The last time Texas got a wandering eye for another conference it fueled a series of realignments in college sports that nearly killed the Big 12.

Texas is once again exploring free agency, stealing the headlines at the Southeastern Conference media days and cranking up speculation about another round of conference shuffling. And the Longhorns aren’t alone in looking around.

There have been discussions between Texas and Oklahoma and SEC officials about switching conferences, but no formal invitations have been extended, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were intended to be confidential, said officials from Texas initiated the discussion. The Houston Chronicle first reported the discussions.

Adding two members would give the powerhouse SEC 16 teams, the most in major college football. Losing two schools would be a devastating blow to the 10-member Big 12.

Questions about the report were greeted by a series of no comments from the primary parties involved, but no denials.

“I’m talking about the 2021 season,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said at SEC football media days.

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork was adamant about not wanting the Longhorns, once the school’s greatest rival, in the SEC.

“We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas,” Bjork told reporters. “There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12, to be standalone, to have our own identity. And that’s our feeling.”

SEC bylaws require at least three-fourths (11) of the members to vote in favor of extending an invitation to join.

“The college athletics landscape is shifting constantly,” Oklahoma said in a statement. “We don’t address every anonymous rumor.”

A Texas statement offered a similar response: “Speculation always swirls around collegiate athletics. We will not address rumors or speculation.”

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby did not return messages from AP seeking comment. Just last week at Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, he talked about how conference realignment was no longer a top concern for the Big 12.

“Not to say it couldn’t happen, but it’s not one of the things that keeps me up at night,” he said.

Any move to leave the Big 12 would be complicated by an agreement its schools made after the last round of realignment to hand their media rights over to the league through their current television deals. The grant of rights lines up with the Big 12’s contracts with Fox and ESPN and runs through the 2024-25 school year.

Back in 2010, the then Pac-10 tried to woo Texas and five other Big 12 schools into the West Coast-based conference to form a Pac-16.

Texas stayed put and instead started its own television network. After another flirtation between Texas, Oklahoma and then-Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, Texas A&M bolted for the SEC in 2012 and Missouri followed.

The Big 12, which had already lost Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12, managed to hang on by inviting TCU and West Virginia.

College sports was turned upside down for about three years as conferences jockeyed to fortify themselves and schools scrambled to not be left out. The Big East was poached right out of the major college football business before finally reconstituting as the American Athletic Conference.

Life without Texas and Oklahoma would be uncertain — at best — for the other schools in the Big 12.

Even an unconfirmed report, prompted an assertive response from Oklahoma State.

“If true, we would be gravely disappointed,” the Cowboys’ statement said. “While we place a premium on history, loyalty and trust, be assured, we will aggressively defend and advance what is best for Oklahoma State and our strong athletic program, which continues to excel in the Big 12 and nationally.”

The mere possibility of adding Texas and Oklahoma to the strongest football conference in the country is certain to draw the attention of the other Power Five conferences. Especially as the leaders of those leagues look to expand the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams.

Oklahoma is the only Big 12 team to make the playoff, doing so four times. The road to the CFP would be tougher through the SEC but a bigger field could provide more paths.

The SEC recently signed a new television deal with ESPN that gives the cable TV sports giant all of its rights. It is unclear if adding Texas and Oklahoma would create an opportunity for the SEC to increase the value of those contracts for all its members and not just provide enough to cover additions at the current rate.

The SEC announced earlier this year it had distributed about $45.5 million each to its members. The Big 12 schools received about $10 million less from its conference.

When Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was asked about Texas and Oklahoma being interested in the SEC during his session with the media in Hoover, he said: “I bet they would.”

“Listen, we’ve got the greatest league in ball,” Fisher said. “That’s the choices they make or what they do, I don’t know, but I don’t know how I feel about it.”

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TOKYO — The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee fired the director of the opening ceremony on Thursday because of a Holocaust joke he made during a comedy show in 1998.

Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said a day ahead of the opening ceremony that director Kentaro Kobayashi has been dismissed. He was accused of using a joke about the Holocaust in his comedy act, including the phrase “Let’s play Holocaust.”

“We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy,” Hashimoto said. “We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country.”

