What’s New
6 Things to Know About South Side Chicagoon March 4, 2021 at 2:59 pm
Chicago is hands down one of the most popular cities in America (not accepting opposing views on this). We’re known for our stunning skyline and booming downtown with a sprinkle of Midwest nice. Unfortunately, perceptions of South Side Chicago are usually negative thanks to a not-so-great reputation of violence. But in reality, many neighborhoods have a ton of history and fun facts that are well-worth highlighting. So let’s take a look at some things you might not know about Chicago’s South Side.
Stony Island Arts Bank is a creative sanctuary
Bought from the city for a single dollar after years of vacancy and neglect, Stony Island Arts Bank is now a bustling gallery and incubator for art. The rotating exhibits are always interesting and the space is big and beautiful. A must see!
The garage sales are awesome
If you’re looking for some treasures, check out Hyde Park, South Shore, Pill Hill, or Englewood. Items are reasonably priced and you might come across a few gems. You can search for garage sales in the area here.
Advertisement
Promontory is a mix of music and tasty eats
Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Promontory is a new business from the talented crew behind Logan Square’s hip Longman & Eagle. It’s a mix of sprawling rooftop space, live venue, and, well, damn good food.
Advertisement
Bud Billiken Parade is almost 100 years old
Since 1929, The Bud has united the Black community to kick off the school year with festivities. It’s one of the only spaces where South Siders can openly and emphatically praise their historic roots. The parade is broadcast live with around a million people in attendance.
Advertisement
Pullman National Monument offers excellent history
Nestled in what’s now the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago, the park tells the story of one of the first planned industrial communities in the United States that housed the employees of the Pullman Car Company. Stroll the park to see some gorgeous Victorian architecture and get to know the history.
Significant historical figures were born here
The South Side has been home to some of the most significant figures in the history of American politics. A few include: the first Black President, Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the first Black female Senator, Carol Moseley Braun, and the first Black presidential candidate to win a primary, Jesse Jackson.
Featured Image Credit: Jackson Park
6 Things to Know About South Side Chicagoon March 4, 2021 at 2:59 pm Read More »
5 Chicago Restaurants Offering Brunch Again This Marchon March 4, 2021 at 5:33 pm
With Covid cases improving in Chicago, Mayor Lightfoot has increased the capacity and extended hours. Now, indoor capacity at restaurants, bars, and events can increase to 50 percent or 50 people within one room or space (whichever is less) and establishments can remain open for on-site liquor service until 1:00 a.m, provided they serve food. With this news, be on the lookout for restaurants updating their hours in the coming months. Here are a few Chicago restaurants that have already extended their hours and are back to offering brunch!
Frasca is a neighborhood Italian influenced restaurant featuring specialty pizzas, hearty pastas, and an extensive selection of wine.
Brunch is now back Saturday and Sunday from 10 am -3 pm offering unlimited aperol spritz, mimosas, and rose sangria for $25. It’s also open Tuesday through Friday 4pm-9pm and Saturday to Sunday 10 am – 9 pm.
Advertisement
If you’re looking for something different than a traditional brunch and want to take advantage of “Sunday Funday,” then head over to Play! They have a new brunch menu with $30 bottomless mimosas. Starting at 11 am every sunday and offered until 4 pm, you can attend the after party with $20 2 hour wristbands until 1o pm.
Advertisement
Bar Siena is just one of the restaurants already taking advantage of the extended hours. They are now open until 1 am Thursday through Saturday, and until 11:30 pm Sunday through Wednesday. And they’ve added something new for service and restaurant industry workers! Every Monday is industry night for service + restaurant industry workers. If you bring proof of employment you will enjoy half-off your bill. And as always brunch is back on Sundays!
Advertisement
Tavern on Rush is a classic if you’re planning on spending a night downtown. It’s an upscale, contemporary steakhouse on famous Rush Street in Chicago.With an extensive menu of Classic American dishes, there is something for everyone. And good news! With the extension of dining hours and liquor availability, Tavern on Rush has extended their hours to 12 am Monday through Sunday.
Located in the River North neighborhood, Siena Tavern is a must if you’re looking for modern Italian cuisine. The 10,000 square foot space’s décor reflects a hybrid of a rustic Italian market, a fine dining restaurant, and a modern, industrial tavern, bridging old world comfort and hospitality with a contemporary menu and design. Now with the lightened restrictions, they are reopening brunch on Sundays.
