chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--‘Let Them All Talk’: Cruise ship the ideal vessel for Soderbergh’s observational wit

“ Oh God , there must be a better way to describe things , to arrange words in a new way , to use words to take you to a place beyond words .
There must be.
” — Meryl Streep ’ s Alice in “ Let Them All Talk.
” Steven Soderbergh has made the best Woody Allen film in years with “ Let Them All Talk , ” a dryly observational small masterpiece featuring mostly privileged , mostly white , mostly self-absorbed characters , including a brilliant and narcissistic writer who considers everybody and everything as potential material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since bursting on the scene with the groundbreaking “ Sex , Lies & Videotape ” in 1989 , Soderbergh has been one of the most prolific and versatile filmmakers of his generation , from prestige projects such as “ Traffic ” and “ Contagion ” to mainstream fare such as the “ Oceans ” franchise and “ Magic Mike , ” to experimental projects , e.g.
, “ Schizopolis ” and “ Unsane , ” and he once again hits the cutting edge with “ Let Them All Talk.
” His newest film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Queen Mary 2 luxury cruise liner as it sailed from Manhattan to Southampton , England , with Soderbergh reportedly acting as essentially a one-man crew , operating a state-of-the-art RED Komodo digital camera and using natural light while encouraging the enormously talented ensemble cast to improv freely .
The result is one of the smartest , funniest and most visually captivating movies of the year .
Meryl Streep effortlessly knocks it out of the park as an acclaimed novelist named Alice Hughes who has been awarded the prestigious Footling Prize ( what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , an honor so special they don ’ t even give it out every year , as Alice will remind anyone who ’ s even half-listening .
The ceremony will be in England but Alice refuses to fly , so her literary agency funds a trans-Atlantic crossing via the Queen Mary 2 , with Alice bringing along three guests : her estranged best friends from college , Susan ( Dianne Wiest ) and Roberta ( Candice Bergen ) , and Alice ’ s college student nephew Tyler ( Lucas Hedges ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son .
Also onboard , unbeknownst to Alice : the ambitiously conniving Karen ( Gemma Chan ) , who has succeeded Alice ’ s recently retired longtime agent and is on a mission to determine if Alice ’ s current project will be the long-awaited and potentially quite lucrative sequel to Alice ’ s most successful work , “ You Always/You Never , ” which won the Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a movie and a miniseries .
With a jazz-infused score that sounds like something from a 1970s thriller setting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captures the cruise ship experience ( we often get glimpses of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the crew at work ) as Alice reconnects with Susan , a wise and gentle soul who works as an advocate for incarcerated women in Seattle , and Roberta , a blunt-speaking divorcee who favors garish outfits and works for a Victoria ’ s Secret knockoff store in Dallas and is on the hunt for a man of a certain age and financial standing .
Meanwhile , the earnest and naïve Tyler spends every possible moment hanging out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her interest in Alice ’ s next project for an interest in him .
We also meet two intriguing fellow passengers : celebrity author Kelvin Krantz ( Dan Algrant in a wonderfully effective , low-key performance ) , who cranks out mega-selling , movie-material mystery novels twice a year , and an unnamed , mysterious and dapper fellow ( John Douglas Thompson ) who is seen exiting Alice ’ s cabin early every morning .
( When Tyler questions Alice about this man , she cryptically replies he ’ s the only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone has an agenda , some more secretive than others .
Alice wants to reconnect with her oldest and dearest friends .
Barbara wants Alice to admit she based the lead character in “ You Always/You Never ” on Barbara ’ s experiences .
Susan hopes old grievances will be forgiven and forgotten .
Tyler wants to study his aunt and her friends , as he believes they ’ re the last great pre-tech generation .
The dialogue crackles with tense exchanges and pithy asides , with the veteran actors at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members returning every volley with equal aplomb .
There are moments of pure dramatic/comedic gold , as when Susan calls out her friends for acting like children while simultaneously issuing a brutal takedown of Elon Musk .
Whether scripted or improvised , it ’ s one of the choice moments in any film of 2020 .
“ Let Them All Talk , ” indeed .
Please let them all talk for as long as they desire .

“Oh God, there must be a better way to describe things, to arrange words in a new way, to use words to take you to a place beyond words. There must be.” — Meryl Streep’s Alice in “Let Them All Talk.”
Steven Soderbergh has made the best Woody Allen film in years with “Let Them All Talk,” a dryly observational small masterpiece featuring mostly privileged, mostly white, mostly self-absorbed characters, including a brilliant and narcissistic writer who considers everybody and everything as potential material first and actual human beings second.
‘Let Them All Talk’
Untitled HBO Max presents a film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Deborah Eisenberg. Rated R (for language). Running time: 113 minutes. Available Thursday on HBO Max.
Since bursting on the scene with the groundbreaking “Sex, Lies & Videotape” in 1989, Soderbergh has been one of the most prolific and versatile filmmakers of his generation, from prestige projects such as “Traffic” and “Contagion” to mainstream fare such as the “Oceans” franchise and “Magic Mike,” to experimental projects, e.g., “Schizopolis” and “Unsane,” and he once again hits the cutting edge with “Let Them All Talk.” His newest film was shot in just two weeks aboard the Queen Mary 2 luxury cruise liner as it sailed from Manhattan to Southampton, England, with Soderbergh reportedly acting as essentially a one-man crew, operating a state-of-the-art RED Komodo digital camera and using natural light while encouraging the enormously talented ensemble cast to improv freely. The result is one of the smartest, funniest and most visually captivating movies of the year.
Meryl Streep effortlessly knocks it out of the park as an acclaimed novelist named Alice Hughes who has been awarded the prestigious Footling Prize (what a great name for this fictional honor), an honor so special they don’t even give it out every year, as Alice will remind anyone who’s even half-listening. The ceremony will be in England but Alice refuses to fly, so her literary agency funds a trans-Atlantic crossing via the Queen Mary 2, with Alice bringing along three guests: her estranged best friends from college, Susan (Dianne Wiest) and Roberta (Candice Bergen), and Alice’s college student nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges), the closest thing she has to a son. Also onboard, unbeknownst to Alice: the ambitiously conniving Karen (Gemma Chan), who has succeeded Alice’s recently retired longtime agent and is on a mission to determine if Alice’s current project will be the long-awaited and potentially quite lucrative sequel to Alice’s most successful work, “You Always/You Never,” which won the Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a movie and a miniseries.
Dianne Wiest (center) and Candice Bergen play estranged best friends who accompany Alice (Meryl Streep) on the cruise. HBO Max
With a jazz-infused score that sounds like something from a 1970s thriller setting the beat, Soderbergh’s camera seamlessly captures the cruise ship experience (we often get glimpses of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the crew at work) as Alice reconnects with Susan, a wise and gentle soul who works as an advocate for incarcerated women in Seattle, and Roberta, a blunt-speaking divorcee who favors garish outfits and works for a Victoria’s Secret knockoff store in Dallas and is on the hunt for a man of a certain age and financial standing. Meanwhile, the earnest and naïve Tyler spends every possible moment hanging out with Karen, as he has mistaken her interest in Alice’s next project for an interest in him.
We also meet two intriguing fellow passengers: celebrity author Kelvin Krantz (Dan Algrant in a wonderfully effective, low-key performance), who cranks out mega-selling, movie-material mystery novels twice a year, and an unnamed, mysterious and dapper fellow (John Douglas Thompson) who is seen exiting Alice’s cabin early every morning. (When Tyler questions Alice about this man, she cryptically replies he’s the only thing that keeps her going.)
Nearly everyone has an agenda, some more secretive than others. Alice wants to reconnect with her oldest and dearest friends. Roberta wants Alice to admit she based the lead character in “You Always/You Never” on Roberta’s experiences. Susan hopes old grievances will be forgiven and forgotten. Tyler wants to study his aunt and her friends, as he believes they’re the last great pre-tech generation. The dialogue crackles with tense exchanges and pithy asides, with the veteran actors at the top of their game and the younger cast members returning every volley with equal aplomb. There are moments of pure dramatic/comedic gold, as when Susan calls out her friends for acting like children while simultaneously issuing a brutal takedown of Elon Musk. Whether scripted or improvised, it’s one of the choice moments in any film of 2020. “Let Them All Talk,” indeed. Please let them all talk for as long as they desire.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--Snap judgment: Bears strike balance between Cordarrelle Patterson, David Montgomery

