Facing the loss of her child (Sophia Ally), scientist Isabelle (Julie Delpy) resorts to drastic measures in “My Zoe.” | Blue Fox Entertainment
The talented Julie Delpy misfires as director and star of a clumsy combo of domestic tragedy and sci-fi that comes to a maddening conclusion.
It’s been said only truly talented people can make art so strikingly bad it goes beyond the banal and into the land of jaw-dropping terribleness, and unfortunately that’s the case with the greatly gifted Julie Delpy’s twin misfire titled “My Zoe,” which plays like two distinct movies — both of them quite awful.
The French-American Delpy has renaissance abilities, as evidenced with the 2007 gem “Two Days in Paris,” for which she wrote, directed, produced, played the lead, edited and composed the soundtrack — but this time around, she’s the writer-director-star of a clumsy, off-putting, uninvolving hybrid of domestic tragedy and sci-fi drama with zero payoffs and one of the most infuriating codas of any movie this century.
“My Zoe” takes place in an unspecified near future, with Delpy’s Isabelle a recently divorced genetic scientist who lives in Berlin with her 6-year-old daughter Zoe (Sophia Ally) and seems to spend most of her free time bickering and arguing with her British ex-husband James (Richard Armitage), a controlling and emotionally abusive lout who shares custody of Zoe, blames Isabelle for the demise of the marriage and can barely contain his seething rage at the mere mention of Isabelle’s new romantic partner, Akil (Saleh Bakri). When Zoe falls asleep one night and doesn’t wake up, Isabelle rushes her to the hospital, where she is met by James, and while their little girl clings to life, these two are encased in a glass box of a waiting room within the hospital and fly into yet another rage-filled screaming match. When Isabelle tells James, “You’re just an awful human being,” we nod in agreement but also think: You’re no prize either, Isabelle.
When it seems certain poor Zoe will never wake up, the film takes a whiplash-inducing turn from toxic family drama to flat and ludicrous science-fiction. Under the auspices of saying one last goodbye to her daughter, Isabelle sneaks some hi-tech equipment into Zoe’s room, takes a tissue sample and flies to Moscow to meet with the pioneering fertility scientist Dr. Thomas Fischer (Daniel Bruhl, so low-key HE seems sedated), who has been conducting some groundbreaking and controversial experiments. Seems that even as Zoe’s father and the rest of Zoe’s family are planning to say goodbye to the girl, Isabelle wants some clone time!
Thomas tells Isabelle the technology isn’t there yet and adamantly refuses to help her — until he changes his mind, because if he didn’t, the movie would be over. Thomas’ wife (Gemma Arterton) is horrified by this secret and quite illegal project and rightfully so, as it could well end with Thomas and his associates (and Isabelle) in prison, while some little clone child is brought into the world. (Either that or the manufactured clone pregnancy will kill Isabelle.)
The second half of “My Zoe” is a heavy slog through multiple attempts at creating a genetic copy of Zoe (who of course would not actually BE Zoe) — and then we zoom forward a half-decade into the future, and we get that tacked-on and deeply irritating epilogue, which brings about far more questions than answers, not that we really care anymore.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other elected officials take a tour of the first large-scale community vaccination site in the county last month as it prepared to open in the Tinley Park Convention Center. | Brian Rich/Sun-Times file
We found Pritzker’s statement was supported by one metric measured over a few days, but glossed over an otherwise spotty vaccination record.
Illinois kicked off February with one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, fueling frustration among many over the program’s sluggish start.
Nearly three weeks later, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state was making progress thanks to increased supply from the federal government and the efforts of local health departments:
“As a result, for the month of February, Illinois has been the vaccination leader among the 10 most populous states in the country,” Pritzker said in a prerecorded video address, which aired Feb. 17.
Has Illinois come as far on vaccinations this month as the governor claimed? We found Pritzker’s statement was supported by one metric measured over a few days, but glossed over an otherwise spotty vaccination record.
Different measures, mixed results
There are many yardsticks to measure states’ progress getting their residents vaccinated against COVID-19. Illinois performs well on some metrics this month but still ranks low on others.
