chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Pepperoni the latest food item in short supply due to pandemic

There ’ s a new coronavirus pandemic shortage of the nation ’ s most popular pizza topping .
Small pizza shops across the nation are reporting higher prices for pepperoni , according to Bloomberg , which found a South Dakota shop is paying $ 4.12 a pound compared to $ 2.87 in January 2019 .
Emily , a New York City pizza shop , is paying $ 6 a pound , up from $ 4 earlier this year , chef and co-owner Matthew Hyland told Bloomberg .
“ It ’ s an American right to have pepperoni on pizza , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is such a huge part of pizza it ’ s important to us that we keep it accessible.
” What are the reasons for the shortage ?
According to Fox News , the first is that pork processors have had to deal with a reduced number of workers during the pandemic .
Pepperoni is reportedly a complicated meat product to make , so some suppliers have reduced the amount being produced .
The other possible reason is that the demand for pizza has risen during the lockdowns and pandemic .
Small pizza restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher costs along to customers at this time .
According to Bloomberg , large pizza chains including Domino ’ s , Pizza Hut , Little Caesars and Papa John ’ s haven ’ t experienced shortages or price increases as they buy ingredients with long-term contracts .
In June , Papa John ’ s even introduced a new Shaq-a-Roni pizza , the pizza giant ’ s largest slices to date .
Shaquille O ’ Neal , a Papa John ’ s board member and franchise owner , came up with for the 16-inch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has 66 pepperoni per pie .
But consumers have seen higher prices increase this year at the grocery store on many staples amid the pandemic , which shut down many restaurants .
Perishable items have been more popular with consumers buying more meat , seafood , fruits , dairy and vegetables as more people stay home to eat .
COVID-19 and panic buying caused various shortages , including hand sanitizer , toilet paper , disinfecting wipes , meat and yeast .

Move over, national coin and Clorox wipes shortages.
There’s a new coronavirus pandemic shortage of the nation’s most popular pizza topping.
Small pizza shops across the nation are reporting higher prices for pepperoni, according to Bloomberg, which found a South Dakota shop is paying $4.12 a pound compared to $2.87 in January 2019.
Emily, a New York City pizza shop, is paying $6 a pound, up from $4 earlier this year, chef and co-owner Matthew Hyland told Bloomberg.
“It’s an American right to have pepperoni on pizza,” Hyland told Bloomberg. “Pepperoni is such a huge part of pizza it’s important to us that we keep it accessible.”
What are the reasons for the shortage?
According to Fox News, the first is that pork processors have had to deal with a reduced number of workers during the pandemic. Pepperoni is reportedly a complicated meat product to make, so some suppliers have reduced the amount being produced. The other possible reason is that the demand for pizza has risen during the lockdowns and pandemic.
Small pizza restaurants said they weren’t passing the higher costs along to customers at this time.
According to Bloomberg, large pizza chains including Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars and Papa John’s haven’t experienced shortages or price increases as they buy ingredients with long-term contracts.
In June, Papa John’s even introduced a new Shaq-a-Roni pizza, the pizza giant’s largest slices to date. Shaquille O’Neal, a Papa John’s board member and franchise owner, came up with for the 16-inch extra-large pizza that sells for $12 and has 66 pepperoni per pie.
But consumers have seen higher prices increase this year at the grocery store on many staples amid the pandemic, which shut down many restaurants.
Perishable items have been more popular with consumers buying more meat, seafood, fruits, dairy and vegetables as more people stay home to eat.
COVID-19 and panic buying caused various shortages, including hand sanitizer, toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, meat and yeast.
Contributing: Joe Taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Read more at usatoday.com


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Kamala Harris picture book coming Aug. 25

NEW YORK — That didn ’ t take long : Just weeks after making history as the running mate for @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Kamala Harris will be the subject of a new picture book .
Simon & @ @ @ @ @ announced Wednesday that prize-winning author Nikki Grimes has written “ Kamala Harris : Rooted in @ @ @ @ @ illustrations by Laura Freeman .
The book comes out Aug. 25 .
In June , @ @ @ @ @ Joey : The Story of Joe Biden , ” a picture book written in part @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
Harris , a California Democrat , is the first Black woman and first @ @ @ @ @ a major party presidential ticket .
Later on Wednesday , she was scheduled to accept @ @ @ @ @ National Convention .
Harris told her own story in “ The Truths We Hold , @ @ @ @ @ year .

NEW YORK — That didn’t take long: Just weeks after making history as the running mate for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris will be the subject of a new picture book.
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing announced Wednesday that prize-winning author Nikki Grimes has written “Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice,” which features illustrations by Laura Freeman. The book comes out Aug. 25.
This cover image released by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing shows “Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice.” AP
In June, Simon & Schuster published “Joey: The Story of Joe Biden,” a picture book written in part by his wife, Jill Biden.
Harris, a California Democrat, is the first Black woman and first Asian American woman named to a major party presidential ticket. Later on Wednesday, she was scheduled to accept her nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris told her own story in “The Truths We Hold,” which came out last year.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Eviction risk of 250K Cook County homes if state doesn’t extend moratorium, Sheriff Dart warns

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Wednesday urged Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to extend the state ’ s evictions moratorium past the expiration date this weekend as residents await funding assistance that is still being doled out .
In a letter to Pritzker and Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans , Dart warned that not extending the moratorium past Saturday would put as many as 250,000 households in the county at risk of eviction .
Evicting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic , Dart wrote , would force them to go to homeless shelters or the homes of friends and families , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
“ Like you , I have been tremendously concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic , not just on the health and safety of residents , but on the economic future of the entire community , ” Dart wrote .
“ The evictions moratorium set to expire on August 22nd has been a critical component of ensuring economic stability along with government efforts to aid both tenants and property owners.
” Dart said his office , which is responsible for enforcing evictions , has “ counseled hundreds of anxious residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources to help weather this crisis.
” Dart urged the officials to stop evictions until at least that assistance has been fully distributed .
The City of Chicago has already apportioned $ 33 million in rental assistance to 10,000 homes , while Cook County is providing $ 20 million to 4,400 suburban households .
The state is offering $ 5,000 rental assistance grants , part of $ 150 million in funds Illinois received from the CARES Act .
A spokeswoman for Evans ’ office said Cook County courts will adopt the dates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When the governor enters his extension , the chief judge ’ s office will enter its own , ” spokeswoman Mary Wisniewski said in an email .
“ It ’ s our understanding that the governor has adopted the practice not to issue orders with extension periods of more than 30 days.
” A spokeswoman for Pritzker ’ s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment .
In June , the Chicago Sun-Times reported that illegal lockouts in Chicago roughly doubled from mid-March to mid-June compared to normal monthly @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Wednesday urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker to extend the state’s evictions moratorium past the expiration date this weekend as residents await funding assistance that is still being doled out.
In a letter to Pritzker and Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Dart warned that not extending the moratorium past Saturday would put as many as 250,000 households in the county at risk of eviction.
Evicting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dart wrote, would force them to go to homeless shelters or the homes of friends and families, increasing the risk of exposure in the community.
“Like you, I have been tremendously concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not just on the health and safety of residents, but on the economic future of the entire community,” Dart wrote. “The evictions moratorium set to expire on August 22nd has been a critical component of ensuring economic stability along with government efforts to aid both tenants and property owners.”
Dart said his office, which is responsible for enforcing evictions, has “counseled hundreds of anxious residents and landlords and helped guide them to resources to help weather this crisis.”
Dart urged the officials to stop evictions until at least that assistance has been fully distributed.
The City of Chicago has already apportioned $33 million in rental assistance to 10,000 homes, while Cook County is providing $20 million to 4,400 suburban households. The state is offering $5,000 rental assistance grants, part of $150 million in funds Illinois received from the CARES Act.
A spokeswoman for Evans’ office said Cook County courts will adopt the dates of the governor’s extension orders.
“When the governor enters his extension, the chief judge’s office will enter its own,” spokeswoman Mary Wisniewski said in an email. “It’s our understanding that the governor has adopted the practice not to issue orders with extension periods of more than 30 days.”
A spokeswoman for Pritzker’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
In June, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that illegal lockouts in Chicago roughly doubled from mid-March to mid-June compared to normal monthly averages, despite the evictions ban.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--The Mix: Porchlightpalooza, Movies in the Park and more cool things to do in Chicago Aug. 20-26