In the two games since their bye week , the Bears have shown some changes that surely game out of the self-analysis they did during that break .
They ’ ve mapped out a bigger role for tight end Cole Kmet , changed up their offensive line and tweaked the pecking order among their skill players .
That plan continued to materialize in their 34-30 loss to the Lions , which was a good offensive performance for the Bears until they melted down on their final two drives .
One positive was that they finally figured out how to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
He played 25 % of the snaps , which was his highest share of playing time this season except for the game David Montgomery missed , and ran for a season-high 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries .
Montgomery stayed fresh , playing a modest 75 % of the snaps , and going for 72 yards on 17 carries and another 39 on four catches .
It was the sixth game of 100-plus yards of offense .
Rookie wide receiver Darnell Mooney has been climbing ever since he arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any receiver but Allen Robinson .
He actually played more than Robinson against the Lions , surprisingly .
Mooney led the wide receivers with 81 % of the snaps , followed by Robinson ( 74 % ) , Anthony Miller ( 57 % ) , Javon Wims ( 41 % ) and DeAndre Carter ( 7 % ) .
Carter is another surprise .
The Bears signed him to be a kick returner , but are integrating him into the offense as well .
He did not get a target or carry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven targets and caught six passes for 75 yards .
Miller caught all five of his targets for 56 yards .
Mooney caught four of his six targets and finished with 43 yards .
Kmet played more snaps ( 78 % ) than Jimmy Graham ( 49 % ) for the third game in a row .
The last three games were Graham ’ s lowest of the season , and he did not have a catch against the Lions .
Kmet , meanwhile , was targeted seven times and had five catches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —Fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson got 10 snaps at outside linebacker .
It was just his third game this season , but he ’ s one of the young players the Bears can turn loose if they ’ re out of playoff contention .
—Who had a better game than defensive tackle Bilal Nichols ?
He had a beautiful interception in the fourth quarter that should ’ ve ended the game and added one of the Bears ’ two sacks .
Nichols played just 56 % of the snaps , which probably helped .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the snaps against the Vikings and Packers , respectively , when Akiem Hicks was injured .
—Outside linebacker Robert Quinn played a season-high 79 % of the snaps , which is encouraging .
He produced very little , which is discouraging .
Quinn , like Khalil Mack , did not record a stat in the Lions game .
He now has one sack in 409 defensive snaps .

In the two games since their bye week, the Bears have shown some changes that surely came out of the self-analysis they did during that break. They’ve mapped out a bigger role for tight end Cole Kmet, changed up their offensive line and tweaked the pecking order among their skill players.
That plan continued to materialize in their 34-30 loss to the Lions, which was a good offensive performance for the Bears until they melted down on their final two drives.
One positive was that they finally figured out how to use Cordarrelle Patterson, at least for a day. He played 25% of the snaps, which was his highest share of playing time this season except for the game David Montgomery missed, and ran for a season-high 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Montgomery stayed fresh, playing a modest 75% of the snaps, and going for 72 yards on 17 carries and another 39 on four catches. It was the sixth game of 100-plus yards of offense.
Surprise at wide receiver
Rookie wide receiver Darnell Mooney has been climbing ever since he arrived at Halas Hall and plays more than any receiver but Allen Robinson. He actually played more than Robinson against the Lions, surprisingly.
Mooney led the wide receivers with 81% of the snaps, followed by Robinson (74%), Anthony Miller (57%), Javon Wims (41%) and DeAndre Carter (7%). Carter is another surprise. The Bears signed him to be a kick returner, but are integrating him into the offense as well. He did not get a target or carry, though.
Robinson led the Bears with seven targets and caught six passes for 75 yards. Miller caught all five of his targets for 56 yards. Mooney caught four of his six targets and finished with 43 yards.
Kmet’s turn
Kmet played more snaps (78%) than Jimmy Graham (49%) for the third game in a row. The last three games were Graham’s lowest of the season, and he did not have a catch against the Lions.
Kmet, meanwhile, was targeted seven times and had five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive notes
—Fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson got 10 snaps at outside linebacker. It was just his third game this season, but he’s one of the young players the Bears can turn loose if they’re out of playoff contention.
—Who had a better game than defensive tackle Bilal Nichols? He had a beautiful interception in the fourth quarter that should’ve ended the game and added one of the Bears’ two sacks. Nichols played just 56% of the snaps, which probably helped. He played 73% and 72% of the snaps against the Vikings and Packers, respectively, when Akiem Hicks was injured.
—Outside linebacker Robert Quinn played a season-high 79% of the snaps, which is encouraging. He produced very little, which is discouraging. Quinn, like Khalil Mack, did not record a stat in the Lions game. He now has one sack in 409 defensive snaps.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--Menu planner: Lazy beef lasagna irresistible, good for your budget

Heat oven to 400 degrees .
Coat 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray .
Heat large nonstick skillet on medium until hot .
Add ground beef and garlic ; cook 8 to 10 minutes , breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally .
Remove from skillet with slotted spoon ; pour off drippings and return beef to skillet .
Stir in salt , nutmeg and pepper ; mix well .
Stir in pasta sauce and water ; bring to a boil .
Cook 1 to 2 minutes , stirring occasionally .
In the baking dish , layer half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the cheese .
Repeat layers with remaining ravioli , beef mixture and cheese ; cover with aluminum foil .
Bake 15 minutes ( 20 minutes if using frozen ravioli ) .
Uncover ; continue baking 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and pasta is tender .
Let stand 5 minutes before serving .
1 ( 14 1/2-ounce ) can diced tomatoes and green chilies with liquid Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high .
Add onion , cumin , garlic and oregano ; cook 1 1/2 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broth , beans and tomatoes with liquid ; bring to a boil .
Reduce heat ; simmer 10 minutes .
Serve with lime slices .
Per cup : 147 calories , 7 grams protein , 2 grams fat ( 12 % calories from fat ) , 0.3 gram saturated fat , 29 grams carbohydrate , no cholesterol , 487 milligrams sodium , 7 grams fiber .
Heat oven to 475 degrees .
Place crumbled polenta in a 7-by-11-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray .
Top with chili and cheese .
Bake 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream .
Top with extra salsa , as desired .
Cut 1 pound potatoes into 1 1/2-inch pieces .
Microwave on high ( 100 % power ) 5 to 6 minutes or just until tender ; drain and cool slightly .
Meanwhile , combine 3/4 cup steak sauce and 2 large cloves minced garlic ; microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes , stirring once .
Cut 2 medium zucchini in half lengthwise .
Cut the zucchini and 1 pound boneless beef top-sirloin steak ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces .
In a large bowl , combine potatoes , zucchini and steak with 1/3 cup steak sauce ; toss to coat .
Alternately thread potatoes , zucchini and steak on 4 metal skewers .
Grill ( or broil ; see TIP ) , uncovered , 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare to medium , turning occasionally .
Brush with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes .
TIP : Broil kebabs 3 to 4 inches from heat source for 9 to 12 minutes .
Chop or slice and heat the leftover beef ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horseradish with 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ; mix well .
Toast 1 halved 24-inch baguette ; line bottom half with beef and top half with horseradish sauce .
Combine the halves and cut crosswise into 8 servings .
Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , 2 tablespoons honey , 1 tablespoon olive oil , 1 tablespoon finely chopped flatleaf parsley , 1 teaspoon cumin , 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper .
Brush 1 to 1 1/4 pounds lamb steaks ( center leg or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Broil 5 inches from heat source for 4 minutes ; turn and brush with sauce .
Broil 4 to 6 minutes longer or to desired doneness .
Discard leftover basting sauce .
Heat oven to 425 degrees .
Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil .
Toss 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes ( cut into 1-inch pieces ) with 1 tablespoon olive oil , 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme .
Spread on baking sheet .
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tender .

Lazy beef lasagna
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 40 to 45 minutes; standing time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds 95% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce or other red pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 (20- to 25-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium until hot. Add ground beef and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; pour off drippings and return beef to skillet. Stir in salt, nutmeg and pepper; mix well. Stir in pasta sauce and water; bring to a boil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the baking dish, layer half the ravioli, half the beef mixture and half the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ravioli, beef mixture and cheese; cover with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes (20 minutes if using frozen ravioli). Uncover; continue baking 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and pasta is tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Per serving: 589 calories, 43 grams protein, 26 grams fat (40% calories from fat), 13.4 grams saturated fat, 46 grams carbohydrate, 136 milligrams cholesterol, 1,202 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Carb choices: 3
Corn and bean soup
Makes about 5 cups
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: less than 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14-ounce) can unsalted vegetable broth
1 (15- to 19-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies with liquid
Lime slices for garnish
Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high. Add onion, cumin, garlic and oregano; cook 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in corn, pepper, broth, beans and tomatoes with liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Serve with lime slices.
Per cup: 147 calories, 7 grams protein, 2 grams fat (12% calories from fat), 0.3 gram saturated fat, 29 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 487 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.
Carb choices: 2.
Tamale pie
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: less than 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 (15- to 17-ounce) package sun-dried tomato or plain polenta (crumbled)
2 (15-ounce) cans low-fat turkey (or beef) chili with beans
8 ounces shredded 50% light cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons mild salsa, plus extra for garnish
6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place crumbled polenta in a 7-by-11-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with chili and cheese. Bake 13 minutes or until bubbly. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Top with extra salsa, as desired.
Per serving: 293 calories, 22 grams protein, 10 grams fat (29% calories from fat), 5.8 grams saturated fat, 30 grams carbohydrate, 54 milligrams cholesterol, 1,180 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Carb choices: 2.
Beef and potato kebabs
Cut 1 pound potatoes into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Microwave on high (100% power) 5 to 6 minutes or just until tender; drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup steak sauce and 2 large cloves minced garlic; microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once. Cut 2 medium zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut the zucchini and 1 pound boneless beef top-sirloin steak (1 inch thick) into 1 1/4-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, zucchini and steak with 1/3 cup steak sauce; toss to coat. Alternately thread potatoes, zucchini and steak on 4 metal skewers. Grill (or broil; see TIP), uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare to medium, turning occasionally. Brush with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes.
TIP: Broil kebabs 3 to 4 inches from heat source for 9 to 12 minutes.
Beef sandwiches with horseradish sauce
Chop or slice and heat the leftover beef; set aside. Combine 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish with 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; mix well. Toast 1 halved 24-inch baguette; line bottom half with beef and top half with horseradish sauce. Combine the halves and cut crosswise into 8 servings.
Cumin-honey lamb steak
Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon finely chopped flatleaf parsley, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Brush 1 to 1 1/4 pounds lamb steaks (center leg or sirloin, 3/4-inch-thick) with basting sauce. Broil 5 inches from heat source for 4 minutes; turn and brush with sauce. Broil 4 to 6 minutes longer or to desired doneness. Discard leftover basting sauce.
Roasted potatoes with thyme and garlic
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. Toss 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces) with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. Spread on baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--8 shot, 2 fatally, Monday in Chicago