Illinois started off the month 43rd in the nation for total doses administered when adjusted for population, according to Our World in Data, a University of Oxford-based project that has been tracking vaccine statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the time Pritzker’s address aired, the state had improved to 34th nationally — andsixth place when only the 10 most populous states are considered.
The state is also performing better on a different metric: the share of residents that have received at least one dose of the vaccine. By Feb. 17, Illinois had taken a narrow lead over the other nine most populous states, and it has occupied first, second or third place in that group each day since.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times fileA woman receives her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine last month at Richard J. Daley College.
Given these mixed results, we reached out to the governor’s office to find out what Pritzker was referencing when he said Illinois was the “vaccination leader” this month among large states.
Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said that, per capita, Illinois leads the most populous states in vaccinations administered in February — and has done so “for the vast majority” of the month.
Experts said it is fair to compare states based on the total doses administered and adjusted for population. They were split, however, on whether it makes sense to focus on a few weeks in February.
Hemi Tewarson, a senior fellow at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, said the February snapshot might be helpful to show recent improvement after a sluggish start because of issues outside state control, such as delays with the federal pharmacy partnership program created to vaccinate those in nursing homes.
“If they started out slow back in December or early January, it’s hard to catch up,” she said.
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said that while month-to-month data is important for gauging a state’s progress internally, it’s not as useful for making comparisons because it doesn’t provide a full picture of a state’s vaccine rollout.
Regardless, by Pritzker’s metric Illinois’ lead among large states on total doses administered per capita in February amounted to just a few days out of the month, based on our analysis of CDC figures catalogued by Our World in Data.
To support Pritzker’s claim, Abudayyeh sent us a screenshot of a spreadsheet containing figures she said the governor’s office had taken from the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination tracker. The spreadsheet compares how many doses were administered from Jan. 31 through Feb. 11 per 100,000 residents in the 10 most populous states.
Screen image from Facebook recording.Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivers a virtual budget and State of the State address from the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield earlier this month.
Those numbers could not be directly verified because the CDC’s tracker only makes available a current cumulative total on each day.
So to check the governor’s figures we turned to Our World in Data again, which makes previous days’ CDC tallies available for users to download. Those numbers matched the governor’s analysis.
Day to day, however, Illinois claimed first place three times out of the first 11 days of the month, hardly the “vast majority” of February as Pritzker’s spokeswoman claimed. The state’s lead was narrow, and by the time the governor’s address aired, Illinois had fallen back to second place behind Florida.
So Pritzker’s claim was accurate as of Feb. 12, the last day of his office’s analysis. It was not accurate when his speech first aired five days later.
Our ruling
Pritzker said that “for the month of February, Illinois has been the vaccination leader among the 10 most populous states in the country.”
There are many different ways to measure how states compare when it comes to vaccinating residents against COVID-19. On some, Illinois ranks high and on others it ranks low. Pritzker’s office pointed to one very specific metric: total doses administered per capita during the month of February alone.
The key issue with Pritzker’s claim is that Illinois only took the lead on that metric for a handful of days prior to the governor’s prerecorded address — and had already fallen back to second place by the time it aired.
We rate this claim Half True.
—————————————
HALF TRUE – The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.
Head shops aren’t for everyone. Some can feel like the back of a Grateful Dead roadie’s van, others like the far corner of a Walgreens. Not so with North Center’s Canna Bella Lux, the brainchild of North Shore native Tiffany Woodman. The recovering human resources professional became a medical cannabis patient in 2018 but was turned off by gritty smoke shops. “I dreamed of a comfy space where you could feel free to ask questions, to host private events, to be a part of an experience,” she says. The bright boutique is awash in green velvet tufted chairs, shaggy rugs, elegant chandeliers — and everything you need to chillax. You can pick up artful pipes, beautifully printed prerolled joint cones, and Bloom Farms vape pens, but we challenge you to walk out with only smoking necessities. There are Chicago-made Htchbtch macramé plant holders, pajama-cozy denim by Judy Blue, and anything and everything CBD, from infused bath bombs and relief creams by Chicago’s Equilibria to Moksha chocolate bars. (No cannabis is sold.) “If Kim Kardashian started smoking weed in Palm Springs, she would go here,” explains Woodman. But no matter your Instagram following, she insists, everyone is treated like a celebrity at this modern apothecary and self-care boutique. 4357 N. Lincoln Ave.
