Chicago Bears Final 7-Round Mock Draft: The pressure is now on Paceon April 29, 2021 at 11:30 am
The day has finally come. Tonight, the Chicago Bears take center stage with 31 other teams for the 2021 NFL Draft.
3 shot, 1 fatally, Wednesday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon April 29, 2021 at 8:44 am
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot as he sat in a vehicle in the 2300 block of West Garfield Boulevard.
Three people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago including a 19-year-old man who was killed in a shooting in Gage Park on the South Side, according to police.
The man was shot in the chest about 8:45 p.m. while he sat in a parked vehicle with a friend in the 2300 block of West Garfield Boulevard, Chicago police said. His friend drove him to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead,
In non-fatal shootings, a man was found shot in Austin on the West Side. About 11:30 p.m., the unidentified male was found unresponsive in the 4800 block of West Cortez Street, with a gunshot wound to his head, police said. He was rushed to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
In the day’s first reported shooting a man was wounded in South Chicago. The 22-year-old was involved in a fight about 9:40 a.m. in the basement of a residence in the 8700 block of South Marquette Avenue, when someone opened fire striking him in the thigh, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. His condition was not immediately known.
Fifteen people were shot, three of them fatally, Tuesday citywide.
3 shot, 1 fatally, Wednesday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon April 29, 2021 at 8:44 am Read More »
Chicago Craft Beer Weekend, April 30-May 2on April 29, 2021 at 5:04 am
Evil Horse’s 5th anniversary, Mad Hatchet’s 2nd, Imperial Oak’s Fiesta, Harbor’s Lakefront Biergarten opens.Read More
Chicago Craft Beer Weekend, April 30-May 2on April 29, 2021 at 5:04 am Read More »
Horoscope for Thursday, April 29, 2021on April 29, 2021 at 5:01 am
Moon Alert
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Sagittarius.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Be careful about financial transactions because you might want to buy whatever you wish for. (Ah yes, don’t we all?) This could lead to extravagance or purchases of questionable judgment. Forewarned is forearmed.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Your awareness of the subtler aspects around you is heightened. You feel dreamy and might fantasize more than usual. However, when talking to others, you might have a clearer sense of what is going on in their mind because you’re a bit of a mind reader today. (“Swami knows all.”)
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Today you might choose to withdraw from a harsh reality. You want to get away to your own dreamworld so that you can fantasize and enjoy some peace and quiet. If you can swing this, more power to you. And you probably can.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Today you will be sensitive to the needs and the moods of friends and members of groups. Because your ESP is heightened, you can sense what they are thinking or what they want. Mostly, this should improve your interactions with others. (There will be exceptions.)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
When talking to bosses, parents and people in authority, tread carefully because you might appear to be spacey, even flaky. This is simply because your intuition is much stronger than usual, which makes you focus on the subtle aspects that others might miss.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You appreciate beauty today. For example, you will appreciate seeing art galleries or the artistic creations of others online or the arts and crafts of other cultures. You will also enjoy the beauty of pristine nature around you. You will even enjoy the beauty of ideas.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
If you’re making financial decisions about shared wealth, inheritances or how to divide something with someone else, be careful. Because you feel sympathetic toward others today, you might give away the farm. Generosity is a good thing, but you have to protect your own interests, too.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Your conversations with those who are close to you — dear friends, partners and spouses — will be warm and friendly today because very likely, you are mutually sympathetic. Furthermore, your ability to pick up on the vibes of others (what they want and what they’re thinking), is excellent.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You are sympathetic to coworkers today. You will also be sympathetic to a pet or rescuing an animal. If the work that you are doing requires imagination and visualization, you will do well; However, if it requires attention to detail, not so much.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
This is a wonderful day for those who are working on creative projects or who work in the arts because you are in touch with your muse! You see creative solutions and original ways of doing things. This is also a rewarding day to deal with children because you feel tenderhearted and caring. (Gosh.)
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
A conversation with a family member might be a bit like two ships passing in the night. However, if you’re talking to a fellow Aquarian, then the two of you might build castles in the sky and come up with all kinds of fantastical ideas for where you live. (A bridge between the trees to a secret fort!)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
When talking to others today, you will sense what they want or need, which is why your communications will be meaningful. However, your focus will be dreamy and idealistic. You want things to be ideal even if others think this is not realistic.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actress Uma Thurman (1970) shares your birthday. You are charming, warm-hearted and friendly. You are also practical, determined and persistent. You care about the impression you create on others, even though you act like you don’t. You enjoy the fine things in life — music, art and fashion. In your year ahead, you will be more laid back and introspective as you focus on relationships and close partnerships.
Horoscope for Thursday, April 29, 2021on April 29, 2021 at 5:01 am Read More »
Shots fired at police on South Side, officers return fire, police say; no injuries reportedon April 29, 2021 at 3:02 am
Chicago police returned gunfire after shots were fired at officers Wednesday evening in Calumet Heights, according to the police department.
The incident happened about 7:30 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Colfax Avenue, according to preliminary information with Chicago police.
