Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $25 million settlement with Chicago-based food delivery app Grubhub Tuesday after the company allegedly deceived customers, delivery drivers and restaurants to boost its own growth and profit.
The attorney general’s office and the FTC have investigated the company for years after nearly 50 complaints were filed related to consumer protection laws, Raoul said at a press conference Tuesday. The investigation revealed that the company inflated fees, deceived drivers about how much money they could make and put restaurants on its app without their permission, and in some cases, despite their explicit objections.
“Our investigation revealed deceptive business practices that negatively impacted participants involved in nearly every aspect of its transactions,” Raoul said.
By deceiving its customers and employees, Grubhub violated several laws and FTC rules, including the Consumer Fraud Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, according to the complaint.
Grubhub has denied the allegations but said paying a settlement is the simplest way forward.
“At Grubhub, we’re committed to transparency so that every single day diners, restaurants and drivers can make well-informed choices to do business with us,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Sun-Times. “While we categorically deny the allegations made by the FTC, many of which are wrong, misleading or no longer applicable to our business, we believe settling this matter is in the best interest of Grubhub and allows us to move forward.”
The settlement, if approved by a judge, would mostly be paid to Grubhub customers and delivery drivers who were affected by the company’s business practices.
As many as 325,000 restaurants — more than half the total number of restaurants — on Grubhub hadn’t been affiliated with the app, the investigation found. Grubhub intentionally placed these restaurants on the app to bolster its own growth and be more competitive against other food delivery apps, FTC Chair Lina Khan said. But including unaffiliated restaurants on the app meant diners and restaurants suffered. Deliveries from unaffiliated restaurants would take longer and often have more issues, according to an FTC press release.
“We also allege that this conduct, especially with regard to the restaurants, is an unfair method of competition,” Khan said. “The idea being that Grubhub relied on these false affiliations as a way to boost its growth and scale and we believe that that basically gave it an unfair competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
Grubhub also duped customers with its delivery fees, leading diners to believe they would pay a lower amount in delivery fees, only to be charged for a “small order fee” or “service fee.” The FTC and attorney general’s office found these fees were “simply delivery fees in disguise.”
Delivery drivers also paid the price for Grubhub’s deception, the complaint says. In New York, for example, the company advertised that delivery drivers could make up to $40 per hour, even though only one in 1,000 drivers made that amount and the median rate was $10 per hour. In Chicago, a similar advertisement promised up to $26 per hour. Only 2% of drivers actually made that, while the median was $11 per hour.
The settlement also requires Grubhub to immediately stop the deceptive and illegal practices, provide clear and accurate information on fees, remove unaffiliated restaurants from the app and refrain from adding them again and provide proof of potential earnings.
The FTC and Illinois attorney general’s office have been investigating gig platforms for the last few years, and a similar settlement with DoorDash was made earlier this year. That $11.25 million settlement was paid to the attorney general’s office for allegedly encouraging customers to tip as much as possible, saying the full amount would go toward the driver, but DoorDash instead used tip amounts to lower the amount the company paid workers.
Police are giving an update Tuesday on the school shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, that left a teenage student and a teacher dead.
Five students and one teacher were also wounded in the shooting Monday at Abundant Life Christian School, police said. The injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening.
The student and the teacher who were killed have not been identified publicly, and will not be until their families are notified, police said. The shooter, who police identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, was found dead.
“Our community is really reeling from what happened last night and we’re really trying to put the pieces together to bring some answers to our community,” Madison Chief of Police Shon F. Barnes said Tuesday on “CBS Mornings.”
Rupnow, who went by Samantha, was a student at the school, Barnes said Monday. She appears to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Barnes said, and was pronounced dead while being taken to an area hospital. Police did not fire their weapons, police said. A motive is not yet known. Police are investigating how Rupnow obtained a gun, Barnes said, and Rupnow’s family is cooperating with the investigation.
How to watch the Wisconsin school shooting update
What: Police give an update on the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024
Time: 1:15 p.m. local time; 2:15 p.m. ET
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device.
Note: Streaming plans are subject to change.
Kerry Breen
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
Blackhawks assistant coach Derek King was asleep when his former assistant called to tell him he was now his boss.
For most coaches — for most people in general — the awkwardness of that power dynamic would be difficult to tolerate, the ego blow would be difficult to accept.
But for King, arguably the most ego-less man in the hockey world, it was not difficult. Instead, he and Anders Sorensen carpooled into Chicago the next morning, discussed the new situation and promptly got to work, with Sorensen now the Hawks’ interim coach and King supporting him as an assistant.
“There was no, ‘Are you OK with this?’ or anything,” King said recently. “It was just, ‘I’m happy for you. I’m here to help like you helped me. So let’s do this.’”
When King joined the Rockford IceHogs as an assistant in 2016, Sorensen was a player development coach supporting the team’s minuscule coaching staff. When King became Rockford’s head coach in 2018-19, he promoted Sorensen to assistant. And when King became Hawks interim coach in 2021-22, Sorensen was promoted to Rockford head coach.
