Good afternoon! I spent part of the weekend compiling a folder of hilarious videos and pictures of the nephews so I can embarrass them when they’re older. Here’s what you need to know today.
1. Authorities have released few details in the shooting of two women during a White Sox game
And the silence from police has fueled rumors and misinformation, my colleague Violet Miller reports.
Two women were shot at some point during the fourth inning of Friday’s game between the White Sox and the Oakland Athletics. One woman was struck in the leg and taken to a hospital, and the other was grazed in the abdomen but declined medical attention.
It’s unclear where the bullets came from — either inside the stadium or from somewhere else.
White Sox officials said the shooting did not stem from a fight. And police said there was no “active threat” to the nearly 22,000 attendees of the game at any point, but have revealed little about their investigation and have declined to answer questions about the shooting. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Meanwhile, White Sox officials are defending their decision to continue the game after the shooting. According to the Chicago Tribune, the players themselves were kept in the dark about the shooting until after the game. [Chicago Tribune]
2. Allegations of sexual harassment emerge at a powerful realtors group based in Chicago
Three women say they were sexually harassed by Kenny Parcell, the president of the National Association of Realtors, The New York Times reports.
All of the women worked at the association, which owns the trademark to the word “realtor” and controls access to nearly every home listing in the U.S, the Times reports.
The Times also reports that 19 women told the newspaper they were sexually harassed while working at the association or its affiliates. And 10 others said “they were subjected to a sexist, belittling culture,” according to the Times.
The allegations have emerged after Janelle Brevard, a former employee who said she had a relationship with Parcell, sued the association for discrimination and harassment.
In a statement to the Times, Parcel said he never engaged in sexual harassment. [New York Times]
3. Today marks the 68th anniversary of Emmett Till’s brutal murder
This year marks nearly seven decades since 14-year-old Emmett Till was killed in Mississippi.
My colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times provide a look at how the newspaper covered Till’s death in 1955, including Mamie Till Bradley’s decision to show the world the brutality he endured at the hands of white supremacists.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of people being horrified by the sight of my son,” Mamie Till Bradley (who would later become Mamie Till-Mobley) said in an interview years after her son died.
“But on the other hand, I felt the alternative was even worse. After all, we had averted our eyes for far too long, turning away from the ugly reality facing us as a nation. Let the world see what I’ve seen.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
4. A TV camera will be allowed in the courtroom for the trial of the Highland Park suspect’s father
A Lake County judge today ruled a TV camera would be allowed to capture the trial’s proceedings, which are scheduled to begin Nov. 6, my colleague David Struett reports.
The father, Robert Crimo Jr., faces charges of reckless conduct for helping his son, Robert Crimo III, obtain a gun license even though the then-19-year-old had threatened violence against himself and others.
The father’s attorney tried to have the case dismissed today, arguing in part that the law cited in Crimo’s charges was unconstitutionally vague. But a Lake County judge disagreed.
Law experts have said prosecutors may struggle to obtain a guilty verdict because it is difficult to prove that adults can reasonably foresee the actions taken by their children. [Chicago Sun-Times]
5. It looks like we’ve reached a point where we won’t have to hear about the drama at the Logan Square Farmers Market again this summer
The market has grown increasingly popular and attracted several unlicensed vendors, raising concerns over the safety of pedestrians amid so much traffic.
Now, the market’s organizer said she secured a permit to close a section of Logan Boulevard, giving the event more space and, it appears, solving the most pressing problem facing the market.
The organizer, Nilda Esparza, gave credit to Mayor Brandon Johnson, but it’s unclear how the mayor was directly involved.
Johnson toured the market on Sunday, and when asked what role he played in getting the farmers market a street closure permit, Johnson told the Chicago Sun-Times: “It’s the people’s role.”
Pressed again, Johnson said: “And that’s what Chicago’s all about. It’s the soul of Chicago.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
Here’s what else is happening
- The federal case of election interference against former President Donald Trump was scheduled to go to trial in March. [NPR]
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. [AP]
- Pope Francis said some conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church have replaced faith with ideology. [AP]
- Planned Parenthood will offer free STI testing at five Chicago high schools. [Block Club Chicago]
Oh, and one more thing …
I woke up this morning excited because I realized Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is next week. My husband jumped the gun and decorated our apartment for Halloween.
But with the end of summer comes the fall TV season, and there’s a lot of notable shows this year, as pointed out by The A.V. Club.
A couple shows I’m looking forward to are the second season of Loki, the return of The Gilded Age and The Fall Of The House Of Usher on Netflix. [A.V. Club]
Tell me something good ...
I’ve been thinking alot about the fall, probably because we all just survived a brutal heat wave. What are some of your favorite things to do in the fall?
In no particular order, my favorite things are the smell of cinnamon sticks, mulled wine, when it’s sunny outside but not a million degrees, pumpkin carving and dressing up as an inebriated wizard for Halloween and telling the nephews I really am a wielder of magic and pretending to cast a spell by saying, “Meka leka hi meka hiney ho!”
Feel free to email me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.
