■ I was the first cultural historian of Chicago. When I got the job in 2002, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg gave me a two-word description: “Help everybody.” I’ve often been called upon by mayors to give perspective on historical events. I’ll also get calls from folks who want to know unusual, obscure things or verify where their great-grandfather worked or know how the street numbers changed. Every call feels like a combination of Russian roulette and the lightning round of Jeopardy!

■ In my emeritus role, I get to retain my office on the fifth floor of the Cultural Center. It’s the only city office with a player piano, which was made by a company out of Elgin called Seybold. To pick up extra money in the 1920s, African American pianists like Jelly Roll Morton made piano rolls. So when you put one on, those are Jelly Roll’s fingers pushing the keys. It’s like a ghost concert.

■ I remember fanning through my grandmother’s Reader’s Digest as a kid. There was a line drawing of a building. I asked my grandmother, “What is this?” And she said, “Oh, that’s Carson Pirie Scott. That’s where I buy my stockings.” I said, “Would you take me along next time you go?” So she did, and I was just mesmerized. I put my hands against the exterior ironwork and could feel the vibe of it. People react to a Louis Sullivan buildings like that one and the Auditorium Theatre because they were created in the spirit of a poem or a piece of music. A Sullivan building will play your emotions like a piano.

■ I have a pair of brass doorknobs with the board of education seal on them. When I was in grade school, many teachers and students died in a fire at Our Lady of the Angels in Humboldt Park. They blamed some of the casualties on the door locks. When they then came to replace the doorknobs in my school in Rogers Park, I wrote a letter to the principal to protest. I got called down to her office, and everybody thought I was in trouble, but the principal was a wonderful lady. She said, “We’re sorry you’re so upset by this, but we have to change the locks.” Then she reached into her drawer and gave me the pair of doorknobs. That started my collecting obsessiveness.

■ One of my favorite things to do is get a bag of fried shrimp from Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp on Canal Street and eat them on the boat dock behind. I love to just sit there, enjoy my shrimp, look at the old warehouses, and imagine what it was like when the big steamships used to pull up.

■ Richard Nickel, a great photographer and historian of Louis Sullivan, was one of my mentors. I met him when I was still in my midteens, and soon he was taking me along to see buildings on the South Side that were earmarked for demolition. He would let me look at the building and just absorb the powerful intangibles and not say a word. Then we would have lunch and discuss it. I was supposed to be with him the day he was killed in the collapse of the old Stock Exchange Building, but he got there earlier than I did. I was part of the search party that dug through the rubble. They found his body in the subbasement. I will not walk on the same side of the street where that building was.

■ I’ll often ride my bike along the lakefront path from Hyde Park to downtown. My favorite music to put on my headphones is “Victory Stride” by the great African American jazz composer James P. Johnson. It packs in bursts of intense energy separated by interludes, and I delight in lucky instances when the interludes play when the lake and distant skyline aren’t visible. Then — bam! — the skyline suddenly appears in sync with the powerful flourishes.

■ If I had to throw out all my books on Chicago and keep two, they’d be Donald L. Miller’s City of the Century and Tom Dyja’s The Third Coast.

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Give it up to emailer Greg, everybody. He gave me the business for picking against Purdue — and being wrong — in Weeks 1 and 2.

“Hope you bet your picks big!” he wrote.

I don’t bet. I prefer to move other people’s money around, namely yours. And preferably Greg’s.

But Purdue (+7 1/2 ) at No. 12 Notre Dame (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5, 780-AM) sure is interesting, isn’t it? The Boilermakers have been promising, beating Pac-12 doormat Oregon State 30-21 and unspeakably bad Connecticut 49-0. OK, so we’re using “promising” loosely here.

Really, though, the Boilermakers and Irish met 69 seasons in a row — and then it stopped after 2014. College football keeps trending toward the unromantic like that. It’s a shame.

It’s a big — no, huge — game for both teams. Purdue gets to show if it has a pulse we must continue to monitor as it moves into Big Ten play. And Notre Dame looks to disprove the evidence that its down-to-the-wire wins against shoddy Florida State and Toledo are revealing of a 12th-ranked pretender.