Tokyo has been plagued with scandals since being awarded the Games in 2013. French investigators are looking into alleged bribes paid to International Olympic Committee members to influence the vote for Tokyo. The fallout forced the resignation two years ago of Tsunekazu Takeda, who headed the Japanese Olympic Committee and was an IOC member.

The opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Games is scheduled for Friday. The ceremony will be held without spectators as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections, although some officials, guests and media will attend.

“We are going to have the opening ceremony tomorrow and, yes, I am sure there are a lot of people who are not feeling easy about the opening of the Games,” Hashimoto said. “But we are going to open the Games tomorrow under this difficult situation.”

Earlier this week, composer Keigo Oyamada, whose music was to be used at the ceremony, was forced to resign because of past bullying of his classmates, which he boasted about in magazine interviews. The segment of his music will not be used.

Soon after a video clip and script of Kobayashi’s performance were revealed, criticism flooded social media.

“Any person, no matter how creative, does not have the right to mock the victims of the Nazi genocide,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and global social action director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Los Angeles-based human rights group.

He also noted that the Nazis gassed Germans with disabilities.

“Any association of this person to the Tokyo Olympics would insult the memory of 6 million Jews and make a cruel mockery of the Paralympics,” he said.

Kobayashi is a former member of a popular comedy duo Rahmens and known overseas for comedy series including “The Japanese Tradition.”

Japan is pushing ahead with the Olympics against the advice of most of its medical experts. This is partially due to pressure from the IOC, which is estimated to face losses of $3 billion to $4 billion in television rights income if the Games were not held.

The official cost of the Olympics is $15.4 billion, but government audits suggest it’s much more. All but $6.7 billion is public money.

“We have been preparing for the last year to send a positive message,” Hashimoto said. “Toward the very end now there are so many incidents that give a negative image toward Tokyo 2020.”

Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the Tokyo organizing committee, also acknowledged the reputational damage.

“Maybe these negative incidents will impact the positive message we wanted to deliver to the world,” he said.

The last-minute scandals come as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government faces criticism for prioritizing the Olympics despite public health concerns amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections.

Koichi Nakano, who teach politics at Sophia University, wrote on Twitter that the opening ceremony chaos underscores a lack of awareness in Japan about diversity.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she learned of Koyayashi’s comments from Hashimoto.

“I was astonished,” she said.

Kobayashi’s Holocaust joke and Oyamada’s resignation were the latest to plague the Games. Yoshiro Mori resigned as organizing committee president over sexist remarks. Hiroshi Sasaki also stepped down as creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies after suggesting a Japanese actress should dress as a pig.

Also this week, the chiropractor for the American women’s wrestling team apologized after comparing Olympic COVID-19 protocols to Nazi Germany in a social media post. Rosie Gallegos-Main, the team’s chiropractor since 2009, will be allowed to finish her planned stay at USA Wrestling’s pre-Olympic camp in Nakatsugawa, Japan.

___

AP Sports Writer Stephen Wade contributed to this report.

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Ask Ken Harrelson what going into the Hall of Fame Saturday means to him and he does not hesitate.

“I’m really happy that my grandkids will be able to enjoy it,” said Harrelson, who will be surrounded by his three grandsons and 20 other family members at Cooperstown this weekend. The group will tour the Hall and make an extended weekend vacation out of Harrelson’s big day.

Harrelson will be inducted into the Hall as the 2020 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to one broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.”

For the broadcaster of 42 years, 33 of them in the White Sox booth, the joy will be in sharing the moment with family. And reflecting on relationships built over the years with the White Sox, his other family.

Harrelson was named the Frick Award winner in December of 2019 but was not enshrined last summer because of the coronavirus.

He will have his day, but it won’t be his day in the sun. While the enshrinements of Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and the late Marvin Miller were delayed until Sept. 8 in a ceremony taking place outdoors, an indoor, television-only event Saturday will honor Harrelson and fellow Frick Award inductee Al Michaels. Also to be honored: Baseball Writers Association of America Career Excellence Award winners Dick Kaegel and the late Nick Cafardo, and Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner David Montgomery.

Harrelson’s speech promises to entertain, of course, complete with multiple digs at broadcaster Bob Uecker.

