You can follow me @frida_kahloKT Hawbakeron July 9, 2021 at 8:30 pm

Nickolas Muray, Frida Kahlo on White Bench, New York (2nd Edition), photograph, 1939 - NICKOLAS MURAY PHOTO ARCHIVES, COURTESY OF CAROL FOX AND ASSOCIATES

“Make sure you can read the label!”

@olia_chicago leans up against a brick wall in the garden behind the exhibition. @olia_chicago fiddles around with a scarlet tote bag until its baby pink lettering is legible: “Frida Kahlo.” @olia_chicago runs her fingers through her long hair and summons a face of pure ecstasy. @olia_chicago’s white pants are crisp and clean; @olia_chicago’s gold jewelry gleams. Click. Another pose. Click. One more. Click. @olia_chicago is satisfied. @olia_chicago leaves the garden with her red bag.

Sitting outside the Cleve Carney Art Museum’s “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” press preview, my infant chugging a bottle of formula and dripping all over my exhausted leggings, I mumbled judgmentally about the whole production. It’s a deeply millennial dilemma: I want to be great at social media; I’m hu-miliated whenever I see the sausage being made. I’m the kid on the old man’s lawn. I’m also the old man.

This paradox follows me to any gallery opening. Like @olia_chicago, I also post pictures to the ‘gram like it’s my diary. Of course I’d planned to post photos from the “Timeless” show–especially if my husband snagged a good one of me describing the work to the baby. If I look like the kind of mother who brings their child to press openings, then I am the kind of mother who brings their child to press openings.

#ArtMom #NewMom #ChicagoMom

It’s a heady vision.

Professionally, however, I’m fucking sick of stupid people with their stupid phones standing in front of the stupid paintings. Most artwork isn’t meant to be viewed through a screen, and your friends aren’t actually interested in looking at your iPhone pictures of Manet the next time you go out for drinks. Just look at the work in real time. Please.

I imagine these contradictions, fueled by self-loathing, are understood by many of my peers.

This fussy tension between visual art and social media is even more present at “blockbuster” shows, where tickets are sold in advance and a whole roster of complementary events flank the work. “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” is no exception. Marketed as an immersive and “comprehensive presentation of the life and works of the artist,” 26 original pieces line the gallery while its website features a whole section of “Frida Events,” including “Frida Fridays” in downtown Wheaton (at one point, there was a Frida Margarita Crawl; it’s thankfully been taken off the website). The show becomes a party. Parties are, of course, for posting.

“Frida Kahlo: Timeless”
Through 9/6: seven days, 10 AM-6 PM, Thursdays until 10 PM. Cleve Carney Museum of Art, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn, theccma.org

Bombast like this certainly isn’t exclusive to “Timeless,” but it does smell a little bit like frozen food with a famous chef’s face on it. In spite of the tote bags and mugs featuring her likeness and name, Frida Kahlo was a raging communist, addict, and sexual enigma. She spent most of her life in chronic pain and often painted from the center of her frazzled nervous system.

While these qualities are briefly mentioned in the two-room exhibit’s curatorial notes, the whole thing reads too tidy to be genuine. This woman was a mess, and that’s what made her glorious; the field-trip energy of “Timeless” softens those edges for a wide audience.

I can’t fully blame the Cleve Carney for this dynamic. It’s no surprise that museums, galleries, and curators have to consider social media in their gallery layouts and selections. One quick Google for “museums social media” unearths a list of strategies from tech outlets and art publications alike. One arterial thread that ties these articles together: it’s critical for creative institutions to befriend in-fluencers (i.e. @olia_chicago). With hundreds of thousands of followers and the ability to filter their experiences just so, influencers lend an aspirational quality to the show that reaches treasured, younger audiences. It’s a symbiotic relationship all about perceived images.

