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6 p.m. Coronavirus spike all the more reason to skip Easter celebrations, Chicago’s top doc says

In-person Easter celebrations should be put on hold as coronavirus infection rates hop back up to troubling levels, the city’s top doctor warned Thursday.

Unless family members are fully vaccinated — meaning two weeks removed from their final dose — it’s best to keep gatherings virtual with COVID-19 still looming, according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

That’s even more important this weekend because the virus is already spreading across the city and state at the quickest rate seen in almost two months, Arwady said during an online Q&A.

“You don’t want your Easter celebration to turn into a contact tracing event. You really don’t,” she said. “Each day as more people get vaccinated, these things are becoming safer, but with the amount of people fully vaccinated — unless you’ve got a fully vaccinated group gathering, there still is a fair bit of risk.

“It’s a time when a lot of people traditionally get together, but the virus does not know that it’s Easter. It does not know that it is Passover,” Arwady said. “The things that we’ve been doing to protect each other and protect those we care about — especially now with vaccine in the mix — become even more important.”

Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here.

News

4:45 p.m. Biden launches community corps to boost COVID vaccinations

WASHINGTON — Seeking to overcome vaccine hesitancy, the Biden administration on Thursday stepped up its outreach efforts to skeptical Americans, launching a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots in hard-hit communities.

The administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign features television and social media ads, but it also relies on a community corps of public health, athletic, faith and other groups to spread the word about the safety and efficacy of the three approved vaccines. The campaign comes amid worries that reluctance to get vaccinated will delay the nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic — and is kicking off as the U.S. is anticipating a boost in vaccine supply that will make all adult Americans eligible for vaccines by the beginning of May.

President Joe Biden encouraged more than 1,000 faith leaders on Thursday to continue their efforts to promote vaccinations in their communities. “They’re going to listen to your words more than they are to me as president of the United States,” Biden said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday to kick off the effort. The Department of Health and Human Services was also encouraging other groups, as well as everyday Americans, to join the effort.

“You are the people that folks on the ground know and rely on and have a history with,” Harris said. “And when people are then making the decision to get vaccinated, they’re going to look to you.”

Read the full story here.

3:12 p.m. Chicago sees ‘quantum leap’ in COVID-19 cases — widening Lightfoot-Pritzker split over vaccine plans

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Illinois’ COVID-19 uptick took another jump Wednesday as Chicago’s “quantum leap” in cases raised more concerns of a potential third surge of the virus, officials said.

Another 2,592 residents across the state were diagnosed with the virus among 77,727 tests, which lowered Illinois’ average positivity rate to 3.3%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

But that key metric has shot up 57% overall in under three weeks, while COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 24% over the same time frame. More than 1,400 beds were occupied by coronavirus patients Tuesday night, the most the state’s hospitals have treated since Feb. 24.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot agree the uptick has halted any talk of further reopening — but they’re still far apart on when all adults should be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The governor voiced concern Wednesday over the city’s timetable for that move, saying “I think that they will want to do that sooner than they are currently planning to.”

Read the full story from Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout here.

12:39 p.m. Company producing J&J vaccine had history of violations

The company at the center of quality problems that led Johnson & Johnson to discard 15 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine has a string of citations from U.S. health officials for quality control problems.

Emergent BioSolutions, a little-known company vital to the vaccine supply chain, was a key to Johnson & Johnson’s plan to deliver 100 million doses of its vaccine to the United States by the end of May. But the Food and Drug Administration repeatedly has cited Emergent for problems such as poorly trained employees, cracked vials and problems managing mold and other contamination around one of its facilities, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act. The records cover inspections at Emergent facilities since 2017.

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that a batch of vaccine made by Emergent at its Baltimore factory, known as Bayview, cannot be used because it did not meet quality standards. It was unclear how many doses were involved or how the problem would affect future deliveries of J&J’s vaccine. The company said in a statement it was still planning to deliver 100 million doses by the end of June and was “aiming to deliver those doses by the end of May.”

“Human errors do happen,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Thursday in an interview on CBS’ “This Morning.” “You have checks and balances. … That’s the reason why the good news is that it did get picked up. As I mentioned, that’s the reason nothing from that plant has gone into anyone that we’ve administered to.”

Read the full story here.

11:58 a.m. Positive COVID-19 test forces postponement of Mets-Nationals season opener

WASHINGTON — The Opening Day baseball game between the Nationals and Mets was postponed hours before it was scheduled to begin Thursday night because of coronavirus concerns after one of Washington’s players tested positive for COVID-19.

The Nationals issued a statement saying “ongoing contract tracing involving members of the Nationals organization” was the reason for scrapping the game at their stadium.

The contest was not immediately rescheduled, even though Friday already had been set up as an off day that could accommodate a game pushed back from Thursday if there were a rainout, for example.

The Nationals said in a statement the game “will not be made up on Friday.”

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday that one of his team’s players had tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, before the team left spring training camp.

Rizzo said four other players and one staff member were following quarantine protocols after contract tracing determined they were in close contact with the person who tested positive.

Rizzo did not identify any of those involved.

“We’re still in the process of finding out exactly what their status is,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “They’re certainly out for tomorrow’s game.”

Read the full story here.

