1. Did Mayor Lightfoot … try to muzzle Maze Jackson & …other media critics of the Mayor…
Watch Maze Jackson, 1570 AM Radio morning drive… show airs tonight in Chicago at 9:01 pm, Cable Ch. 21 … and tonight in suburbs… and…
4. … BLM protests: Protestors, Antifa, looters, riotersanti-police and other factions…
6. A Rationale for blacks to support Pat O’Brien, Republican nominee for CC State’s Attorney…
10. Could school choice: school vouchers and charter schools …
14. Is Mayor Lightfoot’s verbal combat with President Trump…
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Watch Maze Jackson, 1570 AM Radio morning drive host in Chicago (M-F, 6-9 am): The show airs tonight in Chicago at 9:01 pm, Cable Ch. 21 (CAN TV) and this weekend in Chicago (See, below) (Detailed summary of show topics listed, below).
The show also airs tonight in 25 Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs at 8:30 pm:
-on Cable Ch. 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and
-on Cable Ch. 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling
Maze Jackson, 1570 AM Radio, daily morning drive show host, 6 to 9 am in Chicago, and live-streamed on Facebook, was interviewed by “Public Affairs,” TV show host Jeff Berkowitz on July 22, 2020 about:
1. An attempt by Mayor Lightfoot or her supporters to muzzle Maze Jackson & other media critics of the Mayor.
2. The difference in supporting the 3 words- Black Lives Matter- as opposed to the BLM “Organization.”
3. Sources of the steady horror of 60 shootings and 15 fatalities, or so, each weekend in Chicago.
4. The different groups comprising the BLM protests: Protestors, Antifa, looters, riotersanti-police and other factions.
5. Can the destruction of businesseson the South & West sides of Chicago, Gold Coast, suburbs, etc be justified?
6. A Rationale for blacks to support Pat O’Brien, Republican nominee for CC State’s Attorney over incumbent Kim Foxx?
7. Have a bunch of White North Shore kids and other outsiders taken over BLM in Chicago?
8. Should violent protestors be prosecuted by the Cook County State’s Attorney? Will she or he do that?
9. What does Mayor Lightfootneed to do differently to right the Chicago ship?
10. Could school choice: school vouchers and charter schools radically improve Black and Latino Lives?
11. Should Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans alter bail policy to require significant cash bond for the dangerous detainees?
12. Was a “Stand-down order,” given by Chicago’s Mayor or Chief of Police during height of the June lootings & riots?
13. Who controls the Chicago Police? The Mayor or Chicago Police Dept. Supt. David Brown?
14. Is Mayor Lightfoot’s verbal combat with President Trump helpful to Chicago?
15. Does CC State’s Attorney Kim Foxx have the right mix of social justice and law enforcement prosecution policies?
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The show featuring Maze Jackson also airs this weekend in Chicago:
We lost our dear friend Bill on July 3rd. There were no goodbyes or farewells. He died peacefully in his sleep without warning. Unexpectedly. Shocking news all around.
We all hope to go that way, just go to sleep. No illness, hospitals, pain, suffering. But it takes a toll on those left behind.
He leaves a huge hole in our hearts that will never truly mend.
Perhaps I should start where our story began so you can understand why his loss is so unbearable to process.
We met on the bleachers of a baseball diamond in the spring of 1997. Our boys were on the same team. Both were in seventh grade.
Bill, Elizabeth and their son, Brian, had relocated to the northwest suburbs of Chicago from Boston. We had relocated from Atlanta.
Not knowing a soul in town, we became fast friends. Spring ball turned into fall ball and our families grew inseparable. Often we would go out for a meal after a game with Elizabeth’s parents in tow. One year we had the bright idea to bring a thermos of booze to a game to see who could concoct the best Bloody Mary. Don’t judge, fall ball was very laid back and no one noticed.
Bill and my husband played golf together for years every Saturday and whenever else they could sneak away.
Brian and our son Matt became lifelong friends and traveled to Europe together after graduating from college. They served as “Best Man” at each other’s weddings.
Now this is where it gets really interesting.
After our daughter Lena graduated from college, she began to date Brian. I am not making this up. She had known him since she was in fifth grade. They dated for six years and got married in 2014. Now our families are connected through friendship and marriage.
We began to celebrate holidays together. St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, their legendary 4th of July Lobster Fest which was the party we looked forward to all year.
Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Years (until we got too old to drive that late.) Graduations, milestones, birthdays.
