It’s hard to imagine a coach coming across as confidently and comfortably as Matt Nagy did Tuesday after surviving two seasons of tumult and swirling pressure on the Bears to fire him. He plunged from Coach of the Year to the hot seat and saw his offense dwindle to the point where he conceded that someone else should be calling the plays.

But surviving all that is exactly why Nagy feels so emboldened going into this season. For all that’s gone wrong, he’s still here.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Nagy said as players reported for training camp. “I’ve failed in a lot of different ways in my first three years as a head coach — I shouldn’t say fail, but I’ve learned things. So for me, with those setbacks or those failures or those chances for me to learn, I’m trying to make myself better and learn from those.”

The accountability was genuine, a refreshing change from coaches who say “put it on me” as a diversionary tactic when things go wrong without really meaning it.

The Bears hired Nagy as a first-time head coach at 39, with just two seasons at the coordinator level, and there were sure to be some stumbles.

Errors were masked in part by an elite defense in 2018, when the Bears went 12-4, but glared as Nagy went 16-16 over the next two seasons and presided over an offense that scored the seventh-fewest points, rushed for the seventh-fewest yards per carry and posted the ninth-worst passer rating.

Everything the Bears hired him to fix is still broken.

But he knows that. Rather than denying reality or shifting blame, Nagy accepts that he has played a part in this disappointment. That’s a significant step toward turning the Bears around. He spent the last seven months analyzing what’s wrong with his scheme, his play calls and his personnel.

He also adjusted the tone he wants to set. The goal going into this season is that there isn’t one. Nagy isn’t giving players a rah-rah speech about the Super Bowl, the playoffs, a winning record or any other ambition. Taking the big picture out of the conversation simplifies life for a team that has a mountain of work to do.

“Our message for our team is about being in the moment,” Nagy said. “In ’18, no one knew what they didn’t know. We had some success. Came in the next year, had some higher expectations, didn’t do well.

“Every year that goes by, you start worrying about, ‘How’s it gonna go this year?’ Let’s just… not worry about what could happen in the future. I think we’re in a really good place right now.”

Staying in the moment is tough after drafting Justin Fields at No. 11 overall and tilted everyone’s attention to 2022, when he’ll be the full-time starter. But if Nagy wants to last long enough to see that era begin, he has to make this season worthwhile.

It’ll be a tough job. Nagy must simultaneously attempt to revive quarterback Andy Dalton at 33 and steer Fields toward his eventual takeover. He has to assemble an offensive line that could feature rookies at both tackles. He will sift through a host of skill players to ascertain which ones can legitimately contribute.

And that’s just on offense. He’ll mostly leave it to new coordinator Sean Desai to reverse the decline of the Bears defense.

With all of that unsettled, this is no time to talk about the playoffs. Every day of practice will test the structural integrity of general manager Ryan Pace’s roster and Nagy’s plan. That will be a lot of pressure, but Nagy doesn’t seem to mind.

“Anybody that you ask who’s come through our building in the last four months, there’s a really positive vibe right now,” Nagy said. “It’s healthy.”

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Marc-Andre Fleury — the defending Vezina Trophy winner — is now part of the Blackhawks.

But it’s unclear if Fleury, whom many expected to retire if ever traded by the Golden Knights, will actually play for the Hawks.

The Hawks acquired the 36-year-old goaltender from the Knights on Tuesday, taking on Fleury’s contract with one year left at a $7 million cap hit. The only official return was minor-league forward Mikael Hakkarainen, who will nonetheless continue playing in the Hawks’ system next season.

It’s the third massive trade splash that Hawks general manager Stan Bowman, quickly abandoning his patient youth movement, has made in the past two weeks.

The Duncan Keith trade to the Oilers, along with Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw’s functional retirements earlier this year, made the Fleury acquisition financially doable. And the Seth Jones trade from the Blue Jackets shifted the Hawks into win-now mode again, making the Fleury acquisition logical.

“The opportunity to acquire a Vezina-winning goaltender is rare and one you cannot pass up,” Bowman said in a statement. “Marc-Andre…will have a huge impact on the overall development of the Blackhawks.”

