When the warriors aren’t torturing one another in gruesome ways, they’re explaining the complicated rules of the showdowns.

“Lineage? I’m an orphan from the South Side of Chicago!” – The new hero in “Mortal Kombat,” learning his bloodlines make him the new hero in “Mortal Kombat.”

As the gory and glossy but often boring reboot of “Mortal Kombat” plays out with fights and exposition, fights and exposition, exposition and more fights, rinse and repeat, one can almost hear the studio executives discussing how to make a movie to satisfy the hardcore fans as well as the newbies.

“Let’s make this one more violent and more serious than the 1990s ‘Mortal Kombat’ movies and include plenty of callbacks and Easter Eggs and inside references for the gamers who love the franchise!”

“Sounds great, but — and hear me out now — let’s also introduce a brand-new character and make him an MMA fighter who knows nothing about the world of ‘Mortal Kombat,’ so when characters explain things to him, they’re explaining everything to the audience as well!”

“Ka-ching!”

Maybe.

Based on the monumentally successful video game franchise and essentially wiping clean the events of the 1995 “Mortal Kombat” movie and the 1997 sequel, this blood-spattered, hard-R fantasy adventure is a fresh start in what is clearly intended to be a new series of films. (The ending even spells out certain details about the next adventure.) It’s a good-looking film with impressive special effects and some darkly funny kill scenes, but story lines and dialogue that might work in a participatory video game experience often come across as ridiculous and convoluted when we’re just sitting back and soaking it in. Nor does it help matters that the aforementioned new character, a former MMA champion named Cole Young (Lewis Tan), who has yet to realize he’s the latest in a very long line of noble warriors, is earnest and drab and not nearly as interesting as just about every supporting character around him.

After a beautifully filmed and quite effective table-setting prologue set in 17^th century Japan, we pick up the story in present day, where the evil warriors of Outworld have been doing battle with the good guys and gals from Earthrealm (aka Earth) in the Mortal Kombat tournaments for centuries. As the rules have it — and there are LOTS of rules to learn along the way — if you win 10 straight tournaments, you earn the right to invade and conquer the opposing realm. Outworld has won nine tournaments in a row, but even so, the evil, soul-stealing, hiss-worthy villain sorcerer/warlock Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has commanded his Outworld warriors to track down and assassinate all the best remaining Earthrealm fighters so their roster will be depleted even before there’s another tournament (and you thought college football sometimes has a corruption problem).

Meanwhile, former MMA champion Cole Young is making $200 per battle to get the daylights knocked out of him in low-rent gyms, much to the consternation of his loving wife Allison (Laura Brents) and their daughter Emily (Matilda Kimber), who is actually the corner “man” for Cole’s fights and THAT seems to be a bad twist on Take Your Daughter to Work Day. After an unsettling visit from the ice-manipulating warrior Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), who tries to take out Cole because of a certain birthmark Cole is sporting, it’s game on.

New Line Cinema

Cole (along with those unfamiliar with the video game) is introduced to former Special Officer Jackson “Jax” Briggs (Mehcad Brooks); Jax’s military partner Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), who runs her operation out of a ramshackle house in Gary, Indiana, and the wisecracking and cynical Kano (Josh Lawson), who makes pop-culture references (calling a shirtless fighter “Magic Mike”) and isn’t nearly as entertaining as he thinks he is. This bunch is transported to an ancient temple in order to receive training from Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), who can shoot fire from his hands, and Kung Lao (Max Huang), who uses his sharp metal hat as a deadly Frisbee flying disc weapon. (Take that, Cap!) I’d say this group is a decided underdog against the Outworld bunch, whose ranks include a winged beast, a four-armed colossus and a bloodthirsty maniac with the scariest rows of teeth this side of “Alien.” Not to mention Sub-Zero and his icy ways.

New Line Cinema

Director Simon McQuoid keeps the accelerator floored in the fight sequences, as characters are stabbed, gouged, choked, kicked, punched, mutilated, eviscerated, sliced in half, burned alive and on and on it goes. This is an unapologetically violent video-game-turned-movie, filled with gore and also brimming with flat dialogue, whether it’s big-picture speechifying or mostly lame attempts at snappy, action-movie banter. One might reasonably surmise longtime fans of “Mortal Kombat” would have a better time playing the latest version of the game than watching this origins story.