For my husband’s sixtieth birthday, we all ventured to Alabama with their golf foursome to play the Robert Trent Jones courses in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile. While they golfed, Elizabeth and I explored historic sights, the Mardi Gras Museum and learned about Azalea Maids.
For my sixtieth, a big surprise, my husband rented a home in Saugatuck, Michigan for a long weekend with “the people.” Thankfully, Bill suggested we all go to bed once the War Speeches commenced.
For Elizabeth’s sixtieth and Bill’s seventieth, we stayed in a La Jolla, California rental home for a long weekend of golf, lavish family meals on the patio with cake, wine and photo bombs.
It wasn’t all shits and giggles. Life never is. We lost our mothers, fathers, brothers, a sister, an aunt and a brother-in-law. Serious illness, job loss. Those moments that bring friends closer together just to survive and help you stay afloat.
A native of Rhode Island, Bill loved the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox and later the Chicago Cubs. A lover of music, the theater, long walks, overnights in Chicago hotels and exploring quaint shops.
P.O.S.H. on State Street was a favorite and at the end of the evening, a stop at Eddie V’s for live music, dessert and a nightcap.
He designed a wine cellar in their home and carefully curated each bottle. I believe his collection numbers in the thousands. His knowledge of wine was envious.
He would peruse the shelves before each party and select just the right wines to accompany the meal. Bill always ordered the wine when dining out and brought the wine to our home when we hosted. His choice was always better than any sommelier in town.
As Director of Finance for Motorola, Bill traveled to five continents for both business and pleasure. Thailand and Italy were his favorites. Always a true Ambassador to every country he visited, he would make friendships with everyone from the CEO to the shoe shine attendant. He treated both equally. In fact, I believe he would treat the shoe shine attendant just a tad more respectfully. That was Bill.
Often on his worldly adventures he would find a subtle, cultural treasure and bring one back for me. He’d arrive at our home with a box under his arm wearing that mischievous smile. He would tell the story of this gift, how he found it, who he was with, what each country does with this and why he thought I would enjoy it.
My collection varies from a floral syrup pitcher from Poland. A hollow gourd and metal spoon for drinking mate tea from Argentina. A delicate, white soup bowl with a cherub lid from Rome and a pink and gold carnival mask from Venice. Our favorite, hands down, is the quaich from Scotland. It’s a small, decorative two-handled cup that we would all drink from every time we got together to commence the party.
I know. Isn’t Bill thoughtful? Who does this?
Bill was so humble. Never bragged about his success or the trimmings that accompanied it. He was overly generous to his extended family but never spoke a word. Mr. Anonymous. He preferred it that way. He was never negative or spoke unfavorably about anyone. I don’t believe he ever frowned.
He had a wicked sense of humor with that New England accent and eyes that genuinely smiled. He was always a gentleman. I could never swear in front of Bill because I didn’t want him to think poorly of me. He had that effect on people.
You wanted to be better around Bill.
Bill was the life of the party at our gatherings. Always a good sport, he would make Peep bunny-Twinkie race cars at Easter, try on funny hats in an antique shop in Bloomington, sport cat-eye giant glasses and if the mood hit him, his paper party hat from a Christmas cracker.
When Bill and Elizabeth traveled in the winter to warmer climates, they would usually stay on a golf course. Bill would sneak out in the evening and play a few holes in his back yard. We named this “Illegal Golf.” It morphed into “Bill Phelps Golf,” and finally, “Opportunity Golf.”
Try it sometime. Bill would love that.
This 4th of July weekend was going to be big.
Brian and Lena would be coming out from Chicago on July 3rd for the holiday weekend. They hadn’t seen each other since January. COVID-19 stepped in and they took extra caution because Lena is pregnant with a baby girl. Bill’s first granddaughter.
He was more excited than anyone to become a grandfather in August, less than two months away.
I’m confident Bill was just plain giddy Thursday night. He would have the bellini glasses set out, the wines carefully chosen for our subdued Lobster Fest on the 4th. His flag shorts would have been cleaned and pressed, the bocce court mowed and ready for our tournament.
The grass was left high because Lena loved to walk on it in her bare feet. He did that for her since there is not a lot of lush grass in the city. He went to bed all smiles and ready to begin a weekend of family celebrations.
He would wake up Friday morning ready to welcome Brian and Lena with gracious open arms. Always a gift-giver, he had a Swarovski stork to give them for the baby’s nursery.
But fate stepped in and he didn’t make it through the night.
What hurts me more than anything is he never got a chance to meet his granddaughter.