An impressive list of performers will be on hand for Porchlight Music Theatre ’ s 25th anniversary festival and fundraiser Porchlightpalooza .
The three-day event includes performances from a long list of Chicago singer-actors , highlights from Porchlight ’ s award-winning productions and a celebration of iconic performer Joel Grey , including well wishes from celebrities ( Kristin Chenoweth , Raul Esparza , Mandy Patinkin , Bernadette Peters ) and an interview with Grey by Bill Kurtis .
The festival streams at 7 p.m. Aug. 21-23 .
It ’ s free but donations are appreciated .
Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Parks continues through Sept. 11 .
A summer ritual for families , the movies are shown Monday-Friday evenings in parks across the city .
Titles include “ The Last Dragon , ” “ Frozen II , ” “ Toy Story 4 ” and many more .
A maximum of 100 people will be admitted per screening and the Park District asks that people wear face masks and remain seated and observe social distancing during the movie .
Admission is free , and all movies begin at dusk , weather permitting .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; call ( 312 ) 742-1134 to check for weather-related cancellations .
The National Comedy Center ’ s virtual edition of its Lucille Ball Comedy Festival continues weekends through Aug. 30 .
Featured are in-depth conversations with a diverse lineup of artists from stand-up , theater , television and film including Bill Engvall , Howie Mandel , Tiffany Haddish , Kenan Thompson , Aidy Bryant and Lolly Adefope , Judy Gold , Mark Russell , “ Weird Al ” Yankovic and more .
The festival concludes with a tribute to the late Carl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anywhere.comedycenter.org/pages/livestream Lookingglass Theatre hosts a watch party of its acclaimed 2012 production of Andrew White ’ s balladlike musical “ Eastland.
” With songs by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman , it recounts the 1915 Eastland disaster in which a boat overfilled with workingclass immigrant families capsized on the Chicago River .
White and Pluess will take part in a postshow discussion .
The event is dedicated to the late singer-songwriter Michael Smith , who portrayed the ship ’ s captain and balladeer .
The stream at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 is free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are appreciated .
Visit lookingglasstheatre.org .
The Square Roots Festival moves online with music and an array of packages highlighting the food , craft beer and artisan goods that usually line Lincoln Avenue during the annual event in Lincoln Square .
Beginning Aug. 23 the packages will be available for purchase and pickup .
The Square Roots music curated by the Old Town School of Folk Music streams from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 29 and features the soul duo The O ’ My ’ s , indie rockers Dehd , Sicangu Lakota hip-hop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bomba con Buya and Andrew Sa and the Cosmic Country Showcase Band .
For more information , visit squareroots.org .
The Music Box Theatre streams the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Films , an 80-minute program featuring six films — fiction , documentary and animation —from around the world .
The lineup includes the Short Film Grand Jury Prize winner , “ So What If the Goats Die , ” Sofia Alaoui ’ s drama about a young shepherd who must battle the snow blocking him from getting food for his herd .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ begins Aug. 21 .
Visit musicboxtheatre.com .
Area Latino bands perform at the daylong , drive-in Los de Chicago Festival on Aug. 22 .
Doors open at 1 p.m. and the music begins at 3 p.m. with Herencia Zacatecana and continues with Los Orejones , Los K-Bro ’ s , La Bandena , Banda Enkantadora , Codigo Verde and El Nuevo Ejemplo .
Also included is a midnight screening of “ La Bamba , ” the biopic starring Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens , the rock ’ n ’ roll singer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holly .
At SeatGeek Stadium , 7000 S. Harlem , Bridgeview .
Tickets start at $ 125 per car .
Visit seatgeekstadium.com .
As old statues come down , one of note is going up in New York ’ s Central Park .
The Women ’ s Rights Pioneers Monument is a 14-foot bronze statue , created by sculptor Meredith Bergmann , featuring Susan B. Anthony , Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton , three leaders of the fight for women ’ s right to vote .
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be unveiled in a streamed ceremony at 7 a.m. Aug. 26 .
For more information , visit monumentalwomen.org .

Saluting a legend
An impressive list of performers will be on hand for Porchlight Music Theatre’s 25th anniversary festival and fundraiser Porchlightpalooza. The three-day event includes performances from a long list of Chicago singer-actors, highlights from Porchlight’s award-winning productions and a celebration of iconic performer Joel Grey, including well wishes from celebrities (Kristin Chenoweth, Raul Esparza, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters) and an interview with Grey by Bill Kurtis. The festival streams at 7 p.m. Aug. 21-23. It’s free but donations are appreciated. Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org.
Movies in the Parks Chicago Park District
Parks press play
The annual Chicago Park District series Movies in the Parks continues through Sept. 11. A summer ritual for families, the movies are shown Monday-Friday evenings in parks across the city. Titles include “The Last Dragon,” “Frozen II,” “Toy Story 4” and many more. A maximum of 100 people will be admitted per screening and the Park District asks that people wear face masks and remain seated and observe social distancing during the movie. Admission is free, and all movies begin at dusk, weather permitting. For the season’s lineup visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/movies-parks; call (312) 742-1134 to check for weather-related cancellations.
Carl Reiner Damian Dovarganes/AP
Talking comedy
The National Comedy Center’s virtual edition of its Lucille Ball Comedy Festival continues weekends through Aug. 30. Featured are in-depth conversations with a diverse lineup of artists from stand-up, theater, television and film including Bill Engvall, Howie Mandel, Tiffany Haddish, Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant and Lolly Adefope, Judy Gold, Mark Russell, “Weird Al” Yankovic and more. The festival concludes with a tribute to the late Carl Reiner. For more information, visit anywhere.comedycenter.org/pages/livestream
Lookingglass Theatre’s “Eastland.” Sean Williams
Revisiting ‘Eastland’
Lookingglass Theatre hosts a watch party of its acclaimed 2012 production of Andrew White’s balladlike musical “Eastland.” With songs by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, it recounts the 1915 Eastland disaster in which a boat overfilled with workingclass immigrant families capsized on the Chicago River. White and Pluess will take part in a postshow discussion. The event is dedicated to the late singer-songwriter Michael Smith, who portrayed the ship’s captain and balladeer. The stream at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 is free, but donations in support of Lookingglass are appreciated. Visit lookingglasstheatre.org.
Andrew Sa and the Cosmic Country Showcase Band Sarah Larson
Virtual roots
The Square Roots Festival moves online with music and an array of packages highlighting the food, craft beer and artisan goods that usually line Lincoln Avenue during the annual event in Lincoln Square. Beginning Aug. 23 the packages will be available for purchase and pickup. The Square Roots music curated by the Old Town School of Folk Music streams from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 29 and features the soul duo The O’My’s, indie rockers Dehd, Sicangu Lakota hip-hop artist Frank Waln, Puerto Rican ensemble Bomba con Buya and Andrew Sa and the Cosmic Country Showcase Band. For more information, visit squareroots.org.
“So What If the Goats Die” Sundance
Sundance shorts
The Music Box Theatre streams the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Films, an 80-minute program featuring six films — fiction, documentary and animation —from around the world. The lineup includes the Short Film Grand Jury Prize winner, “So What If the Goats Die,” Sofia Alaoui’s drama about a young shepherd who must battle the snow blocking him from getting food for his herd. The weeklong stream ($10) begins Aug. 21. Visit musicboxtheatre.com.
El Nuevo Ejemplo Provided
Latin music fest
Area Latino bands perform at the daylong, drive-in Los de Chicago Festival on Aug. 22. Doors open at 1 p.m. and the music begins at 3 p.m. with Herencia Zacatecana and continues with Los Orejones, Los K-Bro’s, La Bandena, Banda Enkantadora, Codigo Verde and El Nuevo Ejemplo. Also included is a midnight screening of “La Bamba,” the biopic starring Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens, the rock ’n’ roll singer who died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly. At SeatGeek Stadium, 7000 S. Harlem, Bridgeview. Tickets start at $125 per car. Visit seatgeekstadium.com.
A clay model of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument. Michael Bergmann
Honoring suffragettes
As old statues come down, one of note is going up in New York’s Central Park. The Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument is a 14-foot bronze statue, created by sculptor Meredith Bergmann, featuring Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, three leaders of the fight for women’s right to vote. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the constitutional amendment that guaranteed this right, it will be unveiled in a streamed ceremony at 7 a.m. Aug. 26. For more information, visit monumentalwomen.org.
Mary Houlihan is a Chicago freelance writer.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Fish of the Week: Brotherly love and help with a personal-best northern pike

Madden Parker had help when he caught his personal best northern pike of 39 inches earlier this month on Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ “ [ He was ] being coached on reeling this beauty in by his brother @ @ @ @ @ Carrie Parker emailed .
Madden , 13 , and Matthew , 17 , are from @ @ @ @ @ the celebration of big fish and their stories ( the stories matter , as this @ @ @ @ @ fishing , runs Wednesdays in the Sun-Times .
Submit nominations by message on Facebook ( @ @ @ @ @ Twitter ( @ BowmanOutside ) and Instagram ( @ BowmanOutside ) or email ( BowmanOutside @ @ @ @

Madden Parker had help when he caught his personal best northern pike of 39 inches earlier this month on Minnesota’s Vermilion Lake.
“[He was] being coached on reeling this beauty in by his brother Matthew,” their mother Carrie Parker emailed.
Madden, 13, and Matthew, 17, are from Orland Park.
FOTW, the celebration of big fish and their stories (the stories matter, as this one shows) around Chicago fishing, runs Wednesdays in the Sun-Times. Submit nominations by message on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) and Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com).