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“My name is on the door. … I don’t believe in pushing blame or the buck,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx told the Sun-Times. “The public was relying on information that our office presented to the court and the media relied upon that wasn’t fully accurate. I own that.”

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx acknowledged Thursday she did not know — and should have known — what one of her top deputies was going to say in court about the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.

“My name is on the door. Anything that happens that comes from the state’s attorney’s office, I am responsible for. I don’t believe in pushing blame or the buck,” Foxx told the Sun-Times.

“In this instance, the public was relying on information that our office presented to the court and the media relied upon that wasn’t fully accurate. I own that.”

Foxx has placed veteran prosecutor Jim Murphy on administrative leave because, according to a statement from her office, Murphy “failed to fully present the facts” during a bond hearing when he didn’t specifically state Toledo was unarmed at the moment a Chicago police officer shot him.

During an April 10 bond hearing describing allegations against 21-year-old Ruben Roman — who was arrested at the scene of Adam’s shooting in Little Village — Murphy told a judge Toledo had a gun in his right hand a moment before he was shot.

“The officer tells [Adam] to drop it as [Adam] turns towards the officer. [Adam] has a gun in his right hand,” Murphy said in court. “The officer fires one shot at [Adam], striking him in the chest. The gun that [Adam] was holding landed against the fence a few feet away.”

Murphy’s statement matches a portion of what the video of the fatal March 29 shooting shows, but it did not specifically note Adam dropped the weapon and had his hands in the air less than a second before he was shot by the officer.

On Thursday, Foxx acknowledged she did not see the statement of facts Murphy read aloud in court — and that she should have seen it.

“We do bond proffers daily, many times a day. They don’t rise up to me. One of the things that we are looking at in this particular case, because it’s a heater case, is why it had not been sent up to me,” she said.

Foxx was asked why she didn’t demand to see Murphy’s statement and whether she would put herself on leave for failing to do so.

She would say only that the internal investigation she has ordered would make certain there are “mechanisms and protocols in place so that people are properly notified in cases like this.”

“What I said is I didn’t know. … And how that happened is something that is critically important to our organization,” she said.

“I’m not disagreeing with the significance of the case. And I’m not disagreeing that those types of proffers are things that would be expected to be elevated. … Something was amiss here. And we’re taking responsibility by getting to the heart of what that is so that it doesn’t happen again.”

Foxx acknowledged Murphy’s punishment — and the possibility his supervisors may be similarly held accountable — has impacted morale in the state’s attorney’s office.

“Morale in our office has been very difficult. This is someone who is well-respected and regarded both internally [and] externally by judges and defense attorneys and has a reputation that has been incredibly strong,” she said.

“But I have a responsibility … to make sure that we’re as transparent as we need to be and take responsibility” for mistakes.

Having said that, Foxx categorically denied Murphy was being thrown under the bus to minimize the political heat Foxx is getting from Hispanic community leaders for the false narrative her office waited five days to correct.

“This isn’t about political cover. This is about the expectation of law enforcement to be forthright and transparent. There is no sacrificial lamb here. This is about making sure that we get it right, and when we don’t get it right, owning it doing what we need to do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Video released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability last week appeared to show Toledo with both hands in the air after tossing the gun he was carrying behind a fence a split second before he was shot in the chest.

Foxx refused to characterize the video as her office continues its investigation to determine whether to file criminal charges against the officer, but she said she won’t be influenced by what happened to her predecessor, Anita Alvarez.

Alvarez was swept out of office by Foxx after waiting a year — until the day the Laquan McDonald shooting video was released by a judge’s order — to file murder charges against then-Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery.

“My pressure is that we have a 13-year-old boy who was killed and the expectation from people in our community … who want to be able to see answers and resolution to this,” she said.

“It is not a pressure related to previous elections. It’s a pressure to the severity of the incident that brought us to this point.”

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Brown, speaking to reporters after one year on the job, said his goal is to “change the culture” of the department. He also spoke about how people living criminal lifestyles bring violence upon their families.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said Thursday his predecessor’s crime-fighting strategy didn’t work and defended his own decision to create roving citywide teams of cops, saying they’ve reduced violence — even though the perception is that murders and shootings are out of control.