Someone fired shots at officers, who then returned fire, police said. No one was shot or injured, police said.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
Rookie Patrick Williams has been taking fewer shotsJoe Cowleyon April 29, 2021 at 2:27 am
There’s no doubt that since the March 25 trade deadline that brought five new players into the mix, his numbers have dried up a bit
There are times when it’s easy to forget Patrick Williams is still a 19-year-old rookie.
A reminder came in November when he had to buy a shovel to deal with the first real snowfall he ever had experienced and again last week when coach Billy Donovan said the Florida State product needed to learn about the importance of eating breakfast.
Wednesday was just the latest rookie moment — a shootaround at the famous Madison Square Garden.
“Never,’’ Williams said when asked if he had ever been in the arena in college. “I never been in New York, either. My senior year [in high school] the Jordan Brand Classic was supposed to be in New York, but they were in the playoffs. So it wasn’t in New York. Of course the [NBA] draft was supposed to be in Brooklyn [last year], but it was virtual.
“So every time I had a chance to come to New York, it got shot down. But Madison Square Garden, just being there for shootaround, you felt the energy in there. Just kind of look up in the rafters and see how many numbers they had and players they had come through this program. It’s just different energy here.’’
It’s not the only different energy surrounding the starting forward.
Even though Williams did his best to gloss over an explanation, there’s no doubt that since the March 25 trade deadline that brought five new players into the mix, his numbers have dried up a bit.
Sure, his scoring is down, but his shots per game is a big reason why, as he seems to be taking a lesser role in the offense, either by design or as young player taking a step back after the team added experience in the trades.
In February, Williams averaged 8.5 shots per game and in March it was 8.1. With April almost in the books, Williams is averaging a season-low 5.6 shots. He scored seven points on 3-for-6 shooting in the 113-94 loss to the Knicks on Wednesday.
“I just think it’s our team,’’ Williams said, when asked about the dwindling attempts. “Each day since we’ve had Zach [LaVine] out, and now we’ve got Troy [Brown] out too, and before that we had other guys out with injuries and things like that, so it’s always been next-guy-up mentality.
“I just think as a team we do a good job of moving the ball, make sure the ball has energy to move our offense, and then whoever shoots it, we feel comfortable with that shot. That’s pretty much been it. Just running our offense, and whoever shoots it, shoots it. We’re not really too worried with the number of shots.’’
Police bodycam video shows officer shoot Anthony Alvarez as he ran from cops with a gun in his handMitch Dudekon April 29, 2021 at 2:39 am
Aunt of Alvarez says officers took to long to help him after he was shot after viewing videos released Wednesday of the killing last month.
Anthony Alvarez’s aunt said watching video of her nephew being fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in Portage Park was gut-wrenching. But what made it worse was seeing officers appear to struggle to help her nephew as he lay dying.
Now, Maria Alvarez, 40, is raising questions about the officers’ first-aid training, adding that it looked like they were unsure of what to do when Anthony Alvarez collapsed after being shot.
“To me, it looks like the officers took too long to give him first aid,” she said Wednesday in Spanish. “One of them even tried to handcuff him until the other officer told him not to.”
In the videos, released Wednesday by the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates police shootings, a Chicago police officer can be heard yelling “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” before firing five shots from close range during a foot chase in Portage Park.
Alvarez, 22, collapses onto the front sidewalk of a home on the 5200 block of West Eddy Street on the morning of March 31.
A gun can be seen in Alvarez’s right hand in the footage captured by the body camera of the officer who pulled the trigger.
Video from a camera mounted to a home feet from where Alvarez collapsed shows a gun drop from his hand as he falls to the pavement.
“Why are you shooting me?” Alvarez asks the officer.
“You had a gun,” the officer said.
The video doesn’t show Alvarez pointing a gun at the officers in pursuit.
When the officer who fired the shots tells his partner to place handcuffs on Alvarez, the other officer said: “No, I’m going to render aid.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22476381/ALVAREZ_042921_3_memorial.jpg)
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Alvarez was wounded twice, once in the right side of his back with an exit wound in the upper right chest, and once in his right thigh, according to a police document released Wednesday.
Alvarez was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers: Units ‘just passed us’
Shortly after the shooting, video shows the officer who shot Alvarez standing by the gun on the ground while his partner begins administering first aid to Alvarez and repeatedly tells the 22-year-old to “stay with me.”
The officer who shot Alvarez can be heard requesting an ambulance to the wrong address. He said they were on Dakin Street instead of Eddy. Officers note on video that units “just passed us.”
After appearing to have difficulties opening the package containing a chest shield, the shooting officer started chest compressions, video shows. Other officers took over first aid of Alvarez when they arrived.
“I don’t think he shot at me, did he?” the officer is heard saying on the video. “I, I, I, I shot somewhere right there.”
Officers continued to tend to Alvarez until the paramedic arrived, with one saying “hang in there, dude, hang in there,” according to the video.
Aunt says getting aid ‘took way too long’
Maria Alvarez said she believes the officers wasted precious time while trying to keep her nephew alive.
