Chicago Police Supt. David Brown welcomes recruits back as training resumes with social distancing precautions in place in July 2020. | Sun-Times file
Law enforcement is “not viewed in the most positive light,” the mayor said. “It won’t change and it won’t get better if we don’t have diverse people in our neighborhoods who look like the people in the neighborhoods they are sworn to serve and protect.”
The Chicago Police Department needs to do a better and more aggressive job of recruiting minorities and hold more frequent entrance and promotional exams to counter a tidal wave of retirements, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.
That’s according to the latest figures from the police pension board, which show that, from January through June, 363 officers have left the Chicago Police Department, with another 56 expected to retire in July.
Lightfoot responded to the mass exodus by stating the obvious. It is a “challenging time, no question about it” for police retention and recruitment in Chicago and across the country and CPD needs to be “creative” to counter that trend.
“We’re gonna be reaching out to veterans in the military. The superintendent has plans to have a designated recruiting team, not unlike what the armed services do, as well,” Lightfoot said.
“But we’ve got to do a better job of making sure that we’re bringing new talent, diverse talent into the pipeline to be Chicago Police.”
The mayor argued there are “three ways the city directly creates middle class”: with jobs as teachers, firefighters and police officers.
“We’ve got to do a better job, even in these challenging times when law enforcement is not viewed in the most positive light. It won’t change and it won’t get better if we don’t have diverse people in our neighborhoods who look like the people in the neighborhoods they are sworn to serve and protect,” Lightfoot said.
“We’ve got to get on a better schedule of giving tests. That was slowed, obviously, as a result of COVID. We have limited capacity at our training academy. But we’ve got to get more people into the pipeline soon.”
Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara has blamed “absolutely miserable” working conditions for the mass exodus, meaning 12-hour shifts, canceled days off, the constant threat of punitive action and the four-year wait for a new police contract.
“This department just doesn’t give a damn. You are literally treated like a rented mule and ridden until you can’t go any more. And then, on to the next. Today’s hero, tomorrow’s zero,” said Catanzara, who has been at loggerheads with Lightfoot.
“They are not supported. They are in fear that this department has become so retaliatory for every little, even honest mistake. It’s just not worth risking their job, their employment history or, even worse, their freedom.”
What will it take to turn that around?
“A new mayor, a new superintendent and cleaning house over at 35th and Michigan to get rid of a lot of the upper echelon who just are going along with this policy, including the ones who are sitting silent, letting this go on and not speaking up because they’re trying to protect their gold, bright pension and they don’t want to get dumped because they know how bitter and vindictive this mayor can be,” Catanzara said.
The FOP president says the exodus from the Chicago Police Department would be “hundreds” of officers higher if you factored in the number of officers waiting for the police contract to be hammered out and the number of younger cops requesting “leaves of absence” so they can transfer to “other departments” in the suburbs and elsewhere.
“Just hearing phone call after phone call of how many surrounding police departments now have CPD members in the last year as lateral transfers. They’re all officers under ten years. They’re the ones who [normally] want to stick around forever and they’re not sticking around,” Catanzara said.
Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash and other third-party online order and delivery services would have to collect Chicago’s restaurant tax and send the money along to the city, under a proposed ordinance advanced out of committee on Monday. | Associated Press file photo
At the behest of City Comptroller Reshma Soni, the City Council’s Finance Committee agreed to clear up “confusion” about who is responsible for collecting the city’s 0.5% restaurant tax.
Third-party food delivery services that thrived during the pandemic would be required to collect and remit Chicago’s percent restaurant tax, under a mayoral plan advanced Monday to eliminate tax collecting “confusion.”
The City Council’s Finance Committee shifted responsibility for tax collection from restaurants to third-party delivery companies like GrubHub and Uber Eats, DoorDash and Postmates, setting the stage for final approval at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s pandemic relief package also calls for: extending the 15% cap on restaurant delivery fees until 180 days after all pandemic-related restrictions on restaurants are repealed; authorizing both delivery and carryout of cocktails-to-go and shaving up to three weeks from the time it takes for new restaurants to get licenses to open in spaces occupied by previously shuttered establishments.
