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Twelve people were shot, two fatally in shootings across Chicago Thursday.

A person was shot and killed on a CTA Red Line train in Englewood.

About 4:20 p.m., a male was on the train traveling in the 200 block of West Garfield Boulevard when three people approached him and one of them fired shots, Chicago Police said.

The male was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, police said.

A man was fatally shot in South Chicago on the South Side.

About 1:10 a.m., the man, believed to be about 50-years-old, was in the 8700 block of South Burley Avenue, when he was shot once in the right armpit, police said.

He was brought to the University of Chicago, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Four men were wounded in a shooting inside a business in Bronzeville on the South Side.

They were inside a business about 4:10 p.m. in the 300 block of East 47th Street when two people opened fire, police said.

A 30-year-old man was struck in the chest and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

A man, 36, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and ankle and another man, 36, was hit in the wrist, police said. The fourth victim, a 60-year-old man, was struck in the thigh, police said. They were taken to the same hospital and all listed in good condition.

Six others were wounded in citywide gun violence Thursday.

Sixteen people were shot Wednesday across Chicago.

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Moon Alert

After 4 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Aquarius.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Although you might feel temporarily discouraged by a friend or someone older or more experienced, don’t take this to heart. Basically, this is a warm and friendly day for dealing with others, especially close friends and partners. (Today has a few speed bumps.) Relax. You’ve got this.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Someone in a position of authority might rain on your parade. Don’t let this get you down. Actually, you look good to coworkers and others. Furthermore, this year your reputation shines! Remember this. (For a brief time today, you will encounter a temporary dark cloud on your horizon.)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Your desire to travel and expand your world is strong today. You might be attracted to someone who is “different.” Nevertheless, some kind of rules or regulations might limit you or be a challenge for what you want to do. Fear not — this is temporary.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Financial news or something to do with debt or shared property might discourage you. Nevertheless, issues related to home, family and real estate are positive and this will carry the day for you. Ultimately, you stand to benefit from the wealth of others this year.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

A close friend or partner might throw some shade on you, which could discourage you because you thrive on compliments — not criticism. (That’s an understatement.) Fortunately, relations with neighbors, siblings and relatives will be excellent.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Increased work obligations or a tough conversation with a boss or someone older or more experienced might discourage you. Don’t let this happen. Something is going to boost your income or make you feel happier today. (Plus, this is your year to improve your job or get a better job!)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Children might be an increased responsibility today. You might also encounter restrictions or criticisms regarding sports or a creative project or something to do with a vacation. Nevertheless, this is a fun-loving, social day. It’s also a romantic day for you!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Be courteous with a parent or an older family member today to reduce tension. Restrictions regarding real estate might be a concern. Nevertheless, family discussions will go well. You might explore a redecorating project or wish to entertain.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Optimism is important for you, which is why you have to resist giving in to worry. Remember: “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.” You might make money from your words today. At least, you will enjoy conversing with someone.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

It’s a mixed bag when it comes to money issues today. In one way, you might encounter restrictions from an issue or a person. However, in another way, something will encourage you in terms of your earnings or perhaps buying something beautiful.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The moon is in your sign lined up with Saturn, which can make you feel cut off from others or diminished or discouraged by someone. This can be worrisome. However, the moon is also dancing with Venus, which is a very pleasant influence. This is why today will have changing aspects for you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

In one way, you will enjoy your own solitude today and feel pleasantly pleased with some peace and quiet. Don’t worry if you fleetingly feel lonely or cut off from others. This is a brief dark cloud on your horizon — nothing to worry about.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actress Amy Adams (1974) shares your birthday. You are warm-hearted, charming, sensitive and graceful. You enjoy warm interactions with others; and you avoid confrontation. You are insightful and capable of overcoming obstacles. This year it’s important to take care of yourself because you will be more involved in being of service to others. You will help family members and friends. (You might also do a personal makeover.)

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Activists gathered near the Englewood police district Thursday to decry the city’s decision to extend its contract with ShotSpotter, the company behind an acoustic gunshot detection system that has recently come under heavy fire for allegedly being inaccurate.

The city’s three-year, $33 million contract with the Silicon Valley-based startup was initially supposed to expire Thursday. But Cathy Kwiatkowski, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Procurement Services, said the deal was extended for two additional years at the request of the Chicago Police Department, which uses the software to respond to alerts of gunfire.