“The officers couldn’t even get a bag open,” she said. “When he needed help the officers took way too long.”
Maria Alvarez said her sister, Veronica, Anthony’s mother, is in “shock” and doesn’t understand why her son was shot. Maria Alvarez added that the entire family still has a lot of questions after viewing the body-camera footage.
The family wants to know what the officers wanted with Anthony that night, and why they began chasing him, Maria Alvarez said, adding that police have had very little communication with the family since the shooting.
“We want justice and for the police to face us and give us answers,” she said. “We want to know what the officer was thinking when he shot him in the back.”
COPA: Relieve officer of police powers
The Chicago Police Department and COPA said Anthony Alvarez ran off as tactical officers approached him at a gas station, leading to a foot chase. What the officers wanted from Alvarez wasn’t disclosed.
However, at an unrelated news conference before the video was released, Mayor Lori Lightfoot referred to it as “a minor traffic offense,” saying: “We can’t live in a world where a minor traffic offense results in someone being shot and killed. That’s not acceptable to me and shouldn’t be acceptable to anyone.”
COPA announced Wednesday it had recommended the officer who shot Alvarez be relieved of police powers during the investigation, which would mean the officer would be placed on paid desk duty after a standard 30-day leave.
Police Supt. David Brown said Wednesday at a news conference that he hadn’t been notified of the COPA recommendation.
Brown declined to share additional details of the shooting, what led to it or his thoughts on it, saying it was important he refrain from sharing his opinion so COPA could conduct a “clean and clear” investigation.
The 30-year-old officer who fired the fatal shots joined the force in 2015. The Invisible Institute, which tracks police discipline, said late Wednesday the officer had four complaint records and 11 use-of-force reports between 2017 and mid-2020. The Sun-Times isn’t naming him because he isn’t officially accused of wrongdoing.
Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said the shooting was justified.
“It’s a 100% good shooting,” he said, adding that, in his opinion, Alvarez was turning, gun in hand, to face the officer when the shooting occurred.
“The offender was trying to turn to the left, you don’t wait until the guy turns all the way around and squares up to you until you shoot,” he said.
Catanzara said the officer, in fear for his life, moved left to seek cover behind nearby parked cars when he fired his weapon.
“The officer actually even raises his left hand almost to his face, almost trying to block a bullet, it goes to the mindset of where the officer was,” he said.
Lightfoot and attorneys representing the Alvarez family issued a joint statement Wednesday morning asking for people who wish to “express themselves” in response to the video “do so peacefully and with respect for our communities and the residents of Chicago.
Most of Alvarez’s family saw the video footage Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, the family’s attorney said the videos provided “no answers” but raised many questions.
“Anthony’s family and the residents of Chicago deserve answers to all of these questions,” the statement read. “Today, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department stated that there is ‘nothing wrong’ with shooting someone from behind. The Alvarez family, and hopefully the investigating authorities, believes otherwise.”
Alvarez was shot two days after an officer shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo on March 29 in Little Village. Toledo’s killing also happened during a foot chase, prompting Lightfoot to direct CPD to draft a new foot pursuit policy.
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Ashlee Rezin Garcia | Sun-Times
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
The mayor said Wednesday the Police Department is making progress on her directive to revise the foot chase policy.
“As I’ve said before, it’s one of the most dangerous activities that officers engage in. Dangerous for themselves. Dangerous for the person being pursued. And it’s dangerous for members of the public.”
Lightfoot urged everyone to “look at both the raw footage” of the Alvarez shooting “at real speed” as well as the “frame-by-frame” of what happened.
“I understand, having investigated many of these shootings, that officers are, in many instances, called upon to make split-second decisions, particularly in instances like this one where there’s a gun,” said Lightfoot, a former Police Board president.
“Nonetheless … a traffic incident … should not result in the death of anyone. So we have more work to do to be sure.”
Lightfoot said she hopes to have that new foot chase policy ready for public review sometime next month.
But, she said, it’s got to be done “the right way” with plenty of input.
“What I’ve encouraged the department to do is to make sure they’re engaging on the front-end with key stakeholders, not the least of which is line police officers who are gonna be responsible for implementing whatever the new policy is. We have to have their voices, as well as community voices, in those discussions … and reflected in the new policy,” the mayor said.
“It’s really important that we get it right,” Brown said of the policy.
Alvarez remembered as ‘very caring person’
Maria Alvarez, who lives in suburban Broadview, said Anthony Alvarez was “very kind, very handsome and laughed at everything.”
“He was a very, very caring person.” she said.
Anthony Alvarez loved playing and watching soccer and rooted for Pumas, a Mexican football club based in Mexico City.
Anthony “was a skinny young man,” Maria Alvarez said. “We don’t know why the officer didn’t use a Taser. Why did he shoot him so many times?”
“You can’t imagine how hard it was to see someone, especially a family member, like that. It was very hard for all of us.”
In the family’s statement Wednesday, Oscar Martinez said he was with his son earlier that night and that they had made plans for a family dinner in the coming days.
