chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Voting during a pandemic? Expect in person drive-thrus, sports arenas on Nov. 3?

SALT LAKE CITY — Voting will look a little different this November .
States are turning to stadiums , drive-thrus and possibly even movie theaters as safe options for in-person polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic and fears about mail-in ballots failing to arrive in time to count .
The primary season brought voters to an outdoor wedding-style tent in Vermont and the state fairgrounds in Kentucky .
The general election on Nov. 3 is expected to include voting at NBA arenas around the country , part of an agreement owners made with players to combat racial injustice .
Large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing that helps prevent the spread of the virus , though there are questions about keeping people warm as the weather gets cold and the possibility that fewer traditional neighborhood polling places could lower voter turnout .
Election Day is expected to bring a surge in mail-in voting , but some people may feel more comfortable casting their ballots in person amid concerns about recent mail delays following a series of operational changes at the U.S .
Postal Service and President Donald Trump stoking unfounded claims of voter fraud .
Several states conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mail-in voting is well established in others .
In June , Utah broke voter turnout records despite not opening traditional polling places because of the virus .
In-person voting will be back in November , but rather than only using schools , churches and public buildings like usual , clerks also are permitted to set up drive-thru or outdoor polling places .
The family that owns the NBA ’ s Utah Jazz also has a chain of movie theaters and offered three as voting sites in November .
One suburban Salt Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where voters drove through an indoor convention center to pick up their ballots , completed them in their cars and then dropped them off in an outdoor parking area .
Davis County Clerk Curtis Koch said the system will be in place for the general election , too .
Chad Berbert , a 46-year-old Republican , said he ’ ll probably vote by mail in the fall , but he ’ s glad officials are offering alternative voting methods .
“ The more options for voting in terms of mechanisms or ways that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is helpful , ” said Berbert , who lives in Layton , Utah , and works at a management consulting firm .
Less than 1 % of Utah voters chose in-person options in June , according to election officials .
But in states where voters are less familiar with mail-in voting , unorthodox in-person options will provide a safe alternative , said Charles Stewart , a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
In Los Angeles , Dodger Stadium will be used as a vote center as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a voting rights organization launched by LeBron James that ’ s dedicated to maximizing Black turnout in November .
Many Black voters — one of the Democratic Party ’ s most important voting groups — are wary of voting by mail amid historical skepticism of a system that tried to keep Black people from the polls and worries that a mailed ballot won ’ t get counted .
Several teams , including the Milwaukee Bucks , Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks , had already committed their arenas to be voting sites prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Madison Square Garden also will be among the sports stadiums used .
The idea to use large spaces for in-person voting started in Kentucky , where Louisville ’ s only option in the June primary was an exposition center at the state fairgrounds .
Organizers carefully laid out chalk markings where voters could safely stand in line , though there were complications as voters struggled to find parking at the end of the day .
In Vermont , the tiny town of Lincoln voted during an August primary in a wedding-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Being outdoors in the summer gave Ober some unexpected brushes with nature .
As she was setting up , she picked up a baby robin from the street and rescued a speckled fawn that got stuck on a fence .
A toad also hopped through the tent during voting .
“ It was very funny and cute and sweet that wildlife was involved with our voting day , ” Ober said .
The primary set turnout records , largely driven by mail-in voting .
All active Vermont voters will get a mail-in ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have allowed for outdoor and drive-thru voting systems .
In Lincoln , Ober is again preparing for people who want to vote in person .
But in a state where below-freezing temperatures are normal for November , the tent likely won ’ t make another appearance .

SALT LAKE CITY — Voting will look a little different this November. States are turning to stadiums, drive-thrus and possibly even movie theaters as safe options for in-person polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic and fears about mail-in ballots failing to arrive in time to count.
The primary season brought voters to an outdoor wedding-style tent in Vermont and the state fairgrounds in Kentucky. The general election on Nov. 3 is expected to include voting at NBA arenas around the country, part of an agreement owners made with players to combat racial injustice.
Large venues and outdoor spaces allow for social distancing that helps prevent the spread of the virus, though there are questions about keeping people warm as the weather gets cold and the possibility that fewer traditional neighborhood polling places could lower voter turnout.
Election Day is expected to bring a surge in mail-in voting, but some people may feel more comfortable casting their ballots in person amid concerns about recent mail delays following a series of operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service and President Donald Trump stoking unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Several states conduct their elections almost entirely by mail, and mail-in voting is well established in others.
In June, Utah broke voter turnout records despite not opening traditional polling places because of the virus. In-person voting will be back in November, but rather than only using schools, churches and public buildings like usual, clerks also are permitted to set up drive-thru or outdoor polling places.
The family that owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz also has a chain of movie theaters and offered three as voting sites in November.
One suburban Salt Lake City county ran a primary polling place where voters drove through an indoor convention center to pick up their ballots, completed them in their cars and then dropped them off in an outdoor parking area. Davis County Clerk Curtis Koch said the system will be in place for the general election, too.
Chad Berbert, a 46-year-old Republican, said he’ll probably vote by mail in the fall, but he’s glad officials are offering alternative voting methods.
“The more options for voting in terms of mechanisms or ways that people can exercise their franchise I think is helpful,” said Berbert, who lives in Layton, Utah, and works at a management consulting firm.
Less than 1% of Utah voters chose in-person options in June, according to election officials. But in states where voters are less familiar with mail-in voting, unorthodox in-person options will provide a safe alternative, said Charles Stewart, a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium will be used as a vote center as part of a joint effort with More Than A Vote, a voting rights organization launched by LeBron James that’s dedicated to maximizing Black turnout in November. Many Black voters — one of the Democratic Party’s most important voting groups — are wary of voting by mail amid historical skepticism of a system that tried to keep Black people from the polls and worries that a mailed ballot won’t get counted.
Several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, had already committed their arenas to be voting sites prior to the NBA’s announcement last week. Madison Square Garden also will be among the sports stadiums used.
The idea to use large spaces for in-person voting started in Kentucky, where Louisville’s only option in the June primary was an exposition center at the state fairgrounds. Organizers carefully laid out chalk markings where voters could safely stand in line, though there were complications as voters struggled to find parking at the end of the day.
In Vermont, the tiny town of Lincoln voted during an August primary in a wedding-style tent, clerk Sally Ober said. Being outdoors in the summer gave Ober some unexpected brushes with nature. As she was setting up, she picked up a baby robin from the street and rescued a speckled fawn that got stuck on a fence. A toad also hopped through the tent during voting.
“It was very funny and cute and sweet that wildlife was involved with our voting day,” Ober said.
The primary set turnout records, largely driven by mail-in voting. All active Vermont voters will get a mail-in ballot for the November election, and lawmakers also have allowed for outdoor and drive-thru voting systems.
In Lincoln, Ober is again preparing for people who want to vote in person. But in a state where below-freezing temperatures are normal for November, the tent likely won’t make another appearance.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Bears’ roster deadline cuts reveal their thinking at RB, CB, K

None of the Bears ’ cuts Saturday to get down to the 53-man roster limit were shocking , but the players they dropped revealed key aspects of their plan for the upcoming season .
At kicker , a touchy subject for this team for years , the Bears kept Eddy Pineiro on the active roster despite a groin injury that has prevented him from kicking in practice for most or all of the preseason .
They put Cairo Santos on waivers with the intent to sign him to their practice squad Sunday .
Either player could kick in their opener @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect up to four practice squad players per week this season , a provision to deal with potential coronavirus outbreaks , so the Bears could easily bring Santos aboard the day before the game .
While the mechanics of that plan are sound , the wisdom might not be .
Pineiro made 82.1 percent of his field goals , tying for 17th in the NFL , and a lingering injury would throw even more uncertainty into the kicking game .
And Santos , who hasn ’ t been a full-time kicker since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after going 0 for 4 in a game last season .
The Bears could look beyond Halas Hall at the many veterans available , including Nick Folk .
He made 14 of 17 field goals as a fill-in for the Patriots last season .
Their other moves — or absence of them , at some positions — show what they ’ re thinking heading into the opener .
That ’ s especially true at running back and cornerback .
Not only did the Bears decline to sign Leonard Fournette or Adrian Peterson when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the preseason , they cut impressive undrafted rookie running back Artavis Pierce .
None of the undrafted rookies made the team , by the way .
Those players typically have the most to gain in Organized Team Activities and minicamp , which were canceled this year .
Since they felt free to trim an already slim running back room , the Bears must think David Montgomery will be relatively fine after going down with a groin injury Aug. 26 , or that if he misses a game or two , they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen , Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall .
It was a slight surprise to see them waive third-year cornerback Kevin Toliver , who began training camp eying a starting job and ended it with rookies bypassing him on the depth chart .
His exit is the clearest sign yet that the Bears are ready to proceed with second-rounder Jaylon Johnson as the starter and fifth-rounder Kindle Vildor as a second-stringer .
If they think they still need reinforcement in the secondary , two players from last season are on the market : cornerback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Amukamara signed with the Raiders and Clinton-Dix with the Cowboys , but both were cut recently .
Given how little interest the Bears showed in keeping either of them and how long they lasted as free agents , a reunion seems unlikely .
Speaking of reunions , though , there should be plenty of them with players cut Saturday .
The Bears cut Tyler Bray but it ’ s nearly certain they ’ ll bring him back as their third quarterback ( Thirty-one other quarterbacks were cut Saturday , including former first-round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also hard to see them leaving Ledarius Mack out in the cold when his superstar older brother would obviously want him around .
Concerns about the pandemic prompted the NFL to tighten training camp rosters to 80 and expand the practice squad to 16 .
That means almost two-thirds of the players the Bears cut could return , and the league anticipated that scenario by allowing players to remain in team “ bubbles ” through Monday to smooth out the process of signing them to practice squads .