Yet there’s a decent chance Fleury may retire in the coming weeks, not wanting to leave Nevada at this stage of his career after settling down there with his wife and his three young kids. Fleury’s exact thoughts on the trade are difficult to nail down, because he didn’t speak to the media Tuesday — as most traded players do — and other sources gave conflicting reports on his mentality.

Fleury’s often outspoken agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted Tuesday that Fleury “will be taking time to discuss his situation with his family and seriously evaluate his hockey future,” adding that Fleury wasn’t notified by either the Knights or Hawks and learned of the trade through Twitter.

Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, conversely, said he’d been in regular contact with Fleury since their exit meeting June 29. McCrimmon said he notified Fleury on July 12 of the Hawks’ interest and updated his “representatives” as recently as Saturday.

“Marc-Andre wanted to play in Vegas, that never changed…[but] this is a player that is at the very top of his game,” McCrimmon said. “I should think that he’ll play this year.”

The unusual situation of trying to woo an already-acquired player was reflected in Bowman’s statement, which went above and beyond its normal praise of new players.

“Having a goaltender like this on our team will put the talent we currently have on our roster in a better position to achieve sustained success,” Bowman’s statement continued. “The entire organization is thrilled to have this future Hall of Famer on our team and his reputation of being an excellent teammate on and off the ice precedes him.”

If Fleury does come to Chicago, the Hawks’ goalie duo of him and young Kevin Lankinen would become one of the league’s best.

Fleury went 26-10-0 with a .928 save percentage last season en route to the Vezina. He’s 492-276-82 (a 103-point annual pace) with a .913 save percentage and three Stanley Cup championships in his 17-year career, making him one of the most accomplished goalies of the cap era.

The Hawks would have to be creative to fit Fleury’s huge cap hit, moving Seabrook and Shaw’s contracts to long-term injured reserve and potentially making other trades. One or both of Malcolm Subban or Collin Delia could be jettisoned in the goalie crunch.

If Fleury retires, however, the Hawks won’t lose anything: his cap hit would be completely wiped from the books in that scenario. Fleury could also potentially request a trade to the Penguins.

The biggest issue will be waiting indefinitely for Fleury’s decision, unsure how much money to set aside and how to manage the suddenly crowded goalie room, while other crucial free-agent negotiations take place. The free-agent market opens Wednesday morning.

But the Hawks consider that, understandably, a risk worth taking.

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Chicago’s top doctor on Tuesday acknowledged that she expects “some cases” of COVID-19 to spring up among crushes of music fans in Grant Park later this week, but she stood by the city’s decision to host Lollapalooza as infections jump across the nation.

City Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she’s confident in organizers’ plan to check for concertgoers’ proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test — and insisted that despite concerning case numbers, Chicago remains in relatively good shape heading into the massive outdoor festival.

“Here in Chicago, we remain actually in quite good control for COVID, but that is not the case around the country,” Arwady said at a City Hall news conference.

“I would not feel comfortable moving ahead with Lollapalooza without COVID protocols in place. I don’t think I would feel comfortable if this were an indoor event, either, and I frankly don’t think I would feel comfortable if we were sitting in Louisiana right now.”

That’s one of 14 states spanning most of the South and Southwest that are now back on the city’s travel quarantine advisory list, as the more infectious Delta variant of the virus takes hold in less vaccinated areas.

Some critics, including the University of Chicago’s top epidemiologist, have said that surge should make the city reconsider its decision to cram 400,000 people downtown over the course of the four-day festival. Arwady maintained that “we’re being a lot more responsible than many other settings that are just as large” elsewhere in the country.

“I can’t promise that there won’t be any COVID cases associated with Lolla. When you’re having this many folks who are coming through, almost certainly there will be some cases. But I’m confident that the combination of what we know about limited risk in outdoor settings, pairing that with vaccination and/or testing — and ideally mostly vaccination, which is what we expect — as well as all the other mitigation factors, you know, I’m certainly hopeful that we won’t see a significant problem.”

