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This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighteron June 14, 2021 at 6:50 pm

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This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighter

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This Doodle’s A Lover, Not A Fighteron June 14, 2021 at 6:50 pm Read More »

Farewell to unsung house-music architect Rodney BakerrJacob Arnoldon June 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm


Rodney Bakerr led early Wax Trax! group Strange Circuits, ran underground label Rockin’ House, and wrote ubiquitous house-music rhythm patterns for Roland.

As an artist, teacher, and musician, Rodney James Baker shaped countless lives, but he did it under the radar: throughout his career he remained fiercely independent, pursuing an idiosyncratic aesthetic that ensured he’d never reach a position of mainstream influence.…Read More

Farewell to unsung house-music architect Rodney BakerrJacob Arnoldon June 14, 2021 at 6:25 pm Read More »

Summer 2021: Which Chicago festivals, events have returned, been rescheduled?John Silveron June 14, 2021 at 7:31 pm

Festivals are beginning to announce their future plans for 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Improving coronavirus numbers have made more summer events possible. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.

With coronavirus case numbers and positivity rates on the decline, the summer festival season in Chicago is in much better shape than last year.

The city has given the green light for festivals and “general admission outdoor spectator events” to welcome 15 people for every 1,000 square feet.

The city has debated various ways bolster vaccination rates among young people most likely to attend outdoor music events like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a proposal to create a coronavirus vaccine passport for Chicago events is “very much a work in progress” but that preferred seating at those events could be one way to urge vaccination.

Some festivals have already announced their return and concerts are starting to be rescheduled.

We’re tracking the status of the city’s festival and major events throughout the area as new cancellations and postponements are announced. Check back for more updates.

May

JUNE

In this Feb. 12, 2018, file photo, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stand on stage together as their official portraits are unveiled at a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington. The portraits will begin a five-city national tour in Chicago on June 18, 2021.
AP
In this Feb. 12, 2018, file photo, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stand on stage together as their official portraits are unveiled at a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington. The portraits will begin a five-city national tour in Chicago on June 18, 2021.
  • “Rocking in the Park,” Rosemont: 20 weekly concerts that start May 30.
  • “Tuesdays on the Terrace,” Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. through Aug. 31.
  • Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown, 24 artworks in a public art installation along Halsted Street from Madison St. to Van Buren. Beginning June 5.

JULY

  • The Ravinia Festival announced it will reopen in July 1 for 64 concerts through Sept. 26 with a slate of outdoor concerts including a six-week residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also slated to appear are: Cynthia Erivo, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, Ides of March, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.
  • Ribfest: Naperville/Romeoville, July 1-4.
  • Grant Park Music Festival, Millennium Park. All concerts are free with reserved seats for all concertgoers and will take place Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. Run time will be 90 minutes, without intermission. July 2-Aug. 21.
  • African/Caribbean International Festival Of Life: Washington Park, July 2-4.
  • Long Play Music Fest: Rockford: Festival includes Cheap Trick, Jeff Tweedy, and Gin Blossoms. July 3-4.
Darius Rucker (shown in performance at the The 54th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Music City Center on in 2020) will headline the 2021 Windy City Smoekout in Chicago.
Getty Images for CMA
Darius Rucker (shown in performance at the The 54th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Music City Center on in 2020) will headline the 2021 Windy City Smoekout in Chicago.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

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Summer 2021: Which Chicago festivals, events have returned, been rescheduled?John Silveron June 14, 2021 at 7:31 pm Read More »

‘Freedom Day’ for England pushed back 4 weeks to July 19Associated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:44 pm

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks to 9 Downing Street ahead of his press conference where he announced the delay of the planned relaxation of lockdown measures, in London, Monday, June 14, 2021.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks to 9 Downing Street ahead of his press conference where he announced the delay of the planned relaxation of lockdown measures, in London, Monday, June 14, 2021. | AP

In a press briefing, Boris Johnson voiced his confidence that he won’t need to delay the plan to lift restrictions on social contact further, as millions more people get fully vaccinated against the virus.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday that the next planned relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in England will be delayed by four weeks, until July 19, a decision he said will save thousands of lives as the government speeds up its vaccination drive.