City Comptroller Reshma Soni said the decision to hold delivery companies responsible for collecting and remitting the 0.5% city restaurant tax that generated $39 million in annual revenues before the pandemic will eliminate “confusion” caused by a recent change in the state’s process for collecting state sales taxes on restaurant meals.
“Some of the delivery companies were keeping the city’s share of the tax, but they weren’t remitting those taxes to us. Some weren’t keeping the city’s share. They were actually giving it to the restaurant. But, they didn’t clearly tell the restaurant that the city’s share of taxes was going back to the restaurant. So the restaurant was confused if they should be paying or not. And then some, weren’t collecting at all,” Soni told aldermen.
“There were so many different things being done and there were no set guidelines by us similar to what the state had done. This will help delivery companies to know they should follow the same process as the state.”
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) was equally concerned about Chicago taxpayers being shortchanged by third-party parking apps like SpotHero, which may or may not be collecting and remitting the city’s parking tax.
“I don’t think this is a situation that is unique just to the restaurant or carry-out industry. We see the same situation happening with parking and the third-party apps. They’re supposed to be charging taxes — are getting taxes paid to them for parking and the question of remittance goes unanswered,” Lopez said.
“I hope that, as the committee approves this today and votes on it on Wednesday that you and the budget team take a look at all third-party apps who are dominating this economy now as we come out of COVID. … We need to make sure that, as they are thriving, that they are also paying the taxes that consumers are paying and ensuring that money makes its way the various coffers where they belong.”
Soni agreed there are “others we should be looking at as well. … I’m glad you mentioned parking in particular.”
In other action:
• The Finance Committee OK’d eight park improvements bankrolled by $14.8 million in tax increment financing funds. The largest of those projects — for $8.9 million — would renovate a field house, baseball field, water, court, stable area and Conservatory Children’s Garden at Garfield Park on the West Side.
Some aldermen questioned why Chicago taxpayers are on the hook for the bad behavior of a few “knuckleheads and stalkers.”
Finance Committee Chairman Scott Waguespack (32nd) and First Deputy Corporation Counsel Renai Rodney told them that’s what the law requires.
“This is why it’s so important that City Council insist that departments have proper training and discipline for engaging in acts they shouldn’t be doing — like sexual harassment, like workplace injuries, like police shootings,” said Ald. Michele Smith (43rd).
“By providing proper training and holding employees to that standard of conduct, the city doesn’t get stuck holding the bag for the bad [behavior] of individuals.”
Major League Soccer is launching a lower-tier professional league aimed at developing young players from its academy system. | Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
The new league, which will rank below the second-division USL Championship, will include teams affiliated with current MLS clubs as well as independent teams.
Major League Soccer is launching a lower-tier professional league aimed at developing young players from its academy system.
The new league, which will rank below the second-division USL Championship, will begin play next year and will include teams affiliated with current MLS clubs as well as independent teams.
The name of the league has not been announced. Some 20 clubs are expected to participate in the first season, which will start in March and run through the fall, concluding with a championship game in December.
MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott said the new league is an outgrowth of the MLS Next platform and team academies, providing elite players who may not be quite ready for the top division with an accelerated pathway to a professional career.
“The key missing piece for us was this place where our young players could get meaningful minutes in high-level competition,” he said.
MLS Next, launched last year, is designed to fill the gap after U.S. Soccer disbanded its development academy.
Beyond player development, MLS also sees business opportunities for clubs participating in the new league, especially in markets that don’t currently have an MLS teams. Likewise, it will provide career opportunities for coaches and support staff.
Abbott said the new league is not meant to supplant the USL Championship or League One, but he expects the MLS clubs currently participating in those leagues to migrate. The new league has applied for Division III sanctioning from U.S. Soccer.
“Our anticipation, is that the USL, who we have a great relationship with, will remain a very strong and vibrant league, and continue to do as much for player development as they have and continue to help grow the sport in this country,” Abbott said. “I think we’re going to see that league continue to thrive. But over time I would anticipate that most (MLS) clubs will all ultimately be in this league.”
In a statement, the USL said: “The more pathways there are for young players across the country, the better. We wish MLS success in their efforts and look forward to continuing our work together to grow the sport of soccer in the United States.”
The new league will be run out of MLS headquarters in New York. A commissioner has not yet been named.
