Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms and a high near 79. Similar weather will continue into tonight with a low near 66. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high near 75.

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10-hour marathon of rarities highlights Music Box’s film noir festival

After a three-year “intermission,” Noir City: Chicago returns tomorrow through Sept. 1 at the Music Box Theatre with a lineup of killer B’s — a six-movie marathon of rarities — and an opening-night salute to neo-noir icon James Caan.

Turner Classic Movies host Eddie Muller and his partner in cinematic crime appreciation Alan K. Rode produce and program the traveling festival, which celebrates film noir, a movement born in the ’40s, with a fatalistic perspective and a visual style reflecting that pessimism. Muller, who helms the weekly TCM showcase “Noir Alley,” bills this edition as “Noir Alley Live.”

“I tried to pick films that haven’t been shown yet on TCM,” said Muller, who also founded the Bay Area-based Film Noir Foundation, which co-presents Noir City. “There are films that can be screened in theaters but can’t be shown on TV or cable networks like TCM because they are what’s called out of window — their broadcast rights are no longer available.”

For hard-core noir fans, this year’s main attraction has to be the 10-hour marathon Saturday of B-movie rarities, beginning with “Among the Living” (1941) at 1:30 p.m. and winding up at 10:15 p.m. with “The Argyle Secrets” (1948).

The James Caan tribute came together after the “Godfather” star died July 6 at age 82. Set and filmed in Chicago by director/co-writer Michael Mann in his feature-film debut, “Thief” (1981) gave Caan one of his best roles. “Most neo-noir fans know ‘Thief,’ but I was most psyched to screen ‘Flesh and Bone’ [1993],” Muller said. “It’s very much a noir, with a flashback story to a dark secret in a man’s life. It asks the perennial question: Are the sins of the father visited upon the son?”

The Music Box engagement marks the 12th installment of Noir City: Chicago, which had been shelved since 2019 due to the pandemic.

Laura Emerick has more on the film festival here.

More news you need

Lisa Van Allen, a key witness in R. Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trial, testified today that she and Kelly filmed multiple threesomes with an underage girl in the late 1990s. Van Allen was matter of fact as she relayed the dark details, our Andy Grimm and Jon Seidel report in their latest from Kelly’s trial.Sexual misconduct complaints have returned to pre-pandemic levels at Chicago Public Schools after a major dip during remote learning, officials said yesterday. The rise in misconduct reports was expected as students and staff returned to classrooms, CPS officials said.A woman escaped an attempted kidnapping in the West Loop after a bystander stepped in yesterday morning, Chicago police said. Our David Struett has more on how a passerby walking his dog was able to thwart the kidnapping attempt here.Under a new contract, unarmed security teams working with dogs will help patrol Chicago Transit Authority property in an effort to deter crime, the agency announced yesterday. CTA officials said they signed an 18-month contract with security service Action K-9 worth more than $30 million that will provide 100 unarmed guards and 50 canines per day for patrols.Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady each announced today that they have tested positive for COVID-19. COVID cases and hospitalizations have risen this summer thanks to the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, but numbers have started to level off over the past two weeks.

A bright one

Collaboration between businessmen and street artists makes West Side building shine

A rubber ducky atop a skull awash in suds. An aqua-colored owl. A woman with rabbit ears and no mouth. What appears to be the Disney character Pluto — or is it Goofy? — with a robot head in his mouth. And a purple frog holding a cheeseburger that has eyes and a mouth.

You probably wouldn’t guess that the brick building near Grand and Chicago avenues on which all of the above are painted is the headquarters of the aircraft parts company Setna iO. The building is awash with murals. Many of them beg for an explanation: What is that? Others give a nod to the aviation industry, with their cartoonish characters in aviator goggles zipping around in little planes.

The outdoor art resulted from a chance encounter during the civil unrest of 2020 between David Chaimovitz, the aircraft parts company’s chief executive officer, and the street artist who goes by Bird Milk.

“I was on Division Street, and there was a peaceful protest and tons of people were there, and I see these guys painting all the boarded-up windows,” Chaimovitz says. “They were making some lemonade out of lemons. So I went up to them and said, ‘This is super-cool. I have a business. I always wanted to have some murals.'”

Chaimovitz says he gave the artists pretty much free rein, telling them: “If you can incorporate aviation into it, that’s cool. If not, that’s also cool. Come and have some fun, and make the city more beautiful.”

Though the building is now pretty well covered with art, “We’re still kind of adding to it as time goes on and as I encounter more artists,” Chaimovitz says.

You can read the full story behind the murals here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

If you could become an alderperson for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do for your ward?

Send us an email at [email protected] and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: How do you feel about President Biden’s new student debt cancellation plan?