9:24 a.m. James Taylor kicking off rescheduled 2021 tour at the United Center

Live music may be returning to the United Center this summer.

James Taylor on Wednesday announced his postponed world tour with special guest Jackson Browne will kick off at the Chicago venue on July 29.

Tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored for the trek that wraps up Nov. 1 in San Diego. (The tour was originally slated for a stop June 9 the United Center; refunds are available at point of purchase for those unable to make the new date.)

Taylor postponed the tour last April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down all live music/theater venues across the country. Browne contracted coronavirus last March, revealing at the time he suffered only minor symptoms and recuperated while quarantining at home.

“(Jackson and I/James and I) want to thank all those who have graciously held onto their tickets; we appreciate your continued patience as we navigate these unchartered waters. We didn’t want to have to cancel this tour that we’ve been waiting so long to perform together, so we’ve been working to get these dates rescheduled to a time period when the U.S. is reopened and safe to gather for a concert,” the two legendary singer-songwriters said in a joint statement.”

Read the full story from Miriam Di Nunzio here.

New Cases & Vaccination Numbers

• Another 2,592 residents across the state were diagnosed with the virus among 77,727 tests.
• Nearly 500 Chicagoans are testing positive every day, an average figure that has jumped 37% over the past week.
• Illinois is vaccinating more people than ever as the state’s rolling average is up to a new high of 109,538 shots doled out per day.
• On Tuesday, 137,445 shots went into arms, the state’s third-highest daily total yet.

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Jon “Boog” Sciambi didn’t take long to crack his first joke.

In the top of the first inning of his first regular-season broadcast as the Cubs’ TV voice, Boog listed the offensive categories in which the Pirates ranked last or close to it in 2020.

“That’s not very good, Boog,” analyst Jim Deshaies said matter-of-factly.

Deadpanned Boog: “More from JD coming up in the third.”

Picture Harry Doyle talking to Monte in the movie “Major League.”

That quick wit and dry sense of humor will have Marquee Sports Network viewers chuckling all season. But there’s much more to Boog’s broadcasts than comedy, and he displayed it all Thursday from the Wrigley Field booth.

After the game, I asked Boog how he felt, despite the Cubs’ 5-3 loss.

“I’m freezing!” he said. “It was cold.”

Be that as it may — the temperature was in the 30s — Boog said he felt good.

“It was cool. It was baseball,” he said. “It certainly would be more fun and more memorable if they won. When the home team plays well, you get to call big plays and the crowd gets into it. It just wasn’t to be.”

His preparation was evident by the personal and statistical nuggets he shared about the Cubs and Pirates. He said Pirates pitcher Steven Brault hid in pitching coach Oscar Marin’s office to surprise teammate and close friend Chad Kuhl when Kuhl learned he made the team. He said Cubs left fielder Joc Pederson is a sneakerhead and has his daughter Poppy’s name on the heels of his cleats.

Boog also can talk baseball with the best of them, from analytics to fundamentals to player habits. Remember, he has been calling major-league baseball since 1997, and he has developed relationships with countless players. He talked about how, on cold days, keeping players’ throwing hand warm isn’t the problem. It’s the glove hand because the glove can become stiff.

He also had some great exchanges with Deshaies.

“JD is such a pro and so good to work with and listens so well,” Boog said. “Our crew’s really good. Those guys are following me on different things. We supported in spots with graphics and video; we didn’t overdo it.”

Boog’s sense of humor, self-deprecation and pop-culture references will be big hits with viewers.

When he struggled to pronounce Pirates starter Kuhl’s name in a sentence, he turned into Albert Brooks in the 1987 movie “Broadcast News,” saying, “A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!”

When he asked to see the pitch count appear and then disappear in the score bug, he said, “It’s kinda like the Clapper, only with the score bug and the pitch count.”

When Deshaies asked jokingly whether Boog wanted fries before remembering he doesn’t eat them, Boog motioned to the burly coat he was wearing and said, “We’re covering fat. Now I’m just sorta fat.”

When Boog told the story about the April Fool’s Day 1985 article in Sports Illustrated about fictional pitcher Sidd Finch, who was going to turn the Mets into a dynasty with a 168 mph fastball, he broke out a thick, hilarious New York accent to share what he heard from Mets fans growing up.

And there’s more to come Saturday.

“I know the fans were excited to be back at the ballpark, but I spent my entire year last year calling games remotely,” Boog said. “So for me, to look at the field and be there and call the game and have my partner right next to me, I had a blast.”

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With groundbreaking for the Obama Presidential Center likely in September — and with creating a diverse local workforce a priority — Obama Foundation officials on Thursday pledged to release quarterly reports so the public could determine if it is meeting its minority hiring and contracting goals.

The promise came during a meeting of the top foundation officials with the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board where a variety of issues related to the development of the Obama complex in Jackson Park were discussed.

If construction starts at the beginning of September, the grand opening will be in 2025.

