In a sign that their may be an imminent trade of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, online sportsbooks have removed futures bets regarding the next team that Wilson will play for and that could signal money for the ChicagoBears. In Chicago, the Bet Rivers Sportsbook no longer offers the ability to bet on the […]
President Joe Biden on Wednesday, March 10. | AP Photos
When people are going to ballgames, when the economy’s growing and life feels normal again, any GOP plans to sandbag Democrats in midterm elections may not work out.
So it turns out that the whole time Sleepy Joe Biden was hiding in the basement, he was working on a plan to render congressional Republicans irrelevant. Which, for the foreseeable future, they certainly are.
If you don’t remember — and why should you? — the GOP literally had no party platform in 2020. It was Trump, Trump, Trump. A cult of personality. What they didn’t count on was a strong majority of Americans being all Trumped-out. And so now, they’ve got nothing to talk about.
Except, oh yes, the budget deficit. A deficit that increased by 36%, leading many to doubt that it was ever such a terrible threat to begin with. Washington Republicans who stood quiet as deficits soared over the past four years are donning green eyeshades and calling themselves “fiscal conservatives” again.
And the public response is, “Yeah, whatever.”
Meanwhile, although President Biden’s crucial $1.9 trillion COVID relief package squeaked through Congress without a single Republican vote, it was unanimously endorsed by the GOP-majority National Governors Association. Unanimously, as in every single one. And don’t look now, but the governors are also pushing hard for massive infrastructure investment, the next big item on Biden’s agenda.
Something Trump yammered about for four years, but did nothing about. Exactly like his long-promised health care plan.
Hint: Neither plan ever existed.
Biden understood that congressional Republicans were stuck in Trump/McConnell mode and had no intention of seriously negotiating on the COVID relief bill, so he went big. Polls showed that upwards of 77% of Americans supported the bill, but not one GOP senator or congress member.
People, it’s hard to get 77% approval of March Madness or pepperoni pizza. And they all voted against it? Exactly what do they want to talk about, then? Oh yeah: Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head.
Neither of which Joe Biden has said a single word about, but I digress.
The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson got it exactly right: “If Biden can’t get Republicans to vote for a bill that three-quarters of the public supports, he probably can’t get them to vote for anything. He should keep reaching across the aisle, but shouldn’t expect anyone to reach back.”
True, 10 Republican senators offered a laughable compromise bill less than one-third the size of the administration’s. Biden made nice with them, but when Lucy put down the football, he made no attempt to kick it.
As a result, by this time next year, God willing, the COVID pandemic could be a sad memory — thanks to Biden’s use of FEMA and the National Guard to supercharge the vaccine rollout. And when people are going to ballgames and concerts, when the economy’s growing and life feels normal again, any GOP plans to sandbag Democrats in midterm elections may not work out.
This bill will transform American life.
Then there’s all the stuff Biden’s not doing. He won’t help Trump acolytes stir the pot. He won’t rise to the bait. He’s not so much the anti-Trump as the un-Trump. If Biden has even mentioned his predecessor’s name since moving into the White House, I can’t recall it. Instead of being the embattled emcee of a reality TV program, he governs.
When there’s a weather-related disaster in Texas, the president of the United States shows up. He doesn’t pick fights with the governor or throw paper towels, he commiserates and offers practical assistance. When 97-year-old former Sen. Bob Dole, the 1996 GOP presidential candidate — a World War II hero and the living embodiment of America’s “Greatest Generation” — announced that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, Biden went to visit his old friend at his home. Common decency.
Trump did and said nothing, possibly because while Dole supported his 2020 reelection campaign, in mid-December he told The Kansas City Star, “The election is over and (Joe) Biden will be president on Jan. 20. I know the president has not conceded and he may never concede, but he will not be in the White House on Jan. 21.”
Meanwhile, if the former inhabitant expects the Biden White House to enlist in his constant public feuds, he’ll be disappointed. This president appears to understand that the more conflict he engenders, the more fiercely people will oppose him. So he’s dialed it down, emphasizing empathy and competence over repartee. Probably this behavior comes naturally to a 78-year-old back-patter and schmoozer.
So far it’s definitely working. People don’t wake up either titillated or dreading what their president has done overnight. And while a strong majority of Republicans think Biden somehow cheated his way into the White House, they no longer seem to feel very strongly about it. Along with strong support for his COVID relief bill, some 70% approve of how he’s handling the pandemic.
But then, Biden never promised to unify Washington, he promised to unify the country.
