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Watch Berkowitz & Martin discuss the key Pres Battleground states & IL proposed progressive income tax on web 24/7 or in Chicago Tonite, 8:30 pm or midnight, Cable Ch. 21Jeff Berkowitzon September 8, 2020 at 1:31 am

Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz

Watch Berkowitz & Martin discuss the key Pres Battleground states & IL proposed progressive income tax on web 24/7 or in Chicago Tonite, 8:30 pm or midnight, Cable Ch. 21

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Watch Berkowitz & Martin discuss the key Pres Battleground states & IL proposed progressive income tax on web 24/7 or in Chicago Tonite, 8:30 pm or midnight, Cable Ch. 21Jeff Berkowitzon September 8, 2020 at 1:31 am Read More »

PHOTOS: Golfers share photos of themselves out on the course during social distancingChicagoNow Staffon September 8, 2020 at 1:35 am

ChicagoNow Staff Blog

PHOTOS: Golfers share photos of themselves out on the course during social distancing

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PHOTOS: Golfers share photos of themselves out on the course during social distancingChicagoNow Staffon September 8, 2020 at 1:35 am Read More »

Paulette McWilliams’s A Woman’s Story shows why stars have always relied on her voiceAaron Cohenon September 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm

In the early 1970s, singer Paulette McWilliams quit ascending Chicago R&B group Rufus and recommended that her friend, Chaka Khan, take over the lead spot. The decision benefited everyone, even (and arguably especially) McWilliams, who dodged the pitfalls of limelight while continuing to work constantly in music. By the time she relocated to Los Angeles in 1977, top musicians knew what she could do with her voice: Quincy Jones added her backing vocals to Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, Aretha Franklin extended a similar invitation (on 1982’s Jump to It and 1983’s Get It Right), and for 20 years she collaborated with Luther Vandross (they were both part of Bette Midler’s famous backing group, the Harlettes). McWilliams moved to New York City in 1986 (she’d return to California 20 years later), and in the early 2000s, she sang background on and helped hire the vocal section for multiple Mary J. Blige projects. Her new solo album, A Woman’s Story, shows why those superstars–and dozens of others–have relied on her over the years. McWilliams’s warm, smoky tone emphasizes the emotional resonance of a diverse repertoire that makes room for Marvin Gaye as well as Janis Ian, and she avoids gaudy flourishes–despite her dynamic range, she judiciously picks her spots to take flight. When she sticks to slow tempos, she uses her voice to direct the rhythm section’s grooves, letting the songs breathe. On an interpretation of Kenny Rankin’s “In the Name of Love,” for instance, McWilliams avoids the quick scatting Rankin often adds–her pauses and deliberate pacing lend the tune more depth of feeling than the original. Producer and arranger Kamau Kenyatta has assembled a sharp and sympathetic group of instrumentalists to frame her voice, assisted by ace jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles, who put together the horn section. McWilliams’s stunning intonation and subtle improvisational ascent gently propel Vandross’s “So Amazing” in a sparse dialogue with pianist Hugo Suarez. She also digs into her own history on a spirited version of “Chasing the Sun,” by fellow Chicagoan Donny Hathaway. Perhaps McWilliams’s hidden strength is that, in some ways, she stayed close to home. v

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Paulette McWilliams’s A Woman’s Story shows why stars have always relied on her voiceAaron Cohenon September 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: 4 recently-cut players to consider signingRyan Heckmanon September 7, 2020 at 10:00 am

Chicago Bears (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bears, Matt Nagy

Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears have several options to continue improving their roster.

Over the weekend, teams had to trim their rosters down to the 53-man limit. While the Chicago Bears did so without any real major surprise, there were some teams who cut players which would add tremendous value to many rosters around the league.

Even prior to the official cuts, there were some notable names who were on the job hunt. Of course, the Leonard Fournette saga was the biggest story of them all. In Chicago though, no one was caught too far off guard with their moves.

The Bears’ biggest “surprise”, if you will, was the decision to release cornerback Kevin Toliver. An undrafted free agent at one point, Toliver had worked his way up to the active roster and had even played meaningful snaps for the Bears on multiple occasions. Now, Toliver joins an old friend in Vic Fangio after signing with the Denver Broncos.

The only other real head-scratcher for Chicago was the decision to let go of Artavis Pierce, but he did end up coming back as a member of the practice squad. Pierce had impressed during camp and many thought he had a shot to beat out Ryan Nall on the active roster.

As stated, surprises were few and far between in Chicago’s cuts. The storyline always has been, and will continue to be, at quarterback — and that could continue throughout the entire season.

Whether the season ends with Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles at the helm, depth is still a concern in certain areas. Luckily for the Bears, this week should potentially see a few more moves and they might include one of the following players.

Next: Player No. 1

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Chicago Bears: 4 recently-cut players to consider signingRyan Heckmanon September 7, 2020 at 10:00 am Read More »

Chicago Bears leave door open on quarterback competitionJimmy Lynchon September 7, 2020 at 12:07 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Everyone has one thing on their mind when it comes to the Chicago Bears.

While it might seem like Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky has won the competition with him being named the starter for week one, don’t presume this is over. The door is open for the Bears to turn to Nick Foles if and when Mitch struggles.

It is hard to imagine this is the best-case scenario for the Bears, but in my mind, it is. If the Bears gave the job to Foles and he went out and struggled week one, they would have shown they have little faith in either quarterback.

However, letting Mitch Trubisky start week one allows this team to see how improved Mitch is after last season. He hopefully does not have any injury issues anymore heading into a new year, and we can all assume there is a fire under him thanks to the quarterback competition.

Nick Foles is a super bowl champion. Leaving him on the side of the field right now is alright, especially considering that leaves the door open for him to come in when disaster strikes. Should Trubisky have a bad game, the Bears can give the lead to Foles, which should be a calming presence in the huddle.