In a press briefing, Johnson voiced his confidence that the new date for the lifting of restrictions on social contact will be the final one as the vaccination drive is accelerated to counter the delta variant that scientists reckon is between 40% and 80% more transmissible than the previous dominant strain in the U.K.

“I think it is sensible to wait just a little longer,” he said. “Now is the time to ease off the accelerator, because by being cautious now we have the chance in the next four weeks to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people.”

He said that by July 19, two-thirds of the adult population will have been double-vaccinated, including everyone over the age of 50, and that everyone over the age of 18 will have been offered a jab, earlier than the previous target of the month’s end. The gap between the two doses for over 40s is also being reduced to eight weeks from 12 to provide the maximum protection against the variant sooner.

New analysis Monday from Public Health England showed that two doses of the main vaccines in the U.K.’s rollout are highly effective against hospitalization from the delta variant, which was first identified in India. It said the Pfizer vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalization after 2 doses while the AstraZeneca jab is 92% effective.

“It’s unmistakably clear the vaccines are working and the sheer scale of the vaccine rollout has made our position incomparably better than in previous waves,” Johnson said.

Under the government’s plan for coming out of lockdown, all restrictions on social contact were set to be lifted next Monday. Many businesses, particularly those in hospitality and entertainment, voiced their disappointment about the delay to what had been dubbed by the British media as “Freedom Day.” Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been particularly upset at the prospect of a delay and has said he will reopen his theaters regardless, a move that would risk him being arrested.

A delay is particularly bitter pill for nightclubs, as they have not been allowed to reopen since March 2020.

It will also likely impact how many fans are allowed into the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the European Championship soccer matches at Wembley Stadium, which will host the tournament’s semi-finals and final. However, actual numbers may be higher at certain events as Johnson said the government will carry on with its test program to allow more fans into stadiums.

The Confederation of British Industry said the delay is “regrettable” but “understandable” and urged the government to provide more support to those businesses affected.

“But we must acknowledge the pain felt by businesses in hospitality, leisure and live events,” said the CBI’s director-general Tony Danker. “At best they’re operating with reduced capacity hitting revenues, and at worst, some aren’t open at all.”

When Johnson first outlined the government’s four-stage plan for lifting the lockdown in England in February, he set June 21 as the earliest date by which restrictions on people gathering would be lifted. However, he stressed at the time that the timetable was not carved in stone and that all the steps would be driven by “data not dates” and would seek to be “irreversible.”

Though daily infections have increased threefold over the past few weeks they are still way down from the nearly 70,000 daily cases recorded in January. On Monday, the British government reported 7,742 new confirmed cases, one of the highest daily numbers since the end of February. The delta variant accounts for around 90% of all new infections. The number of peopled being hospitalized with the virus has edged up over recent days.

Many blame the Conservative government for the spike, saying it acted too slowly to impose the strictest quarantine requirements on everyone arriving from India, which has endured a catastrophic resurgence of the virus.

Despite the government having faced criticism for that decision, it has won plaudits for the speedy and coherent rollout of vaccines. As of Monday, around 62% of the British population had received one shot, while about 45% had got two jabs.

The rapid rollout of vaccines and a strict months-long lockdown helped drive down the number of virus-related deaths in the U.K. in recent months. Despite that, the country has recorded nearly 128,000 virus-related deaths, more than any other nation in Europe.

But infections are now going the wrong way, upending the government’s plans as well as those of many businesses.

“The reality is we have marched the troops up the hill,” said Howard Panter, joint CEO and creative director at theater operator Trafalgar Entertainment.

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‘Freedom Day’ for England pushed back 4 weeks to July 19Associated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:44 pm Read More »

Israel OKs contentious Jerusalem march, weeks after warAssociated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:50 pm

In this May 10, 2021, file photo, Israelis wave national flags during a Jerusalem Day parade, in Jerusalem. Israel’s new government on Monday, June 14 approved a contentious parade by Israeli nationalists through Palestinian areas around Jerusalem’s Old City, setting the stage for possible renewed confrontations just weeks after an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Hamas called on Palestinians to “resist” the march.
In this May 10, 2021, file photo, Israelis wave national flags during a Jerusalem Day parade, in Jerusalem. Israel’s new government on Monday, June 14 approved a contentious parade by Israeli nationalists through Palestinian areas around Jerusalem’s Old City, setting the stage for possible renewed confrontations just weeks after an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Hamas called on Palestinians to “resist” the march. | AP

The parade, scheduled for Tuesday, creates an early test for the fledgling government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — a patchwork of parties that includes hard-line nationalists as well as the first Arab party to sit in a governing coalition.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s new government on Monday approved a contentious parade by Israeli nationalists through Palestinian areas around Jerusalem’s Old City, setting the stage for possible renewed confrontations just weeks after an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Hamas called on Palestinians to “resist” the march.