The league is considered by MLS to be crucial to player development in the United States as a record 20% of roster spots on MLS clubs are filled this season with players from the academy system.
As a pro league, players will earn salaries unless they aim to retain college eligibility.
— The Chosen Few DJs™ (@Chosen_Few_DJS) June 21, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has put yet another popular Chicago music festival on hold as the city’s house heads are feeling the brunt of the new normal.
The Chosen Few Picnic & House Music Festival, which generally brings in 40,000 attendees annually, was scheduled for July 4 in the South Side’s Jackson Park neighborhood, has been postponed, according to an official announcement Friday.
In its place, a virtual event scheduled for the same date, will feature a free, live-streamed performances and DJ sets from the Chosen Few DJs, and more.
“The decision to transition our beloved ‘Woodstock of House Music’ from a mass in-person gathering to a virtual one this year was not an easy one,” said picnic officials in a statement. “Like many of you, we want nothing more than to get together with our fellow house music lovers in person, just as we have done for the past 29 Julys. However, given the extraordinary time we are in, and the critical health dangers associated with large gatherings, we know this is the safest course of action for our picnic attendees, guest performers, vendors, and neighbors.”
Tickets purchased for the 2020 festival will be honored at the 2021 event. Ticket holders also have the option to submit a request for a refund at https://explore.seetickets.us/refund-form-chosen-few-2020/. Refund requests must be made by 11:59 p.m. on May 22, 2020.
Details about this year’s virtual event on July 4 will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, for the first time in the festival’s history, organizers are asking the public for online contributions to help support COVID-19 charitable efforts. Details about making the donations will also be announced in the coming weeks.
Chosen Few DJ Alan King says a lot of thought will go into the virtual event.
“We’re going to encourage people to go out in their backyards and set up a tent like they would have if they went to the Chosen Few [picnic], but in their backyard or on their rooftop,” said King.
Earlier this week, the city canceled some of Chicago’s biggest summer music events, including the Blues and Gospel festivals.
South Side summer event cancellations/postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic include the Silver Room Block Party, South Shore Summer Festival and the Taste of WVON, among others.
Yorkville Christian’s Jaden Schutt (2) drives around Glenbard West’s Patrick Fornatto (14). | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Jaden Schutt’s totals are eye-opening. He’s made 217 three-pointers in three seasons while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
While watching Jaden Schutt and Yorkville Christian play a couple of years ago, I tweeted that the then sophomore guard was as good of a shooter as I’ve seen in Illinois in my 25 years as editor/publisher of the City/Suburban Hoops Report.
I followed it up with a tweet referencing a comparison to JJ Redick, the pure, mechanically-sound shooting extraordinaire from Duke, who great shooters are often compared to when reaching a certain elite level.
Little did I know then that Schutt literally modeled his textbook shot after Redick.
That undertaking began at an early age.
Jaden’s dad, Jeff Schutt, did a lot of coaching and ran camps at Cross Lutheran School in Yorkville during his son’s younger days. During those youth camps, Jeff Schutt would have a big screen up on the gym wall, project the video and show some JJ Redick shooting tapes and footage for all the young kids to see how it should be done.
“That’s where I learned and was taught the right way,” said Jaden Schutt of those early days of perfecting the proper shooting form and technique. “Growing up I would watch those JJ Redick tapes.”
Watching and doing, however, are obviously different. But Jaden Schutt was always wired a little differently, dad says.
“He’s very self-motivated, incredibly disciplined,” said Jeff Schutt. “He eats right, doesn’t touch sugar, goes to bed by 9:30 p.m. He saw early on that A equals B and believed it all would help him get to where he wanted as a player.”
And that motivation and discipline included mastering the perimeter jumper.
Schutt gets into shooting position quickly and displays a natural ball-hand relationship prior to any release.
There were times when the shot would get a little flat — as it can for any maturing player — but the mechanics would always win out. That includes the footwork, the flex of the knees and bend of the elbow, how it comes off his fingers, the release point and the elevation on his jumper as they are all next level — even at this young age.
The results? As a freshman he made 58 three-pointers and followed it up with a whopping 130 threes as a sophomore, including a state record 17 three-pointers in one game. This past abbreviated season saw Schutt drain 29 threes in 11 games while averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists a game.
