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Previewing and predicting this weekend’s top high school basketball games

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December 11, 2024

Previewing and predicting this weekend’s top high school basketball games

There are a few key conference clashes and the buffet of games at the annual Team Rose Shootout this weekend. Below is a preview of six of the best with some picks.

Marist (7-0) at No. 12 Benet (6-1), Friday

In the single round-robin ESCC schedule, this mid-December matchup looms large. Benet and Marist are chock full of veterans and top 25-caliber teams vying for the top spot in the conference after sharing the title last year.

Yes, Marist is without injured Stephen Brown, one of the top juniors in the state, but they’ve weathered the storm nicely thus far. This is the toughest test yet, however.

Both of these teams have been extremely balanced through seven games. Karson Thomas leads Marist with 12 points a game and is one of four players in double figures. Shooter Rokas Zilys and guard Adoni Vassilakis average 11 each, while Marquis Vance adds 10 a game with seven rebounds.

Benet has size and balance, starting with 6-9 Southern Illinois recruit Daniel Pauliukonis (11.2 ppg) and 7-foot junior Colin Stack (13.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg), to go with an experienced backcourt with Blake Fagbemi (11 ppg, 6.2 apg) and Jayden Wright (12.3 ppg).

The pick: Benet 66, Marist 60

DeKalb (4-3) at No. 7 Waubonsie Valley (6-0), Friday

The top two teams in the DuPage Valley square off for the first of two this season

Don’t let DeKalb’s early so-so record fool you; the Barbs have lost to three very good opponents. But it’s an opportune time for this promising team, led by guard Sean Reynolds and 6-5 Davon Grant, to make a statement.

With a nearly 40-point differential in its six wins, Waubonsie Valley has absolutely rolled everyone it’s faced. That included beating a talented Rockford Auburn by 17. The Warriors, led by the dynamic combination of Illinois State-bound guard Tyreek Coleman and the athletic Moses Wilson, are ready for higher-tiered competition.

The pick: Waubonsie Valley 67, DeKalb 59

No. 10 Rich (1-2) vs. No. 16 Waukegan (4-1) at Crete-Monee, Saturday

This could be a fun one with two teams that apply pressure and like to get up and down the floor.

A couple of early out-of-state losses have left a bad taste in Rich’s mouth. Thus getting a momentum-building win over a talented team here is imperative to get back on track.

Jamson Coulter, one of the top juniors in the state, sets the tone for Rich, while Waukegan has a trio in Simereon Carter, Jaali Love and Xavi Granville who combine to average over 50 points between them.

The wonder in this one is what to make of a high-upside Waukegan team that stunned Warren but lost to Christ the King in the same week. But the early resume also includes impressive wins over Barrington and Crystal Lake South.

The pick: Rich 70, Waukegan 63

Marian Catholic (5-1) vs. Lemont (6-1) at Mount Carmel, Saturday

The Saturday morning brunch special, featuring two teams flying a little under the radar, is arguably the best game of the day at the Team Rose smorgasbord.

Lemont has the “Big Three” in 6-5 Alanas Castillo (12 ppg), 6-5 Matas Gaidukevicius (15 ppg) and 6-6 junior Gabe Sularski (12 ppg). Those three take turns putting pressure on opposing defenses with their combination of scoring and versatility.

The consistent impact of Marian Catholic senior Zach Sharkey is too often overlooked. The 6-2 guard put up 14.4 points a game last season and has upped that to an impressive 21.3 points a game so far this season. His vast production also includes over seven rebounds and four assists a game.

Sharkey is getting plenty of help. Senior guard Delan Davis is off to a fast start and is putting up 18 points a game, and promising sophomore Landon Mays is adding 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

The pick: Marian Catholic 58, Lemont 56

No. 3 DePaul Prep (6-1) vs. No. 10 Rich (1-2) at Mount Carmel, Sunday

These two came into the season highly ranked and didn’t hold back in putting together rugged schedules. This is one of those high-level battles.

DePaul is fresh off an impressive win over Mater Dei out of California. This is the back end of a tough weekend for Rich that starts Saturday with Waukegan.

From a stylistic standpoint, Rich plays with a quick-paced mindset while DePaul’s defense boggles up nearly everyone. Rich will want this one in the 70s and DePaul will try and keep it in the 50s.

DePaul is led by point guard Makai Kvamme and big man Rashaun Porter. However, the emergence of newcomer Rykan Woo in the backcourt and a healthy Jonas Johnson, who scored 15 in the win over Mater Dei, has elevated the Rams.

The 1-2 punch of guard Jamson Coulter and 6-8 Al Brooks are notable players and concerning for any defense. But this defense flexes its muscle more than most. Rich will need to execute.

The pick: DePaul 57, Rich 53

No. 4 Homewood-Flossmoor (7-0) vs. No. 21 St. Laurence (4-2) at Mount Carmel, Sunday

Loaded backcourts will go at it with Division I commitments — H-F’s Jayden Tyler (Wofford) and St. Laurence’s EJ Mosley (Purdue-Fort Wayne) — and talented uncommitted prospects, including H-F’s explosive Brent Taylor and St. Laurence’s Zerrick Johnson.