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Illinois takes it on the chin as Trump again assaults the environment

How is this for a deal ?
Illinois will pay a painful price and get little or none of the meager benefits .
We ’ re talking about two inexcusable Trump administration plans to degrade the environment .
As challenging as it appears to be to stop Trump at this point , we have to find a way do it .
On Monday , the administration finalized a plan to open part of the pristine but fragile Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas development .
Last week , the administration upended rules designed to keep methane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaking from oil and gas wells and pipelines .
Both those moves are bad for Illinois .
Illinois doesn ’ t have much of an oil-and-gas extraction industry , which supposedly would benefit from these policy changes .
Nor will these changes bring jobs to Illinois , as some people argue they will for Alaska .
But we ’ re already experiencing damage from the kind of climate events caused by greenhouse gases , and the damage is going to get worse .
Trump ’ s initiatives are not a problem just for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by rising sea levels on the coasts .
They are a problem for all of us .
If energy companies are allowed to unlock the vast reserve of fossil fuel and greenhouse gases at the top of Arctic Circle , we are talking about accelerating climate change rather than abating it .
The same is true of releasing more methane as it leaks from oil and gas wells and pipelines .
That ’ s not good news for the Chicago area , which just had a rare derecho and more than a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lake levels are washing away beaches and battering the entire Illinois shoreline .
Just last year , the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared an agriculture disaster in all of Illinois ’ 102 counties because of flooding , which damaged our crops and our economy .
No single weather event can be attributed to climate change , but climate scientists tell us to expect more of these sorts of things as the planet heats up .
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , D-Ill. , calls the Arctic refuge drilling an “ attack on the environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Rep Sean Casten , D-Ill. , calls it “ absolutely bonkers.
” He ’ s right , too .
The world not only has an oil glut , but it also needs to transition as fully and quickly as possible to non-carbon energy sources .
Trump ’ s plan will allow oil companies to drill on 1.56 million acres in the refuge ’ s coastal plain , which are sacred lands to the indigenous Gwich ’ in people .
A New York Times analysis found the drilling would bring a mere $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasury .
The costs , though , would be sky high .
Tire tracks from oil exploration 20 years ago are still visible today because it takes so long for nature in that part of the world to heal itself from damage .
Moreover , oil leaks would be extremely difficult to contain because of the difficulty of getting equipment to the frigid north , and oil in cold water would dissipate far more slowly than it did in the warm Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster .
Yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be auctioned off at the end of the year .
Once the leases are auctioned off , it will be hard to cancel them .
As for methane , it is a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide , although it remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter time .
Overturning the methane standards would invite a lot of small operators to cut corners and let more methane leak , which would speed the pace of climate change .
The U.S. EPA estimates the rule change , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to 850,000 more tons of methane being released into the atmosphere over the next 10 years .
Environmentalists say the real figure is far higher and that methane already is becoming a serious environmental problem .
While many other countries are working to reduce the effects of climate change , the Trump administration is galloping off in the other direction , hell-bent on increasing the rate of harm .
Residents of Illinois should consider how that might affect our state ’ s agriculture .
In the near future , we may no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abundantly as we do today .
“ [ The Arctic refuge ] has been such a political football for a decades that it is hard to tell how much of this is political and how much of this is [ is a response to ] demand , when oil prices are hugely deflated , ” Josh Mogerman , spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council , told us Wednesday .
Either way , it is extremely dangerous .
Lost in the Democratic Party ’ s convention headlines this week was a quiet decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its official platform , to drop opposition to taxpayers subsidies for fossil fuels .
That ’ s a mistake .
We should all be fighting climate change as if the planet ’ s future depends on it .
Because it does .

How is this for a deal? Illinois will pay a painful price and get little or none of the meager benefits.
No thanks.
We’re talking about two inexcusable Trump administration plans to degrade the environment. As challenging as it appears to be to stop Trump at this point, we have to find a way do it.
On Monday, the administration finalized a plan to open part of the pristine but fragile Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas development. Last week, the administration upended rules designed to keep methane — a dangerous greenhouse gas — from leaking from oil and gas wells and pipelines.
Both those moves are bad for Illinois.
Editorials bug Editorials
Accelerated climate change
Illinois doesn’t have much of an oil-and-gas extraction industry, which supposedly would benefit from these policy changes. Nor will these changes bring jobs to Illinois, as some people argue they will for Alaska. But we’re already experiencing damage from the kind of climate events caused by greenhouse gases, and the damage is going to get worse. Trump’s initiatives are not a problem just for polar bears, caribou and people beset by rising sea levels on the coasts. They are a problem for all of us.
Related A pandemic is no excuse for rolling back environmental protections
If energy companies are allowed to unlock the vast reserve of fossil fuel and greenhouse gases at the top of Arctic Circle, we are talking about accelerating climate change rather than abating it. The same is true of releasing more methane as it leaks from oil and gas wells and pipelines.
That’s not good news for the Chicago area, which just had a rare derecho and more than a dozen tornadoes rip through town and where higher lake levels are washing away beaches and battering the entire Illinois shoreline. Just last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared an agriculture disaster in all of Illinois’ 102 counties because of flooding, which damaged our crops and our economy. No single weather event can be attributed to climate change, but climate scientists tell us to expect more of these sorts of things as the planet heats up.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., calls the Arctic refuge drilling an “attack on the environment” and he’s right. U.S. Rep Sean Casten, D-Ill., calls it “absolutely bonkers.” He’s right, too. The world not only has an oil glut, but it also needs to transition as fully and quickly as possible to non-carbon energy sources.
Trump’s plan will allow oil companies to drill on 1.56 million acres in the refuge’s coastal plain, which are sacred lands to the indigenous Gwich’in people.
High costs, little gain
A New York Times analysis found the drilling would bring a mere $45 million into the nation’s treasury. The costs, though, would be sky high. Tire tracks from oil exploration 20 years ago are still visible today because it takes so long for nature in that part of the world to heal itself from damage. Moreover, oil leaks would be extremely difficult to contain because of the difficulty of getting equipment to the frigid north, and oil in cold water would dissipate far more slowly than it did in the warm Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Yet, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt says oil-drilling leases could be auctioned off at the end of the year. Once the leases are auctioned off, it will be hard to cancel them.
Getty 1 of 3 An airplane flies over caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska. The Department of the Interior has approved an oil and gas leasing program within Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP 2 of 3 In this file undated US Fish and Wildlife Service image obtained August 3, 2001 shows the coastal plain within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. - The US Department of the Interior approved oil and gas drilling on August 17, 2020 in Alaska’s pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). | Getty 3 of 3
As for methane, it is a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, although it remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter time. Overturning the methane standards would invite a lot of small operators to cut corners and let more methane leak, which would speed the pace of climate change. The U.S. EPA estimates the rule change, which could be overturned in court, would lead to 850,000 more tons of methane being released into the atmosphere over the next 10 years. Environmentalists say the real figure is far higher and that methane already is becoming a serious environmental problem.
While many other countries are working to reduce the effects of climate change, the Trump administration is galloping off in the other direction, hell-bent on increasing the rate of harm. Residents of Illinois should consider how that might affect our state’s agriculture. In the near future, we may no longer be able to grow crops as abundantly as we do today.
“[The Arctic refuge] has been such a political football for a decades that it is hard to tell how much of this is political and how much of this is [is a response to] demand, when oil prices are hugely deflated,” Josh Mogerman, spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, told us Wednesday.
Either way, it is extremely dangerous.
Democrats backing down
Lost in the Democratic Party’s convention headlines this week was a quiet decision by the party, as part of its official platform, to drop opposition to taxpayers subsidies for fossil fuels.
That’s a mistake. We should all be fighting climate change as if the planet’s future depends on it. Because it does.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--Obama warns America’s democracy on the line in Trump rebuke