The three-year totals are pretty eye-opening: Schutt has made 217 three-pointers in three seasons while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
It’s very rare to be included in any “greatest” lists; that’s a heavy dose of big expectations and hype. But Jaden Schutt should be included on any short list of greatest shooters the state of Illinois has produced.
Schutt, the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s No. 2 ranked prospect in Illinois in the Class of 2022, has already scored 1,400 career points and has a bevy of high-major offers he’s sorting through.
“My dad was always teaching me the right way, always in my ear, ‘hold that follow through, get it up, elbow in and stuff,’” said Jaden. “I had to stay disciplined with stuff, shooting it the right way, the same way with the same release each time. Any time my shot was off my dad would give me tips. It was about learning how to do it the right way.”
Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern was very familiar with his future star when he arrived. He’s been watching Schutt since he was in fifth-grade when he played with Sovern’s son, Christian, who was a seventh-grader at Cross Lutheran at the time.
Those two played at Cross Lutheran and teamed up to play in Gus Macker Tournaments as young kids. They then went on to win 46 games together in two seasons at Yorkville Christian, along with a pair of regional titles and a sectional championship in 2019.
Sovern has watched the evolution of a kid who was not even five-feet tall when he first saw him on the court to a 6-5 high school star with Big Ten coaches in hot pursuit. Sovern calls Schutt’s dedication “amazing” and has witnessed his star surpass even the hard-work expectations the coach has placed in the program. Sovern says Schutt takes it to another level.
“The nutrition, the sleep habits, the work put in,” Sovern adds. “He’s wired differently than most 17 and 18-year-olds. He has a goal in mind, and although he knows God has blessed him with talent, he wants to do anything to maximize that talent.”
But Sovern saw the metamorphosis of a player very early on. By the time Schutt was in seventh-grade, before Jaden Schutt and Christian Sovern were putting Yorkville Christian on the basketball map, Aaron Sovern knew he was about to be coaching a pretty special talent in the near future.
“In eighth-grade he had this game in a Thanksgiving tournament where he scored 51 or 52 points,” said Sovern of his future star. “He’s doing that and also nearly dunking in the lay-up line, so it was pretty easy to see.”
Schutt honed his craft at a young age in those camps in the Cross Lutheran gym and in the basketball court in the back yard. When Jeff and his wife, Lori, moved into their current home years ago, they had plenty of yard space out back to put in an outdoor sport court.
“We dug a trench, wired it with lights and it was far enough away that our boys could play down there without bothering the neighbors,” said Jeff of the space his four boys would play.
Jaden, the youngest of the four Schutt boys, was just a baby. But he quickly established his own little workout program.
“Jaden is a student of the game,” said Jeff. “He will visualize it and go do it. He would watch a lot of video as a kid. He would run down to that court three, four times a day for 20-minute sessions at a time. Run back up and do it again. Then at night he would go to the Cross Lutheran gym and play.”
Now he’s awaiting a bigger stage. Sidelined for the most part for nearly 15 months due to the Covid shutdown, the sweet-shooting senior is set to be seen this summer by college coaches and national evaluators for the first time in a long time.
“I always feel like I have things to prove, said Schutt. “I definitely feel like not being ranked as high as I think I should be is motivation.”
Both 247Sports and Rivals have Schutt as a three-star prospect –– unranked in Rivals’ top 150 and ranked No. 114 by 247Sports.
Every high school player these days pays attention. It’s inevitable with the many websites that cover prep hoops, Twitter and social media. Schutt admits it’s “one of those things that you look at.” But he has refreshingly kept it in perspective.
“When it comes to the games, none of that really matters,” he wisely points out. “Those stars you have or don’t have aren’t going to help you when you’re playing. But you just have to go out and play the game. It’s one of those things that you look at when you’re not playing and stuff, but you have to understand your own talent level, be honest with yourself, know what you need to work on.”
But not being a top 100 prospect in the country hasn’t slowed down his recruitment. He’s picked up a dozen or so high-major offers, including the majority of the Big Ten, along with Louisville, Oklahoma, Marquette, Creighton and others over the past couple of years.