8 shot, 2 fatally, Monday in Chicago

Eight people were shot , two of them fatally , Monday in Chicago , including a 15-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Fernwood on the South Side .
About 2:25 p.m. , the boy was near an alley in the 10000 block of South Perry Avenue when gunfire rang out , and he was shot in his head , Chicago police said .
He was taken to Comer Children ’ s Hospital where he was pronounced dead .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office identified the boy as Isaiah Wade .
About an hour later , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his home in Roseland on the Far South Side .
Officers were called to the home about 12:15 p.m. in the 300 block of West 107th Street , police said .
Police found him unresponsive with three gunshot wounds to his face and one to his leg .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office identified him as Joshua Lawson .
In non-fatal shootings , a 19-year-old man accidentally shot himself in Austin on the West Side .
About 10:10 p.m. , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right hip , police said .
He told officers he was in the 5400 block of West End Avenue when the shooting happened .
Two people were wounded in a shooting in West Garfield Park .
They were in front of a home about 4:23 p.m. in the 300 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue , when someone opened fire , police said .
A 23-year-old man was struck in the thigh and taken to Loretto Hospital in good condition .
Another man , 29 , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stroger Hospital in good condition .
A man was shot in his ear on the Bishop Ford Expressway near 115th Street .
The shooting happened about 11 a.m. in the northbound lanes , according to preliminary information from Illinois State Police .
He drove himself to a nearby police station .
Paramedics found the man at the 5th District police station , 727 E. 111th St. , and took him to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman .
His condition was not immediately available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was shot inside a business in Lawndale on the West Side .
He was in the 2900 block of West Harrison Street about 11 a.m. , when gunmen in a black Dodge Charger fired shots from outside , police said .
The man was struck in the arm and wrist , and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition .
Officers pulled over a vehicle shortly after the shooting and took two males in for questioning .
No charges have been filed .
A man was struck by a bullet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Far South Side .
About 2:40 a.m. , the 23-year-old was inside his home in the 12700 block of South Wallace Street when someone fired shots from outside , police said .
A bullet flew into the man ’ s home and struck him in the shoulder .
The man was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was listed in good condition .
Thirty-nine people were shot , five of them fatally , last weekend citywide .
Read more on crime , and track the city @ @ @ @

Eight people were shot, two of them fatally, Monday in Chicago, including a 15-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Fernwood on the South Side.
About 2:25 p.m., the boy was near an alley in the 10000 block of South Perry Avenue when gunfire rang out, and he was shot in his head, Chicago police said. Isaiah Wade was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
About an hour later, a 29-year-old man was found shot to death in his home in Roseland on the Far South Side. Officers were called to the home about 12:15 p.m. in the 300 block of West 107th Street, police said. Police found him unresponsive with three gunshot wounds to his face and one to his leg. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office identified him as Joshua Lawson.
In non-fatal shootings, a 19-year-old man accidentally shot himself in Austin on the West Side. About 10:10 p.m., he walked into Rush University Medical Center with an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right hip, police said. He told officers he was shot in the 5400 block of West End Avenue.
Two people were wounded in a shooting in West Garfield Park. They were in front of a home about 4:23 p.m. in the 300 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue, when someone opened fire, police said. A 23-year-old man was struck in the thigh and taken to Loretto Hospital in good condition. Another man, 29, was shot in the hand and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
A man was shot in his ear on the Bishop Ford Expressway near 115th Street. The shooting happened about 11 a.m. in the northbound lanes, according to Illinois State Police. He drove himself to a nearby police station. Paramedics found the man at the 5th District police station, 727 E. 111th St., and took him to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.
About the same time, a 19-year-old man was shot inside a business in Lawndale on the West Side. He was in the 2900 block of West Harrison Street about 11 a.m., when gunmen in a black Dodge Charger fired shots from outside, police said. The man was struck in the arm and wrist, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. Officers pulled over a vehicle shortly after the shooting and took two males in for questioning. No charges have been filed.
About 2:40 a.m., a man was struck by a bullet shot into his home in West Pullman on the Far South Side. The 23-year-old was inside his home in the 12700 block of South Wallace Street when someone fired shots from outside, police said. A bullet flew into the man’s home and struck him in the shoulder. The man was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in good condition.
Thirty-nine people were shot, five of them fatally, last weekend citywide.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-07--Chuck Yeager, 1st to break sound barrier, dies at 97

Retired Air Force Brig .
Gen. Charles “ Chuck ” Yeager , the World War II fighter pilot ace and quintessential test pilot who showed he had the “ right stuff ” when in 1947 he became the first person to fly faster than sound , has died .
He was 97 .
Yeager died Monday , NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement , calling the death “ a tremendous loss to our nation.
” “ Gen .
Yeager ’ s pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America ’ s abilities in the sky and set our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the space age .
He said , ‘ You don ’ t concentrate on risks .
You concentrate on results .
No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done , ’ ” Bridenstine said in his statement .
“ In an age of media-made heroes , he is the real deal , ” Edwards Air Force Base historian Jim Young said in August 2006 at the unveiling of a bronze statue of Yeager .
He was “ the most righteous of all those with the right stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards .
Yeager , from a small town in the hills of West Virginia , flew for more than 60 years , including piloting an X-15 to near 1,000 mph at Edwards in October 2002 at age 79 .
“ Living to a ripe old age is not an end in itself .
The trick is to enjoy the years remaining , ” he said in “ Yeager : An Autobiography.
” “ I haven ’ t yet done everything , but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I won ’ t have missed much , ” he wrote .
“ If I auger in ( crash ) tomorrow , it won ’ t be with a frown on my face .
I ’ ve had a ball.
” On Oct. 14 , 1947 , Yeager , then a 24-year-old captain , pushed an orange , bullet-shaped Bell X-1 rocket plane past 660 mph to break the sound barrier , at the time a daunting aviation milestone .
“ Sure , I was apprehensive , ” he said in 1968 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with something you don ’ t know much about , there has to be apprehension .
But you don ’ t let that affect your job.
” The modest Yeager said in 1947 he could have gone even faster had the plane carried more fuel .
He said the ride “ was nice , just like riding fast in a car.
” Yeager nicknamed the rocket plane , and all his other aircraft , “ Glamorous Glennis ” for his wife , who died in 1990 .
Yeager ’ s feat was kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world thought the British had broken the sound barrier first .
“ It wasn ’ t a matter of not having airplanes that would fly at speeds like this .
It was a matter of keeping them from falling apart , ” Yeager said .
Sixty-five years later to the minute , on Oct. 14 , 2012 , Yeager commemorated the feat , flying in the back seat of an F-15 Eagle as it broke the sound barrier at more than 30,000 feet above California ’ s Mojave Desert .
His exploits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book “ The Right Stuff , ” and the 1983 film it inspired .
Yeager was born Feb. 23 , 1923 , in Myra , a tiny community on the Mud River deep in an Appalachian hollow about 40 miles southwest of Charleston .
The family later moved to Hamlin , the county seat .
His father was an oil and gas driller and a farmer .
“ What really strikes me looking over all those years is how lucky I was , how lucky , for example , to have been born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I came of age just as aviation itself was entering the modern era , ” Yeager said in a December 1985 speech at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum .
“ I was just a lucky kid who caught the right ride , ” he said .
Yeager enlisted in the Army Air Corps after graduating from high school in 1941 .
He later regretted that his lack of a college education prevented him from becoming an astronaut .
He started off as an aircraft mechanic and , despite becoming severely airsick during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a program that allowed enlisted men to become pilots .
Yeager shot down 13 German planes on 64 missions during World War II , including five on a single mission .
He was once shot down over German-held France but escaped with the help of French partisans .
After World War II , he became a test pilot beginning at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton , Ohio .
Among the flights he made after breaking the sound barrier was one on Dec. 12 .
1953 , when he flew an X-1A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mph .
He said he had gotten up at dawn that day and went hunting , bagging a goose before his flight .
That night , he said , his family ate the goose for dinner .
He returned to combat during the Vietnam War , flying several missions a month in twin-engine B-57 Canberras making bombing and strafing runs over South Vietnam .
Yeager also commanded Air Force fighter squadrons and wings , and the Aerospace Research Pilot School for military astronauts .
“ I ’ ve flown 341 types of military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and logged about 18,000 hours , ” he said in an interview in the January 2009 issue of Men ’ s Journal .
“ It might sound funny , but I ’ ve never owned an airplane in my life .
If you ’ re willing to bleed , Uncle Sam will give you all the planes you want.
” When Yeager left Hamlin , he was already known as a daredevil .
On later visits , he often buzzed the town .
“ I live just down the street from his mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publisher of the weekly Lincoln Journal .
“ One day I climbed up on my roof with my 8 mm camera when he flew overhead .
I thought he was going to take me off the roof .
You can see the treetops in the bottom of the pictures.
” Yeager flew an F-80 under a Charleston bridge at 450 mph on Oct. 10 , 1948 , according to newspaper accounts .
When he was asked to repeat the feat for photographers , Yeager replied : “ You should never strafe the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be waiting for you.
” Yeager never forgot his roots and West Virginia named bridges , schools and Charleston ’ s airport after him .
“ My beginnings back in West Virginia tell who I am to this day , ” Yeager wrote .
“ My accomplishments as a test pilot tell more about luck , happenstance and a person ’ s destiny .
But the guy who broke the sound barrier was the kid who swam the Mud River with a swiped watermelon or shot the head off a squirrel before going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silver Star , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Bronze Star , the Air Medal and the Purple Heart .
President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Collier air trophy in December 1948 for his breaking the sound barrier .
He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 .
Yeager retired from the Air Force in 1975 and moved to a ranch in Cedar Ridge in Northern California where he continued working as a consultant to the Air Force and Northrop Corp. and became well known to younger generations as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pumps .
He married Glennis Dickhouse of Oroville , California , on Feb. 26 , 1945 .
She died of ovarian cancer in December 1990 .
They had four children : Donald , Michael , Sharon and Susan .

