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Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: ‘Chance the Snapper' caught in the Humboldt Park lagoon
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on July 16, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) Here are Chicago's hottest days — with temperatures of 100 degrees or higher — on record1887: Chicago recorded its first 100-degree day. When the Tribune reported on 'how fashionable people solve the hot weather problem,' suggestions included reading a book indoors, going on a canoe excursion or leaving town for a cooler locale. 1947: In one of the most furious slugfests in ring history, champion Tony Zale — 'Man of Steel' from Gary — lost the only one of his three middleweight title fights against Rocky Graziano. Zale lost the title he had held since 1940 on a sixth-round TKO in 100-plus-degree heat in Chicago Stadium. Zale later avenged the loss and regained the title. 1971: Princess Grace of Monaco spoke on 'Why Mothers Should Breastfeed Their Babies' during a conference in Chicago for the La Leche League International at the La Salle Hotel. The former Hollywood star joined the league in 1965, and said she breastfed all three of her children. 2004: Millennium Park officially opened. Former Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin called the project 'the best thing former Mayor Richard M. Daley ever did.' With its glistening Cloud Gate sculpture nicknamed The Bean (by the Indian-born, London-based artist Anish Kapoor) and raucous Crown Fountain (by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa), the oasislike Lurie Garden and festive Pritzker Pavilion (by Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry), the $490 million, 24.5-acre post-industrial playground, 'is the face Chicago wants to show the world, a dazzling antidote to the gun violence wracking city neighborhoods,' Kamin wrote in 2014. The Millennium Park that opened in 2004, four years behind schedule, was a supercharged version of the bland, Beaux-Arts proposal from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that Daley initially unveiled. 2005: Real Madrid and David Beckham made their Soldier Field debut against Mexico's Chivas Guadalajara. The game was scoreless until the 73rd minute when Francisco Palencia banged one in for 10-time Mexican division champion Chivas. Vintage Chicago Tribune: Pelé, Hamm, Beckham, Rapinoe, Messi and more. When soccer's big names came to playThen in the 77th minute Beckham bent the ball on a free kick to Álvaro Mejía, who headed it into the Chivas goal to tie the score. Two more late goals got Real Madrid the win. Beckham gave one lucky local family the jersey off his back. 2019: After eluding capture for a week in the Humboldt Park lagoon, a 5-foot alligator nicknamed 'Chance the Snapper' appeared for a news conference with its trapper Frank Robb. The gator was relocated to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
NASCAR Chicago Street Race puts city back on national TV stage
The annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race is upon us, and the forecast calls for a 50% chance of thunderstorms and 100% chance of flooding the airwaves with shots of The Bean, the beach, skyscrapers and deep-dish pizza. But as the street race enters its third and possibly final run through Grant Park this July Fourth weekend, it may be time to take stock of a hard to quantify but potentially invaluable benefit: a seemingly endless loop through the Loop on national TV. Beyond tens of thousands of expected attendees, Chicago's telegenic lakefront and skyline will once again serve as a live backdrop to race cars careening around an urban circuit for millions of viewers during the better part of Saturday and Sunday afternoon, creating one giant commercial for the city. By the end of the weekend, tiny Balbo Drive, which is at the center of the pop-up street course, may be as famous as Mr. Beef, the setting for the hit TV series 'The Bear.' 'When the NASCAR event goes well, and hopefully the weather will hold up, it gives the city a huge amount of attention, and that is very, very hard to replace,' said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. 'The city doesn't have enough money to ever spend on advertising to generate that type of reach.' Chicago is set to host the street race on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue. The Xfinity Series Loop 110, which features mostly younger up-and-coming NASCAR drivers, will be broadcast Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the CW Network and local affiliate WGN-TV. The Grant Park 165 Cup Series race will air Sunday at 1 p.m. on cable channel TNT. While the street race navigated everything from Canadian wildfire haze to record rainfall during its first two years, it proved to be a very successful TV event for previous host network NBC. In 2023, the inaugural Cup Series street race averaged nearly 4.8 million viewers despite a torrential rain delay. Last year, the Grant Park 165, broken up by nearly two hours of programming filler during a steady summer rain, averaged 3.87 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. TNT is in the first season of a new seven-year rights agreement with NASCAR, carrying a five race 'in-season challenge' that began last weekend with the Quaker State 400 from Atlanta. The Chicago