The Irish don’t have a quarterback they’re ready to count on for 60 minutes. Jack Coan is the passer, and Tyler Buchner is the runner. Irish coach Brian Kelly isn’t ready to change that dynamic.

The Boilers’ passing combo of Jack Plummer to David Bell could be a game changer. Greg is pretty sure it will be.

“My heart says 31-24 Boilers,” he wrote.

Mine, too. But my mind says 34-24, Irish. Greg can pound on me if I’m wrong again.

OTHER WEEK 3 PICKS

No. 8 Cincinnati (-3 1/2 ) at Indiana (11 a.m., ESPN): Getting frozen in place in the opener against Iowa put the Hoosiers on a slippery slope. Can their defense keep them in this game long enough for QB Michael Penix Jr. and the offense to come around? Brace for a whole lot of slug in this fest. Bearcats, 27-20.

Michigan State (+6 1/2 ) at No. 24 Miami (11 a.m., Ch. 7): Sparty looks like a throwback version of itself, with renewed vigor up front on both sides of the ball — and an influx of offensive skill — but this is a different sort of test because of the Hurricanes’ speed and the expected heat. The U, 24-21.

Nebraska (+22 1/2 ) at No. 3 Oklahoma (11 a.m., Fox-32): It’s been 50 years since the “Game of the Century” and 11 — far too long — since the last meeting in this formerly gigantic rivalry. Goodness, have these football schools taken divergent paths. Sooners in an all-out rout.

Northern Illinois (+27 1/2 ) at No. 25 Michigan (11 a.m., BTN, 560-AM): If Rocky Lombardi doesn’t get picked off three times against Wyoming, the Huskies are 2-0. If it’s seven or eight years ago, maybe the Huskies get to 3-0. If? If only. Maize and Blue by 30.

No. 1 Alabama (-15) at No. 11 Florida (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2): Tide QB Bryce Young has never experienced anything like this Swamp scene in his life. He’ll have to run around — a few times for his life — and he’ll get hit. This is more about the Tide defense, which could be one of the great ones of the Nick Saban era, and whether or not it can dominate a fast, physical foe. Take the Gators, who lose by single digits.

Northwestern (-3) at Duke (3 p.m., ACC, 720-AM): The Wildcats lost to Duke the last two times these schools met, in 2017 and 2018, but a QB named Daniel Jones had a whole lot to do with it. Neither offense scares; not in a good way, anyway. Field position? The kicking game? Turnovers? Yep, yep and yep. Blue Devils, 19-17.

No. 22 Auburn (+5 1/2 ) at No. 10 Penn State (6:30 p.m., Ch. 7): Auburn has an impressive Jimmys-and-Joes hand to play defensively and a QB who has been around forever in Bo Nix. That atmosphere, though — the word “insanity” comes to mind. Nits, 24-16.

No. 19 Arizona State (-3 1/2 ) at No. 23 BYU (9:15 p.m., ESPN): BYU has knocked off Arizona and Utah already. Why not make it 3-for-3 against the Pac-12 South? Talk about wild, Zach Wilson being gone and everything. Ah, but that potential Utah “Holy War” hangover. Do BYU players have hangovers? Sun Devils, 31-24.

My favorite favorite: Colorado (-2 1/2 ) vs. Minnesota (noon, Pac-12): Without injured Mohamed Ibrahim, their NFL-caliber running back, the Gophers are supposed to beat a team that held Texas A&M to 10 points? Buffs get well.

My favorite underdog: Kansas State (+2) vs. Nevada (1 p.m., ESPN+): Nevada has a potential NFL stud QB in Carson Strong, but this is the same K-State “D” that held Stanford to seven points. It’s a mismatch up front.

Last week: 7-3 straight-up, 6-4 vs. the spread.

Season to date: 12-8 straight-up, 12-8 vs. the spread.

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It’s been five years since the three main founding members of Guns N’ Roses reunited, but it still took a minute to process it all as they took the stage on Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

The band’s history of interpersonal clashes, incredible displays of excess and record-breaking releases were the stuff of “behind the music” legend that caused what many thought to be irreparable fissures when they parted ways some 25 years ago. To this day, the larger-than-life personas of frontman Axl Rose, guitarist extraordinaire Slash and bassist Duff McKagan live on so strongly that people still come dressed up in red bandanas, blonde mullet wigs and black top hats to pay homage. That was very much the case on Thursday night as the rock star idolatry was in full effect at Wrigley Field for the Chicago stop of the “We’re F’N Back!” tour that has been gracing stadiums since early August (and various iterations since the group shockingly re-banded in 2016).