The parade, scheduled for Tuesday, creates an early test for the fledgling government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — a patchwork of parties that includes hard-line nationalists as well as the first Arab party to sit in a governing coalition.

Every year, Israeli ultranationalists hold the boisterous march, waving blue-and-white flags and chanting slogans as they march through the Old City’s Damascus Gate and into the heart of the Muslim Quarter to celebrate Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians consider the march a provocation.

The parade was originally scheduled for May 10. At the time, tensions already were high following weeks of clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian demonstrators around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, as well as attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes in a nearby neighborhood.

As thousands of Jewish activists began the procession, police ordered a change in the route to avoid the Damascus Gate. Hamas militants in Gaza then fired a barrage of rockets toward Jerusalem, igniting the war that took over 250 Palestinian lives and killed 13 people in Israel.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said U.N. officials have made clear “the need for all sides to refrain from unilateral steps and provocations, for them to exercise restraint and allow for the necessary work to be done to solidify the current cease-fire.”

Omer Bar-Lev, the new Cabinet minister who oversees police, said he met with police, military and top security officials to review the plan.

“I got the impression that the police are well-prepared and a great effort is being made to preserve the delicate fabric of life and public security,” Bar-Lev said.

His statement gave no details on the parade route. But Israeli media said the crowd would walk past the Damascus Gate but not enter the Muslim Quarter.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said about 2,000 police would be deployed.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 war and considers the area, home to the city’s most sensitive religious sites, to be part of its capital. The competing claims to the holy city by Palestinians and Israelis lie at the heart of the conflict and have sparked many rounds of violence.

Hamas issued a statement calling on Palestinians to show “valiant resistance” to the march. It urged people to gather in the streets of the Old City and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque to “rise up in the face of the occupier and resist it by all means to stop its crimes and arrogance.”

Israeli Channel 13 TV said the military was on heightened alert in the occupied West Bank and along the Gaza front to prepare for possible violence.

The military said it was “conducting ongoing situational assessments and is prepared for a variety of developments and scenarios.” It said, however, there were no reinforcements of troops.

Israeli lawmakers on Sunday narrowly approved Bennett’s new governing coalition, ousting Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years in power.

On Monday, Bennett held a brief handover meeting with his predecessor, but without the formal ceremony that traditionally accompanies a change in government — a sign of Netanyahu’s lingering anger and hostility toward the new government.

Bennett presides over a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight small and midsize parties with deep ideological differences — but promised to try to heal the divided nation. Netanyahu serves as the opposition leader.

David Bitan, a Likud lawmaker, told Kan public radio that Netanyahu did not hold a formal handover ceremony with Bennett because he feels “cheated” by the formation of the Bennett-Lapid government and “doesn’t want to give even the slightest legitimacy to this matter.”

The coalition includes three parties that are headed by politicians who used to be Netanyahu allies, including Bennett. Although they share Netanyahu’s hard-line ideology on many issues, the three leaders clashed with the divisive former prime minister over his personality and leadership style.

Under a coalition agreement, Bennett will hold the office of premier for the first two years of the term, and then Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the architect of the coalition, will become prime minister.

Bennett, 49, became prime minister after Sunday’s 60-59 vote in Knesset, capping a chaotic parliamentary session. The motion passed after a member of the coalition was taken by ambulance from hospital to the parliament building to cast her vote, and despite an abstention by a coalition member from the Islamist Raam party.

Bennett faces a challenge of holding the tenuous coalition together and said he is prioritizing mending the many rifts dividing Israeli society.

—-

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

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Israel OKs contentious Jerusalem march, weeks after warAssociated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:50 pm Read More »

Panic attacks highlight stress at shelters for migrant kidsAssociated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:54 pm

In this March 30, 2021, file photo, minors are shown inside a pod at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in Donna, Texas.
In this March 30, 2021, file photo, minors are shown inside a pod at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in Donna, Texas. | AP

The conditions described by a federal volunteer who spent two weeks in May at the shelter at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas, highlight the desperation and stress of thousands of children held at unlicensed facilities, waiting to reunite with relatives.