The exhibition offers family-friendly programming, and an improbable Frida Kahlo doll. - KT HAWBAKER

This concept lends itself to my personal experiences with the show. One facet of “Timeless” that feels especially complicated to me is the family programming. As my husband, baby, and I haphazardly walked through the show, each of us bewildered to be around so many people, we couldn’t go more than five feet without a well-meaning docent telling us about the Kahlo Kids’ Corner in the back. While @olia_chicago was immediately perceived as an #ArtLover, the museum perceived me as a mother desperate for coloring books and a changing station. “You can set the baby down and he can play with some crayons,” one docent enthusiastically offered. Reader, my son is five months old. Crayons are a mystery and probably food.

It’s fair to assume that someone holding a baby might want to go look at programming developed for children. I get it. And, on one hand, I am grateful to see that kiddos are welcomed at this exhibition and that they are provided with thoughtful, whimsical material. It’s certainly a rare undertaking, and if Rocco were more than advanced meatloaf right now, I’m sure he’d get a rush. I posted about it in the Rogers Park Baby Wranglers group.

Being immediately steered away from the galleries and back to the Kahlo Kids’ Corner made me cry most of the way home. This was my first show postpregnancy and post-vaccination, and I’d so looked forward to being in my art-journalist zone. And, as a new mom, I’m trying my damnedest to resist the forces that make women and queer parents in-humanely compartmentalize their roles. My kid comes to see the art with me; we might take pictures along the way.

As I process the show now, at a distance and with a cooler head, I wonder what Kahlo herself would make of it. Perhaps I’m pro-jecting too much, but I imagine she wouldn’t love the docent who welcomed me into the main gallery like a carnival barker, saying, “Here are the 26 genuine, real-life Frida Kahlos.” I don’t think she would embrace her vast fame and influencer following–she probably wouldn’t even have a Facebook. And, like any person with a heart, she’d despise Twitter.

However, I also think it’s fair to say she is a posthumous and accidental influencer. At this point, the public, her “followers,” feels ownership over her identity, and she possesses no control over how that audience uses her image. Her artwork, robust in color and moodiness, has to compete with non-museum “experiential museums” like WNDR over in the West Loop. Disabled and hooked on painkillers, she’s somehow a plush doll and a coffee mug and a perfect backdrop to @olia_chicago’s #WeekendAdventure.

I, for one, hope she’s online somewhere out in the ether, trolling us mercilessly. v

You can follow me @frida_kahloKT Hawbakeron July 9, 2021 at 8:30 pm Read More »

Man fatally shot in RoselandSun-Times Wireon July 10, 2021 at 12:09 am

A man was killed in a shooting Friday in Roseland on the South Side.

He was on the sidewalk about 6:20 p.m. in the 11000 block of South Vernon Avenue when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside unleashed gunfire, Chicago police said.

The 39-year-old was struck in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

Man fatally shot in RoselandSun-Times Wireon July 10, 2021 at 12:09 am Read More »

7 children hurt in Englewood crashSun-Times Wireon July 10, 2021 at 12:42 am

Several children were hurt after the van they were riding in crashed Friday evening in Englewood on the South Side.

The crash happened in the 7200 block of South Wentworth Avenue, according to Chicago fire officials.

Seven children were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, officials said.

Officials said the van was not equipped with children’s car seats.

Chicago police didn’t immediately release details on the crash.

7 children hurt in Englewood crashSun-Times Wireon July 10, 2021 at 12:42 am Read More »

FBI agent who fought VA for GI Bill college benefits wins appeal; case could help vets nationwideStephanie Zimmermannon July 10, 2021 at 12:45 am

James “Jim” Rudisill did two stints in the Army that included two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and then became an FBI counter-terrorism agent, helping build cases against white supremacists and ISIS supporters.

Now, he has won a court fight regarding veterans’ benefits that could result in improved government-paid benefits for many of the nation’s longest-serving veterans who want to further their education.

His lawyers estimate that 1.7 million veterans potentially could benefit as a result of the court victory the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit handed him on Thursday.

Rudisill, who lives near Richmond, Virginia, had sued the government, arguing that the federal Department of Veterans Affairs shortchanged him on the tuition benefits provided under two versions of the GI Bill.

On Thursday, by a 2-1 vote, a panel of federal appeals judges agreed that he was.