“I’m going to wear his a– out,” he said.

In a more sentimental vein, the man known as “Hawk” will reflect on relationships made in the game that are more meaningful to him now at age 79 than they’ve ever been.

“It’s not just the calling of the games that I miss, it’s the people,” Harrelson said in a conversation with the Sun-Times, listing off names of people in the Sox organization. “I’m going to talk about that Saturday — we got to be very close over the years. It’s not a situation that I like those people, I love those people. And I miss them.”

And the players.

“I had the Mark Buehrles, the Big Hurt [Frank Thomas, who he famously nicknamed], the Robin Venturas and Ozzie [Guillen] and all those people as well. With me, it was more than just a job. I love the game — the greatest game we’ve ever seen, a game of heroes and memories and a generational game.”

Harrelson cherishes moments when a grandson sits on his lap and says, “Papa, did you play against Mickey Mantle?” He loves answering “yes.” And then mentioning he also played against Willie Mays and Stan Musial and hit against Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and his former broadcast partner Don Drysdale.

The 44th winner of the Frick Award, Harrelson joins former White Sox broadcasters Jack Brickhouse (1983), Harry Caray (1989), Bob Elson (1979) and Milo Hamilton (1992). The voice of White Sox television for 33 years, he left the broadcast booth following the 2018 season. Before calling games for the Sox he broadcast games for the Red Sox and Yankees, and with the Sox coined numerous catch phrases. “He gone!”, “Mercy!” and “You can put it on the board, yes!” are just a few.

He misses it.

“You don’t something for 42 years and not miss it,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the grandkids, I’d go crazy, I really would. All three of our grandsons, Nico, Alexander and Hank, we’re very close. Let’s put it that way.”

They’ll all be there Saturday to make Harrelson’s day.

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A man has been charged with murdering a man and wounding another in April in West Englewood on the South Side.

Jamelle Carraway, 22, was identified by police as a participant in a shooting that killed 20-year-old Vonshea Norman in the 6100 block of South Marshfield, Chicago police said.

Norman and another man were standing there around 6 p.m. April 5 when Carraway and others walked up and opened fire, police said.

Norman was shot several times while the second man, also 20, was grazed in the chest, police said. Norman was pronounced dead at a hospital three hours later.

Carraway was arrested Wednesday morning and charged in the murder, police said.

He was expected to appear in court later Thursday.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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While working on last week’s roundup of North Shore homes, I had the idea that I’d do one of McMansion-era, McMansion-price homes. Not pure McMansions—a turkey shoot alone seemed like a grim ordeal, and if you want a turkey shoot from which you can actually learn something about architecture and design, well, McMansion Hell is better at it than anything I can give you.

Instead, I wanted something about the size, price, age, and even the aesthetic of a McMansion but that was actually money well spent. I found five post-1980 homes over a million dollars, in the suburbs you’d expect to find them, that are just pretty cool: unique, expensive, big, but also tasteful. Excess, but not wretched excess. One is a cheat—just shy of ten million is a mansion, I reckon—but it’s an especially good example of dialing that balance in.

This is pretty clearly the work of a capital-A architect—in this case, a later work by the late Roy Binkley, who designed midcentury modern homes around Chicago, who was clearly able to adapt to the 1980s. The triangular entryway continues all the way to the rear, through a spectacular postmodern main room that combines a dining room and parlor. For a cozier place to eat or talk, there’s a warm eat-in kitchen and a den off the patio with a corner fireplace. Around back, there’s a homey greenhouse/outdoor room and a pool, and lots and lots of green—appropriate for a home adjacent to Ragdale, Howard Van Doren Shaw’s old getaway.

This is kind of my dream home: a little bit midcentury ranch, a little bit A-frame, a little bit 1980s Michael Mann movie set. Open the front door and there’s immediately a lake view, since almost every room in this house has a lake view. That also includes the indoor pool, which looks down not just at the lake, but the outdoor pool, which looks down the bluff to the boathouse, which is on the lake, and which houses not just boats but two fireplaces, a kitchen, and a bar. And despite all this… it’s pretty tasteful. The main house lets the lake do almost all the work, especially in the home office, with its sweeping view of Lake Michigan.