Paramedics were called regularly to treat children suffering from panic attacks so severe their hands would constrict into balls and their bodies would shake. The outbursts often occurred after other children were taken away to be reunited with families, dashing the hopes of those left behind at the largest emergency shelter set up by the Biden administration to hold minors who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone.

The conditions described by a federal volunteer who spent two weeks in May at the shelter at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas, highlight the desperation and stress of thousands of children held at unlicensed facilities, waiting to reunite with relatives.

Some had marks on their arms indicating self-harm, and federal volunteers were ordered to keep out scissors, pencils or even toothbrushes that could be used as a weapon. While girls made origami and braided friendship bracelets, a large number of the children spent the day sleeping, the volunteer said. Some had been there nearly two months.

The volunteer spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to talk publicly about what she witnessed on the base from May 12 to May 25. She said she was compelled to speak out because of the despair she observed. Much of what she described mirrored what advocates who visited the shelter recently recounted to The Associated Press and what children there told them.

The conditions raise concerns about why it is taking more than a month on average to release the children when most have family in the United States. More staffing has been added since the emergency shelters were opened this spring amid an unprecedented arrival of migrant children, and the flows have subsided.

“I think there is a general consensus that no child should be in these emergency shelters for more than two weeks,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel for the advocacy group American Immigration Council.

Lawyers and advocates question why most of the children are at unlicensed shelters.

As of May 31, nearly 9,000 children were kept at unlicensed sites, compared with 7,200 at licensed shelters, court filings by the U.S. government said. While the unlicensed facilities were running at near capacity in May, the licensed facilities were only about half full, according to a report filed by the agency tasked with the children’s care.

Advocates say the government should be pouring more resources into the safe release of children, and those without relatives or a family friend, known as a sponsor, should be immediately going to licensed facilities that are required to have a care worker for every eight children during the day and a mental health clinician per every 12 children.

The volunteer was one of more than 700 at the time, when Fort Bliss housed more than 4,600 children in giant, air-conditioned military tents filled with cot-style bunkbeds. The number of children there is now down by nearly half, at fewer than 2,500.

The volunteer said she met children who had been there 54 days. She saw bubbly girls grow angry and quiet and sleep so much they had to be woken to eat.

Several had panic attacks after seeing friends leave to join their families. One day, ambulances were called four times, the volunteer said.

“Paramedics would come into the tent and take them away on a stretcher because their hands would constrict up, their heads would sometimes go to one side, and their limbs would shake and it was obvious that it was very uncontrolled,” she said.

The children could call their families twice a week.

An official from the Department of Health and Human Services did not comment specifically on the allegations regarding first responders treating children suffering from panic attacks and other concerns about the minors’ safety, but said the administration was working on expanding indoor recreation space, mental health support, wellness activities and educational services. The official said mental health services and counseling are available to everyone at the emergency facilities.

The record arrivals of migrant children have tested the Biden administration, with the U.S. government picking up nearly 60,000 children traveling without their parents across the Mexican border from February to May.

The government’s goal is to unite every child safely and swiftly with their parents or sponsors, but it takes time to do the extensive screening that includes interviews, background checks and sometimes home visits, the government official said.

The administration has maintained it followed best practices when it opened 14 emergency intake sites this spring to respond quickly to overcrowding at Customs and Border Protection facilities, and said improvements are being made constantly.

They include the addition of virtual case managers to assist staff on the ground to expedite the release of children, and efforts to identify complicated cases or children without relatives or sponsors to move them to licensed facilities.

The number of children in the shelters has dropped from a high of more than 23,000 to 16,000. Four emergency shelters have closed, while two more are slated to close soon.

The government is no longer anticipating Fort Bliss will need to expand to 10,000 beds, the official said.

Attorneys and advocates say the Fort Bliss shelter should be shuttered as soon as possible.

Advocates say better options are being underutilized like the convention center in Long Beach, California, where immigration attorneys meet with children regularly, and musical performers and yoga instructors have been invited in.