In other news:

• The signature structure is the tower housing the Obama museum. The stone used to cover the walls of the squat 235-foot high building — the stone texture and color — remains a major design decision. Former President Barack Obama will personally be selecting the stone, said Obama Foundation President Valerie Jarrett. Lori Healey, who is managing the Obama Center construction, said three “fairly similar” stones are under consideration.
• Decisions on the permanent exhibits in the museum are still “a work in progress,” Jarrett said, with a replica of the Oval Office still being planned. She said she met with museum director Louise Bernard on Wednesday and said, “we are still going through the process of crafting the exhibits floor by floor on how to tell the story.”
• In December, Jarrett, the longtime confidante and adviser to Barack and Michelle Obama, stepped in as interim foundation president after President Joe Biden tapped then foundation president, Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo, to be deputy secretary of the Treasury. The Senate confirmed Adeyemo on March 25 and Jarrett told the Sun-Times she is dropping the “interim” status. “I’ll be the president for the foreseeable future,” Jarrett said.
• As of the end of March, a total of $847 million has been raised since the foundation was founded in 2014, Jarrett said. Fundraising slowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jarrett said fundraising prospects have brightened since groundbreaking was announced for 2021 and the end of a long-running federal review — needed because Obama decided to build on 19.3 acres in Jackson Park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Regarding naming rights, a common “carrot” for donors in big dollar institutional fundraising, Jarrett said “major decisions” have not been made yet and added “there are going to be opportunities within the inside, certainly and maybe who knows, on the outside as well. So we’re still exploring that right now. But there will be opportunities.”
• The foundation has been focusing on ways to leverage the Obama Center project into jobs for people living in certain communities in the South and West sides and to bolster the ability of minority-owned small businesses concerned about cash flow to bid for sub-contracts. Healey said the foundation has “committed” to pay bills within 30 days. “That’s really transformational,” she said and will make it easier for “small, diverse contractors” to bid on projects.

The foundation, over the past few years, has set a series of self-imposed goals when it comes to hiring, contracting and subcontracting. Jarrett said those statistics will be collected with reports released “on a quarterly basis” . . . “to be completely transparent.” She said “it’s our job, as the owner of the project, to hold the contractors feet to the fire and all the subcontractors and all the professional service providers.”

• As part of the deal, the foundation has to certify to City Hall it has the money to pay for the construction and will have an endowment. Healey said the construction costs are estimated at $500 million. Details regarding the certification were provided to the Sun-Times by the foundation after the meeting in an email that stated, “The foundation certified to the city that we have ~$485M to cover $482M of hard construction costs. This certification was done by an independent, accounting/audit firm.”

As for the endowment obligation, the Sun-Times was told the foundation board “recently voted to establish an endowment which we will look to fund in the coming months and years. Like other museums, the foundation is committed to building an endowment to create long-term security for the funding of OPC operations and upkeep.”

• The foundation appears supportive of a plan embraced by Masters champ Tiger Woods to merge the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses into one course. Michael Strautmanis, chief engagement officer for the foundation, said, “Our position is it represents more investment in the park and more investment in the community, and we are in favor of that.”

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In February, the new Biden administration came under fire for opening the first of several emergency detention center to house unaccompanied migrant children coming across our nation’s southern border.

A refugee center, no matter how humanely operated, is a woefully inferior alternative to placing these children with stable foster families or relatives, which has been the federal government’s stated goal. But now, with some Border Patrol holding facilities for children standing at 1,640% of capacity, it’s safe to say things aren’t getting any better.

Does the president have an actual plan?

The Biden administration, in the new president’s first days in office, commendably ended a cruel Trump administration policy of splitting up families that migrate illegally across the border. Nor would Border Patrol agents any longer turn away unaccompanied minors. But it’s hard to see that the Biden administration has a practical alternative strategy of its own.

The administration rushed to show the world that the United States would now respond to the border crisis more humanely, with Vice President Kamala Harris at the helm of the effort, but clearly that was easier said than done.

“The policymakers came in with a policy change, but then had no plan in place to implement that plan,” Joe Frank Martinez, sheriff of Val Verde County, Texas, told CNN. “People are going to continue to come in mass numbers, people are going to die, but something has to be done quick.”

A growing number of unaccompanied migrant children are crossing the border and, at present, about 12,900 of them are being held in U.S. Health and Human Services shelters. Another 5,300 are being held in Border Patrol facilities. Border Patrol policy dictates that all detainees, including children, should be transferred out of the agency’s custody within three days, but many unaccompanied children have been in Border Patrol facilities for longer than 15 days.

The Biden administration blames the Trump administration for much of the problem — and fairly so. For four years, the Trump administration did its best to dismantle the most compassionate aspects of our nation’s system for dealing with unaccompanied migrant children, more interested in sending a message of zero tolerance — cross the border and you’ll regret it — than caring for kids humanely. Trump slashed funding for refugee services, forcing many shelters and resettlement offices to close.

“The system was gutted, facilities were closed, and they cruelly expelled young children into the hands of traffickers,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement last week. “We have had to rebuild the entire system, including the policies and procedures required to administer the asylum laws that Congress passed long ago.”

The Biden administration also has blamed the pandemic, which is less convincing. To be sure, finding sufficient numbers of beds and host families for unaccompanied children becomes a greater challenge in these times of social distancing, but rising to the occasion should be the expected for an agency — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — built on crisis management. The agency, established almost 70 years ago, has approximately 80,000 employees and annual budget of about $1.2 trillion.