Gene Lyons is a columnist with the Arkansas Times.
The Goodman Theatre opens its “video vault” for the free Encore series, which features streams of four past productions. First up is Christina Anderson’s “How to Catch Creation” (March 15-28), a drama that moves back and forth over 44 years and examines the bonds that hold people together. The series also features Raquel Carrío’s “Pedro Páramo” (March 29-April 11), Noah Haidle’s “Smokefall” (April 12-25) and Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” (April 26-May 9). For reservations, visit goodmantheatre.org.
California streamin’
ProvidedDana Cameron and Michael Mahler, with son Ezra.
The next installment of American Blues Theater’s “The Garage” series takes a trip to the groovy Laurel Canyon music scene of the 1960s. The live stream “California Dreamin’ — The Songs of Laurel Canyon” features ensemble members Michael Mahler and Dana Cameron (with a possible guest appearance by their toddler son Ezra) performing timeless classics by The Mamas and the Papas, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, CSNY, The Byrds, The Eagles and more. Streams at 7 p.m. March 12. Tickets: $25 suggested donation. Visit americanbluestheater.com.
Irish dance & music
National Dance Company of Ireland presents “Rhythm of the Dance.”
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with The National Dance Company of Ireland’s “Rhythm of the Dance.” The richly costumed show marries the contemporary and the ancient, combining traditional music with modern forms of Irish step dancing and song while showcasing a wealth of Irish talent, including World and Irish Champion dancers and some of the finest Irish musicians and singers. Streams, via the McAninch Arts Center, at 7 p.m. March 13 and on demand through March 17. Tickets: $25. Visit atthemac.org.
Puccini & Porchlight
Hershey Felder’s Live from Florence performance series continues with “Hershey Felder, Puccini.” In addition to Felder portraying the great Italian opera composer, the production also features performances by three opera stars: tenor Charles Castronovo, soprano Gianna Corbisiero and baritone Nathan Gunn. Livestreamed from Lucca, Italy, in the home where Giacomo Puccini was born, the show features music from “La boheme,” “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly.” The tribute begins at 7 p.m. March 14 with on demand access continuing to March 21. Tickets: $55 (a portion of the ticket sales benefit Porchlight Music Theatre). Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org.
Mandela’s mission
Courtesy Illinois Holocaust Museum“Mandela: Struggle for Freedom” is a new exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum’s new exhibit “Mandela: Struggle for Freedom,” explores the fight for justice and human dignity in South Africa led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela. The exhibit features interactive exhibits, artifacts, oral histories, videos and art plus a replica of the tiny prison cell where Mandela spent 18 years, a “wall of laws” comprised of apartheid signs and laws based solely on skin color and a young Mandela’s first television interview in 1961. To Sept. 12 at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie. Admission: $6-$15. Visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Become a star
Lakshal PereraThe “Mountain Goat Mountain” interactive theater experience is being presented by Filament Theatre.
Children and families are the stars of “Mountain Goat Mountain,” an interactive, immersive theater experience presented by Filament Theatre in partnership with the Australian company Threshold. During the 45-minute inventive experience, families are guided by a narrative soundscape to create their own magic with simple items such as a bed sheet, a phone or computer, pencils and paper. The at-home adventure streams through March 21. Tickets: $15 allows families 30 days of unlimited, on-demand access. Visit filamenttheatre.org.
One family’s story
Provided“17 Blocks” is now streaming via the Music Box Theatre.
While many know Davy Rothbart as the creator of Found Magazine and a contributor to “This American Life,” he’s also an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker whose latest venture is the documentary “17 Blocks,” now streaming via the Music Box Theatre. The unique film was made in a collaboration that began in 1999 when 9-year-old Emmanuel Sanford-Durant and his Washington, D.C., family began filming their daily lives in their dangerous neighborhood just 17 blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The result is a decades-long chronicle of one family’s deeply personal saga. RogerEbert.com calls the effort “a remarkably raw and heartfelt piece of filmmaking.” Tickets: $12. Visit musicboxtheatre.com.
Virtual stage
Kamille DawkinsYuchi Chiu in “How Do We Navigate Space?”