None of the Bears’ cuts Saturday to get down to the 53-man roster were shocking, but the players they dropped revealed key aspects of their plan for the upcoming -season.
At kicker, a touchy subject for them for years, the Bears kept Eddy Pineiro on the active roster despite a groin injury that has prevented him from kicking in practice for most or all of the preseason. They put Cairo Santos on waivers with the intent of signing him to the practice squad Sunday.
Either could kick in the opener at the Lions. Teams are allowed to protect up to four practice-squad players per week, a provision to deal with potential coronavirus outbreaks, so the Bears could bring Santos aboard the day before the game.
While the mechanics of that plan are sound, the wisdom might not be.
Pineiro made 82.1% of his field-goal tries, tying for 17th in the NFL, and a lingering injury would throw even more uncertainty into the kicking game. And Santos, who hasn’t been a full-time kicker since 2016, was cut by the Titans after going 0-for-4 in a game last season.
The Bears could look beyond Halas Hall at the many veterans available, including Nick Folk. He made 14 of 17 field goals as a fill-in for the Patriots last season.
Their other moves — or absence of them, at some positions — show what they’re thinking heading into the opener. That’s especially true at running back and cornerback.
Not only did the Bears decline to sign Leonard Fournette or Adrian Peterson when they were available the final week of the preseason, they cut impressive undrafted rookie running back Artavis Pierce.
None of the undrafted rookies made the team, by the way. Those players typically have the most to gain in Organized Team Activities and minicamp, which were canceled this year.
Since they felt free to trim an already slim running back room, the Bears must believe that David Montgomery will be relatively fine after going down with a groin injury Aug. 26, or that if he misses a game or two, they’re content to cover his absence with Tarik Cohen, Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall.
It was a slight surprise to see them waive third-year cornerback Kevin Toliver, who began training camp targeting a starting job and ended it with rookies bypassing him on the depth chart.
His exit is the clearest sign yet that the Bears are ready to proceed with second-rounder Jaylon Johnson as the starter and fifth-rounder Kindle Vildor as a second-stringer.
If they believe they still need reinforcement in the secondary, two players from last season are on the market: cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Amukamara signed with the Raiders and Clinton-Dix with the Cowboys, but both were cut recently.
Given how little interest the Bears showed in keeping either of them and how long they lasted as free agents, a reunion seems -unlikely.
Speaking of reunions, there should be plenty of them with players cut Saturday. The Bears jettisoned Tyler Bray, but it’s nearly certain they’ll bring him back as their third quarterback. (Thirty-one other quarterbacks were cut Saturday, including former first-round pick Josh Rosen.) It’s also hard to see them leaving Ledarius Mack out in the cold when his superstar older brother would obviously want him around.
Concerns about the pandemic prompted the NFL to tighten training camp rosters to 80 and expand the practice squad to 16. That means almost two-thirds of the players the Bears cut could return, and the league anticipated that scenario by allowing players to remain in team “bubbles” through Monday to smooth out the process of signing them to practice squads.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Illinois reports another massive daily tally COVID-19 caseload: 2,806 (LIVE UPDATES)

2,806 new Illinois coronavirus cases , another massive daily tally among the highest since May Illinois reported another massive load of 2,806 new coronavirus cases confirmed statewide on Saturday , one of the highest daily totals since the worst of the pandemic almost four months ago .
It ’ s not as staggering as the record-high 5,368 cases of COVID-19 announced a day earlier by the Illinois Department of Public Health , but that bloated Friday figure included up to three days ’ worth of delayed test results due to a now-fixed data processing backlog , officials said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the backlog period , meaning Saturday ’ s whopping caseload could mark the most in a single day since Illinois logged 3,239 cases May 14 .
Still , the latest cases were confirmed among 61,935 tests submitted to the state , almost triple the state ’ s testing capacity in May .
7:05 p.m. Pope set to make first trip since pandemic to saint ’ s town Pope Francis is next month set to make what would be his first visit outside Rome since Italy was put under lockdown in early March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe to feel the full brunt of the coronavirus pandemic .
The pope is to journey to Assisi , the birthplace in the central Italian region of Umbria of his namesake saint , to sign an authoritative papal letter to clergy and faithful worldwide — a document known as an encyclical , the Vatican said Saturday .
The encyclical is expected to stress the value of brotherly relations during and after the pandemic , a theme Francis evoked repeatedly during the pandemic .
Encyclicals lay out a pontiff ’ s views on important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy in the years to come .
Well before the sun rises and then again after school , Arrissa Swails feeds and waters her goats , fancy chickens and three dairy cows .
There ’ s another trip to the barn at night to hustle the chickens into their coop .
It ’ s a daily routine that typically takes the high school senior at least three hours .
This week , she ’ d be parading her livestock at the Hancock County Fair , hoping to win a grand champion ribbon during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there is no fair this year for her or anyone else , another tradition wiped away from the 2020 calendar by the coronavirus .
4:10 p.m. Child care crisis pushes US mothers out of the labor force during coronavirus Angela Wynn had just launched her own project management business , hitting a career stride after years of struggle that began with earning an undergraduate degree as a single mother .
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit , forcing many schools to shift online .
The now-married mother of five saw little choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business to help three of her children cope with remote learning while her husband , the primary breadwinner , kept his job at a senior living center .
“ To see all that come to fruition , I did it , but now it ’ s gone , ” said Wynn , who has always been the main caretaker for her children , ages 1 , 5 , 11 , 12 and 18 .
“ But my priority is my kids and their education is everything.
” Wynn ’ s story is becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a retreat of working mothers from the U.S. labor force as the pandemic leaves parents with few child care options and the added burden of navigating distance learning .
Public health officials on Friday blamed a slowdown in Illinois ’ coronavirus test reporting system for the state ’ s largest-ever batch of new COVID-19 cases reported in a single day : 5,368 .
The unprecedented caseload was confirmed among a whopping 149,273 tests reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health , the result of a backlog that officials say they discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test results electronically to the state every day , but the state ’ s data processing system began working “ slower than normal ” on Tuesday , according to Derek Lindblom , head of the state ’ s testing team .
By the time the delay was cleared Thursday afternoon , a testing backlog of up to two days had piled up , Lindblom said .
“ Even a short delay of a day or a day and a half in processing will lead to a significant increase in test reporting , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case count soared past the previous high of 4,014 new cases reported at Illinois ’ initial height of the pandemic May 12 .
And the test count dwarfed the state ’ s previous high of 56,766 tests reported Aug. 22 .
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here .
NEW YORK — Ahead of Labor Day , unions representing millions across several working-class sectors are threatening to authorize work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid calls for concrete measures that address racial injustice .
In a statement first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders who represent teachers , auto workers , truck drivers and clerical staff , among others , signaled a willingness Friday to escalate protest tactics to force local and federal lawmakers to take action on policing reform and systemic racism .
They said the walkouts , if they were to move forward with them , would last for as long as needed .
“ The status quo — of police killing Black people , of armed white nationalists killing demonstrators , of millions sick and increasingly desperate — is clearly unjust , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement says .
It was signed by several branches of the American Federation of State , County and Municipal Employees , the Service Employees International Union , and affiliates of the National Education Association .
The broader labor movement has been vocal since the May 25 killing of George Floyd , a handcuffed Black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest over counterfeit money .
The death of Floyd in Minneapolis set off an unprecedented surge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer .
In July , organized labor staged a daylong strike with workers from the service industry , fast-food chains and the gig economy to call out the lack of coronavirus pandemic protections for essential workers , who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic .
9:48 a.m. Congressional Budget Office warns of largest budget deficit since 1945 WASHINGTON — The U.S. government ’ s war against the coronavirus is imposing the heaviest strain on the Treasury since America ’ s drive to defeat Nazi Germany and imperial Japan three-quarters of a century ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the government this year will run the largest budget deficit , as a share of the economy , since 1945 , when World War II ended .
Next year , the federal debt — the sum of the year-after-year gush of annual deficits — is forecast to exceed the size of the entire American economy for the first time since 1946 .
Within a few years , it ’ s on track to set a new high .
It might be surprising to hear that most economists consider the money well-spent — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s wise to quibble with the amount of borrowing deemed necessary to sustain American households and businesses through the gravest public health crisis in more than 100 years .
That ’ s especially true , economists say , when the government ’ s borrowing costs are super-low and investors still seem eager to buy its debt as fast as the Treasury issues it .
7:22 a.m. Will long Labor Day weekend mean another coronavirus spike ?
HARTFORD , Conn. — Stir-crazy in some cases after the dreary Summer of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid warnings from public health officials not to make the same mistakes they did over Memorial Day and July Fourth .
The fear is that backyard parties , crowded bars and other gatherings could cause the coronavirus to come surging back “ I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious-disease expert .
“ Are we going to go in the right direction and continue the momentum downward , or are we going to have to step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge ?
” The warnings came as a widely cited model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projected a worsening outbreak in the U.S. that will peak in early December at about 2,900 deaths per day , up from about 860 a day now , unless government officials take action .
Over the summer , the U.S. saw a rise in infections , deaths and hospitalizations , primarily in the South and West , that was blamed in part on Americans behaving heedlessly over Memorial Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Hall of Fame pitcher who was the heart of the Miracle Mets team , has died at 75 of lewy body dementia and COVID-19 .
• Dwayne “ The Rock ” Johnson , wife and two daughters tested positive for COVID-19 .
• Public health officials on Thursday announced 1,360 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Illinois , marking the smallest daily caseload in more than three weeks amid a summertime resurgence statewide .
8:17 a.m. Big Ten presidents need to keep listening to medical experts , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than college football players do .
These people will do anything for their kids .
You get the distinct feeling that some of them would die for their children ’ s right to contract COVID-19 while playing the game they love .
Parents of players at Ohio State , Nebraska , Penn State and Iowa have taken the Big Ten ’ s decision to cancel the football season very , very personally .
They ’ ve signed petitions , raised pickets and held news conferences .
The kids have worked so hard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at stake , they say .
On the other side of the ledger , the sane side , are the risks associated with playing football in 2020 .
There ’ s the coronavirus , a nasty disease that can spread quickly .
There ’ s myocarditis , an inflammation of the heart muscle associated with COVID-19 .
And there ’ s still chronic traumatic encephalopathy .
Remember CTE ?
Remember those quaint days when brain trauma was the big worry associated with the game ?
It ’ s still very much a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary backseat to COVID-19 .
Read the full column from Rick Morrissey here .
7:23 a.m. Trump ‘ October surprise ’ coronavirus vaccine will be a hard sell with a wary public For months , scientists have predicted that a vaccine against COVID-19 could be available , in a best-case scenario , sometime early next year .
Now the Trump administration is signaling that a vaccine will be ready months before that .
But no matter how weary Americans surely are of this pandemic , we don ’ t expect many folks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to get a shot .
Instead , what we ’ re seeing is a lot of raised eyebrows about the news that Robert Redfield , head of the Centers for Disease Control , has sent a letter to all governors asking them to fast-track plans to distribute a vaccine by Nov. 1 .
An “ October suprise ” vaccine ?
Ready to distribute two days before Election Day ?
The timing is just too perfect , coming as it does from a Trump administration that has badly botched its handling of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more telling yet , coming from a president who ’ s trailing in the polls just 61 days before the Nov. 3 election .
Read the full opinion from the CST Editorial Board here .