Street Race on Sunday is the second and biggest stop on the network's NASCAR tour. The cable network, which last hosted the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, averaged 1.6 million viewers for its return covering Saturday night's wreck-filled race in Atlanta, which included a massive 23-car pileup and a 25-minute rain delay. Navigating Chicago's streets may make for an even more unpredictable race. Last week, the city shut down Balbo and Columbus Drive earlier than planned to repair a massive pavement buckle caused by the recent heat wave. To cover the Chicago event, TNT began setting up Monday in Grant Park, bringing in a tech crew of 260 people, along with a 20-person production staff and 10 announcers, working out of six mobile units and an office/trailer. A broadcast studio will be located next to the start/finish line at Buckingham Fountain. TNT will employ 50 cameras around the track to capture the race and environs, including 10 robotic cameras, six in-car cameras, and a helicopter, drone and Goodyear Blimp for aerial shots of the most unique setting for any NASCAR race. 'These guys are going to be on the track, and they're going to navigate this very, very, very narrow racetrack,' said Shannon Spake, a NASCAR broadcast veteran who hosts the pre-race and post-race coverage for TNT. 'But this is the weekend for the city of Chicago to shine.' Early forecasts, however, predict the city might once again not be shining during Sunday's race, with a 50% chance of afternoon thunderstorms. If that happens, it will fall upon Spake and her colleagues to try to keep the audience tuned in during any delays, a challenging task at best, as Chicago Street Race viewers in 2023 and 2024 can attest. 'Rain fills are like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute,' Spake said. 'Sometimes there's no commercial breaks, you don't know who's coming up to the desk. It's very much like free falling, but it's so much fun.' Meanwhile, the CW, which is also new to the Chicago Street Race, is hoping for a ratings boost from Saturday's Xfinity Series broadcast, rain or shine. The CW Network began carrying NASCAR's 33-race Xfinity Series this year, the first of a seven-year agreement. The Loop 110 will air in Chicago on Nexstar Media-owned WGN-TV, which reclaimed its CW affiliation last year after a nearly decade-long hiatus. 'This is certainly a race that pops on the schedule,' said Brad Schwartz, a media veteran who was named president of entertainment for the CW network in November 2022, one month after it was acquired by Nexstar, the nation's largest local TV station ownership group. 'And so I would expect to see one of the highest ratings.' While NBC also carried the Loop 110, most Xfinity Series races last year aired on the network's USA cable channel. Ratings are up this year, with 14 of 16 Xfinity races reaching more than 1 million viewers, according to the CW Network. Launched in 2006, the CW has long aspired to be the fifth major broadcast network, banking initially on young adult scripted dramas like 'Gossip Girl' to build its audience. Under Nexstar, the CW has been beefing up its sports programming with everything from LIV Golf and ACC college football to WWE wrestling and PBA Bowling. Sports now represent 40% of the CW's programming schedule, Schwartz said. 'In the past two years, we've gone from zero hours of sports to 500 hours of sports (per year),' Schwartz said. 'We've gone from zero viewers ever watching sports on the CW to now we've had over 40 million people watching sports on the CW.' WGN-TV, which was an inaugural affiliate of the CW Network when it launched in 2006, has seen strong ratings for the Xfinity Series this year. Seeking to leverage the hometown connection, it is heavily promoting the Chicago Street Race this week, including on-air driver interviews, promotions and a perfunctory Chicago hot dog taste test. While it is the first year for both TNT and the CW to carry the Chicago Street Race, there is some question as to whether it will be the last. This year's race completes an inaugural three-year agreement with NASCAR. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration, includes a two-year renewal option. DePaul partners with Spire Motorsports ahead of NASCAR Chicago Street RaceNASCAR is reportedly in negotiations to hold a street race in San Diego next year, which may be in addition to Chicago, or perhaps will replace the Chicago one. Mayor Brandon Johnson didn't answer directly when asked Tuesday if he wants the NASCAR race to continue beyond this weekend, saying 'it's about having conversations to make sure we're getting the most out of this experience.' Johnson also nodded to the rain that has plagued recent editions of the Chicago Street Race. 'First of all, we're just hoping this year there's good weather,' he said at a City Hall news conference. 'It looks like Saturday we're going to be OK. Sunday is a little iffy, a little cloudy.' Last year, the street race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city's tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report. If the city loses the street race, filling the marketing void won't be easy, Calkins said. 'The only way you replace this event is with another big event,' Calkins said. 'And big events aren't easy to come by, and they can be very expensive and complicated for a city to put on.'
