer by the Times, Lionsgate and Oprah Winfrey to develop “The 1619 Project” into a portfolio of films, television series and other content.

AP

The Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper series, from writer Nikole Hannah-Jones, began appearing on the 400th anniversary of ship’s arrival in the then-British colony of Virginia.

“‘The 1619 Project‘ is an essential reframing of American history.” Williams said. “Our most cherished ideals and achievements cannot be understood without acknowledging both systemic racism and the contributions of Black Americans. And this isn’t just about the past — Black people are still fighting against both the legacy of this racism and its current incarnation.”

The streaming service gave no indication of when the documentary series will appear.

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Thousands of overjoyed Cubs fans returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over a year Thursday for an unprecedented Opening Day matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Prior to the first pitch, throngs of fans chanted, cheered and posed for photographs under the Wrigley’s iconic marquee at the intersection of Clark and Addison streets. Tim Gerster, of Portage Park, said the city’s move to allow a limited number of fans back to ballparks marks a shift “back to normalcy.”

“A year’s too long to be away from the Cubs,” said Gerster, who has for a decade brought his teenage son to every home opener.

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  William Gonzalez, 40, of Gage Park, wears a Cubs-themed luchador mask outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day 2021.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  A group of Cubs fans, including Roberto Ramos, 56, of Norwood Park, wearing full team attire and a bright blue face mask, walk outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Carla Piunti, 50, of Chicago Heights, smiles as she prepares to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Ivan Aroyo, 25, of Cicero, poses for a photo outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  People walk their dogs outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans take selfies outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Amy Zeiher, 34, drove to Chicago from New Jersey for the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game at Wrigley Field.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Greg Cooper, 58, of Springfield, holds a sign that says “First masked game 4-1-21” outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  An usher waits for fans to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Vanessa Burks, 26, of St. Charles, approaches Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

As fans lined up outside, it was clear that changes had been made to the ballpark’s operations as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all fans donned protective masks and the attendees who were able to score tickets were ushered separately through socially distanced lines — a far cry from the mob scenes that were previously commonplace at the stadium’s entry points.

Kelli Serviss, a home health care worker from the Northwest Side, said she was “concerned” about coronavirus cases rising again as she posed for selfies outside the stadium with her daughter, niece and another health care worker. This week, city officials warned that baseball stadiums could again be shut down to fans if cases keep climbing.

“This does not feel like a normal Opening Day, not at all,” said Serviss, who has attended every home opener for roughly two decades. “It’s very empty. It’s very different.”

Still, Serviss said she deserves a reprieve after working through the pandemic and being vaccinated.

“Walking through the gates, I want to see that first pitch. Give me that first pitch,” she said, adding she also couldn’t wait to hear the stadium’s organ.

“I’m getting chills,” her friend, Allison Hoehn, chimed in.

Ushers said 10,000 tickets were sold for Thursday’s game, which was more than initially announced but still less than a quarter of the stadium’s capacity.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

“We got scared because the seating was so limited [and] we paid way too much. But we’re here. All that matters is that we’re here,” said Richie Garcia, a Bridgeport resident who said he and his friends have a “tradition” of attending Opening Day that stretches back two decades.

Garcia said he typically attends between 50 and 60 Cubs home games each year and being shut out of Wrigley last year was “really hard” on him.

“I went through a depression, withdrawals and all that other stuff,” he said. “But you know what? We’re back. It’s OK now. It’s a better day. I made it.”

Asked about the Cubs’ prospects this year, Garcia said jokingly: “We’re going to go 162-0.”

One of the first big cheers went up for old friend Jake Arrieta, back again in a Cubs uniform, as players lined the third-base line for the kind of ceremonious introductions that happen only on special occasions like Opening Day.

It got even louder when right fielder Jason Heyward — carrying a Chicago flag — led the Cubs’ starting nine out of the dugout for the first inning.

He doffed his cap first to the fans beyond the right-field foul line, then to those in the bleachers. And then there was baseball.

Seated in tiny clusters of up to four, distanced from their neighbors, fans huddled against the cold and got, well, pretty quiet, the kind of thing that happens when voices are muffled by scarves wrapped over masks and clapping hands are muted by mitten on mitten.

Contributing: Steve Greenberg

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I’ve Got The Hippy Shakes

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Another April, another brutally cold baseball opening day

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By Howard Moore,
today at 9:59 am

April 1. It’s time for major league baseball opening day. No April fooling about this!

I’ve always loved opening day. It signals the end of winter. No more snow. No more cold weather. That might not be exactly true in Chicago, but it’s close…maybe.

My first live Cubs opening day at Wrigley Field was in 1965. I went with a bunch of junior high friends. Ernie Banks hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The game ended with that tie score because Wrigley Field didn’t have lights back then. Ballgame called on account of darkness.

I’ve been to so many openers since that first one that I have lost count. I’ve skipped school and work to be there. One year I was interviewed by ABC/Channel 7 before the game. When my boss saw it that night, he was more than a little pissed off since he didn’t know I was blowing off work to go to the game. Oh well…my dad got over it.

About ten years ago, I decided I had seen enough live openers. They seem to almost always be on brutally cold and windy days. At my supposed last one, in the fifth inning, I needed to use one of the lovely Wrigley Field bathrooms. When I entered I found myself shaking and chilled as if I had the flu. I left the park and headed to a neighborhood bar. It was a much more sensible way to watch baseball.

Then there was three years ago. After opening the season on the road, the Cubs home opener was scheduled for April 9. It was snowed out. The next day my brother calls me about an hour before game time. He has tickets and wants to know if I want to go. Sure…why not. I mean the temperature is in the 40’s so how bad can it be? Live opening day baseball was back!

Four layers of clothing weren’t enough. There were more vendors selling hot chocolate than beer. Ten bucks for a cup of warm water with some powdered chocolate.

ENOUGH!!!!

So tomorrow when the Cubs open the new season against the Pirates, I’ll be watching from the comfort of my home. No heavy coat, no hoodie, no wool cap, and no ten-dollar cup of warm chocolate. It’ll be baseball the way it’s meant to be watched in early April….sitting in front of a television.

Related Post: The Chicago Cubs don’t make it easy to be a fan

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