Here’s what some of you said…

“I paid off my loans in full and I don’t mind a bit. Everyone benefits from a healthy middle class. Except for the 1%.” –Annaliese Spalink

“Instead how about helping us on social security and fixed incomes? We are barely holding on.” –Christine Lotz

“Will change my entire life for the better.” –Justin Blake Walters

“Cancelling student debt is irresponsible and it teaches irresponsibility!” –Claudia Moon Zikuda

“It’s a good step. We should have free college education like in Europe but it will at least help people who are burdened with college debt. Nothing wrong with government helping working class people.” — Dave Gerard

“I paid mine myself. How about $10K toward my mortgage?” — Kevin Roecker

“Long overdue. The days when a student can ‘work their way through’ as I did in the late 60s and early 70s are no longer possible. We should be encouraging all forms of advanced training, including trade schools.” –Judi Breuggeman

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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Cubs manager David Ross anticipates Willson Contreras will be back in the lineup and behind the plate Friday in Milwaukee. Contreras was out of the lineup Thursday, for the third straight day, with a left ankle injury.

Contreras rolled his ankle in the Field of Dreams game two weeks ago and successfully played through the soreness, even mashing four home runs since the injury. But it swelled up a couple days ago.

“It’s one thing when the ankle hurts, because the ankle, you can walk through it,” Contreras said. “But when the foot starts hurting, it’s even tough to walk and play. So, you have to take one step back and do all your recovery and all this stuff [to] get better and get on the field as soon as possible.”

Contreras couldn’t pinpoint anything that might have aggravated the injury this week. He suspects the inflammation stemmed from an accumulation of stress over the past couple weeks. But he woke up Thursday pain-free.

Welcome to Wrigley

Cade Horton and Jackson Ferris, the Cubs’ first- and second-round draft picks this year, held up blue pinstripe jerseys in front of a pair of Cubs lockers Thursday morning, a part of their tour of Wrigley Field.

Surrounded by family, they pulled the jerseys over their shirts and posed for pictures that captured a glimpse into their possible futures.

“It’s an experience like none other, just being out here” Ferris said. “It’s my first time in Chicago, my first time at Wrigley. And to be able to see everything that I’ve seen, it’s awesome.”

Said Horton: “I can feel the history. It feels super cool, the ivy’s super cool. It’s unreal.”

Ross greeted them in the clubhouse, and they met with president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer in person for the first time.

“Both seem mature for their age, and they’ve been excited to be in Arizona and getting a taste of pro ball,” Hoyer said. “It’s a little different taste because they’re not not competing. They’re throwing bullpens and [getting in] active rests, so to speak. But I think they’ve learned a lot being just out there, getting around the environment, the guys, roasting in 115 degree weather.”

Next step: instructional league.

O Canada

Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements for entry into the country have already barred a smattering of players across MLB from playing in Toronto. The Cubs travel North to face the Blue Jays next week.

“We’re likely to be down by three or four players,” Hoyer said.

The Cubs are expected to announce this weekend which players will land on the restricted list for the three-game series.

Injury updates

Right-hander Adbert Alzolay (right shoulder strain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen in Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Alzolay began a rehab assignment Monday in the Arizona Complex League, throwing three innings of one-run ball.

Outfielder Michael Hermosillo (left quad strain), after four rehab games in Arizona, joined the I-Cubs on Thursday to continue his rehab assignment.

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Justin Fields hasn’t talked to rookie tackle Braxton Jones about the last time the Bears quarterback played in Cleveland.

“I’m glad,” Jones said. “I mean, that was last year. We’ve got a different group of guys –and obviously we’re looking for a better outcome.”

It will be hard for the Bears to play a worse game Saturday when they travel to FirstEnergy Stadium for their preseason finale.Fields was sacked nine times and hit on six more occasions in the Bears’ 26-6 loss on Sept. 26. On the shores of Lake Erie, head coach Matt Nagy’s offense totaled 47 yards — the franchise’s fewest in 40 years — on 42 plays. The Bears’ 1.1 yards per play were the second-fewest by any NFL team this century.

What began as a monumental day in Bears history — Fields was making his first career start — ended with foundation-cracking questions about the entire franchise. Nagy was so overmatched strategically that, just days later, he polled players during a team meeting about what they would do to fix the offense. The next Sunday, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor — and not Nagy — was the one calling plays.

Faith in the Bears’ head coach was shaken. Nagy’s end was just beginning. When chairman George McCaskey decided to fire Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace, he bet that the root of the Bears’ problem were the decision-makers, not Fields himself.

The second-year quarterback has all season to prove him right. A strong performance Saturday — Fields and the starters are expected to play until halftime — would be a small step in that direction. It would be a larger symbolic one, though, for Fields to return to the scene of the crime against football and play well.

Mercifully, Fields is in a different situation than he was last season. He’s in a new offense — an outside zone run scheme popularized by the Shanahans and Gary Kubiak, combined with a vertical passing game — and has a new position coach, coordinator and head coach.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will put Fields in a better place to succeed than Nagy did the last time in Cleveland. It’d be impossible to do worse than an offensive game plan that frustrated Fields in his first-ever start. Nagy isolated an overmatched offensive line against Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney and rarely provided Fields with blocking help in the backfield.