With extended hours just being set into effect, more and more restaurants and bars will be adjusting their hours. Stay updated on what’s to come and enjoy just a little bit more freedom!
Chicago Restaurants Brunch Featured Image Credit: Bar Siena on Facebook
5 Chicago Restaurants Offering Brunch Again This Marchon March 4, 2021 at 5:33 pm Read More »
Chicago Bears: Allen Robinson for Sam Darnold trade would be disasteron March 4, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Chicago Bears Twitter debates whether or not a tag-and-trade of Allen Robinson for Sam Darnold is worth it.
The Bears could seriously use an upgrade at quarterback, and Bears fans already know this. General manager Ryan Pace explained the quarterback situation, vaguely, at his press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Chicago Bulls: Decoding Patrick Williams’ Rising Stars snubon March 4, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Chicago Bulls rookie Patrick Williams was left off the 2021 NBA Rising Stars roster, leaving fans wondering why.
Just months after many wondered who exactly he was, Williams has proven to make a genius out of Vice President Arturas Karnisovas, who drafted him fourth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The first-year forward out of Florida State is just 19 years old, having never started in college, but proving he belongs. Williams is averaging 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field.
While doing a little bit of everything, Williams has become one of the better defenders on the Bulls. He’s able to lock down multiple positions. One recent example was just a few days ago when he was switched onto Chris Paul at the top of the key. Williams played him close and tough, and ended up forcing an air ball out of one of the best point guards of all-time.
To go along with his defense and overall hustle, Williams has become a strong three-point shooter, putting it through at a 39 percent clip in his first year as a pro.
So, why wasn’t he chosen to be part of the 2021 NBA Rising Stars Game?
If selected, Williams would be on the U.S.A. side, of course. That team includes the likes of sophomores Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Michael Porter Jr., Tyler Herro, De’Andre Hunter and Keldon Johnson — all of whom are having better statistical seasons than Williams.
It would be a difficult argument to place Williams above any of those guys.
The rookies making the roster included the obvious locks like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Halliburton and Anthony Edwards, who are the top three competing for this year’s Rookie of the Year title.
The only other rookie on that side of the game is Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman, whose numbers are very, very close to Williams’.
Wiseman is posting 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
You could argue that Williams has been the better all-around player and I don’t think anyone would call you out on it. But, Wiseman’s season has been just a tad better in terms of box score production. The fact that he’s the more recognizable name, too, makes it easier to put him in the game.
It’s tough to see Williams get snubbed, especially since he’s been such a big part of the Bulls’ turnaround in 2021. But, I’m sure we’re in for many more years of strong play out of Williams. He’ll get the attention he deserves, eventually. For now, he and the Bulls can continue to focus on making this playoff push.
Chicago Bulls: Decoding Patrick Williams’ Rising Stars snubon March 4, 2021 at 4:00 pm Read More »
Keepin It 100 – Special Guest Former Chicago Bears Linebacker Dante JonesNick Bon March 4, 2021 at 4:20 pm
The guys are joined by former Chicago Bears linebacker Dante Jones who brings his perspective on what the Bears need to do this offseason and they discuss the Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace pressers!
The post Keepin It 100 – Special Guest Former Chicago Bears Linebacker Dante Jones first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More
Happy 184th birthday, Chicago!Satchel Priceon March 4, 2021 at 4:20 pm
It’s been quite a wild ride for the Windy City.
When does a town become a city? For Chicago, that was exactly 184 years ago, when the state of Illinois officially gave it the bump to city status using the exact language you’d expect from a law written in 1837: “That the district of country in the county of Cook in the state aforesaid … shall hereafter be known by the name of city.”
Similar to how this anniversary doesn’t matter much to anyone outside of Chicago today, it wasn’t a big deal across the country back then. Martin Van Buren was sworn in as the United States’ eighth president on the same day, which dominated national headlines. And unlike the Midwest metropolis it is now, the newly anointed city of Chicago had a population of just 4,500 at the time.
What Chicago did have at the time was tons of prairie land ideally placed between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Great engineering innovations helped overcome critical challenges including sewage and clean water. (You really don’t want those two things to mix.)