It wasn’t as staggering as the record-high 5,368 cases of COVID-19 announced on Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health, but 2,806 new coronavirus cases confirmed statewide on Saturday was one of the highest daily totals since the worst of the pandemic almost four months ago.
Officials continue to worry about a possible outbreak from Labor Day weekend gatherings. Illinois has averaged 1,992 new cases per day over the last 30 days, while 29 counties — almost a third of the state map — are considered to be at a coronavirus “warning level.”
Here’s what we learned today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Illinois reported another massive load of 2,806 new coronavirus cases confirmed statewide on Saturday, one of the highest daily totals since the worst of the pandemic almost four months ago.
It’s not as staggering as the record-high 5,368 cases of COVID-19 announced a day earlier by the Illinois Department of Public Health, but that bloated Friday figure included up to three days’ worth of delayed test results due to a now-fixed data processing backlog, officials said.
The state averaged about 2,587 cases per day over the backlog period, meaning Saturday’s whopping caseload could mark the most in a single day since Illinois logged 3,239 cases May 14.
Still, the latest cases were confirmed among 61,935 tests submitted to the state, almost triple the state’s testing capacity in May.
Read the full story here.
8:30 p.m. Voting during a pandemic? Expect in person drive-thrus, sports arenas on Nov. 3
Voting will look a little different this November. States are turning to stadiums, drive-thrus and possibly even movie theaters as safe options for in-person polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic and fears about mail-in ballots failing to arrive in time to count.
The primary season brought voters to an outdoor wedding-style tent in Vermont and the state fairgrounds in Kentucky. The general election on Nov. 3 is expected to include voting at NBA arenas around the country, part of an agreement owners made with players to combat racial injustice.
Large venues and outdoor spaces allow for social distancing that helps prevent the spread of the virus, though there are questions about keeping people warm as the weather gets cold and the possibility that fewer traditional neighborhood polling places could lower voter turnout.
Read the full story here.
7:05 p.m. Pope set to make first trip since pandemic to saint’s town
Pope Francis is next month set to make what would be his first visit outside Rome since Italy was put under lockdown in early March when it became the first country in Europe to feel the full brunt of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pope is to journey to Assisi, the birthplace in the central Italian region of Umbria of his namesake saint, to sign an authoritative papal letter to clergy and faithful worldwide — a document known as an encyclical, the Vatican said Saturday.
The encyclical is expected to stress the value of brotherly relations during and after the pandemic, a theme Francis evoked repeatedly during the pandemic. Encyclicals lay out a pontiff’s views on important issues and usually shape Catholic teaching and policy in the years to come.
Read the full story here.
6 p.m. No payoff: Summer without fairs leaves farm kids heartbroken
Well before the sun rises and then again after school, Arrissa Swails feeds and waters her goats, fancy chickens and three dairy cows. There’s another trip to the barn at night to hustle the chickens into their coop.
It’s a daily routine that typically takes the high school senior at least three hours.
This week, she’d be parading her livestock at the Hancock County Fair, hoping to win a grand champion ribbon during her last turn in the show ring. But there is no fair this year for her or anyone else, another tradition wiped away from the 2020 calendar by the coronavirus.
Read the full story here.
4:10 p.m. Child care crisis pushes US mothers out of the labor force during coronavirus
Angela Wynn had just launched her own project management business, hitting a career stride after years of struggle that began with earning an undergraduate degree as a single mother.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing many schools to shift online. The now-married mother of five saw little choice but to give up her newly minted business to help three of her children cope with remote learning while her husband, the primary breadwinner, kept his job at a senior living center.
“To see all that come to fruition, I did it, but now it’s gone,” said Wynn, who has always been the main caretaker for her children, ages 1, 5, 11, 12 and 18. “But my priority is my kids and their education is everything.”
Wynn’s story is becoming distressingly common. Research is increasingly pointing to a retreat of working mothers from the U.S. labor force as the pandemic leaves parents with few child care options and the added burden of navigating distance learning.
Read the full story here.
1:50 p.m. Test reporting backlog leads to Illinois’ highest-ever daily COVID-19 caseload: 5,368
Public health officials on Friday blamed a slowdown in Illinois’ coronavirus test reporting system for the state’s largest-ever batch of new COVID-19 cases reported in a single day: 5,368.
The unprecedented caseload was confirmed among a whopping 149,273 tests reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the result of a backlog that officials say they discovered earlier this week.
Labs submit their test results electronically to the state every day, but the state’s data processing system began working “slower than normal” on Tuesday, according to Derek Lindblom, head of the state’s testing team.
By the time the delay was cleared Thursday afternoon, a testing backlog of up to two days had piled up, Lindblom said.
“Even a short delay of a day or a day and a half in processing will lead to a significant increase in test reporting,” Lindblom said.
Friday’s daily case count soared past the previous high of 4,014 new cases reported at Illinois’ initial height of the pandemic May 12. And the test count dwarfed the state’s previous high of 56,766 tests reported Aug. 22.
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here.
11:37 a.m. Labor leaders call for concrete measures addressing systemic racism
NEW YORK — Ahead of Labor Day, unions representing millions across several working-class sectors are threatening to authorize work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid calls for concrete measures that address racial injustice.
In a statement first shared with The Associated Press, labor leaders who represent teachers, auto workers, truck drivers and clerical staff, among others, signaled a willingness Friday to escalate protest tactics to force local and federal lawmakers to take action on policing reform and systemic racism. They said the walkouts, if they were to move forward with them, would last for as long as needed.
“The status quo — of police killing Black people, of armed white nationalists killing demonstrators, of millions sick and increasingly desperate — is clearly unjust, and it cannot continue,” the statement says. It was signed by several branches of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union, and affiliates of the National Education Association.
The broader labor movement has been vocal since the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a handcuffed Black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest over counterfeit money. The death of Floyd in Minneapolis set off an unprecedented surge of protests and unrest from coast to coast this summer. In July, organized labor staged a daylong strike with workers from the service industry, fast-food chains and the gig economy to call out the lack of coronavirus pandemic protections for essential workers, who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic.
Read the full story here.
9:48 a.m. Congressional Budget Office warns of largest budget deficit since 1945
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government’s war against the coronavirus is imposing the heaviest strain on the Treasury since America’s drive to defeat Nazi Germany and imperial Japan three-quarters of a century ago.
The Congressional Budget Office has warned that the government this year will run the largest budget deficit, as a share of the economy, since 1945, when World War II ended. Next year, the federal debt — the sum of the year-after-year gush of annual deficits — is forecast to exceed the size of the entire American economy for the first time since 1946. Within a few years, it’s on track to set a new high.
It might be surprising to hear that most economists consider the money well-spent — or at least necessary. Few think it’s wise to quibble with the amount of borrowing deemed necessary to sustain American households and businesses through the gravest public health crisis in more than 100 years. That’s especially true, economists say, when the government’s borrowing costs are super-low and investors still seem eager to buy its debt as fast as the Treasury issues it.
Read the full story here.
7:22 a.m. Will long Labor Day weekend mean another coronavirus spike?
HARTFORD, Conn. — Stir-crazy in some cases after the dreary Summer of COVID-19, Americans headed into the Labor Day weekend amid warnings from public health officials not to make the same mistakes they did over Memorial Day and July Fourth.
The fear is that backyard parties, crowded bars and other gatherings could cause the coronavirus to come surging back
“I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert. “Are we going to go in the right direction and continue the momentum downward, or are we going to have to step back a bit as we start another surge?”
The warnings came as a widely cited model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projected a worsening outbreak in the U.S. that will peak in early December at about 2,900 deaths per day, up from about 860 a day now, unless government officials take action.
Over the summer, the U.S. saw a rise in infections, deaths and hospitalizations, primarily in the South and West, that was blamed in part on Americans behaving heedlessly over Memorial Day and July Fourth.
Read the full story here.
New Cases
Analysis & Commentary
8:17 a.m. Big Ten presidents need to keep listening to medical experts, not football parents
No athletes have better parents than college football players do. These people will do anything for their kids. You get the distinct feeling that some of them would die for their children’s right to contract COVID-19 while playing the game they love.
Parents of players at Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State and Iowa have taken the Big Ten’s decision to cancel the football season very, very personally. They’ve signed petitions, raised pickets and held news conferences. The kids have worked so hard, they say. The kids’ dreams are at stake, they say.
On the other side of the ledger, the sane side, are the risks associated with playing football in 2020. There’s the coronavirus, a nasty disease that can spread quickly. There’s myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle associated with COVID-19. And there’s still chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Remember CTE? Remember those quaint days when brain trauma was the big worry associated with the game? It’s still very much a risk, but it has taken a temporary backseat to COVID-19.
Read the full column from Rick Morrissey here.
7:23 a.m. Trump ‘October surprise’ coronavirus vaccine will be a hard sell with a wary public
For months, scientists have predicted that a vaccine against COVID-19 could be available, in a best-case scenario, sometime early next year.
Now the Trump administration is signaling that a vaccine will be ready months before that. But no matter how weary Americans surely are of this pandemic, we don’t expect many folks to breathe a sigh of relief and make plans to get a shot.
Instead, what we’re seeing is a lot of raised eyebrows about the news that Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control, has sent a letter to all governors asking them to fast-track plans to distribute a vaccine by Nov. 1.
An “October suprise” vaccine? Ready to distribute two days before Election Day?
The timing is just too perfect, coming as it does from a Trump administration that has badly botched its handling of this deadly pandemic from the start. And, more telling yet, coming from a president who’s trailing in the polls just 61 days before the Nov. 3 election.
Read the full opinion from the CST Editorial Board here.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Analyzing the Bears’ 53-man roster

