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Groups eye state’s unused lump-sum appropriations

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Groups eye state’s unused lump-sum appropriations

The Democratic legislative leaders and the governor agreed to squirrel away $260 million in lump-sum appropriations to various state agencies last spring. But now some groups are figuring out that a big pile of state money is just sitting there and they are trying to stake their claims.

This came to light last month when the Chicago Tribune reported that people advocating to replace the lost federal money for afterschool programs wanted to tap into two separate $25 million lump-sum legislative appropriations to the Illinois State Board of Education for “grants and administrative expenses associated with after school programs.”

Trouble is, the governor committed to the House speaker and Senate president not to spend that money until all three could agree what it would be spent on.

The Tribune claimed it did not receive a response from the state board of education, but a board spokesperson told me, “At the request of the General Assembly, ISBE is awaiting their direction before proceeding.”

The appropriation, the spokesperson said, “was not tied to an existing statutory program that outlines the distribution method.”

“ISBE is working closely with leadership in the General Assembly to determine their intention for adding the new $50 million appropriation for after-school funding included in the FY25 budget,” the spokesperson said. “We understand the urgency surrounding after-school programming and remain committed to ensuring that these resources are allocated in a way that best serves students and families across Illinois.”

Also, the federal money the groups told the Tribune they want actually no longer exists. And the state appropriation doesn’t specify that the $50 million should go to 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, which is what they want it spent on. Apparently, that federal money was supposed to be used for startup grants for the past 10 or so years, but the state has allowed providers to use it as base, ongoing funding.

And there’s a whole lot more out there. According to Gov. JB Pritzker’s spokesperson Alex Gough, “there are lines included in the budget that the agencies need additional guidance from the General Assembly in order to meet the intent of the funding.” Legislative sources confirmed that this is the case.

Lump sums for pet projects?

Aside from ISBE, the agencies which “need additional guidance” from the legislative leaders include the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which was lump-sum appropriated $75 million “for grants and contracts associated with youth employment opportunities.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health was appropriated $30 million “for grants and administrative expenses associated with public health programs, including but not limited to awareness, outreach, and other programs to improve health outcomes.”

The Illinois Community College Board was also appropriated $30 million “for grants and administrative expenses associated with workforce development programs.”

So far, I’m told none of those agencies and boards have set up any mechanism to distribute the money. Only the Illinois Department of Human Services has sent out a Notice of Funding Availability for its $75 million appropriation “for grants and administrative expenses associated with youth employment programs.” But no decisions have yet been made.

What’s going on here? Well, legislative leaders had a ton of pressure from their members for more spending, but there simply wasn’t enough money to pay for it all. So, they created these lump sums in order to cram more pressure into less money.

The leaders could’ve specified exactly how the money was to be spent, but then the leaders would’ve committed to spending way more than the available revenues allowed.

Instead, by doing it this way, the leaders could tell individual members that their pet projects were funded, even though they technically aren’t until the leaders decide what, if anything, to do with the lump sum cash.

The governor and ISBE have the power to spend the money now. But these vague lump sums were part of the final budget deal, which is deemed almost a sacred covenant. Once a governor or a legislative leader breaks a budget deal, a lot of trust is lost and future deals become that much harder to make.

Much the same thing happened last year, when legislators demanded a ton of spending even though there wasn’t enough money to pay for it.

The difference this year is that the state is looking at a large budget deficit next fiscal year, so things will need to change. At the very least, whatever is funded this year might not be continued next year. At most, some money might not be spent at all to help patch the upcoming hole.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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The evidence that transformed a Georgia ex-husband from hero to villain

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

The evidence that transformed a Georgia ex-husband from hero to villain

On New Year’s Day 2021, investigators responded to a home invasion call from a residence in Canton, Georgia. At the scene, Morgan Metzer was found with her wrists zip tied, and bruising on her face.

Morgan Metzer said the intruder had a mask on to hide his identity.

Her ex-husband, Rod Metzer, told investigators he found her on the back porch and called 911.

A revealing search warrant

Morgan Metzer evidence — The zip ties that were used by the assailant to bind Morgan Metzer’s wrists.

Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office

When questioned, Morgan Metzer told investigators she suspected the intruder was, in fact, her ex-husband.

Investigators executed a search warrant of Rod Metzer’s apartment and found a bag of zip ties along with a portion of a zip tie.

A perfect match

Investigators hoped to find out if the portion of the zip tie found in Rod Metzer’s apartment lined up with the zip ties on Morgan Metzer’s wrists. At the crime lab, they were able to confirm a match.

“7 Ways To Be Her Hero”

In Rod Metzer’s apartment, investigators also found the book “7 Ways To Be Her Hero.” Investigators believe this spoke to Rod Metzer’s motive.

Morgan Metzer had told investigators he had been trying to win her back.

Rod Metzer’s incriminating browsing history

Metzer evidence — A screenshot from Rod Metzer’s internet search history.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

Rod Metzer’s internet searches stood out to investigators, among them: “How to change the sound of your voice” and “How to get sympathy from your ex.”

