There aren’t supposed to be stories written about Javonte Green with just seven games left on the schedule.

Not unless something has gone wrong in this Bulls season.

Very wrong.

And it has.

It’s not a criticism of the high-energy wing defender. If anything, he’s taking advantage of the fact that the Bulls have gone from holding down a play-in spot a month ago to now holding auditions for offseason decisions.

Because that’s basically where this 2020-21 campaign is at.

Could the Bulls at 26-39 pull off a miracle now that All-Stars Zach LaVine (health and safety protocol) and Nikola Vucevic (hip) are expected back in the starting lineup on Thursday? Maybe if the schedule wasn’t as daunting, sure. But Charlotte, Boston, Toronto, Milwaukee and Brooklyn twice may have other plans in mind, with Detroit the only game on paper that the Bulls should win.

Meanwhile, up four games and holding the final play-in spot, a red-hot Washington team does have a rough road trip that has them in Milwaukee, Toronto, Indiana and Atlanta for two, but finishes at home with Cleveland and then a Charlotte team that could be in rest mode.

So how does Green factor in all of this?

Likely very little, but in Monday’s 106-94 loss to Philadelphia, he at least made his presence felt.

With the Bulls down 20 to start the fourth, coach Billy Donovan looked deep to the bench. Maybe not Cristiano Felicio deep, but deep enough to give the seldom-used Green the nod.

Acquired from Boston in the three-way trade deadline deal that also brought Daniel Theis over, Green’s reputation was that of a defensive irritant fresh off of popping back a Red Bull.

He didn’t disappoint.

Not only did he score seven points in a run that cut the lead to just one and forced 76ers coach Doc Rivers to go back to his starters, but he had three rebounds, a steal, was active in getting his hands on the ball for deflections, ran through screens rather than around them, and finished with a plus-13 in the plus/minus category.

Was it enough to get him regular rotation work? That will be up to Donovan, and up to the energy the regular rotation shows. Both Green and Al-Farouq Amin took advantage of injuries, as well as Lauri Markkanen still dealing with illness.

“I just thought athletically we had a hard time and we needed some guys just out there in that fourth quarter at different points because [the 76ers are] a hard team to match up against with their size, and I thought Javonte was a guy who could switch and do some different things,” Donovan said. “Both those guys helped us get back in the game, but I’m not opposed to putting guys out there who are going to give us the best chance, or help us to win.”

Which is all Green is asking for.

In two seasons with Boston, Green worked his way into the backend of the rotation, and seemed to find a niche. The trade changed all that for the unrestricted free agent-to-be, so he’s now trying to showcase his talents again, whether it’s to the Bulls or another potential team.

“I just bring energy that the team needs,” Green said of the skillset he’s looking to display. “I just know that’s what got me here, just playing hard. Everything else is going to follow suit … athleticism and also my talent. I work hard to be here. I just know what I have to do to be on the basketball court.

“My journey was tough, but I’m here.”

For how long remains to be seen. Let the auditions continue.

Read More

DETROIT — Hyundai is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada for two problems that can cause engine fires. In one recall, owners are being told to park their vehicles outdoors until repairs are made.

The largest recall covers more than 203,000 Santa Fe Sport SUVs from 2013 through 2015. Some are being recalled a second time. Brake fluid can leak into the anti-lock brake computer, causing an electrical short that can lead to fires. Owners should park outdoors and away from structures until the problem is fixed, according to documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Dealers will replace a fuse and replace the computer if necessary. Owners will be notified in June.

The brake computer problem has caused 18 fires in the U.S., but no injuries, according to documents.

Hyundai says the recall “enhances the remedy” from one issued in September of 2020. The company says it kept investigating after the September recall and found that replacing the fuse would reduce the safety risk. “Hyundai is conducting this new recall to ensure the safety of its customers,” the company said in a statement.

The other recall covers nearly 187,000 2019 and 2020 Elantras, and 2019 through 2021 Konas and Velosters. All have 2-liter engines.

The piston rings may not have been properly heat-treated, which can cause engine damage, oil leaks and possible fires. Hyundai says the rings can be too hard and can be chipped, scuffing the engine cylinder. The piston problem has caused five fires but no injuries, according to documents.