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot ace and quintessential test pilot who showed he had the “right stuff” when in 1947 he became the first person to fly faster than sound, has died. He was 97.
Yeager died Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement, calling the death “a tremendous loss to our nation.”
“Gen. Yeager’s pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America’s abilities in the sky and set our nation’s dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age. He said, ‘You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done,’” Bridenstine said in his statement.
“In an age of media-made heroes, he is the real deal,” Edwards Air Force Base historian Jim Young said in August 2006 at the unveiling of a bronze statue of Yeager.
He was “the most righteous of all those with the right stuff,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards.
Yeager, from a small town in the hills of West Virginia, flew for more than 60 years, including piloting an X-15 to near 1,000 mph at Edwards in October 2002 at age 79.
“Living to a ripe old age is not an end in itself. The trick is to enjoy the years remaining,” he said in “Yeager: An Autobiography.”
“I haven’t yet done everything, but by the time I’m finished, I won’t have missed much,” he wrote. “If I auger in (crash) tomorrow, it won’t be with a frown on my face. I’ve had a ball.”
On Oct. 14, 1947, Yeager, then a 24-year-old captain, pushed an orange, bullet-shaped Bell X-1 rocket plane past 660 mph to break the sound barrier, at the time a daunting aviation milestone.
“Sure, I was apprehensive,” he said in 1968. “When you’re fooling around with something you don’t know much about, there has to be apprehension. But you don’t let that affect your job.”
The modest Yeager said in 1947 he could have gone even faster had the plane carried more fuel. He said the ride “was nice, just like riding fast in a car.”
Yeager nicknamed the rocket plane, and all his other aircraft, “Glamorous Glennis” for his wife, who died in 1990.
Yeager’s feat was kept top secret for about a year when the world thought the British had broken the sound barrier first.
“It wasn’t a matter of not having airplanes that would fly at speeds like this. It was a matter of keeping them from falling apart,” Yeager said.
Sixty-five years later to the minute, on Oct. 14, 2012, Yeager commemorated the feat, flying in the back seat of an F-15 Eagle as it broke the sound barrier at more than 30,000 feet above California’s Mojave Desert.
His exploits were told in Tom Wolfe’s book “The Right Stuff,” and the 1983 film it inspired.
Yeager was born Feb. 23, 1923, in Myra, a tiny community on the Mud River deep in an Appalachian hollow about 40 miles southwest of Charleston. The family later moved to Hamlin, the county seat. His father was an oil and gas driller and a farmer.
“What really strikes me looking over all those years is how lucky I was, how lucky, for example, to have been born in 1923 and not 1963 so that I came of age just as aviation itself was entering the modern era,” Yeager said in a December 1985 speech at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
“I was just a lucky kid who caught the right ride,” he said.
Yeager enlisted in the Army Air Corps after graduating from high school in 1941. He later regretted that his lack of a college education prevented him from becoming an astronaut.
He started off as an aircraft mechanic and, despite becoming severely airsick during his first airplane ride, signed up for a program that allowed enlisted men to become pilots.
Yeager shot down 13 German planes on 64 missions during World War II, including five on a single mission. He was once shot down over German-held France but escaped with the help of French partisans.
After World War II, he became a test pilot beginning at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
Among the flights he made after breaking the sound barrier was one on Dec. 12. 1953, when he flew an X-1A to a record of more than 1,600 mph. He said he had gotten up at dawn that day and went hunting, bagging a goose before his flight. That night, he said, his family ate the goose for dinner.
He returned to combat during the Vietnam War, flying several missions a month in twin-engine B-57 Canberras making bombing and strafing runs over South Vietnam.
Yeager also commanded Air Force fighter squadrons and wings, and the Aerospace Research Pilot School for military astronauts.
“I’ve flown 341 types of military planes in every country in the world and logged about 18,000 hours,” he said in an interview in the January 2009 issue of Men’s Journal. “It might sound funny, but I’ve never owned an airplane in my life. If you’re willing to bleed, Uncle Sam will give you all the planes you want.”
When Yeager left Hamlin, he was already known as a daredevil. On later visits, he often buzzed the town.
“I live just down the street from his mother,” said Gene Brewer, retired publisher of the weekly Lincoln Journal. “One day I climbed up on my roof with my 8 mm camera when he flew overhead. I thought he was going to take me off the roof. You can see the treetops in the bottom of the pictures.”
Yeager flew an F-80 under a Charleston bridge at 450 mph on Oct. 10, 1948, according to newspaper accounts. When he was asked to repeat the feat for photographers, Yeager replied: “You should never strafe the same place twice ’cause the gunners will be waiting for you.”
Yeager never forgot his roots and West Virginia named bridges, schools and Charleston’s airport after him.
“My beginnings back in West Virginia tell who I am to this day,” Yeager wrote. “My accomplishments as a test pilot tell more about luck, happenstance and a person’s destiny. But the guy who broke the sound barrier was the kid who swam the Mud River with a swiped watermelon or shot the head off a squirrel before going to school.”
Yeager was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Collier air trophy in December 1948 for his breaking the sound barrier. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985.
Yeager retired from the Air Force in 1975 and moved to a ranch in Cedar Ridge in Northern California where he continued working as a consultant to the Air Force and Northrop Corp. and became well known to younger generations as a television pitchman for automotive parts and heat pumps.
He married Glennis Dickhouse of Oroville, California, on Feb. 26, 1945. She died of ovarian cancer in December 1990. They had four children: Donald, Michael, Sharon and Susan.
Yeager married 45-year-old Victoria Scott D’Angelo in 2003.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-07--Horoscope for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020

Horoscope for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020

Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. Chicago time .
After that , the moon moves from Virgo into Libra .
Until the moon alert today , it ’ s an excellent time to finish projects related to your job , a pet or something related to your health .
You can definitely use this window of time to your advantage .
Money issues favor you now .
This is a wonderful day for artists and anyone involved in creative projects because it will be easy to finish what you ’ ve been working on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with kids .
You can overcome your procrastination today .
This is a good day to wrap up projects related to home and family , especially in the morning and certainly until the moon alert begins .
Finish repairs you have been meaning to get to .
Just do it because the work will flow easily .
This is a good day to finish a writing project or studying something or learning something that you ’ ve been avoiding .
Today , until the moon alert begins , you will make great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy to tell someone something that you ’ ve been meaning to say for a while .
( Ahem ... ) Something to do with banking or financial matters can be wrapped up today .
Perhaps it has to do with cash or earnings .
It might be something related to your possessions .
Whatever it is , use today ’ s energy ( until the Moon Alert ) to wrap things up .
Any personal project , especially related to your appearance — haircut , glasses , wardrobe —can be accomplished today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done as possible before the moon alert begins .
You ’ ll be pleased with your progress !
You have a number of things that are simmering on the back burner , vaguely demanding your attention .
Today is an excellent day to finish old business , especially before the moon alert begins .
After the moon alert , restrict spending to food .
This is a good day to finish an important conversation or efforts that involve a friend or a group .
This might be something you ’ ve been intending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much progress as you can before the moon alert begins .
After that , keep things light and make no important decisions .
Today is a good day to have that important conversation with a parent , boss or teacher .
Especially if the conversation is going to complete something you want to do .
However , make sure you do this before the moon alert begins .
This is a good day to wrap up writing a manuscript , a book or a special paper or to write a special exam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the time to do these things will be before the moon alert begins today .
Use this time for your own benefit !
You will be pleased at how easily you might wrap up red-tape details regarding banking , taxes , debt , insurance issues and inheritances today .
The secret is to jump right in and finish these projects before the moon alert begins today .
This is the perfect day for an important discussion with a friend or a partner that you might ’ ve been avoiding .
Now you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish getting it off your chest — but please do this before the moon alert .
Alternatively , you might work in conjunction with a partner or close friend to finish something .
If Your Birthday Is Today Rapper , songwriter , actress Nicki Minaj ( 1982 ) shares your birthday .
You have high ideals , big plans and ambitious goals .
In addition , you are enthusiastic about life .
Wonderful news !
This is your time of harvest , when you will start to reap the benefits of the seeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You deserve this time of success !
As a result , you will enjoy increased influence and leadership in all your relationships .