A fake diagnosis

In his internet history was another alarming search: “Cancer letter from hospital.”

Rod Metzer questioning — Rod Metzer, right, being questioned by Cherokee County investigators.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

Rod Metzer had told Morgan Metzer the week before the attack that he had pancreatic cancer. Investigators found that Rod Metzer created a fake email account to create the cancer diagnosis letter he showed Morgan. Det. Dakota Lyvers confronted Rod Metzer about this. Rod Metzer did not answer Lyvers, instead he responded, “I don’t know if I should talk to you guys anymore. I’m starting to get a really bad feeling …”

A revealing barcode

Rod Metzer denied having zip ties in his home. Using a Lowe’s app on his phone, Sgt. Robert Haugh scanned the UPC code located on the zip tie bag and discovered they were carried by Lowe’s. After searching local transactions, investigators discovered Rod Metzer purchased the type of zip ties used to restrain Morgan Metzer with his debit card.

Lowe’s surveillance footage

Rod Metzer evidence — Rod Metzer, right, is seen in an image from security video purchasing zip ties at a Lowe’s store on Dec. 30, 2020.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

Investigators obtained surveillance footage from Lowe’s which showed Rod Metzer purchasing the zip ties on Dec. 30 — about 36 hours before the attack.

“Overwhelming” evidence against Rod Metzer

Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ashe said her team had more than enough evidence to prove Rod Metzer’s guilt. In her interview with “48 Hours,” she said, “This is a prosecutor’s dream” because the evidence was “overwhelming.”

Rod Metzer booking photo — On Aug. 4, 2021, Rod Metzer pleaded guilty to a total of 14 counts related to the attack on his ex-wife and the photos found on his phone.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

Rod Metzer pleaded guilty to 14 counts related to Morgan Metzer’s attack and photos found on his phone that were considered an invasion of privacy. He was given a 70-year sentence — 25 years in prison followed by 45 years of probation.

A survivor’s story

Morgan Metzer says she is dedicated to helping women who find themselves in situations similar to her own. She is also focused on raising her children.

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Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO was ‘sick, sad, wrong, cowardly and evil’

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO was ‘sick, sad, wrong, cowardly and evil’

A society becomes sick when it engages in endless “yes, but,” as in, “yes it was wrong Luigi Mangione murdered United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but . . . .”

But what?! There’s no “but” after murder. It’s murder.

“Yes but” is not just a slippery slope. It is rationalizing evil. It doesn’t reflect deep nuance, it reflects a depraved mentality willing to rationalize just about anything. It leads to chaos.

It is sick and telling, and it must stop. Let’s try this: “Yes, it was sick, sad, wrong, cowardly, and evil for Luigi Mangione to kill Brian Thompson . . . period.

William Choslovsky, Sheffield Neighbors

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words.

Democracy, decency are in decline

Please excuse this brief journey through the looking glass. But as the health of our democracy worsens, so apparently is the health of our common decency. These are related to the general level of political disengagement in America. Hold a mirror to my argument and see the current, revived conversation around insurance and health care after the murder of Brian Thompson in New York reflected back. At least for those who care to look.

Those who do not understand the relationship between health care and political representation, between truth and democracy, tend to favor solutions within the grasp of only the most willfully ignorant among us. For some to praise and sympathize with someone (whatever their health issues or GQ-ready looks) for a murderous attack on a law-abiding individual (whatever their faults or perceived lack of scruples) reveals the same overarching attitude that allows some others to elect as president an individual that will make nearly every issue that concerns us — the well-being of our country — even worse.

Both are done from the shallow perspective of punitiveness. And that is a recipe for the destruction of our democracy as well as of our personal health.

I would suggest that looking at the state of things (i.e. health care and insurance; political representation or the lack of it; guns and the likelihood of dying by them; ad infinitum) is much like looking at the state of your own house: if you don’t like what you see, where to put the blame is obvious.

Having said that, I can only imagine the miserable state, especially of reflective surfaces, in much of the country’s homes. It being apparent that so few of us are able to see the connection — the real solutions — between ourselves and our surroundings, is it really any surprise that, societally, we get what we’ve earned through ignorance and disengagement with the work of democracy (as this last election’s voter non-participation numbers can attest)?

Yes, the country needs and voted for change. But as evidenced by such positive reaction to Brian Thompson’s murder, the change that’s coming seems to be reflected only in broader displays of crassness, brought on by a deepening sense of isolation and helplessness (notice I haven’t yet even gone down the rabbit hole of willful consumption and spreading of disinformation).

If not before, perhaps by the 2026 midterms we can begin to collectively change course (for the better this time) to being a more helpful, just society. It may require a number of us to take a long, hard look in a freshly polished mirror to realize just how sick we’ve become. But the consequences of our failure to do so will not be denied, cannot be defended and will accept no delay.

Jim Koppensteiner, Niles

We need Medicare for all

Congratulations to the Sun-Times for the article “Chicagoans Vent Anger Over Health Insurance after New York Slaying of Executive.” Staff reporter Violet Miller presented a very clear picture of why people are angry with our health care system.