Dealers will inspect and replace the engine if necessary. They’ll also install piston noise sensing software. Owners will be notified in late June.

Engine failure and fire problems at Hyundai and affiliated Korean automaker Kia have plagued the companies for more than five years, affecting the owners of more than 8 million vehicles.

Read More

America’s new normal temperature is a degree hotter than it was just two decades ago.

Scientists have long talked about climate change — hotter temperatures, changes in rain and snowfall and more extreme weather — being the “new normal.” Data released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put hard figures on the cliche.

The new United States normal is not just hotter, but wetter in the eastern and central parts of the nation and considerably drier in the West than just a decade earlier.

Meteorologists calculate climate normals based on 30 years of data to limit the random swings of daily weather. It’s a standard set by the World Meteorological Organization. Every 10 years, NOAA updates normal for the country as a whole, states and cities — by year, month and season.

For the entire nation, the yearly normal temperature is now 53.3 degrees based on weather station data from 1991 to 2020, nearly half a degree warmer than a decade ago. Twenty years ago, normal was 52.3 degrees based on data from 1971 to 2000. The average U.S. temperature for the 20th century was 52 degrees.

The new normal annual U.S. temperature is 1.7 degrees hotter than the first normal calculated for 1901 to 1930.

“Almost every place in the U.S. has warmed from the 1981 to 2010 normal to the 1991 to 2020 normal,” said Michael Palecki, NOAA’s normals project manager.

Fargo, North Dakota, where the new normal is a tenth of a degree cooler than the old one, is an exception, but more than 90% of the U.S. has warmer normal temperatures now than 10 years ago, Palecki said.

In Chicago and Asheville, North Carolina, the new yearly normal temperature jumped 1.5 degrees in a decade. Seattle, Atlanta, Boston and Phoenix had their normal annual temperature rise by at least half a degree in the last decade.

Charlottesville, Virginia, saw the biggest jump in normal temperatures among 739 major weather stations. Other large changes were in California, Texas, Virginia, Indiana, Arizona, Oregon, Arkansas, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina and Alaska.

New normals are warmer because the burning of fossil fuels is making the last decade “a much hotter time period for much of the globe than the decades” before, said Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald.

For Phoenix, the biggest change in normal came in precipitation. The normal annual rainfall for Phoenix dropped 10% down to 7.2 inches. Rainfall in Los Angeles dropped 4.6%.

At the same time, Asheville saw a nearly 9% increase in rainfall, while New York City’s rainfall rose 6%. Seattle’s normal is 5% wetter than it used to be.

Climate scientists are split about how useful or misleading newly calculated normals are.

Mahowald and University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Jason Furtado said updating normal calculations helps city and regional planners to prepare for flooding and drought, farmers to decide what and when to plant, energy companies to meet changing demands and doctors to tackle public health issues arising from climate change.

But Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann said he prefers a constant baseline such as 1951 to 1980, which is what NASA uses. Adjusting normal every 10 years “perverts the meaning of ‘normal’ and ‘normalizes’ away climate change,” he said in an email.

North Carolina’s state climatologist Kathie Dello said, “It seems odd to still call them normals because 1991-2020 was anything but normal climate-wise.”

___

Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Read More

The Cubs made a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday, placing infielder Nico Hoerner (left forearm strain), right-handers Jake Arrieta (right thumb abrasion) and Dan Winkler (right triceps tendinitis) on the 10-day injured list. The team recalled lefty Kyle Ryan and right-hander Keegan Thompson, and selected infielder Ildemaro Vargas from Triple-A Iowa.

“I think we’re optimistic about everyone, to be honest with you,” manager David Ross said before Game 1. “I don’t think they’re very serious [injuries]. I think all of them are fairly good news with the off-days coming up for us. It gives us a chance to maximize the rest time without missing too many games.”

Hoerner’s IL stint comes after his collision with outfielder Ian Happ in Sunday’s loss to the Reds. Hoerner said before the Cubs’ doubleheader that there was some soreness following Sunday’s game, but nothing too severe. But after coming in and meeting with trainers on Monday, things had progressed, leading to the team’s decision to place him on the IL.

“I was pretty stressed in the outfield, just not knowing what condition he was in,” Hoerner said. “Pretty shaken up. Just seeing a friend leave the field like that doesn’t feel good at all. So when I could go back to the locker room and see him and he was in good spirits, that definitely made me feel good, because it was probably the scariest baseball play I’ve been a part of.