King’s decision to stay on Luke Richardson’s staff as an assistant starting in 2022 — even though the Hawks picked Richardson instead of him to be the permanent coach — was unusual enough in hockey, albeit a perfect example of King’s lack of ego. This new situation is even more bizarre, but he has yet again handled it in the most easygoing way possible.
“I wasn’t expecting that ‘second chance’ kind of thing,” King said. “I had my chance. Whatever, it didn’t work out. But I was fortunate enough to stay on. For them to rehire me again as an interim, I don’t think that would’ve went over well.”
He’s fully aware that if he wanted another head-coaching job, he would “probably have to go somewhere else.” And that’s simply not something he’s interested in doing.
“I enjoy the organization, and I like what I do,” he said. “Everybody has a niche. I enjoyed the head [coaching] part; it was a great learning experience. But I’m really enjoying this part, too. It’s almost bringing me back to the roots of the American League, where you’re [doing] more teaching.”
Derek King primarily works with the Blackhawks’ forwards, like Connor Bedard.
King’s focus has shifted toward assisting Sorensen’s adjustments to the usual rhythms and challenges of the NHL. They’re different beasts than in the AHL.
King often mentioned in 2021-22 how he felt pulled in many directions at once for interviews, meetings and such. Sorensen said the lack of practice time enabled by the NHL schedule (compared to the AHL’s weekend-focused schedule) has surprised him most so far. The upcoming Winter Classic and all of its surrounding pageantry will add another wrinkle in the coming weeks.
King’s advice for Sorensen: “Be yourself. It’s all you can do. Coach the way you want to coach, and I’ll be here to help you as much as I can.”
“He’s a good friend of mine, so it makes the transition smoother,” Sorensen said. “We spend a lot of time in the summer together, golfing and whatnot. He’s been a big sounding board for me up here, helping me out with little details.”
Sorensen commended King, who primarily works with the Hawks’ forwards, for intuitively knowing “when it’s time to focus up and when to keep it loose.” His equable personality provides some much-needed levity and humor whenever morale dips.
Sorensen, a self-described “black-and-white” guy, might be King’s polar opposite. But they still work together and complement each other just as well as they used to, regardless of the flipped power dynamic.
“In Rockford, we allowed each other to do what we needed to do,” King said. “We took turns, and it was a different voice all the time with the players. I think that’s what he’s looking for now. You can just see the confidence in him.”
Peanut butter is a childhood staple for many of us. Whether it’s a classic PB&J sandwich, a fluffernutter, cookies or just a big spoonful, peanut butter is a nutritious, filling and versatile food that can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
With National Peanut Butter Month in November, there’s no better time to explore its delicious potential.
From savory to sweet, peanut butter has the versatility to pair with ingredients you might never expect. Whether it’s the sharp tang of blue cheese or the smoky richness of bacon, these unexpected combinations will make you rethink how to eat peanut butter.
The history of peanut butter in the US
The American public’s love affair with peanut butter began at the dawn of the 20th century, when it was showcased at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Over the years it became a diet staple. The popularity of peanut butter increased exponentially during The Great Depression as it was an affordable and healthful protein during a challenging time for many families.
Today we’re fortunate to have various peanut butter options, from creamy to crunchy, flavored or enhanced with mix-ins and incorporated into sweet and savory dishes. From breakfast to stir-fry dinners, peanut butter is a popular ingredient, but there are always new flavors to discover. Give one of these unusual peanut butter combos a try.
Not your usual peanut butter pairings
These daring combos aren’t the typical peanut butter favorites you serve your kids or enjoy with a glass of milk. They are rich, bold flavors that are a must try for true foodies.
Peanut butter and kimchi
Kimchi is a Korean dish made from fermented vegetables — typically radish and napa cabbage — seasoned with ginger, garlic, gochugaru and other spices. Gut health has been a hot topic in recent years with condiments like kimchi and sauerkraut becoming increasingly popular.
Kimchi is often served as an accompaniment to soup or eggs, but consider serving this punchy side dish alongside peanut butter for added health benefits, like fat and protein. Kimchi and peanut butter can be combined to create a savory, sweet and spicy sauce for an Asian noodle bowl or even a kimchi and peanut butter sandwich.
Blue cheese and peanut butter
Blue cheese is typically paired with dried fruits and nuts on a cheese platter or made into a sauce. It has a strong, tangy flavor and a creamy texture, making it both bold and distinctive; a versatility that lends itself to experimentation.
Recently the peanut butter cup and blue cheese combo went viral with many calling it the perfect mix of sweet and tart.
Consider an open-faced peanut butter sandwich topped with blue cheese crumbles or an iceberg wedge drizzled with a mix of blue cheese dressing and peanut butter for a sweet and tangy take on the classic salad.