Analyzing the Bears’ 53-man roster

Ranking the Bears ’ position groups after they trimmed their roster to 53 players on Saturday : There ’ s little doubt that a motivated Mack can be one of the best players in the game .
There are questions about Quinn , though .
The Bears gave him $ 70 million this offseason to do what Leonard Floyd couldn ’ t — rush the passer .
But he practiced in full exactly once during training camp practices open to media — at the Soldier Field scrimmage — and has otherwise been used sparingly in team drills .
The Bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the result of a personal issue .
The Bears began training camp with nose tackle Eddie Goldman opting out and ended it with Hicks missing 13 days because of a quad injury — only to return for the final , low-impact , practice .
After missing 11 games last year , Hicks ’ return is one of the most-anticipated aspects of the new season .
Presuming he ’ s healthy , the position group profiles as the heartbeat of one of the NFL ’ s best defenses .
The Bears gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extension in January , locking him in for the duration of his prime .
He ’ ll have his third new running mate in as many years .
The Bears haven ’ t chosen between Gipson and Bush yet ; the former has 23 interceptions in the last eight years , and the latter is entering his fifth season with the team .
The Bears are keeping Marqui Christian , too , but he has been suspended for two games and does not count against the 53-man roster .
It ’ s easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his third year and point to Trevathan ’ s leadership traits , but the Bears have to be concerned about the depth behind them .
Smith and Trevathan missed 11 starts year , and the men who replaced them , Kevin Pierre-Louis and Nick Kwiatkoski , left via free agency .
The Bears have less than a week to make Robinson an even richer man — or risk letting him play out the final season of his contract .
They ’ re talking up Miller as an improved , motivated No .
2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the rest of the group .
Ginn provides a deep threat and Mooney is a dark horse to do the same .
The Bears flirted with playing Skrine at outside cornerback in base coverage and moving him to the slot on passing downs , but Johnson could be ready to play outside full-time after returning cautiously from March shoulder surgery .
After cutting Kevin Toliver , expect the Bears to add a veteran piece , either on the active roster or practice squad , as insurance .
The Bears believe they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end .
It won ’ t be hard for that to come true — last year , no Bears tight end totaled more than 14 catches or 91 receiving yards .
Last year , only two teams in the NFL ran fewer plays with two tight ends on the field than the Bears .
Nagy will change that , with Graham in the slot and either Kmet or Harris — or both — blocking .
The Bears can talk all they want about establishing a run-game identity , but it will come down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which only has one new starter from last season , move defenders out of the way ?
Juan Castillo has ushered in a new attitude , and a tweaked rushing attack .
Spriggs hurt his knee two weeks ago and hasn ’ t returned to practice since ; if he can ’ t go in Week 1 , Coward would serve as the swing tackle .
Montgomery ’ s health will be the storyline of Week 1 .
If his groin injury — suffered Aug. 26 , and believed to need 2-4 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play in Detroit , he ’ ll be the team ’ s lead back .
If not , Nagy will have to mix-and-match for a week or two .
It ’ s encouraging that the Bears have not , to this point , pounced on a veteran rusher .
On a Friday night during Labor Day weekend — the definition of a news dump — word leaked that the Bears picked Trubisky to start over Foles .
Let ’ s hope the call was more a matter of urgency in a shortened preseason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision .
It appears to be the former ; Nagy said earlier in the week that knowing the winner would benefit the Bears more than gamesmanship would hurt the Lions .
Third-stringer Tyler Bray is expected to land on the practice squad .
The Bears ’ kicking situation is more precarious than it was at this time last year — and that ’ s saying something .
Pineiro made the roster but , because he ’ s been fighting a groin injury , Cairo Santos might actually be more likely to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said all along they plan to have two kickers on hand as a coronavirus precaution .
Santos will head to the practice squad if he clears waivers Sunday , but could be in for a bigger role .