“I can’t believe he is gone,” Martinez is quoted as saying. “I really miss my son. I just want some answers; why did they do this to Anthony?”
Contributing: David Struett
Speech text, Biden’s first address to Congress: ‘America is on the move again’Contributoron April 29, 2021 at 1:40 am
Said Biden, “Life can knock us down. But in America, we never stay down. In America, we always get up.”
Remarks of President Joe Biden Address to a Joint Session of Congress
as Prepared for Delivery
The Capitol
Madame Speaker.
Madame Vice President.
No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time.
The First Lady.
The Second Gentleman.
Mr. Chief Justice.
Members of the United States Congress and the Cabinet – and distinguished guests.
My fellow Americans.
While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very different – a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in.
Throughout our history, Presidents have come to this chamber to speak to the Congress, to the nation, and to the world.
To declare war. To celebrate peace. To announce new plans and possibilities.
Tonight, I come to talk about crisis — and opportunity.
About rebuilding our nation — and revitalizing our democracy.
And winning the future for America.
As I stand here tonight — just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration.
100 days since I took the oath of office, lifted my hand off our family Bible, and inherited a nation in crisis.
The worst pandemic in a century.
The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.
Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again.
Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength.
Life can knock us down.
But in America, we never stay down.
In America, we always get up.
And today, that’s what we’re doing: America is rising anew.
Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness.
After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff.
We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again.
We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America.
100 days ago, America’s house was on fire.
We had to act.
And thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer – and with the overwhelming support of the American people – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – we did act.
Together — we passed the American Rescue Plan.
One of the most consequential rescue packages in American history.
We’re already seeing the results.
After I promised 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days – we will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in 100 days.
We’re marshalling every federal resource. We’ve gotten the vaccine to nearly 40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers.
We’re setting up community vaccination sites, and are deploying mobile units into hard-to-reach areas.
Today, 90% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a vaccination site.
Everyone over the age of 16, everyone – is now eligible and can get vaccinated right away.
So get vaccinated now.
When I was sworn in, less than 1% of seniors were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
100 days later, nearly 70% of seniors are fully protected.
Senior deaths from COVID-19 are down 80% since January. Down 80%.
And, more than half of all adults in America have gotten at least one shot.
At a mass vaccination center in Glendale, Arizona, I asked a nurse what it’s like.
She looked and said every shot feels like a dose of hope.
A dose of hope for the educator in Florida who has a child who suffers from an auto-immune disease.
She wrote to me that she was worried about bringing the virus home.
When she got vaccinated, she sat in her car and just cried.
Cried out of joy, cried out of relief.
Parents are seeing smiles on their kids’ faces as they go back to school because teachers and school bus drivers, cafeteria workers have been vaccinated.
Grandparents hugging their children and grandchildren instead of pressing their hands against a window to say goodbye
It means everything to both of them.
There’s still more work to do to beat this virus. We can’t let our guard down now.
But tonight, I can say because of you — the American people – our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has ever seen.
What else have we done these first 100 days?
We kept our commitment and we are sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85% of all American households.
We’ve already sent more than 160 million checks out the door.
It’s making a difference.
For many people, it’s making all the difference in the world.
A single mom in Texas wrote to me.
She said when she couldn’t work, this relief check put food on the table
and saved her and her son from eviction.
A grandmother in Virginia told me she immediately took her granddaughter to the eye doctor — something she put off for months because she didn’t have the money.
One of the defining images of this crisis has been cars lined up for miles waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk.
Did you ever think you’d see that in America?
That’s why the American Rescue Plan is delivering food and nutrition assistance to millions of Americans facing hunger – and hunger is down sharply already.
We’re also providing:
Rental assistance to keep people from being evicted from their homes. Providing loans to keep small businesses open and their employees on the job.
During these 100 days, an additional 800,000 Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act because I established a special sign up period to do that.
We’re making one of the largest one-time investments ever in improving health care for veterans.
Critical investments to address the opioid crisis.
And, maybe most importantly, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we are on track to cut child poverty in America in half this year.
In the process, the economy created more than 1.3 million new jobs in 100 days.
More new jobs in the first 100 days than any president on record.
The International Monetary Fund is now estimating our economy will grow at a rate of more than 6% this year.
That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in nearly four decades.
America is moving. Moving forward. And we can’t stop now.
We’re in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st Century.
We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better.
Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have transformed America.
The transcontinental railroad and interstate highways united two oceans and brought us into a totally new age of progress.
Universal public school and college aid opened wide the doors of opportunity.
Scientific breakthroughs took us to the Moon and now to Mars, discovered vaccines, and gave us the Internet and so much more.
These are the investments we make together, as one country, and that only government can make.
Time and again, they propel us into the future.
That’s why I proposed The American Jobs Plan — a once-in-a-generation investment in America itself.
The largest jobs plan since World War II.
It creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. Jobs modernizing roads, bridges and highways. Jobs building ports and airports, rail corridors and transit lines. It’s clean water.