But beyond venting anger, the article, and many others like it, doesn’t offer much hope for ending the long nightmare of U.S. health care. We know what the problem is: investor control of our health care financing system. But how can we solve that problem?

Well, a solution is already in Congress and ready to go. It’s called the Medicare for All Act and is House of Representatives Bill 3421. More than 100 Democrats have co-signed it. It’s the best solution because it doesn’t try to restrain the greedy behavior of the U.S. health insurance companies or pass reforms that tinker around the edges of a brutal and corrupt system.

Rather, it gets to the heart of the matter by eliminating the role and power of investor-owned insurance companies altogether. Private for-profit insurance companies, like UnitedHealthcare play no useful role in U.S. health care. They waste our money outrageously, keep us in the dark about coverage and give us poor health outcomes compared to other wealthy countries.

So, let’s get rid of them! Let’s have Medicare for All instead. We’ll save a lot of money, get expanded benefits, achieve better health outcomes and help restore people’s confidence in American society and government.

Bill Bianchi and Cathleen Jensen, Illinois Single Payer Coalition

Don’t count on Trump to fix health care

I find it rather ironic that Americans have erupted into a collective rant about the sad state of health care in America, just a few short weeks after electing the one man who is the least likely to do anything about it.

Sean C. Nettle, Homewood

Blame Congress for health care woes

Don’t blame the insurance and pharmaceutical companies for exorbitant prices. Blame members of Congress who have been taking legal bribes and gifts for years. These corporations have been the biggest contributors to Congress for years. Wake up!

John Maloney, Edgewater

Indigenous should be honored in new flag design

Not one of the new flag designs for Illinois has any reference to our first inhabitants. That is unacceptable. What an insult to our Native community. None should be voted on until this is corrected,

Marjorie Fritz-Birch, Edgewater

Stop ignoring suffering of Gazan children

According to a needs assessment sponsored by the charity War Child Alliance, death feels imminent for 96% of Gaza’s children, the Guardian reported.

Moreover, almost half of the children in Gaza want to die as a result of war-related trauma, 92% of the children in the survey were “not accepting of reality,” 79% suffer from nightmares and 73% exhibit symptoms of aggression.

Yet the U.S. and Israel still oppose a United Nations General Assembly resolution demanding an “immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire” in Gaza as well as the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

Here are the results of the vote on Dec. 11: In favor: 158. Against: 9. Abstain: 13.

Where is the public outrage at our government for this vote? Are we unable to see Palestinians as fellow human beings?

Terry Hansen, Milwaukee

Package thieves steal holiday cheer

Last year, more than 120 million packages were stolen in the U.S. Many cities are fighting these porch pirates with decoy packages that contain trackers. Unfortunately, Chicago police are not doing this, so the thieves have little to fear and will continue stealing our packages.

Having packages delivered to access points is a good idea, but for many deliveries, only the shipper can change the address. In addition, many delivery drivers drop off packages on porches, ignoring instructions to ring doorbells or to place the packages in secure places.

Merry Christmas.

Larry E. Nazimek, Logan Square

Hat tip for newspaper delivery

It was 10 degrees outside Thursday and I didn’t expect my Sun-Times to be delivered, but there it was in the lobby of my building, as usual, thanks to my carrier, Joy Sansone. Don’t forget your carrier this Christmas.

Juanita Jarard, Tinley Park

Seeking common ground to fix Chicago’s problems

I came across a news feed of a town hall meeting where Chicago residents expressed frustration over local officials’ spending on migrants. A young woman gave a passionate speech while wearing a T-shirt titled “Chicago Flips Red.” However, not all Chicagoans share that sentiment. Although I understand the frustration, many of our challenges could not have been avoided, even by elected officials.

Chicago became a sanctuary city in 1985 under Mayor Harold Washington. This order became law in 2006 and was reaffirmed during the Trump administration. However, there has never been a clear plan for how to house or provide resources for people who settle in our great city.

Chicago, a large city already grappling with homelessness, debt and a variety of other challenges, faces additional pressures that significantly strain its residents.

Past and present administrations have yet to develop effective strategies to address these issues. Consequently, the overcrowding of homeless women, men, children and the city’s native population has created a troubling situation on our streets.

Chicago has the potential to be a great city, but it requires exemplary leadership to make that happen. Unfortunately, we have not seen an administration capable of bringing this vision to life.

When addressing the various challenges Black individuals face in today’s society, it’s crucial to acknowledge and understand the valid concerns that arise. If you’re feeling a sense of frustration related to migration issues, it’s worth reflecting on the historical context surrounding this topic.

Many Black Americans can trace their lineage to ancestors who were part of the Great Migration, a significant movement between 1916 and 1970. This migration involved millions of Black Americans relocating from the rural south to urban areas in the north and west, motivated by a desire to find better economic opportunities, escape systemic racism and leave behind the harsh realities of Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination.