Fields is learning the new scheme this preseason, with inconsistent results both on the practice field and in preseason games. He was held scoreless over 18 snaps — a little more than a quarter’s worth of work — in the preseason opener. In Game 2, he led a nine-play drive last week that stalled out at the Seahawks’ 17-yard line and resulted in a field goal.

Fields will get as many snaps Saturday as the previous two games combined. Succeed, and the Bears can ride a ripple of momentum in the 15 days leading up to the Sept. 11 opener against the 49ers. Fail, and Fields will have turned in disappointing performances in two of three preseason games.

Fields certainly remembers the last Cleveland trip, but few of his teammates do. General manager Ryan Poles has so overturned the Bears’ roster that only 21 players remain from the team’s 53-man roster that day. Eight play offense, and six figure to start Saturday: guard Cody Whitehair, center Sam Mustipher, tight end Cole Kmet, running back David Montgomery, receiver Darnell Mooney and Fields.Hopefully they can block.

“I just remember the loss,” said safety Eddie Jackson, who started last year’s game. “I mean …. we lost a lot last year. Right?

“That’s what I remember. That’s the ones you remember, the losses. You remember the wins, too, but more the losses.”

A better showing Saturday will make last year easier for Fields to forget.

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Brian Urlacher is still bitter about how things ended in Chicago and it seems he doesn’t like the city that embraced him for his entire career.

Brian Urlacher held a 50-minute podcast conversation with Jay Cutler recently and the two could have been more idiotic in their takes.  Most notably Urlacher came with two gems from his home in Arizona where he takes a swipe at Chicago in February and the Bears’ plans to put a dome on their new stadium.

“Don’t put a dome on that thing,” former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said on Jay Cutler’s podcast. “Don’t put a dome on a new stadium. They can’t do that.”

Brian Urlacher is beyond silly with this statement, ideally, the Bears put up a domed stadium that also has a retractable roof to go with it.  Much like his hometown Arizona Cardinals who also have a retractable dome stadium and a retractable field the Bears could build a stadium that does both.  The weather in Chicago in mid-November is still suitable for outdoor stadium play.

Brian Urlacher then further shows his ignorance by claiming the city of Chicago can’t host a Super Bowl in February because it’s too cold.

“Who the f–k wants to be in Chicago in February? Nobody,” Urlacher said. “Chicago ain’t getting no Super Bowl. It’s too f–king cold.”

Meanwhile, the McCormick Place plaza is ideally suited to host numerous NFL events during Super Bowl week.   Chicago’s top-notch restaurant scene is also perfect for all of the exclusive parties that happen during the week.  It’s as if Brian Urlacher never ventured into Chicago beyond going to his in-season home and to Halas Hall and back to the stadium for games.

Chicago is one of the best cities to host a Super Bowl.  There’s no rule that states the events involved with the Super Bowl beyond the game have to occur outside.

As soon as the new retractable roof stadium is built plus the supporting infrastructure that will be built on the Arlington Heights property also likely capable of supporting the big one, the Bears should host a Super Bowl.

There’s little doubt that if the city of Chicago is given the chance to host a Super Bowl, it will be one of the best-hosted Super Bowls in the history of the league.

With so many former Bears players who have embraced the city of Chicago and have remained here in Chicago, Urlacher looks like a bitter pompous ass.  The city of Chicago is one of the best in the world and the evidence is here with the true Bears players who have remained here for years.  From Walter Payton and his kids to Olin Kreutz Alex Brown, and Gary Fencik among many others, the best  Bears have remained in the city of broad shoulders.

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Jack Sanborn is the type of Bears player that fans absolutely fall in love with every year.  Now ProFootballFocus has graded him as one of the best rookies through two weeks of the preseason.

Jack Sanborn is becoming a hometown favorite of the Chicago Bears through two preseason games.  Sanborn had an explosive debut in week 1 of the preseason collecting a pick and a fumble recovery.  While week 2 wasn’t as flashy, it was another excellent game for him as he racked up five tackles against the Seahawks.

More notably is how Jack Sanborn’s tackles are  providing more value than just a number on the stat sheet as ProFootballFocus explains:  

This is the same guy we saw at Wisconsin last season. Sanborn just sees the game at a high level and plays faster than any stopwatch measurements will tell you. He’s allowed only one first down on eight targets and had an interception himself. Maybe most encouragingly, Sanborn hasn’t missed a tackle on 10 attempts this preseason after displaying some issues in that facet at Wisconsin.

That’s 10 tackles in two games and only one first down allowed, which means Jack Sanborn is making the tackle and getting the ball-carrier on the ground.  These are all the same things he did at Wisconsin and it’s a carry-over for so many undrafted free agents who go on to make the 53-man roster.

Jacks Sanborn has undoubtedly played his way onto the 53-man roster as a backup linebacker and as a core special teams player.  Sanborn was already at an advantage because he played on all the special teams units in college.

He’ll stick to the roster for years to come if he keeps up with this level of consistent play on the field.

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Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

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