He didn’t get to know her, but she WILL know him.
We will tell tall tales of Bill throughout her life. He will be remembered in photographs, memories, stories, laughter and a few tears now and then. A place will always be set at the table for him to join us. We will toast him. He will be there.
A guardian angel is a gift, but for all of you I wish he could have waited a lot longer before he reported for duty.
Mary Ellen Vehlow
We all wish we could have had Bill around for many years to come. Now it’s up to us to honor him, celebrate him and be thankful we had him for as long as we did.
Not everyone gets a Bill.
Aren’t we the lucky ones.
In his obituary, Elizabeth wrote, “Bill was loved by all who knew him, and he will be sorely missed.”
It was a pretty similar affair as last night delayed gratification win. The bullpen did not make nearly as much of a nail-biter, but the Cubs followed a familiar formula to victory. The Cubs bats provided an early lead and a solid start put the Cubs in an easy position. The bullpen made it closer than it should have been, but the end result was the Cubs third straight victory.
The bats have continued to mash. They have belted home runs in every single game so far in 2020, but for the third straight day it was stringing hits together that put the Cubs on the board initially. There will be slumps in 2020, but this lineup feels a lot closer to the dangerous 2016 incarnation than the feast or famine versions seen since. There are hitters capable of doing damage up and down the lineup as opposed to last year where it felt like pitchers really just had to avoid the one or two hitters that were hot at any given point in the season.
The bullpen was again given a solid lead to work with and again let the Reds inch back into the game. The Reds didn’t put the tying run much less the winning run on base tonight, but David Ross biggest challenge in 2020 is finding a consistent formula for hanging onto leads in short order.
The Cubs opened the scoring in the third inning. Jason Kipnis led off the frame with a sun aided triple. Nico Hoerner smacked a single through the infield to drive in the Northbrook native. Kipnis drove in the Cubs second run in the fourth inning. Jason Heyward and David Bote bounced one out singles back up the middle and Kipnis pulled the ball through the right side of the infield to drive in Heyward. Hoerner grounded into an inning ending double play this time.
Alec Mills had a very solid outing. Nicholas Castellanos smoked a double in the first inning, but that was the only hit allowed the first turn through the order. Mills walked Jesse Winker with two gone in the bottom of the fourth and Castellanos followed with a blast to dead center to the tie game. Mills would pitch another two scoreless frames to end the night with a quality start.
Cody Reed took the ball in the fifth inning for the Reds, and he retired the first two batters quickly. Javier Báez drove the ball into the gap for a double, and he scored on a Kyle Schwarber single served into left field. Reed would escape the inning without yielding any more damage. He faced Jason Heyward to start the sixth and walked him. Pedro Strop was summoned and looked a bit more like the Strop of 2019 by walking David Bote. Jason Kipnis executed what was essentially a swinging bunt to advance the pair into scoring position. Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly into shallow center field that Heyward was able to extend the Cubs lead to 4-2.
Javier Báez hit a solo shot against Amir Garrett in the seventh inning, but that was all the Cubs could muster against the Reds very effective lefty. Casey Sadler struck out three in a four out bottom half of the inning. Aristides Aquino reached on a dropped third strike was the only Red to reach, but Curt Casali hit a bomb off of Sadler to start the eighth inning. Kyle Ryan would finish the frame without allowing another run to score. However, David Bote’s solo shot in the top half meant that it was 6-3 ballgame heading into the ninth.
Hard throwing Michael Lorenzen was the last Reds pitcher. Anthony Rizzo greeted him with a solid single. Lorenzen balked him to second, but it didn’t matter much with Báez’s second bomb of the night making it 8-3. Lorenzen struck out Albert Almora, Jr. and Ian Happ to give the Reds their final chance. Ryan Tepera was given the final three outs and he punched out Castellanos and Josh VanMeter to start the inning. But a walk to Aquino extended the game for Freddy Galvis to hit a blast making it an 8-5 Cubs lead. Thankfully before that sinking feeling could get much worse Casali struck out preserving the Cubs third victory in as many days.
Random Reference
There was a little angst around the Cubs offense after its performance in the first two games against Milwaukee. Since then the team has put up 9, 8 and 8 runs. The long ball has featured prominently in every game, but the offense has done a little bit of everything in each of the wins. Two batters really stand out though as being so hot right now.
If I had stayed up to write a recap after last night’s closer than it should have been victory, it would have been about Rizzo hitting three homers in four games. However, Javier Báez recorded ten total bases in tonight’s game. So this reference goes out to both of them.