Instead of assigning blame, seeking solutions to our challenges is more productive. Adopting this positive approach opens the door to collaboration and understanding. If we all work together, we may discover common ground that allows us to support one another effectively and create a more constructive environment for everyone involved.

April Jones, Streeterville

Tough times

With all of the vitriol and divisiveness for so many years. I’ve gone through all the stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and now, finally acceptance. Is that really the best thing for me, for our society?

Bradley Rasch, Roselle

Thumbs down to U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace

Putting that ignorant publicity hound, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, on the front of our city newspaper was disgraceful. Please stop caving to these pandering pukes who have infiltrated our government with a mind to corrupt society with right-wing nonsense. I would hate to cancel a free subscription, but I do not want to pad your numbers by even one with that garbage.

John Winters, Huntley

They’re here

Those aren’t drones flying the night skies above New Jersey. Those are the extraterrestrials mapping out the new planet. They can’t fool us.

Mike Zaczek, Orland Park

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Illinois election results show gerrymandering’s bad outcome

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Illinois election results show gerrymandering’s bad outcome

The 2024 national election is behind us. Much of the attention was on the presidential race and seven battle ground states. Then there were some key senate races like Ohio and Montana that drew national attention (and big money) given how they impacted which party would win majority control. Lastly, the battle for control of the House of Representatives came down to a few key house districts in Maine, California, Iowa and Ohio.

Never once was Illinois in any such conversations, given how well the Illinois state legislature gerrymandered the state.

Among Illinois’ 17 House districts, 14 were won by Democrats and three by Republicans, which the gerrymander guaranteed. Among the 14 Democrat wins, 12 were won by at least 10 points. The closest races were Districts 6 and 17, which the Democrats won by just over eight points each.

Among the three Republican wins, two were uncontested and the other was won by nearly 50 points. This illustrates how well Republican voters were packed into these three districts, effectively diluting their influence in the other 14 districts and any chance that the 14-3 outcome would be upset.

What these results demonstrate is how inconsequential Illinois has become, by drawing a House of Representatives map to guarantee that certain party candidates will win. Who runs in such districts is mostly irrelevant. The party they represent determines the winner.

House District 13 ranks as one of the most gerrymandered in the nation. It snakes through downstate micro-urban cities like Urbana, Champaign, Decatur, and Springfield, eventually touching the East St. Louis area. Such a carefully crafted district carved out Democrat-leaning voters across a wide expanse of rural Republicans. Surrounding this district from both the east and west is District 15, which was easily won by Mary Miller, uncontested.

If I chose to look at and analyze Texas in a similar way, the same script would be written, with the roles of the Democrats and Republicans flipped. To illustrate this point, just two of Texas’ 38 House of Representative districts were won by under 10 points. This highlights why gerrymandering is not a Republican or Democrat problem, it is a problem for our democracy, demonstrating a disrespect for voters and mitigating their influence on who represents their state and how states are run.

Local elections with no competition

It gets even worse when one looks at the Illinois Senate and House.

Among the 23 Illinois Senate seats up for grabs, 11 were uncontested and 12 were won by at least 12 points. In the Illinois House, with all 118 districts up for grabs, around one-half were uncontested. One strand of good news is that results in four races (the 47th, 52nd, 76th and 104th) were all within two points, forcing the candidates to be responsive to their constituent or risk losing their seat in two years.

When people criticize the threat to democracy posed by who wins the White House, one need only look more locally, where the bigger threat to democracy resides.

Such results explain why some ask whether downstate Illinois should break away from the Chicagoland area and become their own state. The resulting mostly rural area would largely resemble a state like Iowa or Nebraska.

Competitive elections do not guarantee good representation. However, uncompetitive elections guarantee that the elected officials can serve the needs of their party rather than the needs of the constituents that they represent. Sometimes such needs overlap, but not always.

The dark side of gerrymandering is exposed after an election, when the hand of power is obtained by who garnered the most votes, or more accurately, the most seats. In 2024, the two happen to coincide, suggesting that a Republican majority in the House of Representatives was well earned.

Yet in a state like Illinois, with over 43% of the votes cast for Donald Trump, having just three out of 17 House of Representatives seems unfair, perhaps disrespectful.

There is nothing that will change Illinois’ situation in the short term, and perhaps even the long term. As long as Illinois’ maps are drawn by the party in power, rather than an independent mapping commission, Illinois’ election results will continue to be predetermined. The unfortunate side effect of such gerrymandering is that voter turnout will continue to trend downward. For example, more people voted in Michigan than in Illinois, even though Illinois’ population is 25% higher than Michigan’s.

Computational tools exist to draw a map that give voters a voice in our state. Are they asking too much for the elected officials to listen?

Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Gene Lyons is off this week.

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.

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Mayor Johnson, show leadership to passed Chicago’s city budget

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Mayor Johnson, show leadership to passed Chicago’s city budget

Chicago’s budget breakdown should never have reached this point, no matter how complicated, difficult and contentious passing a city budget always is.

