chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Man charged with fatally shooting rival gang member in August

A man went home after being shot at , changed clothes and gunned down a rival gang member in Brighton Park over the summer , prosecutors said .
Carlos Rueda , 22 , and another person allegedly opened fire on three men about 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 16 in an alley in the 3000 block of West 44th Street , according to a bond proffer prepared by Cook County prosecutors .
Alexis Rivera suffered two gunshot wounds to his back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital , prosecutors said .
The other men , 19 and 20 , were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with first-degree murder , was ordered held without bail at a hearing Monday , prosecutors said .
He is a documented member of the Satan Disciples street gang and Rivera , 22 , was a documented Two-Six gang member , according to prosecutors .
Hours before the murder , someone in a light-colored Buick had fired shots at Rueda and a person he was with , striking the person in the leg , prosecutors said .
Rueda took the person to a hospital and returned home , where he changed into all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nissan Maxima with distinct damage to the gas cap and front end , prosecutors said .
Two other cars followed .
The cars stopped in the 3000 block of West 44th Street and Rueda and another person got out of the Nissan .
They walked down an alley and fired shots at Rivera and the other men , prosecutors said .
Another gang-related shooting had taken place on that block two days earlier .
Surveillance video captured the Nissan pulling up to the alley as well as Rueda and his accomplice getting out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The car ’ s license plate came back as being registered to Rueda .
Investigators also tracked Rueda ’ s location that day through his cell phone data , prosecutors said , but there is a 25-minute period in which the phone does not transmit any data .
The period corresponds to the exact time of the shooting , and it is believed Rueda turned off his phone , prosecutors said .
After the murder , Rueda returned home to change clothes and then went to get groceries at a Pete ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave a statement to police claiming he was at the store at the time of the shooting , but video from Pete ’ s contradicts that .
He is expected back in court Jan. 15 .

A man went home after being shot at, changed clothes and gunned down a rival gang member in Brighton Park over the summer, prosecutors said.
Carlos Rueda, 22, and another person allegedly opened fire on three men about 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 16 in an alley in the 3000 block of West 44th Street, according to a bond proffer prepared by Cook County prosecutors.
Alexis Rivera suffered two gunshot wounds to his back and died at Mount Sinai Hospital, prosecutors said. The other men, 19 and 20, were also wounded in the shooting.
Rueda, charged with first-degree murder, was ordered held without bail at a hearing Monday, prosecutors said.
He is a documented member of the Satan Disciples street gang and Rivera, 22, was a documented Two-Six gang member, according to prosecutors.
Hours before the murder, someone in a light-colored Buick had fired shots at Rueda and a person he was with, striking the person in the leg, prosecutors said.
Rueda took the person to a hospital and returned home, where he changed into all black clothing and got into a White Nissan Maxima with distinct damage to the gas cap and front end, prosecutors said. Two other cars followed.
The cars stopped in the 3000 block of West 44th Street and Rueda and another person got out of the Nissan. They walked down an alley and fired shots at Rivera and the other men, prosecutors said. Another gang-related shooting had taken place on that block two days earlier.
Surveillance video captured the Nissan pulling up to the alley as well as Rueda and his accomplice getting out of the car, prosecutors said. The car’s license plate came back as being registered to Rueda.
Investigators also tracked Rueda’s location that day through his cell phone data, prosecutors said, but there is a 25-minute period in which the phone does not transmit any data.
The period corresponds to the exact time of the shooting, and it is believed Rueda turned off his phone, prosecutors said.
After the murder, Rueda returned home to change clothes and then went to get groceries at a Pete’s Fresh Market, prosecutors said. He gave a statement to police claiming he was at the store at the time of the shooting, but video from Pete’s contradicts that.
He is expected back in court Jan. 15.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-28--Horoscope for Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020

Horoscope for Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020

After 5 a.m. Chicago time , there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions .
The moon is in Cancer .
Today ’ s full moon might make you feel pulled between the demands of home and family vs. the demands of a parent , boss or your career ?
These are insane times and you can ’ t keep everyone happy .
Having said that , you can ’ t ignore your career ( or a parent ) .
Pay attention to everything you say and do because today ’ s full moon can create an accident-prone influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy of the full moon , steer clear of controversial discussions about politics , religion and racial issues .
Some kind of financial situation might come to a head toay because of the full moon energy .
It could relate to a dispute you have with someone else about money ?
Or perhaps a debt ?
Or perhaps how to divide something ?
Or maybe you can ’ t believe where the money went !
The full moon is in your sign and you feel it .
It might disrupt your sleep pattern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual .
You might be at odds with partners and close friends .
Don ’ t worry ; it ’ s only for 48 hours .
Relax .
You might feel vaguely bothered about something and not know why .
That ’ s because today ’ s full moon is occurring in a hidden part of your chart .
Possibly , you won ’ t notice anything at all .
If you do , this fleeting influence will be gone in a day or so .
Avoid disputes with friends or groups today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things to quickly become overblown or get out of hand .
Who needs this ?
Not you .
Not anyone .
Postpone important discussions for another day .
Today ’ s full moon takes place at the top of your chart , which means if you are impatient with someone , everyone will notice .
That ’ s because you are more “ public ” than usual .
Remember to pay attention to home , family and your private life .
Discussions with others will become heated very quickly , especially about hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
Be smart and don ’ t even go there .
Today is the full moon , and people are excitable !
Be smart and tread carefully .
Do not wake the sleeping giant .
You really do have money issues on your mind now , don ’ t you ?
Today things might come to a head about financial matters , especially your relations with others — this includes mortgages , debt , inheritances and insurance matters because of the full moon .
After today , things will settle down somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s full moon because it ’ s the only full moon opposite your sign all year .
Quite likely , it will introduce tension or make discussions with partners and close friends more emotional .
Be wise and don ’ t make a big deal about anything .
Easy does it .
( Gone in 48 hours . )
Issues might be a bit prickly at work today because of the full moon energy .
You might find a few people challenging to deal with because each month , the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , therefore , it affects different people differently .
Stay chill .
Parents need to be patient with their kids today because they feel the full moon energy as well as you do .
Even your pet does .
Likewise , something might come to a head or a culmination with a romantic couple .
Don ’ t let things get overblown or out of hand .
Easy does it .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actor Ted Danson ( 1947 ) shares your birthday .
You are intelligent , intuitive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in others , you have great people skills .
This year it ’ s time to let go of what is no longer relevant or useful and move on to something new and different .
This is not a time of loss .
Au contraire !
You are lightening your load to make room for new beginnings !

Moon Alert
After 5 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Cancer.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today’s full moon might make you feel pulled between the demands of home and family vs. the demands of a parent, boss or your career? These are insane times and you can’t keep everyone happy. Having said that, you can’t ignore your career (or a parent).
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Pay attention to everything you say and do because today’s full moon can create an accident-prone influence for you. Because of the emotional energy of the full moon, steer clear of controversial discussions about politics, religion and racial issues.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Some kind of financial situation might come to a head toay because of the full moon energy. It could relate to a dispute you have with someone else about money? Or perhaps a debt? Or perhaps how to divide something? Or maybe you can’t believe where the money went!
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
The full moon is in your sign and you feel it. It might disrupt your sleep pattern or make you feel more emotional than usual. You might be at odds with partners and close friends. Don’t worry; it’s only for 48 hours. Relax.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
You might feel vaguely bothered about something and not know why. That’s because today’s full moon is occurring in a hidden part of your chart. Possibly, you won’t notice anything at all. If you do, this fleeting influence will be gone in a day or so.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Avoid disputes with friends or groups today because the full moon energy will encourage things to quickly become overblown or get out of hand. Who needs this? Not you. Not anyone. Postpone important discussions for another day.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today’s full moon takes place at the top of your chart, which means if you are impatient with someone, everyone will notice. That’s because you are more “public” than usual. Remember to pay attention to home, family and your private life.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Discussions with others will become heated very quickly, especially about hot topics like politics, religion and racial issues. Be smart and don’t even go there. Today is the full moon, and people are excitable! Be smart and tread carefully. Do not wake the sleeping giant.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You really do have money issues on your mind now, don’t you? Today things might come to a head about financial matters, especially your relations with others — this includes mortgages, debt, inheritances and insurance matters because of the full moon. After today, things will settle down somewhat.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You will feel the energy of today’s full moon because it’s the only full moon opposite your sign all year. Quite likely, it will introduce tension or make discussions with partners and close friends more emotional. Be wise and don’t make a big deal about anything. Easy does it. (Gone in 48 hours.)
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Issues might be a bit prickly at work today because of the full moon energy. You might find a few people challenging to deal with because each month, the full moon occurs in a different sign, and, therefore, it affects different people differently. Stay chill.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Parents need to be patient with their kids today because they feel the full moon energy as well as you do. Even your pet does. Likewise, something might come to a head or a culmination with a romantic couple. Don’t let things get overblown or out of hand. Easy does it.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actor Ted Danson (1947) shares your birthday. You are intelligent, intuitive and logical. Because you are genuinely interested in others, you have great people skills. This year it’s time to let go of what is no longer relevant or useful and move on to something new and different. This is not a time of loss. Au contraire! You are lightening your load to make room for new beginnings!


chicagosun-times--2020-12-28--Cubs sending Yu Darvish, Victor Caratini to Padres for Davies, four prospects