The last time I set foot in a church was pre-COVID at the request of my 8 year old foster daughter. The time before that was a decade ago if not more. To be honest it made my skin crawl. I felt walled in. I sat in the pew and fidgeted. I grimaced during the “shake hands with your neighbor” portion of the service. (Again, pre-COVID, when we didn’t know handshakes were actually deadly.)
I read the church bulletin and counted how many of each letters there were in the entire thing, over and over through the duration of the service. I was itching to get out of there and bitter that I was back in a church.
This wasn’t even a traditional church. It was a fairly liberal and unorthodox “spiritual center.” They played folk music as the sermon commenced and the believers dispersed to have donuts, coffee and small talk in the recreation room. (I don’t eat donuts, despise small talk and coffee makes my stomach turn if I have more than a cup a day. I am 75% convinced my daughter keeps asking to go back just for the donuts.)
I associate church with judgement and deep shame. I was told repeatedly throughout my adolescence that I was unworthy, dirty, broken and wrong by church-going people from the various Baptist/Radical evangelical/Traditional Christian/whatever churches my family frequented who felt my validity and existence as a queer person was up for debate. So I stopped going, because fuck that.
But more and more as we journey down this road of foster care I feel the need to believe in something. We have entered this world where broken is the norm. Where parents discard their children. Where abandoned children come to my home hurting and angry. Where we turn our lives upside down again and again for the sake of giving a child a safe place for a season when everyone else has said no.
This journey is breaking me down. I am realizing with every loss that it’s not about me or my infertile body. It’s not about my broken heart. It’s not about my marriage or our deep, delirious desire to have a forever family. We bring these kids into our home because someone has to. Every child deserves love, routine, stability, a hug and kiss goodnight and someone who gives a shit about their future. I think we all know this.
But it’s hard to keep that in mind when you are in the thick of it – with all the hope and raw emotion and paperwork and therapy appointments and late nights and early mornings and special needs and stupid questions by those who don’t get it and hyper vigilance in your own mind and body because you don’t know what is going to happen next in your own home, life, future, etc – without assurance that this will be WORTH IT, in the end. I feel like I am losing my mind most days.
Hence, the need to believe in something.
The seasons change so quickly when you are in this world of foster care that it’s a little disorienting and you start to wonder where exactly things will end up, does anyone have a plan here? It’s maddening.
The concept of seasons has become comforting to me as we move kids in and out, as we say yes, as we search, as we grow, as we endure, as we rest (?? We don’t really rest to be honest.)
I am not a religious person (and I am more familiar with the Byrds Turn! Turn! Turn version of this sentiment) but this verse has always resonated with me.
Ecclesiastes 3:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
When I looked that passage up to copy it in I actually read down a few more verses and didn’t even realize how spot on the rest of it is. I am skeptical of “god” in the traditional sense but this speaks to me, god aside. Swap in Universe for “Old man in the sky” and I can get behind it.
What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil.
Satisfaction in the toil. That about sums up foster care right there.
Our family is in such season of mourning right now. I feel numb inside. I am grieving the baby and all the hope she represented for us. I feel as if I move in slow motion as I care for these two kids who are off to another adoptive home in mere months. I am angry. I am worried for my long-term kids with their angst and special needs and hurts. I am frustrated. It’s hard to find hope.
The small moments help with that if I can find them. We took our older kids to the beach this weekend while the younger girls visited their adoptive home, We joked around, we roughhoused and played, we talked, we had fun. There was a lightness in our interactions that I haven’t felt in awhile and it gave me a bit of hope. Our season of happiness, of healing, of laughter is coming. We have had it before and we will have it again, But first we have to ride this wave of grief, find satisfaction in the work left to be done and trust we will make it out to the other side. I don’t know what the future holds or if there is any grand plan or what that could even entail. But I can find satisfaction in the work in front of me right now and continue on for these kids.
ChicagoBears (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
There is one logical replacement for the Chicago Bears’ nose tackle.
Early Tuesday afternoon, the Chicago Bears made a surprising, but understandable announcement regarding nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Goldman made the difficult decision to opt-out of the 2020 season due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Since COVID impacts those with a higher body mass index, it makes sense that offensive and defensive linemen would be the ones considering sitting out the year. Unfortunately for the Bears, Goldman is without question, one of the most underrated players on the defensive side of the ball. His absence will be felt deeply.
If they are looking for a high-quality replacement, Damon Harrison, who is still on the free-agent market, could be an attractive option.
