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15-minute train to O'Hare pitched

Aspirational plan for trip from Loop is yet to secure agreements

By Talia Soglin CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A group of business and transportation leaders wants to build a private train they say could take travelers from downtown Chicago to O'Hare International Airport in 15 minutes, but the project would need to clear significant planning, financial and regulatory hurdles to get rolling.

The aspirational plan, called the O'Hare Flyer, would rely on the use of freight railroad tracks to shut-

INSIDE The Tribune editorial board weighs in on the proposed O'Hare train. Page 6

tle travelers between downtown and the airport. Leaders of the initiative would not disclose ticket prices, but said

the trip would cost “significantly” less than a taxi or rideshare but more than a trip on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line. Trains would run every 15 minutes from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m.

The CEO of the initiative is Dave Lundy, a lobbyist and the CEO of strategic communications firm Aileron Communications. The group's leadership also includes rail industry veteran Mark Walbrun and Kristi Lafleur, a former executive director of the Illinois Tollway.

The project, which could be ready to launch within five years, would cost about \$2.25 billion and would be entirely privately funded, the group said, emphasizing they would not be seeking government subsidies for the plan.

The group pitched the express train as a mode that would add speed and comfort to the trip between downtown and O'Hare, which takes around 45 minutes and costs between \$2.50 and \$5 on the CTA's Blue Line.

“O’Hare (is a) world-class airport, or will be when Terminal 2 is built,” Lundy said, referencing the city’s ongoing, massive modernization project at the airport. “Chicago is a world-class city. What we have lacked is a world-class way

See O'HARE on Page A9

Students are welcomed on a red carpet by teachers, staff and parents on the first day of school on Monday at Leland Elementary in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

'FINALLY, TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY'

Chicago Public Schools students, families get back to the daily routine

By Kate Armanini, Darcel Rockett and Kate Perez CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Across the city Monday morning, yellow school buses zipped through streets. Throngs of children in uniform filed into school buildings. Teachers, crossing guards and school staff greeted familiar faces and new ones as students arrived for the first day of class.

More than 300,000 students headed back to class across the city as Chicago Public Schools opened its doors for the 2026-27 school year. For many, it was a welcome return.

Sarai Ellis — whose 9-year-old loves basketball and football — said her family was ready for summer to come to an end.

"He's a very outdoorsy person.

I'll be wanting to relax and he'll be like, 'Mom, can we go outside?' And I'm like, 'We were just outside all day,' Ellis, 29, said with a laugh. "So we're excited to go back."

The first day comes as the district faces serious financial uncertainty. CPS is considered only 70% funded under the state's funding formula. To put pressure on lawmakers, the school board approved a budget in July that includes \$150 million in unconfirmed state money. District leaders warned the move could lead to midyear cuts if the funds don't materialize.

More than 700 teachers were laid off earlier this summer to help close a \$732 million deficit. The revised budget directed CPS leaders to restore those positions

See SCHOOL on Page A5

Liam Moran, 9, brushes his teeth at his home in Roseland before his first day of fourth grade at Tarkington Elementary School on Monday. EILEEN T. MESLAR/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Volunteers offer aid to Calumet Township

Meals, portable toilets provided amid power outage, sewage issues

By Maya Wilkins POST-TRIBUNE

Nearly two weeks after the Aug. 11 derecho hit northwest Indiana, Calumet Township resident Pam Oliver got power and sewage restored Sunday night.

"I celebrated by flushing the toilet like four times," Oliver said. "I had to make sure it was real."

Although Oliver's power is restored, other residents of Calumet Township, which is located just south of Gary's city limits, are still going without it because a recently installed sewage system only works when power is on. While they wait for power, volunteers in the area are providing meals, water and portable showers and toilets.

Volunteers organize a table with drinks, snacks, clothing and other supplies as locals, in partnership with the World Central Kitchen, distribute goods to those impacted by the outages in the region on Monday. KYLE TELECHAN/FOR THE POST-TRIBUNE

Tim Kuiper, chairman of the board of the Lake Ridge Fire Protection District, said the fire station, located at 2301 47th Ave.

in Gary, has portable showers and toilets for Calumet Township residents.

"When you have no power, you can't make coffee, you can't brush your teeth, you can't take a shower,"

See OUTAGES on Page A2

Trade feud between US, Canada escalates

Northern neighbors will levy retaliatory tariffs against nation

By Rob Gillies ASSOCIATED PRESS

TORONTO — Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Tuesday, an official familiar with the plans told The Associated Press, escalating a trade fight that has sharply worsened since negotiations with the Trump administration collapsed.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that Canada may need to move away from matching U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar and instead use more targeted retaliation, saying officials were reviewing options aimed at protecting Canadian workers and businesses.

President Donald Trump escalated the dispute again Monday, telling Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face consequences “far WORSE” than tariffs already imposed and threatening new 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel.

Carney said U.S. trade demands had confirmed Canada's fears that Washington was seeking to dismantle major Canadian industries. Nonetheless, he said Canada remained willing to negotiate, but only if the United States approached the talks as a partnership between sovereign countries.

“An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States” is “not something we’re going to accept,”

See CANADA on Page A5

Payton coming to The Score

Veteran anchor and son of Bears great Walter Payton chosen to replace Mike “Mully” Mulligan for morning show at Chicago sports talk radio station. Business

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WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY WED. THU. H:80 H:83 H:82 L:66 L:65 L:63 Complete details on Page A12

Complete details on Page A12

New round of sanctions on Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions and warned every country that does business with Iran to sever ties or face retaliation. Nation & World

INDEX

Almanac....A9 Arts & Living....B7 Comics....B10-B11

Crossword ....B11 Editorials ....A6 Horoscope ....B10

What Sox need for stretch run

Consistency from Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery will be crucial for the Sox to get where they ultimately want to go. Sports

Nation & World ..... B4 Obituaries ..... A9 Television ..... B9

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Tribune books

"He Had It Coming: Four Murderous Women and the Reporter Who Immortalized Their Stories" "Chicago The Musical" played on Broadway for more than 9,600 performances since it premiered on Nov. 14, 1996, yet not many people know the characters of Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and others are inspired by real women. Their stories were captured by Tribune reporters. This book includes original newspaper clippings, Watkins' stories and a new analysis.

"Dinner at Home" Cooking at home doesn't have to be difficult, but it should always be delicious. JeanMarie Brownson, culinary director for Rick Bayless' Frontera Foods, helped readers put inventive, yet simple, dishes on the table through her Dinner at Home column for the Tribune. Her book includes everything you need to create spectacular food any day of the week.

"Capone: A Photographic Portrait of America's Most Notorious Gangster." Using many never-before-published photographs and newspaper clippings from the Tribune's archives, this coffee-table book chronicles the rise and fall of Al Capone.

"Gangsters & Grifters: Classic Crime Photos From the Chicago Tribune." This collection of photographs taken in the early 1900s through the 1950s features infamous criminals, small-time bandits, smirking crooks, pickpockets, hoodlums and wiseguys at crime scenes.

"Ask Amy: Advice for Better Living" For more than a decade, Amy Dickinson was the Tribune's signature general advice columnist, helping readers with questions both personal and pressing. This book, which collects columns from 2011 to 2013, is a testament to her empathetic counsel and practical common-sense tips.

“Culture Worrier: Reflections on Race, Politics and Social Change.” Clarence Page’s newest book commemorates the 30th anniversary of his column’s first appearance in the Tribune. It is the first such collection of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s columns, covering topics such as politics, social issues, pop culture, race, family, new media and prominent figures, as well as his personal life.

"10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything." You may never need to know the human body contains a half-pound of salt, but that's just one of the obscure facts you'll find about sports, history, religion, politics, arts and culture, food and leisure, and science and technology in this collection of columns from Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer.

“Life Skills: How To Do Almost Anything” How do you give a good wedding toast? How do you fix a clogged drain? How do you bowl without hurting anyone? Questions like these make up this engaging do-it-yourself guide.

All Chicago Tribune print books are available online at chicago tribune.com/printbooks

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World Central Kitchen employees distribute free meals to people affected by the outages in Gary on Monday. KYLE TELECHAN/PHOTOS FOR THE POST-TRIBUNE

East Chicago Fire Department firefighter Austin Ashlock carries a case of water for a visitor as local volunteers gather with World Central Kitchen to distribute food, water and supplies to people affected by the outages.

World Central Kitchen employee Kristin Trosper, right, speaks to a visitor.

OUTAGES

from Page A1

Kuiper said. "You have no water. So, we started with this so people can come and take a shower."

They've also partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide meals to those in need, which will be available as long as needs are there.

Mae Bippart-Butler, World Central Kitchen's manager of community outreach, said the organization has given out about 9,000 meals at 13 locations in Gary. The Lake Ridge Fire Station and City Life Center, located at 225 W. Fifth Ave., are the main public distribution sites, she added.

Kristin Trosper, specialist of donor experience, said World Central Kitchen arrived in Gary Sunday and immediately began networking with local contacts and groups to see where the need was greatest.

“We work worldwide, both internationally and domestically, when a crisis arises for our communities,” Trosper said. “We really wanted to make sure that we were here to help provide support where we could. I would say that’s why we’re here — to help the community.”

Kuiper compared World Central Kitchen and other volunteers to angels.

"I've been involved with fire and EMS for 44 years," he said. "I've never been part of something that's been this wonderful."

On Monday, Kuiper said he was hoping that they'd give out 400 meals at the fire station. As more power is restored, he expects fewer people to need help, but over the weekend, they had almost 1,000 people who needed assistance.

About 100 people have come to the fire station each day for the portable restrooms, Kuiper said. They worked with the Lake County Board of Commissioners to have those installed, he added.

Commissioner Kyle Allen told the Post-Tribune Monday that helping Calumet Township residents get their sewage and power restored is a priority for him.

“It’s really about getting people connected to a power source,” Allen said. “To me, it’s a NIPSCO issue.”

When she was without power, Oliver didn't use the portable showers because she said they're not handicap accessible. Oliver's husband is handicapped, she said, and it would've been impossible for him to use the showers.

Instead, she washed him at home with sponge baths, and she placed a bag in the toilet when they went to the bathroom and threw it in her garbage bin afterward.

“God bless the people who have to walk past my garbage can,” Oliver said. “Not a pleasant odor, as you can imagine, especially in the summer.”

Allen told the Post-Tribune Monday that he didn't know the portable restrooms weren't handicap accessible, and he hadn't heard any direct complaints about the facilities.

"I was told they're full-service, and I guess what they mean by full-service is that they have a sink, a toilet and a full-service shower," Allen said. "(The lack of handicap accessibility) is an issue, I'll have to follow up on and look into that."

As of about 2:30 p.m. Monday, 6,533 Gary residents were still without power, according to NIPC-SO's website. The utility expects Gary and Portage to have power restored by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday – the final two northwest Indiana cities listed.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said in a news release Monday that the city “can’t wait that long” and “We need help!” According to the news release, NIPSCO said Gary’s damage has been “particularly extensive” and required significant infrastructure repairs, including utility pole replacement and transmission equipment.

The city has also received assistance from neighboring communities and ComEd crews from Chicago.

Melton said in a separate email that on Monday, he met with U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, to coordinate recovery efforts, including through a comprehensive tour of Gary's affected areas. The mayor also spoke to President Donald Trump over the phone to advocate for the immediate authorization of federal disaster funds to accelerate recovery.

"The devastation our city has experienced demands swift, decisive and unified action at every level of government," Melton said in a statement. "I am grateful to Senator Banks for coming to Gary, seeing the damage firsthand, meeting with our residents and taking action on their behalf. In my conversation with President Trump, I made it clear that Gary needs immediate access to FEMA resources to support our recovery. This federal assistance is critical to restoring our neighborhoods, rebuilding our community and making sure Gary emerges from this storm stronger and more resilient than before."

Governor calls for investigation into NIPSCO

Gov. Mike Braun asked the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor to file a complaint and petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to investigate NIPSCO following the prolonged power outages.

Braun in a news release called for a thorough review of the utility's preparation and response to power outages, including whether NIPSCO adequately maintained vegetation and cleared rights of way to protect infrastructure and whether state regulator-approved funding for infrastructure and reliability improvements was spent as promised.

“NIPSCO is a monopoly utility that Hoosiers pay every month with the expectation that it will use its considerable resources to maintain its system, prepare for severe weather and restore service as quickly as possible when disaster strikes,” Braun said. “NIPSCO has failed to keep its end of the bargain....Hoosiers deserve accountability.”

Kerwin Olson, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition, said the IURC is not required to pick up the petition, but they also don't need a petition to investigate.

"I don't see how the IURC doesn't open an investigation," Olson said. "They shouldn't need the nudge; it's their job."

In terms of enforcement actions, Olson said the statute that governs the IURC is “vague and ambiguous” and fines aren’t a tool at their disposal

“They can reduce the utility’s return on equity, which makes the utility squirrelly,” Olson said. “About 20 years ago, NIPSCO had really low customer satisfaction ratings, and the IURC dinged it on its ROE.

“So they have done it, but I don’t know if it was punitive enough.”

But Olson cautioned people that investigations don't guarantee a satisfactory outcome for consumers.

"I have seen so many investigations lead to absolutely nothing," Olson said. "There was a recent one with AES and at the end of it, they say 'Thanks for coming, everybody' and nothing happened."

Olson does expect some action from legislators as the backlash has grown toward NIPSCO and other utilities in terms of rising bills.

“I’m getting calls from legislators about what ideas we have,” Olson said. “I think the public outcry is starting to move them more than utility cash (in terms of political donations). There definitely is an appetite to do something.”

In a statement emailed to the Post-Tribune Monday, NIPSCO said it's aware of Braun's directive and will continue to communicate with his office and the IURC. After the Aug. 11 storm and in following days with severe weather, about 374,500 NIPSCO customers were impacted, and it caused "extensive damage" across both its transmission and distribution systems.

“NIPSCO values the regulatory process and will cooperate fully if the Commission were to open an investigation. We are committed to transparency and cooperation in providing information regarding our operations and ongoing efforts to serve our customers safely and reliably,” the utility said in its statement. “As restoration efforts continue, our crews, contractors and partners remain committed to restoring power safely and as quickly as possible for every customer affected by this historic storm.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com

Woman gets probation in death of boyfriend

Keshia Golden, left, is hugged by a supporter after speaking to the media at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter. She was sentenced to two years' probation.

Golden's attorney, Cook County public defender Julie Koehler, speaks at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday after Golden pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. EILEEN T. MESLAR/CHICAGO TRIBUNE PHOTOS

Attorneys have maintained she was defending herself from alleged abuse

By Madeline Buckley CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Keshia Golden maintains that she was defending herself from abuse when she accidentally caused the death of her boyfriend, but she had a difficult choice to make.

The 37-year-old mother could continue to fight for exoneration through a trial, or she could accept a plea offer from prosecutors that would allow her to avoid a prison sentence for murder.

In the end, she said, she chose the option that would allow her to pick up her 3-year-old daughter from daycare in the afternoon.

Dabbing her eyes with a tissue, Golden, 37, on Monday pleaded guilty to a felony count of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to two years of probation in a case that drew attention to a catch-22 faced by victims of domestic violence as well as scrutiny to the way Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke handled the prosecution.

“I want to be able to raise my daughter,” Golden said.

The hearing took place before a packed courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, as Golden's supporters wore purple, a color that symbolizes survivors of domestic violence. Community members and advocacy groups had campaigned for O'Neill Burke to drop the charges, appealing to her in a letter and holding rallies leading up to the court date, which was originally scheduled as a bench trial.

The case marked a tough political test for O'Neill Burke, who has been outspoken about domestic violence as a critical public safety issue. After taking office in 2024, she revamped the office's special victims unit, calling such killings a “house on fire.”

Golden's attorneys were sharply critical of O'Neill Burke for making a plea offer that would be difficult to refuse, rather than dropping the charges altogether. They have argued in court filings that Golden was defending herself after she allegedly experienced significant violence at the hands of her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, who died after she stabbed him in October 2022.

“You bullied an innocent mother into taking a plea deal that will haunt her for the rest of her life,” Julie Koehler, one of Golden’s public defenders, said.

Representatives from

O'Neill Burke's office in a statement said that the case's resolution "reflects our commitment to making fair evidence-based decisions."

"The Cook County State's Attorney's Office recognizes the complexities of domestic violence and the importance of thoughtfully reviewing the full circumstances surrounding each case," the statement said. "At the same time, the CCSAO is charged with and committed to seeking justice for victims and their families."

In the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2022, Golden and Sidney got into an argument in the kitchen during which Sidney slammed her against a countertop, according to court records. She was eight months' pregnant with Sidney's child at the time.

Later, in a bedroom, Golden stabbed Sidney in the thigh, killing him, court records say.

Golden's attorneys have maintained that she stabbed him in order to get to safety, not meaning to cause a fatal injury. They argued the nature of the stab wound indicates self-defense.

During the hearing, though, prosecutors said Sidney was stabbed while he was unarmed and lying on a bed in separate room while a family member attempted to stop Golden.

In court filings, Golden's attorneys described multiple previous acts of alleged violence by Sidney. Despite objections from the prosecution, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins ruled that nearly all could be presented if the case went to trial.

During the hearing, Watkins agreed to go along with the plea agreement, noting Golden's lack of criminal history and her clean record in following her pretrial requirements after she was released on bail.

“I think it’s a fair and just outcome, but there’s no winners here,” Watkins said. “We have a life that’s lost, a child without a father.”

Golden tearfully apologized to Sidney's family, saying that she knows an apology is “not going to bring Calvin back.”

Even though Golden will avoid a prison sentence, the conviction on her record will still carry lifelong consequences, her attorneys said. She could face difficulty obtaining housing and employment, and consequences for any violations of probation could be steep.

She has also had to give up on her career aspirations of becoming a nurse's assistant because her conviction is disqualifying for healthcare workers.

“It’s not the outcome we wanted,” Koehler said after the hearing. “When a man beats a woman, especially a pregnant woman, he forfeits his right to life, full stop.”

Lawyers: Grand jury that indicted CBP agent ‘tainted’

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Luis Uribe, charged in a series of robberies and sexual assaults of sex workers in Chicago's northwest suburbs, is shown in a photo in a court document allegedly meeting with a witness at a seafood buffet. U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Panel also handled 'Broadview Six' case, they say

By Jason Meisner CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Lawyers for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent about to go on trial on charges he robbed and sexually assaulted prostitutes in Chicago-area hotel rooms have asked a judge to dismiss the indictment, arguing the same “tainted” grand jury also handled the now-dismissed “Broadview Six” case.

“Based on what is currently known, the Special June 2024 Grand Jury was irrevocably tainted by government misconduct,” a lawyer for Luis Uribe argued in a motion filed Monday morning. “And based only on what is currently known, that misconduct not only prejudiced Uribe personally, but was also widespread across multiple investigations and multiple grand juries.”

Uribe, 45, was charged in an indictment unsealed in December with 10 counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life.

A jury trial in Uribe's case is currently set to begin in two weeks.

But his lawyer, Michael Clancy, said in the motion Monday that he only recently learned that the grand jury involved in Uribe's case was the same one that had brought charges against the Broadview Six immigration protesters in October.

Those charges were ultimately dropped in May when it was discovered the prosecutor in that case, Sheri Mecklenburg, improperly vouched for strength of the evidence and dismissed jurors who were skeptical of her presentation.

Mecklenburg did not handle Uribe's case. But Clancy's motion said the grand jury heard testimony from several witnesses against Uribe on Oct. 9, the day that the panel had returned a “no bill” in Broadview case.

It was later revealed that testimony from one of Uribe's alleged victims on that day was “mistranslated” by a Mandarin interpreter, and that the original transcript was deemed “inaccurate” by the U.S. attorney's office, which eventually certified a revised transcript of what was actually said.

"The later FBI translation and transcript do not cure the gross error of the grand jury receiving mistranslated testimony," Clancy wrote. "That bell cannot be unrung."

If the indictment against Uribe isn't dismissed outright, Clancy asked U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso to order prosecutors to turn over the full grand jury transcripts and hold a hearing on the matter.

"The need for a hearing follows from a basic principle of fairness: a defendant should not be made to bear the consequence of the government's own failure to create a complete record," Clancy wrote.

The case is the latest example of continuing fallout from the Broadview Six debacle, which has led to charges being reduced or dismissed against half a dozen other defendants so far and prompted calls from Democrats for U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to step down.

U.S. District Judge April Perry is also considering whether to order discovery and hold hearings into possible sanctions in that case.

Uribe, meanwhile, was charged with using his service weapon and badge to force victims — who were all of Chinese descent — to submit to sex or provide him with cash on six separate occasions in 2022. One of the four victims was attacked three different times, prosecutors said.

At the time of the alleged offenses, Uribe, a U.S. Marines veteran, was a CBP officer assigned “primarily” to O'Hare International Airport and worked on both customs and immigration issues.

As word of the attacks spread, another sex worker was allegedly tasked by a China-based boss to meet with Uribe at a seafood buffet restaurant in the northwest suburbs. The goal, prosecutors said, was to surreptitiously get Uribe's photograph so people could be warned, and also to offer him a deal: free sex if he stopped attacking workers.

“Defendant agreed, however, he did not abide by the terms of the bargain,” prosecutors said.

On Oct. 2, 2022, Uribe attacked a third woman, Victim C, at a hotel in Schaumburg, again brandishing his gun and badge and demanding cash and sex, prosecutors said. Two days later, Schaumburg police interviewed that victim and collected forensic evidence from the room.

Tollway records analyzed by the FBI showed Uribe had left work at O'Hare that day and traveled toward Schaumburg, prosecutors said. While on the highway, he allegedly searched in Google Maps for the hotel where Victim C was staying.

The fourth victim, Victim D, was attacked at a different hotel in Schaumburg a short time after she'd reported Victim C's assault to their boss, prosecutors said. In that incident, Uribe allegedly was "about to rape" Victim D when there was a knock at the door and he fled the hotel.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Brother of Rosemont mayor arrested on felony drug charge

Triton College chair charged with cocaine possession

By Finnegan Belleau CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The chairman of a Chicago-area community college, who is also the brother of Rosemont's mayor, was arrested on a felony drug charge last month, authorities said.

Mark Stephens was charged with felony possession of cocaine on July 31, court records show. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Stephens is the son of the late Donald E. Stephens, former Rosemont mayor, and the brother of the current mayor, Bradley Stephens.

Since 1992, Mark Stephens has served as chairman of the board of trustees for Triton College, a community college in River Grove. He was presented with a service award during a board meeting in June.

Representatives of Triton College did not respond to a request for comment.

Harvard police officers stopped Mark Stephens for speeding, according to a news release. As he got out of the car, police said they observed him drop an unlabeled prescription bottle to the ground. A field test confirmed it contained cocaine, according to the news release.

Officers initially smelled the odor of unburnt cannabis during the stop, according to police, and Mark Stephens handed them an open container of weed.

He was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, speeding and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, authorities said.

"The mayor wishes Mark well, hopes he gets what he needs," Rosemont spokesperson Gary Mack said. "It's an unfortunate situation."

Donald Stephens was famous for luring hotels, conventions, high-rise office buildings and restaurants to Rosemont. He was also dogged over the years by allegations and rumors of mob ties, but he repeatedly denied the accusations. He was indicted twice in the 1980s on charges of tax fraud and bribery, but he was found not guilty both times.

Mark Stephens' next hearing is in September, court records show.

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SCHOOL

from Page A1

Students are welcomed on a red carpet by teachers and staff on the first day of school on Monday at Leland Elementary in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Maria Del Rocio Rodriguez fixes her daughter Ximena's hair while her children Omar, left, 12, and Valeria, 4, eat breakfast on Monday before the first day of school in Chicago. STACEY WESCOTT/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

with the additional funds, a process that is still unfolding slowly across the district. The district has not said how many jobs it will restore.

Ashli Reynolds helps her son, Ashton, 7, pack lunch as he prepares for his first day of second grade at Harold Washington Elementary on Monday. ARTHUR MAIORELLA/TRIBUNE

Still, for some families, those budgetary pressures took a back seat amid the morning back-to-school rush.

In West Roseland, Ellis, 29, seared bacon and flipped pancakes while her son, Liam Moran, got dressed down the hall. Liam, donning khakis and a crisp green polo, blared music from the movie "Moana" in his room. He'll be starting fourth grade at Tarkington Elementary in Chicago Lawn.

After she drops Liam off, Ellis heads to Wescott Elementary in Chatham, where she works as a special education classroom assistant, or SECA. It's hard work, Ellis said, but she finds purpose in working one-on-one with students with special needs. She spent all last year alongside a young girl with autism.

"Just seeing her grow, how she would grow in certain subjects, I learned from her sometimes," Ellis said. "It took her a very long time to say my name. She would always call me 'mama.'"

Soon after, the family bounded outside of their apartment, with Ellis' girlfriend, Laura Commings, closely in tow. Liam paused for his first-day-of-school photo – holding a football with a toothy grin – before racing to their car.

'SHE IS READY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS'

CPS officials touted a 2.2% teacher vacancy rate, dropping from 2.5% last year. Special education classroom assistant vacancies are also at their lowest level in recent memory, at 2.9%, down from 7.3% in 2024. For the second consecutive year, the majority of the district's new teachers are Black or Latino, according to CPS.

In East Side, the sound of a train horn rang out as Maria Del Rocio Rodriguez, 34, prepped to wake up her four children.

While Del Rocio Rodriguez's 3-year-old daughter, Melissa, will go to her usual daycare, 4-year-old Valeria, 9-year-old Ximena and 12-year-old Omar travel a few blocks to Gallistel Language Academy. They're learning both English and Spanish at the school.

Monday also marked Del Rocio Rodriguez's first day of sorts at the school. Two hours later, she'd return to Gallistel to start her job as a paraprofessional, a part-time position that helps her learn more about the school system and practice her English while also allowing her to continue studying early childhood education at Daley College.

The school has always felt like a safe, welcoming place for her family. To work there is a little nerve-wracking, Del Rocio Rodriguez said, but "for anything, the first day is nervous."

All four children were quiet as the family fell into their routine: Omar grabbing bags of school supplies and loading them into the car, Ximena making sandwiches for herself and her siblings, and Valeria sitting at the kitchen counter while Del Rocio Rodriguez meticulously combed and braided her hair.

The family had some activities to do over the vacation period, like summer camps, but also spent a lot of time at home, which bored her children at times, Del Rocio Rodriguez said.

As the clock crept closer to 8 a.m., the family wrapped up their breakfast — scrambled eggs — and piled into the car. They joined the sea of similarly dressed students funneling into the four-story school.

"I'm excited. I think it's something new in my life," Del Rocio Rodriguez said. "It lets me see opportunities or improve my English, and the best part is, I'm in the school when my kids are."

'READY FOR

SECOND GRADE?'

Navy blue glasses came down the twisty green play-ground slide on the Harold Washington Elementary campus before Ashton Reynolds, 7. The second grader followed after them, sliding on his stomach, dressed in his baby blue shirt and navy blue pants. It's his seventh pair of glasses, his mom, Ashli Reynolds, said. By 8:15 a.m., Ashton had his Mario Brothers backpack on his back and was walking inside the building with a classroom aide.

Preparation for the first day of school began over the weekend — the ironing of a week's worth of school uniforms, the bath, the hair braiding. Up at 7 a.m., all Ashton had to do was get dressed, wash up and pack his lunch. His mom had it set up so he could grab what he wanted and pack it himself. She prompted him through the process.

"Get red milk.

"What fruit do you want? Pears, apples, grapes or strawberries?"

"Get a cereal ... do you want Fruit Loops or Cheerios?

"One fruit cup, juice box, chips?"

"Ice pack to keep the milk cold."

When it was time to leave, Ashton had to be coaxed out of his comfortable summer Crocs in favor of his black sneakers, but the mom-and-son team made it to school early (the duo normally runs on the late side). Amid it all, Reynolds managed to take her first-day photos of her “chicken nugget” with her cellphone to the best of her ability, while juggling bags of school snacks and wet wipes for the classroom.

When asked if he was excited about school, his response was a fast no, but his mom said that feeling is “hit or miss.”

“First he misses his teachers, then as school got closer, he said, maybe I’m not as ready as I thought,” Reynolds said.

Ashton has Down syndrome and is in the cluster program at Harold Washington in Burnside. This is his third school; he has had the same teachers for the past few years. Ashton's individualized education program secured his spot at Harold Washington, Reynolds said. Reynolds brought her son to Harold Washington through his IEP. It's the longest he's been at one school, Ashli Reynolds said.

"I haven't been able to pick out any of his schools, which I don't like since he's in the cluster program ... he has to go where it's available and where they have space," she said. Reynolds likes the school because Ashton is familiar with everyone; everybody knows him and he knows where he's going.

"I try to teach him as much as I can at home, but sometimes when he gets put on the spot, he shuts down, and we're working on that," she said. "All I can do is teach my baby, make sure he knows what he needs to know," Reynolds said of the work she does with him outside of school.

Before she and Ashton left the school playground to go inside for the first day of school, she asked him, point-blank: "Are you ready for second grade?"

“No,” he said.

"You're not?" she responded. "I think you are."

CANADA from Page A1

Carney said.

Carney was even more blunt in French.

“We learned during the negotiations that the Americans want to destroy our major industries, including autos, steel and aluminum,” Carney said. “That was one of the main reasons we said no. It was a bad deal.”

Carney said the dispute also exposed a deeper divide over language and culture, saying protections for French and Canadian culture that Washington views as trade irritants are considered fundamental rights in Canada.

The fiery words from both sides show how U.S.-Canada relations have deteriorated since Carney walked away from trade negotiations with the Trump administration late Friday, triggering the president's threatened 50% tariffs the next day on about \$20 billion worth of Canadian goods.

In response, Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning Sept. 8.

Carney cast doubt on the U.S.'s reliability as a partner, saying Canada was finding reliable partners "everywhere in the world, except in the United States. Except in the United States. And Russia."

On Monday, Trump came back with further tariffs, warning that he would impose them on Canada's auto industry beginning next year.

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote on social media, criticizing what he called the country’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers.

Carney said Washington's auto-sector proposals would gradually have the effect of dismantling Canadian production.

"This is the most successful automotive partnership in history," Carney said, referring to the deeply integrated Canada-U.S. industry.

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unleashed his own tirade. In an interview with Associated Press, he said Trump had underestimated Canadians' willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to U.S. pressure.

“We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch; everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.”

Trump responded in a social media post by attacking Ford personally, calling him “the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” and once again referring to Canada’s prime minister as “Governor Carney.”

Ford dismissed the statements: "If you think an insult from him hurts me? Well, bring it on, buddy, I'm ready."

Ford is a Progressive Conservative whose party differs from that of Carney, a Liberal, but the two underscore broad political unity in Canada over the trade fight with Trump.

Ford said “everything is on the table” if the dispute worsens, including cutting off electricity and critical minerals from Ontario.

The minerals are increasingly important to U.S. national security and manufacturing.

The Pentagon has sought more secure supplies of minerals used in military aircraft, missiles, munitions and electronics as Washington tries to reduce reliance on China, which dominates the mining or processing of several strategically important minerals.

Ford said Canada should also consider increasingly severe retaliation if Trump continues targeting Canadian industries, including oil and potash, while Ontario could raise electricity prices or stop sending power south.

"We power 1.5 million homes and businesses," Ford said. "Everything's on the table. I'll do whatever it takes."

Ford has used electricity as leverage before.

During an earlier phase of the dispute, Ontario imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Trump responded by threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum before both sides backed away.

Ford accused Trump of not simply seeking a better trade deal but aiming to hollow out Canadian industries and move production south.

Ford said Trump wants to make Canada a vassal state.

“He wants to bleed out every single sector and bring them down to the U.S.,” Ford said.

The auto sector is especially important to Ontario, the center of Canada's vehicle manufacturing industry. Plants and suppliers in Ontario are tightly integrated with factories in Michigan and other U.S. states, with parts routinely crossing the border multiple times during production.

Automakers including Ford, General Motors and Stellantis operate major assembly plants in Ontario, and the wider supply chain supports tens of thousands of jobs. Trump's new threat of a $50\%$ tariff on Canadian vehicles and parts puts that sector directly at the center of the escalating dispute.

Chicago Tribune

Founded June 10, 1847

Chris Jones, Editorial Page Editor

DIRECTORS OF CONTENT Amanda Kaschube, Sports and Audience Todd Panagopoulos, Visuals

EDITORIALS

An express train from the Loop to O'Hare in 15 minutes? We're on board

A Heathrow Express train at a platform at London Paddington station on Dec. 23, 2025. The high-speed rail link provides a direct service between central London and Heathrow Airport. MICHAEL NGUYEN/AP

City Hall must get behind the O'Hare Flyer

From Stockholm to Seoul, Beijing to Hong Kong and Oslo to London Heathrow, fast airport trains are a mark of a city that understands urgency and efficiency.

A traveler walks out of baggage claim and finds a nearby platform. A tap of the credit card and a debit of around \$25-\$35 and you are on board a train with ample space for your luggage and comfortable seats for your weary body. You don't worry about departure times, because this train is leaving every 15 minutes on the quarter hour. You close your eyes for 15 or 20 minutes or so, sail past the traffic and, whoosh, you've been expressed downtown at a predictable time, ready for business, fun or sleep.

You can do the same in reverse. Instead of worrying about freeway traffic stressing your check-in time, you can pick your departure time (00, 15, 30 and 45 past the hour) from downtown and trust your precise moment of arrival. You get near-total predictability of your airport arrival; no need for contingencies for traffic delays.

These trains are not for everyone: most of these airports also serve cheaper (and slower) local trains better suited for airport workers on a budget or for those headed not downtown but to a neighborhood or suburb. But to say that the express trains are a desirable option for airport travelers is to understate.

For the past several months, a group of private investors has been working quietly on a \$2.25 billion project — dubbed the O'Hare Flyer

— for Chicago's O'Hare that would and should transform how Chicagoans get to our big airport as soon as 2030. They've been keeping us informed, and enthusiastic, for 11 months. Friday, they met with us again, with a Tribune reporter in the room. Friday, the crew also showed up in the mayor's office. And, Tuesday, they went public.

"We are a private project and we are going to be able to execute this project," O'Hare Flyer LLC CEO Dave Lundy told us. "We have been working quietly on this for years. We wanted to be the opposite of those developers who announce a project and say they will figure it out later." Lundy said the project will be financed by private investors, although also utilizing a capital stack that includes federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loans.

Mark Walbrun, a co-founder, the chief development officer and a longtime railroad and airport engineer, explained the route to us and said that right-of-way agreements with the partnering freight railroads (including both Union Pacific and Canadian National) were close to being buttoned up.

In essence, the battery-powered train, seating up to 450 passengers, will leave Chicago's old main post office, which will be converted into a dedicated station, and head west along existing, mostly grade-separated freight tracks and rights of way. Between Oak Park and Maywood, the train will turn to the north, again utilizing existing tracks. Only once the train arrives close to the O'Hare campus (about the last mile and a half) will the train need new trackage. Plans call for various concrete support piers to be built, allowing this train to swing into the main terminal loop, giving access to the existing Terminals 1 and 3, along with the new global terminal, what we now know as Terminal 2. The airport express will sit astride the existing people mover, although it will operate on different rails.

Conceptually, at least, this makes a whole lot more sense than the ill-fated Elon Musk

Boring Company idea to run a train from an underground station in Block 37 to the airport.

Key things about the O'Hare Flyer include the duration of the ride (15 minutes beats the pants off the Kennedy Expressway at any time of day), the clean electric trains, the private funding (no asks for public money beyond the federal construction zones), the use of existing unused or very lightly used freight tracks making things simpler and quicker (we hope), the choice of the old main post office building as the dedicated downtown terminus, the planned new, covered walkway not just from the airport train to Union Station but also including a connector between the CTA's Blue Line and that historic depot, something the city long has needed.

This also is a chance for Chicago to one-up New York, which, despite rebuilding its airports, has no such direct train at any of the three airports controlled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Heck, no U.S. city has a comparably speedy train (yet), although several have plans in the works. This will be a big new weapon in the arsenal of the convention and tourism agency Choose Chicago!

We don't see any real threat to the CTA from this train, which will serve a different market, but we do see a chance to alleviate some of the traffic on the Kennedy Expressway. And, at the same time, bring more pedestrians to the southwest edge of the Loop.

Aside from the need to take it on faith that the O'Hare Flyer has its funding as secure as they insisted to us, key things we worry about include the inevitability of the city trying to tax the ride beyond what is reasonable, unions and aldermen gumming up the construc-

tion process with their inevitable demands for a piece of that \$2.25 billion, existing transportation boards getting in the way and all kinds of only-in-Chicago bureaucracy delaying a train we badly need. NIMBY forces might also start to whine, although the use of existing tracks should also alleviate that situation. And the Terminal 5 airlines might see this as a competitive disadvantage, although we'd hope they'd demure by understanding the ease of the people-mover connection to their home. And we all know the new Global Terminal should be the city's top priority.

We're serving notice here on aldermen that this is an express train, which means it does not stop in your ward. We can see an argument for a single suburban stop in a near west suburb, potentially allowing the train to serve communities like River Forest, Forest Park and beyond, but express should mean express. That is how these trains operate in Europe. Once the journey time increases, the value proposition diminishes and the project is less likely to succeed.

At this early juncture, the O'Hare Flyer needs a Chicago train daddy, to borrow the moniker famously given to the British transit executive Andy Byford, who now is leading the overhaul of New York's Penn Station.

In fact, it probably will need two daddies, one sitting in City Hall now and the other taking over before the trains are running.

Let's hope Mayor Brandon Johnson, whom we were pleased to hear was enthusiastic about the project, will appoint someone to streamline what needs to be done here, bat away the naysayers and give us a world-class train for our world-class city.

President Trump's treatment of Canada is shameful

Memo to President Donald Trump: Canada is our friend.

A round of recent trade talks, necessitated in the first place by a series of American tariffs on our neighbor to the north early in Trump's second term, collapsed late last week and now the U.S. is embroiled in the most foolish of trade wars with Canada. The Trump administration reacted by allowing 50% tariffs on billions of Canadian goods to take effect this weekend. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared the same day that Canada would match the Trump administration's levies "dollar for dollar."

Carney effectively labeled the U.S. as an enemy of Canada.

“You’re at war when you get attacked,” he said. “We got attacked.”

Think of that. Canada has been a staunch ally of the U.S. for more than two centuries. The last time the two nations were openly hostile was during the War of 1812, and Canada at that time wasn't yet even its own country separate from Great Britain.