A Pomona, California, facility is housing about 500 children but has space for more than 2,000. It has consistently met its goal of reunifying 20% of the children by the end of each week, said Lindsay Toczylowski, executive director of Immigrant Defenders Law Center in California.

“One of the questions I have is why are children continuing to be held in places like Fort Bliss, where conditions are being reported as so dire, when there are places like Pomona?” she said.

The government said every shelter offers mental health care, and it has added more behavioral health, spiritual and educational services, including at Fort Bliss, which also opened more indoor recreational space.

Even so, none of the emergency shelters can properly care for children with the trauma of fleeing violent homelands, said Leecia Welch, an attorney at the nonprofit National Center for Youth Law who monitors the care of immigrant children in U.S. custody to ensure the facilities adhere to conditions set out by a long-standing court settlement.

“There is not enough focus on releasing children to their families,” said Welch, whose team visited Fort Bliss on June 3 and 4.

Releasing children in U.S. custody has become more critical since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this month directed a state agency to discontinue licenses for facilities sheltering migrant children.

Advocates fear shelters could close and result in more minors in unlicensed shelters like Fort Bliss.

The volunteer said she could see the toll it was taking.

With more than 900 girls there at the time, the volunteers divided them into pods to better care for them. Her pod watched over 25 girls. Some required one-on-one supervision 24 hours a day after showing a tendency to harm themselves, she said.

Weeks after she was admitted to Fort Bliss, a shy 13-year-old girl was finally given a new pair of shoes to replace the tattered ones she wore when she left Guatemala and walked for days, the volunteer said.

When she got them, she held them to her chest, she said.

The government notified the volunteers on May 24 that they were no longer needed because the contractor had hired enough staff to have one worker for every 15 children.

“I know that this is very upsetting news to many of us and that we all have concerns about the children being treated humanely after we leave,” the email stated, assuring the volunteers they would be let go gradually.

The contractor, Rapid Deployment Inc., declined to comment, referring questions to the administration.

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Panic attacks highlight stress at shelters for migrant kidsAssociated Presson June 14, 2021 at 7:54 pm Read More »

Afternoon Edition: June 14, 2021Satchel Priceon June 14, 2021 at 8:00 pm

A Juneteenth flag was raised at Daley Center Plaza Monday, June 14, 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny with a high near 81 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and a low around 62. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 76.

Top story

Lightfoot does about-face, declares Juneteenth an official city holiday

Nearly a year to the day after ruling it out as too costly, Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared today that Chicago will recognize June 19, known as Juneteenth, as an official city holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

The mayor’s surprise announcement came during an event at Daley Center Plaza that kicked off a week-long Juneteenth celebration.

“I, like many others, didn’t even know anything about Juneteenth until I was an adult. And that’s because it has never been treated with the reverence that it should be. If you look at the … history books that are used to teach our children, you may only see a passing reference, if at all. We must change that,” Lightfoot told a crowd at Daley Center Plaza.

The decision to declare Juneteenth as a city holiday marked an about-face from the stance the mayor took last year on the day the Chicago City Council voted to recognize Juneteenth, but stopped short of declaring it a city holiday.

This morning, the mayor explained her change of heart just days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to sign a bill declaring Juneteenth a state holiday.

What she didn’t say is that by declaring June 19 an official city holiday, Lightfoot can appease those still pushing to rename Outer Lake Shore Drive in honor of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable over her strenuous objections.

Read Fran Spielman’s full story to get more of Mayor Lightfoot’s explanation on why she had a change of heart on the subject.

More news you need

  1. A poll commissioned by two downtown aldermen backs Mayor Lightfoot’s claims that many Chicago residents don’t support renaming Outer Lake Shore Drive in honor of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. Among 600 registered Chicago voters polled, 41% opposed the renaming while 32% supported it and 24% were undecided.
  2. State public health officials said they’re going to stop issuing daily updates on coronavirus numbers as the state sees downward trends in infection rates, new cases and deaths. Instead, the state will issue a release every Friday with data on the public website being updated every weekday.
  3. The feuding stars of “Windy City Rehab” appear to agree on at least one thing: They need help splitting up their shared business interests. The two sides also admitted in an emergency motion filed last week that the HGTV show’s splashy, remodeled homes weren’t big moneymakers.
  4. A massive fire at a Rockton chemical plant led to a mandatory evacuation order for the surrounding area this morning. Videos posted to social media showed a large explosion as smoke poured out of the facility earlier today.
  5. Former Elgin schools superintendent José Torres will take over as the interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools. The city announced the move this afternoon after our Nader Issa reported it in the morning.
  6. South Side comedy legend Bernie Mac will be the subject of an upcoming biopic produced by John Legend. The two acted together in “Soul Men,” one of Mac’s final acting roles before his death 13 years ago.