Moon Alert
Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Virgo into Libra.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Until the moon alert today, it’s an excellent time to finish projects related to your job, a pet or something related to your health. You can definitely use this window of time to your advantage. Money issues favor you now.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
This is a wonderful day for artists and anyone involved in creative projects because it will be easy to finish what you’ve been working on. This might also relate to sports and working with kids. You can overcome your procrastination today.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
This is a good day to wrap up projects related to home and family, especially in the morning and certainly until the moon alert begins. Finish repairs you have been meaning to get to. Just do it because the work will flow easily.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
This is a good day to finish a writing project or studying something or learning something that you’ve been avoiding. Today, until the moon alert begins, you will make great headway. You can use this same energy to tell someone something that you’ve been meaning to say for a while. (Ahem...)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Something to do with banking or financial matters can be wrapped up today. Perhaps it has to do with cash or earnings. It might be something related to your possessions. Whatever it is, use today’s energy (until the Moon Alert) to wrap things up.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Any personal project, especially related to your appearance — haircut, glasses, wardrobe —can be accomplished today, quite easily. Get as much done as possible before the moon alert begins. You’ll be pleased with your progress!
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You have a number of things that are simmering on the back burner, vaguely demanding your attention. Today is an excellent day to finish old business, especially before the moon alert begins. After the moon alert, restrict spending to food.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
This is a good day to finish an important conversation or efforts that involve a friend or a group. This might be something you’ve been intending to do for a while. Make as much progress as you can before the moon alert begins. After that, keep things light and make no important decisions.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today is a good day to have that important conversation with a parent, boss or teacher. Especially if the conversation is going to complete something you want to do. However, make sure you do this before the moon alert begins.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
This is a good day to wrap up writing a manuscript, a book or a special paper or to write a special exam or finish a study project. However, the time to do these things will be before the moon alert begins today. Use this time for your own benefit!
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You will be pleased at how easily you might wrap up red-tape details regarding banking, taxes, debt, insurance issues and inheritances today. The secret is to jump right in and finish these projects before the moon alert begins today.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
This is the perfect day for an important discussion with a friend or a partner that you might’ve been avoiding. Now you can tell it like it is and finish getting it off your chest — but please do this before the moon alert. Alternatively, you might work in conjunction with a partner or close friend to finish something.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Rapper, songwriter, actress Nicki Minaj (1982) shares your birthday. You have high ideals, big plans and ambitious goals. In addition, you are enthusiastic about life. Wonderful news! This is your time of harvest, when you will start to reap the benefits of the seeds that you planted in the last decade. You deserve this time of success! As a result, you will enjoy increased influence and leadership in all your relationships.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-07--Activists call for Mercy Hospital to be saved from closing

Protesters on Monday blocked a street outside the Thompson Center and called for city and state officials to block the planned closure of Mercy Hospital , which , they say , would result in deaths in the Black community that it serves .
“ We ’ re asking that the governor as well as the mayor do what needs to be done to make absolutely sure that this hospital stays open to service the Black community , ” Robert Jones , pastor of Mt .
Carmel Baptist Church , said during the protest .
Mercy , the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to close in 2021 .
Mercy was set to merge with three other South Side hospitals , but that plan fell through due to a lack of state funding .
The hospital — which is owned by Trinity Health and was the site of a deadly mass shooting in November 2018 — is located in Bronzeville at 2525 S. Michigan Ave. and serves predominantly Black patients .
“ In the middle of a pandemic , Trinity Health wants to close Mercy Hospital , ” said Dr. Anudeep Dasaraju , 29 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Chicago who works in Mercy ’ s emergency room .
“ Understand what that means .
Understand that if you close a hospital , people will die .
They are signing off on the deaths of the community if they close this hospital , ” he said .
Dasaraju said doctors at Mercy were restricted from speaking out on the issue and he was doing so on their behalf because he was not prohibited due to his status as a resident .
Shannon Bennett , executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area were planned for the entire week and called for elected officials to step in to help vulnerable patients .
“ What are you going to do ?
” he said of the politicians .
A spokeswoman for Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Monday in an email : “ The Governor has communicated to Trinity President and CEO Michael Slubowski the state ’ s position that the hospital urgently rethink the decision to close Mercy Hospital ; the state stands ready and willing to work with them to avoid closure.
” In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot said : “ Although the City did not have a role in this decision or the operations , regulation or planning associated with hospitals and other healthcare providers in Chicago , we recognize the important role our safety net hospitals play in our healthcare system .
Our city ’ s safety net hospitals are a critical source of medical care for low-income , uninsured , and underinsured populations while also serving as trusted community assets and sources of employment.
” Dr. Ezekiel Richardson , an emergency room resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors in the crowd of about 50 demonstrators .
“ In the midst of the year 2020 the refrain ‘ I can ’ t breathe ’ has echoed through multiple movements , ” Richardson said .
“ I know that nursing staff across the city are burdened with those words as patients succumb to COVID-19 , and now in the midst of a pandemic , in the midst of numbers we didn ’ t even see in the summer , when the nation was shut down , we ’ re closing down a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them breathing , ” he said .
The Illinois Health Facilities Services and Review Board meeting on the closing is scheduled for Dec. 15 .
In late July , Mercy Hospital announced it would close sometime between Feb. 1 and May 31 , 2021 .

Protesters on Monday blocked a street outside the Thompson Center and called for city and state officials to block the planned closure of Mercy Hospital, which, they say, would result in deaths in the Black community that it serves.
“We’re asking that the governor as well as the mayor do what needs to be done to make absolutely sure that this hospital stays open to service the Black community,” Robert Jones, pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, said during the protest.
Mercy, the city’s first hospital, announced last summer its plans to close in 2021. Mercy was set to merge with three other South Side hospitals, but that plan fell through due to a lack of state funding.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
The hospital — which is owned by Trinity Health and was the site of a deadly mass shooting in November 2018 — is located in Bronzeville at 2525 S. Michigan Ave. and serves predominantly Black patients.
“In the middle of a pandemic, Trinity Health wants to close Mercy Hospital,” said Dr. Anudeep Dasaraju, 29, a resident physician with the University of Illinois at Chicago who works in Mercy’s emergency room.
“Understand what that means. Understand that if you close a hospital, people will die. They are signing off on the deaths of the community if they close this hospital,” he said.
Dasaraju said doctors at Mercy were restricted from speaking out on the issue and he was doing so on their behalf because he was not prohibited due to his status as a resident.
Shannon Bennett, executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, said different demonstrations in the area were planned for the entire week and called for elected officials to step in to help vulnerable patients.
“What are you going to do?” he said of the politicians.
A spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday in an email: “The Governor has communicated to Trinity President and CEO Michael Slubowski the state’s position that the hospital urgently rethink the decision to close Mercy Hospital; the state stands ready and willing to work with them to avoid closure.”
In an email, a spokeswoman for Mayor Lori Lightfoot said: “Although the City did not have a role in this decision or the operations, regulation or planning associated with hospitals and other healthcare providers in Chicago, we recognize the important role our safety net hospitals play in our healthcare system. Our city’s safety net hospitals are a critical source of medical care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured populations while also serving as trusted community assets and sources of employment.”
Dr. Ezekiel Richardson, an emergency room resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was one of the about 15 doctors in the crowd of about 50 demonstrators.
“In the midst of the year 2020 the refrain ‘I can’t breathe’ has echoed through multiple movements,” Richardson said.
“I know that nursing staff across the city are burdened with those words as patients succumb to COVID-19, and now in the midst of a pandemic, in the midst of numbers we didn’t even see in the summer, when the nation was shut down, we’re closing down a hospital, a resource that can keep them breathing,” he said.
The Illinois Health Facilities Services and Review Board meeting on the closing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
In late July, Mercy Hospital announced it would close sometime between Feb. 1 and May 31, 2021.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-07--Chicago Auto Show on hold due to pandemic

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show , originally slated to take place in February , has been postponed — hopefully to take place in April or May .
“ It ’ s postponed until we can get clearance from the state and city health departments , until we can have a safe and responsible show , ” said Mark Bilek , director of communications for the Chicago Automobile Trade Association , which produces the Chicago Auto Show .
The show had been scheduled to take place between Feb. 13 and Feb. 21 .
“ We ’ re hoping to get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April or May , perhaps , ” Bilek told the Sun-Times on Monday , noting that the change in plans was posted to the auto show ’ s website last month .
“ It ’ s just a wait and see kind of situation where we need to make sure not only that the show is safe but also that people are willing to go to a show ... if people are still afraid to go outside and gather then you can ’ t do that either , ” he said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in positive case numbers would aid the endeavor , he said .
Bilek said the plan is to ideally space the country ’ s major auto shows — held in Chicago , Los Angeles , New York and Detroit — several months apart .