Arwady also pointed to the festival’s mask requirement for unvaccinated attendees. She said that citywide “we are not at a point where we’re needing to recommend [indoor masking] for the whole population because we remain at lower risk,” but said her agency would review new guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC is now recommending masks even for vaccinated people in areas of “substantial” or “high” risk, which includes most southern and central Illinois counties with low vaccination rates.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Statewide, the virus is spreading at the fastest rate seen in over three months. The seven-day average case positivity rate is at 3.7%, multiplying by a factor of six since June 25.

The worst flare-ups have been concentrated in areas of southern Illinois bordering Missouri, where average positivity rates have soared past 9% — troubling metrics that would have triggered “mitigations” like indoor dining closures from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office before the state fully reopened June 11.

For now, with nearly 72% of all eligible residents at least partially vaccinated, Pritzker is leaving potential restrictions up to local governments.

Positivity rates hovered close to 20% in the worst days of the pandemic. Chicago is at 2.6%, but that’s doubled since last week.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

Still, the city has gone a full week without reporting a COVID-19 death. And while statewide hospitalizations are up more than 40% since the start of the month, that burden is still less than an eighth of what hospitals faced at the peak of the crisis. Hospitalizations are up only about 5% in Chicago over the last week, with about seven people being admitted each day.

But experts say rising cases lead to more hospitalizations and deaths — a predictable pattern that has already played out across the state three times previously.

Arwady said city officials “certainly are concerned” about the spike that she expects to keep increasing, “but I don’t want there to be unnecessary panic at this point. I just want to make sure people get vaccinated.”

The city expanded appointment hours for its in-home vaccination program, which is available to all residents by calling (312) 746-4835.

For help finding a shot in suburban Cook County, visit cookcountypublichealth.org or call (833) 308-1988. To find other Illinois providers, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Last year’s Lollapalooza was virtual, but the iconic music festival in Grant Park is back in person this summer and will take place at its usual place. Kicking off this Thursday, the four-day event will feature headlining sets from the Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Tyler, the Creator. If you join the crowds of 100,000+ people that flock to the fest each day, you’ll also be able to see Megan Thee Stallion, Journey, Brockhampton, and more than 150 other artists.

For all of UrbanMatter’s coverage of Lollapalooza you can check out these links on everything from the best acts to see, where the aftershows are at, and what restaurants are running specials surrounding the festival. 

The huge crowds gather at stages at Grant Park—though you’ll need to be fully vaccinated (or get a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of entry) in order to attend. And in preparation for the event, you’ll need to know exactly how you’ll get to and from the lakefront this weekend. That’s where we come in. 

Many will choose public transportation to and from the festival, however, with COVID still very much an issue, shared spaces are still a worry for some people—especially indoors on a crowded train or bus. If you’re looking for more information on the CTA and Metra services, head to the bottom of this article. 

With that being said, many festival goers will opt to drive to Grant Park and to do that, you’ll need the best, most up-to-date information about accessible garages, navigating street closures, and ways to obtain the cheapest parking possible. 

Sites such as Chicago Parking Map are great resource for finding parking throughout the entire city. It puts all city operators and their apps such as iParkit in one place for you to get a real-time update on what’s available near the festival. Parking garages can become expensive, so if you are looking to save a couple of bucks, I would suggest utilizing the iParkit app on one of the streets and garages below: 

Please also keep in mind that the streets below will have closures:

• Balbo Drive from Columbus to DuSable Lake Shore Drive closed through Friday, August 6; Balbo closure continues to Michigan Avenue on Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and will be closed through Monday, August 2.
• Jackson Drive from Columbus to DuSable Lake Shore Drive is closed through Friday, August 6; Jackson closure extended to Michigan Avenue on Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and remains closed through Monday, August 2.
• Columbus from Monroe to Roosevelt will be closed Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. through Monday, August 2; the closure on Columbus is extended to Randolph Street on Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and continues through Monday, August 2. Additional northbound center lanes on Columbus from 13th Street to Roosevelt Road will be closed on Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and the closure continues through August 2.
• Ida B. Wells/Circle is closed from Michigan to Columbus on Monday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and remains closed through Monday, August 2.
• Monroe Street from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive is closed Wednesday, July 28 at 8 p.m. and remains closed through 6:30 a.m. on Monday, August 2.