It’s hard to remember the last time the city was only about two weeks away from its budget deadline of Dec. 31, with no clear path forward in sight and no mechanism to keep city government operating past the deadline.

Even some of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s allies weren’t ready to vote for a spending plan with a $68.5 million property tax increase and a bunch of other taxes and fees that the mayor put forward on Friday, which is surprising. But what really is astounding is that it got to this point, because who in Chicago doesn’t know that no one has any appetite these days to pay higher taxes on, say, bottled water and Uber rides, not to mention higher property taxes?

Also astounding was the sound of shouting and the sight of some alderpersons scurrying out of the Council chambers Friday after the vote was delayed. Some gathered in the hallway for a press conference afterward.

Johnson called off the vote on the city’s 2025 budget at the 11th hour because he didn’t have the 26 votes he needed, as the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman reported Friday. The meeting was adjourned until Monday, and the mayor said he would, as he should, work on the budget over the weekend.

This is clearly not how a major city should operate. Johnson made the bad decision to wait too long to shore up a $17.3 billion budget that needed cost efficiencies — not just one-time cuts — to get more votes.

Alderpersons have put ideas on the table, not only efficiencies but also trimming the budget in places they say are padded, but they say Johnson hasn’t acted on them. Some Council members even complain this whole debacle is a manufactured crisis by Johnson, who started the process late in hopes of steamrolling the budget he wanted through the Council.

If that’s the case, all of Chicago now sees who has the upper hand — and it’s not Johnson.

Learn to read the room

What is needed at this point is leadership — sitting across the table and compromising to do what’s in the best interest of all Chicagoans. Only that will, one hopes, give the business and investment communities confidence that the city is heading in the right direction. Only that will reassure the rating agencies, which are taking a hard look at how the city is operating. Without that reassurance, the agencies could downgrade the city’s rating, which in the long run could cost taxpayers tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars because of higher borrowing costs. Last month, S&P Global Ratings put the city on “CreditWatch with negative implications” because of the failure to get a budget passed.

All of this budgetary failure is like speeding along near the end of the runway at the old Meigs Field. The mayor and Council must achieve budgetary liftoff quickly, or it’s blub, blub, blub, into the lake.

There’s no excuse for a mayor to be so clueless about his support that he has to cancel a crucial vote at the very last minute. If the city doesn’t pass a budget by Dec. 31, what happens? Will the state step in? Will city services degrade?

Johnson’s got to learn to not only read the room, and in this case the room is telling him “no,” but also figure out how to lead the room even when none of the choices — painful cuts, politically unacceptable tax hikes or finding ways to cover big payouts — are easy. In just one example of the kind of payouts that cost taxpayers, a Cook County jury last week awarded $79.89 million to a South Shore family whose 10-year-old girl was killed in a car crash caused by a Chicago police chase in 2020, and there other cases in the pipeline.

Johnson ought to start with cancelling any pet initiatives still in the budget, even worthy ones. We support the idea, for instance, of more jobs for young people. But how to pay for it? Perhaps, if Johnson’s relationships with the business community were better, he could get corporate folks to support a public-private fund to foot the bill so taxpayers don’t have to.

Furloughs for city workers, as well, have to be in the mix.

Some alderpersons expect Johnson will drop the proposed $68.5 million property tax increase over the weekend. But that will require finding other ways to balance the budget.

Both the Council and the mayor must step up, but it is really the mayor who ought to be taking the lead. Chicago will see if he’s up to the job.
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Horoscope for Saturday, December 14, 2024

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Gemini.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

A dynamic day

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Today you have a wonderful, positive outlook on life! Furthermore, you’re finding it easy to see the big picture. Meanwhile, this is a good day to focus on gratitude. It’s also a wonderful day to focus on future success! Share your joy with others. Live it up!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

A positive day

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You are the financial wizard of the zodiac, and today the moon is in your Money House lined up with lucky, moneybags Jupiter. This is good news! By all means, look for ways to boost your income. Gifts, goodies and favors from others might come your way. Purchases will please you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A dynamic day

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Today the moon is in your sign lined up with Jupiter. This is favorable! This is why you feel warm and openhearted to others. In particular, you will enjoy practicing kindness and being generous to others because it makes you feel good. (Plus, what goes around, comes around.)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

A positive day

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Today it’s easy for you to feel fortunate and appreciative. You’re happy to be in your own skin. These positive feelings might encourage you to explore mystical ideas or information about spirituality or religion. You want to connect with your higher aspirations.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

A dynamic day

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This is a fabulous day to schmooze with friends and to interact with clubs, groups and organizations because you’re enthusiastic and positive minded! Your energy will attract others to you, which will make you feel successful. In fact, this is a great day to set some goals.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

A positive day

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You look fabulous in the eyes of others today! People see you as successful, generous, broad-minded and wise. (Go with the flow and don’t do anything to ruin this great press.) People might ask for your approval or your advice. Remember that you’re in the public eye.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