In a matter of just a few days, the Chicago Bulls have gone from the 9th seed all the way up to the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Call it a weak conference. Call it a mirage. Call it whatever you want, but the Bulls are on a roll and looking to solidify themselves as an Eastern Conference playoff team.
Winners in six of their last seven games, the Bulls pulled out a nail-biter in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
The Bulls held a 10-point lead with under five minutes to go, and somehow managed to allow the Wolves back into it. With a 3-point lead and 4.9 seconds left, Ricky Rubio was fouled on a three-pointer by Coby White. Rubio knocked in all three free throws to send it to overtime.
But, in overtime, the Bulls closed things out emphatically, winning 133-126. After the game, fans looked up at the standings with a smile on their faces.
It has been a long time since the city of Chicago felt this good about a Bulls team. Quite frankly, we don’t know what to do with ourselves. It’s become somewhat tradition each New Year to begin looking at what the Bulls will do around the trade deadline and just how big of a seller they will be.
The offseason has always started early for Bulls fans, at least since the glory days of Derrick Rose.
Almost halfway into the season, it feels like a dream to see the Bulls currently occupying the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. From here on out, fans are going to be watching other Eastern Conference contenders in angst. Now, it means more to root against teams like the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors.
Everything means more at this point, and here’s the crazy part: the Bulls aren’t even healthy yet.
Chicago has seen some incredible play out of forward Thaddeus Young while Lauri Markkanen has been injured. Otto Porter is still out of the lineup as well, which has given Patrick Williams ample time to play alongside Young.
The rookie has been thrown into the fire, but he’s played as well as anyone could have asked for. Williams is doing exactly what he was known for as a draft prospect: everything. He’s learning on the fly, but proven he can play defense and rebound at an NBA level. He puts in the hard work and does the little things.
Meanwhile, Young is doing the exact same thing, only at one of the highest levels he’s played over his 15-year career.
Of course, it all begins and ends with All Star Zach LaVine, who is having a career year in every major category.
The Bulls are only getting started, and at this point, the sky is the limit. This is a team who has hardly scratched the surface under Donovan. Fans should continue to sit back and simply enjoy this ride.
Chicago Theatre week starts today. This year, like many other things, the event will be held virtually. Here’s what you need to know to enjoy special offerings from home.
Log On
Log on to ChicagoTheatreWeek.comstarting February 25 where you’ll see offerings from more than 100 theatre and learn about individual theatres and how you can offer support and engage with each company.
Engage
How to engage: Engage with a digital production, audio play, or online class.
Many theatres are continuing to keep the spirit of Chicago theatre alive through connecting virtually with audiences through online performances, classes, and other programs. Browse the theatre listings on ChicagoTheatreWeek.com and plan to watch a virtual performance during or after CTW.
There are no set CTW ticket discounts like in the past. The featured content may be free or paid.
Highlights
Streaming Productions during Theatre Week
An Illiad (Photo) March 3-31
Court Theatre
An Iliad showcases the power of classic theatre to speak to our current moment. Interrogate how rage and division reverberate throughout civilization in this streaming release of our limited-engagement, site-specific production of An Iliad at the Oriental Institute. This professionally-captured, multi-camera stream of the play allows you to experience this one-of-a-kind production at home, which Rick and Brenda McCain of Chicago Now hailed as “a superb collaboration of theater and history in a site-specific platform that is sure to bring chills to the historian that resides in all humanity.”