Adding to what already has been an offseason of turnover and change , the Cubs are trading ace Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the Padres for right-hander Zach Davies and four prospects , according to multiple reports .
Darvish , 34 , the National League Cy Young runner-up after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 2020 , had drawn significant trade interest and was the Cubs ’ most valuable asset based on his ability and relatively reasonable contract .
When Jed Hoyer took over as team president in November , he didn ’ t hide from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But few would have predicted those decisions would include not just position players approaching free agency but also the Cubs ’ best starting pitcher .
“ In this job , you always have one eye on the present and one eye on the future , ” Hoyer said last month .
“ And the truth is that , given the service-time realities .
.
.
I think that eye might be a little bit more focused toward the future than usual.
” The Padres had been pushing hard for a catcher in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who became Darvish ’ s personal catcher in 2019 .
Darvish has a career 2.80 ERA in 31 games with Caratini .
The four prospects headed to the Cubs are shortstops Reginald Preciado and Yeison Santana and outfielders Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena , according to reports .
Trading Darvish is the Cubs ’ first major move under Hoyer after they non-tendered outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. earlier this offseason .
The trade will take a significant amount of salary off the Cubs ’ books — a necessity for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next three seasons as part of the six-year , $ 126 million deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season .
Since Memorial Day 2019 , Darvish has compiled a 2.84 ERA over 32 starts ( 199 ⅔ innings ) , averaging 11.5 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings .
The Cubs already had concerns about their starting pitching depth , and dealing their ace adds to that .
Davies joins Kyle Hendricks , Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay in the projected rotation .
Mills and Alzolay have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , having combined for just 152 ⅔ innings .
“ We understand that if we ’ re planning for 162 [ games ] as it is right now , we ’ re going to have to have some pitching depth , ” Cubs manager David Ross said .
With Darvish now traded , attention turns to infielders Kris Bryant and Javy Baez , who are both entering their final contract year before becoming free agents next winter .
The NL Central appears up for grabs , but if the Cubs have decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players and salary , a division title might be tougher to come by than in recent years .
“ I think there ’ s always challenges in trying to do both , and that ’ s why you have to have your eye on both things , ” Hoyer said .
“ You have to be opportunistic when decisions come up that allow you to do both .
“ I think at some point , you do have to look at the bigger picture .
We did win the division this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think we can do both .
But it does probably mean being a little bit opportunistic at certain times .
”

Adding to what already has been an offseason of turnover and change, the Cubs are trading ace Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the Padres for right-hander Zach Davies and four prospects, according to multiple reports.
Darvish, 34, the National League Cy Young runner-up after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 2020, had drawn significant trade interest and was the Cubs’ most valuable asset based on his ability and relatively reasonable contract.
When Jed Hoyer took over as team president in November, he didn’t hide from the fact that tough decisions were coming. But few would have predicted those decisions would include not just position players approaching free agency, but also the Cubs’ best starting pitcher.
Related Rays set to trade Blake Snell to Padres
“In this job, you always have one eye on the present and one eye on the future,” Hoyer said last month. “And the truth is that, given the service-time realities . . . I think that eye might be a little bit more focused toward the future than usual.”
The Padres had been pushing hard for a catcher in the deal and got their man in Caratini, who became Darvish’s personal catcher in 2019. Darvish has a career 2.80 ERA in 31 games with Caratini.
The four prospects headed to the Cubs are shortstops Reginald Preciado and Yeison Santana and outfielders Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena, according to reports.
Trading Darvish is the Cubs’ first major move under Hoyer after they non-tendered outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. earlier this offseason. The trade will take a significant amount of salary off the Cubs’ books — a necessity for them. Darvish is owed $62 million over the next three seasons as part of the six-year, $126 million deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season.
Since Memorial Day 2019, Darvish has compiled a 2.84 ERA over 32 starts (199 ⅔ innings), averaging 11.5 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings.
The Cubs already had concerns about their starting pitching depth, and dealing their ace adds to that. Davies joins Kyle Hendricks, Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay in the projected rotation. Mills and Alzolay have limited experience despite increased roles in 2020, having combined for just 152 ⅔ innings.
“We understand that if we’re planning for 162 [games] as it is right now, we’re going to have to have some pitching depth,” Cubs manager David Ross said.
With Darvish now traded, attention turns to infielders Kris Bryant and Javy Baez, who are both entering their final contract year before becoming free agents next winter. The NL Central appears up for grabs, but if the Cubs have decided to go in the direction of shedding top players and salary, a division title might be tougher to come by than in recent years.
“I think there’s always challenges in trying to do both, and that’s why you have to have your eye on both things,” Hoyer said. “You have to be opportunistic when decisions come up that allow you to do both.
“I think at some point, you do have to look at the bigger picture. We did win the division this year. We are really talented. And so I think we can do both. But it does probably mean being a little bit opportunistic at certain times.”


chicagosun-times--2020-12-28--Man shot dead in Gresham home

Man shot dead in Gresham home

A man was fatally shot inside a home Monday in Gresham on the South Side , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ 9:15 p.m. on the kitchen floor of a residence in the 8300 block of South @ @ @ @ @ wound to the face , Chicago police said .
He was taken to the University @ @ @ @ @ where he was pronounced dead , police said .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ @ @ @ @ @ Pierre Macon .
He lived in Grand Crossing .
Police said the man was in @ @ @ @ @ of people when shots were fired , but further details were not released .
Read @ @ @ @ @ track the city ’ s homicides .

A man was fatally shot inside a home Monday in Gresham on the South Side, police said.
The 33-year-old was found unresponsive about 9:15 p.m. on the kitchen floor of a residence in the 8300 block of South Kerfoot Avenue with a gunshot wound to the face, Chicago police said.
He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Pierre Macon. He lived in Grand Crossing.
An autopsy released Tuesday ruled his death a homicide.
Police said the man was in the home with a group of people when shots were fired, but further details were not released.
Area Two detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-28--Rep. Dan Lipinski one of two Democrats to vote against boosting COVID payments to $2,000

WASHINGTON - Only two House Democrats on Monday voted against boosting COVID-19 benefit checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000 for eligible adults , and one of them was U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski , D-Ill. , who is winding up his final term in Congress .
The measure sailed through the Democratic House on a 275-134 roll call after President Donald Trump threatened last week to not sign the $ 900 billion pandemic relief bill unless Congress enhanced the payments .
The legislation Trump signed on Sunday night did not increase the size of the checks .
Democrats jumped on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the House voting on the higher figure on Monday .
Lipinski was joined by U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader , D-Oregon , in voting no .
Forty-four Republicans joined 231 Democrats to approve the measure , which faces an uncertain future in the GOP Senate .
Two GOP House members from Illinois - U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger - were part of the 44 voting to increase the payments to $ 2,000 .
Voting against the extra payments were GOP Reps. Mike Bost , Darin LaHood and John Shimkus .
Shimkus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
Lipinski lost his primary to Rep.-elect Marie Newman , D-Ill. , and Shimkus decided not to run again .
Lipinski voted for the overall COVID relief bill Trump signed .
He said in a statement he did not approve the larger payment “ because we can not continue to endlessly dig our national debt hole deeper.
” He said some “ deficit spending during this pandemic is absolutely necessary ...
But this does not mean we do not have to consider what we are spending and what debt we are passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement , “ In less than a week , Illinois ’ 3rd Congressional District will have a Representative that knows damn well that a $ 600 stimulus check is not nearly enough to support American families who continue to struggle every single day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” There were 109 House Republicans who broke with Trump to override his veto of the bill funding the Defense Department , including , all five from Illinois : Bost , Davis , Kinzinger , LaHood and Shimkus .
There were 20 Democrats who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including only one Illinois House Democrat , Rep. Jesus “ Chuy ” Garcia .

WASHINGTON - Only two House Democrats on Monday voted against boosting COVID-19 benefit checks from $600 to $2,000 for eligible adults, and one of them was U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., who is winding up his final term in Congress.
The measure sailed through the Democratic House on a 275-134 roll call after President Donald Trump threatened last week to not sign the $900 billion pandemic relief bill unless Congress enhanced the payments.
The legislation Trump signed on Sunday night did not increase the size of the checks. Democrats jumped on Trump’s call for more cash with the House voting on the higher figure on Monday.
Lipinski was joined by U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, in voting no.
Forty-four Republicans joined 231 Democrats to approve the measure, which faces an uncertain future in the GOP Senate.
Two GOP House members from Illinois - U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger - were part of the 44 voting to increase the payments to $2,000.
Voting against the extra payments were GOP Reps. Mike Bost, Darin LaHood and John Shimkus.
Shimkus is also in his final days in office. Lipinski lost his primary to Rep.-elect Marie Newman, D-Ill., and Shimkus decided not to run again.
Lipinski voted for the overall COVID relief bill Trump signed. He said in a statement he did not approve the larger payment “because we cannot continue to endlessly dig our national debt hole deeper.”
He said some “deficit spending during this pandemic is absolutely necessary ... But this does not mean we do not have to consider what we are spending and what debt we are passing onto future generations.”
Newman said in a statement, “In less than a week, Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District will have a Representative that knows damn well that a $600 stimulus check is not nearly enough to support American families who continue to struggle every single day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
DEFENSE BILL OVERRIDE
There were 109 House Republicans who broke with Trump to override his veto of the bill funding the Defense Department, including, all five from Illinois: Bost, Davis, Kinzinger, LaHood and Shimkus.
There were 20 Democrats who voted to uphold Trump’s veto, including only one Illinois House Democrat, Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-28--Coronavirus live blog, Dec. 28, 2020: COVID-19 death toll tops 16,000 in Illinois