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama will issue a blistering rebuke of President Donald Trump in Wednesday ’ s Democratic Party convention , accusing his successor of unleashing America ’ s “ worst impulses ” and treating the presidency as a reality show “ to get the attention he craves.
” In excerpts released ahead of his address , the former president also puts the stakes in the November election in stark terms , warning that the future of American democracy is on the line in the race between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
“ I am also asking you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure , ” Obama says in the excerpts .
He will be speak live Wednesday night from Philadelphia ’ s Museum of the American Revolution , ahead of Kamala Harris , Biden ’ s running mate — the nation ’ s first Black president handing off to the first Black woman on a major party presidential ticket .
Even in the heat of campaigns , former presidents are typically more restrained than other politicians in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet Obama ’ s remarks — his most personal and direct critique of Trump yet — reveal the 44th president ’ s striking disregard for the nation ’ s current commander in chief .
He says that while he hoped Trump might come to take the presidency seriously , he now believes he is simply incapable of doing so .
Obama ’ s headlining role at the convention is aimed in part at galvanizing younger , more liberal voters who may not have a natural affinity for the 77-year-old Biden , a career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats see Obama as a bridge to those voters , someone who can speak both to Biden ’ s character and to the urgency of progressives pushing for more sweeping change to the nation ’ s economic and domestic policies .
“ He is an incomparable witness for Biden , ” David Axelrod , a longtime Obama political adviser .
“ But he also speaks compellingly to young people restless not just to purge Trump , but to achieve real , meaningful change.
” Obama forged a close personal relationship with Biden during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and has been a sounding board for him throughout the 2020 campaign .
In excerpts of his speech , Obama says that when he set out to pick a vice president , “ I didn ’ t know I ’ d end up finding a brother.
” Yet there ’ s an inherent tension in Obama ’ s role as one of the most powerful and important surrogates for Biden .
Obama ’ s own political rise was fueled by the power of barrier-breaking , generational change , and he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More recently , Obama drew attention during the 2020 Democratic primary when he said many of the world ’ s problems have been due to “ old people , usually old men , not getting out of the way.
” With the general election now in full swing , Obama confidants say that while the former president ’ s support for Biden is unequivocal , he does worry about enthusiasm among younger voters , particularly younger voters of color .
He ’ s well aware that one of the reasons Trump currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters did not show up in the same large numbers in 2016 for Hillary Clinton as they did when he was on the ballot .
Obama ’ s wife , former first lady Michelle Obama , spoke directly to those concerns in her own well-received address on Monday ’ s opening night of the convention , urging Democrats to “ vote like we did in 2008 and 2012.
” The president is expected to make a similarly urgent appeal , as well as take aim at what an aide described as “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party to discourage Americans from voting.
” The fact that the Obamas are headliners on two of the four nights of the Democratic convention speaks to the crucial role they have in helping Biden try to reassemble the coalition that propelled them into the White House — and the challenge the Democratic Party has in building a new bench of other leaders who can do the same .
“ When you think about folks who have the capacity to really unify us , there are only a few people , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democracy for America , a progressive political action committee .
“ Certainly Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are among them.
” Indeed , the former president has enviable popularity , both among Democrats and all Americans .
A Fox News poll conducted in May found 93 % of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Obama , as did 63 % of all registered voters .
Despite that strong support , there has been some rethinking of Obama ’ s legacy among some of his party ’ s most liberal activists , who argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in overhauling the nation ’ s health care system and gave too much away to Republicans in fiscal negotiations .
Obama himself has acknowledged there was more he wanted to do , but argued he was hamstrung by the realities of a Republican-controlled House , and eventually Senate , for much of his tenure .
But some of Obama ’ s more recent comments have energized liberals , who see signs of him embracing some of the tactics of his party ’ s activist wing .
Progressives cheered in particular when Obama called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 votes on major pieces of legislation , calling it a “ Jim Crow relic ” that is holding up rewriting voting rights laws .
His surprise comments came during his eulogy at the funeral of the late civil rights leader and Georgia Rep. John Lewis .
“ That ’ s the guy we remember from the election of 2008 , ” Simpson said of Obama ’ s remarks at Lewis ’ funeral .
“ It encouraged me that he might be the guy that pulls Joe Biden along a little bit .
@

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama painted a unsparing portrait of American democracy on the brink if President Donald Trump wins in November, warning in a scathing, and at times emotional, address Wednesday that his successor is both unfit for office and apathetic about the nation’s founding principles.
“This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win,” Obama said in strikingly blunt remarks on the third night of the Democratic convention. He spoke from Philadelphia, where the United States Constitution was drafted and signed.
Obama’s address amounted to one of the most sweeping condemnations ever of a sitting president by one of his predecessors.
It was aimed squarely at jolting Democrats, as well as Republicans who are skeptical of Trump, ahead of the November election, casting the contest not simply as a choice between two politicians or two parties, but as a test of the endurance of American principles.
Through much of Trump’s presidency, Obama has been restrained in his public comments, hewing to the tradition of former Oval Office occupants giving space to the current commander in chief. Yet he has become more pointed in his criticism in recent months, and his remarks Wednesday revealed the full extent of both his personal disregard for the current president and his belief that Trump presents an existential threat to democracy in the United States.
Obama said he had initially held out hope that Trump would grow into the job of president — but he has now concluded that Trump not only hasn’t, he simply can’t.
Instead, he said Trump has focused on using the presidency to benefit his friends and family and turned the nation’s most powerful office into “one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
The former president’s address also amounted to a call to action to a weary and anxious nation, particularly younger Americans frustrated with a government that may often appear out of touch with their interests. Democrats see Obama as a bridge to those voters in the 2020 race, someone who can speak both to Biden’s character and to the urgency of progressives pushing for more sweeping change to the nation’s economic and domestic policies.
“I am also asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure,” Obama said.
Yet there’s an inherent tension in Obama’s role as one of the most powerful and important surrogates for Biden.
Obama’s own political rise was fueled by the power of barrier-breaking, generational change, and he’s encouraged “new blood” in politics.
More recently, Obama drew attention during the 2020 Democratic primary when he said many of the world’s problems have been due to “old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way.”
With the general election now in full swing, Obama confidants say that while the former president’s support for Biden is unequivocal, he does worry about enthusiasm among younger voters, particularly younger voters of color.
He’s well aware that one of the reasons Trump currently occupies the Oval Office is that those voters did not show up in the same large numbers in 2016 for Hillary Clinton as they did when he was on the ballot.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Trump shrugged off Obama’s criticism, saying that if the former administration had done a good job, “I wouldn’t be here.”
Trump added, “And probably if they did a good job, I wouldn’t have even run.”
Obama spoke two nights after his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, headlined the opening night of the convention.
The fact that the Obamas are headliners on two of the four nights of the Democratic celebration speaks to the crucial role they have in helping Biden try to reassemble the coalition that propelled them into the White House — and the challenge the Democratic Party has in building a new bench of other leaders who can do the same.
“When you think about folks who have the capacity to really unify us, there are only a few people,” said Yvette Simpson, chief executive of Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee. “Certainly Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are among them.”
Indeed, the former president has enviable popularity, both among Democrats and all Americans. A Fox News poll conducted in May found 93% of Democrats had a favorable opinion of Obama, as did 63% of all registered voters.
Despite that strong support, there has been some rethinking of Obama’s legacy among some of his party’s most liberal activists, who argue he didn’t go far enough in overhauling the nation’s health care system and gave too much away to Republicans in fiscal negotiations.
Obama himself has acknowledged there was more he wanted to do but argued he was hamstrung by the realities of a Republican-controlled House, and eventually Senate, for much of his tenure.
But some of Obama’s more recent comments have energized liberals, who see signs of him embracing some of the tactics of his party’s activist wing.
Progressives cheered in particular when Obama called for eliminating the Senate filibuster rules requiring 60 votes on major pieces of legislation, calling it a “Jim Crow relic” that is holding up rewriting voting rights laws.
His surprise comments came during his eulogy at the funeral of the late civil rights leader and Georgia Rep. John Lewis.
“That’s the guy we remember from the election of 2008,” Simpson said of Obama’s remarks at Lewis’ funeral. “It encouraged me that he might be the guy that pulls Joe Biden along a little bit.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-19--‘Tesla’: Jolts of creative whimsy electrify a delightfully oddball biopic