In disposing of Marian Catholic, Bloom and Young, H-F has looked the part and is further along than many expected. There are a variety of weapons and players taking advantage of opportunities.

The pick: H-F 68, St. Laurence 59

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Blackhawks trying to get Connor Bedard the puck in motion more often

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Blackhawks trying to get Connor Bedard the puck in motion more often

ELMONT, N.Y. — Not long after Anders Sorensen ran his first practice as Blackhawks coach last Friday, he pulled teenage star Connor Bedard aside for a one-on-one meeting.

The two of them discussed ways Bedard might be able to get more out of his ongoing second NHL season, with Sorensen sharing his thoughts and Bedard also offering his own ideas at Sorensen’s invitation. Bedard appreciated the two-way nature of that meeting and their conversations since.

“[Anders] has been great,” Bedard said Wednesday. “We all love how he’s come in and taken control. He’s very open-minded with stuff. He’s talked to me lots one-on-one already and given me good advice.”

Sorensen, 49, has found his footing as a first-time NHL coach with relatively little experience coaching pros — he was coaching 15-year-olds as recently as 2014-15 — by seeking input from his vast network of current and former players.

Perhaps none are as talented at and intelligent about hockey as Bedard, though.

“He’s a really good person,” Sorensen said. “That’s a huge part of why he’s so successful. But he’s [also] a really smart hockey person, so just getting his thoughts on things is important. He watches a lot of hockey and I watch a lot of hockey, so we exchange ideas.

“It comes back to [the fact] that the players are the ones playing. Sometimes they see things that we don’t see as coaches, and trying to get their feel for that is important.”

Sorensen has emphasized the importance of continuous motion for Bedard, both when it comes to teammates trying to get him the puck and him getting in position to receive the puck.

His vision, puck-handling and agility are all elite, but his straight-line speed isn’t, so it’s difficult for him to maneuver into space — especially considering how closely defenses key on him — if he receives the puck while stationary.

Once he’s carrying the puck, Sorensen has encouraged him to look for trailers on the rush, since Hawks defensemen have been urged to jump up more aggressively in those situations. As soon as opposing defenses realize they have to respect and cover Hawks defensemen, that should open up more space for Bedard and his linemates (currently Philipp Kurashev and Ilya Mikheyev).

“Whenever you can add more guys and more options, it makes the game easier, so that’s great for us,” Bedard said. “We want [the defensemen] shooting the puck, whether it’s off the rush or off low-to-high [passes].”

Bedard has tallied an assist in each of the Hawks’ first two games under Sorensen, earning a helper on Alex Vlasic’s power-play goal in the loss to the Jets and feeding Taylor Hall for the deciding goal in the win over the Rangers. He’ll seek his second three-game point streak of the season Thursday against the Islanders.

He has recorded only one shot on goal in those two games combined, however, and his five goals in 28 games this season remains a source of frustration for him and a problem for the Hawks’ offense. That’s one major reason why the team has scored more than three goals just once in their last 15 games — a dire offensive drought that Sorensen was brought in to fix.

Individually, Bedard is on pace to finish the season with just 15 goals, down from 22 last year — which in itself fell short of his expectations. His rates of shot attempts, shots on goal and scoring chances during five-on-five play are all down significantly from last year, too, so it will be interesting to monitor if those begin ticking up.

His confidence at least seems to have rebounded from its mid-November low point.

“I feel all right,” Bedard said. “There’s great games; there’s bad games. You always want to be getting better, so that’s all you can focus on.”

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It’s raining threes as Bulls have taken the road of evolve or die

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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It’s raining threes as Bulls have taken the road of evolve or die

This is not the style of NBA basketball that Zach LaVine grew up watching.

Heck, it’s not even the style he was playing in the NBA last season.

The Bulls guard is putting up 7.7 three-point attempts per game in the 2024-25 campaign, which is the most since he was basically a one-man show in the 2020-21 season (8.2 attempts per game), but that’s not the major story with this offense he’s a part of.

As a team, the Bulls will enter the Friday game with Charlotte second in the league to only Boston with 43.5 three-point attempts per game.

Some perspective on that: The Bulls were 26^th in the league last season with 32.1 three-point attempts, but those same 32.1 attempts back in the 2016-17 season would rank them fourth overall in the league.

This isn’t some overnight trend, it’s an evolution. And one that the Bulls had to make.

Evolve or die.

“It’s just the evolution of stuff and the NBA is a copy-cat league,” LaVine said. “You see who is in contention and doing stuff well, and it’s a numbers game now. Most people are shooting threes, and you’ve got to be able to match that. It’s cool. It’s more possessions, more people are getting opportunities because the ball is being shared more in most scenarios.”

That doesn’t mean LaVine is embracing the idea of players being more skilled these days because of the outside shooting, however.

“I think some of it is it’s a little predictable, like come down and shoot,” LaVine said. “It takes a little bit of skill out of the game from what I’ve watched with like Kobe (Bryant), (Michael) Jordan, Melo (Carmelo Anthony), and stuff like that, with them working out of the post, getting to their spots skill-wise. There’s still guys that do that but in a different way.”