Illinois passed another grim milestone Monday , and early data suggests many people on the South and West sides aren ’ t getting the coronavirus vaccine .
Here ’ s what you need to know about coronavirus in Chicago and around Illinois .
The death toll in Illinois from the coronavirus has climbed past the 16,000 mark , state public health officials said Monday .
The state reported 105 deaths from the coronavirus and 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of the virus Monday .
The death toll rose to 16,074 since the pandemic began nine months ago .
Sixteen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .
The new COVID-19 cases were found in a batch of 51,406 tests conducted over the last 24 hours .
As of Sunday night , 4,243 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19 .
Of that number , 884 patients were in intensive care units and 515 COVID-positive patients were on ventilators .
The state ’ s latest numbers continue a trend of lower case counts since a November surge saw the state log record-breaking daily cases , including a nationwide record of 15,415 cases reported in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has reported a total of 942,362 cases in 102 counties in Illinois .
Officials have previously pointed to a decrease in testing as a potential reason why the state is seeing lower daily case totals .
WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $ 2,000 , meeting President Donald Trump ’ s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate , where the outcome is uncertain .
Democrats led passage , 275-134 , their majority favoring additional assistance , but dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled on smaller $ 600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law .
Democrats favored higher payments , but Trump ’ s push put his GOP allies in a difficult spot .
The vote deeply divided Republicans who mostly resist more spending .
But many House Republicans joined in support , preferring to link with Democrats rather than buck the outgoing president .
Senators were set to return to session Tuesday , forced to consider the measure .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this legislation or vote to deny the American people ” the assistance she said they need during the pandemic .
JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reimposed a ban on alcohol sales and ordered the closure of all bars Monday as part of new restrictions to help the country battle a resurgence of the coronavirus , including a new variant .
In a nationwide address , Ramaphosa also announced the closure of all beaches and public swimming pools in the country ’ s infection hotspots , which include Cape Town , Johannesburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africa will extend its nighttime curfew so all residents must be at home from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. , the president said .
The president said that wearing masks is mandatory and that anyone found not wearing a mask in a public place will be subject to a fine or a criminal charge punishable by a possible jail sentence .
Ramaphosa said the increased restrictions are necessary because of a surge in COVID-19 infections which has pushed South Africa ’ s cumulative virus cases above 1 million .
Ramaphosa announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emergency meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council .
1:07 p.m.
Vaccine ’ s unbalanced rollout : Few South , West side residents get COVID shots so far Doctors , nurses and other health care workers who live near downtown or on the North Side stepped forward in large numbers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 , while a smaller number of the city ’ s South Side and West Side residents got the shots .
The findings , from city data for the first 12 days of vaccinations along with census information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point to a trend of Chicago doctors living in more affluent areas showing up in sizable numbers to get inoculated while technicians and other lower-paid health care workers living in predominantly Black and Latino communities did not get the shots .
The numbers signal the challenge ahead for Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago public health officials who have said they expect resistance from minority residents who may distrust the vaccination process .
Health care workers are the first in line to receive the shots , and city officials hope Black and Latino nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example for the broader population in communities of color .
“ This is exactly the challenge , ” Dr. Allison Arwady , the city ’ s public health chief , said in an interview .
“ Our whole plan here in Chicago is really about equity , and it ’ s about recognizing there is a lot of extra work that needs to go in to see a map that shows equitable vaccine uptake.
” Arwady said she was “ not at all surprised this is how the very first week of data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am confident that it will improve as more vaccine is available both within hospitals , but , importantly , when we move beyond hospitals.
” A large concentration of health care workers living in the whitest , wealthiest neighborhoods in Chicago were vaccinated between Dec. 15 and 26 , according to city data .
There were 20,091 vaccinations of Chicago residents in total .
The largest numbers were in ZIP codes that include Near North Side , Lake View , Lincoln Park , South Loop and Wicker Park .
The 60611 ZIP code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 1,297 .
The Near North Side ZIP code is more than 70 % white , with a median income of almost $ 107,000 , and includes the Magnificent Mile and Streeterville .
The ZIP code is among those in the city with the highest number of doctors and physicians , according to a city analysis of census data .
Brett Chase and Elvia Malangón have the story .
12:17 p.m. ‘ This is not Tuskegee ’ : Elected officials work to build Black trust in COVID-19 vaccine Black elected officials from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday to encourage Chicagoans , especially Black residents , to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it ’ s available to them .
“ I have taken the vaccine , ” said U.S. Rep. Danny Davis , D-Ill. , who was vaccinated Dec. 20 in Washington , D.C. “ I have had it injected into my body , and I guarantee that if I thought it would in any way harm myself or any other people , I would never ever recommend it.
” Black Americans are one of the groups most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 35 % of Black adults said they “ definitely or probably would not get vaccinated.
” Some of the elected officials referenced the Tuskegee experiment as a major reason why Black Americans distrust the COVID-19 vaccine .
Hundreds of Black men , many of whom had syphilis , were told they would be treated for the disease but in fact were misled and never given adequate treatment .
“ This ain ’ t that , I ’ ll say it again , this ain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commissioner Dennis Deer ( 2nd ) said .
“ I want to get the message across that this is not Tuskegee ; this is about you and about your children and about your generation.
” 10:03 a.m. You know who thrived during 2020 ?
All the plants and lots of people who grew them Maybe you ’ re crabby you were “ stuck at home ” throughout this pandemic , but I was off luxuriating in the garden .
My plants have never looked so happy since I ’ ve been home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ started taking phone calls out front in the bee border and tall garden , and yanked the buggers as they popped up .
Houseplants got watered and pruned ( and talked to ) on demand , not just on Saturday mornings when the house was otherwise empty .
The big ones sucked up air and light on the front porch oasis arranged to make a safe place to see a few friends or some grandparents , an extra “ office , ” occasionally a kindergarten classroom .
Like the puppies and the babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with caretakers around all the time , clearly among the big winners of our collective staying put for weeks that have stretched into months .
And bonus , we growers confronting the end of normal got to hold on to some sanity , too , one unfurled leaf , one sprouted seed , one cycle of photosynthesis at a time .
When I ventured out late in the spring and couldn ’ t find the usual seeds and seedlings to buy , I realized that everyone else was growing stuff , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined this year : Why ?
All the birthday parties and barbecues and vacations got canceled .
For a minute , actual food shortages seemed possible .
We needed a bright side to unemployment , something to do with ourselves .
Our COVID-essential jobs left us stressed and drained .
We had to entertain kids who were isolated from friends .
We always wanted to grow tomatoes .
The more of us the coronavirus killed , the more we surrounded ourselves with living things .
President Donald Trump signed a $ 900 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown .
The massive bill includes $ 1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits .
Trump announced the signing in a statement Sunday night that spoke of his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief for including only $ 600 checks to most Americans instead of the $ 2,000 that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what he considered unnecessary spending by the government at large .
But Trump ’ s eleventh-hour objections created turmoil because lawmakers had thought he was supportive of the bill , which had been negotiated for months with White House input .
“ I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed , ” Trump said in the statement .
While the president insisted he would send Congress “ a redlined version ” with items to be removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely suggestions to Congress .
The bill , as signed , would not necessarily be changed .
Lawmakers now have breathing room to continue debating whether the relief checks should be as large as the president has demanded .
The Democratic-led House supports the larger checks and is set to vote on the issue Monday , but it ’ s expected to be ignored by the Republican-held Senate where spending faces opposition .
Read the full story from the Associated Press .
• The coronavirus has killed an additional 66 Illinois residents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials announced Saturday .
• As of Saturday night , 4,083 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19 , with 905 of those patients in intensive-care units and 497 on ventilators , officials said .
12:13 p.m. Goodbye 2020 : A year like ... well , you know An Easter like no other .
A summer like no other .
A World Series like no other .
A year like no other .
The description “ a _____ like no other ” wasn ’ t invented in 2020 .
It has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It has been a year like no other , ” wrote R.M .
Squires , summing up the world of dentistry in 1919 .
But the phrase was worn to a nubbin over the past nine months by journalists lunging to convey in a handy three-word code the baked-in strangeness and continuous turmoil we ’ ve been enduring .
A branded logo to rubber-stamp this slow-motion train wreck : COVID-19 pandemic meets civic unrest meets economic disruption .
Our locked-down society of shuttered schools and struggling restaurants , all playing out against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farcical to frightening , sometimes within the same hour .
7:30 a.m .
Pending Chicago projects can relieve the pandemic blahs In 2020 , the pandemic altered life so profoundly that for many Chicagoans , their relationship to each other and to city institutions changed .
For many , work has been severed from a traditional place to do it , surrounded by colleagues or from standard commuting patterns .
Much has been written about whether the glue that binds cities together will give way because of the pandemic .
Luckily , trends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
For every tech worker who decamps for Idaho or rustic Michigan , somebody else will toy with the option but stay put , whether it ’ s because a small-town music scene isn ’ t any good or there ’ s a real deficit in health care just about anywhere beyond metro areas .
For Chicago , 2021 is shaping up as a year to get back on its feet — a real positive , all things considered .
It brings back confidence , and capital is sure to follow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps the lessons from this year ’ s demonstrations over social injustice will be fresh enough to ensure that investments are more equitable .
Construction plans being laid in various communities offer signs of urban revival — not calling it “ renewal ” — with a notable involvement from nonprofit organizations .
Here are a few proposals somewhat unique : At 2500 S. Wabash Ave. , the developer who built the Wit Hotel at 201 N. State St. is touting a $ 30 million e-sports arena called Surge .
Scott Greenberg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an IMAX-like experience in virtual reality for up to 1,200 gamers and those who watch them .
The site is just the other side of I-55 from McCormick Place .
Greenberg also plans a parking and retail site at 2601 S. Wabash to serve the facility .
Ald .
Pat Dowell ( 3rd ) and neighborhood groups back the plan , so city approval should come soon .
Greenberg is aiming for mid-2022 completion .
Might as well get started on this before these ventures pop up in old department stores in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported the Chicago Cubs are eyeing the old Silver Shovel site , nearly 21 acres at Roosevelt Road and Kostner Avenue , for a baseball-oriented youth academy .
The Cubs ’ plan will be evaluated against other proposals for the site , because the city invited developer interest .
But the Cubs could be a welcome lift for Lawndale families .
The site is associated with a 1990s scandal over illegal dumping that spoke volumes over how poor neighborhoods get treated .
• On a similar theme is a proposal for a North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ave. , a venture of the By the Hand Club for Kids and Grace and Peace Fellowship .
The nonprofit developer Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives is managing the project using New Markets Tax Credits .
Its president , David Doig , said the $ 30 million facility could be ready by summer 2022 .
It will include indoor turf fields , basketball and volleyball courts , and space for after-school programs .