Ranking the Bears’ position groups after the roster was trimmed to 53 players Saturday:
1. Outside linebacker
Starters: Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn.
Backups: Barkevious Mingo, James Vaughters, Trevis Gipson.
There’s little doubt that a motivated Mack can be one of the best players in the game. There are questions about Quinn, though. The Bears gave him $70 million this offseason to do what Leonard Floyd couldn’t — rush the passer. But he practiced in full just once during training-camp practices open to media — at the Soldier Field scrimmage — and has been used sparingly in team drills. The Bears described their caution as a ramp-up that’s the result of a personal issue.
2. Defensive line
Starters: Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols, Roy Robertson-Harris.
Backups: John Jenkins, Brent Urban.
The Bears began training camp with nose tackle Eddie Goldman opting out and ended it with Hicks missing 13 days because of a quad injury — only to return for the final, low-impact practice. After missing 11 games last year, Hicks’ return is one of the most anticipated this season. Presuming he’s healthy, the position group profiles as the heartbeat of one of the NFL’s best defenses.
3. Safety
Starters: Eddie Jackson, Tashaun Gipson.
Backups: Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Sherrick McManis.
The Bears gave Jackson a four-year, $58.4 million extension in January, locking him in for the duration of his prime. He’ll have his third new running mate in as many years. The Bears haven’t chosen between Gipson and Bush yet. Gipson has 23 interceptions in the last eight seasons, and Bush is entering his fifth year with the team. The Bears also are keeping Marqui Christian, but he has been suspended for two games and does not count against the 53-man roster.
4. Inside linebacker
Starters: Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan.
Backups: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Woods.
It’s easy to predict big things for Smith in his third year and point to Trevathan’s leadership traits, but the Bears have to be concerned about the depth behind them. Smith and Trevathan missed 11 starts last season, and their replacements, Kevin Pierre-Louis and Nick Kwiatkoski, left via free agency.
5. Wide receivers
Starters: Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Ted Ginn.
Backups: Darnell Mooney, Riley Ridley, Javon Wims.
The Bears have less than a week to make Robinson an even richer man — or risk letting him play out the final season of his contract. They’re talking up Miller as an improved, motivated No. 2 receiver, but there are questions about the rest of the group. Ginn provides a deep threat, and Mooney is a dark horse to do the same.
6. Cornerback
Starters: Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson.
Backups: Buster Skrine, Duke Shelley, Kindle Vildor.
The Bears flirted with playing Skrine at outside cornerback in base coverage and moving him to the slot on passing downs, but Johnson could be ready to play outside full-time after returning cautiously from March shoulder surgery. After cutting Kevin Toliver, expect the Bears to add a veteran piece, either on the active roster or practice squad, as insurance.
7. Tight ends
Starter: Jimmy Graham.
Backups: Cole Kmet, Demetrius Harris, JP Holtz, Eric Saubert.
The Bears believe they’ve made their largest leap at tight end. It won’t be hard for that to come true — last year, no Bears tight end totaled more than 14 catches or 91 receiving yards. Last season, only two teams in the NFL ran fewer plays with two tight ends on the field than the Bears. Coach Matt Nagy will change that, with Graham in the slot and either Kmet or Harris — or both — blocking.
8. Offensive line
Starters: LT Charles Leno, LG James Daniels, C Cody Whitehair, RG Germain Ifedi, RT Bobby Massie.
Backups: T Jason Spriggs, G/T Arlington Hambright, G/T Rashaad Coward, G Alex Bars.
The Bears can talk all they want about establishing a running-game identity, but it will come down to this: Can their line, which has just one new starter from last season, move defenders out of the way? Line coach Juan Castillo has ushered in a new attitude and a tweaked rushing attack. Spriggs hasn’t practiced since hurting his knee two weeks ago. If he misses the opener, Coward would serve as the swing tackle.
9. Running backs
Starter: David Montgomery.
Backups: Tarik Cohen, Cordarrelle Patterson, Ryan Nall.
Montgomery’s health will be the storyline of Week 1. If his groin injury — suffered Aug. 26 and believed to need two to four weeks to recover — heals in time to play in Detroit, he’ll be the lead back. If not, Nagy will have to mix and match for a week or two. It’s encouraging that the Bears have not, to this point, pounced on a veteran rusher.
10. Quarterbacks
Starter: Mitch Trubisky.
Backup: Nick Foles.
On a Friday night during Labor Day weekend — the definition of a news dump — word leaked that the Bears picked Trubisky to start over Foles. Let’s hope the call was more a matter of urgency in a shortened preseason than a sign of their faith in the decision. It appears to be the former; Nagy said earlier in the week that knowing the winner would benefit the Bears more than gamesmanship would hurt the Lions. Third-stringer Tyler Bray is expected to land on the practice squad.
11. Special teams
Starters: K Eddy Pineiro, P Pat O’Donnell, LS Patrick Scales.
The Bears’ kicking situation is more precarious than it was at this time last year — and that’s saying something. Pineiro made the roster but, because he’s been fighting a groin injury, Cairo Santos might actually be more likely to play in the opener. The Bears have said all along they plan to have two kickers on hand as a coronavirus precaution. Santos will head to the practice squad if he clears waivers Sunday but could play a bigger role.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Cubs’ Ian Happ returns from eye injury, watches pair of homers fly

How well is Cubs leadoff man Ian Happ seeing the baseball this season ?
Scary-well , actually .
The team ’ s best hitter so far — and it ’ s not even close — Happ didn ’ t just feel it Thursday in Pittsburgh when his foul ball bounced off the ground in the batter ’ s box and smacked him in his right eye .
He saw every detail of that sucker coming .
“ I watched it happen , ” he said .
“ As the ball was spinning , my eyes were open , so I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact the eyeball .
I felt that .
“ It was definitely scary in the moment , and definitely scary when I got up to a knee there and was kind of trying to get my bearings and figure out if I could see .
I just tried to blink it out , [ but ] it was really blurry.
” Happ couldn ’ t see well enough to finish that at-bat , but , after letting the scratch on his eye and the bruise above it heal for a day , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 of Saturday ’ s doubleheader against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field .
And what did he do on Adam Wainwright ’ s second pitch of the game ?
He yanked his team-leading 11th home run inside the foul pole in right .
Four innings later , Happ took Wainwright deep again — No .
12 , also a solo shot — this time to left-center .
See it .
Smash it .
That ’ s how a guy works his way into the National League MVP conversation .
Happ has been outstanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 14-for-32 tear when the foul ball hit him .
Thursday night was unpleasant ; he felt pain when blinking and couldn ’ t shake the sensation that he had something stuck in his eye .
Friday was a bit better .
Saturday : a whole new ballgame .
“ Vision is so important for us as hitters , ” he said .
The Cubs would be delighted if Pedro Strop , who agreed to a minor-league deal Friday after being released by the Reds , proved at the team ’ s alternate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ’ s ready to bolster the bullpen .
From 2013-19 , he was one of the best — and best-liked — relievers the Cubs had .
“ Pedro ’ s been a big part of this group , one of my favorite teammates I ’ ve ever had , ” manager David Ross said .
“ I mean , the guy is infectious .
His personality , the way he carries himself , the way he works — he can really affect the room .
“ But , ultimately , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being able to help us on the field .
That ’ s first and foremost .
And then , obviously , all those benefits come with him .
The Cubs claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from Minnesota .
Vargas , 29 , a switch-hitter , has a .255 average with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 136 career games , all but 24 of them with the Diamondbacks .
His best season was in 2019 , when he hit .269 with six homers and 24 RBI in 211 plate appearances .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team ’ s alternate site , and reliever Casey Sadler was claimed off waivers by the Mariners .
• Right-hander Tyson Miller was recalled from South Bend before Game 2 of the doubleheader .
Outfielder Steven Souza Jr. was designated for assignment .

How well is Cubs leadoff man Ian Happ seeing the baseball this season? Scary-well, actually.
Insert “2020 vision” crack here.
The team’s best hitter so far — and it’s not even close — didn’t just feel it Thursday in Pittsburgh when his foul ball bounced off the ground in the batter’s box and smacked him in his right eye. He saw every detail of that sucker coming.
“I watched it happen,” he said. “As the ball was spinning, my eyes were open, so I kind of watched the [seam] contact the eyeball. I felt that.
“It was definitely scary in the moment, and definitely scary when I got up to a knee there and was kind of trying to get my bearings and figure out if I could see. I just tried to blink it out, [but] it was really blurry.”
Happ couldn’t see well enough to finish that at-bat, but after letting the scratch on his eye and the bruise above it heal for a day, he was back in the lineup in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. And what did he do on Adam Wainwright’s second pitch of the game? He hit his team-leading 11th home run inside the foul pole in right.
Four innings later, Happ took Wainwright deep again — No. 12, also a solo shot — this time to left-center.
See it. Smash it. That’s how a guy works his way into the National League MVP conversation.
Happ has been outstanding all season, but he was on a 14-for-32 tear when the foul ball hit him. Thursday night was unpleasant; he felt pain when blinking and couldn’t shake the sensation that he had something stuck in his eye. Friday was a bit better. Saturday: a whole new ballgame.
“Vision is so important for us as hitters,” he said.
Strop hope
The Cubs would be delighted if Pedro Strop, who agreed to a minor-league deal Friday after being released by the Reds, proved at the team’s alternate site in South Bend, Indiana, that he’s ready to bolster the bullpen. From 2013 to ’19, he was one of the best — and most-liked — relievers the Cubs had.
“Pedro’s been a big part of this group, one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had,” manager David Ross said. “I mean, the guy is infectious. His personality, the way he carries himself, the way he works — he can really affect the room.
“But, ultimately, the goal is to get him back to being able to help us on the field. That’s first and foremost. And then, obviously, all those benefits come with him.
Ins and outs
The Cubs claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Twins. Vargas, 29, a switch hitter, has a .255 average with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 136 career games, all but 24 of them with the Diamondbacks. His best season was in 2019, when he hit .269 with six homers and 24 RBI in 211 plate appearances.
• Reliever Jharel Cotton was released by the team’s alternate site, and reliever Casey Sadler was claimed off waivers by the Mariners.
• Right-hander Tyson Miller was recalled from South Bend before Game 2 of the doubleheader. Outfielder Steven Souza Jr. was designated for assignment.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Authentic upsets Tiz the Law to win Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE , Ky. — Authentic led all the way to win a Kentucky Derby unlike any other , kicking away from heavy favorite Tiz the Law in the stretch and giving Bob Baffert a record-tying sixth victory on Saturday after the trainer ’ s other entry was a late scratch .
Authentic won by 1 1/4 lengths without the usual crowd of 150,000 on hand at Churchill Downs because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The bay colt ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.61 under John Velazquez , who earned his third Derby victory .
Sent off at 3-5 as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiz the Law stalked Authentic on the outside before challenging at the top of the stretch .
But Authentic found another gear and pulled away from the Belmont winner .
“ Yes !
Yes !
” Baffert shouted in the paddock , where he watched the race on the video screen .
Baffert ’ s other horse , Thousand Words , got spooked in the paddock , reared up and fell on his side shortly before post time .
He was scratched by the veterinarians .
Baffert said his assistant , Jim Barnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Big News , a 46-1 shot , finished third .
Honor A. P. was fourth .
The field of 15 was the smallest since 1998 .
Tiz the Law had already won the Belmont , the kickoff to the reconfigured Triple Crown that was run in June at a shorter distance .