Strawdog Theatre concludes its virtual season with Karissa Murrell Myers’ “How Do We Navigate Space,” a series of performances inspired by the events of 2020. Streams March 15-April 18. Tickets: $15 or pay-what-you-can. Visit strawdog.com. … Theatre in the Dark presents Corey Bradberry’s audio adaptation of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Streams March 11-April 10. Tickets: $20-$30 or pay-what-you-can. Visit theatreinthedark.com. … At Northlight Theatre find Lauren Gunderson’s newest work “The Catastrophist,” a solo piece inspired by her virus-hunter husband Nathan Wolfe. Streams March 11-31. Tickets: $30. Visit norhtlight.org. … Links Hall presents the latest edition of “Nasty, Brutish & Short,” an adults-only cabaret featuring new works of puppetry. Streams at 8 p.m. March 15. Tickets: $10-$15. Visit linkshall.org.
A self-described Chicago-area problem gambler scrolls through his phone last month. Researchers are trying to find out how widespread the problem is in Illinois. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
An anonymous online survey is seeking gamblers’ input as the state assesses addiction in Illinois for the first time in a generation.
Addiction treatment specialists are asking for gamblers’ two cents as they try to get a handle on how big an issue problem gambling is across Illinois.
State-contracted researchers on Wednesday pushed an online survey targeting residents who regularly lay wagers on anything from bingo and lottery games to slot machines and sports betting apps — legally or otherwise, including underground dogfighting and cockfighting.
The anonymous survey is part of a statewide assessment of gambling addiction being conducted through the Illinois Department of Human Services, which aims to connect problem gamblers with counselors.
Nationally, an estimated 3% of the population deal with gambling problems, but it’s hard to say if that applies in Illinois because the issue hasn’t been studied at the state level in more than 20 years.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-TimesA recovering sports gambling addict reads his favorite passages from ‘A Day at a Time’ a book by Gamblers Anonymous last month.
Illinois gambling has changed a lot over that period, especially with a 2019 gambling expansion law that promises to add thousands of slot machines and a handful of new casinos to a state that already offers more places to bet than Las Vegas.
There’s now action to be had anywhere a cellphone signal can reach, thanks to the advent of online sports betting, while calls to the state’s gambling disorder hotline have more than doubled over the past two years.
That’s a concern for experts who agree addiction follows opportunity, but “data about the impact of at-risk and problem gambling in the state of Illinois are very limited,” according to Hannah Carliner of Health Resources in Action. The Boston-based public health research firm is spearheading the $500,000 study that was mandated with Illinois’ latest gaming expansion.
“We are particularly interested in including the voices of vulnerable populations or those marginalized due to race, culture or socio-economic disparities,” Carliner said during the Illinois Gaming Board’s meeting for March, which is designated as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
Sue Ogrocki/AP fileGamblers play poker in the casino at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma, in 2019.
Researchers want to hear from people who consider themselves “frequent” gamblers, even if they don’t consider it a problem.
The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Participants who choose to provide an email address can receive a $30 e-gift card. Responses are confidential.
Richard Driehaus outside the Driehaus Museum in 2012. | Sun-Times File
Starting on the South Side, he saved, mastered the stock market, and backed causes that ranged from excellence in architecture and fashion to education and good government.
Richard Driehaus knew what he liked — in stocks, classical architecture, the performing arts, parties and old cars. A hard worker since his youth as a newspaper carrier, he attained a life of privilege without forgetting how to have a good time or help others.
The name itself is evidence of his generosity. It’s on a museum, a foundation, an architecture prize, a fashion competition, numerous academic buildings and programs, and on awards celebrating historic preservation and the Chicago bungalow. Eager to help students at St. Xavier University learn about the service industry and running businesses, he donated to the school a Mount Greenwood pub, Gilhooley’s, along with the shopping plaza containing it.
“He would say this a lot, ‘The mind is like a parachute. It only works when it’s open,’” said Eli Boufis, who worked with Mr. Driehaus for 20 years and with him started Driehaus Private Equity. He said open-mindedness informed Mr. Driehaus’ lifelong success in investing and his embrace of new products and technology. “He never got old in his strategy,” Boufis said.
Mr. Driehaus, 78, died Tuesday night at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Boufis said. He said Mr. Driehaus had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage the night before at his home.
Known throughout the financial world as an early practitioner of “momentum investing,” which calls for spotting stocks on prolonged upward trends, Mr. Driehaus founded Driehaus Capital Management in 1982. Today, it manages $13.2 billion through its mutual funds and other accounts. He expanded into private equity later.
The capital management business is in a Romanesque building at 25 E. Erie St. Mr. Driehaus lovingly preserved the Chicago landmark, originally home to a 19th century railroad magnate. His Driehaus Museum, devoted to Gilded Age flourishes, is in another landmark at 40 E. Erie St.