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
February 25 – March 7 – Special Chicago Theatre Week revival
Metropolis Performing Arts Center
The play’s afoot! The award-winning comedic mastermind Ken Ludwig transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles into a murderously funny adventure. Equal parts comedy and thriller, the world’s favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes, is on the case. The heirs of the Baskerville line are being eliminated one by one. To find their ingenious killer, Holmes and faithful companion Dr. Watson reluctantly travel to Devonshire where they are forced to brave its desolate moors. The duo must unravel a web of murky clues before this family curse dooms its newest heir. The investigators attempt to escape peril and deceit, as a small group of actors portrays over forty characters with wit, silly accents, and clever disguises. Join the fun and see how far from elementary the truth can be.
Boléro
Friday, February 26 at 7:00 PM CST – One Night Only Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Artist Yoshihisa Arai takes audiences on a journey through time and space in this world premiere performance for the Joffrey. Featuring 15 dancers, this debut work takes inspiration from nature and the seminal score of the same name by composer Maurice Ravel.
Other Rockpools February 25 – March 7 – Special Theatre Week encore
The New Colony
Originally presented in partnership with Chicago Votes as part of an extensive get-out-the-vote campaign, The New Colony is proud to bring back the virtual reading of Other Rockpools for an encore presentation in conjunction with Chicago Theatre Week.
Taking Up Serpents February 27 – March 19
Chicago Opera Theater
Kayla’s father presides over an isolated community of snake handlers – a sect of Pentecostals who willingly take up venomous snakes to prove themselves before God. When ritual ends in tragedy, Kayla is compelled to return to the family she left behind, reckon with her past, and take control of her future.
The Delicate Tears Of The Waning Moon (Photos and Video) February 26 – March 5
Water People Theater
A play about Human Rights violations suffered by those fighting for and communicating truth in the world. Two journalists immerse into a world of violence where cruelty is a habit, impunity is routine, freedom a utopia, and telling the truth is the greatest risk of all.
The Secretaries
February 27, 7 PM CST – One Night Only
Goodman Theatre
Berlin, 1944: four women in Aryan drag vie to be the Führer’s personal secretary as he heads into a bunker with his girlfriend. It’s a rough time to be a German, but this is a chance to search for greater importance in a national capacity. Omer Abbas Salem’s fearsome, absurd new work examines complicity and the lies we tell ourselves as we mistake self-interest and supremacy for patriotism.
Where Did We Sit on The Bus? (Photos and video)
Feb. 22- Mar 7
Victory Gardens Theater
Where Did We Sit on the Bus? is an electric one-man show pulsing with Latin rhythms, rap, hip-hop, spoken word, and live looping. During a third grade lesson on the Civil Rights movement and Rosa Parks, a Latino boy raises his hand to ask, “Where did we sit on the bus?” and his teacher can’t answer the question. This thrilling autobiographical production from Jeff Award-winner Brian Quijada examines what it means to be Latino through the eyes of a child, turned teenager, turned adult.
Audio Plays and Podcasts
Miss Holmes March 12 – May 2 Lifeline Theatre
Miss Sherlock Holmes, possessor of one of the greatest deductive minds of her generation, finds herself regularly incarcerated for behaviors deemed abnormal in a “respectable” lady. Miss Dorothy Watson struggles to make a difference at the only hospital in England that will hire female doctors. These unconventional women, trapped in an era that refuses to accept them, must forge a bond of trust and work together to uncover the secrets surrounding a corrupt police investigator whose wives have a habit of turning up dead. Join the original Lifeline cast in this thrilling murder mystery that re-introduces familiar characters from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in an immersive, six-episode audio experience.
Opposing Ophelia (We Women Podcast)
Artemisia Theatre
Podcast Episode Released March 3
An audio performance of Opposing Ophelia, by Deneen Reynolds-Knott. Yvette, a former model and student at the Ophelia Devore School of Modeling & Charm, is confronted with new ideas about beauty, blackness and womanhood, when her daughter, Nina, joins the National Black Feminist Organization in 1973. Directed by Celeste Cooper and performed by Tiffany Cox, Abie Irabor, Martasia Jones, and Cajardo Lindsey.