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Authentic led all the way to win a Kentucky Derby unlike any other, kicking away from heavy favorite Tiz the Law in the stretch and giving Bob Baffert a record-tying sixth victory on Saturday after the trainer’s other entry was a late scratch.
Authentic won by 1 1/4 lengths without the usual crowd of 150,000 on hand at Churchill Downs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bay colt ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.61 under John Velazquez, who earned his third Derby victory.
Sent off at 3-5 as the biggest Derby favorite in 31 years, Tiz the Law stalked Authentic on the outside before challenging at the top of the stretch. But Authentic found another gear and pulled away from the Belmont winner.
Now this really lived up to the title of the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports."
Authentic pulled out all the stops to beat the favorite Tiz the Law to win the @KentuckyDerby!
NBC Sports x @Longines pic.twitter.com/wfl4aLwjim — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 5, 2020
“Yes! Yes!” Baffert shouted in the paddock, where he watched the race on the video screen.
Baffert’s other horse, Thousand Words, got spooked in the paddock, reared up and fell on his side shortly before post time. He was scratched by the veterinarians. Baffert said his assistant, Jim Barnes, was injured in the fall.
Mr. Big News, a 46-1 shot, finished third. Honor A. P. was fourth. The field of 15 was the smallest since 1998.
Tiz the Law had already won the Belmont, the kickoff to the reconfigured Triple Crown that was run in June at a shorter distance.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Bears pick 53-man roster

Bears pick 53-man roster

Blues Brothers weed strain developed by Jim Belushi to go on sale at massive new Skokie shop The actor-turned-marijuana connoisseur @ @ @ @ @ Greenhouse ’ s new dispensary near Old Orchard that opens Thursday .

Pvt. Travis King entered the North while on a civilian tour of a Korean border village July 18, becoming the first American detained in the North in nearly five years.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Third-year CB Kevin Toliver is Bears’ most notable cut at roster deadline

Kevin Toliver was unable to cash in on opportunities the Bears gave him late last season and in the recent @ @ @ @ @ as part of their plan at cornerback .
They released him today , likely clearing @ @ @ @ @ Johnson to start opposite Kyle Fuller .
Toliver made the team as an undrafted rookie @ @ @ @ @ and appeared in 27 games for the Bears , mostly as a special teamer .
@ @ @ @ @ Prince Amukamara against the Cowboys last season , but played just 16 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ Bears have eyed Johnson as a starter from the beginning , and the only significant @ @ @ @ @ shoulder would heal after surgery in March and whether he could quickly adapt to the @ @ @ @ @ receivers after playing at Utah .
Both issues seem to be settled , and coach @ @ @ @ @ end of the preseason he believed Johnson was ready for a major role .

Kevin Toliver was unable to cash in on opportunities the Bears gave him late last season and in the recent training camp to secure himself as part of their plan at cornerback. They released him today, likely clearing the way for rookie Jaylon Johnson to start opposite Kyle Fuller.
Toliver made the team as an undrafted rookie out of LSU in 2018 and appeared in 27 games for the Bears, mostly as a special teamer. He started in place of Prince Amukamara against the Cowboys last season, but played just 16 percent of the defensive snaps overall.
The Bears have eyed Johnson as a starter from the beginning, and the only significant concerns were how well his shoulder would heal after surgery in March and whether he could quickly adapt to the size and speed of NFL receivers after playing at Utah.
Both issues seem to be settled, and coach Matt Nagy said near the end of the preseason he believed Johnson was ready for a major role.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Nick Madrigal stays hot; Aaron Bummer to 45-day IL

After being called up from Schaumburg a week into the season , Nick Madrigal went 0-for-8 in his first two big-league games before getting into a groove .
But when he returned from a shoulder injury last week , no warm-up or acclimation was needed .
He just started hitting .
And he hasn ’ t stopped .
After missing 24 days because of the separated shoulder , Madrigal is 11-for-23 ( .478 ) , with at least one hit in all six games after going 2-for-4 against the Royals on Friday night .
He ’ s hitting .400 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.07 average leverage index and is hitting .500 ( 16-for-32 ) since that 0-for-8 start .
“ When I was coming back , spending a few days in Schaumburg , my swing felt fine , ” the 23-year-old Madrigal said .
“ At first I was a little hesitant to really full-out swing with my shoulder .
And each day it felt much , much better .
My swing feels great and I ’ m pretty satisfied with everything.
” All 16 of Madrigal ’ s hits have been singles .
The 5-8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power eventually .
“ I know it ’ s gon na come , ” he said .
“ I know it ’ s something that ’ s been on a lot of topics from people — extra-base hits .
Right now , my role is to get on base for this lineup .
I don ’ t need to try to hit home runs .
So I ’ ve really tried to embrace that .
“ I know [ power ] is going to be a part of my future game .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to [ force ] .
It ’ s just going to come naturally .
People are always going to say something about my swing — that ’ s been my whole life .
It ’ s something I ’ ve hard a lot .
But I ’ m gon na stick to my approach and the way I ’ m swinging right now.
” With plenty of power in the lineup , manager Ricky Renteria is comfortable with that approach .
“ He makes contact .
He has an ability to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think as he continues to develop as a hitter and grow stronger , hopefully we ’ ll see a little more out of him .
Right now , we ’ ll take advantage of what he ’ s capable of doing.
” The Sox moved left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer ( biceps strain ) to the 45-day injured list , but still expect Bummer to return this season .
Bummer has been out since Aug. 8 .
“ It doesn ’ t change the schedule we ’ re on , ” Renteria said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his throwing program — there ’ s no change .
We ’ re still expecting him .
He ’ s on schedule.
” The Sox also put lefty Jace Fry on the 10-day IL with back spasms and called up right-hander Alex McRae from Schaumburg .
McRae was 0-4 with an 8.78 ERA in 11 appearances ( two starts ) with the Pirates last season .
Renteria said starter Carlos Rodon , out since Aug. 4 with a shoulder injury , was scheduled to throw Friday , but “ he ended up not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to modify his schedule and we ’ ll revisit it once we see how he ’ s feeling [ Saturday and Sunday ] .
”

After being called up from Schaumburg a week into the season, Nick Madrigal went 0-for-8 in his first two big-league games before getting into a groove. But when he returned from a shoulder injury last week, no warmup or acclimation was needed. He just started hitting. And he hasn’t stopped.
After missing 24 days because of the separated shoulder, Madrigal entered Saturday 11-for-23 (.478) with at least one hit in all six games after going 2-for-3 against the Royals on Friday. He’s hitting .400 for the season (16-for-40) with a 1.07 average leverage index and is hitting .500 (16-for-32) since that 0-for-8 start.
“When I was coming back, spending a few days in Schaumburg, my swing felt fine,” the 23-year-old Madrigal said. “At first, I was a little hesitant to -really full-out swing with my shoulder. And each day it felt much, much better. My swing feels great, and I’m pretty satisfied with everything.”
All 16 of Madrigal’s hits have been singles. The 5-8, 165-pounder expects to develop extra-base power eventually.
“I know it’s going to come,” he said. “I know it’s something that’s been on a lot of topics from people — extra-base hits. Right now, my role is to get on base for this lineup. I don’t need to try to hit home runs. So I’ve really tried to embrace that.
“I know [power] is going to be a part of my future game. It’s something I’m not going to [force]. It’s just going to come naturally. People are always going to say something about my swing — that’s been my whole life. But I’m going to stick to my approach and the way I’m swinging.”
With plenty of power in the lineup, manager Rick Renteria is comfortable with that approach.
“He makes contact. He has an ability to find holes,” Renteria said. “As he continues to develop as a hitter and grow stronger, hopefully we’ll see a little more out of him. Right now, we’ll take advantage of what he’s capable of doing.”
Bummer to 45-day IL
The Sox moved left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer (biceps strain) to the 45-day injured list but still expect him to return this season. Bummer has been out since Aug. 8.
“It doesn’t change the schedule we’re on,” Renteria said. “He’s still on his throwing program — there’s no change. We’re still expecting him. He’s on schedule.”
The Sox also put lefty Jace Fry on the 10-day IL with back spasms and called up right-hander Alex McRae from Schaumburg. McRae was 0-4 with an 8.78 ERA in 11 appearances (two starts) with the Pirates last season.
Rodon on hold
Renteria said starter Carlos Rodon, out since Aug. 4 with a shoulder injury, was scheduled to throw Friday, but “he ended up not feeling too good, so we had to modify his schedule and we’ll revisit it once we see how he’s feeling [Saturday and Sunday].”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--2 hurt when car crashes, catches fire on Lake Shore Drive in Gold Coast

Two men were injured in a fiery crash Sunday on Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast .
A driver @ @ @ @ @ and crashed it into a gas line about 3:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of @ @ @ @ @ Chicago police said .
The car caught fire .
Two males were able to get @ @ @ @ @ were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to be treated for burns , police said .