That’s where Billy Donovan comes in. While the Bulls coach has his critics, he’s also coached to his personnel to perfection. When he had players like a healthy Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso it was about causing chaos on defense. When he had to rely more on DeMar DeRozan it was the mid-range game and get to the free throw line. Now that he doesn’t have the defenders he once had and DeRozan was sent to Sacramento in a sign-and-trade it’s been high-pace, shoot threes, and try and wear teams down despite a guard-oriented roster.

The results have been mixed with a 10-15 record, but the numbers haven’t. Donovan has the Bulls playing the only way they can to stay competitive.

“I’ve been playing this way my whole life,” Ball said of the change in philosophy. “The transition, running fast into threes, that’s the way I’m accustomed to playing. Find the open guy and take good shots.

“The game has definitely changed. It’s evolved over time. It’s a lot faster, obviously. Everybody is just trying to get up shots, get up threes now, especially the corner ones and the transition ones.”

Not the puzzle that the Bulls are having an issue with. The problem that’s being emphasized this week in practice is how to stop opposing teams from doing the same?

The nights that haven’t gone well for the Bulls are usually when they aren’t shooting well from long range, and they then have to figure out how to counter what other teams are doing.

“One of it has to be (limiting) the turnovers, right, because you want to be able to set your defense,” Donovan said. “The second thing is teams are going to make and miss shots, that’s just the way it is. We can’t give up second-chance opportunities. We’ve got to be really good in our communication.”

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Albertsons sues Mariano’s owner Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed merger

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Albertsons sues Mariano’s owner Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed merger

We break down complex business news to help you understand how money moves in Chicago and how it affects you.

Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history crumbled Wednesday, with Albertsons pulling out of the $24.6 billion deal and the two companies accusing each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through.

Jewel-Osco’s parent Albertsons said it had filed a lawsuit against Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger, which owns Mariano’s, said the claims were “baseless” and that Albertsons was not entitled to the fee.

The bitter breakup came the day after two judges halted the proposed merger in separate court cases. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson in Oregon issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday blocking the merger until an in-house judge at the Federal Trade Commission could consider the matter.

An hour later, Superior Court Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle issued a permanent injunction barring the merger. Ferguson ruled that combining Albertsons and Kroger would lessen competition and violate consumer-protection laws.

The companies could have appealed the rulings or proceeded to the in-house FTC hearings. Albertsons’ decision to pull out of deal instead surprised some industry experts.

“I’m in a state of professional and commercial shock that they would take this scorched earth approach,” said Burt Flickinger, a longtime analyst and owner of retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group. “The logical thing would have been for Albertsons to let the decision sink in for a day and then meet and see what could be done. But the lawsuit seems to make that a moot issue.”

Albertsons is unlikely to find another merger partner because it has significant debt and underperforming stores in most of its markets, Flickinger said. Consumers will feel the most immediate impact of the deal’s demise, he said, since Albertsons charges 12% to 14% more than Kroger and other grocery rivals.

“They had so much debt they had to pay it off it’s reflected in their pricing and promotional structure,” Flickinger said.

Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran testified during the federal hearing in September that his company might consider “structural options” like laying off employees, closing stores and exiting certain markets if the merger with Kroger didn’t go through.

“I would have to consider that,” he said. “It’s a dramatically different picture with the merger than without it.”

But in a statement Wednesday, Sankaran said Albertsons would “start this next chapter in strong financial condition with a track record of positive business performance.” In the company’s most recent quarter, Albertsons’ revenue rose 1% to $18.5 billion and it reported $7.9 billion in debt.

Kroger and Albertsons first proposed the merger in 2022. They argued that combining would help them better compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon, which are gaining an increasing share of U.S. grocery sales. Together, Kroger and Albertsons would control around 13% of the U.S. grocery market. Walmart controls around 22%.

Under the merger agreement, Kroger and Albertsons — who compete in 22 states — agreed to sell 579 stores in places where their locations overlap to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based supplier to independent supermarkets that also owns the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly store brands.

But the Federal Trade Commission and two states — Washington and Colorado — sued to block the merger earlier this year, saying it would raise prices and lower workers’ wages by eliminating competition. It also said the divestiture plan was inadequate and that C&S was ill-equipped to take on so many stores.

Albertsons said Wednesday that Kroger failed to exercise “best efforts” and to take “any and all actions” to secure regulatory approval of the companies’ agreed merger transaction.

It said Kroger refused to divest the assets necessary for antitrust approval, ignored regulators’ feedback and rejected divestiture buyers that would have been stronger than C&S.

“Kroger’s self-serving conduct, taken at the expense of Albertsons and the agreed transaction, has harmed Albertsons’ shareholders, associates and consumers,” Tom Moriarty, Albertsons’ general counsel, said in a statement.

Kroger said that it disagrees with Albertsons “in the strongest possible terms.” It said Albertsons was responsible for “repeated intentional material breaches and interference throughout the merger process.”

Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates 2,800 stores in 35 states, including brands like Ralphs, Smith’s and Harris Teeter. Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, operates 2,273 stores in 34 states, including brands like Safeway, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s. Together, the companies employ around 710,000 people.