Play Festivals or Series
BECHDEL FEST 8: REALIGN
Broken Nose Theatre
Now – March 26
Free
As in past years, each of the brand-new short plays in BECHDEL FEST 8: REALIGN pass The Bechdel-Wallace Test, meaning that these stories feature an ensemble of femme, female-identifying, non-binary, trans and genderqueer actors talking about things other than men. Each play will stream for FREE thru March 26, 2021 on BNT’s YouTube channel, with a new play released each Friday for an entire week before it’s removed and a new play is broadcast.
Hit ‘Em on the Blackside (Part 1) Watch Party + Talkback
March 5 – One Night Only
Did you miss the first 6 episodes of Hit’ ‘Em on the Blackside? No worries! Come hang out with the Congo family for a live watch party catching up on all the previous episodes and a talkback with the HOTB cast and crew before the launch of the new episodes on March 19th.
KICKBACK: a world-premiere virtual performance festival (Photo) Stream Anytime
About Face Theatre
KICKBACK is an online festival of original plays and performances that highlights the intersection of queerness and Blackness in all its beauty and glory. When just being alive and living your best life is an act of rebellion, it’s time to turn up the music and make some noise! About Face Theatre has commissioned a cohort of Black LGBTQ+ artists to create new works in conversation with Rebuild Foundation’s extensive collection of African-American art and cultural artifacts. This bold online performance series will be an unapologetic celebration of Black lives now and through the ages.
Orfeo Remote – Mini Opera Series (Photo)
Stream Anytime
Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University
Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo—based upon the story of Orpheus’s journey to the underworld to rescue his love Eurydice—is often considered the first great opera. Orfeo Remote presents it in the form of an opera mini-series, with a timely twist. During the challenging times of a pandemic, a young, unemployed musician—embodied in the character La Musica—reaches out to friends and colleagues to tell Orfeo’s story in the setting of 1960s America. Orfeo Remote juxtaposes the hippie movement’s ideals of free love and connection with the current reality of pandemic-induced isolation.
Honor Black History during #CTW21 Amplify February 24-25, 2021 Definition Theatre
Amplify, our new play commissioning program was developed to empower and uplift underrepresented theatre creatives. Filmed in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines, these eight scenes are snippets of the brilliant submissions we received. Over the course of two nights, we’ll get to know the eight semi-finalists playwrights and preview what’s to come from their plays in development.
Being Sincere
Virtual Play Reading February 27, 7:30 PM CST – One Night Only
Beverly Arts Center
Being Sincere is a coming-of-age story about a middle-aged man named Sincere, ‘Junior’ who lives with his terminally ill grandmother. Sincere and his grandmother learn new lessons about love, change, and starting a new life when a mysterious homemaker comes to help.
Black Teen Lives Matter Silk Road Rising
February 27 & March 1, 7PM CST
Black Teens Lives Matter is a virtual project in four acts that draws on monologues and short plays written by Black teens in Silk Road Rising’s EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course) program from 2017-2020. Black Teen Lives Matter: Act Two is curated by Brianna Buckley, Elena Feliz, Jabari Khaliq, Jarrett King, and Londen Shannon. Silk Road Rising will host two screenings followed by talkbacks with creators. Saturday, February 27 at 2:00PM CST and Monday, March 1 at 7:00PM CST. After that, the video will become available to watch at any time for free.
Family-Friendly Streaming Productions
Diamond’s Dream (Photo) Stream Anytime
Chicago Children’s Theatre
Diamond’s Dream is a virtual puppet production that takes place on a CTA Red Line train traveling south through pandemic-era Chicago. Diamond, a pre-teen African-American boy, has fallen asleep on the train while on his way to visit his dying grandmother. When he awakes, time and reality have shifted, and he meets the ghost of a young African-American girl, a shape-shifting elder spirit who died of Spanish Flu 100 years ago to the date.