“All things considered, [we’re] both pretty fortunate where we’re at, especially for his head to be in good shape after something like that. It was kind of the biggest concern for everyone. Really glad that he’s gonna be able to stay off the aisle and be healthy.”

It appeared that Happ took the worst of the collision, but has come away from the scary scene on Sunday better than many expected. The 26-year-old outfielder is still undergoing tests, but has cleared the team’s concussion protocols.

“He’s day to day,” Ross said. “Tests seem to be all good. He’s pretty sore in a lot of different areas. He ran through a ton of tests yesterday to make sure he was fine and I think all the tests I know have come back and he’s in a good place. He’s just super sore. So he’s gonna get the body cranking this morning and run through a bunch of tests with the trainers and see if he can swing and we’ll know a little more closer to game time.”

Alzolay to start Game 3 vs. Dodgers

Right-hander Adbert Alzolay will start the series finale vs. the Dodgers on Wednesday, replacing Arrieta, who was scheduled to make the start before going on the IL. Alzolay had his best start of the season in his last outing, going six innings and striking out six against the Braves.

Read More

Over the past few days, the Chicago Bears have taken some drastic steps to improve their roster going into the 2021 season. It all started Thursday night when general manager Ryan Pace made the bold move to trade up and snag Justin Fields with the no. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft. He followed […]

Chicago Bears: 5 free agent tackles to replace Charles Leno – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

Read More

After a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Blackhawks were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night.

The post Chicago Blackhawks Officially Eliminated from Playoff Contention first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More

Johnson was grazed in the head Monday night in Englewood on the South Side.

DePaul Prep basketball star TY Johnson was grazed in the head Monday night in Englewood on the South Side.

Just before midnight, the 17-year-old Johnson and an 18-year-old woman were outside in the 7000 block of South Throop Street when someone in a passing car fired at them, Chicago police said.

Johnson was grazed in the back of his head and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said. The woman was struck in the ear and brought to Stroger Hospital, where she was stabilized.

DePaul Prep Athletic Director Pat Mahoney confirmed that the 17-year-old is Johnson. According to a source, Johnson is now at home and resting and is okay. The source says 19 rounds were fired.

Johnson has signed with Loyola. He’s a two-time Sun-Times All-Area player and was this past season’s breakout star. He led the Rams to the Chipotle Clash of Champions tournament title and the No. 1 ranking in the area while averaging 20.2 points.

Read More

An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent the train plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring at least 79, city officials said. 

MEXICO CITY — An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent the train plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring at least 79, city officials said.

Rescuers found four bodies inside a rail car that was dangling from the overpass but were unable to remove them. It was not clear if those dead were included among the toll of 23. A crane carefully lowered the car to the ground Tuesday.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said one of the concrete beams collapsed as a train passed over it about 10:30 p.m. in one of the deadliest episodes in the history of the city’s subway system, which is among the world’s busiest.

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard called the collapse “the most terrible accident we have ever had in mass transportation.” Ebrard was Mexico City’s mayor from 2006 to 2012, when the affected line was built.

“The cause of the collapse of the beam must be established through an expert investigation,” Sheinbaum said.

Earlier, she said someone had been pulled alive from a car on the road. She said 77 of the injured were hospitalized, adding that children were among the dead.

The overpass was about 16 feet above the road in the borough of Tlahuac, but the train ran above a concrete median strip, which apparently lessened the casualties among motorists.

The Mexico City Metro — which is among the world’s cheapest with tickets costing about 25 cents —has had at least three serious accidents since its inauguration half a century ago. In March 2020, a collision between two trains at the Tacubaya station left one passenger dead and injured 41. In 2015, a train that did not stop on time crashed into another at the Oceania station, injuring 12. In October 1975, at least 26 people were killed in a metro accident.

Hundreds of police officers and firefighters cordoned off the scene as desperate friends and relatives of people believed to be on the train gathered. Despite the fact that the coronavirus situation remains serious in Mexico City, they crowded together waiting for news.

Adrián Loa Martínez, 46, said his mother called him to tell him that his half-brother and sister-in-law were driving when the overpass collapsed and that a beam fell onto their car.