In preparation for Lolla, CTA and Metra are both expanding capacity from July 29 to August 1 with extra trains and adjusted schedules, and with bus routes added to provide connections from Union Station or Ogilvie Transportation Center to Grant Park. For attendees traveling from Union Station, the #126 Jackson bus will provide transit to the Lollapalooza site. From the Ogilvie Transportation Center, the #J14 Jeffery Jump will provide transit to Grant Park.

CTA is also offering reduced rates for Lollapalooza, with a one-day ticket costing just $5, with a 3-day pass costing $15, and a week-long pass costing $20.

Metra is offering a $10 All-Day Pass on weekdays that can provide unlimited rides on all Metra lines, costing less than two one-way fares on most lines. Riders are able to choose the $7 Saturday or Sunday day pass for the weekends, allowing unlimited travel on each day. A $10 weekend pass is also offered. Concertgoers are highly encouraged to use the Ventra app to speed up the process and avoid delays. 

Photo by KE ATLAS on Unsplash

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Chicago Cubs Rumors: Javier Baez and Kyle Hendricks expected to stay by Jordan Campbell

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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Anthony Rizzo is one of the greatest players in the history of the Chicago Cubs. He helped them end a 108 year-long World Series drought. At one point, it looked like a legitimate curse on the north side that would lead to them never winning it. Now, they have that in the past and are looking towards not letting it happen again. Unfortunately, it sounds like his time in Chicago might be up.

There is a new report out there from ESPN’s Jeff Passan that the Boston Red Sox are interested in him as they pursue a deep run in the postseason again. They are thin at first base which is really the only position they are thin at right now. With stars like Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and JD Martinez amongst others in the mix, they believe they can win it again.

If they added a star first baseman with World Series experience like Rizzo, they would have to be considered contenders in the American League. With teams like the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Houston Astros looking scary, Boston might go all in. Rizzo was originally drafted by the Red Sox but never played for them. It would be cool to see him finally play in that jersey.

The Chicago Cubs could look for a lot out of the Boston Red Sox for Anthony Rizzo.

There are a bunch of different types of returns that the Cubs could get in a deal like this. There could be MLB-ready talent that comes back or they could go for pieces that are a year or two away from making an impact at the MLB level. These are three trade packages that might get it done:

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Prince, “Welcome 2 America” (Legacy Recordings)

Anyone who feared that Prince’s vault was filled with nothing but Billy Joel covers, as the satirical website The Onion joked shortly after his death, need not worry.

“Welcome 2 America” is the first complete, previously unreleased record to come out since Prince died in 2016. And it’s a stunner.

Incredibly, “Welcome 2 America” manages to be as relevant, or maybe even more relevant, today than when it was recorded, and promptly shelved, in 2010. Most of the songs have been unheard until now.

AP

Confronting themes of racial justice, equality, big tech and just what it means to be human, “Welcome 2 America” feels like the soundtrack for the years since Prince’s untimely death. It’s almost as if Prince knew “Welcome 2 America” would mean more in 2021 than it might have when first recorded.

From the first song and title track, which starts off with Prince bemoaning the power of the iPhone and Google, the tone of “Welcome 2 America” is made clear.

“Land of the free/home of the slave,” Prince determines, and we’re off.

Oh, and it rocks too, in the genre-defying way that defined Prince’s career.

Just try not to get up and dance during “Hot Summer” or “1000 Light Years From Here.” There is one cover on the record, but it’s not from Billy Joel. Instead, Prince taps fellow Minneapolis musicians Soul Asylum, making their song “Stand Up and B Strong” sound like a Prince original.

But “Welcome 2 America” is also tinged with melancholy. As alive, relevant and fresh as Prince sounds, there’s no escaping the fact that he’s gone and the only reason we’re hearing this now is because of that.

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One storm passed. Another one might await.

But Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy are experiencing a specific sensation on the eve of a season that will define their careers with the franchise. They talked to each other about it in the last week.