“He’s very excited and just kind of thrilled,” his attorney Tim McHugh said Friday. “Obviously excited for himself but even more so for everyone else.”

Then-Lieutenant Jim Rudisill (left) and Capt. Christopher Boyd in 2010 in Khost Province, Afghanistan.

Rudisill’s experiences in combat and later in seeing fellow vets turn to drugs or lose hope for the future led him to want to become an Army chaplain so he could counsel service members coping with stress and depression.

He planned to use his GI Bill benefits to attend graduate divinity school at Yale University.

But after he got accepted into the prestigious program, the federal government told him in 2015 it was calculating the amount of educational benefits he was entitled to get in a way the courts later ruled cheated him out of 12 months of schooling.

Like many older veterans, Rudisill had earned benefits under two versions of the well-known GI Bill: the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Montgomery GI Bill provides up to 36 months of stipends toward college tuition for qualifying service members who pay $1,200 into the system.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill also provides 36 months of more generous benefits covering tuition, housing and books. The benefits are given automatically to those who qualify.

Veterans who qualify can tap tuition benefits under both laws.

But the VA said that because Rudisill already used part of his Montgomery benefits before switching to the more generous Post-9/11 benefits, he was entitled only to tuition for the number of months left under his Montgomery GI Bill benefits.

That amounted to only 10 more months of schooling — not the 22 months he was counting on. Without that, he couldn’t afford to go to Yale.

Rudisill sued the Department of Veterans Affairs, arguing it wasn’t fair to limit him to 36 months of schooling, rather than the 48 months he said he had earned.

FBI Special Agent and retired Army Capt. Jim Rudisill.

The just-announced appeals court ruling affirmed an earlier decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in favor of Rudisill.

“It’s an across-the-board win from our perspective,” says McHugh, who with attorney David J. DePippo has represented Rudisill pro bono in challenging the VA’s decision. “We encourage the VA to broadly and promptly implement this.”

A VA spokesman declined to comment in detail but, in an email, wrote: “VA is assessing this decision at this time. We are committed to providing veterans the benefits they have earned and deserve.”

Following the appellate ruling could mean the VA would have to pay benefits collectively worth potentially billions of dollars to long-serving veterans toward college or graduate school.

Rudisill’s two periods of military service included many harrowing moments. As a platoon leader in Afghanistan, he turned back a Taliban assault and directed medical evacuations under fire, saving other soldiers’ lives.

He achieved the rank of captain and received honors including the Bronze Star.

He told the Sun-Times last year that leading soldiers in combat “really makes one appreciate how delicate life is, how precious it is.”

The case has been watched by veterans and educational organizations around the country. The nonprofit organizations National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success filed briefs in support of Rudisill.

As the case dragged on, time ran out for Rudisill to realize his dream of returning to the Army as a chaplain. The age cutoff to do so is 38, and he’s now in his 40s, having been engaged in the court fight for over five years.

But, though he’s still working full-time for the FBI, he has been pursuing a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin and plans to minister to first-responders and other vets.

READ THE NOV. 29, 2020, SUN-TIMES STORY

Click to read the Sun-Times' Nov. 29, 2020, report. — Click to read the Sun-Times’ Nov. 29, 2020, report.

READ THE COURT RULING

FBI agent who fought VA for GI Bill college benefits wins appeal; case could help vets nationwideStephanie Zimmermannon July 10, 2021 at 12:45 am Read More »

Beer Under Glass Returns August 27, Tickets on Sale July 23on July 10, 2021 at 12:47 am

The Beeronaut

Beer Under Glass Returns August 27, Tickets on Sale July 23

Beer Under Glass Returns August 27, Tickets on Sale July 23on July 10, 2021 at 12:47 am Read More »

If ex-Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover qualified, he should have gotten sentencing breakMary Mitchellon July 9, 2021 at 11:15 pm

Who’s afraid of ending up like Larry Hoover, the once-upon-a-time chief of the Gangster Disciples street gang, locked up in a supermax prison for life?