Two men were killed in a fiery crash Sunday on Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast.
A driver lost control of a car, hit the concrete median and crashed it into a natural gas line about 3:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago police said. The car flipped onto its side and caught fire.
The men were able to get out of the car and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital but died after being transferred to Stroger Hospital, police said.
One of the men was identified as Jatwaun Smith, 22, of Rogers Park, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy ruled his death an accident.
The other man was identified as 25-year-old Leroy Francis, the medical examiner’s office said. He lived in West Rogers Park.
The crash remains under investigation.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--1 dead, 3 hurt in Lake Shore Drive crash in Douglas

A woman was killed and three other people were injured in a crash Sunday on Lake Shore Drive in Douglas @ @ @ @ @ A red Mitsubishi sedan was southbound at 4:27 a.m. in the 3000 block of South @ @ @ @ @ lost control and hit a pole , according to Chicago police .
Chicago Fire Department @ @ @ @ @ four adults were taken to hospitals , three in critical condition and one in good @ @ @ @ @ was riding in the car was pronounced dead , police said .
The Cook County @ @ @ @ @ has not released details about the fatality .
The man driving the car was taken @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center in critical condition , according to police .
Two other passengers , a @ @ @ @ @ , were taken to the same hospital in fair condition , police said .
Area @ @ @ @ @ Major Accidents unit are investigating .

Two people were killed and two other people were injured in a crash Sunday on Lake Shore Drive in Douglas on the South Side.
A red Mitsubishi sedan was southbound at 4:27 a.m. in the 3000 block of South Lake Shore when the driver lost control and hit a pole, according to Chicago police.
The man driving the car and a woman who was riding in it both died in the crash, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified them as 25-year-old Alfie Jones-Denison Jr. and 23-year-old Jazalyn Inayez-MannCalvin.
An autopsy ruled their deaths as accidents, the medical examiner’s office said,
Two other passengers, a 35-year-old man and 27-year-old woman, were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, police said.
Area Three detectives and the CPD Major Accidents unit are investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--Dear Abby: My hard-of-hearing mom hums constantly and loudly, and it’s annoying

DEAR ABBY : My mother , who is 80 years old , hums her own made-up tunes .
She has done it for as long as I can remember , but for the last few years , the frequency and intensity has increased .
She does wear a hearing aid in one ear and sees her audiologist regularly .
I have asked others , who say people with hearing problems often hum to fill the empty space caused by the hearing loss .
My problem is that her constant humming is so annoying it is negatively affecting my relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject with her to be sure she ’ s aware that others can hear her , in case she was thinking they couldn ’ t .
Mom said that once someone asked her if she was talking to herself , and she replied that she was singing to herself .
My personal opinion is that it may be a soothing mechanism for her when she feels awkward during a conversation .
She may feel that her humming replaces talking yet makes her feel included in the conversation .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her discomfort .
She ’ s shy by nature , but has come a long way in her confidence .
Advice ?
— TUNING OUT IN PENNSYLVANIA DEAR TUNING OUT : The first thing you should do is ask your mother to tune the humming down because it bothers you .
If she doesn ’ t , then discuss it with her audiologist .
If you don ’ t get the answers you need there , consult her physician .
What she ’ s doing may be common — or not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ answered by someone who knows your mother and is close enough to evaluate her .
DEAR ABBY : I tried to help out a friend who had damage to her truck .
I took it upon myself without her knowledge to take pictures of her damaged truck .
I thought it would help her in getting estimates on her vehicle .
Her truck was parked outside her son ’ s residence , and he came out immediately when he saw me from his window .
I didn ’ t explain what I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , but I planned to tell my co-worker at a later date .
When I saw her at work the next day , she was furious about what I had done , and it almost destroyed our friendship .
Was I wrong in doing her a favor , or out-of-line ?
Was it inappropriate ?
I didn ’ t want to jeopardize our friendship ; I was only trying to help .
Any suggestions ?
— CONCERNED IN TEXAS DEAR CONCERNED : I ’ m trying to understand why you didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your co-worker ’ s truck so she could get estimates on the cost of repairs .
I am also in the dark about why you wouldn ’ t explain what you were doing when her son came outside and , I assume , asked what you were doing .
Transparency would have been better than secrecy , and I hope you will carry this suggestion into the future .
DEAR ABBY : May I share four words that planted a positive seed in my heart ?
They are , “ Make Gratitude Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use in coping with my disabilities , and it works .
— HINT FROM HILO , HAWAII DEAR HINT : Thank you for wanting to share your “ strong medicine.
” I agree it ’ s hard to think negatively while counting our blessings .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
What teens need to know about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with peers and parents is in “ What Every Teen Should Know.
” Send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Teen Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: My mother, who is 80 years old, hums her own made-up tunes. She has done it for as long as I can remember, but for the last few years, the frequency and intensity has increased. She does wear a hearing aid in one ear and sees her audiologist regularly. I have asked others, who say people with hearing problems often hum to fill the empty space caused by the hearing loss.
My problem is that her constant humming is so annoying it is negatively affecting my relationship with her. I have trod lightly on the subject with her to be sure she’s aware that others can hear her, in case she was thinking they couldn’t.
Mom said that once someone asked her if she was talking to herself, and she replied that she was singing to herself. My personal opinion is that it may be a soothing mechanism for her when she feels awkward during a conversation. She may feel that her humming replaces talking yet makes her feel included in the conversation.
I don’t want to cause hurt feelings or add to her discomfort. She’s shy by nature, but has come a long way in her confidence. Advice? — TUNING OUT IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR TUNING OUT: The first thing you should do is ask your mother to tune the humming down because it bothers you. If she doesn’t, then discuss it with her audiologist. If you don’t get the answers you need there, consult her physician. What she’s doing may be common — or not. But you need to get your questions answered by someone who knows your mother and is close enough to evaluate her.
DEAR ABBY: I tried to help out a friend who had damage to her truck. I took it upon myself without her knowledge to take pictures of her damaged truck. I thought it would help her in getting estimates on her vehicle.
Her truck was parked outside her son’s residence, and he came out immediately when he saw me from his window. I didn’t explain what I had done for reasons I would rather not say, but I planned to tell my co-worker at a later date. When I saw her at work the next day, she was furious about what I had done, and it almost destroyed our friendship.
Was I wrong in doing her a favor, or out-of-line? Was it inappropriate? I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship; I was only trying to help. Any suggestions? — CONCERNED IN TEXAS
DEAR CONCERNED: I’m trying to understand why you didn’t VOLUNTEER to photograph the damage to your co-worker’s truck so she could get estimates on the cost of repairs. I am also in the dark about why you wouldn’t explain what you were doing when her son came outside and, I assume, asked what you were doing. Transparency would have been better than secrecy, and I hope you will carry this suggestion into the future.
DEAR ABBY: May I share four words that planted a positive seed in my heart? They are, “Make Gratitude Your Attitude.” They are strong medicine I use in coping with my disabilities, and it works. — HINT FROM HILO, HAWAII
DEAR HINT: Thank you for wanting to share your “strong medicine.” I agree it’s hard to think negatively while counting our blessings.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--Crews battle 2-alarm fire at Austin scrap yard

No injuries were reported in an extra-alarm fire Sunday at a scrap yard in Austin on the West Side .
@ @ @ @ @ after 4 a.m. at the scrap yard on the elevated Bloomingdale Trail near Austin Avenue @ @ @ @ @ Department Cmdr .
Frank Velez .
The incident was elevated to a two-alarm fire as @ @ @ @ @ of scrap including wood , metal , fuel tanks and other materials to create “ @ @ @ @ @ Velez said .
The fire did not spread to any nearby buildings and was struck @ @ @ @ @ a.m. , according to Velez .
No injuries were reported .
The cause of the @ @ @ @ @ and crews remained at the scene to deal with hot spots as of 5:30 a.m. @ @ @ @