In 2000, Barron’s named him to its “all-century” team of 25 individuals it identified as most influential in the mutual fund industry. For all his success in Wall Street, Mr. Driehaus cherished the outlook and friendships Chicago bestowed. He told a City Club of Chicago audience in 2016, “In New York, I’m just another successful guy. You can’t make an impact in New York. But in Chicago, you can because it’s big enough and it’s small enough and people actually get along enough” — a line that drew cheers.
Mr. Driehaus used to say his life was influenced by his father’s difficulty affording a nicer home. He told the Chicago Sun-Times in 1996 that he saved $1,000 from his paper route in Brainerd on the city’s Far South Side and, at 13, invested in stocks recommended by financial columnists. The stocks tanked, teaching him about the market and the wisdom of financial columnists. He resolved to get smart on his own and find a career that would let him own the home he wanted.
He ended up owning several, including a Lake Geneva estate that became another preservation project. His annual summer birthday parties there, complete with fireworks and a guest list topping 1,000 people, were legendary. His 2019 version with a James Bond theme and an appearance by Diana Ross was a particular hit.
For all the hoopla, Mr. Driehaus cared not to be the center of attention, but to entertain others and to maintain close connection to his three daughters, Boufis said.
Mr. Driehaus earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from DePaul University, where he endowed a center for behavioral finance. In 2002, the university gave him an honorary doctorate. He also supported St. Ignatius College Prep at St. Margaret of Scotland parish.
His philanthropy extended to numerous organizations representing many civic interests. Among them was the watchdog organization the Better Government Association. Andy Shaw, the BGA’s former president, said a series of meetings and “a lovely dinner over a couple bottles of wine in 2010” resulted in a $1 million donation, the organization’s largest ever.
“Richard is a Chicago legend and icon — a great rags-to-riches, ‘neighborhood-kid-makes-good’ success story, and one of the most generous and eclectic philanthropists in Chicago,” Shaw said.
In addition to his daughters, Tereza, Caroline and Kate, survivors include two sisters, said Stasi Radaios, administrative assistant at the private equity firm.
The Chicago band’s founder Billy Corgan called her ‘wise beyond her years, whip smart, cool but not hipster-prone.’
Melissa Matuzak grew up in a small Michigan town, moved to Detroit the day after high school graduation and worked her way up from passing out concert flyers to managing the Smashing Pumpkins.
Organized, driven and possessed of a reputation for solving problems before they could fester, she reinvented herself as a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago, working on wrongful-conviction cases and a bid to reduce the sentence of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“She’d had experience managing people, experience with all the kinds of things on the road,” said defense lawyer Andrea Lyon, a former dean of Valparaiso University Law School. “Her ability to see the center of the case, what the real question was, was really amazing.”
Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan posted on Instagram that she was “wise beyond her years, whip smart, cool but not hipster-prone; as evidenced by her responsible work in the music business at such a young age.”
Ms. Matuzak died Friday of bile duct cancer. She was 51.
In her off hours, Ms. Matuzak sang in the band The Drawers and kept bees at her West Side home. She and her husband Joe Vanderstappen gave away the honey under the label “K-Town Honey.”
Corgan, who met her in Detroit in the early 1990s, posted this about her: “I used to tell Melissa that she had a quality that reminded me of my Mother (let’s called [sic] it a somewhat detached ability to be above the fray of human drama, but somehow not lose one’s empathy in it or or towards it). . . .this is how we first connected: I, the upstart in some band coming through town, and she as the rep in the front office who was to make sure that young punks like us were happy and didn’t tear up the dressing rooms.”
Around 2000, Corgan said, they wound up managing the Smashing Pumpkins together.
She also worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and other up-and-coming bands, according to her husband.
Posting on Facebook, Michigan club owner and promoter Amir Daiza wrote of Ms. Matuzak: “You are responsible for the success of the Detroit music scene 30 years ago.”
Young Melissa grew up in Alpena, Michigan. Her father Bradley was a heavy equipment operator at a quarry.
“She was not a small-town girl in her mind,” said her friend Jill Schumacher.
Ms. Matuzak’s husband said she left for Detroit the day after she finished high school.
She started working at Ritual, a concert promotion company, booking shows at venues including Detroit’s St. Andrew’s Hall, according to Schumacher, who worked for her.
“She embedded herself quickly in the music scene there and made a name for herself as a concert promoter,” her husband said. “She didn’t take any bull—.”
ProvidedMelissa Matuzak.