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show, originally slated to take place in February, has been postponed — hopefully to take place in April or May.
“It’s postponed until we can get clearance from the state and city health departments, until we can have a safe and responsible show,” said Mark Bilek, director of communications for the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which produces the Chicago Auto Show.
The show had been scheduled to take place between Feb. 13 and Feb. 21.
“We’re hoping to get it done in the spring of 2021, April or May, perhaps,” Bilek told the Sun-Times on Monday, noting that the change in plans was posted to the auto show’s website last month.
“It’s just a wait and see kind of situation where we need to make sure not only that the show is safe but also that people are willing to go to a show...if people are still afraid to go outside and gather then you can’t do that either,” he said.
A widely distributed vaccine or a major drop in positive case numbers would aid the endeavor, he said.
Bilek said the plan is to ideally space the country’s major auto shows — held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Detroit — several months apart.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--After City Council caps delivery charges, DoorDash adds $1.50 ‘Chicago fee’ to all orders

Two weeks after the Chicago City Council capped fees on third-party food delivery services , DoorDash on Tuesday announced it was adding a $ 1.50 “ Chicago fee ” to all orders placed with restaurants in the city .
“ During this unprecedented time , providing the best possible service for our community is critically important , ” DoorDash said in a statement to Crain ’ s Chicago Business .
“ In select cities where lawmakers have imposed price regulations that limit our ability to work with restaurant partners , DoorDash is considering various measures to offset their unintended consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charging customers an additional fee when they order from restaurants in their city to help ensure that we can continue to offer them convenient delivery while helping to ensure that Dashers are active and earning , and that merchants can access the services to help drive volume as dine-in remains limited.
” In November , aldermen voted to cap fees at 15 % for restaurants that work with third-party delivery services such as DoorDash , GrubHub and Postmates .
The new $ 1.50 charge from DoorDash , however , falls squarely on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 % fee limit , which went into effect immediately , also features a sunset provision .
The 15 % cap will expire 60 days after city and state dining restrictions on indoor capacity allow at least 40 % capacity .

Two weeks after the Chicago City Council capped fees on third-party food delivery services, DoorDash on Tuesday announced it was adding a $1.50 “Chicago fee” to all orders placed with restaurants in the city.
“During this unprecedented time, providing the best possible service for our community is critically important,” DoorDash said in a statement to Crain’s Chicago Business.
“In select cities where lawmakers have imposed price regulations that limit our ability to work with restaurant partners, DoorDash is considering various measures to offset their unintended consequences … In some cases, this means charging customers an additional fee when they order from restaurants in their city to help ensure that we can continue to offer them convenient delivery while helping to ensure that Dashers are active and earning, and that merchants can access the services to help drive volume as dine-in remains limited.”
Related City Council caps restaurant delivery fees
In November, aldermen voted to cap fees at 15% for restaurants that work with third-party delivery services such as DoorDash, GrubHub and Postmates.
The new $1.50 charge from DoorDash, however, falls squarely on the customer, not the restaurant.
The 15% fee limit, which went into effect immediately, also features a sunset provision. The 15% cap will expire 60 days after city and state dining restrictions on indoor capacity allow at least 40% capacity.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--City Clerk Anna Valencia forms exploratory committee for Illinois secretary of state race, promising

City Clerk Anna Valencia forms exploratory committee for Illinois secretary of state race, promising ‘energy and excitement’

Arguing that it ’ s time for a “ new generation of leaders , ” City Clerk Anna Valencia said Tuesday she ’ s forming an exploratory committee to run to succeed retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White .
“ What I bring to the table is energy and excitement .
People are ready for a new candidate who shares their lived experiences like women and young people .
Working class families , such as the one that I grew up in .
That will excite people and give some momentum , ” said Valencia , who will turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re gon na have our very first female vice-president .
Voters are looking for that .
Some fresh faces in the Democratic party .
I can bring that to the ticket along with my downstate roots .
Being the first Latina to run for secretary of state and the first woman that could possibly sit there.
” To underscore the need for fresh blood , Valencia added her name to the growing list of politicians demanding that state House Speaker Michael Madigan be replaced as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We saw that in the last election .
He was a distraction , ” Valencia said .
“ I support whatever the House decides [ in the January election for speaker ] , but I do not support the speaker continuing to run the party .
The party needs a change .
That ’ s where we should start .
The rest is not up to me.
” Former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and County Clerk Karen Yarbrough are also considering a run for the patronage-rich office that White has held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploratory committee .
Valencia has been a rising star in Chicago and Illinois politics since December of 2016 .
That ’ s when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose his then-31-year-old director of legislative counsel and government affairs to replace Susana Mendoza as city clerk .
Emanuel made the same claim on that day that Valencia is making now .
As a “ millennial who happens to be Hispanic , ” Valencia is a “ rising star ” and part of a “ new generation of leaders ” in Illinois politics .
A native of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first member of her close-knit Mexican family to graduate from college .
Her father once offered to “ sell a kidney or liver ” to pay her tuition at the University of Illinois , but a full scholarship made it unnecessary .
After interviewing for a job she didn ’ t get on then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama ’ s staff , Valencia was connected through a family friend to a job as a campaign organizer for the Virginia Democratic Party .
She graduated , bought a car and drove to Virginia , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heavily Republican area “ where they called me a baby killer , ” Valencia once said .
The girl who wrote a third-grade essay about wanting to become the first woman president had politics in her blood .
Between Democratic campaigns in Virginia and Michigan , she returned to Illinois to help Democratic U.S .
Representatives Mike Quigley and Bill Foster , then ran U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin ’ s 2014 re-election campaign .
She also spent time on the staff of now-former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton , D-Chicago .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CityKey ID that was controversial at first , but has been wildly successful in giving undocumented immigrants , ex-offenders , homeless Chicagoans and other vulnerable populations the identification they need to get a job .
She has also worked with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to bring equity to Chicago ’ s overly-punitive ticketing , towing and booting policies that have unfairly targeted minorities and forced thousands into bankruptcy .
If elected secretary of state , Valencia says she would work to promote both of those goals and at least consider the idea of creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Valencia said she plans to put a campaign infrastructure in place , start fundraising , then “ see what the lay of the land looks like in the spring.
” “ If there ’ s a pathway to win , I ’ m gon na take it .
… Why not me ?
” she said .
White , 86 , said last year that he would not seek a seventh term in 2022 , but the Near North Side Democrat has reversed retirement plans before .
Valencia said she won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the campaign trail .
“ Look at people like Sen. Tammy Duckworth .
She took her baby onto the floor of the Senate .
She ran when she had a young child .
You ’ re seeing more and more women run with young children .
That ’ s awesome , ” she said .
On the day Valencia was sworn in as city clerk , Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris talked about Valencia ’ s physical appearance in a way that might have been insulting if the words had come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman — and a pretty woman at that ” whom all the men in the City Council love , Harris said on that day .

