July 4th: Chicagoland Celebrates 2nd Amendment

On the morning of July 4th, an Illinois firearms enthusiast joined Highland Park‘s small town Independence Day parade by firing his assault-style rifle at it, killing 6 fellow citizens outright and mangling the bodies of dozens of others, including children. An illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate urged citizens to “move on and … celebrate the independence of this nation.”

US gunshot deaths so far this year: 22,434.

God Bless America.

Update:

“7th Person Dies Day After Highland Park Parade Mass Shooting,” NBC 5 Chicago

More:

“Horror on the Fourth: Suspect in custody after 6 killed, dozens wounded at Highland Park Fourth of July parade,” Lynn Sweet, Manny Ramos, Elvia Malagón and Sophie Sherry, Chicago Sun-Times

“Guns Killed More Than 220 People Over July 4 Weekend Alone,” Alice Tecotzky, Daily Beast

“Marjorie Taylor Greene Tweets Predictably Fact-Free Theory About Highland Park Massacre,” Zachary Petrizzo, Daily Beast

“‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens,” The Onion

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Stay Home, Save Lives

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot: “Stay Home, Save Lives.”

More:

“Playing against type, Chicago mayor deploys humor in coronavirus fight,” Mark Guarino, Washington Post

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J.B. style at the roller rink

Chicago’s James Brown-inspired roller skaters. A  New York Times video.

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Kick, Push

Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco narrates the joys and sorrows of urban skateboarding in Grammy-nominated “Kick, Push”:

Trains, Cameras, and Crime

The Chicago Transit Authority spent $26 million installing 3,600 surveillance cameras in stations and on trains throughout the rail system. What happened? Crime increased.

“Surveillance cameras aren’t cure-alls—they’re tools, and imperfect ones at that. They can be easily foiled by the latest in apparel technology, including hooded sweatshirts and hats. They tend to break. They are susceptible to dirt, and bad weather, and darkness. And even if a suspect is photographed, he still has to be identified and located, which, for overworked police officers, can be a daunting task. While there are more than a million closed-circuit surveillance cameras in London, a police report found that, in 2008, one crime was solved per 1,000 cameras—an abysmal ratio.”

— “Chicago Installed Thousands of Cameras on its Rail Platforms. Crime Jumped by 21 Percent.” Justin Peters, Slate

CTA’s response: It’s installing another 850 cameras.

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Endangered Species: Chicago Mushball

What’s special about Chicago? Not deep-dish pizza, voter fraud or hot dogs; you get that stuff everywhere. It’s Chicago Mushball, also called Indoor-Outdoor and 16-Inch Softball. At 16 inches the ball is bigger than a regular softball and it’s softer, with a looser cover and a kapok core. The softer, slower impact means balls don’t fly out of city playgrounds and the game can be played indoors in winter. And soft is good because gloves aren’t used in Mushball. But catch that big ball two-handed, like a football, or you might take home jammed or broken fingers as a game souvenir.

Pulitzer Prize for Brenda Starr?

A Pulitzer Prize for reporter Brenda Starr? Hold page one!

Wait — hold everything. The 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary was awarded to Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich, who wrote the Brenda Starr comic from 1985 until the strip’s demise in 2011.

Mary Schmich, a former Nieman Fellow, has reported for the Orlando Sentinel and Chicago Tribune and has written a column for the Trib since 1992. The award cites “her wide range of down-to-earth columns that reflect the character and capture the culture of her famed city.” She says she’s grateful to the people of Chicago, whose stories she tells in her column. Somewhere, Brenda Starr is tearing up.

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Blago: Big House Bound

At his sentencing hearing,convicted former Ilinois governor Rod Blagojevich told the judge he was “unbelievably sorry” for his crimes. Judge James Zagel must have found this remorse “unbelievable,” too. He sentenced Mr. Blagojevich to 14 years in prison.

Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, was convicted of corruption, a nonpartisan attribute of Illinois governors. His predecessor, Republican George Ryan, is also in the pokey for racketeering.

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Blago — Celebrity Apprentice Felon

Ousted Illinois Governor and failed Celebrity Apprentice Rod Blagojevich was convicted of lying to federal agents, a felony with a penalty of up to five years imprisonment. The jury deadlocked on 23 other counts, which prosecutors intend to retry. Blago will appeal his conviction.