Certainly not the person accused of firing into a crowd of people cleaning up after a peaceful holiday barbecue.

Certainly not the man who confessed to wounding two ATF officers and a Chicago police officer when he fired at an unmarked police vehicle on I-57.

And certainly not those responsible for the 104 people shot and 19 killed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend that’s been Chicago’s most violent weekend this year.

But according to U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber’s ruling that denied Hoover the sentencing break he wanted under the federal First Step Act, Hoover’s harsh sentence could deter other criminals.

Leinenweber wrote: “To the extent that any one person can deter another to commit crimes, Hoover’s life imprisonment symbolically demonstrates that the rule of law reaches even those in power who seem untouchable.”

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber on the bench in 2013.

The judge called Hoover “one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history” and also wrote: “Hoover is renowned and celebrated to this day by the Gangster Disciples.”

Leinenweber left the door open for Hoover to try again but said he’s concerned about “an active risk of harm” if he’s ultimately freed.

Hoover might be some folk hero among Chicago gangs. But the young people running around shooting people today weren’t even born when Hoover was a top gang leader.

I also don’t think his misdeeds are worse than Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson or John Dillinger, who are treated like cultural icons.

I’m 71, and I can tell you I’m not looking for trouble. I’m looking for peace and spending the years I have left atoning for my hell-raising days.

However any of us might feel about Hoover, if he qualifies for a sentencing break, he should get one.

Besides, the gang members terrorizing our neighborhoods aren’t listening to columnists, the mayor, the aldermen or the police chief or the preachers.

They can’t hear us because we are operating in two different realities.

When I call 911, I expect the police to show up, and I treat them with gratitude when they get there.

But a young Black man with a target on his back because of some festering beef on the block has learned not to count on the police for protection.

By the time the detectives get there, the only things to see are a bleeding body, wailing relatives and evidence markers.

At this point, we’d need an army of trained violence interrupters to squash the beefs before they erupt.

When it comes to justice, young people watch what we do, not listen to what we say.

As elected officials squabble over an urgent plan to deal with the violence, they need to consider that not all of these shootings are over territorial disputes.

For instance, in Austin, a man shot at Fourth of July revelers, killing one woman and wounding two others, supposedly because he was angry that he was asked to stop shooting his gun in the air as children played outside, according to Cook County prosecutors.

Calvin Gonnigan, who’s been charged in that shooting, has a previous unlawful use of a weapon by a felon conviction, for which he got a 10-year-prison sentence.

About a week before that mass shooting, one person was killed and 10 others wounded when two people fired on a crowd in Park Manor near a bustling commercial strip.

While the mayor blames the feds for the gun violence and the police chief blames the state’s attorney’s office and the court system for the brazen street killings, the deaths are mounting.

Obviously, Hoover can’t clean up the streets.

But treating him fairly could have gone a long way toward building the trust needed to end the chaos.

If ex-Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover qualified, he should have gotten sentencing breakMary Mitchellon July 9, 2021 at 11:15 pm Read More »

White Sox kept Eloy Jimenez recovery in the family: ‘We made it personal,’ La Russa saidDaryl Van Schouwenon July 9, 2021 at 11:35 pm

BALTIMORE – Tony La Russa’s way of running a ballclub is family first. One of the first indications of that to the White Sox was when slugging outfielder Eloy Jimenez went down with a serious injury in spring training.

A Jimenez jersey hung in the dugout when the season started. Jose Abreu put Jimenez’ red gloves in his back pockets. Everyone stayed in close contact from the moment Jimenez had surgery to repair the torn pectoral muscle through his rehab.

“It started the day he was hurt,” La Russa said. “He was bouncing around and hiding. He was really distraught. We had a meeting about going ahead without him, and we made sure he was in there.”

The message: His teammates were concerned for Jimenez the person.

Losing his Silver Slugger bat was big. But through the rehab, “we were going to do our darnedest to stay in contention until he got back,” La Russa said.

“So we made it personal, taking turns communicating with him. He feels like he’s a part of it and so does Luis [Robert].”