Still, those early decades brought big challenges before the city could reach its potential, including…
- A collapse of the national economy within months of being incorporated
- A canal project that initially put the state in financial despair
- Outbreaks of deadly diseases like cholera, dysentery and typhoid
- The country dissolving into civil war for four years
- A fire that wiped out huge parts of the city
But those challenges taught the city critical lessons that helped it grow, improve and thrive. Chicago’s massive water-related government projects informed how many other U.S. cities would provide those resources. The steel- and stone-heavy structures built in place of the wood buildings destroyed in the Great Fire set the stage for other modern cities embracing similar materials.
So it’s fair to say that Chicago has a lot to celebrate on its 184th birthday today. Make sure to wish it a happy one!
A version of this story was originally published March 4, 2020.
Happy 184th birthday, Chicago!Satchel Priceon March 4, 2021 at 4:20 pm Read More »
Myanmar crackdown on protests, widely filmed, sparks outrageAssociated Presson March 4, 2021 at 4:52 pm
Despite the shocking violence the day before, protesters returned to the streets Thursday to denounce the military’s Feb. 1 takeover — and were met again with tear gas.
YANGON, Myanmar — Footage of a brutal crackdown on protests against a coup in Myanmar unleashed outrage and calls for a stronger international response Thursday, a day after 38 people were killed. Videos showed security forces shooting a person at point-blank range and chasing down and savagely beating demonstrators.
Despite the shocking violence the day before, protesters returned to the streets Thursday to denounce the military’s Feb. 1 takeover — and were met again with tear gas.
The international response to the coup has so far been fitful, but a flood of videos shared online showing security forces brutally targeting protesters and other civilians led to calls for more action. The United States called the images appalling, the U.N. human rights chief said it was time to “end the military’s stranglehold over democracy in Myanmar,” and the world body’s independent expert on human rights in the country urged the Security Council to watch the videos before meeting Friday to discuss the crisis.
The coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar, which for five decades had languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip in recent years, the international community lifted most sanctions and poured in investment.
U.N. special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, described Wednesday as “the bloodiest day” since the takeover, when the military ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 50 civilians, mostly peaceful protesters, are confirmed to have been killed by police and soldiers since then, including the 38 she said died Wednesday.
”I saw today very disturbing video clips,” said Schraner Burgener, speaking to reporters at the U.N. in New York via video link from Switzerland. “One was police beating a volunteer medical crew. They were not armed. Another video clip showed a protester was taken away by police and they shot him from very near, maybe only one meter. He didn’t resist to his arrest, and it seems that he died on the street.”
She appeared to be referring to a video shared on social media that begins with a group of security forces following a civilian, who they seem to have just pulled out of a building. A shot rings out, and the person falls. After the person briefly raises their head, two of the troops drag the person down the street by the arms.
In other footage, about two dozen security forces, some with their firearms drawn, chase two people wearing the construction helmets donned by many protesters down a street. When they catch up to the people, they repeatedly beat them with rods and kick them. One of the officers is filming the scene on his cell phone.
In yet another video, several police officers repeatedly kick and hit a person with rods, while the person cowers on the ground, hands over their head. Officers move in and out of the frame, getting a few kicks in and then casually walking away.
While some countries have imposed or threatened to impose sanctions following the coup, others, including those neighboring Myanmar, have been more hesitant in their response. The sheer volume of violent images shared Wednesday, along with the high death toll, raised hopes that the dynamic could change.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday urged all of those with “information and influence” to hold military leaders to account.
“This is the moment to turn the tables towards justice and end the military’s stranglehold over democracy in Myanmar,” she said.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. was “appalled” at the “horrific violence,” and the U.N.’s independent expert on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said the “systematic brutality of the military junta is once again on horrific display.”
“I urge members of the UN Security Council to view the photos/videos of the shocking violence being unleashed on peaceful protesters before meeting,” he said on Twitter.
The Security Council has scheduled closed-door consultations for Friday on calls to reverse the coup — including from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres — and stop the escalating crackdown.
But Justine Chambers, the associate director of the Myanmar Research Center at the Australian National University, said that while the graphic images would no doubt lead to strong condemnations — action on Myanmar would be harder.
“Unfortunately I don’t think the brutality caught on camera is going to change much,” she said. “I think domestic audiences around the world don’t have much of an appetite for stronger action, i.e. intervention, given the current state of the pandemic and associated economic issues.”
Any kind of coordinated action at the U.N. will be difficult since two permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, would almost certainly veto it.