The team could, however, choose to lean on John Jenkins, whom they signed this offseason. This will be Jenkins second stint with the Bears, having appeared in eight games during the 2017 season. Jenkins played in all 16 games last year for the Miami Dolphins and was fairly productive.
However, Harrison would be a huge upgrade and would go a long way in filling to void vacated by Goldman. He could be an expensive option, but the Bears will get a little cap relief as a result of Goldman sitting out.
They could use that on Harrison, who most recently played with the Detroit Lions, and is known as one of the league’s better run stoppers — which was Goldman’s primary responsibility on the defensive line.
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In fact, Harrison has been one of, if not the best, run defender in the league for the better part of the last decade. Whether the Bears could afford him, and Harrison would be interested in a one-year deal remain to be seen. It is also no guarantee that Harrison himself will even play this year. With a newborn baby at home, he could consider opting out as well.
With all of the uncertainty around the season and who else might opt-out on the team, the Bears may stand fast for now and let things shake out a bit before making any free agent moves. But if they want to make an aggressive move to win now (and let’s face it — Ryan Pace’s job may depend on it) the most logical option would be Snacks.
Need some COVID-safe entertainment? Drive-in music festival coming to Soldier Field
Sun-Times photo
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of Chicago’s event curators to get much more creative when providing entertainment to the masses.
The Drive-In Fest, which is scheduled for Aug. 22 at Soldier Field (doors open at 6 p.m.), is the brainchild by five local Black promoters: Mike “Orie” Mosley (AFROTRAK); Ronald Platt, Bobby Burke, Charles Martin and Sigma Chris.
Concertgoers should expect feature performances from “a few of your favorite artists from the ’90s and early ’80s hip-hop/R&B era,” according to festival officials.
The festival lineup includes chart-topping singer-songwriter Lloyd, Pleasure P of R&B/hip-hop group Pretty Ricky, Atlanta-based singer Bobby V., and West Side hip-hop artists Do or Die.
8:08 p.m. Suburban districts flip-flop, nix in-person learning for fall after initially planning to reopen schools
School districts in some of Chicago’s largest suburbs had planned to kick off the fall with students back in classrooms at least part-time.
But with the start of school less than a month away and pressure mounting from anxious parents and teachers during a raging pandemic, some of those very districts have backtracked and will start the year fully remote.
Others plan to stick with a hybrid model to get students in school at least occasionally, and most districts, whether they’re planning to bring kids back on a limited basis or not at all, are pledging to improve the online learning experience from the end of last school year.
Online learning will include more live teaching sessions in Elgin Area School District U-46 schools, the second-largest district in the state after Chicago Public Schools. That includes teachers and students using a single digital platform and having teachers evaluate all student work to determine performance. The district’s decision to go fully remote came after it had initially been leaning toward a hybrid model.
Diana Martinez, 43, of Streamwood, will have children in kindergarten and high school at District U-46 schools this fall. Martinez, a single mother who lost two jobs due to the pandemic, said she had waited to find a new job until she knew her kids’ schedules. She even started training her younger son to get used to wearing a mask, in case his kindergarten class had an in-person component.
6:38 p.m. City will issue tickets for quarantine violations, ‘flagrant’ social activities spotted on social media
Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s public health commissioner, offering an update on coronavirus. File photo.Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
Ticketing is coming for Chicagoans who travel to any of the 20-plus states subject to Chicago’s 14-day travel quarantine, Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s health commissioner, said Tuesday. Previously the city has relied on voluntary compliance to the order.
Arwady told reporters on a conference call that tickets can be issued during course of an investigation into COVID spread. She also mentioned the possibility of fining city employees who may not have abided by quarantine.
Tickets also may result from “social media examples” where people are “flagrantly posting social activities,” Arwady said.
The additions to the order — Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota were all announced Tuesday — bring the tally to 22 states now covered. Under the order, people traveling or returning to Chicago from one of those states are required to isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
When the order, in effect indefinitely, was announced, the city had offered no details on exactly how it would be enforced. But under the order violators are subject to city fines of $100 to $500 per day, up to $7,000.
There are exemptions, such as travel for medical care, or for essential workers who are required to travel to Chicago from a covered state, or travel from Chicago to work in one of the covered states.
The rest of the list: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
3:15 p.m. They call themselves the ‘Rona Quartet after the disease that has kept so many musicians apart
The music floats down a narrow, weedy gangway to a backyard on the North Side, where four French horn players sit, socially distanced, their instruments gleaming in the late-morning sunlight.