Robert is also on the comeback trail, from a hip flexor strain, and might be a couple of weeks behind Jimenez.

Playing actual games “is a big step in the right direction,” La Russa said.

“We’re also saying, ‘Be careful,’ ” he said.

Personable as always on his Zoom call with reporters Thursday, Jimenez was the life of the party, opening with a loud, “Good morning, everyone!” and closing with “Good bye. Hi mom!”

Jimenez said “sometimes it made me sad” to watch the Sox while he was out, just because he missed it all so much. His interaction with the 76-year-old La Russa has been “really, reall good,” Jimenez said.

“He helped me a lot. He was always there for me, he supported me and said, ‘Just be smart. I’ve talked to the guys, and they say it’s great to play for him, it’s amazing to play for Tony. I’m excited, I can’t wait to play for him.”

“In my interactions with him he was always pleased with the progress he was making,” La Russa said. “He sent videos. Always a big smile and he kids me about my age all the time, so nothing really changed.”

As for how long Jimenez will actually need to be ready to rejoin the Sox, La Russa said the temptation to rush him back must be avoided. The Sox entered Friday with an eight-game lead in the AL Central.

“The number on rehab is 20 days [maximum],” La Russa said. “If we were really patient and he stayed healthy, 20 days would be a lot of work.

“You just have to watch him. Because I know he’s going to be anxious to produce when he gets here and you want to be fair. You want him to have some timing, not be unfair with him asking him to be a big league producer before he’s ready. So we’ll play it by ear.”

White Sox kept Eloy Jimenez recovery in the family: ‘We made it personal,’ La Russa saidDaryl Van Schouwenon July 9, 2021 at 11:35 pm Read More »

MLB’s top teams, players, stories include lots of the White Sox and — yes — even some CubsSteve Greenbergon July 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm

Are we there yet?

Sorry, kids, we still have a whole second half to go. It might be tougher on the Cubs than anybody, but that’s neither here nor there. Let’s give some first-half recognition heading into the All-Star break, which starts as soon as games end Sunday:

TEAM TO BEAT, AMERICAN LEAGUE

It’s got to be the White Sox, right? No, it’s the Astros, who score the most runs, hit for the highest average, strike out the least, get on base at the highest clip in the majors and — a big ol’ ”and” — have the AL’s only group of starting pitchers with a lower combined ERA than the Sox’ guys. BetMGM lists the Astros at +600 to win the World Series, the Sox at +800 and the Red Sox at +1000.

TEAM TO BEAT, NATIONAL LEAGUE

It might take an upset story along the lines of the Nationals’ NL Division Series stunner in 2019 for any team to unseat the mighty Dodgers, but there’s a compelling list of contenders. The Padres are the best show in baseball, the Giants are Team Mojo, the Mets have Jacob deGrom and the Brewers are coasting with a huge lead.

2 BEST STORIES, AL

Show ’em, Shohei: After a miserable 2020 at the plate — and essentially not having pitched since Tommy John surgery in October 2018 — the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani leads the majors in home runs (32 entering play Friday) and is the first player to make an All-Star team as both a hitter and a pitcher in the same year.

Sox education: What have we learned? They can withstand untold injuries — to Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Nick Madrigal and now Yasmani Grandal — because of their organizational depth. Lock in Dylan Cease as a rotation fixture, though perhaps not come playoff time. When holding a gigantic lead, you definitely don’t swing on a 3-0 count with the bases loaded and a position player on the mound. Oh, and maybe a certain Hall of Fame manager still has a clue after all.

2 BEST STORIES, NL

Giant surprise: The top record in baseball belongs not to the Dodgers, not to the Padres, but to an NL West team that was supposed to be a 2021 loser. The Giants are elevating their division much as the Cubs did in 2015, when the Cardinals and Pirates were perceived as far heavier hitters.

Chicago Cubs v Cincinnati Reds — Where to next for Cubs’ Bryant?

10-4, good Cubbies: Not ”best” as in cheerful, but, man, have things gotten interesting. The Cubs were the NL’s ”it” organization before the Dodgers stole that status. When and where will Craig Kimbrel, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Anthony Rizzo and others go? As a head honcho under enormous pressure, will Jed Hoyer stand tall or fall on his face? And of what are the Rickettses really made?