Hot Chocolate Sunday Reading of “The Adventures of Cleaver And Whizjam. On The Isle of Oogle”
March 7, 3PM CST – One Day Only
Her Story Theater
Join us on Zoom for our first Hot Chocolate Sunday Readings for Family and Youth. A book launch party perfect for family and friends. A great cast of professional actors (see names below) reading the opening chapters of “The Adventures of Cleaver of Whizjam On The Isle of Oogle” written by Mary Bonnett and illustrated by Emily Thomsen.
Mountain Goat Mountain (Photo)
February 20 – March 21 Filament Theatre
Using just a bedsheet, a phone or computer, pencils and a piece of paper, Mountain Goat Mountain immerses families in a 45 minute theatrical experience. Children and families are carried along by a narrative soundscape, and invited to bring their own creativity and imagination to the performance. Got Hungry Hikers? Local adventurers can add fresh baked treats from our friends at Fannie’s Cafe to your pass! Look for the option at check-out.
That’s Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay Streams Weekly on Mondays (March 1 during Theatre Week) PlayMakers Laboratory
PlayMakers Laboratory is pleased to announce the March 2021 line-up for its popular online revue That’s Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay, celebrating Women’s History Month, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter, plus a special Poetry Slam edition. The creative series of stories written by elementary school students, adapted and performed by PML’s professional actors streams Mondays at 8 pm CST from March 1 – 29, 2021 via Patreon. Tickets ($2 – $4 subscriptions) are currently available at playmakerslab.org .
Online Classes Actors Gymnasium (Photo)
Our online classes are a great way for people of all ages to stay active from home and learn new skills. Choose Circus Fitness, Flexibility, Puppetry, and more!
Chicago Dramatists
20% discount for Spring online classes
Fired Up February – Cooking Class
February 25, 2021
Oil Lamp Theater
Fire up your stove and learn how to make dishes like the pros! Cook alongside local business and Oil Lamp neighbor, Forza Meats and their famed Chef Juan, to make mouth-watering Carne Asada Fajitas, Mexican Rice, and Refried Beans from scratch! The class will be presented in a mixture of Spanish and English.
Going Beyond “I Like It” – Online Class/Discussion
Wednesdays and Fridays, March 3, 5, 10 & 12, 6:30 – 8:00pm
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
Remy Bumppo Core Ensemble Member Greg Matthew Anderson will lead a cross-disciplinary discussion on the philosophy of art and aesthetics with selected readings, anecdotes and insights from Chicago theatre productions–and the occasional special guest. Tools in hand, we’ll dive into the group’s collective experiences with the visual arts, museum exhibits, music, food, architecture, dance–and, of course, theatre!–to learn from one another how to both sharpen our critical eye and become even better fans of this great art form and all art wherever we find it.
More
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres websites, ChicagoPlays.com and HotTix.org.
Subscribe to Show Me Chicago by email
If you would like to keep in touch with what’s happening in Chicago, like us on Facebook or subscribe to Show Me Chicago by email. To subscribe, type your email address in the box below and click the “create subscription” button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
With three weeks until NFL Free Agency officially opens we are starting to see the Bears’ plans for 2021 take shape! Join Draft Dr. Phil and Shayne “The Smartest Man” for Keepin It 100 as they are joined by Bears’ Guard Dieter Eiselen and NFL Draft prospect, Purdue Safety Tyler Coyle!
Three men were shot, one fatally, Feb. 24, 2021, in the 5100 block of South Prairie Avenue. | Sun-Times file
Two of the men were sitting inside a car and a third man was standing near the car talking as shots were fired.
Three people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Washington Park on the South Side.
About 10:30 p.m., two men sitting inside a vehicle and a third man standing nearby were shot as they they talked in the 5100 block of South Prairie Avenue, Chicago police said.
The man standing outside, 23, was shot twice in the head and brought to the same hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. He was identified as Jojuan Black, of Park Manor, by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The men inside the vehicle sped away from the gunfire, police said. A passenger, 36, was struck in the left thigh and right shoulder, while another man, 49, was struck in the leg, police said. They were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with a fatal shooting April 16, 2020, in the 7000 block of South Clyde Avenue. | Adobe Stock Photo
Dakari Grayer is due in bond court Thursday.