Chicago Tribune
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Edward Keegan: Millennium Park has failed to live up to its promise
If you were born when Millennium Park opened, you'll be enjoying legal cocktails this summer. And while the park's landscaping is also achieving maturity, it's not clear when the popular venue will function again as the public park it was meant to be. The result of a lengthy and often ad hoc design process that involved innumerable top-notch players, the 24.5 acres at the northwest corner of Grant Park were designed to invite the public to its varied attractions. But the contagion of unsightly crowd control barriers, often coupled with cumbersome security checks, has thwarted public access and become the unfortunate norm in recent years. Millennium Park was the first important public space in the United States in the 21st century. When it opened in 2004, Millennium Park was rightly hailed as a new kind of park, and it has proved to be a precursor to a generation of vibrant new urban spaces that include New York's High Line (2009), The 606 (2015) and the Chicago Riverwalk (2016). In the years prior to its opening, much of the press about Millennium Park, most especially in this newspaper, focused on the increasingly higher costs above the initial estimates. But the ballooning budget reflected an increasingly ambitious scope shepherded by design director and master planner Ed Uhlir, which changed from a modest bandshell and revamped parking garage to the stunning art- and design-driven series of spaces we now know. And those hundreds of millions of additional dollars were largely offset by epic philanthropic fundraising led by Sara Lee CEO John H. Bryan. The public reaction on the park's opening that July centered on the park's considerable design features with Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion; Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain; Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (also known as The Bean); and Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel's Lurie Garden as the main attractions. These inventive venues are high art that doesn't pander and were conceived to be fully accessible. But recent years have seen Millennium Park's original promise diminished by bad public policy and safety concerns that need to be reconsidered. And today, many parts of the park are showing their age. The Gehry-designed trellis above the Pritzker Pavilion's lawn is currently undergoing extensive repairs. Much of the concrete on both sides of the bandshell is cracked and spalling; original signage is badly faded and dated; and the much-needed public restrooms need a good refresh. In contrast, Cloud Gate and the plaza it sits on look great — the result of renovations completed last year. But Crown Fountain could use a similar overhaul. The very idea of the public park is America's most important design contribution to the 19th century. Early examples like New York's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Boston's Fens and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park were almost always placed in a central location, open to all without a cost of admission. Parks throughout the country became central to cities' identities and their public lives. Frederick Law Olmsted was not just our foremost landscape designer but also a proselytizer for the role of parks as civic institutions and promoters of public health. Vintage Chicago Tribune: Millennium Park — 'the best thing former Mayor Richard M. Daley ever did' — 20 years later And parks are a key part of Chicago's design legacy. Our boulevard-linked system of large parks — Jackson and Washington parks on the South Side, Douglass and Humboldt parks on the West Side, and Lincoln Park on the North Side — combined the considerable talents of Olmsted, Calvert Vaux and William Le Baron Jenney, among others. The boulevard system's 26-mile length touches on numerous neighborhoods throughout the city. These green open spaces often spurred the initial development of these neighborhoods and can provide an impetus for their ongoing renewal. While still one of our newest parks, it's important to recognize that Millennium Park's efficacy as a public park has been hampered in recent years. Originally, ticketed events were rare: The occasional big artist necessitated temporary fencing around the pavilion and its lawn. But recent years have seen 'temporary' fencing around the perimeter of the entire park, and many periods when entry is tightly controlled with invasive security searches and long lines to just visit the park. Much of this can be attributed to public