Tynetta Hill-Muhammad, of BYP100 and Defund CPD, claimed to reporters the contract was stretched out “under the cover of night,” without any public comment or notification to members of City Council. The few dozen demonstrators ultimately called on the city to immediately end the contract and instead invest in communities the technology has been used to monitor, like Englewood.

“We know that the solution is not policing. It is not hyper-surveillance,” Hill-Muhammad said. “We are here because we know that the solution is an investment in life-affirming institutions and resources that will reduce instances of violence and allow people to pursue the fullness of life.”

The demonstration came just hours after the Associated Press published an investigation raising serious alarms about ShotSpotter’s technology, the latest in a series of news reports and studies that have challenged its accuracy and efficacy.

Though its system is closely guarded as a trade secret, ShotSpotter has claimed it’s 97% accurate. The AP investigation, however, found the system could miss gunshots or wrongly detect other sounds as gunfire, and it concluded there were serious issues with using the technology as evidence.

As with another report published in July by Vice, the AP investigation noted that ShotSpotter employees have altered both the location of an alert and the number of gunshots detected. The AP also reported that dispatchers and police officials have previously been able to make some of those alterations.

A company spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But a police spokesman stood firmly behind the software.

“In order to reduce gun violence, knowing where it occurs is crucial,” spokesman Tom Ahern said in a statement. “ShotSpotter has detected hundreds of shootings that would have otherwise gone unreported. ShotSpotter is among a host of tools used by the Chicago Police Department to keep the public safe and ultimately save lives.”

The CPD’s use of ShotSpotter came under increased scrutiny following the death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was shot and killed in March by a Chicago police officer responding to an alert from the system. Toledo’s hands were empty when the fatal shot was fired, though he was seen on the officer’s body-worn camera holding a pistol a moment earlier.

After referencing Toledo’s killing — and a study published in May by the MacArthur Justice Center that found 86% of ShotSpotter alerts in Chicago prompted no formal reports of any crime — activist Adwoa Agyepong insisted “no surveillance technology should be used to terrorize the South and West side.”

“Using untested, unverified technology to send police to our communities — that’s horrific,” Agyepong said.

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SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Republicans plotted their return to power during their day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday, pitching the importance of fielding candidates for every office up for election next year “from governor to dog catcher.”

But so far, the party’s prospective ticket for top offices in next year’s election is made up of largely unknown candidates who’ll have to build statewide name recognition and overcome a significant money disadvantage to keep up with Democrats, who currently hold all six statewide offices as well as the U.S. Senate seat that will be on the ballot.

State GOP Chair Don Tracy said it’s too early to know who the party’s champion might be for the statewide offices that are up for grabs. Asked how the party will overcome its lack of funds in comparison to the Democrats, Tracy said “money can’t buy love.” He added that he doesn’t “think it can buy a re-election by this governor.”

Billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker has already seeded his campaign fund with $35 million in March, after pumping $171 million of his personal fortune into his 2019 campaign.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy delivers the “Fire Pritzker” chant during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

“Money is a big influence in politics, but it’s not everything,” Tracy said.

Members of the party and supporters rallied on the Director’s Lawn at the state fairgrounds Thursday afternoon, toting signs that read “Defeat J.B.,” “Fire Pritzker, Hire Bailey” or carrying tote bags emblazoned with “Darren Bailey for Governor” in support of the state senator from southern Illinois who is vying for the chance to unseat Pritzker.

Others held up signs that read “Save Illinois,” wore stickers that said “My governor is a tyrant” or tried to stay cool in the nearly 90-degree heat with “Rabine for Governor” fans in apparent support of gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine.

State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, a GOP candidate for governor, visits with supporters during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Republicans stressed the need to fill next year’s ticket with Republican candidates, ahead of what Mark Shaw, the co-chair of the state’s GOP, called a “do-or-die election.”

“We have to have candidates everywhere, up and down the ballot, for everything from governor to dog catcher, ladies and gentlemen. So, I encourage you to get involved, step up,” Shaw said at a morning meeting of the state’s Republican state central committeemen at a Springfield hotel. “Instead of sitting on your couch and complaining about what isn’t getting done, be part of what is getting done.”

Rank and file members of the party at the hotel meeting heard from Bailey of Xenia, suburban Bull Valley businessman Rabine and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo, who are all vying for the chance to oust Pritzker.