Entertain your many guests in the finest Y2K style with this house, built in 1999 at the very tail end of the century, and postmodernism. Or, another way of stating its age: there’s a wall-mounted landline phone on the mustard-painted wall next to the black-marble bath. There are a lot of mustard walls in this house. There’s also plenty of glass: a giant arc of glass blocks, mirrored by a two-story bay-window stack that envelops the sunken living room, which gets light from third-story windows that overlook the lofted second-floor hallway. Yes, of course there’s a sauna.

Everyone loves A-frames: they’re striking, affordable, let in tons of light, and are usually associated with getaways to the lakes or mountains. The downside? Since they’re usually affordable getaway spots, they’re usually just the frame, without much space or luxury. But what if I told you you could get an A-frame surrounded by a big ranch, that drops down to a pool, that sits above a private lake? The A-frame sets up a big main room, with huge river-stone pillars framing a stout fireplace, surrounded by lofted hallways that give it a cabin feel. In the rear, the frame tails out into a rounded living room with a wood-paneled ceiling off a huge porch. There are great lines and angles throughout, down to the complex geometric tile in the master bath, which features two massive skylights angling down over the bathtub.

Aah, that’s the good stuff: a midcentury silhouette opening up to whitewashed stone, a trapezoidal atrium and lots and lots of mirrors. White marble, white Barcelona chairs, white walls, a mirrored fireplace, and so many mirrors in the bathroom it practically turns into an infinity room. Above the bathtub: angled greenhouse windows. And downstairs: a sunken… bar? Built in 1985, this is what the future was supposed to look like. We can still get there, but until then, this has been perfectly preserved.

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Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Davis and Morel each blast 2 home runs; Roberts maintains scoreless streak; Carraway punches out 5 of 6 batters

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By Michael Ernst,
today at 8:57 am

AAA

Columbus 7, Iowa 4

Top Performers

• Trayce Thompson: 2-5, HR (9), R, 2 RBI (.222)
• Tyler Ladendorf: 1-2, 2B, R (.237)
• Alfonso Rivas: 1-3, 2B, R, BB (.274)
• Michael Hermosillo: 1-2, BB (.313)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Matt Duffy completed his rehab assignment and travelled to St. Louis yesterday. He could be activated from the 60-day IL today. To do so, the Cubs must make a corresponding 40-man roster move. It is possible recent waiver claim Frank Schwindel will be designated for assignment.

A rough season for Cory Abbott (4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K, L, 1-5, 7.21) continued. He’s been able to miss bats but he’s also been barreled up a bunch this season, especially by left handed batters. I expected his cutter to help neutralize the platoon advantage against him, but that has not been the case. Lefties have feasted on him, with the long ball being a particular thorn in his side. Last night, it wasn’t the lefties who got to him though. Both homers he surrendered were to righties.

It is important to keep in mind Abbott didn’t pitch much last year, as he was injured at the South Bend alternate site, so he might not be as sharp as many in AAA. But his issues with the long ball (12 HR allowed in 48.1 MiLB IP) can not be ignored either. Until he solves that any hopes for Abbott grabbing a rotation spot in Chicago need to be put on hold. Maybe he needs to a new pitch, or just tweak one of his existing, but something needs to change because I don’t see what is happening to him as bad luck. It was always a back burner concern in regards to him given his average fastball.

AA

Tennessee 12, Rocket City 8

Top Performers

• Christopher Morel: 2-4, 2 HR (11, 12), 3 R, 4 RBI, BB (.205)
• Brennen Davis: 2-5, 2 HR (7, 8), 2 R, 5 RBI (.277)
• Cam Balego: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI (.167)
• Nelson Maldonado: 1-4, 2 R, 2 BB (.292)
• Chase Strumpf: 0-2, 2 R, 3 BB (.173)
• Ethan Roberts: IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (1.57)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

It is difficult to contain the excitement surrounding Brennen Davis (.285/.389/.552 with 10 home runs in 47 combined G) of late. He was already beginning to adjust to the AA level prior to getting the opportunity in the MLB Future’s Game. All he did there was hit a pair of moon shots on his way to being named MVP. And Davis has not stopped hitting upon his return to Tennessee. He’s now hit 4 homers in 4 days after going yard twice last night. His first was another oppo shot we’ve seen with increasing frequency of late. His second was a reminder that Davis can really turn on one when the opportunity presents itself as he hit an absolute missile over the left field fence. His wRC+ is now above 150 despite being one of the youngest (21) players in the league. He just seems to be getting better every day. Fangraphs recently elevated him to the 17th best prospect in baseball.