He took visits to Illinois and Michigan State earlier this month and is off to visit Iowa this week. He plans to try and get to a few more if time allows this summer and add more in-person visits this fall.
“It’s like piecing together a puzzle in trying to set up the visits while playing this summer,” he said. “It’s definitely hectic. But that’s something I will figure out along the way.
“I am just trying to talk to these coaches and figure out what their plan is for me, trying to get to the truth and stuff. Figure out the relationships with the coaches and see which ones are the strongest relationships.”
While Schutt irons out the recruiting piece and builds relationships to help him decide his future, head coaches and their staffs will finally get a get a chance to see the state’s top shooter in action this summer.
“I am just excited to get out and play in front of those coaches,” said Schutt.
The shooter felt the driver had cut him off in the 1600 block of South Kostner Avenue.
A 67-year-old man was shot and killed in a road-rage shooting Monday morning in Lawndale on the West Side.
The shooter felt the man had cut him off in the 1600 block of South Kostner Avenue at 9:45 a.m., Chicago police said.
He argued with the man and took out a gun and fired two shots, striking the 67-year-old once in his chest, police said.
The man, who was the only person in the car, crashed and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.
The shooter had two young children, around ages 2 and 3, in his gray sedan and was last seen driving east on 16th Street, police said.
At 20 other homicides so far this year, the North Lawndale community area has the second-highest number of murders in Chicago, behind only Austin, which has 26 homicides, according to Sun-Times records.
North Lawndale has eight more murders than during the same period in 2020, and 12 more murders than the same timeframe in 2019.
Former Cubs player Ben Zobrist alleges in a lawsuit that his wife Julianna had an affair with their pastor. | Aaron Gash/AP
The 40-year-old Zobrist made those allegations in a lawsuit filed on his behalf in May in a Tennessee circuit court.
About a year after he took a leave of absence from the Cubs, Ben Zobrist discovered his wife was having an affair with their minister, according to court documents.
The minister was also accused of defrauding Zobrist’s charity foundation, for which he worked.
The 40-year-old Zobrist made those allegations in a lawsuit filed on his behalf in May in a Tennessee circuit court. Last week, the Peoria Journal Star obtained a copy of the lawsuit.
Now retired after a 13-year major-league baseball career, Zobrist is seeking $6 million in damages from Byron Yawn, the CEO of Forrest Crain & Co., a Nashville-area business-consulting firm.
Yawn also is a former pastor and elder at Community Bible Church in Nashville. In that position, Yawn met Zobrist and his wife, the former Julianna Gilmore, about 16 years ago. The Zobrists, who were married in 2005, have three children.
Ben Zobrist paused his 2019 Cubs season for about four months as he and 36-year-old Julianna Zobrist, a contemporary-Christian singer, addressed their marital problems.
During that stretch, Ben Zobrist lost about $8 million in income, according to the lawsuit filed May 6 in Nashville. Two years ago in a neighboring county, he filed for divorce.
When the Journal Star contacted one of of Ben Zobrist’s attorneys, Larry Crain, regarding the Nashville lawsuit, he stated he was unable to comment on pending litigation.
Messages were left last week with Yawn and with Julianna Zobrist. A published telephone number for Yawn was disconnected.
Yawn provided the Zobrists pre- and post-marital counseling, the lawsuit stated. He also counseled Ben Zobrist regarding anxiety and depression.
Beginning in August 2018, Yawn talked daily with Julianna Zobrist, the lawsuit stated. It alleged their sexual relationship began in the spring of 2019 and lasted for about a year.
Yawn and Julianna Zobrist used pre-paid mobile telephones to help conceal their relationship. Yawn’s wife, Robin Yawn, discovered the phones in May 2019.
Robin Yawn notified Ben Zobrist, but she told him she believed her husband and his wife were engaged in an emotional relationship, not a physical one, the lawsuit stated. The Zobrists then began marital counseling.
Ben Zobrist did not know until June 2020 that his wife and Byron Yawn had a sexual relationship, the lawsuit stated. Julianna Zobrist admitted the nature of the relationship, and that she lied to her husband about it, in responses to written requests for admission in a divorce proceeding.
An internet court-records search revealed Ben Zobrist filed for divorce in May 2019 in Williamson County, Tennessee, where he and his wife reside. Julianna Zobrist filed a counter-complaint in March 2020. Those cases are pending.