The sad truth is that the last three American presidents have struggled with the growing problem of children crossing the border. In 2009, slightly more than 19,400 children were taken into custody. By 2014, that number had soared to 68,000. And the number of border crossings this year is on track to set a new record.

But Joe Biden, first as a candidate and now as president, has made a point of saying he would make immigration reform a top priority and fix intractable problems — such as kids stewing in detention centers — that other presidents could or would not.

It’s on him to stand and deliver.

Send letters to [email protected]

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After police shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in what officials described as an “armed confrontation” in Little Village early Monday, everyone from Mayor Lori Lightfoot to community activists to the boy’s neighbors on Thursday called for the release of videos that could shed light on what happened.

The boy’s mother also said she wants answers about the death of her son, who she said wanted to be a police officer someday.

“He wanted to be a cop when he grew up,” Elizabeth Toledo told the Sun-Times of her son, Adam. “And next thing you know, a cop took his life.”

The Cook County medical examiner said Adam, 13, was shot in his chest and later died in the incident, which took place in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue.

In a statement, police said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 2:35 a.m. that morning and saw two males. One person, who was allegedly armed, ran from the scene and was shot by an officer during the “armed confrontation,” police said.

Police shared a photo of a gun allegedly recovered at the scene.

That person, later identified as Adam, died at the scene, police said. Adam’s mother identified him at the county morgue Wednesday after filing a missing person report with police.

The other person who ran from police, 21-year-old Ruben Roman Jr. of Edgewater, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, police said. In 2019, Roman pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession stemming from an arrest in Evanston and was sentenced to probation, court records show.

Elizabeth Toledo said in a phone interview Thursday that she doesn’t know what happened to her son, who she last saw Sunday when they attended a memorial service for a relative who died.

She said “just wants answers about what really happened.”

“I haven’t heard from cops since yesterday when they knocked on my door,” said Toledo, 44.

Authorities said the family lives in the 3700 block of South Millard Avenue, which is about a mile and a half from the scene of the shooting.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

COPA researching whether it can release video

The officer in Monday’s incident was placed on desk duty for 30 days while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the shooting, police said.

The shooting was captured by body-worn camera, but it wasn’t immediately clear if investigators would release it.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, COPA said while it is required to release body camera video of police shootings within 60 days of the incident, policy prohibits them from sharing video if the victim is under 18 years old. Without a court order, the video would not be released, the statement said.

Later, COPA said it was “currently making every effort and researching all legal avenues that will allow for the public release of all video materials. … COPA has been in contact with the Toledo family and will provide the family a review of all video materials.”

Matthew Topic, a Chicago attorney who specializes in cases involving public records and has represented the Sun-Times, said courts “have repeatedly rejected” the argument that videos of police shootings involving minors can be shielded from disclosure under Illinois’ Juvenile Court Act.

Investigators will release other evidence including 911 calls, police reports and radio transmissions within 60 days, COPA said.

In a statement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said she “can only imagine the incredible pain this boy’s parents are experiencing at this moment. My heart goes out to them.”

She said while the case was still under investigation, “we must ask ourselves how our social safety net failed this boy leading to the tragic events in the early hours of Monday morning. While the investigation is ongoing, it is critically important that COPA releases relevant videos first to the family, and then to the public, as quickly as possible with appropriate protections given his age.”

Police Supt. David Brown said the shooting was “tragic” and “adamantly” called for the release of videos.

“My greatest fear as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department has been a deadly encounter between one of our own and a juvenile especially given the recent rise in violent crimes involving juveniles throughout our city,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, this fear became a reality earlier this week.”

Lea este articulo en espanol en La Voz Chicago, un servicio presentado por AARP Chicago.

‘Very disheartening’

Adam’s mom said the family moved to Little Village in November. The boy reportedly attended Gary Elementary School on 31st Street.

“He was always happy. He loved animals. He was loving to all his siblings,” she said.

Near the scene of the incident on Thursday, which took place behind Farragut Career Academy High School, residents gathered for a yard sale and formed a line along 24th Street where a local church was holding a food drive.

A surveillance video taken from a camera at Amor de Dios United Methodist Church, which is at the corner of 24th and Sawyer, caught flashes of light from the shooting and additional police officers as they arrived on the scene. However, neither the officer who fired the shots nor Adam could be seen in the video.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Pastor Ramiro Rodriguez, who lives in the 2300 block of South Sawyer, said his son heard the gunshots early Monday morning but neither witnessed the incident.

“I feel for the kids around here,” Rodriguez said in Spanish. ” … What happened here is not what we want, we want the best for our families and for our youth.”

Rodriguez said he does not know Adam or his family, but said he turned over the security footage to detectives.

Many at the food drive expressed shock to hear that the person gunned down by police behind their homes was so young. Nakia Smith, a mother of a 13-year-old boy herself, said she heard gunshots on early that morning, followed moments later by a swarm of blue lights.

“It’s very disheartening, especially with what happened a year ago, with the [Derek] Chauvin trial and everything,” Smith said, referring to the Minneapolis officer who is currently on trial in the murder of George Floyd. “And then Monday morning, come to find out it was a 13-year-old boy killed … it’s just quite a bit.”

She added: “I do understand that the police don’t always know what someone is going to do, but there has to be a better way.”