He said that his sister-in-law was sent to a hospital, but that his half brother José Juan Galindo was crushed and he feared he was dead. “He is down there now,” he told journalists, pointing to the site.

Gisela Rioja Castro, 43, was looking for her 42-year-old husband, Miguel Ángel Espinoza. She said he always takes that train after work, but he never got home and had stopped answering his phone. When she heard what happened, she immediately feared the worst but has gotten no information from the authorities.

“Nobody knows anything,” she said.

The collapse occurred on Line 12, the subway’s newest. It stretches far into the city’s south side. Like many of the dozen subway lines, it runs underground through more central areas of the city of 9 million but is on elevated concrete structures on the outskirts.

Allegations of poor design and construction on the subway line emerged soon after the Ebrard left office as mayor. The line had to be partly closed in 2013 so tracks could be repaired.

Ebrard, who leads Mexico’s efforts to obtain coronavirus vaccines, has been considered a potential presidential candidate in 2024.

He wrote on Twitter: “What happened today on the Metro is a terrible tragedy.”

“Of course, the causes should be investigated and those responsible should be identified,” he wrote. “I repeat that I am entirely at the disposition of authorities to contribute in whatever way is necessary.”

On Tuesday, Ebrard appeared at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s daily news conference, saying, “I share the indignation that exists.”

It was not clear whether a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in 2017 could have affected the subway line. There were reports that cracks had appeared in the base of at least one of the columns that support the elevated track following that quake.

The line was closed Tuesday and hundreds of buses were called in. Thousands in surrounding neighborhoods lined up before dawn to catch the buses for work.

Read More

Rather than standing by Liz Cheney — as he did during a failed effort to oust her in February — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy essentially planted himself in the camp of her critics

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stepped up the pressure on No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney on Tuesday, claiming rank-and-file concerns about “her ability to carry out her job” as she trades insults with former President Donald Trump.

McCarthy’s comments on the Fox News Channel underscored the continued, if not growing, grip that the former president has on the House GOP.

Rather than standing by Cheney — as he did during a failed effort to oust her in February — McCarthy essentially planted himself in the camp of her critics. His positioning with her detractors and their increasingly outspoken attacks suggest her hold on her leadership job is in renewed peril.

“I have heard from members concerned about her ability to carry out her job as conference chair, to carry out the message,” said McCarthy, R-Calif. “We all need to be working as one if we’re able to win the majority. Remember, majorities are not given. They are earned.”

McCarthy’s remarks come with Republicans optimistic about their chances of winning back control of the House in the 2022 elections. The GOP believes it has a trove of issues to use against Democrats and wants the focus there, not on internal party rifts.

But between now and next year’s elections, the GOP must resolve the power struggle between the party’s pro-Trump loyalists and those who believe he has damaged the party and country by repeatedly — and falsely — claiming that last November’s presidential election was stolen from him.

The fight between Cheney and her critics stands as a microcosm of that battle. It also puts the GOP in the awkward position of seeking to oust its highest-ranking woman from her post at a time when the party is trying to erode Democrats’ decisive advantage among female voters.

McCarthy was interviewed a day after Trump mounted a fresh offensive on his assertions. Numerous state and federal courts and local election officials have unearthed no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 voting,

Trump critics have labeled his claims “The Big Lie,” and he issued a statement trying to claim that moniker himself.

“The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!” he wrote.

But Cheney, R-Wyo., quickly fired back. She was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in encouraging the Jan. 6 attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol, and she used Twitter on Monday to respond to Trump.

“The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system,” she wrote.

In response to Cheney, Trump issued a fresh statement reiterating his desire to see her defeated by another Republican in next year’s Wyoming GOP primary and claiming that people in her state “never liked her much.”

Underscoring the Republican rift, Cheney criticized Trump anew at a a donor event she attended over the weekend with the conservative American Enterprise Institute at Sea Island, Georgia, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

“We can’t embrace the notion the election is stolen. It’s a poison in the bloodstream of our democracy,” Cheney said, in comments first reported by CNN. “We can’t whitewash what happened on Jan. 6 or perpetuate Trump’s big lie. It is a threat to democracy. What he did on Jan. 6 is a line that cannot be crossed.”