Peanut butter and jelly wings
This reimagined staple is a current favorite at the 2024 Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT in Walt Disney World (running through Nov 23). Disney calls this combination sticky wings with peanut sauce and grape gel with celery and ranch. What it boils down to really, is PB&J chicken wings, and the reviews across social media have been positive. Guests have described them as peanut butter glazed wings served with a crunchy crushed peanut topping, which is rather intriguing and easy to recreate at home in the air fryer.
Olives and peanut butter
Olives add a briny, salty depth to the creamy nuttiness of peanut butter. The salty and slightly sweet combination can work in spreads, sauces or dips. You can even try it on a sandwich but don’t forget the mayo.
Peanut butter and sardines
Sardines’ strong, oily and salty taste creates an unexpected harmony with peanut butter’s smooth, sweet nuttiness.
This pairing is adventurous and is best spread on crusty bread or rye crackers.
Peanut butter and bacon sandwich
Peanut Butter Strawberry Jam and Bacon Sandwiches
Creamy, sweet peanut butter paired with the smoky saltiness of bacon sounds like the perfect late-morning sandwich, especially if the bacon is still crispy.
Another tasty option would be to use maple-flavored bacon for an additional layer of flavor.
Peanut butter avocado toast
For an extra serving of healthy fats, consider avocado toast layered with peanut butter, avocado, banana slices and pumpkin seeds.
While it may sound off putting at first, remember there are numerous recipes online for protein shakes that include both peanut butter and avocado together.
If you prefer to eat your breakfast rather than drink it, this twist on toast is a great option.
Peanut butter coffee
Did someone say PB Latte?
Peanut butter can be stirred into coffee for a creamy, nutty and slightly sweet flavor boost, adding a unique richness to the drink. Try it hot or iced.
Experiment with your favorite ingredients
Think outside the jar and consider some new and unusual ways to enjoy peanut butter in your home. Peanut butter is a readily available and versatile ingredient that lends itself to experimentation. So it’s time to dig and create your own unusual combos. You may just uncover a viral treat that takes over the internet.
Michele Brosius is the creator of Midlife Healthy Living.
Nima Momeni has been found guilty of second degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, a verdict reached by a San Francisco jury after seven days of deliberations.
The verdict of second degree murder carries a 15 years to life sentence and includes an enhancement for using a knife in the crime.
Momeni was accused of fatally stabbing tech executive Lee in a secluded part of San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood under the Bay Bridge in April 2023.
Court officials announced late Monday afternoon that the jury had reached a verdict shortly before 4 p.m., but decided to have jurors return to the courthouse at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning to read the verdict.
Prosecutors accused Momeni of stabbing Lee with a kitchen paring knife following a heated discussion regarding his sister’s relationship with Lee as well as their ongoing drug use. During the trial, Momeni’s lawyers claimed that their client acted in self-defense, alleging that Lee lunged at Momeni with a knife in his hand while high on ketamine and cocaine. The defense said Lee became erratic and aggressive after Momeni made a “bad joke” at the expense of Lee’s family.
The trial, which lasted six weeks, was punctuated by dramatic testimony, including an appearance on the stand of Momeni’s sister, Khazar Momeni. She testified as a witness for the prosecution and insisted during her first day of testimony that her brother didn’t kill Lee. She also detailed consuming several drugs with Lee and others in the days leading up to the fatal stabbing.
During cross examination by defense attorneys, Khazar Momeni described Lee as “all over the place” and “aggressive” while high on drugs. Her testimony was criticized outside the courtroom by Lee’s ex-wife Krista Lee, who accused her of trying to “make herself a victim.”
The testimony turned contentious when Nima Momeni took the stand, as the defendant sparred with the prosecution during cross-examination after earlier describing how Lee allegedly attacked him while his defense team questioned him about the confrontation.
San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai challenged Momeni’s version of the story and focused on his actions immediately after Lee’s death, including his calls to attorneys and text messages with his sister.
The case wrapped up in the first week of December with prosecutors trying to tear down Momeni’s defense in their closing arguments and asking why he didn’t call police or tell anyone about Lee allegedly attacking him.
The defense showed a bombshell video during their closing arguments, presenting surveillance footage they claimed showed Lee doing cocaine on the street outside a private club with the same knife used to kill him hours later. Defense attorney Saam Zangeneh used a cardboard cutout of the knife in court so the jury could see the size of the paring knife he said the video proved Lee had in his possession all along.
That video sparked a tense exchange between Zangeneh and Lee’s former wife, who let out a loud, mocking laugh as he showed the footage.
Zangeneh turned to directly address her, saying it wasn’t funny. Prosecutors quickly objected and the judge intervened to restore order in the courtroom.
The jury began deliberations on the morning of Dec. 4.
Dave Pehling
Dave Pehling is website managing editor for CBS Bay Area. He started his journalism career doing freelance writing about music in the late 1990s, eventually working as a web writer, editor and producer for KTVU.com in 2003. He began his role with CBS Bay Area in 2015.