Brown, who rarely gives news conferences, marked his first year in office by addressing reporters at Chicago Police Department headquarters, where he also tried to put to rest the recent chatter that he was about to be fired by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

“Let me start with rumors and gossip. I haven’t dealt with those since junior high school and I don’t plan on doing it now,” Brown said. “I think this city has a great mayor — I believe Mayor Lightfoot is one of the best mayors in the country — and I support her wholeheartedly and I am going to work my fingers to the bone for her.”

Brown also discussed the death of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams, calls for civilian oversight of the police department and its efforts to comply with the 2019 federal consent decree requiring police reforms.

Rumors that Brown might be resigning were driven in part by his lack of visibility after some recent high-profile incidents. While he said the resignation rumors didn’t warrant a response, he said criticism of his not holding more news conferences was fair.

“I am not the kind of leader that chases the camera and says look at me,” Brown said. “I’d much rather be criticized for doing the work, the hard work, and not the PR.”

Also fueling those rumors: rampant Chicago violence over the past year, including a surge in carjackings and a more than 50% increase in murders in 2020 compared with 2019. According to the department’s own crime statistics this year through March 28, killings were up 33% compared to the same period of 2020, and shooting incidents were up 39%.

Interim Supt. Charlie Beck — Brown’s predecessor — had enacted a sweeping department reorganization, focusing on putting cops in districts. Brown said he reorganized again at the end of July 2020, creating large units that can be mobilized across the city to fight crime.

“I just try not to do stuff that doesn’t work. That structure wasn’t working.”

Brown acknowledged the perception that his reorganization increased violence.

“The facts are, the old structure wasn’t working in the new landscape of global pandemic and a social justice movement around race. That’s the facts.”

Brown said he’s committed to reforms based on the requirements of the consent decree, saying, “the ultimate goal is changing the culture of the police department.”

He also took another shot at his predecessors: “I walked in the door a year ago and, just to be quite frank with you, the department wasn’t taking the consent decree very seriously. … We had to dig ourselves out of a hole.”

Still, the department is meeting only slightly more than half of the 72 deadlines being assessed by an independent monitor of the consent decree, Brown acknowledged.

Beck, a former Los Angeles police chief, couldn’t be immediately be reached for comment on Brown’s criticism of his crime-fighting strategy in Chicago. He was acting superintendent from November 2019 until April 2020, when Brown was appointed permanent superintendent.

Brown also spoke about the death of Jaslyn — holding her father responsible, in part, for having her in a car with him when she was shot to death Sunday at a McDonald’s drive-thru on the West Side.

“This is about a young African American male … deciding to live the life of crime, getting in conflict with others who have decided to live a life of crime and putting your precious babies in the car with you, and this has happened time after time after time — and it’s beyond enough,” Brown said, adding that police believe the father was “targeted” by the shooter.

“But,” Brown added, “all of this is colored in race, poverty, social justice, investment on the West and South Sides — this despair we feel when we are in impoverished conditions.”

Demands for civilian oversight over the police department have grown in the wake of the police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez — so much so that topic sparked an argument during a City Council meeting Wednesday.

Brown said he wouldn’t comment on the ongoing fight for civilian oversight since he promised the mayor when he was hired that he would stay out of politics. He said he doesn’t want to “tip the scale” one way or another.

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Traded by White Sox in the offseason, Dunning enters game with 0.60 ERA over his first three starts

There’s no way to avoid feeling jilted.

Yoan Moncada talked about it in Boston, reflecting on when the Red Sox traded him and Michael Kopech to the White Sox for Chris Sale. Eloy Jimenez had no bigger thrill than hitting a home run at Wrigley Field against the team that traded him.

“It’s always good to prove to the team that traded you that they made a mistake,” Moncada said.

The Red Sox weren’t kicking Moncada and Kopech to the curb, they were trying to win a World Series by putting Sale in their starting rotation, and they did.

It still has the look of a good trade for both teams. The Red Sox got their rings and the White Sox got a potential All-Star third baseman for years to come and a pitcher with a sky-high ceiling.

The White Sox’ same rebuild mission brought them right-handers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning from the Nationals for Adam Eaton in a proven player for prospects trade. The Nats got their World Series title and the Sox got an ace and an All-Star in Giolito, a big arm in Lopez who made 81 starts before falling on trying times, and a former first-round pick in Dunning.