No injuries were reported in an extra-alarm fire Sunday at a scrap yard in Austin on the West Side.
The fire broke out shortly after 4 a.m. at the scrap yard on the elevated Bloomingdale Trail near Austin Avenue, according to Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Frank Velez.
The incident was elevated to a two-alarm fire as the blaze spread through piles of scrap including wood, metal, fuel tanks and other materials to create “one big bonfire,” Velez said.
The fire did not spread to any nearby buildings and was struck out about shortly after 5 a.m., according to Velez. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and crews remained at the scene to deal with hot spots as of 5:30 a.m., Velez said.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--Person killed in University Village shooting: police

A person was found shot to death Sunday in University Village on the Near West Side .
Officers responding to @ @ @ @ @ a.m. found the male on the ground with two gunshot wounds to the side of @ @ @ @ @ block of West Hastings Street , according to Chicago police .
He was taken to @ @ @ @ @ was pronounced dead a short time later , police said .
The Cook County medical @ @ @ @ @ not released details about the fatality .
Witnesses told investigators a male suspect had approached @ @ @ @ @ crowd , police said .
No one is in custody as Area Three detectives investigate @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A man was found shot to death Sunday in University Village on the Near West Side.
Officers responding to reports of gunfire at 3:26 a.m. found the 21-year-old on the ground with two gunshot wounds to the side of his head in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street, according to Chicago police.
He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Jalen Tyler. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.
Witnesses told investigators a male suspect had approached and opened fire into a crowd, police said.
No one is in custody as Area Three detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--2 Chicago police officers hurt in Englewood squad car crash

Detectives are questioning one person after a crash with a Chicago police squad car injured two officers Saturday in Englewood @ @ @ @ @ A vehicle ran a red light and hit the squad car while it was in @ @ @ @ @ in the 6300 block of South Wentworth Avenue , Chicago police said .
Two officers @ @ @ @ @ taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in fair condition for observation , according to @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle that ran the light was taken into custody for questioning , police said @

A driver was charged with driving under the influence after crashing into a Chicago police squad car Saturday and injuring two officers in Englewood on the South Side.
A vehicle ran a red light and hit the squad car while it was in regular traffic about 9:45 p.m. in the 6300 block of South Wentworth Avenue, Chicago police said.
Two officers in the squad car were taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in fair condition for observation, according to police.
The driver of the vehicle that ran the light was also cited for disobeying a red light and failing to reduce speed, police said Monday morning.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-06--Police seek car in NW Side hit-and-run that hurt 2-year-old boy

Police are looking for a vehicle that injured a 2-year-old boy in a hit-and-run last month on the Northwest Side @ @ @ @ @ Malibu turned left from Montrose Avenue to California Avenue at 5:54 p.m. Aug. 29 , @ @ @ @ @ hit the child as he crossed the street with a parent , according to Chicago @ @ @ @ @ a minor injury .
The car drove south on California and west on Irving Park @ @ @ @ @ Police released a photo of the car , which was described as a 2016 to @ @ @ @ @ information is asked to call the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521 .
Read more @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s homicides .

Police are looking for a vehicle that injured a 2-year-old boy in a hit-and-run last month on the Northwest Side.
While a black Chevrolet Malibu turned left from Montrose Avenue to California Avenue at 5:54 p.m. Aug. 29, the rear of the car hit the child as he crossed the street with a parent, according to Chicago police. The boy suffered a minor injury.
The car drove south on California and west on Irving Park Road, police said.
Police released a photo of the car, which was described as a 2016 to 2021 Malibu.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-05--Horoscope for Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020

Horoscope for Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020

After 4 a.m. Chicago time , there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions .
The moon is in Taurus .
As Venus changes signs , it welcomes a lovely four-week window for you to play , have fun and enjoy schmoozing .
Relations with kids will improve .
You will enjoy creative activities .
Romance will blossom !
You will enjoy entertaining at home in the next four weeks .
You will also enjoy redecorating your digs and buying beautiful things for where you live because suddenly , you want to be surrounded by beauty .
( Hey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off to your guests ? )
In the next four weeks , you will begin to appreciate the beauty of your daily surroundings more than usual .
Likewise , you will also see that you are surrounded by affection and love .
( It ’ s so easy to be blinded to things that are around us every day . )
You will attract money to you in the next four weeks .
Ka-ching !
If shopping , you will also want to spend money on beautiful things for yourself and loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of you will have excellent money-making ideas .
Fair Venus will be in your sign for the next four weeks , which will increase your desire to relate to others .
You will also want to make peace with someone .
This is an excellent window of time to enjoy good times with friends and , possibly , to take a vacation !
Solitude in beautiful surroundings will delight you because you want a chance to be by yourself and relax in a pleasant way .
Many of you will find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your assistance .
“ It ’ s a joy to labor for those you love.
” The next four weeks will be one of the best times for interactions with friends and groups for your sign .
In fact , you will actually benefit from your interactions with others .
Friends might become lovers and lovers will become friends .
You will make an excellent impression on bosses , parents and VIPs in the next four weeks , which is why these people will be favorably inclined to you .
They might want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibilities .
( You might develop a crush on your boss . )
In the next four weeks , you will enjoy travel for pleasure or doing anything that expands your experience of the world .
You will enjoy learning new things through books and film .
You will meet people from other countries .
It will be a lovely window of time !
You will be pleased to know that you will benefit in terms of wealth , finances and practical assistance from others in the next four weeks .
You might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly receive help and assistance .
This window is also an excellent time to ask for a loan or a mortgage from a bank .
Because fair Venus will be opposite your sign for the next four weeks , relations with others , especially those who are closest to you , will be warmer , easier and more loving .
This is also an excellent time to begin a new relationship even a professional partnership .
Your health will improve in the next four weeks .
However , be careful about eating too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s easy to overindulge in this same window of time .
You might make more money through your work .
Certainly , co-workers will be supportive .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actress TV Host Rosie Perez ( 1964 ) shares your birthday .
You enjoy people and like to make new acquaintances .
You live through your senses .
Exciting news !
You ’ re entering a year of new beginnings !
This means it ’ s time to identify goals to determine what you want for yourself in the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energetic about going after what you want .
Just do it !

Moon Alert
After 4 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Taurus.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
As Venus changes signs, it welcomes a lovely four-week window for you to play, have fun and enjoy schmoozing. Relations with kids will improve. You will enjoy creative activities. Romance will blossom!
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You will enjoy entertaining at home in the next four weeks. You will also enjoy redecorating your digs and buying beautiful things for where you live because suddenly, you want to be surrounded by beauty. (Hey, you might want to show something off to your guests?)
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
In the next four weeks, you will begin to appreciate the beauty of your daily surroundings more than usual. Likewise, you will also see that you are surrounded by affection and love. (It’s so easy to be blinded to things that are around us every day.)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You will attract money to you in the next four weeks. Ka-ching! If shopping, you will also want to spend money on beautiful things for yourself and loved ones. In this same window of time, some of you will have excellent money-making ideas.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Fair Venus will be in your sign for the next four weeks, which will increase your desire to relate to others. You will also want to make peace with someone. This is an excellent window of time to enjoy good times with friends and, possibly, to take a vacation!
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Solitude in beautiful surroundings will delight you because you want a chance to be by yourself and relax in a pleasant way. Many of you will find it gratifying to help someone who needs your assistance. “It’s a joy to labor for those you love.”
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
The next four weeks will be one of the best times for interactions with friends and groups for your sign. In fact, you will actually benefit from your interactions with others. Friends might become lovers and lovers will become friends.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
You will make an excellent impression on bosses, parents and VIPs in the next four weeks, which is why these people will be favorably inclined to you. They might want to promote you or give you increased responsibilities. (You might develop a crush on your boss.)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
In the next four weeks, you will enjoy travel for pleasure or doing anything that expands your experience of the world. You will enjoy learning new things through books and film. You will meet people from other countries. It will be a lovely window of time!
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You will be pleased to know that you will benefit in terms of wealth, finances and practical assistance from others in the next four weeks. You might receive gifts of cash. You will certainly receive help and assistance. This window is also an excellent time to ask for a loan or a mortgage from a bank.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Because fair Venus will be opposite your sign for the next four weeks, relations with others, especially those who are closest to you, will be warmer, easier and more loving. This is also an excellent time to begin a new relationship even a professional partnership.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Your health will improve in the next four weeks. However, be careful about eating too many sweet or fattening foods because it’s easy to overindulge in this same window of time. You might make more money through your work. Certainly, co-workers will be supportive.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actress TV Host Rosie Perez (1964) shares your birthday. You enjoy people and like to make new acquaintances. You live through your senses. Exciting news! You’re entering a year of new beginnings! This means it’s time to identify goals to determine what you want for yourself in the next few years. Be pro-active and physically energetic about going after what you want. Just do it!