Trump responded Monday to Carney's reaction in typical fashion, by threatening to double existing tariffs on Canadian steel, automobiles and auto parts, effective Jan. 1. The relatively long lead time at least gives both nations some time to work out a face-saving fallback.

Carney, a former investment banker and central banker, has proven himself a tough adversary, especially given the bizarre nature of what he's faced. Trump since returning to office has repeatedly lobbed juvenile insults at Canada, referring to the proud sovereign nation as the 51st state of the U.S. Various tariff declarations have emanated from Washington, seemingly at a whim.

Carney, meanwhile, has been calm and determined. And he has made clear that the zero-sum approach Trump takes to the rest of the world, where win-win deals are anathema and the only accords acceptable to him are ones in which the U.S. gains and the other party loses, won't play in his country.

It's an admirable stance but one that comes with risks. The U.S. economy is more than 10 times the size of Canada's; a full-blown trade war no doubt will hurt more in Canada than it will here.

But hurt here it will, damaging sectors on both sides of the border, particularly the auto industry, which relies on supply chains integrated throughout North America. Automakers forged those arrangements under rules negotiated by Trump himself in 2020 with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

New cars already are so expensive that an embarrassingly large swath of American consumers can't afford one. This folly only will make that situation worse.

Still, the economic particulars underpinning this needless antagonism essentially are beside the point. Trump's dealings with Carney and Canada are not how one relates to a friend.

And that's what Canada is. A friend. Its soldiers have fought and died by our soldiers, from the beaches of Normandy to the rugged terrain of Afghanistan.

We can only hope that, as true lifelong friends often do after a break in their relationship, Canada will be open to extending its hand to us again after this sorry chapter is done.

ON THIS DAY 26 YEARS AGO SURVIVOR'S FIRST FINALE

That turned out to be an interesting little experiment in television Wednesday night, though perhaps not the one its makers intended. In the end, “Survivor” was not about pitting human against nature. It was about human against human nature.

The cultural phenomenon that has been the CBS series “Survivor” has been called everything from a revolution in television programming to an overblown version of “Beat the Clock.”

About the only thing that can't be argued is that it has been watched by a whole lot of people. Wednesday night's final episode on Cutthroat Island drew an estimated 51 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings. That is more viewers for any show this year save the Super Bowl.

The slow-motion-train-wreck effect that an amateur cast of 16 characters created will soon be attempted all over network television.

“Survivor” was set up to be a game about surviving nature—and a very contrived game at that. But it became a game of surviving the traps and treacheries conceived by other humans, and on that score the participants were pretty much left to their own devices.

What resulted wasn't very pretty. In the end, there wasn't one inspiring person in the show. Not one hero. Those who did best, members of the secret alliance, were those who were most adept at conspiracy and falsehood and manipulation.

One can question how close all this show was to reality. The process of selecting the participants may well have drawn in those people who yearn for a stage, and those who are naturally willing to scratch, claw and publicly embarrass themselves for a chance to win big money and get on TV.

That \$1 million, the cast members proved, was reason enough for lots of disreputable behavior.

Nevertheless, “Survivor” was close enough to reality to feed those who are most cynical about human nature.

At least Kelly, one of those last two survivors, had serious doubts about the morality of the whole experience. Rich, the winner, was careful to defend his ethics, but not his morality.

Survivor was a TV game show with stated rules and edited contents. It was not the random, serendipitous chaos of real life.

But it was close enough to be unnerving.

Tribune editorial board, Aug. 25, 2000

EDITORIAL CARTOON

JOEL PETT

The Bally's Chicago casino construction site is seen on Aug. 12. CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Chicago's debating over casinos, video gaming and sweepstakes — so what's the difference?

By Joe Ferguson SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

Gambling is nothing new in Chicago. Legal gambling is. City Hall's handling of it still looks like the rackets of yore. With a suffocating debt and pension load, and another looming budget deficit, Chicago cannot afford incoherence on this important fiscal and social issue. We can do better. And because of our fiscal moment, we must.

Currently at issue are three forms of gambling — two legal, one questionable. First comes casino gambling embodied in the city's agreement with Bally's to build and operate a casino and entertainment complex. The deal should have received detailed oversight vetting from the City Council in 2022. Instead, the fifth floor created a special committee of the mayor's hand-picked allies, which held only one hearing with less than full information, and then approved Bally's still-controversial competitive bid. So far, not so good. Bally's temporary casino at the old Medinah Temple has grossly underperformed tax-revenue projections, and construction on the permanent River West complex has been bedeviled by a stream of complications and delays, culminating in the recent pronouncement that Bally's was hitting pause on construction of key non-casino elements.

Second is video gaming, which the City Council legalized as part of the 2026 budget. Video gaming terminals, or VGTs, are licensed gambling machines located in bars and other venues, operated by city-licensed vendors after clearing screening and approval by the Illinois Gaming Board. VGTs were authorized last year by the City Council, despite the mayor's objection. His administration has responded by slow-walking city licensing in defiance of the council's legal mandate. Eight months after legal-

ization, there is still not a single active VGT machine in Chicago, even though 311 establishments have applied for and 42 have received state licenses.

Third are sweepstakes machines, which function much like VGTs, but use a legal loophole relating to how players pay and receive prizes to avoid classification as VGTs. Chicago has over 7,000 sweepstakes machines, yet not one VGT. Bizarrely, sweepstakes machines, unlike their VGT and casino slot cousins, are neither regulated nor taxed. No controls, no accountability and no tax revenues for either the state or the city.

These three have become fused into a nonsensical status quo rendered farcical by the fact it serves as a proxy for the still simmering battle between the mayor and the City Council during the 2026 budget cycle. This all can be resolved, but only with complete, public-facing information and analysis, that, thus far, has been missing.

Last year, the mayor's office commissioned a report from Christiansen Capitol Advisors LLC on the potential fiscal impacts of legalizing VGT gambling in Chicago. Interestingly, this report is not public and appears to not even have been shared with the full City Council. Last fall, that left an under-empowered and under-resourced City Council able to make only rough (albeit prudently conservative) estimates for projected tax and license revenue from legalizing VGTs to close the city's 2026 budget gap. Since then, mayoral defiance of the legal obligations to enforce the council's budget has left the city financially short of that modest projection.

The council has its own independent contribution to make respecting the unregulated sweepstakes machines. Some aldermen sought to ban them, reasoning that businesses using them should switch to the legalized, and therefore regulated and taxed, VGTs.

The council rejected this proposal 33-15. It was an oddly composed majority that might consider where the sweepstakes machines proliferate in the city. The bottom line for now is that the city is allowing the unaccountable operation of thousands of untaxed machines while simultaneously counting on revenue from their VGT and casino competitors.

Bally's, meanwhile, has vehemently argued that allowing VGTs will cannibalize revenue from its 4,000 permanent facility slot machines. They are using that claim to justify suspending a \$4 million annual payment due the city and pausing hotel and amenity construction, both contractually required. One may reasonably surmise that the city's corporation counsel is weighing whether Bally's contract interpretations need to be decided by a judge. Bally's recent pronouncement does deliver on prior threats, but the timing was suspect, looking more like a naked bluff at the poker table. Just days later, Bally's issued a "going concern" warning, raising serious questions about the company's ability to pay its future debts. Bally's certainly knew that warning was imminent when it played its payment-and-construction-halt gambit. And even if it has the funding to complete the Chicago casino complex, the warning still raises a specter of further delays, or, in the worst case, bankruptcy that could choke off the projected casino tax revenue pledged to bolster the city's gravely underfunded police and fire pension funds. Now what?

Now what?

With eight months of the fiscal year behind us, the concern should no longer be the marginal consequences on the 2026 budget. What matters more is what this mess means for the rapidly approaching 2027 budget cycle. The mayor and the council need a shared, coherent, comprehensive approach to gambling and reliable

revenue projections before the mayor's proposed budget is introduced in October.

On the casino front, the City Council should promptly hold hearings to receive testimony from Bally's, preceded by a demand for immediate, complete disclosure of information related to Bally's ability to build and operate the permanent Chicago casino complex. In the event that Bally's refuses to respond with full candor and information, the City Council may need to consider options up to and including suspending the Bally's license. If Bally's cannot deliver on its contractual commitment, the City Council needs to immediately begin contingency planning.

On video gambling, the question of whether VGTs provide meaningful revenue, generally and in relation to casino slots, needs responsible, fact-based public resolution. The Christiansen report should be made public immediately, and its analysis publicly vetted. If that analysis is incomplete, then additional published analysis should be secured and likewise vetted. Any analysis should also include the commercial and revenue relationship of sweepstakes to VGTs. The council will then be positioned to make a holistic, duly informed decision on whether and what scale to implement VGTs and whether to ban, or regulate and tax, sweepstakes machines.

These issues are not going away. VGT and sweepstakes devices both sit in limbo. Gambling tax revenue projections for 2027 remain cloudy at best. The future of Bally's and the Chicago casino is uncertain. At this point, no outcome will have any legitimacy without full transparency and accountability. It's time to call the bluffs and show all hands.

Joe Ferguson is president of the Civic Federation.

The missing chair at Chicago Public Schools' bargaining table

Karen Lewis, then-president of the Chicago Teachers Union, stands with then-CTU organizer Brandon Johnson at the union's annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Breakfast in 2016. ANTHONY SOUFFLE/TRIBUNE

By David Griffith and Kennedy Sundberg SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

In April 2025, the Chicago Teachers Union ratified a \$1.5 billion contract that included a 16% raise for teachers and new class-size caps ranging from 25 to 31 students depending on the grade level.

That sounds great. And in a world of infinite resources, it would be. Yet last month, in a move that surprised nobody who was familiar with the district's financial situation, Chicago Public Schools closed a \$732.5 million deficit that avoided layoffs by assuming additional revenue from the state.

To be clear, the problem isn't that Chicago wants to pay its teachers well or ensure their working conditions are manageable. It's the number of chairs at the bargaining table that are occupied by teacher unions and their allies.

According to a recent study by our organization, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Illinois has the country's seventh strongest teachers unions. More specifically, it ranks sixth for “involvement in politics” (meaning its unions are among the most electorally

active in the country) and fourth for “labor and bargaining policies” (meaning the resulting contracts constrain administrative decisions more than most).

In Chicago, some of those numbers have first and last names. For example, Mayor Brandon Johnson was a Chicago Teachers Union organizer before entering politics, and the union was a prominent backer of his 2023 mayoral campaign. Once he became mayor, Johnson had the

opportunity to appoint the majority of the school board that ratified the \$1.5 billion contract.

Although that number was inherently unsustainable, the biggest problem isn't that a district that has experienced significant enrollment decline was planning to reduce its teaching force. It's how those changes are likely to be implemented because of the constraints that are embedded in the most recent contract, prior contracts, and Illinois law.

For example, under both Illinois law and the 2024-2028 union contract, the most junior teachers in a given performance tier must be laid off first. Consequently, because high-poverty schools rely disproportionately on newer teachers, the classrooms that are most likely to be affected are those whose students can least afford the disruption.

Similarly, although benefits of smaller class sizes are real, at least for economically disadvantaged kids in early grades, uniform caps put high-poverty schools at a competitive disadvantage (because other working conditions are more difficult). In New York City, a nearly identical mandate is projected to generate three additional teaching vacancies at the highest-poverty schools for every vacancy at the lowest-poverty schools.

Finally, there's the district's slow-moving pension crisis, which is the root source of much of the current fiscal pressure, but which the 2024-2028 agreement does nothing to address. Thanks to “pension holidays” in the 1990s and 2000s that shifted the costs to future generations, the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund has \$14.2 billion in unfunded liabilities that it must somehow honor.

Yet rather than confronting that history, the 2024-2028 contract retains a provision that allows teachers to bank up to 244 unused sick days as pension credit at retirement, effectively compounding a preexisting liability that already pulls \$135 million annually from the same high-poverty classrooms that are about to lose their teachers.

So, what is to be done?

There's no silver bullet for the current mess. Still, if it's tired of making messes, Illinois could narrow the scope of what unions can bargain over. For example, in 2011 Wisconsin decided that decisions about layoff procedures, class sizes and teacher placements should belong to the employer.

Regardless, the state and the city must confront the outsized role of public sector unions, which inevitably put the interests of their members before those of taxpayers, future hires and the most vulnerable students.

Otherwise, the students who have lost the most will never have a seat at the table.

David Griffith is national research director and Kennedy Sundberg is research assistant at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a K-12 education think tank.

OPINION

What the US must learn from Canada's ‘elbows up’ response to tariffs

A truck passes over the Peace Bridge between Canada and the United States in Fort Erie, Ontario, on Aug. 18. COLE BURSTON/GETTY-AFP

Daniel DePetris

As if U.S. officials didn't have enough on their plate these days, they can now add a trade war with Canada to the mix — and with it, one more dent to a relationship that historically is one of the closest the United States has with another country. President Donald Trump has done the impossible by turning America's pleasant neighbor up north into a combatant.

After Trump in July threatened to enact an additional 50% tariff on \$20 billion worth of Canadian exports to the United States, U.S. and Canadian officials hustled back to the negotiating table to craft a deal that would avert another dispute between the two allies. The Trump administration wanted to rebalance what it termed an unfair trading relationship by, among other things, pushing Canada into accepting more U.S. dairy products, getting U.S. alcohol back in Canadian stores and getting Ottawa to drop the tariffs it placed on U.S. exports in retaliation for earlier levies the White House imposed last year. Canada's asks included Trump suspending the threatened 50% tariffs and lowering the import duties on Canadian raw materials. There was a deal to be had if cooler heads prevailed.

Yet at the last hour, the negotiations collapsed. U.S. officials blamed Canada for introducing last-minute demands. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, pointed the finger at the Trump administration for trying to handicap Canada's sovereignty by restricting its ability to sign trade agreements with other countries. For Carney, Washington's demands were simply unfathomable. The next day, the Canadian premier delivered a speech explaining why he ordered his negotiators to leave the table and all but stated that Canada

was now in a state of war with its southern neighbor.

Assuming both sides don't find a way to de-escalate, Canada's retaliatory tariffs on the United States will take effect on Sept. 8. The trade war will affect both economies, which are highly integrated. U.S. farmers who rely on Canadian fertilizer to sow their fields before planting season will see their costs rise, adding yet more strain on the bottom line and perhaps even forcing the Trump administration to give a bailout to the farming community across the country. Canada, whose gross domestic product is less than one-tenth the size of the U.S. economy, will be hit even harder as its car industry suffers from bottlenecks, if not outright disruption. Indeed, the round of tit-for-tat tariffs could

result in 90,000 Canadians losing their jobs.

Despite all of this potential economic turmoil on the Canadian side, Carney still concluded that at the end of the day, the cost of acceding to Washington's extravagant demands was higher than the cost of job losses and strain on a key industry. Miraculously, the Canadian population is making the same judgment: Trump is so reviled in Canada that groveling in front of him in the hope of winning tariff relief is a terrible choice for any Canadian politician to make. Carney's “elbows up” approach, in which Canada resists U.S. bullying, is not only a political winner for Prime Minister Carney and his government but an unquestioned fact-of-life in the country nowadays. Even Carney's political adversaries, who waste no opportunity to criticize the Liberal Party leader, support his walking away from the table.

There's a lesson in all of this for U.S. officials who care to learn it: While coercion is sometimes necessary to achieve a strategic goal in the realm of foreign policy, constant coercion over time will ultimately spark resistance from those on the receiving end of it. Other countries, in turns out, don't like getting bossed around or dictated to — nor do they appreciate being hammered economically for not acting like a subservient stooge.

Unfortunately, this is a lesson Trump hasn't yet learned or, just as worryingly, doesn't care to learn. In fact, it's increasingly clear that on matters of foreign policy, Trump is a one-trick pony with a fairly elementary theory of the case: If you press a country long and hard enough, it will eventually have no choice but to come back to the table, hat-in-hand, ready to give away the store in exchange for some relief.

Trump has put this theory into practice numerous times during his second term. On Greenland, he threatened tariffs on multiple European countries if they didn't support his claim of American ownership there. On Iran, Trump has combined military force and maximum economic pressure to squeeze the ayatollahs into reopening the Strait of Hormuz and handing over their enriched uranium stockpile. And in Brazil, tariffs were levied to push the country into dropping the criminal case against its former president, Jair Bolsonaro. Trump's $50\%$ levies on Canadian goods fit well into this narrative.

The problem is that none of those gambits worked to compel these countries into giving Trump what he wanted. The Europeans drew a line in the sand on Greenland's sovereignty, and faced with a unified front, Trump ultimately dropped the tariffs. Iran is just as disinterested in ceding its de-facto ownership of the strait today as it was when the war started nearly six months ago — if anything, the Iranians are now demanding more concessions from Washington just to get back to the June memorandum of understanding that fell apart weeks after it was signed. And instead of cutting the prosecution of Bolsonaro short, the Brazilian government let the trial proceed (he was eventually sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup) and responded to the U.S. tariffs by signing more economic deals with China, Washington's principal competitor.

Much like the Iranians, Europeans and Brazilians, the Canadians don't intend to be weaklings or pushovers. The United States may still be a global hegemon, but it's power is not unlimited.

Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Tribune.

Voice of the People

How Head Start helps

Ambar Merlin picks up her son Uriel, age 2, at Brightpoint's Mitzi Freidheim Child & Family Center at the end of the day on Aug. 7. BrightPoint operates six early learning centers in the state that provide Head Start services, including this Englewood location. CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Aug. 10 article “Trump deregulation plan vexes Head Start providers” raises important questions about proposed changes to Head Start and what they could mean for children and families across Illinois and the country. I am particularly concerned about what these changes could mean for the health screenings that are a critical part of Head Start and its commitment to the health, development and school readiness of children from families with lower incomes.

Early childhood is a critical time for vision development. Identifying a problem and connecting a child to care can mean the difference between the child seeing clearly in the classroom and struggling to learn.

Research has found that approximately 1 in 5 Head Start preschoolers have a vision disorder. Current Head Start standards require evidence-based vision screening within 45 days of a child's first day in the program, with appropriate referral for follow-up vision care when a potential vision problem is identified. The proposed changes would loosen those requirements, allowing greater variation in how and when children are screened.

That may sound like regulatory flexibility, but it risks creating even greater inconsistency among programs and could result in children receiving screenings that do not follow evidence-informed guidelines.

Through our National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health, we train the professionals at Head Start programs across the country. Through this work, we have seen the difference vision screening can make in a child's life. One program shared the story of a toddler whose screening identified astigmatism in both eyes, leading to an eye exam and glasses. Another reported that eight children referred for eye care following vision screenings received no-cost exams and glasses, with families reporting improvements in their learning. These screenings are working.

Yes, states and communities should have flexibility to meet the needs of their children. But flexibility should not come at the expense of evidence-based standards that we know help children thrive. Illinois children – and children everywhere – deserve the same opportunity for a healthy start, regardless of their family's income or where they happen to live.

— Jeff Todd, president and CEO, Prevent Blindness, Chicago

Making a dent in debt

Letter writer Larry Craig (“We can’t ignore national debt,” Aug. 11) does a great job pointing out that a major cause of our ever increasing debt is that we are now incurring about \$1 trillion of annual expense paying the interest on the debt that we have previously accumulated. But he loses it by saying that we can fix our enormous debt by reducing spending!

As always when talking about cutting spending, no one ever begins to detail enough spending cuts to make a dent in our deficits.

No, the obvious and only answer is to vastly increase revenues. And to get vast increases in revenue, it can only come from those who have vast wealth. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. We all aspire to be wealthy. Our free enterprise economy works only because people pursue wealth. America has achieved incredible invention, innovation and wealth because of that, as well as offering every individual complete freedom to go where they want, do what they want and achieve what they want, limited only by their

own talents and ambitions.

I would propose a wealth tax on amounts of household wealth in excess of \$10 million. This only affects 1% of American households, but together, they have about \$55 trillion in wealth. A 5% tax on household wealth in excess of \$10 million would produce more than enough revenue to eliminate our deficit and eventually pay down the debt before it buries us.

This is not to punish people for being rich, but to preserve our nation for the benefit of all. Wealth in excess of \$10 million is invariably invested and should easily make more than a 5% return.

Wealthy people will continue to increase their wealth, just a little slower.

— David Rosenak, Highland Park

Raise taxes, cut spending

I believe our government is digging us a debt hole that we aren't going to be able to crawl out of, and that scares the bejesus out of me. The national debt is over \$40 trillion, and we are borrowing at a high interest rate. The debt is increasing faster and faster.

Our government has passed on dealing with this for years and many administrations. We all know that this is easy to fix with one of three options: Bring in more revenue than we spend, keep revenue the same and spend less, or a combination of the two by increasing revenue and spending less. It seems to me that the best of the three options is the third: Increase revenue and spend less.

The hard part is there are people who will feel some pain, and elected officials don't want to cause pain since it may cost them votes. But isn't their job to be looking out for all us and not themselves? U.S. revenue comes from taxes, so every time taxes are reduced, our debt increases faster. We must increase taxes to cover our spending. Reducing spending is actually much tougher, but with appropriate audits of our spending and looking at the return on our spending (wiser use of our money), I have faith a reasonable reduction can be found.

When you pick a candidate, find one who will work for you and do what must be done – reduce spending and increase taxes.

— Jim Shapiro, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Let's reclaim community

For the last 20 years, we Americans have stumbled. We have increasingly used our time, talents and treasures to place the future hope of our republic in political activity and political parties rather than in each other as neighbors, citizens and community. We have been seeking to elect the next great political figure who will take us to the promised land.

Two decades on, not much has come from the exhausting, over-charged energy we have put into politics. We certainly cannot claim that as a people, nation or democracy, we are doing better.

We arrived here because we misunderstood something fundamental: that politics, while important, is not the most critical feature of our democracy. It was never intended to be. Politics itself cannot solve what needs to be resolved when we're talking about the foundations of our nation.

If not politics, then what is the path forward? Starting now, we return to each other as neighbors, relearn our role as citizens and do the hard work of building community. Therefore, it's time to live out our complete role as citizens, not merely our political selves.

Creating community with neighbors is nearly the opposite of how politics works. Politics divides. Community unites. Here is how we begin making this change.

Community starts with being neighborly to all around you. Friendliness and hospitality matter. Citizens learn to move from self-interest to other-interest, from knowing those they want to help to helping those they know are their neighbors merely by virtue of geography.

Community then moves to do its own hard work. Building on social bonds, neighbors come together in their role as citizens to solve shared neighborhood problems and address challenges. These repeated experiences are how citizenship is found and learned, and how community is formed and modeled. Politics and parties cannot create authentic community, for they limit who is in the community. Politics is the easy proposition. Community is the hard demand. Politics asks that we find those like us and seek more of them, while leaving others aside. Community requires us to be all together and keep on keeping on.

This then is the modern “e pluribus unum”: more community. Less politics. More solutions. Less ideology.

Are you ready to be neighbors (again)? If yes, then the preservation of our republic is at hand and in good hands. Only in community will we find ourselves, each other and our democracy.

Jac Charlier, Chicago

Note to readers

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An artist's rendering shows a plan for the O'Hare Flyer, a battery-powered train that would go from O'Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago in 15 minutes. O'HARE FLYER LLC

O'HARE from Page A1

to connect the two."

It's not the first time an express train to O'Hare has been floated in Chicago. In 2018, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration tapped billionaire Elon Musk's The Boring Company to build an express train to the airport using unproven tunneling technology. Under that proposal — which ultimately went nowhere - Musk's company had suggested travelers could get from downtown to O'Hare in 12 minutes to the tune of \$20 to \$25.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signaled support for the new proposal in a statement, calling it “the latest evidence of the growing confidence private investors have in the city of Chicago under my administration.”

“Innovative, sustainable and affordable transportation solutions are a central tenant of our vision, and our administration looks forward to further discussions with those seeking to make transformative investments in Chicago,” Johnson said, touting downtown economic activity and ongoing investments at O’Hare he said would feed demand for travel between the Loop and the airport.

In a news release Tuesday, the Flyer team touted support from business and labor, including from World Business Chicago, Chicago-based United Airlines and the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council.

But the project needs to clear numerous hurdles before it could become a reality.

Notably, the O'Hare Flyer group has not yet secured agreements from all the railroads that will need to give their blessing for track usage. The group recently executed a letter of intent with the CSX railroad, although the parties have not yet signed a final agreement.

“CSX is pleased to work with the O'Hare Flyer team to support a safe and reliable transportation option for Chicago travelers,” said Andy Daly, CSX senior director of passenger operations, in a statement.

The Flyer group would also need agreements from the Union Pacific and Canadian National railroads to lease their tracks. Lundy said the group had had “very productive conversations” with those two railroads.

CN declined to comment.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the UP said the railroad “met with the backers of the O’Hare Flyer project, but negotiations are in the early stages and no agreement has been reached.”

“Chicago is a vital transportation hub in North America, with one of every four U.S. freight trains passing through the metropolitan area or about 500 freight trains a day,” the railroad added.

The project is also expected to require approvals from federal regulatory agencies, which could include the Federal Railroad Administration, the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Flyer group said they'd started “preliminary” conversations with the feds. The group presumes the deal would need approval from Chicago's City Council as well.

On the funding front, Lundy wouldn't disclose how much money has been raised for the project so far, nor from which specific donors. A first round of funding from private investors has already been completed, he said, and the group was looking to fund an \$18 million second round next.

The Flyer group said they had already budgeted for the possibility of the city sharing in some of the revenue from the train service, though details on what that would look like were not yet available.

The train's route would start in the Loop, with trains leaving from what the Flyer team described as city-owned property underneath Canal Street near the old main post office, connecting to Union Pacific track around 16th Street. Trains would then travel through the city's West Side and the northwest suburbs before dropping travelers off at O'Hare's Terminal 2.

Lundy cited similar express trains in cities such as London and Hong Kong as reference points for the possible O'Hare express.

The Flyer project is likely to elicit concerns that it could cannibalize fare revenue from CTA, which struggled with the prospect of a looming fiscal crisis before state lawmakers put the agency on firmer financial footing last fall.

But the express option is not supposed to be a CTA competitor, the Flyer team said, pitching the train as a ride centered around the needs of air travelers, including luggage racks and even the option to check baggage to their final destination.

"This is a different kind of service," Lundy said. "Somebody who's going to pay \$2.50 to get to ride the Blue Line may not feel comfortable spending significantly more than that to ride our service."

Chicago Tribune Death Notices

Chicago Tribune extends our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have passed.

chicagotribune.com/deathnotice

In 1913, cartoonist Walt Kelly, creator of the comic strip "Pogo," was born in Philadelphia.

Chicago Daily Tribune

In 1916, the National Park Service was established within the Department of Interior.

ON AUGUST 25 ...

Death Notices

In 1845, Bavarian King Louis II, who became known as “Mad King Ludwig,” was born in Munich, Germany.

In 1718, hundreds of French immigrants arrived in Louisiana, with some of them settling at what is now New Orleans.

In 1919, George Wallace, the former Alabama governor and onetime third-party candidate for president, was born in Clio, Ala.

In 1918, conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Mass.

In 1819, Allan Pinkerton, a onetime Cook County lawman who would go on to create the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

In 1825, Uruguay declared its independence from Brazil.

In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the English Channel, traveling from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 22 hours.

SKAJA Terrace

In 1921, the United States and Germany signed a peace treaty in Berlin.

Christine M. Gessner, nee Ziebka, age 77, beloved wife of the late David Gessner; cherished daughter of the late Bernard and Lucille Ziebka; loving sister of Mark and Madeleine Ziebka; dear aunt of Laura (Josh), Matthew, and Joshua. Visitation at the Skaja Terrace Funeral Home 7812 N. Milwaukee Avenue Niles on Thursday from 9:30 AM until time of service 11:30 AM. Interment at a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery. Funeral info: 847-966-7302 or www.skajafuneralhomes.com

In 1954, singer-songwriter Elvis Costello was born Declan Patrick McManus in London.

In 1956, human sexuality researcher Alfred Kinsey died in Bloomington, Ind.; he was 62.

In 1950, President Harry Truman ordered the Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike.

In 1941, British and Soviet troops invaded Iran in World War II.

In 1981, the U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn's cloud cover, sending back pictures and data about the ringed planet.

Frederic S. Lane, 91, passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Born May 14, 1935, to Sylvia B. and M. Martin Lane, of blessed memory, in Hyde Park, Illinois, he lived an adventurous and rich life filled with family, learning, love, and friendship. Fred graduated from Hyde Park High Class President and went

Gessner, Christine M.

In 1985, Samantha Smith, 13, whose letter to Soviet leader

School as Class President and went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he led crew as stroke of the 'Varsity Heavyweight Rowing team, a Henley Cup winner and a member of

In 1943, in a key World War II triumph, U.S. forces overran New Georgia island in the Solomons.

Patent Road & Construction Services

In 1931, television personality Regis Philbin was born in New York.

In 1930, actor Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Yuri Andropov resulted in her 1983 peace tour of the Soviet Union, was killed with her father and six other people in a plane crash in Maine.

In 1944, Allied forces liberated Paris, ending four years of German occupation in World War II.

In 1927, tennis player Althea Gibson, who would become the first African-American to win singles championships at Wimbledon as well as the French and U.S. Opens, was born in Silver, S.C.

In 1997, the tobacco industry agreed to an \$11.3 billion settlement with the state of Florida.

Lane, Frederic S.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, bringing 130 mph winds and torrential rain to a wide swath of the state's Gulf Coast as tens of thousands of residents fled inland. Also in 2017 President Donald Trump granted a presidential pardon to former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had been convicted of contempt of court for racial profiling.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Florida with 80 mph winds and headed into the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2003, tennis champion Pete Sampras announced his retirement.

In 1999, the FBI, reversing itself after six years, admitted that its agents might have fired some potentially flammable tear-gas canisters on the final day of the 1993 standoff with the Branch Davidians near Waco, Texas, but said it still thought law-enforcement agents did not start the fire that engulfed the cult's compound.

In 2001, singer Aaliyah was killed with eight others in a plane crash in the Bahamas; she was 22.

Henley Cup Winner and a member of the United States Rowing Hall of Fame, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School in 1956. While serving a brief stint in the Army as a Captain at Fort Sheridan, he went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago in 1959, where he served as Chairman of the Hinton Moot Court Committee from 1958 to 1959. He was married to Ginger Speigel from 1960 to 1991, with whom he had three children. He practiced law at Sonnenschein, Carlin, Nath & Rosenthal, where he became a close advisor and friend to Ray and Joan Kroc, launching a lifetime of devotion to the Golden Arches, and to his dear friend and fishing partner, Fred Turner. Freddy was the beloved husband of Jeanie Pollack, to whom he was married for 35 years. Together, Jeanie and Freddy traveled the world and shared the love of friends. He was the loving father of Russel Gregory Lane; Elizabeth (Beth) Anne Lane (Joel Moody); and Jennifer (Jen) Lane Landolt (Mark Landolt). Papa Fred was the proud grandfather of Taylor and Trevor Lane; Joshua, Oliver and Sebastian Moody; and Elliot and Anya Landolt. He was the dear brother of Constance Ruth Uslander, of blessed memory, and uncle of Charles Uslander and Daniel Uslander. Family was central to Fred's life. Whether taking his grandsons fishing in Guatemala, escorting his granddaughters across Italy, or bringing the entire immediate family to Israel and France, he cherished these moments together. Celebrating Shabbat was a treasured ritual throughout his life. Committed to community service and philanthropy, Fred was an active member of Temple Sholom of Chicago, serving as its president from 1985 to 1987. For many years, he participated in adult education courses studying Job, the Talmud, the Torah, and Jewish life, in addition to attending weekly services. Fred's devotion to Judaism and Israel culminated in his role as a Board Member of Hebrew Union College, traveling to Cincinnati and Israel numerous times a year. Up until his passing, Fred worked tirelessly for a two-state solution. Known to his friends as Freddy Boy, he was a true Renaissance man. Music was one of his many varied interests; he was an avid season ticket holder at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, sang in the choir at Temple Sholom, was an annual member of the Chicago Bar Association's Annual Christmas Spirits Show, and was always heard singing or whistling a melodic tune. He even learned to play the ukulele. Addressing everyone as "sports fans," Fred was devoted to the White Sox growing up on the South Side, the Bulls, and was a Chicago Bears season ticket holder for decades. His life and mind were always active and full: a voracious reader, a passionate cook, a lifelong deep-sea fisherman, an amateur photographer, and a tennis player twice a week at Midtown Athletic Club with his beloved Hyde Park classmates since the 1960s. Last but not least, Fred was a proud member of the Chaine des Rôtisseurs, and never met a glass of wine, a meal, or an ice cream cone he didn't like. His life's mission was to find the perfect tiramisu. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 3PM at Temple Sholom, 3480 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. To attend the funeral livestream, please visit our website. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220, https://huc.edu or Ronald McDonald House, 26345 Network Place, Chicago, Illinois 60673-1263, https://ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com

CHICAGO JEWISH FUNERALS

Mieling, Nancy Bixby

On August 19th, the vibrant energy of Nancy Bixby Mieling, age 76, of Lake Forest, moved forever from her body to the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

Nancy, known as Bix to those closest to her, will be remembered as a loving spouse and mother, a friend with and open ear, a committed community member and the best darn grandmother a kid could ever have.

Born in 1950 in Chicago, Illinois, Nancy always struck her own path, making her own clothes, traveling to New Zealand as an exchange student and heading off to the University of Illinois to study.

It was at U of I, over Oblomov in the back of Russian Literature, that Nancy first got to know the love of her life, Terry Mieling. They married a year before she graduated and, in lieu of gifts, asked for contributions to their honeymoon fund to backpack through Europe.

After trying her hand as a small scale hog farmer and California beach burn, in 1987 Nancy and Terry settled with their two boys in Lake Forest. Over nearly 40 years, Nancy made an indelible impact on the Lake Forest community through her committed volunteerism and engagement. During different phases Nancy contributed tirelessly to Boy Scouts of America Northeast Council, Lake Forest High School PALS, Ragdale Foundation, First Presbyterian rummage sale and Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Artisan Guild.

Perhaps her most cherished contribution was to the Friends of Lake Forest Library, where for more than 25 years Nancy co-organized the Annual Book Sale, growing it year over year.

At home, Nancy baked bread, tended a beautiful woodland garden, and kept a basement full of toys for her four grandchildren. She and Terry traveled globally, and she held a special place in her heart for her favorite destination, Greece. She never shied away from an adventure even climbing a 100-foot-tall Douglas fir at age 73. Nancy truly lived life to the fullest.

Irina Viorica Berinde Roman, 57, was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Grigore (Greg) Roman, 54 (2021); her devoted mother, Maria Berinde (2026); her loving father, Vasile Berinde (c. 1974); and her sister, Maria Berinde (1967–

She will be forever missed by her husband Terry, sons and daughters-in-law, Jon, Kindree, Colin and Ariel, grandchildren Katherine, Ray, Ellsworth and Emerson and brothers Roger and David Bixby.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Friends of Lake Forest Library.

Death Notices

O'Mara, Thomas B.

Thomas B. O'Mara, age 77, a resident of Aurora, IL since 1991, passed away on August 22, 2026. For those who would like to leave a lasting tribute to Tom's life, memorial donations may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, August 29, 9:00-11:00 AM at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville. A service celebrating Tom's life will follow at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. For information call 630/355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com for a complete obituary.

Richards, Peter Lloyd Pete

Peter Lloyd Richards, 81, of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2026.

Throughout her professional career, Irina earned several certifications, awards, and professional memberships. She was an 18-year member of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) and received recognition in IAAO Standards of Professional Practice and Ethics. Her professional affiliations also included the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and Illinois Women's Property Tax Association. She received recognition from the American Bankers Association for studies in AIB Banking, Finance, and Mortgage Lending. She also earned Paralegal Certification, held an Illinois Real Estate Broker License, and was a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer (CIAO).

A visitation and Celebration of Life will be held Friday August 28, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Nelson Funeral Home, 820 S. Talcott Road, Park Ridge, Illinois. Please visit https://www.nelsonfunerals.com/obituaries for the full obituary and details.

Roman, Irina Viorica Berinde

Irina and Greg were born and married in Romania and immigrated together to the United States, where they became proud American citizens. They made their home on Chicago's Far North Side in the Rogers Park neighborhood for more than 25 years. Irina especially loved the walks she and Grigore shared along Lake Michigan. They were members of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

1973). She leaves behind her first cousins, Viorel Grigore Berinde of Austria; Vasile Daniel Berinde Lohan of Austria; Lucia Irina Berinde of Melbourne, Australia; and Ion Berinde of

Romania.

Irina was highly accomplished and deeply committed to education and professional development. She attended West University of Timisoara, College of Economics and Law, in Romania, with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. She also pursued studies at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Irina spent nearly a decade in the early part of her career working as an accounting associate in the banking and retail industries, as well as a real estate agent. In 2003, she joined Raila & Associates, a property tax law firm located in Chicago's River North neighborhood, where she dedicated 23 years as a Residential Property Tax Analyst and Public Policy Consultant.

Her coworkers knew Irina as intelligent, curious, dedicated, and extraordinarily knowledgeable. She was often the person colleagues turned to for information about property tax policies, procedures, and new legislation at both the local and national levels. Her professionalism and extensive knowledge earned her the respect of coworkers and colleagues throughout the fields of real estate assessment and property taxation. Irina will be deeply missed by her family, friends, coworkers, and the many professional colleagues whose lives she touched throughout her career.

Interment will take place at the Old Christian Cemetery in Negreşti-OAS, Romania, where Irina will be laid to rest alongside her husband, mother, and sister.