Dunning, who was traded to the Rangers this past offseason for Lance Lynn in a move the Sox hopes brings them a World Series, will take a 14-inning scoreless streak into his start against the Sox Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM).

Time will tell who won that trade. Lynn is a workhorse Cy Young vote getter with one year on his contract, and Dunning’s future has never looked brighter.

Had Lynn not strained his trapezius in his previous start and gone on the injured list, he very well might be facing Dunning Friday.

Dunning, who said he “is really looking forward” to facing the Sox, is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks in his first three starts covering 15 innings with his new team. So bring them on.

“Obviously, I wasn’t planning on getting traded,” Dunning said. “Then things happen. Being able to compete, though, and hopefully show them that the Rangers made a really great decision on getting me is a goal of mine. It’s a big goal of mine.”

In the deciding Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the A’s last season, the Sox didn’t trust Dylan Cease enough to start him knowing his control proplems leading to October were getting out of hand.

So they turned to Dunning, who was 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in seven starts. But the Sox didn’t trust him enough to finish the first inning and turned it into a bullpen game that turned into a nine-walk fiasco.

Since then Cease made adjustments in the offseason under the watch of new pitching coach Ethan Katz and was very good in spring training, culminating with an 11-strikeout, no walks performance in the Sox’ final Cactus League game. But he hasn’t maintained that level of command in the regular season, pitching 4 2/3 innings in all three of his starts, walking nine batters but posting a respectable 3.86 ERA, allowing three, one and two earned runs

Cease, whose stuff is superior to Dunning’s but not his command, undoubtedly wants to show the Sox they made the right choice in dealing Dunning away and not him.

“It feels a little bit middle of the road right now,” Cease said of his body of 2021 work. “I definitely haven’t had what I would consider a dominant start by any means, so that’s what we’re always looking to have. It’s been OK. I expect more out of myself for sure.”

RANGERS AT SOX

Friday: Dane Dunning (0-1, 0.60) vs. Dylan Cease (0-0, 3.86), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Saturday: Kohei Arihara (2-1, 2.21) vs. Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 5.68), 6:10 p.m., NBCSCH, FS1, 1000-AM

Sunday: Kyle Gibson (2-0, 2.53) vs. Lucas Giolito (1-1, 5.79), 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

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The 42-year-old Elizabeth City, North Carolina, man was shot to death Wednesday by a deputy sheriff trying to serve a search warrant.

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Andrew Brown Jr.’s easy smile, which belied hardship, loss and troubles with the law, was memorable for his dimples, his relatives said. He was quick to crack a joke at the family gatherings he tried not to miss after losing both of his parents. He encouraged his children to make good grades even though he dropped out of high school himself. Above all, he was determined to give them a better life than he had.

The 42-year-old Elizabeth City, North Carolina, man was shot to death Wednesday by a deputy sheriff trying to serve a search warrant. An eyewitness said Brown tried to drive away, but was shot dead in his car. The shooting prompted protests and demands for accountability in the eastern North Carolina city of about 18,000. The deputy, who has not been identified, has been put on leave pending a state investigation.

Despite his hard life — Brown was partially paralyzed on his right side by an accidental shooting, and he lost an eye when he was stabbed, according to aunt Glenda Brown Thomas — “Drew,” as he was called, looked for the humor in things.

“He had a good laugh, a nice smile. And he had good dimples,” Thomas said in an interview Thursday, a day after her nephew was killed. “You know, when he’s talking and smiling, his dimples would always show. And he was kind of like a comedian. He always had a nice joke.”

His cousin Jadine Hampton said Brown often entertained relatives with his humorous stories at family gatherings, including a socially distanced celebration in October of their grandmother’s 92nd birthday, the last time Hampton saw Brown. Photos that Thomas shared with an AP reporter show him smiling at a church ceremony held to honor his grandmother as woman of the year.

“Great heart,” said Hampton, 51, who lives in Atlanta. “Everybody would just wait to hear him tell a story because it would be like a comedian telling the play-by-play about something that happened.”

Brown had seven children of his own and helped take care of others, Harry Daniels, an attorney representing the family, said Thursday.

Hampton said Brown was a proud father.

“Although he didn’t finish school, he pushed them to finish school,” she said. “I believe a few of them were on honor roll.”

Court records show Brown had a history of criminal charges stretching back into the 1990s, including a misdemeanor drug possession conviction and some pending felony drug charges.