Cubs prospects, Brennen Davis and Christopher Morel both hit two dingers in last night’s win. Davis went 2 for 5 and Morel went 2 for 4 with two, two-run home runs, scored three runs, and forced a walk. #SmokiesBaseball #GoSmokies #CubTogether pic.twitter.com/YAxhAY6hmC

— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball)

July 22, 2021

Christopher Morel had been mired in a two week long slump heading into last night’s action. Since the 4th of July he’d batted just .111 with 3 walks and 19 K and drove in just 3 runs in just 48 PAs. Hopefully, the pair of homers and the walk he drew last night can snap him out of the funk. He’s still a steaky hitter, mostly tied to his plate discipline and how often he expands outside the zone. While Morel is an exciting player, and one who should fill an important role in Chicago eventually, he is still a work in progress on offense. He barely played in Low-A and then skipped High-A, so I expect the Cubs to slow his ascent from here on. Morel will likely spend the rest of 2021 in AA, and then all or the majority of next season in AAA.

The Cubs will need to add Ethan Roberts to the 40-man roster at the end of the season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. If he continues pitching the way he has, the team may decide to make that move early, and perhaps give him a cup of coffee in Chicago before they end of the year, just as they did with Brailyn Marquez in 2020. With another scoreless inning last night, Roberts extended his shutout streak to 15.2 innings (4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 22 K). At the very least he should be moved up to AAA once a couple of relievers in Chicago are moved out leading up to the trade deadline.

High-A

Wisconsin 7, South Bend 2

Top Performers

• Burl Carraway: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (9.00)
• Bryan King: 3.1 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K (5.68)
• D.J. Artis: 1-4, HR (3), R, RBI (.162)
• Edmond Americaan: 1-3, BB (.209)
• Yonathan Perlaza: 1-3, 2B, RBI (.228)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Ryan Jensen (0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, K, L, 2-6, 5.29) has put together some of the most impressive starts of the year in the Cubs system (5 starts of at least 5 innings with 2 or fewer hits allowed). But Ryan Jensen has now also failed to get out of the 1st inning three times. Now, there is the caveat that the Cubs have an organization wide cap of 30-35 pitches during an inning where they will remove anybody once they reach that mark. At the MLB level Jensen would be asked to push beyond that point, and under those circumstances might be able to salvage some of these outings, but as of now there are still times where his command and control take a little while to settle in. His changeup and breaking ball have been developing nicely throughout this season, but he needs to continue working to find a routine which helps him pitch efficiently out of the gate, and that applies equally whether he eventually ends up as a starter or reliever (I still lean toward starter with Jensen).

Joining Jensen on the rollercoaster in 2021 has been fellow top prospect Burl Carraway. Carraway has experienced more downs than Jensen due to a breakdown in mechanics and the corresponding control issues (31 BB in 18 IP), but he’s also continued to show the impressive stuff (wicked spin on mid-90s heat and breaking pitches) which made him such a high draft pick. Carraway punched out 5 of the 6 batters he faced yesterday afternoon (to up his season total to 32 in 18 IP). He got a little help from the ump on the first K, and had a couple of mechanical missteps throughout the appearance, but Carraway was around the plate the whole time, and as long as he does that opposing hitters at this level have little chance against him.

Burl Carraway, the @Cubs‘ 2020 second-rounder out of @DBU_Baseball, with his best outing as a pro: 5 Ks in 2 perfect innings.

More on the 22-year-old lefty: https://t.co/vGn40QXMww pic.twitter.com/enVPTc0Iwm

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline)

July 21, 2021

Low-A

Charleston 11, Myrtle Beach 0

Top Performers

• Ethan Hearn: 1-3, BB (.183)
• Jarod Wright: 3 IP, 2 H, R, 0 BB, 3 K (3.33)

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A self diagnostic: Are you one of the Stupid People?