Meanwhile, Rafael Hurtado Jr., 30 — who said he lives a few houses down from where the medical examiner said Adam lived — urged the release of video footage related to the shooting.

“It’s hard to take CPD’s word for it” that he was armed, he said. “Especially with everything that’s been going on with the police shootings in other places.”

He said that “it’s tragic for everyone involved, for the family, for the kid because he was so young and for the officer who pulled the trigger.”

Activists skeptical of police version

Anthony Gonzalez, an organizer with the community group Mi Villita Neighbors, said he was personally “shocked because it is like when does the violence from police end?”

He was skeptical of the police version of events.

“I don’t think we know the full story but we can’t take the police’s word for it,” he said.

Chicago police

But local Ald. George Cardenas (12th), who said he has many unanswered questions about the shooting, said “COPA has told me that the gun was found near his body.”

Cardenas urged Little Village residents to keep their cool and “wait for the facts to play out.”

“We’re trying to keep the peace and keep everybody as informed as possible so that people don’t jump to conclusions until all the facts are born out,” he said. “I urge the community to be patient for COPA to do its work. We have challenges in Little Village. The community has reported many shootings in that area. … I pray for our young people in harm’s way. There are so many incidents we battle on a daily basis.”

Two other people have been shot by Chicago police officers this week. Early Wednesday, an officer fatally shot an armed man in Portage Park after officers chased the man on foot. An officer fired shots after the man allegedly pulled out a gun in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street, police said.

Less than an hour later, an off-duty Chicago police officer shot someone breaking into their home in Albany Park on the Northwest Side. The officer shot the man in his face about 12:55 a.m. as the man broke into the officer’s home in the 3100 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, police said. The man was rushed in serious condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Contributing: Cindy Hernandez, Frank Main, Tom Schuba

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

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For the first time since September 2019, a sizable crowd saw a baseball game at Wrigley Field as the Cubs opened the 2021 season at a chilly Wrigley Field.

But the warm feelings from Chicago’s first sporting event with fans since the pandemic began quickly faded in the Cubs’ 5-3 Opening Day loss to the Pirates.

The Pirates aren’t going to lead the National League in runs scored this season, but the Cubs gave them every opportunity to do damage and paid the price in the loss.

The Cubs’ pitching staff didn’t do themselves any favors on Thursday as they struggled to find the strike zone against Pittsburgh. Regardless of where the Pirates are predicted to finish in the NL Central, it’s hard to beat any team issuing 11 walks in a game. While the Pirates only scored five runs in the game, it could have easily been more with Pittsburgh leaving 15 runners on base.

“That’s a tough thing to watch,” manager David Ross said. “11 free passes, 12 with the hit batter. You gotta fill up the zone, especially on a cold day at Wrigley Field. The walks are gonna hurt you.”

Starter Kyle Hendricks didn’t have his Opening Day magic like he did last season when he tossed a complete-game shutout. The Cubs’ ace was uncharacteristically wild and was unable to get into a rhythm during his 63-pitch outing.

There wasn’t much contact after Ke’Bryan Hayes’ first-inning, two-run shot, but Hendricks couldn’t locate his fastball and often found himself in several three-ball counts.

“I was just, from pitch one, kind of battling myself,” Hendricks said. “It was a fight. Just not in a good position at the top of my balance point right now. It’s usually a small adjustment for me, but now obviously, I’ve got to put in some work and just find that spot to get through the baseball better.”

“Every time Kyle takes the mound, we’re expecting and he’s expecting himself to go deep [into games],” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “So whenever he doesn’t go deep and it raises your eyebrows. But he’s so routine-oriented and he’s such a hard worker behind the scenes. I just told him, ‘You know, you can’t throw a complete game shutout every Opening Day.”

Hendricks allowed three runs on four hits over his three innings of work, earning his first loss of the season. He struck out four and walked three. It’s the first time Hendricks has walked three or more batters in a game since April 1, 2019 against Atlanta.

“Just command-wise, really starting with the fastball. It was terrible and lead-off walks,” Hendricks said. “Just lead off guys in general, getting on base just set a terrible town for the group. We’ve got to reset. I guess good news is we have 161 more, but got to flip that around. Can’t let that happen again.”

But Hendricks wasn’t the only Cub who was unable to throw strikes consistently. Seven of eight Cubs pitchers who appeared in the game walked at least one batter and allowed the lead-off man to reach by walk six times. The 11 walks are their most allowed since walking 12 on March 30, 2019, against the Rangers.

The offense looked eerily similar to the last time they played at a cold Wrigley Field in the postseason. They managed just two hits against Pirates pitching during the opener with one hit after the first inning.

“I don’t put a lot of stock in this one, but you know,, it counts now and you want to win them all,” Ross said. “You try to move forward. Hopefully, we learned some lessons today. … I know there are some things that stood out that we can be better at. We’ve got to pay attention to some small details. Even when we are walking guys and not hitting, there’s some other things that need to be cleaned up.”

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Thousands of overjoyed Cubs fans returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over a year Thursday for an unprecedented Opening Day matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Prior to the first pitch, throngs of fans chanted, cheered and posed for photographs under Wrigley’s iconic marquee at the intersection of Clark and Addison streets. Tim Gerster, of Portage Park, said the city’s move to allow a limited number of fans back to ballparks marks a shift “back to normalcy.”