Kroger sued the FTC in August in federal court in Ohio, claiming that the federal agency’s in-house administrative hearings were unlawful because the FTC was also able to challenge the merger in federal court in Oregon. In paperwork filed Wednesday, the FTC said it expected to update the court on its next steps in that case by Dec. 17.

In Colorado, which also sued to block the merger, Attorney General Phil Weiser said Tuesday that he still was awaiting a decision from a state judge. In that case, Colorado also was challenging an allegedly illegal no-poach agreement Kroger and Albertsons made during a 2022 strike.

Shares of Albertsons were down less than 1% in late trading Wednesday, while Kroger’s stock was up less than 1%.

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Red Line extension, quantum computing campus get final zoning approval

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Red Line extension, quantum computing campus get final zoning approval

Two projects that could change the economic face of Chicago — the CTA’s $5.3 billion Red Line extension and a multi-billion-dollar quantum computing campus on the Far South Side — got final zoning approval Wednesday as the City Council teed up Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 budget for a nail-biting final vote on Friday.

One day after the mayor’s $17.3 billion budget and the $256 million in fines and fees to support it squeaked through the Budget and Finance committees, the full Council deferred and published both ordinances, setting the stage for Friday.

If the Council approves the budget package, it would beat a Dec. 31 deadline to avoid a government shutdown. But Johnson could be forced to cast a tie-breaking vote — the third of his 19-month tenure. That’s how touch-and-go the negotiations have been, even after the $300 million property tax increase Johnson originally proposed was reduced to $68.5 million.

Wednesday’s meeting was the legislative calm before the storm, but it still wasn’t all smooth sailing.

The City Council chambers were evacuated for nearly two hours by a electrical fire on the Cook County side of the building.

When members returned, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) briefly threatened to block the entire Zoning Committee agenda from being voted on by the Council. That’s because that report did not include the committee’s rejection of Sterling Bay’s plan to build a pair of residential buldings in Lincoln Park. Waguespack opposes the project because of concerns about the height of the buildings, the lack of parking, and the traffic the project would create.

Waguespack ultimately agreed to withdraw his roadblock and keep working on the project, which Johnson supports.

That allowed the Council to do its part to turn the 50-year-old dream of extending the Red Line into reality by rezoning dozens of properties along the proposed 5.6-mile route — property the CTA has or will acquire for track alignment, four stations, a sub-station and a rail yard. The Red Line now ends at 95th Street; the extension would run south to 130th Street.

The CTA is in line to receive a nearly $2 billion federal grant, the largest in its history, to cover half the cost of the extension. The project would provide CTA rail service to the only part of Chicago without it.

Looking south from 95th Street at the end of the Red Line. The city plans to extend the Red Line to 130th Street, but has not yet secured all the federal funds it needs, and that money could be at risk in a second Trump administration.

But embattled CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. still hasn’t secured the full-funding agreement needed to lock down federal funding for the extension, even after disclosing in August that the project’s overall cost has ballooned from $3.6 billion to $5.3 billion.

Without it, there are concerns the federal spigot could run dry after Donald Trump becomes president.

The CTA still hopes to nail down that full-funding agreement before President Joe Biden leaves office Jan. 20.

“I don’t know if it’ll be before the holidays. It could be after the holidays,” CTA spokesperson Catherine Hosinski said Wednesday.

In 2016, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel moved heaven and earth to nail down $1.1 billion in federal grants to modernize a stretch of the Red Line on the North Side before then-President Barack Obama left the White House. Emanuel convinced the Council to authorize a transit tax increment financing district to provide the local matching funds and signed the ordinance on the final day for the city to demonstrate its commitment.

Computer project gitches

The rezoning that will convert more than 400 acres of land at a long-shuttered U.S. Steel facility into a new quantum computing campus has had its own share of controversy.

Residents of a Southeast Side area that has long been Chicago’s favorite dumping ground have raised environmental issues and urged city and state officials to slow down development to give them time to nail down a community benefits agreement.

California-based PsiQuantum plans to build the world’s first commercially useful quantum computer at a massive site that has eluded development since U.S. Steel closed the South Works in 1992.

It will anchor the 128-acre Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, which could be home to other technology and innovation companies. Developer Related Midwest said it’s talking to a “major” employer for the north end of the site, separate from the campus.

The 440-acre development will be completed in phases over the next four to six years.

Quantum computing creates infinite combinations of the binary bits used by computers to calculate larger and more complex problems. It could lead to the manufacturing of new medications and make sensitive data almost impermeable to hacking, among other possibilities touted by experts — but many of those possibilities are yet to be realized.

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Grupos de Chicago que atienden a migrantes se preparan para el próximo mandato de Trump

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Grupos de Chicago que atienden a migrantes se preparan para el próximo mandato de Trump

El mejor lugar para cobertura de noticias y cultura latina en Chicago. | The place for coverage of Latino news and culture in Chicago.

Después de que Donald Trump fuera elegido, el hijo mayor de Vannessa Olivera le preguntó si era cierto que todos los inmigrantes serían expulsados del país.

Eso es lo que escuchó en la escuela.