Illinois passed another grim milestone Monday, and early data suggests many people on the South and West sides aren’t getting the coronavirus vaccine.
Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus in Chicago and around Illinois.
News
8:55 p.m. Illinois’ coronavirus death toll tops 16,000
Dr. Pam Khosia, chief of hematology and oncology, receives her Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination at Mount Sinai Hospital on the Southwest Side, Thursday afternoon, Dec. 17, 2020. Sinai received 975 doses of the vaccine, the hospital’s first batch, Thursday. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
The death toll in Illinois from the coronavirus has climbed past the 16,000 mark, state public health officials said Monday.
The state reported 105 deaths from the coronavirus and 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of the virus Monday. The death toll rose to 16,074 since the pandemic began nine months ago.
Sixteen of the new deaths were in Cook County. The new COVID-19 cases were found in a batch of 51,406 tests conducted over the last 24 hours.
As of Sunday night, 4,243 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of that number, 884 patients were in intensive care units and 515 COVID-positive patients were on ventilators.
The state’s latest numbers continue a trend of lower case counts since a November surge saw the state log record-breaking daily cases, including a nationwide record of 15,415 cases reported in one day.
So far, the state has reported a total of 942,362 cases in 102 counties in Illinois. Officials have previously pointed to a decrease in testing as a potential reason why the state is seeing lower daily case totals.
Rachel Hinton has the story.
6:02 p.m. House votes to increase COVID checks to $2K
WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance, but dozens of Republicans joined in approval. Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law. Democrats favored higher payments, but Trump’s push put his GOP allies in a difficult spot.
The vote deeply divided Republicans who mostly resist more spending. But many House Republicans joined in support, preferring to link with Democrats rather than buck the outgoing president. Senators were set to return to session Tuesday, forced to consider the measure.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, “Republicans have a choice: Vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people” the assistance she said they need during the pandemic.
Read more here.
4:13 p.m. As South Africa’s virus spikes, president bans liquor sales
JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reimposed a ban on alcohol sales and ordered the closure of all bars Monday as part of new restrictions to help the country battle a resurgence of the coronavirus, including a new variant.
In a nationwide address, Ramaphosa also announced the closure of all beaches and public swimming pools in the country’s infection hotspots, which include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and several coastal areas.
South Africa will extend its nighttime curfew so all residents must be at home from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., the president said.
The president said that wearing masks is mandatory and that anyone found not wearing a mask in a public place will be subject to a fine or a criminal charge punishable by a possible jail sentence.
Ramaphosa said the increased restrictions are necessary because of a surge in COVID-19 infections which has pushed South Africa’s cumulative virus cases above 1 million.
Ramaphosa announced the new measures after a Cabinet meeting and an emergency meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council.
Read the full report here.
1:07 p.m. Vaccine’s unbalanced rollout: Few South, West side residents get COVID shots so far
Doctors, nurses and other health care workers who live near downtown or on the North Side stepped forward in large numbers to get vaccinated for COVID-19, while a smaller number of the city’s South Side and West Side residents got the shots.
The findings, from city data for the first 12 days of vaccinations along with census information showing where health care workers live, point to a trend of Chicago doctors living in more affluent areas showing up in sizable numbers to get inoculated while technicians and other lower-paid health care workers living in predominantly Black and Latino communities did not get the shots.
The numbers signal the challenge ahead for Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago public health officials who have said they expect resistance from minority residents who may distrust the vaccination process. Health care workers are the first in line to receive the shots, and city officials hope Black and Latino nurses, doctors and others will set the example for the broader population in communities of color.
“This is exactly the challenge,” Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health chief, said in an interview. “Our whole plan here in Chicago is really about equity, and it’s about recognizing there is a lot of extra work that needs to go in to see a map that shows equitable vaccine uptake.”
Arwady said she was “not at all surprised this is how the very first week of data look” but added, “I am confident that it will improve as more vaccine is available both within hospitals, but, importantly, when we move beyond hospitals.”
A large concentration of health care workers living in the whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods in Chicago were vaccinated between Dec. 15 and 26, according to city data. There were 20,091 vaccinations of Chicago residents in total.
The largest numbers were in ZIP codes that include Near North Side, Lake View, Lincoln Park, South Loop and Wicker Park.
The 60611 ZIP code had the most number of vaccinated people with 1,297. The Near North Side ZIP code is more than 70% white, with a median income of almost $107,000, and includes the Magnificent Mile and Streeterville.
The ZIP code is among those in the city with the highest number of doctors and physicians, according to a city analysis of census data.
Brett Chase and Elvia Malangón have the story.
12:17 p.m. ‘This is not Tuskegee’: Elected officials work to build Black trust in COVID-19 vaccine
Black elected officials from the West Side held a virtual press conference Sunday to encourage Chicagoans, especially Black residents, to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s available to them.
“I have taken the vaccine,” said U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., who was vaccinated Dec. 20 in Washington, D.C. “I have had it injected into my body, and I guarantee that if I thought it would in any way harm myself or any other people, I would never ever recommend it.”
Black Americans are one of the groups most hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 35% of Black adults said they “definitely or probably would not get vaccinated.”
Some of the elected officials referenced the Tuskegee experiment as a major reason why Black Americans distrust the COVID-19 vaccine. Hundreds of Black men, many of whom had syphilis, were told they would be treated for the disease but in fact were misled and never given adequate treatment.
“This ain’t that, I’ll say it again, this ain’t that,” Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer (2nd) said. “I want to get the message across that this is not Tuskegee; this is about you and about your children and about your generation.”
Read the full report here.
10:03 a.m. You know who thrived during 2020? All the plants and lots of people who grew them
Maybe you’re crabby you were “stuck at home” throughout this pandemic, but I was off luxuriating in the garden.
My plants have never looked so happy since I’ve been home.
Weeds never stood a chance once I started taking phone calls out front in the bee border and tall garden, and yanked the buggers as they popped up. Houseplants got watered and pruned (and talked to) on demand, not just on Saturday mornings when the house was otherwise empty. The big ones sucked up air and light on the front porch oasis arranged to make a safe place to see a few friends or some grandparents, an extra “office,” occasionally a kindergarten classroom.
Like the puppies and the babies of 2020, green growing things thrived with caretakers around all the time, clearly among the big winners of our collective staying put for weeks that have stretched into months.
And bonus, we growers confronting the end of normal got to hold on to some sanity, too, one unfurled leaf, one sprouted seed, one cycle of photosynthesis at a time.
When I ventured out late in the spring and couldn’t find the usual seeds and seedlings to buy, I realized that everyone else was growing stuff, too. I asked an online houseplant group I joined this year: Why?
All the birthday parties and barbecues and vacations got canceled. For a minute, actual food shortages seemed possible. We needed a bright side to unemployment, something to do with ourselves. Our COVID-essential jobs left us stressed and drained. We had to entertain kids who were isolated from friends. We always wanted to grow tomatoes.
The more of us the coronavirus killed, the more we surrounded ourselves with living things.
Lauren FitzPatrick’s story continues here.
8:46 a.m. Trump signs massive funding bill, averts shutdown
President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Sunday, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown.
The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.
Trump announced the signing in a statement Sunday night that spoke of his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief for including only $600 checks to most Americans instead of the $2,000 that his fellow Republicans rejected. He also complained about what he considered unnecessary spending by the government at large. But Trump’s eleventh-hour objections created turmoil because lawmakers had thought he was supportive of the bill, which had been negotiated for months with White House input.
“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed,” Trump said in the statement.
While the president insisted he would send Congress “a redlined version” with items to be removed under the rescission process, those are merely suggestions to Congress. The bill, as signed, would not necessarily be changed.
Lawmakers now have breathing room to continue debating whether the relief checks should be as large as the president has demanded. The Democratic-led House supports the larger checks and is set to vote on the issue Monday, but it’s expected to be ignored by the Republican-held Senate where spending faces opposition.
Read the full story from the Associated Press.
New cases
The coronavirus has killed an additional 66 Illinois residents and spread to 3,293 more, state public health officials announced Saturday.
As of Saturday night, 4,083 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19, with 905 of those patients in intensive-care units and 497 on ventilators, officials said.
Analysis & Commentary
12:13 p.m. Goodbye 2020: A year like... well, you know
An Easter like no other.
A summer like no other.
A World Series like no other.
A year like no other.
The description “a _____ like no other” wasn’t invented in 2020. It has been used for more than a century: ”It has been a year like no other,” wrote R.M. Squires, summing up the world of dentistry in 1919.
But the phrase was worn to a nubbin over the past nine months by journalists lunging to convey in a handy three-word code the baked-in strangeness and continuous turmoil we’ve been enduring. A branded logo to rubber-stamp this slow-motion train wreck: COVID-19 pandemic meets civic unrest meets economic disruption. Our locked-down society of shuttered schools and struggling restaurants, all playing out against a political clown show that veers from farcical to frightening, sometimes within the same hour.
7:30 a.m. Pending Chicago projects can relieve the pandemic blahs
In 2020, the pandemic altered life so profoundly that for many Chicagoans, their relationship to each other and to city institutions changed. For many, work has been severed from a traditional place to do it, surrounded by colleagues or from standard commuting patterns.
Much has been written about whether the glue that binds cities together will give way because of the pandemic. Luckily, trends have a way of smoothing out over time. For every tech worker who decamps for Idaho or rustic Michigan, somebody else will toy with the option but stay put, whether it’s because a small-town music scene isn’t any good or there’s a real deficit in health care just about anywhere beyond metro areas.
For Chicago, 2021 is shaping up as a year to get back on its feet — a real positive, all things considered. It brings back confidence, and capital is sure to follow. The city needs investment across its neighborhoods. Perhaps the lessons from this year’s demonstrations over social injustice will be fresh enough to ensure that investments are more equitable.
Construction plans being laid in various communities offer signs of urban revival — not calling it “renewal” — with a notable involvement from nonprofit organizations. Here are a few proposals somewhat unique:
At 2500 S. Wabash Ave., the developer who built the Wit Hotel at 201 N. State St. is touting a $30 million e-sports arena called Surge. Scott Greenberg, president of Lincolnshire-based ECD, is promising an IMAX-like experience in virtual reality for up to 1,200 gamers and those who watch them. The site is just the other side of I-55 from McCormick Place. Greenberg also plans a parking and retail site at 2601 S. Wabash to serve the facility. Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) and neighborhood groups back the plan, so city approval should come soon. Greenberg is aiming for mid-2022 completion. Might as well get started on this before these ventures pop up in old department stores in the suburbs.
• Last week, I reported the Chicago Cubs are eyeing the old Silver Shovel site, nearly 21 acres at Roosevelt Road and Kostner Avenue, for a baseball-oriented youth academy. The Cubs’ plan will be evaluated against other proposals for the site, because the city invited developer interest. But the Cubs could be a welcome lift for Lawndale families. The site is associated with a 1990s scandal over illegal dumping that spoke volumes over how poor neighborhoods get treated.
• On a similar theme is a proposal for a North Austin Community Center at 1830 N. LeClaire Ave., a venture of the By the Hand Club for Kids and Grace and Peace Fellowship. The nonprofit developer Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives is managing the project using New Markets Tax Credits. Its president, David Doig, said the $30 million facility could be ready by summer 2022. It will include indoor turf fields, basketball and volleyball courts, and space for after-school programs.
Keep reading David Roeder’s column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Bulls veteran Thad Young sees a bench that can do special things