With their stadium show clocking in at an epic three hours, the ensemble — also featuring drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and synth player/programmist Melissa Reese — ripped through a labyrinth of hits (“Paradise City,” “November Rain,” “Mr. Brownstone”) that was a reminder of just how much Guns N’ Roses created the rock music nomenclature. Who knows what could have been if not for their prolonged breakup?

The concert hinted at this as well, particularly in a peculiar back-to-back pairing of the loaded song “Chinese Democracy” (from the infamous same-named album) and the rock gem “Slither,” from McKagan and Slash’s offshoot Velvet Revolver, both of which were birthed in the interim years. But if finally acknowledging the past in front of a live audience is their way of heading into the future of Guns N’ Roses, then we’re here for it. Especially if there are more tracks like “Absurd” coming our way; the group’s only new song (released this past August) was a highlight of the set, tapping into a heavier punk rock influence that plays to the strength of Rose’s voice and Slash’s guitar mastery.

The ’80s balladry in more downtempo numbers like “Civil War,” “Patience” and the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (ending as a tribute to the anniversary of 9/11) were greeted with earnest approval, too, and it was in these songs where Rose felt most at home. But the singer struggled often during the night to tether himself to a comfortable vocal range, especially straining to hit notes in his top register for the arena showdowns like “You Could Be Mine” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Rose gave it his all in the marathon set and perhaps pushed himself a bit too far to deliver what he thought the audience wanted to hear.

The other main attraction of GNR is the we’re-not-worthy guitar pageantry of Slash, the show pony of this night with numerous spotlight-stealing solos stretching out the 25-song set. Not that anyone was complaining. The solo in “November Rain” may still be rock music’s trophy-holder, but the true scene-stealing moment came as Slash played homage to Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters with a down-and-dirty jam session of “Mannish Boy.” Props also go out to Duff McKagan who nailed a cover of The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” with his vocals.

Individual assets aside, what’s impressive in Guns N’ Roses 2.0 is that the group holds tight to the chemistry that made them such a magnet in their Sunset Strip heyday. In a night of few surprises (no pyro or fireworks, no stage hijinks, no guest stars), that camaraderie was perhaps the biggest surprise of all.

The night’s opener, newbies Mammoth WVH, were a perfect juxtaposition to the later classic rock onslaught, and those who got to Wrigley Field early to experience the set are likely talking as much about them post-show. There’s been a lot of buzz for the rock group since officially debuting last year, most notably for featuring Wolfgang Van Halen in the starring role, as well as for their first single, “Distance,” which came out in November shortly after the passing of his father, guitar great Eddie Van Halen.

The gripping song was one of the most memorable of the set on this night, not only an incredible tribute to the late elder guitar man and resonating with anyone that has had suffered great loss, but also stylistically emulating how much Wolfgang is keen on forging his own sound as a musician.

Sure, Wolfgang has the heritage dexterity on guitar, but Mammoth WVH’s songs are crafted to be part of the modern rock cannon with Wolfgang’s incredibly clean vocals making him a standout in the genre. Quite the musical savant — he wrote and played all parts for the debut album — Wolfgang’s touring lineup includes a great range of personnel including drummer Garrett Whitlock (formerly of Tremonti) and guitarist Frank Sidoris who is also in Slash’s solo project with singer Myles Kennedy.

Other standouts of the set included the hard hitter “Don’t Back Down” and the layered pop allure of “Ephipany” that shows a big creative range. Expect to hear a lot more from this project.