In May 2019, Julianna Zobrist filed in Chicago for divorce, but that petition was dismissed days later, according to Cook County Circuit Court records.
Also that month, Ben Zobrist left the Cubs after he had played 26 games that season. He did not return until September. Zobrist also missed part of 2019 spring training, for what was called an excused absence.
During that time, as his marriage began to crumble, Zobrist was confiding in Byron Yawn.
Reproduced in the Nashville lawsuit were text messages the men exchanged in February 2019 as Zobrist planned to join the Cubs in Arizona for spring training. That was to be the start of Zobrist’s fourth season with Chicago, for whom he was 2016 World Series MVP.
Julianna Zobrist twice had spoken with a divorce lawyer, Ben Zobrist told Byron Yawn.
“She used the words emotional, verbal and spiritual abuse. I was shocked,” Ben Zobrist texted. “Can’t be 2,000 miles away from her and kids while she’s thinking that about me. I have owned every bit of my sin, but I will not own the abuse angle.”
Replied Byron Yawn: “I’m sure it’s like getting knocked off your feet and into your head. But I can’t imagine what it feels like in this moment. Your (sic) a husband and a father first. That’s who you are.”
Yawn encouraged Zobrist to give his wife some space, the lawsuit alleged.
With those marital problems as a backdrop, Yawn worked himself into a leadership position with Patriot Forward, a not-for-profit group Ben Zobrist founded. Its purpose is to help professional athletes tend to their mental health and prepare for life after their careers.
Yawn drafted his job description as executive director of the charity, the lawsuit stated. But in March 2019, Yawn was terminated.
Still, Yawn continued to draw a $3,500 monthly salary until May 2019. The lawsuit did not explain how Yawn was issued those checks, other than to say it was done fraudulently.
The lawsuit also revealed Ben Zobrist donated significant sums to Community Bible Church. On average, he contributed $10,000 monthly. Zobrist also gave the Yawn family between $10,000 and $15,000 to fund a pastoral trip.
“Mr. Yawn often capitalized on the Plaintiff’s celebrity,” the lawsuit stated, “asking him to sign autographs for his mother-in-law; requesting tickets to baseball games; hosting ‘Guys Night Out’ for the church at Mr. Zobrist’s home; (requesting) that Mr. Zobrist send personal videos to parishioners who were being baptized; and nominating Mr. Zobrist as a deacon of Community Bible Church in hopes that his celebrity would attract new parishioners and keep current parishioners.”
Yawn no longer is associated with the church, its senior pastor, Ryan Haskins, told the Journal Star.
Ben Zobrist graduated in high school in 1999.
Thinking his baseball career was over, Zobrist planned to attend a Bible college in Missouri until a scout from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais saw him at a tryout camp in Brimfield. Thus began a path that led to the big leagues in 2006.
In addition to the Cubs, Zobrist played for Tampa Bay, Oakland and Kansas City, where he was part of the 2015 World Series champions. The following year, the utility player helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.
Zobrist’s RBI double in the 10th inning of World Series Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians gave the Cubs a lasting lead.
The 2019 season was Zobrist’s last in the major leagues. He played in 47 games that year.
Earlier this month, reports suggested Zobrist’s Cubs World Series ring was being sold at auction. But Zobrist’s agent said the ring was not for sale.
Baseball-Reference estimated the total value of Zobrist’s major-league contracts at almost $87 million.
Katie Couric attends a screening during the 20th Tribeca Festival at The Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place, in New York in June. | Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Couric’s 11-city tour, announced Monday by Little, Brown and Company and Live Nation, will very much be in person, and well beyond the scale of book stores and libraries and other typical settings for authors.
NEW YORK — For her tour this fall to promote her memoir “Going There,” Katie Couric is anticipating not only the interest of her fans but a return to something like a pre-pandemic world.
Book events have remained mostly virtual even as movie theaters and concert halls have begun reopening. Couric’s 11-city tour, announced Monday by Little, Brown and Company and Live Nation, will very much be in person, and well beyond the scale of book stores and libraries and other typical settings for authors. She opens Oct. 28 at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre, two days after “Going There” is released, and her itinerary also includes the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, Atlanta Symphony Hall and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The tour arrives Nov. 6 at the Chicago Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. June 25 at Ticketmaster.com.