Perch fishing builds on the lakefront and ice fishing varies widely to lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report
Kyle Lamm sent the photo at the top and a full report from the Hayward, Wisconsin, area. See the report in the northern Wisconsin report.
PIER PASSES
Pier passes may be bought at Park Bait, Bridgeport Bait and Tackle and Fishtech in Morton Grove. The $10 pier passes allow legal access to select piers at Jackson Park, Burnham, DuSable, Diversey, Belmont and Montrose harbors.
ICE FISHING PUBLIC SITES
Ice fishing regulations for area public sites are at https://chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors/2024/12/04/updating-ice-fishing-regs-around-chicago-area-public-sites
AUGER SHARPENING
For the 25th year, Fran Connelly is sharpening of auger blades. Find “Ice Auger Sharpening” on Facebook or drop off blades at either Lee’s Bait & Tackle (Elk Grove Village or Carol Stream).
CHICAGO PARKING PASSES
Park Bait, Bridgeport Bait and Tackle and Fishtech in Morton Grove are now selling parking passes. Email [email protected] with questions. Chicago Park District parking passes ($20 for two months) are for the anglers’ parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors.
NAVY PIER ANGLING
North side of Navy Pier is open for anglers. Discounted parking for anglers is $9 daily, beginning at 5 a.m.; must be out by 10 a.m. for the discount. Click here to prepay for the discounted tickets.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
My column from Nov. 30, 2022, on parking the length of the Chicago lakefront is posted at https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/11/30/23485385/chicago-lakefront-parking-fishing
AREA LAKES
Rob Abouchar holds a bluegill caught on Island Lake.
Rob Abouchar messaged the photos above and below, and this:
Hi Dale
In island lake the ice was holding on barely Monday afternoon but probably not safe. The bite was good over the weekend for bluegill . Gills were hitting wax worms on a black rat finkie tipped with two waxworms. I was also catching golden shiners. The largemouth bass bite remained good on golden roach minnows on tip up rigs. The cool snap will hopefully firm things back up. I still need to get out the ice skates.
On the music front the Zappa fest shows over the weekend were a smashing success. Ray White loved the band and his stories of his days with frank were priceless. There is talk of us going to play with Ray in Las Vegas where he lives. Who knows what the future holds. Back home it’s hopefully a couple reggae appearances at upcoming Bob Marley birthday celebrations. Also thoughts of more recordings.
Giving thanks and looking forward to the holiday break.
Tight lines and good health!
Rob
One of these years, I will make the Zappafest.
Rob Abouchar playing music.
Dave Kranz of Dave’s Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake and with his You-Tube channel, Dave Kranz Living the wild outdoors, texted:
Although I have had customers ice fish everyday for the last two weeks on backwaters and ponds I would wait to get out until the weekend. Colder nights will make more ice and freeze the wetness on the ice today. Get your gear ready, the forecast looks good going forward into the new year for a good ice season.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley drew a crowd Friday at the Wisconsin Ice Fishing Expo.
Jim “The Crappie Professor” Kopjo
Ken “Husker” O’Malley of Husker Outdoors emailed the photos above and this:
Hey Dale,
Mother Nature giveth and she taketh away. Never a good way to start an ice report, right? This is what I found today. The rain over the weekend and mild temps did the ice in. Depending on the body of water, some have an inch or so of ice with water on top, and some have areas of open water. There were areas of open shorelines as well. At this point I would rather see us going back to open water and start all over again. Never good to start building ice with a compromised base. Looking at the forecast no new holes will be drilled before first of the year. The long rods might see some action still before the new year. We shall see.
Here’s a pic courtesy from Jim Kopjo of my seminar at the Wisconsin Ice Fishing Expo over the weekend.
TTYL
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Closed.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
A bucket of fish from the T Channel over the weekend.
Arden Katz said that on Saturday there was at least 6 inches on the T Channel with good bluegill, but it took sorting for keepers, on Widow Maker jigs; also picking up some perch and crappie (See Fish of the Week).
Though the rain and warmth put a damper on some areas, proprietor Greg Dickson at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said, “I think we will be fine, a favorable situation moving forward. We will be in good shape for the weekend.”
CHAIN ACCESS: For some access and parking spots, go to https://chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors/2024/12/11/accessing-ice-fishing-on-the-fox-chain-olakes
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam closed through April 30.
COOLING LAKES
Braidwood, Heidecke and LaSalle are closed.
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Ice conditions at the launch of Delavan Lake in Wisconsin.
Arden Katz emailed the photo above on Monday and said that crappies and good sized bluegill are being caught around launch area on waxies and Widow Maker jigs.
DOWNSTATE
CLINTON LAKE: Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said customers are picking up some crappie.
POWERTON: Bank fishing reopens Monday, Dec. 23.
EMIQUON PRESERVE: With waterfowl season, Randy Smith, Illinois River project manager for The Nature Conservancy, emailed:
Fishing is still open, but does not start until 12 noon during waterfowl season. Waterfowl hunting stops at noon. Access permits and liability waivers are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details at https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/2024EmiquonLakeAccessRules.pdf.
HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed.
SPRING LAKE: Bank fishing allowed after 1 p.m., Oct. 26-Dec. 24.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris (www.comecatchsmallmouth.com) emailed:
Fishing Report – 12/16/2024
By Mike Norris
Big Green Lake—Due to strong winds late last week, Big Green Lake remained wide open despite the sub-zero temperatures. The two exceptions are Beyer’s Cove and the T-Channels, which have 4 – 5 inches of clear ice. The clear ice is hampering angling efforts because the panfish are spooked as anglers walk across the ice. The Hoerner’s boat launch is ice-free, and a few boaters are live bait rigging to chase smallmouth bass and walleye around the Heidel Bar and Sugar Loaf.
Beaver Dam Lake – The ice bite for walleyes after sunset has been consistent the last week or two. Try fishing with shiner minnows hung from tip-ups in Waterworks Bay which is accessible from Edgewater Park on the east end of the lake.
Fox Lake—Crappie fishing has been good all fall, and the action on jigs tipped with minnows is excellent in 16 feet of water just off the Boat House. The same can be said for Maple Point, which is reachable from the Town Park boat launch. One angler reported catching a 44-inch northern pike. The center of the lake is still ice-free.
Lake Puckaway – There are 5 – 7 inches of ice along the west end of Lake Puckaway, and anglers are walking out from Good Old Days and catching northern pike on tip-ups rigged with shiner minnows.
HEIDECKE LAKE
Closed.
LAKE ERIE
Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE AREA
Capt. A.J. Cwiok holds a muskie he caught fishing with Capt. Bill Davis in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area.
Capt. A.J. Cwiok messaged the photos above and below, and this:
First time fishing in Knoxville Tennessee! Fish came off Alabama rigs
Great guy that took me out Melton Hill Bill fishing guide service
Would definitely recommend and I will be back for a 50 pound striper with him!!
Capt. Bill Davis holds a striper caught in eastern Tennessee.
Provided by Capt. A.J. Cwiok
LAKEFRONT
Most perch focus remains on the South Side slips, but others are working Navy Pier.
Dan Edwards at Bridgeport Bait and Tackle said on Tuesday that both DuSable Harbor and Navy Pier were slow for perch, but the South Side slips continue to be steadier, starting to switch to larger minnows for jumbos; a few reports of scattered lake trout and a few steelhead at Diversey.
Park Bait is closed for the winter.
SALMON SNAGGING: Here are the details from the IDNR:
4) Snagging for Chinook and coho salmon only is permitted from the following Lake Michigan shoreline areas from October 1 through December 31; however, no snagging is allowed at any time within 200 feet of a moored watercraft or as posted: A) Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton Avenue Bridge to the southern end of the Lagoon. B) Waukegan Harbor (in North Harbor basin only). C) Winnetka Power Plant discharge area. D) Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors).
LaSALLE LAKE
Closed.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN
Click here for the update from D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop .
Staff at D&S Bait, Tackle & Fly Shop said ice fishing continues mainly for bluegill, but there’s also crappie, pike, walleye and a little bit of everything; Mud Lake has about 6 inches of ice, Cherokee Marsh, 4 or 5, and Monona Bay 4. Big lakes are open water.
MAZONIA
Closed, except Monster remains open all year.
Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Patrick Patel of Oak Lawn holds a 19 1/2-inch walleye caught in the Hayward, Wisconsin, area.
Kyle Hamm messaged the photos above and below (and at the very top), and this on X Thursday:
Hello Dale
Just got back from annual first ice fishing in Hayward area. Ice was between 2-5 inches, we walked out to spots Finally got on some good walleye jig fishing. Over the years crappie fishing has bored us, unless big.
Big Walleye is Pat Patel Oak Lawn, IL @HotRodBlago30
19 and a half
Big Crappie was 14 inch Chris Heider, Batavia, IL
We still get crappies
A mess of crappie plus a yellow perch caught ice fishing in northern Wisconsin.
Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:
Ice conditions improved significantly by mid-week, closing up some trouble spots and adding inches to the ice and confidence to the anglers. With many of the more popular spots reporting 6-8” and with the weather very mild, many anglers headed out over the weekend. Fishing was good overall, yet anglers should still use caution when venturing out to areas untraveled or on larger deep lakes.
Walleye: Very Good – Not all day, but for anglers willing to get out pre-dawn or fish the first hour and a half after dark, nice catches in 4-8’ of water using medium goldens or river shiners on tip-ups. Jigging Rapalas (#5), Shiver Minnows (#2) and Hyper Glides (1.5:2’s). also working well. Keeping bait 2’ off bottom to just over weed tops working best as Eyes moving into shallows at dusk to actively feed. Nice fish, many slots (20-24”) and several 26-28”ers reported.
Northern Pike: Very Good – Nice thick fish in the upper 20” to low 30” size on big suckers and shiners. Some right at dusk surprising anglers targeting Walleyes in 4-8’ of water.