When he was 12 or 13, his mother was slain in Florida, Thomas said. Not long afterward, he dropped out of school around the 10th grade. She said her nephew was a good basketball player but had trouble with reading comprehension. Several years ago, his father died in federal prison after a medical procedure, Thomas said.

With his own troubles with drugs and the law, Brown had trouble keeping a job, Thomas said. But she said he still found ways to earn money to support his children, including card games and shooting pool. She said he sent his father money every month when the older man was in prison.

Another aunt who helped raise Brown in the absence of his parents, Martha McCullen, said it’s hard to find a job, especially with a criminal record, in Elizabeth City, where 1 in 5 live in poverty.

“Because they’re convicted … they can’t get no jobs,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

Despite Brown’s past trouble with the law, several relatives and friends said they never knew him to be a violent person.

“No matter what his past reflects, it still doesn’t give him (the deputy) the right to shoot him, period,” said Daniel Bowser, who said he had been friends with Brown for 30 years.

Authorities have said little about how the shooting transpired and have not revealed what the search warrant was for. On the day before the shooting, nearby Dare County had issued two arrest warrants for Brown on drug-related charges including possession with intent to sell cocaine, according to court documents released Thursday. The sheriff’s offices in Pasquotank and Dare counties and the prosecutor who oversees both places, District Attorney Andrew Womble, didn’t immediately respond to emails asking about the arrest warrants.

Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II has said a deputy from his department shot Brown, but that a Dare County law enforcement officer was also present.

The state Bureau of Investigation will turn over its findings to Womble, who said Wednesday that he was looking for “accurate” not “fast” answers.

An eyewitness said that deputies fired at Brown multiple times as he tried to drive away. The car skidded out of Brown’s yard and eventually hit a tree, said Demetria Williams, who lives on the same street. A car authorities removed from the scene appeared to have multiple bullet holes.

While the deputy was wearing an active body camera, it has yet to be released. In North Carolina, a judge generally has to approve release of police video, and no timetable has been given.

“We’re waiting for the bodycam footage because we really just don’t know what happened,” said Brown’s cousin Hampton. “But if this is a case where he was killed, running away, unarmed, then we absolutely are going to pursue justice in whatever capacity that can be.”

___

Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland. Associated Press writer Jonathan Drew in Durham, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Few details were released about the shooting, which happened near Mannheim Road.

Shots were fired during a chase involving Chicago police on the Eisenhower Expressway during the Thursday evening rush.

Few details were released about the shooting, which happened about 4:15 p.m. during a police chase near Mannheim Road, according to Illinois State Police Trooper Kyle Barrett. It was unclear if police fired shots or if anyone was hit, he said.

Chicago police spokesman Tom Ahern also could not provide details, beyond confirming there was police activity in the area.

Illinois State Police said they shut down all eastbound lanes of I-290 at Mannheim Road about 4:35 p.m. for the investigation.

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The rest of the Blackhawks were searching for solutions during the second intermission Wednesday when Vinnie Hinostroza turned to Brandon Hagel, trying to pump him up.

“He was saying…if we get out there, let’s be Bash Brothers,” Hagel said after the game, unable to hold back a grin. “We got out there, and I guess we were Bash Brothers with that final goal.”

Hagel eventually scored the overtime goal against the Predators to secure the Hawks’ second-ever win (and first win since 1987) after trailing by three with 10 minutes left.

Hinostroza, meanwhile, set up Hagel for the overtime goal with a slick zone entry. He also forced a Roman Josi turnover that led to Hagel’s assist on Pius Suter’s first-period goal and scored himself off a Kirby Dach pass in the middle of the third-period comeback.

The Chicago native and former Hawks prospect has been a revelation since his Apr. 2 reacquisition, tallying seven points (and a 55.3% shot-attempt ratio) in his first eight Hawks games this season after recording zero points (and a 41.9% shot-attempt ratio) in nine games with the Panthers.

His tenacious work ethic, blazing speed and colorful, optimistic personality have instantly made a difference on and off the ice.

“That earns a lot of respect with the guys,” coach Jeremy Colliton said Thursday. “When you play that hard and are willing to do the dirty work, you become pretty popular inside the walls of the dressing room.”

Colliton’s hands-on coaching style — in contrast with Joel Quenneville’s hands-off approach in Florida — has aided Hinostroza’s abrupt career turnaround.