Special guests, to be announced, with be joining her at each stop.
“Given the challenging period we’ve been through, I’m so excited to be out in the world, creating a sense of community and a place where we can all get together for meaningful conversations, and have some fun, too,” Couric said in statement.
The tour will be produced by Live Nation, the concert promoter which previously worked on an author event scaled even higher — Michelle Obama’s tour for her 2018 memoir “Becoming.”
APThis cover image provided by Little, Brown and Company shows “Going There,” a memoir by Katie Couric, releasing Oct. 26. Couric will embark on an 11-city in-person promotional tour for her book, beginning with an appearance at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre on Oct. 28.
“It is truly an honor to work with the iconic Katie Couric and present her to live audiences across the country,” Live Nation Women President and Chief Strategy Officer Ali Harnell said in a statement. “She has always provided so much inspiration to people everywhere, particularly women.”
While Obama appeared at the Forum in Los Angeles and other venues with seating capacities of 10,000 or more, Couric’s tour is more in line with Hillary Clinton’s events for her 2017 book “What Happened” or David Sedaris’ planned stops this fall for “A Carnival of Snackeries: Diaries: Volume Two.” The Orpheum in Boston, the Beacon in New York and other stops have capacities of 2,000-3,000.
Publishers so far have hesitated to announce plans for future tours, though some in-person appearances are taking place. Jennifer Weiner is scheduled to read next month at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth, Delaware, and at other stores to promote her new novel “That Summer.” T.J. Newman, author of the debut “Thriller,” will be reading in July at the Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona, where she used to work, and at the Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan.
A memorial for Gyovanny Arzuaga, who was shot and killed in the 3200 block of West Division St. in Humboldt Park, is seen Sunday. Arzuaga was killed on Saturday while celebrating Puerto Rican Day, Sunday, June 20, 2021. Gyovanny was traveling with Yasmin Perez, who was critically wounded in the same shooting. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“As you saw from the horrific video, it wasn’t just one person. There’s one person who dealt the fatal shot. But, there were others who were standing by who dragged that poor woman out of the car,” the mayor said Monday.
An outraged Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday vowed to hunt down everyone involved in the “horrific” weekend shooting that left a man dead and a woman critically wounded in Humboldt Park.
Lightfoot said police have “promising leads” after tips from the community. They have identified a suspect who “did the shooting,” the mayor said, adding that she hopes that suspect will be in custody “relatively soon.”
But that’s not the end of the investigation, Lightfoot said.
“As you saw from the horrific video, it wasn’t just one person. There’s one person who dealt the fatal shot. But there were others who were standing by who dragged that poor woman out of the car. The man who was killed literally used his body as a shield and paid for that with his life,” the mayor said.
“The fact that happened in our city and so many individuals stood around and seemingly were trying to take advantage of this moment that, I believe, started with a car accident, is a horrific statement … about those men who were involved in that. I don’t believe they are typical by any stretch of young Black men in our city. But it’s horrific nonetheless.”
Lightfoot then delivered an ominous warning to the men she accused of being complicit in the horrific incident captured on a chilling video.
“You know who you are. People know who you are. You need to turn yourself in because we are gonna spare no resource whatsoever to find them and you and bring you to justice and make sure that these people who created such brazen chaos and harm are held in custody ’til they see their day in court,” the mayor said.
For the umpteenth time, Lightfoot demanded that Chief Judge Tim Evans order the full resumption of criminal trials for the first time since the pandemic.
“The fact that our criminal courts have been relatively inactive and closed for trials since March of 2020 makes no sense. We have federal trials that are happening in Chicago. We have criminal trials that are happening in surrounding areas,” the mayor said.
“The Chicago Police Department is doing its part. It’s investigating. It’s being proactive. It’s arresting people and bringing them to justice. But then, the cases sit and sit and sit. And we have way too many people out on pre-trial release because the courts are effectively closed. … Justice delayed is justice denied. Every part of the criminal justice ecosystem — not just the Chicago Police Department — needs to step up and get back to pre-COVID times. Otherwise, our communities are not gonna be safe.”