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Chief Procurement Officer

Raffi Sarrafian

Late Proposals Will Not Be Accepted

August 25, 2026 - 122282

Take Notice

TO: 6363 West 73rd Street, LLC 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 6363 West 73rd Street, LLC c/o VIKTOR KOTSYULYM 6363 W. 73rd St., Suite 101 Bedford Park, IL 60638 V3 Systems, Inc. c/o VIKTOR KOTSYULYM 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 Unknown Occupants 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 Fleet Master Truck & Trailer Repair 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 GW Warehouse 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 V3 Systems, Inc. c/o VIKTOR KOTSYULYM 747 E. Boughton Rd. Suite 319 Bolingbrook, IL 60440 PAN American Bank & Trust 1440 W. North Ave. Melrose Park, IL 60160 Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC c/o Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. 901 S. 2nd Street, Suite 201 Springfield, IL 62704 Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC 24422 Avenida Dela Carlota 232 Laguna Hills, CA 92653 FP-Bedford Park, LLC c/o Matthew Brotschul 1 Tower and Suite 206 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 HARV-Bedford Park C/c o Matthew Brotschul 1 Tower Lane, Suite 206 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 6363 West 73rd Street, LLC 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 County Clerk of COOK County, Illinois 69 W. Washington Chicago, IL 60602 Unknown Occupants; spouses, heirs at law, devisees, if any, of the above mentioned persons, described as Unknown Owners; claimants, decree creditors, judgment creditors, if any, of the above, described as Unknown Owners; Unknown Owners or parties interested in said land or lots. NOTICE TO OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TAX DEED NO. 2026COTD002241 FILED: July 29, 2026 TAKE NOTICE County of COOK Date Premises Sold or Forfeited December 11, 2024 Certificate No. 22-0002137 Sold or Forfeited for General Taxes of (year) 2022 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) and special assessment number Not Applicable Warrant No. None Installment No. None THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Address has identified herein current tax bill, which is a copy of 6363 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, IL 60638 Legal Description or Property Index No. 19-29-100-061-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for delinquent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on December 30, 2026. Check with the county clerk as to the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before December 30, 2026. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court of this County, in Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Courtoom 1704, Chicago, IL 60602 on January 27, 2027 at 9:30 A.M.. You may be present at this hearing but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before December 30, 2026 by applying to the County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois at the office of the County Clerk in Chicago, Illinois. For further information contact the County Clerk ADDRESS: 118 N Clark St., Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602 TELEPHONE AND/OR EMAIL: -312-603-5465 Tax Redemption@Cookcountyilv.gov TAX BUYER FUND-BP-LLC Purchaser or Assignee Dated July 29, 2026 8/24, 8/25, 8/26/2026 116780

GARAGE SALES

Advertise your garage sale in the Chicago Tribune at classifieds. chicagotribune.com

Take Notice

TO: MONICA GORDON, COOK COUNTY CLERK WESTERN PETROLEUM EXP SCF RC FUNDING IV LLC, RA' COGENCY GLOBAL INC FRC FUNDING IV LLC, ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES, LLC STRICKLAND'S ENTERPRISES, LLC C/O ILLINOIS CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY (REG AGENT) STRICKLAND'S ENTERPRISES, LLC SP PEP HOLDCO, LLC, MANAGER PROPERTY MANAGER / RENT COLLECTOR STRICKLAND BROTHERS 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE UNKNOWN OWNERS, OCCUPANTS, AND PARTIES INTERESTED GENERALLY TAX DEED NO. 2026COTD001394 FILED June 17, 2026 TAKE NOTICE County of Cook Date Premises Sold or Forfeited December 12, 2024 Certificate No. 22-0005497 Sold or Forfeited for General Taxes of (year) 2022 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) and special assessment number N/A Warrant No. N/A Inst. No. N/A THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Address (as identified on the most recent tax bill, if available) 10132 SOUTH WESTERN AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Legal Description or Property Index No. 24-12-428-022-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for delinquent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on December 11, 2026. Check with the county clerk as to the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before December 11, 2026. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court at this county in Chicago, Illinois, on December 30, 2026 at 9:30 a.m., Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Courtroom 1704, Chicago, IL 60602. You may be present at this hearing but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before December 11, 2026 by applying to the County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois, at the Office of the County Clerk in Chicago, Illinois. For further information contact the County Clerk. ADDRESS: 118 North Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602 TELEPHONE AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESS: 312-603-5645 Tax.Redemption@cookcountyil.gov FNA 8, LLC Purchaser or Assignee. Dated August 10, 2026.

8/24, 8/25, 8/26/2026 116632 TO: MONICA GORDON, COOK COUNTY CLERK BRIAN PROPERTIES INC 1100 NORTHWEST MONT LLC 1100 NORTHWEST MONT LLC, RA: BARBARA CANNING 1100 NORTHWEST MONT LLC, DIFFERENTIATE CAPITAL HOLDING LLC BURLING BANK ZACHS HAVAC LLC, REG AGENT & MANAGER: ZACHARY C. BUDRUWEIT AXCESS HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING, INC. RA: GIUSEPPRE R. PAPEVERO PROPERTY MANAGER / RENT COLLECTOR FOUR N MANAGEMENT UNKNOWN OWNERS, OR PURANTS AND PARTIES INTERESTED GENERALLY TAX DEER NO. 2026COTD001391 FILED June 17, 2026 TAKE NOTICE County of Cook Date Premises Sold or Forfeited December 11, 2024 Certificate No. 22-0002893 Sold or Forfeited for General Taxes of (year) 2022 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) and special assessment number N/A Warrant No. N/A Inst. No. N/A THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Address (as identified on the most recent tax bill, if available) 1100 West Northwest Highway, Mount Prospect, Illinois Legal Description or Property Index No. 03-33-406-017-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for delinquent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on December 11, 2026. Check with the county clerk as to the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before December 11, 2026. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court of this county in Chicago, IL, on December 30, 2026 at 9:30 a.m., Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Courtroom 1704, Chicago, IL 60602. You may be present at this hearing but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before December 11, 2026 by applying to the County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois, at the Office of the County Clerk in Chicago, Illinois. For further information contact the County Clerk. ADDRESS: 118 North Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602 TELEPHONE AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESS: 312-603-5645 Tax.Redemption@cookcountyil.gov FNA 8, LLC Purchaser or Assignee. Dated August 10, 2026.

TO: W&H Properties and Property Management, Inc. c/o Secretary of State – Business Services 69 W. Washington St. #1240 Chicago, IL 60602 City of Chicago c/o City Clerk 121 N. Lasalle Street - Room 107 Chicago, IL 60602 Occupants of 4743 W. Polk St. Chicago, IL 60601 Occupants of 4733 Polk St. Chicago, IL 60601 Properties & Management, Inc. c/o Taneshia McGee 749 Kedzie Ave. Chicago, IL 60612 W&H Properties & Management, Inc. c/o Jason Anthony 749 S. Kedzie Ave. Chicago, IL 60612 W & H Properties 1521 S. Hamlin Ave. Chicago, IL 60623-2067 County Clerk of COOK County, Illinois 69 W. Washington Chicago, IL 60602 Unknown Occupants; spouses, heirs at law, devisees, if any, of the above mentioned persons, described as Unknown Owners; claimants, decree creditors, judgment creditors, if any, of the above, described as Unknown Owners; Unknown Owners or parties interested in said land or lots. NOTICE TO OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TAX DEED NO. 2026COTD002242 FILED: July 29, 2026 TAKE NOTICE County of COOK Date Premises Sold or Forfeited January 12, 2024 Certificate No. 21-0006996 Sold or Forfeited for General Taxes (year) 2021 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) and special assessment number Not Applicable Warrant No. None Installment No. None THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Address (as identified on the most recent tax bill, if available) 4739 W. Polk St., Chicago, IL 60644 Legal Description or Property Index No. 16-15-310-007-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for delinquent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on January 4, 2027. Chicago's County Clerk as the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before January 4, 2027. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court of this County, in Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Courtroom 1704, Chicago, IL 60602 on January 27, 2027 at 9:30 A.M.. You may be present at this hearing but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before January 4, 2027 by applying to the County Clerk of COOK County, Illinois at the office of the County Clerk in Chicago, Illinois. For further information contact the County Clerk ADDRESS: 118 N Clark St, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602 TELEPHONE AND/OR EMAIL: 3126035489 Marie.Spicuzza@cookcountysao.org

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Monday's reading

Aug 27

CHICAGO ACCUWEATHER

Meteorologists Larry Mowry,

Cheryl Scott, Jaisol Martinez, Tracy Butler and Greg Dutra

AccuWeather

Outlook: Partly sunny and pleasant. A moonlit sky tonight; a late-night shower in the northern and western suburbs.

Tuesday
	Day
Night
Partly sunny andpleasant
Winds: SSW 4-8 mphPOP: 0%

Wednesday
	Day
,	Night

Thursday
	Day
	Night
Partly sunny with a shower possible
Winds: NNW 6-12 mphPOP: 30%

Friday
	Day
	Night
Partly sunny
Winds: NE 4-8 mphPOP: 15%

Saturday
	Day
	Night
Considerable cloudiness
Winds: SSW 6-12 mph POP: 20%

Sunday
	Day
	Night
A couple of showers in the morning
Winds: SSW 7-14 mphPOP: 55%

Chicago forecast

Tuesday Conditions

8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m.

AccuWeather.com UV Index™

2

4

6

6

3

2

0

RealFeel Temperature®

67°

75°

83°

84°

82°

77°

77°

Tuesday Activities

8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m.

Golfing Index

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

Fishing Index

3

3

6

6

6

6

3

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low, 3-5 Moderate, 6-7 High, 8-10 Very High, 11+ Extreme. The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Golf and Fishing Indexes: 0-2: Poor; 3-4: Fair; 5-6: Good; 7-8: Very Good; 9-10: Excellent.

Chicago almanac

Monday temperatures

O'Hare through 4 p.m.

	Average	Record
Monday high: 78°	82°	100° (2023)
Monday low: 58°	64°	48° (1942)

Local temperatures

through 6 p.m. Monday			Average
Location	High	Low	High	Low
Aurora	$77^{\circ}$	$50^{\circ}$	$81^{\circ}$	$58^{\circ}$
Gary	$77^{\circ}$	$59^{\circ}$	$82^{\circ}$	$62^{\circ}$
Kankakee	$77^{\circ}$	$54^{\circ}$	$82^{\circ}$	$62^{\circ}$
Lansing	$78^{\circ}$	$53^{\circ}$	$81^{\circ}$	$62^{\circ}$
Midway	$78^{\circ}$	$58^{\circ}$	$82^{\circ}$	$66^{\circ}$
Romeoville	$79^{\circ}$	$55^{\circ}$	$82^{\circ}$	$62^{\circ}$
Valparaiso	$75^{\circ}$	$56^{\circ}$	$83^{\circ}$	$61^{\circ}$
Waukegan	$74^{\circ}$	$54^{\circ}$	$79^{\circ}$	$60^{\circ}$

Monday Precipitation

	2026	2025	Normal
Monday*	0.00”	0.00”	0.13”
Month to date	4.23”	4.68”	3.32”
Year to date	30.18”	22.07”	25.78”

*24-hour period ending 4 p.m. Monday

Pollen as of 8/24

Trees	Grass	Weeds	Mold
Absent	Absent	Moderate	High

Source: Loyola Medicine via NAB

Air Quality Index

Moderate
Tuesday's forecast
Moderate
Primary pollutant	ParticulatesSource: AirNow.gov

Cosmos

Sun and moon

	Tue.	Wed.
Sunrise	6:09 a.m.	6:10 a.m.
Sunset	7:36 p.m.	7:34 p.m.
Moonrise	6:33 p.m.	6:59 p.m.
Moonset	3:16 a.m.	4:22 a.m.

Full	Last	New	First
Aug 27	Sep 4	Sep 10	Sep 18

Sep 10
Sep 4
Sep 18

Tuesday's Planet Watch

	Rise	Set
Mercury	5:57 a.m.	7:38 p.m.
Venus	10:08 a.m.	9:05 p.m.
Mars	1:40 a.m.	4:51 p.m.
Jupiter	4:25 a.m.	6:44 p.m.
Saturn	9:17 p.m.	9:45 a.m.

Best viewing times today: Venus: 8:05 p.m. Mars: 5:40 a.m. Jupiter: 5:40 a.m. Saturn: 5:40 a.m. Mercury: not visible

National cities

Shown is Tuesday's weather. Temperatures are Tuesday's highs and Tuesday night's lows with high and low RealFeel Temperatures shown below.

AccuWeather

Get the AccuWeather app

Lake Michigan

Tuesday

Wind from the southeast at 6-12 knots. Seas less than a foot. Visibility generally unrestricted. Water temperature: 75.

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

8 a.m.	10 a.m.	Noon	2 p.m.	4 p.m.	6 p.m.	8 p.m.
6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Wednesday

Boating Index: 0-2: Poor; 3-4: Fair; 5-6: Good; 7-8: Very Good; 9-10: Excellent.

Wind from the southwest at 7-14 knots. Seas 1-3 feet. Visibility less than 2 miles in a thunderstorm. Water temperature: 70.

National forecast

Weather history

The temperature plummeted to 10 degrees in Bowen, Mont., on Aug. 25, 1910. This is the lowest temperature ever reported in the United States in August.

Weather Trivia™

Q: What temperature may be attained by a bolt of lightning?

UP to 55,000(F)

A

Do you have a weather question for the ABC 7 team? Submit them at abc7chicago.com/weather or send them to:

Ask ABC 7 Weather Team 190 N. State Street Chicago, IL 60601

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Abilene	108/79/s	102/75/t
Albany, NY	75/58/t	80/63/pc
Albuquerque	97/70/t	97/66/t
Amarillo	99/67/t	92/67/t
Anchorage	60/49/r	62/48/s
Asheville	83/62/pc	83/66/t
Aspen	81/49/t	83/52/t
Atlanta	93/70/pc	90/72/t
Atlantic City	81/66/s	80/71/s
Austin	104/75/s	104/75/s
Baltimore	83/62/s	85/70/pc
Billings	83/58/pc	88/62/t
Birmingham	93/70/c	92/72/t
Bismarck	82/55/s	84/49/s
Boise	96/68/s	97/68/pc
Boston	80/64/s	80/65/s
Brownsville	99/80/s	99/78/pc
Buffalo	73/60/s	79/64/pc
Burlington, VT	73/60/t	80/62/pc
Charleston, SC	90/73/t	87/74/t
Charleston, WV	81/56/pc	85/63/pc
Charlotte	87/67/pc	88/70/t
Chattanooga	90/67/pc	89/71/t
Cheyenne	80/55/t	77/56/t
Cincinnati	80/58/pc	85/64/pc
Cleveland	75/59/s	82/63/pc
Colorado Spgs	85/57/t	81/55/t
Columbia, MO	86/68/pc	90/66/t
Columbia, SC	91/71/pc	90/73/t
Columbus, OH	79/59/pc	81/63/pc
Concord	79/55/t	82/58/s
Corpus Christi	99/77/s	98/78/s
Dallas	105/83/pc	101/80/t
Daytona Beach	92/75/t	91/75/t
Denver	88/59/t	86/59/t
Duluth	77/60/t	75/53/sh
El Paso	105/76/s	104/77/s

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Fairbanks	56/46/r	57/39/sh
Fargo	84/62/pc	83/51/pc
Flagstaff	84/53/t	86/51/pc
Fort Myers	94/76/t	92/75/t
Fort Smith	104/77/s	98/76/t
Fresno	103/72/s	103/73/s
Grand Junction	94/66/t	94/67/s
Great Falls	82/52/s	90/58/t
Harrisburg	78/57/s	84/65/s
Hartford	78/57/s	82/62/s
Helena, MT	84/55/pc	87/56/t
Honolulu	90/77/sh	88/75/pc
Houston	101/79/pc	100/79/pc
Int'l Falls	76/60/t	75/51/sh
Jackson, MS	93/73/t	95/75/t
Jacksonville	91/73/t	89/74/t
Juneau	66/49/c	63/49/c
Kansas City	87/70/s	88/63/pc
Las Vegas	105/87/s	110/87/pc
Lexington	82/58/pc	85/65/pc
Lincoln	84/64/t	85/57/pc
Little Rock	97/76/t	95/73/t
Los Angeles	97/73/s	99/74/s
Louisville	84/63/pc	88/67/pc
Macon	93/70/pc	92/71/t
Memphis	93/76/t	92/75/t
Miami	92/80/t	92/79/t
Minneapolis	86/66/t	81/64/s
Mobile	90/74/t	90/75/t
Montgomery	94/72/t	94/71/t
Nashville	91/66/pc	90/72/t
New Orleans	92/78/t	92/78/t
New York City	78/64/s	80/70/s
Norfolk	83/67/s	88/73/pc
Oklahoma City	100/75/pc	96/73/pc
Omaha	85/67/t	85/59/pc
Orlando	93/76/t	91/76/t

Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. POP: Probability of Precipitation.

World cities

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Palm Beach	93/79/t	90/80/t
Palm Springs	113/89/s	114/89/s
Philadelphia	83/65/s	85/71/s
Phoenix	113/90/s	115/91/c
Pittsburgh	76/59/pc	79/62/c
Portland, ME	76/57/t	79/61/pc
Portland, OR	87/58/s	78/59/pc
Providence	79/60/s	80/63/s
Raleigh	86/65/s	89/72/t
Rapid City	85/56/t	86/56/s
Reno	93/63/pc	94/61/s
Richmond	84/61/pc	88/69/s
Rochester	73/57/pc	80/62/pc
Sacramento	95/62/s	98/63/s
St. Louis	85/70/pc	92/68/t
Salem, OR	85/52/s	80/56/pc
Salt Lake City	92/70/s	96/70/pc
San Antonio	102/77/s	103/79/s
San Diego	83/72/s	84/73/s
San Francisco	72/58/pc	75/60/pc
San Juan	92/80/r	91/80/t
Santa Fe	92/60/t	90/59/t
Savannah	92/73/t	89/73/t
Seattle	85/56/pc	76/58/pc
Shreveport	101/79/t	102/79/t
Sioux Falls	87/61/t	83/55/s
Spokane	93/63/pc	93/61/s
Syracuse	73/59/sh	81/66/pc
Tallahassee	90/73/t	89/74/t
Tampa	91/77/t	91/78/t
Topeka	88/70/pc	90/62/pc
Tucson	107/80/s	109/83/s
Tulsa	99/75/pc	96/73/pc
Washington, DC	85/67/s	87/72/pc
Wichita	93/72/t	93/70/pc
Wilkes-Barre	75/55/pc	81/64/s
Yuma	113/88/s	114/88/pc

Regional cities

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Illinois
Carbondale	86/63/pc	89/67/t
Champaign	80/61/pc	85/63/t
Decatur	82/63/pc	88/65/t
Moline	81/65/pc	86/60/t
Peoria	81/65/pc	85/63/t
Quincy	83/67/pc	88/62/t
Rockford	80/64/pc	84/60/t
Springfield	82/65/pc	88/63/t
Sterling	81/64/c	85/60/t
Indiana
Bloomington	81/57/s	84/63/t
Evansville	86/63/pc	88/67/t
Fort Wayne	78/55/pc	81/62/t
Indianapolis	80/59/s	83/65/t
Lafayette	78/59/s	81/63/t
South Bend	77/60/pc	81/64/t
Wisconsin
Green Bay	80/64/t	80/58/t
Kenosha	79/63/pc	83/61/t
La Crosse	82/66/t	84/61/s
Madison	80/65/pc	82/61/t
Milwaukee	79/66/s	84/65/t
Wausau	79/63/t	79/58/c
Michigan
Detroit	80/60/pc	81/64/t
Grand Rapids	79/60/pc	78/62/t
Marquette	76/59/t	70/56/sh
Sault Ste. Marie	76/61/pc	68/60/t
Traverse City	79/60/c	78/63/t
Iowa
Ames	82/64/t	84/59/s
Cedar Rapids	80/66/pc	83/60/pc
Des Moines	84/68/pc	84/62/pc
Dubuque	79/65/pc	82/60/t

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Acapulco	91/79/t	91/78/pc
Algiers	92/78/s	96/75/pc
Amsterdam	76/58/pc	76/64/t
Ankara	88/59/s	92/60/s
Athens	96/73/s	94/78/s
Auckland	61/51/c	64/52/c
Baghdad	117/91/pc	118/91/s
Bangkok	94/81/r	93/82/r
Barbados	88/81/t	88/80/t
Barcelona	91/73/s	85/74/sh
Beijing	89/73/t	79/68/c
Beirut	89/78/s	89/78/s
Berlin	76/56/s	76/57/c
Bermuda	87/79/s	86/80/t
Bogota	67/50/r	67/49/r
Brussels	74/56/c	80/63/pc
Bucharest	93/66/s	84/63/t
Budapest	85/62/c	86/63/s
Buenos Aires	57/52/pc	63/56/pc
Cairo	99/77/pc	100/77/s
Cancun	94/77/s	92/76/t
Caracas	92/78/r	91/76/r
Casablanca	85/66/s	84/63/s
Copenhagen	71/56/s	70/56/s
Dublin	66/59/c	68/57/sh
Edmonton	76/52/s	81/54/s
Frankfurt	71/59/r	78/63/sh
Geneva	81/61/pc	85/62/pc
Guadalajara	80/60/pc	82/62/t
Havana	94/74/r	94/74/r
Helsinki	66/51/pc	70/50/pc
Hong Kong	91/82/t	89/82/t
Istanbul	89/71/s	87/72/s
Jerusalem	90/71/s	91/71/s
Johannesburg	77/46/pc	77/48/pc
Kabul	90/64/pc	90/65/pc
Kingston	93/81/t	94/81/s

Forecasts and graphics, except for the WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago content, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

	Tue.	Wed.
City	Hi/Lo/W	Hi/Lo/W
Kyiv	77/58/s	73/55/pc
Lima	77/69/pc	76/68/s
Lisbon	77/66/c	75/63/sh
London	77/62/pc	79/64/sh
Madrid	84/61/pc	85/63/pc
Manila	91/79/t	91/79/r
Mexico City	72/57/r	75/56/r
Monterrey	97/71/s	98/71/s
Montreal	74/60/t	77/64/pc
Moscow	61/54/sh	62/50/c
Munich	68/55/r	79/57/sh
Nairobi	80/55/c	80/57/pc
Nassau	90/81/t	91/81/t
New Delhi	92/81/r	94/81/t
Oslo	76/54/s	77/56/c
Ottawa	72/55/t	77/59/pc
Panama City	89/77/r	88/75/t
Paris	78/64/r	82/65/pc
Prague	71/55/pc	70/54/pc
Rio de Janeiro	72/69/r	75/69/sh
Riyadh	113/83/s	112/83/s
Rome	88/72/t	91/73/s
Santiago	66/50/sh	55/45/sh
Seoul	90/76/pc	89/76/sh
Singapore	92/81/t	89/79/t
Sofia	90/63/t	86/61/s
Stockholm	67/44/pc	71/44/pc
Sydney	68/60/r	64/55/sh
Taipei	85/76/sh	91/79/sh
Tehran	99/80/s	100/81/pc
Tokyo	93/81/s	94/81/t
Toronto	76/60/r	78/64/s
Trinidad	90/79/t	89/79/t
Vancouver	79/59/pc	71/58/pc
Vienna	78/59/c	80/61/c
Warsaw	72/52/s	73/54/s
Winnipeg	72/58/sh	76/50/c

FOR SOME, FEELING

LASTS MORE THAN A MOMENT.

T

WE CAN CHANGE THAT.

We've all had moments where we've felt we didn't belong. But for people who moved to this country, that feeling lasts more than a moment. Together, we can build a better community. Learn how at BelongingBeginsWithUs.org

BELONGING BEGINS WITH US

Business

PAGE 1 | SECTION B | TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

RN Vraj Kharvari, center, joins dozens of registered nurses and supporters outside St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital along Division Street in Chicago on May 27 to protest the alleged crackdown by their employer Prime Healthcare on efforts to unionize. ANTONIO PEREZ/TRIBUNE

Hundreds of nurses planning 1-day strike

Workers at Chicago's St. Mary push for 1st contract with Prime Healthcare

By Lisa Schencker CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Hundreds of registered nurses at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago plan to again go on a one-day strike as they try to reach their first contract with the hospital's new owner Prime Healthcare.

Nurses at three other Prime hospitals in Anaheim and Redding, California, and Reno, Nevada, also plan to strike the same day, from the morning of Sept. 3 to the morning of Sept. 4. Workers at all three hospitals are represented by affiliates of the union National Nurses United.

Nurses at St. Mary, in Ukrainian Village, are working to win their first contract after unionizing in June. They allege that hospital management has stopped nurses on the negotiating team from discussing patient care and staffing with colleagues.

“Nurses have become overwhelmed with the number of patients we are assigned — to the point where we cannot safely assess or attend to all of the patients' needs," said Vanessa Moreno, a nurse at Saint Mary, in a union news release.

Representatives for Prime did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning. Prime, a for-profit company based in California, bought St. Mary and seven other Illinois hospitals from nonprofit Ascension last year. Earlier this year, a state board approved the sale of another Illinois hospital, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, to Prime.

The nurses at St. Mary previously went on a one-day strike June 11. At the time, the nurses alleged that several of their colleagues, who were leading the union campaign, were fired after they filed their petition to hold a union election.

Since Prime bought the Illinois hospitals, it has faced criticism for changes it made at some of them, but also earned praise from several members of the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board for stepping in to run challenged hospitals.

A ‘unique’ opportunity: Jet Center to handle fixed-base operations at Waukegan airport

Planes get in line to take off from Waukegan National Airport, where the Waukegan Port District plans renovations after it takes control of fixed-base operations on Oct. 1. WAUKEGAN PORT DISTRICT

Move geared toward enhancing services, providing more funds

By Steve Sadin FOR THE LAKE COUNTY NEWS-SUN

For years, the Waukegan National Airport hired outside contractors to handle its fixed-base operations (FBO), providing services to pilots and patrons, from fueling the planes to deicing them in the winter to a lounge for crew and passengers.

In a move that will both enhance services and provide additional funds for airport improvements, the Waukegan Port District, which operates the airport, has established its own FBO provider.

Skip Goss, the airport's manager, said that by creating the North Shore Jet Center to handle the FBO operations, the Port District and airport will be able to operate more efficiently, spending less than for an outside operator.

“This is a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Goss said. “Direct operation will provide greater control over the quality of aeronautical services, generate revenues that can be reinvested in the airport and potentially reduce or moderate rates and charges to airport users.”

The North Shore Jet Center, owned and operated by the Waukegan Port District, is poised to assume ground-based operations of the Waukegan National Airport on Oct. 1 in Waukegan, replacing the use of a contract provider.

In the early barnstorming days of aviation, Goss said barnstorming pilots would travel with a truck that contained fuel, spare parts, and tools to maintain the plane as they went from landing strip to landing strip. Everything was mobile. At airports, they are fixed-base.

With airports now providing the services crew and passengers need, from making a hotel reservation to renting a car, Goss said the term fixed-base operations became common in the aviation industry.

Many of the services commercial airlines and air travelers have at places like O'Hare International Airport are provided by an FBO at general aviation facilities like Waukegan. They include fueling, baggage handling, restrooms, catering, vehicle rental, and more.

"It's a hospitality business," Goss said. "It provides a comfortable place to pass through when doing business or a place for the pilots to rest while their passengers are in a business meeting. There's a pilot lounge and a sleeping area."

Heading North Shore Jet Center is newly appointed General Manager Steve Bowlin. With three decades of experience in FBO management, he said in an email that he has held similar positions at a number of airports large and small, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“A Full array of traditional FBO services (will) focus on safety as the number one priority, followed closely by the return of local airport-focused customer service offerings to both based and visiting guests,” he said in the email.

Providing enhanced services in the existing terminal, Goss said the Port District plans to build a new executive terminal in 2031 to replace the current facility. Increased revenue from operations of the North Shore Jet Center is expected to pay for the new terminal.

"The current facility is getting old," Goss said. "It will be very nice to have a new terminal. Revenue from the first five years is expected to pay for the new executive terminal."

No part of the airport operation is funded by tax dollars. Goss said the costs of the airport are financed by user fees paid by the airplane owners who use the facility. All money generated from operations in excess of cost must be spent on the airport under federal law.

“Never, ever can it be used for anything other than the airport,” Goss said.

Payton to replace Mully on The Score

Veteran anchor to be morning co-host at sports radio station

By Robert Channick CHICAGO TRIBUNE

There's a new but familiar name taking the wheel on morning drive at 104.3 The Score, WSCR, Chicago's leading sports talk radio station.

Veteran sports anchor Jarrett Payton, son of Bears great Walter Payton, will join David Haugh beginning next week to helm the morning show, the station announced Monday.

"Today marks an exciting new chapter for The Score," Mitch Rosen, vice president of The Score, said in a news release. "We're excited to welcome Jarrett Payton and believe

Payton

his experience, perspective and deep connection to Chicago and its great fan bases will be a tremendous addition to our morning show alongside David Haugh."

The “Haugh and Payton” show launches Aug. 31, ending a weekend of speculation after longtime morning co-host Mike Mulligan was dropped by the station Friday. Numerous sources pointed to Payton, who became a high-profile broadcasting free agent earlier this month.

Payton, who followed in his father's footsteps as an NFL and CFL running back, has since carved out a career as a broadcaster, mostly recently as a sports anchor on the WGN-Ch. 9 newscasts.

He stepped down from his role at WGN with an emotional on-air goodbye Aug. 2 after more than 10 years at the TV station, telling viewers he planned to spend more time with family and that “it’s not a goodbye, it’s ‘I’ll see you later.”

Sports fans will certainly be able to hear Payton going forward as he takes to the radio airwaves with his new morning show on The Score.

“I’m truly excited and deeply honored to join the team at The Score,” Payton said in the news release. “I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone there and connecting with the loyal listeners who make this station what it is.”

Payton is being paired with Haugh, the former Tribune sportswriter who has co-hosted the morning show on The Score since 2018. Notably absent from the bill is Mulligan, half of the “Mully and Haugh Show” and a mainstay in the mornings, who was unceremoniously cut loose on Friday after two decades at the station.

A former Sun-Times and Tribune sportswriter, Mulligan became morning co-host in 2008, shifting from middays with his then on-air partner Brian Hanley. The “Mully and Hanley Show” supplanted inaugural Score host Mike North in morning drive.

In 2018, the Score dropped Hanley, also a former Sun-Times sportswriter, replacing him with Haugh. Now after 20 years at The Score, Mulligan is yielding the mic to Payton.

As the son of a Bears legend, Payton grew up in the public eye, inducing his father into the NFL Hall of Fame as a 12-year-old in 1993. The elder Payton died six years later of bile duct cancer and liver failure at age 45.

Jarrett Payton played soccer and football at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, and went on to play running back at the University of Miami. An undrafted free agent, Payton played for the Tennessee Titans, NFL Europe and spent several years in the CFL.

He moved into broadcasting after retiring from football, becoming a full-time evening sports anchor at WGN-TV in 2017. Payton will soon have the opportunity to connect even more with Chicago sports fans during his 5:30 to 10 a.m. daily on-air shift at The Score.

Launched as a daytime-only AM station more than three decades ago, station owner Audacy began simul-casting The Score on co-owned 104.3 FM in February, looking to expand the format's reach. The Score's programming includes Cubs and Bulls play-by-play, along with a full roster of sports talk hosts.

See PAYTON on Page B3

Economists doubt Mexican cattle will rein in beef costs

Phased border reopening to delay impact for consumers

By John Hanna and Sarah Raza ASSOCIATED PRESS

The U.S. is reopening a border crossing in Arizona to cattle from Mexico on Monday as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce record-high beef prices, though economists doubt the move will mean much to grocery store shoppers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm's spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at a crossing in Douglas, Arizona, about 230 miles southeast of Phoenix. Over time, it hopes to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas.

Beef prices clearly are a concern for President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons of imported ground beef into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. In February, the White House said closing the border to livestock imports from Mexico more than a year ago was “essential” to containing the screwworm, but it has exacerbated a shortage of cattle for slaughter in the U.S.

"The administration obviously has a lot of incentive to try to be able to say that they're doing something about high beef prices in particular," said Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. "Beef has been singled out because it is an expensive product and because it's just high profile."

The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and even kill cattle or other animals.

The move came as the U.S. already was struggling to meet beef demand, thanks to a cattle herd that has been shrinking for five years and now is the smallest in decades.

Because the USDA plans a phased reopening of the border, it will take months for Mexican imports to return to their traditional levels, Peel said. Mexico has traditionally provided 1.1 million head, or about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.

"I don't expect to see any measurable impact on cattle prices or beef prices soon," Peel said.

The USDA reported that on Jan. 1, the U.S. cattle herd had dropped to 86.2 million head, the lowest figure in 75 years.

Beef prices skyrocketed over the past five years, rising significantly faster than food prices as a whole, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average price of a pound of ground beef rose nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, from \$4.39 to \$6.89 — hitting a peak of \$6.90 in May — with a 10% increase over the previous year.

Food prices have risen about $25\%$ overall in those five years, according to the bureau's numbers.

The price for a pound of uncooked steak rose 35% over the past five years, reaching a record \$13.06 per pound in July, also 10% higher than a year before.

But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.

Food shortages are evident Aug. 17 at a grocery store in Kyiv, the Ukraine capital. KIM BARKER/THE NEW YORK TIMES

'Nightmare' trying to shop

Ukrainians encountering bare grocery store shelves as Russia targets food distribution sites

By Kim Barker and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn THE NEW YORK TIMES

KYIV, Ukraine — There was no disguising the gaps in the usually well-stocked shelves of the Silpo supermarket in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, recently. They had no barley, buckwheat, quinoa or rice. No spring onions or packaged lettuce, and just one lonely, wilted bunch of cilantro.

For the first time since the initial months after the 2022 invasion, the city's residents are experiencing shortages of a wide range of grocery staples because of Russian ballistic missile strikes on critical distribution centers.

“It’s a nightmare, a nightmare,” said a Silpo shopper, Nina Kirichuk, 67, a retired hairdresser, her cart carrying bread and two kinds of herring. “I’m horrified. I wanted to buy sugar, but I looked and there wasn’t any. There’s an entire section over there that’s completely empty. I didn’t even go in there. I don’t want to look at it and upset myself.”

Moscow's missiles struck at least four warehouses for one supermarket supply company on Aug. 5, killing at least six workers and severely disrupting the supply of food to multiple store chains. The effects have been felt mainly in the capital, but also in far-flung places like Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.

Missiles have also destroyed a warehouse for another supermarket chain; a distribution center for Rozetka, on online shopping site; and a sorting center for Ukraine's national postal service. Warehouses of major Ukrainian book publishers have been repeatedly hit this summer.

The attacks come as the air war has intensified, with Ukraine building up its offensive capabilities and Russia taking advantage of Ukraine's dwindling air defenses. In the first few years after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Kremlin asserted that it hit only military-related targets in Ukraine, even as it pummeled cities and the power grid. Now it has dropped that pretense.

Ukraine still maintains that it avoids civilian targets, though it has deployed its long-range drones against Russia's oil industry, the engine of the Russian economy. Recently, it has also hit warehouses of Wildberries, Russia's version of Amazon, claiming many of its products have military applications.

For years, fully stocked Ukrainian supermarkets have been a symbol of how the country has done its best to preserve normal life through Russian bombardment.

But over the past week, grocery chains admitted shortages. Supplies of dairy products, meat and fresh produce have dwindled. At a corner shop in Kyiv, the only produce remaining were six mushy avocados and the papery skins of a few onions and garlic bulbs. Specialty items such as ramen had disappeared from another store, along with paper plates and plastic cutlery.

The Silpo supermarket chain has tried to address the shortages with Ukraine's typical stoicism and dark humor, blaming Russia while also telling people to just hold on. Orange-and-white signs display poems about the hardship, with blank spaces in each line where customers can write their own reactions.

Novus, another supermarket chain, posted a simpler sign near its empty shelf of milk in a store in Kyiv. "This product has been destroyed from russia," it said, not even granting that country a capital R. "New packages are on the way."

Shein silent on plans for growth as IPO nears

By Sui-Lee Wee

purporting to show him were false.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Shein was once one of the most talked-about companies in retail.

It could spot what Generation Z wanted and – within days – turn those trends into \$10 mesh dresses and \$5 crop tops. Its clothes were so cheap and its churn of new styles was so relentless that #Sheinhaul became a phenomenon on TikTok. Shein overtook bigger rivals like Zara and H&M, started planning an initial public offering and, at one point, was valued at nearly \$100 billion.

Now the buzz has faded.

After years of delay, Shein is close to going public — this time at a fraction of its peak valuation. It is searching for new ways to grow after the U.S. and Europe dismantled tariff exemptions on cheap goods that had helped underpin its low-cost model. Sales have fallen sharply in the U.S., its largest market. And the company has offered investors few specifics about where meaningful new growth will come from.

“For a company as hyped as it was for such a long time, the music has seemingly run out,” said Juozas Kaziukenas, an independent e-commerce analyst.

No Chinese fashion brand has been as successful as Shein at going global. And yet the company remains unusually reclusive.

Its founder and CEO, Sky Xu Yangtian, is so private that until he appeared publicly in February, most photos circulating online

The timing and pricing details of its market debut have not been announced, but the company filed a prospectus with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month.

Even as Shein recalibrates its relationship with China, a more fundamental problem hangs over any potential listing.

Jianggan Li, founder of Momentum Works, a consultancy that has followed Shein closely, said prospective investors had told him that they sensed little enthusiasm from its founders.

"There hasn't been any effort to drum up interest," Li said. "I don't feel there's a strong desire for the management to make the company public, aside from the fact that the investors want to exit."

Washington Post ordered to reinstate Black writer

By Corey Williams ASSOCIATED PRESS

An arbitrator has ordered The Washington Post to reinstate a Black opinion writer fired over social media posts about violent white men following the killing of Charlie Kirk.

The ruling Thursday said the newspaper did not have sufficient cause to fire Karen Attiah, who was the last Black full-time member of the Post's opinion desk. Arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa also ordered the Post to award Attiah full back pay and lost benefits.

Kirk, 31, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to become a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Sept. 10 during a public appearance at Utah Valley University.

Kirk launched Turning Point USA in 2012 and made provocative statements about race, gender and politics.

His death elicited a torrent of comments about him, both pro and con, and some who spoke out against him in the days after the killing faced sanctions or dismissal at work.

Attiah, the founding global opinion editor for the Post, made several posts to her Bluesky account.

One post read: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is ... not the same as violence.”

Attiah was emailed a termination letter on Sept. 11, accusing her of “gross misconduct.”

But Espinosa found that the Post, in a June 4 hearing, failed to establish that Attiah “engaged in gross misconduct” and that the Post “did not have good and sufficient cause to terminate” her employment, which violated the collective bargaining agreement with the newspaper’s union.

A Post statement said it respects the arbitration process but declined further comment on the matter.

Business briefs

CALIFORNIA NIXES TALKS WITH PARAMOUNT ON WARNER DEAL

California's attorney general has canceled a meeting with representatives of Paramount set for Monday to begin discussing a settlement of the state's lawsuit seeking to block Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Attorney General Rob Bonta called off the meeting late Sunday, accusing Paramount of acting in bad faith. In a statement to The New York Times, Bonta accused Paramount of leaking details of a meeting the parties held Friday. "Not only did Paramount leak the alleged substance of settlement discussions, but they misrepresented these discussions, demonstrating a lack of good faith," Bonta said in the statement. "As soon as Paramount stops playing games and engages sincerely, my office is happy to meet again."