Today, up to 10 million homes and more than 400,000 schools and child care centers have pipes with lead in them, including for drinking water.
A clear and present danger to our children’s health.
The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines so every American, so every child – can turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water.
It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of rural Americans who still don’t have it.
This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21st Century economy.
And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort.
It creates jobs by building a modern power grid.
Our grids are vulnerable to storms, hacks, and catastrophic failures – with tragic results as we saw in Texas and elsewhere during winter storms.
The American Jobs Plan will create jobs to lay thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid.
The American Jobs Plan will help millions of people get back to their jobs and their careers.
2 million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic, too often because they couldn’t get the care they need for their family, their children.
800,000 families are on a Medicaid waiting list right now to get homecare for their aging parent or loved one with a disability.
This plan will help these families and create jobs for our caregivers with better wages and better benefits.
For too long, we have failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis.
Jobs. Jobs.
For me, when I think about climate change, I think jobs.
The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes.
Electrical workers installing 500,000 charging stations along our highways.
Farmers planting cover crops, so they can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it.
There’s no reason the blades for wind turbines can’t be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing.
No reason why American workers can’t lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries.
The American Jobs Plan will create millions of good paying jobs – jobs Americans can raise their families on.
And all the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by one principle: “Buy American.”
American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products made in America that create American jobs.
The way it should be.
Now – I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you.
You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that’s rapidly changing.
Let me speak directly to you.
Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come.
These are good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced.
Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan do not require a college degree.
75% do not require an associate’s degree.
The American Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America.
And, it recognizes something I’ve always said.
Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class.
And that’s why I’m calling on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act – the PRO Act — and send it to my desk to support the right to unionize.
By the way – let’s also pass the $15 minimum wage.
No one should work 40 hours a week and still live below the poverty line.
And we need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women.
Let’s get the Paycheck Fairness Act to my desk for equal pay.
It’s long past time.
Finally, the American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in non-defense research and development on record.
We will see more technological change in the next 10 years – than we saw in the last 50 years.
And we’re falling behind in that competition.
Decades ago we used to invest 2% of our GDP on research and development.
Today, we spend less than 1%.
China and other countries are closing in fast.
We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future: advanced batteries, biotechnology, computer chips, and clean energy.
The Defense Department has an agency called DARPA – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – that’s there to develop breakthroughs to enhance our national security – which led to the internet and GPS and so much more.
The National Institutes of Health, the NIH – should create a similar Advanced Research Projects Agency for health.
To develop breakthroughs – to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer.
This is personal to so many of us.
I can think of no more worthy investment. And I know of nothing that is more bipartisan.
Let’s end cancer as we know it. It’s within our power
Investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we’re talking about have often had bipartisan support.
Vice President Harris and I meet regularly in the Oval Office with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the American Jobs Plan.
And I applaud a group of Republican Senators who just put forward their proposal.
So, let’s get to work.
We welcome ideas.
But, the rest of the world isn’t waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option.
We can’t be so busy competing with each other that we forget the competition is with the rest of the world to win the 21st Century.
To win that competition for the future, we also need to make a once-in-a-generation investment in our families – in our children.
That’s why I’m introducing the American Families Plan tonight, which addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families today.
First, access to a good education.
When this nation made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in the world.
But the world is catching up. They are not waiting.
12 years is no longer enough today to compete in the 21st Century.
That’s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America – starting as early as we can.
We add two years of universal high-quality pre-school for every 3- and 4- year-old in America.
The research shows that when a young child goes to school—not day care—they are far more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college.
And then we add two years of free community college.
And we will increase Pell Grants and investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions.
Jill is a community college professor who teaches today as First Lady.
She has long said any country that out-educates us is going to outcompete us – and she’ll be leading this effort.
Second, the American Families plan will provide access to quality, affordable child care.
We guarantee that low- to middle-income families will pay no more than 7% of their income for high-quality care for children up to the age of 5.
The most hard-pressed working families won’t have to spend a dime.
Third, the American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
No one should have to choose between a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one – a parent, spouse, or child.
And fourth, the American Families Plan puts money directly into the pockets of millions of families.
In March we expanded a tax credit for every child in a family.
Up to a $3,000 Child Tax Credit for children over 6 — and $3,600 for children under 6.
With two parents, two kids, that’s up to $7,200 in your pocket to help take care of your family.
This will help more than 65 million children and help cut child poverty in half this year.
Together, let’s extend the Child Tax Credit at least through the end of 2025.
The American Rescue Plan lowered health care premiums for 9 million Americans who buy their coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Let’s make that provision permanent so their premiums don’t go back up.
In addition to my Families Plan, I will work with Congress to address –
this year – other critical priorities for America’s families.
The Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of Americans –protecting people with pre-existing conditions, protecting women’s health.
And the pandemic has demonstrated how badly it is needed.
Let’s lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable Care Act, and let’s lower prescription drug costs.
We all know how outrageously expensive they are.
In fact, we pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world right here in America – nearly three times as much as other countries.
We can change that.
Let’s do what we’ve always talked about.
Let’s give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs.