About 9:15 p.m., the man and woman, 24 and 25, were ambushed by up to three males who fired shots at them, Chicago police said.
The man, Gyovanny Arzuaga, was rushed to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The woman was struck in the neck and rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
A memorial for Arzuaga was erected Sunday just feet from where the 24-year-old father of two was shot dead in Humboldt Park a day earlier.
A black poster board with messages like “Happy Father’s Day” and “RIP Gyo” was taped to a post. Loved ones lit candles and left balloons and bouquets of flowers for Arzuaga, who was with a woman Saturday at Chicago’s annual Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade before they were attacked.
“He was just there to have a good time and go back home,” said his friend, Jae Pacheco, who had planned to meet up with him later in the evening.
Fragments of a broken red tail light littered the street near the memorial. A police spokeswoman said there was a crash before the shooting, leading a large crowd to surround Arzuaga’s vehicle in the 3200 block of West Division Street.
Arzuaga and the woman were ambushed by up to three men, who fired shots at them, police said.
Graphic surveillance footage purportedly showing Arzuaga’s killing was circulated widely online over the weekend, but a police spokeswoman couldn’t confirm whether the video actually depicts his shooting, which Area Four detectives are continuing to investigate.
Before the incident, police had shut down some of the streets surrounding Humboldt Park, creating traffic jams.
On Thursday, Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) in a Facebook post expressed disappointment in the local police district’s “drastic” decision to close Luis Munoz Marin Drive, a street near the annual Puerto Rican Parade, in an attempt to prevent shootings. But a police spokesperson said Sunday the inner drive of the park has never been opened to vehicular traffic during the Puerto Rican Parade.
Maldonado didn’t respond to requests for comment Sunday.
Arzuaga was remembered Sunday as a family man and gym freak who was funny and “full of life,” said Pacheco.
“He was such an amazing friend. He was really caring,” Pacheco said. “… He was just about being around good vibes, being around good people.”
Pacheco said Arzuaga had just celebrated his 24th birthday Thursday.
“I was honestly blessed to have a friend like Gyovanny,” Pacheco said. “The last thing I told him on his birthday was, ‘God bless you with so many more because this world definitely needs people like you.’
Contributing: Jermaine Nolen, Tom Schuba, Madeline Kenney
The Fulton Market area in Chicago is an exciting neighborhood to be in. Formerly the warehouse district, it has been revitalized as a go-to spot for restaurants and bars. And right alongside the new spots to eat has come some of the best living Chicago has to offer. Move-in ready, luxury apartments are the current trend. And with an apartments in Fulton Market like this, you won’t need to worry about anything except kicking up your feet and enjoying all the amenities. Plus, you’ll be able to spend all the time you save exploring the latest eats in the neighborhood
Of course, apartments like this come at a cost, but life is short, right?
Let’s look at 10 apartments in the Fulton Market area, ready for you to move in today. All of our picks scored a 4.0 or better on Google Reviews, so you can trust it’s a good starting place for your next move!
Highlight: You can get everything from a studio to a three bedroom here, and at over 1,700 square feet that’s enough space for a home office and then some!
Highlight: Bring your furry friends – Union West is incredibly pet friendly! They offer a pet spa, on-site pet park, and there’s a vet within walking distance. Plus, pet rent is just $25 a month.
Highlight: Located conveniently to the Fulton Market, this luxury apartment is meant for entertaining with a sun terrace pool, day beds, grills, and fire pits! Bring your friends!
Highlight: If you are someone who enjoys taking their morning coffee with a view, Trio gives you just that. Every apartment has an oversized balcony with unobstructed views of the city.
Highlight: If you prefer the historic space to the modernized apartments, these lofts are for you. The elegant yet classic, redesigned green efficient spaces will make you feel the city vibes.
Highlight: For those who like to cook, this is for you! The kitchen is one of the best in luxury living with an updated, gourmet Euro-style kitchen! Bon appetite.
Highlight: The EMME boasts its own herb garden – that you get to pick from, along with their own library. All of your necessary de-stressing is built in here.
Highlight: Always breaking something but hate waiting for maintenance? Monroe guarantees a maintenance response 24/7. Talk about worry free! And, there are personal rooftop decks – luxury at it’s finest.
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