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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In the summer of 1952, the International Amphitheater in Chicago, with air conditioning and state-of-the-art accommodations for a new breed of broadcast journalists, hosted not one but two presidential nominating conventions. The city’s 3.6 million people made it nearly twice the size of Los Angeles which, while glamorous and growing, was still a 40-hour train ride away, too distant even for big-league baseball.

With Chicago leading the way, midcentury Illinois was king of the nation’s middle, second only to New York. But those days were a distant memory last month when the Census Bureau reported that in the last decade, Illinois lost population for the first time in its history.

“We like to compare ourselves to New York and to L.A.,” said Erin Aleman, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. “To see the state experience a decline, it’s tough.”

Reversing the flow of young people out of Illinois poses tough questions for Democrats, who’ve proposed new legislative maps and whose control of the state has tightened as its national influence has shrunk. Experts say the state has to dump a Rust Belt mindset by widening employment opportunities, putting affordable housing in the right places and turning current tax policy on its head.

The decline was just 18,124 people, or about one-tenth of 1%, but it cost the state one of its 18 U.S. House seats — from a high of 27 in 1930 — a consequence more than psychological. Only two other states, Mississippi and West Virginia, lost residents.

Historically, an Associated Press review found that, not counting the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, a decennial population loss has occurred to a state only 31 times since 1900. Downturns often occurred during cataclysms: half a dozen states lost people during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s; New York diminished in the 1970s amid a financial crisis that nearly pushed New York City into bankruptcy; Iowa fell during the farm crisis of the 1980s.

William Frey, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at The Brookings Institution, said Illinois is losing young people of child-bearing age, a loss compounded when those people go on to have their children in other states. And Illinois isn’t attracting enough young people from elsewhere, he said.

The decline was apparent early in the decade, even before Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican who served from 2015-2019, advocated his conservative “turn around” agenda — lower taxes and fewer business regulations — to stem what he claimed was an exodus-from-Illinois stampede.

It’s the echo of Rauner’s drumbeat that piqued Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s response. Pritzker, who defeated the one-term Rauner in 2018, decried “the carnival barkers and the right-wing zealots” who he said were exaggerating the decline. He also hit Trump-era policies — late in the 2010s — that hampered immigrant inflow, long a source of growth for the state.

“I’m not going to downplay it in any way. We have to do better. We have to do more,” Pritzker said. “We need to keep our students here. We need to make it affordable for people to come to the state of Illinois and go to school here.”

Aleman believes there are answers in the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning’s outlook, “On to 2050,” with appropriate housing planned for areas targeted for employment growth and with updated, community-friendly tax policies. Grousing about property taxes, at or near the nation’s highest, is an Illinois pastime.

“Those policies that are in place today were developed decades ago and really need to be brought up to date to deal with how we’re buying goods, how we’re living our lives, how we’re traveling on the roads,” Aleman said.

Two of those proposals, when floated during the past 20 years, have hit fierce opposition: Broadening the sales tax base to include services as well as products and substituting a usage fee for the motor fuel tax, whose impact has plummeted with fuel efficiency. Another key change would restructure the way state tax revenue is shared with municipalities to give them more flexibility in determining land use.

Stu Piper grew up in the Chicago suburb of LaGrange in a family that first farmed land in 1836, before Chicago was even incorporated as a city. Now a Realtor in Washington, D.C., but still a Prairie State booster, Piper said there’s strength outside Chicago in the stable housing prices offered by an abundance of smaller metropolitan areas such as Rockford, Peoria, the Quad Cities, Bloomington-Normal and Springfield.

“With the gig economy, there’s opportunities for people to work from home and live 100 miles from Chicago, maybe go in Chicago once or twice a month, or go to Rockford or Moline,” said Piper, past president of the Illinois Society of Washington, a group of Illinois ex-pats who promote the state in the nation’s capital.

“There’s a lot of people in Illinois, politicians and community leaders, that are thinking outside the box,” he said. “Not the same old, same way, go-along-get-along kind of politics, which Illinois has had for way too long.”