A cardinal somewhere up in the high branches of a huge silver maple adds its own accompaniment to the piece they’re playing, “Fripperies for Four Horns,” by Lowell Shaw. A middle-aged couple step out onto their deck overlooking the garden to listen.
“There are a lot of bees out here. What’s going on?” said Mary Jo Neher, swatting at the little insects buzzing around her ankles during a pause in the music.
It’s a small inconvenience for Neher, 42, and her fellow Chicago-area horn players, who are thrilled to be playing with other human beings after months of isolation at home.
“One of the things I’ve missed was the feeling of throwing my case on my back and going into the garage to go to work,” said Neher, a freelance musician. “There is so much in that moment: I have a purpose. I’m not just Mom, keeping everyone alive and teaching at home. I just yearn for that basic feeling.”
The Miami Marlins’ season was suspended by Major League Baseball amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that resulted in 15 players and two staff members testing positive from Friday to Tuesday, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the decision.
The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because it has not been officially announced.
The action is a remarkable but pragmatic pause, sidelining one of the 30 MLB teams attempting to play a 60-game schedule through a pandemic, with one potential outcome being that the Marlins — and their upcoming opponents — may not play the season in full.
The Marlins’ outbreak had already resulted in a handful of postponements Monday and Tuesday: Two Marlins games against the Baltimore Orioles in Miami, and a pair of Phillies-New York Yankees games in Philadelphia, site of the Marlins’ three-game weekend series.
Now, the Marlins will have up to seven games to make up: Four against the Orioles and three against the Washington Nationals, their weekend opponents in Miami.
11:45 a.m. Andrea Bocelli recovered from COVID but says lockdown made him feel ‘humiliated’
ROME — Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who had COVID-19, said the pandemic lockdown made him feel “humiliated and offended” by depriving him of his freedom to come and go as he wanted.
Bocelli spoke at a panel Monday in an Italian Senate conference room, where he was introduced by right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini, who has railed against the government’s stringent measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The singer’s announcement in May that he had recovered from the virus came weeks after his Easter Sunday performance in Milan’s empty cathedral. At the time, Bocelli said that when he learned on March 10 that he had tested positive, just as the nation was going into lockdown, “I jumped into the pool, I felt well” and had only a slight fever. He apparently was referring to a private pool at his residence, as public gym pools were closed by then.
Bocelli told the conference at the Senate that he resented not being able to leave his home even though he “committed no crime” and revealed, without providing details, that he violated that lockdown restriction.
10:38 a.m. CPS parents — and teachers — bombard district officials with questions about classroom safety
The first of five community meetings hosted by Chicago Public Schools officials about a potential fall reopening featured hundreds of questions from parents and teachers, many of which were steeped in skepticism over whether in-classroom learning could be done safely in the middle of a pandemic.
Will there be more hand-washing stations at schools? What will happen when a student tests positive for COVID-19? Are teachers expected to move between “pods” of students? What type of instruction will students receive when they opt out of in-person learning?
Top CPS leadership, including CEO Janice Jackson, gave live answers to many questions — though they only got to a fraction in the 45 minutes set aside for a Q&A session, and there were many they couldn’t answer.
Responding to a question about potential cases at schools, CPS’ chief health officer Kenneth Fox said families will be expected to self-report to the district’s Office of Student Health and Wellness, providing their symptoms, noting when they first felt sick and other personal information.
The district would then gather information from that student’s school, such as which 15-student pod they were in, who else they had contact with and what part of the school they had been in. An entire pod would be sent home if one of its students tests positive, and anyone directly in contact with the positive case would be told to quarantine for 14 days.
8:04 a.m. Lightfoot showcases $33 million in relief for renters and property owners
Three months after unveiling a non-binding “Housing Solidarity Pledge” that appeased no one, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday showcased $33 million in relief for renters and property owners bankrolled by federal stimulus funds and local philanthropies.
Shortly after the stay-at-home shutdown triggered by the coronavirus, Lightfoot offered 2,000 Chicagoans struggling to stay in their homes grants of $1,000 apiece. The $2 million was nowhere near enough to meet the demand from 83,000 applicants.
Now, those who struck out in Round One will be “automatically transferred” to a $25 million Round 2, “more than ten times” the initial investment made by the Chicago Department of Housing There is no need to re-apply.
Together with $8 million from the Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago is dedicating $33 million to “eviction and foreclosure prevention,” officials said.