A bright one

Bryzzo for life: How Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo became Cubs’ dynamic duo

If you’ve looked into the Cubs’ dugout during a game over the last seven years, there’s one thing you’ll almost always see.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo together.

Whether it’s chatting in the clubhouse, where their lockers are next to each other, or in the on-deck circle, as they’ve hit back-to-back almost their entire careers, the two Cubs superstars have a knack for being in the same place at the same time.

The natural chemistry between the two franchise cornerstones has been a hand-in-glove fit. Even the final out of the Cubs’ first World Series title in 108 years felt poetic, with the game’s last play going from Bryant to Rizzo.


Getty Images

Two extraordinary talents with two different personalities ended up in the same place with one goal — to be the anchors of what the Cubs hoped would be the first World Series championship team in over a century.

But their connection that over the years has resembled a scene from the movie “Step Brothers” didn’t just manifest out of thin air. As a matter of fact, it took time to develop on their way to becoming what fans around baseball now know as “Bryzzo.”

Read Russell Dorsey’s full story on how the Cubs’ dynamic duo came to be.

From the press box

Your daily question ☕

How did you enjoy the first weekend in Chicago without pandemic restrictions in over a year?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

On Friday, we asked you: As select museums stay open later tonight, we want to know — which Chicago museum is your favorite? Tell us why. Here’s what some of you said…

“The Museum of Science and Industry because it’s AWESOME. Truly a place to spark the imagination and educate the mind.” — Chris Vaughn

“I love the Chicago History Museum because I’m fascinated with the history of Chicago and the exhibits are so interesting.” — Yvette Coleman-Pitts

“I live in Chicago many years ago and my favorite museum was the Art Institute. Every time I visited I felt amazed by it’s collections and it was always so quiet that it was like a religious experience.” — Juan LdeGuevara Parra

“Art Institute and Brookfield Zoo. Both are faves!” — Richard Bartecki

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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Afternoon Edition: June 14, 2021Satchel Priceon June 14, 2021 at 8:00 pm Read More »

Barry Bonds’ miniature schnauzer Rocky comes up short in the Westminster Dog ShowUSA TODAYon June 14, 2021 at 5:33 pm

Former MLB slugger Barry Bonds and his sister Cheryl Dugan enters a miniature schnauzer named Rocky into the Westminster Dog Show.
Former MLB slugger Barry Bonds and his sister Cheryl Dugan enters a miniature schnauzer named Rocky into the Westminster Dog Show. | Jeff Chiu/AP

“We won because we got here. That’s all that matters,” Bonds told Fox Sports.

Usually the first thing people think about when the name Barry Bonds is mentioned is home runs, alleged performance-enhancing drug use, and a talented sometimes difficult to deal with superstar.

Well, Bonds, has found an interesting post-baseball hobby after a record-setting and controversial major league baseball career.

Bonds and his sister Cheryl Dugan entered a miniature schnauzer named Rocky in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, held over this past weekend.

“We won because we got here. That’s all that matters,” Bonds told Fox Sports.

Rocky did not come out victorious in his breed, but to Bonds, that didn’t matter.

“I’ve been to a lot of playoffs, and I’ve been to the World Series, and I’ve never won. But for 22 years, I kept trying,” Bonds added.

Wasabi, a Pekingese, won the most prestigious prize of the evening on Sunday, taking home the Best in Show.

Read more at usatoday.com

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Barry Bonds’ miniature schnauzer Rocky comes up short in the Westminster Dog ShowUSA TODAYon June 14, 2021 at 5:33 pm Read More »

Things to do in Chicago for music fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 14, 2021 at 6:02 pm

Music fans (like those pictured at Lollapalooza 2019) will have plenty to cheer about this summer as live music returns to Chicago.
Music fans (like those pictured at Lollapalooza 2019) will have plenty to cheer about this summer as live music returns to Chicago. | Santiago Covarrubias/For the Sun-Times

For fans of any genre, live music isn’t hard to come by in Chicago. Check out our highlights for concerts, festivals and live performances in and around the city.