Paramount did not have a comment Monday morning. — The New York Times

TIKTOK SETTLES DOJ SUIT OVER PRIVACY CONCERNS FOR \$400M

WASHINGTON — TikTok on Friday reached a \$400 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department that accused the company of illegally gathering children's information.

The 2024 suit, filed under the Biden administration, claimed TikTok had gathered data from users younger than 13 without parental permission. The suit accused TikTok of knowingly allowing children to create accounts and failing to honor parents' requests to delete their children's accounts.

TikTok violated federal privacy law along with a 2019 deal with the government in which the app promised to protect children's privacy, according to the government.

The settlement is the latest by the Trump administration, as it takes a softer approach toward ongoing government litigation against major companies. — The New York Times

CHINA'S BIGGEST CAR RECALL TO ADDRESS DOOR HANDLE SAFETY

BEIJING — The Chinese government announced its biggest car recall ever, forcing nine automakers to address the dangers of retractable door handles — popularized by Tesla in particular — for electric cars.

The recall involves 4.3 million vehicles. Most of the automakers, including Tesla, will attach stickers to their cars to show where the handles are. Tesla will also push online software updates to the cars so their windows will open automatically after a crash.

Families have sued Tesla, claiming its design is defective and led to the deaths of people who could not exit after accidents.

China said Friday that Tesla and eight Chinese automakers — Geely, Dongfeng, Xiaomi, Chery, Beijing Automotive, First Auto Works, Leapmotor and Xpeng — would each be conducting recalls. Tesla will recall almost 3 million cars. — The New York Times

Working Lunch newsletter: Get the latest business news headlines, delivered to your inbox midday weekdays. Go to chicagotribune.com/workinglunch

Mich. seminar teaches scholars to care for papyrus manuscripts

By Mike Householder ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seminar student Alessandra Quadrelli examines a papyrus fragment Aug. 6 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. MIKE HOUSEHOLDER/AP

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Shijin Jiang pulled the precision binocular headband magnifier over her eyes and hunched down within a few inches of the ancient text resting on a light board.

Using a pair of hand tools, Shijin carefully inspected the sheet made from the papyrus plant, proceeding with the utmost care. After all, it most likely hadn't been handled in a century — nor read for thousands of years.

The Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar at the University of Michigan is the only one of its kind in the Americas, according to the university. And it's one of the few in the world designed to convey the best practices for conserving papyrus manuscripts, ancient texts written on rolls or sheets made from the papyrus plant. "If you touch this papyrus, you can feel the history," said Shijin, a native of China who was among nine scholars from across the globe, including Ireland, Italy and the U.S., who took the 10-day course.

Michigan's Papyrology Collection covers texts and documents from 1000 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E. No institution on this side of the world has more of them, the Ann Arbor school said, giving the researchers access to a vast collection of ancient papyri. There are portions of the Homer epics, "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad," writings by the philosopher Epicurus and the oldest-known copy of the Epistles of Paul.

“Carrying on this tradition is an incredible responsibility, but it also is incredibly fun and rewarding, because there’s nothing I love more than getting people together from all over the world, sharing ideas, learning from each other,” said Marieka Kaye, who manages library preservation services for physical collections at the University of Michigan Library. Kaye said she tried to make “things comfortable and not scary, because a lot of people just feel terrified working on these ancient things.”

The seminar introduced the papyrologists and conservators to techniques in the treatment, storage and care of the ancient texts, as well as documentation practices. Papyrus and its ink can crumble, smear or break, so Kaye encouraged the students to carefully remove dirt, sand, salt and debris; use controlled moisture to soften folds and realign fibers; and dry the papyrus slowly under light weight to prevent curling. The first seminar was held in 2012, and they have been held every two years since, except for the 2020 pandemic year. About 50 students total have taken part. "If we don't train the next generations of conservators, this is a craft that is going to be lost," said Giuliano Sidro, curator of Michigan's Papyrology Collection.

Michigan has so many papyrus manuscripts on hand that its researchers haven't gone through them all. Some of the items were acquired, while others were excavated, during university expeditions to the ancient site of Karanis, Egypt, from 1924 to 1935.

PAYTON from Page B1

But ratings have been flat this year, likely contributing to the programming lineup shakeup. The WSCR simulcast on 670 AM and 104.3 FM ranked No. 13 among Chicago stations in July with a 2.7 share, according to Nielsen.

In addition to jettisoning Mulligan, the station also cut loose midday co-host

Marshall Harris. The show continued Monday with his two former on-air partners, Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote, still behind the mic.

The station moves forward next week with a new morning team, and high hopes to build listenership ahead of a busy fall sports season, with both the Cubs and White Sox vying for the playoffs, and the rising Bears just weeks away from their season opener.

Payton is ready to begin

“This place has always felt like family to me,” Payton said. “My dad graced these airwaves back in the ‘90s, and the thought of being part of that same legacy means everything. Grateful beyond words for this opportunity. Let’s get to work.”

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

orchestrating the Monday morning quarterbacking on The Score.

'Sava's Titanic' arises in Serbia as rivers run low from drought

The wreckage of the steam boat Slovenian is visible Aug. 18 in the Sava River near the town of Sremska Mitrovica, northwest of the capital Belgrade. DARKO VOJINOVIC/AP

By Marko Drobnjakovic and Jovana Gec ASSOCIATED PRESS

SREMSKA MITRO-VICA, Serbia — The wreck of a steam tugboat dating from the early 1900s is the latest relic to emerge from shrinking waters in Serbia as Europe's rivers run dry, with the continent engulfed in prolonged, extreme heat and drought.

The rusting hull — once a famed vessel known as the Slovenian — surfaced this month from the Sava River near the Serbian town of Sremska Mitrovica, 45 miles northwest of the capital of Belgrade.

While parts have appeared above the surface before, the locals say the wreck has never been so exposed.

"It's been several years since it was last seen, so there is quite an interest," said historian Andrija Popovic, who is the head of the town museum.

“It’s truly something you don’t see every day,” he added about the boat, dubbed “Sava’s Titanic” by Serbian media.

Warships, mammoth bones and parts of ancient constructions all have emerged from the slumping waters of the Danube, the Rhine and other rivers in the scorching drought that has also disrupted trade, power and water supplies.

A record-low Danube River has severely impacted nuclear power plants in Hungary and Romania and halted traffic along Europe's second-largest waterway. A monthslong drought has ravaged crops from the Netherlands to Bosnia and caused water shortages that extend as high as the Alps.

Popovic said the Slovenian was made in 1913 in a shipyard in Budapest, Hungary, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and measured 177 feet in length.

With a steam engine, the boat pulled heavy cargo between Budapest and other towns along the Danube.

During World War I, the boat largely paused its routes, Popovic said.

As the war ended and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled, the boat's ownership switched to the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians — which would later become Yugoslavia — as part of war reparations, he said.

"This is when it was renamed the Slovenian," Popovic said, adding that it's a mystery "why this name was chosen."

Then, during World War II, the Slovenian — and its new country — came under Nazi German occupation.

After Yugoslav anti-fascist forces liberated Belgrade in 1944, they used the boat to transfer the wounded and equipment while pushing German troops further west, Popovic said.

The boat was carrying wounded fighters when it hit a German mine in late April 1945, Popovic said.

“It sank and has stayed in the same place since that day,” he said.

The Slovenian is not the only relic that has emerged from Europe's drying rivers.

On Serbia's eastern border with Romania, rusty remains of German ships are sticking out from the slumped Danube waters.

Some still laden with weapons, the ships belonged to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet that was deliberately sunk near the end of the war as German troops retreated from Romania and Soviet forces advanced deeper into Europe.

In Italy, the worst drought in 70 years has exposed the piers of an ancient bridge over the Tiber River once used by Roman emperors but which fell into disrepair by the third century.

As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Half of the European Union and the United Kingdom was experiencing drought by late July 2026, according to the EU's European Drought Observatory, with 9% of the territory at the most severe “alert” level.

Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness.

Serbian hydrology expert Dejan Vladikovic said the current drought is the combination of a lack of winter snow and a dry spring.

Market Roundup

NASDAQ 25,980.19 -200.27 -0.77%

StocksRecap

	NYSE	NASD
Vol. (in mil.)	3918	3574
Pvs. Volume	4090	3839
Advanced	1320	1369
Declined	1293	1956
New Highs	54	155
New Lows	38	143

LOCAL STOCKS
S&P 500 7,652.86 -21.51 -0.28%

	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHG	%CHG	WK	MO	QTR	YTD
DOW	53,508.18	53,261.95	53,417.16	+140.15	+0.26%	▲	▲	▲	+11.14%
DOW Trans.	21,689.70	21,277.27	21,431.16	-139.10	-0.65%	▼	▲	▼	+23.47%
DOW Util.	1,090.40	1,074.42	1,089.29	+13.85	+1.29%	▲	▼	▼	+1.99%
NYSE Comp.	24,748.62	24,663.68	24,726.64	-2.03	-0.01%	▼	▲	▲	+12.37%
NASDAQ	26,109.74	25,910.91	25,980.19	-200.27	-0.77%	▼	▲	▼	+11.78%
S&P 500	7,670.30	7,638.17	7,652.86	-21.51	-0.28%	▼	▲	▲	+11.79%
S&P 400	3,828.21	3,791.81	3,801.30	-29.10	-0.76%	▼	▲	▼	+15.01%
DOW Total	75,963.19	75,679.25	75,791.14	-266.16	-0.35%	▼	▲	▲	+12.28%
Russell 2000	3,015.06	2,991.24	2,995.08	-22.79	-0.76%	▼	▲	▼	+20.68%

EURO 1.1663 -0.0023 -0.20%

CRUDE OIL 85.01 -2.05 -2.35%

GOLD 4,640.80 16.70 0.36%

Commodities Aluminum rose 4.76% to \$3482.50, leading metals. Crude oil fell 2.35% to \$85.01, while coffee decreased 1.37% to \$3.59, marking significant daily movements.

Foreign Exchange

Canadian Dollar rose 0.48%, leading gains. South Korean Won fell most at -0.56%. Israeli Shekel increased 0.48%, while Norwegian Krone declined 0.36%.

Interestrates

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.70%. Yields affect interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans.

	PRIME RATE	FED FUNDS
YEST	6.75	3.63
6 MO AGO	6.75	3.63
1 YR AGO	6.75	3.63

6-MO T-BILLS 3.93 0.01 0.26%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.23 -0.04 -0.8%

FUELS	CLOSE	PVS.	CHG	%YTD
Crude Oil (bbl)	85.01	87.06	-2.05	+48.0
Heating Oil (gal)	4.49	4.48	+0.01	+101.5
Natural Gas (mm btu)	2.78	2.77	+0.01	-24.5
Unleaded Gas (gal)	3.27	3.35	-0.08	+90.7

METALS	CLOSE	PVS.	CHG	%YTD
Aluminum (ton)	3,482.50	3,324.25	+158.25	+19.8
Copper (lb)	6.60	6.58	+0.02	+17.2
Gold (oz)	4,640.80	4,624.10	+16.70	+7.3
Platinum (oz)	1,880.10	1,887.30	-7.20	-7.6
Silver (oz)	68.54	69.47	-0.93	-2.3

AGRICULTURE	CLOSE	PVS.	CHG	%YTD
Lumber (1,000 bd ft)	574.50	574.00	+0.50	-8.2
Cattle (lb)	2.20	2.23	-0.03	-5.0
Coffee (lb)	3.59	3.64	-0.05	+8.4
Corn (bu)	4.92	4.84	+0.08	+11.6
Cotton (lb)	87.07	87.02	+0.05	+36.6
Orange Juice (lb)	1.51	1.52	-0.01	-24.5
Soybeans (bu)	12.16	12.25	-0.09	+18.0
Wheat (bu)	6.82	6.82	+0.00	+34.5

MAJORS	CLOSE	CHG	%CHG	6MO AGO	1YR AGO
British Pound (GBP/USD)	1.3633	-.0007	-.05%	1.3487	1.3523
Canadian Dollar	1.3838	+.0067	+.48%	1.3696	1.3832
Euro (EUR/USD)	1.1662	-.0024	-.20%	1.1772	1.1721
Japanese Yen	159.057	+.0470	+.03%	155.90	146.96
Mexican Peso	16.9309	+.0286	+.17%	17.174	18.584

EUROPE/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
Israeli Shekel	3.0007	+.0143	+.48%	3.1016	3.3674
Norwegian Krone	9.2513	-.0334	-.36%	9.5673	10.052
South African Rand	15.9965	-.0076	-.05%	15.961	17.434
Swedish Krona	9.4802	+.0192	+.20%	9.0515	9.4936
Swiss Franc	.8021	+.0010	+.12%	.7739	.8015
ASIA/PACIFIC
Australian Dollar	1.3982	+.0039	+.28%	1.4164	1.5396
Chinese Yuan	6.7219	+.0009	+.01%	6.8831	7.1675
Hong Kong Dollar	7.8358	-.0053	-.07%	7.8228	7.8151
Indian Rupee	95.3233	-.3667	-.38%	90.918	87.330
Singapore Dollar	1.2696	+.0004	+.03%	1.2666	1.2808
South Korean Won	1380.24	-7.700	-.56%	1440.4	1383.2
Taiwan Dollar	31.8219	-.0081	-.02%	31.383	30.367

TREASURIES	LAST	PVS	NET CHG	WK	MO	QTR	1YR AGO
3-month T-bill	3.81	3.81	0.00	—	▼	▲	3.68
6-month T-bill	3.93	3.92	+0.01	▲	▼	▲	3.64
1-year T-bill	4.04	4.03	+0.01	▲	▼	▲	3.53
2-year T-note	4.24	4.24	-0.00	▲	▼	▲	3.48
5-year T-note	4.41	4.43	-0.02	▲	▼	▲	3.61
10-year T-note	4.70	4.74	-0.03	▼	▲	▲	4.05
30-year T-bond	5.23	5.28	-0.04	▼	▲	▲	4.70

NAME	CLOSE	CHG	%CHG	CHG	LO	HI	DIV
AbbVie Inc.	264.52	-0.44	-0.2%	+36.03	190.75	267.47	6.92
Abbott Laboratories	116.67	+0.03	+0.0%	-8.62	81.97	137.49	2.52
Acco Brands Corp.	4.19	-0.05	-1.2%	+46	2.81	4.56	0.30
Allstate Corp., The	260.19	+6.36	+2.5%	+52.04	188.08	277.22	4.32
AptarGroup Inc.	134.75	-0.05	-0.0%	+12.79	103.23	146.91	1.92
Archer Daniels Midland Co	78.16	-2.14	-2.7%	+20.67	55.58	88.46	2.08
Baxter International Inc.	26.49	+15	+0.6%	+7.38	15.73	30.00	0.04
Boeing Co.	210.46	-3.74	-1.7%	-6.66	176.77	254.35	8.22
Brunswick Corp.	81.25	+42	+0.5%	+7.01	58.56	90.25	1.76
CDW	132.51	-4.74	-3.5%	-3.69	97.12	171.55	2.52
CF Industries Holdings Inc	129.24	-0.36	-0.3%	+51.90	75.42	141.96	2.40
CME Group Inc.	279.16	+4.18	+1.5%	+6.08	218.31	329.16	5.20
CNA Financial Corp.	49.65	+67	+1.4%	+1.91	41.53	55.71	1.92
Century Aluminum	43.66	-0.26	-0.6%	+4.48	20.91	70.43	...
Chicago Rivet & Machine (	10.20	-0.34	-1.4%	-3.71	8.50	15.00	0.12
ConAgra Brands Inc.	16.67	+24	+1.5%	-0.64	12.53	20.32	0.70
Deere & Co.	648.64	+1.17	+0.2%	+183.07	433.48	674.19	6.48
Distribution Solutions Grp	34.81	+01	+0.0%	+7.42	19.02	35.06	0.48
Dover Corp.	203.62	+1.70	+0.8%	+8.38	158.97	237.54	2.10
Enova International Inc.	247.66	+4.73	+1.9%	+90.46	103.02	267.45	...
Equity Lifestyle Propert. In	65.74	+28	+0.4%	+5.13	58.72	69.00	2.17
Exelon Corp.	44.34	+56	+1.3%	+75	42.58	50.65	1.68
Federal Signal Corp.	119.78	-2.73	-2.2%	+11.19	101.18	134.51	0.60
First Indust.Realty Trust In	63.43	+50	+0.8%	+6.16	50.24	69.88	2.00
First Mid Bancshares Inc.	50.45	+17	+0.3%	+11.45	34.16	53.36	1.04
Fortune Brands Innovator	44.96	+43	+1.0%	-5.06	32.34	64.84	1.04
FreightCar America Inc.	7.15	-0.22	-3.0%	-3.92	7.08	14.90	0.36
Fuel Technologies Inc.	1.38	-0.01	-0.7%	-0.18	1.17	3.65	...
GATX Corp.	178.51	+1.57	+0.9%	+8.91	150.42	205.56	2.64
Gallagher & Co., Arthur J.	271.99	+8.18	+3.1%	+13.20	190.75	313.55	2.80
Grainger Inc., W.W.	1321.90	+9.66	+0.7%	+312.85	906.52	1419.91	9.96

CONSUMER RATES	NAT'L AVG	WK AGO	6MO AGO	1YR AGO
72 month new car loan	6.17 ▼	6.17	6.17	6.37
Money Market Account	0.44 ▲	0.43	0.41	0.43
1 year cd	2.01 ▲	1.99	1.87	2.01
$30K Home equity loan	6.93 ▼	7.60	7.49	8.39
30 year fixed mortgage	6.72 ▼	6.74	6.12	6.64
15 year fixed mortgage	6.11 ▼	6.13	5.56	5.87

NAME	CLOSE	CHG	%CHG	CHG	LO	HI	DIV
MYR Group Inc. (Del.)	305.18	-5.60	-1.8%	+86.68	171.51	503.56	...
McDonald's Corp.	272.54	+1.59	+0.6%	-33.09	260.96	341.75	7.44
Methode Electronics Inc.	14.03	-0.25	-1.8%	+7.39	4.88	20.38	0.20
Middleby Corp	115.22	-0.26	-0.2%	-4.38	89.15	148.20	...
Mondelez International Inc	64.70	+.25	+0.4%	+10.87	51.20	66.65	2.00
Morningstar Inc.	217.67	+1.53	+0.8%	+.36	141.49	265.73	2.00
Motorola Solutions Inc.	481.52	+1.05	+0.2%	+98.20	359.36	493.57	4.84
NISOURCE Inc.	40.83	+.21	+0.5%	-0.93	38.45	49.21	1.20
Northern Trust Corp.	186.66	+2.76	+1.5%	+50.07	121.12	193.89	3.52
Oil-Dri Corp. of America	92.19	+2.25	+2.5%	+43.25	45.61	107.00	0.90
Old Republic Intl Corp.	41.97	+.39	+0.9%	-3.67	36.65	46.76	1.26
Old Second Bancorp Inc.	25.46	+.12	+0.5%	+5.96	16.65	26.06	0.28
OneSpan Inc.	15.60	-0.13	-0.8%	+2.76	10.07	18.48	0.52
Packaging Corp. of Americ	248.88	-3.91	-1.5%	+42.65	191.50	259.98	6.00
Paylocity Holding Corp.	152.45	-0.89	-0.6%	-0.05	93.27	182.36	...
Richardson Electronics Ltd	16.81	-0.40	-2.3%	+5.93	9.37	23.15	0.24
Ryan Specialty Holdings Ir	44.34	+1.06	+2.4%	-7.29	29.28	59.18	0.52
Stepan Co.	62.16	-1.47	-2.3%	+14.80	41.82	68.00	1.58
Suncoke Energy Inc.	9.61	-0.08	-0.8%	+2.41	5.52	9.93	0.48
Telephone & Data Systems	33.09	-0.51	-1.5%	-7.91	31.51	49.12	0.16
Titan International Inc.	7.03	-0.12	-1.7%	-0.80	6.37	11.70	0.02
Tootsie Roll Industries Inc.	41.44	+.45	+1.1%	+4.81	34.44	45.06	0.36
TransUnion	84.87	+.26	+0.3%	-0.88	63.37	95.50	0.50
US Foods Holding Corp.	109.37	-0.25	-0.2%	+34.05	69.88	111.42	...
Ulta Beauty Inc.	538.76	+17.30	+3.3%	-66.25	443.60	714.97	...
United Airlines	113.57	+.40	+0.4%	+1.75	84.64	138.77	...
Ventas Inc.	93.47	+.41	+0.4%	+16.09	66.38	101.60	2.08
Wintrust Financial Corp.	151.99	-0.68	-0.4%	+12.17	119.61	167.22	2.20
Yunhong Green CTI Ltd.	3.05	-0.07	-2.2%	-0.58	2.38	10.29	...
Zebra Technologies Corp.	363.30	-5.21	-1.4%	+120.48	199.05	386.23	...

US details sanctions to pressure Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announces Iran sanctions Monday in Washington. JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON/AP

Bessent warns other nations to halt trade with Tehran regime

By Farnoush Amiri, Christopher Rugaber and Aamer Madhani ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran on Monday and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United States.

The new warnings to further cut off Iran from the rest of the world economy were issued after President Donald Trump pledged last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran as the administration seeks an off-ramp after nearly six months of war.

“We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who they are. They know who they are,” Bessent told a news conference. “So when the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.”

Washington has promised the new sanctions would put more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade. But the announcement Monday provided little detail and did not name which countries could face secondary sanctions. China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are Iran's largest trade partners.

Bessent said Trump has been “making phone calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions” with Iran and has already seen results. The UAE announced last week that it was suspending all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after a reported missile attack on the Gulf country.

“I am confident the president, as you all know, is quite persuasive,” Bessent said, adding that the UAE decision was “not a coincidence.”

Shortly before the announcement, Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the U.S. is not in an economic position to further restrict Tehran's relations with other countries.

"Iran's trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they don't take these statements into account anywhere," Qalibaf, who has been Iran's lead negotiator over the past six months, posted on X.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned that Tehran would respond harshly to expanded U.S. sanctions, including measures against countries it sees as cooperating with Washington. "Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences," Esmail Baghaei said. "Our hands are not tied."

And the new head of Iran's top security body warned Sunday that Tehran will see any country's support for the sanctions as an “act of war.”

Hours before Bessent's announcement, Iran's currency hit a record low.

The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran's official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay.

The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inflation and negative growth.

The rial has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Iranians find daily staples increasingly unaffordable.

Since the war began, rice is up some 60% and beef prices are more than 150% higher.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that gross domestic product will contract more than 5%.

Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure. Iran retains a key strategic advantage: Its attacks and threats on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have brought traffic in the vital waterway to a near halt, damaging the world economy and heaping pressure on Trump ahead of congressional elections.

The war, as a result, has devolved into a fight over who controls the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil transited before the conflict began

Feb. 28. Iran is now refusing to fully reopen it unless it can charge ships.

Iran and Oman, which are on opposite sides of the strait, are reportedly in the final stages of agreeing on a plan for joint management of the waterway. Oman's foreign minister is set to visit Iran on Tuesday.

Pakistan, which played a key role in brokering a 60-day ceasefire in June, sent a high-level delegation to Iran on Monday to encourage the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations, two senior officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.

The military confirmed only Field Marshal Asim Munir's visit, saying it was aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.

Trump spoke with Munir ahead of the army chief's visit to Iran, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm a private conversation.

Munir met Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni in Tehran, according to the two senior officials. Munir was expected to remain in Iran overnight and meet the Iranian president and other senior officials before returning to Pakistan.

His previous visit to Tehran in May helped pave the way for a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran in June.

In Tehran, 73-year-old Sadegh Mahmoudi joined a line of about a dozen people to purchase U.S. dollars with his remaining savings to hedge against further declines. “There is no hope for a deal and peace,” he said.

Syria, Israel hold reported meeting to ease tensions

US-mediated talks signals al-Sharaa open to diplomacy

By Christina Goldbaum THE NEW YORK TIMES

BEIRUT — Syria and Israel held talks in Jordan on Sunday to ease tensions between the two countries, according to Syria's state news agency, days after Israel struck an air base in Syrian territory.

The talks, mediated by the United States, focused on creating mechanisms to stop Israeli operations in Syria and on reviving discussions about a security agreement between Syria and Israel, according to the news agency SANA, which cited an official at the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

The Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and included the heads of Syria's general intelligence and military intelligence agencies, SANA noted.

Israeli officials, who have not publicly commented on the talks, did not immediately respond to requests for further information.

The two sides also discussed efforts to prevent tensions between Turkey and Israel — both neighbors of Syria — from spilling over into Syrian territory, SANA reported. Syrian and Israeli officials say the Israeli strikes on the Syrian air base last week followed a visit by a Turkish delegation to the airfield as part of discussions to rehabilitate the site. Turkish officials denied that claim.

The talks Sunday were the latest sign that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was open to diplomacy with Israel, a stark departure from his predecessors, who maintained a decadeslong hostility toward the country. Al-Sharaa's government first engaged with Israel in back-channel discussions brokered by the United States last year — the first such talks in more than a decade.

That diplomatic track stalled after the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran erupted this year.

So far, the discussions over the past year have not curbed Israel's military activity in Syria since rebels led by al-Sharaa swept into the capital, Damascus, in 2024 and overthrew the government of Bashar Assad.

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes on military targets in Syria; deployed forces deep into parts of the country's south, near its border with Israel; and built military outposts and infrastructure in Syrian territory near the Israeli border, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a nonprofit that tracks global conflict.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, right, seen Aug. 18 in Damascus, Syria, led the delegation that met in Jordan, according to the news agency SANA. GHAITH ALSAYED/AP

Israeli officials have defended the actions as necessary to ensure that hostile forces such as Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group; or the Islamic State group, still active in Syria, can't entrench themselves near Israel.

But in Syria, the military interventions have stoked fears that Israel is seeking to maintain a long-term military presence in Syria and may expand operations beyond the southern border areas.

The Trump administration — a proponent of Syria's new government — has pushed for discussions between the two countries and publicly called for Syria to join the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states during President Donald Trump's first term.

Syrian officials have shown no inclination to do so imminently, and the scope of the latest round of talks was more limited.

After Israel struck the air base in northwestern Syria last week, the government in Damascus said the strikes had been “an unjustified act of aggression, a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region.”

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian residents of the war-battered area fled homes and businesses as Israeli strikes and tank fire killed at least four people Monday, including two children, hospital officials said, a week after a U.S. delegation asked Israel to draw down attacks.

After evacuation warnings by Israel's military, a strike hit a building in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. One family was unable to flee and a 4-year-old child was killed, according to Awda Hospital, where he was taken. His mother and sister were wounded. There was no Israeli military comment.

Israeli strikes hit three other buildings across Gaza after residents said they received evacuation warnings. Some people sprinted away, with mothers carrying children, while others moved amid the rubble in wheel-chairs or with canes.

Israel has continued targeted killings in the week since a U.S. delegation met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push last year's ceasefire deal forward.

U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner asked Netanyahu to draw down Israel's attacks in Gaza, a person familiar with the meeting said last week, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief journalists. Israel has announced strikes on six of the seven days since then.

Associated Press contributed.

US deportees sent to Equatorial Guinea after refusing to exit jet in Liberia

By Mark Banchereau ASSOCIATED PRESS

DAKAR, Senegal — Six people deported by the United States to Liberia last week resisted getting off the plane and instead were sent to Equatorial Guinea, another African nation that signed a third-country deportation deal with the Trump administration, a person on the plane and a lawyer in contact with the six said Monday.

Under a series of often secret agreements, the

Trump administration has deported thousands of people to two dozen countries that aren't their own as it pushes ahead with its immigration crackdown, advocates say. Immigration lawyers say the practice is being used as a legal loophole to indirectly return some asylum seekers to countries they fled.

The group who refused to get off the plane in Liberia on Thursday include four Cuban men, a Brazilian man and a Cameroonian woman, the person and lawyer said.

A Honduran deportee aboard the flight said the group refused to disembark, saying Liberia was “not their country” and that they would face danger there. They were then separated from the others, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.

Meredyth Yoon, litigation director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, said the deportees who resisted leaving the plane in Liberia were told they would be returned to the United

States but instead were flown to Malabo city in Equatorial Guinea. "It was a really heartbreaking and chaotic scene when they arrived in Malabo on Thursday," Yoon said.

Some arrived in chains and in distress, she said, including the Cameroonian woman and one of the Cuban men.

In a \$7.5 million deal with the U.S., Equatorial Guinea's all-powerful president has turned the hotel owned by his family into a prison for asylum seekers deported from the United States.

A plane carrying deportees from the United States arrives Aug. 20 at the Roberts International Airport outside of Monrovia, Liberia. ALEXANDER WIAPLAH/AP

Small gun dealers shun online sales

Colin Overbey, seen Aug. 19, manages Dunn's Attic in Ormond Beach, Florida. ZACK WITTMAN/THE NEW YORK TIMES

US agency to review feedback on plans to loosen restrictions

By Aishvarya Kavi THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON — The pleas came in droves.

For mom-and-pop shops, the Trump administration's push to loosen firearms restrictions is welcome in nearly all respects but one: allowing guns to be sold entirely online.

Two proposals paving the way for the move have exposed unlikely fault lines, as independently owned brick-and-mortar stores urge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which sets federal gun regulations, to rethink the plan.

They warn that together, the changes — letting guns be shipped directly to buyers and allowing for remote background checks — would compromise their livelihoods by favoring big retailers, and come at the expense of public safety.

"At best, this is a wealth transfer to large corporations," Colin Overbey, the manager of a small business in Ormond Beach, Florida, that sells guns, wrote during the public comment period for the rule changes. "At worst, it is just asking for problems that presently don't exist."

In its analysis, the ATF said the regulation would come at no cost to the roughly 45,000 federally licensed gun dealers, most of which are small businesses, the agency noted. Instead, the bureau argued, it would benefit the dealers, "because it would allow all of them to potentially capitalize on a larger statewide market by allowing online sales."

The firearms bureau did not respond to questions about the backlash. But the agency said it was committed to reviewing the public's feedback before completing the proposed regulations.

Overbey is one of hundreds of people lobbying the ATF to halt proposals that could transform the gun industry.

The administration has said the changes are part of a broader effort to modernize how the government regulates firearms, easing burdens on gun dealers and owners.

More than 13 million gun sales each year could move online if the buyers adjust how they shop, according to an estimate from the agency.

In an interview, Lee Kinnard, who has owned Dominion Firearms in Miami, Arizona, for almost a decade, said he and other small dealers feared that opening the industry to direct online sales would enable a few big companies to swoop in and dominate the market.

That includes GrabAGun, a retailer based in Texas for which Donald Trump Jr. serves as a director and holds about 1% of shares. The company, whose stock value has more than halved since it went public last year, has banked its business model on the shift, billing itself as "an Amazon of guns."

But Overbey, like other small firearms dealers interviewed for this article, expressed worry that letting businesses conduct background checks by video would make it harder to spot red flags. There is a “safety concern of someone either trying to buy for someone else or someone that’s buying for themselves that really shouldn’t have a gun,” Overbey said.

The window for public feedback to the rules closed at the beginning of the month, leaving the agency to decide whether and how to move forward with the policy.

Under federal law, gun sales can already take place online.

But in most of those cases, a customer must pick up the firearm at a physical store, and only after initiating a background check in person. The new proposals would eliminate those requirements, allowing for guns to be shipped directly to the buyer after verifying his or her identity by video. Such a change, critics say, would remove critical safeguards that have required dealers and buyers to complete the transaction in person.

The ATF advises dealers on how to spot straw purchasers, or people buying a firearm on behalf of someone else, and on other signs of a person who should not be in possession of a firearm because they may be under the influence. It is a responsibility that gun dealers say they take seriously, and one that small businesses warn would evaporate should the administration follow through with its proposals.

Overbey, the business manager of a shop named Dunn's Attic, mentioned a series of occasions when he turned down purchases after observing shoppers in person: a father accompanying a son too young to legally buy a firearm; a woman buying a gun that her boyfriend appeared to select for himself; and a young adult who seemed uncomfortable and struggled to make eye contact.

"My license premises is within a school zone," Overbey said. "I am roughly 200 yards from a daycare and about 500 from a school. I don't play games."

In a notable departure from its general support of the Trump administration's push to roll back limits on guns, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry's trade association, told the ATF that it opposed the proposal based on “public safety implications,” including concerns that online transactions could be “exploited by bad actors.”

Some dealers who support the administration's effort say that it simply brings gun sales into the modern era, echoing a common refrain among gun rights groups, manufacturers and retail companies.

Andrew Zeller, who runs the concierge gun business

Precision Turn Key Solutions from his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, favors the rule change. Remote sales, he wrote in commenting on the rule, would open up “far greater opportunities” because some of his clients cannot or do not want to travel to his home.

Marianna Mitchem, a former ATF official who led the division that inspects federally licensed gun dealers, warned that sellers were effectively the first line of defense. Under federal law, she added, the agency had no way to question a purchase once it had been completed, short of opening a criminal investigation.

Across the country, small businesses are bracing for a hit.

Elizabeth Roncali runs Serenity Safe Shot from her home in Ironwood, a remote city on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She earns most of her revenue from transferring firearms to people shopping online, acting as the intermediary.

In an interview, Roncali said if local dealers were eliminated from the equation, she would lose the \$25 fee she charges for transfers, a small profit that is also only a small saving for a buyer who might opt to have a gun shipped straight to his or her door.

If her shop closes, her community will lose her as a resource, she said. As a veteran who deployed in Iraq and grew up around firearms, she reminds buyers about safely storing weapons, a topic she takes particularly seriously after losing a cousin and sister to suicide.

Kinnard, a retired police officer, said that at his Arizona store, he often sold firearms to first-time gun owners.

"I've made handouts for gun safety that I give them, and I go over it with them," Kinnard said. "I hate sending people out that don't know what they're doing. They want to start, but they really don't have any idea of the gun safety part of it."

A volunteer sprays water in an attempt to extinguish a wildfire burning through a peatland field Monday in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Indonesia. MUHAMMAD HATTA/AP

Indonesia escalates firefighting as dense smoke spreads to Malaysia

By Niniek Karmini and Eileen Ng ASSOCIATED PRESS

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia intensified its ground and aerial firefighting operations on Monday as huge blazes in central and western regions scorched wide areas of forests and peatland, creating a choking haze that blanketed cities and crossed borders.

Indonesian police have arrested 72 people suspected of starting some of the forest and peatland fires, while four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land at low cost.

Emergency services have been battling fires driven by an intensifying El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, generating dense smoke that crossed into Malaysia and Brunei, according to the National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB.

Fires remained active in several regions Monday, according to the agency, while large-scale suppression efforts continue in fire-prone provinces, including West, Central and South Kalimantan on Borneo island and in Riau, South Sumatra and Jambi on Sumatra island. The fires are part of a broader surge in wildfire activity across Indonesia this year.

Drought, strong winds and dry vegetation have complicated efforts to contain the fires, the BNPB said in a statement. Some hot spots remained inaccessible to more than 24,000 ground firefighters who were deployed on Sumatra and Borneo, prompting local officials to request additional water-bombing support.

After visiting areas devastated by forest and peatland fires in Central Kalimantan on Saturday, President Prabowo Subianto traveled to fire-affected Riau and its neighboring province of South Sumatra on Monday, where more than 89,000 acres have burned in 10 provinces, to encourage authorities to get the haze cloud under control.

Prabowo vowed the government would continue supporting firefighting operations, including through the deployment of additional water-bombing helicopters and oxygen supplies for firefighters. He urged the authorities to “thoroughly document and report the work being carried out by firefighting teams” directly to him.

Prabowo also called for stronger public education and outreach efforts, saying the central government will deploy about 1,000 military and police officers to work alongside regional authorities in raising awareness and preventing forest and land fires.

The latest satellite data from the Environment Ministry showed South Sumatra recorded the highest number of hot spots nationwide with 1,429, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,226 and Central Kalimantan with 811. East Kalimantan logged 576 hot spots, ahead of Riau with 503, while West Papua and Jambi recorded 468 and 458 hot spots, respectively. Forestry Ministry data indicated that nearly 232,000 acres were burned in July alone.

Indonesia is intensifying weather-modification operations to help firefighters combat wildfire by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds, with 30 aircraft for water-bombing and cloud-seeding over Kalimantan and another 22 helicopters covering Sumatra.

Malaysia is preparing an operational plan and could also offer help to Indonesia to fight fires if requested, Environment Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said.

European leaders mark Ukraine independence amid ongoing war

By Samya Kullab ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hands over the flag of a military unit Monday during the ceremony to mark Independence Day in Kyiv, Ukraine. EFREM LUKATSKY/AP

KYIV, Ukraine — European leaders joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence and boost its long-range missile program as Russia pressed on with its 4-year-old invasion of the country.

One of President Vladimir Putin's key goals in starting a war with Russia's neighbor in February 2022 was to return Kyiv to Moscow's orbit. Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Aug. 24, 1991, to proclaim the country's independence from the Soviet Union, and a nationwide referendum later that year overwhelmingly approved it.

With no significant changes on the front line for months and no apparent progress after more than a year of U.S.-led peace efforts, both countries are locked in a spiral of escalating aerial attacks that are killing civilians and smashing infrastructure.

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office last month, joined almost a dozen other European leaders, as well as other dignitaries in Kyiv on Monday.

“For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.”

Burnham co-chaired a meeting of what's been dubbed the Coalition of the Willing — a group of over two dozen countries helping Ukraine resist Russia's onslaught. Burnham said he is pushing British industry to help a Ukrainian project that is working on a low-cost alternative to the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that are desperately needed but are in short supply. He urged other countries to encourage Washington to adopt stiffer sanctions on Russia and press Moscow to accept U.S. attempts to secure an unconditional ceasefire.

Zelenskyy said in a speech at Kyiv's St. Sophia Square that the presence of European leaders reflected continental fears about Russia's wider ambitions.

“We all understand that in this Russian war against us — against Ukraine — far more is being decided than the future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” he said.

“No nation in a war like this could rely solely on its own weapons,” Zelenskyy said. “No nation could withstand attacks of such intensity without the world’s help.”

The leaders brought pledges of further military and financial support. Burnham announced his government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to release classified information relating to British components used in the SCALP long-range missile. That paves the way for France and Ukraine to advance plans for the weapon's production in Ukraine. SCALP is the French version of the U.K.'s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems incorporating shared technology.

“Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the front line of keeping Europe safe," Burnham said, adding that Kyiv and its partners "must keep up the pressure on Moscow."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin views the plan "extremely negatively."

Ukraine has leaned heavily on NATO countries for help fighting Russia's bigger army, although relations with the United States have been cooler under President Donald Trump.

Russia, meanwhile, is getting help from North Korea and China.

Ukraine's swift development of innovative drone technology has enabled it to blunt Moscow's battlefield progress as well as hit targets deep inside Russia, as far as 1,200 miles from their border. The speeches in St. Sophia Square were accompanied by a parade of domestically produced weapons.

Three teens were killed in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, Russia's children's rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova said, as Ukraine attacked several warehouses of Ozon, an online retailer, for the third straight day, according to officials and the company. Also, Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck the Russian state-owned Kamenetsky Combine defense company in the Rostov region overnight, starting a fire.

Team launches Fat Marmot Week

Researchers swab the cheek of a marmot Aug. 6 in Gothic, Colo. An effort to raise money for continued research began Monday. BRITTANY PETERSON/AP

Colorado scientists drum up donations for rodent research

By Brittany Peterson and Mead Gruver ASSOCIATED PRESS

GOTHIC, Colo. — Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover.

Those that survived are doing well, fattening up in time not just for fall and hibernation season but ... drumroll, please ... the first Fat Marmot Week.

Just like Fat Bear Week, an online contest to vote for Alaskan brown bears plumped up for winter, Fat Marmot Week, which began Monday, is mostly just for fun, but it also has a serious side: Scientists need to drum up donations for their long-running research into the rodents to keep it going through federal funding cuts.

"In some sense, we're going to be laughing our way down as the Titanic sinks," said Dan Blumstein, leader of the project launched decades ago at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado. "Because what else are you going to do?"

But wait. What's a marmot? A marmot is a cat-sized, furry ground squirrel that lives in burrows in North America, Europe and Asia. The 15 or so species worldwide include groundhogs, which have their own special day, Feb. 2, in the U.S. and Canada.

In the Rocky Mountains, yellow-bellied marmots are plentiful. Hikers often spot these charismatic creatures perched on boulders or scurrying through wildflowers.

Marmots aren't shy near trails popular with people. Watch out: A bold one might swipe your snack.

Like people, marmots have personalities and are “flexibly social,” meaning some like to intermingle in colonies of up to 30 animals while others prefer solitude, according to Emily Renkey, a master’s program student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"We kind of understand these marmots just by looking at them sometimes because we can kind of tell who's who just by how they behave and how they interact with one another," said Katie Adler, a UCLA doctoral student.

Some marmots are difficult to study because they are wary of researchers' efforts to trap them using wire boxes baited with an enticing mixture of oats and peanut butter, Renkey said.

“Others, you could trap three or four times in the same morning,” she said.

While hibernating bears snooze in a state called torpor, allowing them to wake up — or be woken up — every now and then, marmots slip into a far deeper form of hibernation. Their body temperature drops from about that of a human to as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit, not much warmer than their burrows in winter.

“You pick up a hibernating marmot and it’s this fuzzy ball and it feels like a cold rock with fur. It’s completely surreal,” Blumstein said. “They breathe once a minute or two.”

To prepare for winter, the animals do a tremendous amount of fattening. They double their weight to as much as 13 pounds, then lose all of that bulk during half a year or more of hibernation.

“Marmots come out of the ground really skinny, relative to what they look like now, at least,” Adler said.

Last winter, scant snowfall and warm temperatures due to global warming deprived many Colorado marmots of an insulating blanket of snow over their burrows. Researchers believe their hibernation quarters got too chilly, causing many to die of cold. “We had over 160 animals, and we ended with 60 at the start of this season,” Blumstein said. “Most of them died because of the lack of snow cover.”

This year's snowpack was the worst on record in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Human-caused climate change made the snow drought about 14 times more likely, a new study confirms.

Hundreds of researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory have observed changes including fewer bees and other pollinators, and sagebrush encroaching in valleys once dominated by wildflowers.

Precipitation changes, meanwhile, literally cascade downstream to where farmers and communities need water to survive.

"The snowmelt here impacts the Colorado River which impacts our drinking water," Renkey said. "What happens in these mountains doesn't stay in these mountains. It impacts all of us."

The study in Gothic, about 20 miles south of Aspen, is run by researchers from UCLA and the University of Ottawa in Ontario. It was launched in 1962, making it one of the world's longest-running studies of individual mammals.

The marmot researchers affectionately call themselves "marmoteers."

“It allows graduate students and other people to come in and suddenly capitalize on this knowledge and ask questions. Without doing all the grunt work,” Blumstein said.

Funding cuts have caused

Blumstein's UCLA department to lose one-third of its graduate students. Fat Marmot Week is one approach to attract interest — and hopefully donations — to keep the work going. Among the rodents on display: Stonehenge, who chirps at mountain bikers; and Citroen, whose mate is a leader of this matriarchal marmot motherland. Voting opened Monday.

The researchers have also been posting marmot videos to the OnlyFans adult content platform. To capitalize on the attention those posts have garnered, a “super fan” created a meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency, called \$OnlyMarms, and donates transaction fees to the research program. That alone has raised around \$100,000.

The team needs to bank three years of funding — over \$200,000 — to ensure marmot research can continue next summer.

NEWS BRIEFING

High court sides with Trump team on order limiting mail-in voting

FROM NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Monday in a case over President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much can be implemented before the fast-approaching midterm elections.

The decision leaves room for additional court challenges that could further slow Trump's order, and other similar cases have already been filed. The U.S. Postal Service laid out how it would implement the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes with some states beginning to send mail ballots to voters in just a few weeks.

The court's conservative majority didn't decide the legality of Trump's order, instead ruling that the states did not have the legal right to challenge it.

"The Court's disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell," the majority wrote in an unsigned order.

The Supreme Court's three liberal-leaning justices dissented.

Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, who has claimed that it breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and his own use of the voting method.

The case could be one of multiple voting-related challenges before the justices. The Justice Department had filed an emergency appeal asking the high court to allow work on implementing the changes before the midterms.

Trump's executive order, signed in March, calls on his administration to create lists of eligible voters and orders the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists.

Prophet's birthday: Children stand with balloons bearing the name of Islam's Prophet Muhammad on Monday at the Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani Shrine in Baghdad during events to mark Mawlid al-Nabi, the celebration of the prophet's birth according to the Islamic calendar. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/GETTY-AFP

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to block the order. They argued that the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to run elections, and Trump's changes could lead to chaos and partisan abuse.

Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30% of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data.

A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

Military strikes vessel: After a pause of more than two months, the U.S. military announced Monday that it once again carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs.

It brings the overall death toll to 223 people killed in 67 strikes during the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing alleged drug boats off Latin America's Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. Southern Command says the campaign has resulted in the destruction of 64 speedboats, three "low-profile" ships and a semisubmersible craft.

The command said on social media early Monday that forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.” The military said the strike occurred Sunday, and it marked the first since powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela killed thousands of people.

As with most of the military's statements, Southern Command did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.

Visa revocations: The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges.

Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by Associated Press and two U.S. officials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

The revocations would not necessarily result in their immediate deportation, the officials said. Most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final yet.

UN peacekeepers killed: Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed on Monday when armed men ambushed a patrol traveling to a remote area of South Sudan, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

Seven others were injured in the attack — three peacekeepers, two members of the South Sudanese police and two civilian staff of the mission, the mission known as UNMISS said in a statement. The two peacekeepers killed were from Ethiopia, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

The mission said it had deployed a “Quick Reaction Force” to secure the area and support the emergency response after the attack. The patrol was going to the area of Pajut in the state of Jonglei when it came under attack.

The killings bring the number of peacekeepers killed by militias since Jan. 1 to nine, Dujarric said.

He stressed that attacks against U.N. peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

Gang attack in Haiti: A powerful gang coalition attacked a once peaceful farming community nestled in the hills above Haiti's capital, killing multiple people, an official told Associated Press on Monday.

Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and killing residents.

Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, which the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.

He said gang members targeted a church and homes including those owned by Dr. Jean “Bill” Pape. He is a renowned doctor who runs a nongovernmental organization in Haiti that helps patients including those with HIV and tuberculosis.

No further details about the attack were available. A spokesperson for the U.N.-backed gang suppression force did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Haiti's government issued a statement condemning what it called a heinous criminal attack.

Amoeba infection death: An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after being infected by an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba that is found in warm freshwater, her family says.

Lillian Smart died over the weekend after being diagnosed with an infection from Naegleria fowleri, according to Kyle Roberts, a spokesperson for her family. Health authorities describe it as a “brain-eating amoeba” that thrives in freshwater bodies around the U.S. and can shoot up the nose and cause an infection that almost always proves fatal. On average there are fewer than 10 cases annually in the United States.

Arts & Living

PAGE 7 | SECTION B | TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

Jenna Smith and Will Leonard in "Vape! The Grease Parody" at the Apollo Theater in Chicago. MICHAEL BROSILOW PHOTOS

REVIEW 'VAPE! THE GREASE PARODY' ★★★

'Hopelessly gaslighted by you'

Witty musical parodies classic to lively effect at Apollo Theater

"Vape!" is more a parody of the 1978 film than the original stage musical.

By Chris Jones CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“Critics, critics, let me be,” sings Rizzo in “Vape! The Grease Parody,” “this ain’t the Glass Menagerie.”

No free rides here, Pink Lady.

But, happily, “Vape!” is very funny. This show from New York has arrived in Chicago, ground zero for “Grease” and the town where the show’s creator, Jim Jacobs, once gave this agog critic a driving tour of the actual Northwest Side homes of Sandy and Danny. I actually thought there were more laughs in this tawdry parody than in “Titanique,” and people are paying Broadway prices for all that entertaining Celine Dion nonsense.

Both shows make use of the parody defense, of course, that being the sly way for comedic artists to cash in on someone else's intellectual property by insisting that their motives are honorably satirical. Those being parodied sometimes disagree and, indeed, "Vape!" had its day in court and won, a verdict duly celebrated in the show itself. ("As for you, Grease One and Two," sings Rizzo, "I surely know you wanna sue.")

Yup. They sure did. But they lost.

Tup: They sure that. But they lost. Produced at the Apollo Theater by Sketchworks Comedy with a

mostly Chicago cast, “Vape!” has as many writers (eight) as cast members. But it looks like everyone got to include their best ideas. I was guffawing pretty much the entire time.

“Vape!” is really a parody of the “Grease” movie, a famously absurd hit where Danny and Sandy were transplanted from Chicago to

See 'VAPE!' on Page B8

When: Through Jan. 3 Where: Apollo Theater Chicago, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Tickets: \$45-\$65 at 773-935-6100 and vapethemusical.com

Can we talk ... about the groundbreaking Joan Rivers?

Comedian Joan Rivers performs on Nov. 19, 1974, at an unknown location in Chicago. WILLIAM VENDETTA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Rick Kogan

Here's a joke: "I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die, they will donate my body to Tupperware."

The person delivering that line was Joan Rivers.

Gone since Sept. 4, 2014 — her death from a heart attack during a medical procedure at 81 — she remains entertainingly alive on the internet and an influential shadow on the careers of such female comics as Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler and Wanda Sykes. Aubrey Plaza calls her “the most badass female comedian

there ever was."

And so, following my recent column about Rodney Dangerfield and because he and Rivers were contemporaries and colleagues, here's Joan Rivers.

"All my mother told me about sex was that the man goes on top and the woman on the bottom. For three years, my husband and I slept in bunk beds."

Just as Dangerfield's legacy has been tarnished and his artfulness diminished by the movies of his late career, so has Rivers' memory been sullied by the red-carpet antics and what many considered the nastiness of her last decades.

But there is good reason that on Rolling Stone magazine's 2017 list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time — a list topped by Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce — Rivers ranked sixth, just below Chris Rock but just ahead of Jerry Seinfeld.

So let's go back, back to the woman born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York, on June 8, 1933, one of two daughters of a doctor and his wife. Joan lived at home after attending Connecticut College, driving into Manhattan with aspirations to be a serious actress.

She drifted into comedy, performing at shabby nightclubs and, disastrously, at her parents' country club, where she flopped so aggressively that her parents snuck out. Rivers ran away to Manhattan, ducking out without paying hotel bills and living with a boyfriend for a while before returning to her family home.

In 1961, she came here, joining

See KOGAN on Page B8

CELEBRITIES

Creator's real vision of 'X-Files' film drops

FROM NEWS SERVICES

We don't know what they were hiding, but the original director's cut of the "X-Files" movie, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn" is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. This is an X-rated version and the real vision of "The X-Files" creator, Chris Carter.

It plumbs a darker universe that explores a real-life Dr. Frankenstein. Fans of the 2008 movie can compare as the original film is also streaming.

Carter says he always tried to mix up the elements in “The X-Files.”

“That was the signature of the show was we would do a mythology episode, and then you could do a monster-of-the-week episode, and then you can do a comedy episode and go right back to a mythology episode. And it worked. And the audience went with you week to week, and the thing we became known for was our range, how the show could come right back to shape — to its original concept. We did that always in the run of the original series.”

Venice festival adds documentary: The Venice film festival has added a new documentary about the civilian toll of the Israel-Hamas war to its lineup. "NAZA," from two of the filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," will screen in the main competition, festival organizers said Monday.

According to the synopsis, the film was shot at night on Tel Aviv rooftops and focuses on the killings of Palestinian civilians. Israeli filmmakers

Chris Carter has released "The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Vrach Frankenshteyn." WILLY SANJUAN/INVISION 2016

Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor co-directed “Naza,” which was produced by The Guardian and filmmakers behind “The Zone of Interest.” It’s the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion, the festival’s highest prize.

Abraham and Szor were two of the four directors of the 2025 best documentary Oscar winner “No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military.

'Spider-Man'hangs on to top spot: "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" fought off a slew of newcomers — including a comedy, a horror franchise, a Jason Statham action movie and a family flick — to maintain its first-place spot at the box office in its fourth weekend in theaters. "The Odyssey" also became Christopher Nolan's highest grossing movie ever, both domestically and internationally.

For the year, “The Odyssey” is second only to “Spider-Man,” which added \$39 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Spider-Man” has made over \$854.9 million in North America.

“Insidious: Out of the Further,” the franchise’s sixth installment, was the second-biggest movie of the weekend, earning \$25.3 million. Third place went to “The Odyssey,” which has become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It added \$19.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, bringing its domestic total to just under \$539.1 million. Its worldwide total is now \$1.4 billion.

“Mutiny,” starring Statham, opened in sixth place with \$7.5 million. The comedy “Spa Weekend” made an estimated \$3.1 million to land in ninth. Family fare “The Magic Faraway Tree” opened outside of the top 10 with \$1.4 million.

Aug. 25 birthdays: Actor Tom Skerritt is 93. Singer Walter Williams is 83.
Bassist Gene Simmons is 77. Musician Elvis Costello is 72. Director Tim Burton is 68. Actor Ashley Crow is 66. Chef Rachael Ray is 58. Singer Jo Dee Messina is 56. Actor Alexander Skarsgård is 50. Actor Kel Mitchell is 48. Actor Rachel Bilson is 45. Actor Blake Lively is 39.

Years after dad's death, daughter tells mother her love's skin-deep

R. Eric Thomas ASKING ERIC

Dear Eric: My husband died by his own hand more than 20 years ago. We had three kids younger than 15. I was devastated, but I had to keep going to maintain some normalcy for them. I went back to school, got a job, sent kids to college, et cetera.

Then came a bombshell a few years ago. My youngest said I have never been there for her, that I only communicate with her with small talk and that emails are just a place for me to tell her what I've been doing. (Isn't that what emails are for?)

She said I didn't tell her I loved her, didn't help enough with her wedding, used her kids for Facebook posts, that I favored one child over her and that I don't visit her and her family enough. (I live more than 1,200 miles away). She says she's so happy that her mother-in-law is there for her since I'm not.

She says our relationship is only skin-deep and that's not what she wants. She's happy with her little bubble of friends.

No matter what I say or do, it's wrong, and she tears into me again. I think a lot of this is coming from her "therapist." I'm at wit's end of what to do. I think maybe we should just be estranged. It would save us both some grief and angst every time an email arrives.

I wouldn't even feel welcome right now if I should go to visit. Any advice?

— Unwelcome Mother

Dear Mother: I'm sorry for the terrible loss you experienced, and I'm sorry you're navigating this traumatic period with your daughter. It's possible that some of this is a result of unresolved grief with which she's struggling, but it's hard to tell since she won't engage with you and only lobs criticism.

It's clear this relationship needs a reset. To your point, it may be helpful for you to give yourself some space for a time, as what you've heard from her has been hurtful.

She told you that the relationship you have is not what she wants. Although she's listed ways that she feels you've wronged her in the past, I'm curious if she is able to identify things that you both could do differently moving forward.

The past can be overwhelming, and it's clear that you have different perspectives on it.

You might say something like, “I’m sorry for my part in what went wrong in the past. I’d like to work through it, eventually, but it will be easier to do that if we set a different course for the future. What are one or two actionable changes that we can commit to?”

The past can be overwhelming, and it's clear that you have different perspectives on it. The advice isn't to ignore the past, but the past can't be solved in a day.

Tomorrow can only be different, however, if you and she can agree to work toward it together.

Dear Eric: I would like to add something to your response to “Property Brothers,” the parents who must move closer to medical providers. Both of their sons want them to build a home on their property. Your answer addressing the emotional aspect is fine.

I'm a financial adviser. The following must be addressed to avoid a potential falling out between their sons and to protect their own estate.

They must have a written, legal document that states if the son on whose property they build their dwelling divorces, dies or sells his property, there is language that addresses how the parents are compensated.

When they die and if they have substantial assets, the other son will be compensated for assets that are equivalent to the amount of the home. If there are no assets other than the home, how will the son with the dwelling on his property compensate his brother?

— Property Protection

Dear Property: Thank you for this addendum. That's a very helpful insight that will, hopefully, save the family from future strife.

Dear Eric: Boy, can I relate to Time After Time," whose spouse was always late. I'm the late one in my marriage.

Yes, it drives my husband nuts, and he does see it as an insult. After years of this conflict, I figured out a solution that has worked for us: instead of focusing on what time the event starts, I ask, "What time do you want to leave?"

That way my husband sets the time, and I make sure I am ready to go in time to leave when he wants to. It has worked very well for us.

— Time Challenged

Dear Time: Thanks for writing in. I like this reframing because it prioritizes communication, and in asking the question, you indicate to your husband that though you may be late, you're trying to be considerate of his time as well.

Send questions to eric@askingeric.com.

Copyright 2026. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency

Shea Hopkins, from left, Will Leonard, Corey Barlow and Emma Dunlop in "Vape! The Grease Parody" at the Apollo Theater in Chicago. MICHAEL BROSILOW

'VAPE!' from Page B7

Southern California, Olivia Newton-John made little attempt to disguise her native Australian accent and the teenagers were played by actors who would have looked long in the tooth in grad school.

Much fun is had with that here by the hilarious Suzanne Sole, the most mature Rizzo you ever did see. ("She's not pregnant! It was just menopause!").

Sandy (Jenna Smith, who can really sing the part) washes up like an Aussie mermaid on the California shore, a lengthy piece of business mostly there just so the show can have Danny say, “you’re so sandy,” which I thought was just inspired.

"There I was, walking on the beach," recounts Will Leonard's greaser Danny.

"Pre-Dianetics." (Get it?)

“I’m already a cliche!,” Sandy laments. “I’ve never been mellow. I’ve never even tried.”

Other creative amusements here include “Greased Lightnin” rendered as a Prius (“Go, keep charging!”), and the lyrics to “Hopelessly Devoted to You” being changed to “I’m hopelessly gaslighted by you.” As for the treatment of “Born to Hand Jive,” well, family newspaper here, folks.

The Pink Ladies are all funny, too. “We’re rebels,” they say, “but for some reason we religiously attend all school functions.”

I have fond memories of the old Annoyance Theatre parodies with the likes of Susan Messing. The ensemble actress Sophia would be right at home in “Messing with a Friend.” I only wish “Vape! were staged in bit

smaller a venue so all the gags about talented actors being stuck in a basement parody would better land, but the design from David Goldstein certainly makes the Apollo an immersive joint. Rydell High Cornball and all.

So, more power to “Vape!,” the kind of show that brings an Edinburgh Fringe Festival experience to Chicago without Chicago having the bother of flying to Scotland.

It's directed by Jack Plotnick, who helmed "Disaster!" on Broadway, only to find himself involved in one. But "Vape!" very much has its feet on the ground.

Hometown title too! Did I mention Patty Simcox is played by a puppet and is a loyal member of Conspiracy Theorists of America?

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@chicagotribune.com

KOGAN

from Page B7

the cast of the then-new Second City. She would appear in two months-long revues, "Six of One" and "Alarums and Excursions," and often hung out at the Playboy mansion. "I really was born as a comedian at Second City," she would later say.

Back in New York, she became part of the comic crowd performing at The Duplex, a Greenwich Village club, along with such future stars as Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby and Dangerfield. Female comics were rare at the time (and, frankly, still are). As one writer put it then, “women in nightclubs were either audience members or cocktail waitresses.”

But Rivers worked tirelessly, sometimes paying Dangerfield to write jokes for her, and creating her trademark line, “Can we talk?” There are decades of her material typed onto 3-by-5 index cards in a filing cabinet, systematically organized into hundreds of topics that emerged as defining themes in her

career. You can see this at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. There are nearly 70,000 original jokes.

Her contemporaries felt her talent. One night after she bombed on stage, Lenny Bruce, her comedy hero, sent her a note: "You're right and they're wrong."

And then Johnny Carson came with an offer to be on his “Tonight Show” in the so-called “death slot,” the last 10 minutes of the show. That was Feb. 17, 1965. At the end of her routine, Carson said on air, “God, you’re funny. You are going to be a star.”

That was, she would say, "a miraculous, instantaneous career turnaround."

There were big-time bookings in Las Vegas and elsewhere, a new self-confidence, real stardom. Carson was her champion and friend. He even introduced her to the man who became her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, a British producer and the father of their daughter Melissa.

By the 1980s, she was Carson's permanent guest host, filling in on “The Tonight Show” eight weeks a year and widely considered his heir apparent. But the then-new Fox network offered her a late-night show of her own in 1986, and she grabbed it. Carson considered this a betrayal. "The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers" was a disaster, lasting only seven months, but it marked the first time a woman would host a late-night network television talk show.

Her life crumbled. In addition to the death of the show, her husband died by suicide. Their daughter, Melissa, blamed her mother.

Rivers then discovered she was broke. She had earned millions of dollars, but Rosenberg had wasted the wealth on bad investments, leaving her \$37 million in debt, and her opportunities seemingly nonexistent.

She started over, invented new opportunities for herself, working like a maniac in her 60s, 70s and into her 80s. She became a cultural icon, an influential trailblazer and a business powerhouse.

Among her many late-career triumphs, she and her daughter Melissa created the concept of red carpet pre-show for E! Entertainment Television, where she also hosted “Fash-

Comedian Joan Rivers was the newest addition to the cast of "Six of One," a satirical musical revue at Second City in Old Town, Sept. 26, 1961. CHICAGO TRIBUNE ARCHIVE PHOTO

ion Police," gave wicked critiques of celebrity couture at the Oscars and Golden Globes, won Season

2 of “Celebrity Apprentice,” sold all manner of items as one of the first salespeople on QVC, wrote bestselling memoirs and continued to draw big crowds in Vegas and here.

I reviewed her stand-up show a couple of times and interviewed her in the late 1980s. She was always frank and funny. She was, as before and ever after, a model of resilience and a total pro. Though some of her material still revolved around what I called “the shopping-marriage-axis,” she played energetically off our fascination with celebrities.

But there is no question that Rivers blazed trails for other women in the comedy industry by bringing taboo topics onstage. It is hard to believe that there would be a Sarah Silverman without Joan Rivers.

Interesting to note, too, is that since being banned by Carson so long ago, Rivers never appeared on the “Tonight Show” when it was hosted by Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. She didn’t appear on the show again until Jimmy Fallon broke the 28-year ban, six months before her death. Sitting next to Russell Crowe and, using the vernacular of the comedy world, she killed.

What to watch TUESDAY

August 25, 2026

All times Central. Start times can vary based on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on your on-screen guide.

'Food Network's Top 10' Marathon

Food Network, 7 a.m.

Enjoy a three-episode marathon of this countdown series beginning with “Burgers,” where a roster of Food Network chefs, including Jeff Mauro, Amanda Freitag and Michael Voltaggio, count down 10 of America’s most iconic patties, from a no-frills classic served up in a New York City tavern to a Latin-inspired smash burger in Miami. Following is “Sweets,” where chefs like Duff Goldman, Yolanda Gampp and Amanda Freitag bring serious pastry firepower and zero apologies for their sugar-fueled passion as they count down the 10 most indulgent, jaw-dropping, sinfully delicious sweets in America. The morning marathon concludes with “Pizza.” In this episode, chefs like Antonia Lofaso and Andrew Zimmern rank 10 of America’s most crave-worthy pies. Expect hot takes, expert insight and passionate opinions on what makes a truly great pizza, from wood-fired classics to a square Detroit-style pie.

TLC

Jeopardy! Masters ABC, 7 p.m. ■ Season Premiere

The fourth annual Jeopardy! Masters tournament has elite players Yogesh Raut, Juveria Zaheer, Victoria Groce, Paolo Pasco, Andrew He and Long Nguyen facing off for the \$500,000 grand prize. Ken Jennings hosts.

Kitchen Nightmares FOX, 7 p.m.

Gordon Ramsay finds Italian restaurant Café Notte on the verge of collapse. Ramsay steps in to help with unresolved tension between the head chef and his stepson before it destroys both the business and their family.

Beat Shazam

FOX, 8 p.m.

Yoga besties and forensic scientists challenge a team of Beat Shazam superfans who have auditioned every season in the new episode "8th Time's a Charm!" Jamie Foxx hosts with cohost and deejay Corinne Foxx.

American Masters

PBS, 8 p.m. (KETC St. Louis, 9 p.m.) Shaped by a solitary childhood and rising literary fame, Mary Oliver published more than 30 collections of poetry and essays on nature, beauty and the journey toward love. In “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World,” notable voices like Stephen Colbert, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Lucy Dacus and others share how Oliver’s work resonates today.

CATCH A CLASSIC Summer Under the Stars: Bonita Granville TCM, beginning at 5 a.m.

Bonita Granville makes her Summer Under the Stars debut with a day that looks back at her years as one of Hollywood's busiest young actresses. Granville appeared on-stage as a young child before making her movie debut at age 9 in 1932's Westward Passage. Early on, she tended to get roles as a troublesome child, as evidenced in The Beloved Brat (1938), which is part of the evening lineup, as well as These Three (1936), William Wyler's drama based on Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour, with Granville as the schoolgirl whose lie causes devastating consequences. The day also features several entries from her best-known role in the Nancy Drew franchise, including 1938's Nancy Drew... Detective (pictured), Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939), Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939).

WARNER BROS.

1,000-Lb. Roomies TLC, 9 p.m. ■ Season Premiere

The new season finds best friends and roommates Jaz and Nesha navigating life's highs and lows while continuing their health journeys. As Jaz focuses on regaining her independence and taking important steps forward in her recovery, an exciting new romantic connection has her wondering whether love may finally be on the horizon. Meanwhile, Nesha pursues new opportunities, including launching her event planning business, hosting a speed-dating event and confronting the lasting impact of growing up in a religious cult.

MOVIES YOU'LL LOVE

'Inside Out'
PIXAR

Couples Retreat (2009, Comedy) Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman Paramount, 5 p.m.

Troy (2004, Adventure) Brad Pitt, Eric Bana SYFY, 5:30 p.m.

Goodfellas (1990, Crime drama) Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta AMC, 6 p.m.

A Few Good Men (1992, Drama) Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson BBC America, 7 p.m.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024, Action) Will Smith, Martin Lawrence FX, 7 p.m.

Poetic Justice (1993, Romance-comedy) Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur VH1, 7 p.m.

Inside Out (2015, Children) Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith Freeform, 8 p.m.

Jurassic World (2015, Adventure) Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard TNT, 8 p.m.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011, Action) Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel SYFY, 8:30 p.m.

Switched Before Birth (2021, Drama) Skyler Samuels, Bo Yokely LMN, 9 p.m.

Baby Boy (2001, Drama) Tyrese Gibson, Omar Gooding VH1, 9:30 p.m.

The Housemaid (2025, Suspense) Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried Starz, 9:55 p.m.

Kong: Skull Island (2017, Adventure) Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson TNT, 10:30 p.m.

From the editors of TV Weekly and tvinsider.com

StayTuned | 500+MOVIES What2Watch All Month Long!

Michael Fassbender stars in "The Agency." There's no plan for a new season. PARAMOUNT+

TV Q&A

Will CIA drama ‘Agency’ come in from cold for another season?

By Rich Heldenfels TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Q: I recently binge-watched "The Agency" on Paramount+ and was so impressed with not only how smartly the show is written and scripted but also the caliber of the cast, including Michael Fassebender, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere and more. I'm surprised as to how little I've heard about this show and the lack of advertising or press the show gets for being such a tremendous powerhouse of smart TV. Are there plans for Season 3 or 4?

A: Based on the French drama “The Bureau” (2015-20), the CIA drama has not gone unnoticed. There are dozens of reviews, and the consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is generally favorable. But where the earlier series ran five seasons, as of early August there was no confirmation about “The Agency” continuing.

Q: Will there be a second season of "Dutton Ranch"? It is a very good follow-up to "Yellowstone."
A: The drama starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser was picked up for a second season in late June. But there has been some off-camera drama.

Ed Harris, who plays Everett McKinney on the show, told Variety that he expected to be one of the four main characters on the show but felt frustrated that his part was “underused and inconsequential.” He considered leaving the show but will be back in Season 2.

And while series master-mind Taylor Sheridan was said to be unhappy with Harris' comments, he will give the actor more screen time in the second season.

Q: Will there be more of "Hightown"?
A: The drama star-ring Monica Raymund ("Chicago Fire") ended in 2024 after three seasons.

Q: Do you know the title of a movie from the late '40s/ early '50s with this basic plot: U.S. Army intelligence wants false information given to the enemy by misinforming one of their own whom they feel will give up the information when interrogated. She falls in love with the man she chooses to send on the mission. Movie ends with a trial to find a traitor involved in the plot.

A: While some of the details don't match perfectly, the closest I can find is a 1960 movie called "Circle of

Deception," with Bradford Dillman and Suzy Parker, and directed by Jack Lee. Not to be confused with a 2021 movie of the same name, the older movie is on YouTube.

Q: Why do Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and occasionally Jimmy Kimmel use foul language in their shows? The networks mute the sound but leave the words on the screen with certain letters blocked out, but you know what they are.
A: This question comes up often about not only the late-night hosts but pretty much everything on TV. With broadcast programs the FCC has some oversight of language, which explains why words are muted or bleeped on the shows you mentioned, but across TV more broadly (including cable and streaming) you can hear a lot of uncensored talk. As for why, well, the culture has changed and raw language is more common across the board.

Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write to Rich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com. Letters may be edited.

IN EVERY ISSUE! \$3.99/Month CALL: 888-899-9992 Mention code: tune1

Crossword

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

By Stella Zawistowski. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved.

ACROSS 1 "It's a __!" ("Easy!") 5 Storage cupboard 10 Branch of Islam 14 60-minute period 15 Amusing quality 16 Church song 17 Israeli dance 18 Style of cartoon films 19 Apple tablet 20 "Shape of My Heart" band: 2 wds. 23 "__ the season!" 24 "__ does it!" 25 Used a polishing stone on 29 Angry fan's shout 30 Author Jenny 33 Food between meals 34 Blue-roofed restaurant 36 Facebook's owner 37 Brings on staff 38 Viscous stuff 39 Stage platform 40 Not very much: 2 wds. 41 Falsehoods 42 Historic computer

43 Moisten
44 Companion animal
45 Obvious statements
47 Laughing sounds: 2 wds.
49 Special __
50 Erupting in anger: 3 wds.
57 Singer Del Rey
58 Simplifies
59 Cool summer treats
61 ____ the moon
62 Journalist's bias
63 Actress Seehorn
64 Medieval poet
65 Audiocassettes
66 Theater prize

DOWN 1 "Be quiet!" 2 Beginner gamer 3 Subtle glow 4 Got ready to perform 5 Sliding ballet step 6 Try to track down 7 Mideastern ruler 8 Inexact amount 9 "Rock-a-bye baby" spot 10 __lnu (dog breed)

11 Scientific proposal 12 "Ask me later": 2 wds. 13 No ifs, _, or buts 21 Soccer moves 22 Albeit, briefly 25 "Yeah right!" 26 Come together 27 Distance runner 28 0-9 numeral 29 Promote 31 Starting squad 32 DEA officers 35 Soil-turning tool 36 Short fashion option

8/25/26

39 Signs on again
41 Least fatty
44 _ Beta Kappa
46 Beef cuts
48 Oscar or Grammy
50 Shapeless mass
51 Molten rock
52 Fancy party
53 Right away: Abbr.
54 Unit of heredity
55 Reflected sound
56 One between 12 and 20
60 Speak aloud

Horoscopes

If August 25 is your birthday: You could roll into your new personal year with a sense of relief, 2026 so far could have been challenging and may have stirred up some real anxiety and concern. A nice reboot could happen through about the end of September; you

might have less thrown at you during this period.

might have less thrown at you during this period. Aries (March 21-April 19): Today kicks off the two most helpful days remaining in August to launch something or make any kind of major move.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Creatives could be in for an excellent month or so, with plenty of focus and artistic or musical inspiration flowing. You should also have a more pragmatic approach, too. Avoid workplace power plays.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): While today is a powerful day in the Universal sky, your sector of shared resources and finances could include deception or just not getting all theaacts. Cancer (June 21-July 22): Something could be untrue or feel unreliable today, even with someone who's proven themselves. If it's a glitch, let it pass on by.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Relationships need a balance of power to be sustainable. When control is imbalanced over time, resentments can build and ultimately undermine the good things. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You might feel stronger today if you stick with established routines that feel familiar and have proven themselves. Think through something; consider if it's now ready to be talked through.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The power of your mind can understand what's deep within you but staying solely in your mind isn't an ultimate answer.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you can combine sensitivity with force today, that could be an ultimate flex. You might need to push something on the home front but use empathy too. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Apply your mind to your career or other involvements in the world – new thinking could pave a new way. Read the room you're in before you speak out, it could be easy to be tone deaf for a few hours. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): As long as a) you feel clear and not overemotional, b) your fears aren't running your mind, and c) your personal transits are strong, this could be an excellent day for a financial move for future benefit. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Are you intimidating or are they intimidated? It could be either, or both. Assess if you're putting yourself out there the way you want to.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): It could be an excellent day to track the ways you give away your power. You can stop doing it and take back power in every situation you gave it up.

— Magi Helena, Tribune Content Agency

The Argyle Sweater By Scott Hilburn

Bliss By Harry Bliss

Bridge

East-West vulnerable, North deals

Grand Avenue By Mike Thompson

Today's deal is another construction from Australia's Tim Bourke. South would have bid three spades over three hearts with a spade fit. His four-club bid was clearly a cue bid in support of hearts in case partner had ambitions be-

The bidding:

North	East	South	West
1NT	Pass	2♥*	Pass
2♠	Pass	3♥**	Pass
4♣	Pass	4♦	Pass
4♠	Pass	5♦	Pass
6♣	Pass	6♦	Pass
7♥	All pass

*Transfer to spades **5 hearts plus 5 spades Opening lead: Queen of ♣ yond game. North did and a close grand slam was reached. Study the deal and decide how you would play it in seven hearts.

Bourke suggests this: Win the opening club lead with the ace and ruff a diamond with the nine of hearts. Cash the king of hearts to test the trumps. If both opponents follow suit, just draw the trumps and ruff another dia-

mond. If West has four trumps, cash the queen of hearts and lead the four of hearts to dummy's eight if West plays low. It would not help West to play the 10. Ruff another diamond. West is unlikely to have led a singleton queen of clubs against a grand slam, so cross to dummy with the king of clubs, draw the last trump, and claim. If it is East who has four trumps, you will need him to have at least two clubs and one spade, as you will need both black kings as entries to dummy. Nice one!

— Bob Jones Tribune Content Agency

Baby Blues By Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Zits By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Mr. Boffo By Joe Martin

Frazz By Jef Mallett

Classic Peanuts By Charles Schulz
Pickles By Brian Crane

62006 Brian Crane, dist. by Andrews McNeil Syndication

Dick Tracy By Charles Ettinger and Mike Curtis

Animal Crackers By Mike Osbun

Prickly City By Marshall Ramsey

3/25 PRICKLYCITY@GMAIL.COM

dustincomics.com

8/25 © 2026 Wulffmorgenthaler Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication www.gocomics.com

Dustin By Steve Kelley and Jeff Parker

For Better or for Worse By Lynn Johnston

THEY CAN'T TALK, RIGHT? SO THEY CRY-AN'IT CAN TAKE FOREVER BEFORE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHY -AN' SOMETIMES, YOU GOTO GIVE UP!

(1) 2017年，中国银行股份有限公司（以下简称“中国银行”）向中国银行股份有限公司（以下简称“中国银行”）申请的综合授信额度为人民币4.5亿元。
Blondie By Dean Young and John Marshall
08-25 www.fportw.com

© 2020 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. World Rights reserved

Hägar the Horrible By Chris Browne
©2026 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. World rights reserved.

Mutts By Patrick McDonnell

T-25 ©2007 Dana Rodei & Jeff Parker, Del. by Yong Feature Syndicate, Inc.

www.Florde.com

YOU'RE ALWAYS WIPING ONE END OR THE OTHER, WASHING STUFF, CARRYING THEM AROUND — BY THE TIME I GET HOME, IM WASTED!

WuMo By Mikael Wulff and Anders Morgenthaler

What!? He can't shoot people with arrows in the park just because he's cute and has tiny little wings!

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! By Tim Rickard
2018 Maple Canada Agency, LLC, Australia national 03/25

Sherman's Lagoon By Jim Toomey

Broom-Hilda By Russell Myers

Unscramble the four Jumbles, one letter per square, to form four words. Then arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by this cartoon.

Sudoku 1234

8/25

		1				5
	8			7			1
9			6					2
	7	8			4	3
	1		5				2
		3	9			8	5
8					6			3
	4			2			8
		2				7

The image contains a graphical symbol: a black triangle above it and a horizontal line above it. There is no text, mathematical formulas, tables, or figures present in the image.