“Thanks to this investment, more Chicagoans will be able to stave off foreclosure, eviction and homelessness and the pain and insecurity that comes with it,” Lightfoot told a City Hall news conference.
6:13 p.m. I’m a teacher and parent. Our schools aren’t ready to reopen and keep children and families safe.
With the start of a typical school year right around the corner, discussions are taking place about what the eventual return will look like. As an educator and a mom, I am torn between options: Full remote learning to ensure that children and students stay healthy; or a hybrid, with some in-person instruction.
But two major questions loom in the minds of every educator and parent: Can our nation keep children and families healthy, even with limited classroom teaching? If remote learning continues, will students lose too much educationally?
As a former teacher in three Chicago public high schools on the South Side, I think the answer to the first question is a clear “No.” Our nation can’t keep our kids and their families healthy without strong federal leadership, which is needed to have any chance of slowing the spread of coronavirus.
A case in point: One of my grossest days in CPS was the time a student threw up in the library entryway. It was flu season and only two janitors were working that day, so it took around six hours for one of them to clean up the vomit. The student went to the nurse’s office, but she wasn’t at our school that day, so he returned, still sick, for his library lesson. Meanwhile, students and teachers continued to fill the room.
4:45 p.m. Four must-haves in Congress’ next pandemic rescue package
No sooner did professional baseball return last week, after months of planning to make the games safe during the pandemic, than the entire season was thrown into doubt when COVID-19 swept through the Miami Marlins.
There is a lesson in that not only for professional sports, which we’re really feeling the loss of right now, but also for lawmakers in Washington who are crafting a massive new pandemic relief bill:
All our man-made plans are doomed if designed for a wished-for world.
At the core of almost every disagreement between Democrats and Republicans about how big the federal relief bill should be — and what it should include — is a fundamentally different view about how long it will be before life in the United States can return to normal.
Democrats, listening to the scientists, think it could be many more months or even years. They are proposing a $3 trillion relief bill. Republicans are leaning hard into that wished-for world. They are pushing a $1 trillion bill.
With that in mind, here are four provisions of any relief bill we’d like to stress:
2:45 p.m. If we’re in hell, we might as well read Dante
John Took’s new book Dante is very heavy lifting. From the first sentence — “Exemplary in respect of just about everything coming next on the banks of the Arno over the next few decades was the case of Buondelmonte de’Buondelmonti on the threshold of the thirteenth century.” — it is a waist-deep slog through the muddiest of academic creeks.
Pressing forward, I grew to hate him. Just for taking something so valuable and rendering it into turgid academic blather. Grew to hate Princeton University Press for foisting this upon a trusting public. Hate the scholars who blurbed it. “A beautiful book that reflects decades of thinking and teaching,” begins literary critic Piero Boitani.
Maybe he meant the cover. It is indeed a beautiful cover.
And I grew to hate myself for buying the book, impulsively, because, heck, it has such a nice cover and it is about Dante. For insisting on grimly, joylessly grinding through it, page after page, trying to glean some shred of knowledge from this field of chaff. I blame my own cheapness. I bought the thing, paid, geez, $35 for it. I have to read it. It grew to feel like penance, a hair shirt. Enduring a homebound summer in a brainless era during the realm of an imbecile? Here’s some grist for the mill, perfesser. Chew on this!
8:43 a.m. Marlins outbreak sobering, scary for NFL teams on eve of camp
On the eve of training camp, the NFL was visited Monday by its worst nightmare. Dressed in Marlins blue and black, the Ghost of Coronavirus Yet to Come showed the worst-case scenario: a season on the brink of cancellation before it really gets started.
At least 13 Marlins players and coaches have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to national reports. It’s a full-blown outbreak, after only three games.
Major League Baseball postponed the Marlins’ game Monday against the Orioles. The Phillies-Yankees game also was called off because the Phillies had hosted the Marlins for three games. Baseball will be play-the-Lotto lucky if that’s the only damage done. A growing crisis would lead to the cancellation of the season.
Even in the best of circumstances, the virus presents a new reality that baseball must cope with every day. White Sox manager Rick Renteria woke up with a cough and nasal congestion Monday, went to a Cleveland hospital for tests and, out of caution, stayed away from the ballpark. He reportedly tested negative for COVID-19 and is expected to be back with the team Tuesday.