Businessman Gary Rabine, a Republican candidate for Illinois governor, speaks with visitors during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

Though firing Pritzker was a main message of the day, none of the three announced GOP candidates for governor got a spot on the stage for the afternoon rally, the day’s main event.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of downstate Taylorville, who has been mentioned as a potential GOP gubernatorial candidate, did get a speaking role on the afternoon stage as well as at the morning meeting.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., delivers his remarks during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

He said his political future — and potential decision to run for governor — is dependent on how the “corrupt Democrats” decide to draw the state’s congressional maps, suggesting he’d be more inclined to run for governor if the Democrats eliminated his congressional district or threw him into someone else’s district.

Others addressing the party at the hotel included state Rep. Tom Demmer, a Dixon Republican who said he’s still “exploring” a run for Illinois secretary of state, and state Rep. Dan Brady of Bloomington, who may also seek the party’s nomination to succeed outgoing Democrat Jesse White.

Republicans who’ve said they want a shot at the top of the ticket include Bobby Piton, a portfolio manager who bills himself as a “Conservative Patriot committed to preserving our Freedom and Republic,” and Allison Salinas, whose Facebook page says she stands up “for the unborn, backing our 2nd Amendment and standing up for our law enforcement agencies.”

Others include Peggy Hubbard, a Navy veteran and former police officer, and Tim Arview, who bills himself as a “conservative Republican” on his Facebook page.

Peggy Hubbard, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, gives a thumbs up during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP

None were given speaking parts at the afternoon rally or the morning meeting.

In addition to recruiting candidates, party leaders vowed to hunt for votes in the Chicago area.

Cook County Republican Chairman Sean Morrison said the party understands the “path to victory comes through Cook County” — and apparently so do some of the prospective candidates.

“There are a lot of people motivated — which people will see over the next few months — there are a lot of … good quality people motivated to run for a lot of offices on the Republican ticket. As chairman, I’ve fielded many of those inquiries over the last six, seven months, and so we’ve got game plans that are being put in effect there.”

The shifting of next year’s primary from March to June was “the best gift” Democrats gave Republicans, Morrison said, adding the extra time will give the party more time to execute its game plan.

“The best thing we got was another seven months of runway,” Morrison said. “The Democrats thought that it benefits them, we’ll see how it all ends up in November of 2022.”

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A person was shot and killed Thursday afternoon on a CTA Red Line train in Englewood.

About 4:20 p.m., a male was on the train traveling in the 200 block of West Garfield Boulevard when three people approached him and one of them fired shots, Chicago police said.

The male was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, police said.

No arrests have been made. Area One detectives are investigating.

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The on-field expectations have changed for the Cubs over the last month as the team’s championship window has officially closed with the mass player-exodus at the trade deadline. The experience level of the players at the major-league level has also changed outside of remaining veterans like Jason Heyward, Kyle Hendricks, Willson Contreras and Alec Mills amongst others.

With such inexperience in the Majors as the team prepares for 2022 and beyond, the emphasis for the remaining two months for the Cubs has shifted from fighting for playoff position to teaching and culture building.

Manager David Ross is naturally leading the charge of that and with the variables of his team dramatically different as he closes out his second season at the helm, he’s making sure the players who walk through the clubhouse door know that a new standard in the organization has been set.

“They changed the team’s expectations about this organization,” Ross said after the deadline. “They changed the caliber of play that is expected. They changed expectations for our fan base that is passionate.

“I think it’s time to get to work. … Change creates opportunity, and there’s a real opportunity here for new guys to prove that they’re sustainable big-leaguers. … That’s a really valuable next two months [where] we’re gonna have to continue to keep an eye on the guys that can go out and prove it every single day.”

One thing that stood out from Jed Hoyer’s thoughts after the deadline was the idea of not wanting to “waste a crisis”. That thought has been true for Ross and his message of getting to work isn’t one he’s only putting on the players or the front office. But also himself.

There is no one that would ever say that the Cubs skipper isn’t competitive and the edge he’s brought since his time as a player has translated to his brief time as a manager.

But unlike his first season that saw the Cubs win a division title, the team has taken a drastic step back in his second year. Seeing both the highs of a division title and the lows of two 11-game losing streaks and a down season, 2021 has brought Ross new perspective.

As he focuses on leading the team each day until the end of the season, he’s also taken the time to reflect on how he wants to run his team in years to come.

“I’ve probably jotted down a lot more stuff that I will take [and] implement,” Ross said. “Just long-term thoughts and goals. ‘How do I get this message across?’ How do I get what I want in the style that I find important in certain moments?’ Not verbalizing and showing frustration.