3 FOR MVP, AL

Ohtani: By the way, what fun it’ll be Monday to watch him hit bombs in the Home Run Derby.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays: He leads the majors in RBI (73), OPS (1.118) and total bases (207).

Rafael Devers, Red Sox: Look, somebody has to be third. Devers is two RBI off Guerrero’s pace.

3 FOR MVP, NL

Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: DeGrom is the slight betting favorite, but Tatis is a WAR machine with a Triple Crown on his mind.

deGrom: His innings are down — intentionally — to keep the tank full all the way to the finish line. But that 1.08 ERA means a chance to take a run at Bob Gibson’s magical 1.12.

Brandon Crawford, Giants: He probably will fade in this race — if he’s even in it now — but he was quietly better than ever throughout the first half and deserves a nod.

Tampa Bay Rays v Chicago White Sox — Lynn belongs right there with rotation mate Rodon.

4 ACES, AL

Carlos Rodon, Sox: Give it to the man with a no-hitter and the most strikeouts per nine innings (14.3) in the AL.

Lance Lynn, Sox: The self-described ”big bastard” has the lowest ERA (1.77) among AL starters.

Gerrit Cole, Yankees: No one was more electric in April and May than the betting favorite to win the Cy Young.

Kyle Gibson, Rangers: He was pretty good all those years with the Twins, but not this good.

4 ACES, NL

deGrom: He really should get at least half of an actual Cy Young Award for his first-half performance.

Kevin Gausman, Giants: Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum only wish they’d had Gausman’s first-half numbers.

Zack Wheeler, Phillies: So many strikeouts, so many innings pitched and the best pitcher WAR (4.9) on the planet.

Brandon Woodruff, Brewers: Woodruff (0.78 WHIP) has been utterly dominant, if somewhat overlooked, in Milwaukee.

TOP 5 SOX

1. Carlos Rodon

2. Lance Lynn

3. Liam Hendriks

4. Jose Abreu

5. Yasmani Grandal

TOP 5 CUBS

1. Craig Kimbrel

2. Kris Bryant

3. Kyle Hendricks

4. Javy Baez

5. Willson Contreras

MLB’s top teams, players, stories include lots of the White Sox and — yes — even some CubsSteve Greenbergon July 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm Read More »

Man shot woman after cousin asked him to: prosecutorsMatthew Hendricksenon July 9, 2021 at 10:33 pm

When Bryan Tart’s cousin told him to shoot the woman she had been fighting with at a party in Gresham, he didn’t hesitate, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

As the fight between Rodjzae Funches-Heard and Tiara Lloyd turned physical on Oct. 18, multiple witnesses allegedly heard Lloyd shout “Shoot that b—-.”

And that’s when 36-year-old Bryan Tart pulled the trigger, shooting Funches-Heard in the face, killing her, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

Lloyd was charged with Funches-Heard’s murder last year and is currently on house arrest with electronic monitoring while awaiting trial, court records show.

Tart was ordered held without bond Friday for his alleged role in deadly shooting.

Before she was murdered, Funches-Heard, her sister and several others traveled to the 7500 block of South Emerald Avenue to attend the party that was thrown by Lloyd’s boyfriend, Murphy said.

When the group arrived, Lloyd saw Funches-Heard and insisted on talking to her.

Funches-Heard had been upset with Lloyd for how she treated Funches-Heard’s sister, but the two began a private conversation on the porch, Murphy said.

As the two women talked, Tart allegedly walked up to the pair with a “large gun” and said he was Lloyd’s cousin. But Tart put the gun in his jacket when another partygoer told him to “put the gun away,” Murphy said.

Soon, the conversation between the two woman turned physical as Lloyd swung at Funches-Heard, Murphy said.

Then, someone from Funches-Heard’s group punched Lloyd, prompting others to join the fight, Murphy said.