“Matt said this the other day, and I thought it was a good point — there’s a calmness right now that we just feel,” Pace said Tuesday as Bears players streamed into Halas Hall to check into training camp. “I think it’s because of our communication, communication with ownership, with [president/CEO Ted Phillips], throughout our staff.

“We’ve been together long enough. There’s a calmness along with an excitement going into the season.”

It was chairman George McCaskey, of course, who gave both men another season. That seemed unlikely at the nadir of last season, when the Bears lost their sixth-straight game to fall to 5-7. They then went 3-1 the rest of the way, backed into the playoffs and were blown out by the Saints.

Even as McCaskey decided to leave the power structure of Phillips, Pace and Nagy intact, he acknowledged in January that the decision “might not be the easiest or most popular.” Some frustrated Bears fans probably nodded in agreement.

Asked what he needed to do to justify the belief of his bosses, Nagy was straightforward Tuesday.

“Like a lot of teams, owners and head coaches in this league and general managers, is, right now, you’ve gotta win,” he said. “That’s keeping it really simple. That’s every team’s goal every year is to do that.

“We want to do it the right way. We’re extremely motivated in a good way in the fact that these are challenges. We look forward to these. We know that we have support from them, and that’s No. 1. We have support from them. Now it’s just a matter of putting it all together with the players and coaches.”

Nagy, who is entering the fourth year of a five-year contract, would likely earn an extension — and continue to be paired with Pace — if the Bears indeed put it all together this year. If the Bears struggle, or if there’s a glitch in the development of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, the Bears could fire them at the end of the season.

Pace said that Fields won’t be rushed into action because of any pressure surrounding he and Nagy’s job status.

“No, not at all,” he said. “What’s best for this organization, always.”

Human nature dictates that walking the line between winning now and prioritizing the future was difficult for Pace this offseason. Pace, though, insists it wasn’t.

Trading first round picks this year and next for the star Ohio State quarterback was seen by those around the league as a no-brainer, not an act of desperation. Pace pointed to his most recent trade — shipping receiver Anthony Miller, alongside a seventh-round pick, for the Texans’ fifth-rounder in 2022 — as proof that he is building for beyond this season.

“I’m always thinking about the long-term health of this team and this franchise,” Pace said. “And that’s my responsibility to always think long-term. We have a lot of those discussions because sometimes it is natural to kind of hone in on this myopic vision, but for me, it’s easy to think long term as we make these plans …

“It all goes into our bigger plan to make this thing successful long term.”

But first, it needs to be successful in the short term.

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Thirty years ago, in the summer of 1991, Lollapalooza got its start as a touring event, originally intended as founder Perry Farrell’s way of bidding adieu to his rock act Jane’s Addiction. Yet, it soon proved successful and became one of the early American models for the thriving and popular festivals that have now become a cornerstone of contemporary culture across the globe.

In the past two years, the event has shown its resiliency and innovative spirit, quickly vaulting to a comprehensive virtual model amidst a global pandemic in 2020, and returning triumphant in 2021 as one of the first major music festival events hosted in Chicago (and the country for that matter).

Though a few things have changed this year — no Kidzapalooza stage and strict, new COVID-19 guidelines to be aware of before heading to the park — the stacked four-day lineup is an impressive feat to have pulled off in record time.

Here are the 10 acts people will be buzzing about when the weekend wraps:

Orville Peck

Getty

No one exactly knows who this incognito Canadian country singer is (his trademark look is a long, fringed mask and cowboy hat) but the boudoir-looking John Wayne has heaped tons of due praise in his few years on the scene. Both for crafting a highly contagious psychedelic outlaw sound that refreshes the genre and for being an LGBTQ iconoclast whose work with Trixie Mattel and Gaga will soon put him in a new league. (Thursday, 2:45 pm, T-Mobile Stage)

Black Pumas

Getty Images

The world needs a band like this Austin, Texas, neo soul-funk duo right now. Buoyed by their massive Otis Redding-style hit “Colors,” the potent act is a lyrical and literal show of unity, merging two distinct musical partners (one who grew up on gospel, another who played in every hip indie band in Texas) into this generation’s songwriting tour de force. They are the act to beat this weekend. (4:45 p.m. Thursday, T-Mobile Stage)