7	1	6	2	5	9	8	4	3
5	2	4	6	3	8	1	9	7
8	3	9	1	4	7	2	6	5
6	9	8	3	7	1	4	5	2
3	7	2	5	9	4	6	8	1
1	4	5	8	6	2	3	7	9
9	8	7	4	1	3	5	2	6
2	6	1	7	8	5	9	3	4
4	5	3	9	2	6	7	1	8

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box in bold borders contains every digit 1 to 9.

Monday's solutions

By The Mepham Group © 2026. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved.

Jumble

Answer here

Monday's answers

Jumbles: HARSH DRAWN HAPPEN FEMALE

Answer: The alligator was stressed out because he was — SWAMPED.

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved. PlayJumble.com

Crossword

8/25

Across

1 Cherry centers
5 Eco-friendly commuting option
9 Big blowout
14 2026's "The Odyssey," for one
15 Workplace inspection org.
16 Pry bar, e.g.
17 *Broad-brimmed topper made of straw
19 New Zealand native
20 Olympic swimmer Torres
21 Mauna :: Hawaiian volcano slightly taller than Mauna Loa
23 Soapy tub gunk
24 *Dry-cured meats from Smithfield
28 Bartending tool
30 Chatted privately online, for short
31 Greek god of war
32 Owlet's home

Monday's solution

By Victor Fleming. Edited by Patti Varol. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

35 Smells
38 Steeped beverage
39 *Seattle NFL player
41 French "yes"
42 Coffeehouse flavor
44 Use a keyboard
45 Torso bones
46 Will beneficiary
48 Art studio stands
50 *Joe Biden's vice president
54 Grew older
55 Grumpy pal
56 Respiratory organ
59 Lost color
61 Puzzle solver's breakthrough, or what the answers to the starred clues have in common
65 Maker of soccer and rugby gear
66 Part in a film
67 Big birds of Australia
68 Fluff, as hair
69 Raggedy Ann, e.g.
70 Nothing to write home about

Down

1__talk: motivational chat
2 Apple tablet since 2010
3 Writer/actress Fey
4 Woolen wraps
5 Feathery wrap
6 Sorta
7 Tan kin
8 Gobbled up
9 Racial justice movement letters

10 Like a dog who's ready for a walk
11 Healthy fat with a high smoke point
12 Skin care product
13 Cuts back a bit
18 Major water pipe
22 Provide support
25 Russo of "Major League"
26 "Awesome!"
27 Totally wild
28 Creme-filled sandwich
29 French dessert with fruit and ice cream
31 Drive-thru device
33 Timid
34 Slender candle
36 Massages
37 Bro kin
39 Catamaran feature
40 _ and tear
43 Web page banners
45 Job applicants' submissions
47 "Awesome!"
49 Rural storage tower
50 Broken beyond repair
51 Athlete's best effort
52 Accumulate excessively
53 "Bless you" preceder
57 Reef-dwelling Pixar character
58 African antelopes
60 Female deer
62 _-purpose flour
63 Blanc who voiced Bugs
64 Chinese menu general

Trivia Bits

The NBA's Toronto Raptors moved to Toronto from what city?
A) Buffalo, New York
B) Memphis, Tennessee
C) Vancouver, British Columbia
D) None; they were an expansion team
Monday's answer: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was a 1983 hit for Bonnie Tyler.
© 2026 Leslie Elman. Dist. by Creators.com

Jumble Crossword

8-25-26

ACROSS
DOWN

1. Caravan	NYOCOV
5. Courage	RVNEE
6. Disturb	SEUTP
7. Tranquil	NEERSE

CLUE

1. Small finch	CYRNAA
2. Foster	RNERUTU
3. Supervise	EEEVSOR
4. Mickey ____	LTMNAE

How to play - Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble
CLUE: At age 23, he competed in the 1953 Mr. Universe contest.

ANSWERKS: 1A-Corvoy 5A-Nerve 6A-Upest 7A-Serene 1D-Canary 2P-Nurture 3D-Oversee 4D-Marble B-Sean Conery By David L. Hoyt. Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung für Kürzürgen, Anschaffung der Gesellschaft von den Kürzürgen und Kürzürgen, Anschaffung der Gesellschaft von den Kürzürgen und Kürzürgen, Anschaffung der Gesellschaft von den Kürzürgen und Kürzürgen, Anschaffung der Gesellschaft von den Kürzürgen und Kürzürgen, Anschaffung der Gesellschaft von den Kürzürgen und Kürzürgen,

An extra array of word games, search and Jumble. Want more? Play online at PlayJumble.com

Scan QR code to play online.

SUDOKU

BOGGLE

	7	1				3
9			7	6				4
	5						1
			6		8
5	4						7	9
			4		5
	3					4	9
8				1	9			5
		9				6	8

© 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Level 1 2 3 4

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit from 1 to 9. For strategies on solving Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.

4	7	1	9	5	2	3	6	8
9	8	3	7	6	1	2	5	4
6	5	2	8	3	4	9	1	7
3	1	7	6	9	8	5	4	2
5	4	6	1	2	3	8	7	9
2	9	8	4	7	5	1	3	6
7	3	5	2	8	6	4	9	1
8	6	4	3	1	9	7	2	5
1	2	9	5	4	7	6	8	3

11/9/22

INSTRUCTIONS: Find as many words as you can by linking letters up, down, side-to-side and diagonally, writing words on a blank sheet of paper. You may only use each letter box once within a single word. Play with a friend and compare word finds, crossing out common words.

BOGGLE is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. 3-5-25 © 2025 Hasbro, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved www.bogglebrainbusters.com

BOGGLE $^{2}$ POINT SCALE	YOUR BOGGLE $^{2}$ RATING
3 letters = 1 point	151+ = Champ
4 letters = 2 points	101-150 = Expert
5 letters = 3 points	61-100 = Pro
6 letters = 4 points	31-60 = Gamer
7 letters = 6 points	21-30 = Rookie
8 letters = 10 points	11-20 = Amateur
9+ letters = 15 points	0-10 = Try again

Boggle BrainBusters Bonus We put special brain-busting words into the grid of letters. Can you find them? Find AT LEAST SIX LAND FORMATIONS in the grid of letters.

WordWheel

DATE HILL GLEN VALER KNOUL RAVINE

Insert the missing letter to complete an eight-letter word reading clockwise or counterclockwise. ©2020 Knight Features, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency 1/20

©2020 Knight Features. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. 1/20

WORD SEARCH

Wordsearch: Entertainers

1337

Can you find all the words hidden in the grid? Read backwards or forwards, up or down, or diagonally. The words will always be in a straight line. Cross them off the list as you find them.

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ACROBAT ACTOR BARD BUSKER CLOWN COMEDIAN CONJURER DANCER DRUMMER ENTERTAINER

FIRE EATER HARLEQUIN ILLUSIONIST IMPRESSIONIST JESTER JUGGLER MAGICIAN MIME MIND READER MINSTREL

MUSICIAN PERFORMER PIPER PUPPETEER RINGMASTER SINGER STORYTELLER TUMBLER VOCALIST WRESTLER

TV CROSSWORD

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

3/21/21

ACROSS

ACROSS 1 Thompson or Samms 5 Series for Missy Peregrym 8 Unfair slant 9 Name for a Beattle 12 Kennedy & Byrne 13 Dan, Darlene or D.J. 14 Colony bugs 15 "The Big _ Theory" 16 "The _ Couple" 18 "Mike Hammer, Private _ " 19 Dad on "Little People, Big World" 20 Region 21 "The _ Housewives of Beverly Hills" 23 "12 _ Men"; film for Henry Fonda 24 Word attached to road or way 25 "The Blind _"; Sandra Bullock movie 26 Oak tree dropping 28 Actor Stonestreet 29 "All _ Go to Heaven" 30 Auction lover's site 32 "On Our _" (1994-95) 35 " _ Tree Hill"

36 “__ Man”; film for Robert Downey Jr. 37 Santa's greeting 38 Randy or Nancy 40 “The __ Chase”; John Houseman series 41 Bartender on “The Love Boat” 42 Robert of “The Sopranos” 43 Ortiz of “Ugly Betty” 44 Actor Richard

DOWN

1 Dark wood 2 “__’ Neighborhood” (1968-2001) 3 West and others 4 Long-eared animal 5 “All Quiet on the Western __” 6 “Going My Way” star 7 Traveler’s stop 10 Role on “Young Sheldon” 11 “Law & __” 12 Actress Charlotte __ 13 Felix or Garfield 15 Lucy Ricardo’s portrayer 17 Doris or Dennis 19 “The __ Event”; Streisand movie 20 “The King ____”; film for Deborah Kerr 22 All ____; listening 23 Light, as meringue 25 Astin or Lennon 26 Hullabaloo 27 Actor Tom __ 30 Durance of “Smallville” 31 Derek & Diddley 33 “Car 54, __ Are You?” 34 And not 36 Lendl of tennis 37 Alan of “Gilligan’s Island” 39 Battery size 40 Porky or Babe

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ARROW WORDS

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Answer: The sculpture of the presidents at Hrumore's 1,278 acre park is — AT THE "FOUR-FRONT"

Jumboles: USURP TAFFY OUTRAN ADOIN

Fill in the grid using the clues provided in the direction of the arrows. When complete, unscramble the letters in the circles to reveal a mystery word.

Big laugh ▼ Arabia ▼1 Out of kiter ▼ Navigation gizmo ▼ Type of drum ▼ Sparkle ▼ Joker portrainer Cesar Easy mark ▶ ▼ Phishing objective ▼ Econ. indicator ▼ Sports squad ▼ Master lead-in Some red wines ▼ ▶ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Move slowly ▼ One of the Pandas 'Was that us?' Ballet position ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Jet type Toast topping ▼ ▶ ▼ ▼ 5 Song syllables ▼ Double-platinum Steely Dan album ▼ 6 ▼ ▼ Bygone bird Boomers' Kids ▼ Whole bunch Stanley Cup.org ▼ ▼ Chiang ____shek Chico, e.g. Cardinal cap letters ▼ ▼ In a mild manner ▼ ▼ Colorful carp Vinyl records ▼ ▶ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Prime purchases ____Recently ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Metaphor, for one ▼ 9 ▼ Online commerce ▼ ▼ ▼ Give help ▼

©2024 Knight Features. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

2/10/24

KIDNEWS FUN & GAMES

Sports

PAGE 1 | SECTION C | TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

CUBS

Steele sets his sights on return

Counsell cautions lefty has a ways to go

By Meghan Montemurro CHICAGO TRIBUNE

PHOENIX — Left-hander Justin Steele had this Cubs series in Arizona circled for a while.

Steele's journey to get back to the Cubs following April 2025 elbow surgery hit a setback this spring when he suffered a flexor strain, significantly prolonging the rehab process.

Steele is around the team this week during the Cubs' three-game series against the Diamondbacks as he moves closer to getting back into major-league action. He said he recovered well after his first live batting practice last week and has been playing catch every day since then without issue.

Steele is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday and Friday at the team's complex in Mesa, and indicated he could then begin a rehab assignment.

"It's been a long road and feels really good to get towards the end of that tunnel," Steele said Monday. "You see how the team's playing, you just want to get back and help."

Steele believes it's "absolutely" realistic to think about pitching for the Cubs this season.

"As soon as we had the setback, we were having those thoughts of what makes the most sense, and we ended up deciding coming back in a bullpen role made the most sense," Steele said. "I wasn't going to have enough time to get stretched out to be a starter in an impactful way. So we just leaned towards the bullpen role and was able to build up quick."

Steele, who anticipates not getting built up beyond 2-3 innings, will require a lengthy rehab stint since he hadn't reached that point when the setback happened four months ago.

That was made clear Monday by manager Craig Counsell. He cautioned that Steele still has a ways to go before he pitches in the majors this season.

"I think we need to get him pitching in (rehab) games first — I don't want to skip steps here, we're not going to skip steps," Counsell said Monday. "He rightfully should be at a place where that is what his head should be on, but we have a lot of steps to go before we get there.

"I mean, he hasn't pitched in an affiliated game in almost two years, so let's get him pitching in an affiliated game, and I think we can understand that he's going to have to pitch in multiple games before he's ready."

The Cubs aren't at the point where they can confidently count on Steele, 31, for late September and, they hope, the postseason. But the potential availability of Steele, particularly in the postseason where the focus is on collective outs from the

See CUBS on Page C3

UPNEXT Cubs at Diamondbacks 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, Marquee

White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami runs on the field before the first inning against the Rangers at Rate Field on Monday. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Time to step up

Sox need more consistency from Murakami, Montgomery in stretch run

Paul Sullivan IN THE WAKE OF THE NEWS

The White Sox wouldn't be where they are without Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery.

But to get to where they want to go, they're going to need a lot more consistency from those two sluggers down the stretch.

The Sox entered a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Monday with a 3 $\frac{1}{2}$ game lead

UP NEXT Rangers at White Sox 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, CHSN

over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, and remained in the No. 2 spot in the AL seeding thanks to the subpar showing of the AL West teams.

The Rangers and Houston Astros were tied Monday with records of 65-66, and chances are good the Sox could meet one of them in the AL Division Series. The Sox can't overlook any team, obviously, but neither the Rangers, Astros nor Toronto

Blue Jays would be considered a major obstacle in a best-of-five series.

Everything is breaking the Sox way so far, and their playoff chances are greatly enhanced by the likelihood of avoiding an AL East team until the AL Championship Series. They're in the fight to the finish, and their fans appear to be joining in ... if Sunday's upper deck brawl at Rate Field is any indication.

General manager Chris Getz believes this Sox team can do some damage in the postseason, even with holes in the rotation and behind the plate.

Of course, they have to get there first, and that's why the

Sox need their best players to start hitting like they can. With 31 games remaining after Monday, patience is not a viable option.

Murakami and Montgomery were a combined 2-for-29 in the series win over the New York Mets, and both have been struggling since the All-Star break. Montgomery was hitting .194 with a major-league-worst 39.1% strikeout rate since the break, while Murakami was hitting .208 with a 33.3% strikeout rate over that span.

The Sox have managed to maintain their slim lead without

See SULLIVAN on Page C3

Bears roster puzzle beginning to come into focus

What are biggest battles before Sunday's cuts?

Brad Biggs ON THE BEARS

Coaches and front-office personnel spent a good chunk of Monday in the bunker at Halas Hall as the Chicago Bears zero in on evaluations for roster choices that will be due within hours of Saturday's preseason finale at Tennessee.

The bulk of the decisions have been well-shaped for a few weeks, and players on the edge of a roster

PRESEASON FINALE

PRESEASON FINALL Bears at Titans 5 p.m. Saturday, Fox-32 ■ Season opener: Bears at Panthers, noon Sept. 13, Fox-32

spot — or a spot on the 16-man practice squad — are running out of precious time to make a statement.

The Bears will practice Tuesday afternoon and have a shorter session Wednesday before departing for Nashville, Tenn. They will have a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, a walk-through Friday and then the league's final preseason game at 5 p.m. Saturday — exactly 24 hours before the roster must be trimmed to 53 players.

"We have some work we want to end up cleaning up before going into next week," coach Ben Johnson said Saturday night after a 27-9 loss in Cincinnati. "That's the beautiful thing about it is it's going to be a bit of a rinse and repeat with a different opponent. We'll go on the road again and get a good joint practice in with a team that's got a lot of good talent.

"It'll be good for us to finish a little bit of this training camp and make sure we are ready for Week 1."

Getting ready for the regular season is what it's all about, and joint practices have become a popular tool for coaches to sharpen the edge with players and for front offices to make necessary evaluations. The Bears-Titans joint session will be the 23rd

See BIGGS on Page C6

Bears offensive linemen Kiran Amegadjie (72), Jedrick Wills Jr. (71), and Jordan McFadden (74) warm up during training camp at Halas Hall on July 29 in Lake Forest. STACEY WESCOTT/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

	Team	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	BEARS					@TEN (exh.) | 5 p.m. | Fox-32
	CUBS	@ARI | 8:40 p.m. | Marquee	@ARI | 2:40 p.m. | Marquee		CIN | 1:20 p.m. | Marquee	CIN | 1:20 p.m. | Marquee
	WHITE SOX	TEX | 6:40 p.m. | CHSN	TEX | 6:40 p.m. | CHSN		@MIN | 7:10 p.m. | CHSN	@MIN | 1:10 p.m. | CHSN
	SKY	@CON | 6 p.m. | The U				@NY | noon | CBS-2
	FIRE					@SEA | 3:30 p.m. | Apple TV
	STARS					@DEN | 7:45 p.m. | lon

Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, from left, forward-center Azurá Stevens and guard Skylar Diggins listen to head coach Tyler Marsh in a huddle during a timeout in the third quarter against the Tempo at Wintrust Arena on May 27. JOSH BOLAND/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

SKY

Playoff drought reaches three straight seasons

By Julia Poe

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

For the third season in a row, the Chicago Sky will not compete in the WNBA playoffs.

It happened, rather fittingly, with yet another beatdown at the hands of the Indiana Fever, a team that has defeated the Sky the last nine times the two teams have met. The Sky spent the last week teetering on the edge, racking up a few last-gasp wins to hold off the looming inevitability of their own elimination. Now, the reality is settling in.

Missing the postseason once was a disappointment. Twice was a frustration. But the third consecutive missed postseason suggests a pattern of mismanagement and missed opportunities that has come to define the Sky under new ownership and leadership.

Although there are still six perfunctory games left to play out — which will take almost five more weeks due to the awkward timing of the FIBA World Cup break — now is as good a time as any to begin a postmortem on another wasted Sky season.

General manager Jeff Pagliocca has never wanted to lose. His insistence on winning is why the Sky overhauled the roster in earnest during each recent offseason, giving up a bevy of draft capital in the process. Like many aspects of the Sky's failure, this ethos is rooted in a genuine desire to do good. This single-gear "win now" mode of operation is driven by a fundamental belief that Chicago can and should be a top competitor every season. But winning with immediacy and urgency is much easier said than done.

This year, the Sky's biggest investments were also their greatest disappointments. Azurá Stevens, the franchise's marquee signing worth just over \$1 million a year, barely cracked a 10-point average while missing nearly a quarter of the season due to injuries and personal concerns. Skylar Diggins, the front office's focal point in a truncated free-agency period, played only 19 games before publicly criticizing team leadership and holding out on the sidelines with a lingering knee injury. Rickea Jackson appeared to be the trade payoff the Sky had been seeking for several seasons, only to blow her knee four games in. Jacy Sheldon, the subject of a much-maligned trade that sent away yet another natural first-round draft pick, slid out of the starting lineup.

In a season defined by all this losing, it's easy to lose track of what did work. Courtney Vandersloot successfully returned from ACL surgery at age 37 to average five assists per game. Sydney Taylor logged one of the best rookie performances in the entire league, dropping buzzer-beater game winners and racking up a 14.2 points per game average. Natasha Cloud offered a much-needed spark at times. These small victories don't negate the negativities of the season, but they round out the full story for the Sky.

At its core, this roster was built on optimism. Pagliocca signed DiJonai Carrington despite knowing that she would be unavailable until after the All-Star break due to injury. He similarly chose to overlook the fact that Diggins, Stevens and Vandersloot were carrying injuries into the year. That combination laid the groundwork for disaster. The Sky spent most of this year bemoaning the bad luck of their injured players without ever acknowledging the reality that most of those ailments were preexisting, not a midseason fluke.

The Sky struggled outside of pure absences. They lost 14 of their 23 games that finished in the clutch. Their 3-point shooting once again ranked in the bottom rungs of the league. They struggled on the boards, bled points in the paint and failed to live up to their stated goals of forming a disruptive defense. In his second year as a head coach, Tyler Marsh once again struggled to cement a clear playing identity. But with a roster doomed from the start, it's nearly impossible to diagnose whether issues stem from personnel or tactics.

Marsh took a hopeful tone after Sunday's disqualifying loss to the Fever, insisting that the Sky could still grow through their final games of the season.

“We’re not just playing for the right now,” Marsh said. “We’re playing for the future too.”

It's unclear how accurately that sentiment applies to this Sky team. It's true that the majority of the roster will be under contract in 2027. Only three players — Carrington, Cloud, Rachel Banham— are on expiring deals, with Sydney Taylor expected to return as an exclusive rights free agent. Still, the Sky have not earned a reputation for sustaining a system from year to year — and the status of the remaining roster does not lend itself to a building process for the Sky.

Kamilla Cardoso's and Jackson's rookie deals end in 2027. Diggins' long-term availability remains uncertain. Vandersloot is more dependable than many veterans at her age, but the guard is nevertheless in the final stage of her longevity. Without a draft lottery pick in 2027, the Sky don't have the depth to build a winning culture from within nor the assets to tear down and try again. After three seasons of this cycle, the wheel might be stuck.

And that leaves the Sky — along with Pagliocca and Marsh — in no-man's-land. With little remaining to play for, ownership will be left to use the rest of this season to decide whether the third strike is worth a reset from the top down.

SKY

Kanter Freedom ejected from game

Former NBA player had confrontation with Cloud Jay Cohen

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday night's WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena after Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted him late in the third quarter.

Kanter Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read: "WOMAN noun. adult human female."

The Fever called a timeout after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then did a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning and walking in Kanter Freedom's direction.

Cloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Kanter Freedom, 34, as she approached him. Kanter Freedom, standing, held out his arms and took one step on the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved between the two.

"There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we're just going to focus on the game," Sky forward Azurá Stevens said after her team's 113-90 loss.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said Cloud was concerned about being a distraction for the team.

“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected, and so Tash is always going to stand on that and we stand for Tash.”

Kanter Freedom stopped near the basket to plead his case to security as he was escorted from the court area. He spun around while holding his shirt out and encouraged the crowd to respond as he walked toward the front lobby.

He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.

"I didn't see it," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said. "We were talking about the next play in our huddle, so that's probably a question for Chicago."

Cloud met with team and league security after the game. She did not speak with the media.

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There never has been such a player in the WNBA.

Although the league's collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports. Kanter Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

Kanter Freedom joined a small rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena before the game.

Asked if he had a message for Kanter Freedom, Marsh praised the league and its players.

"If you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball," he said, "and that seems pretty simple to me. These players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too."

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud of the Sky yell at one another during the second half of the game between the Sky and the Fever at Wintrust Arena on Sunday. MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY

STARS

Grosso scores late game-winning goal to snap skid

Phuoc Nguyen ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jameese Joseph, Mallory Swanson and Julia Grosso scored for the Chicago Stars, who snapped an eight-game winless streak with a 3-2 win against Racing Louisville on Sunday in Evanston.

Swanson received the long ball and dribbled toward the middle of the box before laying it off to Joseph for the opening goal in the 34th minute. The goal broke a scoring drought of 314 minutes for the Stars (5-15-1).

Louisville midfielder Taylor Flint scored on a header in the 49th on a cross from Lauren Milliet.

The Stars took the lead again in the 62nd with Swanson's pinpoint far-post strike to make it 2-1. Minutes later, Swanson left the match early because of an unspec-

ified injury.

After subbing on for Louisville, Makenna Morris made an immediate impact. Her first touch in just 28 seconds led to a rebound goal, evening it at 2 in the 68th minute.

Grosso was left wide open, and her low, driven shot to the far post gave the Stars the 3-2 lead in the 83rd minute.

Stars interim coach Karina Báez picked up her first NWSL win.

Louisville (7-12-2) had its four-match winning streak halted.

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Cubs to play in 2027 Little League Classic

as a Little Leaguer with him as a Met behind it.

By Meghan Montemurro CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo is introduced before the Little League Classic against the Pirates in 2019 at Bowman Stadium in Williamsport, Pa. GENE J. PUSKAR/AP

The Chicago Cubs are returning to Williamsport, Pa.

The Cubs will play the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2027 Little League Classic, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Sunday night. The national game is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 19, 2027, on ESPN. The Cubs, slated to be the road team, will get the next day off and then play two more games that weekend against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

It will be MLB's 10th Little League Classic, which first was played in 2017; the showcase game was not played during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Cubs faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 in Williamsport, a 7-1 win.

Left fielder Ian Happ was part of the 2019 team and struck out against now-teammate Clay Holmes in a pinch-hit at-bat during the Cubs' last Little League Classic appearance. Although he never played in Williamsport as a Little Leaguer, the Pittsburgh native remembers driving through the town on the way to a different tournament. Happ and his family made a pit stop long enough to get out of the car and check out how packed Bowman Field was for the Little League World Series.

"It was a really cool day," Happ told the Tribune of being part of the 2019 Little League Classic. "Of all the events we've played in over the years, it was probably the busiest. ... The most memorable part of the day was just being out there with the kids and touring everything. But it was really cool to be a part of."

Outfielder Michael Conforto understands what this event means from both sides. He was part of the Little League Classic in 2018 with the New York Mets and also played in the 2004 Little League World Series, representing the Northwest Region with his Redmond North team from Washington.

"It was the ultimate baseball experience for me up to that point," Conforto told the Tribune. "And then I rode that through the rest of my youth sports playing time."

Most of Conforto's memories from his Little League World Series experience centered around the time he spent with his teammates and friends in Williamsport: going to the pool, pin trading, hanging out in the barracks and the arcade. Conforto described it as their version of Disneyland.

"I just remember I couldn't believe that ESPN cared enough to put us on TV and Harold Reynolds was calling the games and they treated it like it was real major-league baseball," Conforto said. "I remember having feelings of this is the coolest thing ever, the attention's on us. And so I think for a lot of kids, it's if I can do this, then this is what I want to do. That's how it was for me.

“Whether or not you go on to play baseball, it just gives those kids this great sense of accomplishment and a reward for all the hard work that they’ve done. It puts them in a good place to move on to whatever they do in their lives, and I’m thankful for the lucky ride that we had to get there.”

When Conforto returned to Williamsport with the Mets in 2018, all of those moments came rushing back. He was summoned onto the field before the first pitch and presented with a painting of himself

Conforto has the distinction of being one of only three players — along with Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek — to appear in the Little League World Series, the NCAA Men's College World Series (with Oregon State in 2013) and the World Series (with the Mets in 2015).

"It's almost surreal," Conforto said. "I guess you have to be on some good teams, and I do think my family just put me in good positions to play on good teams. And that's something that I've always wanted to do: find the best team and be a part of that.

“And even up until last year and this year, as I’m getting closer to the end than the beginning, the most important thing for me is being on a winning effort and doing that kind of thing. It was that way even from the beginning.”

The Cubs' selection to a second Little League Classic bookends a stretch of being chosen by MLB for marquee events. Since participating in the 2019 Little League Classic, the Cubs have played in the Field of Dreams game (2022), London Series (2023) and Tokyo Series (2025).

“That’s one of the cool parts about being a Cub is that you are invited to do a lot of these things, and we’ve been lucky to do a whole bunch of them,” Happ said. “The Little League Classic was kind of the first one of the series and the things that we’ve gotten into. They’re really cool opportunities to grow the game and to play in different venues and let fans and people see all these different things, and I hope we continue to do more of them.”

Pitcher Justin Steele walks through the practice bullpen area after throwing during spring training at Sloan Park on Feb. 17 in Mesa, Ariz. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

CUBS

from Page C1

pitching staff rather than innings needed from starters, is intriguing if he's able to show enough in his rehab outings that he can be counted on to get big-league outs.

"It's me probably pushing the envelope a little too much just trying to get back as fast as possible, trying to skip steps and stuff, but everything's been going good this go around," Steele said. "Probably feel better this go around than I did the first time so it's awesome.

"I haven't pitched in a while, definitely going to have the adrenaline and stuff that I haven't been able to feel in quite some time, so it's going to be exciting."

The Cubs will continue to be deliberately careful in Steele's build-up process, even with an eye on a reliever role. Righthander Ben Brown (stress reaction in neck) is closer to returning than Steele. Brown will also throw live batting practice on Tuesday and fly back to Chicago with the team. The expectation, if he feels good, is that a rehab assignment would follow.

SULLIVAN from Page C1

their two big guns performing, but it's put more pressure on the starting pitching, which is another issue altogether.

Manager Will Venable said Monday that Murakami's “expectations are high and obviously you know you are not always going to be in that (power) mode.”

"It's about making good swing decisions and getting good swings off in the zone," he said. "Sometimes you swing-and-miss. Sometimes you roll them over. In the case of Mune, he has taken some really good swings and is making some good swing decisions. He's still drawing walks. We haven't seen him necessarily click on balls going out of the park like we are used to, had a couple of balls in that series that just didn't go out.

"In the case of Colson, it's just the timing with him. He had a really good series in Wrigley and we've seen him hit some balls hard. He just missed the ball foul with the bases loaded the other day ... I don't think these guys are that far off. They are continuing to work on contact in the zone, making good swing decisions, the damage is always going to be in there."

Strikeouts come with the territory, but Montgomery's 177 Ks entering Monday were tied for second-worst in the majors. In August, Montgomery's 37 strikeouts were the league's worst, and he had only two home runs. Murakami's 35 strikeouts were second-worst, and he had five home runs.

I wondered if Venable would consider giving Montgomery a mental break to try and get him out of his strikeout binge.

“That’s something that’s always on the table as a solution for guys,” Venable said. “I just don’t think we’re there yet with him, or we’re going to get there with him. First of all, he went through this really tough stretch and he had some really good swings on our last

road trip. I get the question and the bigger body of work maybe recently. But right now I think he's in a good spot.

“Sometimes I think a mental reset is good. Just the other day I was complimenting Colson on the way he’s continued to carry himself even when he’s not feeling his best and feels like he’s underperforming and obviously coming short of the expectations we all have for him. So I thought he’s handled it great and has given me no indications that he needs a mental break.”

Venable knows his players well, so you have to give him the benefit of the doubt that Montgomery will snap out of it. But it sure doesn't look like Montgomery has stopped chasing. His whiff percentage on breaking balls is $45.3\%$ , according to Statcast, so if he's behind in the count, you usually know what's coming.

Luisangel Acuña is Montgomery's replacement at short, so that's not a great option. But Venable could temporarily move Chase Meidroth from second base to short, move Sam Antonacci from left field to second and give veteran Randal Grichuk more at-bats in left. It might not be a perfect solution, but it could give Montgomery a chance to work on his timing to get back to being the hitter the Sox know he can be.

If this were 2025 and the Sox were out of contention, it would be a different story.

But this has been a special season, and to have a memorable ending, they'll need everyone playing up to their capabilities.

Venable has already shown he has a lot of patience. Getz proved his patience level in April when he sent opening-day starter Shane Smith back to Triple-A Charlotte after only three starts.

As September nears, it's going to be interesting to see how the Sox brain trust reacts. No one expected the Sox to be in this position.

But now that they're here, there's no turning back.

White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery strikes out in the second inning against the Mets at Rate Field on Sunday. EILEEN T. MESLAR/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

EAST DIVISION

W: Cavalli 12-5; L: Feltner 5-8.

BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Tampa Bay	78	53	.595	—	—	4-6	W-2	43-23	35-30
New York	74	56	.569	$3\frac{1}{2}$	$+9\frac{1}{2}$	6-4	W-1	33-28	41-28
Boston	72	59	.550	6	+7	7-3	W-4	34-32	38-27
Toronto	64	68	.485	$14\frac{1}{2}$	$1\frac{1}{2}$	5-5	L-1	33-33	31-35
Baltimore	63	68	.481	15	2	5-5	L-1	34-34	29-34

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST DIVISION

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Atlanta	76	55	.580	—	—	3-7	W-1	42-23	34-32
Philadelphia	73	58	.557	3	+2	9-1	W-9	38-30	35-28
Miami	67	65	.508	$9^{1}/_{2}$	$4^{1}/_{2}$	5-5	L-1	41-26	26-39
Washington	62	71	.466	15	10	2-8	W-1	28-36	34-35
New York	59	72	.450	17	12	6-4	L-1	30-35	29-37

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Chicago	68	62	.523	—	—	6-4	W-1	39-26	29-36
Cleveland	65	66	.496	$3\frac{1}{2}$	—	6-4	W-4	31-34	34-32
Minnesota	63	68	.481	$5\frac{1}{2}$	2	4-6	L-3	35-31	28-37
Detroit	61	70	.466	$7\frac{1}{2}$	4	1-9	L-6	32-32	29-38
Kansas City	58	74	.439	11	$7\frac{1}{2}$	9-1	W-8	36-30	22-44

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Milwaukee	81	50	.618	—	—	7-3	L-1	45-24	36-26
Chicago	75	56	.573	6	+4	4-6	W-1	38-27	37-29
St. Louis	66	66	.500	$15\frac{1}{2}$	$5\frac{1}{2}$	5-5	L-3	32-34	34-32
Pittsburgh	63	69	.477	$18\frac{1}{2}$	$8\frac{1}{2}$	5-5	L-3	34-32	29-37
Cincinnati	62	69	.473	19	9	3-7	L-1	32-36	30-33

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Houston	65	66	.496	—	—	4-6	L-2	33-35	32-31
Texas	65	66	.496	—	—	5-5	W-1	36-29	29-37
Seattle	62	69	.473	3	3	6-4	L-1	35-30	27-39
Los Angeles	52	79	.397	13	13	5-5	L-1	29-36	23-43
Athletics	51	80	.389	14	14	4-6	W-2	23-40	28-40

	W	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Los Angeles	80	51	.611	—	—	7-3	W-6	40-26	40-25
San Diego	71	60	.542	9	—	7-3	W-3	40-26	31-34
Arizona	69	62	.527	11	2	5-5	W-1	38-28	31-34
San Francisco	52	78	.400	$27\frac{1}{2}$	$18\frac{1}{2}$	2-8	L-4	29-33	23-45
Colorado	50	81	.382	30	21	2-8	L-7	27-38	23-43

BOX SCORES

Rays 4, Tigers 1

Tampa Bay	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Díaz dh	4	1	1	0	1	0	.305
Vilade rf	3	1	1	0	0	0	.264
a-Mullins ph-cf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.205
Caminero 3b	3	0	1	1	1	1	.277
DeLuca cf-rf	4	0	2	0	0	0	.271
Aranda 1b	4	1	1	2	0	0	.280
Mateo 2b	2	1	1	0	2	0	.236
Fortes c	3	0	0	0	0	0	.263
Simpson lf	4	0	2	1	0	0	.312
Walls ss	4	0	0	0	0	2	.215
Totals	32	4	9	4	4	3

Detroit	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Keith dh	3	0	0	0	1	2	.266
Lee 2b	4	0	0	0	0	2	.276
McGonigle 3b	4	1	1	0	0	0	.283
Dingler c	3	0	1	0	0	1	.253
Callahan lf	1	0	0	1	0	0	.263
b-Malgeri ph-lf	2	0	1	0	0	1	.242
McKinstry rf	4	0	0	0	0	1	.221
Torkelson 1b	4	0	1	0	0	2	.221
Clark cf	3	0	0	0	0	1	.244
Báez ss	3	0	1	0	0	2	.260
Totals	31	1	5	1	1	12

TB	200	101	000	-	4	9	0
DET	000	100	000	-	1	5	1

a-popped out for Vilade in the 7th. b-struck out for Callahan in the 7th. E: Callahan (1); LOB: Tampa Bay 6, Detroit 6; 2B: DeLuca (19), Mateo (7), McGonigle (24), Torkelson (22); HR: Aranda (16), off Valdez; RBI: Caminero (84), Aranda 2 (78), Simpson (29), Callahan (6); CS: Mateo (2); SF: Callahan; S: Fortes.

Runners left in scoring position: Tampa Bay 3 (Fortes, Díaz, Aranda). Detroit 2 (Torkelson, Lee); RISP: Tampa Bay 2 for 7. Detroit 1 for 6. Runners moved up: Caminero, Walls; GIDP: DeLuca. DP: Detroit 1 (McGonigle, Lee, Torkelson).

Tampa Bay	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Rasmussen	6	3	1	1	0	5	103	2.95
Cleavinger	1	0	0	0	0	2	14	3.63
Rodríguez	1	1	0	0	1	3	23	0.00
Baker	1	1	0	0	0	2	16	1.56

Detroit	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Valdez	6	8	4	3	2	0	84	4.35
Rainey	2	0	0	0	2	2	31	0.00
Holton	1	1	0	0	0	1	15	3.12

W: Rasmussen 14-5; L: Valdez 8-9; SV: Baker 38-41

HBP: Baker (Dingler).

HDF: Baker (Bingler). ABS Challenge: Rasmussen (Ball-Confirmed), Keith (Strike-Confirmed), Torkelson (Strike-Confirmed). Umpires: Home, Quinn Wolcott. First, Paul Clemons. Second, Adrian Johnson. Third, Dexter Kelley. T: 2:36; A: 23,265 (41,083).

Red Sox 4, Marlins 2

Boston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Sogard ss	5	0	1	1	0	2	.283
Rafaela cf	5	0	1	0	0	1	.289
Abreu rf	4	1	1	0	1	2	.256
Contreras 1b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.280
Rutschman c	5	0	0	0	0	1	.236
Durbin 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.255
Duran lf	4	1	2	0	0	1	.209
Gasper dh	2	0	2	1	2	0	.270
1-White pr-dh	0	1	0	0	0	0	.236
Seigler 2b	3	1	1	1	1	0	.254
Totals	36	4	9	3	4	7

Miami	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Lopez ss	4	1	2	1	0	0	.307
Hernández lf	4	0	2	0	1	0	.232
Stowers 1b	4	0	1	0	1	2	.242
Ramírez dh	2	0	0	0	1	1	.237
b-Caisse ph-dh	1	0	1	0	1	0	.228
Edwards 2b	5	0	1	1	0	2	.284
Marsee cf	3	1	0	0	1	1	.210
Sanoja 3b	4	0	0	0	1	0	.276
Ruiz rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.242
a-Conine ph-rf	2	0	0	0	0	0	.261
Mack c	3	0	1	0	0	1	.236
c-Jiménez ph	1	0	1	0	0	0	.211
Navarreto c	0	0	0	0	0	0	.129
Totals	34	2	9	2	6	7

BOS	000	010	012	-	4	9	1
MIA	010	000	100	-	2	9	0

a-grounded out for Ruiz in the 6th. b-walked for Ramírez in the 7th. c-singled for Mack in the 8th.