Contributing: AP Researcher Monika Mathur in New York; AP Writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago.

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NEW YORK — Singer Dua Lipa is blasting an organization that paid for a full-page ad in The New York Times that called her antisemitic for her support of Palestinians, saying it used her name “shamelessly” to “advance their ugly campaign with falsehoods and blatant misrepresentations.”

In the rambling ad which appeared in Saturday’s newspaper in the main section, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the head of the World Values Network, named Lipa, and the models Bella and Gigi Hadid as three “mega-influencers” who have “accused Israel of ethnic cleansing” and “vilified the Jewish State.”

Lipa took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to “reject the false and appalling allegations” and said the World Values Network twisted what she stands for. “I stand in solidarity with all oppressed people and reject all forms of racism,” she wrote.

Tensions increased in the Mideast since May 10, when Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem. The barrage came after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

A cease-fire was declared Friday. The 11-day war left more than 250 dead — the vast majority Palestinians — and brought widespread devastation to the already impoverished Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Many celebrities have taken to social media to post pro-Palestinian messages, including the singer Zayn, Roger Waters, The Weeknd and Mark Ruffalo. Lipa is dating Anwar Hadid, Gigi and Bella’s brother.

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Any discussion about public subsidies to help Chicago hotels reopen should begin with their commitment to offer jobs first to laid-off workers.

Chicago’s hotels are beginning to reopen as the pandemic subsides, preparing to do business again as summer tourist attractions like Lollapalooza return, and the industry is asking the city for $75 million to help cover reopening costs.

We don’t know if that’s a good idea. Chicago could spend that $75 million, a portion of the city’s federal American Rescue Plan funds, in a dozen other good ways.

But we do know this: Any discussion about subsidizing the costs of reopening for hotels should begin with a commitment by the industry, enshrined in an ordinance, to bring back workers laid off during the pandemic before hiring new employees.

Hotels have been devastated by the pandemic. Their entire reason for existence — to offer food and lodgings to people going places and meeting in person — came to a halt. But employees of the hotels have been hurt as much or more. Tens of thousands of Chicago hotel workers who were paid modestly to begin with were laid off last year because there no longer were jobs to do — no bed sheets to change, no bathrooms to clean, no tables to set.

“No industry has been harder hit by the pandemic than the hospitality industry, whose workers are overwhelmingly women of color,” Karen Kent, president of UNITE HERE Local 1, which represents workers at 51 hotels in the city, told us. “These women have worked years, if not decades, in the same hotel, spending late nights, weekends and holidays taking care of guests. They deserve the right to return to the work they love as hotels begin to rehire.”

We have no doubt that hotels will be recalling many of those workers without outside prompting, just as a matter of good business. Hard-working and experienced workers are prized. But we also have no doubt that some employers won’t want to bother with the hassle of reaching out to former employees as job applications from potential new employees pile up in human resources. Hotels might also see this as an opportunity to permanently unload higher paid workers.

A proposed ordinance pending in the City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development, dubbed the “Right to Return to Work” bill, would require hotels to notify laid-off employees by seniority when jobs become available for which they are qualified and given them 10 days to accept or decline the offer.

That would include the job the laid-off worker previously did — a hotel housekeeper, for example, would have to be offered a housekeeper job that opened up — but also any job for which that worker could reasonably be trained, just as any new employee would have to be trained.

The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, as you would expect, opposes the ordinance, saying it would created an unnecessary burden on hotels that already are in financial dire straits because of the pandemic and will be struggling to reopen. Hotels usually hire back former workers first in these situations anyway, as they did when they rebounded after the attacks of Sept. 11, the association argues, and record-keeping requirements of the proposed ordinance just add to their costs. The industry worries about litigation, as well, if some former employees feel they were overlooked.

The reality, though, is that Chicago’s hospitality industry was doing strong business before the pandemic, and it will do strong business again as the pandemic lifts. The industry can afford to treat its workers — including the laid-off ones — right. Hotels will be hiring back workers, with the incurred expenses of doing so, only as business and revenues pick up.