Bluegill: Very Good – Mornings until about 10-11 AM then again picking up about 3 PM until dusk. For the most part, shallower weeds of 4-8’ using light jigs tipped with waxies or plastics. Anglers fishing small, deeper lakes with less weeds finding Gills in 12-14’ using tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or plastics. Nice Gills, most in the 7 ½-8” range, but enough 9”+ to make things interesting.
Crappie: Good – Anglers working fish along 8-12’ weeds using jigs with small flutter blades like Lethal Cecil’s and Tikka Flashes scoring well. Warm temps keeping holes open, so tip-downs are working well baited with small rosies or crappie minnows. Clam Niku Bolt Minnows and Flutter Fly’s also producing.
Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Some reports of nice eaters in the 8-9” range taking jigs with waxies meant for Gills. Depth still shallow 4-10’ while ice is relatively thin.
Second weekend of warm up and light rain making some areas slushy and spooky (dark). Cool off (highs to 20 degrees and upper teens) mid-week with some single digit lows should firm up the top and hopefully add a few more inches to make snowmobile and ATV travel better. The week of Christmas to New Year’s looks good, with nice winter temps and a little snow.
There have been a few trucks reported on the ice…NOT GOOD! With only 8” and less of ice, it’s not safe for these drivers or the other people enjoying the ice. Please hold off from driving full size trucks on these lakes until we get a good 14-16” of solid ice out there.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sports Shop – Like us on FaceBook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
It’s all perch super bizy since last report most days.
The deep water 55 to 60ft out of portage is all big perch. Some good catches since last report.
Boat and shore fishermen fishing east Chicago marina are catching as many as they want but a lot of small perch. But action is good most days.
Slips and up all the way to 106th street in the river giving up perch of all sizes a lot of little ones but good ones mixed in. Weekends have been having well over 300 fisherman at a time fishing.
Slez’s Bait Shop will be open 5 to 5 on Christmas Eve and 5 to 1 on Christmas Day.
SHABBONA LAKE
Site winter hours–through Jan. 31–are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Boondocks is closed.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said steelhead continue to go in the river, it’s off and on the pier.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted Tuesday:
Ice conditions are not safe at this time. There is open water on Poygan and Partridge lakes. The bayous are holding up with 3-6″ of ice.
We’re living in a time of brutal backlash against LGBTQ+ rights. Florida and numerous other states have passed laws censoring discussions of queer issues in schools; trans people are facing brutal restrictions on their health care. At the same time, film critics and filmmakers have argued that, as Richard Linklater commented dolefully this summer, “there’s no sex in movies anymore.”
Given these two data points—cultural backlash against LGBTQ+ people and a movie industry that increasingly avoids depictions of adult sexuality—you would think that it would be a dismal time for queer film. And yet, the opposite is the case; 2024 has been an amazing year for queer cinema. There are still certainly limits, as big-budget Hollywood films continue to avoid LGBTQ+ characters and themes. But outside of blockbusters, 2024 has been characterized by the consolidation of decades of gains for LGBTQ+ filmmakers and performers and by a wonderful range of queer movies.
Historically, LGBTQ+ films with any marketing profile at all have been confined to small-budget indie cinema, especially romantic comedies, and family or romantic dramas—movies like Go Fish (1994), But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), Brokeback Mountain (2005), and Moonlight (2016). This year saw a number of examples of these kinds of films. Dominic Savage’s intimate, improvisatory Close To You (2023), starring a quietly incandescent Elliot Page as a trans man reconnecting with his family and former girlfriend, got its release this year. So did Erica Tremblay’s Fancy Dance (2023), a wrenching story about prejudice and violence starring Lily Gladstone as a lesbian Cayuga woman raising her niece and looking for her missing sister. This year’s My Old Ass is a quirky time-travel coming-of-age movie in which the lesbian main character (played by Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza) discovers her bisexuality. And then there’s Queer, Emilia Pérez, and more.
A still from Close to You (2023) Credit: Greenwich Entertainment
Where 2024 felt like a real advance was in the success and prominence of queer genre films. Queer genre films aren’t new—in the last few years, for example, we’ve seen Julia Ducournau’s queer body horror film Titane (2021) and John Logan’s queer slasher They/Them (2022) as just two examples. This year, though, queer genre films were everywhere. D.W. Waterson’s small-budget indie Backspot (2023) is a sports film featuring Devery Jacobs as a queer, Indigenous cheerleader determined to make it big. There were also not one, but two big lesbian heist films this year with major-name stars. Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s wonderful (and critically underrated) Drive-Away Dolls, featuring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Pedro Pascal, and Matt Damon, is a retro 90s road-trip farce in which the MacGuffin is a literal dildo. And Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding, from A24 with Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian, is a brooding magical realist noir about bodybuilding and bad fathers.