“It’s nice to have someone that believes in you,” Hinostroza said Wednesday. “It’s nice, on off-days, to get with the coaches and watch some video. They want every guy here to succeed. They work individually here with guys… It’s nice to be here.”

But Hinostroza’s own renewed commitment is the key factor in his turnaround.

He spoke at length last week about how his disastrous Panthers stint — most of which he spent as a healthy scratch — gave him time to reflect on his hockey career so far and what it meant to be in the NHL. “It’s something I’ll never take for granted again,” he said.

And since returning to his hometown, Hinostroza has created instant, tangible chemistry with every fellow Hawks wing he has played with.

First it was with Dominik Kubalik, who gave Hinostroza his first two points of the season by depositing goals off his passes Apr. 8 and 10 against the Stars. Kubalik said the two of them knew “right away…what to expect from each other.”

Next it was with Patrick Kane, one of surprisingly few Hawks holdovers from Hinostroza’s 2015-2018 tenure. Kane and Hinostroza teamed up twice in the win over the Red Wings last weekend.

“I’ve always liked playing with Vinnie,” Kane said Sunday. “It was nice to develop that chemistry and feel we were creating chances, had the puck a lot and [were] making plays out there. I’m looking forward to seeing what that brings here.”

And now it’s with Hagel, the only Hawks skater who might be able to beat Hinostroza in a race.

They look and play the opposite of the original Bash Brothers — 1980s Oakland A’s stars Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco — but the point of the nickname isn’t factual accuracy.

“Their speed is so key,” Colliton said. “It helps our team so much to get out of the ‘D’-zone, push the pace and get through the neutral zone…[and] have more of a forecheck.”

“We have to bring the energy, play hard and be some of the guys first [in] on the forecheck — playing chippy, hitting guys,” Hinostroza added. “When we get out there, we just look at each other and it’s kind of like the Bash Bros.”

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I served as a Chicago Police Officer for 30 years. From 2004 to 2008, I was detailed to the Organized Crime Unit, adding a civil prosecution component to narcotic sales-related street corner conspiracy cases.

In those street corner conspiracies, oftentimes arrests were made of individuals with small amounts of narcotics who suffered from substance use disorder. Arresting them and locking them up was — and still is — a huge waste of resources and human potential.

It was while working on those cases that I saw firsthand the devastation to lives and the cost to society caused by the War on Drugs. Law enforcement consistently over-prioritizes arresting people for drug possession at the expense of other police work, to the point where many serious crimes go unsolved.

The clearance rate for rape cases in Chicago hovers around only 20%, and less than 45% of the city’s homicides were solved in 2020. The clearance rate for nonfatal shootings in our city tends to be even lower.

The justice system cannot address these serious crimes without reexamining how our resources are spent, particularly how they are spent on health and social issues such as drug use.

One of the best ways to ensure that law enforcement agencies stay focused on the most serious priorities is to change low-level drug possession laws. Right now, many of these offenses are graded as Class 4 felonies. People convicted of felonies are presumed to be dangerous. But drug use is not a problem that police, courts, prisons or criminal records can solve. Drug use is a health issue best addressed by health experts.

That is why I support Illinois House Bill 3447, which would reduce many drug possession offenses from a Class 4 felony to a misdemeanor. This bill would allow police to focus resources where their expertise can be most useful: investigating and interrupting serious crimes. As the primary agents of public safety, police time and energy should be spent responding to those urgent and life-threatening situations.

The bill also provides for arrest diversion in the form of behavioral health assessments and access to treatment, rather than incarceration. This component could be a significant step in healing the fractured relationship between the police and the community caused by the War on Drugs. Public safety improves when police are addressing the problems communities actually want us to solve. As an officer, I relied on community contacts for investigative leads, but few people feel safe even talking to us and drug arrests are a significant factor for this reluctance.

The distrust of communities in the police is aggravated by the fact that highest-intensity drug policing happens in low-income communities and communities of color, which are the same neighborhoods that suffer from the most violence. These communities want to be safe, but harsh drug policies work against that community safety.

HB 3447 should also reduce recidivism. Those convicted of misdemeanor drug possession won’t face counterproductive barriers to voting, finding a job, attending college and more. Removing these barriers vastly improves a person’s chances of success and reduces the likelihood of reoffending.