“A year’s too long to be away from the Cubs,” said Gerster, who has for a decade brought his teenage son to every home opener.

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  William Gonzalez, 40, of Gage Park, wears a Cubs-themed luchador mask outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day 2021.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  A group of Cubs fans, including Roberto Ramos, 56, of Norwood Park, wearing full team attire and a bright blue face mask, walk outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Carla Piunti, 50, of Chicago Heights, smiles as she prepares to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans watch the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Wrigley Rooftops.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Ivan Aroyo, 25, of Cicero, poses for a photo outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  People walk their dogs outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans take selfies outside Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans watch the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Wrigley Rooftops.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Amy Zeiher, 34, drove to Chicago from New Jersey for the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game at Wrigley Field.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Greg Cooper, 58, of Springfield, holds a sign that says “First masked game 4-1-21” outside Wrigley Field on Opening Day.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans watch the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates outside Wrigley Field.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  An usher waits for fans to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans wait to enter Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Damian Ehrlicher (center right, in grey), of Edison Park, drinks with friends at Murphy’s Bleachers during the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Vanessa Burks, 26, of St. Charles, approaches Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Fans watch the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Wrigley Rooftops.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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  Anthony Reyes (center, in grey), of Bucktown, drinks with friends at Sluggers World Class Sports Bar during the Chicago Cubs Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

As fans lined up outside, it was clear that changes had been made to the ballpark’s operations as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all fans donned protective masks and the attendees who were able to score tickets were ushered separately through socially distanced lines — a far cry from the mob scenes that were previously commonplace at the stadium’s entry points.

Kelli Serviss, a home health care worker from the Northwest Side, said she was “concerned” about coronavirus cases rising again as she posed for selfies outside the stadium with her daughter, niece and another health care worker. This week, city officials warned that baseball stadiums could again be shut down to fans if cases keep climbing.

“This does not feel like a normal Opening Day, not at all,” said Serviss, who has attended every home opener for roughly two decades. “It’s very empty. It’s very different.”

Still, Serviss said she deserves a reprieve after working through the pandemic and being vaccinated.

“Walking through the gates, I want to see that first pitch. Give me that first pitch,” she said, adding she also couldn’t wait to hear the stadium’s organ.

“I’m getting chills,” her friend, Allison Hoehn, chimed in.

By the top of the fifth inning, fans were streaming out of Wrigley’s main entrance. While some complained it was too cold in certain parts of the stadium, others said they were frustrated the mobile app needed to order beers and hot dogs wasn’t working.

Damian Ehrlicher and his friends ducked out of the game early to grab drinks at Murphy’s Bleachers, 3665 N. Sheffield Ave. But Ehrlicher, an Edison Park resident who’s attended around 35 straight openers, took the hiccup in stride.

“At the end of the day, aren’t you happy just to be out and be somewhat getting back to normal? … [Is it] aggravating? Yeah, but they weren’t prepared for it,” said Ehrlicher, the CEO of ProtectedIT, a managed security services provider based in Chicago.

“It is what it is,” he said. “They’ve had worse Opening Days.”

The beer-fueled bacchanal that typically extends to neighborhood taverns on game days appeared to be hampered by coronavirus-related restrictions. Though bars were able to seat limited numbers of patrons inside and on their patios, the atmosphere was docile compared to previous openers.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Ushers said 10,000 tickets were sold for Thursday’s game, which was more than initially announced but still less than a quarter of the stadium’s capacity.

“We got scared because the seating was so limited [and] we paid way too much. But we’re here. All that matters is that we’re here,” said Richie Garcia, a Bridgeport resident who said he and his friends have a “tradition” of attending Opening Day that stretches back two decades.

Garcia said he typically attends between 50 and 60 Cubs home games each year and being shut out of Wrigley last year was “really hard” on him.

“I went through a depression, withdrawals and all that other stuff,” he said. “But you know what? We’re back. It’s OK now. It’s a better day. I made it.”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Asked about the Cubs’ prospects this year, Garcia said jokingly: “We’re going to go 162-0.”

One of the first big cheers went up for old friend Jake Arrieta, back again in a Cubs uniform, as players lined the third-base line for the kind of ceremonious introductions that happen only on special occasions like Opening Day.

It got even louder when right fielder Jason Heyward — carrying a Chicago flag — led the Cubs’ starting nine out of the dugout for the first inning.

He doffed his cap first to the fans beyond the right-field foul line, then to those in the bleachers. And then there was baseball.

Seated in tiny clusters of up to four, distanced from their neighbors, fans huddled against the cold and got, well, pretty quiet, the kind of thing that happens when voices are muffled by scarves wrapped over masks and clapping hands are muted by mitten on mitten.

Contributing: Steve Greenberg

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After police shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in what officials described as an “armed confrontation” in Little Village early Monday, everyone from Mayor Lori Lightfoot to community activists to the boy’s neighbors on Thursday called for the release of videos that could shed light on what happened.

Meanwhile, the boy’s mother said she also wants answers about the death of her son, who she said wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.