Even if the council did take action, U.N. envoy Schraner Burgener cautioned it might not make much of a difference. She said she warned Myanmar’s army that the world’s nations and the Security Council “might take huge strong measures.”
“And the answer was, ‘We are used to sanctions and we survived those sanctions in the past,’” she said. When she also warned that Myanmar would become isolated, Schraner Burgener said, “the answer was, ‘We have to learn to walk with only a few friends.’”
Wednesday’s highest death toll was in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, where an estimated 18 people died. Video at a hospital in the city showed grieving relatives collecting the blood-soaked bodies of family members. Some relatives sobbed uncontrollably, while others looked in shock at the scene around them.
Protesters gathered again Thursday in Yangon. Police again used tear gas to try to disperse the crowds, while demonstrators again set up barriers across major roads.
Protests also continued in Mandalay, where three people were reported killed Wednesday. A formation of five fighter planes flew over the city on Thursday morning in what appeared to be a show of force.
Protesters in the city flashed the three-fingered salute that is a symbol of defiance as they rode their motorbikes to follow a funeral procession for Kyal Sin, also known by her Chinese name Deng Jia Xi, a university student who was shot dead as she attended a demonstration the day before.
As part of the crackdown, security forces have also arrested well over a thousand people, including journalists, according to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. On Saturday, at least eight journalists, including Thein Zaw of The Associated Press, were detained. He and several other members of the media have been charged with violating a public safety law that could see them imprisoned for up to three years.
US jobless claims tick up to 745,000 as layoffs remain highAssociated Presson March 4, 2021 at 4:41 pm
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims rose by 9,000 from the previous week.
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims rose by 9,000 from the previous week. Though the pace of layoffs has eased since the year began, they remain high by historical standards. Before the virus flattened the U.S. economy a year ago, applications for unemployment aid had never topped 700,000 in any week, even during the Great Recession.
All told, 4.3 million Americans are receiving traditional state unemployment benefits. Counting supplemental federal unemployment programs that were established to soften the economic damage from the virus, an estimated 18 million people are collecting some form of jobless aid.
In Texas, applications for benefits surged by nearly 18,000 in Texas in the aftermath of freezing weather and power outages. And jobless claims rose by more than 17,000 in Ohio, where the weekly totals have been thrown off by potentially fraudulent claims.
Restrictions on businesses and the reluctance of many Americans to shop, travel, dine out or attend mass events have weighed persistently on the job market. Job growth averaged a meager 29,000 a month from November through January, and the nation still has nearly 10 million fewer jobs than it did in February 2020. Though the unemployment rate was 6.3% in January, a broader measure that includes people who have given up on their job searches is closer to 10%.
“The source of all labor market damage continues to be COVID-19,” said AnnElizabeth Konkel, economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab. “Increased vaccine distribution is promising, since the public health situation must improve for there to be a full economic recovery. When we completely return to ‘normal’ is still unknown.”
The data firm Womply reports that 64% of movie theaters and other entertainment venues, 40% of bars and 34% of hair salons and beauty shops are closed. And on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve reported that across the country, “overall conditions in the leisure and hospitality sector continued to be restrained by ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.”
On Friday, though, economists have forecast that the government will report a strong job gain for February of near 200,000, which would raise hopes that layoffs will slow. Optimism is rising that increasing vaccinations and a new federal rescue aid package that will likely be enacted soon will spur growth and hiring in the coming months. Many analysts foresee the economy expanding at an annual rate of at least 5 percent in the current quarter and 7 percent for all of 2021.
Already, crucial sectors of the economy are showing signs of picking up as vaccinations increase, federal aid spreads through the economy and the Fed’s low-rate policies fuel borrowing and spending. Last month, America’s consumers bounced back from months of retrenchment to step up their spending by 2.4% — the sharpest increase in seven months and a sign that the economy may be poised to sustain a recovery.
The solid gain suggested that many people were growing more confident about spending, especially after receiving $600 checks that went to most adults early this year in a federal economic aid package. Additional relief is likely for American households and businesses as Congress considers President Joe Biden’s proposal for a new aid package amounting to $1.9 trillion.
At the same time, rising bond yields in the financial markets are pointing to worries that higher inflation could be on the way as the economy recovers. This week, Lael Brainard, a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, sought to calm investors by stressing that the Fed, while generally optimistic in its outlook, is still a long way off from raising interest rates or otherwise lessening its support for the economy.