The Chicago ordinance is supported by UNITED HERE, which reports that only about a fourth of its 16,000 members are working. The ordinance was introduced in November by Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th, and Ald. Ed Burke, 14th.

Similar ordinances and laws have been approved in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston and the state of California, and casino workers are pushing for the law in Nevada.

Send letters to [email protected].

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The cable line had been renovated in 2016 and had only recently reopened after coronavirus lockdowns forced the closures of ski lifts across Italy. 

ROME — A cable car taking visitors to a mountaintop view of some of northern Italy’s most picturesque lakes plunged to the ground Sunday, killing at least nine people and sending two children to the hospital, authorities said.

A photo of the wreckage taken by Italy’s fire department showed the crushed and crumpled remains of the cable car in a clearing of a thick patch of pine trees near the summit of the Mottarone peak overlooking Lake Maggiore.

At that location, about 100 meters (yards) before the final pilon, the cables of the lift were particularly high off the ground, said Walter Milan, spokesman for the Alpine rescue service. The cause hasn’t been determined.

Milan noted that the cable line had been renovated in 2016 and had only recently reopened after coronavirus lockdowns forced the closures of ski lifts across Italy.

Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day in the area, and Milan hypothesized that many families were taking advantage of the gorgeous weather to enjoy a day in nature after months of lockdown. Italy only reopened a few weeks ago, allowing travel between regions after a winter of COVID-19 restrictions.

Mottarone reaches a height of 1,491 meters (4,900 feet) and overlooks several picturesque lakes and the surrounding Alps of Italy’s Piedmont region. Milan said a total of 11 people were in the cable car at the time. The two children were in serious condition and were taken to a Turin hospital, Milan said.

The trip up the mountain from the base at the lake features a cable car to get up halfway and then a chairlift to reach a small amusement park, Alpyland, further up that has a children’s rollercoaster offering 360-degree views of the scenery.

The site offers mountain bike paths and hiking trails, as is common for many Italian mountain areas that are popular with tourists and locals in spring and summer.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car line advertises a panoramic, 20-minute trip up the mountain, offering a view of seven lakes at the peak.

It appeared to be Italy’s worst cable car disaster since 1998 when a low-flying U.S. military jet cut through the cable of a ski lift in Cavalese, in the Dolomites, killing 20 people.

Italy’s transport minister, Enrico Giovannini, was following the rescue effort, which involved the deployment of three helicopters to the mountainside.

It’s the latest incident to raise questions about the quality of Italy’s transport infrastructure. In 2018, the Morandi bridge in Genoa collapsed after years of neglect, killing 43 people.

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Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a fight inside of a theater, which was hosting a private celebration, police said.

Four people were hurt in a shooting Sunday in suburban Park Forest.

Officers responded to the shooting about 1 a.m. outside of a theater venue in the 300 block of Artist Walk, Park Forest police said in a statement.

A 30-year-old woman and three men, ages 29, 31 and 33, were treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to a hospital, police said.

Police said none of their injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a fight inside of the theater, which was hosting a private celebration, police said.

“At this time there is reason to believe that there was more than one firearm involved in this shooting,” police said.

No arrests have been reported. Park Forest police are investigating.

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Guard Garrett Temple came at a cheap price last summer, and his presence in the locker room alone was worth every penny. He wants to return, but will the feeling – and money – be mutual?

At age 35 and collecting team gear from nine different organizations since 2009, Garrett Temple would love nothing more than to sign another 12-month lease in Chicago.

As the Bulls guard pointed out on several occasions, however, his current contract has an expiration date, and it comes up this summer.

“It was great while I was here,’’ Temple said of his one year with the Bulls. “I think AK and Evs [executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley] have done a great job of trying to build a culture here. [Coach] Billy [Donovan], as well. And I would love to be here and be that same veteran presence, that defender, a guy that the young guys can lean upon, coach can lean upon to impart things to the team.’’