Miley Cyrus

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Coming out of her kid star shell over the course of the past decade, Miley Cyrus has been experimenting with her self image and music image in that time span, but where she’s landed recently with the glam rock album “Plastic Hearts” is a great place for that ballsy energy and unique voice. Cyrus’ constant state of flux also means anything goes in this set. Will she unleash her latest Metallica cover? Will former collaborators The Flaming Lips join her for a hamster ball ‘palooza? Will she do a duet with dad Billy Ray? Cyrus no doubt will bring the surprises in this festival opening night finale. (8:45 p.m. Thursday, T-Mobile Stage)

Black Pistol Fire

Lollapalooza gets in touch with more of its rock roots this weekend with a platter of next gen rising stars, among them White Reaper, Radkey, Hinds and the Austin blues-garage-rock duo Black Pistol Fire. The latter’s recent appearances at Riot Fest and Voodoo Fest still have jaws on the floor. Songs like “Bad Blood” and “Hope In Hell” are teething with all the implied grit and gumption that belies their small two-person stature — like The Black Keys on a case of energy drinks. (2 p.m. Friday, Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage)

Elephant Heart

Married couple Jason and Victoria Evigan give major vibes of likewise weirdo duos The Ting Tings and Die Antwoord with their futuristic, multi-cultural, uncategorizable dance pop. But the really admirable thing about this project is its social arm, looking to spread Bob Marley levels of love and joy with their nonprofit Picture This, which has a mission to unite children across the world in friendship. This set will not only look and sound good — it’ll feel good, too. (4:30 p.m. Friday, BMI Stage)

Polo G

Michael Esposito

There’s no shortage of hip-hop talent booked for this weekend, but the rapper that all eyes and ears should be on is Polo G. Born and raised in Chicago, his pensive rhymes and melodic style are highly narrative and infused with real-life struggles and personal mea culpas. Though track “Finer Things” put him on the map in 2018, his newest No. 1 album “Hall Of Fame” and top single “Rapstar” is a foreshadowing of where he’s headed. (5 p.m. Friday, Bud Light Seltzer Stage)

Joy Oladokun

Getty Images

If you need an excuse for the tears that may come from this set, just blame it on the sweat. This folk-pop star is one of the most heartfelt songwriters to debut in recent years who wears her soul on her sleeve with songs like “Breathe Again” that come alive like a scene in a movie. Others, like “Bad Blood” and “Lost,” give major Tracy Chapman vibes and show off her guitar prowess, too. (3:20 p.m. Saturday, BMI Stage)

Megan Thee Stallion

Though the schedule duel of the revived Limp Bizkit and Megan Thee Stallion may be one of the bigger conflicts of the weekend, our advice is to go for the “Savage” Stallion. We are currently living in a hip-hop matriarchy and MTS is one of the best to wear the crown with her writing second-to-none and slick confidence being the stuff that superstars are made of. Her inclusion in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 says everything you need to know about her impact. (6:45 p.m. Saturday, T-Mobile Stage)

Radkey

Made up of three brothers from Missouri, Radkey is the punk rock release you will need by Day Four. Creating some of the catchiest hooks in modern rock, their style finds that often unattainable level of radio-friendly earworm gems supported by a cache of cool. With inklings of The Ramones and vocals that give off an almost Danzig vibe, songs like “Dark Black Makeup” are good reason to get up early today. (12:50 p.m. Sunday, Grubhub Stage)

Foo Fighters

AFP via Getty Images

Stay hydrated for this one. Foo Fighters are notorious for packing in a massive three-plus-hour set stacked with hits like “Everlong,” covers of rock gems like “Under Pressure” and quippy bits from Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins. After releasing the documentary “What Drives Us” earlier this year, penning essays about what is missing when we don’t have live music, and using their stature to help save stages and reopen venues like L.A.’s Forum and Madison Square Garden, there is no better or more goodhearted band than the Foos to help make us all feel in the zone again after a year gone dark. Let’s just hope the rain stays away from their set this time. (8 p.m. Sunday, T-Mobile Stage)

Selena Fragassi is a local freelance writer.