A dynamic day

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This is a wonderful day to travel or do something to get a change of scenery. If you can’t travel then be a tourist in your own neighborhood. You will also love to learn something new. You might like to study. You might talk to people from different backgrounds and other cultures. Good day for legal and medical matters.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

A positive day

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Keep your pockets open because the universe will favor you today. (Oh yeah. Many of you will be laughing all the way to the bank.) However, this is also a good day to be generous to others because you will feel a sense of warm satisfaction and increased self-respect.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

A positive day

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Relations with partners, spouses and even members of the general public will be warm and friendly today, which is why you will enjoy socializing with others, including group activities. Very likely, someone will inspire or uplift you, which is a wonderful perk.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

A positive day

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Work-related travel will be on the books for some of you. You’ll be pleased to do anything that widens your world and expands your knowledge. Work with groups today to be the most productive. Connect with others and explore new ideas!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

A dynamic day

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Accept all invitations to socialize today because you’ll have fun! It’s a great day for sports events, the theater anything to do with the hospitality industry plus playful activities with children. You will find it rewarding to spread joy to others.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

A positive day

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This is a great day to entertain at home. Invite the gang over for good food and drink. Any gathering at your home will be a successful, upbeat event! By extension, this can also be a profitable and favorable day for real estate.

If your birthday is today

Actress Natascha McElhone (1969) shares your birthday. You are spirited, versatile and intelligent. Your sense of adventure takes you to new places. You’re also down to earth. This is a year of learning and teaching. It’s also time to renew your spiritual or religious beliefs. Explore meditation, yoga or philosophies and help you get a better self-awareness.

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Sam Golden’s buzzer-beater wins Jesuit Cup for Loyola

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Sam Golden’s buzzer-beater wins Jesuit Cup for Loyola

Being at Gentile Arena for the Jesuit Cup rivalry between Loyola and St. Ignatius is nothing new for Sam Golden.

Being the hero is, though.

Golden hit a turnaround three-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer, lifting Loyola past No. 11 St. Ignatius 48-45 Friday.

It was the fourth, and most important, three-pointer of the game for the 6-2 junior, who finished with a team-high 16 points.

Trey Williams had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals for the Ramblers (6-3, 1-1 Catholic League Blue), who have won 11 of the past 12 games in the series. Brendan Loftus grabbed seven rebounds and Luke Alvarez scored seven points for Loyola.

“I used to come [to the Jesuit Cup game] every year,” Golden said. “Then I was on the team last year as a sophomore but I didn’t play. But this year I had to come in and play a big role.”

“Sam had a little bit of a coming-out party,” Loyola coach Tom Livatino said. “He made some big shots all game long. He’s been trending.”

And on one of the bigger regular-season stages, too. Playing at a college arena, in front of a big crowd with a pair of boisterous student sections — it’s a different animal from your average December game.

“It’s always circled at the start of the season,” Golden said. “We always look forward to it.”

“This game does mean a lot to us,” Livatino said. “We talk about it for the whole year. For us, it’s the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. And sometimes you’ve got to be lucky.”

Loyola trailed only once, at 42-41 late in the fourth quarter. But it was close throughout, and tense for a newcomer like Golden.

“At the start, I was really feeling anxious and nervous,” he said. “But as the game went on, it kind of [became easy].”

As is usually the case in this game, Loyola is finding its way as it adds football players coming off a state championship into the mix.

Loyola’s Brendan Loftus (25) holds the trophy as he poses with teammates for a photo after winning the Jesuit Cup game against St. Ignatius at Loyola University’s Gentile Arena.

Loftus, Washington football recruit Donovan Robinson and Iowa football commit Ryan Fitzgerald all fall into that category.

“For Ignatius, that’s a tough way to lose,” Livatino said. “But Sam made a shot, and like Sam said, that was in all the way. So credit to our guys.

“We’re an evolving team. We’re not even close to being fully formed. Our football guys can’t play for very long and when they do, they can’t play that hard. But they’ve got a toughness level that’s championship level. So we need to get them in shape …[then] we have a chance to be pretty good.”

St. Ignatius (7-1, 0-1) had 18 points from Napoleon Harris IV along with 12 points and nine rebounds from Northwestern recruit Phoenix Gill.

“[Harris] had a really, really good night,” Livatino said. “He made us pay for some of the things we were doing [defensively]. But we had to pick our poison with them.”

“Hats off to Loyola,” St. Ignatius coach Matt Monroe said. “They played extremely well [and] they had a great game plan. … I don’t think we played our best basketball. We’ve been shooting 41% from three all year and we shot 3 of 19 today.”

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Effort, defense fuel Bulls’ victory against Hornets

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Effort, defense fuel Bulls’ victory against Hornets

In a scramble for a loose ball Friday, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball raced from the paint to near halfcourt after Hornets forward Brandon Miller tipped the ball out.

After grabbing the ball and eluding Hornets center Mark Williams, Ball had nothing but open space and opportunity in front of him. He took one dribble before seeing guard Zach LaVine running with him, so Ball threw a left-handed lob pass to LaVine from above the free-throw line for an alley-oop dunk.