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By Bob Abrams,
today at 9:20 am

There’s a much maligned segment of our society that may or may not deserve our disapprobation. It’s odd that we define good and evil along party lines, but that is where we are.

The MAGA nation suffers the slings and arrows of such epithets as trumpsters, dumpsters, trumpanzees, trumpkins, deplorables, traitors, insurrectionists and, as Donnie himself has described them, the poorly educated.

For purposes of this diagnostic, we can just call them the Stupid People.

One day history may reveal whether or not those pejoratives were deserved, assuming, of course, that we record it accurately.

In the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy’s You Might Be a Redneck, there are ways to tell if you might be one of the Stupid People.

If you believe anyone who starts out saying, I’m not a scientist, and then goes on to to challenge scientific evidence, then you might be a Stupid Person.

Subject matter may include, but is not limited to things like climate change, wildfires, infectious diseases, women’s bodily functions and the effects of separating children from their parents and locking them in cages.

If your opinions are dictated by a network that says all other news is fake and discourages you from believing your own eyes and ears, you might be a Stupid Person.

If you think that wearing a mask to protect the people around you and stop the spread of a deadly disease somehow interferes with your rights as a human being, then you might be a Stupid Person.

If you have decided that the one person in the world that you can and should believe is the one person in the world who has earned a reputation for bald faced lying, cheating and fraud, you just might be a Stupid Person.

Or perhaps a graduate of Trump University.

If you think that a guy with no military experience knows more than all the generals or that the guy who attacks Gold Star families and calls American soldiers buried overseas losers has any respect at all for our military, then you might be a Stupid Person.

If you rely on Social Security, Medicare, interstate highways, police and fire protection or any other community services enjoyed within a civilized society but think that Socialism is your enemy, then you might be a Stupid Person.

If you’re confused, think of it this way: Socialism is the fire department rushing to save your burning house.

Capitalism is the insurance company denying your claim.

If you think a guy who can’t name a biblical passage to save his life and is the poster child for at least five of the deadly sins was sent by God to save you, well…you know.

The list goes on, but I would note here that acting like a Stupid Person isn’t the same as actually being one.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes we let our fears get the best of us. Sometimes we get caught up in things and act in ways that are not reflective of who we actually are.

That can be self perpetuating and difficult to escape.

What America seems to need now, maybe more than anything is a reality check, a return to common sense. Before committing ourselves to anything or anyone we need to ask ourselves, Does this make sense?

Are forest fires really caused by Jewish space lasers? Do Democrats really eat babies? Is my fear and anger in line with my faith?

If things sound far-fetched, they probably are. The people that you’ve been convinced are your mortal enemies just have a different vision of what makes America great.

They are really much more like you than you’ve been led to believe.

While there is no cure for stupidity, a little common sense could go a long way to de-escalate the angry tribalism that seems to consume America.

In the end, it may just come down to the questions we pose to ourselves. Do we ask, What about me? or do we ask What about them?

Hmmm. WWJD?

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Bob “RJ” Abrams is a political junkie, all-around malcontent and supporter of America’s warriors. After a career path that took him from merchandising at rock concerts to managing rock bands to a 27-year stint in the pits of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he’s seen our nation from up and down.
As Regional Coordinator of the Warriors’ Watch Riders (a motorcycle support group for the military and their families) Bob plays an active role in our nation’s support of America’s warriors and their families.
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Chicago Weather Watch

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Humidity, dew points, fires and rain

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By Weather Girl,
today at 9:35 am

The moon is almost the color of a grapefruit in the sky. Smoke from the wildfires in the West has spread clear across the country, all the way to the East coast, and making the midwestern skies hazy.

Hazy days of summer, the dog days are here, and more heat and humidity on the way. It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity, people used to say.

Meteorologists prefer to use the term dew points as a more accurate way to measure the moisture content in the atmosphere.

What is the difference between dew point and humidity?

Here is how the National Weather Service defines it—Dew Point vs Humidity

In simpler terms, the dew point is a measure of humidity. The dew point is the temperature at which water vapor condenses into liquid. The higher the dew point, the higher level of moisture at a given temperature. The dew point of humid air will be higher than the dew point of dry air.