Olivera, cuya familia huyó de Venezuela y fue enviada a Chicago en 2022, trató de tranquilizarlo diciéndole que sería imposible expulsar a tanta gente en un país de inmigrantes.

“No le tengo miedo a Trump”, dijo Olivera en español. “La política es un juego. Mi padre decía que la política es un juego sucio en el que todos usan las mejores estrategias que tienen. No le temo porque en realidad, no estoy haciendo nada malo”.

Las organizaciones del área de Chicago que sirven a inmigrantes como Olivera se están preparando para cambios en la política de inmigración y un aumento en las órdenes de deportación, que podrían llegar de inmediato a través de órdenes ejecutivas y más tarde cambiando a quiénes detienen los funcionarios federales de inmigración, aseguran.

Muchas organizaciones están dedicando las semanas previas al Día de la Inauguración el mes próximo a distribuir información sobre “conocer sus derechos” a los migrantes y exhortándolos a consultar con un abogado o una organización de confianza para evaluar su estatus migratorio.

Mary Meg McCarthy, directora ejecutiva del Centro Nacional de Justicia para Inmigrantes con sede en Chicago, dijo que se están preparando para un “tsunami de necesidad de servicios legales” en los próximos años. Además, muchos esperan que aumente la acumulación de casos en las cortes de inmigración.

Además, los grupos anticipan tiempos de espera más largos y tarifas más costosas para obtener permisos de trabajo o “green cards” a través del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglés).

“Sabemos que muchas personas seguirán teniendo casos pendientes durante bastante tiempo y esperamos que nuestros abogados pro bono se unan a nosotros para brindar representación legal completa”, comentó McCarthy.

“Eso será fundamental para proteger los derechos básicos de las personas al debido proceso”.

La corte de inmigración de Chicago ya tiene más de 270,000 casos pendientes, según un análisis del Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse de la Universidad de Syracuse.

Cerca del 25% de esos casos involucran a personas de Venezuela, seguidos por alrededor del 18% que involucran a ciudadanos mexicanos.

El USCIS recibió más del triple de casos de asilo en la primera mitad de 2024 que durante el mismo período en 2022, informó WBEZ.

La petición de asilo de Olivera se encuentra entre esas solicitudes, sin un final a la vista. La familia aún no había recibido una fecha para comparecer ante un juez de inmigración para escuchar su caso.

La familia ha comenzado a tener una sensación de estabilidad en el lado noroeste, con Olivera trabajando en una guardería y su esposo en un hotel después de que el gobierno aprobara sus permisos de trabajo. El próximo año comenzará las clases en un colegio comunitario para obtener un título asociado en educación infantil.

Celebraron el Día de Acción de Gracias por primera vez este año y sus hijos mayores ya hablan inglés con facilidad.

La familia adquirió un perro pequeño, Snow, después de que un amigo le sugiriera que podría ayudar a Olivera cuando sentía ansiedad.

Vannessa Olivera, a Venezuelan migrant who’s been living in Chicago for about two years, sits in the living room with her dog, Snow, in her Northwest Side home. — Vannessa Olivera, migrante venezolana que ha estado viviendo en Chicago durante aproximadamente dos años, se sienta en la sala de su hogar con su perro, Snow, en su casa del lado noroeste.

Olivera says what she fears is life in her native country. She’s heard from relatives about the increasing cost of medications in Venezuela. One of her relatives was arrested after being involved in a protest, she said.

Olivera dice que lo que teme es la vida en su país natal. Sus familiares le han contado sobre el aumento del precio de los medicamentos en Venezuela. Uno de sus parientes fue arrestado después de participar en una protesta, contó.

Es una de las razones por las que no cree que las políticas de Trump detengan la inmigración.

Le preocupa lo que sucederá con quienes esperan en la frontera sur para solicitar asilo. Tres de sus familiares estaban tratando de hacer el viaje a Texas, dijo.

“Sabemos que no podemos regresar”, dijo Olivera. “Porque en el momento en que regresemos, (el gobierno) puede matarnos, matar a uno de mis hijos, mi esposo podría ser detenido (o) podrían quitarnos la ciudadanía”.

Aumenta la demanda de servicios legales

En las semanas transcurridas desde la elección presidencial, la Red Comunitaria Siria ha visto a tanta gente presentarse dos veces por semana a su clínica de inmigración de dos horas que han tenido que rechazar a gente, dijo Al Peters, el director de inmigración de la organización.

“Tenemos muchas personas que vienen que están en proceso de deportación”, dijo Peters. “Tienen una cita en la corte, no tienen representación legal, con frecuencia no entienden realmente lo que está sucediendo en términos de su proceso legal. Al menos podemos explicarles eso y referirlos a algunas de nuestras organizaciones asociadas”.

La Red Comunitaria Siria se convirtió en parte del programa de acreditación del Departamento de Justicia en 2019, que permite a los empleados no abogados y voluntarios de ciertas organizaciones sin fines de lucro ejercer la ley de inmigración a nivel federal.

Comenzaron a hacer trabajo relacionado con la inmigración porque no había muchas organizaciones de inmigración que brindaran servicios para inmigrantes de habla árabe.