Ball, who finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes, took a moment to revel in the highlight-reel play by galloping and yelling to the Bulls’ bench before getting back on defense.

What stood out on the play wasn’t LaVine’s aerial exhibition. The Bulls know LaVine can soar with the best of them. But Ball’s effort to grab the ball best exhibited the effort the Bulls played with in a 109-95 victory.

‘‘We had to match their energy,’’ Ball told the Sun-Times. ‘‘[The Hornets] play really strong. They play fast. They attack the glass — one of the best offensive-rebounding teams in the league. We knew we were down [center Nikola Vucevic], so we had to play a lot faster and block out. We didn’t do a very good job in the third quarter, but other than that, we got to the glass, got out — I felt like we ran the lanes hard — and played the basketball we wanted to play.’’

The Bulls shot only 27.5% (14-for-51) from three-point range, but it was their effort that enabled them to win comfortably. Being first to loose balls, creating second-chance points and flying around on defense made the difference, and Ball was at the center of that.

‘‘He brings that energy,’’ guard Josh Giddey said. ‘‘He brings that spark.’’

On nights in which their three-pointers aren’t falling, the Bulls have to manufacture points by getting to the free-throw line and attacking the offensive glass. They did both against the Hornets, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds and shooting 25 free throws.

The Bulls’ physicality stood out on both ends of the court. They played with a sense of urgency, and their defense was swarming. They totaled 11 blocks and 12 steals.

Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls had worked on their physicality in their practices since their loss Sunday to the 76ers.

Though he liked much of his team’s performance, Donovan didn’t like how the Bulls started the third quarter. They gave the Hornets multiple opportunities on a possession, and Donovan called a timeout 48 seconds into the quarter.

‘‘The stamina and the consistency — and I’m nitpicking [because] our guys played hard and competed — but if you’re looking at that consistency part of it, that was a big part in that third quarter,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘We’ve got to be able to do it for longer stretches.’’

Although the Bulls have the talent to be competitive against most teams, their tendency to go through stretches of sloppy play is often a problem. They overcame 16 turnovers Friday because of their tenacity.

The Bulls did what they needed to do against an inferior opponent, but it remains to be seen whether the same effort and energy will be there Monday against the Raptors.

‘‘We can do it,’’ Ball said. ‘‘We’re capable. We see it on film for spurts. It’s just about putting it together for a whole game.’’

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Raekwon Drake murder saga is one string in never-ending tangle of basketball, gun violence

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Raekwon Drake murder saga is one string in never-ending tangle of basketball, gun violence

It gets to a point where you don’t want to repeat-write about a different circumstance but a very similar theme. Basketball and bullets. The two always seem to find one another, no matter how far, distant, obscure or painful the reach.

The story of Raekwon Drake is rare but not drastically dissimilar to the stories of so many others who’ve been raised on these Chicago concrete magnets that hold us in ways a quantum entanglement physicist couldn’t even figure out. A young brotha who did everything he could to detach himself from the pull of the blocks that surrounded his upbringing. One of many who used basketball as his pre-RIP resurrection.

The paradox of how the former Orr star and two-time state champion ended up being convicted in July of second-degree murder — down from the first-degree murder he originally was charged with in 2021) and sentenced Dec. 3 to an additional 14 years (on top of three already served in the Cook County Department of Corrections) is just the most recent example of Chicago basketball’s too-personal relationship with guns.

In Drake’s case, that relationship forced him to run into his apartment to get his gun after some dudes tried to rob him and stole his $4,000 French bulldog. He emerged back out of the apartment in full attack mode with his 9mm to get his dog back, chasing down the robber who had thrown the dog to the ground to escape. After the ensuing scuffle, the assailant, Martin Palafox, was lying on the ground face-down, hands up. As assistant state’s attorney Jennifer Cooper said in court, Drake then “put the gun to the back of [Palafox’s] head, looked around and he pulled the trigger.”

The “Shoot hoops, not guns” mantra meant nothing in that moment. Never does. Just another end to one Black man’s life and a gateway to the end of another’s over some dumb s–t. The same dumb s—t that usually is the main character in these stories, that reared itself in the Story of Benji (Wilson), that popped up in the Story of DeDe (Rainey), that famously ended the Story of Malcolm Jamar Stuckey. The Story of Maurice Davis, Englewood’s finest.

There’s a connecting of dots between Drake’s story and the survival of former DePaul Prep and De La Salle players TY Johnson and TaKiya “TK” Howard and Marshall coach Shawn Harrington, about whom author Rus Bradburd wrote “All The Dreams We’ve Dreamed: A Story of Hoops and Handguns on Chicago’s West Side.”

There are stories on the other side of the relationship: Danville’s Keon Clark, who, at 38 years old in 2013, after playing for the Suns and the Jazz, found himself in a Colorado courtroom being handed an eight-year prison sentence on weapons and DUI charges. Former Corliss High School and Celtics player Nathan “Grave” Driggers found himself convicted in 2017 of selling stolen guns, reportedly 30 of them. As with Clark, the system got eight years of his life.