“Everybody gets frustrated, right? It’s not just managers, but players, coaches, everybody. So not verbalizing those, you learned really quickly that everybody’s watching us. I think I learned that last year. You have to try to be the same person when I’m in the clubhouse, every day when I walk into a meeting to when I’m on the top step.”

Ross has already begun to implement some changes as the season goes on, including group stretch before batting practice on the road and team film sessions before each homestand.

As the team has transitioned, it’s offered Ross and the coaching staff the opportunity to have teachable moments, even in a stretch of where the team might not be playing as they have in recent years.

“After a bad game for a player, you don’t want to pile on, right? Take maybe two days. Let’s talk about it later or teach it the next series. We had a baserunning thing that we didn’t do great in Colorado that we showed in the next series at home. And then in the Miami series, that same player did the same exact thing, made a better read and ended up tagging up and scoring a tying-run for us.

“We’re not singling out anybody. This is what we did wrong. Everybody learned from it. The same player was in the same situation and learned from it. I think that’s a rewarding moment in a situation where we’re not winning baseball games.”

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NEW YORK — A key accuser at the R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial returned to the witness stand on Thursday, first claiming Kelly had a Girl Scout fetish and then weeping when a prosecutor asked her to read aloud from a journal entry describing how he allegedly beat and choked her the last time they were together in 2010.

Jerhonda Pace, who had remained stoic during nearly two days on the witness stand, read how Kelly cursed at her and slapped her three times, telling her, “It’s not going to be an open fist next time.” She wrote that he choked her and sexually assaulted her before she “became fed up with him” and left.

Pace testified she believed Kelly gave her herpes, backing allegations by prosecutors that he broke the law by knowingly transmitting the STD. They offered more evidence on that point by calling his personal physician to the witness stand later Thursday to testify the singer had a long history of treatment for herpes.

Pace, who is pregnant and only a few days from her due date, asked for a break so she could compose herself.

She resumed her testimony in Brooklyn federal court a day after telling jurors she was a 16-year-old virgin and a member of Kelly’s fan club when he invited her to his mansion in 2010. While there, she said, she was told to follow “Rob’s rules” — edicts restricting how she could dress, who she could speak with and when she could use the bathroom.

She said Kelly — born Robert Sylvester Kelly — sometimes demanded she wear pigtails and “dress like a Girl Scout” during sexual encounters that Kelly often videotaped.

On cross examination, defense attorney Deveraux Cannick sought to show Pace hid her true motivations regarding Kelly and deceived him by lying about her age.

“You were in fact stalking him, right?” Cannick asked.

“That is not right,” she responded.

Pace had testified earlier that she told Kelly she was 19 when they met but had informed him she was only 16 by the time he sexually abused her.

Cannick confronted her with a lawsuit settlement she signed indicating she agreed she never revealed to Kelly that she was a minor. She said it was in exchange for hush money.

The questioning fit a theme that defense lawyers have repeatedly pushed early in the trial: Kelly was victimized by groupies who hounded him at shows and afterward, only to turn against him years later when public sentiment shifted against him, they allege.

To bolster their claims against Kelly, prosecutors showed jurors screenshots from Pace’s phone showing several communications with Kelly in January 2010, including a text from him reading, “Please call.” There was also a photo of her with “Rob” tattooed to her chest. She said she’s since “covered it up with a black heart.”

Later, Dr. Kris McGrath told jurors he had been prescribing herpes medication for Kelly since at least 2007 and became fast friends with him until 2019, sometimes examining the singer during house calls at his mansion. Kelly didn’t pay for treatment but instead picked up the tab for the doctor to attend his concerts in Chicago, New York and elsewhere, he testified.

Pace, the trial’s first witness, was among multiple female accusers — mostly referred to in court as “Jane Does” — expected to testify at a trial scheduled to last several weeks. Other likely witnesses include cooperating former associates who have never spoken publicly before about their experiences with Kelly.

The Associated Press doesn’t name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent unless they have shared their identities publicly. Pace has appeared in a documentary and participated in media interviews.

Kelly, 54, has denied accusations he preyed on Pace and other victims during a 30-year career highlighted by his smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that became an inspirational anthem played at school graduations, weddings, advertisements and elsewhere.

The testimony comes more than a decade after Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case in Chicago. The reprieve allowed his music career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to come forward.

The women’s stories got wide exposure with the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series explored how an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, foreshadowing the federal racketeering conspiracy case that landed Kelly in jail in 2019.

The trial is occurring before an anonymous jury of seven men and five women. Following several delays due mostly to the pandemic, the trial unfolds under coronavirus precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.

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