En un principio ayudaron a los refugiados a obtener la residencia permanente conocida como “green card” o solicitar la ciudadanía. En 2021, su trabajo cambió cuando vieron que las personas que habían huido de Afganistán necesitaban ayuda para presentar solicitudes de asilo. Y ahora prevén que habrá más personas en procedimientos de deportación, dijo Peters.

“Las organizaciones como la nuestra (…) históricamente no tienen mucha experiencia con las deportaciones”, destacó Peters. Pero como ese trabajo es necesario, “tenemos que volver a capacitarnos, volvernos a enfocar y cambiar de rumbo”.

Activists gather for an Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights press conference at Casa Michoacán in Little Village, where politicians reacted to the reelection of President Donald Trump. — Los activistas se reúnen para una conferencia de prensa de la Coalición de Illinois por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes y Refugiados en Casa Michoacán en La Villita, donde los políticos reaccionaron a la reelección del presidente Donald Trump.

Mientras Trump hablaba de implementar deportaciones masivas, McCarthy dijo que el Centro Nacional de Justicia para Inmigrantes ha estado tratando de pensar en cómo llegar a las personas detenidas en cárceles remotas o en instalaciones a gran escala fuera de Illinois.

“Todas las personas tienen derechos, independientemente de su estatus migratorio”, dijo. “Y debemos asegurarnos de que esas personas en estas cárceles remotas tengan acceso a abogados para garantizar que se respeten esos derechos. Por lo tanto, eso será realmente fundamental”.

Educar a las comunidades migrantes

La North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic con sede en Highland Park, también ha visto un aumento en las llamadas telefónicas y las visitas en persona sobre posibles deportaciones masivas, dijo Lia Kim-Yi, directora de leyes de inmigración de la clínica.

“Hay una línea muy delgada entre educar a la población y crear miedo, y no queremos crear miedo”, dijo Kim-Yi. “Por eso creemos que la educación es poderosa, por eso estamos haciendo tantas presentaciones de ‘conozca sus derechos’”.

La clínica está creando una lista de verificación de planificación de seguridad para reunir documentos importantes para los clientes, dijo. También están ayudando a los padres indocumentados a aprender cómo establecer una tutela a corto plazo en caso de que sean detenidos. Los abogados también están presentando solicitudes de la Ley de Libertad de Información para que los clientes verifiquen su historial migratorio completo.

“Simplemente estamos preparando a mi personal para que sepa que vamos a ser extremadamente cautelosos con los documentos que presentamos a inmigración, para asegurarnos de que los clientes estén seguros, que estén completamente informados de sus derechos legales y de las posibles consecuencias que podrían ocurrir si sus casos son rechazados por cualquier razón”, dijo Kim-Yi.

Quienes atienden a migrantes dicen que están empleando las próximas semanas para presentar solicitudes de inmigración si la persona es elegible para recibir ayuda antes de que se implementen los cambios.

Kathleen Vannucci, abogada de inmigración de Chicago, dijo que recientemente presentó dos casos para personas que eran elegibles para recibir ayuda pero que no habían tratado de ajustar su estatus debido a lo mucho que costaba. En esos casos, un donante cubrió los honorarios del abogado y del gobierno para presentar los casos.

“Es muy emotivo ver a personas que quieren hacer algo y sienten que están ayudando a sus familiares”, dijo. “Es como, está bien, vamos a poder hacer esto”.

Pero para otros clientes, incluidos algunos que han estado en el país desde la década de 1970, no hay ninguna vía para ajustar su estatus migratorio, dijo. Vannucci dijo que habla con sus clientes sobre posibles defensas si las autoridades de inmigración alguna vez detienen a la persona.

Por ahora, Vannucci dijo que se está preparando para el costo emocional que tendrá su trabajo al responder a los cambios inesperados en las leyes y políticas de inmigración.

“Estaba en el aeropuerto justo después del anuncio de la prohibición musulmana. ¿Pensé alguna vez que eso iba a suceder y que no iban a dejar entrar a los residentes permanentes en el aeropuerto?”, dijo Vannucci. “Absolutamente no (…). Esperen lo inesperado y estén listos para la lucha”.

Traducido por Gisela Orozco para La Voz Chicago

Volunteer lawyers set up camp in the international terminal at O'Hare International Airport in 2017 to help immigrant travelers and their families after then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order to freeze admission of refugees into the United States and a ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. — Los abogados voluntarios instalaron un campamento en la terminal internacional del Aeropuerto Internacional O’Hare en 2017 para ayudar a los viajeros migrantes y sus familias después de que el entonces presidente Donald Trump emitiera una orden ejecutiva para congelar la admisión de refugiados a los Estados Unidos y prohibir los viajes desde siete países de mayoría musulmana.

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Bears put returner DeAndre Carter on IR

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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The Bears put returner DeAndre Carter on injured reserve Wednesday, ending his season.

Carter, who had nine catches for 72 yards as a wide receiver this season, left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury after being hit in the first quarter.

Carter was replaced on punt returns by cornerback Josh Blackwell and on kick returns by Travis Homer and Darrynton Evans.

The Bears also signed defensive lineman Jonathan Ford off the Packers’ practice squad. Ford was a seventh-round pick out of Auburn two years ago and hasn’t appeared in a regular season game.