Skillsets that come with years of experience, but also at a price.

Good thing for the Bulls not a hefty one in Temple’s case.

Of all the free agents the Bulls have to make decisions on, Temple might be in that bargain bin for most bang for the buck.

He signed for $4.7 million to play last season, and even missing some games because of the health and safety protocols as well as an ankle injury, Temple’s influence with the likes of Coby White and Zach LaVine was worth every penny and more.

It would seem like a no-brainer to bring him back for another go at it, especially with how much optimism he has about this core group.

As Temple pointed out, however, it’s not his call.

“I feel like I got a few more years to play, to really compete on the court, so I would love to be back,’’ Temple said. “But as I said, I don’t have a player option, the option is not mine, the choice is not mine. But once we get things together this is definitely a place I would love to come back to, and finish what I think we started here in terms of being able to get to be a contender in the East.’’

The “contender in the East’’ might be a little far-fetched, but bringing back Temple, who is one of four key unrestricted free agents, shouldn’t be.

What should the Bulls do with Temple? Re-Sign.

Daniel Theis – F/C – 29 years old – Salary last season: $5 million

The best compliment paid to Theis this past season after the Bulls acquired him was Donovan remarking that “You can feel when he’s on the court.’’ The tough-minded Theis makes sure opposing players feel that presence as well.

There will be a market for Theis, who can be a glue guy for a lot of frontcourts. For a Bulls roster that doesn’t exactly measure really high in the physicality department players like Theis are almost a must.

What should the Bulls do with Theis? Re-Sign.

Denzel Valentine – G – 27 years old – Salary last season: $4.6 million

Valentine has always been great with the media, has always expressed how he’s felt, but this is a case where a change of scenery would do both sides good.

He does bring value to a roster because of his ability to hit from outside and heat up from long range in a hurry. Just no longer with the Bulls.

What should the Bulls do with Valentine? Let him walk.

Cristiano Felicio – PF/C – 28 years old – Salary last season: $7.5 million

One of the final painful reminders of the Gar Forman Era. Few players accomplished less for $32 million over the last four seasons.

What should the Bulls do with Felicio? Let him walk.

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Chicago Bulls: Chandler Hutchison attempts worst troll job in history by Ryan Heckman

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

For a little while this offseason, things looked as though they would stay the same for the Chicago Bears.

It was an offseason headed for disappointment as general manager Ryan Pace’s biggest move, at one point, was letting go of an All Pro cornerback in Kyle Fuller. Then, some thought Akiem Hicks would be traded.

To say fans were upset a couple of months ago would be an understatement. The fact Pace was still around had many ready to storm Halas Hall.

But then, Pace pulled everybody back in over the course of the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s when everything changed. All of the sudden, there was hope in the name of Justin Fields. In addition to drafting Fields, the Bears have also added some underrated talent through free agency this year.

Chicago Bears training camp will prove to be a tough time for some veterans looking to stick around.

Because of the draft and free agency, the Bears now have some much-needed depth and competition at certain areas of their roster. Of course, quarterback, is one of those positions. But, there are other positions which feature some veterans who may be getting a little nervous.

Some of the positions featuring plenty of talent now include wide receiver and running back. It was clear the Bears wanted to add as much talent as possible on offense in order to put Fields in the best position to succeed.

There are some other positions which are still a little murky, but not murky enough where we can’t see a couple of players who will struggle to make the final roster. There are five veterans, in particular, who should be in for a fight and will ultimately have a difficult time sticking around past camp this summer.

Next: Player No. 1

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One person is in custody after a woman was shot early Sunday in River North.

About 1:30 a.m., two groups of people were arguing outside in the 200 block of West Illinois Street when a male fired shots striking the 35-year-old woman in the lower back, Chicago police said.

She was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition, police said. The male was placed into custody minutes after the shooting in the 300 block of West Illinois Street after witnesses saw him running from the scene, according to police.

Charges are pending, police said.

Area Three detectives are investigating.

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