That won’t just help people on Medicare – it will lower prescription drug costs for everyone.
The money we save can go to strengthen the Affordable Care Act – expand Medicare coverage and benefits – without costing taxpayers one additional penny.
We’ve talked about it long enough – Democrats and Republicans.
Let’s get it done this year.
This is all about a simple premise: Health care should be a right, not a privilege in America.
So how do we pay for my Jobs and Family Plans?
I’ve made clear that we can do it without increasing deficits.
Let’s start with what I will not do.
I will not impose any tax increases on people making less than $400,000 a year.
It’s time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to pay their fair share.
Just pay their fair share.
A recent study shows that 55 of the nation’s biggest corporations paid zero in federal income tax last year.
No federal taxes on more than $40 billion in profits.
A lot of companies evade taxes through tax havens from Switzerland to Bermuda to the Cayman Islands.
And they benefit from tax loopholes and deductions that allow for offshoring jobs and shifting profits overseas.
That’s not right.
We’re going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share – and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from.
And, we’re going to reward work, not wealth.
We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans –
those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%.
We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans – those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%.
That’s where it was when George W. Bush became president.
We’re going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make more than $1 million a year pay a lower rate on their capital gains than working Americans pay on their work.
This will only affect three tenths of 1% of all Americans.
And the IRS will crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes.
That’s estimated to be billions of dollars.
Look, I’m not out to punish anyone.
But I will not add to the tax burden of the middle class of this country.
They’re already paying enough.
What I’ve proposed is fair. It’s fiscally responsible.
It raises the revenue to pay for the plans I’ve proposed that will create millions of jobs and grow the economy.
When you hear someone say that they don’t want to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and on corporate America – ask them: whose taxes are you going to raise instead, and whose are you going to cut?
Look at the big tax cut in 2017.
It was supposed to pay for itself and generate vast economic growth.
Instead it added $2 trillion to the deficit.
It was a huge windfall for corporate America and those at the very top.
Instead of using the tax savings to raise wages and invest in research and development – it poured billions of dollars into the pockets of CEOs.
In fact, the pay gap between CEOs and their workers is now among the largest in history.
According to one study, CEOs make 320 times what their average workers make.
The pandemic has only made things worse.
20 million Americans lost their jobs in the pandemic – working- and middle-class Americans.
At the same time, the roughly 650 Billionaires in America saw their net worth increase by more than $1 Trillion.
Let me say that again.
Just 650 people increased their wealth by more than $1 Trillion during this pandemic.
They are now worth more than $4 Trillion.
My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has
never worked.
It’s time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle-out.
A broad consensus of economists – left, right, center – agree that what I’m proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic economic growth.
These are among the highest value investments we can make as a nation.
I’ve often said that our greatest strength is the power of our example – not just the example of our power.
And in my conversations with world leaders – many I’ve known for a long time – the comment I hear most often is: we see that America is back – but for how long?
My fellow Americans, we have to show not just that we are back, but that we are here to stay.
And that we aren’t going it alone – we’re going to be leading with our allies.
No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time alone – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to mass migration, cybersecurity, climate change – and as we’re experiencing now, pandemics.
There’s no wall high enough to keep any virus away.
As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs – and we are meeting them – we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries – just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War 2.
The climate crisis is not our fight alone, either.
It’s a global fight.
The United States accounts for less than 15% of carbon emissions.
The rest of the world accounts for 85%.
That’s why – I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office.
And I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in America, with all of the major economies of the world – from China and Russia to India and the European Union in my first 100 days.
I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an inflection point in history.
And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet – and we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living for everyone in the world.
The investments I’ve proposed tonight also advance a foreign policy that benefits the middle class.
That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China.
In my discussion with President Xi, I told him that we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict.
But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board.
America will stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual property.
I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo—Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe – not to start conflict – but to prevent conflict.
And, I told him what I’ve said to many world leaders – that America won’t back away from our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country.
America is an idea – unique in the world.
We are all created equal. It’s who we are. We cannot walk away from that principle.
With regard to Russia, I made very clear to President Putin that while we don’t seek escalation, their actions have consequences.
I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia’s interference in our elections and cyber—attacks on our government and businesses – and they did both of those things and I did respond.
But we can also cooperate when it’s in our mutual interests.
As we did when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms – and as we’re working to do on the climate crisis.
On Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs that present a serious threat to America’s security and world security – we will be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy and stern deterrence.
And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan.
We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.
And I’m the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to have had a child serving in a warzone.
Today we have service members serving in the same war as their parents once did.
We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11.
War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi—generational undertaking of nation—building.
We went to Afghanistan to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.
We delivered justice to Osama Bin Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it’s time to bring our troops home.
Even as we do, we will maintain an over—the—horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland.
But make no mistake – the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from.
Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in Africa and the Middle East and beyond.
And, we won’t ignore what our own intelligence agencies have determined – the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from white supremacist terrorism.
And my fellow Americans, we must come together to heal the soul of this nation.
It was nearly a year ago before her father’s funeral, when I spoke with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd’s young daughter.