Armond Williams comes to mind. The former Sun-Times All-Public League fourth-team player from Austin High School, 2000 state slam-dunk champ, UIC star and 2004 Horizon League Tournament MVP found himself pleading guilty to first-degree murder for shooting the doorman at the Sound-Bar in 2019.

But that’s just Chi. We can go way deeper into the Ja Morant situations and the Gilbert Arenas cases and the Allen Iverson and Rajon Rondo circumstances when it comes to this. Be it victim or victim of circumstance, somehow, someway, they always find each other. The ties that bind. Hoop life. Gun life. Our beautiful, dark, twisted basketball tragedy.

For Raekwon Drake, its harrowing. Stark. For his victim, it’s sorrowing. Dark. In Drake’s case, everything he has learned and been taught and experienced, everything the game give him, is now gone. Even as basketball really had nothing to do with what happened in that moment, it, the game — like with so many of us — seemed to be Drake’s life, his incomplete story, making everything that happened, sadly, a part of our lives.

And often our deaths.

“I just want to say . . . I’ve never been trouble,” Drake told the judge at his sentencing. “I have been going on, playing basketball because that was the only way out for me.”

Somehow that didn’t work. Somehow that wasn’t enough.

We are told that if you let it, if you follow its lead, the game of basketball can be your savior. Yet the redemptive power of recidivism only blankets half of this story. The other half, not so much. This isn’t to single Drake or his situation out. This isn’t the highlighting of some cautionary tale that hopefully changes the direction of an ongoing narrative that continues to have one bad ending followed by another, worse ending.

Nope. This is about a relationship, a union of two addictions of Chicago life that unfortunately found one another, keep finding one another and can’t seem to let one another go.

Drake’s lucky. The dead whose lives were basketball but were ended by the bullets that exited a gun can’t ever be reclaimed.

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Tyreek Coleman, Moses Wilson and Waubonsie Valley impress in a win against DeKalb

Jane Wells

December 14, 2024

Tyreek Coleman, Moses Wilson and Waubonsie Valley impress in a win against DeKalb

There’s a serious Class 4A state championship contender in Aurora. Waubonsie Valley opened eyes last season, winning its first 23 games and not losing until February. This year’s team is even better.

Illinois State recruit Tyreek Coleman is the top senior guard in the area. Moses Wilson has blossomed into a likely D1 recruit. But those things were expected.

It’s the rest of the team that impressed in the No. 7 Warriors’ 53-39 win against visiting DeKalb on Friday.

Coleman picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and headed to the bench for nearly ten minutes of play. Waubonsie Valley (7-0, 2-0 DuPage Valley) led 16-10 when he checked back in. Coleman scored the final two buckets of the first half and the Warriors led 23-19.

Coleman took over in the third quarter, scoring nine points in a 12-2 burst that put Waubonsie Valley ahead 40-26.

“Last year he would press sometimes,” Warriors coach Andrew Schweitzer said. “Now he knows when it is his time to take over. And he knows when to create for others. He’s done a really good job of figuring out what each possession calls for.”

Coleman scored 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting.

“The game is definitely slower for me now,” Coleman said. “I just see the court in a different light after having that time on the Under Armour circuit. And these guys make it easy knowing their roles.”

Wilson’s role has expanded. He’s still a thrilling, above-the-rim threat. The 6-5 senior had 15 dunks in two games last weekend. But he’s developed a solid midrange game and is a major threat on defense. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

“I have to step up a lot in the scoring role so we can continue to win,” Wilson said. “But this is a great group. Everyone is like family and plays for each other.”

Kris Mporokoso, a 6-3 sophomore, had eight points and four rebounds and 6-7 senior Cade Valek added two points and eight rebounds.

“This is all of our class coming together,” Coleman said. “We’ve been friends on and off the court. We know each other’s tendencies and that has allowed us to play freely and together.”

The Warriors were cohesive and poised, even when Coleman was off the court.

“This group has won everything at every level,” Schweitzer said. “If we are taking care of the ball and playing as hard as we did in the second half, we are going to be in every game. It doesn’t matter who they put across from us.”

Waubonsie Valley lost to Downers Grove North in the sectional semifinals last season. The Warriors have the talent and chemistry to advance much deeper in the playoffs this year.

“Our goals are state championship and an undefeated season,” Coleman said. “We know it is going to be a tough road ahead. We will keep getting everyone’s best game. We have to play every game like the state championship. It’s a tough road but we have the guys to do it.”

Sean Reynolds led DeKalb (4-4, 1-1) with 13 points and junior Davon Grant added nine points and five rebounds. The Barbs have opened the season with a challenging schedule.

“We know we are a really good team we just have to prove it,” DeKalb coach Mike Reynolds said. “I’d put our schedule against anybody in the state but that’s going to prepare us for the long run. We changed that to try and raise our level and we’ve done that.”

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