They also signed 28-year-old running back Royce Freeman, who began his career in 2018 with the Broncos. Freeman’s last NFL carry came with the Rams last year. He’s also played for the Panthers and Texans. He replaces Demetric Felton, who was cut earlier this week.

The Bears play the Vikings on “Monday Night Football.”

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Jefa de gabinete del alcalde de Chicago dice que el ‘círculo de paz’ era para problemas de ex alto funcionario

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Jefa de gabinete del alcalde de Chicago dice que el ‘círculo de paz’ era para problemas de ex alto funcionario

El mejor lugar para cobertura de noticias y cultura latina en Chicago. | The place for coverage of Latino news and culture in Chicago.

La jefa de gabinete del alcalde de Chicago Brandon Johnson, niega que haya recomendado el uso de un “círculo de paz” para abordar las acusaciones de acoso sexual o misoginia contra el ex director de comunicaciones Ronnie Reese y dice que la recomendación se hizo para abordar otros problemas que enfrentaba Reese en el cargo.

En una entrevista con WBEZ, Cristina Pacione-Zayas defendió las acciones que tomó en respuesta a tres quejas presentadas contra Reese, pero dijo que la idea del “círculo de paz” tenía como objetivo abordar otros problemas de comunicación y gestión más amplios que enfrentaba Reese.

Señaló que esos problemas más amplios pusieron a Reese en un plan de mejora del desempeño e indicó que esos problemas eran anteriores a las acusaciones de misoginia o acoso sexual.

“No ofrecí y nunca habría ofrecido [un círculo de paz] por una acusación grave como el acoso sexual”, destacó Pacione-Zayas.

Pacione-Zayas fue informada el 30 de julio de tres quejas, incluida una de un miembro del personal de la oficina de prensa que incluía acusaciones de misoginia y un supuesto incidente inapropiado en el que Reese le dijo a un miembro del personal “te amo” después de un abrazo no deseado, según los documentos obtenidos por WBEZ.

Pacione-Zayas recibió un correo electrónico del Departamento de Recursos Humanos de la Municipalidad, en el que un miembro del personal de Recursos Humanos describió las acusaciones en general, pero no adjuntó la queja de 29 páginas.

Al día siguiente, según la respuesta por correo electrónico de Pacione-Zayas al departamento de Recursos Humanos, Pacione-Zayas tuvo una reunión previamente programada con miembros de la oficina de prensa del alcalde. Fue allí donde dijo que hizo referencia a un modelo de “justicia restaurativa” para Reese.

Un “círculo de paz” de justicia restaurativa es un proceso en el que un grupo puede intentar “restaurar ‘la paz’ o reparar las relaciones. Por lo general, hay un reconocimiento del daño y a partir de eso, hay una responsabilidad compartida para reparar el daño”, explicó Pacione-Zayas.

Pero los empleados se opusieron a la sugerencia por temor a represalias, según la denuncia.

La sugerencia de los “círculos de paz” se convirtió en un punto culminante en una audiencia presupuestaria la semana pasada, en la que algunos concejales presionaron al comisionado del Departamento de Recursos Humanos sobre si es una herramienta recomendada para abordar las denuncias de acoso sexual.

A pesar de estar al tanto de las quejas generales de misoginia en el momento en que sugirió el círculo de paz, Pacione-Zayas insistió a WBEZ en que la sugerencia era “separada y aparte” de esas acusaciones y que tenía como objetivo abordar cuestiones de gestión más amplias.

Y destacó la necesidad de un “debido proceso” en torno a las acusaciones de acoso sexual.

“Hay otra oportunidad para que alguien diga ‘Oye, esta es mi versión de la historia’, y luego monitoreas y verificas si hay cambios o cualquier otra queja”, aseguró Pacione-Zayas. “Así que esa era una vía y luego me ocupaba de las preocupaciones generales en general”.

En respuesta a las quejas formales de misoginia y más, el Departamento de Recursos Humanos de la Municipalidad recomendó que Pacione-Zayas brindara capacitación a Reese, además de inscribirlo en dos cursos de capacitación, según los correos electrónicos obtenidos por WBEZ a través de una solicitud de registros abiertos.

El departamento de recursos humanos enfatizó que “Reese también debe ser informado de que, como supervisor de alto nivel con deberes de cara al público, también está sujeto a estándares más altos y puede estar sujeto a un nivel más alto de disciplina, incluido el despido”.

Cuando se le preguntó si sentía que la capacitación y el entrenamiento eran suficientes, Pacione-Zayas dijo que siguió las recomendaciones de la política de igualdad de oportunidades de empleo de la Municipalidad, incluida la reunión con Reese el 5 de agosto, menos de una semana después de haber sido notificada de las quejas.

El 5 de agosto, Pacione-Zayas también comenzó un plan de mejora del desempeño, dijo, para abordar los problemas más amplios de gestión y comunicación. Un portavoz de la oficina del alcalde dijo que el plan tenía una fecha límite del 27 de septiembre, que Reese no cumplió. Reese pidió una extensión y todavía no completó los objetivos del plan, dijo un portavoz.