NOTE: According to the Lollapalooza website: “In accordance with City of Chicago requirements, full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Lollapalooza 2021. For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72 hours of attending Lollapalooza.”

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To truly make our communities safe, we need to ramp up efforts to prevent violence before it happens, and before the police are ever involved.

This week, organizers and advocates celebrated as police accountability reform finally passed in the Chicago City Council after being stalled for two years by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. This long-overdue civilian oversight is a chance for Chicagoans to see under the hood and understand how the Chicago Police Department works and uses its $1 billion annual budget. It’s a chance to rethink how we classify spending on public safety, because police alone cannot keep Chicago safe.

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.

The mayor’s violence prevention strategy has narrowly focused on getting illegal guns off the street, and her methods make for good headlines, but they are doomed to fail. Last week, the mayor announced a $1 million tip line for residents to report information on people in possession of firearms that are illegal or used in the commission of a crime, copycatting Ohio’s Republican governor, who tried and failed to peddle cash prizes to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19.

People who have witnessed crimes face serious threats to their safety if they snitch. No such threats exist for people getting vaccinated, yet this plan for guns is supposed to work? There is a cold cynicism motivating the idea that low income families will take such risks to help the police — who they very often distrust — and put themselves at great risk for the vague promise of cash. On top of that, CPD actually does a pretty good job getting illegal guns off the street, reporting an increase of 26% over this time last year.

Guns are the tool that inflicts violence, but they are not the source of violence. Northsiders have just as much access to illegal guns from Indiana as anyone on the South or West sides, but we don’t see the same level of violence in those wealthier communities. That’s because violence arises from a lack of investment in communities — a lack of good-paying jobs, affordable housing, access to quality medical care, childcare and a good education — not from access to guns.

We saw these same tactics in the failed Reagan-era War on Drugs, a racist policy that increased the severity of drug-related crimes, criminalizing a symptom of poverty instead of addressing root causes.

To start, we should be investing in a year-round, youth and young adult jobs program that’s funded by the city budget, with jobs that are accessible to the people who really need them. This means addressing transit equity in Chicago and appreciating that not everyone can easily get to the Loop.

That would be a real start to preventing violence in Chicago and keeping our communities safe.

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th)

Do you feel lucky about Lolla?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, speaking of the risks of COVID-19 spreading at Lollapalooza, says she is “confident that the Lolla folks have a good solid plan in place. And we’re gonna obviously hold them accountable to make sure that plan is enforced.”

At the same time, though, the mayor has ignored the problem that people who ride the CTA — and those who work for the CTA — have no choice but to take crowded trains and buses in which people are not being made to wear masks. Is there some reason the mayor is not holding the CTA accountable for this?

Supposedly, masks are required on the CTA, but that seems to be only lip service. There is an obvious disconnect between stated policy and what’s actually taking place.

Attending Lollapalooza is going to be like playing Russian roulette with your health. As Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry asked, “Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya?”

Michael Pearson, Englewood

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A woman died after Dolton police shot into her car as she dragged one officer and struck another at a restaurant drive-thru early Tuesday, badly injuring both officers, officials said.

The woman was identified as Alexis C. Wilson, 19, of Homewood, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Dolton police were called around 1 a.m. Tuesday to Baba’s Famous Steak & Lemonade restaurant at Oak and Sibley Boulevard for a woman with a gun who was upset, Dolton spokesman Sean Howard told reporters.

Officers ordered the woman and a man inside the car to get out, Howard said. The man complied but the woman refused.

As one of the officers tried to remove her from the car, the woman sped off and dragged the officer with him hanging halfway out of the window, Howard said. Another officer then fired three times into the car, Howard said.

The woman ran over that officer and crashed into a squad car, Howard said. She continued to drive one block and crashed into an unoccupied bicycle shop on Sibley, he said.

The woman died at the scene, Howard said. It’s unclear if she died from gunshot wounds or from the crash. Her name hasn’t been released.

The two officers were taken to a hospital and were in serious condition, he said.

“This was unfortunate,” Howard said. He said witnesses were cooperating with police.

Illinois State Police were investigating the officers’ use of force, Howard said.

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