Research on the impacts of similar reforms in other states bears this out. Just last year, a study published in the journal of Criminology and Public Policy found that California’s voter-approved proposition to change drug possession felonies to misdemeanors led to “lower overall rearrest and reconviction rates than people with comparable convictions and criminal histories.”

Over three decades in law enforcement, I worked on community policing, organized crime, and drug and gang investigations. I’m disappointed that our efforts fell short, but House Bill 3447 is a chance to correct course. Let’s direct our attention to the safety issues on which police can truly make a difference.

Officer David Franco, now retired, was a 30-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and a representative of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a nonprofit group of police, judges, and other criminal justice professionals who support policies that make communities safer.

Send letters to [email protected].

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

This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 57 degrees. Tonight’s low will be around 43 degrees. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon and a high near 58 degrees.

Top story

Foxx says she should have known what prosecutor would say in court about police shooting of Adam Toledo

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx acknowledged today she should have known what one of her top deputies was going to say in court about the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo because it was a “heater case.”

“My name is on the door. Anything that happens that comes from the state’s attorney’s office, I am responsible for. I don’t believe in pushing blame or the buck,” Foxx told the Sun-Times.

“In this instance, the public was relying on information that our office presented to the court and the media relied upon that wasn’t fully accurate. I own that.”

Foxx has placed veteran prosecutor Jim Murphy on administrative leave because, according to a statement from her office, Murphy “failed to fully present the facts” during a bond hearing when he didn’t specifically state Toledo was unarmed at the moment a Chicago police officer shot him.

During an April 10 bond hearing describing allegations against 21-year-old Ruben Roman — who was arrested at the scene of Adam’s shooting in Little Village — Murphy told a judge Toledo had a gun in his right hand a moment before he was shot.

“The officer tells [Adam] to drop it as [Adam] turns towards the officer. [Adam] has a gun in his right hand,” Murphy said in court. “The officer fires one shot at [Adam], striking him in the chest. The gun that [Adam] was holding landed against the fence a few feet away.”

Read Fran Spielman’s full story here.

More news you need

1. A man has been charged in a brazen, midday road-rage shooting on Lake Shore Drive that critically wounded a toddler in early April. Deandre Binion, 25, faces three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, Chicago police said.
2. A lawsuit filed today against two Evanston police officers alleges they used excessive force in a June 2018 incident in which they used a Taser on a man, causing him to hit his head on a curb. Ronald Louden says police had no reason to approach him, but the city claims the suspect was resisting arrest after a loaded gun was found in his car.
3. Police fired gunshots while arresting an armed man this morning on the western end of the 606 Trail in Logan Square. No one was injured in the incident, which police allege occurred as officers confronted a 28-year-old man wanted in “several crimes involving a weapon just prior to his arrest.”
4. The vaccine “Hunger Games” are over: Chicago finally has enough COVID-19 vaccines to give a shot to anyone who wants one. Thanks to a “softening” of vaccine demand in other parts of Illinois and growth in supply provided by the federal government, “you can get one today, no excuses,” said Dr. Allison Arwady.
5. DePaul University and Columbia College will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in the fall. The private schools say they’ll offer vaccines on campus this month and grant religious or medical-based exemptions to the rule.
6. It could be another four years before Chicago’s long-sought casino opens, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned state gambling regulators today to not let the process drag on any longer than that. Lightfoot, who invited developers to submit bids, said the Gaming Board needs “to speed up” its work to investigate and authorize the city’s eventual choice.
7. How much do you know about this year’s Academy Award nominees? Test your knowledge with our Oscars quiz before Hollywood’s big night this weekend.

A bright one

‘Secrets of the Whales’: Amazing footage shows not just how the sea mammals look, but how they live

Incredible. Amazing. Awesome.

The four-part Disney+ series “Secrets of the Whales,” directed with award-level skill by Brian Armstrong and Andy Mitchell, is among the finest nature documentaries film critic Richard Roeper has ever experienced.

This Earth Day offering is an astonishingly well-photographed deep dive into the worlds of orcas, belugas, sperm whales, narwhals and humpbacks — essentially disparate species with their own communities and friend groups, their own unique languages and culture, their own unique family dynamics and their own special histories.

The Disney+/National Geographic crews take us to the far ends of the waters of the Earth to capture these beautiful and intelligent creatures, with visuals so stunning and locales so exotic, it’s almost as if we’re on another planet — or we’ve traveled back in time.