A range of films in 2024 which were not necessarily directly about LGBTQ+ people included secondary queer characters or themes. The gay best friend trope is a tired and mostly regressive phenomenon at this point—and one that a lot of recent films refuted or directly challenged. The best example is Jordan Weiss’s unexpectedly wonderful romcom Sweethearts, in which that gay best friend (Caleb Hearon) strolls off the sidelines to have his narrative just about muscle out the supposedly central romance. In Dev Patel’s action-martial arts extravaganza Monkey Man, the climax features the heroic entrance of a fleet of trans women warrior priests. And Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is a tennis love triangle that is heterosexual—except for a scene in which the two male protagonists and rivals (Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor) share a very steamy kiss.
A still from Monkey Man (2024) Credit: Universal Studios
All of these films are small- to mid-budget, and many had primarily streaming or hybrid releases. In fact, the flourishing of LGBTQ+ films seems at least in part due to the much- bemoaned audience fragmentation characteristic of the streaming era, in which every film doesn’t necessarily have to be for everybody, and formerly niche films can find a national audience in places without arthouse cinemas.
Blockbuster big-budget releases, on the other hand, remain notably and embarrassingly leery of centering LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Denis Villeneuve ramped down the homophobia of the source material in Dune: Part Two by removing suggestions that the villainous Baron Harkonnen was queer—but he didn’t include any positive representations of queer people. The Deadpool franchise has included queer characters in the past, and Deadpool himself is pansexual in the comics. Deadpool & Wolverine largely backs away from those possibilities, though, leaving subtext very much sub, and using Deadpool’s canonical bisexuality as an excuse for a series of borderline homophobic punch lines. Most egregiously, executives at Pixar reportedly demanded changes to Inside Out 2 to make the main character “less gay” and play down any tinge of romance between female friends.
The ongoing, quiet explosion of queer cinema is a reminder that we can imagine better things, better selves, and better movies.
Given the flourishing of LGBTQ+ cinema everywhere except the blockbuster, it’s perhaps not surprising that the two most innovative queer films of the year—Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow and Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker (the latter released in 2022 but only now available for streaming)—are about the relationship between queer people and mainstream media.
The two films are very different; I Saw the TV Glow is a sleek, Lynchian neon nightmare about queer people (over)identifying with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque serial fantasy adventure, while The People’s Joker is a deliberately clunky low-budget pomo bricolage daringly infringing on Warner Brothers’ Batman copyrights. Both, though, are about how queer people find themselves in mainstream media that isn’t necessarily meant for them—and about how mainstream media relies on queer dynamics, buried queer themes, and queer viewers, all of which it denies and represses. Schoenbrun and Drew’s films aren’t really asking “What if Batman and Buffy were queer?” Instead, they’re insisting that we recognize the way in which queer experience is at the heart of the sadness, joy, disempowerment, and empowerment that defines film, mainstream and otherwise.
“What if I was someone else?” asks Owen (Justice Smith), the main character in I Saw the TV Glow. “Someone beautiful and powerful? Buried alive and suffocating to death on the other side of a television screen?” That’s a lovely encapsulation of the way that film (or television) offers us the chance to imagine new selves and new possibilities, whether ecstatic or stifling. And not coincidentally, it’s also an expression of queer despair and hope, of the dream and fear of finding yourself.
The U.S., in many ways, seems bent on becoming more mean-spirited, more repressive, and more homophobic. The ongoing, quiet explosion of queer cinema is a reminder that we can imagine better things, better selves, and better movies.
Reader Recommends: FILM & TV
Our critics review the best on the big and small screens and in the media.
Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel, is a cinematic revolution.
The Fire Inside is a dynamic and artistic telling of the story of real-life boxing legend Claressa “T-Rex” Shields.
Skeleton Crew provides a new angle on the Star Wars cinematic universe—one that puts childhood adventure front and center.
Sweethearts is a rom-com that unexpectedly goes its own way.
Queer is a captivating adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s novella and a victory lap for filmmaker Luca Guadagnino.
With Creature Commandos, James Gunn delivers another horny, blood-soaked adventure with heart.
The reversible lanes of the Kennedy Expressway are scheduled to reopen in mid-January after 10 months of construction and delays that saw the overhaul stretch beyond the planned opening in late fall.
The express lanes stretching from the Ohio Street to the Edens junction, which have been closed since March, are set to reopen the week of Jan. 13, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
That’s the plan — as long as testing set to begin Jan. 2 goes well, officials said.
Crews are nearing the end of the second year of construction of a three-year overhaul of the entire Kennedy Expressway. The inbound Kennedy reconstruction was finished in 2023. Construction of the outbound lanes starts in the spring and should take “one full construction season to complete,” officials said.
The state transportation department initially planned to open the reversible lanes in the “late fall” but fell behind schedule. Officials acknowledged the delay in a statement announcing the planned completion date of the reversible lanes, which they call the Reversible Lane Access Control system.
“Due to the complexity of the overall Reversible Lane Access Control system, additional time is needed to ensure the safety components are fully integrated and their functions operating seamlessly before testing can begin and the reversible lanes reopen to the public,” the transportation department wrote.