Arguing that it’s time for a “new generation of leaders,” City Clerk Anna Valencia said Tuesday she’s forming an exploratory committee to run to succeed retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
“What I bring to the table is energy and excitement. People are ready for a new candidate who shares their lived experiences like women and young people. Working class families, such as the one that I grew up in. That will excite people and give some momentum,” said Valencia, who will turn 36 next month.
“We’re gonna have our very first female vice-president. Voters are looking for that. Some fresh faces in the Democratic party. I can bring that to the ticket along with my downstate roots. Being the first Latina to run for secretary of state and the first woman that could possibly sit there.”
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
To underscore the need for fresh blood, Valencia added her name to the growing list of politicians demanding that state House Speaker Michael Madigan be replaced as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party in the wake of the Commonwealth Edison bribery scandal.
“We saw that in the last election. He was a distraction,” Valencia said.
“I support whatever the House decides [in the January election for speaker], but I do not support the speaker continuing to run the party. The party needs a change. That’s where we should start. The rest is not up to me.”
Former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and County Clerk Karen Yarbrough are also considering a run for the patronage-rich office that White has held since 1999. Neither has formed an exploratory committee.
Valencia has been a rising star in Chicago and Illinois politics since December of 2016.
That’s when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose his then-31-year-old director of legislative counsel and government affairs to replace Susana Mendoza as city clerk.
Emanuel made the same claim on that day that Valencia is making now. As a “millennial who happens to be Hispanic,” Valencia is a “rising star” and part of a “new generation of leaders” in Illinois politics.
Newly appointed City Clerk Anna Valencia speaks during a news conference after a City Council meeting in 2016. Santiago Covarrubias/Sun-Times file
A native of downstate Granite City, Valencia is the first member of her close-knit Mexican family to graduate from college.
Her father once offered to “sell a kidney or liver” to pay her tuition at the University of Illinois, but a full scholarship made it unnecessary.
After interviewing for a job she didn’t get on then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s staff, Valencia was connected through a family friend to a job as a campaign organizer for the Virginia Democratic Party.
She graduated, bought a car and drove to Virginia, where she canvassed seven days a week in a heavily Republican area “where they called me a baby killer,” Valencia once said.
The girl who wrote a third-grade essay about wanting to become the first woman president had politics in her blood.
City Clerk of Chicago Anna Valencia throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies last year. Kamil Krzaczynski/AP file
Between Democratic campaigns in Virginia and Michigan, she returned to Illinois to help Democratic U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley and Bill Foster, then ran U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s 2014 re-election campaign. She also spent time on the staff of now-former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago.
As city clerk, Valencia has championed the CityKey ID that was controversial at first, but has been wildly successful in giving undocumented immigrants, ex-offenders, homeless Chicagoans and other vulnerable populations the identification they need to get a job.
She has also worked with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to bring equity to Chicago’s overly-punitive ticketing, towing and booting policies that have unfairly targeted minorities and forced thousands into bankruptcy.
If elected secretary of state, Valencia says she would work to promote both of those goals and at least consider the idea of creating a state version of the CityKey ID.
Valencia said she plans to put a campaign infrastructure in place, start fundraising, then “see what the lay of the land looks like in the spring.”
“If there’s a pathway to win, I’m gonna take it. … Why not me?” she said.
White, 86, said last year that he would not seek a seventh term in 2022, but the Near North Side Democrat has reversed retirement plans before.
City Clerk Anna Valencia, left; Secretary of State Jesse White, right. Rich Hein/Chicago Sun-Times;| Santiago Covarrubias/Chicago Sun-Times
Valencia said she won’t hesitate to bring her seven-month-old daughter on the campaign trail.
“Look at people like Sen. Tammy Duckworth. She took her baby onto the floor of the Senate. She ran when she had a young child. You’re seeing more and more women run with young children. That’s awesome,” she said.
On the day Valencia was sworn in as city clerk, Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris talked about Valencia’s physical appearance in a way that might have been insulting if the words had come from a man.
“Anna Valencia is a woman — and a pretty woman at that” whom all the men in the City Council love, Harris said on that day.
“Your husband has strong competition.”


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--Are Americans insufficiently alarmed by COVID-19?

Last month , researchers in Texas estimated that nearly 5 million of the state ’ s residents had been infected by the COVID-19 virus — more than four times as many as the official tally of confirmed cases suggested .
Although the gap implied that the virus was much less deadly than people initially feared , the Houston Chronicle framed the prevalence estimate as bad news .
That choice reflects a broader pattern in American press coverage of the pandemic , which tends to accentuate the negative , exaggerate risk and ignore encouraging information .
The result is not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are told to keep up their guard against the virus during the winter they will have to get through before vaccines are widely available .
Based on an analysis of news stories about COVID-19 that appeared from Jan. 1 through July 31 , Dartmouth economist Bruce Sacerdote and two other researchers found that 91 % of the coverage by major U.S. media outlets was “ negative in tone.
” The rate was substantially lower in leading scientific journals ( 65 % ) and foreign news sources ( 54 % ) .
Sacerdote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results in a working paper recently published by the National Bureau of Economic Research , found that stories about increases in newly identified infections far outnumbered stories about decreases , “ even when caseloads were falling nationally.
” Coverage of school reopenings likewise was “ overwhelmingly negative , while the scientific literature tells a more optimistic story , ” indicating that “ schools have not become the super-spreaders many feared.
” This unrelenting , indiscriminate negativity fosters suspicion and resistance .
Journalists and politicians who repeatedly cry wolf should not be surprised at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually appears .
Last May , The New York Times warned that lifting state lockdowns could raise nationwide COVID-19 deaths above 3,000 a day by June 1 .
The actual number was about 700 .
Since mid-October , the seven-day average of daily deaths has more than tripled , exceeding the record set in April .
But that reality still falls short of the false prophecy embraced by the Times .
Notwithstanding the constant state of COVID-19 anxiety promoted by the news media and the government , Elisabeth Rosenthal thinks Americans are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E.R .
physician and New York Times reporter who is now editor in chief of Kaiser Health News , recommends graphic public service announcements aimed at shocking people into complying with COVID-19 precautions , modeled after anti-smoking ads featuring patients with tracheostomies and dying actors with lung cancer .
“ It ’ s time to make people scared and uncomfortable , ” Rosenthal writes in the Times .
“ It ’ s time for some sharp , focused , terrifying realism.
” Rosenthal suggests ads featuring COVID-19 patients struggling on ventilators or lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in ICU beds , which would show “ what can happen with the virus.
” But the “ realism ” of that approach is dubious since those outcomes are hardly typical .
The vast majority of people infected by the coronavirus do not have symptoms serious enough to require hospitalization , let alone ICU care or ventilators .
Rosenthal dismisses that point , saying “ most longtime smokers don ’ t end up with lung cancer — or tethered to an oxygen tank — either.
” That ’ s a pretty sloppy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two health risks .
Epidemiological research indicates that somewhere between one-third and two-thirds of cigarette smokers will die prematurely because of their habit .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , by contrast , less than 1 % of Americans infected by the COVID-19 virus will die as a result .
The estimated infection fatality rate varies widely by age , ranging from 0.003 % among people 19 or younger to 5.4 % among people in their 70s .
“ I ’ m not talking fear-mongering , ” Rosenthal insists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribution of COVID-19 deaths and likens the risk from the coronavirus to the risk from smoking , which may be two orders of magnitude higher .
Whatever you call this strategy , it should not be confused with the honesty that Americans deserve .

Last month, researchers in Texas estimated that nearly 5 million of the state’s residents had been infected by the COVID-19 virus — more than four times as many as the official tally of confirmed cases suggested.
Although the gap implied that the virus was much less deadly than people initially feared, the Houston Chronicle framed the prevalence estimate as bad news.
That choice reflects a broader pattern in American press coverage of the pandemic, which tends to accentuate the negative, exaggerate risk and ignore encouraging information. The result is not just depressing but misleading and potentially counterproductive as Americans are told to keep up their guard against the virus during the winter they will have to get through before vaccines are widely available.
Columnists bug Columnists In-depth political coverage, sports analysis, entertainment reviews and cultural commentary.
Based on an analysis of news stories about COVID-19 that appeared from Jan. 1 through July 31, Dartmouth economist Bruce Sacerdote and two other researchers found that 91% of the coverage by major U.S. media outlets was “negative in tone.” The rate was substantially lower in leading scientific journals (65%) and foreign news sources (54%).
Sacerdote and his co-authors, who report their results in a working paper recently published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that stories about increases in newly identified infections far outnumbered stories about decreases, “even when caseloads were falling nationally.” Coverage of school reopenings likewise was “overwhelmingly negative, while the scientific literature tells a more optimistic story,” indicating that “schools have not become the super-spreaders many feared.”
This unrelenting, indiscriminate negativity fosters suspicion and resistance. Journalists and politicians who repeatedly cry wolf should not be surprised at the lack of cooperation when the beast actually appears.
Last May, The New York Times warned that lifting state lockdowns could raise nationwide COVID-19 deaths above 3,000 a day by June 1. The actual number was about 700.
Since mid-October, the seven-day average of daily deaths has more than tripled, exceeding the record set in April. But that reality still falls short of the false prophecy embraced by the Times.
Notwithstanding the constant state of COVID-19 anxiety promoted by the news media and the government, Elisabeth Rosenthal thinks Americans are not alarmed enough. Rosenthal, a former E.R. physician and New York Times reporter who is now editor in chief of Kaiser Health News, recommends graphic public service announcements aimed at shocking people into complying with COVID-19 precautions, modeled after anti-smoking ads featuring patients with tracheostomies and dying actors with lung cancer.
“It’s time to make people scared and uncomfortable,” Rosenthal writes in the Times. “It’s time for some sharp, focused, terrifying realism.”
Rosenthal suggests ads featuring COVID-19 patients struggling on ventilators or lying, “eyes wide with fear,” in ICU beds, which would show “what can happen with the virus.” But the “realism” of that approach is dubious since those outcomes are hardly typical.
The vast majority of people infected by the coronavirus do not have symptoms serious enough to require hospitalization, let alone ICU care or ventilators. Rosenthal dismisses that point, saying “most longtime smokers don’t end up with lung cancer — or tethered to an oxygen tank — either.”
That’s a pretty sloppy comparison given the enormous difference between these two health risks. Epidemiological research indicates that somewhere between one-third and two-thirds of cigarette smokers will die prematurely because of their habit.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by contrast, less than 1% of Americans infected by the COVID-19 virus will die as a result. The estimated infection fatality rate varies widely by age, ranging from 0.003% among people 19 or younger to 5.4% among people in their 70s.
“I’m not talking fear-mongering,” Rosenthal insists, even as she ignores the age distribution of COVID-19 deaths and likens the risk from the coronavirus to the risk from smoking, which may be two orders of magnitude higher. Whatever you call this strategy, it should not be confused with the honesty that Americans deserve.
Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--Take it from April Ibanez and small business owners: We’ll get through this pandemic better together