Thad Young feels like the Bulls bench can develop into a special unit as this season goes on .
Then again , his actual return to that group might speed that progress along .
Young , who has been sidelined since midway through the preseason with MRSA in his left leg , felt good enough to be active on Tuesday , leaving the decision in the hands of his coach and trainers .
Billy Donovan and company obviously decided to give it a bit more time , allowing Young to have a another practice day on Wednesday , before facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Feeling good , ’ ’ Young said .
“ There ’ s no problems , no issues .
Been able to get out and play a little basketball , some three-on-three and stuff like that .
Haven ’ t really did any five-on-five activity because we haven ’ t had much time to practice nor much time to get in the gym for long periods of times with these games kind of jumping over each other.
’ ’ What will get interesting is how Donovan uses Young .
Denzel Valentine worked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it was a group that was short-handed with Tomas Satoransky and veteran Garrett Temple unavailable .
In Game 2 , Valentine was out and Donovan settled on a second unit of Otto Porter , Satoransky , Chandler Hutchison , Temple and staggered Lauri Markkanen ’ s minutes to play some center for that group .
Donovan doesn ’ t talk strategy much or show his hand , but when Young is up and running , it would make sense that Hutchison might be the odd man out .
Whichever way the coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a stabilizing force for the starters .
“ I think our second unit can be really good , just from the experience standpoint , understanding concepts , ’ ’ Young said .
“ We have a lot of defensive guys in that second unit , and then we have a really good point guard in Sato who ’ s started in this league , so he understands how to actually orchestrate and run offense and get us into position .
And then you have a couple glue guys in that second unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the best part about it is we have a unit that can really play some good defense and get the ball back for us , and being able to get out with some really decent three-point shooting.
’ ’ Donovan was very familiar with several of the key Wizards players , coaching Bradley Beal back at Florida and then Russell Westbrook in his Oklahoma City days .
“ He ’ s a great guy , ’ ’ Donovan said of Beal .
“ Really good team guy .
Has a real clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I think he ’ ll always be a guy who ’ ll always have a great impact in the locker room .
“ As it relates to Russell , I ’ ve always said this , when you have your best player when you walk in there as a coach and you ’ re never worried about whether or not this guy ’ s going to show up and compete and play , it ’ s an incredible luxury .
Because I think that ’ s really what his identity has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up every night and plays and gives everything he has.
’ ’ Young was not about to apologize for having a household of PlayStation 5s , despite it being one of the hardest game consoles to ever track down .
“ I got two kids , ’ ’ Young said laughing .
“ If I didn ’ t buy two , then they would kill each other for the one that we had .
I had to go and call in some favors to get two of them .
It actually worked out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we definitely need two of everything with our kids .
’ ’

Forward Thaddeus Young thinks the Bulls’ bench can develop into a special unit this season.
His actual return might speed the process along.
Young, who was sidelined midway through the preseason with a severe infection in his left leg, felt good enough to be listed as active Tuesday, leaving it up to coach Billy Donovan and team trainers whether he’d play against the Wizards. They decided to give it more time, allowing Young another day of practice Wednesday before the Bulls meet the Wizards again Thursday night.
“Feeling good,” Young said. “There’s no problems, no issues. Been able to get out and play a little basketball, some three-on-three and stuff like that. Haven’t really [done] any five-on-five activity because we haven’t had much time to practice, nor much time to get in the gym for long periods of times with these games kind of jumping over each other.”
It will be interesting to see how Donovan uses Young. Denzel Valentine worked with the second unit in the season opener, but the group was short-handed with Tomas Satoransky and veteran Garrett Temple unavailable. In Game 2, Valentine was out and Donovan settled on a second unit of Otto Porter Jr., Satoransky, Chandler Hutchison, Temple and Lauri Markkanen, whose minutes were staggered so he could play some center with the group.
Donovan doesn’t often talk strategy or show his hand, but when Young is up and running, it would make sense for Hutchison to be the odd man out.
In any case, Young sees the bench becoming a stabilizing force for the starters.
“I think our second unit can be really good, just from the experience standpoint, understanding concepts,” he said. “We have a lot of defensive guys in that second unit, and then we have a really good point guard in Sato, who’s started in this league, so he understands how to actually orchestrate and run offense and get us into position. And then you have a couple glue guys in that second unit that can actually play. But I think the best part about it is we have a unit that can really play some good defense and get the ball back for us, and being able to get out with some really decent three-point shooting.”
Don’t I know you guys?
Donovan is very familiar with some key Wizards players, having coached guard Bradley Beal at Florida and guard Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.
“He’s a great guy,” Donovan said of Beal. “Really good team guy. Has a real clear understanding of what goes into winning. And I think he’ll always be a guy who’ll always have a great impact in the locker room.
“As it relates to Russell, I’ve always said this: When you have your best player when you walk in there as a coach, and you’re never worried about whether or not this guy’s going to show up and compete and play, it’s an incredible luxury. Because I think that’s really what his identity has been as a player — he lines up every night and plays and gives everything he has.”
Console connections
Young wasn’t about to apologize for having a pair of PlayStation 5s in his home, despite the new video-game console being one of the hardest ever to track down.
“I’ve got two kids,” Young said, laughing. “If I didn’t buy two, then they would kill each other for the one that we had.
“I had to go and call in some favors to get two of them. It actually worked out pretty well. But, yeah, we definitely need two of everything with our kids.”


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Person fatally struck by Metra train in Villa Park, UP-W service suspended

A person died after being struck by a Metra train Tuesday in west suburban Villa Park .
The person was @ @ @ @ @ No .
47 about 5:20 p.m. near the Villa Park station , the transit agency @ @ @ @ @ confirmed the collision was fatal .
Inbound and outbound UP-W service remains halted as authorities @ @ @ @ @ Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has not released details on the death .