Welcome to our highlights for concerts, festivals and live music in Chicago. From free shows at Millennium Park to large festivals like Ravinia and Lollapalooza, and intimate shows at small local venues, our guide has all the latest music entertainment. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on concerts and events.

Summer Nights with Northlight

What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).

When: Performances times are 6 p.m.

Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.

Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective

What: Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collectivepresents “Emerge,” a new cabaret series featuring music, drag performance, comedy and spoken word.

When: every second Friday of the month

Where: Porkchop, 1132 W. Grand

Tickets: $20. Visit labyrinthartsperformance.com.

‘Raices to Roots’

Poet Luis Tubens a.k.a. Logan Lu (from left), dancer Alyssa Harslton, singer Lester Rey, choreographer and dancer Maria Luisa Torres, dancer Angela Townsend, and musicians Natalie Land and Peter “Maestro” Vale celebrate Puerto Rican stories of pride and resilience through original Afro-Latin dance, spoken word, and music in “Raices to Roots.”
Marlon Taylor
Poet Luis Tubens a.k.a. Logan Lu (from left), dancer Alyssa Harslton, singer Lester Rey, choreographer and dancer Maria Luisa Torres, dancer Angela Townsend, and musicians Natalie Land and Peter “Maestro” Vale celebrate Puerto Rican stories of pride and resilience through original Afro-Latin dance, spoken word, and music in “Raices to Roots.”

WHAT: The Chicago Puerto Rican experience is celebrated in “Raices to Roots.” Using “home” as a theme, a cast of artists embody stories of pride, struggle and resilience through original Afro-Latin dance, spoken word and music. The performers are poet Luis Tubens a.k.a. Logan Lu; dancers Maria Luisa Torres, Alyssa Harslton and Angela Townsend; and musicians and performers Peter “Maestro” Vale, Natalie Land and Lester Rey.

WHEN: June 5-6, 24-27

WHERE: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4048 W. Armitage.

TICKETS: $30-$50. Visit segundoruizbelvis.org.

Tuesdays on the Terrace

“Tuesdays on the Terrace” at the MCA in Chicago.
Copyright MCA
“Tuesdays on the Terrace” at the MCA in Chicago.

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays June 1-Aug. 31

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden, 220 E. Chicago

What: Tuesdays on the Terrace returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden. The popular jazz concert series features an array of Chicago jazz musiciansFirst up on June 1 is Alexis Lombre’s Ancestral Awakenings. Free with advance reservations. Visit mcachicago.org.

Lollapalooza

When: July 29-Aug. 1

Where: Grant Park

What: Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park July 29-Aug. 1 with Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, the Creator, Miley Cyrus, Dababy, Marchmello, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Kaytranada and more. $375+/festival pass. Visit lollapalooza.com.

Pitchfork Music Festival

When: Sept. 10-12

Where: Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph

What: The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph. Performers include Erykah Badu Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, The Fiery Furnaces, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon Waxahatchee, Flying Lotus, Thundercat and more.

Tickets: $90/day, $195 festival pass. Visit pitchforkmusicfestival.com.

Riot Fest

When: Sept. 17-19

Where: Douglass Park, Chicago

What: Riot Fest is back, this year with Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, Pixies, Faith No More, Devo, Lupe Fiasco and more.

Tickets: $125+/day $155+/festival pass. Visit riotfest.org.

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Things to do in Chicago for music fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 14, 2021 at 6:02 pm Read More »

4 killed, 43 wounded in Chicago over weekend, including second mass shooting in a weekSun-Times Wireon June 14, 2021 at 6:07 pm

A fireworks explodes in the air as Chicago police work the scene were a 20-year-old woman was shot in 4700 block of South California Ave, in the Brighton Park neighborhood, Friday, June 11, 2021. The shooting initially took place near the 4700 block of South Rockwell.
Fireworks explode as Chicago police work the scene where a 20-year-old woman was shot in 4700 block of South California Ave, in Brighton Park neighborhood, Friday, June 11, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Two gunman opened fire on a group in the 7500 block of South Prairie Avenue on Saturday, killing a mother of three and wounding nine other people..