Consider the crossroads of crises in two front-page stories in Tuesday ’ s Sun-Times : Ald .
Tom Tunney was caught serving customers indoors at his Ann Sather restaurant during the pandemic , violating state and city orders .
He shouldn ’ t have done this , as he admits , but there is no question restaurants are desperate .
And 450,000 unemployed people in Illinois , such as the worried , single mother in Chicago named April Ibanez , are in danger of losing their unemployment benefits on the day after Christmas .
Ibanez was furloughed from a restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit .
The two stories tell a single story about how the coronavirus pandemic is hammering our nation ’ s economy , with devastating consequences for small businesses and individuals alike .
The most responsible national response , both to save whole sectors of the economy and to help people in desperate straits , would be a more aggressive federal financial stimulus — on a scale already seen in some other countries .
Our nation will get through this pandemic .
Vaccines are on the way .
The only question is whether we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , practicing the rules of mitigation , without allowing COVID-19 to lay waste to our economy and livelihoods .
Congress is contemplating a bipartisan $ 908 billion pandemic relief package , which beats nothing at all .
It is better than an earlier $ 500 billion plan put forward by Republicans , even if it falls far short of a $ 2.2 trillion package put forward by Democrats .
But if the aim is for our nation to emerge from this crisis stable and whole , positioned to bounce back , it simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive $ 300 a week of enhanced federal jobless benefits , just half of the $ 600-a-week boost workers received from last spring ’ s CARES Act .
Small businesses would be similarly shorted .
Most notably , a $ 120 billion proposal to assist independent restaurants and bars with fewer than 20 locations — the Restaurants Act — is nowhere to be found in this relief package .
How might this play out , just as an example , as we creep toward a post-pandemic world ?
A great little Italian restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — might be forced to close permanently , even as some deep-pockets corporate chain like Olive Garden sweeps in .
And even that Olive Garden is no sure thing .
The restaurant and bar industry is expected to lose $ 240 billion this year , the Washington Post reports , and some analysts warn that 85 % of small , independent restaurants will close without federal help .
In a letter to Congress on Monday , the National Restaurant Association warned that “ 500,000 restaurants of every business type — franchise , chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free fall.
” By all means , the NRA urged Congress , pass that $ 908 billion stimulus package if it ’ s the best you can do for now .
But think of it as a “ down payment ” toward a larger relief package early next year .
No fault of their own In normal times , we might understand the reluctance of Republicans to support more generous government assistance to businesses and workers .
The free market picks winners and losers .
But these are not normal times , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free markets .
They reflect the workings of a modern-day plague .
The celebrated cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather are as good as ever , and Tunney would reopen his restaurant for indoor dining in a heartbeat — this time legally — if he could .
And April Ibanez would like nothing more than to find a new job in the hospitality industry , preferably on a day shift so she can put her 3-year-old daughter , Ruby , in day care .
But it ’ s just not happening .
Congress “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramos of the Sun-Times .
“ People have bills to pay , children to look after , and we just can ’ t do it right now.
” The argument , put forth by some Republicans , that more generous unemployment benefits would encourage slothfulness is absurd .
The argument that a larger stimulus package would dangerously run up the federal deficit , coming from a Republican Party that has padded the deficit by $ 6.6 trillion in the last four years , is dishonest .
As President Franklin D. Roosevelt understood during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other countries understand now during the pandemic — there are times when a nation must pull out all the stops .
Japan ’ s economic stimulus during the pandemic has been equal to 21.1 % of that country ’ s gross domestic product .
Canada ’ s has been equal to 16.4 % of its GDP .
But the United States , where the social safety net was so much smaller to begin with , has provided stimulus funding equal to 13.2 % of GDP .
For the sake of every business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better .

Consider the crossroads of crises in two front-page stories in Tuesday’s Sun-Times:
Ald. Tom Tunney was caught serving customers indoors at his Ann Sather restaurant during the pandemic, violating state and city orders. He shouldn’t have done this, as he admits, but there is no question restaurants are desperate.
And 450,000 unemployed people in Illinois, such as the worried, single mother in Chicago named April Ibanez, are in danger of losing their unemployment benefits on the day after Christmas. Ibanez was furloughed from a restaurant job last spring when the pandemic first hit.
Editorials bug Editorials
The two stories tell a single story about how the coronavirus pandemic is hammering our nation’s economy, with devastating consequences for small businesses and individuals alike.
The most responsible national response, both to save whole sectors of the economy and to help people in desperate straits, would be a more aggressive federal financial stimulus — on a scale already seen in some other countries.
Getting home safely
Our nation will get through this pandemic. Vaccines are on the way. The only question is whether we will get there as humanely as possible, practicing the rules of mitigation, without allowing COVID-19 to lay waste to our economy and livelihoods.
Congress is contemplating a bipartisan $908 billion pandemic relief package, which beats nothing at all. It is better than an earlier $500 billion plan put forward by Republicans, even if it falls far short of a $2.2 trillion package put forward by Democrats. But if the aim is for our nation to emerge from this crisis stable and whole, positioned to bounce back, it simply is not enough.
Unemployed workers would receive $300 a week of enhanced federal jobless benefits, just half of the $600-a-week boost workers received from last spring’s CARES Act. Small businesses would be similarly shorted. Most notably, a $120 billion proposal to assist independent restaurants and bars with fewer than 20 locations — the Restaurants Act — is nowhere to be found in this relief package.
Taylor Street vs. Olive Garden
How might this play out, just as an example, as we creep toward a post-pandemic world? A great little Italian restaurant on Taylor Street — a family business — might be forced to close permanently, even as some deep-pockets corporate chain like Olive Garden sweeps in. And even that Olive Garden is no sure thing.
The restaurant and bar industry is expected to lose $240 billion this year, the Washington Post reports, and some analysts warn that 85% of small, independent restaurants will close without federal help.
In a letter to Congress on Monday, the National Restaurant Association warned that “500,000 restaurants of every business type — franchise, chain and independent — are in an economic free fall.”
By all means, the NRA urged Congress, pass that $908 billion stimulus package if it’s the best you can do for now. But think of it as a “down payment” toward a larger relief package early next year.
No fault of their own
In normal times, we might understand the reluctance of Republicans to support more generous government assistance to businesses and workers. The free market picks winners and losers. But these are not normal times, and nothing about them reflects the workings of free markets. They reflect the workings of a modern-day plague.
The celebrated cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather are as good as ever, and Tunney would reopen his restaurant for indoor dining in a heartbeat — this time legally — if he could. And April Ibanez would like nothing more than to find a new job in the hospitality industry, preferably on a day shift so she can put her 3-year-old daughter, Ruby, in day care.
But it’s just not happening.
Congress “should understand,” Ibanez told Manny Ramos of the Sun-Times. “People have bills to pay, children to look after, and we just can’t do it right now.”
Pull out the stops
The argument, put forth by some Republicans, that more generous unemployment benefits would encourage slothfulness is absurd. The argument that a larger stimulus package would dangerously run up the federal deficit, coming from a Republican Party that has padded the deficit by $6.6 trillion in the last four years, is dishonest.
As President Franklin D. Roosevelt understood during the Great Depression — and as leaders of other countries understand now during the pandemic — there are times when a nation must pull out all the stops.
Japan’s economic stimulus during the pandemic has been equal to 21.1% of that country’s gross domestic product. Canada’s has been equal to 16.4% of its GDP. But the United States, where the social safety net was so much smaller to begin with, has provided stimulus funding equal to 13.2% of GDP.
For the sake of every business and every worker, we can do better.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-08--Person shot by Chicago police during exchange of gunfire in Rogers Park

A person was shot during an exchange of gunfire with Chicago police Tuesday in Rogers Park on the North Side @ @ @ @ @ 5 p.m. in the 6900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue , Chicago police spokesman Tom @ @ @ @ @ , of an unknown age , was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston with @ @ @ @ @ said .
They were in serious-to-critical condition , according to Chicago fire officials .
No @ @ @ @ @ to police , but fire officials said four people were sent to hospitals in good @ @ @ @ @ Ahern said officers recovered a gun from the scene .
The Civilian Office of Police @ @ @ @ @ of force .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides @

A person was shot during an exchange of gunfire with Chicago police Tuesday in Rogers Park on the North Side.
Officers conducting a follow-up investigation on a domestic violence incident stopped a suspect’s vehicle about 4:56 p.m. in the 6900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue, according to preliminary information from Chicago police.
A male got out of the vehicle and fired shots at the officers, police said. The officers returned fire, striking the male.
He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in serious-to-critical condition, according to Chicago fire officials.
Chicago police investigate the scene in the 6900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue after officers shot someone during an exchange of gunfire Dec. 8, 2020, in Rogers Park. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
No officers were hurt, according to police, but fire officials said four people were sent to hospitals in good condition with minor injuries.
Police said officers recovered a gun from the scene.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the use of force.
The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative duty for 30 days as COPA investigates.
Offender’s gun recovered at scene. pic.twitter.com/f6txXH6DGo — Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) December 9, 2020
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.