A person died after being struck by a Metra train Tuesday in west suburban Villa Park.
The person was struck by Metra UP-W Train No. 47 about 5:20 p.m. near the Villa Park station, the transit agency said. A Metra spokesperson confirmed the collision was fatal.
Metra Alert UP-W - Inbound and outbound train movement remains halted near Villa Park due to train #47 striking a pedestrian. — Metra UP-W (@metraUPW) December 30, 2020
Inbound and outbound UP-W service was halted for over two hours as authorities investigated the incident. Trains were running again by about 7:45 p.m., Metra said.
The DuPage County coroner’s office hasn’t released details about the death.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Solar farm proposed for toxic Southeast Side industrial site

A portion of a massive toxic industrial site on the Southeast Side is being considered for a future home to a solar farm .
The Cook County Land Bank Authority has taken title to land near East 114th Street and South Torrence Avenue , clearing the property ’ s back taxes in hopes of drawing a solar operation on about 36 acres , a spokesman said Tuesday .
The property is part of a sprawling former site of the former Acme coke operation , which has been dormant for years .
The land bank wants to lease the land to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 years .
A lease-option agreement is being drafted , and the company will have two years to decide if it wants to enter into a long-term lease .
The land is about a third of a massive area where the steel-making fuel coke was produced for almost a century , a remnant of Chicago ’ s industrial past .
Earlier this year , a Southeast Side community group asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the site so it can be developed into a park or a mix of recreational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in back property taxes owed , Cook County records show , as the land has long been abandoned .
The county land bank is set up to put properties back on the tax rolls .
The proposed transaction is a first-of-its-kind transaction for the land bank , which usually sells properties to buyers who agree to develop vacant land or buildings .
Usually , the land bank takes control of a property , clears away the back taxes and sells it .
The transaction the land bank seeks with SunPower is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the companies prefer long-term leases over land ownership .
State and federal officials previously identified the site as being highly toxic and posing a threat to trespassers .
Surrounded by two city parks , Big Marsh and Indian Ridge Marsh , community organizers say the area is a good candidate for another recreational area .
The land bank is seeking bids from companies who will assess the environmental cleanup .
“ Given the history of the site , it is important that we clearly understand the challenges , ” it said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , SunPower and Exelon developed a 41-acre solar power plant on a formerly abandoned property in West Pullman .
SunPower said it is “ optimistic ” about the Southeast project , adding the caveat it will need time to evaluate the site .
“ These projects require thorough due diligence , and we have not yet formally entered into the phase where we can determine if this site will be viable for solar , ” Nathan Griset , a SunPower senior director , said in a statement .
Peggy Salazar , whose group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA about the site , said she hopes the project has a direct benefit to the surrounding community .
“ I don ’ t have a problem with the solar farm , but if we ’ re going to be hosting this power generation , how do we benefit from it ?
” she asked .
“ The city encourages the developer to foster deep partnerships with local leaders to ensure meaningful co-benefits for the surrounding communities , ” Angela Tovar , Chicago ’ s chief sustainability officer , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thrilled at the prospect of large-scale renewable energy generation within the city limits.
” In September , the EPA said it would work with state environmental officials to determine if the site is eligible for a federal cleanup program .
A state official said she had no update on the progress .
In a statement , an EPA spokeswoman said the agency wasn ’ t aware of the solar project but added “ many redevelopments go forward independent of the federal brownfields program.
” Brett Chase ’ s reporting on the environment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant from The Chicago Community Trust .

A portion of a massive toxic industrial site on the Southeast Side is being considered for a future home to a solar farm.
The Cook County Land Bank Authority has taken title to land near East 114th Street and South Torrence Avenue, clearing the property’s back taxes in hopes of drawing a solar operation on about 36 acres, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The property is part of a sprawling former site of the former Acme coke operation, which has been dormant for years. The land bank wants to lease the land to California solar company SunPower for up to 35 years. A lease-option agreement is being drafted, and the company will have two years to decide if it wants to enter into a long-term lease.
The land is about a third of a massive area where the steel-making fuel coke was produced for almost a century, a remnant of Chicago’s industrial past. Earlier this year, a Southeast Side community group asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the site so it can be developed into a park or a mix of recreational and commercial space.
There were millions of dollars in back property taxes owed, Cook County records show, as the land has long been abandoned. The county land bank is set up to put properties back on the tax rolls.
The proposed transaction is a first-of-its-kind transaction for the land bank, which usually sells properties to buyers who agree to develop vacant land or buildings. Usually, the land bank takes control of a property, clears away the back taxes and sells it. The transaction the land bank seeks with SunPower is more typical of a solar development as the companies prefer long-term leases over land ownership.
State and federal officials previously identified the site as being highly toxic and posing a threat to trespassers. Surrounded by two city parks, Big Marsh and Indian Ridge Marsh, community organizers say the area is a good candidate for another recreational area.
The land bank is seeking bids from companies who will assess the environmental cleanup. “Given the history of the site, it is important that we clearly understand the challenges,” it said in a statement to the Sun-Times.
This overhead image shows the area in which SunPower’s solar facility will be located if it takes up 36 acres on the Southeast Sides. Provided
In 2010, SunPower and Exelon developed a 41-acre solar power plant on a formerly abandoned property in West Pullman.
SunPower said it is “optimistic” about the Southeast project, adding the caveat it will need time to evaluate the site.
“These projects require thorough due diligence, and we have not yet formally entered into the phase where we can determine if this site will be viable for solar,” Nathan Griset, a SunPower senior director, said in a statement.
Peggy Salazar, whose group the Southeast Environmental Task Force petitioned the EPA about the site, said she hopes the project has a direct benefit to the surrounding community.
“I don’t have a problem with the solar farm, but if we’re going to be hosting this power generation, how do we benefit from it?” she asked.
A city official echoed Salazar’s sentiment.
“The city encourages the developer to foster deep partnerships with local leaders to ensure meaningful co-benefits for the surrounding communities,” Angela Tovar, Chicago’s chief sustainability officer, said in a statement.
Tovar added, “We are thrilled at the prospect of large-scale renewable energy generation within the city limits.”
In September, the EPA said it would work with state environmental officials to determine if the site is eligible for a federal cleanup program. A state official said she had no update on the progress.
In a statement, an EPA spokeswoman said the agency wasn’t aware of the solar project but added “many redevelopments go forward independent of the federal brownfields program.”
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--New federal stimulus aid for small businesses means little for two local entrepreneurs

The day Chris Costoso had feared so much finally came last month .
He was forced to shut down his photography business and turn over the keys to his storefront studio .
After nearly five years in business , that studio had become a part of him , he said .
In some cases , Costoso ’ s photos chronicle some couples ’ lives together — from engagement , to wedding , and eventually , to family portraits .
“ Handing over the last key to the [ building ] owner was just horrible , ” Costoso said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt so much but as a small entrepreneur , I have put everything into my business and watched it flourish until something out of my control ended it so quickly.
” On Sunday , President Donald Trump signed a $ 900 billion pandemic relief package lauded to help people , but Costoso said for him , it ’ s “ too little , too late.
” “ This latest stimulus doesn ’ t even matter to me at this point .
It ’ s whatever .
I mean , I ’ m already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can only rely on myself to make something happen and to bring some sort of income in.
” The latest COVID-19 relief package would put $ 284 billion back into the Paycheck Protection Program , which offers forgivable loans to small businesses to keep their employees on payroll during the pandemic .
Portions of that will be dedicated to minority-owned businesses and companies in low-income areas .
An additional $ 20 billion would also go toward small business grants .
The $ 2.2 trillion CARES Act , passed in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of aid eventually reached $ 669 billion .
Costoso applied then but never received any aid .
At this point he feels both the federal and local government have let him down .
Businesses like Costoso ’ s that didn ’ t have strong relationships with the banks handling the PPP loans were left adrift , he believes .
In Illinois , 12 % of businesses and nonprofits getting loans from the PPP program accounted for 74 % of the money — meaning bigger employers benefited the most .
Costoso said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He dropped the price his photo shoots from $ 650 to just $ 100 to generate some sort of income to pay his rent on his home and his storefront , but he still fell too far behind .
And with social media hyper-politicized during the presidential campaign , it was difficult to use those platforms to market his business online .
“ People are not looking for a new photographer and they are focused on the news with coronavirus , civil unrest , the elections and then those challenging the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So much of our advertising and marketing on Facebook was just getting ignored or washed away.
” Quentin Love , owner of Turkey Chop at 3506 W. Chicago Ave. , also received no PPP assistance , or any other federal help targeting small businesses .
And even though revenue at his West Humboldt Park business has dropped by 75 % in the last nine months compared to last year , Love has no intention of applying for the new round of PPP loans .
“ It ’ s fine , because I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone to help me , ” Love said .
“ I ’ m not counting on it .
I ’ m just moving forward , looking at innovative ways to keep my business alive.
” That doesn ’ t mean Love isn ’ t committed to helping others in West Humboldt Park during the pandemic .
Love said he knows some businesses have had to shutter during this time but hesitates to blame the government .
“ We are all trying to figure this thing out and we all are suffering .
... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there that hasn ’ t lost something , ” Love said .
“ The government has been impacted , we have lost loved ones and people we care about .
But really , what else can we do ?
This is bigger than how much money is available .
I don ’ t live my life around that.
” One thing these last nine months has taught Love was how to be innovative .
He said he has collaborated with urban farms to help cut costs .
And when he couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers so he could give them hands-on experience in the culinary field and teach them how his business works .
“ I learned to evolve and really learned to be quicker on my feet , ” Love said .
“ We are still in business , we are still alive and we want to see everyone on the other side of this thing .
Because even in loss , we are winning — as long as we are alive .
”