Adam Toledo, 13, who lived about a mile and half from the incident in an alley west of the 2300 block of South Sawyer Avenue, was shot in his chest and later died, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

In a statement, police said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 2:35 a.m. that morning and saw two males. One person, who was allegedly armed, ran from the scene and was shot by an officer during the “armed confrontation,” police said.

Police shared a photo of a gun allegedly recovered at the scene.

That person, later identified as Adam, died at the scene, police said. Authorities took four days to release Adam’s name as they waited to notify next-of-kin, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said.

The other person who ran from police, 21-year-old Ruben Roman Jr. of Edgewater, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, police said. In 2019, Roman pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession stemming from an arrest in Evanston and was sentenced to probation, court records show.

Elizabeth Toledo, Adam’s mom, said in a phone interview Thursday that she doesn’t know what happened to her son, who she last saw Sunday when they attended a memorial service for a relative who died.

She told the Sun-Times she “just wants answers about what really happened.”

“I haven’t heard from cops since yesterday when they knocked on my door,” said Toledo, 44.

Court order needed for video release, officials say

The officer in Monday’s incident was placed on desk duty for 30 days while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the shooting, police said.

The shooting was captured by body-worn camera, but it wasn’t immediately clear if investigators would release it, COPA said in a statement Thursday.

COPA is required to release body camera video of police shootings within 60 days of the incident, but policy prohibits them from sharing video if the victim is under 18 years old, the agency said. Without a court order, the video would not be released, COPA said.

However, investigators will release other evidence including 911 calls, police reports and radio transmissions within 60 days, COPA said.

In a statement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said she “can only imagine the incredible pain this boy’s parents are experiencing at this moment. My heart goes out to them.”

She said while the case was still under investigation, “we must ask ourselves how our social safety net failed this boy leading to the tragic events in the early hours of Monday morning. While the investigation is ongoing, it is critically important that COPA releases relevant videos first to the family, and then to the public, as quickly as possible with appropriate protections given his age.”

Police Supt. David Brown said the shooting was “tragic” and “adamantly” called for the release of videos.

“My greatest fear as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department has been a deadly encounter between one of our own and a juvenile especially given the recent rise in violent crimes involving juveniles throughout our city,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, this fear became a reality earlier this week.”

Lea este articulo en espanol en La Voz Chicago, un servicio presentado por AARP Chicago.

‘Very disheartening’

Adam’s mom said the family moved to Little Village in November. The boy reportedly attended Gary Elementary School on 31st Street.

“He was always happy. He loved animals. He was loving to all his siblings,” she said.

And, she said, “he wanted to be a cop when he grew up. And next thing you know, a cop took his life,” she said.

Near the scene of the incident on Thursday, which took place behind Farragut Career Academy High School, residents gathered for a yard sale and formed a line along 24th Street where a local church was holding a food drive.

A surveillance video taken from a camera at Amor de Dios United Methodist Church, which is at the corner of 24th and Sawyer, caught flashes of light from the shooting and additional police officers as they arrived on the scene. However, neither the officer who fired the shots nor Adam could be seen in the video.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Pastor Ramiro Rodriguez, who lives in the 2300 block of South Sawyer, said his son heard the gunshots early Monday morning but neither witnessed the incident.

“I feel for the kids around here,” Rodriguez said in Spanish. ” … What happened here is not what we want, we want the best for our families and for our youth.”

Rodriguez said he does not know Adam or his family, but said he turned over the security footage to detectives.

Many at the food drive expressed shock to hear that the person gunned down by police behind their homes was so young. Nakia Smith, a mother of a 13-year-old boy herself, said she heard gunshots on early that morning, followed moments later by a swarm of blue lights.

“It’s very disheartening, especially with what happened a year ago, with the [Derek] Chauvin trial and everything,” Smith said, referring to the Minneapolis officer who is currently on trial in the murder of George Floyd. “And then Monday morning, come to find out it was a 13-year-old boy killed … it’s just quite a bit.”

She added: “I do understand that the police don’t always know what someone is going to do, but there has to be a better way.”

Meanwhile, Rafael Hurtado Jr., 30 — who said he lives a few houses down from where the medical examiner said Adam lived — urged the release of video footage related to the shooting.

“It’s hard to take CPD’s word for it” that he was armed, he said. “Especially with everything that’s been going on with the police shootings in other places.”

He said that “it’s tragic for everyone involved, for the family, for the kid because he was so young and for the officer who pulled the trigger.”

Activists skeptical of police version

Anthony Gonzalez, an organizer with the community group Mi Villita Neighbors, said he was personally “shocked because it is like when does the violence from police end?”

He was skeptical of the police version of events.

“I don’t think we know the full story but we can’t take the police’s word for it,” he said.

Chicago police

But local Ald. George Cardenas (12th), who said he has many unanswered questions about the shooting, said “COPA has told me that the gun was found near his body.”

Cardenas urged Little Village residents to keep their cool and “wait for the facts to play out.”

“We’re trying to keep the peace and keep everybody as informed as possible so that people don’t jump to conclusions until all the facts are born out,” he said. “I urge the community to be patient for COPA to do its work. We have challenges in Little Village. The community has reported many shootings in that area. … I pray for our young people in harm’s way. There are so many incidents we battle on a daily basis.”