In another illustration of internal GOP tensions, Cheney and McCarthy have not appeared together at House Republican leadership news conferences for weeks.

Republicans believe Democrats will be vulnerable over President Joe Biden’s handling of the huge numbers of migrants trying to cross the Southwest border and for not prompting pandemic-shuttered schools and businesses to reopen faster.

In February, conservatives unhappy over Cheney’s confrontations with Trump overwhelmingly lost a secret ballot vote of House Republicans aimed at ousting her from her leadership job, 145-61.

But in recent weeks, Cheney’s continued willingness to speak out against Trump has prompted fresh criticism of her. She is a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and like him is viewed as part of the GOP establishment, making her a natural target for the party’s pro-Trump conservatives.

McCarthy has told reporters that during the House GOP’s closed-door February meeting that resulted in Cheney keeping her job, he had defended her.

“People can have differences of opinion. That’s what you can have a discussion about. Liz has a right to vote her conscience,” McCarthy said then.

However, McCarthy struck a completely different tone on Tuesday. He said GOP lawmakers are concerned about the party’s messaging, which is part of the No. 3 leader’s job.

“What’s our best step forward, that we could all work together instead of attacking one another,” McCarthy said.

Read More

Justice is still imperfect. But the average citizen, the bystander, the victim, has more power.

Lady Justice is no longer blind. She wears a bodycam and holds a smart camera up to her eyes.

We saw it at the trial of the police officer who stood on George Floyd’s neck until he was dead, and we saw it again during the foot pursuit of 13-year-old Adam Toledo that led to his death in a Chicago alley.

There was video. We no longer had to take the word of an unreliable witness or a law enforcement official who shot the only available witness to death.

The image of a blindfolded Lady Justice, holding a sword in one hand and the scales of justice in the other, has been with us for centuries. In the United States, it’s supposed to suggest that justice is dispensed fairly in our courtrooms regardless of an individual’s wealth, race, religion or political beliefs.

In reality, this has never been true. Lady Justice could always see whether the accused was represented by a public defender or a dream team of private lawyers. She could lift that blindfold to determine if the accused was black or white. The scales of justice, held aloft by Lady Justice, were never calibrated correctly. They were weighted in favor of the government.

Justice is still imperfect. But the average citizen, the bystander, the victim, has more power.

Still, there is something missing. Something terribly wrong.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the April 15 video of Toledo’s shooting “excruciating” to watch.

That’s a good word for it. It means intensely painful. Mentally agonizing. Very embarrassing. It is all that and something much more.

This is a youngster who was out at 2:30 a.m. with a 21-year-old companion. Police responded to calls of gunshots fired. They found these two walking together in an alley nearby and the police say they saw Adam carrying a gun.

Prosecutors have indicated that the gun was handed to the teenager by the older man after it was fired.

What we know for sure, looking at the video, is that Adam takes off running as a policeman exits his squad car and shouts at the teenager to halt as he gives chase.

Within seconds, the 13-year-old stops near an opening in a wooden fence. Responding to the policeman’s directive to hold up his hands, Adam does exactly that. And he is shot in the chest.

In real time, it’s almost impossible to determine what happened. In slow motion and stop action it is clear Adam’s hands are empty. He is surrendering. But there is something else. It appears that eve as the youngster’s hands are going up, he throws something behind the fence.

A handgun is later found there. He may well have confused the police officer into killing him.

The public cries out for justice.

I am not sure what that means in this case.

For me, the case of Adam Toledo is more complicated and representative of everything wrong with this country than the case of George Floyd.

This is a child in the company of a 21-year-old man at 2:30 a.m. on the streets of Chicago, one of the most dangerous cities in the country. For two days, Adam’s body remained unclaimed in the morgue because, being too young to drive, he had no identification on his body.

The 21-year-old man who was with him, no apparent relation, said he did not know the name of his companion. Could not identify him for police.

There is something excruciatingly wrong with all of this. And you wonder how this sort of tragedy can happen with such frequency. Children are shot and killed — accidentally, by mistake, intentionally, repeatedly.

Justice no longer wears a blindfold. She can see it all and her hands ought to be held high in the air in the universal sign of surrender. It is all so damn sad. Excruciating.

Email: [email protected]

Send letters to [email protected].

Read More