Praise the gods of summer: events are back in Chicago! Thanks to the efforts of Green Curtain Events, presented by White Claw and a slew of Chicago bars, Summer 101 is the COVID-conscious social series we’ve been missing. Here to “make Electric Lemonade” out of the lemons life has given the world, this new collection of private experiences, watch parties, and happy hours keeps social distancing in mind while providing Chicago-worthy entertainment. Here’s what’s going down this weekend, to give you a taste of what to expect for future iterations of Summer 101.
Friday, July 31 – Saturday, August 1 | 7 – 11 pm @ Parlay at JOY District
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Organizers just announced the Lolla2020 lineup and we’re excited to see a few big names on the list. A curated stream of past performances, never-before-seen footage, and even a live set by Alison Wonderland can be expected at the Lolla2020 watch party, so grab a drink package at Parlay to catch the full show. Reservations start as low as $60 for preferred seating, White Claw seltzers, and more.
Biweekly Saturdays, Starting August 1 | 5 – 7:30 pm @ OG’s Chicago
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Future Dates (subject to change): August 1, 15, 29, September 12, 26, and October 10, 24
Love a good BBQ? Trying to become a grill master yourself? OG’s Chicago is here to show you what’s good with an all-you-can-eat experience and cooking demo from the head chefs. Grab a small group of friends and secure your all-you-can-eat ticket, plus a White Claw and drink specials, for just $40.
Everybody loves a good bottomless brunch… but what if you could get preferred seating at your favorite table by the window with a White Claw already in front of you, followed quickly by a sizzling brunch entrée and as many refreshing mimosas AND sangrias you can drink in two whole hours? Let’s be honest — we see you putting down those bottles, and you can have it all at Hubbard Inn. Best part? It’s only $50 for the whole package.
Future Dates (subject to change): August 13, September 10, October 8, and November 5
You thought they would stop at brunch? Bish, please. River North’s supreme being doesn’t stop there. During a private wine sampling and education experience at Hubbard Inn, you’ll sample three of the finest wines and bubbles from their exquisite portfolio while casually enjoying passed hors d’oeuvres. You get a welcome White Claw, too, (because why not?) and preferred seating, all with your $50 reservation.
Future Dates (subject to change): July 30, August 27, September 24, and October 22
The bar that keeps on giving is at it again, only this time, we’re talking cocktails. If you’re more of a whiskey-over-wine kind of person, purchase the Mixology Experience package and enjoy an evening of craft cocktails. In addition to tasting and learning about three of Hubbard Inn’s primary craft cocktails, you’ll taste passed hors d’oeuvres and a welcome White Claw while enjoying preferred seating. Grab your tickets for $50 today!
“REEF, mom, not reefer,” though, in one city guide’s opinion, the show at Whiskey Business could only get better with a little help from Chicago dispensaries. Neon Reef Nights is an ultra-trippy laser light show on the rooftop bar at Whiskey Business, presented by the same people behind the light shows at concerts for Illenium, Porter Robinson, and Aerosmith. Gather a group of four or six of your friends and enjoy appetizers, White Claw, and premium bottles in preferred rooftop seating with a perfect view of the light show. Here’s where you can check out package details and purchase tickets.
The only thing better than a night under the stars is a movie night under the stars, complete with White Claw, plenty of snacks, and a big-ass bag of buttered popcorn. When you get the movie reservation for your group of four or six, enjoy guaranteed entry, three hours of reserved service & preferred seating, freshly made popcorn, a White Claw per guest, enhancement headphones, and a featured movie classic on the big screen. Purchasing the movie package for a group of four or six of your friends, you can add an entreé per guest and buckets of White Claw to that already sweet list of goodies.
Catch every single Friday Cubs game at Broken Barrel Bar, where you can get guaranteed entry, preferred seating & reserved service, White Claw, appetizers, bottomless well & domestic drinks, and featured MLB action on the big screen (with the sound on), all for as low as $100 for you and a buddy. Package prices and the goodies that come with them vary, so check out the full details before you go.
The Friday night Cubs schedule for both home & away games is below:
Are you a Cubs fan missing the thrill of entering Wrigley Field for a home game? Replicate that feeling at HVAC, where they’re playing every single Cubs home game on the big screens for die-hard fans. Whatever your group size, you can grab tickets for up to eight people for guaranteed entry, preferred seating & reserved service, a White Claw per person, bottomless well & domestic drinks, and pizza for the entire game. Now that’s a package deal.
The Cubs home game schedule is bound to vary, so here’s the schedule for the most accurate dates.
In reply to DemonBerryhill:It is neat. We had several debates here ourselves over the years. There are a couple people on the staff…
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