E: Duran (2); LOB: Boston 10, Miami 14; 2B: Gasper (8), Duran (14), Abreu (28), Stowers (22), Lopez (30); 3B: Seigler (1); RBI: Gasper (17), Seigler (13), Sogard (10), Lopez (59), Edwards (50); SF: Lopez. Runners left in scoring position: Boston 9 (Rafaela 4, Sogard, Duran, Rutschman 3). Miami 8 (Edwards, Hernández, Stowers, Sanoja 4, Marsee); RISP: Boston 1 for 14. Miami 2 for 18.

Runners moved up: Seigler, Contreras 2, Rutschman, Rafaela, Edwards; GIDP: Lopez.

DP: Boston 1 (Sogard, Contreras).

Boston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Suarez	5	4	1	1	4	4	93	3.35
Bello	2	2	1	1	2	1	42	4.68
Miller	1	2	0	0	0	1	16	2.14
Chapman	1	1	0	0	0	1	18	1.81

Miami	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Alcantara	7	6	1	1	2	6	102	3.38
Ekness	1	1	1	1	0	1	16	1.69
Fairbanks	0	0	1	1	1	0	5	6.02
Zuber	$\frac{1}{3}$	2	1	1	0	0	12	3.62
Gibson	$\frac{2}{3}$	0	0	0	1	0	15	5.30

W: Miller 3-0; L: Fairbanks 4-5; SV: Chapman 30-32

Inherited runners-scored: Zuber 1-1, Gibson 1-0; HBP: Suarez 2 (Marsee,Ruiz), Ekness (Contreras); WP: Ekness.
ABS Challenge: Alcantara (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Rafaela (Strike-Confirmed), Suarez (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Suarez (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Gibson (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Chapman (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Umpires: Home, Ron Kulpa. First, David Rackley. Second, Manny Gonzalez. Third, Tom Hanahan. T: 3:05; A: 16,247 (37,446).

AMERICAN LEAGUE LEADERS

through Sunday's games

BATTING	AVERAGE	G	AB	R	H	AVG
Alvarez	Hou 129		463	148	86	.320
C.Simpson	TB	122	458	142	50	.310
Ya.Díaz	TB	125	494	151	75	.306
Rafaela	Bos 125		494	143	67	.289
DeLauter	Cle	110	413	119	52	.288
Witt	KC	113	442	127	71	.287
Clement	Tor	128	490	139	54	.284
McGonigle	Det	126	484	137	83	.283
Contreras	Bos 119		411	116	65	.282
Aranda	TB	127	479	134	60	.280

Home Runs: Alvarez, Houston, 36, Caminero, Tampa Bay, 35, Rice, New York, 34, Alonso, Baltimore, 30, Murakami, Chicago, 29, M.Vargas, Chicago, 29, C.Montgomery, Chicago, 27, Contreras, Boston, 26, Dingler, Detroit, 26, Okamoto, Toronto, 26.

RBI: Alvarez, Houston, 90, Alonso, Baltimore, 85, Caminero, Tampa Bay, 83, Dingler, Detroit, 82, Rice, New York, 82, Adell, Cleveland, 79, Contreras, Boston, 78, Bell, Minnesota, 77, Aranda, Tampa Bay, 76, 2 tied at 74.

Pitching: S.Gray, Boston, 16-3, N.Martinez, Tampa Bay, 13-4, Rasmussen, Tampa Bay, 13-5, G.Williams, Cleveland, 12-7, Schlittler, New York, 11-6, L.Gilbert, Seattle, 10-7, Soriano, Toronto, 10-7, Eovaldi, Texas, 10-9, B.Young, Baltimore, 9-3, Seymour, Tampa Bay, 9-4.

Nationals 13, Rockies 3

Colorado	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
McCarthy cf	4	0	1	0	0	1	.294
b-Fulford ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.174
Moniak rf	4	1	1	0	0	1	.260
Castro 3b	4	1	1	1	0	1	.264
Rumfield 1b	3	0	1	0	1	1	.287
Johnston dh-p	2	0	0	0	1	0	.282
Norby 2b	4	0	1	1	0	1	.217
Sullivan c	4	0	0	0	0	2	.228
Veen lf	2	0	0	0	0	2	.208
a-Beck ph-lf	1	0	0	0	1	0	.193
Tovar ss	2	1	2	1	0	0	.209
Ritter ss	2	0	0	0	0	1	.091
Totals	33	3	7	3	3	10

Washington	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Abrams dh	4	2	1	1	1	1	.278
Ortiz 1b	4	2	1	1	1	2	.212
Crews rf	2	1	0	1	3	1	.213
Lile lf	5	2	3	5	0	0	.246
House 3b	4	0	1	0	1	0	.236
Ruiz c	4	1	2	0	1	0	.283
Young cf	5	2	2	0	0	1	.246
Vivas 2b	5	1	3	2	0	1	.239
Nuñez ss	3	2	0	0	1	0	.219
Totals	36	13	13	10	8	6

COL	000	110	010	-3	7	2
WAS	000	053	23x	-13	13	0

for McCarthy in the 9th. E: Castro (11), Sullivan (5); LOB: Colorado 7, Washington 8; 2B: Tovar (21), Abrams (26), Lile (25), House (11), Young (17); HR: Castro (15), off Cavalli. Tovar (10), off Cavalli. Lile (16), off Adams; RB: Castro (54), Tovar (39), Norby (19), Abrams (92), Ortiz (10), Crews (30), Lile 5 (71), Vivas 2 (24); SB: McCarthy (24), Abrams 2 (26); S: Nuñez. Runners left in scoring position: Colorado 5 (Sullivan 2, Veen, Moniak, Rumfield). Washington 4 (House 2, Nuñez, Ruiz); RISP: Colorado 1 for 9. Washington 4 for 13. Runners moved up: Lile, Ortiz; GIDP: Ritter, Abrams. DP: Colorado 1 (Ritter, Rumfield). Washington 1 (Nuñez, Vivas, Ortiz).

Colorado	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Feltner	$5^{2}/_{3}$	6	7	5	4	6	103	6.08
Mejia	$1/_{3}$	1	1	1	2	0	20	5.76
Adams	1	5	5	5	2	0	37	45.00
Johnston	1	1	0	0	0	0	14	0.00

Washington	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Cavalli	6	5	2	2	1	7	93	3.21
Tolman	1	0	0	0	1	0	12	0.00
Beeter	1	2	1	1	1	2	29	3.76
Bird	1	0	0	0	0	1	12	5.50

W: Cavall 12-3; L: Feitner 5-8. Inherited runners-scored: Mejia 2-2, Johnston 1-0; HBP: Beeter (Johnston); WP: Beeter.

ABS Challenge: Feltner (Ball-Overturned to Strike), McCarthy (Strike-Overturned to Ball), McCarthy (Strike-Confirmed), Cavalli (Ball-Confirmed), Tolman (Ball-Confirmed).

Pitch timer violations: Feltner (pitcher). Umpires: Home, Nick Mahrley. First, Marvin Hudson. Second, Willie Traynor. Third, Tripp Gibson. T: 3:01; A: 12,105 (41,376).

Late Sunay: Phillies 6, Cardinals 4

St. Louis	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Wetherholt ss	5	1	2	1	0	2	.244
Herrera dh	3	0	1	0	1	1	.242
Walker rf	4	1	1	0	0	1	.289
Burleson 1b	4	0	2	2	0	1	.291
Báez lf	4	0	0	0	0	2	.139
Church cf	0	0	0	0	0	0	.239
Jordan 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.243
Fermin cf-lf	4	1	1	1	0	1	.247
Urías 2b	4	1	1	0	0	0	.164
Pagés c	4	0	1	0	0	1	.214
Totals	36	4	10	4	1	9

Philadelphia	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Schwarber 1b	5	1	1	2	0	1	.245
Turner ss	4	0	0	0	0	1	.245
Harper dh	3	1	2	0	1	1	.260
Stott 2b	3	0	0	0	0	0	.259
Arraez 2b	1	0	0	0	0	0	.322
Marsh lf	3	0	1	0	1	0	.277
Realmuto c	4	1	1	0	0	0	.224
Crawford cf	3	1	0	0	1	0	.269
Sosa 3b	4	1	2	3	0	1	.231
De La Cruz rf	4	1	2	1	0	1	.359
Totals	34	6	9	6	3	5

STL	100	110	100	-	4	10	0
PHI	000	000	006	-	6	9	0

Two outs when winning run scored. LOB: St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 5; 2B: De La Cruz (2), Harper 2 (25), Sosa (8); HR: Fermín (6), off Sánchez. Schwarber (39), off O'Brien; RBI: Burleson 2 (96), Fermín (33), Wetherholt (48), Sosa 3 (35), De La Cruz (11), Schwarber 2 (78); SB: Wetherholt (14), Walker (18). Runners left in scoring position: St. Louis 2 (Walker 2). Philadelphia 2 (Turner, Marsh); RISP: St. Louis 3 for 6. Philadelphia 3 for 10. Runners moved up: Stott; GIDP: Jordan, Realmuto. DP: St. Louis 1 (Jordan, Uriás, Burleson). Philadelphia 1 (Turner, Stott, Schwarber).

St. Louis	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Leahy	4	2	0	0	2	4	63	3.13
Gastelum	1	1	0	0	0	1	15	5.40
Bruihl	1	1	0	0	0	0	15	3.34
Stanek	1	0	0	0	0	0	10	4.59
Soriano	1	0	0	0	0	0	13	4.11
O'Brien	$\frac{2}{3}$	5	6	6	1	0	39	3.93

Philadelphia	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Sánchez	$6^{2}/_{3}$	9	4	4	0	7	103	2.62
Mayza	$1^{1}/_{3}$	1	0	0	1	1	24	3.39
McFarlane	1	0	0	0	0	1	10	1.42

W: McFarlane 3-1; L: O'Brien 3-5. Inherited runners-scored: Mayza 2-0. ABS Challenge: Sánchez (Ball-Over- turned to Strike), Uriás (Strike-Over- turned to Ball), Walker (Strike-Con- firmed), De La Cruz (Strike-Confirmed). Umpires: Home, Laz Diaz. First, Edwin Jimenez. Second, Erich Bacchus. Third, Chris Segal. T: 2:41; A: 42,610 (42,901).

NATIONAL LEAGUE LEADERS

through Sunday's games

BATTING AVERAGE G			AB	R	H	AVG
Arraez	Phi	123	494	159	63	.322
Gonzales	Pit	123	463	142	66	.307
Moreno	Ari	102	366	112	55	.306
O.Lopez	Mia	127	507	155	76	.306
F.Freeman	LAD	127	480	145	63	.302
M.Harris	Atl	124	472	139	61	.294
McCarthy	Col	115	415	122	63	.294
Burleson	StL	131	498	145	75	.291
Tatis	SD	129	503	146	75	.290
J.Walker	StL	128	499	144	82	.289

Home Runs: Schwarber, Philadelphia, 39, Olson, Atlanta, 36, Goodman, Colorado, 34, Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, 33, Wood, Washington, 30, Ohtani, Los Angeles, 30, Abrams, Washington, 29, B.Lowe, Pittsburgh, 27, J.Walker, St. Louis, 27, S.Stewart, Cincinnati, 27. RBI: S.Stewart, Cincinnati, 98, Burleson, St. Louis, 96, J.Walker, St. Louis, 96, Abrams, Washington, 91, Crow-Arm-

Pitching: C.Sánchez, Philadelphia, 16-4, Burns, Cincinnati, 14-2, Ashby, Milwaukee, 13-2, E.Rodriguez, Arizona, 13-4, B.Ashcraft, Pittsburgh, 13-5, Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 13-5, S.Alcantara, Miami, 13-8, F.Griffin, Cleveland, 12-3, Pallante, St. Louis, 12-6, 2 tied at 12-7. Angeles, 80, B.Lowe, Pittsburgh, 80, Pages, Los Angeles, 80, Schwarber, Philadelphia, 78, Olson, Atlanta, 77.

Late Sunday: Rays 3, Orioles 1

Tampa Bay	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Díaz dh	4	1	1	0	0	0	.306
Aranda 1b	4	1	1	0	0	1	.280
Caminero 3b	3	1	1	1	1	0	.276
Hicks c	3	0	1	0	1	0	.284
1-Piper pr-c	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Simpson lf	3	0	2	1	1	0	.310
DeLuca rf	4	0	1	0	0	0	.268
Mullins cf	3	0	0	0	1	1	.206
Palacios 2b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.234
Walls ss	3	0	0	0	1	1	.218
Totals	31	3	7	2	5	3

Baltimore	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Holliday 2b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.229
Alonso 1b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.270
Henderson ss	4	0	0	0	0	1	.220
Basallo c	3	0	0	0	0	1	.236
Mayo dh	3	0	0	0	0	1	.212
Beavers lf	3	0	0	0	0	1	.241
Encar-Strand 3b	3	0	0	0	0	1	.229
Cowser cf	3	1	2	1	0	0	.219
Taveras rf	3	0	0	0	0	0	.226
Totals	30	1	2	1	0	5

TB	000	003	000	-	3	7	1
BAL	000	000	001	-	1	2	0

1-ran for Hicks in the 8th.

E: Caminero (18); LOB: Tampa Bay 6, Baltimore 2; 2B: Cowser (5); HR: Cowser (12), off Baker; RBI: Caminero (83), Simpson (28), Cowser (34); CS: Simpson (13), DeLuca (6).

Runners left in scoring position: Tampa Bay 3 (DeLuca 3). Baltimore 2 (Henderson, Holliday); RISP: Tampa Bay 2 for 5. Baltimore 0 for 5.

Runners moved up: Palacios, Alonso; GIDP: Díaz.

DP: Baltimore 2 (Holliday, Henderson, Alonso. Basallo, Henderson, Basallo).

Tampa Bay	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Martinez	6	1	0	0	0	4	86	2.93
Booser	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	2.03
Kelly	1	0	0	0	0	1	14	2.11
Baker	1	1	1	1	0	0	12	1.59

Baltimore	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Baz	$5^{2}/_{3}$	5	3	3	3	3	96	4.04
Wolfram	$1^{1}/_{3}$	1	0	0	0	0	18	5.18
Nunez	1	1	0	0	2	0	31	4.50
Sanders	1	0	0	0	0	0	9	6.05

W: Martinez 13-4; L: Baz 4-14; SV: Baker 37-40

Inherited runners-scored: Wolfram 2-1; WP: Baz.

ABS Challenge: Mullins (Strike-Overturned to Ball), Martinez (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Martinez (Ball-Confirmed), DeLuca (Strike-Overturned to Ball), Baz (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Wolfram (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Mayo (Strike-Confirmed).

Umpires: Home, Edwin Moscoso. First, Dillon Wilson. Second, Vic Carapazza. Third, Nic Lentz. T: 241; A: 37745 (45,971)

T: 2:41; A: 27,745 (45,971).

Late Sunday: Braves 4, Brewers 2

Atlanta	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Harris cf	5	1	1	1	0	1	.294
Acuña rf	3	0	1	0	2	0	.232
Olson 1b	5	0	0	0	0	3	.258
Albies 2b	5	1	2	0	0	2	.253
Baldwin dh	4	1	1	0	0	1	.268
Thomas lf	3	0	2	0	0	0	.232
a-Yastrzemski lf	1	0	0	0	0	1	.229
Dubón ss	3	1	1	1	1	0	.268
Riley 3b	3	0	2	0	1	1	.223
Murphy c	4	0	1	1	0	1	.143

TotalsMilwaukee	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Chourio lf	5	0	2	0	0	0	.280
Turang 2b	4	1	1	0	1	1	.259
Contreras c	5	0	2	0	0	0	.267
Bauers rf	5	0	1	1	0	2	.273
Vaughn 1b	4	0	2	0	0	1	.308
Yelich dh	3	1	2	0	1	0	.231
Ortiz ss-3b	3	0	0	0	1	1	.247
Mitchell cf	1	0	0	0	0	1	.262
Lara cf	2	0	1	1	0	0	.259
Hamilton 3b	3	0	0	0	0	0	.240
b-Sánchez ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.215
Pratt ss	0	0	0	0	0	0	.255
Totals	36	2	11	2	3	6

ATL	010	101	001	-	4	11	1
MIL	001	000	010	-	2	11	1

a-struck out for Thomas in the 8th. b-popped out for Hamilton in the 8th. E: Olson (8), Vaughn (4); LOB: Atlanta 9, Milwaukee 11; 2B: Dubón (24), Baldwin (11), Yelich (19); 3B: Lara (2); HR: Harris (21), off Ashby; RBI: Dubón (62), Murphy (1), Harris (71), Bauers (75), Lara (16); SB: Acuña (17), Riley (8). Runners left in scoring position: Atlanta 5 (Acuña, Harris 4). Milwaukee 6 (Hamilton 2, Bauers, Vaughn, Lara, Sánchez); RISP: Atlanta 4 for 13. Milwaukee 2 for 12.

Runners moved up: Contreras 2, Ortiz;
GIDP: Olson, Bauers, Ortiz.
DP: Atlanta 3 (Dubón, Albies, Olson.
Albies, Dubón, Olson. Dubón, Olson).
Milwaukee 2 (Turang, Ortiz, Vaughn.
Hamilton, Vaughn).

Atlanta	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Mahle	5	6	1	1	2	4	94	4.41
Fuentes	2	2	0	0	0	1	25	2.51
Lee	$\frac{2}{3}$	2	1	1	0	1	21	2.15
Iglesias	$1\frac{1}{3}$	1	0	0	1	0	18	3.00

Milwaukee	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Drohan	5	8	2	2	3	5	83	3.84
Anderson	$2/3$	1	1	0	1	1	21	3.46
Hall	$1\frac{1}{3}$	0	0	0	0	2	17	2.30
Wilson	1	1	0	0	0	1	23	4.25
Ashby	1	1	1	1	0	1	16	3.33

W: Mahle 5-10; L: Drohan 6-5; SV: Iglesias 27-30

Inherited runners-scored: Fuentes 2-0, Iglesias 1-0, Hall 2-1; HBP: Mahle (Mitchell); PB: Murphy (1).

Umpires: Home, Adam Hamari. First, Clint Vondrak. Second, Todd Tichenor. Third, John Tumpane. T: 3:02; A: 2,432 (2,500).

TODAY'S PITCHERS

INTERLEAGUE
Late Sunday: Marlins 6, Nationals 2

Pitchers		Time	W-L	ERA	Rec	2025 vs Opp			Last 3 starts
						W-L	IP	ERA	W-L	IP	ERA
Bos	Tolle (L)		8-6	3.08	11-10	0-0	0.0	0.00	2-0	19.0	1.89
Mia	TBD	5:40p	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-0	0.0	0.00
Bal	Bassitt (R)		4-4	5.08	6-6	1-0	7.0	5.14	0-1	14.0	5.14
StL	Liberatore (L)	6:45p	5-11	5.04	13-12	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-3	16.1	5.51
Phi	Nola (R)		5-9	5.12	12-14	0-0	0.0	0.00	2-0	17.0	2.12
Sea	Kirby (R)	8:40p	8-10	4.18	11-13	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-1	13.0	8.31

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Washington	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Lile lf	4	1	1	0	1	0	.242
Ortiz dh	5	0	0	0	0	1	.210
Crews rf	4	0	2	1	0	0	.214
K.Ruiz c	3	1	1	0	1	0	.280
Tena 2b	4	0	0	0	0	3	.234
Vivas 3b	4	0	1	1	0	0	.231
Chaparro 1b	2	0	0	0	1	0	.240
Nuñez ss	4	0	0	0	0	2	.221
Young cf	3	0	0	0	0	1	.244
Totals	33	2	5	2	3	7

Pitchers		Time	2025 vs Opp					Last 3 starts
			W-L	ERA	Rec	W-L	IP	ERA	W-L	IP
TB	Seymour (L)		9-4	4.17	6-5	0-0	2.0	13.50	1-1	17.0
Det	Jobe (R)	5:40p	1-1	4.50	1-2	0-0	0.0	0.00	1-1	14.0
Hou	Pecko (R)		0-0	4.91	1-0	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-0	3.2
NYY	Warren (R)	6:05p	8-6	4.43	16-8	1-0	6.0	3.00	0-1	13.1
KC	Lugo (R)		5-7	4.71	13-13	0-0	4.2	3.86	1-0	16.2
Tor	Scherzer (R)	6:07p	1-6	7.40	3-8	1-1	6.2	10.80	0-2	14.1
Tex	deGrom (R)		9-8	3.77	13-11	0-1	4.2	9.64	2-1	13.0
ChW	Kay (L)	6:40p	9-6	3.96	14-10	1-0	5.0	3.60	1-1	17.1
Cle	Williams (R)		12-7	3.72	15-11	0-0	0.0	0.00	1-1	15.2
LAA	Ureña (R)	8:38p	8-9	2.80	10-11	0-1	5.0	3.60	1-2	13.1
Min	Bradley (R)		9-5	3.90	15-10	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-1	14.0
Ath	Jump (L)	8:40p	5-8	4.83	7-9	0-0	0.0	0.00	1-1	15.1

Pitchers		Time	2025 vs Opp						Last 3 starts
			W-L	ERA	Rec	W-L	IP	ERA	W-L	IP	ERA
Col	TBD		0-0	0.00	0-0	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-0	0.0	0.00
Was	Alvarez (L)	5:45p	2-5	3.60	4-7	0-0	4.1	6.23	0-2	16.0	2.25
Mil	Harrison (L)		10-3	2.84	14-6	0-0	0.0	0.00	2-1	14.2	1.84
NYM	Thornton (L)	6:10p	3-4	3.04	3-6	1-0	6.0	0.00	1-2	16.0	3.38
LAD	Glasnow (R)		3-0	2.72	6-1	0-0	0.0	0.00	1-0	14.2	1.84
Atl	Elder (R)	6:15p	8-7	3.92	14-10	1-0	5.2	0.00	1-1	18.0	4.50
ChC	Holmes (R)		5-6	2.49	6-6	0-1	5.2	3.18	1-2	16.0	2.81
Ari	Pfaadt (R)	8:40p	7-1	3.39	11-2	0-0	2.1	7.71	1-0	19.2	2.29
Pit	Skenes (R)		9-11	3.95	10-16	1-0	6.1	1.42	0-2	14.1	4.40
SD	King (R)	8:40p	8-9	3.38	11-15	1-0	6.0	3.00	2-1	18.2	2.89
Cin	Singer (R)		5-11	4.72	9-16	1-0	6.0	1.50	0-1	18.0	5.00
SF	Houser (R)	8:45p	4-7	4.08	6-9	0-0	0.0	0.00	0-1	11.1	3.97

TEAM REC: Team's Record in games started by today's pitcher. VS OPP: Pitcher's record versus this opponent.

Miami	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Lopez ss	2	1	0	1	2	0	.306
Ramírez dh	3	2	1	0	1	0	.240
Hernández lf	3	0	1	1	1	1	.228
Edwards 2b	4	0	1	2	0	0	.285
E.Ruiz cf-rf	4	0	0	0	0	3	.244
Sanoja 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.279
De Los Santos 1b2	0	1	0	0	0	0	.333
a-Marsee ph-cf	1	2	1	0	1	0	.211
Conine rf-1b	3	1	1	0	1	2	.264
Navarreto c	2	0	0	0	0	2	.129
b-Mack ph-c	2	0	1	2	0	0	.235
Totals	30	6	8	6	6	8

WAS	000	101	000	-	2	5	0
MIA	100	022	01x	-	6	8	1

a-walked for De Los Santos in the 6th. b-doubled for Navarreto in the 6th. E: Fairbanks (1); LOB: Washington 9, Miami 7; 2B: Lile (24), Crews (13), Vivas (9), Hernández (14), Sanoja (27), Mack (8); RBI: Crews (29), Vivas (22), Hernández (53), Edwards 2 (49), Mack 2 (38), Lopez (58); SF: Lopez.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Runners left in scoring position: Washington 7 (Tena, Ortiz 4, Vivas, Chaparro). Miami 4 (E.Ruiz 2, De Los Santos, Ramírez); RISP: Washington 1 for 11. Miami 2 for 8.

Runners moved up: K.Ruiz, Lile, Edwards. DP: Washington 1 (Tena, Young, Chaparro, Young).

Washington	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Kent	$4^{2}/_{3}$	4	3	3	3	5	90	8.03
Williams	$2^{1}/_{3}$	2	2	2	3	3	47	2.65
Kranick	1	2	1	1	0	0	15	6.59

Miami	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Junk	$4^{2}/_{3}$	2	1	1	0	2	69	4.25
Petersen	$^{1}/_{3}$	0	0	0	1	1	12	3.52
Faucher	1	1	1	1	1	1	18	4.07
Ralston	2	2	0	0	0	2	31	0.00
Fairbanks	1	0	0	0	1	1	20	5.80

RESULTS, SCHEDULE

Inherited runners-scored: Williams 2-2, Petersen 2-0; HBP: Junk 2 (Chaparro Young).

ABS Challenge: Junk (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Williams (Ball-Confirmed), Ruiz (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Umpires: Home, Stu Scheuwater. First, Steven Jaschinski. Second, Rob Drake. Third, D.J. Reyburn. T: 2:45; A: 17,826 (37,446).

Late Sunday: White Sox 2, Mets 1

New York	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Lindor ss	4	0	2	0	0	0	.235
Bichette 3b	4	0	0	0	0	1	.266
Benge rf	4	1	2	0	0	1	.278
Robert lf	2	0	1	0	2	1	.225
Wagaman 1b	1	0	0	0	0	0	.200
a-Young ph-1b	3	0	1	1	0	1	.273
Morel dh	1	0	0	0	0	1	.167
b-Baty ph-dh	1	0	0	0	0	0	.217
c-Alvarez ph-dh	2	0	0	0	0	2	.235
Semien 2b	3	0	0	0	1	1	.213
Ewing cf	4	0	1	0	0	2	.244
Torrens c	3	0	0	0	0	0	.239
Totals	32	1	7	1	3	10

Chicago	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Antonacci lf	3	0	1	0	0	1	.268
Doyle cf	0	0	0	0	0	0	.209
Murakami 1b	3	0	0	0	1	2	.223
Vargas 3b	3	1	1	0	1	0	.245
Benintendi dh	3	0	1	1	1	1	.246
l-Acuña pr-dh	0	0	0	0	0	0	.232
B.Montgomery rf3	3	0	0	0	1	1	.232
C.Montgomery ss4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.213
Meidroth 2b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.269
Peters cf-lf	4	1	2	1	0	1	.271
Rogers c	3	0	0	0	0	2	.174
Totals	30	2	5	2	4	10

NYM	000	000	001	-	1	7	0
CHW	000	000	011	-	2	5	0

One out when winning run scored. a-pinch hit for Wagaman in the 4th. b-grounded out for Morel in the 5th. c-struck out for Baty in the 7th. 1-ran for Benintendi in the 8th. LOB: New York 7, Chicago 8; 2B: Lindor (8), Benge (17), Benintendi (19); HR: Peters (9), off Senga; RBI: Young (31), Benintendi (65), Peters (45); SB: Peters (7); CS: Young (1).

Runners left in scoring position: New York 4 (Ewing 2, Robert, Semien). Chicago 4 (Benintendi 2, Antonacci, C.Montgomery); RISP: New York 1 for 9. Chicago 0 for 4.

DP: Chicago 1 (Meidroth, Murakami).
New York	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
McLean	6	1	0	0	4	6	92	3.21
Núñez	1	1	0	0	0	1	15	7.36
Duarte	1	2	1	1	0	3	28	1.17
Senga	$\frac{1}{3}$	1	1	1	0	0	9	7.79

Chicago	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Newcomb	2	2	0	0	0	3	38	2.38
Fedde	4	3	0	0	1	2	56	4.18
Smith	2	0	0	0	0	3	25	1.12
Taylor	1	2	1	1	2	2	29	2.12

Inherited runners-scored: Fedde 1-0, Smith 2-0; HBP: McLean (Antonacci). ABS Challenge: McLean (Ball-Over-turned to Strike), McLean (Ball-Over-turned to Strike), McLean (Ball-Con-ferred), McLean (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Young (Strike-Overturned to Ball), Smith (Ball-Con-ferred), Murakami (Strike-Con-ferred), Ewing (Strike-Con-ferred).

Umpires: Home, Dexter Kelley. First, Quinn Wolcott. Second, Ramon De Jesus. Third, Adrian Johnson. T: 2:34; A: 27,721 (40,241).

the 15-day IL because of a pinched nerve. The 33-year-old Denver native left his start Wednesday against the Dodgers after $3 \frac{1}{2}$ innings when he felt pain going from his neck down to his fingers. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said Freeland felt better Thursday, and the team's initial plan was to avoid an IL stint. "He went to throw a bullpen yesterday, and it didn't go well," Schaeffer said. "Shoulder didn't feel right, so we have to put him on the IL." The move was made retroactive to Friday. Freeland is 4-10 with a 6.37 ERA in 23 starts. He leads the Rockies in both strikeouts (103) and innings pitched $(124 \frac{1}{2})$ . The Rockies selected the contract of RHP Blake Adams from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Freeland's roster spot. Adams is 2-5 with an 8.10 ERA in 17

■ Astros: General manager Dana Brown and the Astros mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Monday, when it was tied for first place in the AL West. Brown's contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Senior adviser Jeff Bagwell and assistant GMs Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff will take over Brown's responsibilities while team owner Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations during the transition. The move comes after the Astros went 3-6 on a homestand that ended Sunday to fall into a tie with the Rangers for the AL West lead. Brown had been the team's general manager since January 2023. "Over the past four seasons, Dana has helped our organization win two division titles and has led our baseball front office through key scouting, draft and development efforts," Crane said in a statement. "On behalf of the Astros, I want to thank him for his commitment, energy, and contributions to our organization. We wish he and his family the best." Brown joined the Astros after four seasons as vice president of scouting for the Braves to replace James Click, who wasn't given a new contract and left the Astros just days after they won the 2022 World Series. "I want to thank Jim Crane for the opportunity to serve in my first role as an MLB General Manager," Brown said. "The Astros organization and the fans have welcomed me and my family, and I am grateful to have called Houston home for the past four seasons. I wish the organization well and I look forward to the future as I continue my 36-plus years in pro baseball." Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland was placed on

1985: New York's Dwight Gooden became the youngest pitcher ever to win 20 games with a 9-3 triumph over the San Diego Padres. Gooden at age 20 years, nine months, and nine days was one month younger that Bob Feller who won 20 games in 1939. 1998: Toronto's Roger Clemens struck out 18 and won his 11th straight decision as he pitched a 3-0 three-hit victory over the Kansas City Royals.

2004: Jeff DaVanon became the first Angels player in 13 years to hit for the cycle in Anaheim's 21-6 rout of Kansas City.

games with Albuquerque.
■ Labor: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, amid uncertainty about whether ongoing labor negotiations will affect the 2027 season, on Sunday said that "we're planning on playing baseball next year." As MLB owners and the MLB Players Association continue negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement — the current CBA expires Dec. 1 — there are a lot of questions facing the sport, including the possibility of a work stoppage. "We're meeting regularly, which is good," Manfred told ESPN during the broadcast of the Cubs-Blue Jays game "... But we've got a lot of work to do. ... We want to make a deal. We want to play baseball next year. We're planning on playing next year." If the sides can't negotiate a new CBA before the deadline, MLB owners would likely lock out the players right away. — News services

2008: Brett Myers, J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey combined on a 13-hit shutout in Philadelphia's 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1979: California's Don Baylor tied a club record by driving in eight runs during a 24-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays. The 24 runs and 26 hits set Angel records.

Philadelphia's 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 2010: The Colorado Rockies overcame a nine-run deficit, matching the biggest rally in team history and stunning the Atlanta Braves 12-10 on Troy Tulowitzki's go-ahead single in the eighth inning. Down 10-1 in the third inning, the Rockies chipped away against the NL East leader before taking the lead with four runs in the eighth.

1952: Detroit's Virgil Trucks pitched his second no-hitter of the season, a 1-0 gem over New York at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers committed two errors and Trucks walked one batter and struck out eight. It was the last victory of the season for Trucks, who finished with a 5-19 record.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1972: Philadelphia Ken Reynolds tied a National League record with his 12th consecutive loss, 6-1 to Cincinnati, from the beginning of the season.

2010: The Reds blew a nine-run lead, then regrouped and rallied past the Giants, 12-11, on Joey Votto's tiebreaking single in the 12th inning. The NL Central-leading Reds took a 10-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth before San Francisco came back with a six-run burst in the eighth to take an 11-10 lead.

MONDAY'S RESULTS Tampa Bay 4, Detroit 1 Boston 4, Miami 2 Texas at Chi. White Sox, late Cleveland at L.A. Angels, late Minnesota at Athletics, late Philadelphia at Seattle, late

1922: In one of the wildest games ever played, the Cubs beat the Phillies 26-23. The Cubs led 25-6 in the fourth inning, but held on as the game ended with the Phillies leaving the bases loaded.

1967: Dean Chance of Minnesota pitched his second no-hitter of the month, defeating the Indians 2-1. Chance pitched an abbreviated five perfect innings against Boston on Aug. 6 for a 2-0 victory.

Tampa Bay at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.
Cleveland at L.A. Angels, 3:07 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 3:10 p.m.
Boston at Miami, 5:40 p.m.
Houston at N.Y. Yankees, 6:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.
Texas at Chi. White Sox, 6:40 p.m.
Baltimore at St. Louis, 6:45 p.m.
Minnesota at Athletics, 8:05 p.m.

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

AROUND THE HORN

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1 N.Y. Yankees 8, Toronto 3 Chi. White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Kansas City 11, Detroit 7 Texas 5, L.A. Angels 3 Athletics 7, Houston 6 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Chi. Cubs 19, Seattle 2

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

ON THIS DATE: AUG. 25

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MONDAY'S RESULTS Boston 4, Miami 2

Boston 4, Miami 2
Washington 13, Colorado 3
Chi. Cubs at Arizona, late
Philadelphia at Seattle, late
Pittsburgh at San Diego, late
Cincinnati at San Francisco, late

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

Chi. Cubs at Arizona, 2:40 p.m. Cincinnati at San Francisco, 2:45 p.m. Philadelphia at Seattle, 3:10 p.m. Pittsburgh at San Diego, 3:10 p.m. Boston at Miami, 5:40 p.m. Colorado at Washington, 5:45 p.m. Milwaukee at N.Y. Mets, 6:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6:15 p.m. Baltimore at St. Louis, 6:45 p.m.

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 4 Miami 6, Washington 2 Chi. White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 L.A. Dodgers 4, Pittsburgh 0 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Arizona 5, Cincinnati 3 Chi. Cubs 19, Seattle 2 Atlanta 4, Milwaukee 2

a-accident; e-engine; g-garage; C--Chevrolet; F--Ford; T--Toyota

SCOREBOARD

NFL preseason

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Tuesday
EAST DIVISION

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Buffalo	2	0	0	.1000	60	21
New England	1	0	1	.750	37	34
N.Y. Jets	1	1	0	.500	33	24
Miami	0	2	0	.000	10	46

SOUTH DIVISION

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Tennessee	2	0	0	100	38	29
Jacksonville	1	1	0	.500	41	54
Indianapolis	0	1	1	.250	19	47
Houston	0	2	0	.000	27	49

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Cincinnati	2	0	0	.1000	43	23
Baltimore	2	0	0	100	37	10
Pittsburgh	1	1	0	.500	28	26
Cleveland	0	2	0	.000	17	65

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
L.A. Chargers	1	1	0	.500	44	48
Las Vegas	1	1	0	.500	36	47
Denver	1	1	0	.500	40	40
Kansas City	0	2	0	.000	27	36

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

EAST DIVISION

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Dallas	2	0	0	.1000	51	20
N.Y. Giants	1	1	0	.500	36	16
Washington	1	1	0	.500	33	24
Philadelphia	0	2	0	.000	28	48

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Tampa Bay	2	0	0	.1000	40	31
Carolina	2	1	0	.667	81	76
Atlanta	1	1	0	.500	41	33
New Orleans	0	2	0	.000	20	58

NORTH DIVISION

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
Detroit	1	1	0	.500	31	29
Minnesota	1	1	0	.500	16	23
Green Bay	1	1	0	.500	42	41
Chicago	1	1	0	.500	43	37

	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
L.A. Rams	2	0	0	100	54	12
San Francisco	1	1	0	.500	54	36
Arizona	1	2	0	.333	70	81
Seattle	0	2	0	.000	23	36

WEEK 2

SUNDAY'S RESULT

Tennessee 19, Seattle 16

WEEK 3

THURSDAY'S GAMES

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 6 p.m. New England at Cleveland (Prime), 7 p.m. San Francisco at Las Vegas, 7 p.m. L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Washington at Baltimore, 5 p.m. Houston at Carolina, 6 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 6 p.m. Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 6 p.m. N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets, 6 p.m. New Orleans at Dallas, 7 p.m. Arizona at Green Bay, 7 p.m. Seattle at Kansas City, 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia (CBS), 7 p.m. Minnesota at Denver, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Detroit at Indianapolis, noon Chicago at Tennessee, 5 p.m.

WNBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team	W	L	Pct	GB
x-Atlanta	24	13	.649	—
x-Indiana	25	14	.641	—
x-New York	23	15	.605	$1\frac{1}{2}$
x-Washington	22	15	.595	2
Chicago	15	23	.395	$9\frac{1}{2}$
Toronto	11	26	.297	13
Connecticut	9	27	.250	$14\frac{1}{2}$

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team	W	L	Pct	GB
x-Minnesota	31	8	.795	—
x-Golden State	26	11	.703	4
x-Las Vegas	26	13	.667	5
Dallas	22	16	.579	$8\frac{1}{2}$
Portland	15	22	.405	15
Los Angeles	13	24	.351	17
Phoenix	13	24	.351	17
Seattle	7	31	.184	$23\frac{1}{2}$

5 Ann Li d. Camila Osorio, 6-1, 6-2.

6 Denna Velrio vs. Diana Perry, late

7 Janice Tjen d. Dayana Yastremska, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5).

Alycia Parks d. Petra Marcinko, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

MONDAY'S RESULTS
Golden State 80, Minnesota 66
Atlanta at Los Angeles, late
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Chicago at Connecticut, 6 p.m.
Portland at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Washington at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY'S RESULTS
Dallas 92, Seattle 70
Las Vegas 88, Toronto 78
Indiana 113, Chicago 90
Washington 105, Portland 100

Baseball

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

UNITED STATES

Great Lakes Region: West Side LL (Hamilton, Ohio)

Metro Region: Bayonne Central LL (Bayonne, New Jersey)

Southeast Region: Phenix City Youth Baseball LL (Phenix City, Alabama) Southwest Region: Boerne LL (Boerne, Texas)

West Region: Sweetwater Valley LL (Bonita, California)

INTERNATIONAL

Asian-Pacific Region: West Seoul (B) LL (Seoul, South Korea)

Australia Region: Ryde Little League (Sydney, New South Wales) Canada Region: Little Mountain LLC (Vancouver, British Columbia) Caribbean Region: Los Nacionales LL (Santiago, Dominican Republic) Curaçao Region: Pariba LL (Willemstad, Curaçao) Europe and Africa Region: South Czech Republic LL (Brno, Czechia) Japan Region: Joto LL (Tokyo, Japan) Latin American Region: Ministerio Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila LL (Leon, Nicaragua) Mexico Region: Municipal De Tijuana LL (Tijuana, Baja California) Panama Region: David Doleguita LL (Chiriguí, Panama)

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

MONDAY'S RESULTS

Vancouver (BC) 3, Chiriquí (Panama) 2 (7) Hamilton (Oh) 6, Boerne (Tex.) 1 Tokyo (Japan) 3, Brno (Czechia) 2 GM 24: Phenix City vs. West Chester, late SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Henderson (Nev.) 5, Tacoma (WA) 0 Tijuana (Mex.) 4, Leon (Nicaragua) 0 Davenport (IA) 6, Bayonne (NJ) 0 Willenstad (Curacao) 1, Seoul (SK) 0 TUESDAY'S GAMES

TUESDAY'S GAMES

GM 25: Tijuana vs. TBD, noon ESPN
GM 26: Tacoma vs. TBD, 2 p.m. ESPN
GM 27: Seoul vs. Vancouver, 4 p.m. ESPN
GM 28: Bayonne vs. Hamilton, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY'S GAMES
GM 29: Willemstad vs. Leon, noon ESPN
GM 30: Henderson vs. Davenport, 2 p.m.
GM 31: LLBWS, 4 p.m. ESPN
GM 32: LLBWS, 6 p.m. ESPN
THURSDAY'S GAMES
GM 33: LLBWS, 2 p.m. ESPN
GM 34: LLBWS, 6 p.m. ESPN
SATURDAY'S GAMES
International Championship. 11:30 a.m.

International Championship, 11:30 a.m. U.S. Championship, 2:30 p.m.

Tennis

WINSTON-SALEM OPEN

Monday at Wake Forest University; Winston-Salem, N.C.; hardcourt outdoor

MEN'S SINGLES, Round of 64

1 Steranos Tsitsipas d.

Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 7-6(6).

16 Daniel Altmaier vs

Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 7-6(6). #16 Daniel Altmaier vs.

Francisco Comesana, late

Dhakshineswar Suresh d. Marcos Giron, 6-3, 7-5.

James Duckworth d. Quinn Vandecasteele, 6-2, 6-1.

Benjamin Bonzi d. Kamil Majchrzak, 6-4, 7-6(7).

Lorenzo Sonego d. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3.

Adam Walton d. Jesper de Jong, 6-2, 6-4. Cruz Hewitt d. Sebastian Gorzny

Cruz Hewitt d. Sebastian Gorzny, 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-4.

Martin Damm d. Abdullah Shelbayh, 6-4, 7-6(2).

Mees Rottgering d. Jan Choinski, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

Hugo Grenier d. Roman Safiullin, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3.

Aleksandar Kovacevic d. Felix Balshaw, 6-4, 7-6(4).

ABIERTO MONTERREY

Monday at Club Sonoma; Monterrey, Mexico; outdoors, hardcourt

Renata Zarazua vs. Clara Tauson, late LATE SUNDAY. Round of 32

Yuliia Starodubtseva d. Lilli Tagger, 6-3, 6-4.

Nikola Bartunkova d. Antonia Ruzic, 6-4, 6-3.

Oleksandra Oliynykova d. Mayar Sherif Ahmed Abdelaziz, 6-3, 6-4.

WTA PHILLY OPEN

Monday at the Hamlin Tennis Center; Philadelphia, outdoors, hardcourt

WOMEN'S SINGLES, Round 032

#3 Tereza Valentova d.

Lizette Cabrera d. #4 Talia Gibson, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4.

7 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro d. Ella Seidel, 6-4, 6-2.

Tian Fangran d. Lucciana Perez Alarcon, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Julia Grabher d. Veronika Erjavec, 7-6(50, 3-6, 7-6(3).

Ekaterina Ovcharenko d. Kaitlin Quevedo, 6-1, 0-6, 7-6(5).

Capucine Jauffret d. Lois Boisson, 6-1, retired.

Fiona Crawley d. #5 Simona Waltert, 7-5, 6-3.

Sloane Stephens, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Mananchaya Sawangkaew d.

Auto racing

NASCAR CUP DOLLAR TREE 301

Fn	St	Driver	M	Laps	Pt
1	8	Ryan Blaney	F	301	70
2	23	Bubba Wallace	T	301	43
3	2	Josh Berry	F	301	49
4	6	Christopher Bell	T	301	43
5	9	Kyle Larson	C	301	48
6	7	Ty Gibbs	T	301	38
7	4	Denny Hamlin	T	301	32
8	1	Tyler Reddick	T	301	29
9	18	Ryan Preece	F	301	38
10	19	Noah Gragson	F	301	27
11	25	Brad Keselowski	F	301	31
12	26	Austin Cindric	F	301	25
13	14	Zane Smith	F	301	24
14	21	Joey Logano	F	301	23
15	10	Alex Bowman	C	301	22
16	15	Michael McDowell	C	301	21
17	35	Daniel Suárez	C	301	20
18	16	Chris Buescher	F	301	23
19	22	Carson Hocevar	C	300	27
20	5	Shane Van Gisbergen	C	300	19
21	13	Todd Gilliland	F	300	16
22	32	Cole Custer	C	300	15
23	24	AJ Allmendinger	C	300	14
24	28	Austin Hill	C	300	0
25	29	Chase Elliott	C	300	12
26	17	Chase Briscoe	T	300	12
27	33	Ty Dillon	C	300	10
28	30	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	C	300	9
29	36	Cody Ware	C	300	8
30	3	William Byron	C	296	14
31	31	John H Nemechek	T	296	6
32	34	Austin Dillon	C	282	5
33	11	Erik Jones	T	251-g	4
34	27	Riley Herbst	T	222-a	3
35	20	Connor Zilisch	C	222-a	2
36	12	Ross Chastain	C	41-e	1

Race Statistics

Winner's average speed: 94.366 mph. Time: 3 hours, 22 minutes, 59 seconds.

Caution flags: 9 for 51 laps.

Lead changes: 15 among 8 drivers. Lap leaders: T.Reddick 0, W.Byron 1-25, S.Van Gisbergen 26-42, W.Byron 43, S.Van Gisbergen 44-56, K.Larson 57-74, R.Preece 75-91, J.Berry 92-147, R.Blaney 148-188, J.Berry 189, B.Wallace 190-194, J.Berry 195-209, B.Wallace 210-221, J.Berry 222, B.Wallace 223-227, R.Blaney 228-301

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): R. Blaney, 2 times for 115 laps, J. Berry, 4 times for 73 laps, S. Van Gisbergen, 2 times for 30 laps, W. Byron, 2 times for 26 laps, B. Wallace, 3 times for 22 laps, K. Larson, 1 time for 18 laps, R. Preece, 1 time for 17 laps, T. Reddick, 1 time for 0 laps.

Wins: T.Reddick, 5, D.Hamlin, 4,

Wins: T.Reddick, 5, D.Hamlin, 4, R.Blaney, 3, T.Gibbs, 2, C.Elliott, 2, J.Logano, 2, S.Van Gisbergen, 2, C.Briscoe, 1, C.Hocevar, 1, D.Suárez, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. D.Hamlin, 1001, 2. R.Blaney, 924, 3. T.Gibbs, 880, 4. T.Red- dick, 860, 5. C.Bell, 738, 6. C.Briscoe, 727, 7. K.Larson, 708, 8. C.Elliott, 707, 9. J.Logano, 682, 10. C.Buescher, 676, 11. C.Hocevar, 672, 12. W.Byron, 644, 13. D.Suárez, 638, 14. B.Wallace, 630, 15. A.Cindric, 599, 16. S.Van Gisbergen, 5

F1 DUTCH GRAND PRIX

Sunday at Circuit Park Zandvoort; Zandvoort, Netherlands.; Lap: 4 kilometers (Start position in parentheses)

2. (3) Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Italy, Mercedes, 72, +11.536 seconds, 18.

3. (2) George Russell, Great Britain, Mercedes, 72, +15.906, 15.

4. (5) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Ferrari, 72, +16.755, 12.

5. (6) Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 72, +17.258, 10.

6. (4) Oscar Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 72, +32.332, 8.

7. (8) Liam Lawson, New Zealand, Red Bull Racing, 72, +1:19.915, 6.

8. (13) Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Audi F1 Team, 71, 1L, 4.

9. (18) Fernando Alonso, Spain, Aston Martin, 71, 1L, 2.

10. (11) Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, 71, 1L, 1.

11. (12) Yuki Tsunoda, Japan, Racing Bulls, 71, 1L.

12. (10) Arvid Lindblad, Great Britain, Racing Bulls, 71, 1L.

13. (9) Gabriel Bortoleto, Brazil, Audi F1 Team, 71, 1L.

14. (14) Franco Colapinto, Argentina, Alpine, 70, 2L.

15. (22) Sergio Perez, Mexico, Cadillac, 70, 2L.

16. (17) Carlos Sainz Jr., Spain, Williams, 70, 2L.

17. (16) Alexander Albon, Thailand, Williams, did not finish, 66.

18. (21) Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Cadillac, did not finish, 61.

19. (19) Lance Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, did not finish, 45.

College football

OPENING WEEK SCHEDULE

(Subject to change)

(Subject to change) THURSDAY'S GAMES East

Maine at Towson, 5 p.m.

Stolly Brook at Delaware St., 5 p.m. Lafayette at Georgetown, 6 p.m. South

Ohio Dominican at Morehead St., 5 p.m. S. Illinois at West Florida, 6 p.m.

Anderson (SC) Trojans at Furman, 6 p.m. Virginia-Wise at Presbyterian, 6 p.m.

Cent. Arkansas at UT Martin, 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Coll. at Northwestern St., 7 p.m. Midwest

Mercyhurst at Youngstown St., 5 p.m. Chas So. at Lindenwood (Mo.), 6 p.m. Northwestern (IA) at W. Illinois, 6 p.m. Winona St. at St. Thomas (Minn.), 6 p.m. S.D. Mines at Drake, 6:30 p.m. LIU Brooklyn at North Dakota, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY'S GAMES

East

Colgate at Fordham, 5 p.m. William & Mary at Villanova, 5 p.m. Marist at New Haven, 5 p.m. Rhode Island at Merrimack, 5 p.m. New Hampshire at Albany (NY), 6 p.m. West

Weber St. at N. Colorado, 8 p.m. Idaho at Cal Poly, 9 p.m.

Soccer

MLS

Eastern	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Nashville	15	2	4	49	43	17
Miami	11	4	6	39	49	40
Chicago	11	6	3	36	37	26
N. England	10	7	4	34	33	26
Charlotte	9	7	5	32	38	32
Cincinnati	8	6	7	31	49	47
NYC	7	8	6	27	35	30
NY R. Bulls	7	9	5	26	31	43
Orlando	7	11	3	24	34	51
Toronto	5	7	9	24	31	37
D.C. United	5	7	9	24	28	36
Atlanta	6	12	4	22	25	36
Philadelphia	5	10	6	21	31	38
Montréal	5	10	6	21	29	39
Columbus	5	11	5	20	30	36
Western	W	1	7	Pts	25	24

Western	W	L	P	TS	Gr	Gk
Vancouver	12	4	4	40	45	18
Houston	12	7	2	38	30	26
LAFC	10	7	5	35	36	22
San Jose	10	8	3	33	39	33
Dallas	9	6	6	33	38	34
St Louis City	9	6	6	33	30	27
Colorado	9	11	1	28	30	28
Salt Lake	8	8	4	28	34	32
Portland	8	9	4	28	38	37
Minnesota	7	7	7	28	27	29
San Diego	7	8	6	27	37	32
LA Galaxy	6	8	8	26	27	32
Seattle	7	9	4	25	22	27
Austin	5	10	6	21	26	40
Kansas City	4	14	4	16	20	51

Three points for victory, one point for tie

SATURDAY'S MATCHES

Chicago at Seattle, 3:30 p.m.
Charlotte FC at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.
New England at Columbus, 6:30 p.m.
Los Angeles FC at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m.
CF Montréal at Miami, 6:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Red Bulls, 6:30 p.m.
New York City FC at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m.
San Jose at Houston, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Sporting KC, 7:30 p.m.
Orlando City at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati at Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Real Salt Lake at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
Austin FC at Portland, 9:30 p.m.
LA Galaxy at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

FC Dallas at St Louis City, 6 p.m. FRIDAY SEPT. 4

Nashville at New York City FC, 6:30 p.m. SUNDAY'S RESULTS

New York City FC 1, New England 1, tie Atlanta 2, Sporting Kansas City 1

NWSL

Club	W	L	T	Pt	GF	GA
Gotham	13	3	5	44	26	13
Washington	11	6	4	37	30	19
Portland	11	6	4	37	35	29
Utah	11	7	3	36	37	27
San Diego	11	7	3	36	29	23
N. Carolina	10	7	3	33	36	30
Kansas City	9	8	4	31	32	29
Seattle	8	8	4	28	25	26
Angel City	7	7	5	26	27	20
Houston	7	9	5	26	28	29
Orlando	8	11	2	26	25	31
Denver	6	8	6	24	25	26
Louisville	7	12	2	23	32	40
Bay	6	10	4	22	21	27
Boston	5	11	5	20	24	34
Chicago	5	15	1	16	12	41

Three points for victory, one point for tie WEDNESDAY'S MATCH

FRIDAY'S MATCHES

Angel City at North Carolina, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY'S MATCHES

North Carolina at Kansas City, 5:30 p.m. Utah Royals FC at Orlando, 6 p.m. Chicago at Denver Summit FC, 7:45 p.m.

SUNDAY'S MATCHES

Bay FC at Washington, 11:30 a.m. Houston at Seattle, 6 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 31

Angel City at Boston Legacy FC, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

Boston Legacy FC at Utah Royals FC, 8:30 p.m.

Kansas City at Bay FC, 9 p.m. SUNDAY'S RESULTS Chicago 3, Louisville 2 Orlando 1, Washington 0 Bay FC 1, Houston 0 Gotham FC 0, Angel City 0

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Club	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pt
Brighton	1	1	0	0	4	0	3
Arsenal	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
Brentford	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
Chelsea	1	1	0	0	3	2	3
Everton	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
Hull	1	1	0	0	2	0	3
Ipswich	1	1	0	0	2	1	3
Man City	1	1	0	0	2	1	3
Leeds	1	1	0	0	1	0	3
Liverpool	1	0	1	0	2	2	1
Newcastle	1	0	1	0	2	2	1
Fulham	1	0	0	1	2	3	0
Bournemouth	1	0	0	1	1	2	0
Sunderland	1	0	0	1	1	2	0
Notting, Forest	1	0	0	1	0	1	0
Crystal Palace	1	0	0	1	0	2	0
Man United	1	0	0	1	0	2	0
Coventry	1	0	0	1	0	3	0
Tottenham	1	0	0	1	0	3	0
Aston Villa	1	0	0	1	0	4	0

MONDAY'S RESULT

FRIDAY'S MATCH

SUNDAY'S MATCHES

Chelsea vs. Brighton, 8 a.m. Leeds vs. Brentford, 8 a.m. Sunderland vs. Fulham, 8 a.m. Man United vs. Ipswich, 10:30 a.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 31

Aston Villa vs. Arsenal, 2 p.m. FRIDAY, SEPT. 4 Ipswich vs. Liverpool, 2 p.m.

U.S. WOMEN'S SCHEDULE

2026 record: 8-2-0

Saturday, Oct. 10: vs. Spain, 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13: vs. Spain, 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27: vs. El Salvador, TBD

Golf

LIV INDIANAPOLIS

3rd of 4 rounds at The Club at Chatham Hills; Westfield, Ind.; 273 yards; Par: 70

Team Scores

Legion XIII (J. Rahm, T. Hatton, T. McKibbin, C. Surratt), \$8,400,000....-44 HyFlyers (M. La Sasso, P. Mickelson, W. Ormsby, B. Steele, C. Tringale), \$4,800,000....-38 Ripper GC (C. Smith, L. Herbert, M. Leishman, T. Smith, E. Smylie), \$3,600,000....-36 4Aces GC (D. Johnson, T. Detry, A. Kim, T. Pieters), \$2,400,000....-32 Fireballs GC (S. Garcia, J. Ballester, L. Masaveu, D. Puig), \$1,955,000....-31 RangeGoats GC (B. Watson, B. Campbell, P. Uihlein, M. Wolff), \$1,800,000....-30 Torque GC (J. Niemann, A. Ancer, S. Muñoz, C. Ortiz), \$1,800,000....-30 Southern Guards GC (L. Oosthuizen, D. Burmester, B. Grace, C. Schwartzel), \$1,500,000....-29 Korean Golf Club (B. Hun An, M. Kim, D. Lee, Y. Song), \$1,200,000....-27 Majesticks GC (I. Poulter, L. Canter, S. Horsfield, B. Schmidt, L. Westwood), \$990,000....-26 Crushers GC (B. DeChambeau, P. Casey, C. Howell III, A. Lahiri), \$780,000....-17 Cleeks Golf Club (M. Kaymer, R. Bland, A. Meronk, V. Perez, J. Catlin), \$570,000....-9 OKGC (T. Gooch, J. Kakrak, G. McDowell, H. Varner III), \$360,000....-6

Final Round

Crystal Palace vs. Man City, 2 p.m.
SAUTRDAY'S MATCHES
Liverpool vs. Notting. Forest, 6:30 a.m.
Bournemouth vs. Everton, 9 a.m.
Coventry vs. Hull, 9 a.m.
Tottenham vs. Newcastle, 11:30 a.m.

262 (-18)	$2,020,000
Michael La Sasso	71-60-66-65
263 (-17)	$1,136,250
Jon Rahm	67-67-66-63
264 (-16)	$611,250
Bryson DeChambeau	65-68-67-64
Sergio Garcia	64-69-66-65
265 (-15)	$353,500
Richard T. Lee	63-66-73-63
Scott Vincent	66-68-66-65
Laurie Canter	62-68-68-67
266 (-14)	$265,125
Dean Burmester	64-68-68-66
267 (-13)	$227,250
Richard Bland	66-67-65-69
268 (-12)	$200,738
Marc Leishman	66-67-68-67
Thomas Detry	66-64-68-70
269 (-11)	$162,195
Bjoern Hellgren	69-67-68-65
Tom McKibbin	67-69-66-67
Matthew Wolf	66-65-69-69
Bubba Watson	64-68-67-70
Young-Han Song	67-67-65-70
270 (-10)	$116,431
Lucas Herbert	66-69-71-64
Byeong-Hun An	66-69-69-66
Abraham Ancer	66-65-70-69
Branden Grace	67-67-67-69
Joaquin Niemann	64-67-70-69
Harold Varner III,	68-66-67-69
Thomas Pieters	66-65-69-70
Jose Luis Ballester	66-68-65-71
Cameron Smith	63-68-67-72
271 (-9)	$95,950
Ian Poulter	68-66-68-69
272 (-8)	$88,375
Charles Howell III	74-66-69-63
Peter Uihlein	66-69-69-68
Tyrrell Hatton	67-67-68-70
Caleb Surratt	64-69-69-70
Lee Westwood	64-67-70-71
273 (-7)	$79,538
Danny Lee	68-70-69-66
Brendan Steel	64-68-69-72

CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

4th of 4 rounds at Royal Mayfair GC: Edmonton, Alberta; 6,452 yards; Par: 70 Sunday's final round

Miyu Yamashita	62-64-65-66-257-23
Yuri Yoshida	65-66-66-69-266-14
Sei Young Kim	68-68-64-67-267-13
Anna Huang	65-68-70-65-268-12
Gina Kim	66-67-64-71-268-12
Ruoning Yin	65-67-68-68-268-12
Aphrodite Deng	70-67-63-69-269-11
Laney Frye	66-67-68-68-269-11
Ariya Jutanugarn	66-68-67-68-269-11
Yan Liu	67-69-67-68-271-9
Nataliya Guseva	67-71-65-69-272-8
Jennifer Kupcho	66-68-64-74-272-8
P. Anannarukarn	69-68-69-67-273-7
Brooke Henderson	67-68-68-70-273-7
Alison Lee	69-70-67-67-273-7
Mao Saigo	66-67-70-70-273-7
Robyn Choi	71-66-70-67-274-6
Hye Jin Choi	71-68-68-67-274-6
Jodi Ewart Shaddoff	70-68-67-69-274-6
Ayaka Furue	68-66-70-70-274-6
Dongeun Lee	68-69-64-73-274-6
Yuna Nishimura	72-68-67-67-274-6

ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC

3rd off 3 rounds, at Canyon Meadows G&CC, Calgary, Alberta; 7,068 yards; Par: 70 Saturday's second round

X-wn on first playoff hole
x-Steven Alker	68-61-65-194
Y.E. Yang	67-64-63-194
Zach Johnson	68-62-65-195
Jerry Kelly	65-67-63-195
Ryan Armour	65-63-69-197
Michael Block	65-65-67-197
Retief Goosen	66-66-65-197
Richard Green	63-67-67-197
Jason Bohn	67-65-66-198
David Bransdon	68-66-64-198
Ricardo Gonzalez	67-65-66-198
Rob Labritz	63-67-68-198
Vaughn Taylor	67-66-65-198
Jason Caron	65-68-66-199
J.J. Henry	68-62-69-199
Miguel Angel Jiménez	64-66-69-199
Warren Pineo	67-66-66-199
Mike Weir	67-66-66-199
Michael Wright	66-64-69-199
Jamie Donaldson	71-63-66-200
Brian Gay	66-64-70-200
Paul Goydos	70-65-65-200
Thongchai Jaidee	65-68-67-200
Søren Kjeldsen	67-68-65-200
Scott Parel	68-66-66-200
Tag Ridings	66-67-67-200

Odds

MLB

Favorite

Line

Underdog

American League

American League
Tampa Bay	-135/+110	at Detroit
at NY Yankees	-147/+119	Houston
Kansas City	-123/-100	at Toronto
Texas	Off/Off	at Chicago WS
Cleveland	-137/+115	at LA Angels
Minnesota	-151/+127	at Athletics

at Washington	Off/Off	Colorado
Milwaukee	-166/+134	at NY Mets
LA Dodgers	-164/+133	at Atlanta
Chic. Cubs	-113/-110	at Arizona
Pittsburgh	-114/-104	at San Diego
Cincinnati	-114/-109	at San Fran.

at Miami	Off/Off	Boston
at St. Louis	Off/Off	Baltimore
Philadelphia	-119/+100	at Seattle

NFL

Favorite

Line (O/U)

Underdog

Thursday

at Buffalo	$2^{1/2}$ ( $35^{1/2}$ )	Pittsburgh
at Las Vegas	$1^{1/2}$ ( $37^{1/2}$ )	San Fran.
New England	$2^{1/2}$ ( $34^{1/2}$ )	at Cleveland
at LA Chargers	$4^{1/2}$ ( $39^{1/2}$ )	LA Rams

at Baltimore	$3\frac{1}{2}$ (35 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	Washington
Atlanta	$4\frac{1}{2}$ (36 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	at Miami
Houston	$1\frac{1}{2}$ (35 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	at Carolina
Tampa Bay	$1\frac{1}{2}$ (35 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	at Jacksonville
NY Giants	3 (36 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	at NY Jets
Arizona	$2\frac{1}{2}$ (36 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	at Green Bay
at Dallas	$2\frac{1}{2}$ (36 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	New Orleans
at Philadelphia	$2\frac{1}{2}$ (38 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	Cincinnati
at Kansas City	$1\frac{1}{2}$ (36 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	Seattle
at Denver	6 (39 $\frac{1}{2}$ )	Minnesota

at Indianapolis	$3^{1/2}$ ( $36^{1/2}$ )	Detroit
at Tennessee	$3$ ( $36^{1/2}$ )	Chicago

College Football

Saturday

Saturday
at TCU	$7^{1/2}$ ( $47^{1/2}$ )	N Carolina
at USC	$38^{1/2}$ ( $60^{1/2}$ )	San Jose St
at Virginia	$5^{1/2}$ ( $53^{1/2}$ )	NC State
at N Dakota St	$6^{1/2}$ ( $46^{1/2}$ )	Jacksonville
at E Michigan	$9^{1/2}$ ( $52^{1/2}$ )	Sacramento St
at Stanford	$5^{1/2}$ ( $48^{1/2}$ )	Hawaii
at Florida St	$31^{1/2}$ ( $53^{1/2}$ )	N Mexico St
at UNLV	$5^{1/2}$ ( $56^{1/2}$ )	Memphis

Browns QBs Deshaun Watson (4) and Shedeur Sanders head onto the field ahead of their team's preseason home game against the Bills on Saturday. Watson was named the team's starting QB on Monday. CAROLYN KASTER/AP

NFL

Boos aside, Browns name Watson QB1

By Joe Reedy

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEREA, Ohio — Not many gave Deshaun Watson a chance of reclaiming the Browns starting quarterback spot over the last 22 months.

Since Watson ruptured his right Achilles the first time in a Week 7 game in 2024, owner Jimmy Haslam said during last year's owners meetings that the Browns "took a big swing and miss" when they sent three first-round picks to the Texans for the controversial QB in 2022.

After Shedeur Sanders had a solid first half in last Saturday's 31-7 loss to the Bills, a frustrated Watson said the boos from the crowd were "personal" and showed "disrespect" after he took the field in Cleveland for the first time in 22 months.

Despite the hurdles and a close competition with Sanders, Watson will be the Browns starting quarterback for their Sept. 13 opener at the Jaguars.

Coach Todd Monken made the announcement on Monday after informing both Watson and Sanders.

"I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points," Monken said.

Watson, a 10-year veteran, won the competition over Sanders as both split reps with the first unit throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason.

The decision will not be popular with Browns fans, who have booed Watson repeatedly during his time with the team, and have put a lot of support behind Sanders, the son of Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

Monken reiterated that fan sentiment and Watson's comments did not play a role in his decision.

“Ultimately the fans want us to win. That’s our job as coaches. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately they don’t decide who plays,” Monken said.

Watson has started only 19 games for the Browns since being acquired from the Texans in 2022 and signing a fully guaranteed, \$230 million contract. He's 9-10 with the Browns with 19 TD passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating.

In 2022, Watson missed the first 11 games because of a league suspension resulting from his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a season-ending shoulder injury and started seven in 2024 before the first of two Achilles tendon injuries.

On Monday, Watson opened his news conference with a two-minute statement in which he apologized for his postgame comments.

“I thought I was going to get a little different response,” he said, “but I think my emotions got the best of me. My comments weren’t intending to go at any of the fans around in the city, because there’s been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me. And I know the frustration. This organization has put a lot of investment in coming to get me back in ’22, and things haven’t been going the right direction that we thought it was. A lot of injuries, time off, and not putting my best foot forward.”

"I understand the frustration. ... And moving forward, I just want to focus on football, making sure that I'm putting the best product out there, having the best ability, because I thrive off the energy. I thrive off the energy of the fans. I thrive off the energy of the community. I thrive off all that stuff."

IN BRIEF

49ers owner York arrested Sunday in prostitution case

NEWS SERVICES

Jed York, the owner of the 49ers, was arrested over the weekend in Ohio and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.

York was arrested Sunday morning at a mobile home community in East Palestine, Ohio, and was released after posting a \$5,000 bond. He was sentenced to one day in jail for both offenses to be served concurrently and was credited with one day served when he pleaded no contest Monday morning. He also was fined \$1,150.

Court records show that York initially was charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. Records also show that York had a cellphone returned to him and that \$160 that was seized was to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York completed on online course.

The NFL issued a statement saying the league was aware of the arrest and would review it under the personal conduct policy. The team said it would not have any comment on the situation.

York took over day-to-day control of the 49ers from his parents in 2008. He became the team's principal owner in 2024. After some initial struggles under York's leadership, the team has been a consistent contender since hiring coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017.

■ Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty, who had to be helped off the practice field Sunday, is believed to have sprained his ankle, ESPN reported. The Raiders still are unsure how long Jeanty will be out, but it isn't considered a long-term injury.

WNBA: The Mercury and six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner reached an agreement to buy out her contract. The move sends Bonner to the waiver wire, and she would become an unrestricted free agent if she isn't picked up. In her 17th season, Bonner would then be clear to sign with any team. Both Bonner and GM Nick U'Ren indicated she's looking for a chance to participate in the playoffs with her career winding down. Bonner is averaging 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals this season. She ranks third in league history in career points and is just the third ever to score 8,000 points.

BEARS

WR Walker wants to show coaches ‘they can trust me’

By Sean Hammond CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Jahdae Walker went up and got it.

The second-year Bears wide receiver made arguably the play of the game Saturday in preseason action against the Cincinnati Bengals. On a night when the Bears scored just three field goals in a 27-9 loss, there were few offensive highlights.

But Walker's catch in the second quarter was hard to miss.

On first down early in the quarter, Walker lined up on the outside and beat Bengals cornerback Josh Newton by a step. Quarterback Case Keenum lofted the pass between Newton and safety P.J. Jules, who was helping over the top.

Walker leaped high into the air to haul in the pass for a 36-yard gain. He spun the ball on the turf in celebration.

“Coach (Ben Johnson) called a fade ball and I was just trying to read it early so I could win late,” Walker said. “I saw the safety cheating on the hash, so I knew I had to snag it. Took it real fast.”

It was Walker's only catch of the preseason so far, but that doesn't mean he isn't making his mark on training camp. He has been a steady presence with the secondteam offense, and since Luther Burden III was sidelined by a groin injury, Walker has taken more and more reps with quarterback Caleb Williams and the starters.

In a receiving group headlined by Burden and 2024 top-10 draft pick Rome Odunze, Walker's name isn't always top of mind. The Bears signed veteran Kalif Raymond, who seems poised to see the field a bunch, and drafted Zavion Thomas with a third-round pick.

But Walker hasn't gone anywhere. He made the 53-man roster a year ago as an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M and he looks to be a part of the plan this year when the Bears make their cuts next week.

If Walker is overlooked by folks on the outside, that's no matter to him.

“That’s fine,” he said with a laugh. “Better opportunities for me. Keep one-on-one-ing me and it’s going to be bad. They’ve got to double somebody.”

And that's exactly it. When Burden and Odunze are both out there, along with tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, it stresses defenses. The opponent can't double-team everybody.

Walker took advantage of his opportunities late last season. After playing sparingly for much of the season, he caught the tying touchdown pass in the Week 16 comeback against the Green Bay Packers. Two weeks later, he scored another touchdown in a Week 18 comeback effort that fell short against the Detroit Lions.

Walker didn't catch his first NFL pass until Week 16, yet he finished the final three regular-season games with six catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. With Odunze sidelined by a foot injury at the time, Walker took advantage of his opportunity.

While Walker wasn't seeing the field much during the season, he was a constant presence in the locker room. If you saw Williams at Halas Hall, you'd usually find Walker not far behind — or rather, you'd probably hear him before you saw him.

“You talk about energy, like, he’s the one I have to tell to slow down in the room,” receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said. “Because he is — how do I say it? Kalif is like controlled energy. Jahdae is just baaaaah — energy all the time. But you love a guy like that because you need guys like that.”

It takes a certain level of self-confidence to be the loudest guy in the room as an undrafted rookie, and Walker was unapologetically himself last year, despite the fact he didn't play more than 10 offensive snaps until December.

Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker warms up for a preseason game against the Browns on Aug. 15 at Soldier Field. JOHN J. KIM/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

When Williams struggled in one home game, it was Walker whom the quarterback called to get in some extra throwing at the team facility hours after the game ended. Williams even let Walker crash at his house when Walker first signed with the Bears.

“Him taking the next step is up to him,” Williams said. “Doing things right, trying to perfect (his game). From there, being friendly to the football, being friendly to the QB. Trying to make catches when the QB may not be right or may not throw the best ball. It’s protecting your brother, your quarterback. I am extremely excited for him."

Their throwing sessions continued over the offseason. Videos of Williams throwing to Burden or Loveland went viral all offseason, but look closely — it seems in every one of those videos, Walker is there putting in work too.

"I've just been trying my hardest to keep improving," Walker said. "At the end of the day, I just want to be better than myself each and every day. I want to be better and better and better.

"I don't ever want to stay the same and just continue to show that growth and show the coaches that I'm growing and show them that I know what I'm doing and I know my plays. Showing that they can trust me."

BIGGS

from Page C1

across the NFL this year.

Bears running backs Roschon Johnson, left, and Salvon Ahmed participate in training camp at Halas Hall on Aug. 4. EILEEN T. MESLAR/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Bears wide receiver Scott Miller, left, runs a drill during a joint practice with the Bengals on Thursday in Cincinnati. CAROLYN KASTER/AP

First-year Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said recently that the league emphasized during the owners meetings in March that a joint practice has the same competitive value as a preseason game.

“You get two joint practices in, that’s the equivalent of playing the two preseason (games) because it is a heightened, amped-up environment,” LaFleur told Arizona media. “You’re not tackling, but it’s the amped-up environment that you get.

“For some reason, the data says if you end up having those joint practices, you have a lower injury risk going into the first four weeks of the season.”

Not everyone seeks out a practice partner in training camp. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said he wasn't interested in one this summer, pointing out that the scheduling logistics force teams to lose practice days that can be dedicated to scheme installation.

The Broncos are one of four teams not to have at least one joint practice this year, along with the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson loves competitive environments, and the Bears will sign up for anything that potentially reduces their injury risk early in the season, especially because a lot of their back-end roster choices will be affected to some degree by health.

“(Monday) is a pretty big day for us to make sure we are all aligned, we all see it the same way,” Johnson said. “It will be a big week for (players) as well. I said it a week ago that I don’t think there was much clarity, and actually it’s a good thing as we have a really good competition across the roster for a number of spots.”

NFL rules allow teams to place two players on injured reserve/ designated to return simultaneous with cuts to the 53-man roster, and that could be what the Bears choose to do with left tackle Ozzy Trapilo as he continues his comeback from a ruptured patellar tendon.

If the Bears identify a second player for this designation to save a roster spot for a healthy body, it would have to be a player the team knows will be back. Such a spot could go to defensive end Shemar Turner.

What about safety Coby Bryant? Unless the team is convinced at this juncture that Bryant — who the Bears said would miss four to six months with a left knee injury — will be in the mix for sure in December, there's no reason to use a designation on him at this point. The Bears always could use a designation at a later date (teams get a maximum of eight in the regular season and two more in the postseason) if Bryant is ready to practice.

Now that we're through the procedural guidelines and rules in play, which positions have interesting battles in the coming days? Running back: The Bears kept three running backs on their initial 53-man roster last season, and it could go that way again. Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed were showcased in the

preseason game in Cincinnati. Johnson has greater value and experience on special teams and is better in pass protection.

If Kyle Monangai's right knee injury keeps him sidelined into the start of the regular season, the Bears could use a practice-squad elevation for a reserve running back and Ahmed could be a factor in that equation. Teams are permitted to elevate two players from the practice squad for each game, with players limited to a maximum of three elevations during the regular season and playoffs.

Offensive line: Ten was the magic number for the offensive line the previous two seasons, and the Bears got to 10 right after cuts in 2023 after trading for guard/center Dan Feeney. So 10 makes perfect sense again with Trapilo a good candidate to begin on IR.

If Braxton Jones is the starting left tackle and Theo Benedet the swing tackle, do the Bears keep a second reserve tackle in Jedrick

Wills Jr. or Kiran Amegadjie, or do they consider Luke Newman, the sixth-round pick from last year? Newman has been out with a foot injury but did pregame work on the field Saturday at Paycor Stadium with an athletic trainer and could be close to being back.

If Newman still is sidelined, does undrafted rookie guard Caden Barnett have an outside shot at sticking? Figure on guard Jordan McFadden and rookie center Logan Jones as safe backup selections.

Wide receiver: The Bears have had six receivers on the initial roster for three straight seasons under general manager Ryan Poles, and they kept seven in 2022, when N'Keal Harry was moved to IR as soon as that mechanism was available.

The top five — Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker — has been set for a while. Walker got a good run on special teams against the Bengals.

While the Bears are unlikely to have six receivers active for any game, they could keep six on the roster if they want Kaden Davis, Maurice Alexander, Scotty Miller or even newcomer Ray-Ray McCloud III. It also looks like a position where they could roll with five if they go a little heavy at wide receiver on the practice squad. Tight end: Poles has started the season with three tight ends for four straight years, and that's certainly the chalk play here. The Bears would have to feel like they need a fourth tight end early in the season to keep Stephen Carlson or undrafted rookie Hayden Large. Defensive end: The Bears have kept 10 defensive linemen each of the last two seasons, and that seems like a good number again. It's just a question of how many ends and tackles and what the back end looks like.

Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo and Daniel Hardy figure to be set at end. If there's a fifth, you're looking at Jamree Kromah or Marcus Davenport. Given Davenport has yet to get on the practice field while he works to get in shape, he seems like a veteran ticketed for the practice squad. Kromah spent last year on the practice squad and might go that route again. Defensive tackle: Five tackles will be the minimum with Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Neville Gallimore, Jordan van den Berg and Kentavius Street at the front of the line. It's worth wondering if James Lynch, who has played some end, could secure a job because of his flexibility to play on the edge, particularly on run downs.

Cornerback: There are probably more questions in the secondary than anywhere else because injuries have been clustered here. Terell Smith (undisclosed) and Jaylon Jones (ankle) have missed time with injuries. If they're healthy in time, they could slot in with Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Malik Muhammad II and Josh Blackwell.

Unless something significant happens, Kyler Gordon looks like a candidate to remain on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the season. Dontae Manning got a ton of playing time Saturday (39 snaps). Some was good, some wasn't. If a healthy option is required, perhaps he snags a spot.

Safety: One thing that jumps out is Cam Lewis has the versatility to play safety and nickel cornerback, and that could allow the team to account for two spots with one player. First-round pick Dillon Thieneman and veteran Xavier Woods could be the starters, and then you get back to the "when will he be ready?" question with Elijah Hicks, who has a shin issue but is believed to be close to returning.

Undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas made a lunging interception against the Bengals that had to catch the attention of all evaluators. Four is generally the target number at safety, but injuries make this a bit of a puzzle.