Guns N’ Roses Set List

1. “It’s So Easy”

2. “Mr. Brownstone”

3. “Chinese Democracy”

4. “Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)

5. “Double Talkin’ Jive”

6. “Welcome To The Jungle”

7. “Better”

8. “Estranged”

9. “Live And Let Die” (Wings cover)

10. “You’re Crazy”

11. “Rocket Queen”

12. “You Could Be Mine”

13. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (The Stooges cover)

14. “Absurd”

15. “Civil War”

16. “Mannish Boy” (Muddy Waters cover, Slash solo)

17. “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

18. “November Rain”

19. “Wichita Lineman” (Jimmy Webb)

20. “Patience”

21″. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan cover)

22. “Nightrain”

23. “Don’t Cry”

24. “The Seeker” (The Who cover)

25. “Paradise City”

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Patti Smith (6:05 p.m., Riot Stage)

Patti Smith & Her Band perform on Day 1 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Thursday night.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Just a month after her Out of Space performance in Evanston, Patti Smith returned to Chicago on Thursday night. Following last year’s pandemic shutdown, Smith celebrated the fest’s return with a performance at “preview party” at Douglass Park, where the punk poet laureate gave a master class in emotive original work and soulful interpretation.

“Happy Mexican Independence Day,” said Smith in celebratory voice as she took the stage in black jacket, vest and sunglasses while facing the setting sun behind the crowd. “Another strike against colonialism,” she added, as her veteran band began to play “People Have the Power.” The passionate rallying cry made Smith’s populist politics clear.

Smith dedicated the reggae-pop pulse of her song “Redondo Beach” to Morrissey, the evening’s headliner and former vocalist of The Smiths, who has covered it. When introducing “Grateful,” Smith expressed her own cautious relief at being back on the job. “We are so grateful to play,” she said. “We are still in the center of a global pandemic, and don’t forget it. Take care of yourselves.”

A fan near the front waved a battered copy of Smith’s debut LP “Horses,” hoping for an autograph. “Oh, right,” said Smith. “I’ve been out of job so f- – -ing long I can’t wait to come off the stage and sign something.” Sarcasm notwithstanding, Smith signed the album to cheers from the crowd.

“Free Money” expressed a devoted couple’s desperate dream to escape poverty, decorated with a spine-tingling guitar solo by longtime sideman Lenny Kaye. The romantic obsession of “Dancing Barefoot” began with simmering intensity that grew to fever pitch. Smith and Kaye danced together while Smith’s son Jackson played an electrifying solo of his own. “Oh God, I fell for you,” repeated Smith as the song reached its peak.

The singer dedicated the sensual “Because the Night” to her late husband Fred “Sonic” Smith, and the next song included another dedication. “I was 15 or 16 when I had a giant crush on the guy who wrote this song,” Smith said. The band then performed Bob Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings.”

The show closed with a riveting medley of “Land” and the Them song “Gloria,” shaping the narrative as a call to serve Mother Nature. Smith fused the passion, power and showmanship of Van Morrison and Mick Jagger with her own poetic spirit, building from a low rumble to hurricane force.

Morrissey (8:15 p.m., Riot Stage)

Morrissey performs on Day 1 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Thursday night.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

To the chagrin of gleefully glum devotees of The Smiths and Morrissey’s solo career, the singer’s groundbreaking roles in alternative rock, identity politics, and even advocacy of vegetarian diet have lately been overshadowed by controversial views on immigration in his home country of England, support of the hard-right For Britain movement, and controversy over statements regarding social justice groups including Black Lives Matter. Some had speculated whether more protesters might be present at Riot Fest than fans hoping to sing along to “Every Day is Like Sunday.”

While Alkaline Trio performed on the opposing Roots Stage, however, Moz’ faithful gathered at the Riot Stage in a crowd that stretched well past the midfield mixing desk. When the stage lights beamed into life, the singer strode to center stage and crooned a few a cappella bars of “My Way.” As Jesse Tobias and Alain Whyte launched into the tremolo guitar chords introducing the Smiths’ “How Soon is Now?,” the crowd erupted. Every voice on the field seemed to be singing “I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does.” Clearly, this was Morrissey’s crowd and firmly on his side.

Smiths favorites including “Shoplifters of the World Unite” received the very strongest crowd participation. “Half a Person” had everyone including the audience’s most mature members reminiscing about being “16, clumsy and shy.” Nonetheless, material from Morrissey’s 13 solo albums spanning more than 30 years drew fervent response. Themes of loneliness and isolation in Smiths fare like “Never Had No One Ever” have continued through ensuing songs like “I’m Trying to Throw My Arms Around Paris.”