“ Is nature a gigantic cat ?
And if so , who strokes its back ?
” – Ethan Hawke as Nikola Tesla ” Oh , that Tesla .
What a strange one .
Why is he talking about stroking a gigantic cat ’ s back ?
Well , because as a lad he noted a charge of static electricity when he stroked his cat — so as crazy as it sounds , Tesla ’ s question actually makes sense and is worth considering .
The same could be said of writer-director Michael Almereyda ’ s anachronistically bold and bizarre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which features a 19th century narrator with a laptop computer ; a scene in which Ethan Hawke ’ s Tesla mimics a Jedi warrior with two light sabers ; a moment in which Thomas Edison scrolls through his smartphone at a pub , and a karaoke number with Tesla delivering a passionate rendition of “ Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
” * As crazy as it all sounds , it actually makes sense and is worth considering .
At the Sundance Film Festival premiere of “ Tesla , ” Almereyda said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conventional biopic of a neurotic mathematical inventor .
… [ It ’ s ] influenced by a lot of literature written on Tesla , but also movies by Derek Jarman , novels by Henry James and certain episodes of ‘ Drunk History.
’ ” Whereas the disappointingly stodgy “ The Current War ” told the intertwining stories of three legendary innovators and pioneers with Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison , Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse and Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla and focused primarily on events through Edison ’ s P.O.V.
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethan Hawke ’ s Tesla , with Kyle MacLachlan as Edison and Jim Gaffigan as Westinghouse .
This is a decidedly more brazen interpretation of historical events — and while it might drive some Telsa devotees and fact-sticklers batty , I found it to be a fantastically creative , fourth-wall-breaking , pop-art waking dream .
Tesla was a man of great vision and untold idiosyncrasies — someone who these days would be labeled “ on the spectrum , ” or perhaps many spectrums .
His legend deserves an unconventional telling .
Our narrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Eve Hewson ) , daughter of the enormously wealthy and powerful financier J.P. Morgan ( Donnie Keshawarz ) .
Anne was hopelessly in love with the almost robotically efficient and outwardly cold Tesla , even though she knew he was incapable of returning her affections .
Wearing period-appropriate clothing but apparently floating around in some kind of present-day universe , Anne flips open a MacBook and introduces us to the major characters by noting how many times their names come up in Google searches .
She also pops in from time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve just witnessed , e.g.
, Edison meets with Tesla against the backdrop of the 1893 World ’ s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and admits Tesla was right about Alternating Current vs .
Direct Current , never happened .
Even while indulging in so many flights of fancy , “ Tesla ” adheres to certain recorded truths and well-established bits of history and personality traits involving the main characters .
MacLachlan does a superb job of capturing Edison ’ s cunning and intelligence and super-sized ego , as well as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gaffigan infuses Westinghouse with a slap-you-on-the-back gregariousness and a keen sense of self-awareness ; he knows he ’ s not in the same intellectual league as the Edisons and Teslas of the world , but he can recognize genius and he knows how to get things done .
Ethan Hawke works and works and works — he has more than a dozen movie and TV credits in just the last three years , and just this week he ’ s in not only “ Tesla ” but also “ Cut Throat City ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ searing .
( He should have been nominated for an Oscar for “ First Reformed.
” ) Hawke disavows the modern notion of Tesla as some kind of turn-of-the-century rock star and plays him as an enigmatic and even tragic figure who saw a world few if any others could see and was too busy reaching for the heavens to worry about connecting with others on Earth .
It ’ s a great performance in a strange but beautiful film .
* “ Everybody Wants to Rule the World ” by Tears for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand this indecision , married with a lack of vision ” ) was the closing theme to a certain 1985 movie that ended with the villain ’ s house destroyed by an enormous amount of popping popcorn .
The movie : “ Real Genius.
” I see what you did there , Almereyda .

“Is nature a gigantic cat? And if so, who strokes its back?” – Ethan Hawke as Nikola Tesla”
Oh, that Tesla. What a strange one. Why is he talking about stroking a gigantic cat’s back? Well, because as a lad he noted a charge of static electricity when he stroked his cat — so as crazy as it sounds, Tesla’s question actually makes sense and is worth considering.
The same could be said of writer-director Michael Almereyda’s anachronistically bold and bizarre and delightfully oddball biopic “Tesla,” which features a 19th century narrator with a laptop computer; a scene in which Ethan Hawke’s Tesla mimics a Jedi warrior with two light sabers; a moment in which Thomas Edison scrolls through his smartphone at a pub, and a karaoke number with Tesla delivering a passionate rendition of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” *
‘Tesla’
Untitled IFC Films presents a film written and directed by Michael Almereyda. Rated PG-13 (for some thematic material and nude images). Running time: 103 minutes. Opens Thursday at local theaters and Friday on demand.
As crazy as it all sounds, it actually makes sense and is worth considering.
At the Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Tesla,” Almereyda said, “[This] is not a conventional biopic of a neurotic mathematical inventor. … [It’s] influenced by a lot of literature written on Tesla, but also movies by Derek Jarman, novels by Henry James and certain episodes of ‘Drunk History.’ ”
Ah, that old formula.
Kyle MacLachlan captures the cunning and huge ego of Thomas Edison. IFC Films
Whereas the disappointingly stodgy “The Current War” told the intertwining stories of three legendary innovators and pioneers with Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison, Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse and Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla and focused primarily on events through Edison’s P.O.V., “Tesla” shifts the focus to Ethan Hawke’s Tesla, with Kyle MacLachlan as Edison and Jim Gaffigan as Westinghouse. This is a decidedly more brazen interpretation of historical events — and while it might drive some Telsa devotees and fact-sticklers batty, I found it to be a fantastically creative, fourth-wall-breaking, pop-art waking dream. Tesla was a man of great vision and untold idiosyncrasies — someone who these days would be labeled “on the spectrum,” or perhaps many spectrums. His legend deserves an unconventional telling.
Our narrator for the story is one Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson), daughter of the enormously wealthy and powerful financier J.P. Morgan (Donnie Keshawarz). Anne was hopelessly in love with the almost robotically efficient and outwardly cold Tesla, even though she knew he was incapable of returning her affections. Wearing period-appropriate clothing but apparently floating around in some kind of present-day universe, Anne flips open a MacBook and introduces us to the major characters by noting how many times their names come up in Google searches. She also pops in from time to time to let us know a scene we’ve just witnessed, e.g., Edison meets with Tesla against the backdrop of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and admits Tesla was right about Alternating Current vs. Direct Current, never happened.
Eve Hewson (right, with Emma O’Connor) narrates as J.P. Morgan’s daughter Anne. IFC Films
Even while indulging in so many flights of fancy, “Tesla” adheres to certain recorded truths and well-established bits of history and personality traits involving the main characters. MacLachlan does a superb job of capturing Edison’s cunning and intelligence and super-sized ego, as well as his penchant for public relations and branding. Gaffigan infuses Westinghouse with a slap-you-on-the-back gregariousness and a keen sense of self-awareness; he knows he’s not in the same intellectual league as the Edisons and Teslas of the world, but he can recognize genius and he knows how to get things done.
Ethan Hawke works and works and works — he has more than a dozen movie and TV credits in just the last three years, and just this week he’s in not only “Tesla” but also “Cut Throat City” — but the performances are sublime and searing. (He should have been nominated for an Oscar for “First Reformed.”) Hawke disavows the modern notion of Tesla as some kind of turn-of-the-century rock star and plays him as an enigmatic and even tragic figure who saw a world few if any others could see and was too busy reaching for the heavens to worry about connecting with others on Earth. It’s a great performance in a strange but beautiful film.
* “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears “(I can’t stand this indecision, married with a lack of vision”) was the closing theme to a certain 1985 movie that ended with the villain’s house destroyed by an enormous amount of popping popcorn.
The movie: “Real Genius.” I see what you did there, Almereyda.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-20--Dear Abby: My mom won’t stop complaining about man I divorced 10 years ago