As I knelt down to talk to her so we could talk eye—to—eye, she said to me, “Daddy changed the world.”
After the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act.
We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America.
Now is our opportunity to make real progress.
Most men and women in uniform wear their badge and serve their communities honorably.
I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well.
My fellow Americans, we have to come together.
To rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.
To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system.
And to enact police reform in George Floyd’s name that passed the House already.
I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in productive discussions with Democrats.
We need to work together to find a consensus.
Let’s get it done next month, by the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
The country supports this reform.
Congress should act.
We have a giant opportunity to bend to the arc of the moral universe toward justice.
Real justice.
And with the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways.
A chance to deliver real equity.
Good jobs and good schools. Affordable housing. Clean air and clean water.
Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations.
Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans – Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American.
I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94—1 to pass the COVID—19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the vicious hate crimes we’ve seen this past year – and for too long.
I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk as soon as possible.
I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans.
To all the transgender Americans watching at home – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know that your president has your back.
And another thing.
Let’s reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which has been law in this country for 27 years since I first wrote it.
It will close the so—called “boyfriend” loophole to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.
It’s estimated that more than 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner – every month in America.
Pass it and save lives.
And I need not tell anyone this, but gun violence is an epidemic in America.
Our flag at the White House was still flying at half—staff for the 8 victims of the mass shooting in Georgia, when 10 more lives were taken in a mass shooting in Colorado.
In the week between those mass shootings, more than 250 other Americans were shot dead.
250 shot dead.
I know how hard it is to make progress on this issue.
In the 1990s, we passed universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high—capacity magazines that hold 100 rounds that can be fired in seconds.
We beat the NRA. Mass shootings and gun violence declined.
But in the early 2000’s, that law expired and we’ve seen the daily bloodshed since.
More than two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, surrounded by some of the bravest people I know – the survivors and families who lost loved ones to gun violence – I laid out several steps the Department of Justice is taking to end this epidemic.
One of them is banning so—called “ghost guns.”
They are homemade guns built from a kit that includes the directions on how to finish the firearm.
The parts have no serial numbers, so when they show up at a crime scene, they can’t be traced.
The buyers of ghost gun kits aren’t required to pass a background check.
Anyone from a criminal to a terrorist could buy this kit and, in as little as 30 minutes, put together a lethal weapon.
But not anymore.
I will do everything in my power to protect the American people from this epidemic of gun violence.
But it’s time for Congress to act as well.
We need more Senate Republicans to join with the overwhelming majority of their Democratic colleagues, and close loopholes and require background checks to purchase a gun.
And we need a ban on assault weapons and high—capacity magazines again.
Don’t tell me it can’t be done. We’ve done it before … and it worked.
Talk to most responsible gun owners, most hunters – they’ll tell you there’s no possible justification for having 100 rounds – 100 bullets – in a weapon.
They will tell you that there are too many people today who are able to buy a gun, but who shouldn’t be able to.
These kinds of reasonable reforms have the overwhelming support of the American people – including many gun owners.
The country supports reform, and the Congress should act.
This shouldn’t be a Red vs. Blue issue. It’s an American issue.
And here’s what else we can do.
Immigration has always been essential to America.
Let’s end our exhausting war over immigration.
For more than 30 years, politicians have talked about immigration reform and done nothing about it.
It’s time to fix it.
On day one of my Presidency, I kept my commitment and I sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress.
If you believe we need a secure border – pass it.
If you believe in a pathway to citizenship – pass it.
If you actually want to solve the problem – I have sent you a bill, now pass it.
We also have to get at the root of the problem of why people are fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador.
The violence. The corruption. The gangs. The political instability. Hunger. Hurricanes. Earthquakes.
When I was Vice President, I focused on providing the help needed to address these root causes of migration.
It helped keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave.
Our plan worked.
But the last administration shut it down.
I’m restoring the program and asked Vice President Harris to lead our diplomatic efforts.
I have absolute confidence she will get the job done.
Now, if Congress won’t pass my plan – let’s at least pass what we agree on.
Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for the Dreamers – the young people who have only known America as their home.
And, permanent protections for immigrants on temporary protected status who come from countries beset by man—made and natural made violence and disaster.
As well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers who put food on our tables.
Immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic – as they have throughout our history.
The country supports immigration reform.
Congress should act.
And if we are to truly restore the soul of America – we need to protect the sacred right to vote.
More people voted in the last presidential election than ever before
in our history – in the middle of one of the worst pandemics ever.
That should be celebrated. Instead it’s being attacked.
Congress should pass H.R. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and send them to my desk right away.
The country supports it.
Congress should act.
As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol—desecrating our democracy—remain vivid in our minds.
Lives were put at risk. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was summoned.
The insurrection was an existential crisis—a test of whether our democracy could survive.
It did.
But the struggle is far from over. The question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent.
As old as our Republic. Still vital today.
Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us – created equal in the image of God – have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility?
Can our democracy deliver on the most pressing needs of our people?
Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart?