Multiple partygoers saw Tart — following Lloyd’s command — fire the shot that entered Funches-Heard’s lip and lodged in her head, Murphy said.

Tart was taken into custody the following month for an unrelated incident in Indiana. An arrest warrant charging him with Funches-Heard’s murder was issued shortly after, but Tart’s return to Cook County was delayed by his Indiana case until this week, Murphy said.

Tart has previous convictions for several offenses, including burglary and aggravated battery with a weapon, Murphy said.

An assistant public defender said Tart experiences seizures and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when he was locked up before, but he did not seek treatment once he was out of prison because of a lack of resources.

The father of six is separated from his wife and hasn’t been employed since the barbershop he last worked at closed in 2019, the defense attorney added.

Tart is expected back in court July 27.

Man shot woman after cousin asked him to: prosecutorsMatthew Hendricksenon July 9, 2021 at 10:33 pm Read More »

I’ve heard more ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killingJohn W. Fountainon July 9, 2021 at 10:35 pm

I see the wicked spreading itself like a green bay tree. But are my eyes too clouded by endless tears to see the righteous?

I see killers. But where are the Christians? I see the slayers. But where are the pray-ers? Where is that “old ship of Zion” whose spiritual songs once soothed our souls, led us down the path to being made whole?

In-depth political coverage, sports analysis, entertainment reviews and cultural commentary.

I hear the wail of mourning mothers. They rise above the cacophony of gunfire and chaos, where children at play run for cover. Where brother takes murderous aim against brother. In a city where we seem numb to the slaying of each other.

I see the carnage of another homicidal Chicago summer day, where mass shootings have become commonplace and the city’s knee-jerk response a damn disgrace.

As sure as the rising sun, the city awakens to the sound of the gun. To the carnage of another night, where on the streets an endless river of blood runs.

I hear politicians making the same old excuses, pointing fingers, appearing useless. I see city officials shifting blame, playing the same old PR game. Spinning the tale of violence with no shame.

“Incredible urgency?”

Excuse me, Madam Mayor, it’s a state of emergency.

And yet, I’ve heard more political ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killing. Bore witness to a motorcade on Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive in honor of the renaming on Independence Day weekend when Chicago’s violence was shameful: 104 shot, 19 killed.

We major in minors, and minor in majors — still. Meanwhile, tree-lined neighborhoods have become killing fields.

Maybe we should rename our streets: Drive-by Avenue. Killing Our Children Way. Bloody Outer Drive.

For this is the city that bleeds beneath powder blue summer skies. Where babies get shot and we don’t all cry.

Black bodies drop in the ‘hood with no protest, or a peep from Black Lives Matter. I’ve heard the murder of us by us isn’t on their agenda. But why should the color of the shooter matter?

What’s sadder is that I expect government, politicians and organizations to fail. But where is the church in the midst of so much hell? Pray tell.

The church. That historic anchor in the midst of Black America’s storms and journey over fiery coals. That church — without walls — that uplifted us when ole Massa assailed Black bodies on southern plantations with unspeakable horrors that could not steal our souls.

The church. That caused us to see the invisible and, by faith, to cling to the substance of things hoped for. That made us whole, even when we were dirt poor. The church that reassured us we are so much more.

Even in the face of hate and degradation — just three-fifths a person in this our nation — the church helped us to endure and fight with patience.

The church that once upon a time would not feed us pie in the sky, but inspired us, revived us, taught us how to live by truth not lies.

The church that once, not long ago, inclined her ears to the cries of the least of these. That possessed that sacred spiritual balm that offers healing and hope for all in need.

And yet, everywhere I see churches, even through teary eyes. But relatively few prayers out on the streets where the people die. And I’m left wondering whether “the church” still believes in the power of God. Or if the church has become just another lie.

At least it is clear to me that something must be amiss. For how can so much so-called light and darkness coexist?

[email protected]

Send letters to [email protected].

I’ve heard more ballyhooing over renaming Lake Shore Drive than over how to stop the killingJohn W. Fountainon July 9, 2021 at 10:35 pm Read More »

READ THE COURT RULING

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