The first few games of the season might not be challenging for the Bears. Don’t expect to see Trubisky struggle too much against the Detroit Lions. I would expect a good game from him there. However, it is the games later on when Trubisky has to be his best that maybe this competition is not done.

Having two quarterbacks is not a liability, it is an asset that the Bears should utilize throughout this season. It might not be the brightest sign that neither quarterback has really separated themselves from the other as the clear frontrunner, but I believe both these quarterbacks are capable.

Next: Bears make wrong decision at QB

This quarterback competition is the biggest story heading into week one, and rightfully so. The Bears could be a playoff team if they could have someone lead the team on offense. If either of these quarterbacks can do it, then great! Go Bears!

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Chicago Bears leave door open on quarterback competitionJimmy Lynchon September 7, 2020 at 12:07 pm Read More »

Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester Struggles In 3rd Straight LossRyan Fedrauon September 7, 2020 at 12:49 pm

Jon Lester #34, Chicago Cubs (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Jon Lester #34, Chicago Cubs (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs lost 7-3, for their third-straight loss against the Cardinals. Their division lead is cut to 1.5-games, with just under a month of baseball left.

The Chicago Cubs lost their third-straight game last night, with that being their fourth loss in five games. With this past weekend being a chance for the Cubs to separate themselves from the Cardinals, they failed to do so, and just lead by 1.5-games now. Tomorrow’s game is very crucial for the Cubs, as they have a chance to leave the series up 2.5-games on the Cardinals.

This was just another game where the Cubs started fast in the early innings, but couldn’t keep their momentum going. After the first two innings, the Cubs led the game 3-1, with Jason Kipnis hitting a two-run home run. Everything would go downhill from there, with Jon Lester struggling in the third.

Lester struggled to put away batters and was a key reason for the Cubs giving up four runs on four hits in the third inning. Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run that gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead, which would end up being the only lead this team needed.

The Cubs put Dan Winkler in after 3 1/3 innings, where Lester gave up five runs on six hits on the night.

Besides the sixth inning, there was no scoring after the third inning. This was just another loss where the Cubs pitching had bad innings, where they gave up runs in bunches. Their other problem was their bats just weren’t connecting after the early innings.

Besides the loss, the biggest concern from the game was Jason Heyward exiting the game due to him not feeling well. Hopefully, he just wasn’t feeling well and it isn’t COVID related. This is still something to not take lightly, as it could be enough to shut the Cubs down for a few games if it is COVID and it spreads.

This team needs to get back on track and they need to do it soon. Many fans have speculated this team has the potential to be better than the 2016 Chicago Cubs, but that team had a solid bullpen – this team doesn’t. They have one last chance tomorrow to build on their 1.5-game lead on the Cardinals. Kyle Hendricks will be the team’s pitcher in that outing.

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Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester Struggles In 3rd Straight LossRyan Fedrauon September 7, 2020 at 12:49 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Reality of the quarterback competition outcomeDominique Blantonon September 7, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Friday announcement that Chicago Bears Mitchell Trubisky won the quarterback competition was a golden opportunity for truthers to gloat and say I told you so.

The perfect time for Chicago Bears fans to pull up past quotes from media and bloggers and stick the crying laughing emoji above it. Stick it to the “blog boys, stat nerds” who mostly were just giving their fair observation of Mitchell Trubisky over his first three years in the league. That part of the fan base celebrated what Trubisky (a former #2 overall pick) was supposed to do. Especially when you consider the advantages he had coming into the competition.

What I simply do not understand is the excitement from this portion of the fan base celebrating in this magnitude. In the same offseason, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans fans celebrated Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson‘s contract extensions. The Watson contract extension news, not even 24 hours after Trubisky was declared the winner of the quarterback competition should feel like a gut punch to Bears fans.

The news just served a reminder to Bears fans where the team currently stands with the most important position in all of sports. A position where a large majority of the time if you do not have a good-to-elite quarterback you give the franchise less of a chance to win a super bowl. It is a small victory for the Trubisky truthers. However, when you scroll down your twitter feed and see Mahomes and Watson with their big-money extensions. All while #10 will be looking over his shoulder each week entering his 4th year in the league. Should you really be sticking your chest out?

Next: Bears QB controversy not going away

It is encouraging to hear the news that Trubisky looked like a different quarterback during training camp. The best outcome for this competition was always Trubisky figuring it out (which is still yet to be determined). If he proved that he has put it all together it is a win for every part of the fan base. 2020 will be a final verdict on not just his tenure with the Bears, but who he is as a quarterback moving forward into his career.

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Chicago Bears: Reality of the quarterback competition outcomeDominique Blantonon September 7, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Rocky — Petraits RescueChicagoNow Staffon September 7, 2020 at 12:26 pm

Pets in need of homes

Rocky — Petraits Rescue

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Rocky — Petraits RescueChicagoNow Staffon September 7, 2020 at 12:26 pm Read More »

PHOTOS: Channel 5 reporter Katie Kim, relocating to California, sells North Center home for $683KChicagoNow Staffon September 7, 2020 at 12:27 pm

ChicagoNow Staff Blog

PHOTOS: Channel 5 reporter Katie Kim, relocating to California, sells North Center home for $683K

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PHOTOS: Channel 5 reporter Katie Kim, relocating to California, sells North Center home for $683KChicagoNow Staffon September 7, 2020 at 12:27 pm Read More »

‘If ye break faith with us, who die/We shall not sleep’Margaret H. Laingon September 7, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Margaret Serious

‘If ye break faith with us, who die/We shall not sleep’

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‘If ye break faith with us, who die/We shall not sleep’Margaret H. Laingon September 7, 2020 at 2:11 pm Read More »