“You’re okay by me,” sang Morrissey consolingly during recent single “Knockabout World.” Afterward, he said there were a couple of exceptions. He ultimately pointed to himself.

After performing 1991 single “The Loop,” Morrissey recast it for the locals. “That song was called ‘Chicago Loop,'” he said, miming the L train circling downtown.

“I love you, Morrissey,” came a shout from the crowd after a cover of Gary Puckett’s “Lady Willpower” from Morrissey’s “California Son.” “Do you?,” responded the singer. “Do you really? I wonder.” At the conclusion of a gripping “Jack the Ripper,” the singer repeated “I love you” deliriously before stepping offstage through a blanket of fog. Fans waited several minutes in hope of an encore, despite the time having passed curfew. Morrissey needn’t have questioned his fans’ ardor.

The rest of the fest

It has been 732 days since Riot Fest packed the stages and carnival attractions following the 2019 event in Douglass Park. It would have been difficult to arrange a better day for an outdoor event to return, with clear blue skies and temperatures dipping into the upper 70s by early evening.

Looking ahead to the rest of the fest, the lineup boasts Slipknot, Gwar, the Smashing Pumpkins, Living Colour and Run the Jewels among others.

There are plenty of COVID-19 safety protocols in place for the festival including hand sanitizing and handwashing stations throughout the park, and an onsite COVID vaccination station (courtesy of St. Anthony Hospital; Pfizer and J&J vaccines only). In addition, all attendees must show proof of a full vax or negative COVID test results (the latter within 48 hours of entry date) accompanied by a valid, government-issued photo ID to gain entry each day.

A carnival provides a break from the music. And if you’re so inclined, a wedding chapel is available for those seeking to get married.

Here’s a look at some of the sights and sounds of Day 1:

Morrissey performs Thursday at Riot Fest at Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Morrissey performs before a large and poignant backdrop on Day One of Riot Fest at Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio performs Thursday at Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Matt Skiba performs with Alkaline Trio on Thursday at Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Alkaline Trio performs Thursday during the “preview party” of Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fans cheer as Alkaline Trio performs at Riot Fest on Thursday night.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Thousands flock to Douglass Park for the Thursday “preview party” of Riot Fest.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Joyce Manor performs Thursday during the “preview party” of Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fans cheer Thursday as Joyce Manor performs during the “preview party” of Riot Fest in Douglass ParkAshlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Shasta Nelson, 38, and Travis Nelson, 46, on vacation from Denver, get married Thursday during Riot Fest in Douglass Park. The Nelsons had their first date at Riot Fest three years ago.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Music fans arrive at Douglass Park for Day 1 of Riot Fest, Thursday afternoon, Sept. 16, 2021. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fans head to the carnival at Riot Fest on Day 1 of the event in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Security checks for proof of COVID-19 vaccination at the entrance of Riot fest on Thursday afternoon in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fans enjoy carnival games in Douglass Park during Day 1 of Riot Fest, Thursday afternoon, Sept. 16, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Festival-goers walk past signs at the entrance to Riot Fest on Day 1 in Douglass Park on Thursday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Anyone for some Riot Fest Pale Ale? Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Contributing: Jeff Elbel

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The fatal attacks occurred less than two hours apart in Englewood and the Near North Side.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Sep 17, 2021, 6:53am CDT

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Let me say it again: Chicago is pretty and Chicago is ugly. Even on her most beautiful of days. And this is her glaring dichotomy for me as a native son who stands with a foot in each world. Chicago stirs within me both love and hate.

I love Chicago. And I hate her. She is a tale of two cities, two-faced.

She is a glistening skyscraper-lit city on a shimmering sailboat-dotted Great Lake, the epitome of picture postcard beauty.

She is a bloody city, where wanton gunfire rips Black and Brown babies from their families, leaving a trail of blood, tears and carnage on streets littered with shell casings.

The Chicago I know is the city of succulent deep-dish pizza, Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Lollapalooza. Of safe neighborhoods in some parts, where children frolic freely in the summer sun.