Two other people have been shot by Chicago police officers this week. Early Wednesday, an officer fatally shot an armed man in Portage Park after officers chased the man on foot. An officer fired shots after the man allegedly pulled out a gun in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street, police said.

Less than an hour later, an off-duty Chicago police officer shot someone breaking into their home in Albany Park on the Northwest Side. The officer shot the man in his face about 12:55 a.m. as the man broke into the officer’s home in the 3100 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, police said. The man was rushed in serious condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Contributing: Cindy Hernandez, Frank Main

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

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15 observations from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Phoenix Suns by Ryan Taylor

The Chicago Cubs lost their Opening Day game to the Pittsburgh Pirates by a final score of 5-3. It was a tough way to begin the year because they are already one of those “question mark” teams. They have a very talented roster but not a lot of people know what to expect based on the way they played in 2020. Their superstars didn’t have good offensive years last season and now they are looking to get things right in 2021.

Opening Day was tough this year for the Chicago Cubs as they try to have a big year.

It is a season with question marks largely due to the status of their stars. Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Kris Bryant are all playing on the final year of their deals. They were all subpar in 2020 and didn’t show up well in this game. They combined to go 1 for 10 which isn’t a great start. It makes it worse is that the one hit by Anthony was one of two hits by the teams as a whole. They clearly need them to contribute offense in order to succeed.

The Pirates are not a good team to lose to at any point. They are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Projections mean nothing but when you look at the roster you can see the flaws. The Cubs should be able to take care of them but they looked rough for the entire game.

One of the team’s bright spots in 2020 was Kyle Hendricks. Like the rest of his peers, he didn’t have a good start. He only went three innings where he gave up three runs on four hits. He issued three walks and had four strikeouts. As the ace of the staff, he needs to be much better than that. He will bounce back but wasn’t able to get it done in game number one.

Related Story: Three bold 2021 Chicago Cubs predictions

The Cubs have tomorrow off but will be back at it on Saturday against these Pirates. They need to be better in order to beat the Pirates clearly. They can’t just beat them because they are better than them. With Jake Arrieta on the mound, you can expect them to have a better attitude as a whole. This was a bad way to start the season as mentioned before in a season that already had questions.

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When Rodney Hawkins, 20, and two others tried to steal cash, shoes and a car from Kieer Pargo and another man at a Pullman Citgo Saturday, Pargo shot Hawkins. But then one of Hawkins’ cohorts returned fire and killed Pargo, Cook County prosecutors said.

A Roseland man has been charged with the murder of a man who was shot and killed during a shootout following a botched armed robbery at a Far South Side gas station.

When Rodney Hawkins, 20, and two others allegedly tried to steal cash, shoes and a car from Kieer Pargo and another man at a Pullman Citgo Saturday, Pargo shot Hawkins.

But then one of Hawkins’ cohorts returned fire and killed Pargo, Cook County prosecutors said Thursday.

The gunman and Hawkins’ other cohort have not yet been charged.

Hawkins’ face could be “clearly seen” on high-definition surveillance footage around 11:30 p.m. purchasing a bag of Swedish Fish with a cohort at the gas station’s store, at 701 E. 103rd St., Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

While Hawkins was inside, Pargo and his 34-year-old friend pulled up and parked at a fuel pump behind the minivan that Hawkins and his friends had arrived in, Murphy said.

Pargo, 36, waited inside the car while his friend went inside to make a purchase.

As Pargo’s friend was coming in, Hawkins and his cohort asked him “What was up?” as they were leaving, Murphy said.

Pargo’s friend said that he wasn’t from the neighborhood and continued inside.

Hawkins and his cohort went back to their minivan, retrieved guns and went back to the store to confront Pargo’s friend as he was leaving, Murphy said.

Hawkins then allegedly told the man, he knew “what time it was.”

Pargo’s friend responded by dropping $3,000 in cash to the ground.

Hawkins grabbed the money and walked the victim back to his car at gunpoint, Murphy said.

Then, Hawkins and his two cohorts pulled Pargo out of the car and went through his and his friend’s pockets, Murphy said. After searching the car, Hawkins and his cohorts allegedly announced they were also going to steal the car, Murphy said.

As Hawkins walked back to the minivan with some of the victims’ belongings, Pargo pulled out a gun and shot Hawkins at close range, Murphy said.

Hawkins’ cohorts then returned fire, striking Pargo, who later died at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Hawkins was loaded into the minivan by his friends, who took him to Jackson Park Hospital, Murphy said. An ambulance outside Jackson Park Hospital then took Hawkins to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Police were not notified of the hospital transfer and were unaware of where Hawkins was hospitalized for three days, Murphy said.

During that time, Hawkins’ parents’ home was “shot up” and his mother and father went to a police station to report the damage and Hawkins’ encounter at the Citgo. During the interview with detectives, the couple identified their son on the gas station’s security footage, Murphy said.

Hawkins allegedly confessed to his role in the attempted robbery and identified himself in the surveillance footage while he was hospitalized. His fingerprints were also found on a gun he dropped at the gas station after he was shot, Murphy said.

Hawkins remained hospitalized and did not appear in court Thursday.

An assistant public defender noted that Hawkins did not fire any weapon during the deadly incident.

Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Hawkins held on $2 million cash bond.

Hawkins’ case is up again on April 15.

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