America’s adversaries – the autocrats of the world – are betting it can’t.
They believe we are too full of anger and division and rage.
They look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy.
They are wrong. And we have to prove them wrong.
We have to prove democracy still works.
That our government still works – and can deliver for the people.
In our first 100 Days together, we have acted to restore the people’s faith in our democracy to deliver.
We’re vaccinating the nation. We’re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. We’re delivering real results people can see and feel in their own lives.
Opening the doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing fairness and justice.
That’s the essence of America.
That’s democracy in action.
Our Constitution opens with the words, “We the People”.
It’s time we remembered that We the People are the government. You and I.
Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we have no control over.
It’s us. It’s “We the people.”
In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt reminded us—In America: we do our part.
That’s all I’m asking. That we all do our part.
And if we do, then we will meet the central challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong.
The autocrats will not win the future.
America will.
The future will belong to America.
I stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour in the life of our democracy and our nation.
And I can say with absolute confidence: I have never been more confident or more optimistic about America.
We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy — of pandemic and pain — and “We the People” did not flinch.
At the very moment our adversaries were certain we would pull apart and fail.
We came together.
United.
With light and hope, we summoned new strength and new resolve.
To position us to win the competition for the 21st Century.
On our way forward to a Union more perfect. More prosperous. More just.
As one people. One nation. One America.
It’s never been a good bet to bet against America.
And it still isn’t.
We are the United States of America.
There is nothing – nothing – beyond our capacity – nothing we can’t do – if we do it together.
May God bless you all.
May God protect our troops.
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Gun violence is hitting Chicago’s Black and Brown communities from all sidesMary Mitchellon April 29, 2021 at 12:32 am
The plight of young Black and Brown teens growing up in city’s gun-infested neighborhoods is terrible to contemplate.
“Oh, I say, and I say it again, you been had! You been took! You been hoodwinked!
Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok!” — Denzel Washington as “Malcolm X.”
The above quote from Spike Lee’s movie about Malcolm X is my favorite.
But it has a different meaning for me now than it did when Malcolm X was supposed to have said it.
Back then, the fiery leader was trying to get Black folks to see that they have been lulled into complacency by the few crumbs that had fallen from the white man’s table.
And that freedom from racial discrimination and oppression was still a long way off.
But these days, those words come to mind when I reflect on the plight of young Black and Brown teens growing up in a world where too many of them become victims or perpetrators of violence.
These teens are not on a battlefield like young urban males were in 1968, risking their lives to protect the lives of the privileged class during the Vietnam War.
They are on street corners or in cars, firing powerful weapons at other young people who look like them as if “Black Lives Matter” is a fad and not a movement.
These cold-hearted shooters have been “hoodwinked” into thinking that their brother is their enemy and a firearm is a necessary accessory when they step outside.
They are the ones who are “bamboozled” by the images on social media of young Black and Brown men flashing stacks and cradling guns like coveted awards.
When no one is looking, the younger ones are led “astray” by the older ones, and both are swallowed whole by a system that runs on Black and Brown blood.
While many celebrated the triumph of justice over cruelty that the guilty verdicts represented in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, it was short-lived.
On Wednesday, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released a video that shows a Chicago police officer shooting Anthony Alvarez in the Portage Park neighborhood.
The video shows 22-year-old Alvarez running from the police with a gun in his hand.
The video of the police shooting has sparked more anger over police brutality, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot again urging Chicagoans to express their outrage “peacefully.”
It also raises questions about police policy when it comes to foot pursuits.
But the outrage over Alvarez’s death at the hands of police will far outweigh the anger expressed over the senseless murder of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Homan Square, as she sat in a car with her father.
As the movie “Malcolm X” noted: We’ve been ”had.” We’ve been ”took.”
When a white police officer unjustly kills a Black or Brown person, we demand that justice is served. But many of those same people making the most noise ignore the reality that Black and Brown people are getting killed daily by gun violence.
That two Black men — Demond Goudy, 21, and Marion Lewis, 18 — have been arrested and charged with murder in Jaslyn’s death is tragically typical.
But there is nothing more the police could have done to prevent this crime.
Only the village can reduce the risks for young Black teens growing up in gun-infested neighborhoods.
For instance, Swaysee Rankin, a 13-year-old Black gunshot victim, is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of 10-year-old La’Mya Sparks last fall.
Swaysee used his shirt to apply pressure to the gunshot wound, something that you would expect a 13-year-old living in a war zone to know how to do—not a teen from a Chicago neighborhood.
His quick thinking likely saved the girl’s life.
But on Monday night, just one block from where La’Mya was seriously wounded, Swaysee and a 14-year-old cousin were also shot when unknown assailants fired from a vehicle that fled the scene.
Swaysee’s mother, Ashley Jackson, told reporters that her son is “absolutely” not gang-affiliated on Tuesday.
“It was a drive-by shooting, just something random,” Swaysee’s mother told the Chicago Sun-Times.
If that’s the case, the words Lee chose to put in Malcolm X’s mouth have even more significant meaning today.