It is a Chicago of unsafe neighborhoods in other parts, where irreverent unsavory young men with automatic weapons and disregard for human life gun down children while they jump rope, make mud pies, wait in a McDonald’s drive-thru or play in a bouncy house. A soul-less city of mounting child autopsies.

Chicago shines. Chicago bleeds. Chicago soars. Chicago falls.

She uplifts. And she crushes. She is angelic and devilish, bipolar even. She is the meadow. She is the ghetto.

She is a Ferris wheel-twinkling safe zone. And she is a muzzle-flashing war zone.

Chicago is good. Chicago is bad.

Even when I am relishing her skyline and cultural gems, her scents and sounds of the seasons — even when the lake and city are white-frosted over — I am reminded that my love for her runs deep to my bones. The city intoxicates me.

But I am sobered by the portrait of Chicago’s dark side — by the faces and travail of those who dwell in her land of the forgotten beyond the Magnificent Mile, on Chicago’s insignificant isles, where poverty and gun violence rise assuredly each morning like the sun.

“The American Millstone,” some have called them who dwell on the other side. “The Truly Disadvantaged.” “The Permanent Underclass.”

I was once one of them.

I am still one of them — my zip code eternally 60623, no matter where life or my choices take me. And my pen and heart are forever wed to that part of Chicago where I grew up and lived for more than two decades.

My writing as a journalist for more than 30 years, and as a freelance columnist for this newspaper for the last 12 years can attest to that, and also to my love for Bigger Thomas’ town. I love the Chi. But it’s complicated.

And inasmuch as I might ever be tempted to close my eyes to the grim realities that compose life for those who dwell beyond Chicago’s safe neighborhoods and her tourist thoroughfare, I cannot. No matter how much Chicago shimmers, I cannot.

No matter who says that Chicago’s beauty and hope outshine or outweigh her goriness and bleakness, or that fewer shootings and murders or per capita violence stats make Chicago not America’s bloodiest city, I cannot. I’ve heard such rumblings lately.

But I know the truth: That in Englewood Chicago, and East and West Garfield Chicago, and Austin Chicago and Lawndale and Auburn Gresham Chicago bullets fly, the children die, and all the pie-in-the-sky platitudes over the city’s beauty ring hollow.

The number that matters most is one. If it is your loved one who is murdered or shot, that is one too many, and the impact on one’s psyche and soul immeasurable.

I know.

Chicago is pretty. She is ugly to the bone and always my love-hate home.

[email protected]

Send letters to [email protected].

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A man was fatally shot while walking in Logan Square on the Northwest Side Friday. morning.

The man, believed to be in his 20s or 30s, was attacked just after 4 a.m. in the 2600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago police said.

He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

No one was in custody.

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Former state House Speaker Michael Madigan worked hard to turn the suburbs Democratic. The Illinois Democratic Party, which he led, donated millions of dollars to candidates running against Republicans. He gerrymandered suburban districts to elect Democrats. He dispatched his political operatives — the so-called Madigoons — to places like Rolling Meadows and Libertyville, which had never seen a Democratic precinct captain. His strategy worked so well that Lake County, which had been Republican going all the way back to Lincoln, now sends a Democratic majority to the state House. Madigan’s success in the suburbs helped him build a supermajority that should have allowed him to remain speaker as long as he wanted.

Last year, though, after Madigan’s name was connected to the ComEd bribery scandal, the suburban representatives whose careers he had nurtured turned out to be his Brutus and Cassius. The first challenge to his leadership was a letter signed by seven legislators — most from the suburbs — asking him to step down. Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Aurora announced she would stand against Madigan for speaker. 

In adding suburbia to the Democratic base, it turned out, Madigan also created a party that would no longer tolerate his Chicago ward boss style of leadership.

“Suburbanites tend to be less enamored of machine politics,” said Christopher Z. Mooney, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “Machine politics is about one thing: getting jobs. Suburban voters tend to be more concerned about corruption. They’re a little better off,” and thus don’t need the government jobs political bosses can dole out.

Abortion is important in suburban politics because, in many cases, it’s the issue that caused voters to abandon their ancestral loyalty to the Republican Party.