A man was charged with fatally shooting a woman in April in the South Shore neighborhood.
Dakari Grayer, 32, of the Austin neighborhood, was charged with first-degree murder in the April 16 shooting of Mariah Edwards, Chicago police said.
Chicago policeDakari Grayer
About 2:40 a.m., officers responding to gunfire found Edwards lying on the sidewalk in the 7000 block of South Clyde Avenue, police said.
Edwards, 21, had multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and died later at a hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
She had been arguing with someone in a vehicle before someone shot her and fled, police said. Grayer was arrested 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of West Augusta Boulevard after police identified him as the shooter.
The carjacking happened Feb. 6 on Essex Avenue, police say.
Charges were filed against a 20-year-old man accused of carjacking a woman at gunpoint earlier in February in the South Shore neighborhood.
Tyrone Cook allegedly confronted the woman Feb. 6 in the 7600 block of South Essex Avenue, according to Chicago police.
He allegedly took her belongings and vehicle at gunpoint.
Cook was arrested Wednesday and charged with a felony count each of vehicular highjacking with a firearm, armed robbery and aggravated unlawful restraint.
Here’s the latest news on how COVID-19 impacted Chicago and Illinois.
Latest
CPS open to improving remote learning as F’s increase, attendance drops
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-TimesProtestors chant asking Mayor Lori Lightfoot to consider and improve policies for Chicago Public Schools during a press conference by CPS parents and Raise for Hand for Illinois Public Education outside of City Hall at 101 N La Salle St in the Loop, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021.
As students continue to ask for more leniency and support in remote learning, Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson reiterated her stance Wednesday that the school district would not reduce screen time — but she suggested officials would be willing to revisit how that time is spent.
Those students’ pleas come as new data released Wednesday shows failing grades are up and attendance is down across Chicago Public Schools, largely along racial and socioeconomic lines.
The district’s year-to-date attendance has dropped 1.9% this school year compared to last —92.5% to 90.6% — with the most serious decreases coming among Black students at 4.5%, Latino children at 1.4%, special education students at 3.6% and homeless students at 6.7%, district records show. White and Asian American kids are attending at higher rates than last year.
High schools have faced a 4.3% drop in attendance compared to 0.9% for elementary schools, and charter school attendance has fallen 6.3% compared to 1.3% for district-run schools.
Grades, meanwhile, are skewing to extremes. There are more A’s but also more F’s in reading and math at all grade levels and in all racial groups. Elementary students in particular are getting F’s at more than double the rate as last year. Perhaps most troubling to district officials is a significant rise in failing grades handed out to Black and Latino students.
Country music star Trisha Yearwood is currently “under the greatest care” at home after contracting COVID-19, according to a statement from her husband, Garth Brooks.
A press release from Brooks’ publicist says the couple was already quarantining at home after a member of their team recently tested positive, and that the winter weather in Tennessee prevented them from getting tested for almost a week. Both have now been tested twice, and Brooks remains negative.
“Officially, she’s diagnosed as ‘on her way out of the tunnel’ now, though,” Brooks said in the release. ”Which I’m extremely thankful for.”
“Anyone who knows me knows my world begins and ends with Miss Yearwood, so she and I will ride through this together. And anyone who knows her knows she’s a fighter and she’s been doing everything right, so I know we’ll walk out the other side of this thing together.”
The press release says Yearwood is “doing okay so far” but dealing with unspecified symptoms, and Brooks welcomes fans’ prayers and thoughts.
“If anyone asks, that’s what you can do for her. That’s what I’m doing. Living with her, I sometimes take it for granted she’s one of the greatest voices in all of music, so the possible long-term effects on her concern me as her husband and as a fan. We’re very lucky she is currently under the greatest care in the best city for treating and healing singers.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16271248/an_exclusive_partnership_to_fact_check_politicians.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22265797/CV_VACCINE_011521_02.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22311000/aa_pritzker_budget_7.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22327336/tom_ruling_halftrue.gif)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22327930/1.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22328182/CPS_022521_28.jpg)