What is the warmest day Chicago has ever had?

Here is meteorologist Tom Skilling’s answer–What is the warmest day Chicago has ever had? | WGN-TV

Did you know that volcanoes and wildfires can make their own weather? You can read more about fire clouds here.

Fires and rain. And after the rain, mosquitoes!

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Meet The Blogger

Weather Girl

I am originally a country girl from downstate Illinois. I was a Chicago girl in Rogers Park by the Lake. Now I live in Oak Park, by the Blue Line and the Congress Expressway. I write about the weather and other things.
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Two of the mass attacks occurred within minutes of each other on the West Side, the other near a party bus in Lincoln Park.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Updated

Jul 22, 2021, 7:59am CDT

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Reshorna Fitzpatrick stood with four other pastors as police placed white markers near shell casings strewn on the street and sidewalk near Theodore Herzl Elementary School in North Lawndale.

Five people — three of them teens — had been shot there, minutes after five other people had been shot just blocks away. A 14-year-old boy died in that shooting.

“I’m heartbroken,” said Fitzpatrick, pastor of the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church down the street. “It’s heartbreaking and shocking because we had gotten to a place where we were really experiencing some peace.”

The two shootings Wednesday evening were among three mass attacks in Chicago in a single day. The other occurred close to midnight in Lincoln Park when someone in a passing car shot eight people who had been riding in a party bus.

At least 34 other shootings this year have wounded four or more people, according to a Sun-Times analysis of city data. Over the last five years, Chicago has recorded the most mass shootings in the nation by far, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Three of the victims from the attacks were 15 and younger, continuing a trend of rising violence against children this year.

The neighborhood where they were shot, North Lawndale, has been more deadly this year than this time last year, from 21 homicides to 30.

“I really wish that the community would come together and operate from a place of peace,” Fitzpatrick said. “That they would establish some type of faith, some type of order in the homes with their family members and have conversations, particularly around peace, and also around just being community — to just come in and be one.”

The first attack happened around 6 p.m. when a gunman or gunmen opened fire at the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Christiana Avenue, according to Chicago Police Deputy Chief Ernest Cato.

A 14-year-old boy was shot in the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name has not been released.

Another boy, 16, was also struck in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in “grave” condition, police said.

Three men were also taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were stabilized, police said. A 22-year-old was shot in the foot and another, 24, was struck in the leg. A third man, also 24, was shot in the hip.

Minutes later, three teenagers and two men were shot outside Herzl Elementary near Douglas Boulevard and Ridgeway Avenue, Cato said.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the upper body and was taken in critical condition to Mouint Sinai Hospital, police said.

Two boys, 15 and 17, were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. The 15-year-old was shot in the leg and the 17-year-old suffered a graze wound to the back.

A third boy, 14, was shot in the arm and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said. A 22-year-old man was struck in the thigh and taken to the hospital in good condition.

At the scene, a car was flipped on its side, apparently the result of someone making a turn at a high rate of speed, according to Cato.

Though only three blocks apart, the two shootings didn’t appear to be related, Cato said. He pleaded with community members to come forward with information.

“We’re going to need an all-hands-on-deck approach, and that approach is going to involve … our community getting involved and saying what’s going on,” he said. “Our community who has cellphone pictures, who has Facebook information. We’re going to need your help.”

On the two mass shootings occurring so close to one another, Cato said, “Unfortunately, we’re seeing this not only in our city. We’re seeing this in our country, mass shootings. If you’re asking for my feelings, I’m not happy about it at all. I think all of us should be sad about what’s going on in our country and in our city.”

Fitzpatrick, the executive pastor of Stone Temple, said she was working in a nearby community peace garden when she heard gunshots. Then she saw people running and shooting each other.

“It kind of reminded me of some of the westerns that my dad [watched],” said Fitzpatrick, who said there was rapid shooting for 30 to 60 seconds.

Fitzpatrick said her church hosts “Wellness Sundays” on the boulevard and invites community members to socialize and participate in activities like face painting and tight-rope walking on the grassy median.

“It’s really been working,” she said. “That’s why this is really shocking to me.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

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