The old Democratic coalition of Chicago plus Southern Illinois was all about bringing jobs and public works to the two poorest corners of the state. The Downstaters, who were affiliated with the United Mine Workers, were even more rapacious than the Chicagoans. Paul Powell, the famously corrupt House speaker and Secretary of State from Vienna, used to crow, “I can smell the meat a-cookin’!” whenever the subject of state jobs came up.

While many suburban representatives had benefited from Madigan’s operation, the ComEd scandal marked the moment that “a limit had been reached,” Mooney said. “They felt that his usefulness was over. The fact that they were from the suburbs allowed them to have some cover. Madigan’s political tentacles are more effective in the city of Chicago or Cook County.”

Lauren Beth Gash, a former state representative from Highland Park who now serves as chair of the Lake County Democratic Party, says suburbia has less tolerance for machine politics because it has no tradition of machine politics because it only recently converted to the Democratic Party.

“The fact that there have not been Democrats in significant roles in the suburbs means that there hasn’t been a blueprint for machine politics,” Gash said. “They have a structure [in Chicago]. It’s been harder to break out of. We’re making our own rules here.”

Suburbanites haven’t just changed the way politics is conducted within the Democratic Party, they’ve also made certain issues more important to the party. Abortion, for instance. In the 1980s, the Catholic Madigan declared himself “100% pro-life.” In 2019, he supported the Reproductive Health Act, which ensured that abortion will be legal in Illinois if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and declares that a “fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this state.”

Abortion is important in suburban politics because, in many cases, it’s the issue that caused voters to abandon their ancestral loyalty to the Republican Party.

“Historically, in the suburbs, there have been a lot of of Mark Kirk voters, pro-choice Republican types,” said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, a former state representative and state senator. “As the Republican Party moved hard right [on abortion], they moved away from that. The swing issue that flipped a lot of those seats from red to blue was abortion. These suburban legislators feel like that’s an issue that put them in office.”

In 2018, Democrat Terra Costa Howard of Lombard defeated Republican state Rep. Peter Breen, who now serves as senior counsel to the Thomas More Society, an anti-abortion law firm. Howard voted for the Reproductive Health Act — and won a 2020 rematch against Breen.

Gash does not believe the old Democratic coalition would have passed the Reproductive Health Act. In 1998, the party’s nominee for governor was the pro-labor but socially conservative Glenn Poshard, an anti-abortion congressman from Southern Illinois. Poshard got licked in the suburbs (and in some well-off, well-educated lakefront wards in Chicago). Since then, suburbanites have pushed the party toward stronger protections for abortion rights. Madigan tried to adapt to that change in his caucus, but it wasn’t enough to save his speakership.

“The interesting thing to me was the way Madigan changed himself,” Biss said. “He went from proudly calling himself 100 percent pro-life to being very close to the pro-choice movement. He couldn’t change who he was, though, and ultimately it was his brand of politics that was so unpalatable to the suburbs that those same representatives pushed him out.”

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The behind-the-scenes lobbying effort to bring sports betting to Chicago’s pro sports arenas has enlisted a clout-heavy name — Daley.

John R. Daley — the son of Cook County Commissioner John Daley and a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley — is working as a lobbyist for the White Sox as the team, acting in concert with the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls, pushes for the Chicago City Council to let all of them open sports wagering facilities at or near their stadiums.

John R. Daley’s first cousin Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson represents the family’s political base, the South Side’s 11th Ward that’s home to the Sox ballpark, Guaranteed Rate Field. Sources say another lobbyist, not Daley, has been assigned to lobby the alderman on behalf of the Sox.

Thompson — a grandson and nephew of Chicago’s two longest-serving mayors — has been supportive of the proposal to allow sports betting at stadiums and arenas in discussions with fellow aldermen, lobbyists and others in recent months, sources say.

Under a proposed ordinance introduced by Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), each sports gambling operation would pay City Hall a $50,000 fee plus a $25,000 yearly renewal fee to operate inside each stadium or within a five-block radius.

A proposed ordinance introduced by Ald. Walter Burnett would allow Guarantee Rate Field and other pro sports stadiums in Chicago to each operate a sports gambling operation.Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Asked why John R. Daley was hired, a White Sox spokesman says: “John is well respected in his field, is smart and experienced. In this particular case, all of the teams, their executives and their lobbyists have been working together jointly toward a common goal of getting this one ordinance passed. The governor wants it. The Legislature supports it, as does the mayor. And we believe the majority of the city council does as well.