The day Chris Costoso had feared so much finally came last month.
He was forced to shut down his photography business and turn over the keys to his storefront studio.
After nearly five years in business, that studio had become a part of him, he said.
In some cases, Costoso’s photos chronicle some couples’ lives together — from engagement, to wedding and eventually to family portraits.
“Handing over the last key to the [building] owner was just horrible,” Costoso said. “I didn’t think it would hurt so much, but as a small entrepreneur, I have put everything into my business and watched it flourish until something out of my control ended it so quickly.”
An empty Impact Images Studio, 3602 N. Lavergne Ave., photographed in April. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file photo
On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package lauded to help people, but Costoso said for him, it’s “too little, too late.”
“This latest stimulus doesn’t even matter to me at this point. It’s whatever. I mean, I’m already shut down,” Costoso said. “I can only rely on myself to make something happen and to bring some sort of income in.”
The latest COVID-19 relief package would put $284 billion back into the Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses to keep their employees on payroll during the pandemic. Portions of that will be dedicated to minority-owned businesses and companies in low-income areas.
An additional $20 billion would also go toward small business grants.
The $2.2 trillion CARES Act, passed in March, created the PPP program; that first round of aid eventually reached $669 billion.
Costoso applied then but never received any aid. At this point, he feels both the federal and local government have let him down.
Chris Costoso had to shut down his businesses at Impact Images Studio, 3602 N. Lavergne Ave. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file photo
Businesses like Costoso’s that didn’t have strong relationships with the banks handling the PPP loans were left adrift, he believes. In Illinois, 12% of businesses and nonprofits getting loans from the PPP program accounted for 74% of the money — meaning bigger employers benefited the most.
Costoso said he did everything to keep his business afloat. He dropped the price his photo shoots from $650 to just $100 to generate some sort of income to pay his rent on his home and his storefront, but he still fell too far behind.
And with social media hyper-politicized during the presidential campaign, it was difficult to use those platforms to market his business online.
“People are not looking for a new photographer, and they are focused on the news with coronavirus, civil unrest, the elections and then those challenging the election results,” Costoso said. “So much of our advertising and marketing on Facebook was just getting ignored or washed away.”
Quentin Love, owner of Turkey Chop at 3506 W. Chicago Ave., also received no PPP assistance, or any other federal help targeting small businesses.
And even though revenue at his West Humboldt Park business has dropped by 75% in the last nine months compared to last year, Love has no intention of applying for the new round of PPP loans.
“It’s fine, because I don’t live my life waiting for someone to help me,” Love said. “I’m not counting on it. I’m just moving forward, looking at innovative ways to keep my business alive.”
That doesn’t mean Love isn’t committed to helping others in West Humboldt Park during the pandemic.
Revenue at his restaurant, Turkey Chop, is way down this year, but owner Quentin Love continues to donate 25% of revenue to those in need. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Love said he knows some businesses have had to shutter during this time but hesitates to blame the government.
“We are all trying to figure this thing out, and we all are suffering. ... There isn’t a single person out there that hasn’t lost something,” Love said. “The government has been impacted, we have lost loved ones and people we care about. But really, what else can we do? This is bigger than how much money is available. I don’t live my life around that.”
One thing these last nine months has taught Love was how to be innovative. He said he has collaborated with urban farms to help cut costs. And when he couldn’t afford staff, he brought in volunteers so he could give them hands-on experience in the culinary field and teach them how his business works.
“I learned to evolve and really learned to be quicker on my feet,” Love said. “We are still in business, we are still alive, and we want to see everyone on the other side of this thing. Because even in loss, we are winning — as long as we are alive.”
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Radio vet, West Side native Mark Ruffin’s ‘Bebop Fairy Tales’ combines loves of jazz, baseball

Chicago radio veteran Mark Ruffin remembers the moment he fell in love with jazz .
It was as he watched his family ’ s West Side record store , Ruffin ’ s TV and Records , get robbed .
“ My dad was at work , and my mom was watching the store , ” Ruffin says .
“ My little sister was in a carriage , and a guy walks in with a woman , and he pulls a gun on my mom .
He has the woman go around .
She went around the bench , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they just took all these records .
On the turntable was the Miles Davis single ‘ If I Were A Bell.
’ ” Hearing Davis ’ voice kept him from being nervous even though , he says , “ I could feel the inherent danger .
I ’ ve always said music is a spirit , and that was the first time that spirit protected me and has protected me ever since.
” His love of jazz has stayed with him ever since .
A devoted Cubs fan , he also has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance encounter at a party , he was able to combine those two loves in the recently released , self-published book “ Bebop Fairy Tales : An Historical Fiction Trilogy on Jazz , Intolerance , and Baseball ” ( $ 20 ) .
“ I really didn ’ t know what I wanted to do until the ’ 90s , when I fell in love with screenwriting — I fell hard , ” says Ruffin , a West Side native who ’ s now program director for SiriusXM radio ’ s “ Real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start writing fictional screenplays , a lot of jazz stories just invaded my head .
My connections got one of them to Spike Lee , who told me it was ‘ OK , ’ but period pieces cost a lot of money , and I was always discouraged by that .
“ The actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a friend of mine , and he took me to a party , and a guy who was sympathetic to my plight said , ‘ Do you know “ Brokeback Mountain ” comes from a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the light.
” “ Bebop Fairy Tales ” includes three stories : “ The Saturday Night Fish Fry , ” “ The Sidewinder ” and “ ‘ Round Midnight with the Ku Klux Klan , ” which tells the story of a baseball player who endured an abusive upbringing .
“ A southern Mississippi white guy unsure of his sexuality is bullied as a kid by a sadistic father — a former minor league pitcher — who made sure that his effeminate son could do one thing : hit a baseball , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Through a fluke , he became a baseball hero in college , and he has a nice job in New York City when he hears Thelonious Monk , and it changes his life.
” As Ruffin was writing the book , he learned of jazz writers with the same interest in baseball he has .
“ For some reason , especially in the ’ 70s and ’ 80s , Chicago was a center of jazz criticism , ” says Ruffin , who names Cubs leftfielder Billy Williams as his favorite baseball player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them were also big baseball fans .
There ’ s a lot of improvising in baseball .
You don ’ t see one person — a collection of people , but it ’ s always one person soloing .
It ’ s either the pitcher with the ball or the batter , and it takes a collective of people to get through the whole thing.
” Ruffin had a 25-year run in radio at WBEZ-FM ( 91.5 ) , WDCB-FM ( 90.9 ) , the old WBEE-AM ( 1570 ) and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as having been a cultural correspondent for WTTW-Channel 11 and a freelance music writer for the Sun-Times .
He says jazz and baseball both have a problem winning the interest of millennials of color .
“ They ’ re having a hard problem with minority kids because soccer and basketball are so much cheaper to do in the neighborhood , ” he says .
“ And I think both of these genres are looking at a point where they could lose their audience if they don ’ t do something .
Although jazz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always find jazz , so it is coming back a bit now .
Baseball could be in trouble.
” Ruffin hopes his book can be an impetus for people to take a look at themselves , see their own biases and find ways to get past them .
“ I would love for the world to get along better , and there are so many things through history that have impeded that , ” he says .
“ I just want to show some of those things in a fun , historical kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeded us , how we can look to ourselves , and how to make it better .
”

Chicago radio veteran Mark Ruffin remembers the moment he fell in love with jazz.
It was as he watched his family’s West Side record store, Ruffin’s TV and Records, get robbed.
“My dad was at work, and my mom was watching the store,” Ruffin says. “My little sister was in a carriage, and a guy walks in with a woman, and he pulls a gun on my mom. He has the woman go around. She went around the bench, and she picked up a few radios, and they just took all these records. On the turntable was the Miles Davis single ‘If I Were A Bell.’ ”
Hearing Davis’ voice kept him from being nervous even though, he says, “I could feel the inherent danger. I’ve always said music is a spirit, and that was the first time that spirit protected me and has protected me ever since.”
His love of jazz has stayed with him ever since. A devoted Cubs fan, he also has a passion for baseball.
Thanks to a chance encounter at a party, he was able to combine those two loves in the recently released, self-published book “Bebop Fairy Tales: An Historical Fiction Trilogy on Jazz, Intolerance, and Baseball” ($20).
“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do until the ’90s, when I fell in love with screenwriting — I fell hard,” says Ruffin, a West Side native who’s now program director for SiriusXM radio’s “Real Jazz.” “When I decided to start writing fictional screenplays, a lot of jazz stories just invaded my head. My connections got one of them to Spike Lee, who told me it was ‘OK,’ but period pieces cost a lot of money, and I was always discouraged by that.
“The actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a friend of mine, and he took me to a party, and a guy who was sympathetic to my plight said, ‘Do you know “Brokeback Mountain” comes from a book of short stories?’ And that was the light.”
“Bebop Fairy Tales” includes three stories: “The Saturday Night Fish Fry,” “The Sidewinder” and “ ‘Round Midnight with the Ku Klux Klan,” which tells the story of a baseball player who endured an abusive upbringing.
“A southern Mississippi white guy unsure of his sexuality is bullied as a kid by a sadistic father — a former minor league pitcher — who made sure that his effeminate son could do one thing: hit a baseball,” Ruffin says of the story. “Through a fluke, he became a baseball hero in college, and he has a nice job in New York City when he hears Thelonious Monk, and it changes his life.”
As Ruffin was writing the book, he learned of jazz writers with the same interest in baseball he has.
“For some reason, especially in the ’70s and ’80s, Chicago was a center of jazz criticism,” says Ruffin, who names Cubs leftfielder Billy Williams as his favorite baseball player ever. “More than 75% of them were also big baseball fans. There’s a lot of improvising in baseball. You don’t see one person — a collection of people, but it’s always one person soloing. It’s either the pitcher with the ball or the batter, and it takes a collective of people to get through the whole thing.”
Ruffin had a 25-year run in radio at WBEZ-FM (91.5), WDCB-FM (90.9), the old WBEE-AM (1570) and the old WNUA-FM (95.5) as well as having been a cultural correspondent for WTTW-Channel 11 and a freelance music writer for the Sun-Times.
He says jazz and baseball both have a problem winning the interest of millennials of color.
“They’re having a hard problem with minority kids because soccer and basketball are so much cheaper to do in the neighborhood,” he says. “And I think both of these genres are looking at a point where they could lose their audience if they don’t do something. Although jazz is coming back, and young kids always find jazz, so it is coming back a bit now. Baseball could be in trouble.”
Ruffin hopes his book can be an impetus for people to take a look at themselves, see their own biases and find ways to get past them.
“I would love for the world to get along better, and there are so many things through history that have impeded that,” he says. “I just want to show some of those things in a fun, historical kind of way — those things that have impeded us, how we can look to ourselves, and how to make it better.”