En ese momento, comenzó el proceso de despido. La oficina del alcalde se negó a proporcionar copias del plan, afirmando que estaba protegido por privacidad.

Reese no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios.

Cuando se le preguntó si Pacione-Zayas le ocultó algo al alcalde durante todo el proceso, dijo que le informó al alcalde sobre las quejas formales de Recursos Humanos contra Reese, cómo las estaba abordando y “en general, lo que estaba haciendo en toda la oficina”.

Pero Pacione-Zayas hizo eco de la explicación de Johnson de que ni ella ni el alcalde estaban al tanto de detalles más específicos de las acusaciones de acoso sexual hasta que las quejas se hicieron públicas un mes después de que Reese fuera despedido.

Pacione-Zayas dijo que, a raíz de la publicación de las quejas, Reese ha sido incluido en la lista de la Municipalidad de personas a las que no se debe contratar.

Pacione-Zayas enfatizó que durante los últimos meses ha estado trabajando con los departamentos de Derecho y Recursos Humanos de la Municipalidad para revisar las normas de personal de la Municipalidad, que se actualizaron por última vez en 2014.

“Con las noticias recientes, la gente se pregunta si estamos cumpliendo con nuestros valores y como saben, quiero que sepan que estoy forzando esa pregunta en cada aspecto de la infraestructura de toda la Municipalidad”, aseguró Pacione-Zayas.

Mariah Woelfel y Tessa Weinberg cubren la política y el gobierno de la Municipalidad para WBEZ.

Traducido por Gisela Orozco para La Voz Chicago

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home broken into Monday, the latest in a string of pro-athlete burglaries

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home broken into Monday, the latest in a string of pro-athlete burglaries

Police are investigating yet another break-in at a professional athlete’s house in the latest spate of burglaries plaguing NFL and NBA players.

Authorities say someone broke into Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow’s home while he was playing an NFL game on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

According to the Hamilton County sheriff, deputies responded to Burrow’s Cincinnati home shortly after 8 p.m. local time, following a call from a woman who said she found a shattered bedroom window and a ransacked room inside when she arrived. The investigation is ongoing.

Burglaries at the homes of athletes

Burrow’s home is the latest in a string of burglaries targeting the homes of NBA and NFL athletes.

In October, the homes of Kansas City Chiefs superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into just days apart.

“Obviously it’s, it’s frustrating, disappointing,” Mahomes said in November after the break-in, which happened in October.

Travis Kelce said in a May 2024 podcast episode with his brother, former NFL player Jason Kelce, that someone posted his house online and he began receiving an overwhelming amount of mail.

“The one thing you don’t realize when somebody posts your house online is that now everybody just has your address,” Kelce said.

The NFL isn’t the only league where players have experienced burglaries.

After break-ins at Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis‘ home and the home of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr., both the NBA and NFL warned players to take extra precautions, telling them thieves appear to be gathering details about their homes, belongings and whereabouts from social media.

Last month, sources told CBS News the FBI is investigating whether the high profile incidents are connected and if a trans-international crime ring is behind the burglaries.

Nate Burleson

Nate Burleson is a co-host of “CBS Mornings.” He is also an Emmy Award-winning studio analyst for CBS Sports’ NFL pre-game, halftime and post-game show, “The NFL Today,” and is the host of Nickelodeon’s “NFL Slime Time.”

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Gov. JB Pritzker nominates Gia Biagi to lead state transportation department

Jane Wells

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December 11, 2024

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Gov. JB Pritzker nominates Gia Biagi to lead state transportation department

Gov. JB Pritzker has nominated former Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi to lead the state’s Transportation Department.

Biagi led the city’s Transportation Department for nearly four years after being appointed by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She is replacing Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman, who is retiring.

Biagi’s appointment as IDOT secretary is pending state Senate approval.

“As my administration continues our ambitious goals to revitalize transportation across the state, I’m excited to appoint Gia Biagi as the next leader of IDOT,” Pritzker said in a news release Tuesday.

Biagi left the city’s Transportation Department in August 2023, early in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. She had taken heat for Lightfoot’s decision to reduce the ticketing threshold for Chicago speed cameras.

But she also took credit for adding 100 miles of bike lanes and implementing pedestrian safety projects at more than 1,000 high-crash intersections. Biagi also expanded the city’s Divvy bike-share program into every neighborhood and developed a “mobility and economic hardship index” to prioritize infrastructure investments.

After leaving CDOT, she returned to the Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang, where she took a leadership post.

Osman was appointed state transportation secretary by Pritzker in 2019. Osman began his career at IDOT in 1989 as a civil engineer.

Osman oversaw the agency as it began work on the state’s Rebuild Illinois infrastructure bill, which put over $20 billion toward rebuilding the state’s roads and bridges.

In 2023, a state inspector general report accused Osman of violating a state rule by allowing certain employees to delegate duties so they could bypass the state’s revolving door policy. The policy prohibits retiring employees from working with state-connected vendors for one year after they leave the state transportation department.

Omer Osman, director of the Illinois Department of Transportation, at a Springfield news conference in 2019. — Omer Osman at a news conference in Springfield in 2019.

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