“Whales have culture,” says narrator Sigourney Weaver (a perfect choice) at the outset of the series. “Each family speaks a unique language. They love deeply, play with joy and mourn their dead. Whales are just like us.”

That sounds like a dash of the ol’ Disney anthropomorphic hyperbole — but by the time the journey reaches its conclusion, we’re all-in on that statement.

Read Richard Roeper’s full review of the new nature series that debuted today on Disney Plus.

From the press box

Our beat reporters’ position-by-position Bears draft preview hits outside linebacker, where the team may need help soon given it can move on from Robert Quinn after this year.

Essential Quality figures to be the favorite when the odds post next week for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, but the Blackhawks analyst and NBC handicapper Eddie Olczyk is leaning toward a different horse for the 147th Run for the Roses.

More change for Loyola: Cameron Krutwig announced today he’s entering the NBA Draft after the Ramblers’ recent Sweet 16 run.

Your daily question ?

Happy Earth Day! What’s the best way to enjoy the outdoors living in Chicago?

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

Yesterday, we asked you: Has not commuting to the office during the pandemic made you rethink how you view work and/or career goals? Here’s what some of you said…

“100 percent! I love working from home! I don’t think I can ever go back to five days in office or the long commute!” — Lucia DiNicola Bertrand

“I’m hoping it makes businesses rethink requiring bodies to sit in an office when it’s not necessary.” — Lin Liston

“What do people do with themselves all day? I’m a homebody but working from home is not for me.” — Agnes Magdalena

“It’s made me 100% sure I don’t want to have to go to the office five days a week ever again.” — Shannon Heath Jeropke

“I struggled at first, but now I love working from home. Work life balance is a little more balanced now. No sitting in traffic for hours, spending money on lunch, gas. I love it!” — Joy Murphy

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

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The Dave Matthews Band on Thursday announced the rescheduled and additional dates for its 2021 North American summer tour, including two dates at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island.

The band will perform Aug. 6 and 7 in Chicago; tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 27 at ticketmaster.com.

As part of the tour, Matthews & Co. are pledging to plant one million trees this year with the help of fans who add an optional $2 to their ticket price. The money will help fund the “Plant a Billion Campaign” from The Nature Conservancy. More information on the program can be found at www.plantabillion.org/DMB.

Here are the dates for the tour, which kicks off July 23 in North Carolina:

• 7/23 – Raleigh, North Carolina – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• 7/24 – Charlotte, North Carolina – PNC Music Pavilion
• 7/27 – Alpharetta, Georgia – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
• 7/28 – Tampa, Florida – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
• 7/30 – West Palm Beach, Florida – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
• 7/31 – West Palm Beach, Florida – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
• 8/6 – Chicago – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
• 8/7 – Chicago – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
• 8/11 – Clarkston, Michigan – DTE Energy Music Theatre
• 8/13 – Noblesville, Indiana – Ruoff Music Center
• 8/14 – Noblesville, Indiana – Ruoff Music Center
• 8/18 – Syracuse, New York- St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
• 8/20 – Mansfield, Massachusetts – Xfinity Center
• 8/21 – Columbia, Maryland – Merriweather Post Pavilion
• 8/24 – Gilford, New Hampshire – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
• 8/25 – Gilford, New Hampshire- Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
• 8/27 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania- The Pavilion at Star Lake
• 8/28 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
• 9/3 – George, Washington – Gorge Amphitheatre
• 9/4 – George, Washington – Gorge Amphitheatre
• 9/5 – George, Washington – Gorge Amphitheatre
• 9/8 – Bend, Oregon – Les Schwab Amphitheater
• 9/10 – Irvine, California – FivePoint Amphitheatre
• 9/11 – Irvine, California – FivePoint Amphitheatre
• 9/15 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Summerfest
• 9/17 – Saratoga Springs, New York – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• 9/18 – Saratoga Springs, New York – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• 9/21 – Wantagh, New York – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
• 9/22 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
• 9/28 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
• 9/29 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
• 10/8 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
• 10/9 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
• 10/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
• 10/13 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
• 10/15 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
• 10/16 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
• 11/6 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
• 11/9 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
• 11/10 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

For more information, visit http://www.davematthewsband.com.

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