DEAR ABBY : I desperately need to learn how to cope with caring for my mother , who is living with me .
We get along most days , however she is very much a “ Negative Nancy ” on all topics , especially my life .
I have been divorced for more than 10 years , but she digs about my ex and his new wife as often as possible .
I have asked her repeatedly to stop , but she flat-out refuses because “ he left me in financial ruin.
” Yes , my ex is more financially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I am neither desolate nor destitute .
She makes me feel like no matter what I do for her it ’ s not enough , and before you suggest it , our only option is to live together .
Please help salvage my emotional state .
— CHALLENGED IN TEXAS DEAR CHALLENGED : For the sake of your sanity , you will have to learn to change the way you react to Mommy Dearest , who can ’ t let go of her grudge or resist stirring the pot .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoys needling you ?
Is she bored and has nothing better to talk about ?
When she makes negative comments about your ex , don ’ t take the bait .
Ignore her , leave the room or counter by saying something positive about him .
( I hope you can come up with some good material . )
And when she complains that you don ’ t do enough for her , start doing less , which may make you feel less taken for granted .
Understand that you may never please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , encourage her to spend time at a senior center , volunteering “ to help others less fortunate , ” or some other activity that will get her out of your house .
You should also spend less time with her when you need to .
DEAR ABBY : My late husband and I had a dysfunctional marriage .
He died in a car accident in 1995 at the age of 49 .
I was 44 then .
I did my best to shield my then-teenage daughter , “ Wendy , ” from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical abuse , and the constant flux of income because we were on and off welfare .
On the flip side of his character , he was funny , super smart , helped anyone who needed help and was loved by everyone .
Little did I know , my husband had been confiding all of my perceived faults with Wendy over the years .
Twenty-five years have passed , and she still has residual anger toward me for things I never did back then .
It spills out when she judges me or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us today .
Her father was abusive and neglectful of her , too , but she doesn ’ t remember it .
In her eyes , I was the bad guy in the marriage and he was the good guy and her hero forever .
I don ’ t know how to heal the ugliness between us .
I don ’ t think it ’ s productive at this point to tell her how bad her father treated me back then .
I continue to love her unconditionally , but it still doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger .
Was I wrong for hiding everything from her ?
It ’ s not fair being thought of unjustly .
What else can I do ?
— FAILING IN FLORIDA DEAR FAILING : By protecting your daughter from the truth all these years , you have contributed to the situation you find yourself in .
Tell your daughter it ’ s important the two of you get some issues out in the open , and if she agrees , make an appointment for you both with a licensed mental health professional who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 .
For everything you need to know about wedding planning , order “ How to Have a Lovely Wedding.
” Send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Wedding Booklet , P.O .
Box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: I desperately need to learn how to cope with caring for my mother, who is living with me. We get along most days, however she is very much a “Negative Nancy” on all topics, especially my life.
I have been divorced for more than 10 years, but she digs about my ex and his new wife as often as possible. I have asked her repeatedly to stop, but she flat-out refuses because “he left me in financial ruin.”
Yes, my ex is more financially stable today than when we were married, but I am neither desolate nor destitute. She makes me feel like no matter what I do for her it’s not enough, and before you suggest it, our only option is to live together. Please help salvage my emotional state. — CHALLENGED IN TEXAS
DEAR CHALLENGED: For the sake of your sanity, you will have to learn to change the way you react to Mommy Dearest, who can’t let go of her grudge or resist stirring the pot. Do you think she does it because she enjoys needling you? Is she bored and has nothing better to talk about?
When she makes negative comments about your ex, don’t take the bait. Ignore her, leave the room or counter by saying something positive about him. (I hope you can come up with some good material.) And when she complains that you don’t do enough for her, start doing less, which may make you feel less taken for granted.
Understand that you may never please her, and when the quarantine ends, encourage her to spend time at a senior center, volunteering “to help others less fortunate,” or some other activity that will get her out of your house. You should also spend less time with her when you need to.
DEAR ABBY: My late husband and I had a dysfunctional marriage. He died in a car accident in 1995 at the age of 49. I was 44 then.
I did my best to shield my then-teenage daughter, “Wendy,” from his opiate addiction, suicide attempts and physical abuse, and the constant flux of income because we were on and off welfare. On the flip side of his character, he was funny, super smart, helped anyone who needed help and was loved by everyone.
Little did I know, my husband had been confiding all of my perceived faults with Wendy over the years. Twenty-five years have passed, and she still has residual anger toward me for things I never did back then. It spills out when she judges me or accuses me about issues that happen between us today.
Her father was abusive and neglectful of her, too, but she doesn’t remember it. In her eyes, I was the bad guy in the marriage and he was the good guy and her hero forever.
I don’t know how to heal the ugliness between us. I don’t think it’s productive at this point to tell her how bad her father treated me back then. I continue to love her unconditionally, but it still doesn’t overcome her underlying pain and anger. Was I wrong for hiding everything from her? It’s not fair being thought of unjustly. What else can I do? — FAILING IN FLORIDA
DEAR FAILING: By protecting your daughter from the truth all these years, you have contributed to the situation you find yourself in. Tell your daughter it’s important the two of you get some issues out in the open, and if she agrees, make an appointment for you both with a licensed mental health professional who can facilitate and mediate the long-overdue discussion.
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.
For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order “How to Have a Lovely Wedding.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-08-20--Illinois-record spotted gar: Austin White catches state-record gar while targeting bowfin

Not only did Austin White catch the Illinois record spotted gar on Aug. 13 , but he might be the first targeting bowfin who hooked an Illinois record .
That ’ s righteous , prehistoric bowfin and gar in the same sentence on modern fishing .
White was fishing , as he does two or three times a week , with buddy Mike Lampkins .
They were at Kidd Lake Canal , an agricultural drainage in Monroe County .
“ I like to fish it because it is full of fish , ” White said .
“ You can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body of water .
Bowfin is one of my favorite species .
Most people think they are trash fish , but they are big toothy powerful critters.
” “ Otherwise [ for bowfin ] , I like to use bass spinner baits or cut bait , ’ ’ he said .
He was doing a “ good retrieve , not really burning it , but a good steady retrieve , ” with a 9-foot medium action saltwater rod with 40-pound braided line , a surf-casting set-up he was testing for a Labor Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the hook into a bowfin very good , ” White said .
“ They have hard mouths.
” That hard hook-set paid off this time for the gar , who have notoriously tough mouths .
“ It came to the surface , ” White said .
“ My buddy netted it and it almost went through the net .
Without him , I probably would not have got it .
“ I thought , ` Oh shoot , a gar ’ at first , but I like catching everything .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back into the water and said to my buddy , ` This is the biggest one I caught in my life .
I should weigh it.
’ ” When it topped 8 pounds , White said , “ I put it on a stringer and kept it alive .
If it wasn ’ t going to be a record , I was going to put it back.
” They contacted conservation police officer Don Schachner .
Like a lot of CPOs , he answers his phone 24/7 .
He took the call about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gar records .
“ I told him either way , shortnose or spotted , he still had the record , ” Schachner said .
Illinois has four native gar : spotted , shortnose , longnose and alligator .
The first three are established .
Alligator gar , Illinois ’ largest native fish , were declared extinct in the 1990s .
In 2010 , the Illinois Department of Natural Resources began a reintroduction program in central and southern Illinois .
“ I thought it was particularly neat that he was specifically fishing for bowfin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a naturalist outdoorsman does , ” Schachner said .
“ It is unusual to find somebody specifically fishing for bowfin .
“ Hear people talk about trash fish , but I don ’ t see it that way at all.
” He didn ’ t have a certified scale , so he had White forward photos and told him to get the fish on ice so it would not lose any weight .
“ I put it on ice water overnight , ” White said .
Schachner forwarded the photos to Eric Ratcliff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he was not available the next morning .
So nearby biologist Fred Cronin was texted .
The next morning , White met Cronin at Horseshoe Lake State Park .
“ I had to call off work , ’ said White , a welder for a medical equipment manufacturer .
“ Of all the excuses they heard , that was a first .
I don ’ t know how thrilled they were.
” “ It can be tricky to tell spotted gar from shortnose gar , especially when they loose their colors from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The easiest characteristic is the spotted gar will have distinct spots on the top of their head and a spotted is usually much darker colored than a shortnose.
” While Cronin weighed it on his certified scale , White recalled , “ Tension in the area was so thick , you could have cut it with a knife .
Then he said , ` Yeap , yeap , you got it.
’ I am still thrilled.
” Danny Peters caught the previous record spotted gar ( 7 pounds , 13.44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Horseshoe Lake in Alexander County .
Cronin ’ s last certification , coincidentally , was Illinois ’ shortnose gar record ( 6-15.2 ) , caught May 27 , 2018 from Horseshoe Lake , in Madison County , by Don Lawrence , righteous in his own way with gar artwork .
Keith Kinzel , who does deer taxidermy for White , “ steered him ” to Dan Hellmer for the fish taxidermy .
I thought with historic increased fishing effort during the pandemic that Illinois might see a slew of fish records in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Yeah , I thought maybe we would certify a few more records this year with the increased fishing , ” Cronin said .