chicagosun-times--2020-12-29--Cubs’ trade of Yu Darvish is a sad, sorry ending to a story that could have been better

The Cubs are finished .
Done for .
Lonely outcasts dragging tail and disappearing into the sunset .
It seems they aren ’ t much as deal makers , either .
By trading ace Yu Darvish to the Padres , they ’ ve thrown in the towel .
They ’ ve waved the white flag , and not the kind with a big , blue , beautiful “ W ” on it .
They ’ ve closed the winning window , latched it and boarded it up .
No , it isn ’ t .
How sad , truly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ great team is pulled apart , and the Cubs did indeed touch greatness .
It didn ’ t last .
They didn ’ t maintain it to the extent many of us believed they would .
They touched it , though , drank it in , luxuriated in it , and it was quite something for the rest of us to behold .
But these things don ’ t end well — ever — and the Cubs of Theo Epstein , who is gone , and Joe Maddon , who is gone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no exception .
As far as the players the Cubs received for Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini — veteran starter Zach Davies and prospects Reginald Preciado , Yeison Santana , Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena ?
I don ’ t know them from the holes in my pandemic sweatpants .
But I did a little clicking around , as one does at a time like this , and saw one outlet deem the Cubs ’ haul “ shockingly light , ” another call it “ hysterically funny ” and another claim it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as time to stop reading and make a sandwich .
Did new Cubs president Jed Hoyer get fleeced ?
What will he get for catcher Willson Contreras — the next big chip rumored to go — a pocketful of lint and a hearty thank-you ?
Is the salary-dumping Ricketts family really so over a barrel financially that their Christmas stockings were stuffed with $ 50s , not $ 100s ?
Will curling up into the fetal position be worked on along with fielding and base running at spring training ?
So many unpleasant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly face more of them than Darvish has types of pitches in his one-of-a-kind arsenal .
Remember “ the Supreme , ” whatever the heck that pitch was ?
Or is , actually .
San Diegans get to marvel at it now .
The Padres , who also traded for Rays ace Blake Snell , are fully in go-for-the-jugular mode .
If the champion Dodgers aren ’ t quaking in their cleats , they ’ re certainly well aware of the serious and credible threat coming from a bit over 100 miles down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be scarier and more concerning than the threat coming from Wrigley Field the last two or three seasons .
Once , the Cubs were on top .
Then , the Dodgers overtook them .
The Cubs tried to keep climbing , but a few other teams stepped on their heads on the way up .
And now , the Cubs are falling .
That ’ s pretty much how these things work .
Some will reach for the romance of it all .
As in , the Cubs have returned to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We get to say “ Wait ’ til next year !
” again .
We can die with smiles on our faces because a 108-year drought ended , a curse was lifted , the magically unthinkable happened and so on .
But some are too easily charmed , aren ’ t they ?
The mega-market Cubs are back to playing organizational small ball , and that ’ s putting it nicely .
They ’ re pulling themselves apart .
They ’ re disappearing before our eyes .
One wonders how many card-carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other team in town .
Perhaps you ’ ve heard whispers along those lines from a couple of your buddies .
Maybe your Aunt Dotty isn ’ t ripping the South Siders with the usual bite as she nears the bottom of her nightly Rob Roy .
Could be you ’ re doing a bit of warming yourself .
Look , just admit it already .
• Quick show of hands : Who has the Bears beating the Packers on Sunday ?
Well , that ’ s not very encouraging .
Yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the back .
Put your hand down before you spill your drink .
• Packers 34 , Bears 13 .
Rams 24 , Cardinals 21 ( OT ) .
Bears stumble into a wild-card spot .
A city rejoices .
Angels sing .
Wait , that playoff game might not go very well at all .
• Did I miss a memo or a new law stating that every good new athlete who comes along must be characterized in the media as a “ generational talent ” ?
Certain words and phrases have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lexicon , which is fine , but this “ generational ” business must stop .
If you tell me Bubba is a generational tackle , then you ’ d better not tell me Tiny , Cletus and half a dozen other guys are generational tackles , too .
That ’ s not just bad writing .
That ’ s bad thinking .
• Here ’ s to a full and speedy recovery by Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews , who will not be with the team at training camp as he focuses on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave the light on for him .

So long, suckers.
The Cubs are finished. Done for. Lonely outcasts dragging tail and disappearing into the sunset.
It seems they aren’t much as deal-makers, either.
Win, no.
Capitulate, yes.
By trading ace Yu Darvish to the Padres, they’ve thrown in the towel. They’ve waved the white flag — and not the kind with a big, blue, beautiful “W” on it. They’ve closed the winning window, latched it and boarded it up.
Hey, isn’t this fun?
No, it isn’t. How sad, truly. It’s always sad when a great team is pulled apart, and the Cubs did indeed touch greatness. It didn’t last. They didn’t maintain it to the extent many of us believed they would. They touched it, though — drank it in, luxuriated in it — and it was quite something for the rest of us to behold. But these things don’t end well, ever, and the Cubs of Theo Epstein, who is gone, and Joe Maddon, who is gone, and Darvish, who is gone, are no exception.
This thing ended pathetically.
As far as the players the Cubs received Monday for Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini — veteran starter Zach Davies and prospects Reginald Preciado, Yeison Santana, Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena — I don’t know them from the holes in my pandemic sweatpants. But I did a little clicking around, as one does at a time like this, and saw one outlet deem the Cubs’ haul “shockingly light.” Another called it “hysterically funny” and another claimed it “makes no sense.”
Otherwise known as “time to stop reading and make a sandwich.”
Did new Cubs president Jed Hoyer get fleeced? What will he get for catcher Willson Contreras, the next big chip rumored to go — a pocketful of lint and a hearty thank you? Is the salary-dumping Ricketts family really so over a barrel financially that their Christmas stockings were stuffed with $50 bills, not hundreds? Will curling into the fetal position be worked on at spring training, along with fielding and baserunning?
So many unpleasant questions. The Cubs and their fans suddenly face more of them than Darvish has types of pitches in his one-of-a-kind arsenal. Remember “The Supreme,” whatever the heck that pitch was? Or is, actually. San Diegans get to marvel at it now.
The Padres, who also traded for Rays ace Blake Snell, are fully in go-for-the-jugular mode. If the World Series champion Dodgers aren’t quaking in their cleats, they’re certainly well aware of the serious and credible threat coming from a bit over 100 miles down the coast. It has to be scarier and more concerning than the threat coming from Wrigley Field the last two or three seasons.
Once, the Cubs were on top. Then, the Dodgers overtook them. The Cubs tried to keep climbing, but a few other teams stepped on their heads on the way up. And now the Cubs are falling.
That’s pretty much how these things work.
Some will reach for the romance of it all — that the Cubs have returned to their natural “Lovable Losers” state. We get to say “Wait ’til next year!” again. We can die with smiles on our faces because a 108-year drought ended, a curse was lifted, the magically unthinkable happened and so on.
But some are too easily charmed, aren’t they?
The mega-market Cubs are back to playing organizational small ball, and that’s putting it nicely. They’re pulling themselves apart. They’re disappearing before our eyes.
It’s sad. It’s pathetic. It’s over.
JUST SAYIN’
How ’bout those White Sox?
No, really.
One wonders how many card-carrying Cubs fans find themselves warming to the other team in town. Perhaps you’ve heard whispers along those lines from a couple of your buddies. Maybe your Aunt Dotty isn’t ripping the South Siders with the usual bite as she nears the bottom of her nightly Rob Roy. Could be you’re doing a bit of warming yourself.
Look, just admit it already.
• Quick show of hands: Who has the Bears beating the Packers on Sunday?
Well, that’s not very encouraging.
Yes, Aunt Dotty, we see you in the back. Put your hand down before you spill your drink.
• Packers 34, Bears 13. Rams 24, Cardinals 21 (OT). Bears stumble into a wild-card spot. A city rejoices. Angels sing. Wait, that playoff game might not go very well at all.
And print it.
• Did I miss a memo or a new law stating that every good new athlete who comes along must be characterized in the media as a “generational talent”?
Certain words and phrases have a way of oozing into the sports lexicon, which is fine, but this “generational” business must stop. If you tell me Bubba is a generational tackle, then you’d better not tell me Tiny, Cletus and half a dozen other guys are generational tackles, too. That’s not just bad writing. That’s bad thinking.
• Here’s to a full and speedy recovery by Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who will not be with the team at training camp as he focuses on an undisclosed medical issue.
We’ll leave the light on for him.