For the second straight weekend, gun violence in Chicago was marked by a mass shooting on the South Side, about 2 1/2 miles from each other.

And while the total number of shootings was down this past weekend, people were shot in nearly every police district, according to a Sun-Times analysis.

In all, four people were killed and 43 others were wounded across the city, down from the five killed and 53 wounded the weekend before. Shootings were reported in 17 of the city’s 22 police districts.

The only ones spared were those on the North and Northwest sides, which have generally low rates of violence, and the Chicago Lawn District near Midway Airport on the Southwest Side that has seen its numbers steadily decrease this year.

The latest mass shooting occurred early Saturday along a busy thoroughfare in the Gresham Police District where nine people were shot and a mother of three was killed.

That’s the same district where eight people were wounded when gunmen opened fire from a silver car in Burnside the weekend before, according to Chicago police.

Shootings in the district are up nearly 60% from this time last year, according to Chicago police statistics.

‘Prime of her life’

Just after 2 a.m. Saturday, two gunmen approached a group standing on the sidewalk in the 7500 block of South Prairie Avenue and opened fire, Chicago police said.

Kimfier Miles was shot in her leg and abdomen and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Kimfier Miles
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Kimfier Miles

“She was only 29; in the prime of her life,” Miles’ cousin Takita Miles said.

Nine more victims, ranging in age from 23 to 49 years old,were transported to area hospitals all in fair or good condition, according to police. There is no one in custody.

South Loop homicide

A 22-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in South Loop.

About 1:20 p.m., the man was parked on the street in the 600 block of South Wells Street when someone in a passing vehicle fired shots, police said.

He was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. The medical examiner’s office identified him as Dearl Butler Jr.

Woman shot dead in Brighton Park

A 20-year-old woman was killed in a shooting Friday night in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side.

Fhee Hernandez-Castillo was sitting in a vehicle with her boyfriend about 8:50 p.m. when a gunman approached them while yelling gang slogans in the 4700 block of South Rockwell Street, Chicago police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Hernandez-Castillo was sitting in the passenger seat when she was struck in the neck and hand, police said.

After the shooting, her boyfriend drove off and pulled over at a Shell gas station, 4658 S California Ave., where Chicago Fire Department paramedics arrived.

Hernandez-Castilo was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital and later pronounced dead, police said.

Man killed while driving in Englewood

Early Monday, a man was shot and killed while driving in Englewood on the South Side. The man, 42, was shot around 4:20 a.m. and crashed into a fence at Periwinkle Park in the 6500 block of South Perry Avenue, police said.

The man, shot five times, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released. Before he died, the man said a woman he knew had shot him, police said. No one was in custody.

Other shootings

— A 16-year-old girl was listed in critical condition after a shooting Sunday night in Lawndale that also left a 46-year-old man seriously wounded.

The man and the teen were outside in the 3900 block of West 13th Street when they were shot about 11:20 p.m., police said. The teen suffered three gunshot wounds and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. The man was struck in the buttocks and lower back and taken to the same hospital in serious condition, police said. Witnesses told officers they saw a male fleeing the scene of the shooting, according to police.

— A 14-year-old boy was wounded in an attack Saturday in West Woodlawn.

The teen boy was playing with his friends on the sidewalk about 6:45 p.m. when someone opened fire in the 6500 block of South Champlain Avenue, police said. He suffered a graze wound on the neck and was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

— Two more teens were hurt in a drive-by shooting Saturday in Little Village on the Southwest Side.

The boys, both 17, were in the alley about 3:25 p.m. when a light-colored vehicle drove past them and someone from inside fired shots in the 3500 block of West Cermak Road, police said. One boy was shot in the shoulder and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said. The other suffered a graze wound to the arm and was taken in good condition to the same hospital.

— In the weekend’s first reported shooting, two men were wounded in an attack in South Shore.

They were on the sidewalk about 6:50 p.m. Friday when someone fired shots in the 7500 block of South Kingston Avenue, police said. The 33-year-old was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said. The other, 29, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.

At least 27 other people were hurt in shootings between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

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

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4 killed, 43 wounded in Chicago over weekend, including second mass shooting in a weekSun-Times Wireon June 14, 2021 at 6:07 pm Read More »