The express lane rehab included installing new control gates, replacing multiple cameras and modernizing electrical components, according to the transportation department. Crews also installed new overhead signs and updated Hubbard’s Cave with new paint and LED lights.
Officials said the last major rehab of the Kennedy’s express lanes was in 1996, when they replaced a system first built in the 1960s. More than 275,000 motorists use the expressway every day.
In the beautifully rendered and action-jammed “Mufasa: The Lion King” from Walt Disney Pictures, we learn that the OG Lion King’s back story was more like an I’ve-Got-Your-Back-Story mixed with a Watch-Your-Back-Story. Continuing the Shakespearean themes established in the 1994 original and echoed in the 2019 remake, friendships and families are forged, bonds are strengthened but then broken, lives are forever altered, and the Circle of Life turns out to be a riddled with jagged edges.
As a prequel framed by a sequel, “Mufasa” might have benefited from a little trimming of the 118-minute running time, and at times it’s a bit difficult to distinguish one photoreal computer-generated lion from another, but acclaimed director Barry Jenkins of “Moonlight” fame is a gifted storyteller who comes up with some interesting and at times boldly creative camera angles (a few close-ups are equal parts hilarious and harrowing), and the talented veteran scribe Jeff Nathanson (“Catch Me If You Can,” the 2019 version of “The Lion King”) does fine work in expanding the stories of beloved characters while introducing some new ones as well.
The voice work from the outstanding cast is rich and warm and vibrant, and while the songs from the great Lin-Manuel Miranda (with Lebo M. making valuable contributions) might not make for a generational catalog, they’re still infectious and clever.
The 2019 “Lion King” was an enormous global hit but met with mixed reactions from critics. I loved it and thought it was a worthy companion to the almost universally beloved original animated film from 1994, but others were put off by the blend of animation, photoreal CGI and live-action filmmaking techniques. (One Twitter user reacted to publicity shots of the main characters by saying, “Those are literally just lions.”)
With “Mufasa,” the visuals are screen-popping and glorious and stunning to behold — but yes, you either go with the idea of these realistically rendered lions dialoguing in English and occasionally bursting into Broadway-esque tunes, or you don’t. If it’s not your bag, nothing that happens here is going to change your viewpoint.
Set in the Pride Lands of Tanzania in the aftermath of the events of “The Lion King,” the story kicks off with the cub lion Kiara (adorably voiced by Blue Ivy Carter) left in the care of the wise old mandrill Rafiki (John Kani) and the wisecracking duo of Pumbaa the warthog (Seth Rogen) and Timon the meerkat (Billy Eichner) as a ferocious storm is approaching. (Donald Glover’s Simba and Beyoncé Carter-Knowles’ Nala are otherwise occupied, and we’ll leave the reveal of their whereabouts to be enjoyed by viewers.) Young Kiara is terrified of the storm, and to keep her thoughts elsewhere, Rafiki tells a story, with Pumbaa and Timon providing comic-relief, meta-jokes, e.g., a reference to the “sock puppets” in the theatrical version of the Lion King’s story.
The main story reveals that the regal Mufasa wasn’t born into royal destiny at all and was in fact just a “regular” albeit super-fast and intuitive lion (voiced by Braelyn and Brielle Rankins as a cub) who was separated from his parents during a flash flood (this is the first of many water-based adventure sequences) and nearly died before he was saved by Taka (voiced by Theo Somolu as a cub) who DOES come from an esteemed royal bloodline. (This is our cue for a terrific duet titled, “I Always Wanted a Brother.”)
With Aaron Pierre taking on the voice role of the young lion Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. voicing Taka, the “brothers” are left on their own and are on the run after their pride is attacked by the ferocious and ruthless villain Kiros (Mads Mikkelson) and his snarling marauders. In a number somewhat reminiscent of “King Herod’s Song” from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Kiros mocks the feel-good vibe of “The Lion King” legacy in a song titled “Bye Bye,” crooning, “The Circle of Life is a lie, a pretty way to say, there are predators and prey, that circle of vultures up high, they keep stealing glances, they don’t like your chances, and neither do I.” You know, he’s not all wrong there.
As Mufasa and Taka set out for the legendary and perhaps only mythical land of Milele, they’re joined by a young and preternaturally hopeful mandrill named Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga), a brave lion named Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) who has been separated from her tribe, and Sarabi’s recently appointed guardsman, a hornbill named Zazu (Preston Nyman). The vengeful Kiros and his ferocious pride of hench-lions are tracking them every step of the way, and “Mufasa” becomes the story of a long and dangerous trek, ending with a final set piece where battle lines are drawn, loyalties are tested, betrayals transpire — and Taka is scarred for life, in more ways than one.
Even with that nearly two-hour running time, the story jams in some whiplash plot developments that seem a bit forced in order to fit the known narrative of stories we already know, but this is still a terrific chapter of big-screen entertainment that expands the “Lion King” universe.