Not only did Austin White catch the Illinois record spotted gar on Aug. 13, but he might be the first targeting bowfin who hooked an Illinois record.
That’s righteous, prehistoric bowfin and gar in the same sentence on modern fishing.
White was fishing, as he does two or three times a week, with buddy Mike Lampkins. They were at Kidd Lake Canal, an agricultural drainage in Monroe County.
“I like to fish it because it is full of fish,” White said. “You can’t name all the fish in that body of water. Bowfin is one of my favorite species. Most people think they are trash fish, but they are big toothy powerful critters.”
White was using a Strike-King 1/2-ounce lipless crankbait.
“Otherwise [for bowfin], I like to use bass spinner baits or cut bait,’’ he said.
He was doing a “good retrieve, not really burning it, but a good steady retrieve,” with a 9-foot medium action saltwater rod with 40-pound braided line, a surf-casting set-up he was testing for a Labor Day trip to Gulf Shores.
“I set the hook into a bowfin very good,” White said. “They have hard mouths.”
That hard hook-set paid off this time for the gar, who have notoriously tough mouths.
“It came to the surface,” White said. “My buddy netted it and it almost went through the net. Without him, I probably would not have got it.
“I thought, `Oh shoot, a gar’ at first, but I like catching everything. I was getting ready to [send] it back into the water and said to my buddy, `This is the biggest one I caught in my life. I should weigh it.’ ”
When it topped 8 pounds, White said, “I put it on a stringer and kept it alive. If it wasn’t going to be a record, I was going to put it back.”
They contacted conservation police officer Don Schachner. Like a lot of CPOs, he answers his phone 24/7. He took the call about 8:30 p.m., then looked up the gar records.
“I told him either way, shortnose or spotted, he still had the record,” Schachner said.
Illinois has four native gar: spotted, shortnose, longnose and alligator. The first three are established. Alligator gar, Illinois’ largest native fish, were declared extinct in the 1990s. In 2010, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources began a reintroduction program in central and southern Illinois.
“I thought it was particularly neat that he was specifically fishing for bowfin, that’s something more of a naturalist outdoorsman does,” Schachner said. “It is unusual to find somebody specifically fishing for bowfin.
“Hear people talk about trash fish, but I don’t see it that way at all.”
He didn’t have a certified scale, so he had White forward photos and told him to get the fish on ice so it would not lose any weight.
“I put it on ice water overnight,” White said.
Schachner forwarded the photos to Eric Ratcliff, fisheries biologist for Monroe County, but he was not available the next morning. So nearby biologist Fred Cronin was texted.
The next morning, White met Cronin at Horseshoe Lake State Park.
“I had to call off work,’ said White, a welder for a medical equipment manufacturer. “Of all the excuses they heard, that was a first. I don’t know how thrilled they were.”
“It can be tricky to tell spotted gar from shortnose gar, especially when they loose their colors from sitting in ice water,” Cronin said. “The easiest characteristic is the spotted gar will have distinct spots on the top of their head and a spotted is usually much darker colored than a shortnose.”
While Cronin weighed it on his certified scale at 8.4 pounds, White recalled, “Tension in the area was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. Then he said, `Yeap, yeap, you got it.’ I am still thrilled.”
Danny Peters caught the previous record spotted gar (7 pounds, 13.44 ounces) on July 10, 2004 from Horseshoe Lake in Alexander County.
Cronin’s last certification, coincidentally, was Illinois’ shortnose gar record (6-15.2), caught May 27, 2018 from Horseshoe Lake, in Madison County, by Don Lawrence, righteous in his own way with gar artwork.
Keith Kinzel, who does deer taxidermy for White, “steered him” to Dan Hellmer for the fish taxidermy.
I thought with historic increased fishing effort during the pandemic that Illinois might see a slew of fish records in 2020, but not so far.
“Yeah, I thought maybe we would certify a few more records this year with the increased fishing,” Cronin said.
White’s record goes gar as a start.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-20--‘The One and Only Ivan’: Big stars go wild as talking animals

Listen , I hear ya : Things can get weird when animals in live-action movies start talking to one another , perhaps even more so now that the technology makes them look so convincingly real .
We ’ re watching humans interact in normal , non-verbal fashion with elephants or penguins or lions or what have you — and then when the people leave the zoo or the sanctuary , the creatures start yapping away with all kinds of wacky accents , and all of a sudden it feels like we ’ re in a “ Beverly Hills Chihuahua ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One and Only Ivan ” has its share of snappy ( and sometimes sappy ) animal banter that might have the grown-ups rolling their eyes while their little ones lap it up , but this is a sweet and lovely story with seamless blending of CGI and live action , fantastically funny and warm voice work from an all-star cast and a cool epilogue in which we learn this tale is actually based on the real-life story of one Ivan the western lowland gorilla , who was brought from Africa to the States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in a concrete enclosure at a shopping center in Tacoma , Washington , before animal welfare activists successfully campaigned to have him placed in an outdoor habitat .
Not that “ The One and Only Ivan ” is a docudrama .
I ’ m pretty sure Ivan didn ’ t sound exactly like Sam Rockwell or have friends like Stella the pachyderm ( Angelina Jolie ) , Snickers the aristocratic poodle ( Helen Mirren ) , a chatty chicken named Henrietta ( Chaka Khan ) or a mangy mutt of a best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ivan and his pals are performers in a sad and flailing small circus located in a shopping mall in what appears to be the late 20th century .
Their owner/ringmaster is the increasingly desperate Mack ( Bryan Cranston ) , who has cared for Ivan since the gorilla was a baby ( as we see in some truly weird flashback home-movie sequences ) and is somewhere between kind and cruel when it comes to treating his prized talent .
( Mack genuinely cares about Ivan , but he regards the menagerie as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never occurs to Mack these magnificent creatures are basically enslaved in cages . )
Just as Stella is slowly slipping away , Mack brings in a new headliner who becomes instant box office : an impossibly cute baby elephant named Ruby ( Brooklynn Prince ) .
Stella , who remembers a time long ago when she was living in the wild , makes Ivan promise he will figure out a way to spare Ruby from a lifetime of captivity .
When Ivan discovers he has a talent for drawing , he determines he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the humans and spark a rebellion .
How about that !
There are times the family-friendly slapstick comedy and heavy messaging about the heartbreak of animals in tight , dark , cold captivity don ’ t exactly mesh .
But the visuals are truly impressive and the story has an uplifting arc , and oh do these actors have fun hamming it up .
Danny DeVito leads the way with a performance so quick and witty and warm , we wouldn ’ t mind seeing a whole movie about Bob the dog .

Listen, I hear ya: Things can get weird when animals in live-action movies start talking to one another, perhaps even more so now that the technology makes them look so convincingly real. We’re watching humans interact in normal, non-verbal fashion with elephants or penguins or lions or what have you — and then when the people leave the zoo or the sanctuary, the creatures start yapping away with all kinds of wacky accents, and all of a sudden it feels like we’re in a “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” sequel.
The Disney+ movie “The One and Only Ivan” has its share of snappy (and sometimes sappy) animal banter that might have the grown-ups rolling their eyes while their little ones lap it up, but this is a sweet and lovely story with seamless blending of CGI and live action, fantastically funny and warm voice work from an all-star cast and a cool epilogue in which we learn this tale is actually based on the real-life story of one Ivan the western lowland gorilla, who was brought from Africa to the States as a baby and spent some 27 years in a concrete enclosure at a shopping center in Tacoma, Washington, before animal welfare activists successfully campaigned to have him placed in an outdoor habitat.
‘The One and Only Ivan’
Untitled Disney presents a film directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Mike White, based on the book by Katherine Applegate. Rated PG (for mild thematic elements). Running time: 90 minutes. Begins streaming Friday on Disney+.
Not that “The One and Only Ivan” is a docudrama. I’m pretty sure Ivan didn’t sound exactly like Sam Rockwell or have friends like Stella the pachyderm (Angelina Jolie), Snickers the aristocratic poodle (Helen Mirren), a chatty chicken named Henrietta (Chaka Khan) or a mangy mutt of a best friend called Bob (Danny DeVito). Ivan and his pals are performers in a sad and flailing small circus located in a shopping mall in what appears to be the late 20th century. Their owner/ringmaster is the increasingly desperate Mack (Bryan Cranston), who has cared for Ivan since the gorilla was a baby (as we see in some truly weird flashback home-movie sequences) and is somewhere between kind and cruel when it comes to treating his prized talent. (Mack genuinely cares about Ivan, but he regards the menagerie as his meal ticket, and, it never occurs to Mack these magnificent creatures are basically enslaved in cages.)
As Bob the dog, Danny DeVito is the funniest of the actors hamming it up with animal voices. Disney
Just as Stella is slowly slipping away, Mack brings in a new headliner who becomes instant box office: an impossibly cute baby elephant named Ruby (Brooklynn Prince). Stella, who remembers a time long ago when she was living in the wild, makes Ivan promise he will figure out a way to spare Ruby from a lifetime of captivity. When Ivan discovers he has a talent for drawing, he determines he will use that skill to communicate with the humans and spark a rebellion. How about that!
There are times the family-friendly slapstick comedy and heavy messaging about the heartbreak of animals in tight, dark, cold captivity don’t exactly mesh. But the visuals are truly impressive and the story has an uplifting arc, and oh do these actors have fun hamming it up. Danny DeVito leads the way with a performance so quick and witty and warm, we wouldn’t mind seeing a whole movie about Bob the dog.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-20--21 shot Wednesday in Chicago