In 1998, she moved to Chicago. She met Vanderstappen, a metal artisan, when he was working next door to the Smashing Pumpkins’ recording studio. After a first date at Garfield Park Conservatory, she left for a Pumpkins tour.
“A lot of our courtship was old-fashioned, over the phone,” he said.
They got married in 2017.
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago, she started law school at DePaul University.
“She always had this principled sense, this moral sense,” her husband said. “She never screwed anyone over. She believed in equal treatment under the law.”
Another instructor at DePaul, attorney Leonard Goodman, remembered how, as a paralegal, she combed through thousands of documents in a federal securities-fraud case until “she was able to find the gold” — evidence that led to a not guilty verdict. She spotted letters that showed the defendant had been duped by a con man, Goodman said.
Later, she helped win a not guilty verdict in a first–degree murder case in downstate Illinois.
“She did a lot of good in a short career,” Goodman said.
Lyon, who was one of her law school professors, said Ms. Matuzak helped get John Fulton and Anthony Mitchell exonerated in a 2003 murder case.
Lyon, who is helping to organize a DePaul scholarship fund in her name, said she treasures a moment from Ms. Matuzak’s graduation. Lyon had given her a decorative pin with a sword–and-rose design that previously had been given to her by New Mexico defense attorney Randi McGinn.
“She walks across the stage, stops in front of me, crosses her arms over her chest and bows,” Lyon said.
Ms. Matuzak is also survived by her mother Barbara Burton and brother Bradley. Funeral arrangements are pending, according to her husband.
He said she didn’t like President Donald Trump, so, “I’m glad that she lived to see him get booted out of office.”
Is Pi Day the best day in March? It might be. With deals like these you bet that adult Pi Day is as lit as kid Pi Day was in elementary school. See, back in that age 8-12 range Pi Day was just the day that your math teacher made your entire class recite 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628 until someone messed it up or the day that one of the ‘cool’ teachers volunteered to let a 9 year old throw a fresh lemon meringue in their face in the cafeteria.
Adult Pi Day is celebrated with pizza and alcohol at nice restaurants and includes things like béchamel, nduja, and other delicious ingredients sprinkled atop the better iteration of pie. If you are looking for celebration ideas, we have created a list of the best deals offered at popular restaurants in Chicago for Pi Day.
West Loop hotspot offers neapolitan style pizzas with a wide selection of toppings including the “Loaded Baked Potato” featuring sliced potato, bacon, parmesan béchamel, mozzarella, white cheddar, and scallion. Additionally, they have a “Burrata and Balsamic” pizza, “Smoked BBQ Chicken” pizza, and many more. They also serve a variety of brunch pizzas including a “Shakshuka Pizza” featuring shakshuka sauce, eggs, peppers, onion, mozzarella, feta, and mint.
Dough Daddy’s, a new virtual restaurant based out of Chicago’s West Loop, is available exclusively for takeout and delivery through GrubHub. An excellent celebration idea for Pi Day is to travel to this pop-up restaurant to experience delicious Detroit-style pizzas created with a special sourdough starter offered by Chef Noah Zamler. Signature pizzas include: Whatcha Ndujin topped with Nduja, lemon ricotta, blistered tomato, and basil pesto, A Perfect Pear, topped with Butternut Squash, Pear, Pancetta, and Gouda, and Uh Luv Burrata, topped with chili honey, burrata, olive pesto and artichokes
For The Dearborn’s reopening this week, Executive Chef Aaron Cuschieri offers craveable, instant classics and Dearborn favorites for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Leaning into the “tavern” in their name, Cuschieri offers a new assortment of Chicago tavern-style pizzas with creative toppings, including a brunch pizza on weekends and their wide variety make it the perfect spot for Pi Day.
Another new virtual restaurant in the city, Chef Bill Kim offers Detroit-style pizza out of Urbanbelly’s kitchen through Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop. If you’re brainstorming celebration ideas for Pi Day, we recommend ordering the Korean BBQ pizza or building your own meal.
Six-time Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, Wood, serves the ultimate wood oven flatbread for Pi Day this year. Indulge in homemade dough, mornay sauce, caramelized onions, glazed mushrooms, baby arugula, and grand cru alpine cheese.
An excellent idea for Pi Day is to travel to the heart of River North to order classic Italian fare at Nonnina. This restaurant offers a wide variety of pizzas including Margarita, Chicken and Spinach, Leek and Mushroom, Crispy Calamari, and Pepperoni pizza.
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