safety concerns during the pandemic, but it's long past time that these anti-democratic restrictions are removed. Ticketed events should be the rare exception. Gates and fences should be eliminated. This corner of Grant Park might be the most accessible single spot in the entire city, with abundant public transportation. CTA buses and trains are available nearby, and Metra and South Shore Line trains stop at Millennium Station directly below the park. And car parking is not a problem with 3,976 spaces underneath in the Grant Park North and Millennium Park garages. But this public access is no longer reflected at the perimeter of the park, where the fencing is seldom removed. Balancing maintenance and repair with public access isn't easy. But adding militaristic public safety measures shouldn't be a part of Millennium Park. Millennium Park was Mayor Richard M. Daley's remarkable response to a gaping hole that revealed railroad tracks and surface parking over the eastern half of the site — neither reflecting what an early cartographer labeled as 'forever open, clear and free' nor Daniel Burnham's vision of the grand formal lakefront park that is Grant Park. Jose More, Chicago Tribune 1 of 24 Millennium Park's original attractions still hold genuine power, allowing you to see yourself and the city reflected in The Bean's fun house mirror; to walk on or be drenched in the water at Crown Fountain; and to hear live music from the exuberant stainless steel explosion of Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion, a contemporary remaking of the traditional proscenium that's reminiscent of Louis Sullivan's rousing 19th century rendition at the Auditorium just a few blocks away. Each of these experiences endures, as designed. But public access to these public assets is vital — and has been severely compromised through the last two mayoral administrations. Millennium Park needs to, once again, become a living, breathing part of the city. Mayor, tear down these walls. Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan's biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
Epoch Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Why Chicago Should Be Your Springtime Escape
By Avery Newmark The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Looking for an easy city escape this spring? Chicago is just a quick flight from many American cities, often at surprisingly affordable rates. You'll touch down in a city bursting with incredible art, amazing food, and experiences straight out of your favorite movies. Here's how to live your best Chicago weekend this spring. Bueller? Bueller? Re-create 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' with a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. This museum spans more than a million square feet and is home to masterpieces like Picasso's 'The Old Guitarist' and Grant Wood's 'American Gothic.' For the full Ferris Bueller experience, follow the museum's official movie tour, which takes you through six key artworks from the film. Next, take in the city from 1,353 feet up at the Willis Tower Skydeck (formerly the Sears Tower), just like Sloan did in the movie. And, of course, no Ferris-style day is complete without catching a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Built in 1914, this legendary ballpark is where Babe Ruth famously called his shot in the 1932 World Series. After the game, celebrate a Cubs win (fingers crossed) with a drink at one of Wrigleyville's lively bars. Float Through History on an Architecture Boat Tour Yes, it's touristy. And you may not even be all that into architecture. But this tour is hands down one of the best ways to experience Chicago. You'll catch one-of-a-kind city views along the river while guides point out architectural gems like the corncob-shaped Marina City towers and the Tribune Tower's dreamy neo-Gothic design. If you can, opt for an evening tour—the city lights reflecting on the water are nothing short of incredible. Snap a Selfie at 'The Bean' No trip to Chicago is complete without a stop at Cloud Gate—better known as 'The Bean.' This massive, mirrored sculpture in Millennium Park distorts the skyline (and your selfie) in the coolest way. People hang out as Chicago's skyline is reflected in the Cloud Gate sculpture, otherwise known as "the Bean," in Millennium Park on May 15, 2022. Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/TNS Laugh The Night Away at Second City If you need a good laugh, head to the legendary Second City. This comedy theater launched the careers of Tina Fey, Bill Murray, and Tim Baltz from 'The Righteous Gemstones.' Shows run nightly with a mix of improv and sharp sketch comedy. Bite Into an authentic Chicago-Style Hot Dog Chicago takes its hot dogs seriously. Anthony Bourdain once called them 'the finest in the land,' and he wasn't wrong. Piled high with mustard, pickles, sport peppers, relish, onions, tomatoes, a dill spear. and celery salt—no ketchup allowed—it's a flavor-packed classic. Grab one at a neighborhood stand or hit up local favorite Superdawg. Swing By The Legendary Green Mill Jazz Club Cap off your evening with live jazz at the Green Mill, a historic club that was once Al Capone's go-to hangout during Prohibition. The vibe is old-school cool, the music is top-notch, and if you want the full experience, order a whiskey soda or a local beer—this isn't a craft cocktail kind of place. Copyright 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Related Stories 3/19/2025 1/23/2025 Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Navy sailor pleads guilty to terrorist plot to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in 2022
A former U.S. Navy sailor has pleaded guilty to a 2022 terrorist plot to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in Chicago's northern suburbs, allegedly on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guard to avenge the death of an Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2020. Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States. Pang, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, moved to the U.S. in 1998, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2022, and was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes for his training. He was charged in the alleged terrorist plot under seal in 2022, and pleaded guilty in November in federal court in Chicago. The charges and plea agreement were unsealed on Thursday. According to the charges, Pang discussed smuggling radioactive polonium into the U.S. to further the plot, took surveillance photos and videos of the outside and inside of Naval Station Great Lakes, and agreed to provide two military uniforms and a cell phone that could be used as a detonator for an explosive device. Pang is being held without bond, and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 27. According to court records, the FBI began investigating Pang in the summer of 2021, when he communicated with an individual in Colombia about potentially carrying out an attack on the U.S. to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, Iran's most elite military unit. Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. air strike in Iraq in 2020. An undercover FBI employee, posing as an affiliate of the Quds Force, later contacted the individual in Colombia about conducting an attack, and the individual put the FBI employee in touch with Pang, who at the time was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes. Pang later discussed possible targets for the attack with the FBI employee, and shared photos and videos of potential attack sites, including Naval Station Great Lakes. Pang also shared photos of the naval station with the individual from Colombia, who in turn shared them with the undercover FBI employee. In addition, Pang allegedly discussed an attack on the Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park, commonly known as "The Bean," as well as the Michigan Avenue bridge in downtown Chicago. In the fall of 2022, Pang met with another person secretly cooperating with the FBI, including one meeting outside the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, and two meetings at a train station in north suburban Lake Bluff. At an Oct. 8, 2022, meeting in Lake Bluff, Pang discussed targeting the Michigan Avenue bridge, telling the cooperator "you guys are looking for max damage, right?" After the cooperator confirmed that was the case, he gave $3,000 cash to cover the expenses for the surveillance he had conducted, and asked him to acquire two uniforms to help get operatives into Naval Station Great Lakes to carry out the attack. Pang allegedly sent $1,000 in cryptocurrency to the individual from Colombia, and the two agreed to demand more money in the future because they appeared on the verge of carrying out an actual attack. On Oct. 15, 2022, Pang gave the cooperator two U.S. military uniforms and a cell phone that "will be used in a test for a detonator," and the cooperator gave Pang another $2,000. As part of his plea deal, Pang admitted that he and the individual from Colombia discussed a $1 million payment for his help in the plot to attack the naval station. It's unclear when Pang was taken into custody, or why the case was kept under seal for more than two years.