21 shot Wednesday in Chicago

Twenty-one people were wounded Wednesday in shootings across Chicago .
It is the third time in four days that more than 20 people have been shot in the city .
Six people were hurt in one attack in Gresham on the South Side .
The group was outside about 11:30 p.m. at “ a large gathering ” in the 8500 block of South Parnell Avenue when someone fired shots , Chicago police said .
A 29-year-old man was struck in the neck and back and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the head and taken to the same hospital , also in critical condition .
Three other victims were all in fair condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center , police said .
A 17-year-old boy was grazed in the head , while two men , 21 and 29 , were struck in the back and leg , respectively .
Another man , 28 , was shot in the arm and taken to St. Bernard Hospital , where he was also in fair condition .
A 9-year-old boy and his mother were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Austin on the West Side .
The two were on a sidewalk about 1:15 p.m. in the 300 block of North Central Avenue when two gunmen exited a vehicle and opened fire , according to police .
The boy and his 27-year-old mother , both shot in the back , were taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition , CPD Supt .
David Brown told reporters at the scene .
The shooters were aiming at a group of men on a corner , Brown said ; the mother and child were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling the act “ cowardly.
” The day ’ s latest reported shooting left a man wounded in Bronzeville on the South Side .
The man , 21 , was outside arguing with a man that he knew about 11:55 p.m. in the 2900 block of South Federal Street , Chicago police said .
The other man fired shots and struck the 21-year-old in the hand .
The 21-year-old was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition , police said .
Earlier in the evening , two people were shot in Chatham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was walking about 8:30 p.m. in the 7700 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue when he heard shots , ran and felt pain , Chicago police said .
He was struck in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition .
Later , another person was dropped off in a vehicle at the same hospital with two gunshot wounds to the back , police said .
They were listed in critical condition .
Two more people were shot Wednesday afternoon in Roseland on the South Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a home about 3:57 p.m. in the first block of East 102nd Place when a vehicle pulled up and someone fired shots , Chicago police said .
A 19-year-old man was struck in the shoulder and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where his condition was stabilized , police said .
The other man , 27 , was shot in the buttocks and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn .
His condition was not immediately known .
Wednesday morning , two people were shot in Park Manor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing outside at 9:09 a.m. in the 7400 block of South Saint Lawrence Avenue when a gold sedan pulled up , Chicago police said .
Three people got out and started shooting .
A 19-year-old man was shot in his left foot , right arm and right knee , police said .
The other man , 25 , was hit in the left arm and upper right thigh and may have suffered a graze wound to his forehead .
Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ left two men hurt in Back of the Yards on the South Side .
The men , 23 and 37 , were outside with a group about 12:35 a.m. in the 5100 block of South Wood Street when someone in a green SUV pulled up and opened fire , Chicago police said .
The older man was struck in the chest and thigh and taken to Holy Cross Hospital in critical condition , police said .
The younger man was shot twice in the left leg and drove himself to the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good condition .
Four more people were wounded Wednesday in citywide gun violence .
On Tuesday , 15 people were shot in Chicago , one of them fatally .
Twenty-one people were shot on Monday as well , while 29 of the weekend ’ s 64 victims were shot on Sunday .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Twenty-one people were wounded Wednesday in shootings across Chicago. It is the third time in four days that more than 20 people have been shot in the city.
Six people were hurt in one attack in Gresham on the South Side.
The group was outside about 11:30 p.m. at “a large gathering” in the 8500 block of South Parnell Avenue when someone fired shots, Chicago police said.
A 29-year-old man was struck in the neck and back and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. Another man, 37, was struck in the head and taken to the same hospital, also in critical condition.
Three other victims were all in fair condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. A 17-year-old boy was grazed in the head, while two men, 21 and 29, were struck in the back and leg, respectively. Another man, 28, was shot in the arm and taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was also in fair condition.
A 9-year-old boy and his mother were critically wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon in Austin on the West Side.
The two were on a sidewalk about 1:15 p.m. in the 300 block of North Central Avenue when two gunmen exited a vehicle and opened fire, according to police.
The boy and his 27-year-old mother, both shot in the back, were taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, CPD Supt. David Brown told reporters at the scene. The shooters were aiming at a group of men on a corner, Brown said; the mother and child were not the intended targets, he added, calling the act “cowardly.”
The day’s latest reported shooting left a man wounded in Bronzeville on the South Side.
The man, 21, was outside arguing with a man that he knew about 11:55 p.m. in the 2900 block of South Federal Street, Chicago police said. The other man fired shots and struck the 21-year-old in the hand.
The 21-year-old was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition, police said.
Earlier in the evening, two people were shot in Chatham on the South Side.
An 18-year-old man was walking about 8:30 p.m. in the 7700 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue when he heard shots, ran and felt pain, Chicago police said. He was struck in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
Later, another person was dropped off in a vehicle at the same hospital with two gunshot wounds to the back, police said. They were listed in critical condition.
Two more people were shot Wednesday afternoon in Roseland on the South Side.
They were on the front porch of a home about 3:57 p.m. in the first block of East 102nd Place when a vehicle pulled up and someone fired shots, Chicago police said.
A 19-year-old man was struck in the shoulder and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said. The other man, 27, was shot in the buttocks and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His condition was not immediately known.
Wednesday morning, two people were shot in Park Manor on the South Side.
They were standing outside at 9:09 a.m. in the 7400 block of South Saint Lawrence Avenue when a gold sedan pulled up, Chicago police said. Three people got out and started shooting.
A 19-year-old man was shot in his left foot, right arm and right knee, police said. The other man, 25, was hit in the left arm and upper right thigh and may have suffered a graze wound to his forehead. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
The day’s first reported shooting left two men hurt in Back of the Yards on the South Side.
The men, 23 and 37, were outside with a group about 12:35 a.m. in the 5100 block of South Wood Street when someone in a green SUV pulled up and opened fire, Chicago police said.
The older man was struck in the chest and thigh and taken to Holy Cross Hospital in critical condition, police said. The younger man was shot twice in the left leg and drove himself to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was in good condition.
Four more people were wounded Wednesday in citywide gun violence.
On Tuesday, 15 people were shot in Chicago, one of them fatally. Twenty-one people were shot on Monday as well, while 29 of the weekend’s 64 victims were shot on Sunday.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-20--6 wounded in Gresham shooting

6 wounded in Gresham shooting

Six people were shot Wednesday at a gathering in Gresham on the South Side .
The group was outside about @ @ @ @ @ large gathering ” in the 8500 block of South Parnell Avenue when someone fired shots @ @ @ @ @ A 29-year-old man was struck in the neck and back and taken to the University @ @ @ @ @ critical condition , police said .
Another man , 37 , was struck in the @ @ @ @ @ same hospital , also in critical condition .
Three other victims were all in fair @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Medical Center , police said .
A 17-year-old boy was grazed in the head @ @ @ @ @ 21 and 29 , were struck in the back and leg , respectively .
Another @ @ @ @ @ shot in the arm and taken to St. Bernard Hospital , where he was also @ @ @ @ @ said .
No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate .
Read more @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s homicides .

Six people were wounded — including a 17-year-old boy — in a shooting Wednesday night at a parking lot in Gresham on the South Side.
At least one gunman stepped out of a dark-colored vehicle at 11:30 p.m. and opened fire on a “large gathering” in the 8500 block of South Parnell Avenue, Chicago police said.
Six gunshot victims were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Four of them were in serious condition or worse.
A 29-year-old man was shot in the neck and back and listed in critical condition, police said. Another man, 37, was struck in the head and also listed as critical.
Two other men, 21 and 29, were shot in the back and leg, respectively, and were listed in serious condition, police said. A 17-year-old boy grazed in the head was in fair condition.
Police have not announced an arrest.
The wounded were among 21 people shot Wednesday in citywide gun violence.
About a month ago, 15 people were wounded in a shooting outside a funeral home in the same neighborhood. Days earlier, two young boys were among three people shot in Gresham as well.
The 6th police district, which includes Gresham, has seen a 38% increase in shootings through Aug. 16 this year, compared to the same time in 2019, according to official police statistics.
The district has recorded 52 murders so far in 2020, a 73% jump from last year, when the district had 30.
On Wednesday, police officials asked for the public’s help in finding the person who shot the 12-year-old son of a Chicago firefighter in a park in Woodlawn over the weekend.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.