“John and Lisa Duarte have been working as lobbyists for the United Center for a number of years at the state level, so it only made sense to add them to the lobbyists working on this ordinance at the Chicago city level, too. We are proud of the relationship we have with John and appreciate what he brings to the table in terms of judgment, trust, attentiveness and results.”

John R. Daley didn’t comment, but sent a letter from his lawyer saying he is “not precluded from registering or acting as a lobbyist on City of Chicago matters because of that family relationship.”

One source describes Thompson as generally supportive of the proposed ordinance — which would allow gamblers to bet on sporting events at or near Sox park, Wrigley Field, Soldier Field and the United Center even when they’re not hosting games.

But Thompson, whose relatives have been Sox season ticket-holders for generations, is concerned about the impact, including traffic, on residential areas in Bridgeport, the source says.

Thompson didn’t respond to interview requests.

He has abstained from voting on matters that involved his uncle, the former mayor, who is now an attorney with a law firm, and the alderman’s cousin William Daley, who works for Goldman Sachs. Both firms have been involved in financial deals with City Hall.

Thompson, a lawyer in his second term on the council, is one of three aldermen under federal indictment in separate criminal cases.

He and his lawyers are preparing for his trial next month in federal court on charges that accuse him of filing false income-tax returns and lying to federal investigators about $219,000 in loans he got from a clout-heavy bank in his neighborhood, Washington Federal Bank for Savings.

Federal regulators closed the bank nearly four years ago after uncovering a massive fraud scheme that siphoned tens of millions of dollars of deposits out of the neighborhood bank. The bank’s failure cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. about $90 million.

According to the federal indictment he faces, Thompson hadn’t made any payments on his loans but still listed the interest on the payments investigators say he never paid the bank as deductions on his federal income-tax returns.

Beside the White Sox, John R. Daley is also lobbying city officials on behalf of the United Center, jointly owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, the chairman of the Bulls and the Sox, and Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz. Wirtz is an investor in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Also among the power brokers involved in the effort: the Daley family’s longtime law firm, Daley & Georges, which recently was renamed Georges & Synowiecki. The firm’s managing partner is Mara Georges, who was City Hall’s top lawyer during much of the second Mayor Daley’s tenure and then joined the law firm then headed by the former mayor’s brother Michael Daley.

Georges’ law partner is Michael Synowiecki, a former staff member for Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th). The alderman is awaiting trial on federal charges that accuse him of trying to strong-arm a Burger King franchise-holder into hiring his law firm to handle property tax appeals. Synowiecki’s wife is a niece of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, the alderman’s wife.

Another partner in Georges’ firm who is working as lobbyist on sports wagering is Amy Degnan, whose family has been close to the Daleys.

Also on the United Center lobbying team is Kenneth Sawyer, a cousin of Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th).

The United Center lobbyists have filed disclosure reports with City Hall showing they have been paid $25,500 this year, including $15,000 to John R. Daley. The Wirtz Corp. lobbyists reported payments totaling $16,500, including $15,000 to Daley. The White Sox lobbyists have been paid $10,500 this year, but Daley hasn’t reported getting any payments for the Sox work since he was hired April 1.

The Cubs have nine lobbyists, most of them team employees, including Tom Ricketts, the team chairman. The Bears’ lone lobbyist, attorney Roger Bickel, hasn’t reported any payments.

The sports book ordinance is expected to come before the Chicago City Council for a vote within a month or two.

The teams’ owners see the wagering facilities as a way to bring in more revenue.

They’d allow betting on other sports, too, and operate year-round.

The Cubs have said they want to place a sports book operation next to Wrigley at Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. United Center has space at the stadium that would be renovated to become home to a betting facility, according to Georges.

The Illinois Legislature passed a law in 2019 allowing pro sports stadiums to host sports books, which would need the city council’s approval to operate in Chicago and also a state license from the Illinois Gaming Board. The state license would cost $10 million, with a $5 million annual renewal fee.

There’s also been talk for years of bringing a casino to Chicago. Some in the casino industry fear the sports books could draw away potential customers.

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